The sky was painted with shades of orange as Kael and Calvin continued their journey across a verdant plain. A gentle breeze carried the scent of wildflowers, and everything might have seemed peaceful if Calvin weren't busy gnawing relentlessly on a piece of dried meat.
"You know, boss, after this trip, I think I could write a book called 'My Gastronomic Adventures.'"
Kael, riding his horse, raised an eyebrow.
"If you turn it into a cookbook instead of a travelogue, maybe it'll be a hit."
Calvin laughed, but Kael paid him no further attention. His mind was elsewhere. Something felt wrong. The air was heavier, almost electric. An unsettling sense of oppression weighed on his shoulders.
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in his mind.
[New Quest]
[Defeat the Copy Monster Reward: ???]
Kael tensed.
"You again..." he muttered, exasperated by the system's tendency to appear at the worst moments.
Calvin, curious, tilted his head.
"Boss? You alright?"
But Kael had no time to answer.
A loud crack echoed from the woods to their left. Branches snapped with a sinister crash as a humanoid figure emerged from the shadows.
It was a terrifying creature, standing two meters tall, its skin blackened and streaked with glowing crimson veins. Its eyes gleamed with a piercing red light, and its form wavered like a mirage. Every movement seemed to distort the air around it.
"What the…?"
Calvin instantly paled.
"B-Boss, I think that's a demon..."
Kael slowly drew his sword, but before he could strike, the creature emitted a guttural sound. Then, in a nightmarish instant, its body began to twist and reshape.
The blackened flesh tore apart, and like an ominous tide, it reconstructed itself…
Into a perfect copy of Kael.
"Oh no."
"B-Boss, why are there two of you?!"
The replica Kael opened its eyes, a sinister grin stretching across its face. Even the sword it held was identical. But worse than the appearance was the aura it emanated.
It was like standing before a demonic mirror.
[Information] The Copy Monster has assimilated your appearance and abilities.
"So it's seen everything. My fights. My skills..." Kael gritted his teeth.
The copy creature raised its sword, mirroring Kael's movements with terrifying precision.
"This is really bad."
"Calvin, stay back!"
Calvin didn't need to be told twice. He stumbled backward, nearly tripping over his own feet.
Kael, however, didn't hesitate. He lunged at his opponent, his sword slicing through the air in a gleaming arc. But at that very moment, the fake Kael struck back with identical speed.
CLANG!
The sound of clashing blades rang out violently.
Every movement, every step, every dodge — the creature imitated Kael to perfection. Worse still, it seemed to anticipate his attacks.
"You think you can beat me by being a pale imitation?" Kael growled.
But the monster replied with a twisted smile and delivered a biting retort in a voice identical to Kael's.
"I am you, Kael Draven. And I will do everything you can… but better."
BAM!
Kael was flung backward, skidding across the ground for several meters. He staggered to his feet, panting.
"Tch. You want to play like that?"
He activated his skill without hesitation.
[Ability: Aura of Terror — Activated]
A wave of dark energy spread around him, the air thickening with a malevolent force. The monster hesitated, but to Kael's shock, it activated the same ability.
"Seriously?"
[Aura of Terror — Imitation Level: Activated]
The oppressive energy doubled, creating twin waves of malice. Calvin, still in the background, cowered under the crushing pressure.
"We're in deep trouble!"
Kael clenched his teeth. This fight was going to be far more difficult than he had imagined.
But he wasn't out of tricks yet.
"If you think copying is enough to win… then you know nothing about me."
And with those words, Kael charged forward once more, determined to prove that no imitation could surpass the original.
Kael lunged once more at his evil double, sword raised. Every muscle in his body was tense, and his mind was on high alert.
"If you think copying my skills means you can defeat me, you're wrong!"
The false Kael smirked, as if the original's words were nothing but a futile distraction.
"Why should I be afraid? After all, I am you."
Their blades clashed, sending a shockwave through the air. Kael expected resistance, but the strength of his clone matched his own perfectly.
Every strike was countered with the same precision.
"It's like fighting a mirror…" Kael growled through clenched teeth.
The creature wasn't merely an imitation. It mimicked every movement with terrifying accuracy, even anticipating Kael's attacks.
Calvin, still standing back, was trembling like a leaf.
"Boss… What do we do now? It's like your evil twin!"
"Shut up and watch!"
Kael immediately activated his skill:
[Skill: Shadow Blade — Activated]
His sword became engulfed in a swirling black aura, amplifying its striking power.
The clone wasted no time in copying him.
[Copied Skill: Shadow Blade — Activated]
The dark blades sliced through the air in a flash, colliding in a series of furious exchanges. The fight became a breathtaking spectacle, the figures moving at an almost imperceptible speed.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Kael's frustration grew. Every skill he used was instantly mirrored. Every movement, every technique — it was as if the monster could read his mind.
"All right…" Kael murmured. "If you want to copy everything, let's try something a little more fun."
Without warning, he activated an unexpected skill.
[
Skill: Shadow Step — Activated]
His body melted into the shadows on the ground, vanishing in an instant.
