A wandering chill tickled his lungs as Jang Su came awake. He was groggy and his feet were sore as if he'd walked a million miles. He raised himself up to one knee, first. Shaking his head, he tried to banish the grogginess that held him.

It worked very little, but it also showed him that he had a headache, and a banging one at that. It was like having a marching parade in your head.

He frowned at it before finally pulling himself up to his feet.

Around him the world was covered in mist and—

Jang Su blinked away the mist. He blinked twice more. When he did, the mist cleared. He realized that the world was, in fact, not covered in mist. The mist only came as high as his knees which left him open to attacks from below.

Footsteps echoed behind him and Jang Su turned almost immediately. He rounded, stepping to the side to create some distance, and drew his sword.

A creature attacked him, pale white as tainted snow. It had its hand raised with a weapon in hand for an overhead strike. Jang Su noticed the sword as the creature approached him, featureless in face and without expression.

His sword was already free, hissing from its scabbard with the promise of silent death when he remembered Aiden's warnings. His stopped himself from flicking his wrist at the last moment and stepped into the draw. Rather than cutting down his opponent, he drove the hilt of his sword into the creature's abdomen, right at the solar plexus.

The impact was unnervingly loud, like boulders smashing. It filled his ear, ringing. Ignoring it all, Jang Su stepped past the creature and let it fall.

He walked away as it tilted forward, seeking another enemy, when his senses lit up. With the level of his perception stats, he knew the things that he needed to know around him. And what they were telling him right now was impossible.

Jang Su turned immediately. Sword raised, he blocked the blow that came. A long white sword clanged as it clashed into his katana. Sparks were sent flying. Jang Su held his ground das the creature tried to force him back.

Their faces met in the exchange. Featureless as its face was, Jang Su could've sworn that the thing was smiling.

Then, under the weight of his own survival, the ringing headache in his head began to subside, to loosen up.

Jang Su could hear it now. Muffled thuds. Quiet groans. Metals clashing. Arrows flying. He pulled some of his attention from his opponent to see the world around him. It came at a cost. He lost some grounds as the creature bore down on him, trying to force him to his knee.

Jang Su kept his place as the world revealed itself to him. Shock crawled up his spine.

Aiden had been right.

Around him, [Doppelganger]s, white and featureless, save for different kinds of armors sculpted in white, fought against each other. They carried bows and swords and axe and spears. They fought like beings determined to win an unholy war perpetrated against them.

One creature leapt backwards in the air, firing an arrow of fire that exploded like an actual bomb when it hit the ground. Its opponent had been fast to dodge the blow, darting away with an eerie speed.

As each creature moved, the mist moved about them, masking them and guiding them. It was like a chaotic gathering. The mist moved and swirled, a backdrop to their chaos.

Ignoring those that were not coming after him, Jang Su forced himself into his opponent and leaned very slightly to the side, just as his master had taught him. He moved his sword, tilted its blade. It guided his opponent away from him.

The white sword slid down the length of his steel blade. Free, Jang Su spun into a move, sword going for the wrist of his opponent. It doubled back easily, then stepped into him.

Jang Su almost balked at the speed as he was forced to switch through variations of his sword technique so that he moved from offense to defense in the blink of an eye.

As he parried the blow, he stepped away once more. The mist moved about his legs, rising as he moved. He swung his sword at it, aiming low. The mist rose like a wave of water.

Good, he thought. It meant that he could take advantage of the mist.

Normally, he would not use such tactics to fight. But he was at a significant disadvantage against an enemy that was most likely levels higher than he was.

The opponent burst through the mist. Jang Su drowned out the sound of fighting around him and met the creature head on. Swords clashed. Ambidextrous, Jang Su drew a second sword, seeking the advantage.

Dual wielding, he beat down on his opponent. Now he had the advantage, forcing it back as he struck with finesse and practiced ease. Blades struck out. The creature parried and blocked, weaved and ducked. Where it had once defended then attacked, it was forced to defend then evade, leaving it no room for attack.

Jang Su's first blow was a thin slice to the neck. The creature spilled red blood. It did not spray or splatter, the cut was too shallow. It merely leaked.

Frowning at that, Jang Su wondered if it was some kind of sign. All the [Doppelganger]s that they had fought against on the way here had all bled white. What if they still bled white and the real people bled red.

Considering that he had woken up groggy to find people already fighting, he could not deduce who was who. The entire concept of taking up places to remember everyone was already out the window, so they had to find a way that was not as terrible. A way that could work.

Jang Su leaned back, evading a swinging sword from his opponent.

He could stop fighting, assume peace, maybe that would work. It was a possibility. Then it was a possibility that he discarded. What if he stopped fighting and his opponent was a [Doppelganger], then it would kill him.

