Chapter 8: Episode 8 – [Clone on Duty, Boss in Training]

Chapter 8: Episode 8 – [Clone on Duty, Boss in Training] Episode 8 – [Clone on Duty, Boss in Training] The thin curtains of the studio apartment were bleeding morning sunlight through, giving the wooden floor a pale gold shimmer. There was a faint smell of instant ramen, sweat, and cheap detergent, which were all indicators of two bodies living on borrowed time and borrowed energy. Kim Do-hyun (김도현) groaned as he peeled one eye open. His arms and legs seemed to be full of sand. Muscles he didn’t even know he had were sore. He turned over and looked at the clock on the wall. 7:12 AM. His copy was not returned. Do-hyun sat up slowly, his body grumbling at every movement. He rubbed his eyes, got up, and shuffled over to the kitchenette. A rice cooker, two empty ramen bowls, and three half-opened protein bar wrappers greeted him on the counter like silent witnesses to last night’s grind. The click of a door opening behind him turned him. His clone intervened. The garments it wore were wet with perspiration, the face pale, and the eyelids heavy. The simulated life in its body consumed all its energy as a starving furnace. "You are late," said Do-hyun, still hoarse. The clone merely blinked at him. "Come home by seven," he said, a little more sharply now. The clone nodded, then wobbled on its feet. "Go shower. Change clothes. You smell," he said. The clone lumbered to the bathroom without saying a word. Do-hyun sighed and collapsed in the chair next to his desk. The same web page he had seen last night was still up on his laptop: a hunter knowledge forum full of speculation about hidden stats. Of all the remarks and theories, one of them kept on repeating itself in his head like a broken record. [Regeneration can be awakened through continuous natural healing. Injure yourself. Heal. Repeat.] He stared at the screen, then at the drawer beside him. Inside it was the thick needle he had borrowed from the emergency kit at the building’s gym. His hand reached for it slowly. His heart thumped. Was this dumb? The bathroom door creaked open again, steam spilling out like mist creeping across a cold mountain road. The clone stepped out, clean now, wearing a dry pair of sweatpants and one of Do-hyun’s old university tees. "Come here," Do-hyun said. The clone obeyed, walking over with soft, nearly soundless steps. Do-hyun held up the needle. "Give me your hand." The clone offered it without hesitation. He took a breath, positioned the needle, and gave a small, quick poke. A drop of blood bubbled up at the surface. "Hmm. That’s normal," Do-hyun muttered, watching it. No smoke. No weird flashes. No strange sounds. He handed the clone a piece of tissue to press down on it. "We’ll keep doing this. Might awaken something... someday." He didn’t mention the part of the forum that said it might also take thousands of repetitions. Or that it might never happen at all. Still, it was worth a try. "Eat," he ordered. "Raymond. Two packs. Microwave’s already set." The clone shuffled over to the kitchen and began preparing its food, moving with the quiet focus of a tired worker bee. Do-hyun tossed a phone across the table. It landed with a soft thud near the clone’s bowl. "That’s yours now. I added my number. Use it to message me if anything weird happens. Don’t answer calls. Don’t talk to strangers. If someone asks anything about you, just say you don’t speak well." "Yes, Master," the clone replied, in its familiar flat tone. Do-hyun nodded, satisfied. While the clone slurped down steaming noodles like a machine that ran on MSG, Do-hyun pulled on his hoodie and laced up his sneakers. He stretched his arms, wincing at the soreness. The clone would keep working. He would head to the gym. They were like two sides of the same coin now. One earning money, the other building strength. His bank account was nearly empty. His body was still weak. But his mind—his mind was buzzing with plans. The moment he stepped out the door, a breeze rushed into his apartment, carrying the scent of the world outside. His eyes squinted into the sunlight. Somewhere beyond this concrete city, dungeons trembled and towers loomed. But first, the gym. One body at work. One body training. Double the life. Double the grind. ???? SYSTEM ALERT: Clone Support Needed! Ever dreamed of doing nothing while your clone builds your empire? Good. That’s exactly how I run things here. But even clones need energy — and guess what fuels them? Your support. ???? Golden ticket ???? Vote ???? Gift ???? Unlock Privileges ???? Drop a comment Every click powers the system. Every tap births a new clone. Help me build a world where you chill, and we grind. — Little LYTA (Clone #47 out)