I hid the masks in a bag and took them with me to the inn. Once there, I went to my room and summoned my two clones, Chen and Zen.
"Chen, take this."
I handed him the black mask.
Chen looked at the mask with uncertainty, but I said nothing for now. I only began explaining after giving the white mask to Zen.
"Listen carefully. From now on, you must never take these masks off. Got it?"
The clones nodded.
"Your faces must not be seen. People cannot find out you're clones—that could be a serious problem. Even if it means you have to kill yourselves, never let anyone see your faces, understood?"
Maybe I'm being a bit extreme, but I need to make it clear—this ability is dangerous. At least for now.
Despite how radical I was being, the clones nodded, confirming they would kill themselves if necessary.
"Alright, I'll take you to the dungeon. Hand me the masks for now."
They handed me the masks, and I left the inn to head toward the dungeon.
When I arrived at the tower, many adventurers around seemed to recognize me. They looked extremely curious.
Way more people than before.
'Something feels off here.'
I decided to ignore it and entered the first floor of the tower. However, as I walked in, I noticed a few people following me. I kept walking, pretending not to notice them.
'I'm wearing armor and carrying a sword. These people don't look particularly strong. I'm confident I can defend myself if needed.'
But I'd rather avoid any conflict for now.
Once I was in a more isolated area, a group of four surrounded me, cornering me against the wall. I didn't show any sign of nervousness and asked,
"Can I help you?"
The two men and two women exchanged glances.
The muscular man who appeared to be the leader stepped forward.
"You don't remember us?" he asked.
I'd never seen these people before in my life.
"Who are you?" I asked.
I could've pretended to know them since they probably met Chen or Zen, but I chose not to.
'Were these the guys who killed Chen?'
I started to get a little defensive.
"Hey, why are you looking at me like that? I'm just here to invite you to our party," the man said, raising his hands to show he meant no harm.
But I could see through him.
A tall, bald, muscular man covered in tattoos... Is this supposed to be some kind of joke?
The others looked shady too—the two men had the faces of bandits, and the women looked more like prostitutes based on how they dressed.
"I'm not interested," I replied coldly.
He didn't seem strong. If I had to guess, I'd say he is still level one. Despite his appearance, he is just a nobody.
"Hmmm…" the man murmured. "I tried talking to you yesterday and you ignored me. At least now you stopped to chat."
"..."
"..."
They all kept staring at me, so I sighed.
"Alright, I'm leaving now."
"Wait!" the man shouted. "How do you do it? Is it a skill?" he asked.
"What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb. A lot of people have seen you. You can split yourself and be in different places at once. Didn't you notice everyone watching you? Rumors spread fast around here."
"Are you guys stupid? Do you really think a skill like that exists? Some drunk adventurer probably made that up. I always explore the dungeon alone," I told him, but he didn't buy it.
"Come on, just show us. I've heard it from more than a few people, and I couldn't believe it."
"I don't have any special skill. Don't follow me."
I walked away, hearing the man click his tongue behind me. Even after a few minutes, I could still feel their presence behind me.
So, I started running.
I managed to lose the weird group and hid.
Then, I summoned Chen and Zen and handed them their masks—the black one to Chen and the white one to Zen. They put them on and nodded after hearing my orders.
I left the area.
####
Third Person POV:
Chen and Zen, following their master's orders, advanced toward the group of people approaching. Holding their sharp swords, they blocked the path of those who sought to harm their master.
"Who—?" The bald man was surprised by the sudden appearance of two masked figures.
His companions behind him grew nervous. The man with the spear looked at the two women—an archer and a swordswoman.
All three took a step back as Chen raised his sword, pointing it at the bald man. Even though he was just level one, he showed no fear. He was a clone—fear wasn't in his nature.
The bald man looked at the sword aimed at his face, then at the hollow eyes behind the mask—icy blue eyes that seemed to stare into his soul. It was as if there was no soul inside that person at all.
"Who are you?" the bald man asked, reaching for the sword at his waist.
Chen tilted his head slightly, then moved.
Even at level one, he was ten times stronger than an adventurer with the same stats. That alone made him more dangerous than he looked. When combined with the skill purchased by his master, it was more than enough.
With eyes as cold as a killing machine's, he thrust forward.
Chen felt his blade pierce the man's chest. The bald man's eyes widened.
"What—?" Pain exploded in his chest, and tears ran down his cheeks. "How?" he managed to say before Chen pulled the blade free, causing blood to gush out. His friends watched as he collapsed lifelessly, and Chen flicked his sword to clear the blood.
The remaining three were stunned, paralyzed by fear.
Chen turned to Zen.
Zen, with the same lifeless gaze, lunged at the next man before he could react. Being even stronger than Chen, his strike was quicker—and deadlier.
His sword pierced the man's forehead, exiting through the back of his head.
The women fell backward, stunned in horror.
Chen and Zen turned their gazes to the two women on the ground. Their eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
Their master's command had been clear: Kill them all.
The women, frozen in terror, couldn't even react before their throats were slashed. Blood poured from the wounds until they bled out.
As a surge of energy entered their bodies, Chen and Zen were satisfied.
Their eyes glowed through their masks, and a smile slowly formed on their lips.
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Next chapters: Chapter 13 - NeuroLink. Shared experience. / Chapter 14 - I'm being threatened. / Chapter 15 - Freya Familia. You can evolve. / Chapter 16 - Creator's Mask.