Day 9
I woke to the sound of knuckles rapping against the tent fabric and my own voice calling out.
"Rise and shine, boss. Got something you'll want to see."
Nicole groaned and burrowed deeper against me, her body sprawled entirely on top of mine like a pink-haired blanket. Her face pressed into the crook of my neck, breath warm against my skin.
"Go away," she mumbled, legs tangling with mine as she shifted. Her hand curled possessively around my shoulder.
My clone unzipped the tent flap, letting in the sunset light of the Twilight Oasis. Behind him stood Shikamaru and Yuzuriha, both looking dusty but pleased with themselves.
"Busy night?" Yuzuriha's purple eyes gleamed as she took in our tangled position. Her usual smirk widened when Nicole made no attempt to move.
"Is it important?" I asked, ignoring her implication.
Shikamaru held up a small leather pouch that clinked with the unmistakable sound of essence stones. "Eight Dune Lurkers. B-Rank. Your clone was... surprisingly effective."
My duplicate grinned, brushing sand from his shirt. "What can I say? I'm good at what I do."
"You know my night is tonight, right?" Yuzuriha asked, leaning against the entrance pole.
Nicole's head snapped up, green eyes narrowed despite their sleepy haze. "Don't rub it in."
Shikamaru sighed, pocketing the essence stones. "Can we focus? Your clone found something interesting near the eastern ridge. One of those plant golems you've been looking for."
That got my attention. I'd been hunting for what I called an Oasis Guardian since our second day here. They were the strongest non-boss entities in this gate—perfect for testing my limits.
"How far?" I asked.
"About two miles," my clone answered. "Stationary near one of the smaller water sources. Looks territorial."
Nicole finally seemed to register the conversation. She pushed herself up, straddling my waist without apparent self-consciousness. Her pink hair stuck out in several directions, and my black t-shirt had ridden up to reveal a dangerous amount of thigh.
"You're not seriously thinking of fighting that thing alone?" She rubbed her eyes. "Alexander said they're high B-Rank."
"Nonsense," I said, sitting up while keeping her balanced on my lap. "Just running recon."
Shikamaru studied the clouds visible through the tent opening. "Another week of essence stone gathering like this, and I'll have enough for a full year of slacking."
"And you're welcome for the help," my clone said, giving a mock bow.
"Yes, yes. Your assistance was... adequate."
Yuzuriha snickered. "He's being modest. Your clone nearly got himself killed drawing the third Lurker out of its hole."
I gently moved Nicole off my lap and onto the air mattress. "I'll check out the Guardian. Could be valuable intel for the group."
"I'll come with you," Nicole said, suddenly more alert.
"No." I pulled on my boots. "Your Enhancement magic is better saved for when we face the boss."
She frowned. "I'm not helpless, you know."
"Never said you were." I tapped her nose. "But all I'm doing is just running recon."
Her frown deepened, but she didn't argue further.
I looked at my clone. "Show me what you've found, then I'll dispel you."
He nodded. "This way, boss."
I followed my duplicate outside, leaving Shikamaru and Yuzuriha to brief Nicole on their Dune Lurker hunt. We moved to the place we dubbed the "Sanctuary". Alexander had taken charge of the layout, creating defensive positions and clear sight lines. Theo had established a medical area, while Dave and Josh managed supplies.
My clone led me to a secluded spot behind the supply tent. "The Guardian is alone, isolated from the main oasis. Perfect opportunity to test yourself."
I nodded. "Anything else I should know?"
"It's big. Maybe four meters tall. Plant matter with crystallized water components. Seems to guard a small pool about twenty meters in diameter."
"Weaknesses?"
"Fire, probably. Though we're short on that without Miguel." A shadow crossed his face. "Its movements are slow but powerful. The crystal parts look vulnerable."
I absorbed this information, then reached out and clasped his shoulder. "Good work."
"Just doing what you'd do." He shrugged. "Ready for the download?"
I nodded, and he dissipated into particles of light that flowed into me. Memories cascaded through my mind—the night patrol, the Dune Lurker hunt with Shikamaru and Yuzuriha, the discovery of the Guardian.
I created a new clone, this one tasked with remaining at camp while I hunted the Guardian.
"Watch over things here," I told him.
He nodded, understanding the priority without needing elaboration. "Good hunting."
I retrieved the Ossuary Piercer from my inventory and headed east, moving at a steady jog through the alien landscape. The Twilight Oasis was beautiful in its strangeness—floating islands of vegetation, twin suns casting perpetual golden light, and a pale moon visible despite the brightness. After a week, I'd grown accustomed to its peculiarities, learning its rhythms and dangers.
The eastern ridge came into view after twenty minutes of running. I slowed, approaching more cautiously. My clone's memories guided me toward a depression in the landscape where a small pool gleamed like polished glass.
And there it stood—an Oasis Guardian.
The creature towered nearly fifteen feet tall, its body a complex network of interwoven vines and crystalline structures that pulsed with blue-green energy. Its limbs ended in massive club-like appendages, and what passed for its face consisted of hollow openings lined with bioluminescent flowers. It moved with ponderous grace around the pool, each step causing minor tremors in the ground.
I crouched behind an outcropping, studying its movements. My Six Eyes activated automatically, revealing the flow of mana through its body—concentrated most heavily in the crystal "heart" embedded in its chest.
'That's the weak point,' I thought, marking the pulsing blue core.
『Correct. The crystalline heart serves as both power source and control center. Damage there would be most effective.』
I weighed my options. The Guardian was powerful, but slow. My speed would be my advantage, but a direct confrontation might still prove challenging.
