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Chapter 192: The Mirror of the Eternal Root
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Act I: A Chamber of Foundations
The Gallery opened into a chamber where roots spread across the floor and walls, glowing faintly as if alive. They pulsed with quiet strength, anchoring everything above.
Ne Job stepped forward, Twinkle buzzing deeply, its hum resonating with the chamber's grounding rhythm.
Ao Bing muttered, "This place… it feels heavy, but steady."
Taiyi Zhenren scribbled quickly. "The mirror here does not rise. It anchors."
At the center stood a mirror entwined with luminous roots, its surface steady and unmoving.
It spoke in a voice deep and patient:
> "I am the Mirror of the Eternal Root. I hold what grounds, what endures beneath, what carries all into stability."
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Act II: The Weight of Anchoring
The interns gazed into its surface.
Visions unfolded, showing truths carried by roots.
- Ao Bing saw battles where strength came not from striking, but from standing firm.
- Taiyi Zhenren saw scrolls preserved in soil, wisdom carried quietly beneath.
- Ne Job saw miracles rooted in silence, inscribed into the Registry as foundations for eternity.
Twinkle pulsed brightly, resonating with the grounding.
The mirror whispered:
> "To guard me, you must endure the weight."
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Act III: The Mask's Intrusion
From the shadows, the Mask of Misrule hissed.
> "Roots are mine to corrupt. I will twist grounding into stagnation, and stability into chaos."
The Mirror of Endless Deception flickered, shards gathering again.
The Mask reached toward Eternal Root, trying to fracture its anchoring into paralysis.
Ao Bing staggered. "I feel trapped, unable to move!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My scrolls sink into the soil!"
Ne Job steadied them. "Root is not stagnation. It is strength."
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Act IV: The Trial of Root
The Mirror of the Eternal Root spoke:
> "Intern, to protect me, you must anchor."
Ne Job gazed into its rooted surface.
He saw himself faltering, afraid of being bound too tightly.
He whispered:
> "I anchor. Even when burdened, I endure. Even when bound, I carry forward."
The mirror glowed brighter, its roots steady.
Twinkle pulsed strongly, harmonizing with the grounding.
Ao Bing's fists steadied.
Taiyi Zhenren's scrolls aligned.
The Mask recoiled, his corruption faltering.
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Act V: The Clash
The Mask screamed, hurling shards of deception.
Illusions tried to twist root into stagnation, scattering the interns into despair.
Ao Bing staggered. "My courage fades in stillness!"
Taiyi Zhenren trembled. "My wisdom dissolves in soil!"
Ne Job stood firm. "Root is not stagnation. It is truth carried in strength."
The awakened mirrors — Patience, Friendship, Courage, Sorrow, Endless Paths, Forgotten Names, Silent Echoes, Shattered Promises, Hidden Truths, Eternal Doubt, Living Light, Boundless Hope, Unbroken Unity, Eternal Harmony, Final Resolve, Infinite Resolve, Last Question, First Dawn, Endless Return, Forgotten Future, Silent Dawnfall, Eternal Song, Endless Silence, Forgotten Flame, Eternal Return, Eternal Choice, Hidden Dawn, Endless Oath, Eternal Memory, Eternal Threshold, Eternal Light, Eternal Shadow, Eternal Balance, Eternal Dawnfire, Eternal Storm, Eternal Ocean, Eternal Sky, Eternal Flameheart, Eternal Songfire, Eternal Silenceflame, Eternal Starfall, Eternal Horizon — joined with Eternal Root.
Their glow struck the Mask's illusions.
Stagnation became clarity.
Deception dissolved.
Twinkle hummed, resonating with the Miracle Registry.
Ao Bing laughed, fierce and kind.
Taiyi Zhenren footnoted every root restored.
Ne Job stood firm, foundation and truth united.
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Act VI: The Mirror's Gift
The Mirror of the Eternal Root calmed, its surface shimmering with radiant grounding.
It whispered:
> "Intern, root is not chaos. It is foundation eternal. Guard it well."
Ne Job bowed.
Twinkle pulsed softly.
The Gallery shimmered, stable once more.
The Mask of Misrule retreated into the shadows, his voice echoing faintly:
> "You may resist roots today. But paralysis always waits."
The Gallery fell silent.
The mirrors glowed.
And Ne Job walked on, ready for what lay ahead.