Chapter 19: The Prisoner of the Secret Chamber

Song Ze surveyed the secret chamber.

He was certain he had never been here before. He hadn’t even known this estate had such an underground space.

The chamber was not small and appeared to be quite old. Shelves lined the walls, and a desk stood nearby, cluttered with messy notes. What caught his attention most was the partially erased magic circle on the floor. Just looking at it gave a person an extremely strong sense of oppression.

“What was this secret chamber used for… I have a bad feeling about this.” For a moment, Song Ze began to wonder if he had wasted his time playing games. He had never triggered anything like this in them.

The chain binding him allowed some movement within the chamber. He walked around and found that the shelves were filled with various magic books, but he couldn’t understand a single one—they were written in ancient languages. How could he possibly read them?

He could only understand common languages thanks to this body’s instincts. Otherwise, he would have been totally illiterate!

Song Ze looked to the side and saw a note with a magic circle drawn on it. He picked it up, but before he could examine it closely…

“You’re awake.”

The voice suddenly came from one side. Idis had appeared there without a sound, startling Song Ze so much that he stumbled back, the chain clinking, and the paper slipped from his hand.

“Brother Idis.” Song Ze stared at the person beside him. He was so nervous he could barely breathe, but thinking of the unfinished main quest and the saint he had yet to meet, he gathered his courage and asked, “Why are you doing this…”

“Why?” Idis chuckled softly, picking up the note from the floor. His violet eyes looked over, carrying a hint of emotion that seemed to have been suppressed to the breaking point. “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.”

“What?” Song Ze was shocked.

He had thought he and Idis were childhood friends. That’s how the game set it up!

Although… in the game, they were both girls.

“Don’t you want to know what the diary said?” Idis walked over. “Let me tell you.”

“That day, I was finally able to learn magic with you. I never told you, but I had always looked forward to it.” He began. “But during practice, my magic suddenly went out of control and hurt you.”

Song Ze: “?!?” So that had happened. No wonder the main character never studied magic again.

“You probably don’t remember that. After all, you were seriously injured. I wanted to see you, but you always looked at me with fearful eyes… You were no longer close to me. Every time you saw me, you would hide.” Idis laughed bitterly. “After all, I was the one who hurt you. And that was what I had always wanted—or so I thought.”

Song Ze was completely dumbfounded. “…”

“But when you treated me like a stranger, I couldn’t accept it.” Idis continued. “Every time I saw you resisting and afraid, I couldn’t stay calm. I thought that with time, everything would pass.”

“But Father found other playmates for you, children from other families…”

Song Ze: “!!”

This felt like he was watching someone else’s story, but with an intense sense of identification, as if it were really happening to him!

“It was too much.” Idis said. “You were so afraid of me that you trembled at the sight of me, but you were so gentle with that person. You two were so close. I couldn’t accept it.”

“So afterward, I used some means to cause trouble for that family, forcing them to leave. And I made sure no one could get close to you.” Idis said. “I thought that then you would rely only on me.”

Song Ze felt he had no chance to speak. But that family was so pitiful! It was too tragic!

“But.” Idis’s tone turned cold. “You still wouldn’t look at me.”

Song Ze: “…” 1551, someone save him!

Idis’s problem was clearly just a tragedy caused by lack of proper communication! And as the other main character in this, Song Ze felt completely innocent. Being afraid wasn’t his fault!

“But I was still too impatient.” Idis sighed. “I didn’t expect that day Father would catch me kissing you.”

Song Ze: He couldn’t even imagine that scene. It must have been absolutely horrible!

“He scolded me harshly and sent you to the Paladin Academy.” Idis’s tone grew cold. “That old dog would only corrupt you. I’ve been thinking of ways to gain power.”

So that was why he was sent away! After all, an adopted child couldn’t compare to a biological son. When the old duke found out his son was gay, he sent Song Ze to the Paladin Academy. Why did this feel more convincing than the game’s setting? Maybe the world had filled in some bugs to make everything more realistic…

“You…” Song Ze suddenly had a bad feeling. “Could the old duke be…”

“How dangerous. It’s good you didn’t see it clearly just now.” Idis’s tone shifted. “What is this?”

