A long, long time ago.
In a peaceful and quiet village, there was a small cave behind the mountain.
It looked like an ordinary cave, but it had the unique feature of being cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
People frequented the cave like a resort. The cave was always bustling with those trying to escape the hot or cold weather.
As more people gathered, the cave became cramped, and each time, they ventured deeper inside.
The cave was deeper than expected.
After exploring the cave for quite a long time, the village elders prohibited entry to the deeper parts, fearing something might happen.
However, one day, a child who had just returned from vacationing in the cave said something strange.
” teehee. I want to eat some sweet cake.”
The child’s parents felt an inexplicable sense of oddness.
Their child had celebrated a birthday two months ago, and it wasn’t the kind of child to ask for cake unless it was their birthday.
Nonetheless, the child’s parents bought a cake for them.
The child enjoyed the cake and looked up at their parents with a blank stare.
” teeheehee… Thanks. It’s delicious!”
The child fell asleep.
Then, the next day, another child’s parents went missing.
According to those nearby, the child and parents had fought over a “request.”
From that point on, incidents kept occurring.
Some lived, while others went missing.
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, the village chief closed the cave and prohibited villagers from entering.
And then…
“…I want to eat cake.”
What happened next?
What happened next?
■
[TIP: The Copycat is a unique child who mimics the words and actions of others. Beware! As pure as a child, their purity may not necessarily lead to good things.]
“I opened my eyes.”
A refreshing blue sky and a little forest of green leaves.
In front of me was the entrance to a decently sized cave.
I inferred a single word from the cutscene and tip.
“Doppelganger?”
Doppelganger.
One of the hybrid races born from the experiments of the Demon Race, it has the feature of mimicking the appearance, personality, and abilities of its target.
While it possesses some blood of the Demon Race, due to its racial traits, it isn’t as strong as them.
If it doesn’t copy a strong target, its power is meaningless, and even if it does copy, it can’t mimic everything.
If we were to categorize it, it might be closer to a ‘Demon-scented’ species.
It must be close to the clan.
[Isn’t a copycat a bit different from a doppelganger?]
[Why not just copy?~]
[It’s a bit lower than a doppelganger though.]
[I’ve never seen a copycat before.]
[Don’t you dare copy!]
[Hahaha!]
[But it’s a bit scary that tip-chan is also copying.]
[Whoa.]
[I want to eat cake.]
[Can’t resist cake, haha!]
[Why are there so many copycats here?]
The knight was left behind.
The knight came along for guidance from the start, and it’s easier for me to clear the dungeon alone.
If it’s similar to the doppelganger I know…
‘It might be a little dangerous.’
Hehehe….
■
Hahaha~
I entered deeper into the cave.
As described, the cave maintained a cool and warm temperature.
It seems like this place used to be a mine in the past, but the future mine has been developed, so the inside doesn’t feel that big.
As I went deeper inside, many people were laughing and enjoying food and drinks or chatting.
From a distance, it resembled a small festival.
But up close, the scene felt a bit different.
“Hmm… Doesn’t it look fake?”
[Yep.]
[Yeah.]
[It’s clearly a copycat’s imitation, haha.]
[Lily’s eyes can’t be deceived.]
[Looks like they’re all fakes?]
[Is there more than one copycat?]
[Hmm.]
[Could be like a clone or something.]
[Wha?]
It feels like we are all putting on an act of being a warm and happy crowd.
As I got closer, it definitely felt alien.
If someone other than me were here, they might feel uncomfortable and want to run away immediately.
The sense of disconnect was overwhelming.
The neck of a middle-aged man drinking happily spun around.
[What the heck!]
[Really, just turn the blinker on before entering!]
[What the…!]
“Are you a newcomer?”
“Yes, this is my first time.”
“You are quite a beauty. Enjoy yourself.”
Hahaha~!
The man said that and then his neck spun back around.
If you just look at the scene, it’s like a horror movie.
I nodded vaguely and sat down in an empty seat.
People were just eating and drinking, completely ignoring me.
Hoo.
My voice faded away.
“It doesn’t seem like an illusion, so the main body is probably somewhere around here.”
[It seems so.]
[Yeah.]
[Looks like they’re searching for the main body.]
