My clothes tattered and my breath heavy, I was making my way through the forest of giant flowers and syrup swamps. I was running with everything I got, except I didn't have that much, to begin with. 

How did things end up like this?! I wanted to scream, but it would only waste more of my energy. The energy I desperately needed if I wanted to survive my predicament. 

It was supposed to be just another Crawl! I thought bitterly. Since when F-Tier Dungeons turn into deadly traps in a matter of minutes?! 

"Pyon-pyon-pyon!" A chill ran down my spine as the foreboding noises got closer and closer. I would consider the characteristic crying sounds of Candy Rabbits cute if I wasn't aware of what would happen to me when they catch up. Perhaps jumping into the syrup swamp would be a better choice—at least I would die with a sweet taste in my mouth instead of being devoured alive. 

Each Dungeon was a space like a separate world. This, in particular, had a sugary theme and would be totally loved by children if any were allowed inside. 

Candy Rabbits were some of the weakest monsters out there. Their bones were literally made of candies—tasty ones, to be fair. One of my Party members had shared with me their loot, once. It was a taste to die for. Not literally, of course. Perhaps now it was my turn to provide the Rabbits with a dainty. 

I doubt that they would like the taste of my bones, but who knows? I tried to distract my mind from the fact that my Physical Fatigue was close to its limit. In the corner of my vision, I could see my current state. 

HP: 37/50

MP: 0/0

PF: 87%

MF: 35%

I'd lost some of my Health Points back when my companions still hadn't abandoned me. As one of the few Level 0 individuals out there, I had no Mana. And even if I had any, it would be meaningless as I had no Skills to use them on. 

My Physical Fatigue was close to its limit. Heck, even my Mental Fatigue was rather high despite the fact that I hadn't used any magic—stress from being betrayed and left behind to die could do this even to the best of us, let alone to me. 

I had been used by my Party to bait monsters so that they could avoid the risks. This fact still weighed heavily at the back of my mind. Perhaps if they all fought valiantly and cleverly, everyone would be safe. But it would have been too much of a risk, right? Wasn't it easier to just sacrifice someone useless and insignificant to guarantee their escape? 

I hadn't been particularly close with my current Party. But most of them had been nice to me. Unlike some of my older Parties, they had kept their insults to the bare minimum, and I even had a sort of emotional connection to one of the girls. This only made their betrayal so much more painful. Though it had also revealed something unexpected about one of them, I had no mental power left to ponder deeper about this fact. I was already past my endurance limit. 

My heart was beating like crazy. My legs felt like jelly. My shoulder pulsated with pain from the wound I'd received from my supposed ally. I couldn't run anymore, and so I crawled instead. The marmalade grass felt strange to the touch, but it didn't matter. I still desperately clung to the hope of escaping this Hell even if I knew that it was impossible. 

The reason why Crawlers could clear Dungeons despite always being outnumbered by monsters was simple—each dungeon-born creature had a Zone which it rarely left. Each Zone could have only a limited number of monsters inside it, so a situation where humans were required to deal with overwhelming numbers almost never happened. Almost...

"Pyon-pyon!" a cute cry sounded just a dozen yards behind me. 

Still crawling on my fours—an irony of doing this as a Crawler hadn't escaped me—I turned my head away ever so slowly. Nine pairs of pink eyes were looking at me with curiosity. My whole body trembled from terror. 

The fluffy little bastards all were the size of a large dog, their rabbit ears playfully swaying from side to side. For some reason, they didn't hop at me with their crystal-like candy teeth. For some reason, they didn't activate their Candy Spikes Skill to make me into a bloodied mess. They just silently watched, as if waiting for someone's command... 

Their lack of action gave me the opportunity to crawl close to the edge of the forest trail, nearing the swamp. If the monsters leaped at me, I'd try to throw at least some of them into it as my last attempt to survive. Perhaps it would scare away the rest of the gang, and they would leave me alone... This was highly unlikely, but such a basic course of action was still better than just waiting for death. If worst came to worst, at least I would have the chance to drown myself in this sweety fluid instead of being ripped apart. 

A sudden bang attracted my attention just when I was preparing for my last stand. Jumping from the thirty-foot-tall chamomile, a girl appeared in the mid of the Candy Rabbits. 

"Ta-da!" the girl exclaimed as she took what I could only call an awkward ballet pose. She was standing on her right leg while her left one was raised behind her body and extended in a straight line. 

"How do you like my entrance pose, human?" the girl asked me innocently as she made a perfectly executed pirouette. She had a rather thick British accent. 

The girl's gracious looks and noble pedigree made me forget about my hopeless situation for a brief moment. Her charming voice made me want to listen to it on repeat. Her beautiful victorian dress made her remind me of a princess. For a moment, I considered that she was a goddess that descended from heaven to save me. Then, a more rational part of my mind told me that perhaps she was sent by the Association to save me. In the end, though, I noticed some disturbing details about my "savior". 

