“What is your origin?”
“None in particular, I was born in a small village in the Heavenly Path Kingdom and grew up as a demonic beast hunter, taking on requests like any other.”
“...He’s telling the truth.”
“Your parents?”
“They died when I was young. Because I showed talent in the sacred element, I had a better fate than other children my age.”
“...He’s telling the truth.”
Wicked Fortune remains unmoved by Lawrence’s emotionless responses. These are all standard questions that dao protectors must answer before entering the Unquenchable Fire Brothel, the difference is that now the questions are asked in front of a high-level lie detector.
Golden Green has the innate ability Eye of Truth, which allows her to see through all truths and lies. Normally she can tell immediately when someone is lying, but now this process is much slower than usual. Were it not for Lawrence being restricted under dungeon laws and having no magic artifact on his body, she would think he was deliberately obstructing her innate ability.
After dozens of what he considers silly questions, Wicked Fortune finally smiles.
“What is your relationship with the prostitutes who disappeared?”
The questions that the partners are eager to answer start from now on.
“I was their dao protector.”
“...He’s telling the truth.”
“Well, well. Were you involved in their disappearances in any way?”
Lawrence remains silent for a few seconds, which Wicked Fortune believes is due to his guilt, but this is something he does on purpose to make them trust his word.
“No.”
Wicked Fortune looks towards Golden Green awaiting her answer, but he can't help feeling disappointed when he hears those damn words repeated.
“...He’s telling the truth.”
“Impossible! This guy was clearly part of all this!” Wicked Fortune quickly asks another question, unwilling to accept that the answer will be the same. “Did you have any connection to Prescribed Dream's disappearance? Answer!”
Lawrence keeps his friendly expression, typical of a user of sacred magic.
“No, none.”
“...He’s telling the truth.”
“Bitch! Are you conspiring with this guy? Did Dark Root buy you out, didn’t he?”
For the first time, Golden Green changes her expression, “My loyalty is to the Unquenchable Fire Brothel and not its partners, I only act when they require my ability.”
The conversations erupt on the communication artifact and when he hears them, his face turns red with humiliation.
“Hahaha, thank you for clearing my name, Wicked Fortune! I, Dark Root, will not forget this favor! Whenever you ask, I will come to your rescue.”
“He was the only connection in all the previous disappearances, but now…”
“Although the purpose of Wicked Fortune was not fulfilled, we gained unexpected profits.”
“We just heard what we already knew, nothing new.”
The partners Dark Root, Gentle Break, Impure Caprice, and Spectral Verse comment on the events with different emotions. They all understand the purpose of this conference, which is nothing more than the rivalry between two of the partners, but after hearing all they wanted, it is time to end this farce.
“Wait, I haven't asked the main question yet.”
Everyone frowns, Is there a question more important than the relationship between Lawrence and the missing prostitutes?
Wicked Fortune grits his teeth and moves closer to Lawrence with hatred, pulling him by the hair and looking him directly in the eyes.
“How did you meet Dark Root and what is your relationship with him?”
After the communication artifact, many sigh, but still maintain the connection.
“I helped him catch a woman, and when I asked him for money in return, he offered me a job. After becoming a dao protector, we were friends, but after the disappearances of the women who were under my care, we haven't spoken again.”
Silence holds in the cell until Golden Green speaks.
“...He’s telling the truth.”
Wicked Fortune curses out loud without restraint and the brothel partners shake their heads, but it is Dark Root who first cuts the connection.
“It was a good show, but don't call me again. I'm busy dealing with the mess Prescribed Dream left behind her. Goodbye.”
“If you get new information about that dao protector, do not hesitate to communicate it to us.”
The next to cut the connection is Gentle Break, and then the others do.
Lawrence smiles inwardly, this outcome is no accident. The dungeon will forbid him to use mana, but he is not an ordinary hunter, he is the sole possessor of a world. This connection is impossible to break, through his personal dimension he can use all the magic artifacts inside it and with it, utilize the magic artifact Inconstant Dogma.
After practicing with Serene Will, unless someone with her same ability to read minds appears, no one will be able to discover the strangeness in his words!
