Chương 675: Honeymoon Under Siege

Evangeline broke through the surface as she swam. She had successfully entered the Beacon dungeon alongside Angie.

"Angelica?" she called, still moving through the water.

"I'm here. And my name is Angie." [Dungeon Challenge 1: Find the Cabin.] The two of them swam toward the beach of an island. It did not take long to find the cabin. The angel woman simply flew high into the air and looked down at the island from the sky. As they walked, Evangeline found herself watching her. It was Angelica. Visually, at least, she looked like her. The same red hair. The same faint freckles. But at the same time, she wasn't. Her expression had changed.

That infectious joy was gone, replaced by something calm. Stoic. There was a look in her eyes, as if she knew countless secrets and had no intention of sharing a single one. Trying to guess what she was thinking felt impossible. That bothered Evangeline more than it should have. Her class had taught her how to read people. How to deduce. How to influence. Seduction was a weapon, after all. But with this woman, there was nothing to grasp.

Sometimes, when Evangeline looked at her, the name Angelica slipped out before she could stop it. But she knew the truth. This was the angel. Not Angelica anymore. Part of her had been happy to see her friend again. Happy to see the person for whom she had once carried a small, flickering spark of affection. But that felt wrong. It was supposed to feel wrong. Someone else was using Angelica's body, and that thought left Evangeline tangled in a kind of confusion she did not know how to untie.

Maybe she had accepted it all too easily because everything had happened so fast. The battle against the vampires. The trip to the camp. Then the journey to the Beacon. But part of her was angry with Luke. If she had time alone with him, she would ask why he had done it. Why he had never told her. It felt like a double betrayal. Her friend had known the truth all this time and never revealed what had happened to Angelica. And Angelica... Angelica had never come looking for her after coming back from the dead.

She had never gone to Evangeline and said she was alive again. Which was exactly why this was not Angelica. If Evangeline had not spent so much time with Luke during the tutorial, if she had not known him so well, even his family, she would have been far more furious. But she knew him. She knew that man would not have done something like this unless he believed it was absolutely necessary.

After all, he had carried Angelica's body inside a pocket dimension for nearly a year, just so he could take her out of the tutorial and bury her in Texas. But he could have told me. Then again, maybe revealing that an angel had returned to life and taken over the body of his old friend was not as simple as she wanted it to be. Hell... he still could have told me. Idiot.

"We've reached the cabin, Evangeline." [Challenge complete!]"Evie... you used to call me Evie."

"Hm?"

"Forget it. You're not her. And you probably don't know anything about that anyway." Evangeline exhaled and looked at the cabin.

"Well, the challenge was easy. I thought we'd have to deal with trouble on the way." [Dungeon Challenge 2: Protect the Cabin from the monster horde.] [Living Monsters: 30/30]"Me and my big mouth. Why did I have to say anything?" The monsters came from the beach, all at once, surrounding the cabin. The two fought together. The creatures were strange, marine things that could still walk on land. During the battle, Evangeline's eyes drifted, just for a moment, to Angie as she fought.

Even with a spear in hand, the ferocity of her movements, the shape of her expression, the way she carried herself... Angelica...? A blow slammed into Evangeline's side the instant her attention slipped.

"Fuck!" she shouted as her back crashed into one of the creatures. The angel woman hurled her spear. It crackled with electricity and pierced the creature, killing it. Within minutes, they had eliminated everything. [Challenge complete!] [Dungeon Challenge 3: Protect the Cabin from the Monster Hordes.] [Objective: Monster hordes will emerge from the water with the intent to destroy the cabin. At random intervals, sometimes continuously, you must work with your partner to eliminate these hordes and protect the cabin. You may not leave the island, or you will be disqualified. In the ocean, there are five special monsters known as Sea Knights. Over time, one of them will come at a time, accompanied by a special horde. Stay alert. If the cabin is destroyed, or if you attempt to leave the island, the punishment will be the destruction of this dimension and everyone inside it.] [Time Remaining: 1 Week: 6 Days: 23 Hours: 59 Minutes: 59 Seconds.] A harsh burning spread through Evangeline's body.

