Puh-uck!
The satisfying sound of something bursting echoed loudly through the arena.
“…I just thought of a new nickname for Lee Jian.”
“That’s basically a forbidden word in this industry.”
A look of shock swept across the faces of the contestants who were watching Lee Jian.
Lee Jian was one of the most well-known idols among all currently active Hunter girl groups.
With her pure and beautiful appearance, her class as a Healer, and her flawless skills in both dancing and singing, she had everything going for her.
She was even secretly called a “Donation Angel,” known for generously giving back to society without hesitation.
Thanks to all of this, she had a broad fan base that spanned all ages and genders.
A doppelgänger with Lee Jian’s exact appearance collapsed to the floor, a fountain of blood spurting from its head.
Before its body even fully hit the ground, the doppelgänger turned to ashes and vanished.
“Whoa, that was a lot more blood than I expected.”
Lee Jian, who had just smashed the doppelgänger’s skull with her healer staff, looked a bit embarrassed as she examined the bloodstains on the weapon.
She quickly stashed the healer staff into her inventory, only to notice that some blood had gotten on her fingers as well.
Awkwardly, she wiped them off on the back of her clothes.
“You can eliminate the doppelgängers this way, or just render them unable to fight. The method is up to you!”
The contestants looked at Lee Jian and forced smiles to their faces as best they could.
One contestant who had been standing near her looked like he was about to vomit from the smell of blood, clutching his mouth with both hands.
“Alright then! The 24-hour countdown starts now!”
Lee Jian glanced around the noisy arena and swiftly moved on to her next line.
The moment she saw a monster, her instincts kicked in and she couldn’t help but go for the kill.
To her, monsters were things that had to be eliminated on sight—no exceptions.
Even though she held back more than usual since the cameras were rolling, judging by the contestants’ reactions, it didn’t seem like it made much difference.
Her manager had warned her earlier that day to keep her cool as much as possible, but clearly, that advice hadn’t helped.
Just for a second, the nickname her fans secretly used for her passed through her mind.
‘…This is gonna blow up once it airs.’
Lee Jian awkwardly waved both hands as she looked at the confused contestants roaming around the set.
She was trying to salvage her image, even if it was a bit late for that.
“I really don’t want to go near that.”
“…Me neither.”
Kim Chan and Lee Hajun stood frozen, staring at their own doppelgängers, identical in appearance.
“Stop right there!”
“Ahhh! Don’t chase me! Get away!”
The set instantly turned into chaos.
***
As soon as the countdown began, the more aggressive contestants charged toward their respective doppelgängers.
No one knew how much the production team had nerfed the doppelgängers’ abilities, but fierce battles were breaking out all over the place.
In the middle of the chaos, Kim Chan and Lee Hajun were still trembling in place, unable to move.
The monsters were horrifying enough, but having them look exactly like themselves made it even worse.
Even when they made eye contact with their doppelgängers on stage, it had sent chills down their spines.
Kim Chan’s doppelgänger was now sprinting around the set, while Hajun’s remained still on the stage.
“You need to move, though. The sooner we take down our doppelgängers, the more time we’ll have to practice the theme song.”
Han Jihoo pulled out a weapon from his inventory and began warming up.
Though his class was Healer, the determination in his eyes was no different from that of a seasoned swordsman.
“You’re not scared of your doppelgänger, hyung?”
Lee Hajun looked up at Han Jihoo with admiration.
Jihoo’s calm demeanor naturally drew attention.
Hajun couldn’t help but wish he could look that composed too.
“Yeah. I’m more afraid of myself if I let fear win.”
Han Jihoo ruffled Hajun’s hair and flashed a confident smile.
It was such a charming, refreshing smile that even Hajun was briefly dazed by it.
“Come on. Let’s go take down your doppelgänger together.”
“O-okay…?”
Jihoo slung an arm around Hajun’s shoulders and pulled him along without giving him a chance to resist.
At the same time, Hajun’s doppelgänger was also being dragged away by Jihoo’s doppelgänger, who had grabbed it by the wrist.
Jimin’s doppelganger, who had been nearby, was also taken away.
Jihoo found Jimin and, putting his arm around Jimin’s shoulder with his free arm, led him away.
***
“…Hajun…”
Chan let out a pitiful voice when Hajun, who had been with him, suddenly disappeared.
Knowing he wasn’t the only one afraid of this mission had been a small source of comfort…
“…Chan, let’s go together.”
The one who approached Chan was Doha, rubbing his sleepy eyes in an effort to stay awake.
In Doha’s hand was a dagger—no one knew when he had taken it out.
It was the same dagger he had acquired during the last spirit mission.
Under the set lights, its sharp edge gleamed ominously.
“Is it okay if I go with you?”
Chan looked worried.
With Doha’s ability, he could probably defeat a doppelganger in an instant.
Chan was concerned that Doha might get held back trying to protect him.
“Yeah. It looks like your doppelganger and mine have paired up.”
“You’re right.”
