Just as the tentacles were inches from my face, Duncan's blade slashed downward in a gleaming arc, severing them in half. The barbed tips fell onto my feet, still writhing with unnatural life, and I hastily leaped backward, my heart hammering against my ribs.

  "Thanks," I gasped, but there was no time for proper gratitude.

  The Eva Doppelganger's transformation was accelerating. Where arms had been moments before, two long tentacle appendages now extended, their surfaces rippling like disturbed water. It whipped them through the air with terrifying precision, forcing Duncan and me to dive in opposite directions.

  As I jumped to my feet, I noticed the creature's movements—it was backing away, but not randomly. My eyes tracked its trajectory and cold realization hit me.

  "Don't let it reach the pond!" I shouted, scrambling forward. "It's trying to get to the water!"

  The real Eva was already in motion, her bow drawn and aimed. A arrow flew from her string, striking the Doppelganger's left foot with perfect accuracy. But the foot moved as if the arrow wasn’t even there, fake leather squirting water on the floor as the monster took a step back.

  Hellene's incantation echoed through the chamber as frost crystals formed on her fingertips. A wave of icy energy shot from her hand, engulfing both the creature's feet in a thick casing of ice.

  The Doppelganger let out a snake-like hissing sound which made the hairs on my neck rise up. What happened next turned my stomach—the creature simply tore itself away. Its watery torso ripped free from its own legs, the abandoned limbs dissolving into puddles as the main body landed on the ground with a wet slap.

  "System's mercy," I heard Duncan mutter as we all stared in horror.

  The legless abomination didn't crawl so much as flow across the stone floor, its body undulating like a wave as it slid toward the pond. Its eyes—still eerily Eva's—remained fixated on the water, now less than twenty feet away.

  I sprinted forward, Blood Thirst ready, but I knew I wouldn't make it in time. The creature was moving with unnatural speed, covering ground rapidly despite its mutilated state.

  Then something unexpected happened. Eva vanished from where she'd been standing and reappeared directly in the Doppelganger's path, just ten feet from the pond's edge. The Boots of Blinking Step had worked perfectly.

  In one fluid motion, she nocked a arrow and fired point-blank at the creature's head. The arrow struck true, the impact revealing it to be a Mana Web Arrow. The web substance exploding on impact, the Doppelganger’s head flying backwards and pinned to the ground with a wet thud.

  The creature's body thrashed wildly, its form rippling and contorting despite being pinned by the head. The tentacle arms whipped through the air in frantic arcs as the creature's torso bent backward at an impossible angle. I'd seen something like this before—the desperate, violent thrashing of a fish suddenly pulled from water and thrown onto land. The comparison made my skin crawl as I watched the monster's body fold and twist in ways no human spine could possibly allow.

  Duncan and I exchanged a quick glance before charging forward together. I gripped Blood Thirst tightly, plunging it deep into what should have been the creature's shoulder. Duncan's sword slashed in from the opposite side, cutting through the Doppelganger's midsection.

  One of the whip-like appendages caught me across the chest, the impact knocking the wind from my lungs. I staggered but kept my footing, driving my dagger in again. Another tentacle lashed across Duncan's face, leaving an angry red welt, but he barely flinched.

  [HP: 162/186]

  Something was wrong. I could feel it immediately. Each time Blood Thirst sank into the creature, there was no resistance—like stabbing water—and more importantly, no familiar rush of stolen life force flowing into me. No healing. No energy transfer.

  "It's not bleeding!" I called to Duncan as I dodged another whip strike. "It's just... water!"

  Where my blade pierced the creature's form, clear liquid seeped out instead of blood. Blood Thirst couldn't feed on water, couldn't convert it to healing energy. The dagger that had kept me alive through so many battles was suddenly just a regular blade.

  "Hellene!" Duncan shouted, his sword passing through the creature's chest with minimal effect. "We need your frost magic!"

  The half-elf was already in motion, her staff glowing with blue-white energy as she began another incantation. The air temperature around us plummeted rapidly, my breath becoming visible in front of my face.

  "Get back!" she commanded, and Duncan and I both took several quick steps backward.

  A blast of frigid energy erupted from Hellene's staff, engulfing the Doppelganger in a wave of white glowing magic. The effect was immediate and dramatic. The creature's watery body began to crystallize, frost patterns spreading across its surface like cracks in glass.

  I lunged forward again, driving Blood Thirst into what was now the partially frozen form of the monster. This time, I felt resistance. This time, my blade connected with something solid.

  "It's working!" I shouted, twisting Blood Thirst and watching as chunks of the creature's frozen body broke away, flying through the air like shards of ice.

  Duncan's sword came down in a powerful overhead strike, cleaving through the Doppelganger's shoulder. A large piece of its frozen form shattered and fell away, causing the creature to emit a high pitch scream which should never exist.

