Stepping through the pink cloud castle's gates, I find... nothing.

"Odd..."

I glance around. There has to be more to this place.

Wandering through the castle, I search for any sign of the Alpha. The castle is made of pink clouds, but there has to be something here.

-Fwoosh!

Following the breeze, I find myself in the center of the castle, where a pink cloud swirls as if it's creating something. Soon, the cloud takes the form of a person – no, a guy, kneeling with his head down.

He looks oddly familiar.

But that doesn't make much sense. There are plenty of people with blonde hair in Verdant Haven. Why does this one seem recognizable?

I raise my gun, aiming at the figure.

-Bang! Bang!

-Clank! Clank!

My bullets hit an invisible barrier. It must be some shield.

When the blonde guy looks up, his green eyes confirm my suspicion.

It's Arthur!

Or, at least, it looks like him.

Did the Alpha somehow dive into my memories to replicate Arthur's appearance?

This would make things complicated.

-Fwoosh!

Then, in a flash, "Arthur" vanishes.

!

I sense danger and quickly roll to the side.

Glancing back, my hunch is correct.

"Arthur," now armed with a sword of light, aims for where I just was. This guy is quick.

I aim my guns again, unleashing a flurry of bullets.

-Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

-Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

But "Arthur" slices through them with his sword.

Then, he disappears from my sight once more.

!

Rolling aside, I avoid another swift attack.

This copy of Arthur is extremely fast.

I need a new plan—charging head-on isn't working. This Arthurian mimic seems to focus on close combat, unlike the real Arthur, who balances both ranged and close combat.

This observation suggests that perhaps this mimic isn't as adept in long-range combat as the real deal.

But if that's true, why isn't it pursuing me more aggressively?

"Avalon's Blast."

The figure announces in a monotone voice as three orbs of light appear beside him, quickly turning into beams aimed directly at me.

-Bling!

Dodging by a hair, I realize I've underestimated him. He is just as dangerous from a distance.

-Boom!

The beams strike the cloud floor, nearly catching me.

Regaining my balance, I see "Arthur" charging with his light sword, ready to strike.

Raising my guns, I attempt to block the attack.

-Clank!

"Ugh!"

The force sends me flying backward into the cloud wall.

Thankfully, the wall, being made of clouds, cushions my impact. If it had been solid, I'd surely be nursing a serious back injury.

!

In a split second, I instinctively roll to the side, barely missing a sharp slice from the look-alike Arthur.

"Ugh!"

I grunt as the fake Arthur's foot connects with my chest, knocking the wind out of me. It feels like a freight train has hit me square on, sending shockwaves of pain through my body.

I tumble across the ground, the rough landing jarring every bone in my body.

"Hah…hah."

Clutching my aching stomach, I struggle to catch my breath, the sharp pain making it hard even to think straight.

Before I can even get my bearings, the impostor Arthur is already looming over me, his sword gleaming with a dangerous light.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

With swift movement, he lunges the sword into my right shoulder.

"AGH!"

The pain is immediate and intense, a white-hot agony that sears through my entire arm, anchoring me to the spot with its cruel grip.

Pain flares in my shoulder like wildfire, blurring my vision with tears.

"Kuh!"

I gasp; the agony is so intense it feels as though the sword is still twisting inside the wound.

The Arthur look-alike steps back, watching me with an eerie, silent anticipation as if enjoying the sight of my struggle.

I force myself to stand, ignoring the throbbing pain that screams for me to stop. My hand trembles as I aim my guns at him again, desperation fueling my shaky aim.

-Bang! Bang!

My bullets fly more out of hope than accuracy. But with an almost lazy ease, the impostor Arthur deflects them, his sword a blur of light.

This isn't just a fight; it's a nightmare. He effortlessly counters every move I make, as if he knows my every thought.

With my injured shoulder limiting my movements, I try to create distance to rethink my strategy.

-Shing! Shing! Shing!

But the fake Arthur presses on, relentless. He moves with a speed that seems unnatural, even for this world of magic and monsters.

I dodge another slash, feeling the air slice near my face, a warning of how close death is. The ground beneath me feels unstable, the clouds swirling as if to mirror the chaos of the battle.

In a desperate bid, I fire again, hoping to catch him off guard.

-Bang! Bang! Bang!

-Fwoosh!

But it's as if I'm shooting at a ghost.

My opponent vanishes, then reappears right beside me, his sword aiming for a killing blow.

!

I drop to the ground, rolling away in the nick of time, feeling the sword graze the air above me. Every movement sends spikes of pain through my shoulder, but surrender isn't an option.

Scrambling to my feet, I know I have to change tactics. Brute force isn't working; I need cunning, a way to outsmart this phantom adversary.

With a deep breath, I calm my racing heart, trying to see beyond the pain, beyond the fear. The impostor Arthur readies another attack, his expression a mask of determination.

But this time, I'm ready. I feign weakness, leaning heavily on my good side, hoping to lure him into overconfidence.

As he charges, I wait until the last possible second before sidestepping, using his momentum against him.

"Haa!"

With all the strength I can muster, I push him forward, sending him stumbling into the cloud wall.

For a moment, he seems surprised, thrown off by the sudden shift in our dance of death.

It's the opening I need.

