Danmachi: Clones System
Old Version/Dropped
####
Chapter 1 - Is this a dream?
"What is this?"
I slowly opened my eyes. As soon as they fluttered open, I felt dust fall into them, forcing me to shut them tightly. Tears welled up, and I wiped my eyes.
After clearing my vision, I looked around.
"What the hell?"
Around me, there was nothing but two stone walls. In front of me stretched a long corridor wrapped in unsettling darkness. I stared into the void for a few seconds, and a shiver ran down my spine.
A sense of urgency gripped me.
An urgency to run away.
I turned my back on the darkness and started to run. The path lit up as I moved forward. I could feel something right behind me, so I didn't dare look back. If I stop running, I'll die.
I kept running for what felt like an eternity.
The muscles in my unathletic legs began to ache, and I was reaching my limit.
My breathing was heavy, my heart pounding in my chest. A sharp pain throbbed beneath my ribs.
After a few more minutes, I could barely breathe—it hurt.
Finally, I stopped running.
Slowly, I glanced back, feeling a gaze fixated on me.
A chill crawled up my spine as I turned toward the darkness.
But when I looked, there was nothing there.
"Gulp!" I swallowed hard and faced forward again. There was no sign I was getting anywhere.
What the hell is going on here?
How did I end up in this place?
Wasn't I lying in bed, reading?
I began walking forward cautiously, and the path continued to light up as I advanced.
"Do I need to do something? It feels like I'm not getting anywhere. But wasn't there someone behind me? I'm sure I sensed something and even heard footsteps. Maybe it was just my imagination."
They say in moments of desperation, your mind can play tricks on you.
After walking a few meters, I stopped and decided to search my surroundings. I walked over to the stone wall on my right and ran my hand along it, feeling for anything unusual.
"In situations like this, there's usually a secret passage. I've read enough books and novels to know that. There's got to be something here."
Confidently, I searched, but in the end, I found nothing.
I wasted precious minutes of my life.
So, I moved to the left.
Again, I searched for anything out of the ordinary.
I felt along the wall, but all I found were rough patches. I spent long minutes searching, but all my hands touched was dust.
"Tsk!"
I clicked my tongue and kicked the wall in frustration.
That's when dust began to fall from the ceiling.
The roof started to crack, and I sprinted away as fast as I could.
Chunks of the ceiling crumbled down, and after a while, a hole formed.
I looked up through the opening, and a cold breeze brushed against my skin.
"What is that? Is there ice up there?" I stepped closer.
I stood there for a few seconds until, suddenly, something was thrown down at me.
It was a ladder—an old-fashioned rope ladder with wooden rungs, straight out of an adventure movie.
I looked at the ladder as if it were begging me to use it.
"I feel like once I climb up, there's no turning back," I muttered, gripping one of the wooden steps and planting my foot. I climbed slowly, and when my head poked through the hole, a frigid wind blasted my face.
It was dark, with a single light illuminating the strange room.
I climbed up fully and walked toward the light.
The fear that had gripped me earlier was gone.
The light from the ceiling illuminated a single spot—on the floor.
Words were written there.
**"Reflections break, yet remain,
One life now splits, yet feels the same.
A whispered wish, a shadow grows,
Two hands to touch, two minds that know.
Step forth anew—your twin arose."**
I read the poem aloud, and then the words on the ground glowed, radiating an even brighter light. I felt like I was about to go blind. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, I was no longer in the same place.
I looked around, startled.
"Hey, what's he doing?"
"Do you think he's sick?"
"Why is he acting like that?"
"Isn't he strange?"
"Mom, doesn't that man look sick?"
"Shh, don't say things like that."
Voices echoed around me.
I froze, feeling countless eyes on me.
I'm not antisocial or socially anxious, but I'm not used to this much attention.
'Where the hell am I?' I wondered, trying to make sense of my surroundings.
"Hey, sir, are you feeling alright?" a young girl approached me. She was short, barely 160 cm tall. I stared at her, my mouth opening. What should I say?
"..." I remained silent, and the girl smiled.
"Sorry to bother you," she said before stepping away, but I called out.
"Hey, excuse me."
"Hm?"
"Where are we?" I asked.
I looked at her expectantly. She stared at me as if I were insane. My question must have sounded incredibly stupid.
The girl gave me a bitter smile and answered.
"We're in Orario, can't you see the tower?"
Following her gesture, I turned around.
Behind me stood a massive, breathtaking tower.
My heart raced, and my eyes widened as I craned my neck to take in its height.
At that moment, something appeared before my eyes.
[Welcome to the Clone System!]
My lips curled into a smile.
"Is this a dream?"
####
Chapter 2 - Clone.
After the system message appeared before my eyes, I stopped staring at the tower and turned to talk to the girl. However, she had already disappeared. I sighed and looked around.
