A Question of Superior Horses and Inferior Horses

When I saw something like "Mimic Tear" suddenly pop up.

Malu was utterly terrified!

I was terrified, absolutely terrified!

The last time I saw the Mimic Tear was when I encountered the first powerful boss in the Zane Dungeon, whose number of challengers exceeded the norm—[The Full Moon Queen's Mimic Tear]!

The monster that initially looked round and cute, but which transformed into the Full Moon Queen and became quite ferocious, left a very deep impression on her and all the adventurers who had seen it.

Moreover, the Mimic Tear has only appeared once, once here and once in Farron Keep, simulating Giant Bear. Both times, it left adventurers with the impression that the monsters transformed from the Mimic Tear were extremely ferocious.

The Full Moon Queen's Mimic Tear also achieved an excellent result, ranking among the top five in the Zane Dungeon Monster Popularity Poll.

The main reason is that the contrast it left on people was too strong, and it also combined the beauty of strength with the beauty of special effects. In the Zane Dungeon at that time, the magical effects it used in battle were among the best.

In addition, Topus' stance is almost indispensable for conquering this guy. The combination of a popular monster and a popular character has greatly increased the popularity of both sides.

The Mimic Tear Monster has also entered the field of vision of monster researchers thanks to this momentum.

It also left a deep impression on the researchers.

Monsters that can mimic other creatures are a classic type of monster. However, every monster with the ability to mimic has some kind of flaw. For example, it can only mimic appearance, sound, aura, or combat power. There has never been a monster that can do all of these.

Researchers believe this phenomenon is a divine restriction placed on monsters, limiting their ability to mimic too much.

As a result, not long after this theory was established, the Mimic Tear appeared.

This thing, apart from the color being a bit off, is exactly the same as the creature it imitates!

Whether it's combat power, appearance, or duration, it has reached a perfect level.

Some even discovered that the Rune Bear created by the Mimic Tear imitation seemed to be several times more resilient than the normal Rune Bear, and could even survive fatal wounds that would kill a normal Giant Bear, running around wildly and taking away adventurers.

Aside from color, its mimicry ability is flawless, and its fighting power is even stronger than the original. This research result left the researchers sweating profusely.

However, due to the scarcity of observable Mimic Tear, researchers have not yet expressed much doubt about whether it is possible to create an enhanced version of the original through Mimic Tear imitation.

Even with an uncertain conclusion, the danger level of this monster is enough to rise steadily in the monster encyclopedia that every adventurer has, making it the type that you should absolutely avoid if you encounter it.

Now, Malu and her friends have encountered a total of five Mimic Tear.

Even worse, mist began to rise from the ruins they had just jumped from.

This is clearly a setup to lock someone up and beat them up!

"Bang—"

The Mimic Tear that surrounded the people suddenly burst forth with thick white mist, obscuring all vision.

The next moment Delu used wind magic to dissipate the smoke, but at that moment, the shape of the Mimic Tear also changed.

"Wait, is that me?!"

Malu let out a scream, and the people around her showed the same surprised expression, because the group of Mimic Tear had transformed into their very appearance!

Broken!

If the researchers' speculations are true, these Mimic Tear could take on our likeness, meaning they could replicate all our abilities and even enhance them to some extent.

No one feels safe fighting against themselves, after all, they all know just how weak they really are...

How chivalrous!

What if the Mimic Tear also copies all of those?

One very fortunate thing is that the venue here isn't very big, so it's not suitable for a marathon.

One rather unfortunate thing is that the venue here looks a bit small, not suitable for a marathon.

Moreover, there's a heavyweight among these Mimic Tear!

It's a clone of Jia Paer!

Compared to the clones of other Strategy Team, Jia Paer's Mimic Tear is the most overpowered enemy!

"You copied me?" Jia Paer asked with interest. "That's really exciting."

"Don't make that kind of Battle Mania sound at a time like this, teacher," the sarcastic thought flashed through Leon's mind at the speed of High-Speed Divine Word EX.

At that moment, Malu screamed again:

"Why aren't they wearing any clothes?!"

