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13.77% Dual levelling: I level up with my clones / Chapter 31: Eligibility Reward — Mutation

Chapter 31: Eligibility Reward — Mutation

The monster snarled again, and Seung smelled an offensive odor from its mouth—creepy and irritating.

'Bleh!' Lee Seung almost threw up and quickly jumped back to the ground, rubbing his nose. 'Kunf. I see not only your magic is used in killing.'

He activated Shadow Manipulation, but the result was the same.

"Seriously?" he pondered.

Before he knew it, the dark wide fist had already slammed him to the floor. The tiles shattered, and blood started to ooze out from beneath him. Seung gasped repeatedly, unable to stand. Each attempt sent searing pain through his spinal cord, forcing him back down. Blood dripped from his forehead, evidence of the attack's severity.

He pushed up with great effort. "I won't...die here..."

At that moment, the monster stamped on him.

"ARGH!" He vomited a mouthful of blood as the attack landed. Fearing for his life, the Hunters destroyed the formation themselves. With his remaining energy, Minho assaulted the monster with ultrasounds—his special ability. The high-pitched sounds pierced through, affecting the nervous system of anyone nearby.

The other team members blocked their ears, except Lee Seung. The sounds were unbearable, heating his heart, liquefying his bones, and suffocating him. Despite the uproar, the monster hurled Minho into the air with an invisible force and used it again to pick up the Shadow Blade, thrusting it through Minho's chest.

"Get down, Min-" Park Hyeonwhoo paused, tears streaming down his face. "Minho! Not again..."

Jiwoo curled downward, gentle tears pouring down her cheeks. Her breathing shuddered, and she muttered some words. The dagger was inscribed in Minho's chest, red hue spreading on his white shirt. His eyes gently closed as he fell lifelessly to the ground.

'This...this isn't right. No, it's my fault. He wouldn't have died if I had listened to him.' Lee Seung raised his hand weakly toward the body, sobbing silently. He felt an overwhelming urge to crush the monster's soul, to avenge Minho and Yung. But he couldn't rise.

As the monster's body swirled with golden light, Seongjin ran to stop it from repeating its actions. The creature used its invisible power to remove the dagger from the corpse, and in the next second, Seongjin's headless body hit the floor.

"Ahhh!" Jiwoo shouted, covering her mouth. Her breathing trembled more, and her eyes widened. "He is...he is...dead as well."

Park Hyeonwhoo blamed himself for the team's downfall. As the leader, he was supposed to ensure their safety at the expense of his own. But, instead of doing that, he was greedy for his own portion of the profit. He believed no one in the world was as pathetic as he was.

"Jiwoo," he said, a light smile on his face.

"Yes?" she responded, her voice trembling.

"Forgive me, I should have listened to you earlier. I promise to take full responsibility for the rest of you," he vowed earnestly. Jiwoo's eyes followed his ascent, her heart pounding with uncertainty as he walked toward the monster.

"Mister Park! You don't-" Her voice hollered at him.

"I only want to plead with the monster to let us go. You need not worry," he assured, though his internal struggle was palpable. "I've done extensive research on monsters. They can sometimes be swayed by praise. I promise, I'll get us out of here."

"Ahjussi," Jiwoo whimpered, her heartbeat slowing as she clung to a fragile hope. Perhaps he could appeal to the creature's unknown weaknesses.

Park Hyeonwhoo moved toward the monster despite its continuous angry snarls. The beast closed the distance, but when Park knelt a few steps away, it stopped.

Silence...

An oppressive hush set in, broken only by the distant sound of dripping water and the pained moans of a human.

Park Hyeonwhoo pressed his palms together, raising them high in the air. Bowing his head to the ground, he began to praise:

"In the presence of the mighty dungeon god, I, your humble servant, offer myself as a sacrifice, for your greatness knows no bounds. Your divine strength protects us all, and your dominion over this sacred realm fills us with awe..."

Lee Seung watched Park's desperate act as the monster inched closer.

"Mister Park! You have to stop now!" Jiwoo shouted, her voice trembling with awe and fear.

Nonetheless, Park continued, "...As I lay my life at your feet, I plead for your mercy upon my companions. Spare their lives, O revered guardian of the dungeon, and may your majesty shine forevermore in this hallowed domain."

Snarl, snarl!!

Buzz!

"Let go of him, you monster!" Jiwoo shouted at the peak of her voice. The monster had lifted Park into the air, absorbing his soul just as it had with Yung. She screamed again, "You godforsaken creature, I won't let you take him away! Let go already!"

But that was where it ended.

Hiss...

Park vanished as well.

Lee Seung wished he could have prevented his demise. He had hoped for the screen to refill his energy, but it didn't. He was now on the verge of losing his mind.

Tears rolled down his cheeks. 'Yung, Seongjin, Minho, Mister Park, please forgive me. If only I was strong enough, I could have saved you guys. It's all my fault!'

