How to survive in the Romance Fantasy Game

Chapter 364: Runic Clone

With Valeria’s awakening, I could finally consider my weaponry secured in my overall specs.

While I still planned to gather a few more items, looking at my current stat sheet, I doubted they would be absolutely necessary.

Lucas was already growing stronger at his own pace.

That meant I wouldn’t have to guide him as much toward key items—at least, not the ones he could find on his own.

Still…

I couldn’t afford to ignore defensive abilities.

There was one particular item that would be a perfect addition to my setup.

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be available until the end of this arc…

So, for now, I’d just have to wait.

Now then…

It was time to test out the new skill I had acquired.

[Skill: Runic Clone (Unique)]

A skill I obtained after absorbing and comprehending the Runic Stone.

Based on its description and effects, this ability was ridiculously powerful if used properly.

Not only did the clone have an indefinite lifespan—existing until I either dismissed it or it was destroyed—but it also had a bonus effect:

Once the clone vanished, all of its memories would transfer back to me.

That alone made it a broken ability.

If used correctly, I could cover multiple objectives at once…

And in the right circumstances, it might even allow me to cheat death itself.

[Skill: Runic Clone (Unique)] ➡ [Activated!]

I felt a part of myself split away, an odd, indescribable sensation—almost like peeling off a layer of my soul.

A blob of energy formed before me, shifting and morphing like a cocoon of condensed mana.

Sparks flickered around it as its form solidified.

Then—

I found myself staring at… myself.

Completely naked.

”…So, it doesn’t copy my clothes?”

I sighed. Figures.

For such an overpowered skill, there had to be some kind of drawback.

Still, looking at it now…

This thing was a perfect copy.

Too perfect.

Standing up, I circled the clone, examining it carefully.

With the right clothing, it could easily pass off as me—a flawless doppelgänger in every way.

Yet…

Right now, it just stood there, eyes glazed over, motionless.

Testing the Clone

”Raise your right hand.”

”…”

No response.

No movement.

I frowned.

So, it wouldn’t move on its own unless I fed it memories.

But that raised another question—

How much should I give it?

This was my clone, meaning it was bound to be loyal, but…

If I transferred too much, it might become a complete copy of me.

Right now, I needed it to be autonomous and efficient—not another ’me’ but something capable of handling specific tasks.

Specifically…

I wanted it to act as an anomaly in certain key events happening in the academy while I focused on Senior Alice’s situation.

That meant I had to be careful about how I handled this memory transfer…

I know my self better than anyone else… if this would just become a perfect copy of me It might decide to do things that would benefit my current goal of saving Senior Alice at the moment…

I stood there, pondering.

How much of me should I give this clone?

I needed it to be Riley, but not me.

A version that could act on its own, independent of my immediate thoughts, yet still function as an extension of my will.

After some thought, I made my decision.

[The User Will Now Proceed with Memory Sharing]

[Note: It is imperative to be mindful of the memories being transferred. The clone’s personality, ego, and stigma will be based on the user’s memories, and improper balance may lead to clone ego corruption.]

[Do you wish to proceed?]

[Yes/No]

’Yes…’

I closed my eyes.

Immediately, I felt a pull inside my mind—like an unseen force sifting through my thoughts.

It was time to choose.

First my childhood from my previous life.

A harsh and traumatizing past—one that shaped me into who I am today. The suffering, the struggles, the lessons learned.

Second my time in the Imperial Military.

The discipline, the training, the ruthlessness required to survive.

The truth harsh reality I learned from my mother and the death of my first love… and eventually the death of my mother…

Third my knowledge of the game.

The happy moments, the painful moments, and most importantly—the stakes. The weight of the world’s fate and the paths that lay before me.

4th was my awakening in this world.

The initial confusion, the slow realization that I was in this world, and the steps I took to gain control of my fate, then life I built here.

The family that I found—the people who cared about me.

The moments that softened my once-unshakable resolve that I could never find love in a family, the warmth that replaced the cold detachment I once lived with.

Then, I paused.

A strange hesitation gripped me as I tried to recall the memories buried deep within me—the ones I had forgotten, abandoned, or simply locked away.

I took a deep breath.

[Skill: Archive] [Activated!]

A sudden surge of memories flooded my mind.

Good and bad.

Significant and insignificant.

Moments that shaped me, moments I had discarded.

Memories of worlds now lost.

I transferred the lives of other Riley’s—the fragments of my existence from broken worlds. The triumphs and regrets of those who shared my name.

A hundred years’ worth of memories from a world where I found happiness…

And dozens more from the shattered ones.

They all flowed into him.

[Transferred Memory Successful!]

[Congratulations! Your clone will now move autonomously while keeping your requests, will, and orders as its top priority.]

I opened my eyes.

