I couldn’t hide the lost, defeated expression on my face.

“It’s… okay, Master,” Salicia spoke up. “You haven’t lost much. You can chase after and kill Calypso. As for me, I’m just a guard, right?”

“Salicia…” My eyes started to sting for some reason.

“This… is fine.” She smiled sadly. “Death is fine. After all, it’s not like I’m her, right?”

I blinked in surprise. “You know?”

“Just because I couldn’t react, didn’t mean I wasn’t aware.” She grimaced. “That woman who longed to be strong enough to protect her family… she died a long time ago. As for me, you were right, I’m a failure. I failed to protect my sister when I was alive, and even this imitation failed to protect her. Carmine died, and I wasn’t there. Nothing is keeping me here anymore. There is no reason to be alive.”

“No reason at all?” My voice came out tightly.

“Come now, Master, don’t get all emotional on me now. Although I thought you might eventually get close to my sister, you and I were never a thing.”

“I…” I bit my lip. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I kept you at a distance, just as you kept me at distance. Maybe, deep down, we both knew we were enemies. My time with you was genuine though. You didn’t control me. The time I had with you, you and Carmine, I was happy, I think.” A tear flowed down her cheek, but as I reached out to catch it, I felt tears run down my own.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“Salicia, we’re not enemies anymore,” I said with certainty.

“Mm…” She nodded, smiling. “My only regret is that those times couldn’t have lasted longer. Perhaps, in another life, we could have grown closer as well.”

Looking down at her helpless form as she grew paler and weaker, a surge of unwillingness exploded in me. This wouldn’t happen. I wouldn’t allow it!

Using Slave Communication, I contacted Astria. It appears she was with Elaya so luckily I was able to communicate with her too. They were the ones most familiar with miasma, so if anyone could come up with an answer it had to be one of them. Although they were distant, my Slave Communications were able to reach them. Part of the reason was because the dungeon that had once blocked my signal had inexplicably become the opposite. It was now able to amplify my signal like a giant satellite dish. It consumed some of the already waning miasmas of the dungeon, causing it to further desiccate, but I was willing to do anything at this point, even destroy this dungeon.

“Ho Ho… you should have messaged me sooner, of course, there is a way.” Elaya’s voice sounded back.

I shook visibly, immediately demanding to know the way. As she told me my face turned strange.

“You’re messing with me.”

“I’m not!”

“You…”

“If you want to save her life, it must be done!”

I let out a long breath, and then fierceness burned in my eyes as they locked onto Salicia.

“Wh-what?” She asked, suddenly blushing from being looked at so intensely.

“There is a way that I can save your life.”

“Really? How?” She asked, but then she shook her head. “Who cares, lets do it!”

I blinked. “What happened to all that talk about accepting death?”

“Heck with all that, I want to live!”

“I see… then I guess you won’t mind this method.”

“I’ll do anything!”

I nodded firmly, standing up and unbuckling my pants. “I’m glad you said that.”

“Wh-wh-what are you doing?” Salicia’s eyes widened with panic.

“What must be done!” My eyes flashed with seriousness as I pulled down my trousers.

“Told you he was going to bang someone,” Lydia whispered to Shao.

“Circumstances!” I cried back.