The next day rolled around, and after they got their weekly sleep in and ate some breakfast together, Zack split off from Fannie and headed to the practice room. As he closed the door behind him, he triggered his [Cosmic Weed] ability once more.

In an instant, a hefty chunk of mana surged from his core, shaping into an exact replica of himself. This clone mirrored Zack right down to his threads, although the clothes on the clone were just a visual mimicry of his magical artifacts.

Zack shot a resentful glare at the clone. It was because of this doppelgänger that he'd made Fannie cry the day before. He jabbed his finger into the clone's forehead, grumbling, "What are you staring at, huh? Yesterday's mess was all your fault."

The clone simply stared back blankly. It couldn't lift a finger without Zack's say-so. Zack just needed an outlet for his frustration, and the clone was an easy target. He continued to glare at its face for a moment longer before exhaling deeply. This ability was truly miraculous, just as he'd expected from the system.

It could recreate his physical body entirely, flesh and blood included. Not even Fannie, a level 2 wizard with excellent mana talent, could tell the difference between his clone and his real self. In fact, yesterday, he'd used the clone to greet Fannie.

Of course, creating such a lifelike clone demanded a hefty amount of mana. The basic rule was simple: the clone's mana capacity determined the mana needed to craft its body. Say Zack wanted the clone to hold 10,000 mana; he'd have to fork over a matching 10,000 mana just to shape its form. And that didn't even cover the mana he'd pump into the clone afterward. So, essentially, he needed double the mana to bring his clone to life.

The absolute minimum for a mana-less clone was 1,000 mana. Even that required a level 1 wizard at the peak of their level to cough up their entire mana stash just to make a clone that barely measured up to your average Joe.

The clone couldn't recharge its mana solo because it lacked a wizard's specific magic circuitry. But Zack could lend his own magic circle to the clone, granting it the ability to replenish its mana. Otherwise, he could pump his own mana to the clone to replenish its mana. Yet, again, the clone's mana capacity was capped by what Zack invested in its creation.

For instance, if Zack fashioned the clone to handle 10,000 mana and gave it his magic circle, boasting 50,000 mana, only 10,000 mana would stick around—the rest would fizzle away. Plus, any mana the clone recharged through the magic circle stayed trapped inside it; once Zack removed the circle, poof, there went the mana.

The magic circle could be easily shifted back to Zack's original body without any hiccups. This transfer could happen manually or automatically upon the clone's demise. Plus, the clone couldn't amp up its own mana capacity—it was stuck with what Zack initially gave it.

Once spawned, the clone could go about its business independently, sustaining itself with mana. In theory, it could keep on functioning as long as there was enough mana nearby. It could even patch up minor wounds like cuts and bruises. But major damage, like broken bones or lost limbs, was a no-go.

Controlling the clone was a whole other ball game. Zack could whip up a basic program for it to follow or take the reins directly. Simple tasks—like walking, running, or sitting—were easy to program. But for slightly more complex jobs, like navigating from the practice room to the kitchen, Zack had to input detailed instructions. He'd have to spell out every move, like "walk 100 meters forward, then take a left, and stroll another 50 meters." He could even set it to search for the kitchen on the current floor and camp out once it found it, exploring every nook and cranny like a carpet-style search. But here's the kicker: Zack had to program every single action, turning the whole process into a major headache. Simply put, it was a real pain in the ass.

The simpler route was to directly control the clone, but that meant Zack had to focus all his attention on it, leaving his main body on the backburner. Still, he figured he'd eventually get the hang of multitasking, juggling control over both his clone and his original body.

Now, all the bells and whistles he just mentioned? Those were just add-ons. The clone's main gig was its self-preservation ability. See, if Zack kicked the bucket while his clone was out and about, his soul would hop on over to the clone, along with his magic circle. All he had to do was nurture the clone until it matched his original body, and boom, good as new.

The more mana Zack pumped into creating the clone, the sturdier its body became, and the easier it was to bounce his body back to his original form after a revival. But here's the kicker: the clone's lifespan matched Zack's age when he made it. So, let's say he whipped up a clone at 25, then let it chill while he aged to 50. The clone stayed frozen in time, no wrinkles or gray hairs. So, when Zack bit the dust and jumped into his clone, he'd be right back to being 25. Talk about turning back the clock!

As Zack pondered all this, a shiver ran down his spine. He'd stumbled upon what could only be described as "immortality." But instead of feeling elation, he was gripped by dread. Could such a power be handed out so casually to a mere mortal? He couldn't shake the feeling that this ability trespassed into the realm of the divine. He absolutely couldn't risk anyone finding out about it. The consequences would be catastrophic.

Luckily, his clones could tap into his other [Hidden Boss] abilities he had up his sleeve. With a little tweaking, he could change their appearances, ensuring there was no link between them and his main body. But despite his fears, he knew he had to use the clones for emergency situations. He couldn’t shy away from its powers just because of some fear.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

So, he whipped up a clone. He drained all his mana, creating a husk with no mana of its own—a pretty useless shell without Zack's magical juice. Then, after recharging his mana, he pumped all of his mana inside the clone. Creating a monster of mana, with a whopping 110,000 mana.

Sure, the clones couldn't recharge their own mana, but they had their perks. Zack could churn out as many as he pleased. He planned to create one clone every day from here on out. The longer he stockpiled, the more clones he'd have—imagine having a whole army of super level 3 wizards at his beck and call. Even if all they could do was self-destruct, they'd still be a force to be reckoned with.