"You hit a sea urchin monster," Angie said, noticing the way Evangeline's balance began to falter.

"What does that mean?" Her body felt hot. Heavy. Numb in places it absolutely should not have been numb.

"I think you know what it means. You've been poisoned."

"I'll… recover." She took one step and stumbled. Before she could fall, Angelica caught her. Their faces ended up far too close.

"S-step back…" Evangeline muttered, pulling her spear from her storage item and using it as a crutch as she forced herself forward.

"You can be a stubborn patient all you want, but you're still a patient. We're treating that wound in the cabin." Limping, Evangeline made her way inside. The cabin was simple, built from wood and split across two floors. In the middle of the first floor, a green cube rotated slowly in the air. It was only available for use at the end of the challenge. Little by little, Evangeline's body grew hotter. Sweat gathered on her skin.

"What are you feeling?" Angie asked.

"Tired… and parts of my body are numb…" Angie helped her into one of the cabin's two bedrooms.

"Good thing… you're a healer," Evangeline said, forcing the words out.

"I won't have to waste the healing potions Cinderella gave us."

"I'm a cleric, not a healer."

"What's the difference?"

"A healer at my level can reconstruct someone's destroyed organs."

"And you?"

"I usually create the demand." Evangeline let out a small laugh despite herself.

"That sounds like something she would say…"

"Now that my patient has smiled, we can move on to the painful part. Take off the upper half of your clothes."

"T-take off my clothes?"

"Yes. I have a skill called [Healer's Analysis]. It's how a healer can touch a victim and know exactly where they're injured, without needing a machine like in the modern world. You'll need to remove the top of your bikini too."

"Are you… sure?"

"I don't have time for this. Take it off. You're poisoned." Evangeline obeyed, though not without some embarrassment.

"You don't need to clean… my back." Angie was already rubbing the area with a wet cloth.

"I'm in a hurry. The skill helps, but I still need to see whether the poison is damaging the skin around the wound."

"Right…"

"How did you even get hurt like this during the fight? Those monsters were weaker than the ones you faced swimming to the Beacon."

"I got… distracted." A faint warmth bloomed across Evangeline's back.

"I'm not specialized in poisons, Evangeline. I can reduce the effects quite a bit, but I can't do instantly what Anne would." Angie explained that she had specialized in Light Magic, unlocking the Light Cleric class. She was good at treating fatal wounds quickly. Compared to a regular healer, she could restore someone from severe damage faster. But when it came to specific conditions that required longer, more delicate treatment, she was not nearly as effective.

"What a healer can do at my level, I might be able to do once I advance further and unlock more skills. As for poison, there was never much reason for me to specialize in it. Charlie and Luke are immune."

"Damn it…" Evangeline muttered.

"From where I was standing, healer types just pointed a wand and solved everything."

"Don't worry. In a day or two, you'll be better." Angie helped her put on the kimono.

"Rest."

"Rest?"

"If you want to help me, focus on recovering. Something tells me that the closer we get to the deadline, the worse things are going to become for us."

"Thank you… Angie."

"That's what I'm here for, Evie." Before the angel could pull away, Evangeline caught her by the hand.

"W-why? Why did you call me that?" This time, Evangeline could not hold herself back. She was going to ask everything she had been wanting to ask.

"Were you not angry that I used this body to return to life?" Angie asked.

"That I desecrated it?"

"I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about that," Evangeline answered, looking away.

"If you were angry, it would be foolish, though understandable. I resurrected as much of Angelica as I could, and let a great part of myself fade to do it. She and I are the same thing. I know my personality must feel strange compared to the person you knew. That is because we are one now. But I am the real Angelica."

"Real?"

"The Angelica who didn't pretend to be cheerful and smiling because everyone else needed her to be their pillar. I am the Angelica who cried herself to sleep thinking about her brother, and sometimes thought about not wanting to live anymore. I am the Angelica who was betrayed and died. Coming back after all of that changes you completely." Evangeline said nothing.

"I am also the Angelica who is grateful to Luke for bringing me back, and for preserving my body with care throughout the tutorial, all so he could take me out of that place and bury me in Texas. I am the Angelica who lost everything, but was given a new life."

