Chapter 1189 Dungeon Conqueror's Cheat [Part2]
"Retreat!"
William's voice resounded on the battleground and Astrape and Bronte immediately turned back to go to the 99th Floor's Safe Zone.
Opis and Loxos continued to taunt William for their failed attempt to beat them, but Hekaergos was starting to have doubts.
This was the fourth time that the black-haired teenager had ordered a retreat, and she found this mildly disturbing.
"Hey, don't you think that there's something wrong?" Hekaergos asked. "They're using the same strategy over and over again, despite knowing that it is futile."
"You worry too much," Opis replied. "What can they possibly do but use that strategy to fight against us? I mean, if you put yourself in their shoes, wouldn't you be doing the same?"
"That's right!" Loxos agreed. "How can they possibly break past our offense? It is still a hundred years too early for them to defeat us!"
Hekaergos frowned, but she couldn't refute her sisters' words. Right now, there was simply no way for William's group to reach them. Even so, she still felt that something was wrong.
Only crazy people would repeat the same thing over and over again, despite knowing that the end result would be the same.
Every hour that passed, William's group would attempt to fight them, but the skirmish would only last for a quarter of an hour before their group retreated.
This happened twelve more times, and Hekaergos thought that she might just be overthinking things. However, on William's 13th attempt, something changed.
The moment William's group stepped foot on the 100th Floor, they immediately flew towards the Eastern part of the floor, which baffled the three Nymphs.
"Don't let your guard down, continue to attack!" Loxos shouted as she urged Opis to continue firing her arrows.
Opis nodded and commenced a merciless barrage of attacks at their opponents, whose backs were turned against them.
Titania was at the very rear of the formation and summoned giant roots, and vines to block the three Nymphs combined attacks.
When William's group stopped moving, Hekaergos felt an unprecedented danger in her heart that she had never felt in her life.
"Quick, stop them!" Hekaergos shouted as she aggressively condensed all of Opis' attacks into one gigantic golden arrow that shone brightly like the sun.
The wind whistled as the giant arrow shot towards William like a rocket.
However, before the giant arrow could even hit their targets, William, as well a his subordinates, disappeared without a trace.
A moment later, the three Nymphs shuddered as they felt an ache in their chests. It was as if someone was gripping their heart and playfully squeezing it.
"T-This! But how?!" Opis said as he placed her right hand over her chest.
"No. It can't be…. This is impossible!" Loxo who was panting for breath said through gritted teeth.
Hekaergos bit her lips because she finally realized what had happened. William had done the unthinkable, and it was something that they didn't guard against due to their confidence in their ability to strike them from afar.
Opis collapsed on the ground, as she squirmed in pain. Loxos wasn't faring any better because they felt as if the skin on their bodies was forcefully being peeled off.
'It's over,' Hekaergos thought as she kneeled on one knee, while enduring the painful experience.
She could feel that the Dungeon Core of the Dungeon of Apollon was slowly being conquered by the Half-Elf who had managed to enter the Dungeon Core Room by finding its exact location on the 100th Floor of the dungeon.
They never expected that the Dungeon Conqueror had this ability. If they did, they would have protected the entrance of the Dungeon Core room with their lives on the line.
Every second that passed was torture.
Every minute that passed felt like years.
Finally, after an untold time had passed, a portal opened in front of them, and the black-haired teenager, as well as his subordinates, emerged from it.
"What's wrong?" William asked with a devilish smile on his handsome face. "Does it hurt?"
The three Nymphs glared at him hatefully. They felt resentment because the Half-Elf had played a dirty trick, and didn't honor the tradition of battles for the right to reach the Dungeon Core's room.
"We refuse to serve you, Cheater!" Opis said through gritted teeth. "I would rather die than serve someone as shameless as you."
"You don't have the qualifications to become our Master," Loxos spat, hurtling spittle onto William's leg. "I refuse to yield!"
William nodded before looking at Hekaergos, whose lips were bleeding. She had bitten her lip too hard, while enduring the pain in her body.
"My sisters and I do not approve of the way you won this battle," Hekaergos stated as she stared fearlessly at William. "However, I know that if we refuse, you will simply corrupt us. Regardless of our will, we will follow your orders because our memories will be wiped clean. The only reason why you're not doing it is because you are afraid that we will lose our effectiveness in battle if you use that method. Am I right?"
"Yes," William replied.
"So, a compromise?" Hekaergos inquired.
William nodded. "A compromise. Serve me for one year, and I will set the three of you free. I will also revert the corruption of this Dungeon, and return it to its former state."
Titania, who heard this, glanced at William with a face filled with injustice. Her contract with him lasted for three years, and yet, the Nymphs would only need to serve him for a year before they were free?
.
The Fairy Queen sighed at the unfair treatment that she was receiving.
Hearing William's compromise, the three Nymphs glanced at each other. However, there was a trace of doubt and suspicion in their eyes. The Half-Elf's offer was too good to be true, so it was perfectly fine for them to become suspicious.
