Chapter 116

Doppelganger.

A monster characteristic of the West Continent, known for imitating the appearance of others.

One peculiar thing about them is that even among the same species, there is a distinct difference in power between individuals. While some possess the strength of an average person, rare individuals can reach or even exceed the Master level.

Their strength is determined by two factors: their innate potential and the target they have copied.

In other words, if a Doppelganger with high potential copies a powerful target, its strength is maximized…

And apparently, the fake standing right in front of me is exactly that kind of case.

K-BOOM!

“Guh…!!”

The “naked lion”—Leo—flew backward after failing to exchange even ten blows.

I approached the blood-drenched lion and recited a prayer.

“Heal.”

The bleeding stopped instantly. Leo spoke to me with an embarrassed expression.

“My thanks, Lord. Regardless… that monster resembling you is strikingly strong.”

“Well, he copied me well, I guess.”

I wasn’t just being humble; he really had copied me well.

Even without armor, Leo is a monster that sits right at the edge of the 9-star rank. With his unique physical traits, he’s a monster capable of a two-on-one “sparring” session with Kelly or Chel—who are both just one step away from the Master level—even without Elizabeth’s buffs.

Yet, despite receiving Elizabeth’s full buffs, Leo almost had his throat slit in just ten exchanges.

Even more interesting was that the fake had spared Leo twice, despite having opportunities to deal fatal wounds. It acted as if it couldn’t bring itself to kill a “comrade.”

“Kelly. Chel. Elizabeth. Trust me. I’m the real one, and that thing is the Doppelganger. Can’t you tell by my skill?”

At those words, Elizabeth whispered.

“Wow… he really sounds like the real deal.”

“It’s not that I sound real, I am real. You guys were swapped with that Doppelganger over there.”

I chuckled and asked the imitation.

“Hey, if you were really the real Geom-shin, shouldn’t you be biting your tongue and dying of embarrassment right now? How do you get blindsided by a damn Doppelganger?”

He glared at me with piercing eyes and ground his teeth.

“I wasn’t blindsided. While I briefly stepped away, I was suddenly hit by a space-transfer and thrown far away.”

“Oh, is that the ‘setting’? I guess that’s the most plausible excuse, since it’s happened to me once before.”

“What do you mean ‘setting’? I barely managed to grasp the situation and trace my way back following the map Kelly drew… and my god. A Doppelganger? Even I’m getting a headache at this point.”

“…You traced your way back using the map Kelly drew?”

I can see the map just by entering my Imagery, even without a physical one.

“Yeah. It was a massive pain, thanks to you.”

“…Do you not know Sis or Bell?”

“Sis? Bell? Aha. Are you trying to corner me by bringing up people you know but I don’t? What a pathetic trick. That doesn’t change the fact that you’re the Doppelganger.”

“I see. So you couldn’t copy me 100%? Lack of data? Or did you just implement the combat abilities and wing the rest? I mean, I don’t know where you got it, but it’s ridiculous to think you could fully understand a target with just a few drops of blood or fluid.”

The fake’s expression distorted.

“I’m tired of entertaining your nonsense. If you’re going to pretend to be me, at least stop holding them hostage and release them already.”

“Hostage…? Hey, were you guys my hostages?”

“Hostages…? I don’t think so…?”

“Hmm, probably not. …Wait, are we?”

These girls. Why are their answers so half-hearted?

.
.
.

The reason I’m engaging in this long conversation instead of ripping his throat out immediately is simple…

If a massive fight breaks out here, the tunnel we worked so hard to build might collapse.

A little bit of thumping like before is fine, but if that guy can implement dimensional fracture, things will get out of hand.

‘The river water is one thing, but if the aquatic monsters get swept in, nobody but me is surviving.’

In the end, it meant I shouldn’t engage in combat until we finished the tunnel and reached the other side.

I turned to the rest of the group.

“Hey, he really seems to believe he’s the real one and I’m the Doppelganger, doesn’t he?”

Ailet nodded.

“There are many cases where newly copied Doppelgangers believe they are the original. Some even commit suicide once they realize their true identity because they can’t handle the truth. Of course, some argue that even that is just an act.”

“So, that means he’s genuinely worried I might hurt you guys?”

“Well… it’s a strange feeling, but yes, most likely.”

“Then that works out.”

“Pardon?”

