The doppelgänger lunges first, and he's fast, too fast.
Metal strikes metal as I manage a weak defense, and its immense power shakes my arms and legs. He's strong. He possesses greater strength than I do, or at least he surpasses me in power at this moment.
But he's not thinking. He's just mimicking.
That's when it clicks.
He's not real. His strength depends entirely on my expectations of him.
If fear takes control of me, he will defeat me. However, if I can strategize beyond the battlefield and move deliberately rather than on impulse, I could possibly succeed.
I deflect his upcoming attack and retreat backward while my eyes scan the room. The doppelgänger stands behind a softly humming mirror. The shattered pedestal from the previous room no longer exists, yet one cracked stone beneath me displays a dim rune that has faded over time.
Perfect.
I reach into my uniform and retrieve the Forging Rune Zach provided me. I was supposed to save it, but not in a situation like this. There is no point in saving it if I am about to die.
I have an idea that can get me to win this.
I slap the rune to my chest. Although this would only last for 20 seconds, but it is enough to end this fight. Either I die after 20 seconds, or I take this guy down in 20.
I channel my mana into my palm and flatten it against my sword. Not just pouring mana, but shaping it.
Forging, not just summoning.
My mind creates a novel structure that breaks all known boundaries. This creation serves as my body's natural extension rather than functioning as a weapon. I need a weapon that combines lightness and fluidity as if ink and steel were interlaced. Something that moves when I move.
The blade pulses.
Metallic threads shoot outward from the sword's base, resembling strands of drawn wire as if ink strokes traced in movement. The metallic threads wrap around my arm to create a supportive brace. The line travels up my shoulder and aligns with the power boost from the rune.
[Skill Unlocked: Vanguard Forging – Inkweave Bind]
Type: Hybrid Enhancement
Description: The weapon extension consists of forged threads that boost agility and reaction speed. Nearby limbs or weapons can briefly bind themselves in threads which redirect momentum.
Duration: The duration of the thread extension is 20 seconds when activated by a physical rune while it lasts for 5 seconds with a self-forged method requiring high mana cost.
Note: Only available with a physical rune.
As I dodge to the left, another doppelgänger attack happens. His blade barely touches me as I lure him into a predictable response. As he spins from his attack, I unleash a strike with the Inkweave thread instead of my blade, which snaps around his ankle like a whip.
He stumbles.
With a swift leap and pivot to avoid his movement, I deliver a precise strike that avoids cutting him.
I thrust the ground instead and channel mana into the earth beneath my feet.
Crack.
The stone with the faded rune fractures. The underground magical circuit becomes active due to the combined magical energies of a Forger and a Vanguard.
Smoke emerges where the mirror behind the doppelgänger used to stand instead of breaking into fragments.
He halts mid-motion. The reflection flickers, like a paused projection. The illusion disintegrates because it lacks a genuine original.
I drop to one knee, breath heaving. The Inkweave threads pull back into the blade and emit a faint glow before disappearing.
Victory, not only through strength, but also through creation and intelligence.
I am exhausted. Although Etherfont Core boosted my mana capacity by a significant amount, that Vanguard Forging skill I have just awakened has consumed almost all my mana. The side effects of the physical rune have also drained my body physically.
However, I am glad I am alive.
I checked my Aetherplate to make sure Julian and Chris are still alive, and it seems that both are them are, which is good news.
The smoke from the destroyed mirror has yet to dissipate when I hear a gentle mechanical click followed by a grinding sound.
I watch as a circular metal hatch opens with a hissing sound on the far wall. From inside the opening, a soft object lands on a stone slab that stands out in the room's corner.
A pair of boots. Sleek, dark, lightweight—enchanted. The material gives off an appearance of matte leather that has been blended with woven ink while displaying faint pulses of pale blue sigils running like veins up its sides.
I step closer, cautious at first. But the room remains still.
When I put on the boots, a delicate glow surrounds my legs before disappearing.
[Item Acquired: Ghostmarch Boots]
Type: Rare Gear – Adaptive
Effect: Boosts agility and reaction speed by 15% through passive action. Jump height and landing stability improved. Slightly muffles footfalls while moving.
Note: The item works optimally when combined with both Vanguard movement enhancements and Forged limbs. Current compatibility: 84%.
The moment I move forward, I detect it—my steps now lighter with enhanced speed as if my lower body has achieved ultimate precision.
This is a great loot, I then take out the other item I received earlier and inspect its uses with my aetherplate.
[Item Acquired: Arc-Ink Core]Type: Unknown | Class-Bound (Potential)
Description: A swirling black-and-silver orb, no larger than a marble, containing compressed mana and volatile etherium ink. When placed into a forged construct or weapon, it can awaken latent properties or catalyze ability fusion.
Current Use: Inert until properly integrated.
Warning: Cannot be used by non-Forger class types. Reacts to Aetherkind imprint.
Inscription on the base reads:
"Creation is not art. It is risk, belief, and sacrifice."
That is a very interesting find; however, I need to figure out the best way to use it. For now, I'll just store it in my storage space in my Aetherplate.
Woom!
The ground starts glowing directly underneath me.
A sigil. Hidden in the floor.
Too late to react.
FWOOOM—
A burst of light engulfs my sight while the earth spins around me.
The fading light sends me into a hard landing on cracked gravel while my boots slide across the scorched ground.
A different atmosphere. Darker sky. A cold wind rakes past me.
And then—
"Julius?"
I raise my head to notice Zach staring at me from the other side of the charred ridge. The hammer he carries emits residual mana, and he has left a path of destroyed creatures and shattered trees behind him.
His eyes sharpen. He steps forward.
"Weren't you supposed to be in a different zone?"