Chapter 14: Rampage

“How could it be a dragon?” Ning Wan said blankly.

The staff had witnessed countless illusions—heartwarming scenes of time spent with parents, romantic embraces with lovers. But an exotic beast appearing in the Mirror Domain? That was utterly unprecedented. What normal human heart would yearn for a dragon?

It defied all reason, like asking a nine-year-old what two plus six equals, only for the kid to ponder for a few seconds before declaring that flying an Apache helicopter with its RTM322 turboshaft engines felt way more thrilling.

And this wasn’t just any exotic beast—it was an S-rank Candle Dragon, more like an armed gunship bristling with three high-penetration main cannons.

The Candle Nine Yin was a legendary divine spirit that commanded the Time Law. According to myth, it opened its eyes to bring day and closed them for night, its Dragon Flame capable of incinerating the entire world. Four years ago, this creature had briefly surfaced in the South China Sea before heading north for reasons unknown, ultimately intercepted by the Base at the Yangtze River Mouth.

A single casual puff of its Dragon Breath had claimed the lives of 276 ordinary humans. Technological weapons, lacking any elemental power, dealt it about as much damage as a feather. The Base’s arsenal of alchemical Dao Talisman weaponry had been nearly exhausted in the fight.

In the end, Shi Zui had used Instinct: Tyrfing as her conduit, unleashing Mars Mountainquake to clash with it head-on. The details remained classified, but the outcome was clear: the Candle Dragon vanished without a trace, and Captain Shi took forty-seven days of leave in 209.

Reports claimed that some thirteen million tons of seawater had been repeatedly evaporated that night. According to the Instinct and Exotic Beast Department’s assessment, a creature wielding such power had likely only just awakened from hibernation, its Rampage Value sitting at a historic low.

Shi Zui’s gaze darkened slightly. She had crossed paths with the Candle Dragon before and recognized the beast on the glass display instantly.

But why would Ye Jingqiu dream of it? Four years ago, she would have been in middle school at most—even if her enrollment records were faked, she couldn’t have been older than thirteen.

Had the Administrative Department’s victim database search been incomplete? Had she briefly suffered from the Dragon Breath as well?

The Mirror Domain test hadn’t halted. Atop the Heavenly Seat, the Candle Dragon spewed thick white mist, waves of heat threatening to evaporate everything in sight. Yet beneath that towering seat—seventeen stories high—a small figure stood motionless.

The master of this illusion had finally made her entrance.

It was Ye Jingqiu, the very same girl who had just vanished from the chamber moments ago. Howling winds surged through the palace hall, lifting the hem of her snow-white robes.

She paid it no mind. Her eyes were fixed upward on the majestic Candle Dragon looming above, devoid of any fear—as if the human and the beast were old acquaintances.

A long silence stretched on, the scene frozen in time. The Candle Dragon breathed wordlessly. Ye Jingqiu made no move. The hellish flames and molten iron served merely as backdrop, while deadly plumes of mercury vapor hissed through the grand hall.

The researchers in the chamber had seen their share of spectacles and gradually regained their composure, picking up pens and paper to resume their duties.

Fire, wind, water, earth… the flows of the four major elements grew chaotic within the Mirror Domain. Ye Jingqiu’s Rampage Value began to fluctuate wildly. It was prime research material—the Instinct Department wouldn’t let it go to waste.

“Is Xiao Qiu some kind of late-stage edgelord, dreaming of herself in ancient robes slaying dragons?” Ning Wan muttered in confusion. “She’s a high school sophomore, right? The Mirror Domain process is two steps: inner desires first, then Instinct release. Why’s it progressing so slowly today? The scene’s stuck like a lagging video.”

But at that moment, Aether’s alarms blared to life. Gone was its usual cheerful childlike voice, replaced by an icy warning tone:

“Rampage Value has reached C-rank. Fluctuation amplitude now at mid-danger level.”

“Rampage Value has reached A-rank. Fluctuation amplitude now at high-danger level.”

In a mere five seconds, Ye Jingqiu’s Rampage Value had skyrocketed into the six figures. Ning Wan’s eyes lit up at the numbers beside the quartz glass.

