Chapter 57

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 57

Chapter Title: Crossroads (2)

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Shwoooosh─

The shadow passage was Augustine's unique ability. They moved swiftly through the darkness, as if swimming underwater. Moments later, they emerged into a dimly lit underground space with the stuffy atmosphere of a seedy bar.

The room was crammed with massive computer servers and tangled wires. In the center sat a single girl.

Aira Petrovna, with her long black curly hair and sweat-soaked crop top, hammered away at the keyboard. She blew a huge bubble with her gum, then turned around with a bored expression to look at Cheon Seo-eun.

"…You actually came."

"Hey, Aira."

The room was sweltering from the heat pouring off the servers, like a steam bath. Cheon Seo-eun wiped the sweat from her forehead and grumbled irritably.

"Come on, Aira! Turn on the AC or something! It's fucking dying in here. How do you even work like this?"

Aira popped her bubblegum with a smack and replied in a languid voice.

"No mana stones. Better to buy another top-tier graphics card with the cash."

"Ugh, your damn research…"

Cheon Seo-eun muttered irritably, brushing back her sweat-matted bangs.

Aira shrugged and turned back to her monitor, utterly ignoring Cheon Seo-eun's complaints.

At that moment, Augustine reemerged from the shadow passage. He held two cans of cold soda—one tossed to Aira, the other handed to Cheon Seo-eun with a gruff tone.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Cheon Seo-eun. We didn't save you because we think you're some precious Black Line comrade."

"Yeah, I get it. Should I cry tears of gratitude?"

Acting all nice now, huh?

Cheon Seo-eun grumbled under her breath and chugged the cold soda.

"Ahh, that's the stuff~"

Augustine eyed her with pity and continued.

"You're still with this organization purely because you're useful for Eclipse Guild's mission. That's it. Don't flatter yourself."

"Hmph. So why am I useful to Eclipse? There are plenty of grunts like me everywhere. You talk big but can't even fire me."

Cheon Seo-eun ignored him and glanced at the back wall. Behind Augustine, the grimy surface was plastered with all sorts of photos. One figure stood out prominently.

Academy instructor Seraphina.

From blurry snapshots to crisp official portraits, even stolen Academy CCTV captures. Proof they were monitoring her every move.

"So, preparations?"

"Already done. Your Cheon Clan, Yoo Clan, and three others aligned with us have secretly joined forces. If all goes to plan, we can oust Seraphina and plant moderates in Ashen and the Academy."

Augustine's eyes gleamed. He patted Cheon Seo-eun's shoulder.

"All that attitude is thanks to your clan. Don't act high and mighty—behave. You're sidelined by Ashen anyway, right? This deal benefits you too."

"Hmph."

Cheon Seo-eun had no comeback. It was true.

As a kid, she'd been far wilder, a total delinquent. Sick of her clan's leash, she'd run away dozens of times, only to be dragged back by her sister Cheon Da-eun.

Getting tangled with that cursed Ashen group was one of her life's worst mistakes.

Cheon Seo-eun shot Augustine a bored glare, then scurried to Aira and plastered herself to her back.

"Airaaa~ Missed you so much, my Aira~"

She rubbed her face on Aira's shoulder, acting cute, but Aira recoiled with a disgusted look.

"Get off, it's hot. You stink of sweat."

"Aw, come on. Between us girls, right?"

Cheon Seo-eun clung tighter to Aira's neck. Aira sighed in annoyance but eventually gave up and let her be.

Then Cheon Seo-eun's eyes caught the monitor Aira was staring at. She couldn't believe it. It was playing the exact scene she'd been peeping on: Kang Ihyeon and her sister's raw sex. From an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠obscenely clear angle.

What the hell is that…?

Even her own masturbation was recorded.

"Aira, you fucking bitch! You've been spying on my private life too? You crazy stalker slut!"

Cheon Seo-eun shrieked in shock. Augustine calmly chimed in from the side.

"That's how we pinpointed your location in minutes and came to get you, you idiot. We watched your filthy show the whole time."

"True… fuck."

Cheon Seo-eun let out a disbelieving laugh.

"So why's she watching this crap? You into guys like my sister? Or are you a horny pervert bitch obsessed with sex too, Aira?"

Aira ignored the teasing jab, typing stone-faced. Instead, she nodded at a small sticky note above the monitor.

'Doll Maker, Kang Ihyeon.'

"Doll Maker…? What's that?"

"His hunter ability."

Aira answered curtly, fingers flying over the keys.

"Makes dolls that perfectly copy real hunters' abilities. Like a cloning jutsu."

