The dungeon reeked of blood.
Black ichor from the Ogre's corpse spread like a puddle of tar, reflecting the faint glow of crystals on the walls. The beast's skull was split, shadows still writhing where Daichi's blade had pierced its eye.
Daichi collapsed to his knees, clutching his ribs. Each breath stabbed his chest like knives. His arms shook as if they belonged to someone else.
"I… actually killed it," he whispered, voice ragged. "I killed a monster that huge…"
His vision blurred. Blood dripped down his chin. His hands wouldn't stop trembling.
Beside him, Lilith flicked her violet hair back, folding her wings as though she'd just returned from a casual stroll. Her crimson eyes gleamed, lips curling into a smirk.
"You nearly got us crushed, darling," she purred, crouching down to meet his exhausted gaze. "Pathetic… and yet, exhilarating."
Daichi coughed, spraying red on the ground. "Y-you think this is fun?!"
Her smile widened. She leaned closer, voice sultry. "Watching you struggle to live? Watching you bleed, claw, and scream? Mmm… it's delicious."
She wiped a streak of blood from his cheek with her finger, then, without hesitation, slipped it between her lips. Her tongue lingered, savoring.
Daichi's face ignited crimson. "T-tch—gross!"
"Mmm… no, darling. Not gross. Intoxicating. Every drop of you tastes like power."
---
A chime echoed in Daichi's head.
[Host Status: 12% HP remaining. Stamina critical. Internal bleeding detected. Risk of collapse: 72%. Immediate recovery recommended.]
Daichi winced. "Seriously?! You couldn't tell me that earlier?!"
[Correction: Notification was delayed to reduce probability of panic. Estimated survival rate with earlier notice: 8%.]
"You—! You're mocking me!"
[Affirmative.]
"…WHAT?!"
Lilith giggled, covering her lips with a clawed finger. "Oh, I adore this voice. So blunt. So cruel. Just like me."
"Don't encourage it!" Daichi barked.
[Emotional distress detected. Probability of host's brain overheating: 43%. Recommending: deep breaths.]
"I swear I'll uninstall you if that's possible," Daichi muttered, dragging himself upright.
Lilith's smirk deepened. "Uninstall me too, darling? You'll die without me."
---
Something glowed faintly in the Ogre's gore. Daichi staggered toward it, every step sending sparks of pain through his ribs.
Suspended above the corpse was a crimson crystal, pulsing like a heartbeat.
[Loot Acquired: Crimson Core.]
[Description: Ogre's soul fragment crystallized. Usable for Soulbinder evolution.]
Daichi blinked. "Soul fragment… evolution?"
[Affirmative. Cores may be absorbed to unlock Soulbinder branches. Caution: possible side effects include hallucinations, organ strain, and temporary madness.]
Lilith's lips curved into a wicked grin. "Temporary madness? Oh, darling, you'd look divine writhing on the ground, begging me to ease your suffering."
"Stop saying weird things!"
But his hand was already reaching for it. Something in his chest hungered.
The moment his palm touched the crystal, violet fire erupted into his veins. His body arched, eyes rolling back.
---
Darkness.
He stood in a void, silent except for the rustle of unseen wind. Then, out of the abyss, a massive black tree surged upward, roots spiraling into infinity.
Its branches spread like constellations, glowing with faint violet motes. Each pulse echoed in his chest.
[Soulbinder Tree Unlocked.]
[New Branch Accessible.]
Lines of light raced along the roots, converging at a single glowing bud. It blossomed into a glyph.
[Skill Acquired: Shadow Cloak Lv.1.]
The glyph burned into Daichi's skin. For a heartbeat, his body vanished. He became shadow, weightless, a whisper of air.
When he reappeared, gasping, Lilith clapped slowly.
"Ohhh, stealth. How deliciously wicked. You'll slip into shadows like a thief. Or… into a lady's bedchamber."
"It's camouflage!" Daichi snapped, face flushed.
Lilith leaned closer, whispering huskily, "Darling, camouflage is just foreplay."
Daichi nearly choked. "Y-you—!"
[Observation: host's elevated heartbeat detected. Probability cause: Succubus interference = 99%.]
"I wasn't asking you!" Daichi screamed at the air.
Lilith laughed so hard she almost doubled over.
---
Once his legs steadied, they pressed onward. The dungeon shifted the deeper they went. Crystals replaced torches. The air grew colder, thick with whispers, like countless voices just beyond hearing.
Daichi shivered. "This… this isn't part of the VR dungeon I coded."
Lilith's nails traced along a wall, her hips swaying. "Because it isn't yours, darling. Look closer."
Daichi obeyed.
The walls bore elegant carvings—tall figures with long ears, cloaked in robes, holding staffs. Elves. Their images glowed faintly, etched with green light.
His stomach knotted. "Elves… an ancient ruin."
Lilith's tone grew quieter, darker. "Where there are ruins, there are always graves. And queens buried in them."
Daichi froze. "Queens?"
[Analysis: ambient mana concentration elevated by 47%. Probability of sealed entity ahead: 52%.]
"Sealed… entity?" His chest tightened.
Lilith's smirk deepened. "Our second queen, perhaps. Cold, proud, untouchable… until you break her."
Daichi's ears burned. "Y-you say that like—!"
"Like what, darling?" She leaned so close her lips nearly brushed his ear. "Like I'm jealous already?"
---
As they neared the chamber ahead, Daichi swore he heard a whisper. Faint, melodic, in a language he didn't know.
"…nya tahl… en'sylara…"
He stopped. "Did you hear that?"
Lilith tilted her head. "Ahh, yes. A lullaby. She's stirring."
"Who—?"
Before he could finish, the chamber opened before them.
---
The vast hall was dominated by a single altar—an elegant stone slab glowing with runes. Wisps of green mana drifted upward like smoke. On its surface, a faint silhouette lay still, as though asleep.
But guarding it…
A knight of bone and steel stood silent, its skull encased in pale armor. A massive sword rested against the ground. Its eye sockets flared with green fire as it slowly raised its head.
The Skeleton Knight's blade scraped against stone as it lifted, the sound sharp enough to pierce Daichi's skull.
[New Threat Detected: Skeleton Knight – Rank B.]
[Warning: Host's stamina at 34%. Engagement not advised.]
Daichi swallowed hard. "That… doesn't look friendly."
Lilith's wings unfurled, her whip coiling with crackling energy. Her crimson eyes glowed with anticipation.
"Of course not. Guardians never are."
The Skeleton Knight took its first step forward, the floor shuddering under its weight.
Daichi gripped his shadow blade, his pulse hammering.
Lilith smiled, fangs glinting. "Well then, darling… shall we dance again?"
Daichi's lips curled into a grim smile. His fear burned into violet resolve.
"Yeah. Let's."