Chapter 197 – A Tutor
"Are you saying that girl left her mark on ?" asked Nikolai with a frown. "I am going to kill her."
"As if you could," rose the spirit as her image regenerated back into the sa sweet girl. "You should not be worried. This mark protects you from other demonic overlords."
"Are you saying that a demonic realm exists?"
"Aren't you one of them?" she was confused, but Nikolai did not refute her. He did not want to say that he was a dark fae, a race damned by the gods themselves. It seems that not many knew of his existence.
"I will fulfill your requests since you asked them of ," he said with a smile as he walked towards the spirit. "Co over here, succubus."
"Stay away from !" she shouted before rushing away like a scared cat, hanging to the ceiling. "I will be cursed for an eternity if I disobey her words!"
"And is not thrilling to defy the gods?"
Nikolai asked with his eyes looking into her soul. The spirit was dazed as she opened her mouth, but nothing ca out other than labored breathing. Her body slowly descended before she snapped out of it and disappeared into the smoke.
"That was a bit of an overreaction," laughed Nikolai as he watched the empty room. "Well, I have no ti for this. I have a dungeon to run."
As he waved his hand, his undead appeared. He missed them dearly, and he missed allowing them to fight. The skeletons were giddy, the ghouls were frightening, and the mages seed expectant. Vikas was the only one among them who looked to be calm.
"I know that I have not allowed you to go outside for the past few days, but this will change now. There is a floor that we can use to hunt until our heart's content."
"Your wish is our command, my liege," Vikas bowed, and Nikolai smiled.
"All of you follow . Fortunately, we have so challengers to terrorize," Nikolai led his troops away without checking on the alchemist. The challenges ahead were countless, but he believed that Sergio would survive.
***
"Then, what are we going to do now?" asked the alchemist as the ti was about to run out. The riddle was still there, but he wanted to see what his boss thought.
"This riddle makes no sense because this is a demonic dungeon. Maybe that is the clue we need to solve it. We should think outside the box here."
"And do you an the box being the church?" asked Sergio.
"I believe that this phrase was simply there to misguide the believers of Trinity. However, as for a reason, it does not make a difference."
"If the believers were to be misguided, then the true salvation lies in the choice they will never think about."
"…right," Valkyrie nodded. "You have an idea, don't you?"
"An improbable one, but it needs ti. However, the dark being will arrive soon. I need you to stall it for until I figure out a solution."
"And how can I trust you?"
"I need you to believe in without any basis."
"You are asking for the impossible, alchemist," Valkyrie shook her head. "I cannot fight a dark being this easily. Of course, I can stall it, but the end will be bad for ."
"This challenge has been created to divide us, so I need you to trust to solve it. I will remain in this room as you buy us ti."
"…how much ti?"
"Another hour."
"You are pushing it, alchemist," scowled Valkyrie.
"You are the one who got us into this dungeon. Now, protect as I read," he said before going to the desk and picking up the diaries. "I think the answer lies here."
Valkyrie was silent before she unsheathed her sword. However, the alchemist did not move from his position. She sighed and turned toward the door, unable to know which one was it.
[The ti has passed. There is one minute left to make a choice. If neither of you enters a door, then the dark being will enter the room.]
Valkyrie gritted her teeth and turned toward the alchemist, who simply shooed her away. Then, as her hand gripped the sword tighter, she fell into deep thoughts.
***
Helnes.
This na cursed her with the most botherso of lives. It was the source of her misery, but as she grew, she realized that it shielded her from the cruelty of the world. As she grew a bit older, she realized that her house was the cruelty of the world: nobles stepping on commoners for their gains, wars waged for power, and a royal family who was blinded by their peace. There were so many wrongs with this kingdom that had to be made rights.
Valkyrie grew up with maids and servants, no teachers or parents, no friends, just people who listened to her every demand. That was why when soone stood up for her the first ti, it made her confused.
How did the world dare not comply with her desires?
It was a tutor who worked inside the mansion. Valkyrie was eight, a genius of the blade and war. Her family worshiped her, and none dared defile her sanctuary.
That tutor taught History of War, a subject that no one could guess if they saw her. A well-defined woman who had the kindest of eyes and the gentlest touches. Valkyrie did not see her remarkable she was until that slap.
It was when she did not understand life and death, suffering, or honor. Valkyrie had to admit that she was an apathetic monster raised in isolation, and the monster never left, only dormant.
"You cannot treat lives lightly."
The tutor said as the pain of the slap spread through her cheek. It was a new feeling, but she realized not all novelty pleased her. As she turned to look at the woman who had tears in her eyes, Valkyrie understood that this person was different.
As she looks back on those days, Valkyrie realized how cruel she was simply to prove a point against her teacher. Therefore, she gave her servants an impossible choice to prove what humans would do in desperate tis.
A day after that incident, her tutor returned, with her hand missing. Valkyrie stared at the absence of the hand that slapped her with confusion, but the tutor did not act any different, and life went on.
It took her years to realize that the slap was behind the punishnt inflicted by her family. However, her tutor beca the sole person she loved during those years. Her mother and father were never there, and the kind woman replaced them.
Valkyrie stared at the doors open as the riddle disappeared. This was an impossible choice, too. This dungeon reminded her greatly of her past self, and the alchemist reminded her of her tutor.
The two shared the sa kind eyes and broken smile. Valkyrie lied to him when she said that she hard herself too, and that was how she knew about his tendencies because it wasn't her. It was her tutor before she died.
This was why she wanted to believe in the alchemist and did not look at him like a resource to use. Her plan was immaculate, but she needed to be cruel, to be ruthless, for her to achieve her goals.
A slow growl ca from inside one of the doors, but Valkyrie could not tell which one. Then, there were footsteps, sothing dragging itself across the ground, approaching their room.
"I will believe you, alchemist," she said as if this was a recent decision. However, Sergio did not know that he had the power to make others trust him.
"I will not disappoint, so fight!"
His words were like a command that ran through her body. It was a novel feeling because this was one of the few tis soone dared to command her.
"Do not get too arrogant," she said while raising her sword above her shoulder, aiming it toward the door. "I am still your boss."
Her heart was beating fast as she said. She was unafraid of the monster, but she was more afraid that she would be disappointed. The alchemist proved ti and ti again that he was similar to her master.
One other person did not listen to her whims and hated her for the test she made him go through. It happened to be the person who traumatized this alchemist, but she was unsure how to feel.
His na was Nikolai Yaran, the first ranker of the midterms.
Valkyrie wanted him because he seed unexpected, but he was elusive. She never managed to make him trust her, even after going as far as making sure he enrolls.
However, it was also one of her bad traits. Her master told her countless tis that there would be a day when her attitude toward others would be her befall.
Crackling sounds ca from inside the alleyway as a creature oozing with darkness leaped toward her, its sharp fangs first.. Valkyrie banished all thoughts as divinity flooded through her body.
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