"When?" Carl scoffed and shook his head a little when Wilbur asked such a stupid question.
"Ever since you shoved me from behind like a coward."
Those sudden words froze Wilbur for a few seconds. He scratched his head, his voice cold—no hint of softness left.
"Well…that time, it's just a joke. You don't have to take it that seriously."
Wilbur was a bit surprised, even though he'd erased every trace of what he had done. He hadn't expected Carl to catch on.
"I shouldn't have done that… my bad. I just wanted to see your such hilarious face in the crowd."
But Carl crushed that little excuse immediately.
"Huh. Don't waste your breath."
Carl spat on the ground as the memory flashed back. He'd tried to track the guy by scent, but it was too hard… still, there was one thing Wilbur could never hide—
Murderous intent.
That bastard had occasionally leaked killing intent at some moment that Carl had mocked Wilbur in the their journey. Just a flicker, enough to attract Carl's senses due to that fact that Carl had survived long enough in harsh life to know when he was being targeted. What's more, somehow, Carl always remmembered each murderous intent's trait.
More importantly, what he hated most was Wilbur's murderous intent—the mark of an abuser who likes to control everything from the shadows.
Wilbur's instinctive action put Carl in a suspicious state, but thanks to it, Carl avoided the same fate as the others.
As long as Carl stayed cautious, no matter what Wilbur did or how well he hid, the true culprit would eventually be revealed once all the potential suspects were dead.
"Forget it. You're finding the key, right?" Carl chuckled and pulled out a golden key from somewhere.
Wilbur just raised his eyelids and nodded, not denying a thing. Then he replied,
"Yep. So, you really are the one keeping it—my key."
"It was weird when the phantom guide died before its complete roles. So I figured you were the one holding onto it. Anyway, the guide only dies once it finishes leading the way to the treasure."
Carl rubbed his chin and rolled his eyes, a hint of anger in his expression.
"So you tricked everyone. There's no such thing as a safe exit on the dungeon's second floor, is there?. The phantom guide's function is a scam after all.
"You're right!" Wilbur nodded with a small smile, walked over to a nearby stone, and sat down.
"It was all a lie… I've got an ancient tool that can control everything in this dungeon. But it's pretty old, so I could only do so much with it. Still, I guess it was enough for everyone."
He added, "And I'm the one who led everyone straight into the minotaur's lair."
Carl felt a chill run down his spine. That meant if Wilbur had found the ghost before them, none of them would've survived.
"Damn… lucky me," Carl clicked his tongue, then asked,
"So why bother saving those unlucky bastards, only to waste time poisoning them all?"
Wilbur sighed and glanced at the corpse slumped on the throne.
"You're right. But I was just being careful… I didn't want any mistakes to happen."
Carl's face darkened.
"What a cruel bastard."
He glanced at the throne where the lich had died, questions filling his mind.
Wilbur seemed to catch Carl's train of thought from his expression and spoke up.
"That was the final boss. But it's been dead for a long time—killed by my father… my tribe. But that dragon was too sly." His voice carried both pride and pain as he mentioned his tribe.
"There's only one way out of here… hand me the key, noble heir! You were just unlucky choosing this dungeon."
Carl grimaced at the new information he'd just learned.
Ting!
—------------------------------------------------
[Main Quest]:
– Destroy Arcadia Academy.
– Rewards: A short date with me and a tongue kiss from your wife if you complete the quest flawlessly.
[Side Quest]:
– Clear your first dungeon.
– Reward: Dimensional Slash Skill
—-------------------------------------------
Carl glanced at the system screen for a while before dismissing it. Then he asked. One question that would decide his options
"The last question? Why don't we cooperate and defeat the hidden boss of this dungeon together? The boss seems way too strong for you to handle alone."
…
"Hahahahahahahaha!" Wilbur burst into laughter, mocking Carl's question. He kept laughing for half a minute before clenching his fists and gritting his teeth in madness.
"Only a weakling would beg for allies… I'm strong enough to take that boss down alone. Don't forget, this dungeon is the land of misery. A three-star dragon soul like me is more than enough. I'm not sharing my treasures with someone like you."
He shot Carl a sharp look.
"One last mercy… give me the key. I don't want to get stuck somewhere after I kill you. But don't push me—I have other ways to deal with you."
Carl nodded and tossed him the key like it meant nothing.
"Take it."
Wilbur froze for a moment, then snapped out of it. He frowned, turning the key over in his hands, looking for anything unusual.
And then, to his surprise, he chuckled.
"Well, I didn't expect you to hand it over so easily… I thought you'd put up a fight."
Carl just shrugged and replied.
"You're right! I'm too weak, and I've got no quyền to đàm phán. I'll just stay here and wait for you to finish your mission."
Wilbur nodded, seemingly agreeing with Carl's answer. In truth, Carl would've been an idiot not to hand over the key.
But that wasn't what Wilbur really wanted. Deep down, he wanted to pay back every bit of disgrace Carl had put him through. He wanted to spit in Carl's face and torture him again and again after Carl did to him. He had sworn to himself that at some point in this dungeon, he would take revenge for himself after all that Carl had done.
"Tsk! Before I get to the hidden gate, I'll torment you for everything you did to me. As long as you're still breathing, that's enough."
In the blink of an eye, Wilbur vanished.
"FUCK! You little piece of shit!" Carl cursed furiously, stepping back and bracing himself, ready to counter at any moment.
But his enemy was just too fast. He couldn't keep up with Wilbur's movements with his current power.
Next time, Carl was sure he'd be completely defeated if he didn't do something. The thought of suffering Wilbur's torture made him sick. Just a lizard—how dare he bully Carl? The only one who had that right was Carl's wife.
"It's time for stat points."
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[Attributes] (★)
Strength : 2×1
Agility : 4×1
Vitality : 3×1
Intelligence : 3×1
Wisdom : 5×1
Available stat points: 25
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