Ancestral Mirror Image Clone (Part 1)

As a hardcore veteran player, and as a college student who had transmigrated into another world yet still foolishly couldn't tell game from life, Duke automatically imagined it as experience needed for leveling up.

In terms of practical effect, it was rather similar.

"You used 2,500 points of soul power to open a third magical circuit. Your Intelligence increased by 5 points, your mana increased by 50 points, and your spell power received an unknown increase."

Murder and arson had always been shortcuts to getting rich.

Gnolls at least had the word "man" in their name, so Duke unceremoniously used the soul power provided by these gnoll grunts to leap straight from a first-rank Earth Mage to a fourth-rank one.

How strong was fourth rank?

Duke didn't know. Instinctively, he felt that his mana pool was still just a tiny bucket that would run dry after seven or eight Frostbolts.

He had fantasized countless times—Hogger would suddenly lose his mind and first feed all his underlings to him as experience, then laugh three times and say, "You killed all my underlings. You are indeed qualified to fight me." Then Duke, after leveling up, would teach him a lesson with one massive fireball.

Unfortunately, Hogger's rash and impulsive nature shattered Duke's dream. That bastard actually charged straight through the Ice Storm.

Weren't bosses supposed to show up at the end!?

This makes no sense!

Fine. Whether it made sense or not no longer mattered.

Fixing his eyes on the stick-thin human mage he hated most in the convoy, Hogger charged over.

Fast!

So fast!

Despite Hogger's enormous bulk, he wasn't sluggish in the slightest.

On the contrary, propelled by the sheer power of his powerful—almost magnificent—hind leg muscles, his massive body surged forward like a high-speed bullet train, radiating overwhelming pressure.

His mountain-like figure rapidly filled Duke's vision.

[Presence of Mind]

[Pyroblast]

This combo, which had worked almost every single time since Duke's transmigration, failed this time...

With absolutely no regard for reason, Hogger swung his gigantic axe in an explosively magnificent sweep, and actually... actually... split Duke's huge fireball in half with a single blow!

With its core destroyed, the remaining shockwave became dying tongues of flame that twitched twice in the night sky before vanishing.

"Fuck!" Duke stared dumbfounded at the impossible sight before him. Then death descended.

Hogger, rushing in at high speed, did not even swing his destructive stone axe again. He merely cast Duke a contemptuous glance, then leaped up and kicked him squarely in the chest.

"Pff—" A dull, muffled thud came from Duke's chest.

The next second, Duke flew like a kicked bag of trash. His blue-and-white mage robe traced a tragic arc through the night before he crashed down not far from Macaro, who was fighting desperately in blood-soaked battle.

The sight left the mercenary company in stunned shock.

"No way? Isn't Lord Marcus the strongest? How did he die?"

"My lord! Lord Marcus!" someone shouted.

"No—healing potion! Who has a healing potion!?"

"It's over! His chest has completely caved in. His organs inside must be mush. He's definitely dead."

The mercenaries had already descended into chaos. None of them had expected Duke, the young mage who had seemed so calm, mysterious, and powerful throughout their days together, to be taken out by Hogger in a single exchange.

But thinking about it, it made sense. Hogger was the [Nightmare of Elwynn Forest]. If they themselves couldn't handle him, why had they insisted on hoping that Duke, though stronger than them, could?

So it turned out that killing the mighty Hogger had been nothing but an illusion from beginning to end!

Macaro abandoned his opponent and rushed over in a single stride, scooping up Duke, who was barely breathing. He remembered how Duke had saved his son, remembered Duke's face and voice.

Macaro threw back his head and roared, "All units, charge! Avenge Lord Duke Marcus—"

"Avenge him! Avenge him!" Proud roars rang out in unison.

Hogger, more than a dozen paces away, did not immediately advance. His hyena-like mouth split wide open, revealing rows of interlocking sharp teeth in the firelight.

He was actually smiling!

Mocking these weak humans for overestimating themselves, mocking their futile struggles before death.

Not just Hogger—even the surrounding gnolls let out smug canine yelps.

Just as the mercenaries believed Duke had fallen, Macaro suddenly discovered that the weight in his arms had mysteriously vanished.

"Run!"

Duke, who should have been dead, resolutely strode toward Hogger. Chilling blue-white light bloomed from his hand.

Macaro and the others froze. They had examined Duke's condition moments ago. He had clearly been at death's door.

Yet Duke was dragging that broken body forward, still trying to buy them time to retreat.

At some point, the mercenaries had begun to weep. This was the scene of a hero.

They watched Duke fire another [Frostbolt].

Hogger seemed to have been caught off guard by Duke. He failed to dodge this Frostbolt, and his entire left forearm was coated in frost.

But that was all. Recovering, Hogger let out an enraged roar. The muscles in his right arm bulged as his massive axe once again tore through the night sky. This strike did not connect solidly; at the final moment, Duke seemed to twist his body, escaping the fate of being cleaved in two at the waist.

Duke did not fare much better. As he was sent flying backward, the mercenaries could even see part of his arm smashed to pulp by the tremendous force, chunks of flesh scattering from the surface of his body.

What a tragic sight—it was for them, mercenaries who had been strangers only days ago and who worked merely for money, that Duke, the kingdom's future hope, this incomparably noble mage, had thrown away his life and shed his blood!

They watched Duke's not particularly tall figure tragically fall again amid the firelight.

They were utterly enraged!

"Duke!"

"Kill!! Kill them all! Slaughter these dog bastards—"

"Charge! Avenge Lord Marcus!"

The furious mercenaries began their desperate charge. They even threw aside the shields they relied upon to stay alive, roaring in fury as they crazily chased down and hacked at the tall gnolls.

Though the gnolls held the numerical advantage, they became the side that scattered and fled under pursuit!

"Awooo—" Hogger let out a roar, and the gnolls immediately seemed to find their backbone again, turning around at once to surround them anew.

Right! As long as Hogger lived, these savage yet cowardly gnolls would fight like the bravest berserkers until the very last one fell.

Yet at that moment, Duke actually stood up again...

The mercenaries all wept!

Men did not shed tears lightly, but these mercenaries, long accustomed to life and death, now had tears streaming down their faces.