Leave a comment â PreviousNext â
In the real world, on a remote island overseas, inside a lavish mansion.
"Host, why did you summon us? Is something urgent happening?" A petite young woman with flowing silver hair lounged lazily on a sofa in the mansion's grand lobby as she spoke.
Had Yaeger been present, she would have recognized this woman as Veraâor rather, someone almost identical to Vera.
âNumber One, why arenât you wearing underwear again?â the Hostâanother silver-haired woman with a strikingly beautiful faceâasked in exasperation.
This was the real Vera, and the woman sitting across from her was Vera 1, her first [Doppelgänger].
âItâs flat anyway. Whatâs the point?â Vera 1 shrugged, her tone indifferent.
âFlat⦠Itâs not like I asked to be flat!â Vera grumbled before adding in frustration, âAt the very least, put on some panties!â
âLetâs stay on topic, Host,â interrupted another young girl with short silver hair, clad in a black lace dress, her appearance nearly identical to Veraâs. This was Vera 2.
âNumber Two, why are you wearing so much makeup? You look like a ghost,â Vera muttered, her eyelid twitching in irritation.
Vera 2 had adorned herself with heavy gothic makeup and multiple rings, completing the dramatic look.
âI like it,â Vera 2 replied with a mischievous smile.
âUgh! I never should have let you people out!â Vera groaned in frustration.
âHost, time is preciousâletâs not waste it,â a new voice echoed from the lobby. All eyes turned to a petite girl with a single silver ponytail, clad in a sleek leather jacket.
âNumber Three, youâre late again!â Vera snapped, exasperated.
Numbers One, Two, and Three were [Doppelgängers] Vera had created long ago. Over the years, they had grown increasingly distinct from their original template. Their evolving personalities and shifting preferences were clear evidence of that change.
Rather than mere clones, they had developed into something akin to quadruplets.
These three alone were privileged to meet the real Vera on this island. None of the other doppelgängers had ever set foot here, and any memories related to the place had been meticulously erased.
âI got held up,â Vera 3 replied coolly.
âYouâre all driving me crazy!â Vera growled, clenching her fists and stomping her foot.
âLetâs focus. Iâm busy,â Vera 3 said, settling onto the sofa and crossing her legs with an air of detachment.
âUgh!â Vera slumped into her seat with a groan, slapping the table in irritation. âI called you here to discuss [Princess].â
The moment those words left her mouth, Vera 1âs lazy demeanor vanished. âSeriously? I heard [Princess] ranks among the best of the AA-class individuals!â
Vera 2âs eyes widened in disbelief. âHost, did you forget to take your meds?â
Vera 3 leaned in, her gaze sharp. âExplain.â
â[Princess] killed Number Eighteen. Number Seventeen tried to retaliate but got captured by a Grandmaster from Cathay,â Vera said grimly.
âWhat? Eighteenâs dead? And Seventeen got controlled?â the three exclaimed in unison.
Number Eighteen had been the newest addition, and her weak abilities made her death unsurprising. What truly sent chills down their spines, however, was the revelation that Number Seventeen had been taken under enemy control.
âYou all understand what it means for Number Seventeen to be captured, donât you?â Veraâs sharp gaze scanned the group.
âThereâs a chance we could be nextâ¦â Number Three, the first to regain her composure, said flatly. Yet, beneath her calm exterior, her heart raced with unease.
Their enemyâs cunning schemes were terrifying. The mere thought of losing their freedom and being enslaved gnawed at their minds, leaving them deeply unsettled.
âHost, you have to come up with a solution, fast!â Number One, previously lazy and indifferent, leaned forward with urgency.
âHost!â Number Two cried, throwing herself forward. âI refuse to be enslaved!â
âWhatâs the plan, Host?â Even the usually aloof Number Three couldnât hide her distress.
Their safety was at stake, and anxiety was inevitable.
âOf course, I summoned you here to come up with a solution,â Vera said with a grin. Seeing her doppelgängers squirm with anxiety gave Vera a deep sense of satisfaction. For the first time in a while, she truly felt like their leader.
âSeriously?â they all exclaimed in disbelief.
âDonât be ridiculous. I am the beyond S-rank Transcendent, [E-Fairy] Vera. Nothing can stand in my way,â Vera declared with unwavering confidence.
âEnough with the arrogance! Get to the point!â the three snapped in unison.
Vera remained calm, but the same couldnât be said for them.
âFine, fine, Iâll explain. Stop crowding me!â Vera grumbled, shoving them aside before continuing. âLetâs stay on track. The Grandmaster capable of controlling a doppelgänger is most likely Ronald Tian.â
âRonald Tian? That old dog?â Number One muttered, her memory slowly surfacing.
âThatâs right. The only Grandmaster in Cathay named Ronald Tian has to be that stubborn old coot who refuses to die,â Number Three confirmed.
âDamn it, that filthy old man! Iâll kill him!â Number Two snarled, disgusted by the idea of being enslaved by someone so revolting.
âThat damned old man is currently guarding our target, [Princess]. Which means weâll focus on [Princess] first.â
Vera paused, scanning their faces for any objections. When no one spoke, she continued without hesitation.
âWe all know how that wretched [Princess] loves to play weak to bait her enemies. She has the power of a pinnacle Master but acts like sheâs nothing specialâabsolutely devious! But this time, weâve uncovered everything about her. She wonât be difficult to handle.â
âYouâre planning to capture her and use her as bait to lure out Ronald before taking him down?â Number Three asked.
âRonald is the biggest threat. We need to eliminate him as soon as possible!â Number Two urged.
âWe canât let that old dog live!â Number One declared fervently.
âAbsolutely. For this mission, Iâve mobilized two S-ranked operatives from the organization to accompany you to Cathay. Theyâll handle Ronald, while your focus will be on [Princess]. Additionally, Iâve hired AA-ranked experts from around the globe to assist. Failure is not an optionâyou must succeed.â
Vera had poured an enormous amount of resources into this operation, sparing no expense to ensure its success.
âWait, weâre going too?â Numbers One, Two, and Three asked in unison, sounding equally exasperated.
âOf course youâre going! You three are my strongest doppelgängers. Together, you can take down an average S-rank without breaking a sweat. If I donât send you, should I go myself?â
Vera folded her arms and gave them a stern look. âBesides, the organization already assigned two S-ranks. Itâs only proper that we respond in kind.â
Numbers One, Two, and Three exchanged glances before letting out a synchronized sigh. âFine, weâll go. With a lineup like this, we might as well treat it as a vacation.â
What they didnât realize, however, was that a tragic fate awaited them.
Meanwhile, in the game world, within Jade City, Yaeger made her way back to her office on the auction houseâs third floor.
âLowly slave, something terrible has happened!â Kastina shouted the moment Yaeger stepped inside.