TRPM 475

chapter 475

I entered the double dungeon and first checked the surrounding environment.

“Is this… the insides of a living creature?”

The first thing I noticed was that the floor, walls, and ceiling of the space I stood in were all alive.

And yet, despite such an environment, the air was surprisingly pleasant.

The temperature and humidity are similar to Earth’s. Doesn’t seem like there are any toxins mixed in either.

Elena and Chloe, who had followed me inside, also looked around with similar impressions.

“… Doesn’t this feel too alien? For a place like this, it’s oddly comfortable to breathe….”
“It’s not just comfortable. How should I put it… it feels like being on Earth.”

Since both of them said the same thing, it wasn’t just my imagination.
Which means…

The Black Fog deliberately designed this dungeon to mimic Earth’s environment…. But for what purpose?

“… Let’s move forward.”

I scanned the surroundings with my senses and told the two behind me. Then I began walking in one direction.

Almost all the dungeon’s energy is flowing this way.

If I followed this flow of energy, the dungeon’s boss should be at the end.
…Though, given the strangeness of this dungeon, maybe not.

“Fuu…”

Nothing significant could be sensed yet. Because the dungeon itself was alive—the walls, floor, and ceiling—it was hard to spread my senses far.
The sounds coming from them interfered.

So I couldn’t yet tell what awaited at the end of this path.

Why is my heart pounding like this?

Was it tension?
Or excitement?

Either way, my body was fully prepared to unleash everything at any moment.

Why?

Whatever was at the end of this path—it was the reason.

“Mr. Gunwoo?”
“Gunwoo?”

Sensing the shift in my mood, Elena and Chloe called out to me.
After thinking for a moment, I said:

“It might get dangerous up ahead. I might not be able to protect you two.”
“… If we’ll only be a burden, should we leave?”

Chloe suggested that they step out so as not to hinder me.
But that wasn’t a good choice.

“That’s tricky… remember how right in front of the gate to this dungeon there was that spatial distortion?”

Before entering the gate, we had taken a detour instead of going straight toward it.
That was because the distortion was too dangerous.

And since Elena and Chloe couldn’t even perceive the distortion, stepping back outside carried the risk they’d be caught in it.

“And if I escort you to a safe point before coming back…”

I looked down.
At the dungeon itself—this living thing.

“… I think the dungeon would run away.”
“The dungeon… would run away? What do you mean?”
“I know it sounds strange, but I think if all of us leave, this dungeon will collapse the gate and disappear.”

It wasn’t just a hunch.
It was more like…

“Something like the dungeon’s intent. I can feel it. It’s quiet now, but the moment we vanish, it’s filled with thoughts of fleeing.”

That was probably because the dungeon itself was alive.

“Then…”
“I’ll do my best to protect you two, but if it comes down to it, you’ll have to fight for yourselves.”

From their faces, I saw a flicker of fear.
It was clear they realized how dangerous it was if even I said that much.

But—

“… It’s fine. Awakeners should be ready to face death in dungeons.”
“Don’t worry too much. We’re not weak.”

They had made their resolve.
We could’ve chosen safety and let the dungeon escape, but they were prepared to see it through.

“… Alright.”

After confirming their resolve, I told them to stick close behind me, drew the Sword of Harmony, and led the way.

We walked through the living dungeon for who knows how long.

“…!”

At last, we reached what seemed to be the dungeon’s core.
And what we found there was—

“What… is this?”
“Inside those… are those people?”

Translucent eggs. And within them, humanoid shapes.

All of the dungeon’s energy is flowing into those eggs.

There were countless eggs here, each one nurturing a humanoid figure inside.
The dungeon’s energy was feeding them.

Seeing this, I muttered without thinking:

“… A hatchery?”
“A hatchery?”
“Yeah. Ants… insect-type monsters have hatcheries just like this.”

This place must be where those humanoid beings were being grown.

Crack!

“… Gunwoo? Elena? Did you hear that cracking sound, or was it just me?”
“… No, I heard it.”

“Both of you, get behind me. Put your backs to the wall, but assume something might come out of it.”

Elena and Chloe pressed to the wall and summoned their spirits.
I turned toward the direction of the cracking sound.

“….”
Thunk…

One of the eggs was breaking.

This aura…

I could clearly sense what was inside.
It wasn’t even trying to hide—its presence pressed outward.

“Mr. Gunwoo? Could it be…?”
“This feeling is definitely… back then….”

They felt it too.
They had experienced this aura before, even if indirectly.

“… Doppelgänger.”

I spoke its name as the humanoid creature emerged from the egg.

“Doppelgänger? But that’s strange. Weren’t doppelgängers something created by that so-called Doctor in Korea, and later only by Oracle and its old organization?”

Then why was one here?

“… I don’t think this dungeon is connected to Oracle or that group.”

I pulled a digital camera from my subspace and tossed it to Elena and Chloe.

“That means it was made by the Black Fog.”
“The Black Fog… made a doppelgänger?”
“Yeah.”

The Black Fog must have known about the countless awakeners who’d been harmed by chimeras, including doppelgängers.
So it started making them itself, to harm humanity.

“Luckily, it’s not strong yet.”

I eyed the emerging doppelgänger.
But the thing is—doppelgängers grow terrifyingly fast as they accumulate data.
One strong enough to threaten humanity was just a matter of time.

Maybe the one from before regression…

The doppelgänger that killed me before regression.
I’d always thought the Doctor had evolved it.
But maybe… it was one born of the Black Fog.

[… A monster with physical abilities far beyond me. And an awakener with techniques so refined that even just watching them gave me enlightenment. That thing had both genes.]
[Sure, there were many hidden masters in the world, so it was possible.]
[Even if not, since doppelgängers learn by observing, one could evolve over years by fighting countless awakeners.]
[But to have such extreme physical ability, and I never heard of such a monster?]

If the one before regression was a creation of the Black Fog, everything suddenly made sense.

The Black Fog could’ve made monsters with bodies far superior to anything else, just to strengthen doppelgängers.
And it’s existed for over 200 years.
It could’ve gathered endless data on awakeners’ techniques.

“… Ha…!”

Yes.
The true enemy of humanity is the Black Fog.
I must never forget that.

Thud!

While I thought that, the first doppelgänger fully emerged from its egg.
It examined its body, dissatisfied.

I knew why.

“Wanted to come out as an adult, huh, brat?”

It must’ve emerged before fully maturing.

“……”

Hearing my voice, the doppelgänger looked straight at me.
Maybe it understood.
Or maybe it just knew I was provoking it.

“Kyaaaahh…!”

It lunged at me.

Thrust!

But in the very next instant, my Sword of Harmony pierced its head.
Normally, that’d kill a human. But a doppelgänger wasn’t human.
It swung at me even with its head impaled.

Whoosh!
Thud!
Crunch!

I dodged lightly and kicked its abdomen, sending its body flying—
Its head still stuck on my blade.

“……”

I flicked my sword, flinging the head aside.

“… As expected of you.”
“Is it over already?”

Elena and Chloe asked, but I gestured that it wasn’t.

“The one I just killed wasn’t weak at all….”

Crack…
“And if there are this many of them….”

Splinter… crack…
“… Even I’ll find it troublesome.”

Shatter!

As if responding to my words, the nearby eggs began to crack.
Doppelgängers burst out, rushing straight for me.

Do they share thoughts?

This time they didn’t just charge blindly.
They coordinated, attacking from all directions at once—
clearly knowing that normally, no one could block every side.

“Gunwoo!”
“Sis! They’re coming this way too!”

And so, the battle against countless doppelgängers began.