Chapter 3: "Cheating Life with Clones"
Do-hyun's legs hadn't moved all day.
His back was practically fused to the floor, surrounded by a clutter of plastic wrappers, energy drink cans, and half-finished cup noodles. A handheld fan buzzed next to his head as he lazily scrolled through a dungeon livestream on his phone.
A message blinked at the top of his vision.
> [Stamina +0.2]
[Agility +0.1]
[Reflexes +0.05]
He smirked. "Right on time."
Outside the window, faint footsteps approached—slow, dragging, heavy. A pair of soaked sneakers appeared first, followed by a sweaty figure hunched forward, breathing through his mouth like a dying animal.
Do-hyun sat up and pushed the door open.
The clone stepped inside, head down, clothes clinging to him like wet paper.
"You alive?" Do-hyun asked, raising an eyebrow.
"...Ran," the clone said between breaths. "Park… 38 kilometers."
"Damn," Do-hyun said, already pulling up his system menu. "You didn't walk halfway?"
"No."
> [Kim Do-hyun – Stats]
Health: 100
Mana: 100
Strength: 7.1
Reflexes: 5.25
Stamina: 4.3
Endurance: 6.5
Agility: 4.1
He grinned. One lazy afternoon for him meant another level of progress.
The clone stood in the doorway, legs trembling, hands on his knees.
Do-hyun tossed him a towel. "You stink, man."
The clone took it without a word and wiped his face.
It wasn't just sweat. His eyes looked glassy. His shoulders were tight. Like he'd hit a wall and kept going. But that didn't matter. He was just a clone.
"You can rest," Do-hyun said casually. "Five minutes."
The clone gave a slow nod and shuffled to the corner of the room, collapsing onto the floor without another sound.
Do-hyun leaned back, satisfied.
"I could get used to this," he mumbled.
---
The park
At first, no one really paid attention.
The parks were always full — old men doing slow laps, kids playing with sticks, moms chatting by the benches.
But lately… there was this one guy.
Big frame. Puffy face. Always in the same grey hoodie, soaked through every day like he'd just jumped into a river.
And he ran. Not jogged. Ran. From the moment the sun came up till it dipped behind the mountains.
"Isn't that the same guy from yesterday?" a woman whispered to her friend.
"I thought so too," the other said. "And the day before that. Same clothes. Same look."
"Maybe he's training for a dungeon test?"
"Every single day, though? In that shape?"
The clone didn't respond to anyone. Didn't rest. Didn't stop to talk or drink.
Just lap after lap. Quiet. Focused. Like a machine in human skin.
Kids started pointing. "Mom, that man's back again!"
One old man sitting by the benches with a cane grunted, "That boy's gonna die running like that."
Another nodded. "Either he's got the world's worst personal trainer… or something ain't right."
The clone ignored them all. Not because he was trying to be mysterious, but because he was just following instructions.
> "Run until sunset. Full speed. No breaks."
Do-hyun had given the command early that morning — through the system, with a yawn, still half-asleep in bed.
By noon, he was back to playing games and eating chips.
By evening, he was leaning out the window, watching the street for the moment that sweaty shadow appeared at the end of the block.
"There he is," he muttered, spotting the clone limping down the sidewalk.
Do-hyun stepped aside and opened the door.
"Welcome home," he said with a crooked smile. "How many laps today?"
The clone raised a tired hand with four fingers, then collapsed just inside the entryway.
---
That night, Do-hyun sat cross-legged on the floor, his laptop resting on a pillow in front of him.
His clone was passed out nearby, still wearing the same sweat-soaked hoodie. It hadn't even made it to the bathroom.
Do-hyun clicked refresh on a forum he'd been reading lately: AwakeningTalk.kr, one of the biggest hubs for new awakeners.
> 🔍 [New Topic] — "Hidden Stats: Are They Real?"
🔍 [Guide] — "How I Unlocked Regeneration (NO BS)"
🔍 [Discussion] — "Mentality stat: Pure RNG or Triggered Event?"
Do-hyun scrolled, eyes narrowing.
He had already learned that basic stats—Strength, Reflexes, Agility—were easy to measure and improve, even for people with weak talents. But what caught his attention now were the rare ones, the ones that didn't show up on any beginner's bracelet.
> Regeneration.
Mana Recovery.
Mentality.
Mana Efficiency.
Resistance.
"These don't even show unless you trigger them?" he whispered.
One post had a hundred upvotes. Title: "I stabbed myself every day and finally unlocked Regeneration."
"...What?"
He clicked it.
> 'You need to feel real injury and real healing. Not potions. Not healing spells. Just the body doing its job. Slowly. Painfully.'
Do-hyun leaned back, eyes wide.
"So you unlock Regeneration by... hurting yourself?"
That didn't sound smart.
It sounded insane.
But the poster included screenshots of their awakened panel. Regeneration was there, plain as day.
He looked over at the clone, still breathing heavily on the floor.
"…No way."
A strange idea began to form in his mind.
"I mean, technically, I wouldn't be the one getting hurt, right?"
He didn't like the thought. But he couldn't stop thinking it.
He clicked off the site and closed the laptop. The room felt suddenly colder.
---
The next morning, Do-hyun stood in the kitchen, holding a sewing needle over a small gas flame.
His hand shook a little.
"This is so stupid," he muttered.
But his eyes drifted to the stats on his bracelet.
> Health: 100
Mana: 100
Strength: 7.1
Reflexes: 5.25
Stamina: 4.3
Endurance: 6.5
Agility: 4.1
And below that... still no sign of Regeneration.
The clone stood beside the fridge, emotionless, arms at its sides. Freshly showered, newly dressed, and ready to obey.
Do-hyun bit his lip.
"If this works," he said, "it's gonna change everything."
He reached out and grabbed the clone's hand.
"Hold still."
He jabbed the needle into the clone's palm—just deep enough to break the skin.
The clone winced.
Blood welled up, bright red, but the clone didn't move or complain. It just looked at him, calm as always.
Do-hyun watched closely.
Nothing happened. No pop-ups. No bonus stats. No instant rewards.
Just blood.
He cleaned it, wrapped the hand in a tissue, and gave the clone a thumbs up. "Cool. Let's see what happens."
---
Later that day, Do-hyun stood shirtless in front of the bathroom mirror.
He blinked.
"…Whoa."
His belly, once soft and round, was flattening. Not abs. Not yet. But the fat was melting. His arms didn't jiggle when he moved. His face looked sharper, less puffy.
"I haven't worked out once," he whispered.
It was all the clone. Every lap. Every squat. Every drop of sweat. All of it fed back into his stats. His body.
The mirror didn't lie.
This wasn't a trick. It was real.
---