Alex sat in his room, staring at the ceiling. The last twenty-four hours had been a wild mix of pain, panic, and unexpected victories. He had literally died—or at least come close enough to it that he now had a firsthand review of the experience. "Zero out of ten. Would not recommend," he muttered to himself, rubbing his stomach where the Boar King's horn had impaled him.
Despite everything, he had survived. He had a powerful talent, sure, but he wasn't the kind of guy who could brute force his way through anything. He had to rely on his intelligence and his ability to think ahead. Strength? Nope. Speed? Not really. Charisma? Debatable. But his brain? His brain was at peak performance (or so he liked to think).
"Alright, let's see what I'm working with now," he said, pulling up his status panel.
Name: Alex Edward
Age: 19
Talent: Cloning [F] [Growth Talent]
Level: 10
Exp: 12/1000
Class: Not Selected [Change Available]
HP: 700/700
HP Recovery: 30/M
Attack: 12
Defense: 0
Mana: 20/20
Mana Recovery: 0.02/S
Stamina: 7
Attribute Points: 6
"Damn, I'm finally in the double digits. If this was a game, I'd be unlocking some sick abilities right about now. Oh wait, I am unlocking a sick ability."
The [Change Available] prompt flickered at him invitingly. Clicking on it, a new window expanded before him, listing out various class options.
Available Classes:
1. Shadow Strategist – A class specializing in deception, illusions, and mental warfare.
2. Tactical Summoner – Enhances summoning abilities, allowing the user to command creatures with strategic enhancements.
3. Abyssal Doppelganger – A mysterious class that strengthens cloning abilities, allowing for the creation of attribute-enhanced doppelgangers.
4. Mind Architect – A class that manipulates perception, predicting enemy movements and setting up calculated traps.
---
"Oh, hell yes. Shadow Strategist? Sounds cool, but I don't have illusions. Tactical Summoner? I'm not exactly commanding an army here. Mind Architect? I mean… I'm already playing five-dimensional chess with my life. But Abyssal Doppelganger…."
As he hovered over Mind Architect, about to select it, the text glitched. The entire option fizzled out and disappeared from the screen.
"Huh? What the—" Alex blinked. "Did my class selection just rage quit? What kind of bug is this?"
For a brief moment, a sharp ringing echoed in his ears before vanishing. Something about it felt… off. But he wasn't about to sit here questioning weird system mechanics. Abyssal Doppelganger was still there, and if nothing else, it sounded metal as hell. He pressed on it.
Class Selected: Abyssal Doppelganger
New Ability Unlocked: Attribute Clone – Summon a clone that specializes in a single chosen attribute. The chosen attribute is doubled for the clone's duration.
A rush of information flooded his brain. His breathing hitched as he suddenly saw glimpses of possibilities—shadows of himself moving faster than the eye could track, clones capable of withstanding attacks like walking fortresses, an overwhelming army of himself. It was exhilarating… and terrifying.
"Okay, so basically… I can make a buffed version of myself depending on what I need. If I need strength, I get a Super Alex. If I need speed, I get Lightning McClone. If I need endurance… well, you get the idea."
He flexed his fingers, grinning. This was exactly what he needed. He might not have been the strongest or fastest, but now? He could adapt. His intelligence combined with this? Absolute nightmare fuel for anything standing in his way.
Outside, Liam had been pacing in circles, occasionally glancing at Alex's room with concern.
"I swear if he actually died in there…" Liam muttered before suddenly hearing Alex's voice burst out.
"I'm him!"
Liam froze. "What?"
Alex stepped out, arms crossed, smug as hell. "We killed the Boar King, right? Look at me. Absolute genius in action. I should be sponsored."
Liam blinked, trying to process the sheer amount of energy Alex had after literally coming back from the dead. "...Are you okay?"
"Define 'okay.'" Alex shrugged before glancing at his status panel again. He still had 6 attribute points to distribute.
