My Dungeon Life: Rise of the Slave Harem - My Dungeon Life – Chapter 1274-1276

Chapter 1274

“As if I’d let that happen!” I exploded forward, taking the distance between Hero and me.

As his sword fell, my own rose to meet it. There was an eruption of force as I blocked his strike at Miki’s neck. I kicked with my foot, but Hero was a harder obstruction than I predicted. We were both thrown back about an equal distance from Miki.

“You cannot prevent this!” Miki cried. “I must die.”

“She must die.”

“Mmm… gmmm… mmm..”

“It must be done.” The four-party members emerged into the light, each holding a weapon.

I could feel that the dungeon was turning hostile now. They intended to force this resolution. I had thought this was a dungeon looking for an ending. It was difficult enough completing a lore and resolving a curse, but this was something else entirely. Miki had engineered her dungeon, using her incredible spiritual ability to create a narrative that resulted in her death. The lore wouldn’t complete until all the pieces were in place, but in the end, she hoped to kill herself.

To what end? Miki was the core of this dungeon, and once she was destroyed the dungeon would expel all of the souls inside. Some of those people might be resurrected, but many of them wouldn’t be, either because no one knew there was a difference, or because no one alive recognized or could find a connection to the person. Specifically, in this room, the people inside would be returned outside and reformed using the power of the dungeon.

Thus, Miki designed a means of escape for her friends, but there was more to it. Miki had suggested that we would be the only ones to survive. That meant that the other souls wouldn’t be released, and would instead be turned into miasma. The only reason to do that would be to cast some kind of power. It only took me a few moments to realize what it was.

“You want to pass on your knowledge…” I theorized.

“The cost of this knowledge was too great. Let me die, and I will give you the knowledge of life and death. Perhaps, you will be able to one day save Master, where I failed.”

She wasn’t talking to me, but Alysia. Even though I had blocked Hero, I was still an abnormality within this dungeon, a part of the lore that Miki wasn’t able to account for. After all, why would she predict my presence, when I was dead?

Other than her insane spiritual ability, Miki also had psionic abilities. If the dungeon was completed and Miki was turned into a blessing, then that lore would lock within her blessing. The former slave of mine who gained such a blessing may gain some ability, and be able to see and understand Miki’s story… but there was a big difference between knowing someone’s story and knowing what they knew. I had absorbed numerous lore, but that didn’t mean I knew the collective knowledge of the people involved in that lore. I didn’t become an expert in what they were an expert in.

That was why Miki chose death. She would crack open her soul, and then use the power of this dungeon to write her knowledge into someone else, someone more deserving, someone whose hands weren’t stained in blood and who hadn’t become a curse. I was beginning to realize that the Miki I knew was only the tip of the iceberg. The mischievous and teasing foxgirl had such complicated feelings.

Since she showed me her feelings, I better return them.

Chapter 1275

“Alysia, repeat the words I’m about to say.”

“Miki, you don’t need to live like this,” I said, and a few seconds later Alysia called out those same words. “You don’t need to sacrifice yourself. Master is alive. Deek is alive. He wants you to remain alive too.”

Although she couldn’t hear my words, she should be able to acknowledge Alysia. The way she suddenly stiffened over those words told me I was right. For a brief moment, I hoped I could change her mind. However, if curses were so easy to cure, then anyone would have a blessing. After a brief moment of consideration, a sad smile formed on her face.

“If only such a thing could be true.” She sighed.

“It is true!” Alysia cried out. “Aren’t you the one that has the most spiritual perception? He was able to find you. Don’t tell me you’re not able to sense him!”

“I know you wish to stop this, but I can’t. If I do not do this, then you will also perish. Do you understand? I’m already cursed. Even if Master… my true Master, was here. I would still give my life to protect him.”

“Heh… you think you have this all figured out?” My expression darkened.

Alysia looked at me and flinched slightly. “M-master…”

“You think I would let you give your life for me so needlessly?” I demanded. “I know you can hear me. Are you pretending I’m not here? If I was here, then everything you’ve done would be for nothing. If I was alive, then you would have to face the countless people you slaughtered. Is that it?”

My voice had risen to nearly a shout, but Miki still didn’t face me. However, when I noticed a single tear falling down her cheek, I was pretty sure I was on point. Miki was ashamed of herself. This entire parade was just a guilt trip that she was putting herself on. However, I wasn’t feeling sorry for her. Rather, I was feeling angry.

