Ch 190.
Matt stepped onto the level 65 floor, where the atmosphere shimmered like a white void, and a frown creased his brow. Instead of facing a relentless horde of monsters or a towering behemoth, he found himself staring at what appeared to be a swarm-type creature—minus the swarm. It took the form of a round, blue gelatinous ball, roughly the size of an inflatable exercise ball, its surface glistening as if coated in a thin layer of dew.
A few swipes Matt had taken just moments earlier revealed that any piece severed from the creature would regenerate into its own ball, multiplying with each attack. With this unsettling knowledge, he transformed his arm into a whiplike blade, feeling the familiar surge of adrenaline as he charged forward. Striking swiftly, he sliced the ball in two vertically, then pivoted to make a horizontal cut before it could fully split apart.
As he watched, four smaller balls began to coalesce, each one swelling in size like a balloon being inflated. A frown deepened on his face as he pondered whether his efforts were only compounding his problems. An inner voice nudged him to consider fleeing to the next level, where he might encounter a more straightforward adversary. Yet, another part of him insisted that there was a lesson to be gleaned from this peculiar creature, which sat there quietly, seemingly unbothered by the chaos surrounding it.
Matt stood frozen, theories racing through his mind as he observed the new monsters swell to the same size as the original gelatinous creature. A flicker of doubt gnawed at him; part of him longed to consult Radoznaormr, hoping the ancient being might possess insight into the best course of action. Another voice whispered that perhaps only magic could affect this bizarre entity, and each strike he made was merely exacerbating the situation. The unsettling thought crossed his mind that this could all be a cruel joke orchestrated by the dungeon's unseen forces, mocking his efforts. In a moment of clarity amidst the chaos, Matt resolved to take action. He created a puppet from his body, its form materializing out of his own as he pulled out enough food from his spatial storage for it to quickly increase its mass. Once that was done, he directed it to charge headlong into one of the four newly formed balls, bracing himself for whatever might unfold next.
The puppet dissolved within two seconds of being fully submerged, unable to resist its fate. Matt couldn’t discern if it had even attempted to use any of its abilities to inflict damage, reminiscent of the time he had faced a slime-like monster. If that had been the extent of the encounter, he might have considered conducting a few more experiments. However, in the next heartbeat, the ball began to ripple and stretch, transforming before his eyes. Suddenly, there stood an exact copy of him, its gaze locking onto Matt’s before it charged forward.
Instantly, warning signals blared in Matt’s mind, his instincts screaming that he was both slower and weaker than this clone. The only advantage he held was the knowledge that it was merely a copy; despite its ability to shift its form as he could, its movements were clumsy and unrefined. Yet, he could sense it was rapidly adapting, and a surge of adrenaline urged him to clash with it once to gauge its capabilities. He hoped its body would still be easy to slice through, but to his shock, it blocked his strike by hardening its form at the point of impact. What transpired next sent a chill down Matt’s spine, making him acutely aware that for the first time, his life was genuinely in danger.
“You should just give up. While I still need some time to adapt to this body, I am clearly superior to you in every way, and I look forward to replacing you.”
The fact that his clone spoke with such intelligence shattered all of Matt’s expectations. He briefly wondered if this was merely the dungeon playing tricks on him or if it was a genuine possibility. However, that thought quickly faded as he noticed three additional puppets emerging from the other three gelatinous spheres, each one mirroring his own form. Panic surged within him, and he instinctively turned toward the exit, only to find it enveloped in a menacing red glow, pulsating ominously as his copy taunted him once more.
“I really must thank you for allowing all four of us to regain our strength after dividing. You might have stood a chance if you hadn’t. The fact that you already possess an ability to duplicate yourself only enhances our advantage, as it will provide excellent cover when we spread across the world outside.”
“What are you?” Matt asked, his voice laced with disbelief, not truly expecting a response.
“We are you, or at least a version of what you could become. Now that you have activated this trial, all that awaits you is death.”
“I don’t think so,” Matt shot back, his determination igniting as he lunged forward. He swept his leg low, breaking free from the clash, and aimed a strike at one of the still-forming duplicates among the three new copies.
To his relief, a single slash was enough to cause the first copy to melt away, its gelatinous form dissolving in a puddle of shimmering goo. He was just about to strike the next one when the fully formed duplicate lunged at him with a feral intensity. Its movements were frantic and wild, forcing Matt to dodge and evade, preventing him from reaching the other two before they completed their transformation. In mere moments, he found himself facing three copies of himself, each one radiating a sense of power that overshadowed his own. Were it not for his sharpened instincts and the fact that his body could heal and harden to defend against blows, he was certain he would have met his end in an instant. Unfortunately, his opponents shared this resilience; even when he managed to slash into one, it healed almost instantly rather than melting like he had hoped. This realization struck him hard—he needed to sever them completely or risk facing foes that were far more formidable than he had anticipated.
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His thoughts became increasingly muddled as each attack was accompanied by mocking taunts from the trio, who relentlessly mocked him about his impending defeat and replacement. The weight of their words pressed down on him, especially when they began to mention the people in his life. At first, he assumed their vague references were intended to sow panic, compelling him to fill in the gaps with his worst fears. However, as they grew more specific, naming individuals he cared about, another chill of dread coursed through him.
