After effortlessly sending the four of them out of the dungeon, Aesphyra did not leave.
Instead, she stood calmly in place, her hands resting on the hilt of her sword, as if waiting for something, or someone.
“Lord Vinny, aren’t you tired of squatting in that tree? Don’t you want to take a break?” Aesphyra smiled, speaking as if to herself.
“......”
There was a moment of silence.
“That’s not good. The tree you’re standing on isn’t very strong. What if the branch breaks accidentally?” Aesphyra lifted her holy sword, her expression was feigning concern.
Damn! This woman is pure evil!
Vinny, who was struggling to hold onto the tree, cursed inwardly.
He had hoped Aesphyra hadn’t noticed him and was waiting for her to leave.
But it seemed she had spotted him from the very beginning.
After recalling the location of this forest, he remembered that Aesphyra was likely here.
She had probably just finished dealing with the mountain turtle beast that inhabited this area, which gave Vinny the idea to use her as a diversion.
Well, he couldn’t keep squatting anymore. After all, he wasn’t a monkey, nor had he practiced hanging upside down from trees.
But is this tree not strong? What a joke! The trunk was thicker than his waist. How could it not be strong?
But Vinny knew that if Aesphyra said it wasn’t strong, then it wasn’t strong. She would make sure it wasn’t strong if she had to.
After quickly thinking through how to handle the conversation with Aesphyra, Vinny jumped down from the treetop and immediately put on a cheeky grin.
“Yo, what a coincidence! Fancy meeting you here. Who would’ve thought it’d be you, my lady? Thanks for the help earlier, truly righteous of you. I’m impressed! Thanks in advance.” He figured that since Aesphyra knew he’d used her as a diversion, he might as well play it cool.
After all, a smiling face is harder to hit.
“Lord Vinny, did you deliberately lead those people to me earlier?” Aesphyra ignored his thanks, her beautiful smile carrying an unsettling edge.
“Hey! That’s exactly what I meant, Lady Aesphyra. If you have the ability, you should put in more effort. And honestly, I didn’t even realize you were here at first, I just happened to spot you and thought I’d come over to say hello.” Vinny addressed her as “Lady” not out of respect, but out of fear.
After all, Aesphyra could easily squash him right now, especially after witnessing her strength.
Wow, she took down those people with a single sword strike. The enemy he had struggled against for so long, unable to defeat, was effortlessly slain by her with just a casual swing, all while chatting and laughing.
Isn’t this strength gap too big?!
“Say hello? To me?” Aesphyra raised an eyebrow, her smile widening.
“When Lord Vinny sees me in the dungeon, would he really come over to say hello? Shouldn’t you be running far away instead?”
“Look at what you’re saying! What’s the relationship between us? Old acquaintances! How could I just turn and run without saying hello? That’d be too rude.” Vinny laughed nervously, though her words had struck a nerve.
“Old acquaintances? How well acquainted are we, exactly?”
“As well acquainted as roasted foie gras!” Vinny replied with a forced grin, trying to ignore the oppressive aura radiating from Aesphyra.
“Oh, is that so?” A red lotus flame flickered to life between Elsie’s palms.
“I don’t think we’re familiar enough. Should I roast you a bit more to deepen our acquaintance?”
“No, no, no! They say distance creates beauty! Too familiar is too much. This level of familiarity is just right!” Vinny quickly backtracked.
“Eh, is that so?” Aesphyra tilted her head, the fire lotus in her hand blooming ominously.
“Eh, Lady Aesphyra, you’re going too far! What’s the relationship between the two of us? Let’s put that thing away, alright?” Vinny said, trying to sound casual but clearly nervous.
“Yes, considering the relationship between us, isn’t this thing even more impossible to put away?” Aesphyra replied with a wide, almost predatory smile.
“What do you mean by that? Don’t you still treat me as a friend?” Vinny looked genuinely hurt.
“Remember at the banquet, when I blocked a knife for you? Have you forgotten all that!?”
“Of course, I haven’t forgotten, but there’s nothing I can do about it.” Aesphyra sighed with feigned regret before adding with a mocking smile, “If you stay with me, even your children would starve, wouldn’t they?”
Well, he had expected this.
Aesphyra was always this petty. It was just a joke, did she really have to hold onto it for so long?
“Hey, come on, I was in a tough spot back then! I had no choice but to do it to help you out of trouble! Let’s not bring this up anymore, alright? It’s hurting our feelings,” Vinny said, putting on a helpless expression.
