What stood before me…was me.
A picture-perfect replica of me, from head to toe. Every unique feature I possessed… possessed them as well. .𝘤𝘰
“Hmmm…”
I walked around ‘me’ and then observed him closely.
He was wearing the same set of clothes that I was, the same movements I possessed…but something was not right.
Something…is off, I am unable to accurately pinpoint what but something is definitely out of the ordinary.
As I was clearing the floors before this, I had already expected that much.
I had already expected that I would be dealing with a copy of myself, a full copy.
But something is strange, I am unable to pinpoint it but…something is wrong with it.
It has my bloodline marks, the same length of hair, the same color of eyes, the scars on the body that have yet to heal…
“What are you?”
Out of curiosity, I asked.
I have a feeling that it is not just a creation of the tower…but something else.
A sentient… being.
“You.”
I equipped the Ame-No-Sakahoko from my inventory, and a strange chill ran down my spine as I watched the being…smile.
“Interesting.”
It said, and manifested a copy of the Ame-no-Sakahoko right in front of my eyes.
‘Hmmm…’
This was not too surprising, the clone back on the trial of weapons could also do it.
But then again, I didn’t have this ‘weird feeling’ when I was facing them. They just felt inanimate objects but this thing…this thing…
It’s weirding me out, my body is getting goosebumps all of a sudden.
[Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha advises you to be cautious.]
It seems it is not just me who is feeling creeped out by that thing.
“I am you.”
I said and smiled again.
Looking at the smile, I don’t know why but…
‘I really want to beat the shit out of ‘that’.’
Both of us circled one another, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
I held back, even though I wanted to lunge at him, I just had a feeling I shouldn’t.
The other me laughed again, it was a cynical, yet odd laughter.
It was just like mine, but it possessed something which wasn’t it.
“What are you?”
Suddenly, the other me asked me a question, Staring at it in confusion, I answered.
“The one’s who’s gonna kill you.”
I said, but the response was something I wasn’t expecting.
Instead of laughing, the facial expressions were still, emotionless.
And it answered.
“Ok.”
A simple, bland answer, it was as if it was accepting its fate.
But I knew that was not its intention.
Upon feeling a torrent of mana erupt forth from the figure, I braced myself, ready for whatever it would do.
It brandished the Ame-No-Sakahoko copy it possessed and lunged at me.
It was extremely fast, but I was still able to see it.
‘What a common pattern of attack.’
I thought as I prepared myself to counter it.
“Fell for it.”
My own voice resounded in my ear, but it was not from my own mouth.
The figure laughed cynically and then teleported just as it was in front of me, ready to strike.
I think it expected me to be surprised…But it was wrong.
‘It’s my copy…’
I thought as I raised my legs to kick in front of me.
‘So it copies my pattern as well.’
And just as I had predicted, instead of appearing behind me or beside me, the figure appeared in front of me, right on the spot it teleported.
And the heel of my foot hit it right in the stomach, sending it flying.
The other me crashed into the wall, forming a small crater.
Normally, I would have rushed in and given no chance to counterattack my opponent.
But the problem was, the opponent was me. I knew myself best.
[Supreme dragon of Frost Lanesha disagrees.]
I was left speechless.
‘…’
I didn’t expect Lanesha to disagree with me all of a sudden.
‘Oh come on, Why did you have to do that?’
I said to her, Annoyed but not angry.
[Supreme Dragon of Frost Lanesha laughs.]
During the time I was bickering with my dear supreme dragon of frost, the other me had regained himself and was preparing to attack again.
“Initial attack failed, Mana usage, activated.”
“Hmmm?”
Oho? A robotic voice now? Was the strange feeling I had earlier just an illusion?
I had thought maybe it was a sentient being, but I guess it’s just a creation of the tower after all.
I had thought it was like the heavenly demon. But with the voice it has right now, which is identical to the towers, I guess not.
“Mana Usage…10%. Frost.”
Large, powerful waves of frost mana erupted from its body, and it raised its hands in a similar fashion to mine.
“Glaciers, descend.”
It said as it repeated another common pattern of mine.
I used my excess of mana to drop a dozen or so glaciers from the sky on the enemy.
I loved doing that.
“Wow.”
I let out a fake gasp and smiled.
‘Maybe this trial will be easier than I had expected.’
I thought, as I laughed and ran through the gaps between the glaciers. I shielded myself from the stray pieces of ice with the help of a mana barrier.
My original thoughts were that maybe I would be facing a monster on the same, or even above the level of the Heavenly demon, but thankfully, that was not the case.
I think.
Between the gaps of the massive glaciers falling down from the sky like meteors, I caught a glimpse of the other me, standing motionlessly.
‘It’s getting more robotic now…’
I thought. Feeling a weird sense of danger rises up in me.
I cautiously approached the figure, trying to attack it but, as expected, it repeated another pattern of mine.
To teleport behind your enemy when he is charging at you.
But this time, it was different.
He did teleport behind me…but his words caused chills to run down my spine.
“Mana Usage, Chaos, 15%.”
…
𝘳𝘦.𝒸𝑜𝘮