Nyx Shadowbrook stumbled into his small room, tired but happy after another long day of quests and studying. Before he could fall into bed, his eyes landed on his bag.

"Oh right, can't forget about you," he mumbled, carefully pulling out the baby Mana Tree.

He looked around his cramped space, trying to find the perfect spot. His desk was too cluttered with books and papers. The floor was too dark and cold. Then his eyes landed on the windowsill.

"Perfect," Nyx grinned.

He grabbed a small clay pot from a shelf and filled it with some soil he'd collected during his herb-gathering quest. Gently, he planted the tiny Mana Tree in the pot.

"Now, where to put you?" Nyx mused. The windowsill was a bit narrow for the pot. Then he had an idea.

He stacked a few of his older magic books by the window, creating a makeshift stand. Carefully, he placed the pot on top.

"There you go, little one," Nyx said softly to the tree. "Sunlight by day, moonlight by night. A pretty decent view of the streets. You'll grow big and strong in no time."

With the Mana Tree safely planted, Nyx finally allowed himself to collapse onto his bed. He focused on the clones memories, and they rushed into his head. But this time, something different caught his attention.

"Hold on," Nyx said, sitting up quickly. He closed his eyes, thinking about his clone's memories. A wave of emotions washed over him, each one clearer than the last.

First came embarrassment. Nyx felt his cheeks grow hot as he remembered his clone walking around in shabby, ill-fitting clothes. He recalled the awkward glances from passersby, the way the clone had tried to hide behind bushes when people came too close.

Then came discomfort. His body ached with phantom pains - sore feet from walking barefoot, a growling stomach from not having enough food, dry lips from not enough water.

Anger bubbled up next. Nyx felt a surge of frustration at being treated like a tool, sent out to do the hard work while the "real" Nyx stayed comfortable. The clone's thoughts echoed in his mind: "Am I just a thing to be used and thrown away?"

Lastly, a deep sadness settled over him. The clone had felt lonely, cut off from others because it couldn't risk being seen as a copy. It had yearned for connection, for acknowledgment of its existence beyond just being a magical helper.

Nyx felt awful. He had been so focused on his goals and doing things faster that he forgot something really important. His clone wasn’t just a tool. They were him, with all his thoughts, feelings, and wants.

"I've been treating them... myself... like a thing to use," Nyx realized out loud, his voice shaky. "This has to stop! This has to change, right now."

The next morning, Nyx went to the market with a new plan. He walked up to Thornberry's Leather Goods, the same shop where he'd bought his traveling gear before. The familiar smell of tanned hide and polish greeted him as he entered.

"Well, look who's back!" Thornberry, the stout dwarf behind the counter, called out. His red beard twitched as he grinned. "Back already from your journey? What's better than a new customer? A returning customer!"

Nyx smiled, feeling welcomed. He pulled out his torn cloak. "Actually, I was hoping you could fix this. I had a bit of an... incident."

Thornberry examined the cloak, his bushy eyebrows rising. "Quite an incident, I'd say! What happened here?"

Nyx's eyes lit up. "Oh, you wouldn't believe it! I was out in the forest when suddenly this huge wild boar came charging at me!"

As Thornberry listened, Nyx told the story of his unexpected encounter. He described dodging the boar's sharp tusks, leaping onto its back, and finally outsmarting the beast. He left out any mention of magic, or his clone of course.

"...and that's how I ended up with this hole in my cloak," Nyx finished, a bit out of breath from his storytelling.

Thornberry chuckled, shaking his head. "That's some tale, lad. I'm afraid this cloak is beyond repair, but I'll tell you what - I'll give you a discount on a new one. Can't have you running around in rags, can I?"

Nyx grinned. "Thanks! Oh, and I also need two pairs of those strong traveling boots."

Thornberry raised an eyebrow. "Two pairs the same size? That's a bit odd."

Nyx shrugged and smiled. "Let's just say I'm really hard on shoes these days."

"Ah, the life of a traveler," Thornberry nodded knowingly. "Well, I've got just the thing. These boots will last you through many more forest adventures, I guarantee it!"

As Thornberry gathered the boots and a new cloak, Nyx felt a warmth in his chest. It was nice to be remembered, to have someone excited to see him. Maybe new magic wasn't just about making money after all.

After buying the boots and some comfy, tough clothes good for working outside, Nyx stopped to buy food. He got two sets of tasty meat pies and filled two water bottles to the top.

