Chapter 24: Finally A Clone
Chapter Twenty-Four
"Hey, System, is this real? Am I really getting another chance to draw something from that wheel?" Li Yu asked, unsure how he should feel as he stared at the notification before him.
The System, as helpful as always, answered immediately. Yes, Host. With every level-up, you receive special rewards. Among those guaranteed rewards is one spin on the Primordial Wheel of Destiny.
"Oh." Li Yu’s mouth opened as if he wanted to ask another question. Then it closed. A moment later, it opened again. He remained silent for a while before finally speaking quietly. "I see."
The roulette wheel flickered into existence under his thoughts. And there it loomed before him once more. The Primordial Wheel of Destiny. Rotating calmly in midair. Majestic. Mysterious. Ancient beyond comprehension.
The wheel continued spinning slowly, radiating an indescribable aura that made Li Yu feel tiny before its existence. Then the screen changed. Another message appeared before him. Would you like to spin? Yes / No.
Li Yu stared at the prompt. For a moment, he genuinely considered trying his luck. After all, he had received some incredible rewards from it before. The Origin Eyes. The Holy Cleansing Elixir. And above all else... The Mirror Beast.
Those rewards were undoubtedly extraordinary. Yet he also hadn’t forgotten that he had drawn a cursed title from it. The Devouring Debt. Or whatever that terrifying thing was called. And then there had also been the useless trash item he had received.
So while one part of him desperately wanted to spin the wheel again, another part strongly warned him not to test his luck. After all, he had just gone through a life-and-death battle. What if that somehow affected his luck?
What if he ended up drawing something far more dangerous than the cursed title he had already received? No. He couldn’t risk it. Not yet. He would save the spin for later. For a time when he was absolutely certain fortune was on his side.
With that thought, Li Yu closed the Primordial Wheel of Destiny. His attention shifted toward another notification. Ding! New System Feature Has Been Made Available. Shop Has Been Unlocked.
Li Yu’s eyes skipped over the shop tab almost immediately. Not because he wasn’t interested. No. The opposite, actually. But there was something far more important occupying his thoughts.
His mind was focused on something he had been waiting for ever since reaching Level One. Because of that, he skimmed through most of the notifications.
Even the one informing him that he had received an additional one thousand Essence Points as a bonus reward for reaching Level One. And several other notifications as well. Li Yu had to admit the rewards were surprisingly generous.
There were a lot of bonuses. Far more than he had expected. Yet instead of exploring them, he continued searching. Several seconds later, he finally found what he had been looking for.
At the very end of the notifications sat the message his eyes had been searching for all this time. It read: You Have Reached Level One. Congratulations, Host. You May Now Create Your First Clone.
Note: Host cannot customize or directly influence clone creation. Clones possess their own unique perks, traits, and quirks that Host may view but cannot alter.
Although Host remains the owner and leader, each clone possesses its own individuality and uniqueness. However, at the end of the day, every clone remains a reflection of the Host himself.
Li Yu practically skipped through most of the explanation. His excitement was simply too great. Right now, he only wanted to know one thing. What kind of clone was he going to receive? His eyes moved toward the final notification.
Would You Like To Create Your First Clone? Yes / No. Without the slightest hesitation, Li Yu selected Yes. Immediately, the screen changed. Beginning Clone Creation Process... The moment the message appeared, Li Yu felt something strange.
A peculiar sensation passed through his body. It was as though something was being extracted from him. Not his flesh. Not his blood. Not his bones. It felt deeper than that.
As though a fragment of his very existence was being removed. As though a small piece of himself had been separated from the whole. The feeling was incredibly strange. And slightly uncomfortable.
A faint ache spread throughout his body. Then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the sensation vanished. Silence returned. Li Yu stared ahead. His eyes focused on the empty space before him. And then...Something strange happened. Very strange.
A mirror rose directly from the surface of the spring. Sharp. Perfectly reflective. It ascended slowly from the water, every edge of the mirror razor-sharp and radiating a suffocating presence.
It was as though the material used to forge the mirror was ancient beyond comprehension. Ancient. Invincible. Unbreakable.
Perhaps the thought of smashing it or punching it to see whether it would budge would have crossed Li Yu’s mind if not for one important fact. Standing before him... Was himself.
