The clone didn't wait.

The very moment Riley's smirk appeared, it vanished once more, its figure blurring through the air like a phantom made of darkness.

It moved with terrifying speed—cutting through the space between them in an instant.

But this time, instead of attacking from the front, it swerved to the side at the very last moment.

Riley's eyes widened.

"—Tch!"

The clone reappeared just beside him—its body low, its fist cocked back with terrifying force.

Then—

Whoosh!

It threw another punch—this time aimed directly at Riley's head.

The air cracked around the blow, a brutal gust of wind slamming into Riley's face even before the punch connected.

He gritted his teeth.

He could feel it.

The cold edge of death—pressing against his skin like an invisible blade.

This punch wasn't like the others.

It was meant to kill.

One mistake. One misstep. And he was done.

'Now!'

"—Charge!"

The word echoed in his mind.

And in the span of a heartbeat—

He activated the skill, then again and again, stacking it up to three tines.

His body shuddered violently as the skill stacked up to its limit.

Fwoom!

An explosive surge of power erupted from within him, roaring like thunder through his blood.

—300!

A small, red notification flashed across his vision.

The damage was minimal, but it was there.

The backlash of stacking the skill three times simultaneously.

The very thing the system had warned him about earlier.

But Riley didn't care.

Not now.

Because that overwhelming surge in power was exactly what he needed at this moment, or else there would be no way for him to escape death.

His muscles bulked almost immediately, veins tightening, skin rippling with power. His legs tensed, and the world around him seemed to slow. To pause.

The punch came, inches from his temple.

But now he could see it clearer.

Every motion. Every tremor of shadow twisting around the clone's arm.

Time hadn't actually slowed, of course—but to Riley, with his body now overcharged, it might as well have.

'There!'

His foot slammed into the ground—hardened bone and earth cracking beneath his heel.

He twisted sharply.

The clone's punch barely grazed his ear as he spun aside, the wind howling past his face.

Then, using the momentum, Riley turned with the force of a coiled spring.

His right dagger flashed, the veins on its blade glowing faintly.

And he drove it straight toward the clone's exposed torso.

'Rockbound!' he thought, a second before the blade reached the clone.

Crack—!

Immediately, rocks sprouted around his elbows, spiraling down like a living armour towards his clenched fists.

His complexion darkened slightly, taking on an obsidian hue.

The rocks didn't just stop at his wrists though.

They surged forward, sliding over his fingers, and finally creeping across the blade he held—coating it completely.

His once-smooth dagger was now encased in a rugged, stone-like shell, thick and heavy, pulsing faintly with energy.

He didn't hesitate.

With a snarl, Riley stabbed the blade forward—aiming directly for the clone's side.

His target was clear.

The same spot he had wounded earlier.

The cut had stopped bleeding, but the wound sure hadn't healed yet.

His dagger struck the thick shadow shroud that clung to the clone's body.

A deep, grinding resistance met his blade—like trying to pierce thickened fog wrapped in steel. For a moment, the shroud held firm, vibrating from the impact.

Then—

Shhrk—!

The jagged, stone-coated dagger tore through the shadow layer.

The defense buckled.

And the blade pierced cleanly into the clone's flesh.

"Graa—ghk!"

Black blood gushed out of the wound in a sudden burst, splattering on the ground.

The clone grunted loudly in pain, its eyes widening in shock as it recoiled from the strike.

—7520!

[Critical Hit!]

A massive red notification burst into view above the clone's head, glowing vividly.

It stumbled backwards, clutching its side, shadow swirling chaotically around the fresh wound.

Soon after, an invisible slash sliced through the air.

Shhk!

It landed on the clone's side—right in the same place Riley had struck just moments ago.

—4512!

"Graa—ghkk!"

The clone grunted, stumbling again as more blood sprayed out from the deepening wound.

What had once been a minor cut was now a gaping rupture, tearing through muscle and biting into vital organs.

And the blood…

It wouldn't stop.

Thick, dark blood poured out in waves, splashing violently against the earth with every breath the clone took.

It ran down its side, dripping from its fingertips, soaking its legs.

The floor beneath it darkened, forming a large, growing pool of its own blood.

The clone's eyes widened slightly—its face contorting as it reached instinctively for the daggers still sheathed at its side.

But Riley wasn't about to give it that chance.

"Tch—!"

He surged forward, body tensing like a drawn bow.

