Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Another Me
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-Bang!
The body of Jang Chaeyeon that appeared once more folds in half and collapses.
"...This is creepy."
Jang Chaeyeon mutters with a frown, shaking off her hand.
"Hey—"
-Bang!
I turn my gaze backward after putting a bullet hole in the forehead of what looks like Song Arin, who called out my name as she appeared.
Song Arin sat there clutching my arm, sweating bullets, while Yoo Daon stood protectively beside her, awl drawn and scanning the surroundings.
I look around.
Confirming nothing else is in sight, I hurry over to Song Arin.
"Ow..."
"Just hang in there a bit."
I support Song Arin, who has her eyes squeezed shut and teeth gritted.
"...Over here."
"Yes."
Jang Chaeyeon speaks softly as she kneels gracefully beside me.
"I'll do the first aid."
"Got it."
Jang Chaeyeon takes hold of Song Arin's arm and speaks to her in a low voice.
"...Hey."
"...Ugh... I'm listening."
"It's gonna hurt."
"Okay..."
Jang Chaeyeon removes her jacket and begins securing Song Arin's arm.
While her arm is being secured, Song Arin just groans with her eyes tightly shut.
"Ugh... Hngh..."
"Hang in there."
"Ahh...!"
"You won't die. Hang in there."
Jang Chaeyeon speaks calmly as she secures Song Arin's arm.
Song Arin's ragged breathing gradually steadies, and with a grunt, she straightens up.
"...I'm okay now."
"You sure?"
"I've been through worse than this. I can tough it out."
Anyone could tell it was pure bravado as she looked at me.
"Hypnosis won't be a problem. Don't worry."
"Does hypnosis work on those things?"
"I tried it earlier. It did."
She mutters while wiping sweat from her brow with her sleeve.
"I'll show you. I never lose to humans."
*
-Crack!
The fake Yoo Daon that appeared before us snaps her own neck with both hands and collapses with a gruesome sound.
"It's weird. Why aren't the... numerous mes...? regenerating?"
Yoo Daon mutters curiously, nudging the corpse that looks just like her with her foot.
"Yeah. Is there some condition?"
"And no monster in Jaeheon-ssi’s form has even shown up."
That's true as well.
The monster in Yoo Daon's form had no regeneration ability at all, and as for me... well, none have appeared at all.
To put it simply, the frequency goes: Jang Chaeyeon > Song Arin > Yoo Daon > me.
"Maybe it can't copy them?"
Song Arin mutters as she looks around.
"Can't copy them?"
"Honestly, the white-hair's ability is easy."
"Oh."
I think I get what Song Arin means.
"...It's about how complex the ability is."
"Exactly."
I think about our respective talents.
Jang Chaeyeon's telekinesis, Song Arin's hypnosis, Yoo Daon's immortality, and... well, my good eyesight.
Maybe some abilities are easier to copy than others?
Like common, uncommon, rare, unique.
Especially immortality might be hard for an aesthete to replicate.
If it could, wouldn't the city already be overrun with clone Yoo Daons?
As for me...
No idea.
Sure, good eyesight isn't a bad ability, but is it really that complex?
-Crack!
The fake Song Arin snaps her own neck, and silence returns.
"Seems like that's all."
"For now."
Jang Chaeyeon and Song Arin look at me as they speak, and I nod before opening the manual.
-Flip!
The manual's pages open with a crisp sound.
[Employee Manual]
[Section 2 - Pavilion of Nature]
2. The Pavilion of Nature literally depicts beautiful nature.
3. You have likely already encountered you yourself, or an entity in your likeness, in this pavilion.
4. Always be vigilant. They are always ready to sow discord among you.
5. Additionally, the path through Section 2 is a straight line. Do not give up—keep moving forward, and you will reach Section 3.
6. If you lose yourself here, you will be replaced. If replaced, the Management Bureau will dispose of you, and upon disposal, your insurance payout will go to your beneficiaries.
7. Sometimes the walls move as if alive, blocking the path. In such cases, calmly recall item 5 and press forward.
"...Hmm."
In other words, other versions of us could appear to deceive us.
"Everyone, let's all say the password—"
I turn around to look at the others.
"...Huh?"
I realize no one is behind me.
Where people should be, there's only a wall, and in front of it, a single artwork hangs alone.
It's a painting of a person writhing while hanging from vines.
[The Last Supper]
It's different from the one I know.
I open my mouth to pound on the wall and shout.
"Everyone! Can you hear me! Everyone!"
No response.
Someone taps my shoulder.
"..."
I turn to see a man in a tuxedo looking at me.