But as Kael reappeared behind the creature for a sneak attack, it executed the exact same maneuver.
"What?!"
The false Kael emerged just as swiftly, mirroring him in perfect synchronization. Kael barely had time to parry, but the surprise had thrown him off balance.
"You're not just a copy... you're a living nightmare."
Kael staggered back, catching his breath.
"It copies everything, but there has to be a limit..."
He needed to find a weakness.
Calvin, meanwhile, was also thinking — though his train of thought seemed to be on an entirely different track.
"What if we threw a poisoned cake at it? Or better, onions? No one's brave against onions!"
Kael shot him a glare.
"Shut up, Calvin."
But despite the absurdity of the suggestion, an idea sparked in Kael's mind.
"It copies my skills... but what about the ones it can't predict?"
Kael hadn't used all his abilities yet. He activated a skill he had never dared to use in direct combat.
[Skill: Romantic Manipulation — Activated]
A charming smile spread across Kael's face as he shot his clone an irresistibly seductive look.
"Hey there, handsome. Come here often?"
The clone, incapable of processing the ridiculous approach, blinked in confusion. But, driven by its copying instinct, it mirrored Kael's actions and flashed the same seductive grin.
"Hey there, handsome. Come here often?"
Calvin burst into laughter.
"It's official, boss! You really are your own worst enemy!"
But Kael seized the moment. Without warning, he lunged forward, delivering a powerful blow. His blade struck the clone's shoulder, forcing it to stumble back.
"You might copy my skills, but you don't have my brain."
The false Kael growled, its body contorting as it began regenerating the wound.
But Kael wasn't done. The battle was far from over, yet he now held the advantage.
"You want to fight to the end? Fine. Let's see which one of us is the real Kael Draven."
Kael gripped his sword tightly, his muscles burning with exhaustion. His double, though slightly weakened from the previous blows, still stood ready to attack.
"You're tenacious, I'll give you that."
The false Kael didn't respond, his red eyes glowing with a sinister light. The copy had no soul, no emotion — only the instinct to replicate and conquer.
Calvin, still standing aside, watched the scene with admiration... and a hint of fear.
"Boss! Got a plan? Because this is starting to get seriously creepy!"
Kael gritted his teeth. Using Romantic Manipulation to throw off the creature had been effective, but he knew that trick wouldn't work twice. He needed something even more unexpected.
"If you want to copy my skills… then copy this!"
Kael leaped backward, raising his hands as if preparing to unleash an ultimate attack.
[Skill: Shadow Awakening — Activated]
A massive dark aura engulfed his body. Black lightning crackled around him as a fierce wind kicked up clouds of dust.
The creature, true to its nature, immediately attempted to imitate him.
[Copied Skill: Shadow Awakening — Activated]
Except… nothing happened.
"Huh?"
Kael burst out laughing.
"You can't copy everything, can you?"
In reality, he had activated no skill at all. Shadow Awakening had been nothing but a brilliant bluff. And since the creature was only an imitator, it had failed to execute a nonexistent ability.
"It can only copy what it understands."
Kael charged toward the fake Kael, who, disoriented, tried to react. Too late.
CLANG!
Kael's sword slashed through the air and struck his clone, leaving a deep gash. Black mist seeped from the monster's body, and its form began to waver.
"That's what you get for trying to be a premium knock-off!"
But the monster wasn't done yet.
[Copied Skill: Survival — Activated]
The creature let out a piercing scream, releasing a shockwave that sent Kael and Calvin tumbling backward. It twisted and morphed, shedding its human features to become a grotesque mass covered in glowing red eyes and razor-sharp fangs.
"Oh, great. Now it's a full-blown nightmare monster."
"Boss, maybe we should run now?" Calvin shouted.
"No way. I'm done with this nonsense."
Kael raised his sword once more.
[Skill: Shadow Blade — Full Form]
Black flames erupted from the blade. He gathered every ounce of his remaining strength, the weight of exhaustion bearing down on him.
"Take this!"
The blade sliced through the air in a surge of shadows, striking the creature with devastating force. A chilling scream echoed as the dark mist dissipated.
[System: Quest Complete]
[Reward: Ability - Domination Contract]
Kael gasped for breath, dropping to one knee.
"Is… it over?"
But instead of vanishing, the remains of the creature began to coalesce. A small black figure, barely larger than a cat, took form. Two glowing red eyes blinked, this time without hostility.
[Domination Contract Activated]
[You have acquired a familiar: Copying Shade]
"What?! A familiar?!"
Calvin cautiously approached, watching the little creature as it emitted a series of high-pitched growls.
"Boss, I think it likes you!"
Still in shock, Kael grimaced.
"Great. Now I have a miniature copycat monster following me around. Just what I needed."
The creature leaped joyfully onto Kael's shoulder, purring like a satisfied cat.
"And, of course, I can't even send it away."
Calvin burst out laughing.
"We should call it Mini-Kael!"
Kael shot him a murderous glare.
"Keep talking, and you'll end up like the creature."
As the sun dipped below the horizon, Kael, accompanied by Calvin and his new "mascot," resumed his journey.
"What a crappy day."