5 a.m., in-game time: 5 p.m.
Chun was woken up by the alarm clock and immediately logged in eagerly.
——System Message: Dear player, the Soul Stripping ritual is complete, you have gained an Illusionary Clone. Crime and part of the knowledge memory of your main body have been stripped and transferred to the Illusionary Clone. Dual game interface operation complete. You can get familiar with the clone's attributes and operation.
A clone!?
The next moment, Chun was sitting in the Resurrection Plaza of the Black Iron Main City, suffering from a Death Weakness state, and no longer marked red.
Holy shit, did the main body die and return to the city?
At the same time, the game interface now had a picture-in-picture feature. Chun switched to see that the scene inside was the previous Mineral Crystal Warehouse, but the Teleportation Gate was gone. In the main view stood a cute little half-human-height angel with two white clouds on its back... a Little Angel!?
Holy shit!! This picture-in-picture is the dual-operation interface?
Chun immediately switched to operate the clone, it could move! Holy shit, my clone is a Little Angel! Is it a player or an NPC? Or is it actually an illusion, perhaps a Little Demon?
Chun immediately checked the clone's attributes:
Level: Level 1. No profession, each level up increases Attack by +1, Life by +1, Physical Strength by +1, Carrying Capacity by +1, Illusion Value by +1.
Race: Illusion Spirit.
Reputation: -100,000
Attack: 0
Defense: 0
Attack Speed: 10
Movement Speed: 11 (Expert-level running +1)
Life: 69 (Illusion Value +57, Intermediate Dual-Wielding Pickaxes +11, Basic Mining Pickaxe Disarmament +1)
Carrying Capacity: 283 (Master Mining Level 1 +53, Expert Running Level 1 +32, Advanced Swimming Level 10 +30, Advanced Artistic Swimming Level 10 +30, Advanced Underwater Mining Level 10 +30, Advanced Underwater Construction Level 10 +30, Advanced Fishing Level 3 +23, Advanced Collection Technique Level 1 +21, Intermediate Dual-Wielding Pickaxes Level 1 +11, Intermediate Climbing Level 1 +11, Basic Marathon Level 10 +10, Basic Cooking Level 1 +1, Basic Mining Pickaxe Disarmament Level 1 +1)
Physical Strength: 283 (Master Mining Level 1 +53, Expert Running Level 1 +32…)
Commanding Power: 0
Wisdom: 8
Illusion Value: 57
Hunger: 0
Special Skill 1: Soul Link, clone shares knowledge and skills with the main body.
Special Skill 2: Illusion Growth, can also comprehend Illusion Skills.
Inventory: 16 Illusion Mushrooms.
...
So these are the clone's attributes. If it weren't for the inherited carrying capacity and physical strength bonuses, it would be too weak to imagine. It turns out Illusion Value adds to Life, and there are still mushrooms in the inventory that weren't finished earlier, and from now on, it has to rely on eating mushrooms to grow. But the Cleaner Fish profession wasn't inherited? And where's the Magic Stone?
Chun immediately switched back to check the main body's attributes and was instantly stunned!
The Cleaner Fish is here! More than 400 in carrying capacity and physical strength are also here, so are the 6 Magic Stones! They didn't drop upon death; is it because the red name was cleared?
But the skills painstakingly practiced this day are all gone — except for the Death Weakness, there's also two new unseen internal statuses: "Muscle Memory" and "Toxin Residue."
Muscle Memory: You have been stripped of your soul, forgetting much knowledge, but your muscle memory remains. Perhaps you can rediscover skills and gain new insights.
Toxin Residue: Your body has ingested a large amount of Illusionary toxins, causing some degree of negative residue.
Holy shit!! The main account has been cleansed and crippled, and the sub-account has become the main account?
Wait, this Death Weakness also has no time indicator!
Death Weakness: Your weakness is due to Soul Stripping. You must strengthen and fulfill your soul to gradually eliminate the weakness effect.
Holy shit, what does it mean to fulfill the soul?
Alright, this is the result I wanted, as long as the 400 carrying capacity and physical strength are there, even with half the strength reduced by the weakness, with 6 stones weighing over a hundred each, I can walk out at normal player speed after death weakness, arousing no suspicion.
Safety comes first. Should I notify Sherry for peace of mind?
Not now! The whole city is probably filled with the Consortium's spies. Not only can't call Sherry, I have to remove the Attendant Badge, not allowing any players to take screenshots or videos and notice.
Just then, a familiar voice came from the clone's side: "What are you waiting for? Choose your pickaxe, follow me to work!"
Chun immediately switched to the clone to see, remarkably, it was the female angel from earlier, wearing a shiny black tight leather armor, exposing what should be exposed and covering what should be covered. Especially the cross-like badge on her chest, half-hidden and half-revealed, with a long whip coiled around her hand — adding a certain alluring charm!
Chun couldn't believe it: "Maria, ma'am?"
The female angel said sternly, "Call me Supervisor, I only supervise, and I will not answer any of your questions — Given your ability, you are allowed to take two pickaxes."
Could this supervisor be Maria's clone?
How can one not ask! Chun forcibly finds a topic: "Ma'am, is this badge a Priest's?"
The supervisor's gaze turned cold.
