Chapter 23: Episode 23 – Twin Trouble?

Chapter 23: Episode 23 – Twin Trouble? Episode 23 – Twin Trouble? Han Jin-woo (한진우) sat stiffly in his chair, still not fully recovered from the shock of the last few minutes. The signed contract was right there in front of him, the ink dried to a clean finish, and yet what stuck in his head wasn’t the formality of the deal—it was the fact that two identical boys were standing in his office. One of them—the one in the yellow hoodie—walked back to the coffee machine in the corner like he belonged there, fingers adjusting the dials with practiced ease. The other remained seated calmly, watching Han like he was the one being interviewed instead of the other way around. Han finally found his voice. "Listen... are you two twins or what?" The seated boy let out a short chuckle. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, eyes sparkling with mischief. "You could say that," Kim Do-hyun (김도현) replied. Then he pointed toward the yellow-hooded version now sipping from a steaming paper cup. "But that guy right there? He’s my clone." Han blinked. Once. Twice. Then, as if trying to reboot his brain, he leaned back slowly and stared at the clone again. The clone—Number 1—grinned and walked over to the seated Do-hyun. With a casual motion, he tapped the original lightly on the shoulder and said, "Don’t worry, boss. I checked the contract. Everything’s legit." "Boss?" Han repeated. The clone turned back to Han with a smile that looked far too alive to be anything artificial. "You might confuse him for someone else," the original Do-hyun said, stretching his arms behind his head. "But this guy’s mine. Just one of me. There’s another one of us at the gym right now." Han felt his throat go dry. "Wait... you have a clone at the gym? Training?" "Yeah," Do-hyun said, his expression casual, as if he were describing the weather. "He’s doing bench presses. Might hit a new personal record today." Han’s voice rose a pitch. "But why the gym?" The boy nodded as if the answer were obvious. "Because when my clone gets stronger, I get stronger too. It syncs. The experience, the stat gains... everything." Han sat forward, eyes suddenly sharp. "You can increase your own stats?" Do-hyun nodded again. "That’s the trick." The weight of that statement settled like bricks in Han’s chest. He leaned forward, speaking slowly now. "You’re saying... your clone works out, and you reap the stat benefits?" Do-hyun raised his shoulders. "More or less. It’s like sharing a single body across multiple lives." Han stared at him. His brain struggled to wrap around what he was hearing. Most skills had clear limitations—summons drained mana, illusions required focus, healing burned stamina. But this? This was passive. Efficient. A cheat code for the real world. He stood up, walked to the window, and stared out at the skyline without seeing it. His thoughts raced. "That’s not the kind of skill you see in an F-rank," he whispered. Behind him, Number 1 gave a polite cough. "Sir? I’d recommend coffee next time with less sugar. He doesn’t like it that sweet." Han turned his head. "He?" The clone smirked. "Me." That was the moment Han finally understood. This wasn’t a simple skill. This was evolution. It was deeper than mere duplication. The clone had its own quirks. Its own memory. Maybe even its own ambitions. And if the clone was growing stronger by training... Han slowly returned to his chair. For a few moments, he said nothing. Then he looked at Do-hyun. "Have you told anyone else about this?" The boy shook his head. "Not yet. I’m still testing its limits." Han tapped the contract on the desk. "Well, if this holds true, you’re going to rewrite the rules of Hunter training. Solo leveling? You’ll be team-leveling... with yourself." Do-hyun smiled quietly. Han looked at the clone again. Then back at the boy. Then down at the paper. He rubbed his temples. "This kid has real potential," he murmured.