<673 – Irresponsible Pleasure (21)>
The relationship that only the original could enjoy, which the clone couldn’t partake in.
Darknodi desperately desired those connections.
Jonnas the Butler and Maid Reap.
Titosso and Jiang, often referred to as the Howling Trio.
Every time they met, Isabel and Jezel, alongside Son Ohchun, would prepare food, lecture materials, and nagging.
In Arcadia and Irene, where lies could never penetrate.
Sing, looking for his younger sister in Oknodie.
The Howling Mandragora and Alice the Hat Senior, who was essential to her, along with Ego the Violin providing background music.
Hestia, who often felt lonely.
Mobs and Jaku, with a long road ahead.
The worshiper Dobi, who had stared too far into the future.
Dorothy and Rockbell of the Three Great Woods.
The Professors’ kindness.
The overwhelming attention from Chairman of the Foundation and Emperor Papa.
Even with countless relationships known, not a single one belonged to her.
If only memories were shared instead.
If only she hadn’t been created with the same memories and functions as the original from the moment of her creation.
Every time she fell asleep and woke up, she pondered.
Was her entire reason for living this miserable life simply to be a laborer, doing the ‘random tasks’ the original desired, while never being able to grow as much as the original?
Every time she was surrounded by cute vampires, who cooed and hugged her around like a baby vampire, her feelings of jealousy toward Oknodie, receiving more of these good things at the Academy, only intensified.
“How could I treat you the same as my real adopted daughter? Just being real comes with a special grace.”
The Emperor Papa’s cruelty, which never acknowledged her existence, only added to the pain.
Even if she reconstructed the legion, squeezed out hidden pieces, or told him functional linkage formulas, Emperor Papa merely praised her as excellent but never treated her the same as the original.
She knew the reason.
The original attended the Academy.
The future growth rate that the original would achieve would undoubtedly be much higher, and the speed of growth would be incomparable to her own.
In stark contrast, the growth rate and potential she could achieve in the vast outside world, where numerous events had passed, would inevitably differ widely.
A clone of the original.
She knew but couldn’t possess it.
A degraded version born for the original’s curiosity.
As a result, the existence that had a higher chance of achieving the Principal Omoshiroi’s goal, the Seonhwang’s goal, converged to the original.
It was a structural reason why Emperor Papa could never remain focused on Darknodi.
And then she realized.
“If I can defeat the original, Oknodie, maybe there’s a chance for me, the clone.”
The opportunity to monopolize countless attention and affection from Jonnas to Emperor Papa.
Even just pretending to be Oknodie, like she did with Vampinodie, could substitute for that position.
“Though I’ll receive suspicion and resentment…”
“Weaklings can be easily dealt with mentally, right? For the strong, it’s simply about making them realize that the only substitute is me.”
“Oknodie. I hate you.”
“Gasp. Sudden?”
“Your essence isn’t any different from mine. But people only like you.”
“You also wore the Vampire Dress!”
“Those precious people in your memories aren’t vampires.”
Ah.
Only then did Oknodie grasp Darknodi’s feelings.
“You’re envious of what belongs to me?”
“Yeah.”
“Why didn’t you say so earlier? I could lend it to you later.”
“…Huh? What do you mean?”
“I have a significant interest in the Sinful Ones equivalent to Jonnas, whom you saved!”
Oknodie’s intent was simple.
Let’s temporarily swap our places.
“Can that work…?”
“What’s stopping it?”
“Well, there isn’t, but… are you really allowing this?”
Darknodi felt an unreal sensation, as if a long-cherished wish had been suddenly granted.
Can it really be this easy?
No other reasons or conditions?
No forced subjugation of Oknodie or swapping bodies against her will.
No destruction of her mind and entering her empty body.
No employing tactics like that of the Principal Omoshiroi.
Or even killing Oknodie to take her place.
She thought of numerous strategies.
Prepared extensively.
Yet, before any could be executed, everything was done.
Oknodie had no intention of fighting.
“Are you not scared? That I might take your spot and never give it back.”
“As long as you can handle it, go ahead! But you know, the fatal limits of clones!”
“…”
Immediately, Darknodi cast a barrier to completely block out external noises.
It clearly existed.
A weakness that only she possessed due to being an everlasting clone.
“To exist as a clone, I was forcibly assigned a [Clone Zone].”
“Exactly! There’s no way you, who’s in a much lower state due to reduced area allocation, could win against me one-on-one!”
