A B-rank skill.
The rank itself was not particularly bad.
The simple fact that it was neither F-rank nor D-rank meant it was at least above average.
Among B-rank skills, Clone was also common enough that even I knew about it.
More precisely, that meant there were quite a few Hunters who possessed the Clone skill.
“Hmm……”
It was not an exceptionally bad skill, but neither was it considered particularly good.
The reason I thought so was simple.
A considerable amount of information about the Clone skill was publicly known.
Its characteristics, advantages, disadvantages—most aspects of the skill had already been thoroughly documented.
Clone and summoning-type skills were generally not regarded very highly.
The reason was that most clones and summoned creatures inherited only a portion of their user’s stats.
The problem was that, with the exception of a handful of unusual Hunters, most Hunters’ stats were effectively fixed according to the highest floor they had cleared.
For example, a Hunter challenging the thirtieth floor would most likely have stats of 29.
How much help could a summoned creature with less than a quarter of those stats possibly provide while attempting to clear the thirtieth floor?
A skill with great potential at its peak, but mediocre performance at its lowest.
That was more or less the public assessment of the Clone skill.
‘It’s more useful on the battlefield than in the Tower, where you constantly have to challenge your limits.’
But……
‘Maybe this could actually be useful when I use it.’
For an ordinary Hunter, a clone with only one-fifth of their stats would barely be capable of accomplishing anything.
But what if the user was me, with average stats of 79?
‘Even with a rough calculation, that would give the clone average stats above 15……’
Rather than thinking about it endlessly, it would be better to try it myself.
“Summon Clone.”
[Summoning a Clone.]
Even though I activated the skill, the Magic Power inside my body barely changed.
If I had to put it into numbers, perhaps I had consumed around 1 point.
Even that recovered almost immediately through natural regeneration.
Such a thing was only possible because the natural recovery provided by a Magic Power stat of 79 was extraordinary.
‘That’s practically no cost at all.’
Of course, that only applied when I summoned a single clone.
If I summoned several clones depending on the situation, or eventually used other skills alongside them, I would naturally consume more Magic Power.
So I could not truly call it completely cost-free.
‘More importantly……’
I looked at the clone that had appeared before me when the skill activated.
It looked exactly like me, as though I were staring into a mirror, but there was a strange lack of life in its eyes and expression.
“Can you speak?”
“Please issue an order.”
It was unmistakably my voice, yet it sounded so stiff and mechanical that I almost questioned whether it truly belonged to me.
Unlike summoned creatures, clones did not possess wills of their own, so there was nothing particularly strange about that.
If a clone actually had its own consciousness, that would create an entirely different set of problems.
“Oho……”
Now then, what should I make it do?
I had already used my Tower entry for the day, so I could not go back inside.
There was not much else I could think of testing.
Should I send it outside to run errands?
“Ah.”
As I wondered what task to give it, my eyes naturally fell upon the disastrous state of my apartment.
“Start with the dishes. Once you’re finished, clean the apartment and the bathroom too.”
“Understood.”
It seemed I had acquired a rather useful housekeeper.
***
After observing the clone for nearly an entire day, I learned several things about it.
According to the information I had found on Hunter sites, the duration of a clone was basically proportional to the user’s amount of Magic Power.
Perhaps because of that, my clone still had not disappeared even though more than twenty hours had passed since I summoned it.
Considering that most clones and summoned creatures could not remain active for even an hour, this was extraordinary.
“How much do you know about me?”
“I possess all of your memories from the moment I was summoned.”
“Then can you imitate me?”
“Of course I can.”
“Oh……”
The clone did not appear to possess a personality of its own, but if I ordered it to, it could imitate me or behave as though it possessed normal human emotions.
That seemed like something I could make good use of depending on the circumstances.
“Now then……”
I had already discovered what might be the clone’s greatest practical use, but it was still a skill.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the true value of a skill was determined by how useful it was inside the Tower.
“You stay here and look after the apartment. Keep doing the housework.”
“Understood.”
I had already learned through both information posts and experimentation that I could summon more than one clone.
What I did not know was what would happen if I entered the Tower while leaving a clone summoned outside.
Entering the Tower always meant risking one’s life, and there were not many Hunters reckless enough to leave part of their available strength outside before entering.
Because of that, there was no information on the subject.
In other words, this was an experiment to find out.
“Enter the Tower.”
[Entering <Tower 12th Floor>.]
[12th Floor Mission Overview]
-Eliminate 8 Scorpions.
-Completion Condition: Eliminate all Scorpions
-Failure Condition: Death
The desert appeared before me once again.
As I had already experienced on the eleventh floor, I could easily clear the twelfth floor with nothing more than a light stomp.
But this time, there was something I wanted to test.
“Summon Clone.”
[Summoning a Clone.]
A clone identical to the one I had summoned at home appeared before me.
“Go fight.”
“Understood.”
There was no sophisticated tactic.
No elaborate strategy.
Go fight.
That was the entirety of my command, yet the clone threw itself into the sea of sand without a single complaint.
And then……
Rustle—
Perhaps because I had provided them with bait, the surface of the sand began shifting not long after the clone appeared in the open.
It meant one of the Scorpions lurking beneath the sand had taken the bait.
-SCREECH!
A Scorpion suddenly burst from beneath the sand and lunged at the clone.
The clone did not panic in the slightest.
It calmly swung its fist.
CRACK!
