Nexus Awakened (An Isekai LitRPG Gender Bender Story)

89. Circus Fight

The Room of Mirrors breathed through unseen pores right beneath their feet. Each countless mirror in this bizarre place seemingly turned to face them as they powered through.

There were no anomalous properties as far as Frost could tell. Her passing appearance was as clear as day despite there being only a single light. The mirrors made it impossible to tell how exactly large this place was. It was no maze, but the mirrors distorted their surroundings making it appear as such.

For someone with near flawless omnidirectional vision like Frost, it was rather easy navigating through. The same was true for the triplets who had a keen understanding of their surroundings. But for people like the Elves, the Dwarves, and humans alike – it was almost expected of them to lose themselves here.

To combat this, Frost dug her fingers into her palms and wove an intricate rope made of metal strands. She laid it down and fed it towards the back. It was essentially their lifeline, held by a rugged, hooded man at the far back as the others held on.

With this it would be difficult for them to split from the party. And as usual, Frost’s abnormal display of her abilities brought her identity into question. But none said this aloud. Small talk and chatter were ill shared here.

Only the humming sound of the horrific music played from deeper within, coupled with laugher and cheers.

“… distorted mirrors are here as well huh. Hey Res. I got a prompt. It said not to break the mirrors.” Frost said, her voice only heard by the triplets as she saw an elongated version of herself.

“They inflict damage onto you depending on where you break it. But it’s not a problem for us.” Res assured.

“It’s a Monsoon dungeon. You’d have to be weak to take any damage.” Cer proved this by scraping a finger along the length of a mirror, slicing her reflection’s face.

The person in the mirror began to bleed, but the real Cer remained untouched. And as if realizing this, the reflection deflated into a husk of skin right after scowling at her.

“What these mirrors like to do is poke at you. Prod. Try to get under your skin.” Res explained.

“More like to get you into theirs.” Ber said.

“Is there a reason for that?” Jury questioned.

“Dunno. But Frost will probably be the first to figure it out.” Cer hummed.

Each step was dampened by loose brick and wet soil. The ground here was uneven, as if to trip people onto one of the mirrors and shatter them. Frost took a good look at herself, and still found nothing odd.

Jury and Ignis didn’t seem to react either. As for Snap, it didn’t really seem to be affected by this in the first place for some reason. They wandered this place for only 5 minutes, and by now the unease had solidified into a dense, near unbreathable atmosphere.

“… the fuck are you looking at?”

“Oi, keep your eyes off it.”

“That’s not me… I’m not like that.”

“Am I really that beautiful…?”

There were a few that began to speak as if on the onset of a mental episode. The mirrors clearly showed them something they despised, feared, or adored. A blonde woman heavily dressed in plated armor, a shield and a spear instantly erected what appeared to be a series of magical circles, each containing symbols which Frost was able to read.

They all pertained to the idea of protection, so naturally, Frost guessed that those things were barriers of sorts made from magic. It surrounded only those that expressed these deranged symptoms, all the while others kept themselves close to these people in the event that they attempt to destroy their reflection.

Curious of the mirror’s properties; Frost snatched one on passing, ripping it straight from the ground with utter ease.

She snapped it into three good, even chunks and began to stealthily eat at it like it was circus food. To her shock, it tasted of flesh and blood. But there was a tinge of sweetness to it, with an addictive flavor not too different from cotton candy.

… its oddly pleasant. Disgusting knowing that these probably have some human origins, but I could find myself enjoying it if I didn’t know any better. Nav. Is there a proper way to stop people from degrading their mind further in this place?

“Physical restraint perhaps. A cognition censor even. But it is ultimately up to oneself I believe. People are affected on an individual basis by these things.”

I would hit them with Darkness stacks, but their RESIST stats are way too low. Let’s see…

“Hold onto the line. Shut your eyes and just follow it. You’ve entered a Monsoon dungeon knowing the risks.” Frost suddenly spoke aloud, gathering the attention of all. “I’m giving you the choice to leave now. If you’re already being affected by these things and chose to keep moving on, then I cannot guarantee your survival.”

If people were already mentally crumbling already, then they had no place here and were frankly a major detriment to them all. As much of a threat as this was, it was a painful reality that could not be changed. And as confident as she was in the strength of her own group – there were no guarantees to protect all 20 of them.

This sentiment was shared equally amongst the Adventurers, some reluctantly, and others like it was a natural course of life.

“Are coins worth risking your life for? There are easier dungeons than this.” She further added, her eyes piercing right through them as they came to a sudden stop.

They were only a few minutes left from reaching an orange light which she assumed was the exit. This was sternly confirmed by Res. The Animal – no, the Blood Festival Dungeons were among the shortest and were usually cleared in hours.

What made them so difficult in the first place was when it turned into a rescue mission rather than a subjugation.

“Coins are our livelihoods. Don’t talk like you know anything about us. Even we high rankers are struggling now that it’s become nearly impossible to prove your completion without you Golden Thumbs.” One blurted out.