And then, my breath caught.

He was staring at me.

His posture, his presence—it wasn’t just a reflection.

It was something else.

Something more.

”Hello, original.”

His voice was quiet, yet firm.

Serious. Measured.

Like an old professor addressing a student.

”Hello…” I responded, unsure how to feel.

I knew this was my clone, but—

Why did his demeanor and aura feel so… ancient?

I studied him.

Then it clicked.

This was the result of those memories.

Since he had inherited the knowledge of my happy ending with Liyana, he had essentially lived through it—experienced it as though it were his own.

In a way, mentally, he was older than me.

Aged by the weight of countless lives and choices.

Even though I possessed the memories of all those realities, there was a reason why a filter had been woven into each of my skills—

A safeguard. A mechanism to prevent overflow.

The clone’s gaze drifted across the room, scanning its surroundings with a gentle, yet strangely apathetic expression.

After a moment, he nodded.

”It seems you have summoned me inside your room,” he remarked, his tone composed and analytical. ”I presume you are testing this skill for the first time?”

”That’s right.”

”I see… Well then, I shall await your orders, Original.”

His words were firm yet deferential, as if he had already accepted his existence as a mere extension of my will.

”You do not need to be nervous,” he continued. ”Although I may look like you and act like you, I am but a clone—a servant of the Original’s will.”

”…Is that so?”

Even though I knew he was me, something about this conversation still felt strange.

Almost unnatural.

But regardless of my unease, I was relieved—at the very least, the skill had worked successfully.

Still, his demeanor felt… different.

He acted similar to the other Riley—the one from that happy ending—yet at the same time, he still carried my current habits, mannerisms, and thought patterns.

It was going to take a while before I got used to this.

”Since you’re my clone, you probably already know why I summoned you, right?” I asked, studying him carefully.

He met my gaze with an expression of quiet understanding.

”I could make an educated guess,” he admitted. ”After all, I am still you.”

A slight pause.

”You have likely summoned me to oversee an event that may unfold in your absence.”

I nodded. That was exactly it.

”However,” he added, ”without direct orders, there are limits to what I can do that would be truly beneficial to you, Original.”

”…So, you’re saying you want to make sure you don’t interfere with my plans?”

”Yes.”

I crossed my arms, studying the clone before me.

It was brimming with loyalty, which was a major check in my book. However, it still required direct orders before acting on its own.

That meant that once I gave it a command, it would carry it out in the most efficient way possible.

Good.

I exhaled, setting my thoughts straight before speaking.

”My orders to you are simple for now…” I began. ”I want you to help me establish a good connection between Lucas and the Saintess. As you probably already know, the two haven’t even met yet.”

The clone gave a small nod, seemingly digesting the information.

”That is quite a simple task… but is that all you really need from me?”

I shook my head.

”No. Other than making sure the two make contact, I want you to stay hidden in the shadows for the time being. Once a demon gets summoned here in the academy, I need you to assist them from behind the scenes.”

I met his gaze firmly.

”I’ll be busy handling things with Senior Alice. I trust you can manage that much?”

The clone didn’t hesitate.

”Yes… though it will be difficult,” he admitted. ”Given that I share the same base stats as you, Original, it is plausible that I can provide aid. My abilities are on par with a strong knight, and my mana reserves are high enough to sustain prolonged combat. However…”

He paused, his brows furrowing slightly.

”Dealing with demons may prove challenging. Considering the lack of skills and abilities I possess, my overall combat effectiveness remains limited.”

I smirked.

”Ah, you won’t have to worry about that,” I assured him, a small smirk tugging at my lips. ”I already took into account the fact that you can only inherit one of my skills…”

I raised a hand and pointed at him, initiating the transfer.

[Skill Transfer will now begin!]

[Note: Unlike memory transfer, a transferred skill will be permanently lost from the user’s skill tree once given away.]

[Do you wish to proceed?]

[Yes / No]

’Yes…’

[Transferred Skill: Rune Mastery]

[Proficiency: 0%] has now been transferred.

[Skill will now be deleted from the user’s soul skill tree until Clone’s presence disappears.]

A faint glow surrounded the clone as the knowledge of Runic Magic embedded itself into his being.

I watched as his expression shifted—at first, a flicker of surprise… then, a nod of understanding.

”Considering the skill’s description, do you mean for me to learn fast, Original?”

”Exactly,” I confirmed. ”The academy library is filled with runic spells, and some books on basic spell formations are free to access. I want you to check them out and learn from them.”

The clone crossed his arms in thought.

”So instead of a knight, I’ll be taking on the role of a mage, huh…” He mulled over the idea before shaking his head. ”While my base stats are quite high, I still lack the power to compensate for my weakness in mana reserves, Original.”

He was right.