"I see..."

"But I am also Uriel. A very old creature, older than all of you. One who is curious about this world, and one who will protect the person who saved her with everything she has. Do you understand? Both Angelica and Uriel are equally grateful to Luke. So if, out of affection for Angelica, you want to treat me as her, I will answer that affection, because I know you were a good person to her." Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Evangeline lay back down on the bed.

"Thank you for that, Angie. But I'd rather you call me Evangeline. I know you're doing this to make me feel better, but treat me honestly."

"But calling you Evie while you're poisoned is exactly what my Angelica self would do. So you would stop being an idiot, stay in bed, rest, and not somehow find a way to poison yourself again." Evangeline laughed.

"That is exactly what that idiot would think." She held out her hand.

"I forgive you. If some part of Angelica is still alive in there, then I want you to keep living." Angie took her hand.

"Now that things are settled, don't think you can ask me to sleep with you or do anything carnal that leads to sex."

"What?!"

"I cannot return your feelings."

"I-I wasn't going to ask that. And... Angelica knew?"

"It was obvious. Angelica knew she had many admirers in that place."

"But don't think I'm some kind of weirdo who'd have sex with someone just because the person I liked came back from the dead."

"I know you would not. You are not thinking about that. But you are embarrassed because I saw you without clothes, and you are conflicted about your emotions. Which is curious, because you are very... bold with Luke." Evangeline felt her cheeks burn.

"He told you about the bathroom thing? Now that I know Angelica knows about that... I'm embarrassed."

"No. Charlie told me."

"I swear it was just a joke."

"I know. You pretend to be bold. Deep down, you are shy and easily embarrassed. You wear that boldness like armor because of things that happened to you in the past." Evangeline stared at her, stunned by the precision of the analysis.

"But you only act that way with people whose friendship you truly value. That is how I know you care about Luke, Eleanor, and Charlie."

The days passed with Evangeline staying alongside Angie. After the first night, the rain never really stopped. It poured constantly over the island. The angel was stoic, but kind in her own way.

"I hope we're not the only pair unlucky enough to end up in a two-week challenge," Evangeline said.

"It is likely that all of us are in challenges with the same time limit," Angie replied. They faced the next horde while thunder danced across the sky. Angie smiled and flew high into the air. A bolt of lightning struck her. For a moment, Evangeline's heart lurched. Then the angel descended, her body crackling with electricity. She pointed both hands toward the beach, and a lightning bolt shot from her palms. The monsters were wiped out instantly, some collapsing as charred corpses, others reduced to ash.

"What the fuck was that?" Evangeline asked.

"It is fortunate you were standing far away," Angie said with a smile.

"Otherwise, you might have felt a slight shock."

"I thought you got struck by lightning and got fried up there."

"I have high resistance to electricity. Besides, I have a skill that absorbs electricity and allows me to release it."

"So that's what the lightning was for."

"Yes. I was struck on purpose. If the weather continues like this, we should be able to eliminate hordes easily."

"And you can't generate lightning that powerful on your own?"

"No. Only with external energy." The problem was that all these fights happened in the rain, and Evangeline hated being soaked.

"If it's raining in Cinderella's challenge, then he got lucky. Charlie has fire powers, so she can probably warm him up and dry him off quickly." Evangeline missed the simple luxury of soaking in a steaming hot bath.

"Why do you call Luke Cinderella?" Angie asked.

"Because Lucy was cute. But don't tell him I told you that." END OF EXCLUSIVE CONTENT Three days had passed since they arrived on the island. Luke stood alone at the edge of the beach, killing the monsters as they crawled out of the water. The creatures rushed him in waves, and he danced between them, blades flashing, feet shifting, body moving before thought could slow him down. When it was over, only corpses remained. Now he understood why this Beacon recommended two people.

The monsters came in hordes without warning. You needed someone else there, if only so you could take turns. [You have reached Level 93! Half-Demon (Rank E)] (+2 bonus points to all attributes, +5 free points)"That gave me the experience I needed to level up." Only seven levels left until he reached one hundred. Once I hit Rank D, I'll get a new Rank Skill and another thousand years added to my lifespan. I'm going to have to plan my retirement very carefully.

