This raid will last for two weeks, but we had already cleared not only the practical evaluation, but the Black Death Dungeon as well.
We had enough breathing room to tackle at least one more.
Still, there’s no need to rush.
The best course of action was to spend at least a few days resting, managing our condition, and strengthening our fundamentals.
Seo Ye-in in particular had only just learned [Mirror Version], so she needed some time to get used to it.
Might as well run some tests while we’re at it.
The broad strokes of the skill’s effects were fixed, but the finer details varied slightly from user to user.
Even though it had no rank, proficiency still had some influence on it.
And if I had to pick one particularly important factor,
How far away can it go?
The Marksman class offered an extremely high degree of freedom when it came to weapons.
Having the original and the mirror version wield the same weapons and operate as a two-person unit was a solid option, but dividing up their roles was worth considering as well.
For example, one could handle close- to mid-range combat with dual pistols, an assault rifle, a pot, or whatever else, while the other took on the role of sniper.
However, if the two stayed too close together, there would also be a greater risk of giving away the sniper’s position.
They would need to be far enough apart that spotting one with the naked eye was difficult, at the very least, for such a division of roles to be viable.
So we left the training center for a while and stood in the middle of the academy grounds.
The Sloth and the Chattering Sloth one stood facing each other.
“…….”
– …….
After a while, Seo Ye-in pointed far into the distance and gave the order.
“……Go.”
– Original first.
“Letting the clone go first.”
Neither of them wanted to walk, so they were trying to push the job onto the other.
Then Seo Ye-in unexpectedly made a point.
“I have to make the round trip. You can be summoned.”
A surprisingly logical argument.
She would have to walk there and then walk all the way back, whereas the mirror version could simply be summoned again and instantly brought back to her side.
Chattering Sloth seemed to acknowledge the logic as well and reluctantly started walking.
– The hardships of a clone…….
After trudging along for quite a while, she turned back toward us and waved.
When I waved back, she gave a little nod of her chin, walked for another long while, then turned and waved at us again.
“…….”
After repeating this several times, the mirror version grew smaller and smaller in the distance until obstacles obscured her from view.
Still, Seo Ye-in should have been mentally connected to her, so I asked,
“How is it?”
“Fine.”
“Should we send her farther?”
“Let’s try.”
Seo Ye-in stared quietly into the distance.
After a while, she turned to me.
“Still fine.”
“Send her farther?”
– Nod.
Another short while passed.
“……Still fine.”
“Can she go farther?”
“Let’s try.”
Another moment later,
“……?”
“Is it still fine?”
“……Not sure.”
Seo Ye-in tilted her head as she answered.
Apparently, even she wasn’t sure what would happen if the mirror version went any farther.
That meant we were probably nearing the limit.
“Tell her to fire a shot.”
“Okay.”
Seo Ye-in readily agreed, then pulled the Immortal Kim Ho Kim Ho Pot from her inventory and took up a defensive stance.
A moment later, a magic bullet came flying from the direction Chattering Sloth had gone and struck the pot dead center.
Clang—!
A clear metallic ring echoed through the air, but Seo Ye-in herself took no damage whatsoever.
That was thanks to the absurd effects of the adamantite pot, [Energy Block (S)] and [Impact Nullification (A+)].
I nodded in satisfaction.
“Excellent.”
At this range, it would be perfectly feasible to send Chattering Sloth out as an extreme-range operative, such as a sniper or mortar gunner, or to have Seo Ye-in take that role while the mirror version handled the other.
Since we were already at it, I made another suggestion.
“Let’s keep sending her a little farther. We should find out exactly how far she can go.”
“……Let’s try.”
Seo Ye-in seemed to agree and exchanged some silent communication with Chattering Sloth far off in the distance.
Knowing her, the mirror version had probably agreed reluctantly again.
After a while, Seo Ye-in turned to me once more.
“……Not sure.”
“Just a little farther.”
– Nod.
“……Not sure.”
“Just a little farther.”
– Nod.
Eventually, Seo Ye-in’s gray eyes widened slightly.
“……Gone.”
“So that’s the limit.”
It seemed the mirror version had been forcibly recalled after exceeding the maximum range.
Even so, this was better performance than I’d expected.
Especially considering how recently she had learned the skill.
Fwoosh—!
A moment later, light projected outward in multiple directions as a hologram began to take shape.
Except this time, unlike usual, it formed above my head.
Chattering Sloth materialized there, draped both legs over my shoulders, and settled into place.
A shoulder ride, piggyback on the shoulders, or whatever else you wanted to call it.
– Kim Ho Rider.
“That term is somewhat open to controversy.”
– But it’s accurate.
“Well, it is.”
Seo Ye-in looked up at her mirror version with envy.
As always, she tugged lightly at my sleeve and started pestering me.
“Kim Ho Rider.”
“Sorry, but the Kim Ho Rider only seats one.”
“……Get down.”
She switched targets and tried to bully Chattering Sloth into complying, but there was no way she would obey so easily.
– Clone first.
“Yield to the original.”
Seo Ye-in made a threatening gesture.
It seemed to say, “Keep defying me and I’ll switch you Off.”
Even then, Chattering Sloth refused to yield.
– I worked hard, so I get a consolation prize.
Her argument was that while Seo Ye-in had spent the entire experiment standing in one place and watching, she had gone through the trouble of walking all that distance and even firing a sniper shot.
Therefore, she had earned the right to ride on Kim Ho’s shoulders.
Seo Ye-in thought about it for a moment, then nodded.
“……Mutual respect.”
– Respect the original.
Apparently, they had some sort of agreement between them, because neither insisted on getting her way.
With that, their little civil war was settled for the time being, so I kept Chattering Sloth perched on my shoulders and brought up the next topic.
