Chapter 131 : Doppelganger
Chapter 131: Doppelganger
‘No, in the first place.’ Baek Woohyun’s expression hardened at the question that suddenly flashed through his mind.
‘Why wasn’t anyone guarding the front of the Reverse World dimensional gate?’
If it were an ordinary Reverse World, perhaps, but to leave the dimensional gate of a Reverse World where a research facility had been established completely unguarded and defenseless—if Baek Woohyun had been on the research facility and Corporate Alliance’s side, he absolutely would not have done so. At minimum, he would have stationed some level of military force there at all times.
To prevent anyone from accidentally discovering the hidden Reverse World dimensional gate, and to stop them by force if necessary.
‘It’s not… a trap.’ The value and danger of a Reverse World with an established research facility was far too great to use as mere trap bait. An issue that could brand them as traitors who sold Earth to another world—which was half true—how could they use it as bait? In that case.
‘There’s a high probability something went wrong.’ Probably a problem serious enough to involve even the military force guarding the Reverse World dimensional gate.
“……”
Baek Woohyun silently advanced deeper into the Reverse World. With his senses sharply alert so he could respond at any moment.
However, the eerie void continued without end. Even as he passed the entrance, went through the forest, and proceeded deeper still, he sensed no presence whatsoever.
It almost felt as if there existed nothing else but Baek Woohyun in the vast space called the Reverse World.
‘It’s the research facility.’
Despite finding the research facility he’d been searching for, Baek Woohyun’s expression remained unchanged.
The reason was that even sweeping it with his Ki sense, he detected no presence even from the research facility. Even though researchers and security guards should have been staying there.
Perhaps because there were no people, he stepped into the somehow ominous-atmosphere research facility and soon realized an even more bizarre fact.
‘All the items are still here.’
Various research equipment and expensive experimental materials, even Etinel with its power turned off, were all left as they were.
It meant that only people had vanished cleanly as if evaporated from within the research facility.
It couldn’t be anything but an extremely ominous sign.
Unless some tremendous problem had erupted, there was no way the research facility and Corporate Alliance would have left even this place so defenseless.
In fact, Baek Woohyun knew very well that the wisest decision in times like this was to withdraw for now. Actually, if it were ‘over there,’ he would have left the Reverse World by now without looking back. Then slowly assessed the situation before re-entering.
But since this place was inside the virtual reality game called ‘Reverse Planet,’ the choice he made was to continue the investigation.
“…Found it.”
Was it thanks to that choice? Baek Woohyun was able to discover the Tempest-L specimen carefully enshrined in one corner of the laboratory. To be precise, a 30cm-sized transparent glass cylinder filled with purple liquid mixed with blue light that seemed to wriggle bizarrely.
Though no name tag was attached, recognizing it as the Tempest-L specimen wasn’t particularly difficult. The sight of liquid that wriggled ceaselessly, and its color symbolic of another world—anyone could tell it was an Otherworld Lord’s specimen.
Moreover, when he lifted it up, the system message clearly informed him that the **’Acquire Tempest-L Specimen’** mission had been completed.
“Hmm.”
One of his purposes for visiting the Reverse World research facility—specimen acquisition—had been achieved, and the other—annihilation of researchers and security guards—had already been achieved before his arrival. Standing at the crossroads of whether to withdraw like this or continue investigating further, Baek Woohyun calmly looked around.
Was there a reason to risk danger and stay in this place where he couldn’t know what had happened? The answer to the question he posed to himself came quickly.
‘Let’s check more.’
Baek Woohyun trusted his instincts and intuition. Having survived through them several times ‘over there,’ it wasn’t an exaggeration to say he could definitely stake his life on trusting them. Since they were whispering that he absolutely must not miss what happened here, he made the decision to investigate the research facility more thoroughly.
“……!”
‘Someone’s there!’
And so, shortly after proceeding to the research facility’s basement. At a presence felt from far away, Baek Woohyun’s expression tensed. If it was the only presence felt in a Reverse World where living beings had completely disappeared, no amount of caution would be insufficient.
“…— ——…—♪”
‘A song?’
Moreover, because an ominous song could be faintly heard from beyond the lowered darkness, Baek Woohyun’s tension heightened even more. As most mass media portrayed, and according to what he had actually experienced physically, what usually appeared in these cases was generally a tremendous big shot. Because there were largely two types who could sing so boldly in a chilling place where they were utterly alone. Either strong enough to sing regardless of the situation, or having created such a situation themselves.
“*I had strings, but now I’m free…♪*”
Finally, when Baek Woohyun approached close enough to understand even the lyrics. Unlike the research facility scenery up to now, a man who had been sitting on something in the middle of a wrecked room slowly turned his head to look at him. Inverted eyes filled with purple and blue instead of ordinary black and white flickered coldly.
“…*There are no strings on me.*”
A low murmur rather than song. The man, who had a completely human form with only his eyes shining as evidence of another world, slowly rose from his seat. Behind him, the pile of bones he had used instead of a chair collapsed with a rumble. It was as if they were finally being released from his restraint.
“What is this now.”
Baek Woohyun let out an empty laugh seeing the unidentified man. He couldn’t help but do so. A height seemingly exceeding 180cm and a sturdy physique befitting it, well-trained muscles glimpsed beyond his clothes, a handsome face even if it looked somewhat gloomy—from head to toe, the unidentified man looked exactly like him.
* * *
“Uh, Woohyun?”
“Why is Hackphysical—”
Jeong Nayeon and Cha Seongcheol muttered reflexively upon seeing the unidentified man. It was a reflexive reaction that came out without going through any thought process. Since an enemy presumed character had suddenly popped out looking exactly like a real-life person, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible. It was common to voice thoughts aloud when something surprising happened.