[Lunge]

His speed surged, and his body blurred forward like a bullet.

Just as he expected, his last strike did brutal damage to the shadow clone, rendering it vulnerable to his next set of attacks.

With three stacks of [Charge], a full eighty percent boost from [Dark Shroud], and the one hundred percent damage bonus from [Rockbound], every attack he landed hit like a thunderclap.

He had also used [Ghost Slash] along with [Rockbound], not letting that opening he created earlier slip away from him.

No matter how dense the clone's shadow shroud was, he would pierce through.

He pivoted, foot grinding against the dirt, and swung his dagger again—aiming once more for that same wounded spot, the one already split open and drenched in blood.

But the clone reacted, even through the haze of pain.

Its arm rose up instinctively, aiming to intercept the strike before it could land.

However, Riley suddenly changed direction at the last second, to the shock of the shadow clone.

He twisted his grip, slashing the blade across the clone's throat instead.

Shhhhk—!

Blood erupted from the deep gash immediately, spraying outward in a long, curved arc.

—8900![Critical Hit]

The clone reeled back with a choked gasp, clutching its neck.

Its knees buckled. Its mouth opened, but no words came—only blood, gurgling and thick.

The shadow shroud that clung to its body waved violently now—unstable and weak. So much damage had already passed through it… and now, even more slipped through the cracks.

Riley didn't relent on his attacks though.

He stepped forward sharply, his muscles still crackling with the power of [Charge], and unleashed a downward slash at the clone's head—aiming to finish it off once and for all.

But this time, the clone was fast enough.

It twisted violently and leapt back, shadow trailing behind it like smoke as it narrowly avoided the descending blade.

However—

That hadn't been Riley's goal.

Not really.

Because hitting it wasn't the plan.

He twisted his arm mid-swing and brought the stone-coated blade crashing down into the ground with explosive force.

Crack—!!

The moment the dagger struck earth, a deep rumble tore through the ground like a muffled growl.

Then—

Boom!

Jagged rocks erupted upward from beneath the soil, ripping through the terrain in a straight line as they surged toward the clone like a stampede.

The clone's eyes widened in shock.

"—!"

It tried to leap again, to escape—

But it was already too late.

CRASH—!

The charging rocks slammed into it with terrifying force, lifting its body off the ground and flinging it backward like a ragdoll.

—6170!

A deep red number blinked above its head as it sailed through the air.

Its body bounced along the ground violently—once, twice, three times—before finally skidding to a halt with a dull thud.

The clone let out a low, broken grunt, its limbs twitching slightly. Blood spilled from its mouth in thick waves as it coughed again—this time weaker than before.

New gashes now tore across its torso, carved into it by the jagged rocks that had exploded beneath it. Each wound was deep and ugly, leaking dark blood in slow pulses.

But it didn't get up.

It couldn't.

It just lay there, chest rising and falling in shallow heaves—blood dripping from the corners of its lips.

Its eyes were open, but dim.

Riley's eyes narrowed, and slowly walk towards it, making sure not to let down his guard.

When he reached the clone, he pointed the dagger at its neck, the rocky tip gleaming with a faint glow.

The clone let out a dry, rattling chuckle.

"Kh… heheh…"

Its gaze shifted up to meet Riley's.

There was no hatred in its eyes anymore.

Only resignation.

And a strange… glint of respect.

Then it muttered quietly, voice hoarse and fading:

"Fine… I accept it. You're… worthy enough to be the 'original'…"

Riley's eyes narrowed at his words, and he slowly pulled back his blade, sheathing them.

The clone let out one last dry chuckle before closing its eyes, its body dissolving into thick shadow waves.

The shadow waves mixed with the ones floating in the air, rapidly gathering around Riley.

The latter was a bit confused, but for some reason, he felt strangely at ease despite the ominous shadows circling around him.

[You have successfully defeated and subdued your shadow clone!]

[The shadow acknowledges you!]

[You have sucessfully completed the third trial!]

[Completion rating: SS-rank]

'Finally…' Riley thought, his lips curling into a proud smirk.

That fight with the shadow clone had been the toughest he had ever faced ever since entering the game, and it left him mentally drained.

In fact, he should have lost, if not for the clone underestimating him.

Though he couldn't complete it with an SSS-rank unlike the previous two, he still got an SS-rating.

It was probably because he got the clone to acknowledge him as the original, but then, he didn't care much.

[Calculating final rewards…]

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