People were still staring at me.
I left the area as quickly as possible and headed to a secluded spot to take a look at the system. I reached an alleyway between two houses—a vacant alleyway, a bit dirtier than I expected.
"Alright, what's this about? Can I make clones?"
Since the name is "Clone System," it's definitely related to creating clones.
Then, another translucent system message appeared.
[ Clones: 0/1 ]
Rank: G
[ The user can only create clones weaker than him. ]
[ Everything the clone acquires will be transferred to the user. ]
[ You can evolve your clones. ]
[ Warning! A weak clone can be easily destroyed! ]
I read all the system messages and immediately understood how it worked. It's not hard to grasp. "I can only create one clone for now... A clone weaker than me. But how strong am I?"
Then, a new system message appeared.
Name: Zane
Level: 1
Rank: G
Clones: 0/1
Strength: 5
Endurance: 5
Agility: 5
Dexterity: 5
Magic: 5
"Hmmm... Depressing. Five points in each? That should be a crime! You can't just throw someone into another world and give them pathetic stats like this."
If I'm already this weak, imagine a clone? There's no way something like that could be useful!
Tsk!
I clicked my tongue and closed the status screen.
"At least this makes it clear I don't need a Falna to grow stronger. I'm not forced to join a Familia right now." But joining one would help me get a weapon or a armor.
At the moment, I have nothing.
I have no money.
It was then that another system message appeared.
[ All of the user's money has been transferred. ]
[ You received 5,656,522 Vanis. ]
[ The money has been added to your inventory! ]
"Oh? I received all the money I had saved in the bank. Plus, I have an inventory! This system is getting me more excited by the minute. This way, exploring the dungeon will be a breeze."
Feeling excited, I took a deep breath and decided to use my unique ability.
"I wonder if the clone will look identical to me or if I can change its appearance. If I walk around with multiple identical clones, I could cause some serious confusion." I glanced around to make sure no one was nearby and activated my ability.
I didn't need to chant like a chuuni; I simply thought about the ability, and it was activated.
I also tried to think of things like, "I want the clone to look like this, change that, and so on."
But in the end, I received a system message that said:
[ Rank too low. ]
So, I need to raise my rank. But how? Besides the rank, I also have a level! How does that work? Will my rank increase as my level rises?
I'm not sure.
"The rank will probably increase as I use clones."
Finally, I created my first clone.
As soon as the ability activated, the clone simply emerged.
From the ground, a strange, grotesque mass appeared, slowly growing and taking shape. I admit it wasn't a pleasant scene to watch. Once the clone was ready, its status appeared before my eyes.
Unlike me, it had no name, level, or rank. It only had basic stats.
"Just as I expected..."
Strength: 2.5
Endurance: 2.5
Agility: 2.5
Dexterity: 2.5
Magic: 2.5
"What crappy stats. It's really weaker than me. And on top of that, it looks like an idiot. It's identical to me, but it definitely has a much lower IQ."
"Can you speak?"
After my question, the clone just tilted its head.
So, I decided to run a test.
I kicked it with all my strength right between the legs. When my foot hit, the clone didn't groan in pain or anything; it just collapsed and dissolved a few seconds later.
[ Your clone has been destroyed! ]
"There's no cooldown?? I can create another clone right away? That's good."
Without a penalty, I can make new clones whenever one is destroyed.
"I'm sure creating a clone uses magic or something. I'd better not overdo it."
Once again, I opened my status screen and noticed something odd.
"Agility, dexterity... Aren't they the same thing?"
Then, the system explained.
Agility increases the speed of my movements, while dexterity improves the precision of my movements. Additionally, with high dexterity, I can handle weapons like bows more efficiently.
"Interesting. But what matters right now is increasing my strength, agility, and magic. Endurance is important too. I want the clones to be more durable. Speaking of which, the system said I can evolve my clones, but I haven't tested that yet."
I need to test it.
When I was about to create another clone, someone entered the alleyway.
"Mom, look, a junkie."
"Son, don't say that!"
The mother pulled her son away from the alley, and I was left speechless.
"I should probably get out of here."
Feeling extremely offended, I left the alley and went in search of a place to stay. Since the system transferred my money, I shouldn't have trouble paying for an inn for a few days.
####
Chapter 3 - Getting a sword and armor.
In search of an inn, I asked some locals for directions. After some time, I finally managed to reach one, which was located a few kilometers away from the tower.
It's a good location!
Staying too close to the tower could be a problem. It's very busy there, and I prefer quieter and calmer places.
After paying for a one-week stay with breakfast, lunch, and dinner included, I received the keys to my room. I went inside and headed straight to the bathroom.
I took a cold shower to cool my head and think about my current situation.