The problem was.
-?
-what
-wait this reaction, don’t tell me
-Hackphysical?
*’ㅇㅇ’ donated 1000 won!*
[Holy shit; Hackphysical really looks like that?]
The fact that Baek Woohyun had never once revealed his face. Since he was still using privacy protection mode—actually he’d just left it on from long ago—no viewer had seen his face behind the mask. Occasionally when Cha Seongcheol mentioned he looked plausible, they’d speculate based on Jeong Nayeon not denying it, saying ‘Maybe he’s at least handsome?’—that was about it.
In that situation, they had referred to the enemy character who appeared with his face revealed as Baek Woohyun, so what kind of reaction would come back was obvious.
“No, uh uh. Wait a moment.”
“What I meant wasn’t that, um…”
-It’s true lololol
-Confirmed like this lololol
-But he really is damn handsome
-No wonder they said he looked plausible
Jeong Nayeon and Cha Seongcheol, who belatedly realized they’d screwed up, tried to salvage the situation, but that was impossible. In a situation already committed, thinking of a proper excuse was never an easy task. Rather, watching their reactions, viewers gained certainty. Certainty that the enemy character’s appearance was modeled after Baek Woohyun.
“Oh, wait!”
It was right then that Chloe interjected. Her eyes wide, she looked between Jeong Nayeon and Cha Seongcheol and asked.
“Are you saying that enemy character that just appeared is modeled after Mr. Cheater’s appearance?”
“Ahem, well you see.”
“Hmm. How should I say this. I’d say similar level.”
-Ah lol just go with they look alike lol
-This is hilarious for real lololol
-Doppelganger reveals the face here lololol
-First time seeing this situation in RePla broadcast history lololol
“Anyway, the appearance is copied, right? But, think about it. Did that enemy character only copy Mr. Cheater’s appearance?”
“…Don’t tell me!”
Jeong Nayeon, who understood Chloe’s words first, opened her eyes wide. Cha Seongcheol, who could understand belatedly, did the same. Watching them, Chloe nodded and continued.
“If not just the appearance but abilities were copied too, the enemy character standing there now might be another Mr. Cheater.”
-Holy shit lololol
-Hackphysical vs Hackphysical
-Seeing a fantasy matchup in reality;
-If Hackphysical fights Hackphysical the winner would be Hackphysical lol
* * *
“……”
Separate from being flustered, Baek Woohyun still hadn’t let go of his tension. Because from the fact that the unidentified man looked exactly like him, he immediately realized the possibility that abilities had been copied as well. He considered that the opponent might be nearly equal in level to himself with a Superhuman build—and thanks to that, he could block the attack that followed in the next moment.
**Kwa-deu-deuk!**
“……”
“……”
The fist of the unidentified man, tentatively called ‘Doppelganger,’ half-crushed the telekinesis barrier Baek Woohyun had laid down—meaning space firmly gripped by telekinesis. If he hadn’t been prepared in advance, surely by now the Doppelganger’s thrown fist would have pierced through Baek Woohyun’s head without giving time to respond. It truly was movement of such speed, and a punch containing such force.
‘Damn.’
Realizing from the single strike that shattered the barrier that the worst assumption was correct, Baek Woohyun frowned. The Doppelganger really did seem to be nearly equal in level to him with a Superhuman build. And not just a fake that casually imitated the ability build, but a real one whose very ability to operate and fight with it was equal.
**Kwa-ga-ga-gak!**
The Doppelganger’s storm-like series of strikes that followed made Baek Woohyun’s thoughts even more certain. The Doppelganger, who perfectly dominated his enhanced physical abilities and shattered telekinesis barriers like glass, was like his twin. Everything from simply the way he moved his body, to the judgments made moment by moment, to the excellent combat sense connecting flow to flow.
‘It’s like mixing the Etinel from ‘over there’ with the invader I met here.’
Etinel, created by collecting combat data. And the copycat invader he’d met here. If you appropriately mixed those two who each lacked either software or hardware, you’d get the Doppelganger right before his eyes now. …Or, Baek Woohyun himself.
**Go-o-o-o-o!**
“——”
Baek Woohyun, who had been purely defending to assess the opponent’s level, became wrapped in transparent flames. As evidence that he had properly drawn up his ability’s power manifested, the Doppelganger’s reaction, who had been happily pounding him, also changed. He quickly abandoned the method of whittling down telekinesis barriers with series of strikes, then even took a stance for the next attack as if to properly finish things.
In Baek Woohyun’s own view, this was also a judgment he himself would have made.
‘Backing off won’t work, whittling down takes time, so go for a decisive strike.’
Baek Woohyun’s pupils burned ash-gray. As if forcefully pushing something away, he stretched both hands straight toward the Doppelganger. The telekinesis barrier originating from him followed his motion—**kwa-a-a-a!**—making a rough sound as it advanced toward where the Doppelganger was.
**Tat!**
It was at that moment the Doppelganger’s counterattack began. The Doppelganger, who kicked off the ground and moved, went outside the range of the telekinesis barrier pressing toward him, then kicked off the ground again and changed direction.
The explanation was long, but the execution was short, so until the Doppelganger who had moved sideways turned nearly at a right angle and rushed at Baek Woohyun was but the blink of an eye. Meaning the initial stance taken as if to finish with the next attack was a feint.
However.
‘—That’s what you want me to think.’
Baek Woohyun had also read through such tricks. He pulled back his outstretched arms and pointed his finger toward the Doppelganger who had already approached right in front. An action that at a glance looked like pointing at the opponent, but it wasn’t. All he wanted was merely a motion to serve as a medium.
**Kwa-a-a-a-a!**
Eventually, the **[Black Hole]** created at the tip of Baek Woohyun’s long finger tried to devour everything.