Two curved horns at the sides of the girl's head were barely hidden by her gorgeous violet hair. A slick black tail with a heart-shaped tip helped her to keep her close to perfect balance. Her cute, friendly smile revealed two sharp fangs unlike those of a human. The realization that I was totally screwed downed un me. 

In the year 2072, no one in their right mind would cosplay a demon. It was too damn dangerous. Too many people—I included—had lost someone close to them to Dungeon Outbreaks. And who were the culprits behind these terrible events if not demons? 

"C'mon, don't be so stiff, mate!" the demon pouted at me as she crossed her arms. "You're the first human lucky enough to be in my company, and yet you can't even greet me properly?!" 

I didn't find her actions amusing in any capacity. Mere seconds ago, I had considered her remarkably attractive, and now I couldn't even recognize her as a member of the opposite sex. My heart was filled with fear, apprehension, and, more than anything, hate. I gritted my teeth and gave her an unyielding glare as I stood up from my awkward position. 

"Nice to meet you, miss demon," I said with unhidden hostility. As far as I knew, there could be only two reasons why a demon would waste their breath talking to a human. Either they wanted to enjoy a lively conversation while torturing their victim, or they planned to make a Pact. It was hard to say which option was worse. 

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"Hey, what's with this attitude?!" the demon girl complained. "I'm being nice to you, and you give me the cold shoulder in exchange?!" 

As I properly stood on my two legs and slightly recovered my calm, I realized that there was no point in antagonizing her. Perhaps playing along with her whims would give me a chance to escape or convince her to let me go. A small chance of salvation was still better than sure death. 

Suppressing my negative emotions, I bowed my head—mostly to hide my still distorted expression—and said in the calmest voice I could muster, "Sorry for being rude to you just now. The last half an hour was really rough at me, you know?" 

"Ha-ha, of course, I know!" the demon beamed at me, seemingly forgetting her displeasure. She then added, pointing at the Candy Rabbits. "After all, it was me who commanded these little cuties to attack you lot!" 

No matter how much I wanted to survive and come back to Elise, I still felt shame for trying to sweet-talk a demon. I had known all along that there was no point in talking to this evil creature. Though her claim made me rather doubtful—how would a low-Level demon be able to tame so many monsters at once? And if she wasn't a low-Level, she wouldn't be able to enter an F-Tier Dungeon in the first place. Then again, this whole situation had been extremely unusual since the beginning—it was almost impossible to encounter a demon in a Dungeon under C-Tier, let alone in an F-Tier one. 

"At first," the girl spoke while slowly making her way towards me, "I had planned to just kill you all. But who knew that those assholes would be so cruel to their comrade? I really feel you, mate."

Before I could as much as move a finger, the demon waved her hand, sending a pink cloud of smoke at me. A pleasant, intoxicating smell made me dazed for a moment before my whole body went stiff. 

The girl continued, "You know, I had two older sisters who'd always loved to bully me. They treated me as their disposable toy. So yeah, I really can empathize with you, mate. It would be bloody unfair if those four bastards get away with what they did, right? But fear not, young Padawan! I've sealed this Dungeon already, so those arseholes won't leave without my permission. Cool, right? Are you grateful, right?!"

At the corner of my vision, a message appeared, notifying me that I had been paralyzed. Based on the girl's looks, it wasn't hard to guess that she was a demon of lust. In other words, a succubus. Their kind was relatively weak at direct combat. But at the same time, they were one of the hardest demon types to deal with because of their ability to inflict Status Effects. 

"You hate them, right?" the succubus asked as she leaned her well-endowed body close enough for her chest to touch mine. Thankfully due to paralysis, I had no way to feel aroused from our close contact. 

Among the Demonic Houses, the Luxuria House had the highest number of humans Pacted to them. I could perfectly understand why this was the case. Despite the danger of the situation and my hate towards demonkin, I still couldn't help but be enthralled by her large pink-colored eyes. 

"Do you want to be friends with me?" the succubus sensually whispered in my ear. "Those people have treated you like garbage because you are weak. If you enter the dark side with me, young Padawan...then you'll gain the power to make them pay. How does it sound?" 

I wasn't sure what she meant by dark side or Padawan. Was it some sort of demon-slang? 

"Make a Pact with me, human," the demon distanced herself from me and kneeled before one of the Candy Rabbits. She then proceeded to talk to me while petting its milky fur. 

"For some reason, I took a liking of you, mate." The succubus gently stroked the rabbit's head, but I knew that she was still speaking to me. "Of course, we still can't be equals. I offer you a Master-Servant Pact, with me being the master, obviously. Don't worry, though. I treat my pets very well. You'll have all the best food you want. With my help, you'll easily gain wealth and status in your human world. You'll also have beautiful females to mate with. I think it should be obvious, but the higher your ranking among humans is, the more useful you're to me. So I'll make sure that you'll have everything you ever wanted and more." 

