276 TO RECRUIT A TRAITOR
Dassa's suspicions faded as she gazed into the swirling void. "So, the magic dungeon truly exists."
One by one, the assassins slipped through the portal. Dassa followed, but the moment she emerged on the other side, a wave of unease washed over her.
She recognized this place.
The endless fields of roses. The intoxicating scent that clung to the air. The unnatural silence. This was the Rose Garden—the domain of the Rose Demon.
"The Dungeon of Roses? Hod did it get here?" Dassa murmured, a cold realization settling in.
"Yes, indeed, this was once the Dungeon of Rose," Hanna confirmed, her tone unreadable.
The assassins spread out cautiously, surveying the area. The garden was empty safe for the sea of roses swaying gently in the wind.
"There's no danger here," one of the assassins noted. "We didn't need to bring all our sisters for this mission."
Lady Dassa frowned. Her instincts told her something was wrong.
The wind shifted. The roses trembled. The sky darkened as storm clouds gathered above them.
Thunder rumbled, and Hanna turned to Dassa with an eerie smirk.
"Here it comes, the danger," she said, just as the ground beneath her feet cracked open. Before anyone could react, she was swallowed into the earth.
A blinding bolt of lightning struck down, shattering the assassins. More lightning followed, raining upon them in violent succession.
"Fall back!" an assassin shouted.
"No." Dassa's voice was steady despite the chaos. "We are in the right place."
Forming a defensive circle, the assassins raised their shields, their combined magic barely holding against the relentless storm. Step by step, they pushed forward—toward the heart of the Rose Garden.
Then, the true horror emerged.
A grotesque, monstrous being loomed over them, its body writhing with long, sinuous appendages as black as the void.
Dassa's breath hitched. She knew immediately what this creature was before her. This was the Boss who guarded her cherished dungeon.
"This… This is the legendary Black Cock," she whispered in understanding.
This was the very same dungeon they had once tried to conquer in Sodom City. But how? Why was it here in Eoloth?
Hellhounds erupted from the shadows, slamming into their magical barriers. The assassins fought to hold the line, but then the Black Cock's writhing tendrils pierced through their defenses. The appendages coiled around the unfortunate ones, yanking them into the darkness where Ethereal Black Guards awaited with gleaming, spectral blades.
Screams echoed through the storm as many assassins were slaughtered.
"This is a trap!" Dassa roared. "Where the hell is that Hann.."
Her words caught in her throat as Hanna reappeared—standing behind the monstrous Black Cock.
"You wanted the dungeon, and I brought you here," Hanna said mockingly. "You already knew it would be dangerous. Don't blame me."
"Traitor!" Dassa bellowed, fury igniting her veins. She clenched her fist, activating the Kill Curse—a magic designed to instantly execute any traitor of the Temple of Hera including Hanna.
Nothing happened.
Dassa's eyes widened in disbelief.
Hanna smirked. "Did you really think I would betray the temple if your curse could still control me?"
Before Dassa could respond, another figure emerged from the shadows, grasping Hanna's hand.
It was Rabama.
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[Shortly after Leo brought the Eolothians to the Rose Dungeon]
"I would never betray the Temple of Hera," Hanna declared, her voice firm despite the chaos around her.
Rabama stepped closer, his eyes filled with longing. "Come on, Hanna. You know how I feel about you. Just leave that damned temple and be with me. Forever."
Hanna's expression remained unreadable. "No. It's not possible."
Leo, who had been silently observing the exchange, finally spoke. "What if I can remove your Kill Curse? Or deactivate it entirely?"
Hanna's eyes widened in shock.
"That's not possible," she whispered, but the flicker of hope in her gaze betrayed her disbelief.
The Kill Curse on the assassins of the Temple of Hera was the chain that imprisoned and enslaved them to the temple. None of the assassins would be willing to serve the temple if not because of the Kill Curse hanging over their heads.
"Do you want to remain as the Temple of Hera's slave forever? What about the dreams that you talk to me about before?" Rabama asked her.
"That's just a dream… nothing more", she replied.
"It doesn't have to be like that", Rabama added.
Leo didn't waste time. With a flick of his wrist, he accessed his control panel, his mind moving swiftly as he patched a new set of codes onto Hanna.
A surge of energy pulsed through Hanna's body. The invisible chains that had bound her to the temple—the curse that ensured her obedience—were shattered in an instant.
Hanna clutched her chest, stunned. A weight had lifted from her soul. She could feel it—the Kill Curse was gone.
"What…?" Her breath hitched. "Are you kidding me?"
Leo simply smirked.
Hanna pressed her palm over her heart, searching for the lingering sense of restriction that had always been there. It was gone.
Completely.
"How is this possible?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Leo met her gaze. "Now that you're free, do you accept our offer?"
A slow smirk spread across Hanna's lips. "You think just because you removed my Kill Curse, I'll suddenly go with your plans?" She scoffed and raised a finger at them.
"I could just disappear, find somewhere to hide where the temple will never find me," she added.
"You can try," Leo said, unbothered. "But as long as the Temple of Hera exists, you'll never be safe. They'll hunt you down even if you do not have a Kill Curse. The only way to truly live is to help us destroy the temple once and for all."
Hanna hesitated, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.
Rabama took a step forward, his voice softer this time. "Come on, Hanna. You still have feelings for me, don't you?"
Hanna's expression darkened. Without hesitation, she spat at his feet. "I should kill you for what you've put me through."