“How’s it rising so fast?” one of the Rampage Value trackers stammered, dazed. “Is this really okay…?”

Of course it wasn’t.

The Rampage Value was the sole quantitative measure of how many elements an Awakener or exotic beast could wield—like a mana bar in a game. Drop it to zero, and the Awakener couldn’t activate their Instinct.

But it was finicky. Extreme fluctuations meant the body was hit with sudden spikes in elemental concentration. Fail to unleash Instinct and vent the overload, and the Awakener faced only one path: death.

Which meant the illusion had likely entered its second phase—the upper limit test for Word Manifestation.

Unlike the others, whose emotions swung wildly, Shi Zui hadn’t budged from her spot since entering the chamber. Even now, at this critical juncture for her new teammate’s Instinct release, her deep black eyes remained serene. Yet at some point, her right hand had drifted to the hilt of the blade at her waist, her callused thumb slowly tracing the opening.

Her childhood had forged a dull, stoic personality in her, and Shi Zui excelled at masking her feelings. Ning Wan wasn’t wrong to call her tsundere—she shouldered any responsibility handed to her and watched silently over her friends.

But unlike the others, the captain of Team One didn’t care whether those involved noticed her concern.

As if responding to Ning Wan’s unspoken urging, Ye Jingqiu finally stirred. Streams of molten-gold light flashed, and the fire elements in the Mirror Domain surged beyond limits.

Gazing up at the Candle Dragon, she began to chant an unknown, ancient song.

The voice was profoundly low—a deep, resonant hymn. It evoked a ninety-year-old man on his deathbed, burning a half-spent lamp in a dusty, shadowed corner. It was impossible to imagine such mournful tones coming from a vibrant young girl.

The melody consisted of just twenty syllables, looping endlessly. No one in the room understood the words, but the desolation felt tangible, sending chills down their spines.

“A summoning incantation? Is the pinnacle of Word Manifestation seriously shaman chanting?” Ning Wan murmured to herself, though she still waved a hand to ensure Aether captured the full audio. “Aether, cross-reference any Instinct activations that start with song.”

What emerged was indeed an Instinct.

The Rampage Value on the monitoring screen continued its meteoric climb, accompanied by sudden flickers of low, dark cyan-blue flames dancing through the Mirror Domain.

It arose from nowhere and vanished into nothing. The azure-blue flicker held little power. In ancient times, it was merely the dying sputter of an oil lamp running out of fuel—a sign that the oil was spent, the light extinguished, and all was over.

Yet something astonishing happened again. The Candle Dragon perched atop the Heavenly Seat actually retreated a step. A thick, resonant dragon’s roar bubbled up from its throat, and Ning Wan could even make out the expression on its face.

It was afraid. This divine spirit, forever bearing the radiant candle in its jaws, was afraid of that fading ember teetering on the brink of extinction.

The chanting abruptly ceased. Ye Jingqiu moved, reaching out with her right hand to touch the white jade Heavenly Seat. As her fingers brushed the base of the carved dragon, the pale azure flame began to flicker and pulse.

The heat surged. Mercury evaporated in vast quantities, and gold started to melt. The Candle Dragon atop the high seat twisted in agitation, baring claws like iron spikes—yet its only goal was escape.

So just how terrifying was that Azure Flame?

Ye Jingqiu clearly had no intention of letting it get away. She resumed that strange ancient melody, and the pure azure flames rose upward. In the next instant, they erupted without warning!

“Boom!”

It was a genuine explosion. Ning Wan stared in stunned disbelief as the Fused Quartz Glass shattered completely, from top to bottom. This specialized industrial glass, with a hardness rating of Mohs 7, was reduced to utter ruin.

The feed cut out. The Mirror Domain shuddered. Ye Jingqiu’s Rampage Value plunged to zero. Amid Aether’s piercing alarms, the Instinct trial came to an abrupt halt!

Ye Jingqiu, freed from the Mirror Domain, reappeared in the Laboratory.

“Uh…”

The room was a wreckage-strewn disaster. Ye Jingqiu exchanged glances with the shell-shocked researchers.

After a long moment, she turned cautiously toward the one person in the room who remained utterly composed.

“Captain, this shouldn’t mean I have to foot the bill for repairs, right?”