The tracks left behind by my doppelganger are going into the 3rd floor. They're not aiming for the roof? So much for my expectation about an escape balloon.

Carefully while keeping my stealth-type skills running at full force, I followed the tracks, leading me to an unimpressive dead end. Something has to be going on here. I tried messing with the walls until I found a hidden switch camouflaged as part of the wall's pattern.

The switch revealed a hidden entrance to the grand stage that we couldn't enter before. It looked way worse for wear than the rest of the building, mainly because a ginormous machine is taking up much of the space. The many destroyed chairs on the ground floor must be from this thing moving around.

The machine looks like a giant drill that's attached to a tank. The tank's caterpillar tracks are what makes me believe this thing can be moved if needed. Multiple exhaust pipes can be seen on its back in addition to several tentacle-like appendages, each of them ending in a mini-drill of its own. "Mini" as in compared to the larger-than-a-truck drill that's attached to the gizmo's main body.

For some reason, the machine's design looks familiar. Just where have I seen something like that...?

Whoops, this isn't the time to be side-tracked. On the balcony that I'm on now, there's a slightly-hidden staircase that you couldn't see if you were on a different floor or one of the other balconies on this floor. While staying obs with potential traps, I took the stair down, and down, and down..., and down...

Hey, we're going to the basement! At least 2 floors' worth below the ground, I'd say.

At the end of the (long!!) stairs, I found something that shouldn't be underneath a theater. It's a prison. Multiple high-tech items that seem quite out of place here are positioned haphazardly all over the place as if someone recently arrived here and decided to make this their base. You know, I think that's exactly what has happened. Machines and the undead are from too different genres to naturally appear in this Dungeon-like place

And the culprit (I think) is right here in this room! The stupid doppelganger of mine! They are trapping Bloom and the Kigal-Note in some sort of machine. A similar one is connected to one of the cells that were here originally. I think I can vaguely see something in the shadows. They're experimenting on humans here? That's sick! And coming from me, that means at least something!!

That does it. Time to slay this fiend in the name of honor, justice, and more importantly, for stealing my stuff (read: fairy)!!

I bound the Nightmare Weapon (the "Nightmare Demon's Scythe") in its Dagger mode with some of my threads and began to spin it around while staying hidden in the shadows of the staircase. When my improvised pendulum got enough momentum, I released it toward the back of the copycat's unguarded head.

The clone's [Danger Sense] seems to have been activated, but my long-range dagger had gained too much speed thanks to my preparations. Before they could comprehend what danger they were in, the dagger had already buried itself deep into their skull. And for good measure, I used the silk thread as a conduit and had the Nightmare Dagger activate its "hidden blades", making a hedgehog out of the fairy-napper.

Victory~. And I even got a System Message that says I earned a level, so it's for sure now~! But maybe I should consider some "instinct"-types of skills? If the doppelganger fell for it, even the original, meaning me, may not fare any better.

"M-Maaaaasteeeeeeer!!" - Bloom

"Stop crying, or else I won't let you out." - Garami

With only a running nose stopping me from getting Bloom and the Kigal-Note out from the gizmo, I started looking into what our enemy is about. Bloom should be done blowing her nose by the time I’m finished.

The gizmo is...completely alien. Not that it looks like it's from a spaceship or sci-fi history, but that I'm clueless about what it's supposed to do. I did prevent it from activating in the first place, so..., let's just observe machine #2 instead.

Bloom had cleaned her face already, so I smashed the glass orb containing her and the Note before turning my attention to the other mystery machine. It's active, as I suspected, and the screen shows some sort of diagram. I'm guessing here, but it seems the machine is transferring "something" from whoever's trapped in the prison cell to the copycat puppets.

...? Hold on. That doesn't seem right. If I was trapped in here, it would make some sense if the puppets could copy my appearance and abilities, but that's not the case here, seeing as I'm out here. And in there is a...mini undead dragon?

It's about the size of a large-breed dog and looks vaguely draconic, but its body is made up of rotten flesh. It doesn't even have any scales on its body, as opposed to the Corpse Dragon who should be its closest relative when you look at their species and racial ranks. Instead of horrifying, I'd even say this poor thing is pitiable.

"Now this is rare. A real Draconic Cadaver specimen." - Bloom

"Yeah, really rare. And what is it?" - Garami

"It is a form of an undead-type dragon, like the creatures we saw in the neighboring district, but this being's origin is different. They are beings cursed by the gods as a punishment for great misdeeds, forced to live in decaying bodies for the rest of their lives.

"They are not allowed to use AP for as long as they are cursed, so even if they survive for long enough to allow their levels and skills to grow, they cannot do anything with their situation, as obtaining new skills, classes, or even evolving requires these points, as you know.