“I want to get in touch with your butler.”
Partly to let her know that she had acquired [Mirror Version], and partly because I had a favor to ask.
Seo Ye-in had no reason to refuse either, so she readily took out a communication crystal.
After a few rings, the familiar office came into view within the crystal.
Along with Ahn Jeong-mi, practically buried under a mountain of paperwork.
But as if this were just another ordinary day for her, she greeted us without batting an eye.
“Young miss, Kim Ho-nim, have you both been well?”
“Yes, it’s been a while since we last spoke.”
The next moment, a glint appeared in Ahn Jeong-mi’s eyes.
She had spotted Chattering Sloth perched on my shoulders.
“……young miss.”
– I have returned.
While the creature replied in an arrogant tone, I added an explanation.
“We finished collecting all the skill book fragments a little while ago. That’s what came out.”
“I see. Young miss, Kim Ho-nim, you both worked very hard. And congratulations.”
Ahn Jeong-mi looked deeply moved.
She too knew very well just how difficult the Challenge Hardship Quest was.
After all, one of its objectives had been to defeat her in close combat.
We had repeated something that difficult several times over and finally managed to obtain the skill, so naturally, she couldn’t help but congratulate us.
Next, I explained the experiment we had just conducted.
Ahn Jeong-mi immediately grasped the point, and her eyes lit up.
“It seems I’ll need to provide you with more equipment.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“Is there any particular type you need?”
“We’re planning to take down a large monster.”
It was a request made with the dungeon we planned to tackle next in mind.
I added a few more conditions, and Ahn Jeong-mi fell into thought for a moment as she looked back and forth between the two Seo Ye-ins.
“…….”
Countless magic guns were probably flashing through her mind.
Eventually, she seemed to settle on one that met the conditions and spoke.
“I’ll make sure it’s delivered to you as soon as possible.”
“Thank you.”
After that, we exchanged a few minor updates before ending the call.
It probably won’t take long.
Considering the might of the Hye-seong Group, it wouldn’t be surprising if they showed up with the new weapon tonight, or tomorrow morning at the latest.
Even if it took longer, it would only be a few days at most.
That would mean Seo Ye-in, at least, would be ready to enter the dungeon.
Next is Qyu-qyu.
As if on cue, I sensed someone approaching and turned my head to see Dang Gyu-ri’s silhouette making its way toward us from a distance.
I had sent her a message beforehand, before contacting Ahn Jeong-mi.
Once she got close enough, she must have used [Shadow Leap], because she whooshed down into the ground, then whooshed back up from the shadow at my feet.
“Senior~ You called~?”
Dang Gyu-ri greeted me with a bright smile, only to suddenly stop short.
She had spotted Chattering Sloth riding on my shoulders.
After blinking a few times, she looked up and asked,
“What’s that?”
– The Kim Ho Rider.
“Come down for a second. I want to ride Kim Ho too.”
Surprisingly, Chattering Sloth gave up its spot without a fuss.
Maybe it figured it had ridden long enough.
Dang Gyu-ri then lightly placed her hands on my shoulders, hopped up, and settled herself there.
She slowly looked around the area and let out a sound of admiration.
“Nice view up here.”
“Comfortable?”
“Mhmm. I should’ve done this ages ago. Hehe.”
Dang Gyu-ri giggled softly, as if wondering why she hadn’t thought of it sooner.
She gently stroked my hair as she asked,
“Why’d you call me today?”
“I wanted to talk about our next dungeon run.”
At that, the corners of Dang Gyu-ri’s mouth immediately drooped into a pout.
“I knew it. All you ever think about is clearing dungeons, huh?”
“Technically, all I think about is world peace. Clearing dungeons is just a means to that end.”
“Same difference. You could at least say something like, ‘I called because I missed my Qyu-qyu’.”
I felt pressure around my neck as she tightened her thighs.
She was also pressing her knees against my cheeks.
Even like that, I remained calm.
“There’s no need to say something that goes without saying.”
“Oh……. Do continue.”
“Of course I want to see you every day, noona.”
“Puhuhuhuhut!”
Dang Gyu-ri happily patted my head like a drum.
It seemed she had been about to sulk, but now she was in a good mood again.
“Why am I such a sucker for this? So, what dungeon are we going into?”
“It’s B-rank again.”
“Again? What number?”
“Number 93.”
Dang Gyu-ri quickly checked the dungeon list, then raised her eyebrows.
“[Descent of the Feathered Serpent]?”
“That’s the one.”
“That dungeon’s seriously unpopular.”
Every dungeon had vastly different rules, environments, and monsters, so naturally, there were some that parties preferred to tackle and others they avoided.
Black Death is a popular one.
The boss might rely heavily on poison and have a massive health pool, but once you came fully prepared and ensured a safe strategy, the fight was practically just a matter of going through the motions.
Since victory was essentially guaranteed during the preparation stage, it was bound to be popular.
On the other hand, even though [Descent of the Feathered Serpent] had the exact same [Boss Raid] rules, hardly anyone dared to attempt it.
You could count on one hand the number of parties that bid on it over the course of an entire year.
Its reputation was so bad that Dang Gyu-ri recognized it the moment she heard the name.
One reason for that was,
The boss is a flying type.
A regular B-rank boss was already difficult enough, but one that could fly on top of that?
The battle became several times more complicated, and the chances of something unexpected happening went up as well.
But that’s exactly why we need to take it down.
After all, there were things you could only obtain from flying bosses.
I casually tossed out a suggestion.
“It’s about time you got yourself a flying Qyu-shadow too.”
“……A flying Qyu-shadow?”
Dang Gyu-ri who had seemed somewhat reluctant immediately perked up with interest.
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