Is That My Alter Ego

28 – Another Beginning

“….Mom, you know Dad loves you so much, right?”

My parents, always enveloping me with overflowing love.

In their warmth, I, still a child, feel as if I’m flying high in the sky.

“Yes! I love you too…!”

In an atmosphere sweeter than candy, warmer than the sun, I smile brightly again today.

***

A dream, sweeter than cotton candy, after a long time. No, a nightmare that melts away in an instant.

“…..Damn it.”

I wipe away the tears that involuntarily escape. Far from feeling good, it’s just filthy.

“…I need to get up.”

The warm morning sunlight streaming through the window, and the birds singing as if they’re performing a song.

The colorful hues of autumn are visible, and a cool breeze blows in.

It’s already been 3 days since my clone died. Having spent most of my time as my clone, moving again as my original self feels somewhat alien.

“….Sigh. What should I do with my life now?”

[Name: Venice / Age: 20 / Gender: Male / Status: Normal.]

[Unique Ability: Doppelgänger(???) : You can summon your doppelgänger. The form and abilities of the clone are random, and you can control it as if it were your own body.

You will not feel any pain that your clone experiences! In case the clone dies or is destroyed, you can retrieve it!]

[With the death of my clone, it is no longer usable or assimilable.]

In the midst of overwhelming despair, a sigh escapes me. My clone, the leader of the Scar Mercenary Corps, is already dead.

I tried to assimilate multiple times just in case, but I couldn’t feel any connection or mana with the clone. It seems I can no longer use the clone.

As explained in the status screen, I have become a human who can no longer do anything.

“Without realizing it… I was immersed.”

On the day I first opened my eyes as a clone, I used it simply thinking of it as controlling a character in a game.

However, as the time spent as a clone grew longer and precious connections increased, I began to feel like the clone was becoming myself.

And so… just before dying, I sincerely blessed them. It would have been an action that the original me wouldn’t have even thought about.

I don’t know why, but in the end, it seems like I told them as the leader of the Scar Mercenary Corps.

Not as a clone, but as person to person. I unknowingly exploded with emotions. At that time, I had even forgotten that my body was a clone.

Encountering people was difficult, and I couldn’t even think about moving forward. But when I assimilated with the clone, I became a different person.

“…It’s a shame.”

There were still many things I wanted to try. Traveling around this vast continent, meeting new connections.

I also wanted to try delicious food like in Biron’s restaurant. I wanted to explore unknown worlds.

“But with this body… I can never do it.”

As I return to my original body, I once again feel the weight of powerlessness pressing down on me.

Unlike the courage and determination I had as a clone, fear and helplessness dominate my body.

…With this body, it seems like I can only go as far as the library in front of the village.

That’s why… I wanted to experience as much as possible as a clone.

“…Sigh. Let’s go to the library.”

I want to shake off the overwhelming sense of powerlessness and despair. It seems like I need to borrow a book and get some fresh air.

As if I would collapse to the ground at any moment, I weakly led my feeble body to the library.

“………”

Nodding –

The librarian, with her expressionless eyes, staring into the void. I bowed my head to greet her and then wandered among the bookshelves.

‘Is there any book worth reading?’

Having spent most of my waking hours reading, I couldn’t see any books that I wanted to read anymore.

“……..?”

At that moment, I felt a gaze directed towards me from somewhere.

An uncomfortable and unsettling gaze.

I quickly looked around, as if the gaze was crawling up from under my feet, but I couldn’t see anything except for myself, the librarian, and the books in the library.

Just in case, I looked outside the window, but all I saw was the usual sight of a deserted town with no one around.

“…Sigh.”

Maybe because I had a bad dream, I felt a strange sensation.

“Goodbye… Take care.”

“………”

Since there were no books worth reading and this uneasy feeling didn’t go away, I immediately left the library.

“……….”

Even until I left the library, the gaze directed at me… the unknown gaze, didn’t let up.

“…Now, this is the only solace in my life.”

An endless horizon. Gentle waves. And the softly blowing autumn breeze. It’s like a beautiful landscape straight out of a painting.

…Every day, even when I see this sight… I never get tired of it.

No matter how stifling my heart feels, or how much I have on my mind, when I capture this scenery with my eyes, I don’t think about anything, as if under a spell.

“What should I do now to live?”

As someone like me, there’s nothing more I can do. It’s almost impossible to find a job when I can’t even face people.

And even my only unique ability, the art of body doubling, I could no longer use.

The only fortunate thing is… I still have quite a bit of money left, and the cost of living in this town is very low.

Just considering that, it seemed like I wouldn’t starve even without working.

“…Then what should I do?”

Spending the rest of my life eating, sleeping, and doing nothing.

After losing my body doubling ability, all that was left for me was emptiness.

“…Pull yourself together.”

But still, I have to keep going. With a little courage… I should find something to do.

The library. The library sounds good. The librarian is an incredibly quiet person… and besides me, there are no other visitors, so if I gather a bit of courage, I should be able to do it.

“…Alright! Then I’ll ask the librarian!”

…Of course. Not today, but tomorrow. I was at the library earlier, so going again now feels a bit off.

“Well, for now, back home…”

Ring-!

As I stood up to head home, a familiar notification sound reached my ears.