"Something I've always wanted to happen... Traveling to another world. The world of Danmachi isn't my favorite, but I guess it's fine. Fortunately, I got a system, just like all those protagonists from Korean novels."
I would be in serious trouble if I had come to this world with a useless skill.
I would have to explore the dungeon and slowly grow stronger like everyone else.
Fortunately, the system will make things easier.
I left the bathroom and put on the same clothes I had been wearing since I didn't have any clean ones. After that, I lay down on the bed.
The room is quite cozy. It has a bed, a desk, and a small wardrobe. The mattress is very comfortable—slightly more comfortable than the one I had in my old world.
I sighed and looked again at the system's window.
"I can't increase my status by using points or something? That's how it works in all the novels I read. The first work that comes to mind is Solo Leveling." It was pretty popular before I got transported, thanks to the anime airing weekly.
In it, the protagonist earned points by leveling up and could allocate them to his stats, but I don't have that option.
"Hmmm, so I'll probably have to evolve by gaining excelia like other adventurers. The advantage I have is that I can create clones. My growth will be much faster."
But since my clones are very weak, I need to get some Excelia first and improve my status so they can be stronger.
"I'd better make use of the remaining daylight and get myself a weapon—preferably a sword. But I think there's a problem... Don't I need to be in a Familia to explore the dungeon?"
I don't know that much.
I'm sure I need to be in a Familia to register as an adventurer.
"Well, why bother registering, right? I can go straight into the dungeon. I'm sure no one will stop me."
I got up from the bed and left the inn.
I asked around for directions to Welf's shop. He's a character I know.
I don't know all the characters, but at least I can remember the main ones like Hestia, Bell, Freya, Hephaestus, Welf, and Liliruca… I can recall a few more, but their names escaped me.
Minutes passed, and no one could tell me where Welf's shop was.
Then, half an hour went by.
After asking countless ordinary people and adventurers, I finally found the place.
It was a small, cluttered shop.
And very empty, too.
"Excuse me."
"Huh?" I heard a man's voice—deep, much like mine. "Who are you?" A man appeared from behind the mess: short, spiky red hair and sharp blue eyes.
"You're Welf, right?"
"Who's asking?"
"It doesn't matter. I need a sword. A short one is fine, and it doesn't have to be of high quality. Anything will do."
"..." Welf stared at me for a few seconds before sighing and scratching his head. "Come with me." He didn't ask any questions and led me to the back of the shop. "Look for something here. You don't have to pay—just take one."
"What? Do you think I'm broke and can't afford a sword? This stuff is junk; some of them are even broken."
"You said anything would do. Take one."
"I changed my mind. I want a better sword. Got anything a bit nicer?"
"Sure." Welf went to fetch a few swords and placed them on a counter. There were three in total, all short swords with beautiful blades. Each was very sharp.
They're high-quality swords.
'Well, I've never seen a sword like this in person, so I can't compare… But they look extremely well-made.'
"So, what do you think?"
"Hold on a second." I picked up the three swords and swung them one by one. I didn't know how to handle a sword, so I swung it randomly. After testing all three, I concluded they were identical.
There are no noticeable differences.
"..." Welf watched me, looking tired.
"All right, this one will do." I grabbed a random sword and handed it to him. "What's the price?"
"Just give me 5,000. That'll do."
"All right, here." I handed the money to Welf and took the sword.
"Is that all? You don't need armor?" Welf asked, smiling. Now that he knew I had money, he wanted to sell me more.
####
After a bit more time, I purchased new armor and was already wearing it. It resembled Bell's armor but was larger since I was much taller than Bell.
"It suits you. But it's getting late. Are you sure you want to go to the dungeon now? You should rest."
"Nah, I haven't done anything today. I arrived in the city this afternoon."
"You just arrived? You're not part of a Familia?" Welf's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you crazy? Are you trying to die!?" Welf shouted.
"You're overreacting."
"Are you an idiot? You just arrived in the city, you have no experience, you're not in a Familia, and you're planning to enter the dungeon? Are you trying to kill yourself? You don't need armor or a sword if that's your plan!"
"All right, all right, I'm going."
"..." Welf let go of me and scratched his head. "Tsk, don't say I didn't warn you." Welf didn't know me, but he was worried.
I walked out of his shop. But before leaving, I said, "I'll be back in a few days. Prepare an even better sword for me."
"..." Welf said nothing.
####
Chapter 4 - Does the clone know how to fight?
As soon as I left Welf's shop, I headed toward the tower while thinking about my next steps. I need to farm some Excelia to increase my status—there's no doubt about it. But… will I be able to kill a monster?
I've never killed anything except for small insects, and I might get nervous when the time comes.
'I guess it's better not to overthink it and just go with the flow.'
