Mark adjusted his gaming chair, the familiar creak a comforting soundtrack to his weekend grind. He stared at the screen, frustration etched on his face. "Another repetitive fetch quest? Seriously, Zenith's imagination has hit rock bottom."

Zenith was Mark's current obsession, an open-world RPG notorious for its quirky mechanics and branching storylines. But lately, the "quirky" mechanics felt more like cheap gimmicks, and the branching storylines all seemed to converge on the same tired fetch quests. He sighed, drumming his fingers on the armrest. "Maybe I should try that new VRMMO everyone's been buzzing about."

Just as he considered his options, a blinding flash engulfed the room. One moment he was in his cluttered apartment, the next he was standing in a sun-dappled forest, the air thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. He blinked, disoriented. Gone were the familiar sounds of whirring fans and keyboard clicks, replaced by the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves.

Mark cautiously stepped forward, his hand instinctively reaching for the controller that wasn't there. Panic started to bubble in his chest. This wasn't a new VR experience - this was real. A shiver ran down his spine. "Did I just get isekai'd?" he muttered, the absurdity of the situation momentarily overriding his fear.

A high-pitched shriek pierced the air, tearing him from his thoughts. A goblin, no bigger than a terrier, charged at him, brandishing a crude wooden club. Instinctively, Mark raised his hands in defense, bracing for impact.

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But the impact never came. Instead, he heard a guttural yell and a sickening thud. Confused, he lowered his arms to see another Mark, identical in every way except for a slightly bewildered expression, standing over the now-unconscious goblin.

Mark stared, jaw slack. "What... the...?" The other Mark shrugged, wiping a green slime off his hand. "Looks like we're doing this together, buddy."

A notification materialized in the air before them, shimmering like a heat mirage.

Welcome to Aethel!

System Activated: Clone Jutsu

You can create perfect copies of yourself. Shared Knowledge: Anything your clones learn, you learn too. Shared Stats: As your clones grow stronger, so do you.

Warning: Use clones responsibly.

Mark blinked again, processing the absurd message. "Clone Jutsu? Is this some kind of weird new Zenith update?" He turned to his clone, who was now picking his teeth with a goblin finger (gross). "Do something! Explain!"

The clone grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Later, boss. Let's figure out this System first. Maybe there's a way to get unlimited gold with this trick!"

With a groan, Mark realized the enormity of his situation. He was stuck in a real-life game, with a broken ability that could be both a blessing and a curse. He took a deep breath, trying to quell the rising panic. He may not have signed up for this isekai adventure, but at least he had an army of himself - for better or worse.