The early morning in Green Forest was shrouded in damp mist, dew clinging to the blades of grass. Every step carried the slick, realistic sensation that the virtual engine painstakingly simulated.
Kiriya stood beneath a sturdy oak, his fingers tracing the grooves of the bark — even the subtle bumps beneath the surface were distinctly perceptible. The technology of the Aether Corporation was truly astonishing.
Before logging off at the inn in the novice village the night before, he had already familiarized himself with the basic mechanics of Clone Summon.
Now, upon logging back in, his character retained all the statuses from before: Level 2, HP 1300/1300, MP 850/850, thirty copper coins in his inventory, and a pile of mostly useless wolf meat materials.
"Today's goal… Level 10." Kiriya flexed his wrists. The Black Iron Sword reflected the morning light with a cold glint.
According to EAO's leveling curve, levels 1–10 were the novice transition phase: monsters small and predictable, ideal for honing the practical details of the Phantom Style.
He didn't rush into the forest; instead, he stopped near the edge, eyes locking on a lone Level 1 forest wolf nibbling on berries.
Its gray-brown fur and slightly raised tail gave it an innocuous appearance — but Kiriya knew that stepping into its detection range would instantly turn those gentle green eyes fierce.
"You're up first."
He didn't summon clones immediately. First, he tested the most basic single-target combat flow.
His steps light and catlike, he circled to the wolf's flank. When he closed to five meters, the wolf's ears twitched — it sensed movement and was about to turn —
"Phantom Thrust!"
Kiriya propelled himself forward like an arrow released from a bow. His Black Iron Sword cut through the air and struck the wolf's nape, the weak point marked in the game data for a 1.5× damage bonus.
"Argh!"
The wolf yelped in pain, HP dropping 180 instantly (120% physical × 1.5 weak point). It spun violently, claws swiping toward Kiriya's chest.
"Too slow."
Predicting this, Kiriya pivoted on his left foot, twisting his body to the right, effortlessly evading while his sword followed through in a horizontal slash — another Phantom Thrust, striking precisely at the wolf's front leg joint.
-144!
Two consecutive hits left the wolf with less than 100 HP; its movements slowed noticeably. Kiriya didn't give it a chance to recover, stepping forward to deliver a third upward Phantom Thrust to its throat.
"Shluk."
The sword sank in, red damage numbers popping: -144!
The wolf's body twitched before collapsing, transforming into a flash of white light.
[Experience Gained: 50]
[Current Level: 2 (100/200)]
[Copper Coins Gained ×3]
"Base damage consistent, weak point mechanics effective." Kiriya retracted his sword, mentally noting the results.
Single-target combat posed little challenge for a veteran of dozens of action games, but today's focus was on integrating clone tactics.
He walked a few dozen meters forward and found a lone Level 2 forest wolf. Bigger than the previous one, its dark gray fur was marked by a shallow scar on its forehead — more menacing.
"Clone Summon."
MP dropped by 100. Two semi-transparent clones materialized at his sides. With a thought, Kiriya issued orders: "Left, draw attention. Right, standby."
The clones sprang into action. The left clone marched boldly toward the wolf, deliberately creating footfall noise; the right clone moved more slowly, circling to its flank while maintaining attack range.
"Grrr—"
The dark gray wolf indeed focused on the left clone, lunging. Its speed was nearly 20% faster than the Level 1 wolf. Its claws struck the clone, inflicting -20 damage (the clone inherited 50% defense, taking less than Kiriya himself).
At that moment, Kiriya acted.
He didn't attack alongside the clones; instead, using the distraction, he silently slipped behind the wolf — a blind spot created by the clones' positioning.
"Now!"
"Phantom Thrust!"
His sword struck precisely at the wolf's nape. Weak point bonus applied again: -270 (120% × 1.5).
The wolf recoiled and swiped instinctively at Kiriya, but the right clone immediately countered: -86, freezing it for 0.5 seconds.
"Switch!"
Kiriya seized the opening, swapping positions with the left clone. The clone previously taking hits vanished; Kiriya now appeared at the wolf's left flank, while the right clone struck once more —
-86!
Three successive strikes reduced the wolf's HP to zero without it ever touching Kiriya's real body.
[Experience Gained: 60]
[Current Level: 2 (160/200)]
"Efficiency up 40%." Kiriya nodded, satisfied. Using clones to draw aggro while the main body targeted weak points not only increased safety but also conserved stamina (the game had a hidden stamina system; excessive dodging slowed actions).
