Chapter 31: Episode 31: Scaled Frogs and Forgotten Clones

Chapter 31: Episode 31: Scaled Frogs and Forgotten Clones Episode 31: Scaled Frogs and Forgotten Clones Back at the gym, where everything reeked faintly of metal, sweat, and a hint of desperation from lifters trying too hard, a single clone sat quietly in a corner, hugging his knees to his chest. Number Two’s face was frozen in a patient smile, the kind that had long passed from hopeful to numb. His back leaned against a rack of unused foam rollers, and his eyes stared at nothing in particular, occasionally blinking with a mechanical slowness. Nobody noticed him. People walked past him like he was furniture. Even the janitor mopped around his feet without a second glance. He was still wearing the same gym clothes his creator had given him that morning, slightly damp now with humidity and boredom. "Finally..." Kim Do-hyun (김도현) muttered under his breath as he burst through the gym’s side door, panting slightly from his dash back. His hoodie clung to his back, soaked from the heat of Seoul’s late afternoon sun. "I knew I was forgetting something." Number Two turned his head slowly. When his eyes met Do-hyun’s, there was no anger, no protest—just that empty, obedient smile. "You... stayed?" Do-hyun asked, scratching his cheek, voice tinged with guilt. Number Two simply nodded, as if sitting for hours in silence, surrounded by dumbbells and protein farts, was perfectly normal. Han Jin-woo, who had pulled up outside in a sleek dark-gray sedan with tinted windows, honked twice from the curb. "Let’s move!" he shouted through the rolled-down window. "Scaled frog dungeon won’t wait forever, kid." Do-hyun waved in acknowledgment, then tugged Number Two up by the wrist. "You should’ve called me, man," he whispered, even though he knew Number Two had no choice, no voice, and probably no real need for pride. Still, guilt gnawed at him as they jogged to the car. Inside the vehicle, the air conditioning hit them like a blessing, cool and dry. Han Jin-woo glanced in the rearview mirror as Number Two quietly buckled in without being told. "You always leave your clones like lost luggage?" Han Jin-woo asked, one eyebrow raised, clearly amused. Do-hyun sighed. "Not usually. Today’s been... weird." "Every day’s weird when you’re Awakened," Han Jin-woo muttered, then shifted gears smoothly. "Anyway. You’re lucky. This next dungeon’s proper. Real loot, real enemies, real training. You’ll see." As the car glided through the traffic, Do-hyun glanced at his companion. Number Two sat still, staring out the window with that same passive smile. It was like watching a mannequin enjoy scenery. "So..." Do-hyun said, turning to Han Jin-woo in the driver’s seat. "Are we just going in like this? Shouldn’t we stop and buy actual weapons or something? I mean, I’m not trying to get roasted by frogs with acid spit." Han Jin-woo chuckled without looking away from the road. "You worry too much. Don’t need to carry gear around anymore. All the big hunting zones have outfitter shops inside the perimeter. Even the frogs got convenience now." Do-hyun blinked. "Wait. What?" "Yeah. Private vendors rent space inside the dungeon zone. Set up booths. Guns, ammo, field rations, night vision, drone cameras. It’s a full-on market, man. If you got credits, you’re set. And if not—" he glanced back again "—I’ll cover you for now. Just don’t waste my money." They left the city behind soon after that. Towering concrete buildings gave way to crumbling outskirts and eventually a stretch of half-abandoned warehouses. Do-hyun noticed more guards the further they drove—armed soldiers stationed at concrete outposts, dressed in urban camouflage and gear that looked a lot more military than police. They passed through a checkpoint where the guards inspected their ID cards and scanned the car. Then the landscape changed. Ahead of them stretched a massive, fenced-off area the size of a small city, layered with barriers and detection towers. And beyond that? Open terrain, rocky hills covered with strange black vines, broken buildings, and scorched earth. Far in the distance, even the air shimmered oddly, like the horizon was warped glass. "Whoa..." Do-hyun whispered as the car rolled past the outer gates. "What is this place?" Han Jin-woo grunted, "Five years ago, this place wasn’t a dungeon." He slowed the car, letting them take it all in. "Back then, there was a rift breach. A real one. A full-scale monster invasion. You know how portals are usually disconnected, right? Self-contained worlds, like game levels? Well, sometimes, the connection sticks. Instead of sealing off the breach, the monsters just keep spilling out." Do-hyun swallowed hard. "And it happened here?" Han Jin-woo