"Alright, let's see how I should optimize this bad boy…"
Name: Alex Edward
Age: 19
Talent: Cloning [F] [Growth Talent]
Level: 10
Exp: 12/1000
Class: Abyssal Doppelganger
Class Skill: Attribute Clone
HP: 700/700
HP Recovery: 30/M
Attack: 12
Defense: 0
Mana: 20/20
Mana Recovery: 0.02/S
Stamina: 7
Attribute Points: 6
The addition of his new class skills had changed the game plan. Before, because of the scarcity of attribute points and his talent providing no buffs for him, he couldn't really do much else but use strategy.
Now? If he added the 6 attribute points into strength, his attribute clone would have 36 strength. Defense of 12, Stamina of 26. He could make insanely overpowered glass canon-type clones.
Not to mention, he could resummon the clones after death. Hypothetically, for a big battle royale, he could summon a tank clone, have him tire out his opponents, and then wait for his death to summon a super-strength clone, wiping out the competition.
He had been given wings, and it was now time for him to fly.
"Alright, kiddo, tell me we at least got something good from that oversized pork chop?" Alex asked, stretching his sore limbs.
Liam perked up, reaching into his inventory. "Oh! Yeah! The boss dropped this!" He pulled out a sleek piece of dark leather armor, trimmed with reinforced metal plates. "It's called the Boar King's Hide. It gives +7 defense and 2% damage reduction."
Alex took the armor from Liam, inspecting it with interest. The material was surprisingly light but felt sturdy enough to absorb a serious hit. "Huh. Not bad. I was kinda hoping for something a bit more… epic, like a sword that shoots fireballs or something, but hey, I won't say no to free defense."
Liam giggled. "Well, you can't get everything. Besides, you kinda died back there, so maybe this will help next time."
Alex shot him a deadpan look. "Wow. Love the moral support, really. Makes me feel warm inside."
He equipped the armor, and the moment he did, he felt a slight shift in his stance, as if his body was subtly more resilient. It's not game-changing, but it's definitely helpful.
Looking towards the cracked wooden wall, Alex's strength clone was similarly covered in a flash of light, a piece of armor appearing on him.
"Clonie, drop it for Liam" Alex commanded
Liam stared wide-eyed at the astonishing feat he had witnessed, subconsciously equipping the armor the clone dropped.
"Alright, let's not waste any time. We should sell the rest of the loot before Marco decides to scam someone else out of their earnings."
Liam nodded enthusiastically, and the two set off towards the village. The journey was short, the familiar dirt paths winding through the trees leading them straight to the market square. Marco's shop was exactly where it always was—half-covered in dusty old cloth, trinkets, and supplies scattered across the wooden counter in a way that made it seem like he had just dumped everything there and called it a day.
As soon as Marco spotted them approaching, he spread his arms wide in an exaggerated welcome. "Ahh, if it isn't my favorite trashy customer! What fine goods have you brought for ol' Marco today?" His eyes gleamed, scanning them both like a seasoned predator waiting to pounce.
Alex smirked. "Relax, Marco. We're not here to get swindled. Just got some fresh boss loot up for sale. Interested?"
Marco's grin widened. "Boss loot already? Did you sell yourself to a high ranker for it?."
"I am the high ranker." Alex groaned, signaling to Liam
Liam eagerly dumped the spoils onto the counter—boar tusks, thick hides, and even a few intact monster cores, all replicated through Clonie. Marco's fingers twitched as he sifted through the pile, humming to himself as if appraising each piece.
Alex crossed his arms. "Don't even think about low balling us. I nearly died getting these. Twice."
Marco chuckled. "Oh, Alex, after what you did?. I'm sure we can work something out.."
" I literally came back from the dead a day ago you sick profiteer."
Marco sighed dramatically. "Fine, fine. Let's talk numbers, I'll go easy on you." He leaned in, ready to haggle, while Alex prepared himself for the inevitable battle of negotiation.