"As a further restriction, skills above the 2nd tier cannot gain proficiency. The sole exception to this rule is if the victim of the curse somehow obtained a lower-tier version of the same skill, then have the lower-tier skill integrate into the higher-tier skill and add the former's proficiency to the latter's." - Bloom

"Nasty. So it's safe to say this is one of the idiot nobles from the Wiser's story?" - Garami

"Hmm, I am not sure. The gods have different tastes when it comes to punishments, but the Draconic Cadaver transformation is favored by the sole goddess you can assume is used on relatively guiltless people." - Bloom

"Guiltless?" - Garami

"Yes. Because the goddess in question is the Ultimate Goddess of Darkness." - Bloom

Ah, ahhhhh... Yeah, that's convincing. She seems more like an evil goddess who'd give the villain a pat on their backs instead of transforming them into rotten dragons...

"Wait, then why dragon? Wouldn't a normal corpse be better as a punishment?" - Garami

"The Ultimate Goddess of Darkness has a famous dislike for dragons, so I think that must play a role in it." - Bloom

Personal preferences are creepy in the hands of gods. So this thing could have been falsely accused? Let's have a look...

Name: Revi Darul | [Puppet Princess of "Tir na Nog"] Race: Draconic Cadaver Gender: Female Level: 50/50 Evolution is possible. Traits: 3 Karma Value: -200 Main Class: Mage Lv.50 (Max) Skills: 25 Titles: 10 Blessings: 0 Aether Points: 51.6 HP: 94/193 MP: 29/249 SP: 58/235 STR: 316 VIT: 313 MAG: 421 RES: 406 SPD: 271 DEX: 304 INT: 107 LUC: 97 LP: 15

Skill List:

Skill List: Ability Skills: [Extra Health Lv.3] [Massive Mana Lv.3] [Mana Auto-Recovery Lv.50 (Max)] [Greater Strength Lv.2] [Tougher Vitality Lv.2] [Mystical Magic Lv.3] [Resistance Lv.50 (Max)] [Swift Speed Lv.3] Attack Skills: [Rot Strike Lv.50 (Max)] [Death's Touch Lv.1] Magic Skills: [Death Magic Lv.50 (Max)] Active Skills: [Monstrous Strength Lv.1] [Genocide Drive: Magic Lv.1] Passive Skills: [Magic Operation Lv.50 (Max)] [Short Chant Lv.50 (Max)] [Hushed Chant Lv.50 (Max)] [Item Decay (Death) Lv.50 (Max)] [Ghost Chaser Lv.1] [Herbology Lv.50 (Max)] [Cleaning Lv.50 (Max)] [Magic Reinforcement Lv.50 (Max)] Resistance Skills: [Death Resistance Lv.50 (Max)] Elements: [Lesser Death Element Lv.50 (Max)] Elements: [Will of the Dead Lv.1] Extra Skills: [Envy Lv.1]

Title List:

Title List: Achievement Titles: [Titan Killer] [Death Technique User] [Mountain of Corpses] Hunting Titles: [Undead Genocider] [Skeleton Genocider] [Zombie Genocider] [Monster Genocider] [Ghost Slaughterer] Status Titles: [Puppet Princess of "Tir na Nog"] [True Chaos]

Trait List:

Trait List:

Pseudo-Dragon:

Decreases "Dragon-type" damage taken: *1.5 Improves growth rate of Dragon-type skills: [Normal] Eases the requirements for obtaining any Dragon-type skills. Doubles the necessary LP needed to be recruited by non-Dragon creatures.

Low Undead:

Undead attribute enhancements: [Small] Remnant-type attribute enhancements: [Small] Decreased Undead-type damage taken: [Small] Decreased Remnant-type damage taken: [Small] Increased Purification-type damage taken: [High] Increased Glow-type damage taken: [Medium] Increased Sacred-type damage taken: [High] Increased stats in dark areas: [Small] Passive damage in sunlight areas: [High] Increased self-recovery skill effects: [Small] Inverts healing/damage from moves using positive/negative life force. Negates most physical status ailments Negates the need for food and sleep. Nightvision. Negates loss of SP, except for using skills or other System-based moves.

Corpse Body:

Increases the values of HP, VIT, & RES stats: *1.4 Decreases the values of SPD & DEX stats: *0.8 Increased Fire-type damage taken: [High] Enhanced body odor. Reduced functionality of one's five senses.

".........Bloom, this girl's free for any charges." - Garami

"Why?" - Bloom

I silently showed her the [Identification] result using the Kigal-Note.

"Now I see. This 'Revi' person must have acted as a decoy for a real princess of Tir na Nog. Or maybe she was chosen from a random number of children because she had an affinity for the [Envy] skill?" - Bloom

"Context, please." - Garami

"No, it just looks that way to me. This girl does not have any other skills except those from her class, her titles, [Envy], and these five skills that I suspect come from the five free skills every living creature will gradually obtain after they are born." - Bloom

"So the crooked royalties decided to use some random kid from the slums as a test subject for a Seven Sin surgery?" - Garami

"The evidence seems to point in that direction." - Bloom

Sounds good enough for me.

*Crash!*

"M-Master!?" - Bloom

"What?" - Garami

"Do not release potential villains from their cells like that!" - Bloom

"But they're cursed by that Goddess. Do I need a better reason to let them go?" - Garami

"J-just how much do you hate your patron goddess...?" - Bloom

"Try getting reborn inside one of the most dangerous Dungeons on the planet, then you'll get your answer." - Garami

While I was bantering with Bloom, the dragon didn't try to move, even after I had opened the cell's door. She doesn't seem to be too exhausted to move, so why not?

