VIP Chapter 421: The Keepsake Returned
“I’ll only escort you this far. The rest of the way to clear The End Ash, I’ll leave to you two.”
Early in the morning, before the security guards for the Dungeon even started their shift, they arrived at the entrance to The End Ash.
Liya stopped walking and, with her arms crossed, said to the two people.
Then, she leaned close to Will and whispered in his ear.
“Actually… it’s because I’ve gotten a lot of information from Al that I told you about the day before yesterday, and she requested that I don’t appear during the dungeon clear…”
“You two get along surprisingly well. So well in such a short amount of time?”
“However, I will still consider finding a way to meet you on the last floor through the Witch’s means. After all, I was sent by Lis to supervise and confirm whether the thing the Witch wants can be obtained.”
“You’re the supervisor? You’re clearly just waiting to reap the Loot.”
“W-why is it just left to us… Shouldn’t you go in together, Liya, and be a back-row mage providing support?!”
“…Huh? W-what are you talking about? Isn’t it good to step aside and let you have your turn?”
“But… aren’t we a team? Young Master won’t be happy if you do this!”
Unexpectedly, of all people, Iaar reacted the most strongly to Liya’s act of voluntarily giving them time to be alone.
Iaar was clearly quite angry, even adopting a tone befitting a “Captain.”
She even pouted.
Of course, Will was still the Captain.
After speaking, her tail wagged furiously, as if begging for something. She looked at Will, seeking some support from him.
“Th-this…”
Though he couldn’t see it, Will, sitting in his wheelchair, felt as though he could visualize Iaar with her tail wagging and ears perked up on his left, and Liya with her arms crossed, looking at him from the right.
Both were waiting for him to speak.
What… what kind of brand new Captain’s Mission was this? For example, handling an internal dispute among his harem?
He first turned towards Liya’s direction—
“The Fire Dragon’s shell has too high fire resistance, and it even reflects attacks. It might be dangerous for Liya to go in. She did a very good and hard job investigating the information here before. Let her rest. After successfully clearing it, perhaps we can consider going out for a big meal together?”
“Th-that’s more like it. It was indeed very hard work investigating, so I-I’ll remember that big meal you promised.”
Liya felt Will’s concern—even though her “hardships” were merely accompanying the foolish Al around the library.
Just hearing the sound of Liya’s voice, Will could imagine her blushing and mischievous expression.
Next—
Will wondered why Iaar wanted Liya to join them.
The most likely reason was that, as a “member of Will’s team,” she wanted to maintain the team’s completeness, and naturally, this would make him happy.
From beginning to end, it was a very typical “Iaar” line of thought.
Given that, it was best to go along with her thoughts for now—
“Iaar, what did you promise me for this battle?”
His tone carried a slight hint of “anger.”
He didn’t receive the usual instantaneous, resounding answer from Iaar. After a silence that was neither too long nor too short, he heard Iaar’s very firm reply:
“…Iaar understands.”
“Then, it’s up to you—Hmph, if you really have a way, I don’t want to see you two having your private time.”
…
And so, in the end, the only ones left to face Al were these two—
Standing on the 70th floor of The End Ash Dungeon, the final floor, Will could only feel a sense of heat. He strained his ears, but could only sense that “nothing” existed on this floor.
It was somewhat similar to the Abyssal Ice Chasm.
The BOSS floors of both Dungeons had a sense of emptiness, as if one had truly reached the end of the World.
Will pondered. If the state presented by a Dungeon always hinted at and expressed the Emperor’s state of mind or even his life, then this kind of “apocalypse,” a scene that never appeared in the Original Work’s “Apex of the Galaxy,” was it hinting at something the Original Work’s Apex of the Galaxy had gone through?
It was very quiet here. Al did not appear immediately.
However, according to Iaar’s previous description, Al often played these cat-and-mouse or trickster games. Its absence might mean it was already observing.
“Right, Young Master… because it’s very… very dangerous here, so… after all, please wear this.”
“…Hmm?”
Just as Will began to hear Iaar’s words, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck. The leather collar was hung around his neck by Iaar’s ice-cold fingers.
This was the same collar that contained the magic Iaar had stored, which would automatically release the Ice Array magic under certain conditions, and which she had put on him in the Basement earlier.
At the same time, it was the collar that had saved him countless times during that battle when he faced a true threat to his life.
He had taken it off then, actually intending to convey that “he would absolutely not take it off.”
Removing the keepsake from his person would make them even more certain of this fact.
Even he himself had almost forgotten that Iaar still possessed such a “divine artifact.” But he knew that Iaar would certainly keep this item safe.
“This way, even if there are any blind spots Iaar misses, it can protect Young Master on her behalf.”
Iaar’s fingers traced from top to bottom through the collar. Iaar’s fingers were always ice-cold, and this touch sent a slight shiver through Will.
“Originally, Iaar felt… felt that this item symbolized that Iaar had done something very wrong to Young Master. It should… never have been taken out and placed on Young Master again.”
Her tone was timid, but her actions were remarkably “forceful.”
“But, the current Iaar seems to understand something… For example… as long as it can protect Young Master, then it has the meaning of being returned to Young Master.”
Since the collar that had been attached to his neck returned, Will felt a…
“Speaking of which, Young Master, you should still remember. Iaar’s promise to you was not spoken by you, but decided by Iaar herself.”
Before they truly faced Al, Iaar asked Will.
“You mean, defeating Al… you might not need to force yourself. After all, up until now, you still haven’t figured out a way for me to act when time stops, have you?”
“But, Iaar will do it… Iaar understands. This is indeed… a means to ‘redeem’ Young Master. So, please wait.”
“Alright, you can certainly try.”
“First, I’ll start here…”
Iaar took a deep breath, and in front of her, she had already cast the Ice Array formation in magical form.
This was her second time entering, so she wouldn’t be “first meeting killed” by the Fire Dragon so easily.
For her now, the primary task was to engage in a “war of attrition” with the Fire Dragon. Since it chose to fight the first round of attacks using attrition, then conversely, what Iaar needed to do was to first stop the first round.
And then…
It would be the “strategy” they could truly implement.
