Lore materialized not on soft, inviting cobblestones, but in a chaotic flurry of leaves and tangled undergrowth. He landed hard on his back, the sudden impact stealing his breath and the damp, earthy scent of foreign soil instantly assaulting his senses. The golden light of the Magic Circle was gone, replaced by the deep, oppressive gloom of an ancient forest.
He blinked, the light filtering down through a thick canopy of unfamiliar, towering trees, making the ground a chaotic mosaic of shadow. The air was thick with humidity and the distant, unsettling sounds of things moving, a heavy thud, a sharp rustle, and a high-pitched, inhuman shriek that made the hair on the back of his neck prickle.
Lore sat up, immediately registering the cold, vulnerable feel of his skin. He was completely naked.
'That absolutely moronic, shortsighted idiot,' Lore thought, his mental connection to Jun-Ho throbbing with white-hot resentment. He snapped a curse, though it was silent, directed across dimensions at his Original. "What do you mean, the chances of spawning in a forest are 'zero'?"
He glanced around. Every shadow seemed poised to conceal something massive and hungry. The trees were unnaturally large, and the vegetation was aggressive, with dark, thorny vines snaking across the forest floor. There was no beginner town, no welcoming gate, and certainly no friendly guide waiting. Just hostile wilderness.
Lore sighed, the sound identical to the one Jun-Ho had made moments before. 'He sent me in without so much as a piece of cloth. At least I have the System.'
[Ding!]
[Clone: Lore]
Level: 1 (0% EXP)
Ability: Clones (Proxy Connection Active)
Traits: Brave (Strength +15% in life-or-death situations)
Status: Vulnerable (Unarmed, Unarmored)
He quickly pushed himself to his feet, keeping his eyes moving. Lore understood that, as a perfect copy of Jun-Ho, he shared the same base physical weaknesses, mediocre strength, zero combat skill, and stamina better suited for pushing supermarket carts than fighting monsters. The only saving grace was the Brave trait, which wouldn't activate until he was actively facing mortal peril.
'First order of business: cover and a weapon,' he decided, already moving with a focused urgency that Jun-Ho rarely exhibited. The forest floor was covered in stones and snapped branches. He quickly snatched a long, thick branch that looked surprisingly straight and heavy, gripping it with two hands. It was pathetic, but it was better than nothing.
The air thrummed again, and Lore instinctively focused his attention upward. High above the canopy, a colossal shadow drifted, too large and silent to be a simple bird.
'Dragon, maybe? Or just a really big creature,' Lore pondered, keeping his voice low.
He knew his existence was temporary, defined by his purpose: to gain power for the Original. Every experience, every wound, and every moment of learning would be instantly shunted back to the couch-bound Jun-Ho. If he died, his memories would be delivered, and Jun-Ho would summon a new, slightly smarter Clone 2.
'My purpose is to be disposable,' he thought bitterly, a wave of resignation washing over him. 'But if I'm going to die, I'll make sure the Original gets more than 0 experience points out of it.'
He spotted a slight break in the undergrowth, a potential path heading downhill. With his improvised wooden club clutched tight, Lore took his first tentative step into the dark New World. He had to survive long enough to find something valuable, or at least, something that counted as experience.