[Author's Note: For bonus chapters, the goal every week is:
- 25 Power Stones
- 50 Power Stones]
Volume 2 Chapter 13: Carmilla's Frightening Potential
After hearing what Daniel said about Carmilla and her two clones, Eve and Pepper, being too weak, Tria replied to Daniel's concerns.
Tria: "You don't have to worry about that, as the dungeon set up by the original will limit your level and strength to be near theirs. Your stat and skill levels will be set to level 5. So, your only advantage over them is your wealth of experience. And if you're still worried, remember that Carmilla, the original the original of the three, is a pureblood vampire, and so her clones, Eve and Pepper. Think of it as fighting three pureblood vampires at the same time."
Hearing from Tria that Carmilla, along with her two clones, were pure-blood vampires, with her clone having combat abilities, unlike the others clone skills that couldn't fight and could only distract, he remembered one of the [Unique Skills] he had read about in the past. This skill could summon a perfect clone matching the user's bloodline and stats.
So Daniel tries to confirm his thought with Tria.
Daniel: "Your majesty, are you saying that she possesses one of the long-lost [Unique Skills]?"
Tria: "You are correct, Carmilla here possesses the [Unique Skill] [Clone]."
Upon hearing Tria's confirmation, Daniel couldn't help but feel terrified at the thought of fighting three pureblood vampires.
He also couldn't help but feel a bit envious of Carmilla. Not only was she a pureblood vampire, but she also possessed one of the most powerful [Unique Skills], which was almost impossible to have at the same time without great luck.
If he had only heard it from others, he would dismiss this as hearsay, as it would seem impossible. But with Carmilla and her clones in front of him, he couldn't help but accept it as the truth.
He was also feeling jubilant because with Carmilla being a pureblood vampire capable of inheriting the [Vampire Progenitor] bloodline, she would become a future powerhouse in the vampire race. Her possession of the [Unique Skill] [Clone] would create several powerhouses that the vampire race could rely on.
Just like how legends portrayed the first user of the [Unique Skill] [Clone] as someone who dominated every single battle he participated in.
The only battles he didn't dominate, or in which he lost, could be counted on one hand. He faced a few top powerhouses from different races, and when he fought against other [Unique Skill] holders, they could easily hinder him. However, they couldn't kill him, only managing to eliminate a few of his clones. Every time the battle started to become a disadvantage for him, he would instantly escape secretly, without anyone noticing that he was already long gone, leaving them to battle his clones.
But after the first user of the [Clone] skill died of old age, many people tried to obtain the [Clone] skill, especially those who knew the stories of his battles and victories achieved through the [Unique Skill]. However, the ones who were truly obsessed with learning the [Clone] skill were those who had personally fought him, experienced its might, or witnessed it being used in battle.
Now that the [Clone] skill was in the possession of a vampire cub, Daniel couldn't help but imagine the potential of this skill being used by a vampire with a pure bloodline, one that had the chance to evolve into a [Vampire Progenitor] of the vampire race.
Tria: "Hey, Daniel. Are you ready, Daniel?"
Daniel, who was imagining the future of Carmilla and her clones, when he was brought back to reality by Tria's question.
Daniel: "Apologies, your majesty. Can you please repeat what you just said?"
Tria: "I said, 'Are you ready?' What happened to you? You suddenly spaced out of nowhere after I mentioned that you don't need to hold back in the fight with Carmilla and her two clones, Eve and Pepper."
Tria paused for a moment and closely inspected Daniel before she began murmuring.
Tria: "Did I mess up the temporary resurrection spell? It's been quite a while since I last used the temporary resurrection spell, but he seems fine to me."
Even though Tria spoke so softly, Daniel still managed to hear what she said, so he hurriedly responded.
Daniel: "It's not your majesty's fault. I was just imagining the future when that young girl will grow up and how formidable she will become. But, your majesty, can I ask why do I need to fight her?"
Upon hearing the reason why Daniel abruptly spaced out, she realized that she had also been thinking about Carmilla's future, ever since she learned about Carmilla's existence.
Despite being referred to as "your majesty" by Daniel, she wasn't the one truly ruling the vampire race. The actual rulers were other vampires who governed with the assistance of the Elder Council, so she decided to overlook Daniel's sudden distraction. She was not strict and was rather easygoing, like her original body.
The only reason her main body and she were being referred to as "your majesty" is that she is the current and only [Vampire Progenitor] of the vampire race who has not yet retired.
Tria: "Carmilla, my dear, can you wait for a moment before we begin your battle with Daniel? He and I need to have a brief conversation."
Carmilla, who was contemplating her current situation, knew that this would be her first time fighting a human, or rather, a vampire, who would likely have a more diverse range of attack patterns and independent thinking. Unlike the mobs she had defeated before, which adhered to basic attack patterns based on the animals they were modeled after.
After being asked by Tria about something, she hurriedly answered.
Carmilla: "Yes."
Carmilla immediately regretted her hasty response to Tria, without knowing what was being asked of her.
Tria: "Great, we'll be right back in a jiffy. Daniel, come with me."
After that, Tria began to distance herself from Carmilla to ensure that she wouldn't hear anything that could potentially influence her growth.
After being asked by Tria to follow her, Daniel quickly complied and followed Tria.
After walking for 20 or more steps, Tria quickly cast a wind spell that blocked all sounds from leaving or entering the range of the spell.
Tria: "Now that Carmilla won't hear us discussing something she's not ready to know, we can speak freely."
Daniel: "So, your majesty, what is the reason for Carmilla and me to fight?"
Tria: "The reason why you need to battle with her is because this is a trial, Daniel. The main me set up several of these trial dungeons with varying rewards to motivate and reward future vampires who aim to complete a trial dungeon. However, there might be something causing our race to decline, as I've noticed that no one seems to be attempting to conquer this dungeon for a few years now."