"Urgh?"
The intangible energy drained from my entire body in an instant.
The largest object I'd ever replicated. Even when I tried copying the bed, it hadn't consumed this much energy... yet even more poured out now.
'S-stop...!!'
If my energy hadn't increased even a little from successfully replicating the bed last night, I would've passed out long ago.
As I desperately willed it to stop in my mind, heaven must have heard my plea—the drain halted abruptly, and a wave of profound exhaustion crashed over me.
"Hah... hah! What the...?"
Once I could barely open my mouth, I lifted my head from where I'd collapsed on the floor... and froze.
And there, on the bed where I'd been lying just moments ago...
"L-Laila?"
Lay the star of the fantasies I'd been dreaming up until a moment ago.
Too shocked, I hurriedly called out to her, but the replica of Laila—identical to the woman I'd seen that day in her beauty and outfit—lay still with empty, doll-like eyes.
"...No way."
Staring at her, I dismissed the absurd possibility that popped into my head.
"Did I... replicate her?"
That the Laila before me was one I'd created using my replication ability.
"No... that's impossible. I'm no god. A human being...?"
I let out a hollow laugh, denying the guess that had surfaced, but nothing else explained why Laila lay on the bed like a corpse... no, like a doll.
Rubbing my eyes and splashing water on my face did nothing; the Laila on the bed didn't vanish.
In the end, I had to admit I'd replicated Laila.
'I once tried replicating a half-dead goblin...'
I knew my ability seemed impressive somehow.
To test its limits, I'd once attempted to replicate a goblin dying from a handaxe wound.
But back then, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't even replicate a single goblin...
'What's the difference? More total energy? Better focus? Higher understanding of Laila?'
I didn't know the reason. But I swallowed hard and stared at the Laila on the bed.
"Ahem. Um... Laila?"
"......"
No matter how many times I called her name or asked questions, there was no response. Like talking to a corpse.
"Hmm. Just the appearance... the body replicated, but not the rest?"
I'd hoped for a replica with memories or personality, but that seemed beyond my reach.
Of course—if it went that far, it'd be no different from creating real life... which this already was, incredibly enough.
Strength slowly returning to my body, I approached the bed and cautiously poked Laila's cheek with my index finger.
'Soft.'
Unlike my rough finger, the smooth, powdery feel of her skin transmitted through.
And astonishingly, the warmth of body heat came through perfectly.
As if to say this wasn't some corpse, but a real person replicated.
-Rustle.
This time, I lifted my finger to touch her pale purple hair.
Beyond the silky texture I hadn't fully felt from that single strand earlier, a floral scent wafted over me.
"Heh. Even the scent..."
Of course, replicating the bed yesterday had copied its musty smell too, so I knew my ability replicated scents and textures...
But replicating the fragrant body scent of a woman like this made it feel all the more vivid.
Absorbed like that, touching the replicated Laila's face, my gaze suddenly drifted to her body. Precisely, to the swell of her breasts that even the robe couldn't fully hide.
"......"
Was it because I'd just been fantasizing about her moments ago?
A strange thirst rose, my heart pounding hard as dark, humid desire began to well up.
"...My first time replicating a living being... a person. Hm... n-need to, confirm..."
Muttering excuses to no one in particular, I swallowed and slowly reached for the hem of her robe—the same as I'd seen that day.
I tried to peel off the baggy robe.
-Creak...
"...Huh?"
But no matter how hard I pulled, the robe clung to her skin like it was fused, refusing to budge.
Even lifting the hem a bit to peek inside was impossible; it wouldn't move an inch, as if denying me the view.
'Later for now.'
Regret tugged at me, but with the replication's duration ticking, I shelved the thought and first reached for the prominent swell of her breasts.
-Thud.
The thrilling moment arrived.
Since coming to this world, I'd been too busy surviving to even meet a woman, yet here I was touching the breasts of such a beauty—even if a replica.
Laila's breasts, felt for the first time, were...
"...A wooden log?"
I muttered unconsciously at the sensation through my fingertips.
Just in case, I set caution aside this time, extending both hands to roughly grope her breasts—but the feel was the same.
Unlike her face and hands, which had some warmth, there was no body heat here, just an utterly rigid texture like touching a log.
Desperately probing around, the skin under the unremovable robe was all equally cold and hard—no heat anywhere but her breasts.
The soft skin texture and warmth were limited to her exposed palms and fully visible face.
