On the outskirts of Tønsberg, Norway, there was a small, idyllic town, like something out of a fairy tale.
The night sky was pitch black and covered with thick clouds. A drizzle fell softly and hazily.
The entire town was shrouded in darkness, with only the dim, flickering glow of broken streetlights on both sides of the road doing their best to illuminate the wet pavement.
Suddenly, a human figure fell straight from the sky, landing with a dull thud on the stone-paved ground. The person lay motionless in the shape of the character "木" (meaning "wood"), eyes wide open staring into the dark sky, muttering under his breath—
"Was that a prank or something?
I went downstairs to get a package and fell into some weird hole—just like that?
Oh—my head hurts like hell!
If I find out who dug that hole, they better have at least a hundred thousand to cough up..."
The man—disheveled and groaning—struggled to his feet. But when he accidentally tugged at the painful spot on his butt, he winced in agony, breaking into a cold sweat.
"Damn, that hurts!
Do they know who I am? I'm Wang Ye, for crying out loud! A pit is gonna stop me? That's hilarious!
Wait...
Where the hell am I?
Didn't I fall into a hole?"
Wang Ye reached out to touch the nearby wall and was startled to find that it wasn't a realistic mural like he'd first assumed.
Supporting himself with one hand, he rubbed his aching head and tried to get a clearer look at his surroundings. Because he was so close to the wall, he couldn't see much at first. He took a few steps back and looked up—nearly dropping his jaw in shock.
What he had been leaning against was a church—old, weathered, and very ancient.
"What the hell? Did I fall into another country?
Or is this just a dream?"
He pinched himself hard—too hard, actually—because he didn't think he'd have the courage to do it again if he didn't wake up.
"Ow—!"
The sharp pain in his arm jolted his nerves. He rubbed his eyes with trembling hands and reopened them.
"Nope, not a dream.
Did I die and end up in hell?
Crap! I just got a girlfriend and didn't even get to hold her hand!"
Wang Ye squatted down, clutching his head in despair and crying loudly. As if in sync with his mood, the drizzle suddenly turned into a torrential downpour.
"Alright, alright! I get it, I'll stop crying, okay?!"
Unable to handle this overly "cooperative" weather, Wang Ye limped under the eaves of the church, still rubbing his sore butt.
His mind was a blur. This place didn't quite feel like hell, and he didn't seem dead either. Could it be that he fell into some kind of space rift and ended up in another world? Time travel? Ancient times?
Looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings, the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. He was starting to accept the fact that he probably couldn't return home.
Just as he was lost in thought, worrying about a future as dark as the night sky above, his head suddenly felt heavy. His vision blacked out—and he collapsed.
In his unconsciousness, Wang Ye had a string of chaotic dreams, but try as he might, he couldn't remember a single detail of what they were about.
Vaguely, he felt like he was submerged in an ocean. Water surrounded him, suffocating him—yet he couldn't move at all.
Gradually, the feeling of suffocation began to fade, as though his body had adapted to breathing underwater.
Then something strange happened. In his mind, he felt as if a lock had been broken open. With a loud boom, his entire consciousness shook—and his eyes snapped open.
He found himself lying in a shallow puddle of water.
He thought it was just another dream, but the strange sensation in his mind felt completely real as if it had been with him all along.
After focusing for a moment, he understood what the feeling was.
Wang Ye had awakened a special ability—a talent called "Duplication", which allowed him to infinitely replicate anything.
And whatever he copied—abilities, powers, or objects—would appear in their perfect form and be amplified tenfold.
(Yes, this power is OP—borderline broken. But feel free to check the comment section and see my replies under the name "Gu Yue Xiao Meng." Then come back and share your thoughts!)
As long as it was within a 1-kilometer radius, anything he wanted to duplicate could be copied instantly.
"Wait, what?"
He had truly awakened a heaven-defying ability.
Wang Ye closed his eyes and began to sense everything within a one-kilometer radius. In his perception, countless tiny, colorful lights floated in the air—those must be the things he could copy. It wasn't just living beings—even objects had copyable "abilities."
Among the myriad of starlike lights, one in particular stood out: a glowing blue orb the size of a fava bean.
He immediately decided to copy that one—it was the largest and brightest, after all.
With a single thought, the duplication was completed instantly.
A powerful energy surged into his body, wildly strengthening him from the inside out. He could feel his physical stats increasing exponentially—it was intoxicating.
As his body grew stronger, Wang Ye realized he now had total control over spatial energy. It was as natural as breathing.
The power condensed into a shining blue orb in his mind—the shape and glow unmistakable:
"This is... the Space Stone?!
No wonder that church looked so familiar!"
Wang Ye stretched with satisfaction, his joints cracking pleasantly. He felt unprecedentedly light and pain-free.
The Duplication of Talent was terrifyingly powerful.
At this point, even he couldn't estimate how strong he was. If Captain Marvel became that powerful by absorbing extracted energy from an Infinity Stone...
