Chapter 125

What should one be most careful about when dealing with a Doppelganger?

Some say it’s the ability to copy the strength of someone powerful.

Another suggests it’s the tenacious vitality that refuses to die.

But both are wrong.

“The greatest danger of a Doppelganger is ‘itself.’”

Is the self you’re facing really you?

Perhaps, am I deluding myself?

A minor doubt turns into suspicion, and eventually, that suspicion becomes certainty…

And just like that, you’re consumed, turned into a fake.

—

Lily’s hand trembled as it tightened on Tia’s eye.

Certainly, that figure is herself, Tia.

Why am I standing there looking so sinister?

Could it be…

“Did I also create a fake?”

“You’re the fake! Demon!”

Tia, standing in the center of the sorcery circle, shouted.

The red circle glowed fiercely, and the Tia within it seemed like a demon itself.

Tia, standing outside the circle, frowned as she observed her counterpart.

“Who’s calling who a demon…?”

“What?”

“Your current appearance. Anybody would say you look like a demon.”

Reddened, bloodshot eyes. A face contorted with hatred. The red glow enveloping her heavily wounded body made it clear to anyone that the Tia in the sorcery circle was likely the fake.

The red Tia gritted her teeth.

“Don’t play games with me. Do you really think you can trick me into thinking you’re the real one?”

“Real? Ah… so that’s why you saved me.”

Because you believed me to be the real one.

Because you believed that the daughter of the bakery, ‘Tia,’ was truly yourself.

“So you didn’t kill me when I was escaping but let me live.”

Tia looked at the red Tia and smirked sarcastically.

“What’s so funny…?”

“It felt odd. Before the hero arrived, I wandered outside and didn’t go home. But the fakes claimed, ‘Tia is with her family.’”

At first, I doubted it.

Perhaps I was already a fake.

While I was wandering around, avoiding my family, my home, my village, could a fake have taken my place?

But there was no way to know.

I couldn’t have stayed there for even a second.

Thus, while wandering, I entered a cave, rested momentarily, and thought.

“What am I?”

Is living like this right?

Is this really the true Tia?

No, what is Tia, to begin with?

Tia, the girl.

An average-looking daughter of a bakery, she wears relatively nice clothes compared to the other villagers.

Two or three friends.

Among them, she had an irreplaceable one…

“……”

Ultimately, Tia stopped thinking.

She felt she would lose herself if she kept overanalyzing.

“Ugh…”

Tears welled up.

“…If the hero hadn’t arrived in time, I might have gone insane.”

Yeah, maybe…

“Maybe I would have thought, ‘What if I’m the fake?’”

“…Don’t say things so carelessly.”

“It’s truly a relief. If you had been any later, I might have lost myself.”

“DON’T SAY THAT CARELESSLY!!!!”

The sorcery began.

Truth discriminates against deceit.

The hand of the red Tia ignited.

“What do you know!!! I’ve lost my family, my friends, everything!!!”

“……”

“It was easy for you to just run away and crouch in the dark, wasn’t it?! What changed while you were hiding?! While you were doing that, I…! I…”

Ah, ahahaha…

It’s breaking.

The imitation of Tia—or perhaps the real Tia—began to shatter.

The copycat, who merely felt hunger, met a friend.

Friends were good, and cake was delightful.

That’s how the cake got eaten.

The copycat was happy. Satisfied, it returned into the darkness.

And the copycat saw.

“Hahahahaha~”

Even in the dark of night, the copycat saw the bright, prosperous home and its only friend.

It was envious.

“You…”

“I’m sorry.”

“…?”

“For abandoning you and running away.”

Tia approached slowly.

Tears streamed down from the eyes of red Tia, which were half alight.

“I was scared. Scared of losing everything and having it replaced by a fake.”

It was repulsive and terrifying.

So she ran.

‘I left my old friend behind without even attempting to find them.’

But at that time, no one had died yet.

“Tell me. Were you that friend?”

“……I…”

“Go on.”

If she took two more steps, she would reach the red Tia.

But red Tia shook her head.

“Tia… I am Tia. I’m not that creature.”

“You…”

“I am…”

Thud.

“I AM TIAAAAAAA!!!”

“GAAAAAHH!!”

The red hand lunged at Tia.

Just moments before impact, a spear flew in and severed the hand.

Tia narrowly escaped death by a paper’s thickness, trembling on the ground as she crawled away.

“Why…”

“A change in appearance and personality doesn’t alter one’s essence.”

The copycat, who sought to gain everything Tia had.

Since it was the main body, it mimicked every aspect of Tia’s mindset, personality, and appearance, but at its core, it remained a copycat.

There’s no way it would acknowledge itself as a ‘fake’ and accept ‘death.’

