Twenty Times the Effort
Grade: Divine Relic
◈ Create up to 20 clones.
◈ No limit on summoning duration.
◈ Clones' experiences feed back into the main body.
It wasn't like the forbidden jutsu of a certain sneaky ninja that let you make hundreds of clones without limit. Still... this was more than enough.
We all know the truth, don't we?
The real power of cloning isn't just multiplying your numbers. It's multiplying your training efficiency.
Twenty times the growth rate. That's all I need.
Did I really need to explain any further?
There were a few other divine relics hidden around the academy, but this was by far the easiest to find and the most useful right now.
I stepped into the warehouse I had rented from the academy.
It was a space easily large enough to fit about twenty people.
"How did it go again? Ah, right... 'I leave a part of myself here.'"
I clutched the cameo and whispered the words.
Instantly, human silhouettes began to take shape before my eyes.
One, two, three, four, five... twenty.
In the blink of an eye, the warehouse was packed to the brim.
Every single one of them was 'me.'
"We really look identical. Wait... then maybe..."
"Like this,"
"all according to my will,"
"I can make them speak—whoa!"
The clones moved in perfect synchronization with my thoughts.
I nodded in satisfaction.
Slipping out of the warehouse to make sure no one was watching, I locked the door tight.
Edwin already has the potential to become a Sword Master. Add a growth rate buff to that, and...
Knowledge of the original novel.
A naturally gifted body.
And a massive growth buff.
It was the perfect combination.
"So, Talia. Teach me swordsmanship."
The sparring session began without any further explanation.
Talia looked utterly baffled.
"...My Lord, what is the point of learning swordsmanship from me? You should just wait for the academy's official classes."
Of course she wouldn't understand.
Why pay a fortune to attend the academy only to seek private tutoring on the side?
But it made perfect sense to me.
As a Korean, I just couldn't feel secure without private education.
"You're the one I trust the most."
"...Are you trying to smooth things over with sweet talk again?"
"No, I'm serious. The academy instructors are just clocking in for a paycheck. How passionately are they really going to teach? But you, on the other hand, love me."
I offered her a playful smirk, expecting her usual exasperated sigh.
But instead...
"..."
Talia bit her lip with a strange expression and turned her head away, as if avoiding my gaze.
Uh-oh. Did the joke fall flat?
"Um, are you mad?"
"No, My Lord... I am not. If it is your command, I shall obey."
Command.
Talia emphasized the word before complying with my request.
"Great. That's the spirit."
And so, the spar began.
"First, channel your aura into the sword. I assume you can at least do that?"
Of course.
This body was practically overflowing with aura. Just holding the sword and focusing for a moment caused the energy to flare up.
Apparently, untalented people could take over a decade just to learn how to channel aura into a blade.
Talent really was a cheat code.
"Like this?"
"Yes, it is a fine aura. Your talent for swordsmanship is indeed exceptional."
"Ahem. You don't have to praise me that much."
"Now, raise your sword."
Like this?
I loosely took a stance and raised my blade.
*Clang!*
Before I could even register the movement, Talia's sword was already swinging toward me.
The moment her aura-clad blade clashed with mine, the aura on my sword shattered into pieces.
I was instantly blown backward.
"Ugh!"
Hey, give a guy some warning!
I almost pissed myself!
But Talia calmly approached, her sword still pointed directly at me.
"My Lord, do not lower your sword. A second strike could cost you your life. Channel your aura again."
She made it sound so easy.
As a modern guy, just seeing a sharp blade flashing and swinging at me was enough to make my heart leap into my throat!
"Talia, wait a second—!"
"An enemy on the battlefield will not wait for you! If you do not wish to die, channel your aura again. You must maintain your aura's stability even after blocking a strike!"
Talia's eyes flashed.
Crap, is she taking out some personal grudge on me?
Her strikes rained down relentlessly.
Low, upper-left, lower-right, low again, then high!
Yet, my body blocked them reflexively.
No, it wasn't me.
It was Edwin's reflexes and innate swordsmanship talent.
While my mind was absolutely terrified by the incoming strikes, Edwin's physical senses parried every single one of them.
It felt like hitting a full combo in a rhythm game.
How the hell was I even doing this?
The only problem was...
The moment you start thinking about how well you're doing in a rhythm game, you usually—
"Ugh!"
Break your combo.
My aura shattered, and I was thrown to the ground.
Talia instantly closed the distance, aiming her blade at my exposed throat—
"There. You are dead, My Lord."
She held the blade to my neck.
Fortunately, she didn't actually slice me open.
I let out a long sigh of relief.
"Talia, you don't secretly hate me, do you?"
"What are you talking about? Of course I do."
"Hey! I'm actually going to cry!"
My arms trembled with exhaustion.
She was incredibly strong.
The gap in our skills was one thing,
but the greater issue was my lack of courage.
Call it the weakness of a modern man who hadn't been in a single fight since breaking the nose of a kid who insulted his parents back in high school.
"Still, you possess remarkable talent, My Lord. Unlike me, you have spent your life idling away, only to suddenly start training now."
Was that an insult or a compliment?
But Talia's expression turned serious as she began to explain.
"The absolute foundation is stabilizing your aura output. You have great talent, but your aura destabilizes during actual combat."
In short, the basics.
At the end of the day, every technique in the world is just an application built upon the basics.
