’Let’s leave this place first.’
After doing so exercises to get used to his new physical strength, Dante covered Ruby with so clothes and carried her on his back.
Walking toward the corpses of the wyrm and the maggots, Dante decided to store them in his ring.
Because of the significant boost in his Spirit stat, the space inside the Ring of Greed expanded, allowing it to store those large beasts easily.
’Her backpack is still there.’ Dante glanced at the blocked entrance and sighed in helplessness. The backpack that contained Ruby’s most valuable items was still inside.
Dante wanted to bring it back, but he simply couldn’t do that. If he tried to push his way through the ruins with force, he’d be putting his life in danger.
Why was he certain?
It was because he could now see strange obsidian-black spikes at the entrance.
’They have to be the misfortune spikes from the new description of the luck-seeing eye. I don’t know what they do, but I know that anything related to misfortune isn’t good.’
Thinking of that, Dante turned around and walked to the path he ca from. He was now faster than before, and the stealth effect of his Shadow Aspect had grown stronger because of his new core and high Spirit stat. This allowed him to travel quickly.
He still didn’t check his new relic, the unnad mask, because currently, he... didn’t want to do that.
He had to calm his emotions first, as his thoughts about that mask weren’t the best. He was even thinking about not using that mask ever.
While travelling, Dante didn’t forget to absorb the Rank 2 cores that he had saved for his mont.
He had only 250, so he absorbed 200 and kept the remaining 50. Imdiately, a surge of strength flowed through his body. It was higher than the boosts he usually gained when he was only Rank 1.
Existence Essence ⟨0/1500⟩ → ⟨200/1500⟩
• Vitality: 93 → 98
• Spirit: 81 → 85
• Mind: 63 → 68
For every 100 Existence Essence, Dante’s stats didn’t increase by 1, but 2 points!
Alongside the treasures that every Rank 2 being had used to increase their stats, they also received a lot of stats from the cores alone.
That was why the strong Rank 2 beings had a high Spirit stat even if it wasn’t their main stat. By adding the stats of the Rank 1 and 2 together, that was 40 points from absorbing cores alone!
In other words, adding the stats from advancing, Dante would beco a monster in terms of raw power without relying on treasures.
"Uhh... my head and chest are burning..."
After running for a few hours, Dante heard Ruby’s voice behind his ear.
’She’s awake...’ Dante stopped running imdiately, his chest falling and rising continuously.
She finally woke up.
The person who had just lost his freedom to him finally woke up.
Despite having a trait that gave him resistance to fear, Dante still felt intense fear that prevented him from turning around and looking at Ruby’s face.
He wished that the ground would split open and swallow him, as he thought that it was better than the coming encounter.
"My lord?"
"..."
Upon hearing her, Dante felt a piece of his heart being ripped apart. The guilt he was enduring overwheld his body again, causing him to tremble slightly.
She had called him "my lord" without doubt or hesitation. She had said it as though it was the most natural fact in the world.
That was even worse than Dante had imagined. He thought that she’d show so resistance or confusion at first, but he didn’t think that it’d be that instant!
"My lord, your breath is heavy! Are you okay? Are you injured? If you let check your condition, I might have sothing to help!" Ruby said with concern before placing one hand on Dante’s neck and the other on his forehead, checking his temperature and heartbeat.
"I-I’m okay..." Dante said as his breath beca heavier, then he gently placed Ruby on the ground, finally turning around to look at her.
The sigil on her head was glowing subtly like a soft candle, and her beautiful red eyes were fixed on Dante’s figure with genuine concern.
"Ignore ... Ruby, are you okay? How do you feel?" Dante asked after a mont of hesitation, even though he was afraid of hearing her response.
"How do I feel? I feel great!" Ruby answered with shining eyes: "My lord, you have finally carried on your back! I have been honoured. I have been blessed! I... I’m so happy!"
Dante’s face paled imdiately.
’...I don’t want that.’
A person who was extrely happy just for being carried by him... that wasn’t sothing that Dante wanted. Not like this, not that way.
"I an... Why are you calling your lord?" Dante bit his lower lip: "Did you forget what I did to you? I suddenly attacked you and inscribed these sigils on you! I’m a monster, a beast! Why aren’t you cursing and insulting ? Why are you okay with being a slave!"
