Playing Both Sides

Lu Xiu was stunned the moment those slender arms embraced her.

However, instinct reacted faster than the brain.

Kill her!

Regardless of what the Witch is doing right now, create some distance and then cut her down.

But the problem was, just as Lu Xiu was about to exert his strength and raise the Nameless Blade...

But he found that he couldn't move at all.

The moment the Witch embraced him.

Her body was then wrapped in fine, purplish-black magical threads, making even the slightest movement incredibly difficult.

No!

What's going on with this instance?

This boss teleports right off the bat, followed by a strong crowd control effect. How can we possibly fight it?!

That's outrageous!

And this BOSS is rubbing against you! Did you see that, System? She's rubbing against you! Is that reasonable?

Who just throws magic at you like that?! How are players supposed to fight that? Did I even make this kind of dungeon?

Tell me how to play?

System!

Say!

Lu Xiu remained frozen in place, still gripping the knife, inwardly questioning the system.

And it seemed that he had sensed the murderous intent that had surged in Lu Xiu just a moment ago.

Ellen's head, buried in Lu Xiu's neck, moved slightly.

She wasn't angry; instead, as if confirming something, she laughed happily.

"You're still the same as before."

Ellen slowly raised her head, stood on tiptoe, and her delicate, beautiful, but somewhat pale face was almost touching Lu Xiu's nose.

No.

Her nose tip had already touched Lu Xiu's nose tip.

Do you remember that day? That fire?

Ellen's voice was gentle. "You were so cruel that day. You severed my connection with that woman, ruining my plans and sending me plummeting from heaven to hell. You're such a strict friend."

"But—just when the Black Cat disappeared and I thought I was going to be abandoned by everyone again, you came back in the end."

You told me that even without a healthy body, I can still be loved, and that even with that broken body, you still said I was adorable.

You said it's because my parents didn't raise me well.

As Ellen murmured, she reached out her small hand and slowly stroked along Lu Xiu's jawline, gradually moving upwards until she gently caressed Lu Xiu's cheek.

"You're still willing to die with me? Tell me—die with me, Ellen- chan. You're so strict yet so kind."

"So, even though you lied to me, you still care about me, right?"

Ellen tiptoed again and whispered in Lu Xiu's ear, "Although you were always rude at the Witch's House, always making me do this or that."

Even though you knew from the beginning that it was my soul that possessed that woman's body, you still empathized with me at the very last moment.

You showed no lofty compassion, no anger towards me, and not even the satisfaction of avenging a friend.

You were even willing to perish in the flames with me. You don't know, do you? That woman still believes that I did something while I was impersonating her that made you return to the Witch's House at the last moment.

But I'm very angry.

That brings us to this.

Ellen turned her head slightly towards the exit, a strong sense of hostility flashing in her eyes.

But soon...

She suppressed her anger and pressed her cheek even closer to Lu Xiu's neck. "Thank you, so, as a return gift—I'm going to make sure you stay here forever, forever. This time, you won't be leaving me alone again, Lu Xiu."

"You're talking nonsense!"

finally.

Lu Xiu spoke up, "I didn't say I'd die with you, I said you'd die with the Witch's House!"

"No."

Ellen replied directly, "What you said isn't the point; the point is you're back."

Lu Xiu's face darkened. "Then I didn't empathize with you at all. I just wanted to see your end, I just wanted you to die."

Upon hearing this, Ellen chuckled softly again.

Instead of letting go, she tightened her grip even more, with a force that almost broke Lu Xiu's waist.

"Really? You're still such a liar, Lu Xiu."

"If you really just wanted me dead, why didn't you just kill me with a knife? Why use such a warm fire? The Soul-Severing Blade was in your hand back then."

"And also, if you really think I'm beyond redemption, why don't you mind the blood and grime covering me? Why don't you mind my broken body? Why do you stroke my hair so gently, like you would Viola? Not only do you stroke my hair, but you also call me cute?"

Lu Xiu gasped.

That was just humanitarian care before we cleared customs!

What is this person saying?!

"And also, I just remembered everything. I've experienced the same thing countless times, exactly the same thing. I've met one after another of that woman's childhood sweethearts outside the forest."

There were men and women. Some were lured away by me and died without a proper burial. Some escaped from the Witch's House with me but then discovered the truth and cried out in despair. Some were kept in the dark the whole time. Some killed me after discovering the truth.

They all have one thing in common: their feelings for me are completely fake. Their affection for me stems from that woman, while their hatred is directed directly at me!

Everyone is like that! Everyone!

The only difference is in your first memory, the memory of you. Even knowing that the woman's true self was me, you still treated me ruthlessly, regarding me as a truly independent Ellen, not as that woman!

"You saw through my disguise, but you didn't expose it. You could have killed me at any time, but you allowed me to play those ridiculous puzzle games with you in the Mansion."

Those who came after me, when they looked at me, always searched for Viola through my eyes. Only you, from beginning to end, your eyes reflected only the Witch Ellen!

"You're the only player who did that."

Upon hearing this...

Lu Xiu felt a sudden heart attack, and even breathing became difficult.

It's obvious.

This is a player's version of memories.

But is this a valid comparison?

I am Architect, and I will retain my memory of completing the verification!

----If only I hadn't pulled all those crazy stunts in the first place!

Stop making excuses.

At this moment, Ellen continued, "Don't leave, don't leave, stay forever, Lu Xiu, player Lu Xiu ----"

".

Lu Xiu felt a sudden darkness engulf her.

Buzz!!

And at this time...

Suddenly, the hairband on Lu Xiu's wrist emitted a soft, pale golden light.

