Hayden immediately became alert: "Let's get back to the main point. Angela, what exactly is this thing that has woken up? If this place is hit by another god-level force, many people will definitely die!"
"Your concerns will certainly not come true, but only you can judge the answer to this question."
Angela said calmly,
"However, I can summarize it for you briefly. She has the personality that the vampire lady had before, because her self was downloaded and copied from there; she doesn't have the same strength as the vampire lady, because she's just a cheap clone used for consumption. Apart from that, she's basically a newborn vampire, or perhaps one that hasn't even been born yet—in conclusion, what do you think she is?"
Angela really likes to beat around the bush. But Hayden isn't stupid; after hearing this, he finally started to understand:
If a Miktiti Kashiva possesses power, resources, and authority, she would appear as a tremendous dark force, an alluring yet terrifying sorceress/demon queen...
...Then what is Micket, who has no power, was just cloned, and whose body and personality memories were merely copied?
The clone had opened her eyes by then. Her consciousness was still hazy and her reactions were confused, but as soon as she saw Hayden, her eyes lit up, and she immediately became alert: "Hayden? What's going on?"
She tried to stand up, but the not-yet-fully-developed clone made her sway and fall back down.
In short,
Mikket, who had just been cloned and had no power,
...She's just an ordinary vampire loli with the memories of her original self!
328: Now you understand, right?
Within five minutes, Mickett's clone roughly understood what had happened.
At the same time, Hayden used magic to scan her carefully and quickly came to some simple preliminary conclusions.
First of all, this clone was originally supposed to be eaten by Micket next week, so her body may not be fully developed yet. Therefore, her physical age is only about sixteen years old, slightly younger than the original body, and her figure is not as voluptuous. However, Hayden's previous comment that she was a "vampire loli" was just a metaphor. In reality, she is certainly not that loli.
Moreover, it's hard to say whether the so-called "unborn ones" actually have an age, and Mikket's appearance is just that—an appearance—so the body isn't the point.
Hayden then used magic to test the clone's combat strength. Perhaps because it wasn't fully developed yet, or perhaps it wasn't intended to be too strong to begin with, the clone's combat strength was probably even weaker than Red Leaf's, likely only at the level of a standard combat god, or perhaps even slightly weaker.
However, the combat capabilities of the clones were not Hayden's primary concern.
The most important thing is always what's inside the clone's brain; the most important thing is always consciousness and thought. However, it is precisely on this issue that the clone exhibits some elements that greatly trouble Hayden.
Imagine waking up one day to find that you've shrunk in size, lost your once invincible power, and even lost all social connections.
Then an acquaintance—not quite a friend, but someone you both respect—tells you that you are merely a clone of the original, not your true self. Therefore, the power, wealth, and authority you remember were never truly yours. You were simply a expendable clone used by the original for training.
Most normal people would find it hard to accept such a thing at first. Even if they could accept it, they would be quite bewildered and would need some time to process it.
As for Mickett, the clone, after listening to Hayden's explanation, she looked herself over and quickly nodded in understanding: "I see. No wonder I can't connect to anything. So I'm a clone."
This calm reaction is almost frightening.
Therefore, Hayden couldn't help but wonder: "You're making it seem too easy for you, aren't you?"
“I just knew this day would come,” the clone said calmly. “You know, every time I clone myself, it’s like flipping a coin. Every time, one of me will inevitably wake up in the clone and be eaten by the original. It’s just that this time when I woke up, I found that it was my turn to be a clone.”
To be honest, this concept is quite difficult to describe in words, but Hayden rubbed his head and understood part of it: "So, you really have the memories of Mikt's original self?"
“Yes. My memories up to a few minutes before I woke up were continuously downloaded from the source, until you, Mr. Hayden, severed the connection.” At this point, the clone smiled slightly. “Of course, my original body also knows that if the clones are stolen by the enemy, a lot of important knowledge might be extracted. Therefore, all clones are bound by the original body’s divine power, unable to speak or be interrogated to uncover top secrets—but that’s not a big problem. I can still tell you a lot of very useful information.”
