There was only a moment of silence before the arena erupted in cheers. The crowd that had so recently been taunting Alex began chanting his name; their voices heavy with surprise and wonder.
Alex didn't respond to the cheers. He didn't care about the crowd, about their sudden change of heart. All that mattered was his victory.
He had survived, and for the first time since he had been brought into this accursed world, he felt his chance. The system's screen once again appeared in front of him. Mission Complete: Defeat the Beast. Reward Unlocked: Clone Ability.
Alex looked over at his clone, who nodded once before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Finally, the energy running through Alex's veins dissipated, and the now-familiar weight of exhaustion crept in.
But this time, it was good exhaustion-the kind that came after hard-won victory.
He sheathed his sword and began to make his way out of the arena, but no more than a single step had been made before the voice of the demon king came from above.
"Well done, Alex," the demon king said in his heavy sarcastic tone. "It would appear you are finally starting to be of some use.
Alex fisted his hands but did not utter a word. He had won this battle, but the demon king somehow managed to remind him with his words that his fight was far from over. Still lying ahead of him were so many challenges, and he had to travel the long way to be truly awake from this nightmare.
But finally, after ages, Alex felt something he hadn't in so long: hope.
He was no longer just a pawn to be used in the demon king's game. The time had come when he actually possessed real power and would fight back with it.
He was smiling as he came out of the arena, head held high.
Of course, that was just the beginning.
This feeling of victory embraced Alex outside the arena; for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, he pulled off something huge: he stood his ground and fought this beast-and had won.
He also gained the skill Clone Lust Nexus, which was just what he needed to survive and would later let him escape from the clutches of the cruel Demon King.
"But what more can that clone do? How far can I really push this new ability?" Alex asked himself.
His mind was racing with possibilities.
The clone that he had summoned in battle was so real and powerful that it felt like an entity unto itself. It wasn't some kind of illusion or cheesy trick, for it was really an extension of himself-an extension capable of fighting right next to him.
He gained his quarters, sat on the edge of his bed, still reeling in his mind. He was no longer that weak pawn anymore, and just that thought coursed his heart with excitement. For the first time now, he had power and, more importantly, hope.
But power without understanding could be dangerous, and if he ever was to make full use of this cloning ability, he needed to understand how to control it.
He breathed deep and stood, then faced the open space in front of him. Now was the time to actually try this ability properly, outside the chaos of battle.
Alex concentrated on the alien energy within him, stirring-the same energy that, during the fight, had summoned his clone into being. His mind reached outwards and sensed a tremble of turbulence in the air about him.
"Let me see if I can do it again," said Alex to himself.
He shut his eyes and focused his mind. Thus, the energy shifted in quivers, in pulsations, as his will dictated.
Now, he opened his eyes, and there it was-his clone, just opposite him, looking like him in every particular.
Alex's eyes went wide with surprise-weird, somehow, this vision of himself standing there as if looking in the mirror.
The eyes of the clone were bright, his posture strong; he was waiting for orders, it seemed. Alex took one step closer, having a closer look at him.
"Can you move?" he said aloud, almost insecure about what to expect.
The clone didn't waste a second, going forward with all the grace and confidence that Alex had shown in the arena-the thing was doing his movements to the letter.
Alex lifted his hand, and the clone did so in perfect synchrony. He moved to the left, and the clone was perfectly in sync.
Alex nodded to himself. "Okay, so it does all that I do.
But there was more to that. In the course of the fight, the clone had proved it was capable of much more than simple imitation; when required, it had fought on its own, reacting to the beast without Alex needing to give any great detail with regard to movement.
He needed to find a way into that.
"Try something more," he said, stepping backward and facing the clone. "Attack me."
It only stood there and waited. As if it still clutched onto the very thought of waiting for Alex to give an opening move, and Alex willed that it would attack, not through words but through a bond he could feel between them.
Its face contorted; its eyes narrowed down in focus. In a split second, it launched itself at Alex, throwing a straight punch right into his chest.
Alex barely dodged, caught off guard by how fast it came. The clone pulled no punches; it was quick-perhaps even quicker than he was.
When a second one came at him, he had a pretty good idea of just how powerful this could be: It wasn't just a copy of him but an amped-up version of himself-even more robust and quicker.
This time the clone charged an accurate punch at Alex's head. He ducked, swung low with a kick, and tried to get the clone off balance. But the clone had foreseen the move, and he jumped over Alex's leg, now coming at him with a kick of his own.
Alex barely blocked the attack in time, but the force of the impact sent him stumbling back.
God damn, it's fucking strong. Alex whispered to himself and wiped his arm across his forehead. He was breathing heavily now; the clone's ceaseless attacks had him reaching his limits. This wasn't quite as he had expected; he was sure it would go easier than this.
Then he smiled. It was what he needed-something that would challenge him more, something that would make him stronger.
After a few minutes of heavy sparring, he called the fight, ordering in his mind that the clone should stop.
It stepped back obediently and resumed its passive state. Collapsing onto the bed, Alex lay there, puffing heavily.
His muscles screamed in protest of the exertion, but he was alive-more alive than he had felt in weeks.
A smirk spread across Alex's face. "This is going to be fun."
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