Spider Tower's Sixth Unit: Maiden of Secret-Peeking

"Wait!" Sonia asked, "Are you sure these four paintings are all different people? Not four portraits of the same person?" "Right now, we are the ones asking you," the Sword Princess said calmly. "We will not, cannot, and do not wish to answer any questions regarding the prompt." Yaxiu asked, "Then what do you mean by 'becoming reality'? If they answer correctly, is the reward granting their wish by letting them die together with their chosen target?" The Witch made a mischievous face. "It might not necessarily require a correct answer, you know—" "Witch!" the Sword Princess barked. "In short, you can wait and see with eager anticipation," the Witch giggled. Diya kept staring at the four paintings, muttering softly under her breath, as if conversing with someone. "Is it you? No? But aside from you all, no one could look so much like me... I think that one looks a bit like you..." Yaxiu looked at her with concern, bringing his hand closer to her mouth. "Don't just stare. Take a bite." Diya gently nibbled Yaxiu's hand, holding back reservedly after a tiny taste. Even though four portraits of herself had suddenly appeared, Diya didn't seem mentally shaken by it; on the contrary, she found it quite interesting. It was like seeing a childhood photo of herself with her sisters. She and the sisters in her head began trying to distinguish who was who based on clothing, expression, and appearance. Everyone was getting along harmoniously, without any quarreling. This was largely because Yaxiu was right beside her as a flesh-and-blood stress-relief valve, giving Diya much more courage. A moment ago, hearing her sisters' discussions would only make her curl into a corner and cover her ears, suffering terribly when they inevitably began arguing. But now, able to bite Yaxiu whenever she needed to reduce her stress, Diya gathered her courage and actively engaged with them. Many things in life were a difference between zero and one. Once Diya attempted to accept them, she found they weren't really all that terrifying. As long as she could take that first step, the road ahead wouldn't be as hard to walk. With these four paintings as common ground, Diya even dared to argue back, only needing to nibble Yaxiu when their voices grew a bit too loud. She didn't even do it just to vent stress, but rather as a tactful way of telling them: *Please don't argue so loudly.* If Diya had bluntly told them she hated them, one of the sisters in her head—the one wearing a black butler uniform—would only make sarcastic remarks and snide digs at her, and then the sister in white would fight with her, driving Diya to tears. With Yaxiu's hand serving as an auxiliary signal, however, those unspoken, humble pleas resonated far more easily. Every time Diya bit or licked his hand, the volume in her mind dropped noticeably, and her sisters would temper their arguments and tone down the intensity of their debate. "How are we supposed to tell them apart..." Sonia complained. "All four look identical... So can I only pick you, Knight?" "Why don't you think it over a bit more?" Yaxiu said nervously. "The question asks, 'Who would you want to die with?' I think—" "Isn't this completely reasonable?" Sonia countered. "According to your logic, you and I are long-term lovers who know each other inside out. Because our relationship hit a stagnant slump, you went off to find new thrills and fell for a mistress, but I still love you deep down... Under those circumstances, if I'm about to die, there's no way I'd let you live on and enjoy yourself!" Yaxiu's eyes went wide. "Isn't there an option like 'I hope you find happiness after I'm gone'?!" Sonia thought about it seriously. "No, absolutely not. Just to make sure, I think I'd even have you die right in front of my eyes so I could pass away in peace." If Yaxiu had only doubted his deduction a moment ago, he was now convinced he had gotten it dead wrong—she was definitely not his lover! *At least, God, please don't let her be!* Just then, Yaxiu noticed Denzel staring intently at one of the paintings. Following her gaze, he saw she was looking at the portrait of the girl with the spiderweb blindfold. He asked, "Mistress, do you have any ideas?" Denzel glanced at him. She hadn't intended to say anything, but at the thought that he might be her beloved, she admitted frankly, "I think I know why I entered this wooden cabin." At those words, everyone looked at her. Yaxiu asked, "How do you know?" "Because of her." Denzel pointed at the spiderweb blindfold. "Seeing this blindfold made me remember: I possess an ability that allows me to see through falsehoods and weave reality. Even if I've lost my memories, I can use this ability to obtain the correct answer directly. "I came in here because I knew with absolute certainty that I could pass the trials." Without waiting for Yaxiu or the others to ask, Denzel took a step back. A dark-blue magic circle bearing a spider insignia appeared on the floorboards beneath her feet. Strands of white spider silk stretched