Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Lover
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“Lover, you mean?”
“Yeah. Didn’t the junior say it? That we need to build a base camp for conquering the dungeon.”
‘I only answered when she asked.’
Alicia said that right after our cafe conversation, she’d ordered her soldiers to construct the base camp.
This branch had been discovered by chance by soldiers scouting for a suitable site to build the camp.
Her decisiveness was certainly impressive.
“With an unregistered building right on the perfect spot for the camp, of course they’d investigate.”
“So this training mission was decided because...”
“Since the junior brought it up first, it doubled as a field trip.”
“Ally’s got it all planned out.”
At my praise, Alicia wore a satisfied expression.
How much further did we run?
“Hold up for a moment.”
She hopped off my back and muttered while eyeing a unnaturally broken tree branch.
“It’s my soldiers’ mark. The branch must be around here.”
“But those soldiers aren’t anywhere to be seen...”
“Exactly. We should’ve run into them nearby...”
Alicia crushed the branch in her fist, her face hardening.
“Something might’ve happened to them.”
“Then let’s hurry.”
“Yes, we should.”
She extended her arms to me again.
“? What are you doing?”
“Didn’t you say we need to hurry? Lend me your back quick.”
“Looks like the paralysis wore off.”
Alicia made an “oh no” face and clutched her forehead.
“...Ugh. The paralysis.”
“...”
“...Ugh. The paralysis.”
“You don’t need to say it twice.”
In the meantime, Mina braced herself against the ground, breathing raggedly.
“Haa... haa...”
Unlike Alicia’s fake ailment, she genuinely looked winded.
Her basic fitness was lacking from the start, so keeping up this far must’ve pushed her to her limits.
‘Sigh.’
With no choice, I scooped Mina up into my arms.
“Kyaa, kyaaak! H-Haribal?”
“Hold on tight.”
“Something feels broken. Can’t I ride in front?”
“...Who do you think I am, a carriage?”
And so, with Mina in my arms and Alicia on my back, I dashed up the mountain path.
The weighted training was paying off in moments like this.
“The ride’s gotten weirdly bumpy. Should we switch places for sure?”
“Please bear with it a bit longer.”
Nonsense.
Soon, we broke through the mountain path to arrive at a small villa that looked suspicious no matter who saw it.
‘Ah, it’s the 13th branch. It was here even at this point.’
I hadn’t known the exact location, but now that I was here, the memory clicked.
Villa-style branches were rare even in the original story.
I carefully set the two down and immediately scanned for presences.
For some reason, no signs of life emanated from the villa.
‘That’s weird.’
A sense of unease crept in.
Normally, at this point, the door would open and cultists would ambush first.
It was a relatively simple quest: clear the trash mobs, enter, destroy the branch seal, and done.
“They might’ve tucked tail and fled already.”
“S-Such...!”
“Even at top speed, if they had other communication means, it’s plenty possible. They could’ve bailed the moment village contact cut off.”
“Haribal, sorry. Because of me, we got delayed coming here...”
“Don’t blame yourself too much.”
You should blame yourself a bit.
I focused my senses on the villa once more.
Still no signs of living humans.
‘Really none?’
“Either way, training’s over with this. A bloodless entry, truly.”
“But the cultists...”
“Missing remnants is regrettable, but greed invites disaster.”
The moment Alicia stepped toward the villa, a strange scent brushed my nose.
“Wait. Don’t you smell something?”
I immediately blocked the two.
“Smell?”
Sniff sniff. Definitely.
A dizzyingly sweet, yet somehow unnatural aroma.
Like ripe seasonal fruit or freshly refined honey—a heavenly fragrance leaking from inside the villa.
‘Wait, heavenly fragrance?’
It was on the tip of my tongue when—
Creak.
The villa door opened, revealing a woman in a lavish dress.
“What are you doing out there, Princess? Come on in.”
At the unfamiliar sight, Mina and I reached for our weapons.
But Alicia’s voice stopped us.
“...Bennett.”
She narrowed her eyes and said.
“One of the soldiers I assigned to scout the branch.”
“She’s friendly? Then maybe the soldiers cleared the branch already.”
“I hope so.”
Alicia placed a hand on my shoulder.
“I’ve already placed my bet. Junior, you said no presences inside the building, right?”
I nodded, and she continued.
“Then I’ll trust you on that.”
She hurled a dagger at “Bennett”—from who knows where.
Bennett collapsed, throat pierced by the dagger.
“Princess?!”
Mina gasped, but Alicia pressed on unperturbed.
“None of my subordinates would call me ‘Princess’ so casually outside. Nor disobey my order to just watch.”
“Then...”
At that moment, a voice emanated again from the fallen Bennett.
“...What are you... doing there... Princess. Come on in.”
Mina examined the fallen Bennett and shook her head.
“...She’s already gone.”
“As I thought. No vitality at all.”
“Ah, you knew?”
“No breath in this cold night air. Had to suspect.”
Alicia’s eyes darkened.
“...Looks like the fish inside is playing games. Not amusing at all.”
A soldier killed yesterday, dressed in finery, repeating lines like an NPC.
I alternated between the eerie scene and the fragrance wafting from the villa.
A dizzyingly sweet scent.
Ability to puppet the dead like marionettes.
‘...No way.’
The scattered pieces clicked together like a puzzle.
One of the worst bosses that frustrated countless players, appearing only after sophomore year second semester.
Tartarus Cult 4th Bishop, “Lover” Eliber Han.
She was the boss of the late-game dungeon “Corrupted Cathedral.”
Around sophomore second semester start, the Divine Church suddenly condemns the imperial family.
Allen heads to Erandar for investigation, discovering the church’s heart—the White Mausoleum—entirely under Eliber’s control.
