Chapter 20—What defines the Heart

It is a peculiar moment when you realize your followers may hold ideals you yourself lack. In that moment, I feared that the two might betray the Hive or attempt to destroy me for choosing the easy way out, as it would give me an unfair advantage over someone much weaker. That was a ludicrous idea.

But was that the difference between a monster and a man? Was it not?

To devour something weak to gain an unfair advantage… The number of excuses or arguments that could justify my reasoning was irrelevant. In the end, I acted as their predator, their master, and their deity... But that didn't mean I couldn't be swayed from my decision, nor would I lack empathy for those under my command.

What's the correct answer?

The truth is... There's no satisfactory answer, is there? We all just want what's best, even if that means making decisions that don't seem reasonable, logical, or rational at times. Life defies logic and often leads us to act irrationally in pursuit of our desires.

Perhaps such reasoning would explain why Zenos’ actions stirred such uncertainty in me.

But I already had the answer.

“...I have been called many things recently: worm, monster, parasite. None of which matters. Because that doesn’t change what makes up who I truly am,” I told them both while turning toward Zenos and Luna. “It seems I'm still human after all. Even if only slightly… and just barely, enough for it to matter. Enough to understand a Knight’s sorrow.”

Zenos, the Hound-Mantis who refused to bow to the whims of a God or a Mistress of Death, stood silent in approval of my choice.

“I choose only one, for only that one was freely given...” My eyes landed upon her. I felt her sorrow, and I saw her regret... “Our agreement was for one desire that she offered willingly, Odessa. It was Alicia's desire that moved my human heart. No more, no less.”

The System echoed through the entire dungeon, which caused Lady Odessa to sigh—although it was an annoyed and somewhat frustrated noise rather than being outright furious. Thus, the System is not just for me; it appears to have a higher authority even within this dungeon. Does that mean I was always being observed? Or...is Lady Odessa also a victim of this System's twisted games?

As I pondered these questions, I used Spirit Sight to scan all the cards, one by one, looking for the one I needed. After searching for some time, I focused my mind solely on locating that single piece among thousands of others until I finally picked three cards—the most crucial skills for my growth.

‘Territory Management’ would definitely merge with Hive Management, and I wanted to have a solid grasp on how dungeons worked in the future.

However, did Alicia manage the territory and defenses of the Odelian House herself?

I had to quickly overlook many mundane skills, such as cooking and laundry, while it appeared that the lady of the house was a lazy, greedy glutton. Was love the thing that drove Alicia to take care of that House? Was the Mistress even worthy of her care, or was I being judgmental due to the way they interacted in the past moments?

Next was ‘Theory of Magic,’ which appeared to be the basis for how magic works. It looked very appealing; perhaps it would allow me to use that Illusion Magic skill properly. Additionally, understanding how things function in a different world is a crucial part of learning how to survive.

And lastly, ‘Compassionate Oath.’

It was such a fragile thing compared to the others. It was not a sword art, nor a battle skill, nor even a form of magic. A mere passive: “When defending others, your resolve and strength rise in proportion to your care.” Just a simple sentence in black and white... Yet this card was her core. Her purpose. It was this card that defined everything else and made her so special.

After taking that card, the others fell to dust, returning to the spirit they were a part of. Her aura seemed calmer now. And, maybe it was just me...but she looked a little happier.

“Those who serve have their desires beyond those imposed upon them...” I glanced toward Odessa and noticed something in her hand. Something familiar… a tiny maggot that resembled me. She stroked it lovingly like a pet cat or a beloved puppy.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

How odd...it was as if the maggot somehow conveyed emotions. It was as though the maggot spoke directly into her heart. Or perhaps she felt something within him, an emotion I could never truly understand. Still, whatever connection they had between each other, this maggot brought warmth and comfort, and that was undoubtedly a positive sign.

I could only hope Alicia would feel similarly once free...

