My Dungeon Life: Rise of the Slave Harem-Chapter 1670

“You’re still alive.” I let out a breath, half filled with relief, but also a bit of resignation.

Calypso let out a throaty laugh. “Did you think it would be so easy to kill me? I didn’t live as long as I did by acting recklessly.”

“Not at all…” I responded. “I’m just surprised you stuck around for so long.”

“That’s true.” She nodded. “I would normally leave without saying goodbye. You’d miss me much more that way. However, something has been bugging me, and I found myself unable to leave without finding an answer.”

“What’s that?”

“Why didn’t you attack them?”

“What?”

“The girls.” Calypso raised an eyebrow. “There is a major difference between absorbing the power of a dungeon and assimilating it. The first option is a means of chopping up and stealing the power of a dungeon. The second option tries to take the information uncorrupted and complete. You lose less, but it's as difficult as can be. If anyone tried to do it, they would lose all of their sense of self. They would become corrupted by the dungeon, a monster that was destroyed without thought. I know this from personal experience. When I absorbed the lore, I destroyed friend and foe alike!

“Yet, you saw all of the worlds as you enemy, and you killed indiscriminately… until you encountered your girls. They stood in your way, and you rather than kill them, incapacitating them. Perhaps, I could believe a shred of your still could feel the master and slave relationship with them, but then those two little girls appeared and grabbed onto you. The obstructed you completely, and you didn’t move. When they all piled on you, you didn’t lift a finger to stop them, even when they caused your objective to be lost.

“So, I want to know why! Why didn’t you attack them? Why didn’t you smear yourself in their blood? Why didn’t you shoot arrows at them? You did at Carmine and the lionkin! You should have kept fighting until there was nothing left. You should have kept fighting until everyone was dead or fled. Yet, you stopped! You disconnected yourself from the power and submitted. I want to know how! I want to know why?”

Calypso’s voice had risen as she spoke. Her eyes were like fire, and she was panting by the time she was done.

“I… didn’t want to,” I responded awkwardly.

“You…”

“They’re mine! That’s why!”

“Wha-“ She blinked, taking a step back.

“They are mine, all of them. They are my lovers, my slaves, my women. I only shot those arrows because I knew they’d be blocked, and I only attacked when I knew I wouldn’t hurt them. Hurting them would have been like hurting myself. No matter how angry you get, would you cut off your foot? You may kick something too hard and hurt your foot, but it doesn’t matter how angry you got, you’d never intentionally try to injure yourself. And once you broke your toe because you were being an idiot, would you still be angry? No, you’d feel foolish that you acted up. It’s… like that.”

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Now that I said it, it sounded dumb, but that was my genuine feeling. Calypso stared at me for a solid minute, her eyes giving nothing away. Then, she threw back her head a laughed. It wasn’t her usual sultry seductive laugh. It felt somehow light as if a burden that had been weighing on her had suddenly been uplifted.

“Wh-what’s so funny?” I frowned.

“Oh, Deek…” She looked back down, wiping a tear from her eye. “If you keep this up, I’ll have no choice but to submit myself to becoming your slave.”

“Huh?”

“I have enjoyed this chat we have. You have… given me closure. I am no longer bound to this dungeon, and the human core is no longer my responsibility. It feels… freeing…”

“You’re not strong anymore either.” I declared.

“Mm!” She smiled. “To think, that silly boy I ran into would end up… oh my, perhaps you’re more dangerous than I gave you credit for.”

“What are you talking about?”

She reached into her dress and tossed something at me. I instinctively lifted my hand, catching it. When I looked down at it, it appeared to be some kind of crystal. It seemed familiar with something I had seen before. That was right, this looked a bit like that crystallized soul that the father from the Illusory Sword Dungeon gave me.

“Wait… this is…”

“I keep what I copy.” She winked. “It’s a copy of daughter. Oops, did I spoil it?”

“My daughter…” I looked down at the crystal, my body shaking excitedly. “How… how can I bring her back?”

“Eh? Do I look like your mentor or something? Figure it out on your own!” She shrugged. “As for me, I’ll be leaving.”

“You’re going?” I asked, my mind still half-focused on the crystal in my hand.

“I’m free now.” She declared. “I’m going to go out and enjoy things a bit longer… before I become a slave to my emotions and can no longer leave…”

“What was that?”

“Nothing! Chou Chou! I’m leaving now.”

“H-hey, wait! You’re still a pirate… and a bandit!”

“Eh? You’re still on about that?” She blinked. “Don’t you have bigger things to worry about?”

“Like what?” I declared, putting the crystallized copy of my unborn child away safely before grabbing Alysia, who had returned to my side. “I won’t let you escape.”

She laughed. “You already freed me. Didn’t I say it? More lore is done. It’s time to start a new story.”

“You can just run from your past! You’re under… wait… what was that about lore?”

She smirked, pointing up. “I’ll say my goodbye. Once you see all my dirty little secrets, I hope you can still remember me fondly!”

I looked up to see a light flying toward me. Champion’s Gauntlet… the core I thought had cracked and dissipated… the remaining energy had collected and become a blessing.

“Oh… you bit-“

I was struck by a punishing white light, followed by pain.

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