Here Comes the Doppelganger

"Ma Feng?"

Song Gua turned his head to look.

Sure enough, it was Ma Feng, the guy who had gotten him thrown behind bars right at the start.

Yuwen Hao spat. "This prick, waiting right here for us."

Ma Feng was toying with the last out-of-city pass in his hand, looking at Song Gua with a mocking expression.

"Long time no see, our great genius Song. The class you awakened is pretty badass, I'd like to call it... the Debt King? Oh right, your prison buzz cut suits you quite well too!"

A group of lackeys around Ma Feng burst into laughter upon hearing this.

In Song Gua's mind, his clones started clamoring.

"This guy is definitely courting death."

"How dare he mock a transmigrator? The audacity!"

"He's here! The classic brainless villain who exists purely to flex in front of the transmigrator!"

"What is the main body waiting for? Let us out so we can beat the crap out of this bastard!"

"The boss said we're his trump cards in this world. We can't expose ourselves so easily."

Seeing that Ma Feng had no intention of handing over the pass, Song Gua couldn't care less.

He just wanted Song Gua to beg him, right?

In his dreams.

He could just report it lost and quickly get a replacement.

"Let's go, Blondie."

Ma Feng blocked their path.

"Don't want your pass? Last time you knocked out one of my front teeth. If you just apologize and offer some compensation, I'll give this pass..."

"Bam!!"

Song Gua activated the Power of Unity, stacking the attributes of five of his clones, and smashed his fist right into Ma Feng's face, sending him flying!

Like a spinning human cannonball, Ma Feng crashed through the glass windows of the Sanctuary and landed outside.

The students inside the Sanctuary were all dumbfounded.

"Innate superhuman strength?"

"And you guys call this a trash class?"

"As expected of someone who's done time, throwing hands at the slightest disagreement!"

Seeing this, Yuwen Hao furrowed his brows. "Too impulsive! If he reports you to the Security Bureau like last time, you'll end up back behind bars!"

"We are Professionals now. As long as it's not a severe injury or worse, it's considered sparring. The Security Bureau won't interfere."

"You certainly know the rules well."

"They taught us on the inside."

Ma Feng limped back in, his left hand clutching his bloody mouth. His other front tooth was gone now too.

Fortunately, his Constitution attribute wasn't low, so this could only be considered a minor injury.

"Who lent him their power?!" Ma Feng roared at the crowd.

Even if he had been caught off guard, there was no way Song Gua's starting attributes alone could have sent him flying that far.

Ma Feng instantly realized that Song Gua must have used the Power of Unity talent of the Bonder class.

Song Gua clapped his hands. That punch had felt incredibly satisfying. It let out a bit of the pent-up frustration from spending the last three months rotting in a jail cell.

"If anyone had lent me their power, they wouldn't even be able to stand right now. Aside from you, is anyone else here struggling to stay on their feet?"

Ma Feng froze. That was actually true.

Thinking about it more carefully, a chill ran down his spine.

Could going to prison actually make someone stronger?

Before their class awakenings, he could never beat Song Gua in a fight.

Now, even after awakening, he was still one-shotted by a single punch from Song Gua.

Feeling utterly humiliated, Ma Feng dropped a few harsh threats before slinking away with his lackeys in tow.

Yuwen Hao chased after them. "Leave the pass behind!"

...

Early the next morning.

At the bus stop outside Yunshan Fifth High School.

Song Gua and Yuwen Hao were waiting for the bus, preparing to head out of the city to level up.

After being delayed by Ma Feng yesterday, they had missed the last bus out of the city and had no choice but to postpone their leveling to today.

"Oh man, whenever I think about how pathetic Ma Feng looked yesterday, I just crack up! Hahaha! I heard he had to get two dental implants done overnight. Getting implants hurts like hell, hahaha!"

Yuwen Hao was still relishing yesterday's events.

Mid-laugh, Yuwen Hao suddenly thought of something. "Old Song, have you considered reaching out to some of the major families? With a solid background, petty tricks like the ones Ma Feng pulls wouldn't be able to screw you over anymore."

