The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

92. Hunting (1)

The Doppelganger, which copies the opponent’s abilities.

The Doppelganger, which has devoured its master and escaped control, has harmed many people so far. It has absorbed the target’s abilities and memories, becoming increasingly human-like.

That’s been five years.

During those five years, the Doppelganger that hid in Elysium has reached a level where it’s almost indistinguishable from humans. Because it knows its own weaknesses, it avoids facing opponents it can’t beat.

That’s why it’s more cunning than humans,

more powerful than humans,

and more ruthless than humans.

…It was one of the background settings I saw in the setting collection, a city of magic and technology, Elysium.

“I think it’s a reasonable inference.”

Rebecca, who was crossing her legs, turned her head to look out the window. The sun had just set, and complete darkness was falling over Elysium.

“But the important thing is, we don’t know if that Doppelganger really exists or not.”

“That’s why I’m asking you to trust me just once.”

In reality, I had planned to search for Aidan as soon as I arrived in Elysium. I wanted to save time, not knowing how long the search would take.

But there’s no such thing as a perfect plan.

As seen from the pre-examination with the student council in Arsene, things didn’t go as planned.

I thought there would be a pre-examination, but I didn’t expect it to be so sudden.

‘And to think it’s in Elysium of all places…’.

What’s more, there’s a Doppelganger in this Elysium, and my companion is Rebecca. It’s not a problem for me, but if the Doppelganger meets Rebecca, I don’t know what will happen.

While it copies abilities and personalities, memories, and whatnot, the biggest risk factor is that it copies the opponent’s [traits].

Rebecca has the [Ghost Sword] trait, which originated from Iana, not Rebecca. If things go wrong, we might see the birth of a second Ghost Sword.

That’s why my first goal is to eliminate the Doppelganger threatening Elysium. Searching for Aidan is important, but it’s been pushed back due to circumstances.

Now that Rebecca has joined me, I need to take care of the Doppelganger that might become an enemy later.

You can’t control all variables, so instead, I make flexible plans that can adapt to changes. That’s my style.

“I’m advising you for Rebecca’s safety. That’s why we’re staying in the same dorm.”

Even if Amelia, the secretary, were here, she’s busy handling the student council’s tasks in Arsene. She’s taking care of Rebecca’s share as well, so she can’t leave her post.

Rebecca was still gazing at the night sky of Elysium.

‘It’s still lacking…’.

It seemed she needed more convincing, so I was about to continue explaining when…

“I honestly think it’s unbelievable.”

Rebecca stood up without a word.

“You’re telling a ridiculous story, sharing a room with me, and explaining the dangers of the Chimera without any evidence. Who would believe such a story in this situation?”

I expected her to be skeptical, but it still hurts.

“No one will believe you. They’ll think you have an ulterior motive and are trying to create a reason for you to be here.”

Rebecca let out a sigh and turned around.

“If you weren’t Si-on Esperanza, but someone else, it would be different.”

As I was choosing my words, the boiling pot suddenly started spewing out steam violently. Rebecca slowly walked over to the desk and pulled out the power cord.

“There are still parts that don’t make sense. There were also parts that lacked explanation. Especially the part about sharing a room is still hard to understand.”

“Yeah… what.”

I couldn’t explain it as if I had seen it in the original, so I glossed over the ambiguous parts. Naturally, the listener would have raised an eyebrow.

The fact that Doppelganger has the ability to teleport, ignore terrain, and launch powerful mental attacks was something I couldn’t even begin to explain.

Even if Rebecca’s condition had stabilized, it was still incomplete. If she were alone, it was unclear how Doppelganger’s mental attack would manifest.

But one thing remained unchanged: Doppelganger was dangerous.

“However, you’re not Sion Illeionheart, but Sion Esperand. You wouldn’t dare lie to me with the name of Esperand.”

“I’ve always been like that.”

“You asked me to believe you just once, so I’ll believe you just once.”

This time, it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. It was a suspicious story.

“I’ll accept that you said it was for my safety, at least for now.”

Rattle-

Rebecca, skillfully brewing a mixed coffee, looked unfamiliar. The coffee I had seen her make always passed through Amelia’s hands.

As if she noticed my gaze, Rebecca glanced back.

“I’ve decided to do the small things myself.”

“…….”

Two cups of mixed coffee were placed on the table. Rebecca didn’t seem to have any intention of sleeping, just like me.

I carefully put down the magic tool I had been holding. Rebecca’s eyes widened.

“Were you trying to set up a barrier here?”

“As you can see, it’s a magic tool with an identification interference spell.”

It was a small, clock-like magic tool. It was suitable for disguise, and when the button was pressed, it would create a barrier that interfered with identification within a few meters.

No matter how many people were inside, it would make it seem like there were two or more people outside, manipulating the senses.

I had brought it from the Esperand mansion, where I heard it was worth tens of billions.