To be precise, these Mimic Tear aren't naked, but rather unequipped; they're covered in tattered, ragged clothes, which are, of course, simulated.

The Mimic Tear looked exactly like everyone else, and even had the same weapons, but they were completely unequipped, and their eyes looked blank.

While they may not possess the same charisma as the Full Moon Queen, they still exude a certain level of strength.

In other words, these Mimic Tear might not be as powerful as the Full Moon Queen's Mimic Tear?

Just as Leon had this thought, his clone on the other side lowered its body and launched a vicious Swift Slash straight at him.

Swift Slash, decisive strike indicates low skill level!

"Spread!"

He shouted, and the crowd that had been gathered together immediately spotted the gap and scattered outside the range of the Swift Slash sword energy, dodging the attack with a speed so fast that it left afterimages.

It's not surprising that Malu can achieve this level of speed, but it's truly frightening that even a heavyweight Warrior like Te Er can reach this level.

The burst of sword energy from the Swift Slash became the starting salute for the battle, and the other Mimic Tear also came to life at this moment, wielding their weapons and attacking their original owners.

The Mimic Tear attacking Leon kept repeating Swift Slash, the Mimic Tear attacking Malu kept using Mercenary Twinblades Jump Slash, the one attacking Delu was repeating Broom Star like the ignorant version of Crucible Knight, while Jia Paer's attacks were more varied and fiercer than the others.

The moment they clashed, even Leon felt a moment of pressure. He could tell that this thing was just like him, with almost identical attack habits and power.

The others were also surprised when they discovered this situation. Fighting someone like themselves was a completely new experience for them. Only Jia Paer was able to laugh heartily.

However, these Mimic Tear differ from the original in some ways.

Suddenly, Leon kicked the Mimic Tear in the gap between his sword strikes, and the replica countered with the same move, both striking at the same time.

Leon took a step back and then immediately regained his balance, while the Mimic Tear was kicked so hard that it almost fell to the ground and took some effort to stand up.

The spot where he was kicked even developed a dent.

Leon's eyes lit up.

These Mimic Tear are unarmed—perhaps because they lack the ability to replicate—and therefore their ability to withstand attacks is greatly reduced.

Moreover, judging from the feedback from the attack just now, these Mimic Tear seem to have very fragile physical attributes!

This is a different type from the incredibly strong Mimic Tear they encountered before!

That's great, if that's the case.

"Let's switch opponents, teacher, please come this way!"

Although it is not impossible for everyone to defeat the Mimic Tear after discovering its flaws, it would be best to minimize the damage.

So Leon adopted a tactic where the moment he shouted, the others understood what he meant.

Jia Paer pretended not to hear, but Leon pulled him aside with a pleading look, and he reluctantly went to deal with Malu's Mimic Tear.

Leon faced off against the fake Delu, Delu against the fake Te Er, Te Er against the fake Leon– everyone swapped opponents.

Yes, the tactic he came up with was the Tian Ji horse racing strategy!

We just need to use our superior horses to take down the enemy's inferior horses. Once the inferior horses are dealt with, our superior horses will come to support us!

Great! This tactic works really well when you have a stat-focused player like Jia Paer on your team!

But the only problem is...

"Ah, ah wah wah"

Malu watched as the Mimic Tear Jia Paer slowly walked towards her, her hands gripping the Mercenary Twinblades trembling slightly.

"Me? Me..."

In the application of the Tian Ji horse racing problem.

The inferior horses are often the ones that die the most heroically.

"Can I change my opponent?"

"Start the fight!"

Before she could even let out a pitiful wail, the battle resumed!

After switching opponents, everyone except Malu played very well. Well, Jia Paer must have had a pretty boring time.

But as people age, when faced with his outstanding apprentice looking at him with those pleading, pitiful eyes, he also became a doting master, abandoning his own Mimic Tear to fight the fake Malu.

There's not much to say about the battle itself. Fake Delu, a magician, was completely helpless once Leon got close. Fake Te Er, whose intelligence had dropped and who couldn't dodge, was controlled to death by Delu's repeated Broom Star combo. Te Er and Fake Leon fought back and forth, while Jia Paer...