William waved his hand and a contract appeared in front of him. Taking a pen, he wrote his conditions and passed it to Hekaergos, who seemed to be the smartest among the three Nymphs.
In the contract, it stated that in return for serving him for one year, the Nymphs must never betray him and fight for him with utmost loyalty. They would also not be forced to surrender their bodies to him, unless they wished for it.
Having their blood drunk once a week was also part of the condition.
After a year had passed, William would restore the Dungeon of Apollon to its natural state, and free the Nymphs from servitude.
Hekaergos passed the contract to her sisters, and allowed them to read it. After cross checking the conditions of the contract several times, they didn't find anything that seemed detrimental to them.
They had seen how often William drank the blood of his subordinates, and the Nymphs thought that this was perfectly normal. Getting their blood drunk once a week was not a problem for them, so they didn't have any issues with it.
"Are you really going to honor these conditions?" Loxos asked. "You are the one that made this contract. It will be very easy for you to break it, no?"
"You are a Pseudo-God," William replied. "Can't you feel the Divinity that is present in that contract?"
Loxos frowned before channeling her Divinity on the contract to check what William was talking about. A few seconds later, a shriek escaped her lips as she dropped the contract on the ground as if she had touched something very hot.
"G-God Contract," Loxos stuttered. "That is a God's Contract."
Opis and Hekaergos took turns to examine the contract and found out that it was indeed a God's Contract. Since this contract was governed by a powerful God, even William wouldn't be able to go against the conditions written in it.
"Fine, I will agree to these conditions," Hekaergos said as she wiped away the blood on her lips with her thumb and used her blood to imprint her thumb on the contract.
Opsis summoned an arrow and lightly pricked her thumb to also sign the contract with her blood. Loxos was the last one to sign.
When all three Nymphs had signed the contract, the document turned into particles of light and shot toward William's and the Nymph's chests, binding them to the rules of the contract.
Titania who saw this scene, sighed in her heart. Even though it was only for a year, her Master had gained three additional Pseudo-Gods. With the return of Sepheron, the black-haired teenager now had seven Deities under his command, making him the strongest among the factions who were vying for dominion.
"Well then, now that it's settled, the three of you are now my subordinates," William said. "Since that is the case, it is time to perform your duties. You, the noisy one, come here."
William pointed at Loxos, who immediately stiffened due to the mischievous smile on the Half-Elf's lips.
"W-What do you think you're doing?!" Loxos backed away while pressing her hands over her chest. "The contract stated that you can't force us to surrender ourselves to you. Have you forgotten?"
"What are you talking about?" William asked back with a frown. "You're just a midget, and you're not as appealing as you think you are."
Loxos was the youngest of the three sisters, and the most vocal of them all. William could still remember the taunting words that she had said over the past few days, and had long decided to punish the little girl for cursing him.
"T-Then why are you asking me to come to you?"
"I want to drink your blood."
Although she was only half a hand taller than Chiffon and Medusa, William only thought of her as a naughty, spoiled kid that needed some discipline. Although his face was calm, he was already planning to pay the noisy brat back by drinking his fill.
Astrape, Bronte, and Titania, who heard William's words, only said "Ah!" as if realizing the Half-Elf's plan.
'Master is so sly.'
'So, this method is also possible.'
'She will definitely regret her earlier taunting. My Master seems to be a person that carries grudges.'
The three Deities understood that William was about to turn Loxos' head into mush due to the pleasure of having her blood drunk.
Although they were offering prayers to the little girl in their hearts, they couldn't help but feel envious of her as well.
After all, for Deities like them, such feelings were a luxury that they may never encounter again in their lifetime.
—---
An hour later, a drooling Loxos and Opis lay on top of the Black Phoenix that had just flown out of the mist that covered the Forbidden Ground of Hyperborea.
Hekaergos allowed her currently unconscious sisters to rest on her lap, as she looked at the back of the black-haired teenager that was standing in front of her.
William had spared Hekaergos, and only punished Loxo and Opis. He didn't resent her much because the second oldest among the Nymphs hadn't continued to taunt him like her sisters did while they were battling.
On that day, the Nymphs understood that William's condition of letting him drink their blood was the hidden ace that the Half-Elf possessed.
Although he couldn't force them to surrender themselves to him against their wishes, he was able to make them submit to him using other means, which was very hard to defend against because it was one of the conditions in the contract.
'We've been tricked,' Hekaergos thought helplessly as she looked down at her two unconscious sisters, whose eyes had rolled up into their sockets and their tongue lolling at the side of their lips.
'Our New Master, might be our first and last master in this world,' Hekaergos bit her lip as she used her hands to close her sister's eyes and return their tongues inside their mouths. 'I think we really have sold ourselves to the devil.'
As if hearing her thoughts, William turned around and gave her a smile that made the Nymph's once proud heart shudder in both fear, and anticipation, of what was about to befall her and her sisters in the future.