Chapter 306: I Got Bent, and I Got Stronger

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“Sorry, sorry.”

Will, nearly kicked out of the boss room by Lucifa, apologized politely to the dungeon’s “mistress.”

For now, they truly were relying on this young ruler’s hospitality.

“Next time, I won’t! Next time, I swear! I’ll definitely consider the psychological well-being of our underage empress.”

Lucifa, seeing how sincerely he was trying to rein himself in, finally relented. She pulled off her hood slightly, revealing the little demon horns on her head, and turned away with a huff.

“Ugh, you don’t have to emphasize the underage part…”

Though…

She knew! For someone born from a dungeon, with her petite stature and having to learn everything from scratch… she did come off as a little immature.

“I’m merciful, you know? Otherwise, I wouldn’t be sheltering stray dogs like you two! Just… just act normal, okay?”

She was an underground empress with a dungeon to manage, after all.

But…

She still hadn’t heard the real reason they were hiding out here—or when they planned to leave.

“By the way, what happened in these last two months? And what’s with the whole Empress thing? Even though I lost, you’ll tell me, right?”

Will pondered the question.

He wasn’t planning to hide it, but explaining his recent adventures to a sheltered demon girl like Lucifa was… tricky.

Frankly, the past few weeks hadn’t exactly been pleasant—though he wouldn’t say he hated it. Just a constant cycle of being imprisoned, toyed with, and thoroughly taken advantage of.

“Mm… well…”

Whether it was Leah, or Treya, or Eir—though their methods varied (physical confinement, psychological torment, hands-on modifications), the common thread was clear:

They all wanted to bend him over first.

Ah.

How to phrase this in a way that was both child-friendly and didn’t gloss over the real suffering?

Shuna watched him expectantly, waiting for the inevitable outrageous explanation.

“I sold my body for power.”

“Pfft—!”

Shuna burst out laughing immediately.

Of course Will would phrase it like that. The man had a talent for making himself sound like a degenerate—though, at this point, maybe it wasn’t entirely inaccurate.

“…Huh?”

Lucifa’s “underage” eyes widened.

Her “underage” head tilted.

Her “underage” mouth fell open.

“Basically, getting bent makes you stronger.”

“Mmm~ The details aren’t for little ears, though—C’mon, Will~ Let’s go to our room~”

Shuna pressed a finger to his lips, cutting off any further elaboration, then scooped him up in a princess carry.

Lucifa stared at their retreating backs.

“W-Wait! You can’t just—DON’T LEAVE ME HANGING!”

Lucifa stomped her foot in protest.

She wanted to hear the spicy details!

—

Shuna tossed Will onto the bed.

“Wow, so dominant. And—impressive stamina. You carried me all the way here without breaking a sweat.”

“Mmm… Carrying you is like hauling a sack of potatoes. Not exactly a workout.”

She crossed her arms.

“So~ Shuna-sis~ Did you bring me here to do something~?”

Will’s tone was teasing, but he wasn’t joking around like before.

Ever since they’d confirmed their feelings and formed this intimate bond, he’d noticed something…

Even though Shuna was the most mentally stable of his… companions, she still had that hungry look in her eyes.

But…

They’d been staying in the Tenth Demon Castle for days now. In adjacent rooms.

And she hadn’t made a single move.

It was suspicious.

“Not like that. It’s just… You’ve been testing your abilities nonstop, making Lucifa summon stronger bosses… You’re not saying it outright, like you’re teasing me into guessing, but I’m not stupid. You’re preparing for—”

Shockingly, Shuna actually had a serious reason for dragging him away.

Will sat up straighter.

“—That ‘death flag’ you’re destined to face, right?”

“You… knew?”

“I told you. In Treya’s dungeon, I saw your memories.”

Shuna gathered her hair, tying it up with a band, then sat beside him.

“So, in your opinion, how strong am I now? Do you think I can overcome the fate that’s supposed to kill me?”

“Barely S-rank—if you keep all your gear on. Honestly, I didn’t expect your physical abilities to improve this much.”

Shuna studied Will’s profile—his monocle adding a roguish charm his old glasses never had.

His instincts were sharp. Not just instincts, but battle imagination—his body just hadn’t kept up before.

As he put it:

“I used to be like an ace pilot stuck in a trainer plane.”

Shuna hadn’t fully understood that analogy before, but now, even without knowing the exact meaning, she felt it.

Now, thanks to the enhancements from those three, Will had become frighteningly strong.

“But if all you’re afraid of is getting crushed by a first-floor slime, you don’t need this much power.”

“Perfect. That’s the answer I wanted.”

Will grinned and snapped his fingers.

“I brought you here because I wanted to ask your plan. Now that we’re on the subject… you’re not thinking of—”

“Yep. You guessed right.”

Will tapped Shuna’s nose. Even without her finishing, he knew—that was their mutual understanment.

“I’m going straight to that dungeon.”

Whether it was timing or fate, the “death event” was fast approaching.

“Might as well face it head-on, don’t you think?”

Shuna fell silent.

Will’s expression wasn’t one of grim resolve—just calm amusement.

But still…

This was like gambling with a 1% chance of death.

And that wasn’t nothing.

—