“You guys be my ‘real hostages’ until we finish digging this hole and get out.”

The party members looked blank.

“Wha-what?”

“Hmm?”

“Huh?”

Instead of explaining, I reached out and put a chokehold on Elizabeth with my left arm and Ailet with my right.

Squeeze.

“Ack!? O-Orabeoni? Suddenly?”

“Mr. Sword God! Doing something like this in front of others is…”

“I told you, it’s a hostage situation. A rear naked choke. Especially you, Elizabeth—don’t gasp for air when I’m not even squeezing that hard yet.”

It ended up looking like I was hugging two young ladies from behind simultaneously, but technically, it was a choke. It was also a fact that I could send them to the afterlife with just a bit of pressure in this position.

I laughed loudly at the fake.

“Hahahaha! You’re sharp to notice! That’s right! I am indeed the Doppelganger of Geom-shin!”

The fake’s eyes widened at my declaration.

“I knew it…!”

You didn’t know jack.

“Fake Geom-shin! Since you’re supposedly the smartest, most handsome, and most capable person in the world, you must know what happens if a big fight breaks out here, right!?”

“…So?”

“I want to live a long life! So don’t attack until we’ve finished this tunnel and reached the other side!”

“…You bastard!”

Oh, he’s fuming. He is genuinely enraged by the fact that I’ve taken his “comrades” hostage.

“To think you’d actually use such a threat… Actually, isn’t that guy over there the real Orabeoni, and this one the Doppelganger?”

Hey, you guys. I’m doing this so we can all get out of here alive. A little gratitude?

Instead of answering, the fake glares at me for a long time with a complex look in his eyes. He’s probably calculating whether he can take me out before I “kill” the hostages(?).

“…Fine. Once we’re outside, there will be more I can do than I can here. When that time comes, prepare to die. You Doppelganger scum.”

“Uh… yeah. Sure. Let’s go with that.”

It feels really weird having someone else steal my lines.

“Hey! Hostages! Get back to digging!”

“Yes, yes, Orabeoni.”

“Ugh… trash.”

“Um… Mr. Sword God. It’s a bit uncomfortable to use magic like this… Could you hold me by the waist instead of the neck? I mean, whether my neck snaps or my waist breaks, I’m dead either way, right?”

“Huh, I guess that makes sense. There. Better?”

“Doesn’t this lose the ‘hostage’ atmosphere? Maybe a bit tighter… Gasp. Yes, yes. That’s, that’s just perfect.”

“Orabeoni! Me too! Same for me!”

“No, you don’t even use magic.”

“Ah, my neck, my neck hurts! I think I’m getting a cramp! Hurry!”

“Fine. You too then… there. Happy?”

“Oh. Nice. Hehe.”

Wait, this doesn’t feel like a hostage situation anymore. It feels like something… else entirely.

I feel like I should dye my hair blond and shout, “Khehehe! Your friends were great!” or something like that.

“Improved Dig.”

And so, after a grueling five-and-a-half-hour operation…

Thump! Crumble! Rumble!!

…We finally succeeded in reaching the other side of the river.

And then…

“Wait a moment. I’ll run a detection spell. …Nothing. I think we’re clear.”

Once the “OK” signal came from Ailet, who had spent a good while searching for monsters even after we broke through to the surface…

“We’re going first.”

Kelly and Chel, who were at the front, hopped out of the hole and immediately broke into wide grins.

“Whoa… the outside. Honestly, I realized I have a bit of claustrophobia. I feel like I can finally breathe.”

“Phew, the surface. Exhale… I feel alive.”

When I jumped out next, the two who had been in my arms this whole time took deep breaths.

“Ah, fresh air.”

“The outside really is the best.”

Finally, one last figure shot out like a bolt of lightning, landing about ten meters away from the group.

“Alright. Doppelganger. We are outside, just as you demanded. Now release the hostages.”

“Oh? You were still there?”

“I was! I was right here!!”

“Hah… to think the wisest, most noble, and most handsome Geom-shin would be so unable to control his emotions…”

“…I’ll kill you.”

Anyway, a promise is a promise.

I “released” the “hostages” and turned toward him…

“Hey. Elizabeth. You’re free. Shoo. Go on. Get off me.”

“Tch…”

With the group watching with intense interest from a safe distance, the Doppelganger and I faced each other directly under the drizzling sky.