Song Ze remembered the uneasy feeling from the magic circle, and how the mark on his back had heated up multiple times when he met Idis and during meals. If he still couldn’t see there was something wrong with Idis, he’d have to be stupid. His expression changed. “Is this… black magic?”

Black magic was a forbidden art with immense destructive power, said to originate from ancient evil gods and similar to demon magic. It was very dangerous and could easily backfire, but for someone as talented as Idis, it was nothing.

To put it in perspective, the former was like a grade-schooler using functions, and the latter was like a high schooler doing basic arithmetic…

“More or less.” Idis said flatly. “After all, with obstacles like that, it’s better they die, isn’t it?”

Song Ze: “…” Hey! Was Idis even human?! His emotions didn’t seem normal at all!

[Congratulations, host. Main quest completed: Explore the estate and find the cause of the old duke’s death.]

…So it was completed, even though it didn’t make anyone happy!

“Now, don’t you understand?” Idis smiled. “Except for that annoying b*tch, everything is going as I expected.”

Song Ze: “No, that’s not right. Calm down. This situation is completely wrong. If I go missing, others will notice!”

“Oh? They all know Song Ze has left.” Idis said. “But no one knows where you went. As long as you miss the Paladin Academy’s final exam, you’ll be expelled automatically. If I remember correctly, you had no friends there except that Aliel. No one will care.”

Cold sweat broke out on Song Ze’s face. “Aliel will come for me!”

What was going on! Idis had become scarier than even the demon prince! No wonder he had been terrified the first time he met him. He should have trusted his instincts!

Even the demon prince gave Song Ze the creeps, and he wanted to run away from the start. Now Idis was even worse! Even if he turned into a girl!

Only the saint was his hope!

“That’s even better.” Idis said gently. “Then I’ll just kill him. That way, no one can interfere anymore.”

As he spoke, he softly stroked Song Ze’s cheek.

Song Ze instinctively slapped his hand away.

The atmosphere instantly grew heavy.

“No, that’s not it!” Seeing Idis’s expression grow more frightening, Song Ze’s survival instinct kicked in again. He grabbed Idis’s hand and threw himself into his arms.

Idis froze.

Song Ze gripped his hand tightly, his voice trembling. “It’s not like that. I’ve always really liked you, Brother Idis…”

“You’re lying.” Idis said. “You don’t have your memories now.”

“But I know!” Song Ze’s acting skills exploded in that moment, though part of it was his own feelings and the body’s instincts. “I admire you so much. You’re perfect and powerful, and you do everything so well… I want to be closer to you, but I don’t dare. Just standing by your side takes all my courage.”

Idis was momentarily stunned.

“I don’t hate you, Brother Idis.” Song Ze said. After all, there was nothing to hate. Even the old duke was just a game character to him. But the fear was real!

“It’s just… I need time to think…” Song Ze looked up. “Let me think about it… okay?”

Seeing the boy’s tearful, cautious plea, Idis reached out and wiped away his tears.

“I’ll wait.” he said softly.

Song Ze breathed a sigh of relief, his joy showing clearly on his face.

Just like before, Idis thought. He could never hide anything. It felt as if the distance between them had never existed.

“After the funeral is over, I’ll let you out.” Idis said softly. “Until then, bear with it. Now rest.”

Song Ze didn’t want to rest, but after Idis finished speaking, he felt drowsy and soon blacked out, collapsing into Idis’s arms.

Idis picked him up and kissed his forehead, his violet eyes full of obsession. “Once the ceremony at the funeral is complete, you can stay by my side forever.”

He glanced at the ring on Song Ze’s hand, a cold light flashing in his eyes. When this was over, that ring would disappear too.

—-

When Song Ze woke up again, he didn’t know how much time had passed.

But his body was dry and he didn’t feel hungry… Idis must have used magic on him while he was unconscious.

“How long was I asleep…” Song Ze rubbed his eyes.

[You woke up just in time. It’s the day of the funeral.] The system voice sounded.

“Hey!” Song Ze shot up. “That’s bad! There are tons of events waiting for me at the funeral! If I miss them, the main quest is doomed!”

If it were the old Song Ze, he wouldn’t have cared about the main quest. But now, thinking he could meet the saint, he was full of energy and determined to complete it no matter what.

“I have to get out of here. The magic circle won’t stop me… the only problem is this.” Song Ze looked at the chain on his ankle. He tried to break it, but it was no use.

