Conclusion: I'm a Heartbreaker

She paused briefly at the entrance of the mausoleum.

"Once the Fire Keeper recovers, let's come in together. This battle won't last long, because I'm in better shape than ever before."

She said, pushing open the door of the shrine and stepping inside.

Behind her, the barren land surrounding the temple had somehow transformed into overflowing lava.

The lava, the lava wasn't even a thousand degrees Celsius—Lian waved her hand, and the miraculous barrier that unfolded isolated her and the caravan from the scorching, distorted ground. She took a soft breath, exhaled, and let it turn into a sigh.

"As expected, being too clever for one's own good only leads to failure and falling behind... Fire Keeper, it seems I'll have to call you 'older sister' from now on."

She spoke, and as she did, the Fire Keeper in her arms regained her strength— Surtr wasn't there, so there was no need for her to remain weak. At the same time, the sounds of weapons and spells clashing echoed within the shrine.

The battle has begun.

There's no need to worry about the outcome of the battle—no matter how well a Lord of Cinder prepares, he is still just a Lord of Cinder. When facing Miss Surtr in her prime, the final result is destined to be either defeat or death.

"First come, first served has no bearing on anything, Your Highness." The Fire Keeper straightened her robes, concealing the blush on her cheeks. She still insisted on addressing Lian as Your Highness, but at this moment, the title seemed somewhat strange.

There was a sense of mockery about it, and Lian couldn't even escape this treatment—she pursed her lips slightly.

Yet she had no reason to be angry—she had to admit that theory and practice were ultimately different. No matter how well or meticulously she had planned, she was still just a newlywed girl who had never actually dated anyone.

But so what?

—She and I remain natural allies...though I'm surprised myself that I'm jealous. But now that Surtr's feelings have changed, it means the competition ahead will be fierce.

—It's not a war for entry qualifications, but a war for the length of time spent together... The most cherished gem, that position is not so easy to win.

Her thoughts returned to normal, and Lian's emotions stabilized. Her gaze silently met the Fire Keeper's, hidden beneath her blindfold. A shared understanding was reached in an instant, and a faint, identical smile appeared on both their lips— the Lordran faction was now established. They now shared common interests.

So Lian nodded, outwardly acting as if nothing had happened—the battle in the shrine grew increasingly fierce, and she raised her hand to create a barrier for the Fire Keeper and the wagon, blocking the scorching tide gushing from the doors.

Tides are the force of impact, one wave following another.

When the scorching tide subsided, the shrine returned to its tranquility.

The Princess exchanged glances and traveled together—a miracle of concealment had been cast on the carriages of the caravan as they set off, thus protecting the mobile camp.

They entered the mausoleum.

They saw the Undead Legion scattered and embedded in the ground, walls, and pillars; they were not dead, but all incapacitated.

The Undead Legion had fallen, for the last and strongest leader, who had gathered the blood and spirit of the wolf and restored the might of a Lord of the Undead Legion in his prime, was being suppressed by the Coiled Sword — the Coiled Sword pierced through him, pinning him to the wall. And as this reconstituted Lord of Cinder met his defeat on the front lines, at the end of the Morgue, the seal leading to the underground was opened.

"See, I told you this battle wouldn't last long." Miss Surtr heard the Princess' footsteps, turned her head, and with a slight smile, caught the silhouettes of Ren and the Fire Keeper. "But wait a moment, there's still a little bit of final finishing touches left here."

She drew her Coiled Sword.

The Undead Legion's leader fell from the wall—in the instant he hit the ground, he instinctively tried to grab the Farron Greatsword that had fallen to the side. However, just before he could succeed, the drooping Coiled Sword blocked his hand between himself and the blade.

"I won, you lost," she said, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

"I do not intend to kill you, but you should show me your sincerity."

The Flame-haired maiden tilted her head slightly. A thought surfaced in her mind, and then took form in the form of words.

