The clone stood silently in front of him, a hollow echo of his own existence. Its chest rose and fell with faint breaths, but its eyes remained glassy, waiting.
Imura circled it cautiously, half-expecting it to vanish. But no—it stayed. Solid. Real.
His lips twisted."…So, what do I even do with you? Order you to dance? Cook me dinner? Kill my landlord?"
The clone didn't react.
Imura scratched the back of his head. "Right. Guess you're not much of a conversationalist."
He clenched his fist and threw a light jab at its shoulder. The clone staggered back a step but didn't flinch.
"Huh. You don't hit back?" He leaned closer. "Or do you only move if I tell you to?"
Tentatively, he gave the command: "Punch me."
The clone obeyed instantly, swinging its fist forward.
"Wai—!"
The punch landed square in his stomach, sending him stumbling back and crashing onto the couch. He groaned, clutching his abdomen."Okay… noted. You do hit back. Damn, you pack more punch than I expected for a half-stat weakling."
His eyes flicked to the system panel that still hovered at the edge of his vision.
[Clone (Lv.1): Active – Duration 08:47]
A timer ticked down. So the clone had a limit.
"Ten minutes, huh? That's all you last?" He muttered. "Not much of a partner… but I guess it's better than nothing."
He dragged himself up, a plan forming in his mind. If this was a game system, then there had to be ways to grow stronger. Games always had grind mechanics.
But how?
As if in response, new text appeared before him.
[System Tip: EXP can be gained through physical training, combat, study, or task completion.]
Imura's eyes widened."…You're kidding. I get EXP for training?"
Another notification appeared, flashing faintly.
[Tutorial Quest Activated!]
Perform 10 push-ups.
Reward: +10 EXP.
Imura stared. Then he barked out a laugh. "Push-ups? Are you serious?"
The clone mirrored his stance when he dropped to the floor. Imura smirked."Alright, let's see what you can do."
He pressed his palms flat and lowered himself. The clone did the same, side by side. One. Two. Three. By five, his arms were trembling. He hadn't exercised in years. Sweat dripped down his forehead.
The clone, however, kept going steadily, its form perfect.
Imura collapsed at eight, panting."Goddamn… I'm pathetic."
The clone finished all ten, then stopped as if sensing his failure.
A notification chimed.
[Push-ups completed: 8/10][Clone completed: 10/10][Shared Effort Bonus Applied.][Quest Complete!][+10 EXP]
Imura blinked."Wait—you count too?"
The panel shimmered.
[EXP: 10/100]
A slow grin spread across his face. "Oh… oh, this is broken. I don't even have to do all the work. You can grind for me."
His laughter echoed in the room, sharp and disbelieving. For once, the sound wasn't bitter—it was exhilarated.
He tested further. Sit-ups. Squats. Even shadow-boxing. Every time, the clone mirrored him perfectly. When Imura collapsed from exhaustion, the clone kept going, and the system rewarded him anyway.
By the time the clone's timer hit zero and it dissolved into light, Imura's panel flashed again.
[Clone Duration Ended.][Shared Experience Returned.][EXP: 47/100]
Imura jolted upright. His body… felt different. His sore muscles still ached, but beneath the fatigue was a faint strength, a lightness in his movements.
He opened his status window.
Stats Updated:
Strength: 3 → 4
Agility: 4 → 5
His grin widened. "Stats… actually went up. I'm leveling. This is real. This is actually real."
For the first time since his parents' funeral, since his so-called friends abandoned him, since she betrayed him… he felt something bloom inside his chest.
Possibility.
He clenched his fists, staring at the empty space where the clone had stood."If this is just the beginning… then I'm going to push it as far as it goes."
His reflection stared back at him from the dark TV screen—tired eyes, messy hair, but with a spark that hadn't been there in years.
A dangerous thought crossed his mind.
If he could train while a clone trained with him… what would happen when he could make ten clones? Or a hundred?
A laugh slipped out of him, low and trembling with excitement."With this broken cheat in my hands… anything is possible."
The system pulsed, as if in agreement.
[New Quest Available: Defeat an Enemy.][Reward: +30 EXP, Item Drop Chance.]
Imura's grin faded. He glanced toward his door, then the window.
"…Enemy?"
The night outside was silent. But for the first time, he felt it wasn't empty. Something was waiting.
And the system wanted him to fight it.