Orsaga wasn't particularly worried that Mara would refuse him.
Even though he could sense that Mara wasn't very interested in the proposal and possessed an iron will, Orsaga knew something important:
Sometimes, what someone wants doesn't matter.
Especially for those who carry heavy responsibilities—like Mara.
Time, fate, circumstance... All of these weighed heavily on Mara's decisions. Unlike Orsaga, who simply did whatever made him happy and crushed anyone who got in his way, Mara had too many factors influencing his choices.
If Orsaga could identify and exploit just one of those pressure points, the rest would fall into place.
Mara was one of the key protagonists of this era. Considering the growing threat Earth faced, Orsaga didn't believe Mara's path would be smooth forever.
As long as there were obstacles and hardships, there would be opportunities for him to intervene.
And until then, all he had to do was quietly advance to the rank of Archdemon... and wait.
---
After loosely organizing his future plans and deciding how to deal with Mara, Orsaga turned his attention to the device in his hand.
At first glance, the object looked sleek and futuristic—like a hardened, high-tech metal wristband. It had no touchscreen or interface, just a sturdy, compact design.
This was the device he'd taken earlier from the rescue team member.
Even from Earth, Orsaga had sensed that something was off about that man—the moment he saw him, he knew the guy wasn't from this world.
Though he hadn't consumed any humans from this dimension yet, Orsaga had extensive experience in gourmet matters. His years as a connoisseur of sentient beings gave him a keen instinct.
And this man didn't belong here.
When Orsaga killed him and tried to devour his soul, a mysterious force erased the soul completely—something that only stoked his curiosity further.
---
Calling upon a trace of his true body's power, Orsaga transformed his consciousness into an electromagnetic wave and dove into the surrounding digital networks.
He bypassed firewalls with ease and infiltrated the central data servers of various governments, filtering out the full profile of the deceased rescue team member.
He then cross-referenced the man's residential history, schools, workplaces, surveillance footage, spending patterns, social activities, contacts, chat logs, and personal networks—categorized and verified by timestamp.
Two seconds later, he withdrew his mind.
Even with the support of his true body's power, his current human brain struggled to handle such massive data processing. A mild headache followed.
Still, he had learned everything he wanted.
In addition to analyzing the rescue team member's identity, he'd also quietly investigated Mara's background.
Even though Mara's life form far surpassed normal humans, as long as he continued to live among them, traces of his existence inevitably accumulated—traces Orsaga could now use to better understand his thinking and behavioral patterns.
But Mara could wait.
For now, he was more interested in the wristband.
"The data was altered just before the Lewis and Clark launched… and there were 12 others who received the same treatment. The purpose behind that power is pretty clear—they were planted aboard the rescue ship."
He stroked his chin, then made a decision.
Pointing to the rescue team member's corpse, Orsaga activated his power.
Instantly, the body's flesh and bones converted into pure, crimson life energy. That energy flowed outward across the ground, tracing a ritual array covering dozens of square meters.
A few seconds later, a flash of red light appeared, and a tall figure stepped out from the formation.
It was him—a new version of himself, made to look and feel exactly like an ordinary human being.
This clone was far more refined than the first. Created directly by his true body in the Abyss, it was flawless in both form and spirit.
Orsaga tossed a clean set of clothes toward the new clone, who dressed himself without a word. He then handed the wristband over as well.
Once it was strapped onto the clone's wrist, a strange energy pulse began to scan his vital stats.
Orsaga's innate ability activated automatically, altering the data in real-time to match human parameters.
When the scan was complete, a flood of information appeared in the clone's mind.
[New lifeform detected]
[Vital signs recorded]
[Soul frequency recorded]
[Species: Human
Gender: Male
Combat Level: E-Rank]
[Welcome to the Matrix Purgatory, a hub between countless dimensions. Continue succeeding, and everything can be yours]
[Join: Yes / No]
Both clones smiled at the message.
Yes.
The one wearing the wristband vanished without a trace—spirited away by an unknown force.
The remaining clone casually cleaned up the scene, then strolled back into the villa as if nothing had happened, seamlessly returning to his everyday life.
There had been no need for the two clones to speak. They were the same person. Their thoughts were unified. Conversation was redundant.
Meanwhile, in the Abyss, Orsaga's true body sensed that the clone's signal had been cut off—but the vital signs were still intact.
He didn't bother interfering.
He simply soaked in the warm light of a nearby star, relaxing in his cosmic hot spring.
Whether it succeeded or failed—he didn't care. It was just a side project.
---
From the clone's perspective—
His head spun for a moment.
When his senses returned, he found himself lying on a cold floor, staring up at a plain white ceiling.
He instantly realized his connection to the true body had been severed.
Not that it mattered—he didn't care about such trivial things.
As clarity returned, he instinctively tried to sit up.
Halfway through the motion, he paused.
Something felt off.
So he lay back down, closed his eyes for a second… and then opened them again.
"Ah. A strange ceiling," he muttered.
Only then did he rise.
His behavior left the woman standing nearby momentarily speechless.
Whatever she'd been about to say was completely derailed by his odd reaction.
She looked to be in her early thirties, wearing a sleek leather outfit. Attractive, confident.
After a brief pause, and apparently satisfied with his looks, she skipped the formalities and got straight to the point.
"Never mind. I'm your guide. Any questions?"
Orsaga shook his head without hesitation.
"Nope. This is the Matrix Purgatory, right?, I know the drill. Let's move things along."
He cracked his knuckles and grinned.
"Just so you know—I'm about to break the game."
__
T/N:
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