But the more Hayden looked at the clone's smile, the more horrified he became: "Didn't you say you couldn't find top secrets in the clone's brain? -- No, let's not talk about that. Since you know the original doesn't want the clone to leak information, and you know that telling me the information might be detrimental to the original, why are you still so proactive?"
Your initiative is making me nervous!
The clone shrugged indifferently: "Mr. Hayden, I'm not the original, just a clone. Even if I go back to the original, she'll just eat me. Why should I care about the original's interests? On the contrary, the memories from the original tell me that as long as I help you, you certainly won't treat me unfairly."
Alas.
Rationally speaking, this might be correct. However... the clone's reaction was frighteningly fast.
The silver-haired vampire girl (let's use that term for now), who looks only sixteen but is actually less than a year old, puts on the air of a "rational person," arguing logically and then immediately choosing to betray her true form... This only makes her seem even stranger.
However, can Miktikashiva's clone truly be considered a betrayal of its original self? That's hard to say. As she said, clones are meant to be eaten anyway.
Hayden rubbed his head, genuinely feeling that dealing with Mickett was exhausting, whether it was a clone or the original.
Forget it, let's think positively first. With that in mind, Hayden simply asked, "So what good information do you have to sell me?"
“I cannot reveal top secrets or cutting-edge technologies, and even a mind probe cannot find them. But I still know many secrets related to the original body. She cannot completely restrict the clone’s personality, otherwise the clone’s imitation rate would be too low, and eating it would be useless to her. So I know her personality very well, I know what she thinks when she is not working, and I understand her desires and wants.”
"These secrets, along with my insignificant clone body, are all at your disposal."
As the clone girl finished speaking, she tilted her head back and gave Hayden a bewitching smile. The dim light of the safe house illuminated her snow-white cheeks, making her petite features even more alluring and seductive. Coupled with her still-developing limbs, blood-red eyes, and waist-length silver-white straight hair, she exuded a vampire-like sensuality tinged with childlike innocence.
Since ancient times, vampires have been monsters inseparable from blood, sex, and temptation.
Hayden's original plan was for the clone to devour the original, seize Micket's power, and then use the clone as a puppet to further take over the entire Smoke Mirror Corporation. Now that the clone is cooperating so well, isn't it a win-win situation? Perfect!
"Yeah, right!!"
In the blink of an eye, Hayden suddenly started screaming and banging his head against the wall! Luckily, he had set up a soundproof barrier beforehand, so he only startled the clones in the room!
However, Hayden wasn't going crazy. Only now did he truly understand the meaning of Angela's previous words, and thus understand why Angela had sighed earlier.
His initial plan was to use the clone to devour the original body and seize control of the Smoke Mirror Corporation. Smoke Mirror was undoubtedly evil, and Mickett's original body wasn't much better. Therefore, when Hayden, as Fenrir, devised this plan, his heart was filled with righteous rage towards these evil gods. He didn't think there was anything wrong with scheming against them, and he still doesn't now. But Hayden had indeed forgotten one thing. He had forgotten something extremely important, something he had sworn to protect.
Now he turned back to look at the bewildered clone, scrutinizing it with his precious eyes. What did he see? A bloodthirsty and seductive enchantress, an avatar of an evil god?
No. When Hayden met the clone's eyes, he saw her tremble very slightly. Although she didn't speak again, her true meaning was crystal clear.
Why did this clone immediately volunteer to help Hayden plot against the original? Was it really because she was a super-rational person, because she was a monster? Was she truly without any confusion or fear? No, actually quite the opposite—it was because she was afraid.
This clone of the vampire goddess has a beautiful sixteen-year-old appearance. She speaks and acts rationally, appropriately, and decisively. At first glance, she is undoubtedly a first-class enchantress who seems to be able to manipulate people at will even without power.
However, in essence, she was just pretending based on the knowledge of the original body that she downloaded—she was just a child who woke up inexplicably and fell into a life-or-death crisis, and desperately tried to act like an adult when she had nowhere else to go!
Therefore, Hayden's state of mind was very abstract. He held his head in his hands, feeling more tired than ever before in his life.
Behind him, Angela watched him—I told you so, she didn't say that. But Hayden now truly understood the mistake he had made.
