I always knew that I was a pathetic person, and I lived a pathetic life, but that beyond my expectations. It was so absurd that I laughed for several minutes until I ran out of air. I had never laughed so much in my entire life.

“Let’s talk a little, no need to feel so much fear, dude.”

After I got up, I said those words to my copy which I couldn’t see. But just as I had expected, I didn’t hear an answer. My copy was quite shy; in any case, destroy that copy would be easier. So, I decided to learn a few things about myself again. But honestly, I was a bit skeptical of that.

“Why are you afraid? We are the same person, well, almost the same person. I wouldn’t act like that in front of the others.”

“Shut up, monster… leave me alone or I will ki-ki-kill you!” My copy said, trying to muster some courage.

“I’m not a monster, and if you truly are me, you understand that you aren’t real. This is just another challenge of the tower, anyway, what is the last thing that you remember before appearing in this place?”

My copy didn’t answer, and then I sighed. He didn’t react much to my words, so, he was probably aware that he was just a copy of me. But to act like that... his memories probably had been altered. My first copy was who I wanted to be, was calm and analytical. But I would only become something like that when I forget some memories. After all, what molded a person was that person memories.

My second copy was the version of me who fought alongside the other survivors; he was me who forgot almost everything during the battles and acted naturally. Thanks to that, I always end up displaying the behaviors which I tried to suppress. My last copy was the person who didn’t care about anything; it just acted naturally ignoring all kinds of problems he could cause. He was the person who I wanted to hide from the world; I was a coward, crybaby, insecure, and weak.

“This tower really is a messed up place…”

I was the example of a survivor who could survive thanks to luck and some courage. But those were useless in a challenge like this, although most people could survive just by forgetting their pride for a while, the mental damage would never disappear. That said, it was also a good opportunity to train my mind. My third copy acted like that because his fears and flaws were stronger than his willpower, if I force him to say why he was acting like that, I would be able to strengthen my mental defenses. Probably. However, I really wanted to leave that place. That version of me made me laugh, but I was beginning to feel pissed. I didn’t want to be weak; I hated to be weak.

“… Why are you hiding? What are you so afraid of? We don’t have time to lose here. You have skills and have weapons, why are you still acting like that?”

After a long sigh, I managed to say those words. That copy was everything that I hated on myself, I was fine in using coward tactics, but everything else in him was too unnerving.

“You already know why…” My copy sobbed.

“Yeah, I know. Now, quit whining and face your fears and flaws. We live in a world where the weak become food for monsters on a daily basis. Just forget your past and move on.”

“I can’t… and you know why.” My copy sobbed again.

I wanted to be a survivor who fights and keeps my head cool, but that was getting hard. It was annoying when someone who has your same voice is always endings his sentences with sobs.

“I give up. I guess I just should keep ignoring those feelings instead of facing them.”

Using my crossbows, I shot to all directions. That place was so weird that I even didn’t have to reload my weapons, but even after several minutes shooting to all sides, nothing happened.

“As expected of a copy of my past, you are quite good at hiding.”

It was pretty easy to be good at that when you can disappear and teleport around without worrying about MP.

“Why can’t I return to the past?” My copy asked, and then he sobbed.

“Why do you want to return? Those days were only lies; our lives were lies. My life won’t become a lie anymore!”

I created a fire arrow and shot toward where his voice had come from, but nothing happened, the magic arrow only disappeared in the darkness.

“Because it’s better to live a lie than live a life full of fears and uncertainty.” My copy said.

“Oh, boy… you are pathetic to your very core, huh. Don’t you feel ashamed in saying that kind of thing? I would feel embarrassed, just by thinking about it.”

I sighed to calm down, hearing my voice saying that kind of thing was really unnerving, and it was also very embarrassing. Maybe I didn’t know all my flaws very well. But I absolutely wasn’t that pathetic. I complain a lot about many annoying things, but I never cried, no matter what situation I was in. Even after two years away from the family that I idolized so much, I never cried. That version of me had to die.

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

I stopped attacking, and then I activated the cape’s effect. I wouldn’t be able to destroy him just by shooting at all directions; I had to be even more creative because that version of me was already tormented by his fears and flaws. He already knew all too well about my deepest secrets, so I wouldn't be able to surprise him like the other two copies.

“Why was I born that way? Death is better than this kind of life.” My copy said.

“Be thankful that you are alive you pathetic coward. It’s better than don’t exist or don’t feel anything.”

“We shouldn’t be thankful for anything; we are an anomaly! We don’t have the right to live in this world.” My copy shouted, and then sobbed.

“In that case, you should appear, and I will get rid of one anomaly. If someone tries to take my life, that person will have to try a lot because I won’t fall that easily.”

I used the search skill to find my copy, but as I had expected, I found nothing. But then I had an idea, in that space, I could use MP without any worries. So, I decided to create a massive magic arrow to hit him.

‘I will end up being hit if I try to create a magic arrow too powerful… in that case, I should create an arrow which can’t damage me directly.’

While I wasn’t worried about hurting myself as long as I could get rid of that pathetic excuse of a copy, I couldn’t take so many risks just because I was a bit angry. So, I began to concentrate, and little by little, a dark arrow appeared in the middle of that empty space.