The instant the light flashed, it was like an invisible blade, severing all the purplish-black magic threads that were tightly binding Lu Xiu.

"This disgusting power!"

Ellen let out a short, muffled groan and took two steps back. Her purple eyes, which had been filled with a sickly longing, were instantly replaced by a cold killing intent.

"Viola!!!"

Lu Xiu took a deep breath and quickly stepped back to create distance.

At the same time.

Behind her, the air rippled like water, and circles of golden runes appeared out of thin air.

Immediately afterwards, a figure emerged silently from the void, accompanied by the aftershocks of the magical transmission.

She was a tall, slender young woman wearing a well-tailored, dark-colored, fitted long dress with subtle silver patterns.

Viola has grown up, her features have fully developed, and the traces of that frail country girl are long gone from her eyes and brows, but you can still see some remnants of her former self in certain details.

For example, the two ponytails she wore.

The moment she appeared, she immediately locked onto Ellen in front of her.

Clang!

With a crisp clang of the sword, Viola drew her silver sword from her waist, and with a sudden burst of power, she transformed into a Afterimage, charging straight towards Ellen.

"That woman who won't leave you alone!"

Upon seeing Viola, Ellen's eyes immediately flashed with a violent killing intent. The surrounding purplish-black magic surged instantly, transforming into several sharp tentacles that pierced towards Viola.

What do you want to do to her?!

Viola questioned, her silver sword gleaming with runic light.

Boom!

The sacred runic light and the purplish-black magic collided violently in the center of the hall, unleashing a powerful shockwave that directly blasted away the tentacles.

With a violent surge of magical energy, the rune light forcefully tore through the purplish-black magic.

But it only tore open a small opening.

Ellen, after all, was in the Witch's House, her home turf.

Suddenly, the shadow behind her expanded, and the severed purplish-black tentacles instantly reformed in mid-air, even splitting into more than a dozen thicker thorns that coiled around Viola's silver sword like mad pythons.

Squeak.

The blade rubbed violently against the magical thorns, producing a piercing sound and sending sparks flying.

Neither of them backed down an inch!

"You coward who didn't even dare to step through the gates of the Mansion back then, now you dare to come here and swagger around?!"

Ellen's small, pale face appeared even more ashen against the backdrop of the purplish-black magic, and tears of blood began to well up in her eyes. "Get out!"

"Shut up."

Viola's blue eyes were as cold as ice. She ignored the silver sword that was entangled in thorns, and instead raised her free left hand and suddenly reached down to her lower back.

Click!

A crisp click of the mechanism rang out.

A heavy crossbow appeared in Viola's hand.

She pressed the tip of the crossbow bolt against the purplish-black thorns wrapped around the sword and pulled the trigger.

Boom!!!

A deafening explosion rang out in the front hall.

The crossbow bolt, engraved with runes and imbued with the power to purify everything, pierced through layers upon layers of magical thorns in an instant.

Next.

Viola brandished her silver sword and faced Ellen once more.

Ellen initially refused.

The two began to pull and tug frantically within a small space.

The purplish-black magic and the pale blue holy light divided the entire foyer into two distinct halves, but neither could overpower the other in a short time.

"----"

Lu Xiu, holding the Nameless Blade, slapped her forehead.

Is this still the puzzle game she created?!

What is all this nonsense?!

Just as Lu Xiu was feeling utterly exasperated...

In the center of the battlefield.

The clash between the two finally reached a critical point.

Bang!!!

As the explosion rang out, a violent shockwave spread outward in a ring.

And under this enormous reaction force...

Both of them were thrown back seven or eight steps by the force.

And coincidentally, Viola retreated in the direction that Lu Xiu was located.

Viola stopped just half a meter away from Lu Xiu.

She was breathing slightly heavily, and her long dress had several tears that had been corroded by magic, but her back remained straight.

He seemed to have noticed Lu Xiu's gaze.

Viola slowly turned her head.

Her eyes, which had been cold and murderous when she looked at Ellen, changed the moment they met Lu Xiu's face.

It melted away instantly.

Not only that.

Her eyes were red. "----Finally, I've found you."

Lu Xiu: "----

"Why did you go back to the Witch's House in the first place? You found out about something even Father hadn't—do you know how desperate I was? Father was about to shoot me, and you saved me. You saved me from the Witch, you saved me from Father."

"But why did you go back to the Witch in the end? Do you know how worried I was?"

"Thank goodness—thank goodness you came back in the end."

Lu Xiu:

She was about to speak.

"Ve, Ao, La!"

Seeing this, Ellen, who had been repelled, felt a surge of jealousy welling up in her eyes.

"She's mine!!!"

With a scream, the walls of the entire Mansion began to tremble violently, and boundless purplish-black magic surged out of Ellen's body like a tsunami.

"----Wait me a moment."

Viola slowly withdrew her gaze, then raised her crossbow and longsword once more.

The two collided violently once again.

Lu Xiu looked at the two people.

For a moment, the CPU almost burned out.

Isn't this dungeon evolution a bit too extreme?!

Just then, the system notification finally appeared.

[Bite!]

[Detection indicates that all core NPCs (Ellen / Viola) have appeared in the instance.]

[Offline dungeon clear conditions have been triggered!]

[Current clearance condition: Afternoon Tea.]

[Task Description: Without killing the unique NPC, successfully host an afternoon tea session, allowing both sides to stop fighting for at least half an hour and get along peacefully.]

[WARNING: If either party loses control of their emotions during the process, the instance will fail!]

Look at this task.

Lu Xiu remained silent for a full five seconds.

Then, expressionless, she raised the Nameless Blade in her hand. "System, can I chop them both up now? Or I can chop you up too!!!"