“Then let’s talk about something that doesn’t hurt our feelings, like the time you poured red wine on me in public,” Aesphyra said, her smile fading slightly.
She was clearly enjoying this, watching Vinny squirm as he tried to talk his way out of trouble.
She wasn’t in any hurry to end the conversation.
“Hey, hey, that was ages ago! Why are you still clinging to these old grievances?”
“If I’m not mistaken, it’s only been about a month since that happened,” Aesphyra said, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) tapping her chin as if deep in thought.
“That’s ancient history, lady Aesphyra! You’re not really holding onto my little mistakes, are you? I get it, you’re just saying all this to make me reflect on myself. In reality, you’ve already forgiven me, right? I’ve learned my lesson! From now on, I’ll turn over a new leaf and be a better person!” Vinny declared with exaggerated sincerity.
“Pfft, Lord Vinny, you’re really something, going to such lengths just to survive~,” Aesphyra said, her laughter light and playful.
Oh, this woman! If only I were stronger right now, I’d teach her a lesson she’d never forget!
Vinny gritted his teeth inwardly, but on the surface, he kept his smile intact. “What are you saying? We’re practically family!”
“Lord Vinny, you don’t want to die at my hands, do you~?” Aesphyra extinguished the Red Lotus Flame in her hand, her eyes still smiling.
What did she mean, die at her hands? Since when was this dungeon a life-or-death situation??
“Well, naturally, I’d like to ask Miss Aesphyra to be merciful,” Vinny said, rubbing his hands together nervously.
“Hmm~ It’s not that I can’t let you go,” Aesphyra said, pretending to consider it.
“Really??”
“Well, given our relationship, I can’t just let you off that easily,” Aesphyra said, feigning distress.
“Lord Vinny will have to pay some price.”
“What do you mean?” Vinny asked, a bad feeling creeping up on him.
“How about this,” Aesphyra said, as if she’d just come up with a brilliant idea.
She lifted one slender leg, the black silk stocking glinting in the light, her foot encased in a white open-toe lace-up heel.
“If Lord Vinny is willing to kneel down and lick my feet while begging for mercy, I might consider letting you go~.”
Vinny stared at the sight, the delicate white toes peeking out from the heel, the tempting curve of her foot.
He was silent for a moment, then his eyes lit up, and his voice rose slightly in excitement.
“Seriously!?”
“Did I lie to you~?” Aesphyra narrowed her eyes, her smile turning sly.
“Alright, alright! If that’s what it takes, I’ll do it!” With that, Vinny started to lower himself to the ground.
But...
Do you think he’ll actually do it?
Oh, how naïve.
This was nothing more than a desperate ploy to catch Aesphyra off guard.
A last-ditch effort to buy himself some time.
An ordinary passerby NPC might have been fooled by now, thinking, “This isn’t a punishment, it’s a reward!” and rushing in without hesitation.
But who is Vinny? A man among men, a man of principle and composure!
He wasn’t about to let himself get carried away by the excitement.
After all, pies don’t just fall from the sky. Think about it—what defines Aesphyra the most?
That’s right, she’s possessive over girls!
And what does a character like that despise the most?
Men!
On top of that, Aesphyra has an extreme obsession with cleanliness.
She washes her hands after shaking hands with a man, even if she’s wearing gloves.
So, would she really let a man lick her feet??
Is that even possible??
If Vinny actually went through with it, he might as well kiss his life goodbye.
His journey as an NPC would come to an abrupt end, and next year today would be his anniversary.
So, since this was a dead end, what was Aesphyra really getting at?
It’s simple, she was telling him, ‘Today, you’re done for!’
Sure enough, the moment Vinny pretended to lower himself, Aesphyra’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly, though her smile remained intact.
Vinny, lying on the ground, was biding his time.
That’s right, he was waiting for the cooldown on Frostfang!
Sorry, but he’s waiting for his skills to recharge.
What are you waiting for it!?
Since you’re forcing me to explain myself here today, don’t blame me for pulling off a dirty sneak attack!
Vinny sprang up, his earrings flashing coldly as it transformed into an ice crystal spear, scattering snowflakes in the air.
After some cursory research, Vinny had discovered that Frostfang actually had three uses: Perform multiple frost strikes, Sweep and leave a trail of ice, Smash the ground to form ice armor.
All three uses shared the same cooldown.
And right now, Vinny was going for the third option.
With a flick of his wrist, Vinny drove the blunt end of his spear into the ground.
Instantly, the ground around him froze, and a frosty force surged toward Aesphyra, encasing her black-stocking feet in ice.