After some time, I arrived at the Tower of Babel. It's probably around five in the afternoon. I can tell from the position of the sun. 'It won't be long before it gets dark, but I don't think it makes a difference whether it's day or night inside the dungeon.'
I managed to enter the tower without anyone stopping me.
Since no one could see whether I had a Falna, and they didn't care enough to check, it was as if I were invisible.
I reached the spiral staircase and descended slowly as I felt my heart race. 'Don't be nervous. Don't be nervous. Don't be nervous.' I repeated this to myself over and over until I reached the first floor.
When I stepped onto the first floor, I noticed similarities to the corridor I saw before reading that strange poem.
'It's very similar. The only difference is the wall colors. The walls here are a light blue.' I started touching the rough walls as the air became increasingly humid.
I moved forward, waiting for the first monsters to appear.
I kept a calm expression as if I wasn't feeling anything... but I was a bit nervous.
After a few minutes, I reached a slightly wider and better-lit area. In the distance, I could see a small humanoid figure, around 120 cm tall.
Or at least, I thought it was humanoid.
"So, this is a goblin?" I said, watching the disgusting creature approach.
Green skin and big eyes.
"One of the weakest monsters here. Perfect."
As I smiled, a strange mass appeared beside me, and moments later, an exact clone of myself wearing armor and wielding a sword emerged. "I was worried it wouldn't copy my equipment, but luckily, it's a replica."
Without needing me to say anything, my clone stepped forward.
I rested my sword on my shoulder and watched.
The goblin seemed a bit startled by the sudden appearance of my clone, but it attacked anyway. My clone, wearing a stupid expression, raised its sword and got ready to strike.
Its limited intelligence made it attack clumsily.
"He doesn't have any combat experience—just like me. Do the clones copy my lack of combat skills too? If so, he doesn't know how to fight." I smiled bitterly and kept watching.
My clone began swinging the sword awkwardly, but it was enough to drive the goblin back. The creature couldn't understand its strange movements. Its attacks were so erratic that the goblin was frightened!
"Pfft…" I stifled my laughter as I watched the goblin take cautious steps back, terrified.
My inexperienced clone was close to winning the fight.
After swinging its sword repeatedly without rest, it finally struck the goblin.
At the same time, my clone was also hit, but it wasn't destroyed.
My clone's sword was lodged in the goblin's shoulder, and the monster howled in pain for a few seconds until my clone twisted the blade, widening the wound and killing it.
As the goblin died, a magic stone fell to the ground, and a system message appeared before me.
[ EXP +5 ]
"Oh?"
####
After receiving the system message, I gave an order. "Keep walking around the first floor and kill any monsters you find. If you encounter a group, run and try to stay alive."
"..." The clone, still wearing a dumb expression, nodded and walked away.
I opened my status screen to take a look.
All my stats were the same, except for a new set of numbers in front of my level.
Level: 1 (EXP: 5/100)
'I see, so I gain experience by killing monsters to level up. I thought I'd earn Excelia like adventurers and my status would increase gradually, but that's not the case.'
It's a bit more like Solo Leveling now.
'The only difference is that I can't bring the dead back to life.'
Feeling excited by the discovery that I could level up so easily, I decided to start exploring the first floor myself to kill some monsters. After watching my clone fight, I felt calmer.
I can handle this just fine.
[ EXP +5 ]
"He already killed another one? I can't fall behind! I can't kill fewer monsters than my dumb, weak clone. I'll feel awful if I got outdone by an inferior version of myself."
[ EXP +5 ]
"What!? Hold on!"
####
[ You leveled up! ]
[ You received 5 points! ]
[ All stats +1 ]
"Huff~~ Huff~~" Breathing heavily, I looked at the magic stone on the ground. The system messages made the corners of my mouth curl into a grin. "This is exactly what I expected from a system!"
Excited, I opened my status screen.
It looked the same as before, except my level was higher, and a new status called "Points" had appeared.
Points: 5
'These must be the points I can use to increase my stats.' I tried allocating one point to Strength, and it worked.
[ Your Strength has increased to 7! ]
Hehehe~~
I started laughing like an idiot, treating it like a simple game.
It's like a real-life RPG; this is so exciting.
"All right, add two more points to Strength and the rest to Agility."
[ Are you sure? ]
Seeing the system's question, I was confused.
'What do you mean?'
That's when I noticed something new in the top right corner of my status window—a button labeled "Skills."
"All right, cancel that. I need to check the skills first."
####
Chapter 5 - Stronger than me
When I asked the system to take a look at my skills, a new system window opened. The first thing that caught my attention was the very first skill—it was separated from the others.
It was a skill called "Clones." Next to the name, it said "Rank G."
