“Everyone, be quiet... Don't wake her...”
“We must enter the Void Realm only after she's asleep. We can't let her find any traces, can't let her notice any clues... She must continue undergoing the Armoring Ceremony without knowing a thing, or the Witch will discover us.”
“Don't forget to buy return tickets before pulling off our great deception.”
“The Bronze Dragon... this is our chance! We can finally leave this prison! According to the clue from the Destiny Q&A, our departure time is scheduled for May 2nd!”
“It's time to make a decision, Diya.”
“Diya, now is not the time to go soft-hearted.”
“After the Bronze Dragon takes us away, she will only be dead weight... That's right, she is the purest, most beautiful, and kindest girl in this world, but she is also our enemy.”
“She is the sacrifice preordained by the Witch, an unformed despair, suffocating air... If she doesn't die, we will forever remain caught in the web woven by the Witch. No matter how far we flee, we will never escape the shackles of destiny. She is the mask covering our faces.”
“Diya, you alone have the right to make this decision. In this matter, and this matter alone, you cannot rely on us.”
“Because you and she were the original twins. We are merely the sisters you created.”
“It can only be you. It must be you.”
“Kill Lisi, Diya.”
Diya opened her eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling.
“Had a nightmare?” Yaxiu asked. “This is the first time I've ever seen someone shed tears in their sleep.”
“In our current state, pretty much anything we do counts as a precious first-time experience,” Sonia said, propping her chin up with her hand. “For example, gouging out your boyfriend's eyeballs for the very first time...”
“I only have two eyeballs to begin with!”
“Then ripping out your boyfriend's tongue would definitely be a novel first-time experience...”
“I'm certain the wooden cabin made a mistake,” Yaxiu declared solemnly. “How could the person I value most not be the lover who was willing to venture into this cabin of lost memories with me? The cabin is just trying to drive a wedge between us—you mustn't fall for it!”
“I don't even care who you value most,” Sonia rolled her eyes. “And don't go spouting nonsense—who said I'm your lover? That was all your self-righteous guesswork, taking advantage of my amnesia to hit on me. Hmph.”
“Since I'm not the person you cherish most, then naturally I'm not your lover either. Once we leave the cabin, let's go our separate ways. I have a physical allergy to men who are overly popular with women.”
Yaxiu mumbled, “It's not like the person you love most is me either...”
“That's because there wasn't a gender restriction, so of course I love myself the most!” Sonia retorted immediately. “If it were restricted to my favorite man, then I'd definitely—”
“Definitely what?”
“Not telling you.” Sonia turned her head away. “We're hardly well-acquainted anyway, so let's stop chatting so much.”
“Well said!”
The Watcher, who had been spectating the whole time, clapped his hands. “Now that everyone is awake, please leave the cabin as soon as possible. After all, this isn't really a suitable place to chat. Besides...”
He cast a sideways glance toward the Sword Princess behind him, and the Witch voiced the subtext he had kept tucked under his tongue: “*Besides, we have a single lady here who can't stand the sight of lovey-dovey couples. If you two keep flirting like that, you're going to get hacked to death.*”
The reason Yaxiu and the others lingered in the wooden cabin after finishing the questions was to wait for Diya to wake up. After all, based on the information revealed by the quiz questions, they had learned that Diya was suspected of being the substitute for Denzel's lover, and Denzel was an utterly hopeless, terrorist-type yandere.
If they carried an unconscious Diya out and Denzel confirmed her suspicions, she would probably snatch Diya away on the spot, lock her in a basement, and paint her in all sorts of colors.
Two people carrying an unconscious companion into battle against the ruthless, merciless Denzel would be at a massive disadvantage. That was why they preferred to wait for Diya to wake, knowing that even if she could only run away, it would still make the fight significantly easier.
Having just wiped away her sleep-tears, Diya was pulled aside by Sonia for some hushed whispers. Yaxiu took the initiative to step up to Denzel, and Denzel stood up to meet his gaze. Only then did Yaxiu realize that Denzel was noticeably taller than him; standing straight, she gave Yaxiu the distinct impression that he was the kid brother.