upward from the array, weaving along her shins and wrapping around her body. In just a few seconds, a brand-new Denzel appeared before everyone—her loose, all-covering spiderweb robe had vanished, replaced by an airy silk outfit woven from white spider thread. White silk leg-wraps exposed only her dainty toes, a short spider-silk skirt accentuated the fair curves of her thighs, and a chest wrap cradled rather than compressed her ample figure, drawing it into trembling curves. Flowing ribbons were tied around her hands, and her long hair was tied into a casual ponytail. Just like in the painting, she wore a spiderweb blindfold over her eyes, adding an aura of unapproachable mystery to her dignified, sacred presence. She walked over and sat down beside Yaxiu, her hips pressing a shallow depression into the cushioned chair. In that moment, Yaxiu was once again entirely confident in his deduction—*My theory was right! She's definitely my mistress! Absolutely!* Already secretly anticipating the wonderful days ahead once they regained their memories and left the cabin, Yaxiu quickly asked, "What ability is this?" Facing her beloved's inquiry, Denzel did not hide it. "Spider Tower's sixth unit, Maiden of Secret-Peeking." [Spider Tower: Maiden of Secret-Peeking: Any attack deals +40% soul damage. 4 layers of armor. Humanoid creature. Innately possesses the special miracles 'Secret-Peeking,' 'Weaving,' and 'Concealment.' Consumes 15 points of soul power per unit.] [Secret-Peeking: No secret can hide from the Maiden of Secret-Peeking. The Maiden can obtain all information regarding a target's abilities, including but not limited to command skills, soul power, miracles, equipable units, and more.] [Weaving: Destiny is the Maiden of Secret-Peeking's thread. When used on allies, grants a series of buffs including increased luck, protection from stray arrows, higher chance to strike vitals, damage taken guaranteed to be at minimum value, and enemies actively walking over to act as meat shields; when used on enemies, inflicts a series of debuffs including reduced luck, increased chance of being hit, increased chance of suffering fatal blows, attack damage dealt guaranteed to be at minimum value, tripping over flat ground, and more. Casting time ranges from 1 to 60 seconds, with effects scaling stronger over time.] [Concealment: As long as other Spider Tower units exist, the Maiden of Secret-Peeking will never be the primary attack target; enemies must eliminate all other Spider Tower units before they can perceive her presence.] "Can you make us into Maidens of Secret-Peeking too?" Sonia immediately asked. Denzel shook her head. Her gesture didn't mean she couldn't, but rather— "Why would I turn you into Maidens of Secret-Peeking?" Everyone froze. "If the Knight's deduction is correct, and I am his mistress while you two are his sister and lover—and we're on terrible terms—then my strategy right now should be..." Denzel slipped her arms under Yaxiu's armpits and pulled him into an embrace. Her strength was surprisingly formidable, lifting Yaxiu and carrying him several steps back. Her voice was calm and distinct. "To leave you both trapped here forever, while the Knight and I leave on our own." *Hiss, hiss, hiss—* Without anyone noticing, invisible spider threads had already wound around Sonia and Diya. The webbing clinging to them was dull, murky, and sticky, like the tongue of a swamp, like demonic barbs. Within seconds, it grew thicker and thicker around them, locking them into a cage of decay. "Ah! It's so dirty!" Diya jumped up in fright, frantically tugging with both hands to tear the webs away. But the threads seemed both real and illusory; far from pulling them off, she only tangled them tighter. The multicolored girl was now completely filthy, and because she was thrashing around on her chair, one of the chair legs suddenly snapped, sending her tumbling onto her backside on the floor. "You—!" Sonia's eyes turned sharp. She drew her sword and lunged at Denzel, but a split second later, her toe caught on something, and she slammed face-first onto the wooden floorboards, sending her sword flying out of her hand! The power of Weaving was truly terrifying! Without breaking a sweat, Denzel had neutralized two opponents! Yaxiu stood dazed, only now snapping back to his senses. Turning his head toward Denzel, he said, "Mistress, there's no need for this, is there? We don't even have our memories. Maybe—" "There are no 'maybes.'" Denzel leaned gently against Yaxiu's cheek, her deep violet lips brushing against the corner of his mouth. "Just as you said, personality dictates memory. I know very well what kind of person I am. If I truly love someone, my heart will hold only that single person, and I will demand that their eyes reflect no one other than me. "If you really are my beloved, Knight... If I really am your mistress... "Then I will not let you leave me, nor will I allow anyone else near you. Love is exclusive; love is mutual possession. "Though I don't know why my past self never got rid of the two