Ch 80:- Fight of Cursed Child

"What in the world is an 'Evolved Vampire'?" Rayne asked, his brow furrowed in genuine puzzlement. It marked his first encounter with such a concept in this realm. "According to the Vampirepedia I've got, which is linked to this world, there's no mention of evolved vampires. Not even in the Nightmare Realm do they exist. The only things I've come across are half-bloods or converted vampires. This is truly something new," he mused aloud. Rayne briefly glanced at the Beasting Process book before closing it and turning his attention to his system screen. "Do you happen to have any information about this 'Evolved Vampire' thing?" he inquired.

[Regrettably, there is no reference to 'Evolved Vampires' in either of the codices I possess. However, I chose to call it as such because it appears to be an evolved variant of the vampires in this world. This evolution seems to be a result of your exceptionally evolved mutated transgenic vampirism, arising from your prolonged exposure to the soul force and divine energy in your blood, coupled with your profound experiences in the Nightmare Realm.]

Rayne nodded in understanding. "I see. Is there anything specific I should be aware of, such as their powers or weaknesses?" he asked.

[I would need to conduct a scan to gather more information since this is the first known existence of its kind in this world.]

"Hmm, I underst—" Rayne's words were cut off as someone vigorously shook his shoulder, bringing him back to the present.

"Hey, look over there, it's Quinn," Layla exclaimed, her hand firmly gripping Rayne's shoulder as she tried to get his attention.

Rayne sighed and shifted his focus to the arena. On one of the towering pillar-like platforms stood Quinn, clad in his ordinary school uniform. Opposite him stood his opponent, a well-built athlete.

"First up, we have the student who dominated the last round and gave us an astonishing performance. Please welcome the Multiplier."

"And his opponent—unfortunately, ZombieP had to withdraw from the tournament due to medical reasons. So, today we have a replacement. Please welcome to the stage... the Cursed Child."

Rayne and the others couldn't help but shake their heads in disbelief.

"What's with his naming sense?" Vorden thought aloud. "Couldn't he have chosen something a bit less cringe-worthy?"

Layla chuckled softly. "Honestly, I kinda like it. It's better than his previous name, at least."

"Of course she would like it; all she can think about is Quinn," Rayne teased Layla, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, causing her cheeks to flush with embarrassment.

Vorden looked at Rayne, puzzled, silently questioning the implication. Rayne leaned in closer to Vorden's ear and whispered, "Haven't you noticed? She's got a crush on him. I thought you'd be the first to pick up on it, given how much time you've spent with my brother."

"Are you sure about that?" Vorden asked, skepticism tingeing his voice.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure. They both have hidden feelings for each other. Just think about all those steamy vampire fantasy novels that make up 90% of the market, and you'll get it," Rayne said, nodding sagely as he whispered to Vorden.

"Are you two locking lips now? I didn't know you swung that way," Layla chimed in, her face a mix of shock and amusement, a playful smirk forming on her lips. Vorden hastily retreated to his seat, and Rayne returned to his with a slow shake of his head. Meanwhile, Sam and Logan shared a laugh as Logan showed Vorden a picture he had taken, making Vorden's face turn even redder as it appeared as though they were kissing.

"Don't get any ideas, guys. I have a girlfriend, especially you, Vorden," Rayne said, placing extra emphasis on the last part, which elicited laughter from the group.

A still-flustered Vorden cleared his throat before suggesting, "I think it's time we focus on the match, shouldn't we?"

~Back to arena~

The arena filled with anticipation as the loud, insistent beeping signaled the start of the event. The moment had arrived.

Quinn wasted no time, his determination clear. In an instant, shadows enveloped Quinn's body, swathing his legs and arms in darkness. Within seconds, the shadows dissipated, revealing his complete equipment.

The soldier stationed below, eyes fixed on the screen, couldn't help but smile.

"You really came prepared," he remarked with a grin.

But the one who seemed even more astounded, and perhaps a bit exhilarated, was Nate.

"Gauntlets? Another first-year student wielding gauntlets as a weapon? And his skills, reminiscent of ZombieP. Could it be? Is he the Blood Evolver?" Nate wondered, his mind racing.

This was Quinn's debut fight, and he wasn't going to act recklessly. As he scrutinized the Multiplier, he observed a high level of beast equipment. Quinn decided to use his inspect skill to gain more insight. The intermediate armor covered him from head to toe, and advanced-level daggers gleamed in his hands, with smaller blades tucked in his belt.