To my shame, I really considered her offer for a moment. Sure, I'd become an enemy of humanity, but why would I care if it meant that I had a chance to find a cure for my sister? I knew that she wasn't lying to me. Those who made a Pact with demons usually had a significant advantage over other Crawlers. Most of them, eventually, were exposed and hunted down, but this usually happened after they had done something atrocious after already becoming influential people. 

And yet, I couldn't help but remember the faces of my parents. They had sacrificed themselves to save Elise and me. They had lost their lives because of demons. Because of Astaroth. 

What would Elise think if she learned that to save her, I became a demon's thrall? She would hate me. She would rather die than survive like this. Then, the answer was obvious. 

"Fuck. You." I squeezed the words through my lips that could barely move. 

Instead of being angry, the succubus suddenly turned her head to me in surprise. 

"Huh?!" the demon exclaimed, her cheeks crimson. "S-sorry, but even if we sign a Pact, you can't mate with me! I see, so you've already fallen to my charms... I didn't think about it, but it makes perfect sense! There's no way a human would resist my charms... You can't mate with me, but I can allow you to feel my boobs! And if you're helpful enough, I'll even kiss you! In the cheek, of course... So, let's make a Pact already, human! Tell me your name, first."

"You can call me Go To Hell." 

"What a strange name,"—the succubus raised her eyebrow—"are you Asian?" 

Her ridiculous reactions really started to get on my nerves. I wasn't sure if she was really so ignorant or just made fun of me. I couldn't help but remember the only clue my System gave me as to how to unlock it. Usually, Unique Systems required some sort of condition to be fulfilled for their activation. Almost always, those conditions were explicitly stated. In my case, however, I had received just one message. 

Just die already. 

There was no way I would just willingly follow this mocking advice. Perhaps my System would make me revive as a zombie or a ghost. Or perhaps it just straight hated me—Unique Systems had a mind of their own, after all. Now, though, it was going to get what it wanted. 

"I won't become your servant," I slowly said to the overly excited demon. "No matter how you torture me or threaten me, there's no way I'd choose to serve you." 

I ignored her crestfallen look and continued, "If it's as you said and you like me and want to be friends... then you can just allow me to leave this Dungeon alive. You can do whatever you want with the four remaining people. I promise that I won't tell anyone about you. Or...we can sign the Pact of Equals." 

"Sorry, but there's no way I'm going to agree to something like this, mate..." the succubus shook her head with disappointment. I knew that she would never accept this deal, but it was worth trying. Who knew? Maybe she was a nice demon, as ridiculous as it sounded. Of course, it wasn't the case. 

"Are you sure that you don't want to become my servant?" she asked me with a hint of hope. "I can swear that everything I've said is true. I will really treat you well. At most, you'd only need to fulfill some minor errands like assassinating some annoying Crawlers or bombing a couple of buildings. The usual stuff." 

"So you were lying when you said that you emphasized with me." I would shake my head if my neck wasn't completely stiff. "If you don't want to let me go or to accept me as an equal, then just kill me already." 

I really didn't want to die. I still had a person to save, a person to protect. I still hadn't avenged my parents. Hell, I still hadn't even kissed a girl. But perhaps because the death just didn't feel real when I was faced with such a ridiculous demon, I could calmly make this decision. It was the only rational outcome. I wouldn't become her servant, and she wasn't willing to let me go. So there could be only one outcome. 

The succubus sighed. "Very well, then... I really hoped that you'd be wiser than this. I mean, how is serving someone as beautiful and kind as I can be worse than dying? Honestly, I'm a bit offended. But I still like you. You know, I really hate meaningless violence. So... as a merciful lady I am, I'll give you the most pleasant death ever! I'll give you a death to die for!" 

The demon approached me with a mischievous smile that clearly contrasted her intention of taking my life. The only thing that made me somehow relieved was that if I were to die in the Dungeon as a Crawler, then the government was obliged to take care of Elise. Perhaps they would even provide her with Panacea Potion. At least the chance was much higher than if I continued clearing F-Tier Dungeons... 

The succubus placed her hand on my shoulder and made me kneel. Then she did something completely unexpected—or perhaps very much expected if you considered her Race... Before I knew it, my head was buried into her plentiful chest. 

"Rest in peace, cute human." She pushed my face deeper into her cleavage. "When you arrive in the Netherworld, tell them that Asmolia of the Luxuria House has sent you!" 

Just in a few seconds, my body recovered from the paralyzing status effect, but it didn't help me at all. I didn't have even a thought of resisting her tender embrace. The pleasant smell of roses and lilac, the perfect softness of her melons, and the invisible influence of her lust magic made me completely forget myself in this mind-blowing experience. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this was one of the best moments of my life. 

And then, everything got black. 

My entire life didn't flash before my eyes, and neither did I see the light at the end of a tunnel. No, instead, something even more bizarre appeared at the moment of my supposed demise. 

GAME OVER.

YOU'VE FAILED TO CONQUER THE DUNGEON.

ATTEMPTS LEFT: 6

DO YOU WANT TO TRY AGAIN?