SSS SKILL: DUPLICATE

They are at the edge of the garden.

There are four benches arranged in a circular pattern.

In the middle is a one-foot-size green lotus. It is sitting on its big, dark green leaves that look like an agave plant. It is planted on a circular, elevated plot of land with green grass. It is a mutated lotus that can survive on land.

Behind the benches, there are curved white bars that protect the plants and trees. The trees provide shelter on benches and fresh air.

A gentle wind blows on the trees. The branches with emerald green leaves sway, and the long hair of Melody is swaying.

Edgar looks at Melody, who is hugging her zither.

"I am Edgar."

Melody raised her head and faced Edgar, who is sitting on her right side.

"I am the man you saw in your world—the world created by your music."

Melody looks shocked. Is it really real? She thought the man was just her imagination. She thought the man appeared because, deep inside of her, she still wanted to see.

She stopped yearning to see because she did not want to burden Sister Lora and the orphanage. Sister Lora helps her apply for the annual event in Italy to heal her eyes, but she was never chosen because her illness is not life-threatening. Sister Lora tries to save money for her treatment, but Melody stops her. She does not want to receive treatment at the expense of putting the orphanage in difficulty.

She started losing her sight when she was nine years old. It's a rare disease in genes that causes blindness.

She had loving parents. Her father was good at playing zither. Her parents said that when she was one year old, she was playing the strings of a zither and giggling every time she strummed the strings. Her father taught her how to play zither. She is a prodigy. She learned it quickly and won competitions, but her blind sickness started. Her parents had to work hard for her treatment, and they never gave up on her. The world of blindness is scary for her, but they are always encouraging her. Music and her parents helped her keep on living, then tragedy struck. Magic beasts appeared.

Her parents did not come back in the evening. She did not sleep. She waited until morning, but they never came. She thought they abandoned her. Tears fell from her eyes. She tried to walk out of the house and look for them, but she stumbled, and her head hit a sharp object, which wounded her forehead. Blood flowed from her wound. It hurt, but her heart was in more pain. A social welfare worker went in and looked for her. The social worker was shocked when she saw Melody bleeding. She brought her to the hospital and told her what happened.

Beasts suddenly appeared all over the world. The factory where her parents work was attacked, and her parents were not able to escape. Their injuries were very severe. They are beyond saving and they know it, but they hold on because they are waiting for help to come so they can leave a message for their daughter. Help came, then they left a message before passing. Her parents said, "Live in their place. Live and experience the world in their place." Her parents had tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces when they left the message, as if they were in front of Melody and saying it to her.

Melody cried loudly when she heard it. From then on, the message of her parents keeps playing on her mind. She likes playing the zither because she can feel their presence through her music.

She was sent to the Saving Grace orphanage and has been staying there since. It was not easy for a blind little girl to live as an orphan, but her parents words—Sister Lora and the children in the orphanage that she learned to care—helped her keep on living. She is playing zither to help a little with their orphanage's budget problem.

The big donor of their orphanage was killed due to a car accident in Quezon City during the orc's invasion.

The government's social welfare department allots a budget every year. The remaining budget is for emergencies only. If they want to request more subsidies, they need to wait until next year. The large number of orphans is caused by the attack of magic beasts in the first few years of broken world's appearance. There were not enough hyperbeings to clear the broken worlds, which led to the appearance of the world's burst and beast horde in several parts of the country.

When Edgar is still in the virtual world, he has been thinking of allotting budgets for donations that include orphanages when he built his potion and runesmith company on Earth. He feels that he needs to build the company earlier than he planned.

Edgar smiles at the shock Melody.

"What you have is called the concept of music, a power that fourth-level aura masters possess. You can become one of the strongest humans in the world, and I can teach you how to use your concept to see the world."

"See the world?" Absentmindedly asked by Melody

"Do you know how I entered the world of illusion created by your music? It was through my will of concept. If you learn how to control your will of concept, you can use the aura in the air to see everything around you," Edgar explained. He looks at the face of Melody, who looks confused, as she probably does not even know what an aura is.

"Do you want to see?" asked Edgar.

Melody turned her head and turned silent. Is it alright to hope again? She hugged her zither more tightly. The man beside her seems so capable that he can even enter her world of imagination. Her eyes look more determined, then she turned her head and faces Edgar.

"I want to see," answered Melody.

Edgar smiles when he heard her.

"I will put my hand on your head and bring you into an illusion. Don't resist. It will be very difficult to put you in an illusion because of your will of concept. I will meet you in the illusion, and later, I will introduce you to your master."

Melody nods.

Edgar put his left hand on Melody's head, then he cast illusion dust. There is only a faint red dust on his palm. If others do not look at it closely, they will think that Edgar and Melody are just flirting.

Melody is brought into the illusion space of combat. She is shocked, as she can see everything—the white background, her body, and her zither.

"This is my illusion space of combat," Edgar's voice is suddenly heard by Melody.

Edgar's figure is forming in front of her. He looks transparent until he becomes completely clear. He showed his real figure to her. 

Melody still feels unbelievable about what is happening. She asked how she could see and even communicate with him. Edgar explained that the illusion pulled her consciousness into the illusion space of combat, and Edgar could make her see what he wanted her to see.

Edgar started teaching her about the basics of aura and concept.

"I will show you the power of concept," said Edgar with a smile.

A thirty-meter orange magic circle formed in the sky. Threads of fire element and white aura rotate on Edgar's right hand, quickly forming the King's Sword.

METEOR

A 25-meter fireball came out of the magic circle and started falling from the sky toward Edgar and Melody.

"W-what?!" Melody is shocked and subconsciously steps back as she sees the giant fireball in the sky falling down on them.

Edgar smiles and thought,"It's been a while since I have this strength."

He casually swung his right arm, which holds the king's sword.

SPLITTING SKY

A thirty-meter white aura blade rapidly flew to the air.

WENNG! The giant fireball is cut into two. It separates into left and right.

BOOM! The fireball exploded in the air. The shockwave of the explosion reached the ground, making the hair and clothes of Edgar and Melody sway. Fire rains on both sides.

Edgar looks at Melody and says,"You can have that kind of power. You just need to cultivate an aura and learn how to use your concept."

Melody's look seems to say, I don't believe you.

Edgar chuckles when he sees the look of Melody. She will find out her real strength soon.

After teaching her, he introduced her master.

TNNG! A zither sound caught Melody's attention. She looks behind her, and she sees another person.

Edgar smiles when he sees the familiar figure. He looks at Melody, then he slowly disappears.

Melody looks at the man with long hair and a loose blue robe holding a zither.

"I am Flute. I will be your master. You will be the Legatee of the Art of Zither."