As he walked back toward the cabin, Luke focused his mind and entered the world inside his soul. There, at the bottom of the lake, he watched the kraken.

"You're alert, huh? You're preparing to attack the second I dive in. You're going to come at me with everything." Night had fallen by the time he reached the cabin. The smell of food was already in the air. Charlie was making dinner, or rather, she had finished it.

"Finally, this guy shows up. I'm starving over here," Artemis complained. The necklace was sitting on the table. Charlie greeted him with a kiss.

"I'll serve dinner."

"I'm just going to clean up, Charlie. Then I'll eat with you." When Luke finished washing off, he had changed into simpler clothes, without any battle gear.

"The horde is dead, so we have about an hour before I go back to the forest. Don't worry about your shift."

"Are you sure, Master Luke?"

"I'm sure. I need to move around. That's how I relax and plan the death of that damn kraken." Artemis made shameless little sounds of delight as she ate. When Luke and Charlie finished dinner, they started washing the dishes together. Artemis was still eating.

"Did you like what I made, Master Luke?"

"I did. You used the plants I gathered in the forest properly."

"I only managed to make the food better because you helped me understand what they could be used for." His herbology knowledge skill was proving extremely useful.

"And did you like the plates I made? I'm getting better." Luke had used his alchemy skill to shape water into glass, molding it into a plate. He had been training that form of creation as well. For now, that kind of transmutation was the only thing he knew how to do. When they finished, the two of them looked outside.

"I think they'll take a little while to come back," Charlie said.

"What do we have, half an hour before the next horde?"

"I think so." Luke glanced toward the stairs.

"Then what do you think about going upstairs?"

"A-again?" she asked.

"You don't want to?"

"I do!"

"Oh, you damn rabbits. Twice this afternoon already!" Artemis protested. Luke picked Charlie up in his arms and started up the stairs.

"Dessert time."

"Silly."

Charlie had just finished breakfast. Luke had gone out to stand guard against the monster hordes that kept appearing, so she hurried upstairs and stopped in front of a mirror. Over the past few days, Luke had been practicing how to turn glass into proper mirrors.

"This past week has been incredible." She was happy. Truly happy. Finally, she had time alone with her husband. Charlie was still wearing her sleep clothes. There were a few bite marks left on her body from Luke, and part of her wished they would stay there a little longer. But her natural regeneration always made them fade.

"Am I… getting fat?" She studied herself in the mirror, her attention lingering on her stomach. A worried little crease formed between her brows. She wanted to look good for him. Always. And he had never seen her without clothes as often as he had over the past few days. After a while, she went downstairs and put on her armor. It was time to switch shifts with Luke. Outside, a sheet had been spread across the grass. That was where he slept in the afternoon while she stayed close by, keeping watch.

The sight stirred something nostalgic in her, reminding her of the tutorial and those strange, desperate days when everything between them had first begun to take shape. That afternoon, after lunch, Luke lay down to sleep with his head resting in Charlie's lap. She watched him quietly, stroking his hair as he drifted off. Then she heard the sound of creatures emerging from the water. Of course it happens right when Master Luke finally fell into a deep sleep. She loved the face he made when he slept like that.

Carefully, Charlie lifted his head and set it down on a pillow. Then she drew her sword and headed toward the beach. The moment she arrived, a notification appeared. [Living Monsters: 40/40] The notification only appeared once she got close to the threats.

"You interrupted a very precious moment." Charlie charged in with her sword. After facing so many hordes, she already knew which monsters needed to die first. She targeted the ones riding beasts before anything else. Each swing of her blade brought another one down. [Living Monsters: 34/40] [Living Monsters: 33/40] The beasts were something Charlie preferred to kill last. They could still be useful as food for her Blood Core, whether she fed on them herself or gave them to Lulie.

[Sword Vampire Drain (Epic)]: The Blood Familiar dissolves into liquid crimson, coating the Blood Death Knight's blade in a deep, hungry red. Every strike not only inflicts bleeding but siphons Blood Energy from living foes whose essence is compatible with vampiric feeding. This synergy turns the Blood Death Knight into a true execution machine on the battlefield, class and race operating in perfect harmony.

