Dawn Architect

Chapter 41: Doppelgänger

I didn't hesitate and started putting everything away. I now had sufficient funds to finance my plans; even the books seemed valuable. Although I didn't read them all, some titles seemed questionable, while others seemed to contain useful information.

As I made my way to the small but most conspicuous bookshelf, I broke the glass and paid attention to the books inside. There were twelve of them, and then I noticed that they were skill books. As I looked at them, I froze.

Skills are a hard thing to come by, and unless you find them yourself, their value is staggering. I'm surprised anyone kept these; it was too extravagant to even call it a collection. Anyway, I put them away to examine them more carefully later.

I approached the desk and on the table I noticed a letter. I began to read it:

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{To the person who finds this place:

That you can read this letter means that there is not a shred of demonic energy in you.

Let me share with you the story of a man who lived in darkness, a man whose fate became intertwined with that of the Midnight Cult, an organization whose thirst for power knows no bounds.

My life has been a tale of desperation and a quest for vengeance. Every beat of my heart echoed with the echo of loss, the echo of a family snatched away by the cruelty of fate. In my despair, I sought refuge in the shadows, offering my allegiance to the Midnight Cult in search of the strength to accomplish my task.

I would do it again for revenge. When I was finally able to get rid of the one who took everything from me, I continued to work for that organization, doing their dirty work. There is no room for regret in my soul. I had the absolute trust of one of the leaders, not because of my great achievements, but because for him, who could control his subordinates whenever he wanted, I had no doubts about his power.

I was a pawn in his sinister game, performing acts that now fill me with shame and regret. But even in the depths of my despair, I found a light in the darkness: a book of skills that seemed like fate to have found that book that allowed me to escape that absolute obedience.

With this new ability, I saw the opportunity for redemption. Not for my past actions, not for the tears shed in the name of revenge, but for the future of the world that my daughter cherished and could still be saved.

I stole my oppressor's treasure, though I do not know if this would be enough to stop them, if only I hope to delay their plans, an act of defiance against the fate that had once subjugated me.

But I know that the weight of my sins will not be easily relieved. Though I have stolen the treasure, I know that my atonement does not amount to this alone. To those who discover this message, I beseech you to keep the secret.

May this lost treasure remain hidden, far from the greedy hands that seek power at any cost and have already left this world. May my actions serve as a reminder of the fragility of humanity, but also as a testament to the strength that lies in the hearts of those who seek to fight for something.

I have no motivation to go on living. I have done horrible things, things that haunt me every night. But I don't want to die a monster. I wanted to do even one positive thing in my life, one last act of humanity.

With humility and hope,

A man with no name, but with a legacy of struggle and redemption}.

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As I read the letter I understood the existence of this place. It belonged to the now extinct Midnight Cult that caused chaos and destruction on the continent. Thinking of something, I went back through all the items and realized that there was one among the skills that was a signature skill of someone I put my own hands on in my previous life.

 It became clear that the ones who killed the adventurers in my previous life were them. the skill I had was a rank (A) Doppelgänger skill that allowed you to create clones of yourself. When it happened with the user of this skill, it gave me a lot of trouble, and that it fell into my hands is a blessing. Too bad I can't learn it.

"humm... Oh Gaia, if I learn this skill, can you adjust the rank so I can use it like you did with the previous ones?", I asked the indifferent Gaia if it was possible to use this skill. If not, I have to wait a long time to learn it.

[OF COURSE USER. THE GAIA SYSTEM IS IN CHARGE OF SUPPORTING YOU AND THIS REQUEST IS WITHIN ITS CAPABILITIES]]

At Gaia's affirmation, I was happy. Now I can say that this skill is comparable to the three I chose. Even though I never came to possess it in my previous life, then when I learned the skill for a second I felt suffocated. However, the discomfort disappeared instantly as I observed my state. I noticed the new skill:

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Abilities:

EYES OF TRUTH (D)

BLINKING (D)

FUSION (D)

Doppelgänger (D)

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It was my first skill obtained by my hands in this life and With my current rank, they instantly adjusted to rank (D). When I finished collecting everything and making sure I didn't leave anything behind, I went out and bought a set of three and four star materials from the store. I combined them with fusion and then inscribed some runes on them.

 I know it's a bit of a spur of the moment thing, but after I finished, I threw the finished object in the hole and walked away from the area, heading out of the woods to meet up with the kids.

After a while, I heard an explosion behind me. Although I was already a good distance away, I still heard it. I paid no attention to it and continued on. I met up with the children and in the cars we drove back to the capital. It was dark when we returned. The hunting trip had to be cut short, but I had gotten everything I needed. I even got much more than I imagined.

There are still 17 days left until the auction and now I have plenty of time.