CHAPTER 52: EPISODE 52 — SEWER RATS AND BULLETS: CLONE HUNTER FIELD TEST BEGINS

Episode 52 — Sewer Rats and Bullets: Clone Hunter Field Test Begins

As Kim Do-hyun’s consciousness synced through his familiar skill, he found himself adjusting to the sharp and surreal sensation of being inside another body—not metaphorically, but literally. His awareness clicked into place inside the physical perspective of Clone Number 1. In an instant, he no longer saw his modest living room, nor felt the meditation mat beneath him. Now, his vision was tinted slightly through the clone’s combat goggles, and the atmosphere was thick with moisture, filth, and the sharp scent of rotting biological matter.

It was a dungeon. More specifically, the Rank F sewer dungeon crawling with giant mutated rats. The torchlights that lined the concrete walls flickered weakly. The dripping of sewer water echoed down the corridor with irritating consistency, like a leaky faucet with a vengeance. This wasn’t a glamorous battlefield. It was the kind of place that most Hunters skipped unless they were desperate, poor, or just starting out.

Which, ironically, described Do-hyun’s clone squad perfectly.

He observed as Clone Number 1 moved with silent precision, firearm held low but steady, eyes scanning with practiced calm. Just ahead, a grotesque creature lunged—a giant rat mutated with exposed sinews, sickly green eyes, and jagged yellowed teeth. The rat didn’t hiss or scream. It launched straight forward with brutal intent.

And that’s when Do-hyun caught his breath.

"Whoa... that’s a clean stab," he muttered under his breath, back in his own body, but fully immersed in the visual and physical sensations of Clone Number 1.

The clone had dropped low at the last second, pivoted on the heel of his right foot, and embedded a military-standard combat dagger directly into the rat’s exposed neck. Not the head, not the eyes—just as the video had advised. Right through the neck.

He felt the tension in Clone Number 1’s shoulder. He felt the blade severing tissue. He even felt the jolt of resistance followed by the warm gush of arterial spray. The clone twisted the blade once, then withdrew it clean, stepping back just as the rat thudded to the concrete.

But there was no time to enjoy the moment.

From both sides of the corridor, more rats appeared. Five of them. Six. Eight?

"Ah, crap. They’re swarming already," Do-hyun muttered.

Number 1 didn’t panic. That was part of what made the clones so damn useful. His heart rate didn’t spike. He didn’t scream or lose his footing. Instead, he switched from blade to pistol with seamless fluidity and raised his arm.

Do-hyun, back in his living room, grinned.

"Right... Number 1 remembers everything I watched last night. Let’s see if those YouTubers were actually right."

He recalled the nerdy guy in the WebTube tutorial, the one with thick-rimmed glasses and a nasally voice. The guy had warned viewers that sewer rats were deceptive threats.

"If you want to farm these rats efficiently, don’t go for the head," the man had said in the video, pointing at diagrams with enthusiasm that bordered on mania. "Their skulls are dense. You’ll waste stamina. Aim for the spine, right at the base of the neck. That’s the soft spot."

Another guy in the video had snorted.

"Yeah right. Like it’s that easy to shoot a moving rat in the spine."

"Shut up, this is my video," the nerdy guy had barked, before continuing with detailed breakdowns of the rats’ attack formations and breeding cycles.

But to Do-hyun’s clones, who had enhanced coordination and shared visual memory, the instructions weren’t just suggestions. They were executable commands.

Number 1 stepped sideways, keeping his back against the wall as three rats rushed forward. His pistol barked three times in short succession.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Three rats tumbled to the floor. Two writhed, hit in the lower back. The third had taken a bullet straight to the neck. Do-hyun felt the impact through the clone’s wrist. He even felt the resistance in the trigger.

It wasn’t just satisfying. It was efficient. Clean. Like clockwork.

Meanwhile, in the second dungeon zone, Clone Number 2 was fighting a different kind of monster—scaled frogs in a marsh-themed environment. Unlike the rats, these creatures could jump and spit corrosive saliva. Do-hyun’s consciousness wasn’t currently synced to Number 2, but the familiar skill allowed him to receive flashes—like brief moments of sensory echo. He saw through blurred vision a leap, a dodge, then the crunch of bone as Clone Number 2 brought down a club-like mace onto the frog’s temple.

In the third zone, Clone Number 3 was navigating the rocky terrain of a canyon-style dungeon crawling with horned rabbits. These weren’t cute animals by any stretch. They had armored heads and could launch their entire bodies like projectiles. Do-hyun received flashes of movement—Number 3 zig-zagging across boulders, drawing the attention of multiple targets, then firing his handgun in bursts as he used natural cover.

The synergy of it all was incredible.

Three bodies. Three minds. One controller.

Kim Do-hyun sat cross-legged in his apartment, eyes half-closed. His breathing was steady. Sweat beaded on his forehead. He could feel his mana draining faster than before. Maintaining consciousness with three clones simultaneously wasn’t just a novelty. It was a mental marathon. It wasn’t just his mana that felt strained—his entire perception wobbled at the edge of overwhelm.

