Survival 63

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Boss.

The most powerful enemy representing a dungeon or a faction.

Naturally, in the structure of games, they boast a higher difficulty than regular enemies.

The boss of the ‘Immortal Research Lab,’ ‘Court Magician Deron,’ was no exception.

[Intruders, taste the empire’s wrath.]

True to being the boss of a hidden dungeon, it was a bizarrely difficult battle.

Not only were his wide-area magic spells a problem, but also the incessant emergence of Dullahans from the ground through summoning.

Delaying their disposal even slightly meant an overwhelming defeat by sheer numbers.

‘Of course, that’s only if you go the conventional route.’

Entering the battle, you’d wonder if the difficulty was accurate because challenging enemies always have a reason behind it.

Gimmick type.

Bosses with a unique structure where satisfying certain conditions dramatically reduces their combat power or even clears the level.

Deron was no exception.

The curse entangled with Deron.

The royal command to research immortality remained as a duty that shackled him.

But perhaps centuries of time had worn down even his resolve.

Deep down, he too wished to abandon his duty and achieve nirvana.

‘So, the original game’s condition for clearing was to involve the royal blood.’

If the royal lineage directly retracts that command, he would disappear without any reservations.

When the original protagonist came here with the prince, the dungeon could be cleared absurdly easily.

[Your sins are forgiven.]

Selecting a specific script immediately made the boss vanish, leaving behind all rewards.

Of course.

Now that the dungeon has become reality, we’ve successfully cleared it too.

[Skill, ‘Bluff’ is activated.]

[Adds extra persuasiveness to lies.]

A skill I used before to deceive Bathory and soothe her mood.

This time, it worked perfectly.

[The dungeon clear condition has changed.]

[Imperial Pardon -> Persuade to abandon their duty themselves]

Deceiving through lies.

Wasn’t that something I’ve been doing daily?

Persuasion? If they genuinely believe and are convinced, that’s a form of persuasion too!

“The empire has long abandoned you. Hence, there’s no reason to continue your research under that command.”

I gently nudged him.

To harbor a shred of doubt in his loyalty to the empire.

To oppose the orders he had received.

And this was the result.

The boss monster disappeared.

The dungeon remained intact, preserving everything.

And the fact that I could monopolize the rewards made it a perfect success.

“Wow. There are quite a few useful books here.”

Even Bathory, who was harsh in her assessments at the library,

Began to immerse herself after skimming through a few books held by the court magician.

“Hmm. The level of human magic isn’t bad at all. I didn’t expect such development. It’s been enlightening.”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it, Lady Bathory. Feel free to take what you want.”

Of course, books I couldn’t understand were not my goal.

At the edge of the lab.

I picked up a sphere exuding a blue light even in the dark cave.

[Project: Immortality]

[A culmination of research initiated by some members of the royal family.]

[Immortality is directly tied to mana capacity.]

[An essence made by condensing the life force and mana of renowned court magicians like Deron and outstanding knights.]

[Consumption increases mana capacity, adds 1 to magic power, and provides additional proficiency in magic.]

This was the real reward of the hidden dungeon.

Not only basic stats but also providing an excellent passive skill that adds proficiency.

For a novice magician just starting with magic, it was an invaluable elixir.

‘There’s no need to hesitate.’

To me now, a mere increase of 1 magic power, but to the original protagonist, just 1 magic power.

I knew best who needed it more, having conquered this game.

By the time the original protagonist would come here, they would be armed with all sorts of elixirs and relics, making it less useful.

-Gulp-

A refreshment like swallowing ice cream.

And the slight headache that had been bothering me was gone.

“You’ve acquired another strange item.”

Feeling the wave of magic, Bathory walked over.

“Like the device that neutralized those Dullahans’ armor… Observing you, it’s as if I’m looking at a merchant from the demon world.”

“Ha, Doppelgangers are weak, you see. Every single one of these relics is incredibly precious.”

Teasing back, Bathory stared directly at me.

“Is my presence not sufficient for your survival? If you truly wish, we could deepen our contract…”

“No, I’m fine!”

I declined firmly, causing Bathory’s face to momentarily twist in displeasure.

But I remained resolute in my ignorance.

While a contract with a vampire certainly had its benefits, the drawbacks were more significant.

Currently, if she dies, so do I.

Having already staked my life on this contract, what more could happen if we were to deepen it?

[It’s an obstruction. Just stay put. If you get injured, I won’t be unscathed either.]

The possibility of our injuries being linked was not something I wanted to explore.

Being restricted in my movements in the future was not appealing.

Trapped in a cage and raised?

“I’ve got what I wanted, so why don’t you just pick some books casually, Lady Bathory? Let’s head back.”

“Well, yes. Just a few for reference…”

Fortunately, diverting the topic quickly caught Bathory’s attention.

‘She’s easy to manage.’

Well, the gap between her cluelessness and her strength was part of her charm.

I shrugged, leisurely waiting while the bus driver collected her rewards.

****

‘…Is he not here?’

Luciana’s gaze wandered around the banquet hall.

Hans.

Without her loyal servant by her side, anxiety crept into her heart.

“Lucy? Is there something bothering you?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Had it not been for her friends and followers, including Liza from the north, she would have stormed off immediately.

‘It’s ridiculous. Even in such a situation, I’m looking for him.’

She still wanted to ask.

Whether her actions had deviated from his advice.

Then, suddenly realizing how anxious she appeared, Luciana sported a bitter smile.

Truly, she was like a frog in a well, naive to the world.

Luciana recalled the event that had unfolded under the fully lit chandelier just moments ago.

“Lady, would you care for a dance with me?”

A man offering his hand to a woman, kneeling on one knee.

A common occurrence at banquets.

It was routine for a nobleman to earnestly invite a lady to dance to the beautiful accompaniment of piano and violin.

