"I…!"
Marcille wanted to immediately tell Laios that she wouldn't—but the moment she followed his line of thought, the words caught in her throat and were crushed deep inside.
"Marcille, it seems none of us were truly ready to face your ideal."
Laios placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Abandon the Dungeon's power. We can find another way."
"I'd love nothing more than to continue living like we are now. But if we're unprepared… the power of the Dungeon will only bring disaster."
"And—Winged Lion."
Laios shifted his gaze to the presence that had, until now, been downplaying its existence.
"I've been thinking, this whole time—why, out of all the people you could have chosen, did you pick Marcille to be the dungeon master?"
"Only just recently… did I realize."
He looked the Winged Lion dead in the eyes.
"You wanted to eat more."
"…?"
Marcille froze in confusion.
Eat what?
To this point, she still didn't understand the Winged Lion's true identity. Becoming the dungeon master had been something she was all but pushed into…
While Marcille was still dazed, over on the battlefield—
Kairo Retsu was still chugging Mega Potions while enduring a barrage of Water Cannons from multiple Undines.
The monsters had organically formed a "Protect the Carrot" defense formation.
Marcille was that carrot.
"Laios, you really are the kind of human I like,"
The Winged Lion smiled suddenly upon hearing his words.
"Humans have that emotion too, don't they?"
The Winged Lion slightly bowed its massive beastlike form, easily several meters tall—
Making all present seem like mere children in comparison.
"Saving the tastiest, most desirable food for last…"
"With greater restraint comes greater satisfaction. That final morsel becomes even more delicious—more tantalizing."
The Winged Lion glanced between Laios and Marcille, smiling all the while.
"Your desire to defeat me—that is what I want to savor most."
"Laios… What's it saying?"
Marcille still couldn't grasp what was going on.
"Exactly what it sounds like."
Before Laios could respond, the Winged Lion answered her itself.
"I want to devour the dungeon master's desire… Originally, I planned to consume Thistle's first. His longing has been ripening for over a millennium."
Like a gourmet critiquing a delicacy, it described its prey.
"Thistle's desire reached its peak long ago. There's no more room for growth. He's done everything he wished to do—now he merely exists in stagnation. If I didn't consume him soon, it'd just be a waste."
"Unfortunately, I never got the chance to devour his desire."
Its voice took on a note of regret.
"But you two are different."
"You still have things you wish to accomplish. Your desires are abundant. And even knowing who I am… you still chose to approach me willingly."
Its gaze fixated on Laios, filled with an unmistakable hunger.
"That's why… when the book seal was broken, you immediately chose Marcille to become the dungeon master?"
Laios narrowed his eyes.
"You used her as bait, didn't you?"
"No."
The Winged Lion shook its head, but its piercing gaze remained locked on Laios.
"At the time, Marcille had already been pushed to the brink, hounded endlessly by the elves. I merely… offered a small bit of help."
"I feared that without her… the way you would interact with me might change."
It stared at him—those ∞-shaped irises like layered pupils locking onto Laios.
"I simply… wanted to taste your desire."
"To savor the desire to eliminate me."
The demon's smile twisted with greedy fervor.
"Your desires will lead me beyond this dungeon… won't they?"
"…?!"
Marcille partially understood the demon's words.
She hid behind Laios, clutching the back of his shirt.
"Bringing the Winged Lion out of the dungeon… what does that mean?!"
"It's true that the Winged Lion will grant your wish, Marcille,"
Laios said bluntly.
"But what it really wants is to pull everyone back into itself, to satisfy every desire."
"Correct."
The Winged Lion smiled.
"What fascinates me most… is that even knowing all this, you're still willing to become the dungeon master, just to defeat me—
Even if it means carrying me outside the Dungeon."
"So don't worry."
It crouched down, extending a hand toward Marcille and Laios with surprising gentleness.
"I won't consume Marcille's desire. After all, I've learned from you humans…
Sometimes, to eat something even tastier later, one must restrain themselves."
"That's what you are trying to do as well, aren't you?"
Its eyes bore into Laios.
A hunter and a demon locked in mutual understanding.
Marcille, however, grew increasingly anxious.
Her unease spread to the monsters she had summoned.
One by one, they stopped attacking and turned to look at Laios and the Winged Lion—
Giving Kairo Retsu a well-earned breather.
Even if the ranged attacks weren't fatal, there were just so many of them…
"No, Laios!"
Marcille tugged at his shirt.
"If that's really what it wants… then it's too dangerous!"
"Laios, it seems you're ready."
The Winged Lion turned to him, smiling faintly.
"It seems… I truly won't be able to feast on Marcille's desire after all."
"A new dungeon master… You know what I mean, don't you, Winged Lion?"
Laios clenched his fist, his tone resolute—with a faint, hopeful glint in his eye.
"Wait—Laios! What are you planning to do?"
Marcille panicked, but found that she couldn't even budge his arm.
Laios now felt like some kind of ogre—so strong that Marcille couldn't even shift his hand.
Ever since he became a Hunter and started eating Palico meals, Laios's physical strength had far surpassed that of an average Tallman from his world.
"Very well."
The Winged Lion looked at Marcille with a hint of regret in its expression.
It bent down and gently took her hand, tapping it lightly with its leonine snout.
"What a pity.
It seems I'll have to choose a new master."
"Then…"
As it spoke, the sword at Laios's hip—the Winged Lion Blade—
Along with the two books that had once sealed it—
All of them opened wide.
Revealing eyes marked with the symbol of infinity.
"Let a new dungeon master be born."
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