At the same time, it was immeasurably distant and its location was indeterminate, but… I faintly sensed magic.

‘…What is this?’

It was the same feeling as when I first detected the mana of my clone.

…But, my clone was already dead… How could this be?

I opened the status window as if enchanted.

[Name: Venice / Age: 20 / Male / Status: Normal.]

[Unique Ability: Doppelganger Sorcerer(???) : You can summon your clone. The form and abilities of the clone are random, and you can control the clone as if it were your own body.

You do not feel the pain experienced by the clone! If the clone dies or is destroyed, you can retrieve it again!]

[Due to the death of Clone 1, usage and assimilation are impossible.]

[Assimilation with Clone 2 is possible!]

“….Huh?”

In disbelief, I rubbed my eyes and even spun around a few times on the spot.

But, the information before my eyes remained the same.

“Have I… gone mad?”

[No! You have not gone mad!]

“Then… what’s happening..? What’s this Clone 2? I thought I couldn’t use my abilities anymore?”

[Exactly as it says, it’s your second clone! There’s no need for there to be only one clone!]

“Ha…hahahaha…”

I burst into a hollow laugh, a sound I felt I hadn’t heard in a long time. Yet, it was a laugh filled with joy and anticipation, not denial.

“….Alright. I can’t miss this opportunity.”

Fated to become a good-for-nothing, another chance came my way!

With joy and anticipation, I ran home in an instant, my footsteps no longer heavy but rather light.

Thud-

“Ehch.”

Though it was still broad daylight with the sun overhead, I felt a bit tired due to being connected to another avatar.

‘Thank you, status window…’

[…No need to mention it!]

“…Well then. Let’s go!”

I close my eyes, not resisting sleepiness. My body relaxes as if sinking into the bed, and my mind drifts further away.

The leader of the mercenary band. What ‘me’ will I be reborn as next?

Feeling the resonance of my mana with the avatar’s, I lost consciousness.

***

Trudge… trudge.

I walk aimlessly towards somewhere, clutching something precious, just heading forward.

My feet sink deeply as if stepping on something, a tremendous wind buffeting me, making my coat flutter. I hold it tightly to prevent it from flying away.

…And at the same time, I feel a bone-chilling cold.

“…Huff!”

What is this… Where am I?

Shivering in a cold that makes the notorious Korean winter seem mild in comparison, I look around.

“…..A snowfield?”

In the stormy snowstorm raging like a tempest, not even an inch ahead is clearly visible. The snow beneath my feet seems piled up to over 30cm, even at a cursory glance.

I tightly grasp a small basket in my hand. And…

“…Damn it all…!”

It was disgustingly cold! My teeth chattered involuntarily, and my whole body shivered with cold.

This tremendous cold was beyond what even wearing a padded jacket could handle, yet I had only a thin and worn-out coat on.

Even that coat showed signs of being patched up in places, worn out and torn in others.

‘…I need to find somewhere to take shelter!’

At this moment, before I could even think of splitting into a second body or anything else, I felt like I would freeze to death.

Where… could there be even a temporary refuge nearby to thaw my body?

With a trembling body, I scanned my surroundings, barely visible in the haze.

“Is that… a cave?”

At that moment, a shape resembling a cave appeared faintly from the mountain ahead. Without further thought, I moved my weary steps toward that cave-like shape.

It was difficult to take even a step forward, with the snow piled up to my ankles and the strong wind, but I pressed on nonetheless.

‘…Nice!’

Barely managing to reach there, I saw the entrance of a truly small cave. Seems like there’s still hope for survival after all.

Brushing aside the black and purple curtains with strange patterns hanging over the cave entrance, I stepped inside.

“….Wow. I might just survive a bit longer…”

It was still cold, but just not facing the wind made it bearable to live. I briefly set down the basket on the ground and warmed my hands, sending warm breaths to thaw them.

‘…Wait a moment. This smell…’

As my sense of smell returned from being numbed by the cold, a pungent yet familiar odor pricked my nose.

When I was the commander of the Scar Mercenary Corps, the smell I had grown tired of.

“…. Blood scent?”

The intense smell of blood vibrates from inside the cave. Simultaneously, the scent of indescribable chemical substances and an unknown ominous energy can be felt from within.

‘What on earth… has happened?’

To find the source of this blood scent, I slowly walked into the depths of the cave following the light of the violet torch hanging on the wall.

As I turned the corner, there it was again, a curtain with bizarre patterns mixing black and purple.

Beyond it, the blood scent vibrates so intensely that it’s terrifying. At the same time, an indescribable alien energy is sensed.

Somewhere heavy and… malicious.

Ssssh-

I opened the curtain and pushed my body inside.

A blood scent so intense it could numb the nose, and the smell of chemicals.

The violet torch illuminated objects and symbols on the desk with incomprehensible meanings.

“…..Huh.”

Furthermore, on the other side, several people were seen trapped behind iron bars. Each one spewing an enormous amount of blood, with traces of shackles remaining on their bodies. Some seemed bruised, perhaps beaten.

‘…Are they still alive?’

The already dead eyes showed no signs of life, and their bodies did not even twitch. They seemed to have lost hope, sitting there as if giving up, with only trembling bodies left.

What kind of place is this… really?

Faced with the horrifying scene left behind, I could only freeze on the spot.