"Orry’Xel has gone off the rails!! The mercenary is single-handedly beating the Raiders!" Gamemaster Envy commented loudly, matching the hype of the crowd supporting the Conquerors.
In reality, many thoughts coursed through his mind as he narrowed his gaze at Fang... he had a feeling that something was off about him. His strength was too overwhelming for a mere hired-blade-ranked mercenary.
Although his overall power was within the game’s rules due to his evolutionary rank being at Tier 4, still...
Without hesitation, Gamemaster Envy performed a full, rapid scan of Fang’s body and soul... what he found surprised him.
’Nothing out of the norm... besides the fact that he is a Falseborn, everything is within code.’
Gamemaster Envy had assumed that Fang broke the rules or was cheating somehow... but it turned out his strength was natural.
Realizing this, Gamemaster Envy accepted the results and continued with the commentary... he wasn’t called Envy for no reason. He hated all outsider races alike and had no care for their well-being in the games. As long as the rules weren’t broken, anything went in his games.
While he gave up on his investigation, Levi watched Fang chase after Blake with a heated expression.
’How?! How are the Bishop’s goons this damn strong at Tier 4?! Unnatural evolution? Experiments? Talent? This can’t be right.’
Levi’s mind worked overtime trying to figure out the insanity before him... he knew that his little brother and friends might not be the strongest around Warden rank, but they had gone through three perfect evolutions in a row!
When adding that to their great talents, their strength should have been enough to handle most Nightcrawlers in this event... yet even when they ganged up on Fang alone, he walked out without much of an issue and even killed Nadal and Michael in a blink!
Such strength could be compared to the monsters he had fought in the Joker Game... yet the Bishop somehow had two prodigies lying around to use without a hint of information about them in public?
Impossible.
’You might be onto something,’ Ash’Kral said calmly. ’The fact that Orry’Xel’s spiritual aura is almost identical to the Hound’s suggests a few possibilities.’
’Is it something that breaks the game’s rules?’
Levi tapped his finger against his elbow rapidly, not liking the odds for his allies... it wasn’t just him. Jasmine, Jojo, and the rest of the Daywalkers had their emotions fully displayed at the sight of Blake being hunted down by Orry’Xel alone.
Arthur, Shia, Nurah, Rakai, and Tyrese had already retreated to the far end of the rope, taking advantage of Blake’s situation... he was the fastest of them all, and so far, he had proven worthy of the title.
Unfortunately, he was forced to run in the opposite direction... on top of the spinning rope, there were only two sides.
’If it were, Gamemaster Envy would have noticed and done something about it... unless,’
Ash’Kral paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on Orry’Xel, who was sprinting on all fours around the rope, keeping up with Blake wherever he went.
’Unless these two are nothing more than disposable clones...’
’Huh? Disposable clones?’ Levi frowned. ’Aren’t clones banned in the games to maintain fair and balanced matchmaking?’
Levi wasn’t unfamiliar with the concept of using clones in the games... he had read long ago that weaker clones of powerful entities were used in lower-ranked games to help their children or as a paid service.
However, this situation didn’t last long... clones were officially banned on both platforms, and anyone caught using them would be heavily punished. Of course, that was if they managed to avoid system detection first.
’For normal clones, yes... but not the ones I mentioned,’ Ash’Kral shared. ’I believe the Bishop has cloned two of his powerful subordinates and bestowed upon them copies of his Shadowlife Seed, turning them into genuine Falseborns... this means these two possess their own unique souls and Shadowlife Seeds even if they were cloned, helping them appear to the system as actual individuals, not clones.’
Levi was left silent for a moment... he understood that the system did not detect bodies; it detected Soul Signatures.
Every registered Rifter possessed a unique, indivisible Soul Imprint anchored to the System’s core registry... this imprint acted like a metaphysical ID, impossible to replicate artificially.
’Still, the reason clones used to be detected before was because the owner merged their wisps with the clone’s soul to control it,’ Levi knitted his brows. ’How can these two avoid detection? Unless you’re telling me the clones are truly acting as individuals without their owners’ control?’
Levi refused to believe this... he understood that clones on their own weren’t that dangerous. After all, they might possess similar powers to the main entity, but they could never wield them close to ten percent of their true potential.
Experience, training, and instinct weren’t for show... they were the backbone of every fighter in the universe. Without them, it was like a toddler holding a glass-sealed nuclear button.
’Hence the name... Disposable Clones,’ Ash’Kral said sternly. ’I believe the Bishop has implanted the memories of his goons into the minds of the clones... this helps them avoid system detection while at the same time possessing the skills to wield their powers to their full potential at this rank.’
’However, this process almost always leads to the collapse of the clone within two hours or less... it cannot happen without the erasure of the clone’s original identity and memories. When the new memories take over, both the brain and the Shadowlife Seed are thrown into a chaotic state,’ Ash’Kral continued despite Levi’s dazed expression. ’The brain cannot handle the sudden shift from a clean slate to holding thousands of times more information than it was storing all at once. Meanwhile, the Shadowlife Seed feels the collapse of the host’s brain and identity. It can only acknowledge it, incapable of saving him.’
Hearing the explanation, Levi could only gaze silently at Fang, who was still playing the predator, chasing Blake across the rope.
He realized at once that the Bishop had invested so much in this game for his sake... if he was the one creating the Falseborn clones, it meant he was willing to give up two Shadowlife Seeds to make him suffer.
Although he was a Tier 8 powerhouse, his Shadowlife Tree did not produce seeds infinitely... it was believed that a Tier 8 Shadowlife Tree produced a single seed each decade. This meant the Bishop had sacrificed two decades for this event.
’Has he already figured out the Celestial persona...? No, that’s impossible. If he knew, he would never risk forcing my hand and exposing my identity in public.’
Levi’s lips pressed into a thin, cold line.
’He’s far too greedy to share a secret like that... which means this isn’t about revelation. He’s going this far to make me pay for ruining his plans.’
But then, he shook his head slightly.
’No... Bishop wouldn’t invest this much effort just to have me killed. The fact that his goons are trying to break me by killing my brother and my friends means he wants me to hate him. He wants me enraged, desperate, and reckless.’
A short breath left his lips.
’He’s trying to push me into making a mistake... to force me into doing something foolish so he can seize me alive.’
Levi knew that the Bishop had not forgotten about his ability to switch weapons... still, whatever it was, Levi understood that the Bishop was onto him... and this time, it was real.
"The lightning boy’s luck has finally run out! Orry’Xel is closing in, and he’s right on the edge of the Toxic Kingdom! One wrong move, and it’s over!"
Hearing Gamemaster Envy’s ominous comment, Levi snapped out of his daze and watched the unfortunate situation unfold before him.
’Captain! Help me! I can’t keep this up!’