“Why this one? This tiny skill. It is unimportant, and she shall no longer have anyone to protect,” said Lady Odessa, but the System gave a final message to everyone in the room:

[ERROR. Choice rejected. Optimal Path deviation detected.]

Odess froze. I thought I had seen surprise and confusion in her gesture, but it paled in comparison to now.

She was staring at Alicia as if she were seeing her for the first time, while Alicia appeared to be fading before our very eyes, dissolving slowly until she disappeared forever from this plane and from existence itself.

But before that happened completely, she smiled and nodded slightly towards me as she mouthed silently, “Thank you…” Then, at long last, her spirit departed from the realm of the living.

[Quest Completed. Reward granted.]

Two system notifications rang. The Quest completion was quite simple: I got a skill, while Alicia was free.

The second, however...

[Error. Error. Error. Error. Error.]

[Wave 2 has been put on hold by Knight Captain of House Odelia—Alicia's willpower. She is attempting to suppress the waves by using her very willpower.]

It felt like I was witnessing something far greater than myself—a struggle between two powerful entities whose actions rippled outwards throughout reality itself. It was like witnessing the birth pangs of a new star coming into existence right before my eyes. But which side won? Or had we already lost this battle even before we'd begun?

[You are currently under the influence of an extremely rare trait.]

[Alicia's Compassionate Oath: "When defending others, your resolve and strength rise in proportion to her care.]

I couldn’t move from where I was, my entire body paralyzed by shock and awe at what I'd witnessed, as if rooted deep underground, unable to look away or act otherwise. Odessa had been staring intently at the spot where Alicia was fading from existence...

[Alicia's last desire was to free her Mistress from her bindings to this Dungeon. Alicia's Willpower clashes with the System.]

[Error. Error. ERROR—WHO GAVE YOU THIS CHOICE?]

“Alicia, what are you trying to accomplish?”

I watched Lady Odessa carefully. The Mistress seemed frozen in place, staring off into nothingness while her hands clenched tightly at her chest, almost as though she'd suddenly forgotten everything around us, including her beloved parasite...

I waited quietly as my mind processed everything happening in front of me right then, hoping that I wouldn't accidentally miss something crucial, like a change occurring somewhere unnoticed, due to being too focused elsewhere instead of paying enough attention.

[Critical error detected.]

“Hmmm…?” My attention turned back towards the silent Mistress of the Dead, who remained unmoving even though the notification had clearly come through loudly, echoing throughout every part of me simultaneously, reverberating across space and time itself—yet I still couldn't figure out what it was referring to or why it had triggered so forcefully in that way…

[Alicia has invoked this trait at a crucial moment, delaying any System process or intervention. However, once deactivated, her existence will be consumed by Otherworldly Authority. She will disappear without ever reaching Elysium, and no amount of necromancy would be able to reclaim her, as her very being is erased from all reality... She'll remain in a state between existence and death.]

What on Earth did that mean? What could it possibly signify to be trapped in a state between existence and death? To have a heart filled with compassion yet still be unable to find any freedom within herself... A lonely heart seeks to protect others, like a Knight without a sword.

“Is she going to sacrifice herself for you…?” I couldn’t believe it. What was that about?! She had sacrificed herself, a woman whose sole goal in life had always revolved around serving others. A person who, despite suffering immensely and having no one left who needed her help anymore, still fought fiercely against injustice.

“Is that her desire?”

The Mistress glanced back at me.

“A desire...?” she said it softly. “I'm unsure I ever knew her desires. Perhaps her desire was a longtime secret wish that only surfaced after I was slain... After all, she always had a tendency to keep things from others.”

I longed to see her expression at that moment. If I could have done such a feat as seeing beyond her veiled features, what might lie behind them would probably be far different from any of my previous observations.

Her fingers brushed across her mouth as if tracing out some unseen memory or feeling.

Or maybe she's merely thinking...? Lady Odessa's voice finally broke the silence as her hand remained near her lips. But when she spoke, there wasn't just sadness present; there was something deeper, an emotion even more powerful...