Then he had just absorbed an entire one.
Short of the very apex-level beings, Wang Ye was now basically invincible.
As he marveled at his new power and pondered a bright future, he suddenly heard the sound of leather shoes clacking on the cobblestone road in the distance.
He turned around and, by the dim light of the streetlamps, saw an elderly man with white hair struggling to walk toward the church, a heavy-looking cloth sack slung over his hunched back. Because of his posture, he hadn't noticed Wang Ye standing there.
The old man walked right up to the church door and was about to unlock it when he finally looked up—and jumped in fright when he saw the stranger.
"Whoa—who are you? Don't you know churches are closed to the public at night?"
The old man spoke fluent English, leaving Wang Ye momentarily stunned. Thankfully, he knew a bit of spoken English himself.
"My name is Ye—Wang Ye.
I got separated from my family while fleeing my homeland and got lost.
I haven't eaten or drunk anything in days.
Would it be possible to let me stay the night?"
Wang Ye held his stomach, his voice weak and sincere.
The old man eyed him suspiciously. Wang Ye was filthy, looking like a beggar—though the modern sportswear he wore was a bit out of place.
Still, young people had strange tastes these days, and the old man knew better than to judge.
He finally nodded.
"Alright, then help me carry this sack of potatoes into the kitchen.
I'll find you some clean clothes. There's a fireplace inside too—it's warmer."
The old man set the heavy sack down. Wang Ye picked it up effortlessly with one hand and smiled gratefully.
"Thank you, sir."
As the old man unlocked the door, he cast a sideways glance at Wang Ye—astonished at how easily he lifted a bag that weighed at least 70–80 pounds.
"That doesn't look like someone who hasn't eaten in days..."
He suddenly felt like he'd been tricked.
Inside the church, Wang Ye followed the old man through the hall and into the kitchen, where he placed the potatoes in the storage cabinet before returning to the main hall.
The church was small, simply furnished, yet filled with a solemn atmosphere.
There were four grey, round stone pillars along the sides, supporting the domed ceiling. The walls behind them had beautifully carved reliefs depicting scenes from ancient myths.
But at the center of this otherwise standard church was something odd—a stone coffin, also decorated with intricate carvings.
Wang Ye was now certain: he had time-traveled.
Even though he had randomly copied the Space Stone, he still had doubts—until now. This setting matched a movie scene almost perfectly.
Curious, he walked over to examine the stone coffin. The lid was engraved with scenes that appeared to depict the life of the person inside. Though he couldn't understand it fully, he watched with great interest.
After all, he'd read his fair share of tomb-raiding novels, and his hands were itching to pry open the coffin and roleplay as a grave robber.
At that moment, the old man walked out of the kitchen carrying a steaming bowl of soup. His expression changed when he saw Wang Ye studying the coffin, but quickly recovered as he smiled warmly.
"Ye—Wang, the fireplace is lit. Here's some soup to warm your stomach.
The potatoes will be ready soon."
He paused, then asked cautiously:
"You're interested in that coffin?"
"Yeah! I've never seen a stone coffin placed in the middle of a church before."
Wang Ye took the bowl and tasted the soup. It reminded him of his father's spicy broth.
"Mmm, this tastes great!
Brings back memories. I hope they're all safe..."
"Glad you like it.
Your family will be fine.
Oh, I left some clothes for you on the sofa by the fireplace. Go change before you catch a cold."
The old man kept stealing glances at Wang Ye, as if worried he'd discover something.
Wang Ye finished his soup and handed back the bowl.
"Thanks so much. You're very kind.
By the way, may I ask your name?"
"Just call me Elton. Everyone in the village does."
Elton smiled kindly.
~~
Wang Ye changed into the oversized suit Elton gave him and now sat comfortably by the fire, sipping Elton's homemade beer and listening to village stories.
Elton sat across from him, holding a half-full mug, his brow furrowed.
"Recently, some strangers have been wandering near the church.
The town militia warned me today to be cautious and stay indoors."
Wang Ye raised a brow and chuckled, shifting the topic.
"That coffin has a lot of narrative carvings. Could you tell me the story behind it?"
Elton sighed and took another sip.
"That's the coffin of King Arthur.
Our Elton family has been its guardians for generations.
Legend has it that Arthur once wielded an artifact belonging to the god-king Odin.
When he died, it was buried with him here..."
Elton recited the tale his father once told him.
"So... do you think those strangers are after that legendary artifact too?
And Elton... do you not know where it's hidden?"
Elton's hands trembled as he gripped his mug and shook his head quickly.
"Of course not! How would I know where such a mythical thing is buried?
Yes, I think you've had a bit too much beer. You're getting loopy—haha..."
Wang Ye said nothing. He stood up and snapped his fingers.
In an instant, the space around them shattered like glass—then reassembled into a mirror.
The mirror reflected a live view of the town outside.
"You—you—"
Elton stood frozen, utterly stunned by this divine miracle, unable to speak—and fainted from sheer shock.