On the other hand, Jiwoo knew this was the end for her too. The E-rank guy, the only fighter left, couldn't stand anymore, let alone protect her.

'There's absolutely no one. I have to make my own decision, whether my soul gets trapped in darkness forever or I put an end to my life myself.' Following that, she unzipped the bag and took the dagger she had given to Seung.

Without hesitation, she plunged it into her chest.

"No!" Lee Seung screamed in agony.

Her body fell flat below.

That was her end too.

Seung gritted his teeth tightly, summoning all the strength remaining in him to stand up, though it was painful.

He panted lightly. "I can still kill you, fucker. Don't be-"

But before he knew it, the monster had flashed to his front and kicked him into one of the pillars fencing the altar.

Sounds of bones breaking echoed through the chamber.

He winced loudly.

Jolted to the floor, he leaned weakly against the pillar. Gently opening his eyes, he was surprised to see the monster in front of him again; punches began to fly in like a thunderstorm.

Bang!!!

The pillar shattered into pieces and Seung's head hit the altar. His sight blurred, and he feared he was gradually losing consciousness. In an interval of five seconds, the altar was overly covered with blood.

"I'm not going to die easily, fucking bastard. So don't be cocky already," he cursed, his voice showing a low hint of energy in it.

Truth be told, he was very scared right now. It was only a matter of one step for him to cross to the other world. He didn't want to die like this. He also wanted to hang out with friends, go clubbing like other kids do, and go on a date.

'What a fool I was. I thought by creating clones, I would do most of the things I've never done before. But I ended up using them to fight monsters alone.'

He gasped as he lost more blood.

'However, during those times, I knew I really wanted to survive. That's what gave me strength to overcome my obstacles. I still have a long way to go! Only if my death can be prevented...

Slash!

Clatter!

Seung saw his blade clatter on the altar by his left side. No, that's not the only thing there. There was something familiar beside the dagger.

'Wait, isn't that...an arm?!'

It was then he realised blood was gushing out of his left shoulder.

'My...arm is gone!'

Tears lined up on his eyelids at this revelation. He had just been crippled by the monster.

'No! This isn't possible! No fucking way this isn't an illusion! My arm...!' he cried.

There was no faking it; his arm had been cut. Then, he saw the dagger rise again, this time directly facing his neck. His heart raced.

'What's going to happen now? Am I-?'

The dagger relentlessly jabbed into his throat. Suffocation set upon him. A sensation as if his head and the remaining body had been disconnected. Neither pain nor agony could explain how he was feeling right now.

"Orgh...orgh...help me. Some-one, please...help..."

His eyes were forced to close. He was just a sixteen-year-old boy; death shouldn't be his portion already.

Gradually, air stopped circulating in him, and a part of his brain, whether the brainstem or another part, was telling him he was finally dead.

--------

Suddenly, Lee Seung awoke on a frigid surface. Astonishingly, the sky was entirely azure and devoid of the sun.

Of course, he realized this wasn't the dungeon at all.

"Am I truly dead? Is this heaven?"

Springing to his feet, he examined his surroundings further. He found himself in an expansive place with a chilly atmosphere that carried the scent of perfumes. It was indeed soothing.

The surface was icy, though not completely.

Brim!

"What the hell is that?" He was momentarily startled by the sound. But his eyes widened the moment he saw what was before him.

It was the screen that had refused to open when he was in peril.

[Side Quest: Survive a fight for six hours.]

[Status: Completed.]

[Congratulations. You are now eligible to become a Mutant.]

[Options: Accept, Decline.]

[If you decline, you won't get the chance to be resurrected. Please accept quickly, you have just five seconds to decide.]

[Countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2...]

[...1]

[Countdown is over.]

[Option chosen:...] [Accept]

[Hang on tight, you will begin to mutate with the System. This is just the beginning.]


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Kutley Kutley

If you have read the novel to this chapter, please write a review of what you think about it. You are free to express your thoughts, I promise to improve if necessary.

We are now close to 100k views, so, if you can send your Power stones, I am sure we will be ranked 100th or more. And also, Golden tickets are appreciated.

let's join hands together to make the MC famous. When the novel has both Golden tickets and enough Power stones, he'll surely be popular.

Don't forget, please leave a review if you have read to this chapter. Bye, guys. (⁠●⁠♡⁠∀⁠♡⁠)

Chapter 32: Lost in a Slumber

"Hey, Su-an, isn't that Dongwon Guild's loyal dog?" a woman in a black sweater queried her companion, her eyes glowing with a golden hue as they rolled sarcastically towards the front.

They stood in the compound of a fenced building teeming with people.

The other woman sipped her coffee before nodding disappointedly in the same direction. "Tsk, tsk. It's painful to see someone as shameless as him. Does he really think Hunters would take his card after Dongwon Guild disclosed his fraud a year ago?"