The doppelgangers had also instinctively formed teams in order to survive.
Just as the participants had grouped up to attack them, the doppelgangers were mimicking their tactics.
As Jihoo had mentioned, Chan and Doha’s doppelgangers were now moving together.
“Let’s go!”
Seeing the doppelgangers running away sparked courage in him.
Chan lightly tapped Doha’s arm and dashed in the direction the doppelgangers had gone.
Doha twirled the dagger in his hand once, then quickly followed behind Chan.
***
“You’re contestant Hwang Roy, right?”
“Yes. Hello.”
Unlike the others who were moving quickly, Roy was calmly observing the situation.
He didn’t want to recklessly attack a doppelganger and risk triggering something dangerous.
One contestant had already been counterattacked by their doppelganger and now had a visibly swollen cheek.
Clearly, even if the production crew had nerfed the doppelgangers’ abilities, they couldn’t be easily defeated by someone at level 10.
Roy watched his friends disappear one by one as they teamed up and left, all while keeping an eye on his own doppelganger.
At first, it stood still—but then it started jerking its head side to side, as if searching for someone.
Just as Roy was focusing on the odd behavior of his doppelganger, someone approached and spoke to him.
It was Kim Jaewoo.
He had a sharp yet gentle appearance, and he was one of the most popular contestants—having ranked 5th in the first rankings ceremony.
Roy gave Jaewoo a curious look, wondering why he was being approached.
Jaewoo pointed in a direction with his fingertip.
“It looks like my doppelganger and yours have teamed up. I think we should, too—what do you say?”
Roy followed his finger with his eyes.
Sure enough, Roy’s doppelganger, who had been frantically looking around, clapped hands with Jaewoo’s doppelganger.
Then the two turned and began to leave the set together.
“Peep!” (This place is a mess. It reminds me of when I was traveling with those mercenaries.)
Ber, perched on Roy’s shoulder, chirped brightly as he preened his feathers.
That’s when Jaewoo’s pupils visibly trembled.
The calm expression he had worn until now suddenly cracked, his throat twitching as if he were swallowing hard.
“That bird… it’s your spirit, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
If Roy wasn’t imagining things, Jaewoo’s eyes had glinted strangely for a moment. Instinctively, Roy took a small step back.
“Peep.” (Contractor, this guy’s got a weird look in his eyes.)
Ber shivered slightly, and without breaking eye contact with Jaewoo, waddled behind Roy’s neck, trying to avoid the gaze.
“Can I… Can I just… touch it once?”
Even Jaewoo’s voice was trembling, and he was stuttering his words.
It was obvious he wasn’t in his right mind.
Roy frowned slightly, about to refuse—but then reconsidered.
If they wanted to finish the mission quickly, teaming up with Jaewoo would help.
“Here.”
“Peep?” (Contractor… seriously?)
Roy reached behind his shoulder, grabbed Ber easily, and placed him on his palm before holding him out toward Jaewoo.
Ber turned his head back to Roy with a look of deep betrayal, as if Roy had just sold him off to a bird dealer.
“H-Hello…”
“Peep…” (What is with this guy?)
Jaewoo’s face flushed red from his neck all the way up.
His ears were particularly red—like they’d bleed if you touched them.
He crouched slightly to meet Ber’s eyes and awkwardly raised one hand to wave.
He looked like someone completely overwhelmed.
“I saw you on stage before…”
His shy, confessional tone made Roy’s lips twitch.
He clenched his teeth to keep from laughing.
Ber’s appearance, despite being a spiritual body, was objectively cute.
His round black eyes were sparkling and expressive—it was easy to feel fond of him.
Still, no one had ever reacted as strongly as Jaewoo.
“C-Can I… shake your hand?”
Jaewoo nervously extended a trembling index finger toward Ber.
His finger kept bobbing up and down with tension.
Ber’s head tilted in sync with the movement.
His forehead feathers swayed gently, and Jaewoo’s expression turned dazed.
“Peep!” (Ugh. No matter the form, my popularity is just unstoppable.)
Ber tilted his head arrogantly.
Then, with elegant motion, he spread one wing and placed it atop Jaewoo’s fingertip.
“…Ber held my finger…”
Though Jaewoo had asked for it, he now looked utterly moved.
The blush on his cheeks deepened even further.
“Shall we get moving? The doppelgangers are already out of sight.”
If left alone, Roy was sure Jaewoo would ignore the mission entirely just to stare at Ber, so he quickly returned Ber to his shoulder.
Jaewoo followed the movement of Ber with his eyes, only to meet Roy’s gaze instead.
“Ahem, right.”
It seemed Jaewoo had finally realized how ridiculous he had just acted.
He cleared his throat, trying to compose himself—though the entire incident had already been caught on camera.
“They went through that door. Since they look exactly like us, I doubt they could have gotten too far.”
Jaewoo pointed toward one of the doors on the set.
Even while gushing over Ber, he hadn’t lost track of the doppelgangers’ movements.