Deeper into the forest, the monsters became more varied: Level 3 Goblin Scouts (throwing stones and spears), Level 4 Forest Pythons (poison effect), Level 5 Bear Cubs (high defense). For each, he first probed with clones before crafting tailored strategies.
Against goblins, clones blocked stones while Kiriya disarmed them; against pythons, clones baited venom sprays for weak point strikes; against bear cubs, clones tanked head-on while he circled to the rear, stacking critical via the Six-Strike Passive.
"Phantom Blade, trigger!"
On the sixth hit to a Level 5 bear cub, his sword emitted a faint white glow. Critical damage appeared instantly: -216 (120% × 1.5 weak point × 1.3 crit). The bear let out a howl and toppled.
[Experience Gained: 100]
[Current Level: 5 (320/500)]
Kiriya exhaled, brushing nonexistent sweat from his brow. Continuous combat consumed nearly half his MP (850→420), but the rapid level-up invigorated him.
Opening his character panel, he noted that the Blink Step cooldown had reduced to 8 seconds — enough for most sudden situations.
"Ten-minute break." Leaning against a tree, he grabbed a piece of black bread from the novice village. Virtual food had no taste, but restored a small amount of MP (+50 per loaf).
Players around began multiplying. A Mage-Priest duo struggled against a goblin, fireballs often missing, healing light misapplied.
Nearby, three Berserkers hacked at a bear cub, causing high damage but frequently losing health due to no aggro management.
"Not everyone adapts to instinct-driven gameplay." Kiriya thought. Mind Gear's neural link was realistic, but it amplified players' flaws; those with uncoordinated bodies in real life still struggled with precise actions.
A clear female voice rang out: "Hey! Swordsman over there, can you help?"
Kiriya looked up. Two players were cornered by three goblins: a female Archer and a Swordsman around Level 3, both with empty HP.
The Archer, ID Yuna, called frantically: "We're surrounded! Just take out one and we'll give you 10 copper coins!"
Kiriya glanced at the three Level 4 goblins — trivial for him — and calmly returned to eating his bread.
"Sorry, no interest."
Yuna blinked, startled, her tone hurried: "15 copper! This is all we have, or we'll lose levels!"
Her companion chimed in: "Come on, it's easy! Teaming up kills monsters faster!"
Kiriya didn't move. He wasn't heartless; teamwork with strangers required coordination, aggro management, and skill timing. Solo runs offered total freedom, and mistakes were the players' own.
"Cold…" Yuna gritted her teeth, resuming arrows, still missing shots in panic.
Then, disaster struck. A goblin threw a spear at her back — she hadn't noticed.
"Watch out!" her companion shouted — too late.
Kiriya's brow furrowed. Not a saint, but he couldn't ignore a helpless attack. Instinctively, he sprang up, MP surging into his legs —
"Blink Step!"
In an instant, he crossed five meters. Just before the spear hit, he grabbed Yuna's arm, pulling her aside.
"Shik!"
The spear scraped her clothing and lodged deep in a tree.
"Eh?" Yuna barely reacted, then saw a black-haired, black-clad swordsman blocking her, two identical clones appearing instantly, three blades striking the attacking goblin simultaneously:
-144! -72! -72!
The goblin disappeared into white light without a sound.
The remaining two goblins froze in surprise, attacks disrupted. Kiriya continuously swapped with clones, weaving a lethal dance; within ten seconds, all goblins fell.
[Experience Gained: 80]
[Current Level: 5 (400/500)]
"Th-thank you!" Yuna finally recovered, cheeks flushed. "Here's your 15 copper…"
Kiriya waved them off, not taking the coins. "Watch your back next time." With that, he turned deeper into the forest, leaving a distant, indifferent silhouette.
Yuna watched his retreating figure, then the goblins' remains, whispering: "That clone skill… amazing…"
Her companion nodded: "And his reflexes… that teleport was instinct."
Kiriya didn't hear them. His mind was entirely on leveling. The minor incident was just a ripple.
Pushing through a thicket, an open clearing appeared. Several Level 6 Forest Black Panthers basked on rocks — faster, stronger than previous monsters.
"Perfect. Time to test the full six-strike combo."
Kiriya gripped his sword tightly, dark gray eyes flashing with excitement.
The advantage of a hidden class was more than just clones. His figure melted into the shadows, two clones silently appearing on either side, three pairs of eyes locking onto the largest panther ahead…