The Doppelganger seemed to copy even the clothing exactly.
Watching the Doppelganger in pajamas, Iris transformed into her hero form, and the Doppelganger’s body dissipated like smoke before reshaping itself into the exact same hero outfit as hers.
With the skill upgraded, it was time to test just how strong it had become.
“Hmm, let’s see… huh?”
Just as she was about to see how far the Doppelganger could move, it vanished like smoke.
Suddenly, her body felt drained. It seemed the skill consumed a significant amount of magic power.
While the half-clone could be maintained for quite some time, the full clone’s magic consumption was overwhelmingly heavy.
‘Well, I’ll just get used to it gradually during battles. Now, what else should I check?’
Iris summoned the Cursed Belt Pouch, pulled out a Magic Potion, rummaged through it, and also took out the Ring Box.
She drank the potion first to restore her magic, took a deep breath, and then opened the ring box.
‘I wonder what will happen.’
Before putting on the ring, she drew the curtain to cover the window. Something huge might happen the moment she slipped on the ring.
No one was passing outside the annex, but better to be thorough with security just in case.
Calming herself, Iris carefully put on the ring in front of the mirror.
The ring, which seemed large at first, wriggled and then shrank perfectly to fit her finger.
As expected from when <Perception> activated, this was no ordinary antique.
‘Like when I wore the Chastity Belt or the Bracelet, I feel like some kind of message should pop up…’
She stared blankly into the empty space before focusing intently on the mirror.
After a moment, a storm brewed inside the mirror, and through the dark clouds, her hero-clad figure appeared.
Just as before, a faint white glow shimmered around her neck and head.
Raising her ring-wearing hand and staring at the mirror, Iris noticed the white glow she’d seen before was absent this time.
Then, the messages she had been waiting for flashed before her eyes—not just one, but several.
The Chastity Belt, Bracelet, and Ring are resonating.
They are items imbued with the same will.
Power begins to overflow from your entire body.
The Cursed Belt Hanger grows incomparably stronger than before.
As she dazedly watched the rising messages, the reflection in the mirror changed.
The white hero outfit began to glow with an aurora-like light.
A fluttering, translucent cloak appeared as well.
It was like the transformation outfit of a magical girl becoming more dazzling as she grew stronger.
Despite the guilt from betraying Laika by swapping the ring, she felt rewarded.
A rush of euphoria filled her face as she gazed down at the ring.
‘Wow, this really is the Ancient Accessory Set.’
Her mouth stretched wide in amazement and joy as more messages popped up endlessly—notifications of level-ups.
The Cursed Belt Hanger’s level has increased. Your strength grows. You gain a more agile body. Your stamina rises. A mysterious energy inhabits your body.
The Cursed Belt Hanger’s level has increased. Your strength grows…
The Cursed Belt Hanger’s level has increased…
‘Wow, I thought something amazing would happen when I put on the ring, but not to this extent.’
There were as many as ten level-up messages.
Checking her Status Panel, she saw that just by wearing the ring, the Cursed Belt Hanger’s level had instantly jumped to 50.
Clenching and unclenching her fist, she jumped up and down on the spot.
She could feel overwhelmingly stronger power and faster movement compared to before.
Seeing her energy surge as if she’d just eaten nourishing food, her magic and stamina seemed to have skyrocketed exponentially.
‘Collecting relics really was the key. When <Perception> upgraded, it blatantly showed that I could sense the presence of relics more keenly.’
So where were the rest of the relics?
At that moment, Abellus, who had been close to Laika, came to mind.
‘Their relationship wasn’t good, but they seemed to cooperate.’
Since Laika, one of the main villains in the story, possessed relics, it was possible Abellus had some as well.
Anyway, since she had to search for relics blindly, starting with Abellus seemed reasonable.
She even had a strong hunch she had to go to the Laboratory despite the danger.
‘Maybe the relic there is calling me. It could be a false lead, but I have to try.’
Iris rummaged through the bag left on the sofa and pulled out a crumpled business card she’d hidden deep inside.
Biting her lip as she pondered, Iris grabbed her Handphone.
It was time to contact Abellus.
‘I’ll have to take the risk. It might be a trap, but he wouldn’t try to kill an ordinary person like me. And if he tries any harm, I can use the <Escape Tome>.’
Since she still had plenty of Fame from missions, she could just purchase another <Escape Tome>.
The <Feather of Affection> she used to charm Luciel would also come in handy when dealing with Abellus.
With resolve shining in her eyes, Iris composed a message to Abellus, unaware that he had already guessed her identity.
***
A few days later, after filming ended, Laika got into a car driven by his Manager and headed home.
The Manager glanced at Laika’s expression through the rearview mirror.
For a while, Laika had looked cheerful, making the Manager wonder if something good had happened.
But in the past few days, his mood had dropped noticeably.
Had he made and lost money on stocks?
The Manager was worried about Laika’s clearly low spirits.
Not out of genuine concern for Laika as a person, but because he feared the fallout might come his way.
Laika’s current state gave off a dangerously tense vibe, like he could explode at any wrong word.
So much so that even the Director had secretly approached the Manager, asking if something was wrong with Laika.
Even strangers could tell something was off.
The Manager wanted to ignore it but, as Laika’s Manager, he was responsible for monitoring the actor’s condition.
Reluctantly swallowing his unease, he spoke up.
“Laika, is something wrong?”
“…Nothing.”
Laika slowly lifted his head and replied with a delay.
Not long ago, he would hum or tap his feet in the backseat during rides, but now something was definitely wrong.
The Manager debated whether to end the conversation but gathered courage to continue.
“Still… you’ve looked down these past few days…”
“What? You think I look down? Seriously?”
Had he said something wrong?
Laika snapped sharply in response, causing the Manager’s shoulders to shrink.
Keeping his eyes on the road, the Manager answered timidly,
“Ah, no, I just asked because I was worried.”
“Do I really look like that? Like I’m in a bad mood? I won’t say anything bad, so just be honest.”
The Manager kept his mouth shut.
His question had clearly annoyed Laika, but now Laika was demanding honesty, leaving the Manager unsure how to respond.
As he hesitated, Laika pressed again.
Though focused on driving, the Manager didn’t notice Laika’s shocked expression.
“Tell me. I won’t say anything. I just want to know if I really look that way.”
“…Yes. You look like you’re in a bad mood. Others have asked me about your condition, too.”
Laika’s eyes went blank at that.
If not only the Manager but others had noticed how bad he looked, it was obvious his mood had been on display.
In truth, he had been deeply upset over Iris not contacting him for days.
It all started after their second meeting at his place, when he dropped her off in front of the building.
She hadn’t reached out first, so he sent a message before bed, but no reply came.
He thought she’d reply the next day, but she didn’t, and then she never responded again.
His pride was hurt, and stubbornness set in.
He also denied reality—there was no way a woman would dump someone as handsome and perfect as him first.
He gritted his teeth and sent a few more messages, but they were all ignored.
Even now, Laika sighed with irritation as he looked at the unread messages on his Handphone.
What was the problem that day?
Or had she lost interest earlier?
No, if she didn’t like him, she wouldn’t have come over again in the first place…
Leaning his head back, Laika sighed out,
“Others, too? So I really look bad… Hah, well, it’s just that. Don’t worry, I won’t let it affect filming.”
“Understood…”
Glancing at Laika through the rear view mirror, the Manager returned his attention to driving.
Laika still clutched his head, staring at the unread messages.
It was time to face the truth.
Iris had used him and then discarded him.
‘Why isn’t she answering? No way. Iris played with me? With someone like me?’