The icy cocoon crawled up her ankles and began spreading rapidly.
“Heh, you think I’d actually lick your stinky feet? Dream on! Disgusting! Absolutely vile!” Vinny gloated, but he wasn’t foolish enough to let his guard down.
After freezing Aesphyra momentarily, he didn’t stick around to press his advantage. Instead, he turned tail and bolted.
Let’s be real, this was the protagonist we’re talking about. You don’t think you can exploit a single opening and chain her to death, do you?
If he didn’t run now, he’d be the one dead next!
“Hahaha, Aesphyra, you’ve been fooled! See ya!” Vinny stuck out his tongue mockingly before making his escape.
“......”
The Red Lotus Flame ignited in Aesphyra’s palm. Just as Vinny had anticipated, the ice couldn’t hold her for long.
The flame melted the icy cocoon at her feet in moments.
She could have chased after Vinny and caught him easily, but she didn’t.
Rather than letting this unpredictable threat roam free, it was better to keep him close and monitor his movements.
That had been Aesphyra’s plan all along, she never intended to eliminate Vinny from the start.
But well...
If Vinny had actually gone through with what he’d pretended to do, the outcome might have been different.
Where did that guy even get an enchanted weapon?, Aesphyra mused.
Things are deviating further and further from the original worldline.
The ice melted into water, soaking her stockings. Aesphyra dried them with a flick of her flame.
She wasn’t planning to leave just yet. After all, she still needed to scavenge the remains of the giant beast, and there were other important matters to attend to in the dungeon.
She didn’t have time to waste on Vinny.
Meanwhile, Vinny, having escaped, noticed that Aesphyra hadn’t pursued him. He stopped to catch his breath, gasping heavily.
“Huhuhu... Wuhu!” Vinny let out a triumphant roar to the sky.
It worked, he’d done it!
He’d managed to escape the shadow of the protagonist and slip free from Aesphyra’s clutches!
Hahaha!
So what if she’s the main character? As long as he doesn’t want to die, you can’t chase him down, protagonist!
His confidence swelled.
Vinny glanced up at the sky.
After all that chaos, it was getting late. Time to find a safe spot to rest.
If he didn’t take a break soon, he might not make it through the next day.
Of course, there were those who fought tirelessly, fearing enemy attacks and refusing to rest. But Vinny wasn’t one of them.
It’s a choice every candidate has to make: recharge your batteries or stay vigilant to prevent the enemy from attacking at night without resting. The decision rests with each individual.
Vinny, however, had made up his mind. He planned to find a hidden spot and get some rest.
After a full day of fighting, his stamina was drained, and his magic was completely exhausted.
Yes, despite casting only a handful of skills, his mana reserves were bone dry.
This was the reality of having a one-star Soul Armament, his mana capacity was pitifully low. A few skills were all it took to bottom him out.
Keep in mind, the skill released by Frostfang was powered by the magic core and didn’t consume his personal mana.
Yet, even with that, the three ice locks he’d conjured had drained him completely.
Now, all he wanted was to find a secluded place to sleep.
After leaving the forest where Aesphyra was, Vinny ventured into another wooded area and began searching.
Eventually, he stumbled upon a tree hollow.
After evicting the small critters that called it home, Vinny claimed the hollow as his own.
Yes, you heard that right, he pulled a classic “dove taking over the magpie’s nest.”
As he settled in, Vinny emptied the contents of his backpack onto the ground.
The bag had been unusually heavy, and not just because of the bread, water, and Vanessa’s special forces rations. No, the real culprits were...
Vinny stared at the pile of skincare products and bath lotions he’d dug out.
He hadn’t wanted to bring these things, but he couldn’t help himself.
His family’s wealth was tied up in these high-end skincare items, so he’d packed them along.
But how to say, bringing all these bells and whistles to what was essentially a survival assessment? It was a bit much.
After setting aside the bread and water for sustenance, Vinny lay down in the hollow of the tree, ready to rest.
The tree hollow was a decent hiding spot.
Even if someone passed by, they wouldn’t immediately notice him.
Of course, there was always the chance that someone might fancy his “bedroom” and try to squeeze in.
But any such commotion would surely wake him up.
And so, Vinny spent his first night in the dungeon nestled in the hollow of the tree.
Luck was on his side. While some candidates were embroiled in chaos throughout the night, his surroundings remained eerily quiet. Not a single disturbance reached him.
The next morning, Vinny rubbed his eyes, yawned, and cautiously poked his head out of the tree hollow.
After scanning the area to ensure no one was around, he climbed out and prepared for the day ahead.