"What? A cheat skill like that exists? For real?"

Cheon Seo-eun gaped. With that, he could clone dozens of rankers and breeze through dungeons.

"Obviously a downgraded version. Not as OP as you think. From what I dug up, maxes at C-grade, B-grade if generous. Huge mana drain, can't run multiples."

"Hmm… Still pretty useful. Not bad for a kid."

Cheon Seo-eun probed further.

"You still haven't answered my question. Why do we need this ability—or this punk? I'm not interested in some pervert banging my sister."

"One: pure personal interest. Worth researching such a unique power."

Aira's eyes flashed eerily, like a mad scientist's mania.

"Two: He's taking Master's personal commission to make my doll."

"What? Your doll? That pervert?"

"And he's suspected to be in Seraphina's faction."

"Ugh… Yeah, that's fucked."

Cheon Seo-eun sensed things were far more tangled and dangerous than she'd thought. Beyond her paygrade. Time to bail—she started backing away.

Grab─

Aira suddenly seized her arm with shocking strength. Her slender arm, usually weak, rivaled Augustine's grip.

"H-Hey, Aira…?"

"You heard us. Help out, Cheon Seo-eun. We helped you—fair's fair, right?"

A strange smile curled Aira's lips. Cheon Seo-eun felt a sinking dread: Oh shit, I'm in deep now.

"E-Eh…?"

"You're Cheon Da-eun's sister. Easiest access for us. Right?"

Checkmate.

After my heated lovemaking—no, 'special training'—with Cheon Da-eun, I kicked my routine into overdrive.

Well, not much changed, really.

I still ditched classes to grind rifts. With Da-eun noona, Instructor Cheon Da-eun's clone.

She'd grown even more proactive and devoted in helping me.

Once she started soloing rifts, we cleared them at speeds incomparable to before.

At night, I'd suck up the piled-up experience from the clone.

Devouring her body, I forged my mana stronger and denser. She always offered everything willingly, and I took every sweet drop. The lewd skills stacking on her were a bonus.

After level-ups and skill boosts, I'd visit home for advanced 'sex ed' or hole up in the Maker Sect workshop, pouring all my effort into crafting Aira Petrovna's clone—that genius criminal's.

Her artificial doll research was definitely tempting.

One hectic day amid the frenzy.

"…It's complete."

Finally, success on the third doll!

I smiled in satisfaction at the completed Aira Petrovna clone.

Long, curly black hair.

A perfectly developed figure—curves where they should be, slim where ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠they shouldn't. Cool, distant eyes.

I'd never met the real Aira Petrovna, but I'd modeled it as closely as possible from intel and photos.

Not bad, but still just half strength.

49.9% wasn't coincidence.

I'd tuned it deliberately.

The threshold where the clone takes the original's consciousness is exactly 50% combat power.

My initial revealed creation skill was based on 'machine consciousness,' so I couldn't crank power recklessly.

But 49.9% wasn't fixed forever.

The finishing touch, right?

True masterpieces differ by a single dot in the eye.

Same for my clones.

Stuck at 49.9% now, but with minor part tweaks and tuning, it could breach 50% anytime. I'd built in the setup.

In a secluded spot, reveal true form only when needed.

Even climbing higher, this level of secrecy is essential.

"Phew."

I inspected the finished Aira Petrovna doll one last time, smiled, and unsummoned it. Then headed straight to Elder Masha Leosika's private lab in the Maker Sect.

Time to report project completion.

Knock knock─

A young but dignified voice came from inside.

"Come in."

I swallowed hard and entered. The lab overflowed with machine parts, blueprints, and mystery equipment in glorious chaos.

In the center loomed a massive metal sphere, exuding grandeur.

Masha Leosika's 'Matryoshka'—her mobile lab, bedroom, and combat all-in-one machine sphere.

As I entered, the front split open like giant jaws, revealing familiar Masha Leosika inside.

"Heeey, shorty."

"…Long time no see, Elder."

"Yeah."

Petite with brown bobbed hair, one hand cola can, the other greasy burger.

She looked way younger than me, but supposedly older…

She glanced at me while chewing and asked gruffly.

"You look different. Taller, buffer… Gym? Or skill?"

"Uh, probably both."

"Both? Nah, definitely skill."

Masha Leosika scanned me top to bottom with interest.

Indeed, rapid levels, skill ups, and nightly 'intense training' had boosted my physique beyond compare. Visible changes for sure.

Auto-farming a few rift sectors all day yielded breakthroughs across the board.