'Why? Why this difference?'
Replication had failed outright many times before, but never partially like this, so curiosity overtook desire as I poked around earnestly.
Then it hit me—the difference between properly replicated parts and those that weren't.
'I never saw or touched inside Laila's clothes directly.'
I didn't know what her naked body looked like.
Nor the feel of touching it.
But the texture and warmth of her hand when I handed over the coins? Crystal clear in my memory.
And unlike her bundled-up body, I'd spent the whole day staring into her face during our talk, grasping its details perfectly.
'Parts I observed closely for a long time or touched replicate perfectly, but the rest don't?'
Laila's robed body looked perfectly replicated in shape—thanks to observing her height and curves all day.
'Tch. Not certain, but...'
Recalling how replication eased with greater 'understanding' of the target, this hypothesis felt closest to the truth...
"Why the difference? Because it's a person? A living being? Or just because she's Laila?"
No clue. Partial perfection like this was a first—unlike total failures.
Even after two years, I still didn't fully grasp my own ability.
"Might learn more by replicating more..."
With that thought, I looked at Laila, slightly disheveled from my rough handling.
"......"
Staring at her like that, the desire that had subsided in shock crept back up.
'What am I, some dog in heat?'
Was it because it had been so long since I'd been this close to a woman's scent?
The urge surged uncontrollably.
But I'd confirmed her breasts and below weren't properly replicated, despite high expectations.
'...The replica will vanish soon anyway. No point pushing for more info now...'
Far from rational, I couldn't hold back the boiling lust and decided to indulge it more honestly.
My eyes rolled, landing on the replicated Laila's palm.
Unlike the imperfect parts, since I'd touched her hand receiving payment today, its soft skin texture and warmth were flawlessly copied.
Fixated on that palm,
-Slide.
I slowly began lowering my pants.
.
.
.
Sliding my pants down slowly, then shedding the filthy underwear beneath, my fully erect cock sprang free.
Having lived an unintended ascetic life due to its pathetic owner, my dick was throbbing wildly from the elite female scent assaulting it for the first time.
Normally, I'd soothe it with meager fantasies and my own hand.
But not tonight. Not this time.
-Slide. Plop.
"Hoo...!"
Suppressing the sigh leaking through my lips, I grabbed Laila's soft hand and slowly drew it toward my crotch.
The moment her slender fingers touched my glans, electric pleasure jolted me, body trembling.
The delusion of defiling an elite Magic Tower mage's hand—untouchable for an E-rank like me.
Playing with someone I'd just met today like she was mine.
I overlaid my hand on the back of hers, gripping to make her hand clasp my cock.
'This is insane.'
Were men's and women's hands this different?
Unlike my calloused adventurer's hands, Laila's impossibly smooth palm gifted soft pleasure even unmoving.
No time to waste; lost in the thrill, I moved my arm, stroking my cock with her hand.
-Slide. Slide. Pat.
Skin brushing skin, precum from my cock smeared over her pale fingers.
Speed building, I gripped her motionless hand tight, massaging the veins bulging along my shaft.
'It reeks.'
'Shut up and stay out of it.'
Her harsh attitude and rude speech from today flashed back.
Defiling the hand of that haughty, prideful woman with my precum brought a twisted sense of conquest.
"Laila... Laila!"
Muttering her name unwittingly, I clutched her smooth hand tight and unleashed my semen into her palm.
After years of abstinence, the thick load gushed out massively, seeping between her smooth knuckles, staining her white skin.
Not contained fully by her hand, some spurted toward her body and face.
"Hah...! Hah...!!"
Panting wildly in excitement, seeing cum splatter her face only fueled more impulse; I aimed my still-spurting cock at it.
-Splurt.
Squeezing out more, the white fluid blanketed her doll-like closed eyes, some landing on her plump lips.
"...!"
I wanted to rub my cock on those cheeks and lips too.
The sudden urge to soil her face fully made me toss aside her hand I'd enjoyed so much and reach for her face.
But.
-Shwoosh!!!
"Ah...!!"
As if on cue, the replicated Laila dissolved like bubbles.
I desperately reached for her, but the vanished replica didn't return.
All that remained were the pathetic traces of semen that had fallen limply as she disappeared.
Feeling profound fatigue from exhausting all my energy, I couldn't fight the drowsiness and exhaustion, closing my eyes as I muttered inwardly.
'Next time too...'