Another thought came to mind as his senses flared up a little too late. Something was coming after him.

[You have used Class skill Scattering Step]

Feeling the usual sense of dissipation, Jang Su allowed the skill to carry him away. He blitzed through the distance, appearing somewhere else. A burst of fire exploded where he had been only a moment ago.

He didn't have to look to know which of the bodies around had attacked. It had used a similar skill once before. The question was if it was trying to kill him.

The question brought an idea to Jang Su's mind.

Maybe there is a way to tell friend from foe, he thought.

Without delay, he charged the stalagmite. It had been the only one in the room once before and still remained the only one in the room.

He found three [Doppelganger]s fighting there. Two fought while one held them both back. The single [Doppelganger] fought with grace and control. It was unarmed while its opponents were armed.

Aiden? Jang Su wondered as he drew closer.

Behind him, his opponent was fast on his tail. Turning, he leapt backwards, so that he was carried in the stalagmite's direction. He swung with one of his swords, aiming at the ground.

[You have used Class skill Vicious Blade]

An arc of red mana shot out of his sword. It slammed into the ground, creating an explosion of mana and rocks that forced his assailant back. When Jang Su landed, he was already turning, facing the stalagmite and its fighters.

The unarmed [Doppelganger] was handling its opponents very well. One was armed with a sword while the other was armed with a spear. They moved gracefully, their attacks coordinated. The unarmed one handled them with grace. Hands shooting out to intercept attacks before they even struck. He slapped the flat of the blade with one hand, stepped into a swinging spear to reduce the impact of the blow and take it with his shoulder just in time to kick the knee out from under the one wielding a sword.

Jang Su watched it spin around the spear wielder just to get him into a German suplex. That specific [Doppelganger] was good, too good. It had to be Aiden. And yet, Jang Su had read enough light novels growing up to know that it could all just be a trick. It could just as easily be a [Doppelganger] while the other two were maybe Nesa and Ted.

When he finally got to them, he swept the leg out from under the sword wielder with a vicious kick then leapt onto Aiden. There was another way to find out who was friend and foe. It was in the way they fought.

He rained blows on the unarmed Doppelganger and received graceful deflections and defenses that left him feeling ashamed of his fighting prowess.

The first strike he took was a blow to the jaw that staggered him. The strike came from nowhere. Jang Su staggered back, fighting for his balance once more. At the last minute, he raised both of his swords, crossing them in front of him to protect his neck.

As anticipated, the creature struck for his neck, coming up short at the last moment.

Jang Su smiled. Aiden.

The blow to the neck was something of a signature move. It was what Aiden most likely used to put his enemy down without killing them. He'd seen it as an envoy on his visit to Bandiv and earlier in the cave when they'd met the second team.

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Jang Su turned just in time to parry a random blow aimed at him only to be carted away by a white gorilla. It barreled into him with so much force that he should've been thrown aside. However, it ran into him and just kept on going, carrying him with it instead of throwing him aside.

Shit! He swore in his head as he lost sight of the creature that was likely Aiden.

Now he had to find him again.

Without hesitation, he slid his sword into the armpit of the gorilla. The creature roared in pain as it let him go and crashed to the side, taking his sword with it.

Jang Su had not been worried about attacking it. Aiden had said that the [Doppelganger]s would mimic them, which meant that the gorilla was either a summoned familiar of Ted or a [Doppelganger] mimicking Ted's skills. What that meant was that he was allowed to kill it.

The gorilla toppled away with his sword still in his arm and Jang Su got up. He coughed up blood, realizing that in one blow, the gorilla had done significant damage.

[Health 79%]

He really hoped that the gorilla's strength as a summoned creature was scaled to Aiden's level, because if it was somehow scaled to the level of Ted's summoned creatures, then it would be ludicrous to realize that it had shaved of twenty one percent of his health in one blow.

Just how strong are the brothers?

Banishing the distraction from his mind, Jang Su drew his third sword free. Armed with two swords, he faced off against a white gorilla that looked livid with his sword still stuck in its armpit.

Jang Su felt his broken rib begin to heal itself as his health stat slowly began ticking back up. His punctured lung didn't feel so terrible anymore. It would take a while before it was completely healed and the bone fixed, but it was something.

"Alright big guy," he said. "Let's get this over with."

Th gorilla charged him.

…

"Do you see him?" Oyedi asked.

The man beside him had the [Runner] class. It granted him good eyesight. It was not as good as a person with the [Archer] class, but it was good enough.

The man nodded.

"How far out?" Oyedi asked.

"Nine thousand feet, my king."

Oyedi sighed. Six thousand feet was far for him. But not too far. It was only fair that he begin to whittle the man down from this far out.

