I Died and Received an SSS-Rank Unique Ability-Chapter 66: Mirroring Shard

Vale found himself—or rather, his very existence—drifting in a sea of nothingness. Dreams, or perhaps the complete absence of them, made sleeping in the Demon Realm feel strange. It was as if his disembodied mind floated in the void, suspended in limbo, waiting for his body to stir awake.

That eerie stillness didn’t last long. A wave of freezing cold suddenly coursed through him, followed by a muffled sound and a violent shake that jolted his torso.

His eyes snapped open. Gasping for air as though drowning, he instinctively reached to summon his weapon—until his vision focused on the face hovering inches from his own.

It was Ayla.

She leaned back quickly, startled by his sudden movement.

"W-What’s going on?" Vale rasped, his voice thick with grogginess. His thoughts were still shrouded in a fog thicker than the one that lingered around them.

"Nothing," Ayla replied with a faint smile. "We should get moving. Everyone’s had enough rest."

Vale blinked, scanning his surroundings. Dain and Klein were already up, their eyes resting on him. So it was just him who needed waking. That alone felt... odd.

"Weird," he thought. I’m not usually the one who needs waking up.

He sat up slowly, eyes sweeping across the aftermath of their last battle. While Ayla rose and walked over to the others, leaving him a moment to collect himself, he took in the scene.

The battlefield bore some marks of conflict—shallow craters pockmarked the ground, and shattered ice glittered across the dirt—but nothing about it screamed the chaos and danger they had just endured. It was almost too quiet, too ordinary.

Vale exhaled as he stood. That’s how it always was in the Demon Realm. You survived one fight only to march toward the next. No time to mourn, no time to remember.

Then, something clicked.

His eyes widened. A flicker of excitement lit up his face.

"The new artifact!" The memory hit him like a sledgehammer.

Without wasting another second, he summoned the status window.

*****

Name: [ Vale ]

Core: [ Dormant ]

Core Rank: [ D, 441/500 ]

Artifacts: [Ordinary Katana, Titan’s Ring, Flask of Salvation, Ironhide Armour, Hellfire, Frostbite, Cursed Crown, Mirroring Shard ]

Relics: [ Four-Eyed Raven ] 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Abilities: [ Spirit Bond, Frostpiercer ]

Spirit Bond Mastery Rank: [ E ]

Spirits: [ 1/1 ]

Unique Ability: [ Ravenous Flame ]

*****

"441," Vale muttered, briefly noting the number. The recent jump was satisfying, but he didn’t linger on it. Instead, his attention snapped to the new artifact.

Mirroring Shard Artifact Description: [ Once part of the Chimera of Snowveil, the artifact evens the battlefield with its unique attribute. ]

Mirroring Shard Attributes: [ Copy ]

Copy Attribute Description: [ Upon use, the Artifact becomes a perfect copy of any Artifact. Can only be used once. ]

Vale’s eyes widened as he read. Then he read it again. And again.

"Copy any artifact...?" he thought, blinking to make sure he wasn’t imagining it. But the words didn’t change. The Mirroring Shard really could replicate any artifact—perfectly, nonetheless.

Ideas exploded in his mind. He could duplicate Frostbite, maybe Hellfire... No—even a Divine Artifact, if he ever got his hands on one. The thought sent a shiver of anticipation through him.

A wide grin broke across his face. "Now that’s a reward worthy of killing that abomination."

His moment of thrill ended abruptly as he noticed movement at the edge of his vision—his allies were approaching.

Vale dismissed the status window and turned to face them.

"We should keep moving," Ayla said as she stepped closer, her voice calm but resolute. "We’re still not out of the maze."

Vale gave a nod, then turned his attention to Dain—or more specifically, the weapon in Dain’s hand.

"New artifact?" he asked, eyeing the one-handed axe. Its blade shimmered like crystal ice, seamlessly fused with a twisted dark wood handle that curled around the top. Under the dim glow of Klein’s artifact, it glinted like frozen starlight.

"Yeah," Dain replied, flashing a grin. "It’s got a pretty nice enchantment."

As if to demonstrate, the blade of the axe lit up with a pale blue glow. Dain swung it to the side, and a sharp wave of ice burst forward, crashing into a distant wall of frost with a satisfying crack.

Vale raised a brow, impressed by the strength of the enchantment. "Not bad."

Soon enough, the group was weaving through the maze’s narrow corridors, hoping to stumble upon an exit.

During his rest, Vale had managed to replenish most of his mana essence. He could summon his relic—the Four-Eyed Raven—to scan the area, but he decided to hold off for now. His mind replayed the images of their last battle with every step through the frozen maze. If that last arrow hadn’t hit its mark... they would’ve all been finished.

He felt a need to conserve every drop of essence he could. The next fight wouldn’t be easier. They never were.

Fortunately, he didn’t need to call upon the raven just yet. Within the next hour, the group discovered a corridor that led out of the maze. It opened into a massive tunnel carved entirely from crystal ice, its sheer length stretching beyond the horizon.

Without hesitation, they pressed forward, unwilling to linger in this place any longer.

The icy tunnel offered no hospitality—only silence and cold. As they continued deeper, the temperature dropped further, each breath becoming a visible mist. Then, at last, they finally saw something.

A faint light glimmered in the distance.

Their pace quickened. Hearts beat faster—not out of fear, but in anticipation. Yearning for an exit, they hurried forward.

No creatures awaited to ambush them—just the hollow tunnel of ice and the faint light at the end of it.

They emerged onto a narrow mountain path that curved along a steep slope. A blast of freezing wind hit them instantly, biting at their skin and tugging at their armour. Still, they lingered for a moment, trying to savour the feeling of open air and freedom.

But peace, as always, was short-lived.

A sudden, heavy thud echoed from the side—the sound of something massive stomping against ice.

They turned—just in time to react.

A massive boar-like creature with two jagged horns barreled down the narrow trail, its glowing eyes locked onto them as it charged at full speed.