Ignoring the pain that screams for me to stop, I launch myself at him, guns raised for a point-blank shot.

-Bang! Bang!

Yet, to my utter disbelief, he dodges the point-blank shots with a fluidity that defies logic, leaving me stunned.

In that moment of shock, he retaliates with a swift kick, striking me squarely in the chest.

"Ugh!"

The impact expels the air from my lungs in a violent rush, leaving me gasping and vulnerable on the cloud floor, struggling to draw breath amidst the searing pain.

"Hahahahaha!"

Arthur's sinister laughter echoes around us, a stark contrast to the pain and desperation I feel.

It's a sound that chills me to the bone, a stark contrast to the Arthur I know.

Struggling to my feet, I know I have to change my approach. Going head-to-head isn't working; his speed and precision are overwhelming.

I need a moment and space to think and plan. A retreat is necessary, not to flee the battle, but to recalibrate and strike back effectively.

With that in mind, I quickly formulate a plan. I aim my guns not at him, but at the cloud floor beneath us.

-Bang! Bang!

The bullets pierce the soft cloud, causing a burst of pink mist to envelop the area. Taking advantage of the sudden cloud cover, I dart away, using the obscuring mist to mask my movements.

"Hah...hah..."

Catching my breath, I press my back against the cool, soft wall of the cloud castle, hidden from his sight. The pink clouds, swirling gently around me, offer a brief respite.

"I need a new plan to deal with his speed..."

That's when it hits me...SPEED!

Fumbling in my pocket, I retrieve the 'Chrono Pendant.' Its golden surface gleams with potential.

This artifact could be the key, but how do I activate it?

!

Before I can ponder further, I sense an impending threat.

Dropping to a crouch, I roll to the side, narrowly avoiding another of the impostor Arthur's lightning-fast attacks. Looking back, my heart sinks as I see him cutting through the last of the pink mist, his eyes locked on mine.

He's found me despite my best efforts to hide.

Now, with my back against the wall and the 'Chrono Pendant' in hand, I know it's do or die.

If I have any hope of turning the tide in this fight, I need to understand this artifact quickly.

"Avalon's Blast."

With a cold command, the Arthur doppelganger summons three orbs of light beside him. They shimmer briefly before elongating into beams of pure, concentrated energy, directed straight at me.

I throw myself to the side, the heat of the beams singing the air where I had been just moments before.

-Boom!

I can feel the rush of their power as they narrowly miss me, demolishing pieces of the cloud floor in their wake.

-Fwoosh!

Before I can catch my breath, Arthur reappears beside me, his movements a blur.

With no time to react, I feel the sharp sting of his light sword piercing my right shoulder again.

"Agh!"

The pain explodes through my shoulder, radiating down my arm in waves of unbearable agony.

I clench my teeth, trying to push through the pain, but it's overwhelming.

"Hahahaha!"

His sadistic laughter fills the air as he withdraws the sword, raising it high above his head for another strike.

I glance up at the glowing blade, knowing I can't withstand another hit, and close my eyes, bracing for the impact.

"A-Activate!"

In my desperation, I invoke the 'Chrono Pendant,' not fully understanding how to use it but hoping against hope it will respond.

-Tick-tock!

The ticking sound reaches my ears, an unexpected but welcome noise amid battle.

Hesitantly, I open my eyes and am met with an astonishing sight. The Arthur look-alike, his sword raised for a devastating blow, moves slowly as if caught in molasses.

The 'Chrono Pendant' in my hand is warm, its surface pulsing with a gentle light. Time itself has slowed, granting me a moment of reprieve and a sliver of hope.

Seizing the slowed time to my advantage, I quickly crawl to the side, escaping the path of the descending sword.

I raise my gun, aiming it directly at the Arthur look-alike's head, point-blank range.

-Bang!

The bullet, enveloped in a red aura, strikes the impostor Arthur squarely in the head.

His expression shifts to one of surprise and... betrayal.

"Doms...why?"

His voice, a replica of Arthur's, is filled with sorrow that tugs at my heartstrings.

But as he speaks, his form dissolves into pink clouds, leaving behind a single pink orb.

Despite the convincing display of emotion, I remind myself it is all an illusion, a trick meant to manipulate my feelings.

"Hah...hah..."

Exhaustion overtakes me, and I slump onto the cloud floor, clutching my wounded shoulder.

QUEST COMPLETED! You have successfully raided an E-ranked Stargate!

You obtained 50 Stat Points!

The quest is finally over.

"Great job defeating the Alpha, Dominic."

Andre's voice breaks through my relief. He approaches with a proud smile, holding a healing potion out to me.

"Here, take this."

He tosses the potion to me.

I caught it and drank deeply. The potion worked instantly, easing the pain and knitting the wound closed.

Andre then turns his attention to the pink orb, examining it closely.

"A [E] ranked orb. We can sell this," he muses.

Looking back at me, he continues, "Let's head back home."

As he speaks, he walks over to me, his gaze dropping to my torn attire.

-Rip!

Without hesitation, Andre tears away the remnants of my makeshift bandage and the tattered pieces of my shirt.

"You need to get changed. Verdant Haveners are quite particular about appearances."

I nod in agreement, grateful not only for the rescue but also for the reminder that, despite everything, appearances matter in this world.