The skill was highlighted in red. When I tried to select it, a system message popped up:
[ You need 20 points to increase this skill's rank! ]
'Interesting. But I only have 4 points. I need to level up a few more times.' Now I understand how to rank up this skill. For now, I need to focus on it.
The skills listed below were more common ones like "Swordsmanship," "Archery," and "Mana Control."
All the skills on the first page were low-level and each cost 5 points. There were several pages of skills. I scrolled through all of them until I reached the last page, which had skills costing over a thousand points.
The final skill on the list was called "Immortality." The most expensive skills were so powerful they didn't even have a level—just like most of the skills available for purchase.
'Apparently I can buy skills and continue leveling them up using points. Or maybe I need to keep using them to increase proficiency and raise their level. That was pretty common in that work called Kumo desu ga, right?'
[ EXP +5 ]
"My clone is still killing monsters. But I have a question…" Does my clone grow stronger as my stats increase, or do I have to dispel it and summon a new one? I have no idea, but it's lasting quite a while.
Maybe it hasn't run into a group of monsters yet.
I closed the system window and continued exploring the dungeon for a while longer.
Meanwhile, I kept receiving system messages saying I had gained experience. The messages came more and more frequently over time, which meant my clone was killing more and more monsters.
After about two more hours, I finally leveled up again.
[ You have reached Level 3 ]
[ Points +5 ]
[ All stats +1 ]
'This is great, but now I need 300 experience points. My clone is killing monsters quickly, I'm gaining a lot of experience—but even so, it won't be easy.'
Also, I'm really hungry and thirsty. I should've brought food and water.
Since I can store magic stones and items, I guess I can store anything.
'Should I call the clone back?'
Just as I thought about recalling it, I began receiving several system messages:
[ EXP +5 ]
[ EXP +5 ]
[ EXP +5 ]
[ EXP +5 ]
'What the hell? Is he fighting a group of monsters? That bastard might already be stronger than me! This is crazy!'
I waited a few more minutes, and when I was sure he was no longer in battle, I recalled him. I just thought about it, and a system message appeared saying the clone was now following me.
Yes, I can do that.
I can give orders like "Please follow me," or "Go hunt monsters," or "Protect me." And I can do it even when I'm not near the clone. But since he's probably really far away, it might take him a while to reach me.
Unfortunately, I didn't have a map showing my clones' locations to make things easier.
Half an hour later, my clone approached.
"…" I remained silent as he stood in front of me. He had changed. Not his appearance, but his aura. I'm not strong enough to sense someone's energy or anything like that, but since he's my clone, I can tell.
He's radiating the aura of a seasoned fighter. Not a master, but someone who's been in battle for months.
'Not only has his aura changed, he seems a bit more intelligent. His eyes aren't blank anymore, and he's paying attention. Of course, his stats also changed while he was fighting.'
I figured this would happen, but his stats increased significantly:
Strength: 12
Endurance: 8
Agility: 11
Dexterity: 10
Magic: 7
"His strength, agility, and dexterity are all higher than mine. Did he level up or something? There's no level showing on his status screen."
That's when something appeared above the clone's head:
Clone 1 – LV 5
'His level is higher than mine!? I thought all the experience went to me—but is he stealing part of it!?'
No, that doesn't seem to be the case.
I think he levels up just by fighting since I also gain 5 experience points when I kill a monster myself.
"But this is kind of… depressing. My clone, who was supposed to be weaker, is already stronger than me. Luckily, he's like a pet I can control… so he's technically part of my strength."
That means I'm much stronger now.
####
Before leaving the dungeon, I performed one last test. I dispelled the clone and summoned him again to see if he would retain the same stats—and he did. 'I guess his stats only reset if he dies.'
Makes sense. There has to be some kind of penalty.
Then I left the dungeon and headed straight to the inn. It was already nighttime.
I arrived at the inn and ate a large amount of food and drank some water. I felt completely refreshed. I went up to my room, took a hot shower, and went to bed to rest.
'My body is exhausted. I'm not used to this.'
I didn't even kill that many monsters myself, and I still got tired.
I opened my status and started browsing through the available skills. While reading through them, I ended up falling asleep and only woke up the next morning.
As soon as I woke up, I jumped out of bed and stretched.
"I feel even better than yesterday. My body feels completely refreshed." I let out a yawn and went to the bathroom to take a shower before starting my day. After finishing my shower, I remembered—I had no clean clothes.
I put on the same clothes and went out looking for a store to buy some new ones.
I bought some underwear, shirts, and pants. I even bought a new pair of shoes.
I returned to the inn, changed into some fresh clothes, and stored the rest.
"Now that that's taken care of, I can get on with my day."
####
Chapter 6 - Explore the dungeon while I sleep!