"So, you're saying I need to maintain a steady flow of aura while swinging the sword?"
"Yes, precisely."
Talia explained what I needed to practice.
She raised her sword again.
She told me to attack her.
"Try it as practice. Keep your focus steady and maintain your aura even as you swing."
As I swung my sword, Talia parried my strikes with ease, guiding me through the motions.
Next was defensive training.
"Whether attacking or defending, the foundation remains the same. You must not lose focus on your aura."
She emphasized the basics over and over again.
"A steady release of aura. Only when this is mastered can you link it to blocking, parrying, and counterattacking. Do you understand?"
Having said that,
Talia spent the next few hours acting as my sparring partner, blocking my strikes and throwing her own.
The training, which had started around seven, finally wrapped up past ten.
Talia wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead and sheathed her sword.
"Good. Let us call it a day."
"Already?"
"It is not something you can master in a single day anyway."
Hard to master in a single day?
Not for me.
That was exactly what I was aiming for.
"Talia, how long do you think it would normally take to stabilize my aura output? To the point where it won't waver even after blocking your strikes?"
She pondered my question for a moment.
Her answer came quickly.
"Normally, about two months. Since you are talented, My Lord, perhaps a month if you work hard. Let us aim for three weeks."
"Three weeks? That's a relief. Since I'm a genius, I should be able to do it in a day."
Talia frowned.
What is he talking about now?
Her face clearly read those exact words.
"It is fine to bluster, but you should rest first. No matter how much of a genius you are, a single day is impossible."
"No, I'm serious. I might already be able to do it."
"...Right. Let us go with that."
A month? Spend a whole month just building the basics?
Ridiculous.
I didn't have that kind of time.
In the original novel, Edwin was destined to die both before and after the regression. He was basically a human sunfish.
To change that future, I needed to secure a baseline level of strength. Preferably up to the level of a Sword Master.
"By the way, why did you rent that academy warehouse? I assumed you were going to train there, but since you are not using it..."
"Oh, that. I did rent it for training."
I grinned at her question.
Now, here's a quiz.
I was training out here.
In that case, what were my clones doing?
Any guesses?
The answer:
They were training among themselves.
One of the most broken aspects of the Pale Cameo:
Unlike the main body, the clones received the main body's experiences in real-time.
Meaning, while I was fighting Talia here, the clones were mimicking that fight over and over again in the warehouse, farming experience points on autopilot.
An automated XP farm, so to speak.
And now, it was time to harvest the crop.
Alright, shall we test it out?
I willed it in my mind.
Release clones.
Instantly,
"—!"
The experiences of twenty clones flooded into my mind all at once, feeding back into my main body.
My head spun.
The accumulated fatigue and exhaustion of twenty people rushed into me in a single second.
My breath hitched.
Nausea surged up my throat. A splitting headache threatened to tear my skull apart.
"Argh... *cough*, *blegh*!"
"My Lord? My Lord! Are you alright?!"
"Ugh, *pant*...!"
My vision blurred with tears.
Talia's panicked voice echoed in my ears as she rushed over.
"What is wrong? Are you hurt?"
"N-no. *Gulp*. I think... I just pushed myself a bit too hard."
I shook my head.
My stomach was still churning,
but a faint smile spread across my face regardless.
It worked.
It definitely worked!
"Phew. Talia, I think I can do it now."
"Do what, My Lord?"
"Stabilize my aura output. I think I've got it."
When I said that,
the worry on Talia's face slowly melted away, replaced by a look of sheer disbelief.
It was the exact face a gym rat makes when a beginner claims their muscles feel harder after their very first workout.
I expected as much.
I knew she'd react like this, but it still stung a little.
She began to explain, speaking to me as if coaxing a stubborn child.
"My Lord, I understand your enthusiasm, but foundations are not built so easily. Only through thousands, tens of thousands of repetitions can a solid foundation—"
"I'm serious. Test me."
I drew the sword from my waist.
Talia's eyes grew sharp.
"...My Lord, stop this nonsense. You need to go inside and rest."
"Talia, just try me."
"I am being serious!"
"So am I. Just do it!"
Talia let out a heavy sigh.
She drew her sword and immediately channeled her aura into it.
"My Lord, I will not listen to excuses like 'it was a mistake' or 'I will block it next time.' You might actually get hurt. Here I—"
*Whoosh—*
Talia swung her sword mid-sentence.
The blade tore through the air with a sharp gust, hurtling toward me.
Just moments ago, I would have flinched in terror.
But now, I could see it.
The flow of the aura wrapped around her blade.
It was a movement twenty versions of 'me' had analyzed hundreds of times.
Tens of thousands of repetitions in total.
The moment our blades clashed,
I released my aura without a single tremor.
"...!"
I blocked Talia's strike.
Her eyes widened slightly.
There was no need to over-release the aura.
The key was timing.
At the exact moment her attack reached its end,
"—Right now!"
"What...!"
I concentrated my aura into a single point and deflected her blade.
A burst of aura erupted just as her momentum broke.
*Clang!*
"—!"
Talia was pushed back.
She immediately recovered her stance,
but she didn't press on with another attack.
Pure bewilderment.
That was what flickered in her eyes.
I savored the look on her face.
Yes, this was it.
This is what hiding your true power is all about!
"My Lord... how on earth...?"
I put on the most relaxed smile I could muster.
"I told you. I'm a genius."