Chapter 197: Let 'her' OUT
I could still remember that fateful day when she entered my life, saving me and giving my existence purpose.
For the first time, I had allowed my tears to flow freely in front of a stranger.
It wasn't an unsettling experience, though; it had been a moment filled with warmth, with Tiana.
"Alysia, Remember, I may not be your mother but I will always be there to guide you....No matter what course of action you choose to follow....it's not because of your mother's contract, but for a lost child, My New friend"
Those words had shattered the emotional walls I had built around myself...I was scared.
I was terrified of the thought of being left alone in this world once more.
"P-Please, take my life instead of hers..." I pleaded with a dry voice, sinking to my knees and bowing my head before the Dungeon Walker.
What I was doing would undoubtedly be seen as a disgrace by the entire Elven community.
An Elven Queen, The ruler of the entire Flora Continent, was reduced to begging in front of a monstrous entity. It was a profound shame for our people, a blemish on our reputation, and a betrayal of our sacred connection to the World Tree, a Pinnacle of Life...I may be beheaded later for this disgrace.
'But, I-I don't care, as long as T-Tiana is safe...I was willing to endure the humiliation and even death' I muttered inwardly.
"Oh? You insects surely change your skin like a dress" Dungeon Walker remarked with an amusing tone when it saw me begging after trying to kill it.
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"..." I remained silent.
"...Hmm, Okay, If you want her, then bring the other two Heroes" Dungeon Walker declared as it stood before me.
"B-But--"
"She won't be digested before an hour or two since she was a Fairy" it assured me, which alleviated my worries somewhat.
Yet, I couldn't ignore the reality.
"There are only -cough-cough- two Heroes in this era" I explained, struggling to stand.
"urahhh!" However, a sudden pressure pushed me back down, forcing me to kneel before the menacing creature.
"Hmm?... I see" the Dungeon Walker mused thoughtfully.
It then declared, "I don't care, I only need a True Hero" before heading toward the lifeless Emperor Faunmia.
I didn't know if I could trust the Dungeon Walker, but it appeared I had no other choice. Sighing inwardly, 'I just hope, Alexander hasn't Eliminated' I reluctantly agreed,
"Understood, But people outside alre--"
"I already blocked their view, so bring the Hero faster, otherwise your best friend will be nothing but shit by the next morning" it warned, its words carrying a dangerous threat.
"ggrrrr" I clenched my teeth in frustration, but I had no other option in my current predicament though there was light relief that no one witnessed my disgrace.
'Tuck'
'spurt'
'Splash'
'Sluck'
Dungeon Walker then effortlessly dismantled Emperor Faunmia's body like a child's toy and reassembled it into a gruesome throne.
Black blood saturated the chamber, and my feet were covered in the vile substance.
"Now, it's good" the Dungeon Walker declared, seating itself on the newly formed throne.
Black blood continued to gush from the reassembled Emperor Faunmia, and its stinger slightly twitched before starting to move.
"!!!" I was initially stunned, hoping that stinger could somehow be used against the Dungeon Walker. However, my hopes were quickly dashed.
"Oh, I can control it!" Dungeon Walker proclaimed as it manipulated the stinger as if it were a natural part of its own body.
'Well, Let's wait!' I muttered inwardly and I decided to proceed with my plan, hoping it would work.
I approached the Dungeon Walker and knelt down, then shared my proposal.
"Oh! Interesting..." it responded with a wicked grin.
It removed the peculiar gauntlets and placed them on the armrest, then leaned forward,
"But, give me the Sealing spell" it demanded.
"....Here," I responded, handing over an ancient sealing spell.
This particular spell was created by my grandmother to deal with beings like Lucifer. Due to Lucifer's Divine vessel/Holy body, the standard traits of Fairies wouldn't affect him.
My mother had documented this spell in her extensive collection of data, noting that my grandmother had specifically designed it to reveal the Hero's true nature and desires while simultaneously sealing their holy power.
It was a truly formidable weapon.....and I carried it with me daily in case Alexander ever attempted to create any trouble.
"Hmm..." Dungeon Walker scrutinized the sealing spell before concealing it and inquiring,
"Next?"
".....Here" I replied, presenting a wooden dummy resembling Tiana, imbued with some magical spells that made it react almost like the real Tiana.
I-I had created it in case I felt lonely....
A-Anyway, it was meant to provoke anger in others when needed.....after all, who could bear to see a harmless, tiny, and cute fairy being mistreated?
"It's truly an extraordinary craftsmanship" Dungeon Walker murmured before continuing,
"Well then, let's demonstrate to them that you aren't merely acting"
"Huh?" I frowned at its words and was about to inquire further when a massive wooden stake abruptly impaled my stomach, pinning me to the wall.
"aarrrrrhhhhhhhh"
"-Cough-Cough-"
'W-When?' I wondered, shocked to see my own wooden stake used against me.
"Yes, this is more like you not acting" Dungeon Walker declared as it assumed the throne.
'I.Will.Kill.You' I muttered inwardly, my eyes shooting daggers at the monster.