“It’s our power. It gets us things we can’t get any other way. Some of us just like to hoard it as well. It’s our life. With a bounty of platinum coins, you can’t blame us for not resisting.” Another explained.

“Adventuring is about choice. Risk versus reward. Ever since the dawn of civilization currency’s always been one of the better motivators. Death isn’t uncommon in our work. You’re speaking as if you’ve never seen someone die. It must be nice being you.”

Their stance on morality was different from Frost’s. It was a profession with a high mortality rate to begin with, especially regarding the subjugations of dungeons. The glory and rewards remained at the forefront of their minds over their own life, although she could tell that if push came to shove, then they’d certainly value their lives in those last moments.

And that was enough for Frost to begin her efforts into understanding these people better.

She asked them to state their specialties in magic, combat, and anything relevant. The one other Blessed present, who also happened to be the highest levelled amongst them, revealed her Professions instead.

It was the spear and shield-wielding woman. She was a human Paladin that specialized in defensive and party-buffing skills. Her name was Perla.

Her stats were what Frost would have called high at one point in time. But it was disproportionately low compared to the Moons and her companions, to the point where it was almost comical.

But there was no joke to be found in this situation.

Furthermore, Frost realized that she would not have known this woman was a Blessed if she did not explicitly state it. To begin with, Blessed could not check the status of another Blessed. It was how they recognized one another, and how they identified the Corrupted in the first place as well.

Frost’s Blessing of the Amalgam allowed her to effectively bypass this limitation of the weaker Blessing of the Nexus.

She considered every single one of their ‘professions’, using this to maintain a greater grasp on themselves as they finally left this forsaken Room of Mirrors and entered yet another winding hallway.

I’m the only healer. There’s a girl here that can ‘inspire’ the group with magic. A guy with a giant hunk of iron that tries to pass itself as a blade. Capable mages on par with Furio as well. We’ve got a decent group this time around.

“It’s a high spec group. But a Monsoon dungeon will be a challenge to them regardless.”

We’ll have to see what these challenges are to begin with. The Room of Mirrors softened a few of them up. I can see this place work to whittle down one’s mind before it goes straight for the kill.

“It is only a dungeon. It’s very shallow compared to other dungeons. But as the Moon Triplets stated before – it is most dangerous when it becomes a rescue mission, and highly dangerous for wanderers and the weak willed.”

After minutes of travelling through these hallways which presented nothing but ghastly shadows, they eventually reached a section that saw it expand into a vast orange cavern.

A false sun shone from its great heights, right at the coned peak of this impossibly large circus tent.

It was impossible because its sheer size alone defied logic with the lack of any supporting structures present. Furthermore, the outside of the circus tent appeared considerably smaller than it was within, as if they had stepped into some sort of spatial anomaly.

“I thought only Corrupted Zones were capable of distorting space like this.” Frost had to wonder out loud.

“You’re mistaking it with time. Dungeons are like a gateway to a different world. One small section of it. You see this place? This is what would be called the Fairgrounds when the Heart becomes infested.” Res explained as a vast one kilometer stretch of land.

At each walled edge was yet another tunnel that led elsewhere into the dungeon. However, this place seemed to be the very heart of the dungeon. As for the whereabouts of the Heart itself? That was yet to be determined by them.

This land was populated with small rides, lanes that defined streets, functions and even people. But these were not people. They were hideous, reorganized versions of people, stuffed into living suits of flesh belonging to a number of animals.

And amongst them were soulless, crawling husks that yearned to be filled with organs and flesh, scouring each and every cranny of the world like slugs.

These things were weak, but they possessed an incredibly high amount of ATT, presumably to steal the biomass of their victims in one fell swoop. They were docile. Almost afraid in a way and meandered aimlessly in the thousands.

They could be seen attending rides like a carousel made from reconstituted organs, arranged within the pale flesh of impaled ponies. The tune came directly from those creatures, who sung near ecstatically with groans of agony. Their eyes were plastered onto one side of their heads, staring perpetually for they had no eyelids.

Unlike the Crimson Hunger which had clear-cut creatures with defined stats and roles, these were almost entirely random. They assumed the stats of those they killed, but they were also very close to the stats of the animal they mimicked.

But this was not all.

“Oh joy! New faces! How are you today? I see you all have your tickets into our fun, oh so fun little circus we’ve set up here!” A talking, bipedal lion haphazardly sewn introduced themselves.

They were like a walking jigsaw puzzle, one that made Frost physically uncomfortable knowing that it was no more than a skin hauling around the organs of one of its victims. What superseded this sensation however was a burning rage that she and Jury shared.

But of course, none could compare to the hatred that Ignis possessed as her hand steadily shapeshifted into a fine, curved blade made from bone.

And it was not just them who prepared to fight.

All the adventurers behind assumed battle stances, as many began their chants all the while buffs were being granted at an astounding rate. They exploded into vicious shouts and yell, the ground thumping as many more of these Organized creatures they called Animals took notice of their hostility.