pests clinging to you..." Denzel's tone was completely devoid of inflection, as if she were merely explaining why there was no Lalafell for breakfast, "I am certain my future self will thank me for what I do today." Yaxiu hadn't anticipated that the harmonious crystal palace he had worked so hard to construct would blow up in his face like this. When deducing their relationships earlier, it would have been a lie to say he had no selfish motives; he had deliberately placed himself as the focal hub connecting everyone, aiming to earn their attention and goodwill. Evidently, it had worked. Sister Diya was very obedient, Lover Sonia had slowly opened up despite her lingering wariness, and Mistress Denzel had remained quiet and reserved. By and large, Yaxiu had the situation under control, and through his careful steering, no violent brawls had broken out inside the cabin. Yet the reason Denzel had stayed silent all along was simply that she hadn't believed a single word of Yaxiu's theories, letting him babble whatever nonsense he pleased. Only when Yaxiu used the phantoms' reactions to demonstrate that she truly was his mistress did Denzel reveal a sliver of her true nature—the terrifying leviathan lurking beneath the calm sea had awakened. Seeing the real counterparts suddenly start fighting, the phantom Sword Princess narrowed her eyes slightly, her fingertips touching the ruby hilt of her sword— *Hm?* A spine-chilling gaze pierced right through the phantom's frame. The Sword Princess tilted her head slightly and saw the Watcher smiling at her. After a moment of silence, she drew her fingers back from the hilt, and only then did the Watcher look away. The Witch watched the women fighting with great amusement. Only the Empress noticed the exchange between the two phantoms, a glimmer of suspicion flickering across her eyes. Noticing that Yaxiu seemed to want to break free from her embrace, Denzel tightened her hold. "Don't move. Just leave it to me. It will be over soon. I don't want to hurt you..." Yet Yaxiu suddenly spun around and forcefully wrapped his arms around Denzel. Denzel froze slightly, then compliantly buried her face against his chest. Even without any memories, this feeling... didn't seem bad. "You are a very dangerous woman," Yaxiu whispered softly into her ear. "Dazzling, gorgeous, and yet your feelings are so intense, so mad. If it were up to me, I'd surely be hopelessly captivated by you, even at the cost of losing everything. "I'm even wondering whether we came to this place with the intention of luring those two here to get rid of them, so that we could be together forever without any worries." Still fighting against the spider silk, Diya froze, lying dazed on the ground as she stared at Yaxiu's back. Sonia, who had just tried to get back up, crashed to the floor once more. For some reason, the fall felt exceptionally painful this time, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes. A flicker of joy finally appeared on Denzel's calm face. "I am glad you can understand my decision." "However," Yaxiu said, holding Denzel tightly, "that is completely impossible. Because..." "I know very well that I'm not the kind of man who has the stomach for ruthlessness." *Pfft.* The Witch let out a sudden giggle for reasons unknown, yet no one paid attention to her laughter, because— *Whoosh!* Blue flames erupted across Yaxiu's body. Denzel tried to break free, only to discover that even with the reinforcement of her unit, her strength was completely suppressed by Yaxiu! It wasn't just her physical strength. The four layers of armor protecting her were bypassed like thin air, leaving her practically defenseless against his grip! The armor had been easily pierced by the blue flame... This was an ability that ignored armor! The blue flames condensed and solidified into a suit of armor around Yaxiu, arming him as a Stardust Crusader! Star Hall: Star Flinger Warrior! Yaxiu dropped his hips slightly, snapped his waist backward, and hurled his upper body down, carrying Denzel with him— A suplex! *Crash!* A bass-heavy thud shook the entire wooden cabin, and the surrounding furniture quivered as if applauding the spectacle. Denzel's vision spun. By the time her senses returned, Yaxiu was already straddling her, pinning her down. Pressing an elbow against her neck, he said seriously, "Undo their Weaving." "Just kill me." "What?" "If you insist on protecting them, then kill me," Denzel said calmly. "I won't regret my choice, nor will I change my mind. Right now, you are my beloved and they are my enemies. Only one side can survive between them and me—and now, I hand that choice to you." "We don't even have our memories right now. Can't we just—" "Are you really that reliant on solidified clichés?" Denzel said. "If we lose our memories forever and have to start fresh from this moment on, would you choose to stay with me and abandon them in this cabin?" Yaxiu fell silent for a moment. Denzel, gazing through her blindfold as though seeing everything, said in a slightly disappointed tone, "It seems