A sound that seemed impossible for someone striking a hardened exoskeleton with a bare fist rang out as part of the Scorpion’s abdominal shell shattered.
Apparently, it had not died.
The Scorpion shrieked, regained its stance, and attacked the clone again.
And it was not alone.
Rustle!
The sand shifted once more, and several more Scorpions burst out one after another.
Despite being heavily outnumbered, the clone fought them while utilizing its physical abilities almost to their absolute limit.
“Oh… It’s actually pretty good at fighting.”
My clone’s average stats were approximately 15.
Meanwhile, this was the twelfth floor.
In a sense, it was only natural that the clone could fight well.
Still, to be frank, I did not think I would have been able to fight as efficiently as the clone if I had possessed those same stats.
It was almost like a machine designed solely to carry out its assigned task.
‘But it isn’t overwhelming.’
With that level of performance, the clone could probably clear the twelfth floor by itself given enough time.
But that was all.
If this was the extent of its combat ability, then it would be far better for me to continue clearing the Tower personally, just as I had until now.
‘It would certainly make things easier for me, but I probably wouldn’t be able to keep achieving SSS-rank like this.’
In that case, there was only one answer.
If quality was not enough, I could compensate with quantity.
“Summon ten Clones.”
[Summoning 10 Clones.]
I felt an amount of Magic Power far greater than what a single clone required drain from my body.
Even so, it only amounted to around 10 points.
Compared to my enormous Magic Power reserves, it barely made a dent.
The ten newly summoned clones surrounded the Scorpions.
The Scorpions, which had been using their numerical advantage to pressure my first clone only moments ago, suddenly froze.
-SCREE?
They understood instinctively.
They knew exactly what kind of situation they were in now.
“Destroy them.”
“As commanded.”
Now then.
Who had the advantage in numbers?
-SCREEE!
-HISS! HISSS!
The clones charged the Scorpions all at once.
Sensing that the situation had turned against them, the Scorpions hurriedly tried to burrow back beneath the sand.
But the clones were much faster.
They grabbed the Scorpions by their tails and began slamming them around without restraint.
BOOM!
Since the ground was made of sand, being slammed against it should not have caused much damage.
However, the sheer force of the action ripped the Scorpions’ tails from their bodies, sending blood spraying in every direction.
-SCREEEE!
Once both superior stats and superior numbers were combined, the Scorpions could not even put up a meaningful resistance.
They were simply hunted down by the clones.
The battle did not last long.
[You have defeated a Scorpion Warrior!]
[You have defeated a Scorpion Assassin!]
[You have defeated a Scorpion Sentry!]
[Experience points acquired.]
.
.
.
[You have cleared <Tower 12th Floor>.]
[All stats are ‘12’ or higher. Additional experience points will be awarded instead of stat increases.]
[You have achieved SSS-rank.]
[A special reward for achieving this rank will be granted.]
[You have broken the clear record for <Tower 12th Floor>.]
[Leaving the Tower.]
Perhaps because eleven clones had gone hunting simultaneously, I once again achieved an SSS-rank record.
For now, I could consider the first test of my new skill a success.
‘Still, it probably won’t play a major role once I climb higher.’
The fact that the clones inherited only 20% of my stats also meant, in another sense, that their effective growth rate was only 20% of mine.
Just as the public information suggested, Clone was a skill that would shine far more brightly outside the Tower than during Tower challenges.
And the greatest proof of that was standing right in front of me.
“Welcome back.”
The clone had faithfully cleaned the apartment exactly as I had ordered.
By now, I could not find so much as a speck of dust anywhere inside.
‘…Wouldn’t I make a fortune if I started a cleaning company with this?’
I decided that might actually be worth seriously considering someday.
‘More importantly……’
After clearing the twelfth floor, I immediately prepared to go out.
I intended to use the Rental Shop Pass Deputy Commissioner Park Gi-yong had given me to borrow several pieces of equipment.
After testing Clone, I had realized that giving each clone a weapon would probably improve their efficiency considerably.
‘And while I’m at it, I should get a weapon for myself too.’
No matter how overwhelmingly powerful my stats were, it was simple common sense that having proper equipment was better than fighting barehanded.
If anything, I was beginning to think I had been somewhat complacent until now.
‘Back when I used to climb the Tower, I prepared for every attempt so desperately.’
I had scraped together every resource I could find just to rent Tower-exclusive equipment before challenging a floor.
Compared to that, I had admittedly become somewhat careless lately.
With that in mind, I intended to visit the rental shop and make full use of every weapon available to me.
‘He definitely said equipment up to a certain grade wouldn’t cost anything extra, right?’
Then I might as well make the most of it.
***
Guro, Seoul, South Korea.
Government Official Hunter Equipment Rental Shop, Guro Branch.
The quality and quantity of equipment available here were inferior to those offered by ordinary corporate or guild-operated rental shops.
But for my current needs, it was more than sufficient.
More importantly, it was free.
“Welcome.”
Like the Geumcheon Branch Market, I had visited the Guro Branch rental shop fairly often, so I was somewhat familiar with the employees.
Of course, just as before, the employee did not seem to recognize me.
Still, familiarity was not the only reason I had specifically come to the Guro Branch.
There was a particular piece of equipment here that I had been watching for a very long time.
For most people, it was an awkward piece of equipment—too valuable to discard, yet too impractical to use.
But with the person I had become now, I should be able to wield it without any trouble.