  And I REALLY wish I had deactivated Heightened Senses before the fight started.

  The scream pierced through my enhanced hearing like a javelin through parchment. The Doppelganger's wail was unlike anything I'd heard before—a sound that existed somewhere between the scraping of metal on glass and the death cry of a thousand drowning victims.

  With my Heightened Senses still active, the sound didn't just reach my ears—it invaded my skull, reverberating inside my brain with excruciating intensity. My hands flew to my ears instinctively, Blood Thirst clattering to the stone floor beside me.

  I needed to deactivate the ability—now. But my mind couldn't focus through the pain long enough to issue the mental command. Every nerve in my body screamed in protest as the sound continued, growing impossibly louder.

  My vision blurred, replaced by pulsing white spots. Something warm trickled from my ears, and I realized with horror that it was blood. My own blood.

  [Ability Damage! -45 HP from Heightened Senses overload]

  The System notification flickered in my vision, but I could barely comprehend it. My ability was harming me—something which had never happened before. The irony might have been amusing if I weren't collapsing backward, my legs giving out beneath me.

  Strong hands caught me before I hit the ground. Eva. She dragged me backward, away from the screaming creature, her grip firm on my shoulders.

  "Will! Shut it down!" she shouted, but her voice sounded distant, underwater.

  With the last of my concentration, I finally managed to deactivate Heightened Senses. The relief was immediate but incomplete—like having a knife removed from a wound. The pain lingered, throbbing behind my eyes.

  Through my blurred vision, I watched Duncan continue his assault on the creature. His sword moved in brutal, efficient arcs, each blow removing more frozen chunks from the monster's body. The Doppelganger's form was barely recognizable now—just a misshapen mass of ice and water that still somehow moved with malevolent purpose.

  Duncan raised his sword high, muscles bunching beneath his armor, and brought it down in a powerful two-handed strike directly through what remained of the creature's head. The blade cleaved straight through, embedding itself in the stone floor beneath.

  For one breathless moment, nothing happened. Then the monster's frozen form seemed to shudder once before collapsing entirely. What remained of its body burst like an overfilled waterskin, exploding outward in a spray of liquid that drenched us all.

  I sat up slowly, wiping water from my face as the last echoes of pain subsided from my head. The chamber was silent now except for our heavy breathing. Where the creature had been, there was nothing but a large puddle spreading across the stone floor.

  I fumbled with my Inventory Box, my trembling fingers finding a Superior Healing Potion among my supplies. The cork came free with a soft pop as I brought the vial to my lips, gulping down the red liquid in three desperate swallows. Warmth spread through my body, and the ringing in my ears gradually faded, replaced by the gentle splash of the waterfall.

  [HP: 170/186]

  Damn the backlash with Heightened Senses hit me so badly that even a single Superior Healing Potion wasn’t enough.

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  Hellene walked over, handing me a Minor Healing Potion which I quickly gulped down. My HPs was now full, but that truly was one of the worst ways I’ve ever been injured. I’ve suffered all sorts of attacks from stabs between the ribs to punches on the face. But having a sound nearly destroy my mind as much as it destroyed my eardrums was probably at the top three worst ways I’ve been hurt.

  "Good riddance," Eva muttered, spitting in the puddle that had once been her doppelganger.

  I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, giving her a stern look. "Those Boots of Blinking Step are supposed to be for retreating from danger, not teleporting directly in front of monsters."

  Eva simply shrugged, her eyes crinkling slightly above her scarf. "Worth the risk." She tapped one boot against the stone floor. "Besides, it worked, didn't it?"

  "This time," Duncan said, taking a look at his blade. His red hair was plastered to his forehead with water, a darker shade of red when wet. "Next time you might not be so lucky."

  I pushed myself to my feet, feeling steadier as the potion continued working through my system. My ears still felt tender, but at least they weren't bleeding anymore. I retrieved Blood Thirst from where it had fallen, disappointed by its performance against the watery monster.

  "I've never seen anything like it before," I admitted, studying the puddle spreading across the chamber floor. "A creature made entirely of water which could perfectly mimic someone's appearance, voice, and even fighting style."

  Eva's gaze locked onto mine, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "You figured out which one was me because I'm a worse shot than that thing?" Her voice was soft but carried an edge sharper than any blade I'd faced.

  I suddenly felt a cold sensation in my gut which had nothing to do with the Doppelganger. The look Eva was giving me made facing tentacled water monsters seem almost preferable. Her jaw was clenched tight beneath her scarf, and I could practically feel the heat of her glare burning into me.