“All of you are not here to play? Friends, we can help you be free like us! Happiest, being the us that we prefer!” The lion frolicked, their limbs swaying all over the place due to the lack of any bone-like structure.

Frost. I believe you have made contact with the inhabitants of the dungeon. The Archivist states that this is a straightforward ordeal. Here are the requirements!

< CONDITION: The Dungeon Heart will reveal itself when the ordeal is over. Eliminate all threats to lure it out >

It’s that simple, huh.

As nothing more than a dungeon, it was expected to be straight forward. More so that it was a Monsoon-classed threat.

“Talk to us! We can speak! Do you not speak maybe? Hey, I know your faaaaace~! Let’s be friends!” This one spoke to Frost directly, but she ignored it wholeheartedly like it was no more than an insect.

“Snap. Don’t get into any confrontations. I want you to focus on surviving.”

Frost rapidly uttered as Snap saluted right before disappearing without a trace, causing dust to kick up with all the magical particles that spawned from their sizable group. These clouds of dust were then instantly dispelled by a number of magical projectiles, including a hailstorm of ice and balls of crackling fire.

These rained into their immediate surroundings, bombarding these abominations right before their butchered faces contorted. And at that moment, they assumed the posture of the animals they paraded as and, with one unanimous cry of laugher – they charged straight for the group.

“Jury, the rest of you, this will be easy! But focus on keeping our support alive! They’ll be the most vulnerable! I don’t have confidence that they’ll be constantly protected by the others!” Frost commanded, instantly inflicting scrutiny onto the oncoming hoard, making them easy picks.

“Too eaaaasy. Heh. This is child’s play!” Cer casually stretched in the face of one of these creatures, merely nibbling in its general direction. The aberration of an electrical jaw snapped dozens at once, leaving behind nothing but a spray of blood. “How’s that for a bite, Frost!?”

In contrast, the Adventurers needed to inflict a number of heavy cleaves, swings and arrows to slay them.

“Protect? Me? Whatever…” Ber was annoyed by this but had no choice but to comply.

Her galvanizing gauntlets sparked and with only a single punch; she created an electrical arc that obliterated yet another few dozen like they were nothing.

“I didn’t have confidence in them as well. It’ll be chaotic. For them.” Res submerged herself into the body of the group, her eyes illuminating like clouds of lighting.

But she did not shoot electrical beams with them. Instead, a strange, vibrating current connected her with her sisters. When one of these creatures intersected this invisible connection, they were severed and had their gaping wounds perfectly cauterized.

The spectacle was unbelievably beautiful in a way. Frost was not one to revel in bloodshed, but there was a certain awe she felt just by watching the triplets fight. They fought without sharing a single word, communicating only through instinct alone.

In contrast, the Adventures roared, screamed, yelled, and cried in an ugly cacophony, combating the laughter of the Organized… all the while that damned screaming circus tune played in the background almost mockingly.

“IGNIS! Are you comfortable in fighting!?” Frost yelled as Jury found herself rushing through these creatures, slicing them up into ribbons with her claw.

She bounced all over the place with immaculate dexterity, using her tail to latch onto various obstacles and use it to fling herself like a giant pinball.

Ignis slowly nodded; her gaze so sharp that it could physically cut into steel.

“Then fight to your heart’s content. These are the Impuritas. The very same things that ruined your home.” Frost instantly struck them with Scrutiny, opening them up for Ignis who had been waiting this entire time for Frost’s permission to fight.

The girl exploded into combat, with a speed comparable to Jury’s. However, Ignis’ movements were unrefined, and she swung the bladed bone around almost randomly. She had to focus on one target at a time, but even so, she was leaps better than the strongest swordsman present.

This man boasted a giant blade that could only be described as one, singular hunk of raw iron and swung with great effect, cleaving through multiple at once.

Ignis’ blade also carried a bizarre effect.

It robbed her victims of their biomass, attaching it onto her blade which became larger, stronger, and more… alive with each felled foe. Now that she realized it – Ignis was not slicing through them.

Rather, her blade was eating them to make way for the curved blade to pass through their bodies.

“Hah! Not bad for what used to be a cat slime! Damned felines and their agility!” Cer complimented, also taking her time to watch Ignis fight, only occasionally biting for these hardly even registered as a threat to her. “Hahaha! She’s even taking hits, but they don’t affect her, huh! What’s her stats like!?”

“5,000 DEF for both ATT and MAG. She was an Eternal Night Corrupted, so naturally her stats are going to be high.”

“FIVE THOUSAND!? She’s – that pipsqueak’s base DEFs are like twice that of ours!? Oi, people can be Corrupted right!? Corrupt me then! Then bring me back!” Cer’s shock could not be put into words.

“You’re already far too gone little wolf!” Jury roared.

Five thousand was an absurdly high stat. Even Frost herself would have trouble defeating Ignis without the help of her Corrupted manifestations. But stats did not reflect one’s prowess, proven by Ignis clumsy movement.

But Frost could see her becoming an absolute monster in combat given enough time.

That being said, it was now her turn to join this chaotic brawl

Alright. Let’s eat.