Or should I call it a man?
Where a face should be, only a grotesque mask floats, hands gloved, feet shod, covering every inch of skin. It places a finger to what I assume is its mouth as it looks at me.
A translucent window appears.
[Name: Guide]
[Age: X]
[Talents: -]
[Abilities: -]
[Background: Guides don't need stories.]
[Weakness: -]
"Shh."
It whispers softly.
"..."
Before I can respond, it melts into the darkness and vanishes, leaving me alone once more, staring blankly at the wall.
If I make another sound...
I click my tongue to suppress my rising anxiety and start walking.
As the manual says, this is one-way. I probably won't run into major trouble.
-Step, step.
Under the bright gallery lights, only my footsteps echo.
Where did everyone else go? Did we all get separated, or just me?
I open the manual.
No new updates or warnings appear, and fortunately, no more copies or doppelgangers of the others show up.
Since I'm alone, maybe it doesn't matter?
"Over there."
If so, might as well check out the paintings.
This gallery knows things I don't and seems frustrated at not being able to tease me or the others with them, playing pranks like a restless child.
On the flip side, if I stay sharp and gather info, I might resolve a few of my lingering questions here.
I calmly examine the surrounding paintings.
Is there one of me?
An aesthete would do that.
Because that's her idea of aesthetics.
Using people's pasts or wounds to tear them apart, make them brood, and lead them into melancholy and misery.
"Sure enough."
As expected, it doesn't take long to find a painting of me.
Someone looks down at me with a bullet hole in my forehead.
"..."
A man holding a cross.
I read the title.
[The Reason It Failed.]
"..."
A man clutching a cross.
No need to think—it immediately comes to mind.
"Eirin and the man from the amusement park."
The one who survived a critical hit.
If my memory's right, his background was something stupid like "found his path."
What does he have to do with me?
"..."
And why are the others never in the paintings of my deaths?
Same with Yoo Daon—Jang Chaeyeon and Song Arin aren't in them either.
"Ugh, my head hurts."
"That bad, huh?"
Mid-mutter from exhaustion, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice makes me hurriedly draw my gun and turn—
-Thud!
Something punches me in the face and tackles me.
My nose stings.
"Urk...!"
I fumble for my gun, but rough hands block me.
I open my eyes and look at what's in front of me.
Black hair, weary eyes.
It's me.
A translucent window floats above its head.
[Name: Kim Jaeheon]
[Age: Just created]
[Talents: X]
[Abilities: X]
[Background: The Aestheticist realized she couldn't create him. Thus, her pride was wounded.]
[Weakness: Just human. Strike a vital spot to kill.]
What does "couldn't create me" mean?
I struggle, grappling with it—no, me.
The problem is, its strength matches mine exactly. We roll around, neither gaining the upper hand.
-Thud!
My wild swing lands on its jaw,
-Smack!
Its punch slams into my eye socket.
Fighting like this will never end.
Gotta get my gun—
"Hey!"
Relief floods me at the distant voice.
I turn to see Song Arin, Jang Chaeyeon, and Yoo Daon rushing toward me.
"Every—"
"Everyone! This doppelganger is harassing me right now!"
Before I can speak, the doppelganger pinning me opens its mouth.
Its face pales.
"Wait, everyone! No! I'm the real—"
"No, everyone! I'm the real one!"
I shove it off to make my case, but it pulls away too, raising both hands in an aggrieved expression.
"...Wow."
Song Arin widens her eyes and mutters in disbelief.
"They look exactly the same."
"This isn't the time for—"
"Right! Hurry and take out that monster—"
My words and its overlap, and at the same moment, Yoo Daon draws her awl.
Without a word, she charges at me.
"Right, Daon-ssi! That one's— Agh!"
The doppelganger's neck snaps mid-cheer, and Yoo Daon yanks my wrist, finishing it by stabbing the awl into its throat.
-Stab!
Blood sprays as it drops to its knees.
"How... could...? I copied... everything..."
It mutters in bewilderment.
"Smell."
Yoo Daon replies, eyes downcast.
"Feel."
Jang Chaeyeon answers as if it's obvious.
"Look in his eyes."
Song Arin sighs before continuing.
"And."
"..."
"That one doesn't talk to us with that friendly tone."
"Right."
"Yeah."
"..."
What?
It glares at me resentfully as it dies,
and stops breathing.
An awkward silence settles.
"Oh, uh, Jaeheon-ssi, you can talk to me without camaraderie if you want!"
"Daon-ssi, please stop—I'm not that much of a jerk."
Yoo Daon's damage control was utterly abysmal.