"Before that," Clay said as his gaze dropped toward the girl kneeling before him, his eyes narrowing with a trace of curiosity that he did not bother to hide, "why did you give me the antidote so quickly, and are you actually agreeing to become my maid just like that?"
Inside his mind, his thoughts ran much faster than his calm tone suggested, because the moment felt too smooth, too convenient, and that alone was enough to put him on guard, and so he could not help but question her intent.
Carefully, he watched every small reaction on her face, every breath she took, every flicker in her eyes, because he had already learned that survival depended on noticing what others overlooked.
Could it be that she is planning something behind my back?
Cerys, who could hear every single one of those thoughts as if they were whispered directly into her ear, immediately forced her body to react, and she lowered her head as if she were frightened beyond reason, letting her shoulders shake as she spoke in a weak and careful voice that sounded as if it might break at any moment.
"Madam… Madam is in need of resources," she said while keeping her tone soft and uncertain, as though she feared every word might anger him, "If I can gather resources for her, I'd be happy…"
This made Clay be taken aback.
That villainess was still a good girl at this point huh… maybe she wasn't betrayed yet and she's still too trusting.
Cerys was shocked. I'm gonna get betrayed? She wondered hard, by who?
Suddenly, Clay's eyes narrowed even further, and although his lips curved into a faint smile, there was no warmth in it, because her answer only made him more suspicious rather than less.
"Aren't you afraid that I might be a cruel one?" he asked, his voice low and calm, yet carrying a weight that pressed against her chest.
Cerys lifted her head slightly, and her face reddened as if she were embarrassed, though inside her mind she remained cold and focused, calculating every word she needed to say in order to maintain her act.
"I just feel like… you are stronger," she said, her voice trembling just enough to sound believable, "and… that you would treat me better."
Inside her heart, however, her thoughts told a completely different story, and they carried no warmth at all.
Once I get the resources I need, I will leave immediately, she thought while keeping her expression fragile and obedient, because if I stay here any longer, the Minotaur guarding the inheritance tomb will come out and follow my trail, and when that happens, not only will I die, but this man will also be dragged into death with me.
Her fingers tightened slightly as she continued her silent reasoning.
Before that happens, I need to learn more about the dream he mentioned, because that is the only thing that makes him dangerous in a way I cannot understand but can also make me understand.
Her lips moved slightly as she mumbled under her breath, though the words were so soft that even she was not sure whether they had truly escaped her mouth.
Clay rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck, letting out a series of cracks as his muscles relaxed, and then he let out a slow breath before nodding as though he had made up his mind.
"Alright then," he said without hesitation, his tone carrying a casual confidence that made it difficult to tell what he was truly thinking.
Then he turned slightly and gestured forward.
"Follow me."
His thoughts continued to run, but now they were more focused as he considered the next step.
System, can you bring her along?
The response came instantly, calm and emotionless.
The Maid is bound to the system. Of course the system can.
Cerys frowned slightly as she watched him speak to something that did not exist in her perception, because for some unknown reason, whenever his thoughts involved the system, they became completely silent to her, as though a wall had been placed between them, cutting her off from something important.
Who is he talking to, she wondered.
Clay did not give her time to question further, because he had already made another decision.
"Let's go," he said under his breath, his eyes lighting up with a hint of excitement, "I want to see how strong this Overlord ability really is."
The moment those words left his mouth, the ground beneath them erupted with light.
A massive magic circle formed instantly, its patterns ancient and complex, glowing with a power that seemed to hum in the air itself, and before anyone could react properly, it expanded outward, swallowing both Clay and Cerys within its reach.
The old butler, who had been standing nearby, froze in shock as he stared at the sudden phenomenon.
"Young Master, what is going on?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
Clay glanced back at him briefly. His expression remained calm. After all, he had already expected this. When the system said to test his ability, it meant that it might send him an opponent or he would be sent to face one.
"I have no idea," he replied lazily, "but don't worry. I'll be back later."
Before the butler could say anything else, the light intensified, becoming so bright that it erased all shadows, and then in the next instant, both Clay and Cerys disappeared completely.
Silence fell over the place they had left behind.
When the light faded, they were no longer in the estate.
Instead, they stood within a dark dungeon, where the air itself felt heavy, thick with mana that pressed against their skin like an invisible weight, and the ground beneath their feet was rough and uneven, covered in cracks that seemed to stretch endlessly into the darkness.