After having breakfast, I headed straight to the dungeon again. On the way, I saw a few familiar faces. I noticed a group from the Loki Familia preparing to enter the dungeon, and I also spotted Mikoto's party.
"I think that's her name."
I thought about approaching them but changed my mind.
Better not do that for now.
I waited until they had gone in, and a few minutes later, I entered the dungeon myself. I went in alongside a few NPCs, and once I was on the first floor, I moved away from everyone and summoned my clone.
He appeared in front of me, and I gave him the order.
"Kill as many monsters as you can. We're not leaving this place today until I level up my skill. 300 experience points is a lot, so you'll need to work hard."
The clone looked at me seriously and nodded before putting his arms behind his back and taking off at high speed, vanishing seconds later.
[ EXP +5 ]
[ EXP +5 ]
"Already? I can't fall behind."
Feeling excited, I also ran off in search of monsters to kill.
####
I spent the entire day hunting with my clone on the first floor, and I finally reached level 4. After leveling up, I now have 14 available points, but I need 20 to rank up my cloning skill.
I called my clone back, and when I found him, I checked his status.
He had already gained four more levels!
[ Clone 1 ] - LV9
Strength: 17
Endurance: 13
Agility: 16
Dexterity: 15
Magic: 11
"My clones level up way faster than I do. Their growth is amazing." I smiled. "Guess it's time to head back. System, dismiss the clone."
At my command, the clone dissolved and disappeared.
I took a bottle of water from my inventory and drank a few sips before heading for the exit.
After leaving the dungeon, I went to a nearby bar to have a few drinks. Since it was nighttime, the place was quite busy. I found an empty table and sat down. After ordering some drinks, I kept drinking until I hit my limit.
No one came over to talk to me.
I don't think I'm an unattractive guy. I'm tall, with light-colored eyes and good hair. I thought someone might be interested in me in this world too, but I guess it won't be that easy.
"Not like I have time for a relationship anyway."
I left the bar when it was close to closing time and headed to the inn to get some rest. I didn't even eat — I just went straight to my room, took a bath, and then lay down. As I lay there, thinking about the system, an idea came to me.
Something I should have thought of before.
"System, summon my clone."
At my command, the clone appeared in front of me, this time wearing casual clothes just like mine. However, his stats and level remained the same.
Interesting.
He always appears wearing what I'm wearing and holding what I'm holding. A perfect copy.
I got up from the bed, grabbed my armor and sword, and handed them to the clone. He tilted his head, confused.
"Put on the armor," I said. But I needed to ask something first.
"Wait. Do you feel hunger or thirst?"
Upon hearing the question, the clone shook his head left and right, signaling no.
My eyes lit up, and I gave the order:
"Then put on this armor, take this sword, and go to the first floor of the dungeon. I want you to farm as much experience and as many items as possible while I sleep!"
The clone obeyed without hesitation.
As he was about to leave through the door, I added:
"Oh, and try not to die. If you encounter a stronger enemy, run immediately."
He definitely won't run into anything strong on the first floor, so it should be fine.
####
I woke up the next morning feeling a bit off, probably from drinking too much the night before. I got up and went to the bathroom to wash my face, struggling a bit. But when I splashed water on my face and looked in the mirror, I finally noticed all the messages floating in front of me.
Several system messages.
All of them were experience gain notifications.
My eyes widened as I tried to understand what was going on.
After thinking for a moment, I remembered the order I gave my clone last night.
"I did something crazy."
I started laughing, and all the experience notifications disappeared.
When I checked my status, I saw I was already close to reaching level five. My clone had killed a lot of monsters.
They were all +5 EXP messages, so he must've stayed on the first floor.
"This is insane. I'm jealous of my own clone!"
So I dismissed the clone and summoned him again, this time right in front of me.
I immediately noticed he was wearing casual clothes again, just like mine.
"What happened to the armor and sword?" I asked, but the clone only tilted his head, confused by the question.
I thought for a second and realized I'd made a mistake.
Since the armor and sword weren't part of the clone, when I dismissed him, they stayed in the dungeon!
"Damn it, I'm an idiot!"
The clone kept staring at me, not understanding why I looked so upset and frustrated.
Tsk!
I clicked my tongue and dismissed the clone.
"I guess I'll have to buy new armor and a sword. I hope Welf is awake at this hour."
####
Chapter 7 - Second floor.
I went straight to Welf's shop, and when I got there, it was open. I felt relieved and stepped inside. As soon as I entered, I ran into Welf, who was organizing a few things in his shop.
When he saw me, he let out a sigh.
"So you're back. I thought you were dead. Glad to see you're okay."
"I told you I'd be back. So, did you prepare a better sword for me? I told you before, didn't I? I want a better sword."
"What happened?" Welf noticed something was off and asked.
