"I, uh…"
Rey cleared his throat, shaking his head slowly as he shrugged.
"Never mind. Forget I asked."
Josh scowled. "No, you don't get to backpedal now. What's this 'Level' stuff you're talking about?"
Rey rubbed the back of his neck, forcing a sheepish smile.
"It's nothing. Just a… personal way of categorizing abilities. Don't worry about it."
Tess didn't look convinced, but she didn't press the issue.
"Alright," she said, leaning forward. "Your turn, Rey. What's your ability?"
All eyes turned to him, and for the first time, Rey felt a flicker of unease.
Explaining his power wasn't easy, especially without giving away too much about his connection to the System.
He took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully.
"In simple terms," he began, "I can copy other people's abilities. When I see someone use their power, I can replicate it. For now, I am yet to figure out the limits, but… that's the gist of it."
The room erupted into murmurs.
"Copy… abilities?" Mia said, her voice tinged with disbelief.
"Like… any ability?" Marco asked.
Rey nodded. "As far as I know."
Josh scoffed. "That's why you wanted us to show our abilities first, huh? So you could steal them?"
"It's not stealing," Rey corrected, his tone sharp. "You still have your powers, don't you? I just… borrow them."
Tess raised a hand, silencing the others. "Show us."
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Rey smirked, his gaze locking onto her.
"Gladly."
In a flash, Rey swapped places with Tess, just as she had done with him earlier. The group gasped, their shock obvious as they realized he had perfectly replicated her ability.
He swapped their positions again, this time moving with such ease it was as if he had been using the power his whole life.
The group stared at him, stunned.
Even Tess looked slightly unnerved, her composed demeanor faltering for a brief moment.
"Unbelievable," Sarah whispered.
Josh crossed his arms, his scowl deepening. "So, what? You just copied all our abilities? Are we supposed to feel safe with someone like you around?"
Tess shot him a warning look.
"Enough, Josh."
She turned back to Rey, her expression unreadable. "Your ability… it's unlike anything I've ever seen. If you're telling the truth, and there really are no limits…"
She trailed off, her gaze distant.
Mia spoke up, her voice hesitant. "If he's on our side… maybe we really could stand a chance. Against the Dragon Emperor, I mean."
The room fell silent as the weight of her words sank in.
Rey looked around, his smirk returning.
"Well," he said, his tone light but confident, "if you're all done being impressed, what's next? I'd like to get started on saving the world."
"Easy there, cowboy." Tess smiled, suddenly appearing in front of him while placing her hand on his shoulder.
Her ability never ceased to impress him, even though he had seen better in H'Trae.
"Go wash up, rest, eat, and then we'll talk about our plan."
"Understood!" He made a mock salute, smiling as he left the area, much to the amusement and excitement of everyone around him.
Once he arrived in his room and shut the door, though, his silly facade faded away.
"Status Window."
[STATUS WINDOW]
- Name: Rey Skylar
- Race: Human
- Class: NIL
- Level: 1 (0.00% EXP)
- Life Force: 3
- Mana Level: 10
- Combat Ability: 5
- Stat Points: 0
- Skills (Exclusive): [Doppel]
- Skills (Non-Exclusive): NIL
- Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
[Additional Information]
Unknown… no information has been provided.
[End Of Information]
"[Doppel]." He muttered, revealing all the Skills he had managed to receive within the span of a few hours.
{Doppel Skills}
[B-Tier]
Space-Shift
{Total: 1}
[C-Tier]
Electrical Surge
Light Shield
Moist Meter
Physical Enhancement
Soundwave
Shadow Control
Stone Transformation
{Total: 7}
[D-Tier]
High Sense
Camouflage
{Total: 2}
[Active Skills: 10]
[Passive Skills: 0]
[Total Skills: 10]
[END OF INFORMATION]
They were all low-tier, at around D-C Tier, with only Tess' [Space-Shift] being at B-Tier.
Compared to Rey's previous Skills, these were pathetic.
"But they'll have to do…" He sighed, heading to the bathroom to freshen up.
"... For now."
*********
Hours later, Tess called the group together in the shelter's common area.
The nine of them sat in a rough circle around her while Rey leaned against the wall, listening closely. Tess held a glowing, crystalline shard in her hand—a piece of the haul they'd scavenged from the energy-saturated area where Rey had been found.
