'Gguulluuu… blllurrgghhh…guuulllluuuullll~!'
There was one thing that Eric understood the moment that his Blood Clone died inside the cave, he could feel the same death too.
As long as he was in possession of that Blood Clone, he was able to feel whatever the clone felt, including the pain, and desperation coming from dying.
If he wasn't underwater when it happened, he could swear that he would be drenched in cold sweat at that moment.
And the fact that he almost drowned due to that extremely terrifying feeling of dying should be enough proof of his experience, as he couldn't believe what had just happened.
At that moment he had truly believed that he had died, and he was totally shocked at that thought, as he was then overwhelmed by the salty water of the ocean, and his panic.
If it were him before he entered Nightless Stone City, then this might have been a life and death experience for him, but that wasn't the same for him now.