you've made your choice." "Actually, I hadn't finished my deduction," Yaxiu said suddenly. "While it's highly likely we share an intimate relationship... the person each of you is closest to might not necessarily be me. "Mistress, didn't you notice that you only remembered your 'Maiden of Secret-Peeking' ability after looking at that painting? That question belongs to you." Denzel paused. "You mean—" "The one dearest to your heart might not be me." Yaxiu glanced back at Diya. "It could be her. "If we lose all our memories after leaving this cabin, you certainly won't regret going on a killing spree right now. But what if you kill them, only to find out after stepping outside that the person you love most in the world has turned into a corpse? Will you regret it then?" Denzel lapsed into silence. Yaxiu inwardly breathed a sigh of relief and pressed his advantage against her defenses. "You see, killing someone here carries the risk of irreparable negative consequences, but helping people here only yields positive returns. Even if you help an enemy by mistake, you can always settle the score after regaining your memories. There's no need for us to fight—" "Then what about Lover?" Denzel asked suddenly. "The Knight and Sister both appeared in my question, but Lover didn't. In that case, killing her should carry no risk at all, right?" Yaxiu went quiet for a moment, then nodded. "Yes." Sonia froze. She didn't try to stand up again, didn't yell, and didn't beg for mercy. Instead, like a little girl beneath a great tree, she stared down at the wood grain on the floor, stubbornly refusing to make any gesture to plead with Yaxiu. "But right now, she is my lover, and I am her knight," Yaxiu said seriously. "Could you do me a favor and spare her?" "Why not just kill me instead?" "Because right now, you are my mistress. And besides—" Yaxiu tilted his head slightly. "I don't want to have regrets either." Denzel stared at Yaxiu through her blindfold. After three breaths, she gave a slight nod. "Very well. But you owe me one." "I'll pay it back." When Yaxiu helped Denzel back to her feet, the spiderwebs covering Sonia and Diya silently dissolved. Four pairs of eyes met. Sonia, who had been reduced to a wretched state by the webbing, naturally looked furious. Even Diya dared to shoot a few covert glares at Denzel. Denzel's expression, however, remained unchanged, showing no intention of apologizing. Yaxiu sighed, wondering if building this castle in the sky had been a mistake. Steeling himself, he stepped between them. "Can we answer the questions first?" Hearing the pleading note in his voice, Sonia shot him a venomous glare before sitting down grudgingly. Diya seized Yaxiu's hand, gave it a fierce bite, blew on it softly to show she was also very upset, and then sat down beside Sonia. "Oh? Is it over already?" The Witch seemed slightly disappointed by the short-lived show. "Then let's begin the questions." At that moment, the three looked toward Denzel. Yaxiu asked, "Can you see the answer to this question?" Denzel nodded and activated her 'Secret-Peeking' ability. The patterns on the spiderweb blindfold over her eyes glowed with faint purple light. "My answer is—her." * * * Fanmula, the Sennheiser family district. "It's already three o'clock, and Yaxiu's Void Realm connection is stable," Banjie said upon returning. "It seems the Blissful Tranquility Agency didn't make a move tonight." "Or perhaps they've already returned in defeat," Annan said, lying in bed with a facial mask on. "Underestimating Yaxiu always comes at a heavy cost." "Yet Mr. Heath didn't appear on any rankings..." "He did. First place, in fact." Annan kept her eyes closed. "You don't actually think first place on the Art Board was my doing, do you?" "It could still be the result of the arrangements you made, Young Miss..." "If it was because of those arrangements, why didn't Igola and the others get ranked?" Annan said. "Since the Gospel chose Yaxiu, that means he possesses extraordinary qualities we know nothing about. Check the news first thing tomorrow morning; Yaxiu might just give us a surprise. "Go get some rest. I'm going into the Void Realm as well." Banjie nodded and quietly closed the bedroom door without making a sound. Annan lay in bed for a moment. Rather than summoning a sorcery spirit to open the Gate of Truth, she summoned the Book of Gospel. "Better confirm the plan one more time..." the young miss murmured softly. She tapped the Book of Gospel gently, and the remaining points on her account began draining at a staggering rate. At the same time, a spiderweb blindfold formed over her eyes. This was the Doran family's greatest secret—the treasure Sennheiser could never obtain. And the trump card that gave Annan the courage to profane a god! [Password: Denzel Miller Clement Joseph ... Rex Annan.] [Verification passed. Welcome back, Your Majesty the Empress.] "Burn the name of Doran; pierce through the web of the Gospel!" Annan's voice turned distant and cold, as if speaking through another's throat. "Let me see a farther future."