Eye to Eye, Mind to Mind — a journey into the unknown depths of self-awareness and instinct.
River recalled the Quest's cryptic description.
The man from the future who first discovered this Quest claimed it could be completed by any human. Judging by those words alone, River had already formed an idea of what lay ahead: a challenge that would test the mind, not the body.
Quests like these were always treacherous. Hunters thrived on raw power, but when strength was stripped away, many found themselves helpless. Wits, logic, and sharp instincts became the real weapons—and River knew from experience just how taxing such Quests could be. He'd completed a handful of these trials before, each intended for Hunters Level 40 or above—and each had left him reeling with headaches.
But if the perverted, brainless idiot who'd managed to sleep with a humanoid monster rabbit could finish it… then River was confident he'd fare just fine.
"It would've been more fun if I could actually use my Skill here," River muttered, shaking his head in disappointment.
He was itching to test his Bubbles in real combat, but it looked like he'd have to wait until after the Quest. Once he returned, he knew he'd probably cross paths with that golden-haired boy again—Nolan. But this time, River was certain he could stand his ground. Even if he couldn't win, he could escape with ease.
He didn't know exactly how time flowed in this pocket dimension, but he was sure it moved faster here. He just hoped that when he stepped back into the real world, the Sun God Mage would still be far off.
Sighing, River reached out and placed his hand on the nearest tome.
His fingers touched the cold, stone-like surface, a chill seeping through his skin and spreading into his bones. The white pulsing energy that flowed across the tome's etched symbols stirred a thrill in his chest—an unspoken promise of mysteries waiting to unfold.
Suddenly, an interface blinked to life in front of the tome's unblinking eye.
"Quest: Eye to Eye, Mind to Mind. Trial One will begin in 5 seconds."
"5…"
"4…"
River's frown deepened as the countdown appeared with no hint of what Trial One entailed. "No description? Hmm… interesting," he muttered, stepping back sharply. His newfound strength sent him gliding several meters away, landing with barely a splash.
All at once, the entire grey world quaked violently. The shallow waters across the obsidian floor shivered and danced in chaotic ripples. The two tomes he hadn't touched began to sink slowly into the ground, vibrating as if some massive engine roared beneath them.
Meanwhile, the tome before him blazed with a searing white light that nearly blinded him. He fought to keep his eyes open, but the brilliance was too much; his lids squeezed shut against his will.
Through the veil of light, River heard the countdown slow to a crawl, each tick resonating deep within his bones.
"2…"
"1…"
"Trial One has officially begun. Good luck!"
River's eyes snapped open, pupils narrowing as his body shifted into combat readiness. Mana surged, and dozens of bubbles materialized around him. Though each bubble was no bigger than a clenched fist, inside them swirled compressed air and raw mana—the same explosive power he'd demonstrated earlier, only now spread across a storm of floating spheres.
Their delicate, harmless appearance belied their deadly potential. Each bubble was a ticking bomb, layered seamlessly with thousands of micro-bubbles that held back the pressure, their subtle glow belying the devastation they could unleash at his command.
River's eyes narrowed as he scanned the world around him. The three towering tomes had vanished without a trace, swallowed by the obsidian floor as if they'd never existed.
Above, the colossal moon still hung silently in the sky, its pale light indifferent to the chaos that had just unfolded.
"Now what?" River muttered, a hint of irritation threading his voice. He swept his gaze across the vast, fog-shrouded expanse, searching for even the smallest clue.
As he pivoted to check his blind spot, his eyes caught something—and widened in stunned surprise.
Standing just meters away was a portal, identical to the one he'd used to enter this place—likely the same one that would lead him back to the outside world once the Quest was over. But it wasn't the portal itself that sent a chill down his spine.
No, it was the person standing right in front of it.
A perfect mirror image of himself.
Every detail—from his posture to the glint in his eyes—matched him flawlessly. River knew this face better than anyone; he even knew the birthdate, the orphanage he'd come from, every scar and every secret etched into this body.
"Should I call you my twin? Or River No. 2?" River smirked, masking the unease curling in his gut.
Of all the possibilities he'd considered for Trial One, facing a clone of himself hadn't crossed his mind. Yet here it was: a copy so perfect it felt like staring into a living, breathing reflection.
"River No. 2 seems fitting," he mused aloud, nodding with faux approval. "So what should I do?"
But his clone didn't answer. River No. 2 simply stared back, black eyes devoid of warmth—like polished obsidian, cold and impenetrable.
This was the first time River had ever encountered a clone of himself. During the original timeline, he'd faced enemies who could copy others to deceive or kill, but never had he seen his own likeness used against him. There was something both fascinating and deeply unsettling about it.
River No. 2 stood unmoving, the portal behind him pulsing faintly, as if waiting for something only it knew.
"No instructions?" River muttered, brows knitting. "This Quest really likes its mind games."
He let out a frustrated breath, then shifted his stance. Summoning his Mana Gathering technique, he expanded his senses outward—like invisible threads fanning through the air—to scan both the portal and his clone in minute detail.
Every vibration, every flicker of mana, every nuance of River No. 2's presence flowed into his awareness.
And what River sensed left him momentarily breathless.
The portal was unmistakably the same one he'd used to enter this realm. But the real shock came from his clone: the mana signature pulsing within River No. 2 wasn't just similar to his own—it was identical. As if he were staring at a perfect mirror of his power, down to the last shimmering mote of mana.
Calling it a "clone" felt like an understatement; River's instincts screamed that he wasn't just facing a copy, but something far more real. His Mana Gathering told him that River No. 2 was breathing exactly as he did, every inhale and exhale matching his own rhythm. The temperature radiating from the figure, the subtle fluctuations of energy—every detail mirrored him perfectly.
Though his refined Mana Gathering couldn't peer directly into the clone's core, it let him sense the presence of internal organs—organs laid out just like his own. River No. 2 wasn't a simple illusion or mimic; it felt like a living, breathing replica, a minute-for-minute copy of himself.
Most cloning abilities had telltale signs: irregular mana flow, unnatural movements, inconsistent temperature. But River's mastery over Mana Control gave him absolute confidence—he could always sense those imperfections. Yet here, there were none. His senses reported only one thing: River No. 2 was indistinguishable from a real human.
"This is tricky… very tricky," River exhaled heavily, eyes narrowing. "If this guy really is like me… then he's dangerous."
He focused again, tracing the subtle hum of mana coursing through River No. 2's pathways. It was exactly like his own—each circuit, each node perfectly replicated.
"But why is he guarding the portal?" River muttered, gaze flicking past his double to the swirling gateway. "Is this the way forward? The key to completing the first Trial?" His brow furrowed as he considered the possibilities.
With a resigned sigh, River began walking steadily toward the portal, ignoring his silent double. His bubbles floated alongside him, orbiting his body like a shimmering barrier—fragile in appearance, but deadly in purpose.
Their distance shrank with each measured step.
Three meters.
Two meters.
One meter.
River stopped barely a couple feet away, his eyes locked with his double's unwavering, obsidian stare. River No. 2 stood still, arms at his sides, not a single muscle twitching in response.
"Strange…" River murmured, searching those eyes for any flicker of intent—some clue to this puzzle. But the void-like gaze yielded nothing. "If you're not going to attack, then don't blame me for walking through."
He shifted to sidestep the clone, reaching for the portal's shimmering threshold.
But the instant his foot crossed River No. 2's plane, a sudden wave of murderous intent burst toward his face.
River's lips curved into a smirk. His bubbles flared with power, mana surging through the fragile spheres. In the same heartbeat, a deafening explosion split the silence—
Bang!