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Chapter 304: Alise Regains Her Memories
"Whatever, whatever."
Childe gave up on bothering his silent "comrade." He tilted his head back, staring up at the massive hole in the ceiling above him.
That gap was the masterpiece he and Aiden had created when they unleashed their ultimate attacks and blasted right through the twenty-seventh floor.
Even now, loose gravel and dirt were still raining down from the edges.
"Come on… Come on…"
He licked his parched lips, the thrill of battle reigniting in his azure eyes.
"I can already feel it… A new, powerful presence is coming."
"Man… This is so exciting!"
His beast-like intuition, honed through countless life-and-death struggles, told him that Finn's group hadn't run far. They were hiding somewhere on this twenty-eighth floor, licking their wounds like injured animals while waiting for reinforcements.
And Childe was waiting too.
He was waiting for Finn's backup. He was waiting for real, authentic powerhouses—people worthy of making him get serious.
And then, once again, he would unleash everything in a glorious, satisfying fight.
Even better… it would be fantastic if someone was strong enough to kill him.
That really would be the best-case scenario. After all, he didn't want to stay trapped in this dream forever, acting as a pawn stripped of his freedom.
Sure, back in his own world, as a Fatui Harbinger, he had to carry out all sorts of missions for Her Majesty the Tsaritsa. But outside of those missions, the Harbingers enjoyed a tremendous amount of freedom. So, working for the Tsaritsa was something he gladly did.
But working for this inexplicable "Dungeon" that only barked dry, boring commands? He wasn't exactly thrilled.
If he could "die" once in this "dream," maybe… maybe he would finally wake up?
As Childe pondered this, his grin grew increasingly dangerous and fanatical.
Deep within the tranquil, paradise-like expanse of the twenty-eighth floor's Underground Garden, inside a hidden cavern cleverly concealed behind a massive, mushroom-shaped rock...
Riveria was kneeling on one knee. A gentle green glow continuously poured from her palms, transforming into warm healing magic that slowly mended Ais's wounds.
Ais leaned quietly against the rock wall. Her signature golden hair had lost its usual luster, draped somewhat messily over her shoulders. Her face was as pale as paper, making her look entirely drained.
Not far away, Alise carefully peeked half her head out from the cavern entrance, keeping a vigilant watch on the distance.
Her gaze swept over the vast fields of softly glowing flowers before finally landing on the two towering, pillar-like spires facing each other far off in the distance. Atop those pillars stood two tiny black specks, radiating a suffocating pressure.
"Phew… Thank goodness, they haven't spotted us."
After confirming that the two monsters hadn't noticed their hiding spot, she patted her exceptionally full chest—which was rapidly rising and falling from the tension—and let out a long sigh of immense relief.
After hesitating in place for a moment, she finally chose to break the cavern's heavy silence using her usual, boldly cheerful tone.
"Um… I guess I should say, long time no see, Riveria. And… little Ais, you've really grown."
"Are you… truly… Alise?" Riveria looked up, her voice filled with uncertainty.
Alise let out an exaggerated sigh and rubbed her flaming red hair in frustration.
"Ah… How should I explain this… I really don't get it myself."
As she spoke, she walked over and casually leaned her one-handed sword against the rock wall.
"I remember it vividly. I definitely died. Like, completely dead. Stone-cold dead. But, as you can see, I'm alive again. An absurd thing like this… down in this lower world, I figure only the Dungeon could pull it off."
She threw her hands up, flashing a helpless smile.
"Before, my memories hadn't fully returned, so my head was all foggy. I ended up attacking your Familia completely out of it. Sorry about that! I remember… I even fought that white-haired pretty boy outside. Hiss—speaking of which, that guy hits really hard."
At the thought, Alise instinctively rubbed her chest, a look of lingering fear crossing her face.
The mutually destructive brawl she'd had with Aiden was still fresh in her mind.
"But… that cold, white-haired guy out there probably isn't the same one I ran into before. The guy I met had his friends with him, and… he wasn't nearly that apathetic." She tilted her head, trying to recall the details.
"Mm… He is likely the same as you," Riveria noted after a brief silence, offering her own deduction. "Except, perhaps because his real body is still alive, he hasn't ended up entirely like you."
"Alright, alright, none of that matters right now."
Alise waved her hands dismissively, then groaned, clasping her hands behind her head. "The important thing is, what do we do next? Those two monsters are standing guard out there like gatekeepers, and who knows what situation the 'Braver' and the rest are dealing with."
It was only after she, Riveria, and Ais plummeted to this floor that the violent impact and trauma had finally allowed her to completely recover her memories and sense of self as "Alise Lovell."
But with it came a far thornier problem.
Deep within her mind, there was a malicious voice, endlessly whispering. It constantly urged her, tempted her, commanded her…
Draw your sword. Cut down Riveria and Ais. Kill them. Kill every adventurer who enters the Dungeon.
It was a primal impulse threatening to devour her sanity. It felt as natural as needing to eat when hungry or drink when thirsty, yet it was unimaginably terrifying.
Alise was barely holding the impulse back through her blazing, unwavering willpower.
But she knew very well that she was the exception. If it were any ordinary adventurer with a slightly weaker will, they would have long since been controlled by this existential command, fully reduced to a walking corpse driven only by slaughter.
"I believe in them."
Riveria's voice pulled Alise out of her thoughts.
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