When one of the monsters lunged at her with its claws, she impaled it with her sword, twisted her body, and flung it into another.

"You know, you could all take a break and stop showing up for the rest of these days," she said, looking over the corpses scattered across the sand.

"I want to enjoy my time with Master Luke."

"Enjoy it, huh?" The voice came from the water. Something shot toward Charlie at terrifying speed. She blocked on reflex, her sword locking against a trident. The monster talked. A creature that could speak was dangerous. Charlie knew that much. [Trident Sea Knight - Lvl 111] In front of her stood a humanoid creature. Parts of its skin resembled a lobster's shell, but its body was closer to some kind of shark. It held a silver trident and smiled. One of the Beacon's five dangerous monsters.

"You want more time with the other one, is that it?" A shock suddenly struck Charlie, discharged from the trident. The monster attacked fiercely, thrusting and swinging the weapon without pause. Charlie defended quickly, but every impact sent another current of energy through her body.

"That all you've got?" the monster laughed, slamming the trident down hard. Charlie blocked with her sword, but the impact was brutal. She staggered back, and the creature charged straight at her, aiming to impale her. Lulie had already appeared. [Blood Teleport activated] Charlie teleported out of the way and attacked from behind, but the knight dodged, turned, and spat a jet of water. Charlie's body was knocked backward.

"Is that really all you have?" he said, rushing toward her. Charlie rolled aside and met him head-on, sword against trident. Each clash sent another shock coursing through her. With a kick, he sent her skidding across the wet ground, then drove the trident into the earth. A surge of electricity struck her, making her body jolt upward. While she was still in the air, he hammered her with the trident and sent her flying.

The creature pointed one hand, and a net made of water appeared, shooting toward Charlie and trapping her. The knight advanced, electrifying the ground with every step.

"As soon as I'm done with you, I'm going after the other one." Charlie's anger flared. She reached for the weapon, resisting the shock. When the knight raised the trident, something struck him in the back, and an explosion went off. The creature was thrown sideways. When it turned, Luke was already there, striking it with his kukris. Blood sprayed. One of the monster's eyes was wounded. Luke was using the power of acid. The knight took the hit and flew backward. Charlie had broken free from the net of water.

"You okay?" Luke asked.

"I am."

"You should've called me, Charlie."

"I thought it would just be a simple horde. And I knew I could handle him."

"I know. But when it's something like this, call me."

"I could have used my fire skills, Master Luke. I just wanted to train with the sword."

"I understand. I trust you. But next time, call me anyway." The knight looked at them and raised his trident.

"You made my job easier by coming here to die," the creature said. Luke smiled. A few minutes later, he and Charlie had killed it.

Luke studied the notifications after the death of the Trident Sea Knight. Your second class [Arcane Witch] has reached Level 90! (+12 Intelligence, +10 Wisdom, +7 Perception, +6 Willpower, +5 Agility, +3 Vitality, +2 Endurance, +10 Free Points.) [You have unlocked a Second Class Skill] Charlotte Vespertilio's Class [Blood Death Knight] reached Level 94! (+18 STR, +10 INT, +8 END, +8 VIT, +4 AGI, +2 PER, +10 Free Points.) We've got one week left before we finish the Beacon.

Which means the other knights probably won't take their time coming now. They were sitting near the cabin. That one could've destroyed the cabin. Killing the enemy was not the problem. But an intelligent enemy like that could plan. And the enemy's victory condition was much simpler than theirs. It only had to destroy the cabin. It did not need to kill Luke or Charlie. One water jet like that, or one solid hit, and the cabin would've been gone. We need to pay more attention from now on.

All it would take was one distraction, and the enemy would win. Charlie patted the ground beside her.

"Let's enjoy the afternoon. The sunset is beautiful." Luke sat down next to her. Charlie rested her head on his shoulder.

"You reached level ninety in your second class, right?" she asked.

"Yeah." Luke tapped the notification, and a complete list of old Witch skills appeared, ranging from level 60 to 85.