"I rember, and I’m okay with it!" Two lines of tears slid down Ruby’s cheeks, then she continued: "I’m not stupid. I know that sothing controlled you, I still rember hearing you fighting with soone! But you don’t have to worry or feel guilt."
Ruby stood up and snapped her finger. The next mont, a glowing flower appeared in her hand.
"That’s..."
"Ses? It’s the Sorcerer’s Gift!" Ruby excitedly made three other flowers materialize: "I feel stronger and better, I can cast spells at will, and I feel like I’m more beautiful! That’s from you, right? You have given this!"
She took a step forward and held Dante’s hand gently before adding: "My lord, believe , I was living like a hollow shell all these years. I was just doing so trades, earning money, and sleeping with n. I have no family or friends, I have no goal to live!"
Dante struggled to speak, but then Ruby raised his hand to her cheek and continued: "But now, I didn’t only get more strength, but also a goal to live for!"
"I want to see you smiling, I want to ease your concern and help you fight, I want to serve you and be used by you, and I want to follow you to the end of the world!"
"So please, don’t feel any guilt, and don’t be mad at yourself. Becoming your slave was the best thing that happened to my life."
Every word Ruby had said was like a kick to Dante’s guts.
Her speech was genuine and sweet, which would have brought relief to Dante’s heart if he didn’t know the truth.
"You are not Ruby." Dante whispered, causing Ruby to frown: "The sigils work on altering your mind and soul. What you have just said isn’t your real thoughts, but the thoughts of the new person you have beco."
Ruby opened her mouth: "But I really don’t mind being your slave—"
"Ruby, YOU DON’T KNOW !" Dante gritted his teeth: "What the hell do you an by you don’t mind being my slave? Why wouldn’t you mind? What did you use to feel that being my slave is good, huh? Nothing!"
"You don’t know about my race, you don’t know about my class, you don’t know about my regression, you don’t know about my past, you don’t know about any of my secrets. With such lack of knowledge, on what principle did you decide that I’m a good person and master?"
"Didn’t you see that I have killed soone’s mother? Why do you think I’m not a killer who hides after committing massacres?"
"Ruby, if I told you that I had killed millions of people, including won and children, all for fun, would you still serve ?"
Ruby nodded without hesitation: "I will, I definitely will keep serving you. My lord, I don’t care about your past. I’m sure your current self is good enough to know what’s best to do, whether it’s redemption or killing more people. If you don’t know, I’m ready to give you guidance."
Dante’s expression twisted into sothing between anger and sadness: "If I... if I order you to torture a child... will you do it? Will you throw away your morals as a human only because you’re a slave for a bad person like ?"
"I... I understand what you an..." Ruby looked down and answered: "My lord, my body and soul belong only to you. If you want to burn a village and torture its children, I’ll do it with no hesitation. But I know you won’t ask for that!"
"Yes, maybe I have changed a little, but I’m still the old Ruby. I’m genuinely happy to be yours! Even if my mind is affected as you say, does this an that my happiness isn’t real? If I’m smiling, then I’m smiling. You don’t have to overthink everything."
Seeing Ruby’s bright smile, Dante raised his hand and scratched the top of his head aggressively until it bled, trying to decide what to do now.
"M-my lord, please stop, you’re hurting yourself!" Ruby held Dante’s hand firmly, trying to stop him, but she struggled against his imnse strength.
"Ruby, you’re free." Dante hissed: "I command you to be free and never obey again. You aren’t my slave anymore, you’re free to do whatever you want."
"My lord, I’m not following your orders because I’m forced to, but because I want to follow them." Ruby shook her head: "And I don’t want to follow this. Please don’t abandon , my lord. I’ll stay with you until you accept , until you realize that I love you so much!"
"And I hate you so much!" Dante pushed Ruby away and fell onto the ground, leaning his back against the wall and hugging his knees.
"I hate you for not obeying the only order I’m giving to you."
"I hate myself and my life that led to beco like this."
"I hate that damn centipede who caused all this!"
"I hate this stupid world and all the magical things that make no sense."
"I HATE YOU ALL!"
"I HATE EVERYTHING!!"
User Comments
0 comments from readers