Dungeon of Lust: Managing Otherworldly Beauties

Chapter 278: Stooges

Vale scratched his cheek as he looked at Adephagia and Envy.

"Well, this has been... interesting."

Adephagia, finally free from the two worst domineering pressures, took a deep breath in.

"I’ve learned a lot."

Envy rolled her eyes.

"Like what?"

Adephagia exhaled.

"That if you two don’t change your outlook, this world is doomed."

Vale looked Gluttony up and down, taking in her provocative figure tightly contained in the orange dress.

"I’ve been briefed a little about Kaldora’s destruction. Perhaps what you say is true, but I’m sure you’ve noticed..." Vale’s leer drifted from Gluttony to Envy, "such a thing is impossible."

Adephagia chuckled.

"It only seems impossible."

Vale shook his head.

"Is that so?"

Adephagia cocked her head to the side, staring openly at Vale.

"Yes. When you witness the true horrors they represent, you’ll understand. I only pray you understand before it’s too late."

No reaction was evident on Vale’s face as he sunk into his throne.

"You see, I’m willing to work together; however..."

Vale glanced at Envy.

Envy sneered, then said:

"I never said I wasn’t either."

Adephagia snickered as she looked at the dormant orb.

"But it’s clear collusion between you all is currently impossible. After all, you still go by the titles given to you — do you even know one another’s names?"

Vale paused as he looked over at Adephagia, who held a haughty expression on her face, alongside a slight grimace. She was still weak. Weak enough that even Envy and Lust’s pressure on her forced her to steady her mind consciously.

Envy broke the short silence.

"I’m afraid to say I don’t particularly care for anyone’s name, Gluttony."

The Kaldoran Queen sighed.

"See?"

Vale sighed as well.

"While I haven’t put a particular importance on knowing your names, I don’t mind knowing. I’m Valentin. I go by Vale."

Gluttony gave Vale a smile — an oddly eerie smile. Almost sinister.

"Hello, Vale."

Envy clicked her tongue.

"If you want to know my name, buy it from Greed."

Vale shook his head.

"Envy... Why is everything so difficult when it comes to you?"

Vale didn’t exactly know much about Envy, but from his few interactions, there was a clear throughline in her personality.

Everything she did, she did with spite.

Envy blinked and looked away.

"And why is everything so simple with you?"

Adephagia shook her head.

"See? This is what I’m talking about."

Vale silently agreed, then said:

"Well, I see no reason to stop this meeting just because those two have left. So, then, I’ll pick up where we left off... From what I’ve discerned, Greed wishes to incite a conflict between us, Envy. Also, your actions play toward that same result. Would you care to explain?"

Envy rolled her eyes.

"Of course Greed would love us to fight — for us to be in desperate need of resources to get the one up on the other. As for my own actions... Do you really see them as provocation?"

Vale leaned on his fist, and spoke while studying Adephagia’s impassive stare.

"You puppeted the dungeon that attacked me, even integrating your forces into theirs. Plus, you’ve been spying on me and have even snuck a spy into my dungeon before."

Swiping her green hair back with her hand, Envy shook her head.

"Did you not benefit from that little inconsequential Aberrant?"

’So, she admits it.’

"In the end, I did. However, they were all intent on ’Kill Lust.’ Now, how else am I supposed to interpret your intentions, which are an extension of theirs, even integrating your forces with them?"

"Oh, please. A mere greeting warrants this type of response, Lust?"

’A mere greeting?’

If Vale had been even a fraction of a percent unluckier with his summons, he’d be dead! Nobody else but Salome and Ximena would have allowed him to survive that ordeal.

’Lady luck was on my side that time...’

But there’s no way his serial luck streak would continue too much longer.

"Envy, if that’s a ’mere greeting,’ then how do you define hostility?"

"Hostility? Do I operate under something that precarious?"

Vale’s eyes drew tight.

Envy exhaled a thin, impatient breath.

"I simply dislike your existence — you’re annoying. So, I see to it that your continued existence is difficult. If your death just so happens to be a result of my actions, so be it."

Vale gave a slow, unimpressed blink.

"That sounded like the very definition of hostility."

"Really? Perhaps I am of a differing opinion."

Adephagia tapped her fingers idly, waiting for the two to finish embarrassing themselves.

’So... her entire goal was to make my life hard?’

As if...

The crystal might not have revealed her lies, but all she’d done to Vale pointed toward one malevolent truth: she wanted him dead and gone.

’Right?’

"It’s a shame. Well, let me ask this, Envy... could we ever get along?"

Envy nearly cackled, the emerald glow of her eyes intensifying, little flares of green bursting from the mass.

"That, oh Vale, that is impossible."

"I see."

Adephagia stopped tapping.

"So you two have your own mess to sort out. How boring..."

Envy smirked.

"You’ll probably have your own soon enough. Pride’s blade is angled south for now, but with your arrogant nature, I doubt I’ll ever be seeing you again, Gluttony."

Adephagia sat with a hardened glare on her face.

"Is that so?"

The orange woman looked at the crystal, then said:

"My progress has been steady, and I’ve conquered the first three Levels."

’Level Three? Impressive... Scary impressive.’

As far as Vale knew, Gluttony had only been in the world for a month or less.

Either she had summoned strong Champions, or she herself had frightening potential.

Vale, keeping his face neutral, nodded:

"Good job."

The stage passed over Sloth and landed on Envy. The green woman slowly picked herself out of her throne, then said:

"Lust. I was merely testing how to fool the crystal. I’ll leave you with this... Prepare. The only end between us is your death or fealty. And, yes, everything I’ve done was a show of unbridled hostility. I don’t like you."