"Ah...!"
I jolted awake.
Time had reset once more.
"Damn it... what the hell am I supposed to do?"
I muttered the question to the empty air, but no solution came to mind. For now, I needed to organize my thoughts.
Using the first Teleportation Circle led to the Sealed Ageha. If I broke that seal, I was killed by someone wearing her skin.
Using the second Teleportation Circle led to the Vampire Eudite, who killed me without a moment's hesitation.
The path beyond the third Teleportation Circle contained the Parasitic Sword: Puppeteer. By wielding its power, I could push deep into the Dungeon's interior. However, even then, I was ultimately killed by Eudite.
In the end, the third route was my only real option.
My goal was clear: use the Puppeteer's strength to break through the Dungeon and defeat the Vampire Eudite with my own hands.
But how was I going to pull that off?
"The thing you possess is an extremely dangerous entity that parasitizes humans and grows by devouring monsters."
Suddenly, Eudite’s words from the previous loop flashed through my mind.
In other words, the Puppeteer grew stronger with every monster it consumed. If I slaughtered every creature I could find and pushed the sword to its absolute limit before meeting her, I might stand a chance.
If I did that, I might actually be able to kill her.
Once my mind was made up, I moved with frantic haste.
"Hah... hah... hah..."
I sprinted all the way to the chamber where the Parasitic Sword: Puppeteer waited, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Without a second thought, I reached out and drew the blade.
"Agaah...!"
Agony surged through my entire body, threatening to tear my mind apart. I fought to stay conscious; passing out now would only waste precious time. I gritted my teeth and tried to endure the white-hot pain, but it was too much. My vision went dark.
"Ha... How long was I out?!"
I sprang up, gasping. My right arm had already warped into a grotesque shape, fully claimed by the Puppeteer's parasitic influence.
Damn it. I’d lost time.
Still, there was no point in wallowing in regret. I had to move, even if I was starting behind schedule. Dragging the heavy weight of the Puppeteer behind me, I pressed deeper into the Dungeon.
From that point on, things proceeded smoothly. In the last loop, I had moved cautiously and taken breaks, but this time I abandoned all restraint. I pushed forward at a breakneck pace, ignoring the toll on my body.
"Hah... I’m finally... here..."
After dozens of hours of relentless travel, I reached the dead end. Fatigue had long since passed my breaking point. The Puppeteer's erosion had already consumed half of my body.
In the previous loop, the Vampire Eudite had been waiting on the other side of this Teleportation Circle. Praying that she wasn't there this time, I stepped into the light.
"She’s not here..."
I scanned the area beyond the circle. The Vampire Eudite was nowhere to be seen. Arriving over five hours earlier than before had worked.
I needed to use this window to push even further. If I went deeper, I could hunt more monsters. Before long, I stumbled upon a massive horde.
"Perfect. I’m going to devour every last one of you."
I unleashed the Puppeteer, slaughtering the horde in a mindless frenzy. Eventually, my consciousness began to fade into a blur, and the details of the carnage became hazy. Even as my mind slipped away, the Puppeteer continued to move of its own accord, exterminating everything in its path.
With every monster slain, blood sprayed the walls and the Puppeteer grew. Bit by bit, the sword’s influence ate further into my flesh.
"Oh my, you certainly have grown. It seems defeating you might be a bit of a challenge this time."
Wh... what?
My vision was a smear of colors. I could just barely sense the presence of the Vampire Eudite standing before me.
"Ah, it appears the host's consciousness has already been overtaken."
Overtaken? What the hell was she talking about?
"Well, no matter. The outcome remains the same."
Eudite reached over and tore off her own left arm with her right hand. She manipulated the gushing blood, coagulating it into a Crimson Greatsword and a new Crimson Left Arm.
"Heh. Very well, I shall grant you death."
I don't remember much of what followed.
The next thing I knew, I was back in the room with the Treasure Chests.
I had been killed. Again.