Slap!
Lawrence’s mind goes blank as he is slapped by Wicked Fortune, but this would not end there. Wicked Fortune begins to beat Lawrence mercilessly.
“Piece of shit! You made me look like a fool in front of the others! I know you’re the culprit of everything, confess! It’s impossible that you could have done it without help! Is it Dark Root, right? He’s your support, isn’t he?”
Lawrence's face is hit repeatedly, but not just his face, his chest, his stomach, his limbs, his entire body is being brutally beaten without being able to defend himself.
He still maintains his look of a user of sacred magic and replies: “I- I’m innocent.”
“...He’s telling the truth.”
“Don’t you interfere! You’re useless!”
Wicked Fortune furiously looks at Golden Green, but then focuses on venting his anger on Lawrence. Blood drips from his body, dozens of wounds are found on his skin, but he continues saying he is innocent.
Although a closer look would reflect darkness in Lawrence’s eyes.
Darkness uncharacteristic of a user of sacred magic.
For an hour Lawrence is tortured, but Wicked Fortune never gets what he wants. When his hands hurt from beating him so much, someone knocks on the door.
“Sir, the permissions have been granted.”
“Great! Finally some good news!”
In just one movement, all the blood on his clothing disappears. He then looks at his bodyguards and then at Lawrence, “Bring him, he’s still useful.”
The bodyguards proceed to hold Lawrence and drag him across the floor, he does not resist, he doesn’t have the strength to do so. A trail of blood is created in the hallway, but he continues to be dragged mercilessly. From the beginning, his life was not important.
They only want one thing from him and until they get it, he will wish he were dead.
They don't take long to arrive at their destination and then they throw him inside a room. Wicked Fortune asks his bodyguards to wait outside and as for Golden Green, he snorts and allows her to enter the room.
Once inside, Lawrence opens his eyes and realizes that this is not a cell, quite the contrary, it is a room to secure precious items.
There is a magic artifact in the center of the room and he can deduce its origin.
‘The war artifact…’
Ever since he was thrown into this place, his captors no longer worry about him. Wicked Fortune holds the communication artifact in his hands and initiates a new remote conference. This time he is lucky, because not only does everyone answer, but a new partner joins the conversation.
With six partners present, the result of this evaluation will be undeniable.
“What did you call us for this time?”
Dark Root responds angrily, he thought the game with this guy was over, but he still has the energy to keep making a fool of himself.
Wicked Fortune does not cower, he directly enters the main topic.
“War artifact.”
They would be considered fools if they cannot understand everything with just those words.
“You’re crazy.”
“Make it quick. If that dao protector passes this test, all suspicions about him will have disappeared.”
Everyone has different opinions on this matter and after listening to all of them, Wicked Fortune looks at Lawrence and snorts. “This guy might have a way to cover up his lies, but--”
Golden Green interrupts him, “He doesn’t, he has nothing on his body.”
Wicked Fortune gets angry and slaps her. “Don’t interrupt!”
She understands that she just offended an partner, but she did it knowing that this could happen. She may be making an enemy, but this is the only way she knows to survive. Because if she favors one, she will fall into their schemes.
“Get out of here! You lost your chance to redeem yourself.”
“No, let her stay.”
Dark Root interrupts, but who continues is Impure Caprice. “She will testify on our behalf.”
All the partners agree with this proposal and Wicked Fortune cannot help but clench his fists. He has an uncontrollable desire to kill this woman, but he does not do it only to give face to the rest. He has enough with Dark Root, he must not gain more enemies.
Instead of directing his anger towards her, he decides to focus on Lawrence.
“Touch the war artifact.”
Lawrence stands up from the floor and then shakes his head. “No. I’ve met too many stray sheep who cheat to try to corrupt me, I won’t fall for your games.”
“Do you still have pride? You’re going to die anyway, no one wants to see you alive!”
Lawrence opens his mouth trying to respond, but the words don’t come out, because all the partners are silent. Wicked Fortune is representing everyone’s opinion.
“Damn it. If you’re not going to do it, I’ll force you to do it!”
