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For as long as he could remember, he'd been able to replicate anything others could do. Whether it was an athletic or mental skill, all he had to do was watch someone else, and then he could replicate their moves—sometimes even adding his own twist.

"Argh, darn it! You beat me again?!" one boy exclaimed, staring down at the chessboard.

"Uh… I guess I did?" replied the other boy, still eyeing the board, amazed at how he had outsmarted his opponent.

"Wow, he beat Lyle twice in a row," murmured one of the onlookers, as others nodded in surprise.

"I've never seen anyone give Lyle such a hard time."

"And didn't he only start playing this week?"

"Really? What talent!"

That evening, as darkness fell, the applause from his peers echoed in his mind as he walked home through the woods. Replaying the chess match, he remembered the moves he'd used to outmaneuver Lyle—ones he'd seen on TV during a grandmaster's tournament.

"Foden? Moden? Boden…?" He struggled to recall the exact name of the strategy, something used by a legendary chess master.

The woods grew colder at night, but he wasn't bothered. His body was resilient to changes in weather. But as he neared the center of the forest, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He halted, feeling sweat bead on his forehead as a foul smell filled the air. It was rank—like a sewer—growing stronger with each breath. Whatever was emitting that odor was getting closer.

Suddenly, a ghastly neighing mixed with a piercing screech echoed around him, accompanied by loud, galloping footsteps. He bolted.

Leaving the path, he raced through the trees, relying on his memory of the woods in daylight. The horrible sounds grew louder as he ran. The ground grew steeper, leading to the main road that curved along the hill's edge. Branches whipped his face and body as he hurtled past, but just as he thought he was in the clear, he tripped and went tumbling.

He braced himself, using his arms to protect his head as he rolled, slamming into trees and rocks before finally landing hard on the pavement. The screeching had stopped; the putrid scent was gone, replaced by the smell of asphalt. There was no mistaking it—he'd rolled from the forest onto the road.

His whole body ached, but he knew he couldn't stay there. This road was infamous for reckless drivers who acted as if there were no speed limits.

"Get… up!" he urged his battered body.

A pair of headlights appeared in the distance. He forced himself to his feet, though he was too hurt to move out of the way in time. All he could do was wave at the oncoming vehicle and hope the driver saw him.

"I… can't give up!"

With the last of his strength, he leaped to the roadside as the truck roared past. Truck-kun would not prevail, not today. He chuckled, recalling how many anime protagonists had fallen victim to this twelve-wheeled nemesis.

But his relief was short-lived. His powerful jump had sent him off another ledge, this time beside the road. His vision darkened as he fell into water below.

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[Later…]

When he awoke from what felt like an endless dream, he found himself in a dimly lit chamber. His body felt sluggish, and he could barely move. As he tried to look around, he realized he could only see what was directly in front of him.

'I can't move my head…? And I can't open my mouth, either!' he thought, alarmed. 'What's going on?'

Only his thoughts seemed to echo. Instinctively, he tried to thrash his body and was shocked when ooze-like tentacles flailed out before him. 'What… what is that?!'

A transparent secretion dripped from his body onto the ground.

[Ability Gained: Lesser Sticky Ooze]

Suddenly, a translucent panel appeared before his eyes, showing the name of the strange substance he had excreted.

'Is this… a skill window?' he thought. 'Then, is there a status window, too?'

As soon as he thought it, another panel appeared.

[Status Window Acquired]

[Name: Dalmai Fulsan 

Species: Spawn Mimic 

Titles: None 

Health: 1/1 

Mana: 10/10 

Stamina: 10/10 

Strength: 10 

Defense: 10 

Intelligence: 50 

Resistance: 10 

Speed: 5 

Magic: None 

Skills: Bite, Lesser Sticky Ooze 

Mimic Inherent Skills: 「Sticky Body, Imitator, False Appearance, Strangle」 

Resistances: 「Lightning, Fire, Magic」 

Weaknesses: 「Poison, Dark, Bleed」]

'Is this me? So… I'm a mimic?' Dalmai pondered as he read the display. 'How did this happen? I don't remember dying…'

Flashes of him running through the woods and falling onto the asphalt played in his mind. He'd used all his strength to dodge the truck, but he'd fallen off the road into a lake instead.

'So, I… died?'

The realization struck him hard. His family would miss him, but… he had a second chance. He had the opportunity to thrive—even as a mimic.

Dalmai sighed, trying to accept his new reality. Suddenly, a pair of yellow eyes glowed in the darkness, and a massive jaw lunged toward him.

Dalmai recoiled as the jaws snapped shut, narrowly missing him.

'What is that?!' 

Out of the shadows emerged a rock-like creature with two purple tentacles and a pair of yellow eyes—another mimic.

'Who are you?!' Dalmai tried to speak, but only a guttural growl emerged, which angered the other mimic. Its purple tentacles lashed out, reaching for him, but he managed to dodge and retreat beyond its reach. Once at a safe distance, he noticed the mimic had stopped its attack.

'What was that thing?!' Dalmai screamed in his mind.

A new panel appeared before him, displaying the creature's information.

[Enemy Status Acquired] 

[Name: None 

Species: Spawn Mimic 

Titles: None 

Magic: None 

Skills: Bite, Sticky Tentacles]

Dalmai was stunned. He realized this mimic had different abilities than him, even though they were the same species.

'Isn't there anyone who can tell me what's going on?!' he thought, frustrated.

[Special Skill Acquired: Sophia]

'Sophia? Who is that?'

「Sophia: A unique system ability created to guide the user as they grow and explore this world.」

'Sophia? I feel like I've heard that name before.' Dalmai thought. 'So, you'll be my guide. Where am I, exactly?'

「A cave.」

'Say what?'

「A cave.」

'You've got to be kidding me!' Dalmai sighed, exasperated.

「User has yet to explore his surroundings to gain data for a more detailed location description.」

Acknowledging the logic, Dalmai decided to ask something more relevant. 'The mimic that attacked me—it was also a spawn mimic, right? What exactly is a spawn mimic?'

「Spawn Mimic: A type of servant mimic capable of transforming into rocks, twigs, or other small objects. Spawn mimics are created in swarms by Impersonator mimics and serve them loyally.」

'Swarms?' Dalmai interrupted.

「A large group of-」

'I know what swarms are, Sophia! Are you saying… they're here with me right now?'

「Affirmative」