Leave a comment

“Ah~” The searing pain Vera 17 braced for didn’t occur. Instead, she grunted, feeling her body go numb and a wave of indescribable comfort wash over her.

“This energy is merely nourishing. It isn’t harmful when applied normally,” Yaeger noted, her head nodding subtly as she observed Vera 17’s relaxed face. Suddenly, her pupils turned a vivid green, and she could distinctly see all of Vera 17’s veins.

“Your anatomy is somewhat different from a human’s. You have bones and organs, but they seem to be made from a strange, sticky substance. Ah, there’s a special cluster of energy near your heart. So this is the source of your life, not merely your energy. I must say, I didn’t hit the jackpot. You’re a clone of Vera, aren’t you?” Yaeger questioned, her voice steady.

“Ugh~” Vera 17 was in a state of bliss at that moment, as the green energy was incredibly compatible with her body, filling her with immense pleasure as it merged with her.

Yaeger’s expression soured, and she slapped Vera’s face forcefully. ‘Does she not comprehend her present situation, or has she completely given in?’ she wondered.

“Ah!” Vera’s face stung, snapping her out of her ecstasy and into a state of fear. ‘I nearly succumbed! How vile and terrible she is!’ she thought.

“I’m asking you something,” Yaeger said, her tone unchanging.

“You… What do you wish to know?” Vera’s eyes were distant, her voice tinged with anxiety.

“You’re a clone of Vera, right? Can you communicate with her at will?” Yaeger inquired, even though she knew the answer.

If the clones had the ability to synchronize their memories instantaneously, there would have been no need for the previous clone and this one to exert so much effort in transferring information.

“Yes… I can. I’ve already informed my original body about you!” Vera 17 yelled defiantly.

“I hope you’ll be more candid with me. It makes you more adorable,” Yaeger smirked, summoning several green needles. “Though your body differs from a normal person’s, you must have the same vulnerabilities. Like this nerve here.” She jabbed a green needle into Vera 17’s body.

A scream erupted from Vera 17, reminiscent of a pig’s squeal.

“Did that hurt? My medical skills can preserve life or extinguish it,” Yaeger said, her smile innocent, pulling out the needle. “The ability itself is neutral. Its morality depends on the user. Can you be more truthful now?”

Below her, Vera 17 writhed in agony, feeling as though millions of ants were gnawing at her flesh. “Sob sob sob…” She’d never endured such torture. Tears were her only recourse.

“Let’s change the question. Where is your original body?” Yaeger pressed. She had two reasons not to kill Vera 17: she needed a test subject, and she wanted to root out the problem entirely. Leaving the original body untouched would leave matters unresolved.

“No, I don’t know,” Vera 17 whispered.

“Very well.” Yaeger was never one to dawdle. She stabbed again, eliciting more wails, this time lasting three seconds.

Once the pain had ebbed, Vera 17 was left drenched in sweat, her face ashen and lifeless. Her once bright eyes seemed vacant, and her trembling lips turned a shade of white. In just three seconds, she felt as though she had experienced an eternity in hell. The agony was beyond words!

“Do you know now?” Yaeger asked, her face devoid of emotion.

“Sob… I really don’t know,” Vera 17 replied sadly.

“Very good.” Yaeger prepared to administer the pain again.

“Wait! I really don’t know. I’m merely the seventeenth [Doppelgänger] of the original body. Normally, I’d never even see it!” Vera 17 pleaded, desperate to avoid more suffering.

“Oh, you are the seventeenth. So Vera has created at least seventeen clones?” Yaeger paused to inquire.

“Eighteen, precisely. But you’ve already killed one of them,” Vera 17 answered, exhaling in relief at the sight of the green needle hovering in the air.

“What abilities does Vera possess to make eighteen clones?” Yaeger inquired, recognizing that understanding the enemy was a vital part of the battle.

“The original body is an S-ranked Transcendent. Among her multiple abilities, one is [Split], and we are the [Doppelgängers] she created,” Vera 17 responded, carefully revealing some truths but prepared to gauge Yaeger’s reaction.

“What an interesting ability,” Yaeger mused, focusing on Vera 17. “Is there any limit to how often your original body can do this?”

“It’s not possible indefinitely. The process exhausts her heavily, and she needs time to recover. Eighteen [Doppelgängers] is her natural limit,” Vera 17 confessed.

“I see. What are your limitations as a clone?” Yaeger continued.

“The energy within us is finite. When it runs low, the original body sends a container to replenish it, sustaining our lives,” Vera 17 explained.

“Very good. You’ve been truthful,” Yaeger acknowledged with a satisfied nod, noticing that Vera 17 was steadily draining the energy sphere near her heart without any replenishment. Something about this was clearly not right.

Though appearing uneasy, Vera 17’s thoughts were resolute. ‘I may have made progress, but it’s not enough. I have to live and find a way to convey what I know to the original body!’ She was willing to endure this mental struggle with Yaeger, as long as it meant surviving.

“As well as being the [E-fairy], does Vera have any other identities?” Yaeger pressed.

“The original body is a high-ranking executive in the [Brotherhood Association],” Vera 17 said promptly. This information was no secret to the S-ranked individuals.

“Oh, that’s somewhat surprising,” Yaeger mused, having assumed Vera was just a senior member of the [Brotherhood Association]. “Anything else?”

“No, that’s all I know,” Vera 17 shook her head.

“I see, let’s continue then,” Yaeger said, brandishing a green needle.

“I… Didn’t I cooperate with you? Why… Argh~” Vera 17’s question was cut short by her screams as the green needle was thrust into her flesh again.

“I don’t recall promising you anything,” Yaeger said, coldly administering the pain. Trusting Vera 17’s words was never an option.

Since time was on her side at the moment, Yaeger decided she might as well train Vera 17 properly, with the goal of making all of her internal life energy her own.