*...clang...*

A slight sound from behind me solved that question. Multiple puppets were coming out of the shadows, their mechanical eyes looking at me with "annihilate" written on their unmoving faces.

"Right. These guys are connected to the cage machine." - Garami

"I think all the copycat puppets in the building have assembled here." - Bloom

"Sweet. That makes it easier to crush them all in one swoop. Also, you can't call them copycats if they can't copy people anymore." - Garami

"Master is the reason for that. And the puppets are not happy about it!" - Bloom

"Heh. In five, no, three minutes, they won't be unhappy about anything. Not now, not never." - Garami

Using the web line from before, I started to swing around the Nightmare Dagger like a pendulum again before throwing it at the machine gang. Through using the [Control Thread] in an unorthodox manner, I sent some mana to the dagger and commanded it to turn into the Nightmare Scythe while it flew toward the mechas.

The puppets tried to block it, but another trick I've learned recently is to extend [Aura of Darkness] through [Control Thread]. The giant scythe of eroding darkness flew like a tornado of destruction and smashed most of the robots' frontline. The survivors tried to jump at me, but I quickly retracted the line and "reaped" their lives as well. Or is it batteries?

"Mwa-hahaha! I was getting tired of sitting on the sideline while Mira and/or Filyn got all the fun! Come at me, you buckets of bolts!" - Garami

"Crap. Master has been infected by Filyn's perverse joy for destruction..." - Bloom

I cannot deny that!

---

"Phew~. You gotta love a good workout~." - Garami

I looked over my work, aka a pile of broken robot parts. And as a nice bonus, one of the puppets had a type of magic stone-like core in it. It is NOT that I destroyed all the other cores in my quest for destruction! No, sire!

Still, I doubt I can use this thing for a Dungeon. Compared to the magic stones I already have, this one looks too refined and puny. It is classified as a material-type item when I Identify it, but my hunch is telling me that the Dungeon Core won't accept it. I'll see if I can use it for my Nightmare Items instead.

"How did 'rampage' translate into 'workout' in your mind, Master?" - Bloom

Ignore her, ignore her... Which will be easy considering there's something more attention-catching here in the room.

It is me. As in, a second me who is looking at...well, me, with stars in their eyes. A far cry from the emotionless copycat puppets from before.

(Master, I think it is the Draconic Cadaver from before.) - Bloom

Bloom whispered this into my ears. I agree. My copy is in the same cell we left the dragon undead in, not to even mention that it would have been impossible to sneak past us during my fight with the puppets. The half-destroyed corridor and stairs to the upper floors are proof of this.

(Is this part of [Envy]'s effect?) - Garami

(Yes. [Envy] is a skill that uses the skill owner's grudge to either seal away a target's abilities, allow the skill owner to use some of the target's abilities, or even obtain the target of their jealousy's appearance if they wished for that.) - Bloom

In short, it allows you to become the person you're so envious of. It's...not that impressive.

(Just be glad the skill has not "hatched" yet, or else even we might have been in trouble.) - Bloom

(Hatched?) - Garami

(A term for when undeveloped Seven Sins skills go from being a "common" Extra Skill into something worthy of the names of the Demon Gods. Most people cannot properly use the skill's true power, so only a fracture of it is available to them at this stage. If this dragon learns to master it, [Envy] is supposed to reach its true state as the skill: [Invidia Demon God - Leviathan].) - Bloom

Yikes. That name is edgy enough to cut your ears just listening to it. So this girl has some good future potential, ey~?

"Hey, you wanna stop being a rotten corpse?" - Garami

I sat down and looked... "me" eye-to-eye as I delivered my question. It must have been extremely unexpected for the poor girl. Her transformation went up in smoke only from sheer surprise.

"Master, are you sure about this?" - Bloom

"Why not? She is pretty cute, cursed appearance aside." - Garami

"Envying someone" could also be said that you "admire" that someone. Going by this girl’s previous expression, she's far from holding a grudge towards me. Heck, looking from her point of view, aren't I a knight in shining armor who released her from her confinement along with defeating her capturers?

Yup. My affinity points for this little zombie dragon are damn high. Recruiting her would give our Guild the possessor of a one-of-a-kind Extra Skill. Even having her around as a mascot is sure to make our name grow!

It may be a double-edged sword when you think about the potential trouble of having the Extra Skill that's practically representing the whole continent on our side, mostly from the people "envying" this walking draconic corpse, but the gains overcome the troubles any day.

Besides, I'm feeling a kinship with this girl. That damned goddess is too much of a headache to this world...

The problem is the whole "cursed" gig. How am I supposed to get rid of that? Try to pray to that stupid goddess and say "Please lift your curse~"? As if that would work-...?

All of a sudden, the Draconic Cadaver started to glow. She looks as surprised over this sudden development as I'm feeling. In addition, a message window appeared in front of me.

DIVINE MESSAGE (Alvatria):

Ok.

......Seriously?