Chapter 23: Boppelganger Orgy

“Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to check the left corridor?”

“Yeah, but I heard a strange noise halfway through, so I came to your side.”

Her voice sounded the same as usual, but something was slightly off.

The tone was a bit lower, and the way she broke up her words was different from normal.

A chill ran down my spine as I stared at her directly.

“…What noise? I didn’t hear anything.”

Sia tilted her head slightly and answered.

“It just… sounded like you were calling me. Did you find anything?”

At that moment, warning bells went off in my head.

Her gestures, expressions, even the timing of her breaths—everything felt forced, as if it was being imitated.

“I haven’t found anything yet. But… are you really Sia?”

As soon as I asked, her expression changed.

For a brief moment, her smile vanished, replaced by a blank look—then, just as quickly, it returned to a forced grin.

“What are you talking about? Of course, I’m me.”

She slowly stepped closer to me.

Her footsteps made no sound against the floor, and something about the way she moved felt unnatural.

I took a step back, gripping my flashlight tightly.

“If you’re really Sia… then tell me what you saw in the left corridor earlier. What was there?”

She hesitated for a moment before tilting her head and replying.

“Nothing special. Just another similar corridor. Why? Are you doubting me? I really am me.”

I didn’t answer. I just stared straight at her.

Her gaze grew sharper, and her forced smile began to falter.

“Then tell me about that place you had to crawl through in a cat pose. What was I doing at that time?”

“Oh, that? Well, you were cheering me on while I was trying to squeeze through—”

“…Sia has never crawled in a cat pose.”

“Ah.”

At that moment, her body began to tremble unnaturally.

Her figure flickered like a shadow, and something beneath her skin seemed to wriggle.

“You… you’re not Sia, are you?”

As soon as I said that, she abruptly stopped moving and tilted her head slightly.

Then, in a low, chilling voice, she muttered,

“You caught me.”

That voice no longer belonged to Sia.

My heart sank as I clenched my flashlight tighter.

“Come here quietly. I’ll make sure you enjoy it.”

The fake Sia spoke in a soft voice, smiling.

She was still mimicking Sia’s tone, but there was an eerie undertone laced within it.

She lifted her hand, curling a single finger, beckoning me closer.

And with her other hand, she brought it close to her chest, making a twisting motion as if she were wringing something.

Her fingers bent abnormally, and an unnatural sound came from their movements.

“What, are you trying to show me some kind of finger trick?”

I spoke in the midst of my tension, taking a step back.

Every single one of her movements was so grotesque that I couldn’t look away.

“No, I mean it. You’ll really feel good. If I poke you with these fingers, it’ll be warm, cozy, and feel absolutely wonderful.”

She lowered her voice, then pulled out a mask with a joyful expression from within her clothing and placed it over her face.

She smiled slightly— a smile so chilling it sent shivers down my spine.

Suddenly, the doors along the walls swung open on their own, and from within, identical copies of fake Sia spilled out in droves.

They all had the same face, the same movements, and they began walking toward me in unison.

Each of them wore a different mask, all while maintaining that eerie, forced smile.

One by one, they curled their index fingers, beckoning me forward.

“What… the hell is this…?”

I froze, my body stiff with fear, as I instinctively stepped backward.

The fake Sias were closing in, gradually surrounding me.

Their voices merged into one, resonating in a haunting echo.

“Where do you think you’re running? No one can leave this place.”

“Just give up and accept it. It’ll be less painful that way.”

“We’ll make you feel good, so just come to us.”

Their voices created a bizarre harmony that vibrated through the air.

I clenched my flashlight tightly, my eyes darting around in search of an escape route as they steadily closed the gap.

“If this keeps up… I’ll be caught…!”

I quickly stepped backward, desperately searching for a way out.

But there were too many of them.

The hallway was already packed with those twisted copies.

I found myself being pushed toward the wall, my fear mounting with every passing second.

“There’s nowhere left to run.”

The fake Sia at the front whispered as she slowly approached.

“Give up and come to us. Struggling any further is pointless.”

Gritting my teeth, I swung my flashlight wildly.

But they either dodged with a smile or simply let their bodies sway unnaturally, as if they had no bones.

Just as one of them reached for my hand, I made a split-second decision.

I twisted my body and bolted with all my might.

“Yes, keep running. We already know where you’ll end up.”

Even as I escaped their grasp, they continued to watch me with those horrifying, frozen smiles, closing in at a slow yet relentless pace.

Panting heavily, I sprinted toward the center—the Great Hall.

And then, from the opposite corridor, I saw someone running toward me.

It was unmistakably Sia.

The real Sia.

“Sia!”

I shouted her name and ran straight toward her.

