READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 118
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Hermit’s face.
Hermit was staring at me with a blank expression.
Her gaze was so intense that it felt like it was filling my entire field of vision.
Her eyes were brimming with tears.
“Boss!”
Hermit suddenly pulled me into a hug.
She was sobbing uncontrollably, her tears flowing like a waterfall. Based on her reaction, you’d think someone just came back from the dead.
…Come back from the dead?
“I’m alive! I’m alive! The boss has come back to life!”
It was only after hearing that that I started to grasp the situation.
As I remembered, I had jumped into Charlotte’s Magic Overrun.
Looking back, it wouldn’t have been strange to die, yet somehow, I seemed to be alive.
‘But what about Charlotte?’
Before worrying about myself, I needed to check on Charlotte.
I propped myself up and looked around, spotting Charlotte standing at a distance.
She seemed to be perfectly fine, which relieved me a bit.
However, it was strange that she was standing quite far away from me.
Just when I was wondering why she was so distant, my eyes fell on her level.
Her level was now darkened, stripped of its previous pink hue.
I had a fleeting thought about why that was, and I quietly questioned myself.
It must be because she nearly killed me, so she’s scared of me blaming her.
‘Not that I blame her.’
It was my choice, after all, and I had resolved to accept any outcome that came from it.
If I were to blame anyone, it would be myself. I had no intention of blaming Charlotte.
More than anything, the fact that we were both alive seemed like a win.
I tried to get up and head toward Charlotte, but Hermit grabbed my wrist and pulled me back.
“Um, where do you think you’re going?”
I shot a glance over at Charlotte instead of answering.
“No, no! Right now, please stay away! What if the lieutenant goes on a rampage again!”
I didn’t think that would happen.
At first, I thought it was just Hermit’s typical fussiness.
Still, given the circumstances, being cautious wouldn’t hurt, and Hermit, being more knowledgeable about magic than I was, likely knew better.
“Charlotte.”
I focused my gaze on Charlotte from a distance.
Her shoulders were hunched, and she couldn’t even lift her head.
“You’re okay. It’s fine.”
Despite what I said, there was no change in the color of Charlotte’s level.
*
Once the situation settled, I took a moment to rest in the Boss Room under Hermit’s insistence.
“I usually shouldn’t be able to survive against Undead, but I guess bosses are different.”
Apparently, the reason I survived the Magic Overrun was all thanks to Hermit.
As a side note, Hermit, now transformed into a fox, had nestled into my arms.
She told me to rest alone, yet here she was.
I couldn’t help but have my eyes drawn to her nine tails, gently swaying.
“Woof!”
Helboki barked from the side.
I could see the jealousy in his eyes when he looked at Hermit.
“Uh…”
Seeing Hermit shrink in fear made me think she might actually be the Seven Lairs.
Reluctantly, I tossed a bone to Helboki.
After that, Helboki started playing by himself, panting heavily.
“Go on, tell me more.”
“Um, well… that’s really all of it. I didn’t have time to think about what to do, so I thought I’d try using the Bewildering Orb, and it worked!”
The Bewildering Orb was Hermit’s extra life.
This meant Hermit had essentially sacrificed her life to save me.
“Thanks.”
“I-I’m just doing what I had to…”
Contrary to her words, her fox tails wiggled with happiness.
“Looking back, I wonder why I hesitated. Becoming a nine-tailed fox is all thanks to you, Boss, isn’t it?”
Previously, I had mentioned giving her over 30% of my power.
Hermit was so naive that she had believed I considered her my other half.
“The Bewildering Orb was originally your power, Boss. So, I guess that’s why it worked.”
Hermit nodded after saying this.
It was sweetly naive of her to convince herself like that.
I didn’t feel the need to correct her.
Meanwhile, I was still skeptical.
To my knowledge, the Bewildering Orb only applies to living beings.
Undead, being already dead, shouldn’t have been within its range.
‘Is it because she still has her soul?’
Unlike the Death Knight’s body, her soul was still intact.
Aside from that, I had no other theories that came to mind.
Deep down, I felt a bit guilty towards Hermit.
She had saved me purely out of her service as my lieutenant, and even that was the result of being tricked by me.
‘…I need to treat her well, as much as I feel bad for her.’
I gently patted Hermit’s head.
Since she was in fox form, I didn’t feel any resistance.
Her ears twitched, and soon, they folded back, as if my touch felt good to her.
Hermit preferred being alone.
She wouldn’t naturally want to be right next to someone else, but seeing those deep green and pink colors on her head made me think otherwise.
Even though she pretended to be nursing me, she probably just wanted to be close to someone she liked.
“How about Charlotte?”
“The lieutenant?”
“Yeah.”
I was subtly worried about Charlotte, especially the color of her darkened level.
According to Hermit, Charlotte was holed up in the Lieutenant’s Room.
Estizel, who used to share the room with her, had smartly moved into her own quarters.
There was no need to worry about her going on a Magic Overrun anymore, but I figured she could use some alone time for a day.
If I went in to comfort her right away, it could have the opposite effect.
There’s a reason they say time heals all wounds.
“Hmm, just a moment…”
Hermit had already sent a replica to the Lieutenant’s Room.
Since it had changed to match the surrounding environment, it wouldn’t get caught easily.
Even if we were being considerate of her time alone, planning was still necessary.
To be blunt, if Charlotte ended up in despair and harmed herself, it would be a dereliction of duty on my part as her boss.
“She’s curled up and not doing anything. She looks… really sad.”
“…Is that so?”
I wanted to comfort her, but for now, I hoped time would do its job.
Maybe I’d go see her after a night had passed.