"I lost my sword and armor. Don't ask how—I don't want to talk about it."
"What?" Welf couldn't believe what he'd just heard. "How does someone lose a sword and armor that fast? Be honest, you must've been robbed before even getting into the dungeon."
"What's that supposed to mean? You think I'm some idiot who'd let someone rob him?"
"..." Welf didn't say anything at first. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "I didn't prepare anything for you, but I've got some swords and armor you can check out. They're more expensive than the last one."
"I don't care about the price. Oh, by the way, how about taking this as payment?"
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a few magic stones from my inventory. I had a lot of them.
Since all the magic stones and items my clone collects are automatically sent to my inventory, I'm loaded with this stuff.
When Welf saw the magic stones, he said,
"So you actually went into the dungeon… and made it out alive. That's a surprise."
"..."
"But why are you trying to pay me with this? Why don't you take them to the Guild and get some money for them? I bet you've got a lot of items too."
"I haven't joined a Familia yet."
"Still? What are you waiting for, you idiot?"
"I'm just not in the mood to join one right now. I need to think about it more."
"Fine, fine. Come with me."
Welf led me to the back of his shop and showed me some swords and armor. They all looked pretty similar, so I just picked one at random. I paid more than last time, but not enough to bother me.
I put the armor on right there, and Welf smiled.
"You look good in that armor."
"Thanks."
"Heading to the dungeon now?"
"Yeah. I've got a goal to reach."
"Goal?"
"Better not to talk about it. See you later. I might come back to buy more stuff."
"Right…" Welf looked at me with suspicion, and I left the shop.
It was time to level up my skill.
Name: Zane
Level: 4 (EXP: 375/400)
Rank: G
Clones: 1/1
Strength: 9
Endurance: 8
Agility: 8
Dexterity: 8
Magic: 8
Points: 14
####
I arrived at the dungeon and entered right away. Once I was alone on the first floor, I summoned my clone. He appeared wearing the same armor as me, holding a sword in his hand.
"Perfect. Now go hunt monsters. I need to level up fast."
At my command, the clone took off running to hunt monsters.
I didn't even bother to try hard myself—I knew my clone would kill enough monsters quickly. And just as I expected, system messages started popping up:
[ EXP +5 ]
[ EXP +5 ]
[ EXP +5 ]
He probably killed a group of three monsters. I opened my inventory and saw three new magic stones added, along with two items—from goblins.
'I really need to figure out how to start selling this stuff. Otherwise, I'll have to throw it away.'
My money isn't infinite, so I'll need to find a way to earn some. But without a Familia, that's impossible.
Unless… I start selling things cheaper to other shops? I'm not sure if that would even work.
[ EXP +5 ]
"Just one more monster."
As I waited eagerly for my clone's next kill, a monster suddenly appeared behind me—a kobold. As it charged at me with empty hands, I laughed.
It's like a rabid dog.
But a dog that isn't scary.
The kobold leapt at me, but I easily plunged my sword into its stomach and killed it. Its body vanished into light particles, and a magic stone dropped on the ground along with an item.
I stored them in my inventory and received a system message:
[ You've reached Level 5! ]
[ +5 Points ]
[ All Stats +1 ]
"Yes! Leveled up again!"
I opened my status window and noticed I had 19 points, not 20.
"…I forgot… I needed 6 points, not 5…"
I let out a bitter laugh and looked at my level.
[ EXP +5 ]
[ EXP +5 ]
Level: 5 (EXP: 10/500)
"I need to earn 500 more EXP! Doing that on this floor is impossible—I need to kill stronger monsters. If I head down to the second floor, the EXP gain should increase, right?"
I left my clone farming on the first floor and headed to the second.
Once I get there, I'll bring him down with me. He can keep farming for a while.
####
Some time passed and I reached the second floor. Even knowing it would be harder, I didn't feel nervous. Actually, I was pretty confident! I felt like I could farm on this floor with no problem.
Maybe I could even handle the third floor!
I was just about to dismiss my clone and summon him again when suddenly, a monster ambushed me from behind a wall. It was like it had been hiding, waiting for a distraction to strike.
It caught me off guard, but I managed to dodge its attack.
It is a goblin.
I couldn't tell any difference. It still looked weak.
So, I attacked!
My sword flew toward the goblin's neck at high speed. It was holding a knife, probably stolen from an adventurer. The goblin blocked my attack, and the knife flew out of its hand.
I took the opportunity to swing my sword downwards, striking the middle of its head.
My blade sliced through its jaw and split its head in two.
The goblin died instantly.
[ EXP +10 ]
Just by reaching the second floor, the EXP gain increased by 5!
I should've come down here sooner!
####
Chapter 8 - Rank F.