“… I know what you are planning, and that won’t work. Just give up, there’s nothing for us on this world.” My copy said.

“Give up and do what after that? I may be pathetic like you are, but I’m changing, and soon I will become someone who doesn’t need to rely on or wait for anyone. Just wait, and you will see.”

My copy babbled about something, but I just ignored him, he was too coward to attack me, and I didn’t have to listen to the words of such a pathetic creature. I wouldn’t learn a thing from him, and I had to get rid of him, he was my weak side. Although probably I would never be able to eradicate him, that would be a crucial first step.

After one hour concentrating the tiny dark arrow had become a ten meters long lance. I grinned while I was looking at that large arrow, I would wait anxiously for the day I would be able to create a dark arrow like that using my power alone. I didn’t even have to aim, I just made the arrow touch the floor, and then suddenly the space became denser, and I felt something pushing me to the floor.

‘Holy shit… is this the gravity increased by ten times?’

Although I could move my arms and legs a little, I didn’t have the strength to get up. But that wasn’t necessary; I could move around using something else. I looked to my front, my left side and right side but I saw nothing. However, I heard something snapping before me.

‘Behind me, huh. Pretty clever.’

I teleported a few meters behind, and then I appeared right behind my copy. Without ceremony or any fancy words, I created a fire arrow and exploded his body.

‘Serves you right… cowards don’t have a place in this new world.’

I felt really refreshed after exploding my copy, after all, I literally blew away my side, which had all the things that I hated on me. I still could feel those annoying feelings inside me, but they would eventually disappear. I was sure of it.

“Congratulations, you finished the second challenge. The second challenge was completed.”

I finally reappeared outside the tower, and then I saw the others. Surprisingly, we lost only two survivors, and none of those were the members of the special team. Sandra and Lucius, who had received some mental damage previously looked normal. The only exception was Claire; she was pale and looked like she had seen a ghost.

“Are you alright?” Sandra asked, putting a hand on Claire's shoulder.

“Yes… I’m fine.” Claire answered, forcing a smile. “I just…”

“You don’t have to say anything,” Sandra interrupted her. “We all faced some… troublesome enemies. We can talk once we return to the hotel, only if you feel comfortable about it.”

“Right,” Claire said.

It seems even Claire had her secrets, and her copies used those against her, and that was surprising, I always thought that she was by far the strongest among us, physically and mentally. I thought I didn’t really see it; she killed a few mutant cats when her arm was terribly wounded on the day I met her and the kids. Anyways, that was her problem, and she had friends to share her problems. I wasn’t interested, and I wasn’t the best person to talk about problems or secrets.

Although we completed our mission losing only two survivors, we didn’t celebrate on the way back. I was feeling refreshed, but the others looked tired, even though we only stayed in the tower for half an hour. Even under that hot sun, Claire still looked pale, and she didn’t kill a single monster on the way back, she didn’t even try.

“You look quite relaxed, Ethan,” Harry said, showing a surprised expression.

“Mind your own business.”

“Well,” Rose said frowning. “Ethan seems to be the kind of person who would enjoy beating the crap out of someone who looks exactly like him.”

“I will accept that as a compliment.”

“I don’t think you should,” Sarah said.

“Focus on your surroundings,” Sandra said angrily. “You can talk inside the hotel as much as you want,” Sandra said angrily.

When we arrived at the hotel, a few survivors celebrated the success of the missions, and others mourned the two survivors who died. As usual, I tried to head to my room, but two hands stopped me. Annoyed, I looked behind, and I saw Harry and Rose.

“What?”

They pointed at Claire, who was absent-minded heading to the second floor, but after that, they didn’t say anything.

“Do you want me to talk to her?”

“Yes, you are her roommate,” Rose answered as if it was a matter of fact. “You should talk to her.”

“I’m a man, and she is older, I have no idea what she is thinking. So, I can’t help. Besides, I thought you were the psychologist here, not me.”

“I was just a student, and I’m not saying that she needs a therapy session.” Rose sighed. “She needs to talk to a friend.”

“Great, then you guys can talk to her.”

“You are her closest friend, Ethan,” Sarah said. “You are the one who should talk to her.”

“Since when am I her closest friend?”

Thanks to my question, they became astonished. Why did they look so surprised? I was just asking a simple question.

“A friend isn’t someone you talk about everything at any moment? Claire and I never talked about anything besides our work here. I don’t know anything about her besides her name, her job, and the fact that she is very good using bows.”

I also knew that she was Martin’s cousin, but that wasn’t something that she told me. So, we were pretty much strangers.

“Let me ask you two questions, do you guys pretend to leave this city? Does Claire intend to leave?”

“I don’t think we will, and I don’t think Claire will either,” Harry answered.

“Good, then this is one more reason for you guys talk to her. Soon, I will leave this city, and nothing will stop me. So, you guys should create some radars. That being said, the words of someone who doesn’t know a thing about her and will leave this city soon won’t help her, right?”

After saying that, I headed to my room while Harry, Rose, and Sarah were looking at me with their mouths wide open.