CHAPTER 89: SHADOW CLONE[1]

All the purplish-black aura scattered across the ruined field began to stir.

Riley’s eyes narrowed sharply.

The once-wriggling puddles of shadow no longer flailed uselessly. Instead, they surged—converging with alarming speed.

Tendrils snaked across the ground, merging with streams pouring down from the skies and rising from the dried-up field.

Riley’s gaze locked onto it.

In mere seconds, a mass of coiling darkness had accumulated there—growing thicker, denser, more oppressive by the heartbeat.

And then—

It began to rise.

From the ground upward, the swirling shadows stretched and elongated, gradually taking on shape.

First legs.

Then a torso.

Then arms—hunched and trembling with barely contained energy.

And finally—

A head.

A humanoid silhouette stood at the centre of it all, still forming.

Its entire body remained pitch black, swirling endlessly like smoke given solid form. But it wasn’t loose or formless anymore. It stood still—eerily so.

The field went quiet, with only the sound of wind blowing across the dried grasses.

Then—

Fwoosh!!

A deafening gust of wind erupted from the figure.

The darkness that had still clung to its body was blasted away in an instant. The remaining tendrils and flecks of aura that hovered nearby were torn apart like mist under a blade.

Even from several meters away, Riley felt it.

The wind slammed into his body like a physical force, kicking up dust and dried leaves all around him.

He gritted his teeth slightly, bracing against the pressure—but didn’t move.

His eyes remained locked forward, and his breath hitched for a moment—not from fear.

But disbelief.

Because as the last of the dark aura peeled away, the figure was revealed fully.

And what stood there... was him.

Riley’s jaw clenched faintly, and the frown on his face deepened.

There was no mistaking it.

The figure staring back at him was an exact replica. Down to the smallest detail.

In its hands were the same daggers as his, except their blades were coated in the shadow aura.

It was also wearing the same armour, with shadow aura swirling softly around the edges.

Its face was also exactly like his, except it was a little paler.

Dark aura also curled around the ends of its hair, and its eyes, making it look terrifying.

Riley’s heart thudded once in his chest.

He could feel the dark, oppressive aura oozing out from the strange figure in waves, making him feel like a hand was clenched over his heart.

He stared directly into its eyes. They stared right back, completely devoid of emotion. Not empty... but unreadable. As if mocking him.

"...Tch," Riley muttered, hand tightening around his weapon.

He could already tell.

This was going to be different from the other two trials.

Ding!

Another notification appeared before him, flickering right in front of his narrowed eyes.

[The task ahead is very difficult, but completing it is not compulsory!]

[Would you like to skip the third trial and proceed to getting the class?]

[Note: Doing this would result in getting a weaker version of the class.]

[Yes / No]

Riley frowned.

A dry, wry smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"...It’s giving me the option to quit," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head slightly.

This wasn’t normal.

Profession trials were known to have two phases at most. Two clear, brutal challenges that tested a player’s capacity and compatibility with a specific path. But now—this was a third.

It was unheard of, and he already knew the reason why.

He was an anomaly. Someone holding two classes instead of one.

Still, the fact that it offered him the choice... It meant one thing:

He’d already done enough.

Skipping now would still grant him a profession. A strong one too—he could tell.

Based on his performance in the first and second trials, the system would surely reward him with at least an S-rank class, possibly one with a unique trait due to his anomaly status.

It wouldn’t be weak.

Not at all.

But...

"...I can’t accept that," Riley muttered under his breath.

His eyes stayed locked on the dark clone in front of him, who was still standing, waiting for his decision.

This third trial might be abnormal. It might even be far more dangerous than anything he’d faced before.

But deep inside him, Riley was sure.

Passing this final phase would give him something even greater!

Something far beyond the standard.

He could feel it in the weight of the system’s silence. In how it gave him the choice to walk away.

"S-rank is powerful, for sure," he muttered quietly, gripping his daggers firmly. "But why would I settle for that..."

His gaze sharpened—cold and determined.

"...When I know I can get something even better."

He clicked on [No] without hesitation.

And his voice followed after it, calm and low.

"No. I’ll face whatever’s coming."

Ding!

[Profession Trial Phase 3]

[Task: Defeat and subdue your shadow clone.]

[Note: Failure to do this will lead to you completely losing your free will... and your shadow clone replacing you.]

Riley’s breath caught for half a second.

His smirk faded.

"...Replacing me?"

He stared at the doppelgänger once again.

It stood the exact same way he did. Same posture. Same weapons. Same calm look. But something was off.

The clone didn’t move.

It stood in place—head tilted ever so slightly, as if studying him.

The silence stretched.

Then—

The dark aura surrounding its body began to writhe again, growing even thicker and heavier. It was almost like it had life of its own.

The pressure in the air thickened.

Riley’s grip on his dagger tightened as he watched.

And then, Its lips moved, curling into a grin.

A wide, twisted grin that didn’t belong on his face. Like a predator who already knew how the hunt would end.

A cold chill ran straight down Riley’s spine.

He didn’t flinch, but he felt it. Felt the sweat roll slowly down his forehead, trailing past his brow.

"...My shadow clone’s pretty scary, huh," he muttered under his breath.

[Third Trial Phase Begins]

[Good Luck, Player!]