The path of the Soul Emperor

Chapter 16

Lisa informed everyone as they began planning the attack on the base. Alex, who was communicating with the system, was also listening to the discussion.

"Agnes, is it possible to create a clone with my bloodline or something similar?" he asked.

[Alex, I've already told you we can do almost anything. But if you're asking about the cost in Arcane energy, it would be 5,000 Arcane energy,] Agnes replied.

"Damn, is there any way you could reduce it to below 100 Arcane energy?" Alex asked hopefully.

[Let me check,] Agnes said, beginning her calculations.

After a moment, Agnes replied:

[I've found a workaround that isn't exactly a skill. By using your Arcane energy, we can create a clone body that already has your bloodline, so there's no additional cost there. The tricky part is that you'll need to transfer a portion of your soul to the clone body.]

"No way," Alex responded quickly.

"You know as well as I do that a soul fragment can develop its own personality. The risk that this soul fragment might try to kill me to become the main soul is way too high; it's not worth it."

[True, so let me finish. Another option would be to connect the clone body to your soul, meaning one soul would control two bodies. With the size and quality of your soul, you should be able to handle this after some time, and it would actually make your soul more powerful in a way that no one else could achieve.]

"I know that technique, but…" Alex sighed, aware of the risks involved. "If you say it'll work, then I trust you. So, how much Arcane energy would it cost?"

[30 Arcane energy. And don't worry—because of your bloodline, the clone will immediately rank up to D+, so there's no need to boost its strength,] Agnes reassured him.

"Wow, that's affordable! Will I also share its benefits?" Alex asked.

[Yes, and I almost forgot—you'll also be sharing the same Arcane mana, the same skills, and the only thing you won't be sharing are stats…] Agnes added.

"That won't be a problem thanks to our insane regenerative ability," Alex noted confidently.

For context, Alex could regenerate 5,000 Arcane energy per second, meaning he only needed two seconds to reach full power.

However, he could only regenerate Arcane mana if he didn't use it for five seconds, meaning it took a total of seven seconds to fully recharge.

[True, but at higher levels, seven seconds can be more than enough time to kill someone, take a nap, or even have a meal,] Agnes cautioned.

"Okay, but how long would that 'nap' even be?" Alex asked.

[Well, for beings of SSS rank, a short nap would be like sleeping for two hours by your standards,] Agnes replied.

"Damn," Alex muttered.

While the group discussed their plan without much progress, they looked over at Alex, who was still deep in thought. Jack finally said, "Alex, what do you think we should do?"

Alex, momentarily surprised, quickly regained his composure and thought, Agnes, did you hear that?

[Just tell them Lisa has a better plan,] Agnes suggested with a chuckle.

Sighing, Alex said, "Lisa has a better plan." After a pause, noticing everyone was waiting for him to continue, he tossed the bag to Lisa and said, "Lisa, would you mind explaining your plan again?"

Lisa nodded and said, "With Alex being our strongest, he'll go and face the Orc commander, who is around C+ rank, almost reaching B-. Mia and Sofia will provide long-range support, while I, Stella, and Jack will handle the other C-rank Orcs. Kevin will protect the girls if any Orcs manage to get close to them."

'What did I sign up for?'

Alex thought to himself, keeping his expression calm.

"That's the best approach to maximize our damage. Just aim for their heads, and you three focus on the weaker ones so they don't get a chance to ambush us at a vulnerable moment. By the way, do you know how many Orcs we're facing?" he asked.

Lisa replied, "Four C rank Orcs, ten D rank Orcs, and twenty E rank Orcs."

'Wow, if the Orcs are this strong, taking over this area will take more time than I thought. Maybe I can let my Orc clone train and gain favor with them for now. When it's powerful enough, it can take over,' Alex mused.

"It's strange. Why would the green Orcs bring such a large force to capture people?" Stella wondered aloud.

"How strong would their leader have to be, then?" Alex asked.

"Maybe B rank, or perhaps they have a unique power that most Orcs don't," Stella replied.

"Is any one of them a Kajin?" Alex inquired.

"Maybe the Black Orc Leader is a Kajin, but the others aren't. As I mentioned, becoming a Kajin isn't as easy as you made it seem with me," Stella explained.

[She's right. Evolving your bloodline to that level would require five times more Arcane energy—around 500 Arcane energy,] Agnes added.

"Damn, but let's not worry about enemies who aren't here yet. So, everyone, let's get started." Alex instructed, and everyone nodded in agreement. With the plan confirmed, they all disappeared to their designated positions as Stella, Lisa, Jack, and Alex made their way to the Orc village

{Author's Note}

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