The wild, Mimic Tear used a leaping slash on Jia Paer!

Jia Paer dodged! Jia Paer used a serious basic attack!

The wild, Mimic Tear fell!

It was a complete stomp, like Taro vs. Tyson.

As for Malu's side...

The wild, Mimic Tear used Ongji's Stars Linked Strike, Mighty Lion Slash, and Storm Attack on Malu.

Malu has fallen!

"Plop—"

Accompanied by comical sounds, the last Jia Paer's Mimic Tear fell under the onslaught, and the Fog Gate and the Mimic Tear disappeared simultaneously, announcing that the battle had finally come to a victory.

"What a fierce battle."

Leon picked a small lily of the valley from the nearby cemetery and placed it on a blood-stained open space, his face full of mourning. The others followed suit.

When Malu, after being resurrected, finally managed to jump down from above, she saw the crowd bowing their heads in mourning, all facing her direction.

She laughed in exasperation.

"Leon!" This time she didn't even call him "boss," and jumped over to tear Leon's beautiful blond hair into a mess.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch." Leon stood still and let her torment him without flinching.

Jia Paer stood there watching the "playful" Strategy Team, and couldn't help but sigh, "This is youth."

As the Mimic Tear disappeared, they left behind several purple dots of light.

[A remnant body Mimic Tear]

[Infusing it with magic can activate its remaining power, allowing it to mimic your appearance and participate in battle. However, since it is an incomplete part, it will be damaged after one use.]

The Silver Tear can mimic other creatures, and it is said that at the end of its mimicry, it will be reborn, and one day it will become a king.

If the imitations all achieve the same level of quality, then this prop is indeed extremely valuable.

It would be great if there were a version with unlimited usage.

"Boom!"

As the commotion subsided, Leon pushed open the Stone Gate as expected. If all went as planned, those Mimic Tear would be the final obstacle. Overcoming their obstruction would mean gaining the right to enter the mysterious city.

As the heavy, dusty Stone Gate was slowly pushed open, a beam of dark light pierced through the crack and fell upon Leon.

He draped himself in a scarf made of starlight and mustered all his strength to push the door open!

At that moment, starlight descended upon everyone's eyes.

[Eternal City - Nokron]

What appeared before people's eyes was a galaxy shimmering in the deepest part of the earth.

The pale purple night sky, studded with countless stars, is a sight rarely seen even on Earth; only in the land of elves could such a beautiful scene exist.

The starry sky looked so real that it was hard to believe this was inside an underground city, let alone underground.

The magnificent and unique landscapes are an important part of a fantasy adventure; an adventure without scenery is like one that has lost its soul.

Beneath the glittering Milky Way, a somber building stood silently, connected to Leon and his companions only by a long bridge.

The city is beautifully built, and it has a unique charm under the night sky, making people want to explore its wonders.

However, the scene before them gave everyone a strong sense of déjà vu.

"Leon," Malu tugged at his sleeve, "After we go down, won't some monster that looks like a crocodile and a dog suddenly jump out from the bridge?"

"I think the chances are pretty high." Delu's eyebrows twitched.

Although the scenery is different, this bridge connecting the city gives people a sense of déjà vu, similar to Irithyll of the Boreal Valley.

"No matter what, we still have to get through this."

Leon made up his mind that the same trick would not work on the adventurer a second time, and he would not be scared even if another Crocodile Sunlight King appeared on the bridge!

At most, I'll think about that little boy in Irithyll of the Boreal Valley whose fate was sealed, which will make my head feel a little uneasy!

Jia Paer took the lead and jumped onto the top of the bridge first.

Good. The bridge didn't suddenly break, there were no enemies climbing up from the side of the bridge to ambush, no giant iron ball was dropped from the sky, and the Crocodile Sunlight King didn't jump out. Everything seemed normal.

This, in turn, made people even more uncertain.

Just then, they suddenly noticed a person lying not far away, whose body had been pierced by numerous extremely long arrows, but who was still breathing.

Just as Leon was about to go up and check the situation.

"Aww—"

From the depths of Nokron came a loud wolf howl.