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"Yes, my priestess! I am more than ready!" Argentia responded to Chris's call. He was well-known as Elderbridge's guardian by now and feared by all. "That bastard is coming back for more! And I'll show him what I'm made of!"
"Chris, you can help him temporarily evolve like before, right?" Vlad asked.
"Only when I transform, and that transformation only lasts for, like, five… well, it increased to six minutes, but it's too little time," Chris said. "Outside of it, it's not possible, as I would need all that power to keep him in his super-evolved form."
"Hm, alright then," Vlad nodded. "We'd better do that once we get through his army first. He'll target me specifically; he's got a beef with me after I buried him."
"Wait, you surely don't plan to confront him alone?!" Teressa gasped.
"I'll help you, brother!" Camilla said.
"We can also fight!" Ermelinda nodded.
"Even I would go. You can't go alone!" Gofumina said.
"Your Majesty…" Mother Scarlet muttered.
"No, it's alright," Vlad said. "I won't go directly… In fact, I'm not even going out there."
"What?" Teressa wondered, glancing at her son as his Blazing Doppelgangers appeared by his power. "Huh?"
"I've been figuring out new magic, you see—Illusion Magic and its higher-grade version, Mirage Magic," Vlad said. "This is a gamble, and I hope it works, but…"
Vlad made half of his Blazing Doppelgangers fuse into a stronger one and then gave them a ring, which they wore, infusing into them a single spell.
Mimicry.
FLASH!
This was a simple Mirage Attribute Spell that Vlad had figured out after reading through the Grimoires available in his house's library. He inscribed it into an accessory, then allowed his Super Blazing Doppelganger to wear it, activating the effect.
The entire clone, made of flames, turned into an exact copy of him. The flames transformed into powerful-looking armor and clothes, weaving together into his appearance—though a bit wilder—while carrying two swords made of fire.
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[Blazing Doppelganger (A): Lv4]
[Skill EXP]: [18.739/40.000]
Channel large quantities of Arcana and the blazing power of the Unending Crimson to conjure perfect copies of yourself made of Arcane Flames.
These copies will follow any orders you give them and can perfectly copy any of your movements and abilities. They can use up to 5 Skills from your Status and possess 50% of your Stats.
Their blazing bodies, made of Arcane Flames, can shapeshift at will and transform into various shapes to easily complete the tasks given. The temperature of their fire and what they burn can also be changed at will.
When their Durability reaches zero and if a foe is nearby, they will explode, dealing 300% Damage based on your Arcana Stat.
The quantity of Doppelgangers you can summon increases with each Level by +2.
Current Doppelgangers you can summon: 9/9
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This was Vlad's current Blazing Doppelganger Skill. At Level 4, it allowed a total of nine beings, and he had currently fused three together to create a stronger Doppelganger. Although the control he had to exert over it was a bit tiring, this was his limit for them.
The other six Doppelgangers had already moved around the walls and also went down into the army. Two stayed on the walls, and the other four went to support the army in different spots.
Each Doppelganger had 50% of his stats and could use five skills of his choice, so he assigned them all different duties: support, healing, protection, attacking, and more.
Of course, this was putting a heavy toll on Vlad's Arcana Pool, as he would have to spend a lot to keep them around and using magic… He had several accessories that increased this energy, but he knew this wouldn't be enough for a whole day. He had potions prepared—a lot of them—and he was going to burn through them as they fought.
"Your Majesty, what should we do?" Mother Scarlet asked. "Me and the nuns are ready for anything—for the children!"
"Yes!" the cheerful Landy nodded.
"We are ready," Bloodilia said confidently.
"Please tell us what we must do," Grayshade asked, her sharp wolf eyes becoming serious.
"We'll do anything for you and the children…!" Oblivia muttered.
"Mother Scarlet will join the Goblins and the rest of the soldiers at the frontlines," Vlad said. "Landy, Bloodilia, Grayshade, and Oblivia, albeit strong enough, are not going to the frontlines. You will remain on the walls and activate the formations we talked about earlier."
"Understood!" All four of the other nuns nodded, running to their positions.
"Then it is finally time for me to shake this rust off, hehe…" Mother Scarlet said with a cheerful giggle. "Your Majesty, I'll be fighting not for this country, but for the children and… you! You gave me a new purpose beyond what I had sought, and I will put my life on the line for you. So please, do not disappoint us. Me and the other nuns are putting everything we can into this."
"I won't," Vlad said confidently. "Rest assured. I've planned this enough."
"That is reassuring. Very well," Mother Scarlet said. She jumped off the over-three-hundred-meter-tall wall to the ground below, making several of the people present panic.
"D-Did she just jump down?!" Chris looked down. "Huh?!"
He gasped in disbelief, noticing Mother Scarlet running through the land and quickly joining the goblins. They glared at the giantess of a woman, and at Heracles, who quickly learned why she was there and more… He was also trying to flirt with her.
"What is that idiot doing? Flirting with a nun, and at this time?!" Gofumina glared at him angrily. "Ugh, well, if you don't need me around, I'll be—"
"No, you're here because I need you around," Vlad said. "You're a Player. Going there would be a waste of your true talents. Gofumina, Ermelinda, and Alitheus, you're part of my team. Camilla, you stay on the walls. You'll be the Guardian, the strongest available fighter to protect them. The city depends on your strength and your abilities. We decided to give you this role because we trust you."
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