Quinn attempted to use the inspect skill on the Multiplier himself, hoping to uncover his abilities. Yet, all he got were question marks; his inspect skill could only reveal basic abilities, not unique ones.

As the two students faced each other on the platform, Quinn contemplated his options. His attacks heavily relied on blood powers and shadow powers, but in this scenario, where he couldn't use them, he felt limited.

The shadows acted as both a shield and support for his blood powers, and their absence left him with fewer attacking options.

The silence persisted, with both combatants assessing each other. Quinn grew impatient.

"If he's not going to reveal his powers, then I won't either."

With a swift command, Quinn activated his boots' skill.

"Wind walk."

In an instant, he dashed forward with remarkable speed, covering the arena area in the blink of an eye. His boots emitted a faint red glow, indicating their usage.

"He's moving so fast. How good are his equipped items?" a student inquired.

However, Quinn's natural speed played a significant role in his swift movement.

The Multiplier appeared taken aback as he braced himself for the oncoming attack.

Quinn unleashed a lightning-quick punch, aiming for the first hit. His fist connected with the Multiplier's face.

"Is this really a level eight?" Quinn pondered, bewildered as he saw his attack land squarely.

As the Multiplier's face veered to the side, Quinn double-checked his vision. Behind the Multiplier stood another person, identical to the one he'd punched. The first Multiplier dissipated into a cloud of black mist.

The second Multiplier, positioned behind him, swung a dagger towards Quinn's face. Quinn reacted swiftly, using his gauntlets to block the attack. A significant dent appeared on his forearm, demonstrating the superior quality of the daggers.

Eager to strike again, Quinn executed a roundhouse kick to the Multiplier's waist. Unexpectedly, a sweeping attack from underneath struck his grounded leg, causing him to tumble.

As he glanced upward from the floor, Quinn observed not only the clear blue sky but also two additional Multipliers descending towards him, each wielding four daggers.

However, Quinn's speed proved too much for them. With imperceptible speed, he yanked both Multipliers' legs, toppling them.

Springing to his feet, Quinn executed an axe kick, slamming one of the Multipliers in the stomach. The result mirrored his previous actions—the figure dissolved into black smoke. He then spun around and kicked the remaining Multiplier, achieving the same outcome.

Surveying the arena, Quinn finally grasped the situation.

"I should have seen it coming; his name was a dead giveaway," Quinn muttered.

Standing at the center of the platform, Quinn found himself surrounded by six students, all of them identical.

"Cloning ability?" Layla inquired.

"It's more than that," Vorden explained. "This user can create clones instantly, provided they have enough MC cells. Judging by the number of clones he's generated and how freely he's doing so, he has plenty."

"So, when Quinn hits them, they turn into smoke," Layla realized.

"The clones can endure quite a bit of damage before dissipating. My guess is that Quinn's attacks are much stronger than they appear to others. The problem is that, even though they're just clones, their weapons and attacks are very real. The damage will be just as real as if it were the original," Vorden clarified.

"So, if he defeats the original, he can beat them all, right?" Layla inquired.

"Technically, yes, but there's another issue. Given his MC level of eight and his participation in this tournament, he most likely knows his family's body swap skill, which lets him switch between the real body and a clone whenever he wishes," Vorden elaborated.

"You've explained it all perfectly, Vorden," Logan chimed in, focused on his computer. He had assembled it using his small spiders. "I did some research on the Multiplier's family. Everything you described fits perfectly."

Sam remained silent, impressed by Vorden's knowledge, especially his familiarity with an original family, despite not having looked up any information.

The six Multipliers surrounding Quinn simultaneously reached for the small blades on their belts. Quinn had nowhere to hide, and they were guaranteed a hit. He could block the ones in front of him, but preventing attacks from behind seemed nearly impossible.

"Well, well, well," Burne commented from inside the booth. "It appears Graylash was just trying to stir up drama for no reason. All he did was waste our time."

"I have to admit," Mona added, "I got a little excited when I saw him dash forward at such incredible speed. But now, it seems that speed is useless."

Owen, however, remained silent, convinced that the others were overlooking something. When he looked at Quinn, he saw something different. Could no one else see it? Was this the face of someone on the brink of defeat?

Simultaneously, the Multiplier and his clones hurled two daggers each toward the center. They flew fast and with force.

"Tch. Boring." Jack said, but soon he started to think diffrently. For some reason, a smirk had appeared on the Cursed Child's face.

"Shadow control." Quinn commanded

From the soles of Quinn's boots, a thin veil of purple shadows emerged, halting all the airborne blades in their tracks. They hovered, immobilized in mid-air.