Chapter 119: Urban Legend·The Clone

Chapter 119: Urban Legends: The Doppelgänger

"They may not be the people you know at all!"

The bold red text, also underlined, instantly captured Chu Fu's attention. After stopping to examine it closely, he learned that this was a warning notice advising students to beware of the "Urban Legend—The Replicant."

"A Replicant is a type of biomimetic humanoid confirmed by official containment facilities. It instinctively mimics isolated humans, assuming their identities and social relationships in an attempt to infiltrate human society."

"The longer the disguise lasts, the higher the resemblance between the Replicant and the original human. After 72 hours, the margin of error can drop below 7.8%, exhibiting highly camouflaged and contagious traits."

"Therefore, any companion, classmate, or roommate who has been away from you for an extended period may be at risk of being replaced by a Replicant. You must examine them carefully. If abnormalities are detected, contact campus security immediately at: xxxxxx."

"Warning signs are as follows:

1. A Replicant cannot distinguish between laughter and crying, so it may randomly mimic human behaviors such as smiling, laughing, or weeping, occasionally forgetting to blink or breathe, giving off an uncanny vibe.

However, after observing for a certain period, it makes fewer mistakes, making detection increasingly difficult.

2. A Replicant can easily mimic the general appearance and mannerisms of its target, but its understanding of human internal anatomy is extremely limited.

Thus, you may carefully observe the number of teeth exposed when a companion laughs. If their teeth appear abnormally crowded—40 or more—or if their mouth contains rows upon rows of teeth, they are likely not your usual companion.

3. A Replicant cannot access the specific memories of its imitation target. If possible, ask if they remember shared experiences.

But beware! Don't tip them off! (Bold red text)

4. A Replicant subconsciously mimics the interactions of nearby humans. If you notice your companion creepily mirroring others—repeating the same movements or phrases mechanically—they are likely a Replicant.

5. A Replicant is a flesh-eating urban legend, particularly fond of raw organs. If your vicinity experiences cases of evisceration, cannibalism, organs missing from corpses, or small animals with hollowed-out innards—or if a companion suddenly starts craving animal organs—be vigilant, as a Replicant may have infiltrated.

6. In fact, any expression or action that makes you feel uneasy, eerie, or dissonant should set off alarm bells. Trust your sixth sense when facing danger."

"Please memorize the above traits and identification methods."

"If you discover that someone around you has been replaced by a Replicant, do not panic. Limit its movements as much as possible, avoid being alone with it, never turn your back to it, and seek help in crowded areas. The Anomaly Containment Facility will prioritize your safety."

"Wishing all students a pleasant academic and social life."

...Wow, even campus life in another world gets this wild?

Just as Chu Fu was engrossed in reading the notice, a hand reached from behind and tapped his shoulder.

Turning around, he saw a kindly old professor adjusting his thick reading glasses before asking gently, "Are you Chu from Chinese Literature Class 13?"

When Chu Fu nodded, the professor—like a doting grandfather playfully scolding a junior—lightly patted Chu Fu's arm and reminded him, "Chu, you haven’t submitted your midterm assignment, which was due last night. Did you forget? Make sure to turn it in within the next two days, or you’ll lose points."

Ah, another mess left behind by the original host.

Maintaining a polite smile, Chu Fu apologized and watched as the old professor ambled off.

Letting out a sigh of relief, he turned back to the notice board—only for another hand to tap his shoulder moments later, in the exact same spot and with the same exact pressure.

...Wait, didn’t the fourth rule mention that Replicants mimic the behavior of those around them?

Chu Fu paused before turning around again.

"Chu." The person behind him called out, wearing a smile so textbook-perfect it could’ve been printed in a how-to manual.

Precisely because it was so formulaic, the smile didn’t convey warmth or friendliness—instead, it radiated an unnatural creepiness, as if a metal grinning mask had been stitched beneath the skin, forcing every muscle to freeze in place, making the smile look frozen.

"The dorm supervisor didn’t check last night, right? I went out after dinner and came back too late, so I just stayed at a hotel."

The unfamiliar man grinned while mimicking the professor’s gesture of adjusting glasses—despite not wearing any. Staring at Chu Fu, he added, "You must’ve been worried, huh?"

Then, he attempted to pat Chu Fu’s arm just as the professor had, but Chu Fu smoothly avoided the motion.

Truthfully, Chu Fu *had* been worried last night—but only because he feared his roommate might return late, see him standing motionless in the dark, mistake him for a corpse in rigor mortis, and call the police.

So Chu Fu answered honestly, "A little, but once you didn’t come back, I stopped worrying."

"Roommate": "..."

For a moment, it struggled to process what the human said. What was the logical connection between "not coming back" and "stopping worry"?

Having only recently begun mimicking humans, it first doubted its own comprehension skills rather than suspecting Chu Fu’s abnormality.

Thus, the "roommate" maintained its rigid smile, lips twitching to reveal blood-red gums lined with impossibly crowded teeth—at least sixty visible at a glance, a sight that would unsettle most. Chu Fu, naturally, didn't bat an eye.

Assuming Chu Fu was expressing concern over its absence, the "roommate" replied earnestly, "Thanks. Good... good bro."

