248 THE SOLE SURVIVOR
Within moments, the battle was over.
The adventurers lay defeated, their bodies sinking to the ground as the dungeon claimed them. The Jade Throne absorbed their essence, feeding on their strength.
In the basement palace, Leo and his wives watched the carnage unfold on the screen.
Sujira leaned back with a smirk. "Well, that was less than entertaining."
Leo chuckled and was satisfied by the results of the fight. "They thought they could challenge the Dungeon of Lust. Fucking Idiots."
The screen flickered off, leaving only the silence of the palace to punctuate the adventurers' defeat. A series of notifications appeared before Leo, one after another:
"Fatal enemy defeated: Slowpoke"
"Fatal enemy defeated: Cannonmaster"
"Fatal enemy defeated: Ragomon"
More than a hundred player adventurers had fallen to the Dungeon of Lust.
"Do you think more adventurers will show up tomorrow?" Sujira asked, her tone a mix of curiosity and mischief.
Before Leo could reply, Petunia strode into the palace with a confident smirk. "Nope. That was everyone for today. They're all wiped out. If more show up tomorrow, they'll be in for the same treatment."
Sujira tilted her head thoughtfully. "We should increase the entrance fee. Clearly, we've underestimated how desperate these adventurers are."
Leo grinned at her suggestion. "An excellent idea. Let's raise the price and slow the killing. I've already met my quota I don't need to kill too many fodders."
"Husband you are being too merciful", Yun-Yun noted.
As they shared a laugh, a shadow of triumph lingered over Leo. At last, he had embraced the role this world had thrust upon him.
He wasn't just a player anymore—he was a true villain, reveling in the evil he had orchestrated.
He was the demon boss of the realm.
------
Several days had passed since the Black Cock dungeon first appeared, and with each passing day, more adventurers arrived, eager to test their mettle against its mysterious depths.
Yet, one by one, they all met the same fate—vanishing into the shadows of the Rose Dungeon, never to return.
On the fifth day, however, something unprecedented happened.
An adventurer emerged from the dungeon, battered and weary but - alive.
His name was Ethene, and his survival instantly made him the most sought-after man in the region. No sooner had Ethene stumbled out of the dungeon than a court official from the Koresh Empire arrived, flanked by a retinue of guards.
"Adventurer Ethene," the official declared, his voice firm and commanding, "we require your cooperation. You must tell us everything you know about what lies within that dungeon."
Grammers stepped forward, his face red with indignation. "This is an outrage! You can't just arrest our customers before our own eyes! Ethene is under our protection!"
Tensions flared as the soldiers of the Koresh Empire squared off against the armies of Gullee. Both factions were determined to claim Ethene for themselves.
Ethene was, after all, the sole survivor of the Black Cock dungeon, and the secrets he carried was important to all the parties in Sodom city.
As the standoff threatened to escalate into violence, a new group arrived on the scene.
They were the city guards of Sodom, accompanied by a cadre of mages dressed in unfamiliar, ornate uniforms. Grammers, already on edge, turned to them with a scowl. "And who the hell are you supposed to be?"
The lead mage, a tall figure with an air of quiet authority, stepped forward.
"We are representatives of the Hunter Association of Luxor," he said calmly. "I am Graehm and we came to investigate the demon named Black Cock and his dungeon."
"Luxor!!! Why is Luxor interested with us?" Grammers asked.
General Nahum, commander of the city's forces, stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "This is an official matter now. We need adventurer Ethene's cooperation to uncover the truth about the strange dungeon which suddenly appeared in our city. This is a matter of Sodom's security."
Grammers hesitated, his eyes darting between the general of Sodom city and the mages from a renown foreign sect of mages famed for hunting demons and monsters.
Reluctantly, he stepped aside, allowing Nahum to take custody of Ethene.
The Koresh official, however, was not so easily placated. "You cannot do this!" he protested. "The witness must come with us to the Koresh court!"
The voices from both sides rose into argument- all over the custody of Ethene and the secrets that he could reveal.
Neither side would be willing to forgo the opportunity of Ethene's secrets. If no resolution or agreement could be reached between the parties, then the fate of Ethene would be determined by the strength of force.
Eventually a sober voice rose amidst the chaotic arguments.
Nahum raised a hand, silencing the crowd. "Let us compromise," he said, his tone firm but diplomatic. "I propose that the city of Sodom will hold the witness, but all parties may send representatives to question him. The secrets of the dungeon need not remain a secret to just one party. We can all share with its secrets."
After a tense moment, the factions reluctantly agreed.
Ethene was escorted away by the city guards.
-----
[The Criminal Court of Sodom]
The Criminal Court of Sodom was unusually crowded, though no trial was underway.
Instead, a hearing was taking place—a rare gathering to hear the testimony of adventurer Ethene, the sole survivor of a raid on the infamous Black Cock dungeon.
The room was packed with representatives from Sodom's most influential families, as well as envoys from distant powers.
The Hunter Association of Luxor had sent their own delegation, led by Lord Graehm, and even the Koresh Empire had dispatched officials to ensure their interests were represented.
The air was thick with tension, as everyone awaited the revelations Ethene might share about the horror lurking within the dungeon.
Minister Alem, a high-ranking official of Sodom, opened the proceedings.
"Let us begin the questioning," he said, his voice echoing through the chamber. "Ethene, tell us what happened inside the dungeon."