With his new gear, Nyx headed to the Adventurers Guild. The building buzzed with activity as he stepped inside. Rough wooden beams crisscrossed the high ceiling, and the smell of leather, sweat, and excitement filled the air. Seasoned adventurers swapped stories over mugs of ale, while nervous newcomers huddled near the quest board.

Nyx made his way to the board, scanning the notices pinned there. Colorful papers advertised all sorts of jobs from slaying monsters to escorting merchants. He found what he was looking for: another E ranked herb-gathering quest.

Once outside the city, in a quiet field, Nyx summoned his clone. "Here," he said, handing over the new clothes, boots, and bottles of water." These are for you... for us."

The clone's eyes widened in surprise. "Boots? Water? Really? But why?"

Nyx smiled warmly. "Because we're in this together. Your comfort matters as much as mine. And we both need to be comfortable."

As they worked, Nyx and his clone fell into a rhythm. They moved through the field, carefully picking herbs and marking new locations on their map.

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"Look," Nyx called out, pointing to a cluster of small blue flowers. "Moonbloom! That'll fetch a good price."

The clone nodded, marking the spot on the map. "Good eye. Oh, and over here - I think these might be Sunburst Leaves."

From time to time, He used his magic skill Enhanced Magical Sensitivity to look around. Nyx didn’t find anything surprising.

They chatted as they worked, swapping observations about the plants they found and speculating about what potions they might be used for. The sun climbed higher in the sky, and soon it was time for a break.

Nyx pulled out the meat pies. The clone looked at the food with surprise.

"Is... is that for me too?" the clone asked, instantly reaching for a pie.

Nyx nodded, grinning. "Of course! Dig in."

The clone took a big bite, eyes closing in enjoyment. "This is amazing," he mumbled around a mouthful of pie. "I've never... I mean, we've never had food like this while working before."

Nyx felt a pang of guilt, quickly replaced by determination. "Well, that's changing from now on. We work hard, we deserve to eat well!"

As they sat there, enjoying their meal and the warm sun on their faces, Nyx felt a sense of contentment. This was more than just a way to make money. It was a chance to treat himself - all parts of himself - with the kindness and respect he deserved.

As they worked, sharing the meal during a short break, Nyx felt the mood was much better. The clone moved with more energy, and they got along better than before. But something was nagging at Nyx's mind.

"Hey," Nyx asked his clone, "do you remember that boar from before?"

The clone nodded, chewing thoughtfully. "Yeah, that was scary. I remember it charging at you, its tusks gleaming. And the way you were completely clueless starring off at that tree sapling. I had to push your daydreaming sorry self outta the way!"

“Yeah, thank you for that! you really saved me? Us? Back then.”

Nyx felt relieved, but then another question popped into his head. "What about this morning? Do you remember what I did?"

The clone furrowed its brow, then shook its head. "No, I don't remember anything from this morning. Why?"

Nyx leaned forward, curious now. "What's the last thing you do remember?"

The clone thought for a moment. "I think... meditating the other night? Yeah, that's the last clear memory I have."

Nyx sat back, surprised. He realized his clones didn't seem to have perfect recall of what he had done during the day. He was surprised by the food and water, even though Nyx had bought them earlier. It was like they were more the essence of him, rather than an exact copy with all his memories.

"Huh," Nyx said, more to himself than the clone. "You're not just a copy of me from right now. You're... more like the core of who I am, I guess?"

The clone shrugged. "Maybe? I feel like I'm you, but... not exactly? It's hard to explain."

Nyx nodded, his mind racing with this new information. It explained why his clone seemed to have its own personality, even if it was similar to his. They weren't just mindless copies - they were more like versions of himself, with their own thoughts and feelings.

"Well," Nyx said, offering the clone another meat pie, "I guess we're both learning new things about ourselves today."

The clone grinned, accepting the pie. "That we are. And I've learned I really like these meat pies!"

As they finished their break and got back to work, Nyx felt a newfound respect for his clones. They weren't just tools or exact copies. They were unique versions of himself, each deserving of care and consideration. It was a lot to think about, but Nyx felt it was an important step in understanding his new abilities.

For the next few weeks, Nyx got into a new routine. In the mornings, he did Adventurers Guild quests, usually E Ranked herb gathering jobs. Marking down more locations. In the afternoons, he studied at the Flux Tower, reading about alchemy and farming. At night, he practiced hard with his mental clones at home, pushing them as far as he could.