“Don’t worry, we will be sure to let Rose enjoy a night of passion before we reveal what we really are and consume her!” The words dripped with malice. In that instant, something snapped within Matt; he swung his arm instinctively, and a surge of energy shot forth from his palm. Within moments, the copy that had uttered the threat began to dissolve, its head disintegrating into a puddle of shimmering goo that pooled on the ground. The other two duplicates recoiled in shock, their confidence shattered as they faced Matt, who now radiated a fierce determination. He might not fully comprehend their nature, but one thing was clear: these creatures were flawed, and he had the means to destroy them. A flicker of frustration ignited within him—he wished he could grasp how he had unleashed that powerful attack, as it had proven remarkably effective and could potentially turn the tide of this battle.
“Why are you two cowering?” Matt taunted, trying to buy himself precious moments to analyze his newfound ability. “You were so confident just a moment ago.”
“Shut up! You’re not supposed to gain new abilities after we copy you!” one of the duplicates spat back, panic creeping into its voice.
“Oh, so that’s the key to defeating this trial,” Matt replied, a spark of realization igniting within him. It made sense now; he hadn’t truly gained anything new, but rather discovered a way to wield his existing powers more effectively. “I’d like to practice it a few more times.”
Despite projecting an air of confidence, Matt was acutely aware that he needed to bring this fight to a swift conclusion; his HP had dipped below a third of its total, and he could feel his stamina waning as he struggled to keep pace with the relentless onslaught. Nevertheless, he charged forward, determined to replicate the slashing motion he had executed earlier. He concentrated intently on the sensation of something breaking free from his body, and to his surprise, he succeeded. In an instant, a thin line of crimson sprayed across the face of the duplicate he had targeted. This unexpected outcome elicited wicked grins from both copies, who resumed their frenzied attacks with renewed fervor.
The pressure on Matt escalated with each passing moment as he made one desperate attempt after another. He realized that whatever he had unleashed had formed an extremely slender yet resilient projectile that eluded his comprehension. Instead of attempting to analyze it, he focused solely on executing the movement again, knowing that if he managed to replicate it, it would only lead to more questions if he couldn't harness it properly. Unfortunately, as his HP dwindled to below a quarter, he found himself unable to do anything but awkwardly sever parts of his own body. Each attempt inflicted moderate damage upon himself, adding to his growing frustration. The struggle to perform this new technique was also disrupting his instincts, amplifying the challenge a thousandfold.
Finally, as his HP dropped below 20%, a spark of inspiration ignited within him. With a swift motion, he created a puppet and slashed outward. The puppet shot forward at an incredible speed, compressing its form until it was impossibly thin and wide, save for the skull that remained intact. As it collided with the copy Matt had targeted, the puppet seemed to die mid-flight, yet it passed cleanly through the duplicate, bisecting it from head to groin. A moment later, Matt grinned as the defeated copy melted away into a puddle of shimmering goo. The last remaining copy now appeared desperate, its bravado crumbling as it began to plead with Matt. “Look at that, you figured it out! Ha ha, that’s great! I knew you would! Now you don’t need to kill me; I’ll just go back to being a ball of potential and nothing more.”
“No, I still need to practice it more; I’m not satisfied with that,” Matt replied firmly, his resolve unwavering.
“What do—” Before the copy could finish its sentence, Matt executed his previous attack again. The copy, caught off guard, failed to dodge and met the same fate as its fallen companions, dissolving into nothingness. Sighing heavily, Matt sank down onto the ground, reflecting on what he had just learned. The realization that he needed to create a puppet specifically for a single attack wasn’t entirely new to him, yet it felt like a lesson he had almost forgotten in the heat of battle. However, he didn’t have much time to ponder this revelation; he noticed the red barrier on the door dissolve, and at the same moment, the door itself vanished. A system message materialized before him, declaring: ‘B rank advancement trial activated. Survive to be automatically raised to B rank and receive the ability to instantly pick the next aspect of your path. Objective: find the hidden door while fighting through the challenges that appear before you. Warning: there are no safe zones, and death is permanent.’
Matt suppressed a groan as he observed the landscape around him morph from a stark white void into a shadowy forest. The dim light filtered through the dense canopy, casting eerie shapes that danced across the underbrush, and he instinctively sensed the imminent danger lurking in every direction. The atmosphere was thick with tension, reminiscent of the world he had first encountered when the integration had begun, yet he could feel that the threats here would be far more lethal. For the moment, he chose to remain still, prioritizing the recovery of his dwindling HP before taking any further action. Unfortunately, after only a few minutes, it became painfully clear that this trial was not going to be merciful. He spotted several rat-sized spiders scuttling along the gnarled branches above him, their beady eyes glinting with predatory intent. Despite the growing unease, Matt held his ground, waiting patiently for them to make their move, mindful that he was in a small clearing and preferring not to have them overhead when they struck.
At first, Matt thought the spiders wouldn’t attack at all, and he welcomed the chance to recover fully. However, as more of them appeared, he noticed that the newcomers were significantly larger, their bodies glistening ominously in the dim light. Frowning, Matt realized this wasn’t a fight he wanted to engage in. He spotted a narrow path that seemed clear of the arachnids and sprinted toward it. Just as he was about to reach safety, a new figure emerged directly in his way—a woman whose lower half transformed into that of a spider, her numerous legs twitching with anticipation. Matt hesitated, considering a different route when she spoke, her voice smooth yet chilling. “All you have to do is fertilize my next group of eggs, and I’ll let you pass with your life. If not, my children will attack, and I’ll keep you alive long enough to fertilize more than just one group of eggs.”