“Over here! Run to me!”

Sia’s face brightened as soon as she saw me, but when she turned around, her expression quickly turned to one of horror.

Behind her, countless “me”s were running toward us.

Beings that looked exactly like me, all wearing bizarre masks, were stretching out their arms as they chased after her.

“What… what is that?! They look just like me!”

I was overwhelmed by shock, but the thought of helping her drove me to quickly run toward her.

Sia reached out her hand as we reunited.

“We need to move quickly! If we get caught here, it’s over!”

We grabbed each other’s hands and began moving desperately.

Behind us, the fakes were chasing us, filling the entire corridor.

The fakes that looked like me were coming from the left corridor, while the fakes that looked like Sia were coming from the right.

They looked like us, familiar faces, but their eyes and expressions were disturbingly unnatural.

They were smiling, but their smiles were forced and cold, like masks made of leather.

“There’s no escape…”

I frantically looked around the hallway, trying to find an exit, but all paths were blocked.

The fakes were blocking the way behind us, and in front, there was nothing but an empty corridor.

But then, at that moment, I noticed the chair in the center.

Someone was sitting in it.

At first, it seemed like just a shadow, but it slowly became clearer and entered our line of sight.

It was a giant female figure.

Black hair covered her face and flowed down long, and her entire body was tightly bound to the chair.

Yet, she sat with an air of dignity, as if she had no fear at all.

Her gaze was directed downward, looking at us as if she were an audience watching a play.

“What is that…?”

Her face was still obscured, but there was a strange aura emanating from her.

She stared at us silently, her gaze heavy, a pressure far more intense than that of the fakes chasing us.

“It’s like…
a queen watching a masquerade ball.”

Sia whispered, almost to herself.

She seemed to be enjoying the chaos unfolding before us.

Even as the sound of the fakes getting closer grew louder, the woman in the chair didn’t move an inch.

She simply watched us, silently savoring the scene.

A day in the womb.

Ugh, this sounds weird when I write it like this.

Anyway, we were exploring inside the womb…

Ugh, I just started exploring the interior of this palace.

It was filled with a strange energy.

The hallways stretched endlessly, and from everywhere, fake Sias and fake versions of me were pouring out.

Could these be the “Boppelgangers” Sia mentioned?

No, but I never imagined there would be so many of these monsters.

They pressured us with their overwhelming numbers and chilling smiles, and we had no choice but to flee desperately.

I reunited with Sia, but the problem wasn’t over.

There was nowhere to escape.

At that critical moment, with fakes closing in from both corridors, I saw someone sitting in the chair at the center.

It was a giant female figure, her black hair draped over her face, her body firmly bound to the chair.

Yet, she sat there with an air of dignity, looking down on us as if she were a queen.

Her gaze seemed to be evaluating us.

The fakes drew closer, but she appeared to enjoy the spectacle, like an audience at a play.

If I had to define it in a word…

It felt like “a queen enjoying a masquerade ball.”

Monster File: [Boppelganger]

Appearance: At first, they perfectly mimic their target, but over time, unnatural traits begin to show. Forced smiles, blurred outlines, awkward movements—it’s not hard to recognize them.

Traits: The Boppelganger mimics not only the appearance and voice of its target but also some of its behavior and memories.

However, it can’t replicate deep emotions or experiences, and they can be distinguished through questioning.

They are excellent at confusing allies and multiplying into multiple entities to isolate and increase confusion.

Danger Level: Individually, they’re not much, but in large groups, like at the [Succubus Camp], they can be dangerous.

Weakness: They have limits when it comes to emotions or memories, and you can reveal their true nature by exploiting this.

Monster File: [Queen]

Appearance: A giant female figure with black hair covering her face, and her entire body firmly bound to a magnificent chair. Her long hair flows around the chair, and her silhouette exudes both elegance and fear.

Traits: The Queen observes silently, giving off an aura of dominance over the situation. Her presence seems to cause chaos and fear around her.

Especially with creatures like the [Boppelganger], it seems they multiply around her. The Queen doesn’t move herself, but her gaze is calm, dignified, and as if she’s watching a play or a ball.

Danger Level: The Queen appears to rule over the chaos, as if watching the banquet unfold in her own serene elegance. She might be able to control the [Boppelganger] creatures.

If this hypothesis is true, she would be the first creature we’ve encountered here with a command structure.

Weakness: Though the Queen is bound and relies on the chair and restraints to exert her power, if the chair or restraints are destroyed, her power could weaken.

However, if the restraints are removed, something unpredictable might happen, so caution is needed.

Come to think of it, the [Boppelganger]s were wearing masks.

Maybe the “mask” is the key to defeating them.