“Elaya…” I gave an awkward look. “I’ve already fought my way down Widow’s Dungeon. I’ve seen her story, and even absorbed her blessing.”

“Have you?” Xin raised an eyebrow. “Do you believe that this dungeon is your own?”

I bit my lip and turned to look at the dungeon. I had been assuming that the dungeon had been taken over. In my mind, Elaya had done something similar to Calypso at the Bandit’s Respite. She had conquered the dungeon and bent it to her purpose. However, it sounds like something else happened. This was much closer to the Twilight Dungeon. Elaya had died within my dungeon, and her soul had consumed the dungeon, building a new dungeon from the corpse of my abandoned dungeon.

All dungeons needed a soul to exist. That soul was usually the dungeon boss, but it didn’t necessarily mean it was the main final boss of the dungeon. Once that soul no longer supported the dungeon, it would disperse. This was when the lore revealed itself, offering someone the choice to either destroy it or turn it into a blessing and absorb it. When I died, the dungeon I had built must have begun to collapse, and through Elaya’s sacrifice, it had become born anew.

“No.” I looked away from the entrance and back to Xin. “This isn’t my dungeon.”

Perhaps, I had known that the first time I had felt the energy, but I didn’t want to believe such a thing. The dungeon belonged to another now. If I stole it from her, then I was trampling over her story. It was the same as ignoring her pain or telling her to just get over it. Her soul had sung out a story, and if no one heard that story, wouldn’t it just be too pitiful? As I began to realize this, Xin was watching me carefully, and even her machinations on her daughter had slowed down.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“You’re starting to realize then.”

I licked my lips and nodded slowly. “I have to go. I can’t take a shortcut on this one. If I ever loved her, then I have to see things through. That’s what you mean, right?’

She nodded, her hands picking up their speed once again. “I have come to see many sides of you, Master, from many sides of my own. I believed you to be this kind of man, and it seems that I am correct in my assessment.”

“Master…” Alysia spoke up, her voice filled with indescribable emotions.

“When you enter the dungeon, you will need to put many of your preconceived notions aside. This is a story you haven’t heard before. The maid hero’s tale is something you must understand because, at this moment, I’m not certain you can defeat her.”

“That…”

“Defeating powerful enemies was never your strength, Master. Have you ever defeated a dungeon through sheer power? It’s always been your heart, and your understanding and your willingness to learn that has allowed it. All of the girls know this. This is what attracts them to you.”

“She’s right, Master.” Alysia asserted.

“The maid hero is stronger than me, and if we crossed blades, I believe I would win, although I do not believe I could kill you.”

It was a fair assessment. Just like with the Demon Lord, there was a big difference between killing someone and defeating someone. She could probably force me to flee, but in a direct fight, she’d be hard-pressed to put me down permanently. I had too many tricks up my sleeve at this point. Although, that was probably the same with Elaya. If I wanted any hope of ending the dungeon and freeing my people, my only chance was to learn her story and reach her heart.