A short distance away, Mr. Choi persistently handed cards to Hunters exiting the building. Though they continued to disregard him. Not only the women were glaring at him, but almost everyone in the vicinity.

"He pilfered thirty billion won six years ago and absconded with it. Aish, the guild shouldn't have gone easy on him at all. What a reprehensible jerk!" the woman holding the cup of coffee groaned, her glare intensifying.

"Well, he's bound to work as the guild's manager for years without earning a penny," the second woman scoffed. "Suits him well."

Mr. Choi had anticipated the gossip before arriving here. He was prepared for the worst, so the mean comments barely affected him.

One year ago, the Dongwon Guild falsely accused him of having embezzled their funds when he used to work for them, though in fact, he had taken a loan. Although he met their repayment deadline, he refused their request to rejoin the guild. In retaliation, they accused him publicly through all news media and even in court.

As an average citizen, he had no chance of winning the case. Since then, he had been working hard as their manager, but as the women gossiped, he was paid nothing.

Just then, he saw a Hunter emerging from the building. With a grin, he approached him with his card. "Hello there. I am Manager Choi Minho from Dongwon Guild-"

The man cut him off with a sarcastic smirk. "And?"

Mr. Choi continued, still smiling, "Oh, I apologize if I approached you the wrong way. Our Guild is enlisting promising Hunters like you, so I would like you to..."

Suddenly, Su-an interrupted, handing her card to the man with a constant smile. "Good afternoon, sir. May I invite you to our guild if you think it's unnecessary for me to introduce myself?"

The man received her card instantly. Mr. Choi walked away, refocusing on the entrance and waiting for others to appear.

'No need to dwell on it. This is the treatment society has given me since the accusation,' he thought.

Meanwhile, Su-an asked the man several questions, one being about his newly awakened ability.

"I reawakened Time Manipulation," the man responded. "And now, I have that along with my initial ice magic."

[A year ago]

Despite extensive efforts, the government was unable to recover the lost alien tech. Recognizing the significant threat this posed, the general assembly of the World Hunter Association convened to devise a solution.

They concluded that they needed more advanced technology from the alien world, Blue Planet.

In exchange for creating 'Net R1009-12,' the aliens demanded resources like cobalt and diamond. For the past year, the government mandated that Awakened civilians attend a reawakening program.

This program allowed participants to triple their original strengths, gain formidable new abilities, or level up faster. Technologists reported that 'Net R1009-12' was their best creation, capable of endowing everyone with immense power.

Many units were produced, and each country received one. The next step was to integrate this technology into machines at Reawakening companies.

At a minimum, an Awakened would double their original strength. For instance, an A-rank Hunter who reawakens could effortlessly eliminate an A-rank monster. Ultimately, this approach appeared to be the best way to keep the monsters at bay.

----

Seeing the situation, Mr. Choi returned to his car, ready to go home. However, he paused before starting the vehicle, picked up his phone, and dialed a number.

'It's been a while since I visited the hospital. I should at least inquire about him.'

Ding...ding...

"Hey, Jiwon. How are you today?"

He paused before asking, "What about Mr. Lee? Has he woken up?"

"No. If he had, I would have informed you immediately," came the reply.

"Okay, bye."

***

Mr. Song and his granddaughter arrived at the hospital, carrying a bouquet of flowers. Riding the elevator to the third floor, they made their way into ward 301.

Beep...beep...beep...

On the sickbed near the life-support machine lay Lee Seung, a nasal cannula attached to his nose as he lay unconscious.

Jiwon placed the flower bouquet near the bed, joining many others already wilting. They had been bringing flowers ever since Seung fell into a vegetative state, hoping for his recovery.

Mr. Song said, his voice masked with panic, "Aigoo, my dear Lee Seung. It breaks my heart to see him like this for a year. Roaming aimlessly in his imagination must be very lonely."

"Just believe that he will wake up," Jiwon said. "Besides, I know he isn't someone to give up on anything, let alone his life."

She recalled the day near the abandoned factory when Seung desperately fought off the gangsters, despite their initial advantage.

Most teenagers would have fled, but he wasn't like that. It was clear he wanted to survive and protect her—and he did.

Jiwon didn't believe in the common notion that heaven decides life and death. Instead, she believed an individual's persistence influences their existence, hence her faith that Seung would wake up by his own will.

"Shall we go home now, Grandpa?" she asked, glancing at him with a childlike smile.

"Ok-okay," Mr. Song nodded, worry still evident on his face. He couldn't take his eyes off Seung, his heart aching.

As they walked towards the door, the life-support machine started beeping rapidly. They froze in their tracks.

Mr. Song turned back, his eyes widening.

A weak, faint voice emerged. "Anyone there? Please...come take away the flowers. I've begun to lose my sense of smell from breathing in the fragrance for too long. Don't let me die twice, please."


CREATORS' THOUGHTS
Kutley Kutley

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