[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-dungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties":3,"chapter-dungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-dungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-chapter-158":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Dungeon of Lust: Managing Otherworldly Beauties",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1445614,1897,"Chapter 158: Onwards! It’s One Foot in Front of the Other When Traveling Despair’s Path!","dungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-chapter-158",158,"\u003Cp>\"Oh, good, you’re finally awake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia feebly opened her eyes to a dark forest canopy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’What...? Where...?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mias, the boy who’d been by her side during her entire fight, was sitting beside her on a tree stump, stoking a fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You should probably stay lying down.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his left hand was a stick with a skinned beast at the end. It looked almost like a rabbit, or at least that’s what it looked like in the dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia looked down at her body only to find herself under a thick blanket of tangible smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could feel her muscles sundered and ligaments torn, overworked and destroyed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet she could feel no pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not yet, at least.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia, still dazed, let her head fall back down and stared up toward the starless sky hidden behind the leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I... I lost.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tears swelled in the corners of her eyes and slid to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leila, Diligence, had told Ophelia that she could help her get to Lust, but whether she’d succeed in her slaughter was something Leila had said there was a slim chance of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, this didn’t mean her destined path of vengeance was over, but it did mean it was going to take an arduous detour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’In fact... we should probably get out of here soon.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in this immediate failure, Leila had told her the steps that would lead to her desired conclusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, right now?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia continued to cry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For even if she succeeded in the future, she failed today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She failed to get revenge for Laertes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, she’d cast her brethren toward their demise, using them as mere fodder. Sacrifices of battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia raised her mangled arm from under the blanket of smoke and wiped her eyes while Mias studied her with an interested expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia dropped her arm to her side, and the pain began to assault her all at once. She grunted and bore it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, grimacing, her head turned to the boy next to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your eyes...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy gave a light smile back, his eyes looking almost human. There was now a light gray circle outlining an onyx iris. Though it was unmoving, as if it was constantly staring at one spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It takes a bit of effort, but if I use the moisture in the air, I can create this effect. But it also takes concentration to maintain and move. I only had it like this in case humans happened upon us.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia, facing the ultimate pain and despair, laughed hoarsely as she looked over the boy’s flawless skin, long hair, and firm eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He really is pretty...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was the world so kind to some and cruel to others?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’What did this boy do for his body to end up like this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mias’s eyes narrowed, then he leaned in a little closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What was that? I didn’t quite catch it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia lightly laughed as she attempted to activate her Aether, only to find it still nearly fully depleted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’How long has it been?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia closed her wet eyes and took in a deep breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I asked what you were cooking.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mias looked toward the stick in his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ah, this? I found it wandering around, but I’m not entirely sure what it is. Though I have discerned that it’s edible. Unfortunately, as knowledgeable as I am... I am terrible at cooking as I don’t have taste receptors. So, it may be a bit bland.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mias, after inspecting the charred meat, tore a strip off and knelt at Ophelia’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia was slightly repulsed, but the empty pit that was her stomach resisted her dismay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She accepted the strip as Mias sat her up and fed it to her, then followed it with a smoky cup filled with water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’How does this even work?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia didn’t know how the water wasn’t falling through the smoke, but she didn’t particularly care; she’d rather quench her thirst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After gulping it down, she looked toward Mias and gave him a cultivated lift of the lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her disguise fooled nobody, not Mias, not herself. Her dejection at her failure was palpable. Yet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mias stated plainly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t seem too upset you failed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’As pretty as he is... doesn’t he know when to let a girl rest?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia let out a wry chuckle after swallowing another piece of the dry meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was a failure I’d been prepared for.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mias laughed, then with an uncharacteristic expression of gloom, asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I assume the oracle told you of this outcome?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia closed her eyes and thought back to the days she spent alongside Leila.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course. Had you not already discerned that much yourself?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mias reeled back a little as he was stripping off another piece of meat, his arm still hoisting Ophelia up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not hiding it any longer?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia reopened her eyes and leaned her head back on Mias’s arm. She was closer than she’d ever been before to the ghostly boy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could also feel just how broken his body and soul were.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why would I? You most certainly have figured it out by now. Plus, they said it was okay to reveal it now. But, still, I won’t tell you anything about them. And, no, I am not the oracle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mias brought his head down and inspected a nasty gash on Ophelia’s arm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm. I have to ask... even if sure of failure, why did you try to fight? Why not run away?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia laughed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hope... I guess. Perhaps this was the only future that awaited me, yet the oracle deliberately withheld the certainty. Keeping hope alive that I may claim victory now. Who knows the reason? Maybe they wanted me to fight Lust? Maybe they wanted me to experience a devastating loss? Maybe something else? Either way, victory or loss in my fight, your master should have received my message clearly.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mias studied Ophelia’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This oracle has thoroughly impressed me... I’m certain they knew whether you’d win or lose.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia’s fake smile grew as she said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your praise only makes me more trusting of them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ophelia paused, then drew her face close to Mias’s and whispered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, if you have that much faith in the oracle... then we should probably get out of here before Greed arrives.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1046,"2026-06-06T01:43:37.938Z",1,"novelbin.me","216b3ce453b7783729a8a5bc79edd09b97e79c4fc3fe3d835677507ac9255b76","dungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-chapter-159","dungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-chapter-157",306,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-cover.jpg"]