After 30 days of this new plan, Nyx sat at his desk, counting up his money:

Daily Money In:

- Adventurers Guild easy quests: 10-50 gold (usually about 30 gold)

- Mage Guild tasks (weekends only): 20-50 gold (usually about 35 gold)

Daily Money Out:

- Rent: 5 gold

- Food and things he needs: 3 gold

- Flux Tower study time: 3 gold

Money Left Each Day: 19 gold (on weekdays), 54 gold (on weekends)

Total for 30 days: 850 gold

Nyx leaned back, smiling. 850 gold pieces in just a month! It was more than he'd ever saved before. But even though he'd done well, Nyx knew he still had a long way to go. The 850 gold pieces were a good start, but not enough for the farm he dreamed of. More importantly, he still didn't have any real experience with alchemy and farming.

As Nyx stared at the pile of coins on his desk, he started to daydream. He imagined walking into one of Arcanum City's fancy magic shops, his pockets heavy with gold. In his mind, he ran his fingers over shiny magic robes, fancy wands crackling with power, and little bottles of potions that could do amazing things.

Then he thought about the special training grounds he'd heard about the hidden places full of magic where mages could get much stronger very quickly. With just a few visits to one of those...

Nyx shook his head, pushing away the tempting thoughts. "No," he said to himself. "That's not what this is about."

His eyes fell on a small, framed drawing on his desk a picture of his family drawn by his sister Lyra. Seeing it brought back memories and made him feel a bit guilty.

Nyx's family, the Shadowbrooks, were minor nobles. They had a proud magical history, but over time they had less and less money, even though they still had their titles. Even so, they had spent everything they had on their children's magical education.

He remembered hearing his parents talking quietly late at night, discussing which family treasures they could sell to pay for school. He thought of Lyra, who was really good at magic, getting extra lessons that must have cost a lot. And Caelum, going to the famous Four Towers Program, which was surely very expensive.

"I need a teacher," Nyx thought, tapping his pen. "Someone who knows both alchemy and how to grow herbs."

Just then, he remembered a name he'd seen in his studies at the Flux Tower: Aria Nightwhisper, a famous alchemist known for being really good at growing magical plants.

With new determination, Nyx made a plan for the next month:

1. Keep doing morning Adventurers Guild quests to make steady money

2. Spend afternoons studying at the Flux Tower, focusing on alchemy and farming

3. Get Aria Nightwhisper to teach him

As Nyx got ready for bed that night, he made his mental clones for meditation. To his surprise, he felt the familiar stretching feeling... and then a fourth point in his mind came to life.

His eyes opened wide in shock. "Four mental clones," he whispered, not believing it. "We did it!"

Forgetting about sleep, Nyx spent the next hour exploring this new ability, his mind racing with ideas. As he laid back on his bed, feeling excited about tomorrow. He had a long way to go, but for the first time, he believed he could do it. As he drifted off to sleep, Nyx dreamed of farms full of magical plants, shelves lined with powerful potions, and a future where he made his family proud.

The next morning, Nyx woke up early, eager to see how much he'd grown. He focused his mind and called up his status sheet:

A translucent blue screen appeared before his eyes:

Level Up!

Level: 3 → 4

HP: 120 → 130

MP: 350 → 700

Strength: 7 → 8

Vitality: 10 → 12

Agility: 9 → 11

Intelligence: 21 → 23

Ability: Mental Clone (Level 4)

- Create up to four mental clones during meditation

- Increases mana regeneration rate by 15% per active clone

Ability: Physical Clone (Level 1)

- Create one physical clone

- Divides current mana pool when active

Skill: Mana Meditation (Level 3)

- Increases mana regeneration rate by 15% while meditating

Skill: Enhanced Magical Sensitivity (Level 2)

- Increases ability to detect and analyze magical energies

Skill: Basic Herbalism (Level 1)

- Fundamental knowledge of herb identification and gathering techniques

Nyx's eyes got big as he looked at the numbers. He had a lot more mana now, and his other abilities were getting better too. His new mental clone ability was there, and he could feel just how much stronger he was getting.

As he sat on his bed, Nyx felt different. For the first time in a long while, he had hope. He knew it would be a lot of hard work to reach his goals, but at least now he had a plan.

Nyx thought about how he'd been for so long. He'd just been suffering, making up excuses for why he couldn't do better. But today seemed brighter, and he felt lighter.

"A man with a plan stands a chance! And I’m basically two men now, and that’s double the chances!" Nyx said out loud, smiling to himself.

He looked over at the little Mana Tree by the window. It was just a baby now, but with care and time, it would grow strong. Just like him.