Mana Clone.
Three duplicates materialized beside me, each a perfect copy down to the determined expression. We exchanged nods, understanding the plan without words.
"No weapons for you three," I said quietly. "Hand-to-hand only. I'll take point with the Piercer."
They nodded in unison. "Got it, boss."
I gripped the Ossuary Piercer, feeling its weight—comfortable, balanced, deadly. "Let's test this weed's limits."
We moved as one, spreading out to approach the Guardian from different angles. It noticed immediately, the flower-like sensors on its face turning toward us with eerie synchronicity. A low, resonating hum emanated from its body—a warning.
I stepped forward, twirling the spear. "Hey, plant-face. Ever wonder what it feels like to be mulch?"
The Guardian responded by slamming one massive limb into the ground, sending a shockwave that kicked up sand and stone. My clones and I leapt in perfect harmony, avoiding the impact.
Clone One attacked first, darting in to deliver a powerful kick to the Guardian's leg joint. The blow connected with a solid thud, but the creature barely registered the impact. It swung its arm in a wide arc, forcing Clone One to backflip away.
Clone Two and Three moved in tandem, one high and one low, striking at different points to divide the Guardian's attention. I circled behind, looking for an opening to target the crystal heart.
The Guardian suddenly released a pulse of energy that expanded outward in a visible wave. One of my clones failed to dodge in time and was thrown backward, slamming into a rock formation with enough force to disperse instantly. His memories flowed back to me—the surprise, the pain, the frustration of failure.
"One down," I muttered. "Let's not make it a trend."
My remaining clones adjusted their approach, moving more cautiously. The Guardian tracked our movements, its massive form turning with surprising grace for something so large. It raised both arms high, then brought them crashing down toward Clone Two.
Instead of dodging, Clone Two caught the blow, muscles straining as he channeled mana reinforcement to maximum. The impact drove him to his knees, but he held, creating an opening.
"Now!" he shouted.
I darted forward, Ossuary Piercer aimed at the crystal heart. The Guardian sensed the threat and twisted, but not quickly enough. The spear sank deep into its crystalline core, the sigils along its shaft flaring blue as the Binding Breaker effect activated.
The Guardian shuddered, its entire form rippling as magical instability spread from the wound. It released a sound like breaking glass mixed with rustling leaves—pain, if such a creature could feel it.
"Can you feel fear?" I asked, twisting the spear deeper. "You should."
The creature's response was immediate and violent. Vines erupted from its body, lashing out in all directions. Clone Three was caught mid-leap, multiple vines piercing through his torso before he could react. He dispersed in a flash of light, his memories—shock, pain, acceptance—flooding back to me.
I yanked the Ossuary Piercer free and leapt backward as the Guardian went berserk, thrashing and releasing pulses of energy that made the air shimmer. Its crystal heart had cracked but not shattered, leaking a luminescent fluid that sizzled when it touched the ground.
Clone Two circled to the Guardian's left, drawing its attention while I repositioned. The creature seemed to be learning. It tracked Clone Two with unnerving precision, ignoring feints and conserving energy.
"It's adapting," Clone Two called out. "Getting smarter."
"Then we'd better finish this quickly," I replied.
I channeled mana into my legs and activated Echo, creating the spatial distortion that allowed for short-range teleportation. In an instant, I vanished from my position and reappeared directly above the Guardian, Ossuary Piercer pointed downward in a diving strike.
The spear plunged into the creature's shoulder joint, severing vines and shattering crystalline structures. Before it could react, I teleported again, reappearing at its opposite side and slashing across its leg. Echo's afterimage attack followed a fraction of a second later, creating a double-strike that nearly severed the limb.
The Guardian staggered, off-balance and disoriented by my rapid movement. Clone Two seized the opportunity, launching himself at the exposed crystal heart with a mana-reinforced flying kick. His foot connected with devastating force, driving deep into the already damaged core.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the crystal's surface. The Guardian froze, its entire body vibrating at a frequency that made my teeth ache. Then, with a sound like a thousand panes of glass shattering simultaneously, the heart exploded.
Clone Two barely managed to leap clear as the Guardian collapsed, its massive form crumbling inward as the magic binding it dissipated. Vines withered and crystalline structures dulled, the vibrant colors fading to muted browns and grays. Within moments, what had been an imposing B-Rank monster was reduced to a pile of plant matter and cloudy crystal fragments.
At the center lay a glowing essence stone the size of my fist, pulsing with blue-green energy.
Clone Two whistled. "That's worth a small fortune."
I retrieved the stone, feeling its weight—substantial, both physically and in terms of market value. "Not bad for a morning's work."
"We work well together," Clone Two observed. "Though I could have done without watching myself get skewered."
"Ready to rejoin the collective?"
He sighed dramatically. "Do I have a choice?"
"Not really."
"Then let's get it over with." He stepped forward, extending his hand. "See you on the other side, boss."
I clasped his hand, and he dissolved into particles of light that flowed into me.
I pocketed the essence stone and began gathering smaller fragments from the Guardian's remains. These would be valuable for crafting once we returned home.
I finished collecting useful materials from the Guardian's remains and headed back toward camp, the Ossuary Piercer returned to my inventory. The fight had provided valuable data about my current capabilities. A high B-Rank monster had fallen to me and three clones with minimal difficulty. That was promising.
The real challenge would come when I faced that sentinel. That thing by my calculations would be high A-Rank—a significant step up from the Guardian. We would need everyone at their best, including Nicole's Enhancement magic.
But I'd be ready. I had no other choice.