Trial Count: approximately my 530th attempt.
Time and again, I had stubbornly clung to the hope of conquering the Dungeon by relying on the Parasitic Sword: Puppeteer.
Yes, over and over.
Yet no matter how many times I tried, I always met my end at the hands of the Vampire Eudite.
Actually, that isn't entirely accurate.
Once Puppeteer reached a certain stage of growth, my consciousness would simply vanish. It was likely that my body was being completely hijacked by the evolving sword.
At that point, even if I managed to drive back the Vampire Eudite, it would be for nothing if my very sense of self was consumed by the blade.
"Why... why are you even in a place like this?"
During this particular loop, my consciousness had not yet been stolen by Puppeteer.
When the Vampire Eudite appeared before me once more, I found myself asking that question on a whim. There was no deep meaning behind it. I was simply exhausted—my mind worn ragged from a cycle of nothing but endless slaughter.
Even if she were the being destined to kill me, I just wanted to talk.
I was curious. Why was she living down here in the depths of this Dungeon?
"Hmph. How incredibly insolent. Hardly the proper decorum one should display before the Great True Ancestor Vampire."
Insolent... or was it "rude"?
Come to think of it, the first time we met, she called me "rude" just before she ended my life.
"I—I apologize. I am but a humble commoner. Would you be so kind as to enlighten my ignorant self? Who are you, and why do you reside in a place such as this?"
I adjusted my posture, adopting a formal tone to ask her again.
"Very well. I shall tell you, if only to serve as a souvenir for your journey to the afterlife. I am the True Ancestor Vampire Eudite. I am the most noble existence in this world."
With those words, she killed me.
◆
"I can't do this anymore..."
Having undergone Return by Death, I sat in the starting room and muttered those words with a sigh of resignation.
How many times had I tried to clear this path using the Parasitic Sword: Puppeteer? Every single time, I was slaughtered by Eudite.
There were moments when I felt like I was on the verge of victory.
But in those moments, without fail, Puppeteer would completely overtake my body and my mind. Driven by the sword's will, I must have looked like a hideous monster.
Even if I managed to escape the Dungeon in such a state, it would be utterly meaningless.
I decided then and there to stop trying to clear the Dungeon with Puppeteer.
That said, I didn't exactly have any better ideas.
Well, perhaps there was one thing left to try.
"Maybe I'll try negotiating with the Vampire Eudite."
When I first encountered her, I viewed her as nothing more than a monster beyond the reach of reason.
My impression of her hasn't shifted that much since then, but I held a faint, desperate hope that we might actually be able to reach some kind of understanding.
"I'll give it a shot. I've got nothing to lose..."
I have already died countless times.
There was no point in fearing death now.
◆
Beyond the Second Teleportation Circle, the Vampire Eudite sat at a table and chairs, passing the time with an elegant tea service.
"Oh, how rare. An intruder has actually made it this far. Tell me, what business could you possibly have in a place like this?"
I remembered her asking that exact question before.
She wasn't so barbaric as to attack the moment she saw me. She always began with these words.
This, I hoped, was proof that there was room for negotiation.
"I have a humble request for the Great True Ancestor Vampire Eudite."
I spoke as I dropped to my knees.
Bowing my head low, I made my plea.
"I beseech you, pray make me your apprentice, Lady Eudite."
I had shown her the utmost courtesy.
Now, how would she respond?
"Kihihi... My apprentice? What an amusing thing to say."
A thin, predatory smile spread across her lips.
I was inwardly stunned that her reaction was better than I had anticipated.
Make me an apprentice. To escape this Dungeon, I needed to become stronger than I was now, no matter what it took. I had come to the conclusion that if I became the Vampire Eudite's apprentice, I might finally gain the power I lacked.
"And tell me, what benefit would there be for me in taking you as an apprentice?"
"Benefit...?"
"Yes. I make it a point never to lift a finger for something that does not provide me with some sort of merit."
Even with her asking, I couldn't immediately think of a single merit she would gain from having me around.
But I had to say something.
"Should you take me as your apprentice, I will become your hands and feet. I will obey any command without question. I will surely be of use to you, so I beg of you, please!"
I pressed my forehead to the ground again.
Pledging my absolute loyalty was the only thing I could think of.
"How boring."
"...Eh?"
In the next instant, I was cut down. A blade of crimson ichor, drawn from Eudite's own wrist, tore through me.
Once again, my life was extinguished.