nodded. "Over a thousand deaths. Two entire districts got wiped. The government had to call in five guilds and deploy drones with bunker-buster rounds just to slow the things down. Took two weeks to clean up." Number Two blinked slowly, listening but not reacting. Han Jin-woo parked beside a large paved plaza just inside the perimeter. Around them, other cars were unloading Hunters. Some wore tactical vests. Others looked casual. A few even wore suits. Do-hyun spotted a girl in a school uniform adjusting her fingerless gloves like she’d done this a hundred times before. "But..." Do-hyun pointed toward the warped horizon. "It’s still active?" "Sure," Han Jin-woo said, shrugging. "The strong ones got wiped out back then. What’s left now is just... trash mobs. Weaker monsters. Creatures like scaled frogs. Easy prey. Perfect for rookies who want to grind a few levels and make some quick cash." The plaza was ringed with stalls, tents, and even a few prefab buildings. A bright orange sign with flickering lights said "HUNTER’S HUT" in both Korean and English. Inside, Do-hyun found rows of shelves lined with firearms, gadgets, and gear that looked like it had been pulled straight out of a Hollywood action movie. He wandered through the aisles, mouth slightly open, until a bored clerk with half-bleached hair and a nametag that said "Chul" handed him a plastic bin. "Put whatever you want inside. Pay at the counter." Do-hyun hesitated in front of a wall of pistols. Some were matte black, others silver with glowing runes etched along their barrels. Then he spotted a rack of collapsible rifles. His fingers hovered over one. Number Two trailed behind him like a ghost, touching nothing. Eventually, Do-hyun grabbed a standard field pistol, two spare magazines, a lightweight vest, goggles, and a packet of energy bars shaped like bricks. At checkout, the total lit up on a cracked screen. ₩700,000. Do-hyun coughed. "This... might be a bit much, right?" Han Jin-woo appeared behind him, pulling out a sleek black card and slapping it on the counter. "It’s fine. If you manage to kill even one frog, the loot will more than cover it. Think of it as a small investment." Do-hyun nodded, though his fingers tightened slightly around the receipt. They passed through another checkpoint, this time guarded by men in black armor. Their armor bore the seal of the Hae-seong Guild, which meant the site was under their jurisdiction. Just past them was the hunting field. The change in atmosphere was instant. The land inside the field had been warped by five years of ambient mana. Every rock hummed faintly with blue veins of energy. Strange plantlife grew where the ground cracked. Thin fog drifted low over the terrain, carrying with it a bitter tang that stung the nose. But the real surprise wasn’t the monsters. Not yet. It was the Hunters. Dozens of them were lying prone behind sandbags, their rifles mounted on bipods, scanning the field like snipers. Some wore tactical helmets with digital scopes that fed data to tiny floating drones. Others munched on energy bars while watching through binoculars. It looked less like a dungeon and more like a paintball tournament run by bored mercenaries. "Seriously?" Do-hyun whispered, watching a guy in a pineapple shirt casually sip iced coffee while lining up a shot. "This is the dungeon?" "Welcome to the scaled frog field," Han Jin-woo said, smirking. "Enjoy the hunt." Do-hyun adjusted his goggles, handed Number Two a backup pistol, and took his first steps into the warped earth. Far off in the fog, a low croak echoed, deep and unnatural. It was time. --- ???? Author Note from LYTA So, tell me honestly... how many of you wish you had your own clone right now? One to go to school. One to clock in at work. One to stay home and binge dramas. And maybe another just to grind that new dungeon event while you nap? Yeah, I figured. ???????? Comment below: If you had a Clone Skill like Kim Do-hyun (김도현), what’s the very first thing you’d make your Number 1 do? (And no cheating... saying "go to the gym" doesn’t count unless you’re also making Number 2 meal prep.) ???? Don’t forget: Your golden tickets, power stones, and even a single gift push this novel deeper into the spotlight. It’s what lets Do-hyun level up... not just in the story, but in the rankings too. ???? Want early access to future clone shenanigans? Unlock your privilege Chapters and see how many Numbers this guy can actually handle. ???? Next Chapter is even wilder. You think scaled frogs are weak? Wait till you meet their older cousin. Let’s just say... if it croaks, you run. See you in the next Chapter. And remember: Even clones have feelings too. So treat Number 1 with some love, yeah? ???? — Little LYTA ????????️