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Chapter 96: Dylak\'s Revenge (Part 12) After the Nightmare

"That was the only way to shut her up," Count Dylak said as if he had survived a nightmare scenario. He looked down at her small master and bowed slightly. "What do we do with this User?"

"Bring her inside and restrain her for the time being. Alan Warden has been making a lot of progress, and I don\'t want this woman to interrupt him."

"Yes, Master."

Count Dylak carried the muttering Clara over his shoulder and left the living room. The girl tossed her platinum hair back and immediately frowned. **Why did I do that?** She strolled towards the only mirror in that room and studied her face. She was developing mannerisms that Viola had never programmed in her.

**Considering the fact that I\'ve never had a body before.**

She opened her System Interface and displayed seven windows showing security footage of every single Phantom Seekers member from the moment they entered the Safe Zone.

**I\'m sure I copied this gesture from one of the female Users.** She got rid of the three windows showing the NPCs and the one featuring Alan, and concentrated on the other three. **There.** She paused the video, showing a scene from 85 minutes ago, when Amelia tossed her hair back. **What makes this female different from the other two?**

She did not need to see more of Clara\'s footage, so she reviewed Ashley\'s and Amelia\'s footage exclusively. Disregarding their difference in power and fighting style, the two of them almost moved with the same femininity. **Although this User, Ashley Yates, walks in the same manner as an NPC. But in the case of Amelia Laflamme...**

The girl reviewed every second of Amelia\'s footage, with the same fascination a child admires a piece of art for the first time.

* * *

Bella followed the road that would lead her to one of Count Dylak\'s Mansions, holding Sloochie in her arms. If a User could see her, they would comment that she ran in a very unconventional, awkward way. Although she swung her legs wide, her back and neck remained in a rigid, straight position. Eyes on the road, with an emotionless expression on her face.

From time to time, Sloochie would hum one of the many songs he learned from Amelia, making Bella smile for some unknown reason she was not programmed for.

"Bella," a feminine voice called from the forest. Anastasia then stepped out of the shade of trees to run alongside her. She moved her legs in quick succession, leaning her spine forward.

"Sister Anastasia!" Bella beamed, and Sloochie also greeted her by squeaking.

"You shouldn\'t use the roads," Anastasia said. "An enemy could spot you, and it makes you an easier target."

"But the amount of enemies has diminished, and this is the fastest path towards the mansion. Did you also receive Fabio\'s message, Sister Anastasia?"

"Yes. But why are you calling me that?" Anastasia asked in a dry tone. "There is nothing in our System info dictating that we are family."

"Master Amelia told me that we\'re sisters, so I\'m just following her statement," Bella said as an innocent child would. A fake virtual child.

"Understood. You can continue addressing me as such. I will ask Master Alan if it\'s okay to call you sister, too."

"Ku! Kuuu-kuku-kyuh!" Sloochie cried, getting their attention. Translation: ++"Call yourselves sisters if that is what you really want. You don\'t have to ask."++

"Sorry, Sloochie. But if Master Alan tells me that I shouldn\'t, I won\'t."

"That is correct. If Master Amelia tells me to stop calling her sister, I\'ll do it immediately."

"Kuuuh..." Sloochie intoned, turning its body disinflated.

"Have you contacted Master Amelia yet?" Anastasia asked.

"Yes, I\'ve tried, but she doesn\'t respond," Bella replied. "She must be inside one of the dungeons. Have you contacted Ashley yet?"

"Yes. She will come as soon as she can." Both remained silent for a moment, while their gazes were locked on the building in the distance. "There is something I don\'t understand about Ashley Yates."

"What is it, Sister Anastasia?"

"Tonight, I heard her saying that she is also an AI. But she is clearly a User. The system says so."

"Did she say that? Sorry, but I didn\'t listen. I was busy fixing dinner."

"It doesn\'t concern us, anyway. The System recognizes her as a User, and we must treat her as one."

"That is correct, Sister." Bella giggled.

"We are getting close. If the situation becomes dangerous, protect Sloochie at all cost."

"I will. Don\'t worry."

From the entrance, two slim silhouettes stepped out, wearing black and white long dresses. One had a long violet-colored ponytail, maintaining a severe expression.

Although they were designed to look like twins, the other sister had a more juvenile appearance and short purple hair.

"We cannot allow you to enter," Eliza, the pony-tailed maid, said. "Count Dylak\'s orders."

