"My suggestion is not much different from this bitch." Lucian said in reference to Wisteria. "A fight between beast and humans. Humans would be allowed to use their magic, along with whatever weapon they want against them."

Darion laughs, amused. "You do know that these cursed beasts are almost impossible to kill?" He asked, "Aren't you being too overconfident, villain?"

Lucian kept a strong expression on his face. Calling the dungeon king has been his best bet for survival since he came into the dungeon, but getting the dungeon king to set him and his teammates free won't be easy. The dungeon king was both his doom and savior. "That's why if the humans win this fight, you are going to let us all out of the dungeon."

Darion smiled, "Leaving already? Not even willing to stay for at least 100 years?" Lucian remained quiet. "Okay then, you tricky villain. Let's have it your way. However, Flint will be exempted from this fight; we have got a game to settle, don't we?" He turned over to Flint, who kept his gaze on him.

Flint was confused; he wasn't happy to see the dungeon king again, but from the deal Lucian just made, he could tell that Lucian had somehow used him to make a deal, one he isn't going to like.

"That's all the remaining humans in the village, Captain." Soren said. Rejected by the beast immediately after he was captured, he was one of the few humans who never got brainwashed.

"Captain!" Marta called out in excitement and hugged Lucian.

Lucian remained stiff and gently pushed Marta away.

After Wisteria had released Marta and the other humans from her spell, she had kept them safely in a different storehouse in the village. She had planned to place them in the underground cell with other players, but Darion showed up before that.

"I'm glad that you are alive." Marta said, refusing to let go of Lucian, she was one of those few humans who had no recollection of what had happened to them while they were under the Wisteria spell.

"It's too soon to be excited about anything." Lucian said in a grave tone. Until they found a way to kill the beast in the village, they would end up trapped and dead in the dungeon.

"Your deal with that demon is too dangerous." Luna was in deep thought. She was back to her senses, and no matter how much she tried to think of another way out of their current situation, there was nothing. If Lucian didn't do what he did, she, Soren, and many others would have died.

"Oh, you are still alive." Marta said in a less excited tone. She pulled away from Lucian.

"It's the villain." The players Soren had gathered muttered among themselves as they glared at Lucian. "What does this jerk want from us?"

Lucian sighed and folded his arm around his chest; Darion had given him an authority in the dungeon before taking Flint away. Lucian had the power to release the magic ability of any human in the dungeon; the first person he released was himself, and then Soren and Luna.

Within a few minutes, Lucian explained the situation to the humans that didn't know anything about the fight that had been going on in the arena. Reed tried calling out to him, but Lucian dismissed Reed and explained further about the deal he made with the dungeon king and the condition that he had to allow any of them to use their ability. Lucian thought that it was useless to give them back their powers if they won't join the fight; that way they could all work together for their escape.

"You only want to use us to escape this dungeon," a guy shouted. He made attempts to physically attack Lucian, but he was stopped by Soren.

'If not for me, they will all be dead. The least they could do is sacrifice a part of themselves in battle, or better yet, their life.' Lucian thought hatefully. 'ungrateful bunch.'

Lucian pointed to the side of the huge arena where Wisteria and the other beasts were encaged in a magical cell created by the dungeon king to hold them until Lucian had picked out the humans he wanted to fight by his side.

The players gasp in surprise at the sight; they had not noticed the cell. Wisteria hangs her head in shame; she bites the inside of her cheek in anger over her powerlessness over her situation.

"See!" Lucian shouted, "No one is trying to use anyone here. The only way we can all leave this dungeon unscattered is by leaving our differences aside for now and working together."

"A villain trying to be a hero." A male voice scoffs and then gives a sly smile, "If you want us to trust you, then give us back our powers without that stupid condition of yours."

"I'm only going to let those who join the fight use their powers; as for the others who aren't interested in fighting, you can just watch and wait for death to meet you." Lucian's voice was cold and void of emotions.

"I will join the fight then." The male voice continues in a cocky tone.

Lucian stared at him; he doubted that the player meant what he said, but a simple challenge like this was something he could handle. After releasing the player system magic, immediately he was attacked.

"I won't let a loser like you be my leader." The cocky player released fire from his palm and directed it at Lucian, but he missed. Before he could search for Lucian, a blade passed through his throat; he choked and then died.

Lucian kicked his dead skull. 'Fool,' he thought and then carried his cold gaze to the other players who were against him. "This is exactly what's going to happen to anyone who thinks that they are too smart for their own good."

The players move back on their feet in fear.

Lucian pointed his blood-stained sword at them and asked in a harsh tone, "Who's interested in joining the fight?" Then he added in a low, threatening voice, "You better be interested for your own good; I'm not a damn hero who's interested in saving anyone's ass."

'Idiot,' Luna thought. 'You aren't supposed to force them.'

Marta and Soren stare at Lucian in admiration as though they have been placed under a different kind of spell.

"Did it really have to be that boy?" A voice muttered in Wisteria's cell; it was loud enough for her to hear. "You could have any human you want, and yet you chose a kid who couldn't even be controlled by your spell.

Wisteria remained at the front of the cell, holding the iron bars, her back facing her people. Shame and failure clothed her as anxiety filled her heart. Each whisper and word her people threw her way was nothing more than daggers that hit her heart.

"To think that we will one day end up like this." Another voice popped out; it was wrapped in sadness as it spoke, "It was wrong for us to have placed faith in you and your leadership. Not when your father failed us."

'Stop.' Wisteria thought painfully, but she couldn't voice out the words.

"It's all your fault."

"Your son is dead anyway. All our children are dead. We know that. Why be so obsessed over a substitute?"

"Like your father, you have ruined us."

"You are no chief; you couldn't stop your father and save us back then. How foolish of us to have thought that you would be able to do anything this time."

'Stop it!' Tears poured down Wisteria's eyes. She raised her hand to cover her ears but stopped at the pressure of the hateful gaze she felt around her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in a low tone that lacked confidence. "I will set everything right. I will kill Lucian and return things back to the way they used to be for us."

—------------------------------------------------------

"He's lying." A voice cut in before Lucian could say anything about Reed's confession on the beast's weakness, "You expect me to believe that a scrawny kid like you was brave enough to kill one of those beasts and with nothing but a piece of wood?" The voice snickers.

'It was firewood.' Reed thought in rage. He examined himself; he was thin but not that thin. "I'm not scrawny." He muttered to himself.

The players Lucian gathered for the fight chuckled in amusement. While Lucian had forced the other humans to join, he didn't force anyone from the Flint team. He knew they will be willing to fight against Wisteria and the other beasts in the village because they want revenge for the teammates they have lost.

Draven joined the few humans who didn't want to fight because their magic was weak; the only reason Lucian left him was because he was still waiting for Tara to claim his life when she's ready.

"I trust him." Tara spoke out in a strong tone. She was one of those who agreed to join the fight.

"You can't be serious." The player who had laughed at Reed said he was the first one chosen to go to the arena against the beast.

"I'm willing to take a chance at anything that can bring this beast down. I believe Reed." Lucian said. He had a gut feeling that Reed was saying the truth.

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