My Dungeon Life: Rise of the Slave Harem

“Why is that?” I demanded, trying to keep the edge out of my voice.

He gave me a hard stare. “What is this… woman to you?”

“I don’t know for certain,” I responded honestly. “I think she is someone meaningful to me. This is why I need to speak to her. Is this a problem?”

“The Catgirl of Doom wishes to keep her identity a secret.”

“Not from me!” When he raised an eyebrow, I flinched slightly. “I mean, I believe her to be a woman named Lydia. She is essential to me, and I will find her, no matter what it takes.”

I didn’t mean that last part to sound like a threat, but I didn’t pull back either. He seemed to be watching me carefully as if looking for something. His entire demeanor seemed to have changed once I mentioned her. Was there some kind of connection between the two?

“She has been under my care for some time. I am unwilling to reveal her identity. I will also not arrange a meeting between the pair of you.” As I opened my mouth, he raised a hand. “However, if you wish to meet her, there is only one way. You must fight her in the ring.”

“That was my intention from the beginning,” I responded.

He nodded. “Then, I will schedule your match for tomorrow night. As for whatever happens after that, it’ll be between the two of you. I will provide you the remainder of your winnings, but I would as that you engage in no more underground matches. After this match, your rank will also be revoked.”

“I understand.”

None of that particularly mattered to me. I would have been a Gold-rank by the end of the day, but ranks only mattered if you were fighting in the arena, and if I got the things I was looking for, I had no intention of coming back here anyway.

“There is one other thing I’d like to say as well.”

“What is that?” I asked.

“If this woman isn’t the one you remember, what will happen?”

I blinked at his strange question. “I will keep looking.”

“What about if you learn the woman you love is no longer there?”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

“Would you make a dungeon duplicate? Would you replace her with a clone created from your own lore?”

I couldn’t help but feel side blinded again. I had only met this guy twice, yet he seemingly knew far too much about me. He knew about dungeons, and his question about creating duplicates hit far too close to home. I had even considered such actions when Terra had seemingly died. I had told myself I’d just create a duplicate of her in the dungeon. Of course, then I’d end up like King Aberis. He remained in Widow’s Dungeon, facing a woman who wasn’t his wife, but he was unwilling to leave because of the memory of his life. If I hadn’t come along and broke him from that illusion, he would have wasted away down there, and the demon lord would have gotten everything he had wanted.

“There is only one lore… the lore between us. The lore and memories of my time with Lydia are what bind us together. If I don’t have those… then I don’t have Lydia.” I answered after thinking of an adequate answer.

“I’ll hold you to that.” He turned and walked away without another word.

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