"You want me to save… the Demon Queen?"
Orion couldn't believe what he was hearing.
How the hell was someone supposed to save the Demon Queen?
"Yes," she replied calmly. "Is there a problem?"
"No—yes, there is a problem," Orion shot back. "You want me to save the Demon Queen. How does someone even do that? Aren't Demon Queens supposed to be the final boss or something?"
She sighed softly.
"You see, before they could kill me, I destroyed myself and split my soul into three parts. One part is me—the fragment you're speaking to now. Another lies in the deepest part of this dungeon. And the last fragment… I entrusted to Scarlet."
Her voice softened.
"She is now known as the Demon Queen."
Orion stiffened.
"In my final moments, I watched the child I considered my daughter be branded a Demon Queen simply because she carried a fragment of my soul. I felt an unbearable amount of guilt before dying. Since then, I've been searching for someone capable of carrying my will to save her." Her eyes burned with raging emotions—betrayal by her own kind, and overwhelming guilt toward her daughter.
She looked at Orion, hope clearly shining in her eyes.
"But if I try to save her, I'll still have to face the Ancient Dragons, won't I?" Orion asked cautiously. "They won't just sit on their thrones while I save the 'Demon Queen.'"
"No," she replied. "You don't need to worry about that. You see, There are seven continents in this world, each created by an Ancient Dragon. When they decided to kill me, they feared turning on each other as well. So they sealed their continents off from one another. They cannot interfere."
"Alright… wait. If you were dead, how do you know all this?"
He narrowed his eyes, still suspicious.
"My older sister told me, before I died" she said simply.
"Your big sister?" Orion blinked. "Then why doesn't she save Scarlet?"
"She is also an Ancient Dragon," Emberlyn said quietly. "And she was the one responsible for Scarlet's imprisonment."
Family drama, huh…
Orion shook his head.
"But don't get me wrong… I still love my big sister. I understand why she did what she did."
That answer made Orion angry for her.
"I gauss you are a bigger person than me, but If someone I cared about betrayed me—even in a game—I'd lose my mind," he muttered. "Don't you feel any resentment towards your sister?"
"I do," she admitted. "But I also understand her. It wasn't a simple betrayal—something you wouldn't understand."
Orion exhaled.
Anyway, it's none of my business
"So basically… I have to save the Demon Queen. And judging by her title, the world won't see her the way you do. That means my enemies will be…"
He swallowed.
"…the entire world."
"And heroes," she added.
"So there are heroes too?, Of course there are," Orion groaned. "Why wouldn't there be?"
She narrowed her eyes slightly. "They're quite famous. Why are you surprised?"
"I was just a country bumpkin," Orion waved it off. "Anyway, that's not important. Do you know her current situation?"
"According to my sister, Scarlet tried to take revenge for me. The heroes—blessed by both divinity and Ancient Dragons—stopped her. They couldn't kill her due to her unique class.....that makes her almost unkillable, so they sealed her in a temple…..somewhere."
"Great," Orion muttered. "And how strong are these heroes?"
"Think of them as demigods," Emberlyn replied. "They're blessed by the Goddess herself. And she is supreme in this world."
"Wait—wait—WAIT," Orion held up his hands. "You're not asking me to pick a fight against a Goddess, right?"
"Relax. Gods cannot directly interfere in mortal affairs," she said casually. "What she does do… I'm not entirely sure......come to think of it, she doesn't really do anything"
Good. Otherwise, this was a huge deal-breaker.
"Alright," Orion said slowly. "Then how do you make sure that I would save scarlet and won't just ditch her entirely?"
He wanted to know if he would be under surveillance all the time. He really didn't want that for multiple reason.
"Because what I'm giving you is my legacy," she said firmly. "If you fail to save her within four years, my soul fragment will fall permanently dormant inside you. All the powers and skills you gain from it will become completely useless."
A dangerous smile curved her lips as she finished.
"… That makes sense, I guess" Orion nodded.
"Good. Now give me the legacy and get me out of here."
He was already dreaming about food—and the world beyond the dungeon. His imagination ran wild: would this magic-filled world resemble a medieval western land, or an ancient eastern realm filled with cultivation?
He really hoped it wasn't the cultivation type.
"Not so fast," she interrupted. "If I force all of my soul into you at once, you'll be crushed into nothingness. You must absorb it gradually. And I'll need to train you—your fighting style is sloppy."
A bucket of cold water dumped on his excitement.
"… Fair enough, it makes sense, I guess" Orion said. Then hesitated.
"Uh… if I absorb your soul… will it… turn me into a girl?" Orion finally blurted out, the question that had been gnawing at the back of his mind the whole time.
"Oh yes," she said cheerfully. "Yes. As you consume my soul little by little, your body will change… until you become a girl, like me." Her words were Ominous
Orion felt as if his entire world had just shattered underneath him.
"WHAT?! No! Absolutely not! Keep your soul and leave me alone!"
"Come on, don't be a baby," she said, grinning as she came closer to him. "It won't hurt~ I promise."
"Get away from me! Don't come any closer—someone help!" he screamed, fully aware that absolutely no one was coming to help him.
"HAHAHAHA—!"
She burst out laughing, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.
"The look on your face—I can't… I really can't…!"
"I was just joking—HAHAHAHA—!" She couldn't stop herself from laughing.
Orion groaned, rubbing his face. "So you were just messing with me? That was really not funny… you damn sadist."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! And don't worry—it won't turn you into a girl… ha ha ha ha!"
After a while, she finally managed to stop laughing.
"My soul has no memory of anything; it only contains my potential and powers. It won't become a second soul inside you—it will merge with your soul, making it stronger. You'll gain some of my skills, and your potential will increase greatly…"
"… You swear?"
"Yes."
"… Alright," Orion sighed. "How do we start?"
"First, I give you my legacy. Are you ready?"
Orion took a deep breath.
"… Yeah."
She descended from her throne and came face to face with Orion, pressing her lips against his.
Orion's eyes widened, startled by the boldness of her action.
"Chuuuuu." After nearly a minute, she finally pulled back.
Orion had kissed girls before—he wasn't a virgin—but this was entirely different. She wasn't just impossibly beautiful; she radiated a godlike power that made every second of the kiss feel monumental. At that moment, he truly felt like he had accomplished something extraordinary.
When she pulled back, his face was burning.
"That was my first kiss," she said softly, blushing. "Just so you know."
Before Orion could respond—
[ ALERT! ]
[ System Upgrade Forcefully Completed ]
[ ERROR ]
[ ERROR ]