Yun Ye circled back to the public security district from the other side of the island. Once he reached the back mountain, he stopped paying attention to those matters.
He had worn a mask at the time, so no one would have seen his true face. He had also disguised himself beforehand; even his height and build had been different.
He had already sunk the sword in his hand into the sea. It had only been a refined iron sword, not much of a loss.
He had hidden away everything that could expose his identity. No one would connect him to that masked man.
Unless he used the skills he had used earlier, but he was not that foolish.
Yun Ye turned to look at his System Panel.
Ding. Defeated the Vinsmoke Family. Obtained 200 Achievement Points. Ding. Subdued the Germa Kingdom. Obtained 350 Achievement Points. Obtained the "Man Behind the Scenes" achievement. Reward: one special-category draw!
After leaving, the system notification sounded in his mind once more.
Another special-category draw? And both rewards came from title achievements...
Yun Ye had only obtained achievements that resembled "titles" a few times. The first had been an achievement called "Animal Slayer," but it had only given him Achievement Points.
The later "Hundred Man Slayer" achievements had also only given him Achievement Points.
His first draw had come when he obtained "Nemesis of Evil."
This was the second time!
Yun Ye did not know what set these two achievements apart from the others. Were the rewards random? Or was there some special reason behind them?
If there was a special reason, what could it be?
If he figured it out, could he replicate it?
Yun Ye had many questions and speculations.
It was like playing a game—just grind achievements for rewards.
That would be awesome!
Of course, Yun Ye was only thinking about it. The further he progressed, the harder it became to earn Achievement Points.
He used to be able to gain Achievement Points by killing rabbits and wild beasts, but that no longer worked.
In gaming terms, a high-level player grinding low-level monsters would receive fewer and fewer rewards, until there were none at all!
Don't tell me I'll have to fight one of the Four Emperors just to get a reward. That would be a scam...
Yun Ye muttered inwardly.
Draw!
Yun Ye calmed himself and directly opened the draw.
Ding. Obtained Gia Clone!
"Gia Clone?"
Yun Ye was somewhat surprised.
Of course, he knew what a gia clone was.
It was an item from Bleach that could carry a Soul Reaper's spirit body.
But was this not supposed to be an item?
Why could he get it from a draw?
Yun Ye looked at the panel and discovered that an additional icon had appeared under the special-category branch.
Special Category: Instant Burst (Proficiency 50), Gia Clone (1/1)
Not proficiency? What does 1/1 mean?
Yun Ye frowned slightly as he looked at the icon. He tapped it and received the Gia Clone's description.
Gia Clone: A product of technology capable of carrying a spirit body for movement.
Yun Ye was momentarily stunned. That was it?
At least tell me what it actually does.
Yun Ye was speechless. From the description alone, he could not tell what it meant at all...
Forget it. I'll try it first...
After looking around and confirming that no one was nearby, Yun Ye decided to test it.
As he activated it, Yun Ye suddenly felt something strange in his body. Then a stabbing pain came from his soul, but it vanished after only an instant.
When he opened his eyes again, Yun Ye saw a figure appear before him.
It gave even Yun Ye quite a scare.
Upon closer inspection, he discovered that it was another him!
From his clothes to his appearance, it was not the slightest bit different from himself!
Yun Ye's gaze darkened as he looked at the panel, only to see that the Gia Clone icon had changed to (0/1)!
Gia Clone? A clone?
Yun Ye was somewhat baffled. What kind of skill was this?
That was right. Yun Ye had realized that this Gia Clone icon was also a skill, not an item!
But what could a clone that needed a spirit body to move possibly do?
Yun Ye could not make heads or tails of it as he looked left and right.
But in the next moment, Yun Ye suddenly felt an inexplicable connection emerge from the depths of his mind.
Then, the other him, whose eyes had been tightly shut, suddenly opened them.
Yun Ye was not frightened. Instead, he grinned. "So that's how it is!"
"It's equivalent to having another body?" the other Yun Ye said with a smile as well.
"And this feeling doesn't seem like having a clone. Is it more like one person possessing two bodies at once?"
The two Yun Yes spoke at the same time, with identical tone and manner of speech.
"But..." "It still needs testing."
"..."
Yun Ye spent the entire morning familiarizing himself with his other body. The physical qualities of the two bodies differed little; they could be said to be completely identical.
The feeling was incredibly strange, as though one person could control two bodies simultaneously without them interfering with each other.
They could be one individual, or two separate individuals.
Yun Ye also discovered that both versions of himself could see the System Panel. He tested it and found that both could use all the skills he had already unlocked.
It was just more draining!
It consumed everything.
His vitality, energy, and mental strength were all affected!
Of course, the Gia Clone could be put away, transforming into a black bead that glowed faintly. In that state, the consumption could be reduced to a minimum.
With a thought from Yun Ye, the Gia Clone bead would turn back into Yun Ye's appearance!
"Heh, with this ability, there are plenty of things I can do!"
Yun Ye put away the Gia Clone bead. An inscrutable smile appeared on his lips as he headed toward another direction on the back mountain.
That was where the villagers had taken refuge.
Since Germa's people had already left, it meant the incident was over and it was safe.
He should go reassure them too, so they would not worry.
News of Germa's defeat quickly spread across the entire island through the Marines.
For some unknown reason, the Marines concealed Yun Ye's existence and did not publicize it.
What spread around the island was that the Marines had driven Germa away.
There were no detailed accounts, only a few brief sentences.
The Marines did not even exaggerate their own contributions.
But people could not help filling in the blanks!
Most people in the North Blue knew what Germa was.
Yet even such a force had been driven away by the Marines?
Just how powerful did that make the Marines?
There were quite a few people who thought this way. They could not help cheering and applauding the Marines!
For a time, the Marines' prestige on the island reached an all-time high!
Yun Ye arrived at the villagers' refuge. After perfunctorily dealing with their barrage of questions, he returned to the village with them.
Yun Ye also learned of the news from several sources. His gaze merely flickered, and no emotion showed on his face.
The Marines' actions were perfectly normal. Compared with promoting an unknown person of uncertain origins, it was better to promote the Marines' strength.
Furthermore, judging from what Yun Ye had said earlier and the way he acted, he was certainly no upright figure. He might even have been some kind of criminal.
If they rashly publicized him and later discovered that it had been a pirate who saved Donzuke Island, that would be awkward.
Since when had saving people become a pirate's job? What were you Marines even doing?
Based on such considerations, Rear Admiral Bastille of Headquarters ordered Yun Ye's existence concealed!