The crystal hummed faintly, a quiet pulse of light coursing through its multifaceted surface.
"These," Tess began, holding the shard up for everyone to see, "are Energy Crystals. The ones we found near Rey are some of the purest we've ever come across, and they're exactly what HQ has been desperate for."
Rey, arms crossed, nodded thoughtfully. Energy Crystals, though unfamiliar to him, clearly held great value in this new, chaotic version of Earth.
Josh scowled from across the circle, his bruised face still evident from their sparring match. "So, we're just supposed to hand them over to HQ? Why not keep some for ourselves? We could use them to power up our shelter, maybe even our weapons."
Tess sighed but kept her tone measured. "HQ's resources are stretched thin. These crystals could make a huge difference in the larger fight against the Dragon Emperor. We're part of something bigger, Josh. Remember that."
Josh muttered something under his breath, but he didn't argue further.
Tess turned her gaze to Rey. "The rendezvous point and date will be set by HQ. They'll contact us in the next few days, but only a small team will go for the delivery. In the meantime, Rey, I think it's time we addressed your situation."
Rey arched an eyebrow, playing coy. "My situation?"
"You need to get stronger," Tess said bluntly. "You've proven you're skilled, no question there. But your ability is… unique, and we don't know its limits. The best way to understand it is to see it in action—against Monsters."
A murmur rippled through the group. Josh's scowl deepened, but others, like Mina and Felix, nodded in agreement.
Rey's face remained neutral, but inside, he was grinning.
This was exactly what he wanted: an opportunity to fight, to grow stronger by leveling up. While everyone was still trying to understand the limits of [Doppel], he would use the opportunity to rack up Stat Points and Levels.
"I'm on board," Rey said, his tone calm and confident. "When do we start?"
"Tomorrow," Tess replied. "We'll take you to an area not too far from here. It's crawling with Monsters, but nothing we can't handle together. Consider it a trial run."
"Together?" Rey asked, genuinely curious.
"Of course," Tess said, smiling faintly. "You're part of the Resistance now, Rey. We don't throw people to the wolves. Not even if they have lightning coursing through their veins."
The group chuckled lightly at her comment, breaking some of the tension in the room. Josh, however, remained silent, his eyes fixed on Rey with an intensity that promised this wasn't over.
Later that evening, as the group prepared for the next day's excursion, Tess approached Rey in his room. She leaned against the doorway, watching him as he sharpened a blade he'd borrowed from their armory.
"You seem… eager," Tess said, folding her arms.
"Shouldn't I be?" Rey replied without looking up. "You're giving me the chance to prove myself—and to get stronger. I'd be an idiot not to take it seriously."
Tess studied him for a moment before stepping inside. "Most people would be nervous about facing Monsters for the first time."
Rey glanced up at her, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Who says it's my first time?"
Tess raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, the fact that I have this power, and my body seems to know how it works means I must have awakened at some point… even though I can't remember the details." He added. "I could have fought Monsters, maybe even been part of some other Resistance or Shelter."
"Yeah… maybe."
"Besides, I have you all with me, with your powers too. Monsters should just be like lager animals, right? Shouldn't be too hard."
"Fair point. But this is different. These Monsters aren't mindless beasts—they're corrupted by the Dragon Emperor's power. They're smarter, stronger, and more dangerous than anything you're thinking about."
"I'll manage," Rey said confidently.
"I hope so," Tess replied. "Because if you can't, you're putting all of us at risk."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with implication.
Rey met her gaze, unflinching. "I won't let you down."
Tess nodded, her expression softening slightly.
"See that you don't."
********
The next morning, the group set out at dawn.
The world outside the shelter was bleak and unforgiving, the sky a perpetual shade of gray that made it hard to tell where the horizon ended and the heavens began. The landscape was a twisted parody of what Earth once was, with jagged, blackened trees and rivers of stagnant, dark water.
Rey walked near the front of the group, his senses sharp. Tess led the way, her movements swift and precise, while Josh lingered at the back, his eyes darting between Rey and the surrounding terrain.
They reached the edge of a sprawling, desolate plain, where the ground was cracked and scorched, and the air felt charged with a strange, unnatural energy.
"This is the spot," Tess said, stopping abruptly.
She turned to face the group. "Stay sharp. We'll move as a unit and watch each other's backs. Rey, stick close to me until we get a sense of what's out here."
Rey nodded, his expression serious.
"Understood."