I had focused more on my physical capabilities over raw mana capacity, making me more of a hybrid fighter.

If my clone was going to step into a mage’s role, he would struggle with sustaining powerful spells for long durations.

But I had already accounted for that.

”Don’t worry,” I said. ”I’ve got a fix for that too.”

I smiled as I reached out, summoning another item.

A faint glow shimmered in the air before something materialized between my fingers—a small, radiant stone, pulsating with an ethereal glow.

The moment my clone laid eyes on it, understanding dawned on his face.

”I see…” he muttered, carefully examining the object. ”Though it’ll be a bit uncomfortable to take on the role you’re planning for me, Original, I shall do my best to properly fulfill it.”

I nodded and extended the item toward him.

[Item: Moonlight Stone]

[Rank: Blessed]

[Description: Born from the fragment of the last will of the Moon God, marvelous surprises shall come to whoever first touches the stone.]

[Note: As the item was fixed by a higher being, its effects have been upgraded.]

[Only light is needed to activate the item.]

I wasn’t sure if my clone had a system interface like I did, but judging by his focused gaze, it seemed like he could somehow read the item’s description as well.

The Moonlight Stone shimmered, its glow shifting into a dazzling spectrum of rainbow hues before the clone activated it.

A blinding light enveloped his entire body.

The radiant energy coiled around him, warping his form, size, and features before finally settling. As the glow faded, I found myself staring at—

…A girl.

Her frame was noticeably smaller, her silhouette slender, and her golden hair had grown significantly longer, cascading down her back like flowing silk.

Her eyes flickered open, revealing a familiar, yet strikingly different gaze—my gaze, but from a face that wasn’t quite mine anymore.

And—she was completely naked.

I stiffened, my breath catching in my throat.

Immediately, I averted my gaze, feeling an unnatural wave of embarrassment wash over me. Logically, I knew that this was still me—technically.

But somehow… looking at a female version of myself, naked, felt even more awkward and mortifying than seeing my original, male body in the same state.

’Why does this feel weirder than looking at my usual self naked…?’

I wondered about it for a brief moment.

Then, deciding that now was NOT the time for such thoughts, I forcibly shoved the question aside.

”From now on, instead of a ’Riley Clone,’ I want you to assume the position of Evelyn,” I declared, crossing my arms as I looked at my newly transformed counterpart. ”You are Evelyn from this point forward.”

She didn’t reply immediately.

Instead, she took a moment to examine her new body, running her hands over her arms, her waist, and even the strands of her longer hair.

After a few seconds, she lifted her gaze and met mine.

”Understood, Original,” she finally said, her voice noticeably lighter—and, to my surprise, carrying a seductive undertone that I definitely hadn’t expected.

I blinked.

’Wait… Is that how I always sound when I’m Evelyn?’

The thought made me slightly uncomfortable, but I shook it off and nodded in response.

Right. Clothes.

Since she was still completely naked, I needed to find something for her to wear.

The problem was, while there were some spare clothes for girls in my room—thanks to Senior Alice, who had a habit of leaving her stuff behind—I absolutely wasn’t about to make my clone wear my lover’s clothes.

That just felt… wrong.

”I’ll go buy some clothes for you. For now, just stay here until I come back—”

Creak!

The sound of the door opening made my entire body freeze.

”Good afternoon, young master,” came a familiar voice, smooth and composed. ”I apologize for not greeting you earlier upon your arrival—”

It was Yui.

My personal maid.

The moment she stepped inside, her sharp blue eyes landed on the completely naked girl beside me.

For the briefest moment, her usually poker-faced expression faltered—her eyes widening ever so slightly as she inadvertently took in the scene.

A long silence stretched between us.

Then—without missing a beat—Yui’s entire demeanor shifted.

She took a deep breath and bowed gracefully.

”My deepest apologies for the intrusion, young master,” she said smoothly, as if nothing had happened. ”This personal maid of yours has displayed a lack of courtesy and unprofessionalism by failing to knock before entering. Such an error is unacceptable.”

”Ah no wait Yui it’s not what it looks like-”

”As a result, this maid shall now punish herself accordingly. If you would please excuse me—”

BAM!

The door slammed shut before I could even raise a hand to stop her, and Yui said all those words in just a few second… is Yui secretly a rapper?

I stood there, staring at the door.

My empty hands remained frozen mid-air, as if I could somehow will the situation to rewind itself.

’Fuck…’

A soft giggle suddenly broke the silence.

”Fufu…”

I turned sharply.

”Did you just laugh?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

Evelyn—my clone—covered her lips with the back of her hand, her blue eyes gleaming with clear amusement.

”I wouldn’t dare, Original~,” she replied smoothly, her voice carrying just the slightest hint of mischief.

I exhaled.

’This is going to be a long day…’