His reflection stared back at him from within the mirror. Yet Li Yu could immediately tell something was wrong. The figure was him. And yet not him. It carried his face. His features. His appearance.
Yet it somehow felt fundamentally different. The sensation was strange. Extremely strange. Li Yu blinked. But the figure inside the mirror didn’t. It simply continued staring at him. Unmoving. Unblinking. Silent.
"Well... that’s not creepy." "Not creepy at all." Li Yu forced out a twitching smile. And then, as though his words had somehow acted as a lullaby, the Li Yu within the mirror slowly began closing his eyes. Little by little. Until they were fully shut.
The reflection appeared to have fallen asleep. Li Yu frowned. "What is happening now?" Then something even more surprising began to occur. Right before his eyes, the doppelgänger started changing.
The tattered clothing vanished first. It disappeared as though it was beneath the Li Yu within the mirror to wear something so shabby. In its place appeared an elegant robe of bright emerald green. Rich. Clean. Silky. Luxurious.
The robe draped naturally around the sleeping figure, making him appear far more noble than before. But that wasn’t all. His expression also began changing. The neutral look upon his face softened. It became calmer. Gentler. More soothing.
It wasn’t merely emotionless anymore. Now it carried an almost serene aura. Then further changes followed. It was as though someone was customizing an avatar within a game. The only difference was that Li Yu wasn’t the one making the changes. The System was.
Li Yu was merely an audience watching the entire process unfold before him. The clone’s hair color gradually shifted. Dark strands transformed into a vivid shade of green. It perfectly matched the expensive robes he wore.
His hair also shortened slightly. Not short. But no longer as long as Li Yu’s. Numerous smaller changes followed. Tiny refinements. Minor adjustments. Subtle details. One after another.
Until finally... It was done.
Li Yu stared intently at the clone. It resembled him. At least somewhat. The face was almost identical. But beyond that? Very little remained the same. And another thing quickly became apparent. This clone was anything but ordinary.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, the mirror suddenly trembled. A single shudder ran across its surface. Then, without anyone touching it or breaking it, the mirror began disintegrating.
Tiny white particles drifted into the air. Countless fragments of light scattered like glowing snowflakes. Slowly. Gracefully. Until the mirror completely vanished. Leaving behind only the figure that had once been trapped within it.
Soon, Li Yu found himself staring directly at his clone. The clone stood calmly within the spring. Just like him. His face remained gentle. Calm. Peaceful. And around his green-robed figure danced faint arcs of emerald lightning.
The sight immediately caught Li Yu’s attention. "An affinity?" He sounded genuinely surprised. Li Yu himself didn’t possess any elemental affinity. So how did his clone have one? And not just any affinity at that.
Even from a distance, he could feel how powerful the green lightning was. It radiated a dangerous yet soothing aura. Li Yu stared at his own clone. Then stared some more.
Then stared even harder. Slowly... Envy appeared on his face. The damn brat even got luxurious silk robes. A golden necklace. Expensive-looking shoes. And now an elemental affinity.
Meanwhile, what did he get? Tattered clothes. Bruises. Trauma. And a near-death experience.
"This damn mirror cloning process is rigged." Li Yu muttered under his breath. "Isn’t my clone supposed to look exactly like me?" "Same clothes." "Same appearance." "Same everything."
"Why is this one different?" The more he looked, the more offended he became. The clone looked like a young prince. Meanwhile, he... the original owner... looked like a servant. No. A slave. A very poor slave. "I need a refund." Li Yu spoke with a face full of envy.
At that exact moment, the green-haired clone slowly opened his eyes. A pair of emerald-green eyes were revealed. Sharp. Deep. Yet strangely soothing. The moment those eyes opened, a massive wave of energy exploded outward in every direction.
The energy wasn’t violent. It wasn’t oppressive. Instead, it carried a calm and profound feeling. Like a gentle storm. Like nature itself responding to his awakening. The clone stood at the center of it all. Green lightning flickered around his body.
Emerald eyes glowed softly. His robes fluttered despite the absence of wind. And at that same moment, another system notification appeared before Li Yu.
Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have successfully created your first clone. New System Features Have Been Unlocked. Ding! Clone Archive Has Been Unlocked. Ding! Synchronization Tab Has Been Unlocked.
Ding! New Clone Successfully Created. Clone Rank: S