Live Chat:

"...What a masterclass in talking past each other."

"What language are they even speaking? Does this exist in modern civilization? I can’t follow."

"Lmao want to laugh but the streamer’s watching, so I’ll hold back."

"Kinda weird but, they seem to be getting along?"

"This is what they call perfect pairing in dungeons—their fake-ness levels are perfectly matched..."

"Even highly socialized divine beings are facepalming, thinking humans aren’t like this."

Ignoring the live chat’s banter, Chu Fu looked the "roommate" up and down with apparent interest before asking curiously, "By the way, remind me your name?"

Anyone else would’ve sensed something off—how could two people who’d shared a dorm for years not know each other’s names?

Yet, the Replicant "roommate," without basic human social skills, didn't notice anything strange and answered seriously, "Zhou Cheng."

Chu Fu smiled, echoing pointedly, "Nice to meet you, 'Zhou Cheng.'"

The moment the name left his lips, the Replicant’s expression contorted wildly, face muscles seizing up.

After Chu Fu spoke its name, it suddenly felt the rings of teeth coiling down its throat erupt in white-hot pain.

Agonized, the misaligned teeth writhed like worms, burrowing violently into its gums as its internal structure forcibly "corrected" itself.

The process was unbearable—as if a thousand nails were being hammered into its gums one by one, each strike echoing dully through its skull.

Not just its teeth—every organ, muscle, blood vessel, and nerve in its body writhed uncontrollably beneath its skin like eels burrowing under skin, forming bulges akin to bursting abscesses before flattening again.

Every physical abnormality was being erased, forcibly reshaped into correctness by some terrifying force!

Overwhelmed by the pain, the Replicant froze momentarily before realizing:

It had lost the ability to freely shapeshift or mimic any human.

—Chu Fu had declared it "Zhou Cheng," and now it was permanently, inescapably locked within that template.

For the replicant, this was tantamount to completely stripping away its abilities and instincts, reducing it from a shapeshifting urban legend with a thousand faces to those very fragile, powerless humans it had always regarded as prey!

The replicant stared at Chu Fu in disbelief, about to demand answers, when a familiar voice suddenly came from its gut: "What the hell? Where am I? It's so dark..."

"Ugh... my head's killing me from drinking. I wonder if Chu Fu asked for leave from the dorm supervisor for me?"

In an instant, the replicant felt as if its blood had frozen solid... It realized this was the voice of the real Zhou Cheng.

—The prey it had slowly devoured last night had actually awakened inside its stomach.

As an urban legend with an "A" hazard rating, the replicant felt something unprecedented—fear had taken root in its heart, rapidly sprouting and bearing fruit, weighing heavy in its chest, almost suffocating it.

Because the replicant didn’t understand human emotional expressions, this newfound fear manifested on its face as a grotesque grin, its lips stretching almost to its ears.

"Ha... hahahaha..."

Watching the replicant's desperate, hysterical laughter, Chu Fu smiled back approvingly.

He kindly reassured it, "Don’t worry, 'Zhou Cheng'—I’ll turn you back into the real Zhou Cheng again."

"......"

The replicant went quiet for a beat, then erupted in even wilder laughter, drawing the attention of passersby.

Among them, only the real Zhou Cheng remained confused, his voice muffled by flesh: "Who just called me? And who’s laughing?"

"Most importantly... where the hell am I?!"

...

Meanwhile, Yu Yin had also left the apartment, planning on heading to campus.

The apartment buildings were just across the street from Guiyin University, and many students rented rooms there. Yu Yin followed the crowd and unexpectedly ran into the body's original friend.

"Xiao Yin! Xiao Yin!" The friend waved enthusiastically the moment she spotted Yu Yin, lifting the hem of her skirt and doing a little spin. "What do you think of my new dress? Isn’t it pretty?"

Yu Yin paused, using the motion of adjusting her sunglasses to quickly slip her eyeballs back into their sockets before glancing at the friend.

The friend was wearing an extremely vibrant red dress. Though the dress had no extra embellishments from top to bottom and its design was simple, it inexplicably felt stunningly beautiful, as if it had an irresistible allure that captivated onlookers.

"It looks nice," Yu Yin offered an expert opinion. "The color of fresh blood and meat."

The friend ignored the latter part of the comment, giggling with delight.

She kept looking down at the bright red hem of her dress, admiring it from every angle, growing more and more infatuated, her fingers compulsively stroking the fabric.

A nearby girl was drawn to approach, her gaze locked on the dress, clearly entranced. "Hey, classmate, can I ask where you bought this dress?"

Hearing this, the friend turned her head and stared straight at the girl, her smile still in place. "It was a gift, so I don’t know the brand or store... but you can try it on first to see if it fits."

Offering to swap clothes between strangers was hardly appropriate.

But the girl’s gaze was already completely ensnared by the beautiful dress, beyond rational thought as she mumbled in a daze, "Okay, okay..."

She couldn’t wait to wear it!

Yu Yin wrenched her gaze away from the dress, her guard spiking as she sensed something off about it. Then, her friend's voice slithered into her ears:

"Xiao Yin... what about you?"

"Do you want to wear this pretty red dress too?"