The moment Vale appeared at the end of the hallway with his whip and hand, Salome's wicked grin seemed to split her face in half.

"It's time?"

Vale, with a somber look on his face, responded:

"Yeah… you sure you'll be alright?"

Salome's pink eyes danced as they found their way in line with Vale's

"Are you doubting my ability?"

"No. I just—"

Salome laughed, then winked and blew a kiss as she said:

"I'm just teasing youᥫ᭡. No need to be so uptight."

Vale just closed his eyes and internally sighed.

'How can she be so… cheery. When about to do something so, so deplorable…'

Vale reopened his eyes and returned Salome's tender, yet damnable glare.

"Whenever you're ready, so am I."

"Heh…"

With only a low laugh, Salome jumped around the corner, landing at the bottom of the ramp, before crouching down and rocketing up after a single heavy flap of her wings.

Vale peered around the bend, but was only able to catch a glimpse of Salome's tail as it disappeared over the lip of the cave, and soon, incoherent roars, croaks, and screams plagued the canyon outside.

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

Barely a moment later, a bloody body came flying through the mouth of the cave and gracelessly rolled down to a stop at the bottom…

It was a Chameleon Warrior who, despite its sorry state, clung to life.

Vale, standing a little away, watched as the pitiful warrior tried to move, only to be locked in place, having its tendons cut by Salome's quills.

As Vale stared into the pitiful creatures' pleading and frightened eyes, he spoke:

"I'm not sorry…"

'Forgiveness is no longer possible. So why would I ask for it?'

Nothing Vale could say or do would absolve him of the sin to come except rescinding his order… something he wasn't going to do. Not unless he was complacent in giving up his life.

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

Another bloodied Chameleon Warrior shot through the entrance and rolled down the hill as the sounds of fighting outside grew more ferocious and blistering, each missed attack slamming against the rocks, sounding like hail.

Just like the first warrior, the second tried to stand up, but couldn't. They'd been relegated to the same position as the others.

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

After a minute or so had passed, three more appeared at Vale's feet, and soon Salome did too.

The beautiful demoness wasn't drenched in blood per se, but she wasn't absolved of it. Of course, she could absorb the blood of others… so this blood was her own.

Facing a horde of a hundred or more would do that to you…

Vale had a slightly worried look on his face, but Salome was jubilant and all cheers.

She'd again gotten to use the Trait she hadn't been able to in who knows how long!

"Are you going to stay?" she asked him.

Vale let his gaze fall to the bloodied and gagging chameleons who repeatedly tried to crawl away, back toward their comrades, but they could grasp nothing with their wrists, which were bent out of shape to such an appalling, gruesome degree.

Soon, even hope grew ungraspable as they stopped trying altogether.

They just coughed up blood and gave defiant yet agonizing stares at Salome and Vale, who were illuminated by a touch of sunlight but still mostly shrouded in the cave's darkness, making their eyes seem even more vibrant and condemning than usual.

Vale eventually found the will to reply.

"Yeah… but I won't watch. I just want to confirm if it works or not, then I'll head to my post."

Salome's gaze lowered to the ground, and she knelt next to a dying warrior as she replied with a smile on her face.

"Understood."

Then, she pressed her hand against one of their chest and began greedily absorbing their vitality for herself. Once healed, she stood up and started dragging the defeated warrior up the rocky slope, not caring if its body got snagged on a loose rock.

As she neared the lip, Salome detached several quills and held the battered warrior in front of her.

That was the last thing Vale saw before he looked away and stepped aside.

But that was not the last thing he heard…

Salome probably put on a theatrical display with her motions, but no such deed was done with words. Instead, all Vale could hear was the whizzing of quills and the hissing and chirping of the four chameleons on the ground in front of him as they watched what Vale couldn't bring himself to.

It didn't take long for a mass of sibilates to echo from the gorge.

Nor did it take too long for the message to ring in his ears.