However, the individuals involved were not ordinary.

First, the woman’s side.

Although introduced by the emperor and the pope in front of everyone, she was still a commoner.

Thus, the girl, Lina, was treated as invisible by everyone.

And her counterpart.

“What is happening?”

It was natural for Elizabeth, standing beside her, to inhale a shocked breath.

Despite wearing a mask, who wouldn’t recognize him?

The blue hair was a privilege reserved for the royal lineage.

‘Why would he…?’

She, his fiancée, never expected him to ask her for a dance first.

-Grit-

A flame ignited in her heart.

Jealousy?

It wasn’t that emotion.

As the crown prince said, their engagement was just that, an engagement.

It was too early to feel deep emotions like love towards him.

Could she even experience the love she had only read about in novels?

‘As a noble lady, love is but a luxury.’

Right.

If anything, it was discomfort.

Not just personal, but an affront to the engagement between their families, discarded by the crown prince like trash.

And the audacity of that commoner, potentially harming her family’s reputation.

Her hand instinctively reached for her glove.

‘Just like yesterday…!’

Perhaps a duel could completely prevent any further approach.

However, Luciana soon calmed her rage and removed her hand from the glove.

Not only because the opponent was a commoner, beneath her status,

But also, the idea of obstructing the crown prince’s actions was concerning.

-Showing anger too easily is not advisable. It only gives your opponent an advantage.-

The biggest reason was the advice from her loyal servant the night before.

She could feel the nobles’ eyes on her.

Their interest-laden gazes were watching how she would react.

‘Hmph, I won’t dance to your tune.’

Weakness. 

If she loses her temper here and acts immediately, she can guess how they will chatter. 

-How dare you to Prince… 

-Acting like this already because you’re a fiancée? 

-To be jealous of a mere commoner. 

And if I do nothing in response? 

-Claiming to be a fiancée, yet ending up cold as leftover rice. 

-What can you do? Not chosen by the Prince. 

Discarded. 

‘What should I do?’ 

At that moment, something poking at her chest caught my eye. 

The fan she kept in her bosom, 

the one Hans fixed for her, she took it out. 

‘This will make a suitable tool.’ 

-zt! 

The sound of the fan unfolding pierced through the music. 

“…Gasp!” 

Elizabeth, who locked eyes with her, inhaled sharply. 

Unknowingly, a bit of killing intent mixed in. 

Being a mage, it must have been a bit too much for her to take in close quarters. 

‘…Lucy, it’s fine. Don’t say anything more.’ 

But, with just one encouraging word overcoming that difficulty, 

Luciana was able to calm her heart. 

‘…Understood.’ 

In fact, whether to the Prince or to a commoner, 

She wanted to snap at someone. 

-Do not ignore Lady Elizabeth’s advice. It might sound like praise for my fiancée, but she is experienced in social gatherings, so it will surely be helpful. 

Liza’s advice. 

And Hans’ advice stopped Luciana. 

Instead, covering her mouth with the fan, only her eyes peeking out, she showed herself to everyone. 

Direct resentment towards the Prince himself. 

A subtle anger towards the nobles who were just spectators. 

And a clear warning to the commoner saint who didn’t know her place. 

‘Let’s see if you dare accept that dance invitation.’ 

Though she didn’t speak, 

the message was conveyed through her eyes alone. 

“I’m sorry.”

Did she understand the message? 

The saint who was offered the hand simply pushed it away. 

*** 

“So, that’s why there was such a commotion.” 

“Well, it was something that could actually cause a commotion.” 

The Prince asking someone else to dance, ignoring his fiancée, and even getting rejected in front of everyone. 

Beyond the gossip of the nobility, it eventually spread to those below. 

The two closest to the incident, 

Elizabeth and I sighed deeply. 

“What exactly happened while I was away?” 

“How would I know what’s inside the Prince’s head? What he’s thinking.” 

Still, the response wasn’t bad. 

If Luciana had shown anger there, rumors would have spread about her behaving vulgarly. 

-What about Lady Luciana? 

-Well. She covered her mouth with the fan so no one could see her expression. But they say her eyes were filled with an indescribable melancholy. 

-Tsk. How could they treat such a noble lady this way and fuss over a commoner 

-Shh! She’s still a saint, you know. 

Thinking back to the words of fellow servants and maids I heard on the way here, it seemed she managed her anger well. 

‘That’s significant progress.’ 

Typical Luciana. 

Never would have dreamed that a few hours of advice could lead to such a result. 

Coupled with the so-called ‘declaration of a duel of honor,’ her image as a noble lady who values honor was perfectly established. 

However, 

[Luciana’s downfall progress has been updated.] 

[35%->36%] 

[36%->32%] 

[32%->34%] 

Though it fluctuated slightly, Luciana’s fall from grace was still a concern. 

“By the way, where have you been wandering off to? Do you know how much Lucy has been looking for you?” 

“Cough! I had my reasons.” 

And the hidden dungeon too. 

Now that I’m here in the capital, shouldn’t I take everything I can get? 

Be it relics or connections. 

-Knock knock. 

“Hm? Who could it be at this time? Lucy?” 

I felt bad for Elizabeth, who was already getting her hopes up, but the person knocking on the door was someone I had called for. 

“You are…?” 

“Lady Elizabeth, pardon the intrusion.” 

A dancer-like, fluttering dress. 

A scorpion emblem badge pinned on the right chest. 

“…And long time no see. Hans Byron, or should I call you Frost Mane now?” 

“Just call me Hans for now.” 

My contact from the west, 

Camilla from the Duke of Roberck family had arrived. 

“Let’s get straight to the point. You said you know who my mother’s enemy is?” 

Smiling wryly at her, who recited the content of the letter verbatim.

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