Someone like Idis wouldn’t make such a basic mistake. The chain was made of special material, impossible for Song Ze at his current level.

Song Ze: “…” His only hope for escape now was Aliel. He hoped Aliel would find him quickly…

And he hoped Aliel would be careful and not get tricked by Idis, who must hate him by now.

Just then, the ring on his finger suddenly blazed with light.

Song Ze instinctively covered his eyes with his other hand. In the light, a magic circle projected into the air before him, and the space twisted. Aliel’s figure emerged from it.

“I’m here.” With those words, he pulled Song Ze into his arms.

Song Ze was stunned. So the ring had a teleportation function… No wonder it was a cheating device!

But at least he didn’t have to worry about that now.

“I’m so glad you’re okay.” There was still some urgency in Aliel’s voice, which surprised Song Ze.

“Aliel, do you know what happened?”

“After dealing with the elf tribe, I came back and looked into this matter.” Aliel’s expression darkened. “Count William died a few days ago. Everyone thought it was suicide, but I sensed a very unpleasant aura at the scene, the same one I felt on Duke Idis.”

Song Ze: “??” The mini-boss died just like that?

“If I’m not mistaken, Duke Idis is definitely not simple. After that, news spread that you were missing.” Aliel continued. “And I couldn’t sense your location at all… That’s completely abnormal. That duke must have done something to you.”

“Luckily, I left this ring with you, so I could teleport here using the power of the Goddess of Life.” Aliel looked around, then at the chain on Song Ze’s ankle, his expression turning extremely grim.

A flash of light, and Song Ze felt his ankle lighten. The chain had broken.

“I should have stayed with you. I knew something was off about the duke, but I never thought he’d be so insane as to imprison you over some petty estate. Utterly despicable.” Aliel said coldly.

Song Ze: “Yes… yes! Completely shameless!”

He’d better not let Aliel know the real reason he was imprisoned.

After all, elves, while loyal to their partners, also had strong possessiveness… and Aliel’s was even more terrifying than others. Who knew if he’d be triggered and go dark too!

He had a vague feeling that even with Count William dead, this funeral would be anything but simple.

Compared to the now-dark Idis, Count William was a mere annoyance.

—-

At the estate, a large crowd gathered.

Besides the servants coming and going, the funeral attendees were all from the empire’s upper crust, including princes and princesses.

Idis stood out among them, his presence like a crane among chickens. His flawless manners earned everyone’s admiration.

“The old duke’s death is such a pity.” Someone sighed, conversing with Idis. “If he were alive, he would have been so proud to see you like this.”

“Indeed. But having such an excellent son is some comfort.”

“Thank you, everyone.” Idis, though cold, was never rude. He gave just the right amount of politeness, leaving no one feeling neglected.

“Now, the ceremony will begin.”

Everyone gathered in the garden, where a priest of the temple waited. The old duke’s coffin lay in the center.

Having a temple priest officiate was a great honor for anyone in the empire. No one expected anything to go wrong.

But after the priest drew the holy magic circle on the ground, his face changed. “Something’s wrong.”

“What?” Everyone was puzzled, but then they gasped.

Black fog had enveloped the estate, bringing a sense of oppression and coldness that made people shiver involuntarily.

Then screams rang out. Ghost-like monsters appeared and began fighting the attendees.

“Who would do this in a duke’s estate?”

“This is black magic!” someone exclaimed.

“No, even for black magic, this scale is too big. This is a forbidden technique!” The priest said. “It must have been set up long ago… If I’m not mistaken, its purpose is to absorb and control the souls of everyone here, turning them into puppets!”

Soon, people felt they couldn’t breathe, as if their strength was being drained. They couldn’t even resist the monsters, let alone Idis. They would surely die like this.

“Who did this?!”

“Damn it, this is the capital, and someone dares to be so arrogant—”

Everyone looked to where Idis had been, but he was gone.

——–

In the secret chamber.

Before Song Ze and Aliel could leave, things took a turn.

The candlelight flickered violently, then turned a ghostly blue. At the same time, black fog poured from the corners of the chamber, quickly filling it.

Song Ze: “!!!” It came so fast!

“Black magic indeed…” Aliel narrowed his eyes, looking around coldly. “There’s definitely something wrong. Let’s leave quickly.”