“It seems useless now, but it’s better to keep it as insurance.”

Rebecca made a strange face. Well, if I were in her shoes, I’d think I was a weirdo preparing magic tools because of a dubious rumor.

I took a sip of the coffee Rebecca had made.

“For now, I’ll go out tonight and come back. What will you do, Rebecca?”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I thought it would be better if you rested here.”

There was a sudden burst of laughter. Surprisingly, it wasn’t me, but Rebecca.

“Sometimes, I get confused whether you’re speaking sincerely or joking.”

“I’m speaking sincerely. This time, it could really get dangerous.”

“Are you saying that like you didn’t do it before?”

Well, if you want to nitpick, that’s true.

Fighting the demons was dangerous, and so was facing Ian. This kind of thing always came unexpectedly and caused problems.

As I grasped my Glock, Rebecca summoned her three swords.

“Are you going with me?”

“…….”

Before opening the door, I checked one last time. Rebecca was frowning.

“It’s my job to punish the wicked, as I said. As a member of Grande, the northern protector, it’s something I should do.”

Rebecca, who had gone ahead, pushed the door open for me instead.

“If there’s a chimera that mimics humans, we need to get rid of it quickly.”

The door to the guest room closed silently. The night of Elysium had arrived.

***

Elysium has a Ivory Tower, but there are countless lower towers scattered around it.

These lower towers are built around the Ivory Tower, serving as lodgings and research facilities for magicians who aim to climb the Ivory Tower or have certain requirements.

Of course, the treatment is not as good as the Ivory Tower’s. Most magicians working in the lower towers are those who failed to climb the Ivory Tower and harbor intense jealousy towards it.

Recent entrants or mid-level magicians don’t think much about it. They’re too busy performing tasks and building their careers to worry about anything else.

The problem lies with high-ranking magicians.

The top-tier researchers in the lower towers, who have their own abilities and strengths.

They compete with the Ivory Tower every day, unable to surpass each other, and would even drag down other towers to protect their reputation.

The atmosphere in Elysium is filled with the desire to create a second Ivory Tower, rather than not being able to climb the original one.

In the process, those who are literally dying are the rookie magicians who have just entered the lower towers.

Hans, a magician working in the Red Tower, one of the eight towers in Elysium, was finally able to return home at dawn.

“Ah, damn it, I’m really going to die.”

“Then be careful, Hans. Drink moderately from now on.”

“What’s wrong with that guy? What did I do to deserve this?”

“That’s right, that’s right. You followed the manual. He’s the one who messed up.”

As the late-night hours approached, the shops began to close one by one. The night view of Talya Intersection, famous in Elysium, was gradually fading.

“…Damn it.”

Hans, who had parted ways with his colleagues, gazed up at the towering buildings. Unnoticed, he raised his middle finger towards the Red Tower. Then, he belatedly felt a sense of self-loathing and rubbed his forehead.

“What am I doing? This is…”

Thud… thud…

He stumbled and leaned against a streetlamp. It seemed like he had drunk too much, just like his friend had said.

How much had he drunk, anyway? Was it enough to see someone who looked exactly like him?

The face of the pedestrian in front of him, which resembled his own, somehow didn’t sit well with him. It was too similar.

In a place like Elysium, it wasn’t unusual to see someone who looked identical to oneself. There were illusion magic and polymorph spells, after all.

But this time, he felt an unusual sense of unease.

“What’s with you?”

“……”

“If you’re not going to answer, then get lost.”

“……”

From noble mtl dot com

The pedestrian in front of him didn’t respond. He simply stared at Hans.

“What a crazy bastard.”

Hans wasn’t in the mood for this nonsense. He clenched his fist.

Hans swung his fist at the pedestrian’s face, but the pedestrian caught his arm instead. He also caught Hans’ other arm, which was swinging from the opposite side.

Then, he slowly leaned in close. The identical facial features began to change.

The face twisted grotesquely, and two fierce lights burst forth from the eyes. Even Hans, who had been resisting, lost his spirit at that moment.

As he gazed into the seemingly bottomless abyss, he was about to surrender his body.

Bang—!

“Kkkiieeek?!”

Hans’ consciousness snapped back to reality at the sudden sound of a gunshot. He stumbled and fell under the streetlight, and when he looked up, he saw a stranger’s face that was eerily distorted.

“What…?”

The overall silhouette and clothes were identical to his own, but the stranger’s face was twisted. Many people’s faces flashed by.

What was even stranger was that there was a massive hole in the stranger’s chest.

There was no bone or organ inside.

It was as if he was looking at a rubber human. The pierced chest seemed to be healing itself, as if it had never been injured.

“What, mu, what…”

Hans, still dazed, heard another gunshot. A blue light beam flew from the direction of the intersection and pierced the stranger’s chest again.

Hans, still stumbling, cautiously turned towards the direction of the gunshot. A man holding a handgun was walking towards the intersection.