"Mister Alan is currently under training, so you must not interfere," Eliora, the younger sister, said.

"Sister Anastasia?" Bella called, tilting her head. "They\'re the same Dungeon NPCs we fought four hours ago, but if I remember correctly, their level was \'9\'. Am I misremembering it?

"No, Bella. You are correct," Anastasia said, staring at the number 15 above their heads. "They have leveled up in this short period of time."

"Don\'t call us \'Dungeon NPCs\'," Eliora said, frowning. "We are NUs now. Just like that Slime you\'re carrying." She squinted. "Why does the System say that it belongs to a User? So strange."

"I\'ve heard that term before, while you were chatting with Master Alan," Anastasia said, taking one step forward. "\'Non User\'. It means that you have evolved, correct? But what does that mean?"

"I don\'t think you should waste your time explaining it to NPCs like them," Housemaid Eliza said, but her voice and the color of her eyes had changed. This time she was talking in a mocking, soft voice, while her gaze shined yellow. "Their intellect is limited by what the Novus provides them. Our upgrade comes from outside this controlled environment, so they would never comprehend it."

"Outside The Novus?" Bella asked, pressing Sloochie against her chest. "Sister Anastasia, I don\'t understand what she\'s saying..."

"It means that you can no longer be compared with us. We have changed into a completely different kind." The entity controlling Eliza\'s body tossed her hair behind her back and snickered. "Get rid of them so they don\'t interfere. Leave the NU slime alive."

"Yes, Master," the two maids said at the same time, readying their weapons. A black aura showed that the \'Creature of the Night\' boost was active.

"Kyuh!" Sloochie cried, jumping down from Bella\'s arms. "Kuku-ku!" Translation: ++"If they won\'t attack me, fight without worrying about me!"++

"Alright, Sloochie. Keep your distance, then, plea--" Bella was saying, while Housemaid Eliza dashed forward, shortening the distance in a second, ready to slice her throat, but Anastasia blocked the attack. "Oh, my!" Bella exclaimed, although her face did not reflect concern.

"Focus, Bella," Anastasia said, trying to bash the enemy with her shield, but Eliza jumped back. Anastasia then reached out her hand to her side, made the sword turn into pixels, and materialized a rifle in its place instead. She shot once, but Eliza reflected the bullet with her blade.

Meanwhile, Eliora had finished casting: "Previous Master\'s servants, awake from your slumber and help us kill our enemies! Major Dark Conjure, Call of the Dead!"

From the ground, a combination of dozens of hands and heads sprouted, and in a matter of seconds, the once desolated front yard was now hosting a group of twenty zombie-themed NPCs. With purple skin, showing various degrees of decomposition. Only a couple having an exposed skull for a face.

Any other User would have sweated nervously at the sight of such a menace, but the two female NPCs faced the threat without flinching, akin to the confidence Max-Levelers are known for.

Anastasia swapped the rifle for her sword again, while casting: "Minor Fire Boost, Valor." The muscles on her body swollen for an instant before returning to normal, as she dashed forward, bashing an undead with her shield and decapitating a second with the sword.

Bella also cast, without emotionless: "Minor Fire Crafting, Flare." She launched the small ball of fire forward, incinerating the closest undead.

Anastasia called Bella through Party Chat: ++"They will try to use the undead army as a distraction to attack us,"++ she said after blocking what seemed like a spear made of a black substance. ++"Housemaid Eliora is targeting me."++

++"Roger that,"++ Bella replied privately. ++"That means that Housemaid Eliza is waiting for an opportunity."++

Bella manifested another magic circle out of her hand, preparing another fire attack, as a hidden Eliza jumped from behind an undead. The blade in her hand gleamed dangerously. ++"Here she is,"++ Bella communicated, canceling the spell immediately, for she was pretending. She pulled out her pump shotgun from under her knee-height skirt and shot Eliza in the chest at point-blank, launching her back.

Eliza lost 10% of her health, got rid of her bewilderment, and disappeared into the undead army again.

++"They\'ve been programmed to fight as a team, but we can do the same if we communicate like this,"++ Bella said telepathically, ten times faster than she would normally speak to a human. A hurried way of speaking that only another NPC would catch.

++"Agreed,"++ Anastasia replied while thrusting her sword into another undead. ++"We\'ll cover each other\'s backs."++