With a sense of delight, Zack realized he now wielded a seriously powerful trump card. It was enough to push the uncomfortable truth of his newfound immortality to the back of his mind. He decided to approach it like he did with the system as usual: toss the complicated thoughts out the window and just enjoy the perks. Guiding his clone, he led it to a spacious empty hall he'd cleared out specifically for their storage.

As he strolled to the kitchen, he felt an overwhelming urge to venture beyond the tower's walls. It was probably the rush of having such an overpowered life-saving ability—it made him feel invincible–plus the incitement from fate as usual. But he squashed those thoughts down. With a smirk, he thought, "Nice try, fate, but you can't push me around like you did back in my apprentice days. Dream on!"

He reached the kitchen in a huff and polished off some leftovers from breakfast. Then, it was back to the practice room to hone his spells and formations. Come nightfall, he waited until Fannie wrapped up her spell practice and settled in to meditate. Snuggling up to her for comfort, he replenished his "Fanniometer." These little moments made life in the tower a whole lot more bearable. Heck, with Fannie, he could stay cooped up in here for a century! But, of course, he wouldn't keep Fannie from her meditation. He needed his own quiet time for reflection too.

There was something important Zack needed to talk to Fannie about. They settled in the garden, Zack seated with Fannie on his lap, her back against his chest. He could catch a whiff of her hair's faint fragrance and feel the warmth of her body against him as she chattered away.

"Wow, look at that flower! It's so pretty. Do you think we can eat it?" Fannie asked, her curiosity piqued.

Zack glanced at the man-eating flower that has an ominous black and purple color. He wiped his eyebrows, he ain’t gonna comment on this one.

"Listen, the other day I saw this apprentice turn pale and get sick everywhere after eating his wrap. The cafeteria corridor smelled like a disaster zone for two whole days! I heard he had to cough up some points to the tower for the mess. Serves him right for not paying attention to what he's eating and gobbling it down while standing," Fannie changed the topic quickly, it looked like she wasn’t planning to listen to Zack’s answer and just asked without much thought.

Time passed, amidst Fannie's cheerful chatter, Zack occasionally pitched in his thoughts. Her upbeat demeanor never failed to bring a smile to his face. Despite what happened yesterday, she seemed to bear no grudges. Not just yesterday's incidents but from all the tougher challenges she faced. Zack admired her resilience—through all the challenges she'd faced since childhood, she still managed to smile freely.

Once, he asked her how she stayed so positive. Blushing slightly, she responded, "It's because I'm with you, teacher. Every day feels brighter. I don't forget my past, but I keep it tucked away in my mind without letting it overshadow the present. I think about the future, but I don't let it consume me in the present. I want to savor every moment because I'm with you, teacher."

As Fannie echoed his sentiments, Zack was taken aback. She was thinking exactly like him. With her by his side, he could fully enjoy the present without dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Perhaps she sensed his inner turmoil, which was why she spoke in such a cheery tone—intentionally trying to lift his spirits. But she wasn't pushing him to spill his troubles. Instead, she left it up to him, silently offering her support whether he chose to confide in her or not.

Feeling the warmth emanating from her, Zack's anxious mood began to ease. He held onto Fannie a little tighter, burying his face in her hair for comfort. Taking a deep breath, he finally spoke her name, “Fannie.”

"Hmm?" she responded, turning her head upward with deliberate cuteness.

He couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. Despite knowing she was putting on an act, her cuteness never failed to charm him. He leaned in to kiss her forehead gently before lifting her by her armpits, turning her to face him directly. Then, he opened up about his new ability and its implications for his lifespan. As he divulged more and more, Fannie's brow furrowed deeper, lost in thought by the time he finished speaking.

Looking at Fannie's face, Zack injected a deliberate lightness into his tone to ease the tension. "But hey, I've got a solution for this. You know I've got a massive amount of mana, right?"

Fannie nodded, her expression still tinged with confusion. Zack pressed on, "Well, what I haven't mentioned is that I also have multiple cores. Since I can transfer my magic circle to my clone, I could dedicate one specifically to contain my core and have it circulate mana through your body every time you meditate. That way, we can nurture your body and potentially increase your lifespan."

Fannie's eyes widened even further, her mouth hanging open in shock at the revelation of Zack's multiple cores and his plan.

Zack reassured her, "Don't worry, it won't affect my own meditation. I'll just use my full core, which I can't increase any further as the clone’s core, and I'll still have a smaller core I can work with."

Sure, it wouldn't be as effective as having the core inside a wizard's body full-time, but it would still have some impact. Zack considered having the clone circulate its mana to Fannie constantly, but then she wouldn't have time to learn and practice her spells.

"In reality, I don't really need to do this, since with your talent, you'll have no problem reaching level 3 wizard.” Zack said with a teasing tone, “this is just a precaution."

Calming down, Fannie replied, "Yes, don't worry, teacher. I'll work hard to reach level 3. I don't want to leave you behind either."

After discussing the heavy topic, Zack hugged Fannie and shifted the conversation back to lighter subjects. Fannie went along with it, changing the topic as well. Holding her small, soft body and listening to her cheerful tone, Zack couldn't imagine a world without her in it. He silently vowed to keep them together, no matter what.