  "I, uh..." I swallowed hard, realizing too late what I'd done. In my rush to identify the monster, I'd basically announced to everyone that Eva was a subpar archer. The real Eva was now visibly seething at being identified as the genuine article because she was worse at something.

  To make matters worse, Hellene approached, crossing her arms with a dramatic huff. Her violet eyes narrowed at me, and I could tell from the tightness around her mouth she was sulking.

  "Pray tell, Will, how exactly did you come up with such a clever way to spot the real Eva?" she asked, tapping one foot against the stone floor. "After all my sophisticated tests failed so spectacularly."

  Duncan gave me a sympathetic look before busying himself with cleaning his sword. Traitor. He knew exactly what kind of position I was in.

  "Well, I..." I cleared my throat, trying to find the right words. "It wasn't really me being clever. I just... I've made the same mistake myself."

  Eva's eyebrows rose slightly, her anger momentarily replaced by curiosity.

  "When I use my Disguise Self ability," I continued, gaining confidence as I spoke, "I can create a illusion of being anyone. But copying the skills which come with that fake persona is complicated."

  I sheathed Blood Thirst, the familiar weight of the dagger against my hip providing a small comfort as I recalled one of my more embarrassing moments.

  "A couple of months after I got the Disguise Self ability," I began, "I came up with what I thought was a awesome plan." I was having some trouble looking them directly in the eyes considering how annoyed they were at me. "I decided to infiltrate a village militia."

  Duncan raised an eyebrow. "A militia? Why?"

  "Information," I shrugged. "Village militias patrol the surrounding areas regularly, keeping track of monster movements and local dangers. Honestly though- I just wanted to experiment with my new ability."

  Eva's arms remained crossed, but her posture had relaxed slightly. At least she was showing more interest in the story than in throttling me.

  "So I crafted this whole persona—darkened my hair, tanned my skin, even created the illusion of a cheaper, weathered short sword. Nothing fancy, just the kind of weapon a farmer might save up for." I smiled ruefully at the memory. "I claimed to be from a neighboring village, said I'd volunteered for militia service after losing family to monsters."

  "And they believed you?" Hellene asked, her earlier sulking giving way to genuine interest.

  "Completely. The captain welcomed me with open arms—they were always short on volunteers." I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling the familiar embarrassment creep up my neck. "For a few days, everything went perfectly. I joined patrols, ate meals with them, gathered all sorts of useful information about monster nests and bandit hideouts."

  Duncan was grinning now, clearly anticipating the punchline. "But?"

  "But on the fifth day, I woke up to find every member of the squad standing around my bedroll, weapons drawn." I winced at the memory. "The captain accused me of being a shapeshifter monster infiltrating their ranks."

  "What gave you away?" Eva asked, her voice quieter now.

  "That's the thing—I had no idea. I showed them my Adventurer Guild badge, explained I was just gathering information. After a lot of awkward apologies on both sides, I finally asked the captain how he knew I wasn't really a village militia volunteer."

  I paused, looking directly at Eva. "He said I fought too well. Always managed to dodge a slime's attack at just the right moment. Could slice a wolf's throat with perfect precision. Even villagers with years of monster-fighting experience didn't move like I did."

  The tension in Eva's shoulders visibly eased. "So the Doppelganger's mistake was being a better archer than me."

  "Exactly," I nodded. "When copying someone, it's not just about looking like them—it's about showing the right level of skill. The real Eva is an excellent archer by normal standards, but—"

  "But I have my limits like everyone else," she finished, some of the edge gone from her voice. "Makes sense."

  Hellene approached Eva and placed a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, child. With enough practice, one day you'll be able to scrape moss off a faraway rock with a single shot."

  Eva rolled her eyes but I think I could spot a smirk forming just above the scarf. "I plan to be able to do much more than that with my arrows, old woman."

  I was relieved to see the tension dissolving between us when Duncan's voice startled us.

  "Everyone, look there!" Duncan's voice suddenly cut through our moment of respite, his arm extended toward the waterfall. "By the edge of the pond!"

  We all turned at once, following his gesture. Just a couple feet from the base of the thundering waterfall sat a wooden chest, its surface repeatedly splashed by the cascading water. It looked ancient but sturdy, metal bands crossing its surface gleaming dully in the chamber's dim light.

  Eva and I exchanged glances. Without a word, we both moved forward cautiously, approaching the chest with weapons ready.

  I hesitated as we drew closer, knowing what I needed to do but dreading it after what had just happened. Taking a deep breath, I gritted my teeth and activated Heightened Senses once more. A cold sweat broke out across my forehead as I remembered the excruciating pain from moments before, the feeling of blood trickling from my ears. My entire body tensed, bracing for another assault on my senses.