"Why? So I can be their lapdog just like Ma Feng?"

"You can't look at it like that. With your high Growth stat, there are definitely major families in Yunshan City who would be willing to nurture you. It's just that you'd have to pay them a visit and show a little sincerity, you know?"

In the world of Blue Star, the concept of nations did not exist.

The entire world was united under a single government—the Blue Star Federation.

Therefore, there were no such things as state-sponsored protection programs or national talent reserves.

Moreover, the Growth stat was only one component of a Professional's overall combat power system. In the mid-to-late stages, it alone could not determine a person's true strength.

Even if nations did exist, they wouldn't offer special treatment based solely on that.

Furthermore, the Federation's control over local regions was notoriously weak, especially in remote areas like Yunshan City.

As a result, many people from commoner backgrounds who possessed high Growth stats or exceptional class talents would seek the protection of major families.

They would become their retainers—or, in layman's terms, their lapdogs.

Ma Feng was a prime example of this.

"A true man stands tall between heaven and earth! How could I ever resign myself to living under someone else's thumb? I rely on myself, I beg no one, and I live with a clear conscience and an open heart!"

Yuwen Hao was deeply moved by Song Gua's rousing words.

"That's my Old Song! I knew I didn't misjudge you! Such an iron backbone! I admire that! To be honest, I can't stand guys like Ma Feng either, wagging their tails to curry favor with the nobles. What a joke!"

Song Gua nodded in agreement.

Exactly.

He would rely on his clones, beg no one, and live with a clear conscience and an open heart!

The bus arrived.

The two boarded and rode it to the light rail station.

From there, they took the light rail toward the Mist Zone.

Ever since the game merged with reality, only a few major cities had been preserved. Every other region on the planet was now shrouded in mist.

Wild monsters and dungeons were all located within the Mist Zone.

Although it was called mist, in the Light Mist Zone closer to the city, visibility was practically unaffected.

Around noon, Song Gua and Yuwen Hao arrived at the Level 1 Leveling Zone.

Looking at the massive sea of people ahead, Yuwen Hao sighed.

"Holy crap! With this many people, we won't even be able to snag a single monster."

Yesterday, all the high schools in the city had undergone their unified class awakenings.

Now, the Level 1 Leveling Zone was bursting at the seams.

Those pitiful slimes and goblins were swarmed by a horde of Professionals the moment they spawned, instantly turning into meager experience points that vanished into whoever managed to land the killing blow.

"It seems that if we want to level up quickly, we have no choice but to head to a higher-level zone," Song Gua said.

Yuwen Hao was shocked.

"But we can't beat them! Should we form a party? Who would even want a couple of nobodies like us with no gear, no levels, and no money to pay them?"

"I'll solo."

"S-Solo?"

Before Yuwen Hao could even process this, Song Gua had already turned back to the light rail station to catch the train to the next stop.

"The train is now approaching: Yunshan City Level 5 Leveling Zone."

Yuwen Hao didn't follow him. He figured his life was far more important and decided to try his luck in the Level 1 Leveling Zone instead.

He reasoned that once most people headed home for the night, he might be able to grind a few wild monsters.

Truthfully, Song Gua preferred that Yuwen Hao didn't tag along.

Because his solo run wasn't going to be lonely at all.

"Brothers, are you ready? It's finally our time to shine!"

"It's time to give this world a little taste of clone shock!"

"The young master has arrived, clear the way!"

"This totally feels like starting on a fresh server!"

"Let me make one thing clear. I'm an A-rank Rhythmic Mage. As a magic DPS, I should get priority on leveling. Nobody steal my monsters."

"Awww~~ Big bro, you gotta let this little Holy Light Priest go first! Healers should always be the first to level up. If our healing isn't strong enough, you guys are gonna drop dead real fast~~"

"Fuck! How did you end up with a healer class? You've even turned girly! Let me check if your junk is still intact!"

The clones were itching to make a move, bursting with excitement.