Chapter 4: The Simulation Begins
The moment Kael opened his eyes, he found himself lying beneath a crimson sky, surrounded by ruins and silence.
His clothes had changed—black combat robes lined with silver thread. His body felt stronger, lighter. But the strangest part?
He wasn't in his world anymore.
> [Simulation #1 Activated]
Identity: Clone of "Kael the Blade Monarch"
Objective: Survive for 72 hours.
Optional: Retrieve lost memory fragments (0/5).
Warning: Death in simulation will cause clone disintegration. Experience and memories will be transferred to Host.
Begin.
Kael sat up, trying to process the voice in his mind. A simulation? Blade Monarch? That wasn't him.
Or was it?
A broken sword lay beside him, its handle engraved with a name he couldn't read—but it felt familiar, like a name he'd once whispered in a dream.
Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed.
Clang.
Kael turned. A figure stepped from the shadows—armor cracked, eyes glowing with red fury. It looked human… but wrong. Twisted.
And it spoke in a rasped voice:
"You dare wear his face?"
Before Kael could react, the enemy lunged.
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[Combat Initiated – Skill Memory: "Monarch's Draw (Lv. 1)" Unlocked]
Kael's body moved on its own. His hand gripped the broken blade, and in a blur, he sidestepped the attack, slicing through the figure's chest with a speed he didn't know he had.
Blood splattered. The figure fell.
Kael panted, staring at his shaking hands.
> Memory Fragment Acquired: "The Day I Became King."
> +1 Stat Point. Physical Enhancement Unlocked.
"This… isn't just a simulation," Kael whispered. "It's a piece of who I was."
He looked at the crumbling ruins, the crimson sky, the endless horizon.
And he took his first step forward.
"If I was a king in one life… then let's see what I become in this one."
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