Chapter 242: Ch242: Dungeon Fifth Floor

Klaus stared at the floating sphere for several seconds. Then gave a small nod.

"Okay, Khar Khe Kha. Take me to the fifth floor, and don’t disturb me after that. I’ll be busy performing my ritual," said Klaus.

"Understood, boss."

*KRRR...*

Slowly, dark clouds began swirling around Klaus’s body. They coiled around his legs first, then climbed up his torso like living shadows. Within seconds, his entire figure was swallowed by the swirling darkness.

*WHOOSH!*

The clouds collapsed inward.

Klaus vanished.

In the blink of an eye, he was gone from the third floor, leaving behind nothing but a faint trace of black mist drifting through the air.

...

<|Dungeon Fifth Floor|>

The fifth floor was a vast chamber, illuminated by lanterns hanging in the corners and a large chandelier suspended from the ceiling. Its flames burned brightly, casting warm light across the dark stone walls.

At the center of the chamber stood a massive bed.

A woman lay upon it, her long red hair spilling across the sheets. She had a curvy, slightly chubby figure that gave her a healthy, well-nourished appearance.

She wore deep wine-colored outfit, while her arms and legs were tightly bound to the bedposts. A white cloth was tied over her mouth, muffling the desperate sounds she struggled to make.

Klaus pulled the red-glowing skull from his satchel and placed it carefully on the drawer beside the bed before climbing onto the bed.

The woman glared at him with undisguised disgust, her body tensing as she struggled against her restraints.

"Mmmh!! Hmh! Mmhh!!!"

"Oh, ow. Calm down, my love. I won’t hurt you," Klaus murmured as he reached for the cloth, and untied it from her mouth.

Immediately—

"Help! Help! Someone help!!" she screamed.

"Stop." Klaus said with a quiet sigh.

But she continued shouting.

"I said stop," Klaus repeated, his voice growing colder.

She still refused.

Klaus’s patience finally snapped.

*SLAP!*

A sharp smack echoed through the chamber as his hand struck her cheek, her soft skin immediately reddening from the impact.

"Finally," Klaus muttered before reaching for a glass cup from the drawer. "Here. Drink this."

He slowly brought the cup to her lips and carefully tilted it.

Daniel, hidden within Klaus’s shadow, watched the entire scene unfold. The woman took a mouthful of the liquid, but instead of swallowing, she suddenly puffed out her cheeks.

Daniel’s eyes widened.

She suddenly spat the liquid straight back at Klaus.

*Splash~*

Water sprayed across his face. Before he could react, she gathered another mouthful of saliva and spat again.

*Khhk-thoo~*

The second glob hit his cheek and slid down toward his jaw. Klaus wore a thin smile. The kind of smile a man shows the moment before the storm breaks.

He snatched the cloth resting beside her, dragged it once across his face, then shoved her hard onto the bed.

The mattress dipped. His knees pinned her thighs. His hands locked her wrists above her head against the sheets.

"Who do you think you’re spitting on? You think it’s funny, huh?" Klaus said his expression darkening. "You know what’s funny? Being raped."

"No!! You dare — I swear I’ll kill you! I know they’re all coming to rescue me. I knew. You’re scared. You’re scared, I can see it," she snarled, twisting under his weight, spit still glistening on her lips.

Klaus gave a low laugh. "Hahaha..." The sound rolled out of his chest.

Then he clapped his hands once, sharp.

*Clap!*

From another door at the front of the room a figure stepped through. At first it was only a silhouette, but as it crossed the floor the outline rippled, edges melting like wet clay. Features bloomed one after another — same hair, same eyes, same mouth — until the shape finished settling into her exact likeness.

"Floryn, meet yourself," Klaus said.

She froze. Her own face was staring back at her. Same red hair. Same eyes. Same lips. A shocked expression locked on Floryn’s face as her own doppelganger stood, breathing the same way she breathed.

"Let me tell you something. They aren’t coming to save you. They aren’t even worried about you. Isn’t that right?" Klaus asked.

The figure answered in the same tone as hers, down to the last inflection. "Yes, master."

No words came from Floryn. It was as though they had become lodged in her throat. Her gaze dropped to the side, eyes wide and unblinking as her heartbeat quickened.

Just as Klaus leaned closer, breath warm against her cheek, his palm pressed down on her breast, Khar Khe Kha appeared behind him.

"Boss, sorry to interrupt you but, they’re here. They’re on the third floor. Raine, Kalma, Sherlon, and Baboon."

Klaus immediately pulled away and climbed down from the bed. He ordered the clone to return to its usual spot until he gave the command.

"Don’t bring them here. Take me to the third floor."

"Okay, boss."

Dark clouds gathered around his body, swirling around him like living shadows. Within seconds, they engulfed him completely.

*WHOOSH!*

Klaus vanished into the darkness.

The room fell silent once again.

The sudden quiet felt almost deafening to Floryn. Only the faint crackle of the lantern flames disturbed the stillness.

She remained on the bed, her body trembling beneath the restraints. Her shoulders shook as tears slowly gathered in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

Floryn lowered her head, trying to hold back another sob.

"Sniff... I-I want to go home..." she said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Then—

The shadow beside the bed moved. A faint ripple passed across the darkness on the floor.

Floryn froze.

Something began rising from it.

A dark silhouette slowly crawled out of the shadow, first its hands, then its shoulders, followed by the rest of its body. The darkness clung to the figure for a moment before peeling away, revealing Daniel standing beside the bed.

"Aaaah!"

Floryn’s eyes widened in terror. She instinctively grabbed the nearest pillow and hurled it at him with all the strength she could muster.

*Puff!*

The pillow struck Daniel squarely in the face before falling limp onto the floor.

He blinked, slowly looking down at the pillow before turning his gaze back to Floryn.

"Shh... Be quiet," he whispered, raising a finger to his lips.

"Aaa! Ghost! Ghost!!" Floryn shrieked.