The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting a burnt-orange glow across the city's crumbling rooftops. Shadows stretched across the cobbled streets as I slung my worn-out bag over my shoulder. The day's light may have faded, but my resolve hadn't.
I needed money.
For her, and for the academy.
The streets were busy with people chasing dinners or deals, but I wandered aimlessly, no leads in sight. Desperation gnawed at my stomach with each step.
Then, near the market square, a gruff man barked an offer for labor—construction, heavy work. Most looked away. I stepped forward.
"I'll do it alone. Pay me for five."
He raised a thick brow, sizing me up like I was either mad or bluffing. "That's a bold offer, kid. Finish on time, and I'll pay the full rate."
"Deal," I replied, my voice steady.
When he left, I headed to the tool shed. The door creaked behind me as I slipped inside. In the dim light, I peeled off my shirt, letting the air hit my skin.
Then I closed my eyes.
I focused.
In a flash of concentration, my body split. One became two. Then four. Then six.
Each stood identical, breathing in unison.
"This is my limit for now," I muttered to myself. "Six clones, fully controllable."
Outside, we moved as one—synchronized shadows pounding, lifting, cutting. To anyone watching, it would've looked like a crew of trained professionals working in silence.
As we worked, sweat trickled down each body. The heat was intense, but my mind wandered—back to where it all began.
"In noble families, power is everything. Relics, grimoires, and skill fruits—everyone fights for them. They're rare. Precious. Some even kill for them."
When I was young, my family came across two such fruits.
They used Appraisal Magic to reveal their secrets.
One granted Wind Affinity—a high-tier elemental gift.
The other… a strange, less graceful power: Body Splitting.
Guess which one they gave me.
My brother received Wind. He soared—literally and figuratively. The golden son.
I was given the split fruit. At first, I thought it was a punishment.
But that was before I understood its value.
Sure, there's a cost. Pain is shared. If one clone bleeds, all bleed. A single injury can bring all of us down.
But for labor, scouting, multitasking?
Unmatched.
By sunset, the job was finished. Every nail in place. Every board aligned.
The foreman returned, expecting half-done work and excuses.
He stopped in his tracks.
"You're done? Already?"
I nodded.
He walked the site twice, silent, brows furrowed in disbelief.
"You did the work of five men."
"I'm efficient," I said, cracking the faintest smile.
He handed me a heavy pouch, still stunned. "A deal's a deal. Take it."
I tucked it into my bag and walked off. Night had taken the city now. Lamps flickered, and the streets thinned to silence.
It wasn't enough.
Not yet.
The academy fee still loomed high. But it was a start.
I paused under the silver moon, feeling the weight of the coins—and of my determination.
"This power… they saw it as second-rate. But I'll show them. This is the beginning."