  But this time, the ability functioned normally. My vision sharpened, details of the chest's weathered wood grain coming into crystal clarity. I could hear each individual droplet of water striking its surface, smell the faint metallic tang of its hinges and lock. Most importantly, I detected nothing unusual – no weird chemical smells, no gears turning, nothing that suggested a trap.

  "I'm not seeing any traps," I said, my voice still tight with lingering tension. "What about you?"

  Eva crouched beside the chest, her fingers tracing the seam where lid met base. "Nothing obvious that I can find," she confirmed after a thorough examination. "As far as I can tell, it's safe."

  I nodded, deactivating Heightened Senses with profound relief before kneeling beside the chest. My fingers found the simple metal clasp, and with one smooth motion, I flipped it open and lifted the lid.

  Inside, partially soaked from water splashing through the chest's seams, lay a cylindrical leather case. I quickly reached in and grabbed it, surprised by its weight as I retreated from the waterfall's spray.

  Hellene practically sprinted over to me, her eyes gleaming with excitement. For a woman who typically moved at a patient slow pace, seeing her move so quickly was almost comical.

  "Let me see it," she said, not quite demanding but definitely eager.

  I carefully wiped the moisture from the leather case and worked the cap off with my hook hand, tipping it slightly to let the contents slide into my waiting palm. A scroll rolled out, its parchment surprisingly dry despite the waterlogged container. The moment it touched my skin, I felt a subtle vibration, like the faintest heartbeat.

  Hellene's eyes lit up as she approached, practically hovering over my shoulder while I carefully unrolled the scroll. The parchment unfurled to reveal intricate runes inked in what looked like shimmering silver. They weren't just written—they seemed almost alive, pulsing with an inner light which cast faint blue shadows across my hands.

  "My, my," Hellene breathed, her voice trailing off in reverence.

  I handed her the scroll and activated my Scan ability, focusing my attention on the magical item. Information flooded my mind as the System revealed its secrets.

  [Doppelganger Ally—8th Tier Spell, The caster creates a Doppelganger servant which mimics the form of a adventurer. The Doppelganger will have the same stats and appearance as the adventurer, but none of the abilities or equipment. It will obey all commands the caster gives. Once it reaches zero HPs, the mana sustaining its form loses cohesion and the Doppelganger clone disappears. Three drops of blood from the adventurer being mimicked is required for the casting.]

  My eyebrows shot up as I processed what I was seeing. "It's an 8th Tier spell called Doppelganger Ally," I announced, still trying to wrap my mind around the implications. "It creates a magical clone of an adventurer with identical stats, but none of their abilities or equipment. When the clone reaches zero HP, it simply disappears."

  Duncan whistled low. "That could be incredibly useful in combat. A perfect decoy."

  It was an easy assumption to think the spell was for making a decoy, but I didn’t have the same impression. The Doppelganger could have a lot of HPs if the right adventurer was being mimicked and more importantly- there was no time limit mentioned. The Doppelganger Ally was as the name itself indicated- an ally, not a decoy. They could literally stick with you for days to help in fights.

  I turned to Hellene, already forming the question in my mind, but she was shaking her head before I could even speak.

  "Before you ask, no, I can't cast this yet," she said, her fingers tracing the silver runes with obvious longing. "8th Tier spells are beyond my current capabilities. I'd need to reach level 40 before I could even attempt it."

  She rolled the scroll back up carefully, a small smile playing at the corner of her lips. "However, now that I've reached level 38, I can cast 7th Tier spells. And there's one in my spellbook I've been dying to try when we reach the final boss."

  The gleam in her eyes made me curious, I was certain a new spell could add a change in our tactics. Before I could question further though, Duncan brought up an obvious issue.

  "That's all well and good," Duncan interjected, wiping water from his forehead as he gestured toward the pond, "but we need to make a decision now. Do we travel across this pond to continue forward, or do we go back to point three?"

  Eva stepped forward, her boots squelching slightly on the damp stone. "I say we move all our supplies across and make this chamber point four. We're clearly making progress toward the dungeon boss, and backtracking would just waste time."

  "I agree," I said, nodding to Eva. "I doubt we'll see another monster here, even another Doppelganger." I glanced around the chamber, taking in the waterfall, the pond, and the spot where an empty chest added to the decor. "This feels like it was a dungeon test, and the scroll was our reward. Now that we've passed the test and claimed the prize, the dungeon probably has no further use for this chamber."

  At least, that was my impression based on previous dungeons I'd explored. Certain rooms seemed designed specifically to challenge adventurers, offering valuable rewards for those who succeeded. Once those challenges were overcome, they often remained peaceful afterward.

  "Still," I added, not wanting to be stupid, "we should set up watches when we camp here. Just to be safe."

  Everyone nodded in agreement, and we turned to head back to point three to collect our supplies.