[Champion Salome has slain Nascent Chamelon Warrior]

Yet no Aether came. The body, probably having been thrown out in the open, was made to exist on purpose for the other chameleons to see. It wouldn't serve Salome's purpose for the dead body to be consumed by the dungeon, no.

The demoness wasn't going to throw away the canvas that displayed her beautifully treacherous artwork.

Whatever that artwork may be.

Vale peered around the corner to see Salme leisurely walking down toward him with a pleasant grin, cheery eyes, and purposefully bloody hands.

When Salome reached Vale, she crouched and picked up another, which hissed in protest with all its remaining might:

"Kill… Lust…"

Salome paused, then turned to Vale and said confidently:

"It will work."

Then, she started her journey back up and repeated the process.

Whatever that process was.

And whatever it was was causing immense agitation to the onlookers outside.

Vale cast his gaze away from the croaking warriors at his feet, no longer being strong enough to gaze at them.

'Lust…'

'Why are you so selective in what you allow me to feel?'

'Either take it all… or take nothing.'

Vale clicked his tongue in shame as more whimpers reached his ears and another message was relayed.

[Champion Salome has slain Nascent Chamelon Warrior]

Again… no Aether came.

The body was once again used as provocation rather than for the practicality of its Aether. Well, Salome probably absorbed it herself, but still…

The next time Salome appeared at the bottom, Vale couldn't bring himself to look her any higher than her waist.

Salome paused when she spotted Vale, then with an assured tone tinged with worry, she said:

"You can go to your post…"

Vale tried to bring his head up, but couldn't.

"No, it's okay."

Salome dipped down and grabbed another Chameleon Warrior's arm and turned to head back up.

"I didn't say that to spare you. I said that because I'm sure of it. They will attack. After all… they know how many I took."

Vale didn't respond. He just listened to Salome's footsteps as she reached the top, followed by the mass hisses and cries from outside.

When he heard just how distraught and frenzied they sounded, her turned down the hallway, leaving the two dying chameleons behind. As he rounded the first bend, he looked up to the ceiling and spotted Awilix and Larry looking back at him through a tiny gap.

Vale put on a brave face and gave the little guy a confident look, knowing it may very well be the last time he gets to see him.

Larry, Sizzy, and Aster screamed at Vale as he walked away:

"Badduh!"

Vale didn't have the emotional energy to respond, but that gesture was able to put a dim smile on his face as he disappeared around the next bend and a series of ominous messages played in his ear.

[Champion Salome has slain Nascent Chamelon Warrior]

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

[A challenger has entered the dungeon]

[Champion Salome has slain Nascent Chamelon Warrior]

[+5 Aether]

[Champion Salome has slain Nascent Chamelon Warrior]

[+5 Aether]

"It's started…"

Vale said as he neared the entrance of the maze, speaking to the crystal owl who, with beautiful posture and delicate, yet stoic face, looked around at him as he approached. When she spotted him, her stoicism was revealed as a facade with her cheeks turning the same crimson color as her eyes.

Vale fought the cold, then leaned in and sank his lips into Ximena's, who greedily enjoyed the encounter forced by her constitution.

[Champion Salome has slain Nascent Chamelon Warrior]

[+5 Aether]

Yes, Vale was making out with a woman after going through with the most despicable order that would have made all of his dad's actions appear saintly.

'A satyr raised a devil…'

Vale drew away once he could resist Ximena's glacial aura and stared deeply into her ruby eyes, which reflected him so clearly it was disturbing.

As he stared into Ximena's eyes, all he could see about himself was…

'I look that impassive?'

'No wonder Salome thought I was confident before…'

Yet, his eyes were dim, having lost their luster even after slightly indulging in his desires, showing just how sorry a state his mind was in…

If his mind hadn't been addled by Lust, who knew what his mental state would be like…

[Champion Salome has slain Nascent Chamelon Warrior]

[+5 Aether]

More and more hisses reverberated throughout the dungeon as the sounds of slaughter grew closer.

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