"Or have you decided to fight me to the bitter end in this narrow place, even under these circumstances?"

22/75?

Chapter 210 - Conclusion: I'm a Scumbag Woman

Surtr won the battle.

In the comfort of victory, she reflected on and reminisced about the past.

It was strange—when she kissed the Fire Keeper's lips, her heart didn't stir much. She wasn't particularly excited, nor was she anxious or hesitant. There was no fear, no worry. It was as if she had simply raised her hand to pluck fruit from a tree, or as if she had simply bent down to gather ears of wheat from a field.

The Fire Keeper's tongue was soft and warm, yet it also possessed a timidity that contradicted Fire Keeper usual elegant demeanor. When Surtr clung tightly to it, the Princess trembled in body and soul—she tasted her saliva, which wasn't as sweet as often described in novels. However, a strange warmth still quietly rose within her, perhaps in her heart, as Surtr took everything from her. And this, perhaps, could be called love.

—I do love her...I do love the Fire Keeper.

—I am willing to take responsibility for this, and I have no fear in my heart about bringing her back to Terra.

Her heart was pounding, not with excitement, but her mind was racing even during the battle—she was planning her actions after bringing the Fire Keeper back to Terra. From introducing her to her friends and getting her a job at Rhodes Island to arranging her accommodation and itinerary, every detail was meticulously crafted in this moment. And she felt there was no need for her to hide anything.

—I felt no unease about introducing her to Persephone. I felt I could be quite frank with Persephone about our relationship. Even playing with her in front of Persephone wouldn't make me feel awkward; on the contrary, it piqued my interest in the idea.

—But Persephone and I also made a promise... Ah, now that I think about it, Persephone was willing to lie in the same bed with me. She was willing to do so much for me and accept my reciprocation. So her feelings for me aren't so hard to understand... Sigh, so that's how it was? That midnight when I held her in my arms, when I took off her boots, was that what she was thinking?

Her thoughts drifted—she saw the leader of the Undead Legion bow to her, but then seemed to state a condition—she didn't listen to the details, instead waving her hand to signal Lian to come and clean up the mess. She then walked slowly to the other side of the empty shrine, lost in thought.

Do I like Persephone?

Some trivial things flashed through his mind—the battles, the schemes. He and the purple-haired girl had cooperated and fought each other. Until, in those blurry fragments of memory, he had defeated her by the slightest move.

—It's hard to say about the previous one. But I think I like the current Persephone.

—Ha, so you've just blurted out your philandering declaration so bluntly. So, do I want to sleep with her?

A scene conjured up in his mind— Persephone was pinned to the bed, her slender limbs struggling weakly, as if resisting but more like welcoming. And he was leaning down, tearing her clothes, kissing her neck, his hands sliding down to touch every part of her body, leaving his own marks.

—It feels great.

—It seems I was right.

—But this can only be considered desire, not love... So, do I want her to show a happy expression and a joyful smile?

Her calm heart pounded; she had to admit that this was more appealing to her than outright possession. She found herself unable to picture Persephone laughing like a carefree young girl—even when she smiled at her, it was often cold and chilling.

I want her to laugh happily, I want her to be carefree... and on that basis, I also want to hold onto her tightly and not let her leave my side.

—I do indeed love her.

Miss Surtr realized that her logic could be applied to many women around her— Talulah, Yelena, Alina, and even Kal'tsit.

—Kal'tsit ...

I feel terrible about hitting her. But I don't regret it.

—Because I discovered a pattern, I also... discovered the differences between her and the other people around me.

The Dao Corrosion Phenomenon, once it occurs, is irreversible. This is why she was determined to take responsibility for the consequences she had caused—she wasn't one of those herbivorous men in light novels, or rather, she hated being categorized as that type. She knew that the Dao Corrosion Phenomenon wasn't due to her brainwashing others, but rather the natural admiration that arose in the people around her in order to adapt to her existence.