The Battle

"Shh!"

Wirbel glanced warily around the corner behind him, only to see a clone completely covered in hair wreaking havoc in the maze, seemingly searching for something.

"Tsk... looks like we're really in trouble."

Wirbel murmured softly, surprised that even the examiner Zanze could be replicated in this labyrinth, and that two female mages, one of whom was an Elf, were walking together behind Zanze.

"How much longer? This Royal Crypt Labyrinth is truly enormous."

Kanne gripped the staff with anticipation.

"We should be almost there, after all, we've come so far, killing four Kanne, three Lawine, two Laufen and two Lantos, two Methode, and one Duncan..."

Frieren counted on her fingers; so far, she hadn't encountered a copy of herself, nor had she even seen a copy of Fern or her senior brother.

As you approach the deepest part of the Royal Crypt Labyrinth, a stunningly ancient gate comes into view. Standing tens of meters tall, the gate is majestic and solemn, as if it were an entrance to another world.

The door's material has an ancient and weathered feel, covered with the marks of time, and carved with intricate patterns and mysterious symbols. These patterns may be symbols of ancient magic or culture, or perhaps they hide secrets from the Mythical Era.

The gate exuded an overwhelming aura, making Lawine and Kanne curious about what lay beyond.

Li Yan gently pushed open a crack in the door, and everyone looked curiously behind it. In the vast hall, a clone that was not very old or large leaned against the door, looking disdainfully at the direction where the door had been opened.

"Was the last copy made by Senior Li Yan? And you?"

Kanne and Lawine's eyes widened. Kanne then began to speak about her knowledge of the Royal Crypt Labyrinth, "My older brother explored the Royal Crypt Labyrinth as a member of the advance team. There is only one Monsters in the Royal Crypt Labyrinth, and that is the Water Mirror Demon."

The Water Mirror Demon itself is weak, but it can replicate anyone who enters the labyrinth, and these replicas can be resurrected upon death. It will use its strongest replica to protect itself.

Can Mind Manipulation Magic be used to deal with clones?

At the opportune moment, Edel asked a question. They had always solved problems using Normal Attack Magic, and suddenly, she had this idea.

"It seems not; I've tried."

Methode shook her head. She too had mastered Mind Manipulation Magic. While others enjoyed using Normal Attack Magic, she had experimented with it. None of these clones had hearts.

"If the Water Mirror Demon can create clones of everyone, then there are no clones we've yet seen..."

Fern analyzed the current situation. Their team had not yet encountered Lady Frieren or her clone, and might even have encountered Examiner Zanze.

"Master, what do we do about this exam? Your copy is inside."

Zanze quietly approached Li Yan gently tugged at her sleeve. No one knew her master's strength better than her; even she, the examiner, was probably no match for him.

"No problem, I expected it."

Li Yan closed the door again. He feared that if everyone entered at the same time, the others would die instantly. The best option was to think of a strategy first before taking action.

The group didn't rush to the deepest part. Although there was only one copy inside the door, it was enough to make everyone stop in their tracks. The other party was just a copy of a child. But for no reason, everyone felt a surge of Mana. The copy inside did not hide its Mana at all, but opened it up unrestrainedly. The entire hall was filled with its surging Mana that was too great to contain.

"Senior brother, why don't we use a large-scale area-of-effect destructive spell? That way we won't have to deal with your clone."

Frieren looked solemn. To be honest, she wasn't confident in facing the clone inside. It had been so many years since she'd seen her senior brother make a move, and she had no idea how to deal with him.

"Godfather, I can feel your Mana even through the door."

Sensing the constant fluctuations in Mana, Fern gripped her staff tightly and approached. For the first time, she felt powerless against that overwhelming ocean of Mana.

"There's a sound, and it seems like there are people coming this way."

Duncan looked warily in the direction they had come from.

"Help..."

Can you help us?

Those are monsters!

Wirbel, dressed in tattered clothes and looking disheveled, appeared before Li Yan with his two teammates, both of whom were unconscious. Wirbel used Levitation Magic to carry the two away for their lives.

Where are your Escape Golem bottles?

Duncan asked with a serious expression, "Both of my teammates are unconscious, why aren't we using the escape bottle?"

"They've... already taken... not a single one left. Their strength was too... terrifying..."

Wirbel gritted his teeth. Behind him, he heard the rustling sound of hair slamming against the wall, followed by a long-range Normal Attack Magic.

Duncan, with a solemn expression, released Defensive Magic to help block it. Laufen instantly teleported from Wirbel's side and brought him into the group. Because the clone's appearance was easily recognizable, this was why they did not suspect anything.

"Thanks..."

Wirbel seemed to have reached his limit. Upon seeing his teammates who were now safe, he breathed a sigh of relief and fell into a deep coma.

With a loud bang, a girl enveloped in countless sharp, pointed hairs appeared before everyone. Each hair was like a steel bar, piercing the floor and walls, making her look like a demon from hell. Behind her, clones of Frieren and Fern walked indifferently behind Zanze, clearly two artillery-type mages hiding behind melee mages.

"It's over. We're caught between a rock and a hard place."

Übel couldn't help but speak up. She was very clear about the quality of the clones coming from the front. Both Examiner Zanze and Frieren were magicians with enormous Mana, while Fern, as a magician with less Mana, had her own unique Mana skills and strength.

"Let's divide the work and each find someone we can defeat to fight."

Lanto immediately provided tactical guidance, and the scene before him made him feel somewhat troubled. He hadn't expected that the examiner Zanze, who had entered with him, would also become an enemy.

"I'll deal with Frieren. I might have a way to kill Frieren. Frieren has a fatal weakness," Fern said earnestly, gripping his staff tightly.

"Fern, I'm so relieved."

A look of surprise crossed Frieren's face. She had no idea she had any weaknesses worth noticing, yet Fern had been able to so astutely discover and notice them.