Exposed to Allen, she transforms the whole mausoleum into the “Corrupted Cathedral” dungeon to confront the player.
Each bishop wielded powers fitting their dungeon theme.
If Malias of the Beast Dungeon turned humans or dolls into beastly monsters, Eliber of the Doll Dungeon turned others into puppets under her control.
Her [Celestial Fragrance] was a wide-area brainwash that slowly eroded minds exposed long-term, bending them to obedience.
With it, she puppeted the Divine Church priests to assault Allen.
It didn’t affect combat directly, so players caught on late.
But Eliber’s “worst” status had another reason.
The field [Monopoly of Love], activating at battle start.
This field instantly brainwashed one ally to attack the player—a ruthless technique.
The turned ally perfectly disrupted arts combos or break timings, utterly infuriating.
A character not due till Chapter 5.
No way she’d be in some backwater branch now.
“Princess, Mina! Don’t breathe in that scent deep!”
“Ally!”
“R-Rozia...”
“Not the time. That fragrance likely corrupts the mind. Hold your breath as much as possible!”
I checked the Abyss Core immediately.
‘No unique ability triggered. We can still escape.’
If that’s really Eliber inside, no chance now.
Fighting her unprepared is suicide.
The moment Monopoly of Love hits, one of us turns enemy.
Worst case, I’d have to cut down Mina and Alicia myself.
I grabbed Alicia’s waist and Mina’s arm.
Mina came without resistance, but for some reason, Alicia’s feet stayed planted.
“Where are you going, junior? My soldiers are in there.”
Alicia said coldly.
“From Bennett’s state, the others are too. Can’t leave their corpses as toys for cult scum.”
“You prioritize vengeance over the greater good?”
“Junior. If there’s a big fish from the cult inside, letting it slip now is the worst blunder. It’ll return as greater calamity.”
She glared at the villa and added.
“And I said I bet on you.”
“...”
“If you say it’s impossible, my scales were wrong.”
“...”
“But that won’t happen, right?”
With her signature laugh, she strode into the villa without hesitation.
“Kuheheh. Don’t worry. I prepared for this.”
Terribly worrying.
In the original, her “preparations” never panned out right.
‘Fuck, seriously.’
No choice though—Mina and I followed.
‘Ha.’
[Unique Ability - Action Rewind 0 / 3]
[*Unique Ability usable only in boss battles.]
As expected, it appeared.
Really didn’t want to see it till the undead dungeon.
The villa interior brimmed with sweetness dwarfing outside.
As my mind hazed, an ominous magic circle and cult emblem appeared in the hall.
Adorning the hall’s edges: soldiers’ corpses.
At center, a decadent beauty with raven hair trailing to the floor, body mesmerizing.
“Lover” Eliber Han sat there.
“Tried luring the Mourning Sword... but hooked two unexpected prizes? Right, Princess and Saintess?”
“Does the fish ever hook the angler?”
Alicia unbound her twintails.
“Good thing. Never my type anyway.”
“Heheh. You were cute enough.”
“Not cute, not my type. You whore.”
The word from the princess’s mouth drew all three pairs of eyes to Alicia.
Eliber’s face twisted instantly.
“Such a foul-mouthed princess. How was my invitation?”
“Tore it up on sight. Don’t remember.”
Alicia drew her fan.
“For defiling my soldiers, repay with your life.”
“I just gave love. Freed from painful life, gifted eternal bliss.”
“Whore’s delusion.”
“Princess... pitiful you. Never loved, so don’t know how to give.”
“Pitiful’s you. My sword will shred your limbs soon.”
Alicia fully opened her fan, red mana shimmering like haze.
“Oh dear, scary. By ‘your sword,’ you mean that Mourning Sword over there?”
Eliber’s chilling smile raised goosebumps.
“Where it points... my heart? Or yours?”
“Not my concern?”
As Mina and I drew weapons, Eliber shouted.
“Fine, sure. Tartarus Cult 4th Bishop ‘Lover’ Eliber Han. From now, I’ll love you thoroughly in her name.”
That instant, the hall’s magic circle flashed crimson-black, engulfing us.
Battle start.
Gems floated above everyone’s heads.
‘...Monopoly of Love! Who’s it hitting?’
Party: dealer, healer, buffer—one each.
Me getting hit spells doom.
Then Eliber’s red lips moved.
‘Shit.’
Brain-piercing shock—body control stolen.
Ominous hunches always hit true.
Body moved on its own, regripping my sword.
Alicia and Mina blurred before me; Eliber’s voice echoed in my head.
‘Love.’
‘Kill them.’
‘Love only me.’
Consciousness fading, I eyed the gems above my two comrades?
Red gems floated above my two comrades’ heads.
My turn.
Corner Slash at Mina—
KABOOM!!
“...What?!”
That moment.
A massive red scale crashed from above; my fading mind snapped back.
The villa’s sweet haze vanished like a lie.
Simultaneously, the gems above Alicia and Mina reverted to blue.
‘What? Monopoly of Love clearly worked?’
Looking up, mana from the Cyrus Empire-embossed red scale infused our bodies.
‘No, wait—that’s...’
“Junior. Didn’t I say I prepared for this?”
Alicia held not just her usual fan, but another.
[Divine Fan - Hyperion (EX)]
[Alicia Cyrus Exclusive Weapon]
[Magic Power 77 / Defense 77]
[On battle entry, activates field ‘Red Scale.’ (Cooldown: 1/day)]
[Red Scale - Purges all ally status ailments; boosts ally stats based on purged effects.]
‘Ultimate weapon...’
Toward stunned Eliber, Alicia grinned fiercely.
“Don’t outbid my winning sword, bitch.”