He approaches Lawrence and forcibly holds his hand, but Lawrence resists. At this rate, everything will be revealed, they will discover that he possesses the innate ability Dimensional Rift. He can allow anything, but not that!
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Don’t resist!”
There is a struggle between Wicked Fortune and Lawrence. Just before his hand touches the war artifact, Lawrence’s expression changes.
The war artifact evaluates Lawrence’s innate ability and Wicked Fortune smiles, nothing can change the outcome. The fate of this dao protector is sealed.
“Eh?”
But the result shocks him.
The partners immediately ask Golden Green to announce the result and she does not hesitate to read aloud the words on the war artifact.
“Innate ability: none.”
“No, no, this is impossible! There must be a mistake!”
Wicked Fortune holds Lawrence’s hand and repeatedly inserts it into the war artifact, but the result is the same. Lawrence does not possess any innate ability.
He is not the only one surprised by this result.
‘Those women... they did it... They managed to find a magic artifact that could hide my innate ability! They accomplished the impossible! Hahaha!’
Before his hand touched the war artifact, Lawrence felt a new magic artifact enter his personal dimension. As soon as this happened, he didn’t think twice and established a connection with it. The results are in plain sight, he doesn’t know how, but his women solved the problem in a few hours.
“No! Again!”
Wicked Fortune does not realize that, during his desperate attempts, all the partners cut the connection, no longer wishing to waste their time with him. Once he, reluctantly, is convinced of the result, he heads towards the communication artifact and after realizing that he is alone, decides to do the only thing he knows how to do well.
“I will kill you.”
He creates a blade of light in his hand and approaches Lawrence with the intent to kill him.
“You don’t have the authority. I may be just a dao protector, but even so--”
“Don’t you understand?” Wicked Fortune interrupts him and mocks him. “Who do you think gave me the authorization to use the war artifact?”
Lawrence’s expression changes immediately, Wicked Fortune smiles seeing that for the first time this guy shows human emotions.
“No matter the outcome, he doesn’t want you to continue living. Even now, that your innocence has been proven, I have the authority to dispose of your life!”
In just a second, four sword cuts head towards Lawrence. He only manages to avoid three of them, but the fourth creates a large wound on his chest. Lawrence falls to the ground and touches his wound, after seeing the blood on his hand, he looks with hatred at the man who did all this.
“Hahaha... Thinking about it, this shouldn’t end so quickly, don’t you think?”
Wicked Fortune walks slowly, with a evil smile on his face, but he stops just a step from Lawrence. His eyes turn towards the war artifact, specifically, towards the strange phenomenon behind it.
“What is that--?”
He forgets to finish his words because from that strange crack in the air, a woman with fiery red hair appears.
He immediately understands everything and looks towards Lawrence, “It was you after al--”
Coldness Divine appears in front of Wicked Fortune and holds him by his neck. Seeing this, Golden Green runs towards the room door trying to alert the bodyguards, but like that man, a woman with a long jet-black braid appears in front of her and holds her by the neck.
Perhaps because the memory is still fresh, the first thing Lawrence thinks about is that medicinal pill. He creates a Dimensional Rift and from it falls a pill, he hesitates before putting it in his mouth, but decides to do it because he has no other choice. A moment later, all his wounds heal rapidly.
This was the medicinal pill that Misty Plain gave him years ago.
He didn’t think he would use it in such circumstances.
Lawrence gets up from the floor and briefly explains what happened.
“This is the worst outcome, your regressions won’t help. They want me dead, no matter what we do, they will always try to kill me... We have no other choice but to continue.”
He looks at Wicked Fortune and then at Coldness Divine, “Spread his blood around the room and cut off his left arm, but don’t kill him. He holds privileged information about the partners and the foundation of this brothel, he will be useful to us.”
Coldness Divine widens her eyes, understanding the importance of this man. They can’t let him go so easily.
“Bastard! Do you know who I am--? AAAAGH! AAAH!”
Lawrence then looks at Serene Will. “Manipulate her mind, erase what happened here. Her innate ability will be useful to us in the future.”
Golden Green looks in terror at Serene Will, but does not have the strength necessary to stop the hand approaching her head.