Protected by the Goddess of Life’s power, he wasn’t afraid. But someone ordinary like Song Ze could be in danger.

“You won’t have the chance.” A cold voice came. In the black fog, a figure appeared at the chamber entrance. Idis’s handsome but grim face loomed in the mist, his eyes full of apathy. “Dog of the temple, today you die here.”

Then Idis looked at Song Ze, with a hint of intimacy in his voice. “Stay over there. Once I deal with him, I’ll come teach you properly.”

Song Ze’s expression changed. If Aliel lost, it would be a complete disaster. Idis might even wipe his memory!

Then he’d be forced to become gay! Just thinking of it made him break out in cold sweat.

“Don’t be delusional!” Aliel conjured a bow made of light, which shone brilliantly in the black fog. He glared at Idis and said coldly, “It’s not certain who will die. As long as I’m here, you can’t hurt him.”

Idis let out a disdainful laugh. “You think I want to hurt him? Don’t be ridiculous. Our relationship is much closer than you think.”

“What do you mean?” Aliel’s expression darkened.

Song Ze: “!!” Hey! Don’t say things that can be misunderstood!

“You’re the one who suddenly appeared and intruded on our feelings. You shouldn’t exist.” Idis said coldly. “If not for an accident, there wouldn’t be any room for you between us.”

“Is that true?” Aliel turned to Song Ze, his green eyes questioning.

“It’s… complicated.” Cold sweat dripped down Song Ze’s forehead. “But I can assure you, there’s nothing between Idis and me.”

“That’s only because you lost your memory.” Idis sounded somewhat angry. “Otherwise, how could years of feelings compare to a few days with someone who just butted in!”

“Are you done?” Aliel’s eyes were mocking. “You’re the one being ridiculous. I don’t know what happened in your past, but clearly, you’re a loser. Song Ze is mine!”

Saying that, he grabbed Song Ze’s hand.

Song Ze stared at Idis’s icy gaze, not daring to squeeze back, afraid it would provoke Idis into something irrational.

But apparently, that was enough. Idis’s eyes turned cold. This reminded him of unpleasant memories.

“Let go of his hand!”

The next moment, the black fog in the chamber coalesced into dark claws, radiating an unsettling aura, and lunged at Aliel.

The corrosive elements on the claws would kill a person in seconds if they touched them.

However, the attack avoided Song Ze. The strong gust sent him stumbling back a few steps. Aliel pushed him aside, but not before casting a wind spell to prevent Song Ze from getting hurt.

Song Ze was touched by Aliel’s thoughtfulness, even in such a dire moment.

As a high elf, Aliel had a protective barrier of natural energy. It now appeared around him, resplendent.

Idis squinted. “So you’re not human. No wonder you could enter this chamber and use magic. Any ordinary person would have… But so what?”

The natural barrier was corroded by the black claws at a visible rate, but it kept reforming. Eventually, it would break.

Aliel ignored that and raised his bow. With his other hand, he conjured an arrow, brilliant with light, and shot it directly at Idis.

The arrow carried immense natural power, distorting the space around it. If it had been outside, it could have destroyed a building. No one dared to stop it… and no one could.

Idis quickly conjured several magic shields. After shattering a few, the arrow was finally blocked.

“Prepare to die.” Aliel sneered.

Idis muttered a spell under his breath. The black claws mutated, becoming even more ferocious, and attacked the barrier with terrifying force.

The natural energy barrier’s consumption increased dramatically. The scene was brutal.

From behind, Song Ze didn’t dare to breathe. This was a battle between max-level players! It was like gods fighting. If he got involved, he’d be dead instantly. Just the side effects would kill him.

The scene was familiar, like in the game after a cheating scene… From some angles, this was a harem in flames.

No, he absolutely didn’t recognize these two men as his harem!

And being fought over by two men was terrifying.

Aliel’s bow was a weapon given by the Goddess of Life to the elves. It wasn’t a super weapon, but it was powerful enough for both single and group attacks.

Though their strengths were similar, the elves’ natural power countered black magic. Idis was in a tight spot.

Song Ze hoped Aliel would win. He was cheering for him in his mind. After all, even though Aliel was jealous, he was still better than Idis or the demon prince. At least he didn’t imprison Song Ze or refuse to listen.

Meanwhile, Aliel’s barrier was about to collapse.

