Dungeon of Lust: Managing Otherworldly Beauties

Chapter 307: Erasing the Fodder

[Your Champion, Ximena, has slain Emergent Mutant Bzzat, Champion of Rhaspbeetle]

[Your Champion, Ximena, has slain Emergent Golden-Beetle Warrior]

’Shit...’

Vale’s foot slammed into the ground repeatedly as he watched more and more flags, with skulls to mark them as enemies, emerge from the various dungeons.

Each skull was decorated with a little symbol to signify the species.

And if there were a presumed Champion in a cluster, then the flag would have crossed bones behind the skull.

[Your Champion, Ximena, has slain Emergent Golden-Beetle Warrior]

[Your Champion, Ximena, has slain Emergent Golden-Beetle Warrior]

It hadn’t even been a minute since the Nascent Dungeon had sent its distress signal.

But...

Just as Vale had hoped, the detachments of warriors he’d sent out to hold chokepoints did their job perfectly. Ground troops that tried to investigate the signal had halted their advance upon coming into contact with forces of Lust.

As he half expected, they had not engaged in a fight, only starting a weird stare-down.

And just as Vale feared...

’Damned dragon-kin.’

[Archer, Diana, has slain Nascent Wretch Gurak Gran Gurak]

Vale wasn’t sure which dungeon was the head of the Anti-Lust Alliance, but the dragon-kin were definitely in the running.

Vale already had it in mind to fear what they could do individually — not only were they all capable of flight, but the Dungeon Master was presumably an Emergent Anathema — but what he hadn’t expected was such tactical competency when working with so little.

Thinking from their perspective, all they would have physically seen of Lust after emerging from their dungeon was a few warriors strewn about hunting game; however, they must have noted something off about their positioning. Or more so...

They must have noticed the lack of reaction from Rhaspbeetle to the distress signal.

Or maybe they even noticed Ximena herself.

While Rhaspbeetle’s Dungeon entrance was hidden from the panoramic view, meaning Ximena was as well — at least physically — Ximena’s Aether was quite distinct and hard to mask.

Either way, whether one or both were true, they definitely knew something was up...

[Your Champion, Ximena, has slain Emergent Golden-Beetle Warrior]

Because, instead of blindly rushing into the Nascent Dungeon to help, the dragon-kin copied Vale’s own strategy.

They placed a large detachment between Rhaspbeetle’s Dungeon and the Dungeon of Lust. A detachment that was being joined by more and more flying beasts — humanoid bats, chicken men(?), and enlarged sparrows(?). The flags all had crossed bones on them.

Vale only had the little symbols on the ashen flags to go off of. The mini Mias with him was only listening; it was stretched much too thin to form and speak.

[Your Champion, Ximena, has slain Emergent Golden-Beetle Warrior]

Anyway...

As much as he knew the potential repercussions, he cooked up one dastardly counter plan. Something only one who knew of Ximena’s capability could conceive.

He ordered Ximena to raid the dungeon of Rhaspbeetle.

Alone.

A risky gamble, but one with a high payoff.

In the meantime...

"Salome, go get Awilix and Toy."

Vale flicked the flag, toppling it.

***

Ximena looked at the tiny plume of smoke sitting on a nearby rock.

"Really? Master Vale said to do that?"

"Correct."

While Ximena wasn’t scared, not at all, it was most odd that her cautious Master would ’unleash’ her like this.

She half thought it was some con by the Reaper to change the plan himself and undermine Vale, but even if that were the truth, he’d have his reasons.

Ximena wasn’t exactly friends with the Reaper of Knowledge, but only a fool wouldn’t respect his prowess.

So, the owl nodded, then turned and stepped over a small pile of beetle corpses and into the maw of the cave.

Her crystal eyes, made up of tiny crystal tubes, began grasping onto the minimal light in the cave, allowing her to see the beetles’ home in full gooey glory.

Almost gagging, Ximena quickly lifted up her feet and extended her crystal slippers into high-heeled shoes. Following that, she let a crystal mask form on her face, covering her nose and lower, almost connecting to her armor.

The walls were gray, like her home, but on the walls were thin lines of gold-colored oil left behind from the bugs.

Because the dungeon walls were odd, not easily penetrated, it seemed the beetles relied completely on secretion to achieve the feat of walking on them.

Ximena looked up and watched a drip of goo fall from the ceiling and nearly splatter on her shoulder, and she’d only taken a step inside.

Instead...

It had solidified, then shattered once swatted away by her sash.

’Disgusting...’

Ximena watched the tiny fragments roll down the incline, stopping at the base where a mass of the Golden Beetles looked up at her with pitch-black, beady, bulbous eyes.

"Cht cht."

They began backing away and chittering in fear upon each step Ximena took.

"Cht cht."

Some of them even let their wings flutter to life and began to retreat from her.

After all...

They’d already seen what she could do.

Yet what they had not seen was any weakness in her strength.

"Cht cht."

Instead of mindlessly throwing bodies at her, they watched.

Ximena’s heels clicked as they settled on flat stone. Still, the beetles only continued to cede ground.

Forming an awkward semi-circle that extended to the walls and ceiling at the very edge of [Absolute Zero].

"Repulsive..."

A bug’s cave wasn’t where she’d ever imagined a regal like herself would ever be. However...

"But, if it’s for Master Vale... you and your entire species will be eradicated with utmost haste and without mercy."

"Cht cht."

Naturally...

The beetles had nothing to say in response to the Ice Princess’ decree. Obviously, they couldn’t understand her.

So, she reasoned she’d interpret the message for them.

Momentarily stopping her advance, causing the beetle mass to stop as well, Ximena scoured the mass.

Then, she noticed it. A beetle unlike the rest, who walked awkwardly on two legs. Something that was so odd it screamed it must be a Champion.

Ximena lifted her hand and opened her palm, angling it toward this beast.

The beetle blinked.

In the next moment, two linked crystal chains shot from her palm at terrifying speed.

"Cht!"

One of them wrapped around the beast and dragged it into [Absolute Zero] while the other reeled back.

Then, once the beast was sufficiently frozen, the second chain whipped and slammed into its frozen body, splattering its entrails on the goo-covered walls.