Dungeon of Lust: Managing Otherworldly Beauties

Chapter 214: Round Two

’It feels shittier that it was so close!’

Vale would rather have had his team crushed than given a fleeting candle of hope only for it to be snuffed out last second by a penalty.

Aster’s ball had been a little high for the small imp, so Hope had to engage his wings to reach it.

Therefore...

’Hope got called for flying...’

There was a long dispute between the refs, but it was eventually solidified.

Then, the very next play, Slip fumbled the ball, and Ignis recovered.

Marking the end of the first game of what would one day grow into the IFL — Imp Football League.

Not to be outdone by the soon-to-be created ISL.

Oh, and as for that bet?

’Seriously?’

Greed requested that Vale make himself even shorter until she left.

***

Quiet.

Nothing bad had happened.

Nothing good had happened.

Quiet.

Juniper would arrive any moment with Pykon, and Ximena would be freed.

Greed had been relatively well-behaved during her stay, at least since announcing Vale’s dungeon to Akkuron.

But, since then, the only thing she’d done was laze around, read, watch sports, and cause chaos in the gorge from time to time by releasing her ’authority.’

A few more games had been played since the last one.

The Legion losing each one. Of the football ones at least.

When they started to play soccer, after Greed assembled a golden goal with her ability, the Legion was absolutely dominating.

A complete reversal of the football games.

In particular, Hope, Slip, and Aster were styling on the poor Possibles. The only one with a chance against them was Swift.

Vale thoroughly enjoyed watching these games, but it was time for all that leisure to come to an end.

Not that he’d been taking everything in leisure for the past two weeks.

In fact, he’d made considerable progress in shaping the dungeon.

The initial maze was recreated, and much more thought was put into it. The rooms for each trade had been created, including Tanner’s leatherworking room.

A few more new Traits had been unlocked by the imps, and the current ones were evolving.

A huge amount of Aether had been collected from Greed’s chaos, 1232 to be exact.

Something Vale had a big decision to make with.

His current Legion leaders, not of the sports team, were growing quite formidable and competent. They’d even started taking tactics lessons from Mias and practical combat lessons from Salome.

Sivian hadn’t lashed out since then.

Mainly because Vale was keeping her far away...

Awilix was... behaving(?) Only trying to kill the others about once a day. She’d spend the other half of the day training, napping, or playing with the imps.

Toy spent most of the time training and fighting the countless frenzied horde in the gorge so she could collect the shards.

Mias had been discovering some harrowing truths.

He’d discovered something that shocked him so thoroughly that he took a few days’ break from exploring.

Akkuron had been stationary.

Mias’ spying had revealed that Akkuron intelligence wasn’t only staying there for Lust, but to intercept a supposed Celestia detachment.

Of course, these two weeks of abstention from desire were hard for Vale... barely doable.

So much so that he stayed away from Salome and Awilix whenever he could, to avoid temptation.

Greeds alluring form definitely didn’t help with the mental temperance...

Finally, there was one more harrowing thing Mias had learned about Akkuron. That device they used to measure Aether Density? It could be used to assess the Rank and Class of a dungeon/Vice.

They’d already figured out that it was Lust, and Greed was visiting; however, now they also knew that Greed was Bloomed while Lust was only Nascent.

Making a one-sided deal once Greed left seem even more inevitable.

Meaning, there was one last deal Vale had to strike right here and now.

With Greed...

Greed crossed her legs

"You wanted to talk?"

Vale sat down on the throne.

"No. Yes."

Greed laughed.

"Which one is it?"

Vale slightly rolled his eyes, then said:

"I wanted to negotiate. I wish for you to stay here an extra week after you free Ximena."

A wicked grin split Greed’s face.

"Oh? You like my company that much? Or is it my body you’re after? Do you truly think you can woo me?"

Vale leaned back in the comfortable pink throne.

"Don’t act like you don’t know my goal."

Greed chuckled.

"A kiss? I’m sorry, my lips are—"

"Sylvia."

Vale pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head slightly. He added:

"I want you to stay to make up for letting Akkuron spot us. I need to become Emergent before you go, so I won’t be forced into an unfavorable deal."

Greed’s wicked grin fell into a normal, warm smile.

"Gosh. I was just teasing you. Of course I know that... I also know how expensive one more week of my time is, do you?"

Vale mulled over everything.

"I assume the problem would be you’d have three Champions here, and are not willing to risk traveling to your dungeon without an escort of at least two. Yet, these Champions are probably some of your strongest and shouldn’t be away from your dungeon all at the same time. Even more, I may not know anything about Pykon, but I assume the only one you trust to make the journey alone safely is Juniper. But you wanted Juniper to escort you back."

In essence, the problem was that it wouldn’t only be Greed staying for another week, but three of her Champions — most likely her strongest.

Greed clapped a few times.

"You got most of it. Hooray! But, you forget maybe the most critical fact."

’Tch...’

’So, she is going to use that.’

"The revolution in Windshire should have started about now. While I trust Cha Cha to handle that part, what comes after is the problem."

Greed smiled and spread her arms, then boldly declared.

"I’m not going to hide behind some puppet! I’m going to rule Windshire myself! It would be most imperative for the soon-to-be Queen to be present, no? Plus, once my rulership is known, I’ll not only have to sway the hearts of Windshire to follow me, but prepare to face the seven other nations on South Hela, which will be most definitely outraged. To add on to that, I will most likely miss the next Council of Vice, and I did want to talk to Wrath about something."

’This... this isn’t shaping up to be good for me, is it?’

Vale looked at his hand and watched his finger bounce up and down on the edge of the throne’s arm. Then he looked down and noticed his leg was slightly bouncing as well.

’How long have I been tapping?’

That was Wrath’s thing!

Greed said:

"Do you still wish to strike a deal for my extended tenancy?"

Vale took a long, deep breath, then replied:

"Yes."

"Well then, I think I might as well make it clear for you."

Greed cleared her throat and then looked over the smoky specter nearby.

"It will be just us two talking. In fact..." Greed slipped on her glasses and continued, "Mias and all others are to leave the room. It will just be me and you."

Vale nodded.

"That’s fair."

Greed’s cheeks rose.

"Plus, I think it’s best that we make clear what you have to lose if I refuse. Since that’s also a chip on my side."

Vale leaned forward.

As with any negotiation, he’d wanted to keep his true wants hidden behind false desires.

In essence, asking for something way over your worth to make what you really want seem more reasonable.

Sadly, Greed was a master of negotiation. Such tactics were futile. She knew what he wanted and needed; what he stood to lose and gain.

Greed watched as Mias floated away, then said:

"First. If I leave, I’m sure you’ve learned Akkuron will approach. Meaning you will either be subjugated or enlisted. Second, you will have a failsafe for when you attempt the Levels. Since I’m sure you’ve realized, but I’m a material girl. And time, time is money. I didn’t spend an entire month of crucial time here only for you to die the moment I leave. So, you know, I’d help out if you were going to lose. Of course, you also know I only would care if you died, not your Legion."

Vale listened intently and nodded, confirming her words were correct.

Greed flashed her teeth, and added:

"Third, by staying here, you will get more free Aether when I go to release my authority — don’t think I haven’t been tracking how much you got from me. Finally, you’d get to gaze upon my beautiful form for another week."

Vale sighed.

"I don’t know about that last one, but everything else you said is correct."

Truly, Vale didn’t have much on his side.

’But there’s one thing I do have in my favor.’

Greed knew most of his desires and what he had to offer, but not every tool at his disposal.