Chun immediately backed down. No asking; if there's a clue, it wouldn't be a Hidden Scenario, and within seconds it would be cracked by a big consortium! Besides, this cross is short on the bottom and long on top, obviously opposed to the Church.
Chun took two pickaxes off the warehouse shelf, then followed the supervisor out the golden door they came in.
In a daze, Chun once again found himself in the tunnel, and suddenly caught sight of a giant two-headed beast with a flaming golden body, as large as an elephant! The supervisor suddenly appeared on the beast's back, and the beast began to rumble forward. Around the tunnel, a group of "Little Angels" continued their frenzied mining like they'd been injected with energy.
So, the supervisor rides a mount! That's why it wasn't that the beast couldn't catch up with me, it was just testing my gameplay. If I really started killing, I would be punished in no time.
Then, turning back, Chun saw the golden gate still there. For humans, the warehouse door only became visible upon death, by exhaustion or poisoning, but for the "Little Angels," it was a constant presence.
Soon, Chun returned to the familiar mine pit, and the supervisor pointed with a whip to a noticeably darker red area: "That's your workstation. Don't relocate without permission, got it?"
Chun nodded repeatedly: "Got it!"
He then proceeded to dig and was stunned to find that this area was incredibly hard and unusual, nothing like the effortless mining the master did before. Could this be ultra-rare ore even masters can't handle? I must set up mining collection so these Little Demons won't snatch it.
The supervisor was satisfied: "That's the way!"
The mount rumbled away.
—— System Prompt: You can now set auto mode in the current scene. Do you want to set it?
Oh my, is it this safe?
Chun instantly realized how advantageous this was. While the small account idles in the abyss, the main account can either battle and adventure or idle—this mining income—wait! Can you sell minerals in the abyss? Could it be that as a red-named Little Angel, I'm just replacing the main account as a slave working for free?
At this moment, the surrounding Little Demons were whispering, and Chun surprisingly understood them: "It's him!" "It's him!" "He tricked away our big mushroom!"
Holy shit! Being an evil...uh, being an angel, can I understand angel speech now? Even in this state, they recognized me?
Chun immediately made a reasonable retort: "It's not my fault, the supervisor came, and I had no choice!"
The angels immediately protested: "You still have it on you, those are owed to us!"
You're overthinking, that's my idle snack.
Just then, two noticeably heftier Little Angels stood up: "If it weren't for the Big Brother, you wouldn't even have had two feasts. The Big Brother doesn't owe you anything!"
"You two ate the big mushroom to say that!"
Chun was amused; turns out it's the little ones calling me Big Brother?! Haha, no regrets in specially cultivating them, these top-grade mushrooms indeed made them stand out among their peers! Be it school or workplace or anywhere, having two followers makes one extraordinarily prestigious, crushing everyone.
Chun gave them a thumbs up: "I can only mine here now. If I get the chance, I'll keep mining that feast thing for everyone!"
The two little ones clapped immediately: "Big Brother is right!"
Chun asked again: "What's different about my workstation?"
"No idea!"
Holy shit! Whatever, auto idle it is. Move the main account.
Meanwhile, more level 1 players were resurrecting on the plaza from time to time. Clearly, the massive PK outside the city was ongoing, the consortiums are really strong.
Chun suddenly realized he didn't know where to go. A trip to the port bar? No, at this time Vivian seems to be preparing a spice dance party at the Fatty Baron's house—damn that fatty!
Ask the Old Drunkard at the shipyard? Can't even dare to go, especially since the shipyard's off work now.
Suddenly Chun remembered the Old Drunkard mentioning an astrology shop related to exorcism business in the Dark Alley District, run by an old lady. Might as well go and ask.
...
Arriving at the Dark Alley District, its dim lighting made the place seem disreputable, with various noticeably improper NPCs drunkenly wandering about, and very few players around.
Chun suddenly regretted coming here; he had six precious stones on him, what if they got robbed?
Luckily, the astrology shop was right at the end of the street, and Chun pushed open the door and went in.
Inside was a gaudy, mysteriously Gypsy-styled setup, with a plump old lady, face hidden under a lavishly large floral hat, sitting at a table where a signature crystal ball and cards were placed.
The old lady's voice was unexpectedly elegant: "Young man, you're in big trouble!"
Chun was startled: "I...actually have no money!"
The old lady sighed: "Your problem isn't something money can easily solve. Your soul is missing, your body has become an empty shell, attracting evil spirits to possess you. Even if magic dispels them, new ones will invade. Don't go to places with evil spirits."
That's my profession! Chun quickly asked: "What happens when possessed by evil spirits?"
"You won't control your body and might do bad things everywhere. Even ending up in jail, you'd be the most troublesome existence..."
Chun asked again: "What do I do then?"
"100 Mining Coins!"
Isn't it about money again? Chun retorted irritably: "I said I have no money."
"Then go mining, come back when you have money."
Holy shit...
Alright, I'll go idle mining at the mountain, see if muscle memory can recall mining skills.
As night was about to fall, Chun didn't dare linger in the Dark Alley District, and quickly set off for the mining area.
While passing through the wealthy area, the streets suddenly filled with intense barking.
The players all froze on the streets.
—— Black Iron Pioneer City Announcement: Player "Tata War God" has triggered a special slum siege event "Wandering Dog King"! Racing to kill the super boss Wandering Dog King rewards you with bountiful prizes.
Holy shit! A special siege event?