[{"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-224":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},1445763,1897,"Chapter 224: Luck Runs Out","dungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-chapter-224",224,"\u003Cp>\"No!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale screeched as Ximena’s blood stained his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salome chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Pitiful, pitiful, pitiful.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her hand dug deeper into Ximena’s flesh as her face began to grow pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh how pitiful a woman I am.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale’s eyes widened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"H-huh?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vitality Drain...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When activated, Salome should be resistant to Ximena’s ability, but her arm was freezing. And, it wasn’t a minor inconvenience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salome’s entire right arm was rock solid and began to chip like ice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’ve been waiting for this day for so long.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salome grit her teeth and grunted as she fell to her knees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But now that it’s come, I don’t see much satisfaction in this end.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Wait...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Salome! What are you doing?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ximena tried to say something, but coughed up another gush of blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salome weakly smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Like hell I’m going to kill you when you’re smiling. I want to see you beg for life.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’S-stop!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t say it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Salome stopped, Ximena would die. But, if she continued...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’W-why. Why has it come down to this?!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where did Vale go wrong?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he been too reliant on his Champions? Not desperate enough for strength?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted someone to blame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, he needed someone to blame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it felt like it could only be his fault.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it wasn’t him, it was the fucking oracle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A glint appeared in the corner of Vale’s eye as Salome lost the strength to even speak. Her arm began to tear apart from the rest of her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Ximena...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ximena had some color return to her face. And, Vale couldn’t see it, but he could most definitely sense less Aether leaking from her body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Greed sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This, Valentin, is another reason why you should treat them like property. You’ll come to lose them quite often. Dwell on each and it will build up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale’s eyes found Greed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Greed paused for a moment, then added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But, I guess today’s your lucky day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of the corner of his eye, Vale saw the stone giant teeter. A moment later, a river of pebbles fell from his hands and started covering Salome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pebbles fed Salome Aether she could heal from while Salome repaired Ximena’s core and transferred that Aether to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"T-thank you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Greed shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was part of the deal. I expect my due compensation for my Champion’s and my help.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Of course...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale looked at Salome who furiously held onto consciousness. Then, he looked at Ximena who’d breaths grew more and more purposeful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owl asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"W-why?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salome growled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I already told you. Live to die another day. Now, shut up, I’m focusing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ximena closed her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few more terrifying minutes passed until Vale sensed Aether had stopped leaking from Ximena’s core altogether.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salome stumbled and Mias swooped in, pulling her away before Ximena’s ability killed her. But in doing so, her entire arm was ripped off at the shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Much too numb to feel the pain, the succubus collapsed as Runcal continued to heal her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale’s gaze flipped from Ximena to Salome and back again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Alive...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were both alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale found himself sitting in Mias’ bed with Ximena lying by his side, still wincing in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Salome was asleep in the main room, but alive. But also missing her right arm now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other members of his Legion had returned to their tasks or were on break lounging around, like Awilix.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Greed was introducing her entourage to Mias and Toy, whom she’d taken a liking to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leaving Vale alone with Ximena.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sorry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ximena let out a pained laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was my choice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale looked down into her eyes which had returned to their ruby state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’A choice you shouldn’t have had to make.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale was a Vice. Why was he having to be saved by an Anathema, someone two classes below him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why was he ever weaker than her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, when it boiled down to the crux of fault, it was easy for him to blame his weakness. Weakness when he should’ve had strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crystal owl smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I could hear you, you know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale scratched her arm as he said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m glad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ximena wryly laughed, then sighed and said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I could also ’hear’ you... we are in a cave, you know. That didn’t exactly help\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, this is the Dungeon of Lust.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But despite the tasteless joke, a part of him felt terrible knowing that...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ximena winced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That it is.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a momentary silence, Vale asked:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you not bothered by it? Knowing the man you...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ximena looked away. She was in too much pain to be bashful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Love.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Love. Knowing the man you love is lying with other women?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ximena rolled her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You really don’t know when to let a girl rest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Did Greed’s personality rub off on her?!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she looked away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At first, I didn’t mind because I thought she had Charmed you. Now, I’m well aware that isn’t the case. So, now I am quite upset.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ximena winced again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Perhaps I’ll have more fire in me to be angry tomorrow. Try to sway you from polygamy. But right now, I just don’t care.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale looked off toward the room’s exit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How bold of you. I didn’t take you to be the brazen type.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ximena scoured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Maybe Awilix has a point...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale looked down at Ximena who held a smug look on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Huh? What point would that be?!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crystal princess shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, she turned away and closed her eyes and muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Gods I miss being able to sleep.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale looked at the remaining splatters of blood on her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We never did finish our conversation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a look that spoke volumes of her suffering, Ximena turned her gaze to Vale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Seriously, Master Vale. Learn to take a break.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Huh?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’But I take plenty of breaks? In fact, I’m quite lazy.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing that Vale hadn’t exactly gathered what she meant, Ximena rolled over and hugged the comforter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We can talk later, after I heal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vale smiled as his hand trailed up to her shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint, quiet smile settled upon his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1023,"2026-06-06T01:43:37.938Z",1,"novelbin.me","339def6e1ec345d0e4ee0d840ad49d19e112de1b061ad047e5954935ddea85af","dungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-chapter-225","dungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-chapter-83",306,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fdungeon-of-lust-managing-otherworldly-beauties-cover.jpg"]