At that critical moment, his eyes turned cold. The next second, he pulled out six arrows.

Seeing what Aliel held, Song Ze’s heart skipped a beat.

Among them, the brightest arrow was filled with holy light, dispelling much of the black fog the moment it appeared, brightening the chamber.

Idis frowned, clearly uncomfortable with the holy energy. In the game, his attack and defense would have dropped by thirty percent.

At this point, it wasn’t about strength but attribute countering…

“Oh no, that’s—” Song Ze’s expression changed. That was Aliel’s ultimate move! It used ninety percent of his power.

If he used that, Idis might die.

He wanted Idis to lose, but not die!

His childhood bond with Idis made him not want him to die. On the other hand, if a target died, the plot couldn’t develop. The main quest would fail.

“Wait—” Song Ze said to Aliel. “Aliel, no, you can’t kill him…”

“Why?” Aliel’s voice came coldly.

“…Because…” Song Ze realized he didn’t have a good reason.

Aliel turned to look at him, his expression unfamiliar, one Song Ze had never seen before.

He sneered. “So you chose him?”

Song Ze: “??” WTF?

How did this turn into a love triangle? What was Aliel thinking?

Seeing Song Ze’s reaction, Aliel became more convinced. “Even after what he did to you, you still think he’s more important… And what am I to you?”

“No, that’s not what I meant!” Song Ze never expected this turn of events. “Let me explain!”

“Yes, we’ve only known each other for a few days. Of course it doesn’t compare to years of feelings.” Aliel laughed bitterly. “Maybe my coming back just bothered you.”

Song Ze’s heart tightened.

He hadn’t expected that Idis’s words would stick with Aliel. He didn’t seem as indifferent as he showed… and they really had only known each other for a few days. Song Ze had been thinking about how to get rid of Aliel, and it must have shown, making Aliel insecure.

“No! That’s not true! Of course I don’t think you’re a bother!”

“Oh? Then don’t stop me.” Aliel said. “Let me kill him. If you do that, I’ll believe you.”

Song Ze: “…”

Song Ze: “…………”

How had things become such a terrible love triangle?

At this point, Song Ze knew he should say something, but he couldn’t bring himself to.

He couldn’t say “you’re both my wings”! If he did, those two would definitely turn their hatred on him!

Seeing Song Ze’s reaction, Aliel let go of his hand, letting the arrows fly. He said coldly, in a voice only he could hear, “Even so, you can only be with me.”

At that moment, Song Ze remembered a skill in the game that could transfer damage from teammates to oneself, since the protagonist had the most HP… Without thinking much, he gritted his teeth and muttered the skill’s name.

Hearing Song Ze’s chant, both Aliel and Idis changed expressions. Aliel never expected Song Ze to do that, but it was too late to take back his attack.

“Song Ze—”

And then, nothing.

When Song Ze fell to the ground and his vision turned black and white, he remembered that he hadn’t leveled up yet. His HP was pitifully low!

[Character died. Auto-loading previous save. Please wait—]

Song Ze: “!!”

He had never been so grateful for the save and load function! So touching!

…………

……

Song Ze woke with a start, finding himself lying on the bed in the chamber. The room was dark and empty.

He touched his chest. It was smooth, with no sign of the terrible wound. He breathed a sigh of relief, still shaken by what had happened.

Mainly, he didn’t expect that after chanting that spell, Aliel’s attack would actually fly toward him. It was too sudden.

Even though the system blocked the pain, the feeling of being pierced through was still too terrifying. Song Ze never wanted to experience it again.

But when was he now?

[Loaded to the last time the host was awake.]

“Thank goodness.” Song Ze said, moved. It loaded to such a friendly point… If it had been earlier, when Idis confronted him, that would have been hopeless. He didn’t want to hear Idis’s sanity-dropping lines again!

Thinking back, it was no surprise he got a bad ending. He knew Aliel was extremely possessive and prone to overthinking, yet when Aliel grabbed his hand, he didn’t react. He oscillated the whole time… and then messed up.

That was a total scumbag move. No wonder Aliel went dark and wanted to kill Idis. Actually, Aliel wasn’t that dark—he didn’t try to kill Song Ze.

Of course, Idis was already dark and hard to deal with.

Now, what could he do to safely resolve this situation?!

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