I dispelled my clone and immediately summoned him again. He appeared in front of me wearing the same armor and holding the same sword as I was. The only difference was that he had leveled up once more and become even stronger.
"Start hunting. Kill as many monsters as you can, and don't die."
Hearing my command, the clone made a serious expression and started running off in search of new enemies.
I smiled as I watched him go and prepared myself for battle as well.
Then, just like my clone, I began walking around looking for enemies—but I was suddenly caught off guard when something jumped at me.
Startled, I turned around and saw a large brown creature lunging at me, baring its teeth.
"What the hell!?" I exclaimed in surprise.
I swung my sword instinctively and managed to hit the monster with the side of my blade—not killing it. The creature was sent flying and crashed to the ground several meters away.
Is my strength really that high?
The monster that attacked me was a brown lizard with suction cups that helped it stick to the dungeon walls and ceiling.
"That bastard ambushed me... I'm going to have to be more careful and start watching the walls and ceiling from now on."
I dashed toward the lizard and it couldn't do much. I managed to slice off its head, killing it and earning 10 experience points. At the same time, more notifications popped up.
[ EXP +10 ]
[ EXP +10 ]
[ EXP +10 ]
"He's going all in!" I cheered as I saw my experience rapidly increasing.
Level: 5 (EXP: 50/500)
"We still need to kill 45 more monsters, but I don't think it'll take that long."
####
I was wrong. It took longer than I expected.
Even with two people killing monsters, it was still a slow process. After hours of fighting, we still needed to kill around 10 more monsters, and I was already reaching my limit.
"My clone has twice my stamina. Looks like he doesn't get tired."
Well, he doesn't feel hunger or thirst, so maybe he doesn't feel fatigue either. That would make sense.
I stopped to take a drink of water.
"But since we're almost there, I can't stop now."
[ EXP +10 ]
[ EXP +10 ]
"Only 8 left." I sighed and stored the water bottle back in my inventory. Then I started running off to find more monsters. On the way, I even passed a group of adventurers who looked at me in shock.
But I ignored them.
Then, after nearly half an hour more, my clone killed the last monster we needed.
[ EXP +10 ]
[ You have reached Level 6! ]
[ Points +5 ]
[ All stats +1 ]
"HELL YES!" I shouted.
When I turned around, I noticed a group of adventurers behind me. They looked frightened. The man who seemed to be the leader considered asking something but didn't say a word and walked away.
What the hell? Why are people looking at me like I'm some kind of alien?
SCREW IT! I don't care!
I can level up my skill now!
I left my clone farming experience and stopped hunting so I could upgrade my skill. As soon as I opened the skill shop and saw the green button indicating I could level up my main skill, my heart began to race.
Then, I leveled it up.
[ The skill "Clones" is now Rank F ]
After reading the message, I immediately opened my status to take a look.
####
Name: Zane
Level: 6 (EXP: 30/600)
Rank: F
Clones: 1/2
Strength: 11
Endurance: 10
Agility: 10
Dexterity: 10
Magic: 10
Points: 4
"That's it? I thought I'd be able to make way more clones now, but I can only summon two!"
Two is still better than one, but I was hoping for at least five clones after ranking up the skill.
What a letdown.
Well, at least now I can summon another one.
At my command, another clone was created. He wasn't as strong as the first one—since the first had leveled up several times—but he came with half of my current stats!
He's stronger than the first one was when I first summoned him.
"Does that mean he'll become stronger than the first clone?"
Since his base stats are much higher, when he reaches the same level as the first, he'll be way stronger!
In other words, the stronger I become, the more potential my clones will have.
"But calling them Clone 1 and Clone 2 isn't very cool. Can I rename them?"
A system message popped up in front of me.
[ Do you wish to rename this clone? ]
"Yes. His name will be Zen. Kinda like my own name. And change the name of the first clone to Chen—a name I've seen a lot in Chinese web novels."
[ "Clone 2" has been renamed to "Zen" ]
[ "Clone 1" has been renamed to "Chen" ]
I smiled after reading the messages.
"Now that that's settled—go hunt, Zen!"
"Yes, Master!" the clone replied.
Of course, he has my voice, so it felt kind of weird hearing that.
"You can talk?"
"Yes, Master."
"Please stop calling me Master. It gives me chills. And can you change your voice, please? This won't work."
"That is currently impossible."
"Tsk!" I clicked my tongue. "Fine. Just don't talk too much when you're near me. I can't deal with it. Now go hunt and kill as many monsters as you can. Level up quickly."
"Yes!"
Zen obeyed and ran off.
I let out a sigh and checked how many points I'd need to level up the skill again. I could use the points to buy other skills or improve my status, but I'm really interested in the Clone skill.
I want to see how far it can go.
When the time comes to invest in other abilities, I'll do it.