"Hiss…"
Valetta groaned, clutching her head as she pushed herself off the damp ground.
"Damn it… what happened…?"
Her entire body ached as if she'd been mercilessly beaten. Then, like a crashing wave, her memories returned.
"Right… I was ambushing those two brats—then got played by that rookie from Loki Familia."
Her expression darkened. The daze in her eyes vanished, replaced by cold, simmering fury.
"So the whole plan was exposed… or maybe those two were bait meant to lure me out."
Her jaw tightened. "Tch… damn it. Don't tell me this was Finn's plan again!"
Memories of their battles three years ago resurfaced, and the more she thought about it, the more it all lined up.
He'd deliberately let two young girls take the spotlight in the dungeon—making their need for 'heroic deeds' obvious—then sat back, waiting for her to take the bait.
The more she pieced it together, the more certain she became.
A beast-like roar echoed in the distance. Valetta's body tensed instantly.
"What the—this isn't the Giant Azure Waterfall…?"
The air was thick with humidity, and she could see massive crystal formations around her, glowing faintly.
"A feeding ground?" she muttered, realization dawning.
Fragments of memory came trickling back—she'd been swept away by the torrent after the floor boss appeared.
She remembered hearing the roar of a dragon before losing consciousness. Judging from the situation, that had to have been Amphisbæna's cry.
"How ironic," she murmured, lips curling into a smirk. "The floor boss that should've killed me actually saved my life."
"Guess they must've thought I was dead and left me behind. Hah, lucky me."
Her laugh was hoarse, but genuine. Against all odds, she'd survived—and even been swept to a lower floor because of the raging waters.
Her condition was far from good, but compared to being captured or executed, this was a blessing.
"I need to get back to the Waterfall first," she said, forcing herself up. "The monsters down here are too much for me right now."
She was still severely injured, with no healing items to rely on. In this state, even a weak monster could finish her off.
And this—this was the dungeon's feeding ground. A place crawling with predators.
If she didn't move fast, she'd be torn apart before she even saw daylight again.
"Good. It's working."
Tsunayoshi's voice was calm as he observed Valetta through a remote connection.
He had confirmed that the false memories he implanted were functioning perfectly.
He hadn't erased her recollection of him entirely—only the details related to his abilities. Enough truth mixed with illusion to make the lie seamless.
That was how deception worked: the most believable lies were those built on foundations of truth.
He turned toward Finn and Gareth, nodding slightly.
"As long as she doesn't share memories with a god, there shouldn't be any risk."
"Why would that be an issue?" Finn asked, curious.
"When it comes to gods, we can't take any chances," Tsunayoshi explained. "Even a hint that something unnatural is inside her could draw divine attention. If any god senses the parasite embedded in her through her name or aura, we'll lose her immediately."
It was a meticulous level of caution—but that was Tsunayoshi's nature.
He didn't know everything about how divine perception worked, and he didn't intend to test its limits recklessly.
"Our goal isn't to extract information from her," he continued. "It's to use her as an early warning. If the dark faction makes a move, she'll unknowingly give us advance notice."
"That makes sense," Finn agreed. "It's better to have a living signal than a broken tool."
"Exactly. Rather than squeeze her dry, it's smarter to let her function as a cold fuse—something that only reacts when the enemy moves."
"Her position among the dark faction is too valuable to waste," Tsunayoshi added. "For now, she'll serve as our eye inside their heart."
Finn smiled slightly. "Then we'll let the story spread as Valetta imagines it. We'll frame everything as my strategy. That way, the dark faction will think this was my counterstrike."
"That'll reinforce the illusion," Gareth added. "It'll make her testimony more convincing."
"Right. Let the enemy believe they've confirmed my abilities. Let them think they're just pawns in our game." Finn's eyes narrowed, the corners of his mouth curling into a calculating grin.
"Publicize their failure," he said. "Make Valetta's defeat in the dungeon known across Orario. The more they believe it was my doing, the more we control the narrative."
"With Valetta unknowingly acting as our anchor," Tsunayoshi said, "we'll have a nail driven straight into the dark faction's core."
A mole inside the enemy's heart was worth far more than any single piece of intelligence.
War was a matter of timing—and right now, Loki Familia wasn't ready for an open confrontation.
Without sufficient intelligence or preparation, even they couldn't strike a fatal blow.
Better to wait. Watch. Build strength.
Then, when the time came—they would crush the darkness completely.
Finn turned toward Tsunayoshi. "Just be careful in the coming months. Gods will start taking an interest in you. Probing, watching, maybe even testing."
"I'm aware," Tsunayoshi replied. "The information they have right now is exactly what I want them to see. As long as the core stays hidden, it's fine."
He paused, then asked, "What about Raul? Should we deal with him?"
Finn thought for a moment before nodding. "Yes. I'll talk to him personally later."
(End of Chapter)
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