Chapter 55: Fourth Grade
After talking about alcohol, wine, beer, and similar things that Nith had only tasted a little in his previous life, the duo naturally shifted to more important matters at hand.
The war.
“The Inmate Gang has received more favors from nobles than The Alliance. It’s suspected that the nobles have come to appreciate how the gang has adapted to the dungeon. Chances of them wanting to break out are… minuscule. This resulted in the nobles prying more into The Alliance.”
“In other words, The Inmate Gang are good dogs, while The Alliance doesn’t hide its discontent with the nobles.”
“You’re correct,” Medusa nodded. “Do you recall how I told you about the twist?”
“The twist… you mean when we talked about dungeon cores?” Nith asked.
“Yes,” Medusa smiled.
The best way to escape the dungeon prison was to break the dungeon. It could be achieved by destroying one of its three cores.
This was simple in theory, but much more difficult to execute.
Each core had its own protector sent down by the Royal Crest. Word had it that these beings were fourth-grade people, each strong enough to take over the entire dungeon on their own.
These were, however, just rumors.
“Imagine working hard only to be put on prison duty in the lowest part of the dungeon,” Nith scoffed. “Ah, I feel much better now.”
“You feel much better now? After insulting someone?” Medusa raised her eyebrows at him, which only drew a wider smile from him.
“Hah! Because it’s the truth. Adventurers from first to third grade live much better lives than those locked here. Their sense of duty must be really twisted, or they’re brainwashed to enjoy their time here.”
“Could you remind me of your hobby?” Medusa asked.
“Poisons, toxins, venoms… just getting my hands on them feels good,” Nith replied.
“You’d be content locked in the basement as long as you had resources at hand. You’re no different from those fourth grades,” Medusa shook her head.
Nith scoffed. “Said the alcoholic Queen.”
“Excuse me?” Medusa knitted her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes.
It was so easy to draw this captivating expression.
He harrumphed. This time, it wasn’t his intent!
Breaking the staring contest, Medusa dropped the twist. “The Inmate Gang’s Leader, Marcus Broken Edge, has captured the heart of a fourth-grade. Not in a normal or correct way, but through an aphrodisiac.”
Nith burst out laughing. “Haha! I didn’t expect this!”
“He can leave whenever he wants… but he’s too content with his life here. I’d go so far as to say the nobles are aware of this and allow him to keep his hold on her. He used her strength to restore his order and suppress riots.”
With someone like that by his side, the man lived the life. He could get anything he wanted from the nobles, kill people who went against him, and get his hands on the best women available to him.
For someone like that, a criminal stuck on the third grade, the dungeon prison was more than he could have asked for.
The stamina of the fourth-grade woman meant her libido and passion were on a level he could only dream of before meeting her in the prison.
“The Alliance has a way to break her free from the aphrodisiac?” Nith asked.
Medusa nodded. “This plan has two stages and teams on top of everyone else flooding The Inmate Gang’s territory. The first team will fight Marcus and force him to use the fourth-grade. Once she appears on the battlefield, the second team will take her away and cleanse her of the aphrodisiac. Marcus will then be lured to the bottom of the dungeon. In his pursuit, the fourth-grade will chase him there and kill one of the three bosses, exposing the dungeon core as a result of her rampage.”
The plan heavily relied on the fourth-grade woman.
When Nith pointed that out, Medusa said that The Alliance was confident in taking out the boss alone. That meant more casualties, but they’d never give up on that chance.
What was most important was for the fourth-grade not to meddle in their affairs. She couldn’t be under Marcus’s control.
“What’s your role?” Nith asked.
“I’ll fight Marcus along with others,” Medusa replied. “Many will die in this war. I don’t doubt that my people will be sent to the front lines. I, therefore, ask you to protect them all as I handle Marcus and follow The Alliance’s plan.”
A war on such a large scale meant Medusa didn’t have much to say. Not like she was someone strong to begin with. She was one of many third grades in the prison, and her potential was locked because of the sanctuary’s blessings.
It made sense for her to stick to The Alliance’s plan and ensure that the entire dungeon ceased to exist, so all people inside would get thrown out.
Nith licked his lips and curved them wide. “Show me the list of resources you can get me here. I’ll come up with something that will ensure that both of us get what we desire. I even have an idea I want to try now.”
Nightshade, despite being first-grade, appeared like a predator who could take down even the fourth grade given the right conditions.
This kind of confidence, especially in this place and hellish world, was more than welcome to Medusa. She nodded at him with a bright smile, to which Nith contorted his face.
“What’s the problem?” she asked, bemused.
Nith stood up and replied, “You make me too honest. I hate this shit. I’ll take the bedroom for tonight. You sleep on the sofa.”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself, Nightshade,” Medusa calmly said.
Contrary to her voice, her tail extended rapidly like a lightning bolt, coiling around Nith and hauling him. He dangled without a floor beneath him… then Medusa slammed him into the wall, exactly what the oldest Medusa praised her for.
When her tail unwrapped him, revealing Nith with bruises on his side and head, Medusa stood over him. “Hands off my bed.”
She headed straight to her bedroom.
Nith strained to stand up and wearily dragged himself to the sofa.
Which smelled like Medusa… to his discontent.
He disliked it, even though the fragrance was pleasant.
“Shit smells like you! You’d better never have farted on this sofa!” he shouted.
“NIGHTSHADE!” Medusa’s scream rushed like a tornado from upstairs.