“I could grow stronger while staying at the Academy and maybe become stronger than you.”
Gratitude for the concession aside, Darknodi wasn’t kind enough to easily let go of something that had once been hers.
If she had actively received affection for a year, like Oknodie, that might have been different; but for Darknodi, those delightful moments were merely memories.
At the very least, she wanted to enjoy what the original had for a year.
Otherwise, the envy and jealousy toward the original, along with her desire to take everything she held dear, would never fade.
“Why are you being so careless? Why do you keep showing me kindness? How can a veteran player be like this?”
“Why? You are technically level one!”
“…Huh? Level one?”
Darknodi fell into confusion.
“Level one. The first life deserves respect! Veterans like newbies!”
“The ones we just killed?”
“The obnoxious ones with yellowish sprouts must be uprooted from the root for other newbies to grow healthily!”
“Do I not look like that obnoxious one?”
“Not particularly? You just seemed a bit mischievous!”
Darknodi discovered the difference between herself as a clone and Oknodie.
Oknodie had room to breathe.
She permitted the clone, which existed solely in memories, to experience the opportunity.
“You can live out your Academy life as much as you like. Just do one thing for me!”
“What?”
“Get this set for the Chairman of the Foundation!”
Oknodie dramatically held up a pitch-black jewel-like mana crystal in her palm—it was the [Rune of Misfortune].
━━━
Rune of Misfortune: Powerful magic is compressed into the form of a rune. Strong curses can also be used as rune magic. However, mere possession of this misfortune, a curse too strong, decreases one’s luck.
[Possession Effect – All judgment success rates reduced by 50%]
[Equipping Effect – All judgment success rates reduced by 100%]
━━━
Darknodi’s eyes narrowed.
“Me? This?”
“Yep! You!”
“My feelings, hand them over.”
As Darknodi grabbed her by the collar and shook her, Oknodie laughed cheerfully, allowing herself to be shaken.
Honestly, it was frustrating.
How dangerous was the Rune of Misfortune?
Just possessing it causes a 50% chance to fail all judgments; it’s the ultimate unfair item.
What’s worse, one had to take the risk of fooling the opponent into equipping it.
Typically, that’s not an easy task.
If caught, you would have to die with the words, “I deserved to die…” delivered to Chairman of the Foundation!
Knock knock.
As the mana disturbance sounded outside her barrier, Guakjo the Evil Sage appeared, looking awkwardly while knocking.
When Darknodi released the barrier, Guakjo asked.
“Why is the atmosphere so cheerful when our subordinates have been heavily bombarded by the Dark Bomb?”
“What are you unhappy about?”
“Are you not planning to take revenge for the subordinates?”
“Do you wish to receive the reward for loyalty?”
“It’s only humane to give those who risk their lives for themselves the treatment they deserve, before even mentioning loyalty!”
Darknodi answered confidently.
“Goo, I’m a baby vampire. Vampies don’t know human morality.”
“…”
Is this for real?
Guakjo the Evil Sage’s face twisted.
“Then what do you plan to do with the ambush troops hidden underground?”
“We made peace. Just tell them to come out.”
The modified gigantic earthworms, inscribed with ambush techniques, raised their heads and opened their mouths, and twenty elite ambush soldiers who had been on board rushed out.
“What about the bombing legion?”
“Just tell them to come down.”
Guakjo held up a small flag toward the subordinates at the back, and those underlings holding large flags on their backs waved them toward the sky.
As a result, the mages who had cast [Stealth] to become invisible, packing their magical bombs, gloomily landed on the ground.
“Are the throwing troops retreating too?”
“Yep.”
“And what about the cursed troops?”
“Everyone.”
“Even the unit preparing for the waterworks by piling up a dam?”
“Return to normal.”
Impressive preparation even made Oknodie admire.
“You prepared a lot, huh?”
“The original is strong. Considering that, it seems this was a bit insufficient.”
Seeing the combat power of Oknodie’s Guard Golem at a glance, Darknodi thought it was a good decision not to become her enemy.
“Then shall we handle it in place of the Rune of Misfortune?”
“It’s a contractual agreement. But if you break the promise, I’ll bite.”
“Bite what? Who?”
“To Professor Destroyer. The act of pretending to be Professor Pinkberry and acting adorably.”
“Gasp! No way!”
Darknodi emphasized again.
“Keep the promise. Then nothing will happen.”
“I promise!”
Darknodi received the Rune of Misfortune.