It was also because of her height that everyone had subconsciously assumed she was a man when Denzel first entered the cabin. After all, concealed beneath the loose Spiderweb Deceit Robe, the tall Denzel looked far more like a serial killer who had stumbled into the wooden cabin by accident.
“Interested in having a cabin tryst with me?” Yaxiu smiled. “Just you and me.”
“While I don't dislike you,” Denzel leaned down slightly and whispered into Yaxiu's ear, “I still really want to hurry up and find out just what kind of person captured my heart.”
As she spoke, Denzel's appearance began to shift once more. The Spiderweb Deceit Robe quietly tightened, transforming into a form-fitting sheer mesh tunic. Her raven-black hair was pulled back into a long ponytail, while shorts that barely covered her rear stretched tight across her toned thighs. On her hands were chain gloves crafted of black gold.
If Denzel as the Maiden of Secret-Peeking was an inviolable saintess, then in her current form she was like a shadow-stalker adept at infiltration warfare.
“What is this?”
“Spider Tower's fourth unit type: Assassin Specialist.”
“Spider Tower · Assassin Specialist: Melee attacks deal +30% damage to the soul. 3 layers of armor, humanoid creature, innately possesses the special miracles ‘Direct Death’ and ‘Concealment.’ Consumes 7 soul power per unit.”
[Direct Death: All things have weaknesses. The Assassin Specialist excels at catching discordant notes in the melody of destiny, utterly slaying enemies by destroying their fate. Attacks have a chance to bypass enemy armor.]
[Concealment: When other Spider Tower unit types are present, the Assassin Specialist will never be the primary target of an attack; enemies must eliminate all other Spider Tower units before they can notice the Assassin Specialist's existence.]
Although the wooden cabin prohibited the use of the “Maiden of Secret-Peeking” ability, Denzel could still employ other unit types, just as Yaxiu's “Star Flinger Warrior” state remained active.
Yaxiu narrowed his eyes, knowing that Denzel would never simply watch Diya walk away.
Although he could hold Denzel off here on his own and let Sonia and Diya leave first... that was obviously the worst option. Denzel was only one person, after all. The optimal strategy was clearly to leave the wooden cabin, regain one hundred percent of their combat power, and suppress Denzel through sheer numbers!
Yaxiu exchanged glances with Sonia and Diya, and they silently reached a consensus on the plan of action.
Of course, while leaving the cabin would restore their combat power to one hundred percent, the same applied to Denzel. Still, there was no reason three of them couldn't beat Denzel alone, right?!
“And... my little counterfeit lover, aren't you being far too careless?”
A pair of hands quietly snaked around Yaxiu's body—one locking around his neck, the other clasping his waist. Denzel pulled Yaxiu tightly into her embrace!
The dormant armor of the “Star Flinger Warrior” on Yaxiu instantly materialized, attempting to resist the wicked woman's embrace, but it was futile—the Assassin Specialist gloves on Denzel's hands could also ignore armor!
Yaxiu lost any chance to resist. His neck was now firmly in Denzel's grasp, and Yaxiu had already experienced the strength of this towering mistress earlier—his neck wouldn't withstand a fraction of her grip and would snap as easily as a wafer cookie.
Yaxiu remained calm. “You want to take me hostage?”
Denzel's breath grazed Yaxiu's earlobe. “I only want to linger a little longer with my little lover before I regain my memories.”
Seeing this, Sonia immediately gripped her sword hilt, but Yaxiu stopped her with a look.
At the same time, in the phantom camp, the Watcher pressed an index finger to his lips, his gaze pressing the Sword Princess's hips back down just as she was about to rise from her chair.
“Wonderful. I also wanted to feel my lover's warmth a bit more before leaving, since there might never be another chance once we step outside,” Yaxiu said with a smile. “Let's go. It's time to leave this cabin that... gave our relationship a fresh start.”
The four of them walked up to the cabin door. Denzel and Yaxiu stood on one side, while Sonia and Diya stood on the other.
Yaxiu took hold of the doorknob, then abruptly stopped.
Chapter 314