Dungeon of Lust: Managing Otherworldly Beauties

Chapter 303: Trogladyte

Mias stood in the room they’d called the Dome, staring at his small detachment.

’It’s enough to kill. For sure...’

But...

Was it enough to survive?

***

Most of Mias had been sent away, but a small portion stayed with Salome and Vale. This tiny piece was going to relay ally and enemy locations to the best of its ability. Sadly, that information would be limited, seeing as Mias had to focus on cloaking four others with his power already severely diminished. Not that he was necessarily weak — his Aether reserves were about equal to Awilix’s. The bigger problem was the cognitive load.

At least he was able to use [Severance] to split from the portion with Greed to mitigate that disadvantage.

Vale watched the first little smoky flag drift out from the dungeon. Followed by four more. One made for the Nascent Dungeon — Mias’ group — while the rest began splitting off, pretending to hunt — the distraction, and later, blockade.

As Vale patiently waited, he began to think of what he’d learned from that severed Mias.

Greed’s dungeon was indeed where Windshire was on the map; however...

’It’s in the sky.’

Now, the logistics of how that was possible and how Greed ever even became Emergent were a mystery. But her dungeon’s entrance was hidden within a sea of clouds — clouds that never moved.

Windshire wasn’t exactly a place of idiots, but from what Mias had found out, they’d concluded it was the god of the skies looking down upon them with favor, shielding them from the sun god’s wrath — religion was how they explained the unexplainable.

Which is why they never investigated and found Greed.

Not that they had the means to investigate.

Though getting in and out, unseen, must be a hassle.

Whatever that process was, Vale didn’t envy it.

Sadly, Mias was kept quite close to Greed at all times, so he hadn’t learned too much about her dungeon, but he had learned about her operation.

Windshire would soon be under her control.

The previous system had entirely collapsed.

All Greed had left to do was establish herself as sovereign. The citizens would be left with two choices: flee into the unknown, or submit.

Once that happened and her presence was made known...

’All others on South Hela will oppose her, fearing themselves to be next.’

That meant all continents known to Vale were soon to be steeped in war — even the unnamed arctic continent in the south was facing a seed crisis mitigated by Sloth.

Wars he couldn’t help but conclude had all been orchestrated by one. After all, the first thing Diligence thanked him for was helping her start this war.

Letting out a quiet sigh, Vale looked over at Salome. With not much to do yet, only laying the groundwork for the assault, they had a little time to take their leisure.

"How’s your arm?"

Salome’s head recoiled, her left eye twitching in confusion.

"Well, that came out of nowhere... Then again, it’s you. But I’d say not very well. It’s gone."

’What’s that supposed to mean?!’

Vale chuckled, ignoring whatever that comment meant, then said:

"You know what I meant."

"Tch. No fun." Salome brushed back her hair. Her dark hair, which she hadn’t been tying back recently, was loosely falling in her eyes. "I’ve been adjusting well; however, since you see fit that I remain in here like some troglodyte, I haven’t gotten to test out my balance while gliding long distances, facing wind resistance, or making sharp movements in the air."

A smile stretched across Vale’s face.

"’Like’ a troglodyte? Where’d that ’like’ come from?"

Salome raised her eyebrow, then pointed at Vale with a quill.

"Ah, let me rephrase. Like you."

"Hey, I’m proud of my cave, and I love hiding in here. Thank you very much."

Salome rolled her eyes. She’d already done her fair share of complaining about her position, but Vale had done an equal share of ignoring those pleas.

It was her fault for being too reliable.

Salome activated the [Comfy] Enchantment in the [Wingback Chair], sinking into it.

"Will I even get to fight?"

"I hope not." Vale watched the flags draw ever closer to their ordained positions. "But if it comes down to it, holding back my strongest warrior seems utterly foolish."

At his words, a slight blush alongside a pleasured grin split across the succubus’ face.

"Strongest? My, my, I didn’t know you thought so highly of me."

"Since when have I thought anything other than that of you?"

"Oh... I don’t know... You tend to rely on the Reaper an inordinate amount and talk of the Ice Witch like some walking force of nature. And you say Greed is more beautiful than I... how else am I supposed to interpret your actions other than as you looking down on my oh-so-pitiful self?"

Vale shook his head.

"You’re fishing for more compliments, aren’t you?"

Salome pouted and turned her head.

"Hmph. You really don’t know how to talk to women."

Vale chuckled, then said:

"They each have their niches, but overall, you are invaluable in every regard and aspect."

The tip of Salome’s tail, which was curling around one of the chair’s arms, began to flick rapidly.

"Oh? Do tell. What makes me invaluable?"

"Everything."

Salome’s tail drooped.

"How boring!"

A warm smile spread across Vale’s face as he said:

"Mainly, you’re the reason I don’t mind the life of a troglodyte. A cave is dreary, depressive, boring — a trade-off for protection. It’s those in the cave who are responsible for bringing vibrance and life. You, Salome, are what makes this gray atmosphere bearable. And you have been since the very beginning. I don’t exactly love the cave itself, I love what’s in it."

Salome’s eyes narrowed as her tail resumed its pendulum swinging.

"You know, you could have just said some sweet nonsense."

The succubus looked away, the tips of her ears turning slightly red. Vale enjoyed the sight — the sight of the haughty Demon turning into a reticent schoolgirl.

"But... you love? Was that a confession?"

’Love...’

The concept he’d been warring with ever since Lust invaded his psyche.

A fight he’d only recently realized was foolish and fruitless, as love wasn’t something one discovered, it was something they possessed.

In his mind, Vale had decided he loved Salome and the others.

Who was the world, fate, to call his love fake when it could never understand the bounded field in which it was sown?

Vale chuckled.

"Since when has that been something I needed to say? I believe I’ve expressed that fact in full."

Out of the corner of his eye, Vale watched Mias’ flag approach the entrance. All that was left now was to give Ximena the order to leave.