He raised his bow. It was a longbow, taller than him from end to end. He held it and held his free hand out.

The [Runner] handed him a massive arrow. With something so big, he could rip a man's head off.

Oyedi notched the arrow and drew back on the bowstring. He paused before he fired, looking to the [Runner].

"Are you certain you are fitting for this task?" he asked the man.

The man paused, looking up at him. He understood what his king was talking about. It was there in his eyes. In his shaking hands. He was terrified. Scared for his life.

"You should master your fears lest they kill you," Oyedi said simply. "Now, pay attention and guide my aim."

The [Runner] nodded, then returned his attention to their target.

"Eight thousand nine hundred feet out," he updated.

Oyedi nodded. Their target was covering a lot of ground.

He took aim and let the arrow fly. Unlike most arrows that whistled or sang through the air, this one did not. It was a wild creature, a monster to be hunted by a full tribe. It roared as it rushed forth.

When it struck, it did not strike true. It came up short. In the distance, his target continued to charge forth unarmed.

"I guess I'm not strong enough," Oyedi muttered to himself, holding his hand out for a second arrow.

The [Runner] handed it over to him.

Oyedi notched it. "Distance?"

"Eight thousand five hundred feet, my king."

The man was in a hurry now, it seemed. Oyedi notched the arrow again. This time, he channeled mana into the bow. The bow glowed a subtle yellow.

[You have activated Shamanic rune Strength]

He felt the bowstring groan as he pulled it all the way back. The sound made it seem as if it would snap, but Oyedi knew that the string could handle far more than this. He was the one who couldn't pull its full potential out.

When he released the arrow, it exploded next to his ear before roaring forth.

"Impact!" the [Runner] cried out with some relief as an explosion erupted in the distance.

Oyedi spared the man a side glance but said nothing. He held his hand out for another arrow. Perplexed, the man handed another to him.

"Distance?" he demanded as he notched the arrow and drew it back.

The [Runner] looked into the distance. Then shock filled his voice and expression.

"Eight Thousand feet," he cried out in confusion.

Oyedi shook his head. The man was an excuse for a warrior. Then again, he was not a warrior, merely a messenger. However, all of the Mba-chukwu tribes of age were warriors.

Oyedi released the arrow once more. There was an explosion. There was a roar as it chased after its target. They was a boom as it made contact.

Again, the [Runner] cried out, "Impact!"

Again, Oyedi held his hand out for another arrow.

The man handed it to him and he notched again. "Distance!"

"Seven thousand feet!"

He's running now, Oyedi noted.

In the distance he could see his target. The man was tall but not necessarily heavily built, perhaps as tall as he was.

Oyedi sighed. To think his reputation is so feared.

The man didn't even look like someone to be terrified of. He released the arrow once more. Once again, it boomed, and this time the [Runner] watched the arrow as it moved through the distance.

It boomed in an explosion, but Oyedi didn't hear what he wanted to hear.

"Miss!" the [Runner] cried.

Oyedi looked at him, holding out his hand for another arrow. "Did I miss or did he evade?"

"Evade, my king."

Interesting, Oyedi thought as he took the next arrow. If his target was dodging now, that had to mean something. The question was what did it mean?

Oyedi could see his quarry now. The man was close enough that he could see him, running, charging forth as if with unlimited stamina.

"Distance."

"Six thousand feet."

Oyedi released.

Boom!

"Impact!"

Oyedi held out his hand for the next arrow as he watched his quarry's lost arm knit itself back into place. It was an unreasonably high level of regeneration for someone who was not yet at level two hundred and fifty.

It was impressive.

"I suggest you leave the quiver and head over to safety now," Oyedi instructed the [Runner]. "You will be of no use to me now."

The man nodded and mounted the quiver on the ground. It was almost the size of a tree stump. There were still more than enough arrows left in it.

Oyedi picked another arrow and notched it as he watched his quarry. The man looked unimpressed, unbothered by the fact that he was being shot at.

Yes, Oyedi thought as he let another arrow fly.

It struck true, taking another arm. He had anticipated the man's movement. As an arm was shattered into oblivion, the man leapt into the air, crossing hundreds of feet in one jump.

Oyedi almost laughed. That had to be a skill.

As the man landed, his arm knit itself back into form and he began running like a jepat on too many enhancement spells.

Yes. Oyedi notched another arrow, keeping his attention on his spear planted next to him. Come to me Immortal.

…

Jang Su dodged an arrow and it whizzed past him with unbelievable speed. He was panting now. The mist had gone nowhere. It continued to cover the ground, hiding the unconscious. Jang Su had knocked out at least four [Doppelganger]s.

The problem that he was dealing with now was that there were two [Doppelganger]s that he was certain were dead, killed by another. He really hoped that it was not one of the humans. He didn't even know who had killed who.