Who were his enemies? In any case, this clone—this little child—was certainly not his enemy; rather, she was one of the innocent people Hayden swore to protect and help. Considering she had just awakened, she was perhaps one of the most innocent beings in the world. Yet, Hayden almost used her as a tool to eat people and create puppets!
Guaaaaah! Is this something a human being would do? Is this something he should be doing?!
So after taking a few seconds to calm down, Hayden quickly said to the clone, "Don't even think about it. I won't use your secrets or even your body."
These words made the clone's face turn even paler: "...What? But I'm absolutely valuable to you. Much more useful than returning me to the original!"
Hayden immediately realized she had misunderstood again. This clone believed she could only demonstrate her value and survive by trading with Hayden, fearing he would return her to Mickett. Given her circumstances and knowledge, she certainly couldn't imagine that Hayden would have another motive, or pursue another set of principles.
"...What did I almost do just now?" Hayden shook his head, making one last self-criticism, and said to the clone again, "I mean, I'm going to send you to [Newbud City] so you can have a normal life. I also need to make sure you get a normal education... Uh, considering your special circumstances, I might have to prepare a lot for you. But don't worry, I'll handle everything. And I will absolutely not harm or exploit any innocent children."
Even if... even for a greater, damned benefit, it's not allowed.
So this time, the clone was completely bewildered: "Huh!?"
Hayden looked at the little girl and then remembered something else: "You need a new name. Because whether you are a clone of Mickett or not is no longer important."
Because life must have a name to define itself, because a name interprets the essence of the self. Eternal life must have a name; without a name, it is not a true birth.
The nameless, unborn are merely shadows and empty shells.
Fortunately, this wasn't the first time Hayden had named an unborn child.
--------------------------
Two flowers bloom, one branch each.
Inside the safe house, Hayden banged his head against the wall, reflected on himself, and talked to his clone.
Meanwhile, time outside the house certainly doesn't stop.
After being treated by Fenrir (Hayden), Gustav was reassembled with some life force and regained consciousness. Fenrir then explained what had happened to him and showed him the remains of Dolly and the crocodile. It was an incredibly painful process, yet unavoidable.
But after hearing Fenrir's explanation and seeing Dolly and the crocodile's gruesome corpses, Gustav neither cried nor wailed. He simply sat at the door of the safe house, gazing blankly at the night sky.
This made Fenrir worry about Gustav's mental health. After all, he didn't possess the magic to heal psychological trauma.
The people of South America have no families or relatives. For them, their closest friends and partners are their greatest family. The tragic deaths of Dolly and the crocodile today must have been an indescribable blow to Gustav's mental state.
So after Gustav stared blankly for a few minutes, Fenrir had no choice but to run over and ask him, "What are you thinking about?"
In any case, he had to get Gustav to speak.
Gustav's eyes lingered for a moment before he finally said, "I'm thinking about why things turned out this way, and what I can do about it."
what?
Fenrir frowned: "What happened today is absolutely not your fault, nor is it anyone's fault. No one expected the job to turn out this way, and everyone agreed to do it. Besides, you didn't have a better choice when facing the War Gods."
He thought these words would make Gustav feel better, but he was wrong.
“Then, if we’re not wrong,” Gustav countered, his eyes somewhat vacant, “what was the point of all the suffering we’ve endured, the pain we’ve endured, and the friends we’ve lost?”
Fenrir was speechless.
People in South America aren't afraid of hardship. Especially people like Gustave, who are hardworking, ambitious, and proactive, and who want to help their friends rise in social class. He can endure hardship, is willing to work hard and strive for improvement, and believes that as long as you endure hardship, something will reward you at the end of the suffering.
As for the result, we all know the result. Often, suffering is utterly useless. Many hardships and the resilience to endure them that are praised by society are actually meaningless and even absurd.
Hayden had already grasped this truth when his parents died, so when he was a mercenary, he always did his own thing and lived only for himself. However, that might not necessarily be the right approach.
Fortunately, Hayden had just regained some of his senses, so Fenrir also became much more lucid and came up with a perfectly normal new idea: "Gustav, why don't you go north with the old driver? Let's leave this wretched South America. I know where there's a better life."