"Heh..." Dungeon Walker chuckled wickedly and snapped its before before plucking the fake Tiana's wings slowly.
"AAARRRRHHHHHH!!!"
"TTIIAAAANNNAAAA!!!"
Hearing Fake Tiana's cries, I couldn't help but shout in response.
"Oh? You are good at playing your part" Dungeon Walker acknowledged, and it filled me with frustration.
After that....
As expected, everyone fell right into the trap.
I wanted to reach Alexander, but he was occupied with his own theatrics, so it was Asher Eli who came to my aid.
'Shit, it seems his power has improved so much... but it's in vain against this monster' I thought as my plan proceeded without a hitch.
'He... died?' I wondered when I witnessed Asher Eli being pummeled and thrown out with brutal force.
A pang of guilt passed through my eyes, but my overriding concern was to save Tiana, even if it left her unhappy.
Alexander... this guy was definitely hiding many secrets, I muttered when I observed him entering the Domain Realm.
[Hey Elf, Help me]
The monster sent a mental message.
'Tsk' I clicked my tongue, and I assisted it in gaining control over the situation and.....Yet,
I found myself lying down, unable to control the white crystals that Asher Eli had manipulated before.
It was my interference that caused one of the White Crystals' powers to stop, which ultimately led to Asher Eli's death.
Taking control of them, I waited for the perfect opportunity to strike at the monster's head, but...
'This is Karma... ah?' I mused, realizing that the crystals were not in their respective corner positions.
[Do you truly trust me that Fairy is still alive in my stomach, Elf?....ahhahahahahaha]
Those words felt like the final nail in the coffin.
'I see....'
Resigned to my fate, I slit my throat as that 'Disgusting Hero' approached me with a lustful face.
'I am sorry, Mama, Tiana'
With those parting words, my entire world turned black.
...
...
"Where am I?" I asked when I realized I was surrounded by a dark, endless void.
I tried to inspect my surroundings, but it appeared that only my consciousness existed in this space.
I moved my consciousness around, searching for an escape, but there was no way out.
"HELLO!!" I shouted in frustration.
"Is anybody here? Please Help me!!"
"Hello!"
"You damn cowards!!"
....
No matter how much I shouted, there was no response.
I don't know how much time passed, but I felt like I had been wandering in this endless darkness for around ten days.
'So this is the end.....I...I...am S-Scared...Mama, Ti-Tiana' I muttered, my fear of being alone overwhelming me.
"M-Mama!!" I screamed as I felt a warm sensation on my cheeks, 'Tears?'
I wondered how tears came, but before I could contemplate it further,
"Mama!!, Tiana!!"
"Mama!!"
"Tiana!!"
I shouted.
The fear continued to rise with each cry.
"It's s-scary, Mama," I said, curling up like a little child.
"I... I am..." Just as I was on the brink of despair, I heard,
"Child, do you wish for power?" A void voice, somewhat mechanical, spoke to me.
Though it felt vaguely familiar.
"Yes" I answered with relief that someone finally responded to me in this void, without understanding the implications of my words.
"I see....."
"....."
"Hello----" I began to ask once more, but the surroundings suddenly brightened, and I heard,
"You have chosen this path... when the time comes, you will have to repay it... My... dear..." The void voice slowly faded away.
A strange energy surged through me...
Again, everything turned pitch dark...
But soon, this time, I felt a warm sensation on my neck as my eyelids fluttered open slowly.
I slowly saw.....an auburn-haired man looking at me with his expressionless face.
His hand gripped my neck as he lifted me into the air.
"Alysia Hill Morgan Flora?"
"....." He addressed me by my full name, devoid of any emotions.
"Where is Tiana?" He inquired, tightening his grip on my neck.
Struggling to breathe, I raised my right hand and pointed towards the monster before saying,
"In-zidie....Zotmmackk" My words were barely intelligible.
"I see..." With those words, he threw me aside like a piece of garbage, and I fell into the arms of a dark purple-haired girl.
"Caught You" she said as she slowly put down me.
However, My eyes remained fixed on the man who was approaching the Dungeon Walker, a trident piercing its shoulder as it struggled to pull it back.
'Ba-Dump, Ba-Dump'
My heart raced. My face turned crimson as I touched my neck and realized there were...no cuts.
'W-What is h-happening t-to me?' I screamed inwardly.
"You are affected by his 'Charm'" A white fox approached and asked with a reddened face though distain in her face was evident when looked at me.
"Charm?" I inquired.
"That's what he said" a light purple-haired girl stated, her face also flushed.
"I like women, I love my wives, I only...uh, like women" a Yellow-golden haired boy muttered, trying to conceal his.....red face.
"????" So many questions arose, but before they could be addressed,
'Where is that bastard?' I thought as I tried to look for Hero.....only to see him unconsciously lying on the side.
"That guy...crushed Alexander's Balls" Oliver stated as crouched down feeling fellow tingling feeling in his crotch.
"Balls?.....Bal..." My face turned even redder.
"Let.her.out" Asher Eli's voice echoed in the room, his tone deadly.
A chill ran through my spine, causing us to step back involuntarily, our instincts on high alert.