[They’re not even paying attention to Lily?]
“You’re saying you don’t care at all?”
“LOL!”
“Let’s just kill them all.”
“But can we really say that out loud?”
“If you block my words, I’m fine. But I need to find the main body…”
“Everyone here is definitely part of the copycat or a group of them.”
“Even if the obvious dissonance is one thing, the flow of mana in this space is really twisted.”
“The most twisted place is probably where the main body is.”
“‘I think I’m perfect, right?’”
“Is there a way to find it?”
“Um…”
“Isn’t it simple to just smash everything?”
“If I just tear everything apart with a spear, that should solve the problem LOL.”
“Real talk LOL.”
I stood up from my seat.
Still, people don’t seem to care at all.
I observed each one of them.
A middle-aged man drinking heavily.
A young man singing excitedly.
A middle-aged woman chewing on meat.
An old man lying contently.
A woman chatting loudly. And…
“A child.”
[?]
[?]
“There’s no child here.”
The copycat definitely imitated a child in the cutscene.
Multiple times, just to say it wanted cake.
But now, not even a child or a teenager can be seen.
I moved between the tables to search more closely.
“Hahaha~”
“Hohohohoho~”
“Drink up~ Drink up~”
They laugh so strangely that I wonder if they’re doing it on purpose.
No matter how much I roam among them, none give me a glance.
I thoroughly checked the last table, wondering if something’s really missing.
Two women are laughing hoarsely with twisted gestures over a giant feast of alcohol.
And in the corner of the table, a small basket.
‘…A basket?’
The basket is shaking.
Carefully, I open it—
Thud.
“……”
“……”
“……”
Dozens of eyes are looking at me.
As if it was a lie that they were just enjoying the festival, everyone is now focused solely on me.
“Wow.”
“That look is seriously scary.”
“Damn it!”
“No way.”
“Please, blink!”
“I really want to kill it.”
“I’m creeped out for real.”
“You saw, didn’t you?”
Inside the basket is a trembling girl.
She looks just like the village residents in clothes and appearance, but the difference is that this girl is not a copycat.
I don’t know how she got here, but she probably noticed long ago and has been hiding among these ‘fakes.’
Kick.
The middle-aged man who spoke to me earlier stands up.
“Why? Why are you doing this?”
“It’s what I want to say.”
If you’re going to enjoy the festival, keep enjoying it.
Why suddenly stop and stare at me?
Of course, I didn’t say anything since I knew the answer.
“Eek!”
“Just keep it.”
I’ll take the child who seems like evidence to find the main body…
When I spoke bluntly, the middle-aged man… no, the copycat’s expression twisted.
“Wha… why, why, whyyy!!! Are you doing this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
[OMG]
[LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]
[Is he insane?]
[Why the fuss…]
[Ugh, I won’t sleep alone tonight]
[And look at Lily, not moving at all]
[Wow]
[Lily’s got guts, huh]
[What kind of heart does Lily have? Is it made of steel? She’s never surprised]
[Seriously LOL]
The copycat was flustered and angry.
However, it didn’t seem like he intended to harm me or the child.
That can’t happen.
I summoned a spear and asked.
“Where’s the real one? Asking a ‘fake’ about the real one is a bit ridiculous, but…”
“F…fake?”
“Yes. Not fake, but real.”
Fake.
A word that absolutely denies the fundamental existence of the copycat and doppelganger.
For the copycat, ‘fake’ is a non-existent term.
The copycat is the real one, and the target mimicked by the copycat is fake.
I denied that head-on.
Crack.
I heard the sound of teeth grinding somewhere.
At the same time, the eyes of the residents went wild.
“Y-you shall die!”
“Hohohoho! How dare you!”
“Die, you fake!!!!”
“You… b-bitch!!”
Suddenly, dozens of villagers, having pulled out their weapons, charged at me.
For mere villagers, their attacks were surprisingly high-level.
This wasn’t an ordinary copycat.
This guy must be a single entity, capable of making some “copies” stronger than the original, hence there’s no way he’d hang out with his kind.
“It’s dangerous!”
Hehehehe! Die!
Numerous weapons rushed towards me to tear me apart.
My body got pierced.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