“Did you think that I would just sit back and let this happen? Are you thinking so little of me?” I declared, pulling out my sword. “You’re not trapped in that prison. You’re hiding in it. You’re trying to hide from your responsibility! If that’s the case, I’ll tear apart your chains and pull you out!”

I lunged forward, aiming for the chains wrapped around Miki. My blade met resistance, and I found myself being parried just as my blade was about to cut through the first chain. I looked to the side to see Hero standing there. He gave that familiar too friendly grin. It was starting to piss me off.

“I can’t let you do that. Even if you freed her, it wouldn’t change anything.”

The man who had moments ago been about to chop Miki’s head off was now protecting her from me. This was rich.

“Let me?” I sneered. “You won’t let me do anything. I had a feeling I’d end up fighting you. You’re not the first ‘me’ I’ve killed.”

“Hold back Master,” Shao spoke up. “We’ll finish Miki off.”

I glanced to the side. “You too, Shao?”

“If she dies, won’t I have Master all to myself?” Shao shrugged. “You wondered why I was so normal? Perhaps it is because Miki always feared that of all the women, I’d be the one to end her life!”

It looked like this dungeon’s true nature was revealing itself in more ways than one.

Chapter 1276

“Alysia… protect Miki.” I responded.

“Yes, Master.” Alysia stood in front of Miki protectively as the other four women started to make a circle.

This was pretty ridiculous. I was trying to attack Miki’s chains while my doppelganger was trying to stop me. Meanwhile, Alysia was trying to protect Miki while the other party members were trying to kill her.

Of course, at any moment, my doppelganger could turn and try to attack Miki, but then again, at any moment, Alysia could turn and attack the chains. Thus, it became a giant battle of keep-away. I took several slashes at the chains, but Hero blocked every one. The pair of us started to dance around Miki as we fought for the upper hand.

Alysia took a more direct approach, using a powerful barrier to hold back the four. If Miki had replicated the girls based on their status the last time, she was with them, then Alysia was stronger than the other girls. That didn’t mean she was necessarily stronger than all of them together, but with her playing a purely defensive role, it wasn’t so bad. Celeste let out air attacks while Lydia and Terra pressed hard. It was Shao who was the most dangerous, trying to sneak past Alysia’s blind spot to strike Miki.

As she used the abilities she once had as a warrior, general, and dungeon diver, I focused on my issues. If I had hopes that Miki had underestimated my abilities and Hero was a pushover, they were quickly dashed. His attacks were brutal and heavy, and without the advantage I had when I combined my strength with Alysium, I found myself disadvantaged.

The pair danced around Miki. Any time I attempted to make a move toward her, he would immediately intercept it. Realizing that I couldn’t free her with him present, I began to focus on defeating him. Whether it came from Miki’s will or simply chance, Hero wasn’t trying to kill me. He focused entirely on defending, which made it even more difficult to defeat him in the short term. I considered using my more powerful abilities, but I worried about it. This area was deep within Miki’s soul dungeon, at the source of her power. It was possible she could nerf anything I decided to do.

“Master!” Alysia cried out.

Four on one had put her at a disadvantage no matter how strong she was. Lydia had used her superior speed and broken past her while Terra used her size to block Alysia. Celeste cut off her movements with wind blades, trapping her and keeping her from taking action. I lunged for Miki, but a blade came striking toward me. I threw up my blade to stop Hero, but the blade sliced through my own. As my blade broke in two, I was struck by a powerful attack and went flying. I struck the ground in time to see Lydia’s blade swing down at Miki’s neck.

“No!” I shouted.

Ding! A clang rang out followed by a dull thudding sound. Lydia who had a happy expression plastered to her face jerked in surprise. She looked down to see a dagger stabbed directly into her chest. Then, she looked up to see Shao standing there.

“H-how?”

“Hmm?” Shao tapped her chin, a devilish smirk on her face. “I said from the beginning. I only have one Master. If someone hurts a woman he cares about, he’ll definitely be mad at me. That’s why, whether I’m real or not, every part of me belongs to Master!”

“Then you are no longer needed!”

While I was watching the scene unfold, I hadn’t noticed Hero move, appearing behind Shao. She didn’t move to block him as he attacked her. Perhaps, that single moment of defiance was all she was allowed. As the blade struck her back, she went flying away, slamming into the floor in a heap.