New Jersey is busy rebuilding, and New Sprouts City is always in need of talent. Gustave and the veteran driver, these two talents from South America, could easily be sent by Hayden to live in Evergreen State!
However, Gustav's next answer greatly surprised Fenrir.
“Thank you, Fenrir. I guess you’re a Protoss agent from the North?” Gustav said, then gave a wry smile. “I know you weren’t the one who harmed us, otherwise you wouldn’t have gone to so much trouble to save a nobody like me. But I can’t just accept your kindness and live on my own.”
Fenrir was taken aback: "What do you mean?"
"Weren't Dolly and Crocodile's souls sucked away by Night Axe Warrior with Smoke Mirror?"
Gustav answered calmly.
"So I'm going south, to Aztland. I'm going to kill that god and take back my companion's soul."
329: Tomorrow!
"I'm going south, to Aztland. I'm going to kill that god and take back my companion's soul."
Gustav said this.
This declaration was truly remarkable, even surprising Fenrir for a moment, prompting him to ask, "Who are you going to kill? You're not going to kill Smoke Mirror, are you?"
This question made Gustav pause. He was clearly thinking about it too. After a few seconds, he continued, "Of course not a smokescreen."
Fenrir, however, preferred that he say he was going to kill Smoke Mirror. If Gustav said that, he was simply talking nonsense, with no hope of actually succeeding; even if he went, it would only be suicide.
"I can't possibly kill Smoke Mirror, and to be honest, I can't be sure that Smoke Mirror is the direct mastermind behind it all—though it's probably true. It's probably a political struggle between those big shots."
He was indeed very perceptive. At this point, Gustav even gave a wry smile.
"The power struggles among those bigwigs have nothing to do with us ordinary people, and I don't want to care about them. I don't really care which bigwig gets political power."
However, as he spoke, Gustav's expression darkened again: "But the little god who works for those great gods, that little war god who fought you in the factory before, he should have had a choice. He and his men could have chosen not to kill us, or at least not to kill people and steal their souls. I don't believe that Smoke Mirror specifically ordered them to kill mercenaries and steal their souls."
Fenrir agreed with this. That little war god was definitely sent by Smoke Mirror to steal the Micket clone. As for the [All-Around] team, they were probably hired as a smokescreen—maybe? Anyway, it's impossible to know the specifics now.
However, Fenrir absolutely refused to believe that the Smoke Mirror itself could have ordered that little war god to kill the mercenaries and then absorb their souls to take them back. It was unlikely that the main god would specifically care about greedily taking a few mercenaries' souls; perhaps it was the little war god who wanted to make extra money from his attendance.
Gustav thought roughly the same way. The souls of Dolly and the crocodile that were sucked away should have been taken by the little warrior himself, not handed over to the Smoke Mirror. Therefore, Gustav only had one thing to do next.
"I don't care about world trends or national politics."
He spoke again, in a hoarse voice.
"All I need to do is go south, find that little war god, kill him to avenge myself, and then retrieve Dolly and the crocodile's souls."
This idea was so incredibly stupid and completely lacked any planning that even Fenrir couldn't help but complain, "You'll only die if you do that."
Gustav shook his head: "Nobody wants to die, but what's wrong with risking your life to save a friend? At worst, you just die. I've lived in a place like this for so long, I'd rather die than prolong my life. Even if I die this time, I can die a worthy death."
Upon hearing this, Fenrir could no longer hide his surprise.
Hayden has been spending all his time worrying about the world's affairs and the fate of all humanity. There's nothing wrong with that, but he has indeed been neglecting the fact that even as the world faces a crisis, there are still many people who are unaffected by it and continue living their lives as usual.
Similarly, there are those who are willing to risk everything to save their friends.
To say that their self-serving risks are inferior to the great undertaking Hayden is about to accomplish—that's clearly not the case. On the contrary, Hayden has now gained some unique insights.
"So that's how it is. This is what the possibility of life is all about."
It seems that the people produced in these factories in South America are actually quite spirited, which is quite possible.
If there aren't even people like that among them, then they can only be called "products," not people.