The red Tia—no, the copycat—glared at me with a menacing look.

“You’re no angel…”

“That’s correct. No angel.”

That damn angel? It was definitely not an angel.

[Is the boss battle starting?]

[Nah, this wasn’t the one she’s been dragging around.]

[kekkekkekkek]

[I thought the cave Tia was the fake.]

[They’re both real.]

[You can’t compare her to an angel, lol.]

[Sniffles…]

[Let’s finish this quickly.]

Perhaps influenced by the sorcery, the copycat’s body completely turned into flames.

The copycat’s hands, resembling the avatar of malice, moved.

Whoosh.

Blazing fire lashed forward.

I easily deflected the flames with my spear and carried Tia far away to safety.

She was still dazed and uncomprehending.

“Stay hidden.”

“Ah… uh, good luck!”

Tia clenched her fists tightly, trying to stay composed.

I smiled at her and returned to the battlefield.

The copycat, burning fiercely, fired flames for a second time.

Flames surged on both sides.

The spear twisted, and an intense spin began.

The roar of the spear pierced through the flames and struck the enemy.

“Ghhhhhhhh!!!”

The copycat hastily transformed into a massive boulder.

Since it couldn’t replicate inanimate objects, it was likely some form of golem.

The golem’s arm smacked the ground.

Thud.

The solid stone arm was cleanly severed.

The copycat’s body, writhing in pain, transformed into a gigantic ogre.

But it made no difference.

“That’s not enough.”

Unless it was on the level of an ancient dragon, borrowing the body of any powerful race was meaningless.

And finding, let alone borrowing, from celestial or demon races was impossible.

[This is a mismatch.]

[This is Lily’s work, lol.]

[We might need Raizaka for this.]

[But that’s impossible.]

The exhausted copycat, having assumed countless forms, panted heavily.

If this was all it had to show…

“Looks like this is your limit, ‘fake.'”

Crunch.

“I’m not a fake…”

“If you’re not a fake, what should we call you? The reason for your existence is merely to mimic others, so you are a fake.”

“…”

“Very well.”

The spear launched.

The copycat stood still, deciding not to evade.

The spear, rushing forward like lightning, was uselessly deflected.

[?]

[?]

[What is this?]

[Is this even possible?]

[KEKKEKKEKKEK]

[?????]

The smoke clearing across the battlefield revealed the silhouette of a woman who had so effortlessly deflected the spear.

A beauty and form that were mesmerizing even to me.

Her spear, infused with formidable magical power, and the body that wielded it with ease.

‘Rilie Elbrite.’

Her golden eyes coldly glinted.

“This is finally getting interesting.”

[The dungeon’s difficulty shifts sharply!]

[The level of the boss, the Hungry Copycat, is being recalibrated.]

Tick.

[Lv. 101]

—

[Do you wish to enter the realm of the Copycat?]

Ever since I first encountered the word ‘copycat,’ I wondered:

‘Maybe this is possible.’

To successfully complete the simulated Siege War, I needed a third-class promotion and the restoration of my holiness.

But no matter how fast I moved, it seemed impossible to defeat 15 level 40+ bosses by the deadline.

The remaining option was to defeat a World Boss.

I tried my best to ensnare the Spirit of Darkness in the Highlands of the Blue Forest, but the counter wouldn’t register.

Discovering them became increasingly difficult, and even if one were found, defeating it completely without some miracle was uncertain in my current state.

Thus, I decided to use ‘me’.

Provoke the copycat.

Stir it up again and again, exposing its true nature, then keep provoking until I cornered it.

‘Until the moment it mimics a “stronger entity” to survive.’

“Creepy.”

Just standing there, my grip tightened on the spear shaft, and my skin tingled.

It’s been so long since I felt such a sensation.

A sensation I’ve never felt since arriving in Deoen.

‘Thrilling.’

I split my spear.

Seventeen blades, each gleaming fiercely.

‘Rilie’ was not an opponent to be taken lightly.

With the multitude of spears, I charged.

GGGGGRRRRRAAAARRRR!!!

“Guh…!”

Out of nowhere, a massive blunt object struck my body.

I was hurled away, smashing into a corner of some house.

[?]

[Shit]

[WHOA]

[Rilie vs Rilie!]

[This is insane!]

[If Rilie loses, she gets replaced, lol?]

[Rilie can’t lose!!!]

[Anyone, win!]

[Destroy it!]

[KEKKEKKEKKEK]

Thud…

“…So this is Rilie.”

Rilie uses a hammer, not a spear.

—

DING!

[Caution! A World Boss-grade entity (Lower Tier) has emerged.]

[Failure to clear this dungeon will result in the World Boss ‘Rilie Elbrite’ appearing within the world!]

—

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