‘What about Charlotte and Cecilia?’
I had already given Cecilia a heads-up.
If she dared to lay a finger on Charlotte, I wouldn’t stand for it.
Cecilia felt a sense of responsibility for this, as it was clearly her sudden outburst that caused the situation.
By the way…
‘What the heck was up with that sudden outburst?’
***
In the Boss Room of the Abyssal 10th Layer.
Roxanne was rummaging through a pile of treasures, her eyes darting around continuously.
“Where the hell is the holy relic…?”
She had boasted to her ancestors that she would offer it to them, but when it came time to find it, it was nowhere to be seen.
In the distance stood the Dragonian lieutenant, looking a bit awkward.
Clearing his throat, he finally caught Roxanne’s attention.
With her sharp gaze, she shot him a look.
The lieutenant swallowed hard and spoke.
“My Lord, I have received a message from the ancient ones who lie dormant.”
“…Not a letter?”
“Yes. The Old One’s Lieutenant has requested an audience.”
Recently, in a meeting, Roxanne had gone against the Old One.
Could it be that they were demanding recompense for her betrayal? Or were they planning to punish her?
Whatever the case, Roxanne suspected the Old One would indeed act.
She cleared her mind of confusion and nodded.
“Let them in.”
The lieutenant bowed and exited the room, only for someone else to enter in his place.
Dressed in a neat suit, the elongated face reminiscent of an octopus had five pairs of eyes above and below.
Several dozen tentacles dripped with a sticky fluid.
“Blizz.”
“I present myself before the second-ranked lord.”
Upon hearing those words, Roxanne furrowed her brows.
As the second in command, he should know that her master was the first. So he better show respect.
Perhaps it was a bit self-conscious, but that’s how it sounded to Roxanne.
“What do you want? Get to the point.”
“Yes. As you requested, I will get straight to the point.”
With that, he put his hand inside his robe.
Roxanne kept a wary eye on him, ready for anything.
“Don’t be too cautious. My Lord sent me to talk.”
This meant the Old One had expressed a desire for reconciliation first.
Roxanne couldn’t shake her suspicion.
Regardless of rank, it wouldn’t be odd to be hostile given the circumstances.
‘Was the Old One this type of person?’
Roxanne didn’t know much about the Old One.
Could it be just her? The Old One’s existence was shrouded in mystery, known to no one.
Still, if he was coming forth in a friendly manner regarding such matters, it was only natural to be suspicious.
Blizz pulled out a palm-sized case.
“My Lord holds no ill will toward you. He even sent a holy relic as a peace offering.”
“A holy relic, you say?”
“Yes. Why not take a look?”
Roxanne shot Blizz a cold glare.
“Are you telling me to believe that?”
Woom—
With a slight tremor, Blizz’s five pairs of eyes turned pitch black.
Roxanne instinctively flinched, feeling a deep sense of foreboding.
“…The Old One.”
Before her stood not Blizz, but the avatar of the Old One.
As she was engulfed by an overwhelming sense of alienation, Roxanne released her aura.
The Old One approached without the slightest hint of perturbation, closing the distance between them.
“I will inquire, Roxanne.”
“Inquire?”
Just as expected from the number one lord, Roxanne scoffed softly.
“Tell me the truth. Do you still claim to be on Barugore’s side?”
“Is that what you’re curious about? Ah, I see, you’re wary of Barugore.”
Followed by her mockery, Roxanne burst into laughter.
Suddenly mentioning Barugore upon manifesting, did he think she was an open book?
“It seems something is going on with Barugore. Something even the Old One fears.”
“This is your last chance. Become my confidante, Roxanne.”
The Old One opened the case in his hand.
Naturally, Roxanne’s gaze fell upon the choker adorned with gems within the case.
Her expression twisted in disgust.
“…Are you telling me to become your pet?”
“It’s a holy relic, take it however you like.”
“Hah. From my perspective, it looks like a leash. Tell me, Old One. If I refuse, do you plan to kill me?”
“I won’t kill you.”
No matter how powerful the Old One was, he wouldn’t be so reckless.
He wouldn’t want to deal with the aftermath of harming someone, especially in the form of an avatar.
“However, you should be prepared.”
Despite the obvious threat, Roxanne defiantly raised her chin.
How could she betray the being she had known for a millennium, especially her fellow kin?
“I refuse—”
Before she could finish her sentence, the choker suddenly sprang up.
Roxanne immediately reacted, but it followed her movements as if it had foreseen it.
“Ugh!”
Clink. The sound and sensation of it tightening around her neck made her body grow slack.
The loss of strength caused her to teeter unsteadily.
“What are you doing…?”
“If you wish to be freed, come find me. And surrender.”
Leaving only those words, the Old One vanished like a fading dream.
Roxanne’s hands clawed uselessly at the air.
Even after he disappeared, she could feel her strength draining away.
She tried to raise her magic, but it felt less than before.
Even an attempt to rip off the choker was in vain; it didn’t even leave a scratch.
…Could it be?
The memory of when Roseha had come to visit flashed in her mind.
The crystalline amulet that sealed the characteristic powers of Kalasutra, something even Roxanne couldn’t tamper with.
This choker wrapped around her neck was said to be a holy relic.
If it truly was a holy relic that sealed the powers of its owner…
Roxanne’s complexion turned to despair.
***
“Huh? W-What’s going on?”
Suddenly, Hermit made a dumbfounded sound.
I wanted to brush it off, but something felt off.
I silently stared at Hermit.
Hermit looked back at me, her lips moving nervously.
“Um, Boss? How did you suddenly rank up to the sixth position…?”
What on earth was she talking about?