But as real of a problem as it was, it was the least of his problems. Currently, he was panting heavily. His hair was aa scattered mess that fell over his face. He could not remember how many times he had been forced to remove it.

Once more, he moved it from his face. It moved back, sleek from the blood that still ran down the side of his face from a blow he had taken to the skull a while back.

[Health 42%]

Jang Su would be lying if he said he wasn't beginning to fear for his life. For one thing, the number of [Doppelganger]s still moving did not seem to be dwindling. It was worrying.

On the bright side, Aiden was still up and kicking, dominant in his unarmed combat. Even the [Doppelganger]s that had taken up the form of Ted's summoned familiar did not die at his hands. Somehow he managed to knock them out, too.

Right now, Aiden was fighting against a [Doppelganger] with three swords, and beating the hell out of it. It was only a matter of time before—

Jang Su paused as the ground shook beneath him and everything else. The mist trembled violently, then it settled. Slowly, it was drawn in, sucked in towards the stalagmite.

What's happening? Jang Su thought.

He wasn't the only one with questions on his mind because all the other [Doppelganger]s had stopped fighting. Everything present had stopped, turning to look at the stalagmite as the mist pooled towards it.

Confirming the necessity of their fears, an ear splitting roar shook the air. It forced Jang Su to cover his ears with both hands. The sound shook the ground and one of the [Doppelganger]s staggered from it.

The roar lasted a few seconds, perhaps not even up to five seconds, before whatever was making the sound fell silent.

Everyone waited in anticipation.

Jang Su prepared himself. Whatever it was had to be a boss monster.

When it showed itself, it was not from the stalagmite. Instead, it was one of the [Doppelganger]s that had been put down at some point in the fight, rising from amongst them. The creature got up.

It was the same height as the others, the same size. The same color of white.

The only difference—the only thing that made it stand out—was the black mark at its heart that spread out all over its body in blue-black veins. To finish it off, its fingers tipped off into sharp claws.

It got up like the tired, staggered once, then stood up straight. It turned its head as everyone waited for what it would do. It looked around.

Its face was as featureless as every other. However, it was capable of one thing the others were not.

It opened a mouth of jagged teeth and roared.

When it closed its mouth it turned and looked in the direction of one of the [Doppelganger]s. Something told Jang Su that it had picked out its prey.

It took a step forward and stopped as something cut through the air.

Turning, the creature moved just in time to catch a punch from the [Doppelganger] that fought just like Aiden. The fist slammed into its open palm. The sound reverberated through the entire space.

Unwilling to be stopped, the [Doppelganger] took its fist away and attacked with a barrage of blows and kicks. The new monster reacted just as quickly, deflecting and evading and countering.

Then, to Jang Su's worry, one of them landed a blow.

The new entrant struck the other [Doppelganger] with a fist so powerful that it sent it staggering back. The [Doppelganger] cleaned its face with the back of its hand, wiping away red blood.

Then it took a combat stance.

It's strong, Jang Su realized. They would need combined force to put it down. Jang Su spied at the others and saw something. All the [Doppelganger]s were thinking the same thing that he was.

The [Doppelganger] with the blue-black veins looked around at them, took a deep breath and roared.

Jang Su gritted his teeth against the force of the roar and activated a skill.

[You have used Class skill Scattering Step]

He appeared right in front of the creature. It stepped away from him, avoiding his first slash then raised its foot to avoid a sweeping kick. Jang Su ignored his misses and activated a second skill.

[You have used Manifesting skill Sword of the Oni]

He felt his mana dip, losing a massive chunk of it as his swords blazed, igniting in black flames. But he also felt his strength rise as well as his speed. He felt the darkness claw at his eyes as his vision sharpened.

Sometimes, one man could achieve what another could not. He just had to push beyond his limits.

Jang Su took in a deep breath and prepared himself.

The creature looked at him. Its face contorted in what looked like annoyance. It had a response for his defiance.

It roared like the wild thing that it was and black lightning crackled in the air around it.

I'm not dying today, Jang Su declared. He wasn't going to die until he landed a blow on his master. That was his promise.

And he was going to keep it.

[You have used the first Strike of the Nel Quan Sword Dance.]

[You have used Splitting Mountain]

He swung his sword and a wave of black fire erupted from it, igniting the air in its path. Jang Su felt the heatwave as the technique roared forward.

The [Doppelganger] took a determined step forward and roared. The force shook the air. It left a shockwave that slammed into Jang Su's technique.

His jaw dropped as he watched his wave of fire scatter into nothingness.

The creature stood in front of him…

… Right in his face.

When did it—

Pain flared in Jang Su's cheek, and he was sent flying.

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