Finally, Lawrence turns to Sky Petal and points to the war artifact.
“Do you see that? It's mine.”
This situation takes time to describe, but in just a few breaths of time, his orders are carried out flawlessly. Both Golden Green and Wicked Fortune lie unconscious in the personal dimension, only a severed arm and traces of blood are in the room.
“There are two bodyguards behind that door, manipulate their minds. Make them believe that Wicked Fortune ordered them to leave this place.”
Serene Will has carried out his orders silently, but after his words, she looks at Lawrence and frowns. He sighs and allows her to read his mind, and a moment later, she opens the door of the room.
“Wha--?”
“Who--?”
The bodyguards have no time to react, the soft hand of Serene Will rests upon their heads and then both walk away from the place without even looking back.
After finishing, Serene Will unsheathes her sword and walks towards Lawrence.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
Coldness Divine steps in her way, but it is Lawrence himself who stops her. In the next second, Serene Will cuts Lawrence’s body superficially, he clenches his teeth, but the pain is less than expected.
“Go back, from here on, she will be enough.”
With many questions in her head, Coldness Divine returns to the personal dimension followed by Sky Petal. Despite everything, they were prepared for something like this.
“Are you sure this is the best?”
Lawrence sighs and leaves the room. “This is the only thing we can do.”
He walks through the corridors of the dungeon and soon finds the stairs to the upper floors. Lawrence remains under the effects of the dungeon, unable to use mana, but not Serene Will. She is the one who guides him along the best path, where no one will interfere.
But this does not hold until the end, because, an escape that isn’t seen by anyone, it’s no different from what they have done so far.
Lawrence purposely lets himself be seen leaving the dungeons so that they notice his injuries, that they see he isn't disappearing by magic, that he walked out on his own feet without the help of a third party. Those who saw him were not guards, but servants, ordinary workers.
They will realize the uniqueness of his escape and will warn the rest.
But by then it will be too late.
After moving far enough from the dungeons, both enter through a Dimensional Rift and appear in the personal dimension. Who welcomes them is none other than an unrelenting storm.
He looks up at the sky and frowns.
“This rain is not normal.”
As the sole owner of this fragment, of this personal dimension, Lawrence can perceive things beyond all explanation. Serene Will looks at him asking what he means, but he simply shakes his head.
“Later, I don’t have time for this.”
He walks to a stationary door, a door they had prepared in advance for the worst-case scenario, and returns to the sub-space of the Unquenchable Fire Brothel. Leaving Serene Will behind.
Less than a hundred meters away is the barrier, the only way out of this place, and further in the distance, a guard controlling the entry and exit. Lawrence does not head directly there but waits.
He waits long enough for his escape to make sense.
When about an hour passes, Lawrence emerges from the bushes and walks towards the guard. The latter watches him closely but finds nothing unusual about him. There are no wounds, no scratches on his clothes, as long as Lawrence is not a wanted criminal, there is no reason to hinder his path.
Unaware that, minutes later, he would receive the order for capture.
Lawrence walks towards the barrier and touches it with his hand... His hand passes through it without any problems. He smiles, knowing something like this would happen.
‘There wasn’t enough time to blacklist me, they were complacent because they had already captured me. That will be their biggest mistake.’
After moving away from the barrier, his next step teleports him to a dark alley in Agares City. Only those who are allowed access to the Unquenchable Fire Brothel can pass through the hidden entrance here, access that after this day will be denied to him. This is his goodbye to his job as a dao protector.
Unseen by anyone, he returns to his personal dimension.
The storm wets his clothing, he can feel his personal dimension asking for help. He is like a god in this place, a single thought is enough to draw the worst of the storm into the lake, thanks to this, the rain lessens in intensity. But this is only a temporary solution, he still needs to find the cause of this storm.
He meets with his women and explains in more detail what happened.
“They asked me about Prescribed Dream and…”
But when the topic of Prescribed Dream comes up, they all look at him questioningly.
“You too?”
Lawrence gets angry, unable to bear their accusatory looks, and responds exasperated.
“I don’t know any woman named Prescribed Dream!”
Unaware that he has lost something very important.
