[{"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-165":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},1445621,1897,"Chapter 165: Tension","dungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-chapter-165",165,"\u003Cp>Awilix didn’t hate Toy. Not at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, the goblin was one of the few that Awilix actually got along with. Though any bond that was there had probably been shattered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awilix... as Vale knew her to be, was a tried and true pragmatist and utilitarian. Even if unintentionally, it was in her feral, bestial nature to want to increase her chances of survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letting go of the runt was one way to conserve resources for more pressing needs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Awilix hadn’t thought of all the factors, maybe even thinking upon only a matter of strength, from a logical standpoint, Awilix was right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But from an emotional one...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was wrong, dead wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salome’s glare stiffened, and her eyelids tightened — a hatred restrained behind the fiery pink wall. Salome spoke:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kitten... I knew you were dumb, but this dumb? Even I’m a little baffled.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale began to speak up to try to cut the tension, but Salome cut him off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salome stepped toward Awilix and continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fight her then.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awilix’s brow rose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toy, who’d been over in the corner, trying her best to stifle her tears, shied away when her master looked at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You heard me... If you think she’s so weak. Fight her. Test her strength.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awilix hissed at Salome, then looked over at Toy and used her second question:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Toy, you know you’re useless, right? You know you’re weak, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Awilix’s words, Toy failed to stifle her tears any longer; they began freely flowing down her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awilix laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s quite the answer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale approached the cat and loomed over her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s enough, Awilix. What do you have against her?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awilix yawned, then lay on her back and looked up toward Vale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Nuthin’. You said I could ask everyone a question, so I just asked what was on my mind. Speaking of that... what about you, Vale? What do you think of Salome keeping Toy around?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale stayed silent for a moment. Letting his eyes drift from Awilix to the silently weeping Toy, then back to Awilix.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do I think of Toy being kept around? I’m quite content with her presence.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awilix chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You said you wouldn’t lie.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale smiled warmly as he looked toward the goblin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t... I will admit she may not be the strongest or smartest. But, either way, she’s important to me and this dungeon.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salome’s agitation eased as Vale spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not to mention... I’ve already walked over enough corpses of my enemies, I don’t want to walk over my comrades just for something as petty as self-preservation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale slowly walked over toward the goblin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as he got closer, he saw an odd look flare in Toy’s emerald eyes. Toy got up off her bed with tears still falling down her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale reached out to the small goblin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toy ignored Vale, walked by him, stopping just before the foot of Awilix’s bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think I’ll answer your question...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awilix gave a ferocious glare to the goblin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toy spoke slowly, pain etched in her voice. But beneath that pain was a sprout of confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know I’m weak. I know I may remain the weakest of us. I know I may be useless at times. The gap between us will only keep widening. Even still...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awilix mocked Toy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"’Even still’ what?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My master has placed her trust and faith in me. She chooses to keep me around. Therefore, I will not betray her expectations. Fight me, kitten... I dare you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awilix hissed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What did you call me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toy wiped away her tears and gave Awilix a feral smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Kitten. Something wrong with that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salome’s expression lit up, and she let out a light laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Awilix growled as she lurched out of the bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t have the strength to talk down to me like that... Fine then, let’s fight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale wasn’t the happiest person right now. Not with two members of his Legion currently at odds with one of those members hating literally everyone but him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Why is there so much internal strife in the Dungeon of Lust?!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salome and Ximena. Awilix and... everyone. Everyone and Mias...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Vale didn’t see what was currently happening as necessarily a bad thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’In fact, I’d say this needed to happen...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, ’needed’ was a bit of a stretch; however, it felt as if something silent had finally been addressed. Something that if left unsaid would only stretch a hidden wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Revealing the wound now would allow it to either mend or tear asunder...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fight would play a major role in how that wound developed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Awilix completely thrashed Toy with ease, then Toy would fall into a mental hole much too deep to climb out of. One that would only be dug deeper if Salome or Vale reached their hand in to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale was almost certain that, maybe not purposefully, but the goblin would die in the near future if the battle went that direction...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Toy won, then all was well, and Awilix would be more respectful toward her as well as determined in her own training rather than relying on pure instincts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’How many more injuries until she realizes that fault of hers?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Toy winning was probably ideal...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I doubt it’s possible.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing Awilix said was wrong...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While perhaps Toy was stronger than Awilix thought, there was still an immense gap in strength between them, and Awilix didn’t even know what the hell her Aspect did.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Vale’s knowledge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that gap would only widen if the cat trained in earnest...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Awilix did know was Eclipse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dreadful ability, versatile in its use. One able to block all sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Toy possessed no Trait at all, relying on her honed ability and [Featherweight] Aspect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her battle sense had improved mightily, but Vale had severe doubts that it matched Awilix’s intrinsic physical ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale heaved a hefty sigh as he cleared the warriors out of the training room and stood against the wall, Salome alongside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the middle of the room, Toy stood with her dagger in hand facing Awilix.\u003C\u002Fp>",1022,"2026-06-06T01:43:37.938Z",1,"novelbin.me","c0ddfc69067f9551db777113359176122a9cacadd28b61f77b47a6c7b118d2ca","dungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-chapter-166","dungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-chapter-164",306,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-cover.jpg"]