The fake said to me, “The more I look at you, the more you resemble me.”

“I mean, you’re my Doppelganger, so isn’t that obvious?”

“You… still trying that even now…”

“Look. Is there really a point in arguing back and forth with our mouths?”

“…What?”

“The way to distinguish the real Geom-shin is incredibly simple. If you’re really me, you know it too, right?”

“……”

“A human named Geom-shin never loses to anyone under equal conditions, especially if the opponent is humanoid. Even if that opponent were a god. You know what I’m getting at?”

“…I see. The one who loses the fight is the fake.”

“Exactly. Both of us were planning to fight anyway, so it’s easier for everyone to settle it clearly like this.”

“Fine. Simple enough. Weapons?”

“Swords. Oh, wait, you don’t have Astraphe, do you?”

“You snatched it after blasting me away to another location.”

“Ah… that ‘setting.’ Convenient. Fine. Then let’s go bare-handed. Deal?”

“Deal. I’ll crush you miserably and reveal your true form in front of them. Doppelganger.”

“Don’t use such strong words. It makes you look weak.”

The point is this.

Geom-shin cannot lose in a one-on-one duel under the same conditions. Therefore, the one who loses is the fake.

The condition seemed somewhat macho… but at the same time, it was a provocation that Geom-shin—or someone who believed themselves to be Geom-shin—could never refuse.

BOOM!! BANG! CRASH!!

Hands collided with hands. Knee strikes canceled out knee strikes, and high-level techniques were broken by counter-techniques.

After greeting each other with a violent clash, we locked eyes and paused to catch our breath.

In an instant, hundreds of mental calculations crossed between us.

Searching for the opponent’s capacity, we exchanged blows within each other’s illusions and imaginations.

Not bad. Definitely Master-class. Can a Doppelganger really become this strong?

I chuckled low and shifted my assessment of his power up a notch.

“Alright. Let’s see how far you can keep up.”

And then, I shifted gears up another level.

Focus.

Space and time began to drift. Within the slowed-down time, I alone accelerated.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

Offense and defense crossed at invisible speeds. With every strike, sonic booms erupted and shockwaves exploded, leveling the surroundings. Both he and I didn’t just use our limbs; we redirected, twisted, and deflected those very shockwaves to use them in our exchange.

Punch. Knee strike. Palm strike.

Stepping back, I launched an upward kick that looked like lightning striking in reverse. As if he had anticipated it, he twisted his body and aimed a kick at my ribs, but with a simple shift in my center of gravity, I changed the trajectory of my kick and struck his neck.

BOOOOOOM!!

He managed to twist his shoulder to block it at the last second, and both of us were blown back, our lips curling into smirks.

“…Not bad.”

“Not bad.”

So you can keep up this far, huh?

In high spirits, I shifted gears once more.

In a world where time seemed to have stopped entirely, I thrust a spear-hand toward his throat. He dodged. Predicting this, I extended my thumb to increase the range. A thin trail of blood scattered from the scratch left by my thumb.

The moment he was wounded, sparks flew in his eyes. His pride was hurt. He grabbed the arm that had pierced toward his neck from the side and swung his whole body. It wasn’t a technique meant for throwing, but for snapping.

I see. This is where the difference shows.

The technique he just used is called the “Great Revolving Wheel”. It’s one of the Lumina-style spearmanship techniques that form the basis for the moves Kelly and Chel use.

For the record, I happen to know this technique too, but I didn’t learn it to use it. I learned it because the technique felt incomplete, and I wanted to refine it to teach it better.

But using such a flawed technique in a real battle?

That means he can’t find or create the appropriate move for the situation himself. In other words, because he can’t properly follow the flow of the exchange, he’s relying on a “technique” macro that was built vaguely.

Meaning, this is his limit.

Feeling my interest rapidly cooling, I planted both feet on the ground and let the aftermath of the rotation flow through my body.

Crr-ack! The ground beneath my feet shattered, and his rotation came to a stop as if it were a lie.

A bizarre sight, as if inertia had simply vanished.

“Opening.”

And just like that, I drove my fist squarely into the face of the guy who was still hanging onto my arm, now frozen in place.

WHACK!

“AAAGGGHHH!!”

He flew back like a kicked can, spraying blood.

I let out a bitter smile and spoke.

“This is the end. Well, it was fun in its own way. Fake.”