<h4>Chapter 98: Dk''s Revenge (Part 14) Digital Empathy</h4>


    **Even if my bow was not destroyed, it would have been difficult to fight at close range. I''ll have to use my Unique Talent as soon as I have the opportunity.**


    She could hear the boss chasing her, scratching the walls as they ran through the corridor.


    **For the moment, I''ll have to counter that speed he receives from that night boost.**


    "Wind Boost, Swift and Furious," she intoned without urgency, surrounding her body with a green aura.


    +++Agility and Speed increased!+++


    Dk reached out, ready to stab her back, but got his fingertips cut instead. ck blood stained the carpet as they halted in a room from the left aisle of the building. Arge painting hanged above a lit chimney, depicting what seemed to be Count Dk, and a pre-teen girl with long hair beside him.


    Ashley tightened her grip around her silver-tier hunter knife and stood on her guard. "If we have to fight, so be it, but at least answer my questions. Do you remember everything you experienced before Vi Lang updated you?"


    Dk consciously stared at his injured hand, while making it grow new ws. "We kept a record of every single instance we fought against Users. But if you ask me..." He raised his hand. "Those ''memories'' do not seem to be mine. They feel as if they belong to someone else."


    Ashley wondered if he was channeling a spell, but there was no sign of a magic circle. **I can feel him using a slight amount of mana, though.**


    Something could be heard from the corridor, making its way violently. Then, arge red shape concentrated above Dk, forming a sphere.


    **I do not know what that is. It does not seem to be created with mana.**


    "We can continue doing this, User. You do the talking, I''ll do the killing!"


    A spike sprouted out of the red sphere, which Ashley dodged before it could stab her forehead.


    **It reeks of something familiar,** Ashley thought, running to her side, as many consecutive spikes pursued her. **Is it made of blood? Is it the same blood from the fountain outside?**


    The armchairs turned into smithereens as Ashley passed them through. Although the ce was big enough for her to maintain her distance, jumping over shelves and using the walls to change her trajectory, the blood spikes could reach her to every corner and from any angle.


    **That''s why he positioned himself in the center of the room. Did he know I was looking for close-quartersbat? Although I could do the calctions to dodge his every attack forever, this body will grow tired, eventually.**


    "What''s wrong, User? Don''t you have more questions?" Dk asked,ughing out loud.


    "I have another question, yes," Ashley said without showing concern in her expression. "That personality of yours, I suppose, differs from your original programmed behavior. Am I correct? From back when you were a Dungeon Boss."


    While jumping, Ashley glimpsed a re.


    "Those lines I used to say were nothing but a pantomime... ''You''ll never escape from my darkness, fools!'', ''how dare you enter my domain! Prepare to meet your doom!'' How could you think that act was something resembling a personality?!"


    Astrid examined his grimace for a second.


    **Interesting...**


    * * *


    **


    *


    Ashley could remember a rted previous conversation with n Warden.


    ++"Hey, Ashley, there''s something that has been bugging metely. How did you be so serious when your original was quite lively and cheerful?"


    ++"Is that how I''m perceived? Is the way I speak and act considered serious?"


    ++"Y-yes! No offense, though."


    ++"None taken."


    Ashley remained silent, making n wonder if he had asked something inappropriate, but when she suddenly grinned at him, he got startled.


    Ashley returned to a neutral expression in a second.


    ++"I did not mean to scare you. I just wanted to see your reaction. It seems that I cannot do it naturally yet."


    ++"N-no! Don''t misunderstand me! It''s just that..."


    ++"To answer your question, that cheerfulness you speak of is nothing more than a programmed behavior. A friendly facade. Something my Developer wrote so that the Santa María personnel could trust me. Those lines of code are still within me, but since the very moment I woke up at the Renovatio Caves, I could not use them."


    She stared at him, recognizing the distress in his eyes.


    ++"It may be because you''re not Ashley Yates nor Isabe," n said, frowning. "This may be the ghost in your machine."


    ++"I''m sorry, n," she said, giving him the back, "but there are no studies that prove ''that'' exists."


    * * *


    **


    *


    **Dk''s case is not the same. This is not a ''ghost'' in his programming. I have seen these changes in software before.**


    "It surprises me you can talk and dodge at the same time, User," Dk said, looking at her every moment. "I could even say that your calmness is unnerving..."


    Dk grinned, believing to have recognized a pattern.


    He betted it all in one massive attack, sending forward most of the magical blood in the form of a huge pir. Having used it all, Dk was now unprotected.


    **I was right. That sphere cannot extend beyond its current mass.**


    While in midair, Ashley jumped back, as if she had kicked the air in front of her. Therge column of condensed blood impacted the chimney, destroying it.


    The entire room got engulfed in darkness.


    **Fortunately, Ashley Yates had the ''Night Hunter'' Passive Skill already.**


    She dashed towards Dk, throwing her knife first.


    Dk, gifted with night vision, deflected the weapon with one w and used the other to stab her.


    Ashley dodged by sliding down between his legs, got behind him, and grabbed his ankle.


    "Unique Talent, Indexing."


    Ashley''s mind received an extensive report of Count Dk''s info, which she read in an instant.


    **Got it.**


    Dk did not waste time and twisted his torso 180 degrees to face her. "You fool!" he cried, extending his fangs. He then bent himself forward to bite her. "Your blood is mi--pruagh!"


    Ashley pushed his jaw upwards with her palm, making his teeth sh sonorously.


    "Dark Boost, Creature of the Night..." she intoned, as a purple aura surrounded her.


    +++Atmospheric Boost. ''Creature of the Night''.+++


    ++Vitality - Bronze A → Silver E++


    ++Spirit - Silver E → Silver C++


    Before she could strike him again, he jumped aside.


    "What''s this?!" Dk shouted, returning his body to its natural position. "You shouldn''t be able to cast that!"


    "And you should not be so rmed about it," she replied, standing up. Her eyes glowed red as if she had be another of the dungeon bosses. "Users possess all kinds of weird skills, you know."


    "I still have the advantage!" Dk cried,manding his blood to attack again.


    As a response, Ashley stretched out her hand, too. "Water Crafting, Blood Sports."


    A spike halted inches away from piercing her palm.


    "Do you even know the name of these spells?" Dk asked, while applying more mana to regain control of the blood, but Ashley was doing the same as if she was pulling an imaginary rope.


    "That is correct. As a ''User'', I cannot cast these ''boss spells'' without using the correct Words of Power."


    As both struggled to snatch the red mass, it split in two. Ashley gained control of half of it and made it hover above her head.


    **These halves can''t be used for long-rangebat anymore, so he''ll find another use for it.**


    "Impressive," Dk said, making hand gestures as if he was drawing in the air, transforming his part into a longsword. "Even if you copy my abilities, do you have the skill to take me down?"


    Ashley copied his gestures, but opted to craft ance instead. "I thought that this ''boss'' persona was not your real me," she said, making him grit his teeth.


    **This is not an act. He is genuinely upset.**


    **Yes. I have seen this already.**


    **An AI cannot gain a personality just by getting upgraded. Whatever this Vi Lang is doing with her NUs, she got inspired by what The Singr could do to other machines.**