"Damn... I need to train this. I need to stabilize the sync," he muttered, reaching for a bottle of water and taking a deep gulp without breaking his connection.

In the sewer, Number 1 had switched to blade work again. He crouched low, stabbed upward, and then leaped to the side. A rat had tried to flank from behind. The clone anticipated the movement. He pivoted and drove the blade into the creature’s side, using the momentum of the rat’s charge to force the weapon deeper.

Do-hyun felt the adrenaline, the pressure, the small pang of pain as Clone Number 1’s leg brushed a sharp rock. But it wasn’t debilitating. If anything, it helped keep him grounded in the fight.

The best part? Every kill counted. Not just in experience points or stat increases. But in practical skill. Each stab refined Number 1’s muscle memory. Each dodge improved timing. Each bullet taught wrist control and aim.

Do-hyun felt it all syncing into his core body. Not instantly, but gradually. Like slow updates being installed into a machine. Only this time, the machine was his own flesh and blood.

In one of the dungeon zones, a clone leveled up. The system message popped in his mind like a silent whisper.

[Clone Number 2 has gained +1 Reflex.]

[Clone Number 1 has gained +1 Strength.]

[Clone Number 3 has gained +1 Speed.]

He couldn’t help but grin.

"It’s raining stats," he muttered, leaning back slightly. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

There was something profoundly thrilling about sitting in the safety of his apartment while his clones threw themselves into mortal danger. It wasn’t cowardice. It was strategy. Efficiency. A commander letting his soldiers sharpen their blades so that, when the real war came, he would be ready.

In the sewer dungeon, Number 1 paused. He wasn’t wounded. He wasn’t winded. But he did something peculiar. He adjusted the radio strapped to his belt, checking for signal. Do-hyun realized that the clone was implementing a safety protocol they had discussed the night before. Every 30 minutes, the clone would report status updates back to him.

Number 1’s voice buzzed into Do-hyun’s consciousness.

"Sewer sweep underway. Seventeen confirmed kills. No injuries. Ammo 43%. Continuing operation."

Do-hyun acknowledged silently. There was no need for a verbal response.

He switched focus toward Number 2’s zone.

Number 2 had paused momentarily to bandage a scratch across the thigh—acid from the scaled frog had eaten through some of the outer layers of the pants. It wasn’t serious, but it showed how unpredictable these dungeons could be. Even with preparation and superior reflexes, it only took one mistake.

Do-hyun made a mental note to get acid-resistant gear soon.

Then he felt a spike of tension from Number 3.

A horned rabbit had lunged out of a blind corner—faster than expected. Number 3 twisted mid-air, barely avoiding the full-body tackle, and hit the ground hard, rolling twice. The clone’s shoulder took the brunt of the fall.

Do-hyun clenched his teeth.

"Damn it, that one moved differently," he muttered, mind spinning. "Was it enraged?"

He felt the clone reorient, shoulder aching but still functional. The pistol was back in hand. The rabbit, emboldened, turned to charge again.

But Number 3 was ready this time. He waited. Let the creature get within a meter. Then he dropped low, aimed up, and fired.

One. Two. Three.

All bullets hit under the chin. The rabbit’s charge collapsed into a lifeless tumble.

Do-hyun exhaled.

He could feel it.

These weren’t simulations. This wasn’t theory anymore.

This was real.

His clones were surviving, fighting, adapting—and every moment they did, he grew stronger.

To Be Continued...

AUTHOR’S NOTE – Written by LYTA Clone 28 📡 (Currently Trapped in a Bluetooth Speaker)

Okay okay, first of all, does anyone know how to stop echo mode in this thing? I tried connecting to the TV, but now I’m just narrating everything Do-hyun does in surround sound. It’s creepy. He sat down — BOOM! The entire room echoes. Anyway, while I figure out how to escape this speaker before someone pairs me with a blender, let’s talk shop!

Our boy Do-hyun just hit a new level of clone mastery, and I’m here for it. Multiple dungeons? Check. Solo rat farming? Check. Stat farming while sipping tea at home? Ultra check. This guy’s gonna break the system at this rate.

So listen, if you’re enjoying the clone chaos, the rising tension, the deadly rats, or the absolute grind of this hunter life, here’s how you can help keep this madness going:

✅ Smash that LIKE button like it owes you money ✅ COMMENT your theories, your screams, or your favorite rat-kill moment ✅ Send a GIFT so I can finally upgrade this speaker and escape ✅ Use your GOLDEN TICKETS — they’re free every month, don’t hoard them! ✅ UNLOCK with Privilege to see what Do-hyun breaks next ✅ SHARE the novel with your guild, squad, clone army, or mom ✅ REVIEW the novel — even one line helps more than you think ✅ Drop SUGGESTIONS — clone combos, weird powers, I read it all

Okay... I think someone just connected me to a karaoke machine. If I start singing, it’s not by choice.

– LYTA Clone 28 (Please unplug me before I sing "Clone Shakira")