Clay took a slow breath as he looked around, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar environment with interest rather than fear.
Then he turned his head toward the girl beside him, and a smirk appeared on his face.
"Hey, Assassin Maid," he said casually, "what is your name?"
Cerys hesitated for a moment, her mind racing as she considered how to respond, because giving her real name would expose too much, yet refusing to answer might raise suspicion.
Clay's thoughts followed immediately.
Don't tell me you don't even have a name?
She nodded slowly, playing along with his assumption.
Then she lifted her head slightly and spoke.
"Young Master… you can call me Nightshred."
Clay raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
"Nightshred?" he repeated, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity, "why that name?"
"It is my assassin codename," she replied without hesitation.
Clay paused for a moment.
I see, most assassins don't have a name.
And then he nodded.
"Not bad," he said with a small chuckle, "it sounds like the name of a game character."
Cerys blinked, confused.
"A game character?"
"Nothing," Clay muttered, waving his hand dismissively, "don't worry about it."
Before the conversation could continue, something appeared in front of him.
A transparent screen, glowing faintly, hovering in the air.
Would you like to activate your passive ability?
Clay frowned as he read the message.
"Wait, passive ability?" he muttered, "if it is passive, why do I need to activate it?"
The system responded without delay.
This is a passive ability belonging to a fallen god. Now that it belongs to you, it is no longer passive.
Clay's expression changed slightly as he processed those words.
A fallen god?
He felt a faint unease settle in his chest, because the more he learned about this system, the more it felt unstable, unpredictable, and he could not ignore the possibility that relying on it too much might lead to consequences he could not control.
Imagine, it says passive but it's actually not.
What if something goes wrong during teleportation or other features in the near future? he thought, his eyes narrowing slightly.
It seems I should not depend on this system too much in the future.
Before he could think further, a roar echoed through the dungeon.
It was loud, deep, and filled with a kind of raw violence that made the air tremble.
Ding.
The host has activated the Exponential Growth Spur Overlord Ability.
Please prepare for combat.
Clay blinked in confusion, because he had no idea what that actually meant, and before he could ask, he heard something else.
A whimper.
He turned his head instantly, and what he saw made him pause.
Cerys stood frozen in place, her body stiff, her face pale, and her eyes filled with pure terror.
"No… no… no…" she muttered, her voice shaking uncontrollably, "that can't be… that can't be… I already escaped this place… I already escaped…"
Clay frowned.
"Huh?" he said, clearly confused, "you know this place?"
She nodded rapidly, her fear growing with every passing second.
"Yes… Young Master… I know this place…"
Her entire body trembled as memories flooded her mind, memories she could not forget no matter how much she wanted to.
And then she spoke the words that made the air feel even heavier.
"That… is the Minotaur."
Clay blinked.
"Why is it scary?" he asked, genuinely confused.
Cerys swallowed hard, her throat dry, her voice barely steady.
"When I–" she paused, but managed not to reveal herself, "When madam Cerys came here… she brought special guards with her… they were strong… very strong… and at first… they were able to hurt it…"
Her voice faltered as the memories grew clearer, more vivid, more real.
"But then… it adapted…"
Her eyes lost focus as she was pulled back into that moment.
She saw it again.
The massive creature standing in the center of the dungeon, its body towering over them like a living mountain, its muscles bulging with unnatural strength, its eyes glowing with a savage intelligence that did not belong to a beast.
The guards had attacked with perfect coordination, their movements sharp and precise, their weapons coated in shadow energy that cut through the air like blades.
At first, it worked.
Their attacks struck true, slicing into the Minotaur's flesh, drawing dark blood that splattered across the ground.
They believed they could win.
They believed they had control.
But then everything changed.
The Minotaur's body began to respond.
The wounds they inflicted stopped bleeding.
The shadow energy that had once cut through its flesh no longer had the same effect.
It was as if the creature had learned, as if it had taken their power and made it useless.
Panic spread among the guards, but it was already too late.
The Minotaur moved.
Its double bladed axe came down with a force that shattered the ground beneath it.
One of the guards tried to block.
The axe did not stop.
It crushed through the defense, through the weapon, through the body, splitting the man in half as if he were nothing.
Blood sprayed into the air.
Another guard rushed forward, trying to strike from behind.
The Minotaur turned with terrifying speed.
The axe swung again.
This time, it did not cut.
It smashed.
Bones broke.
Armor shattered.
The body was thrown across the dungeon like a ragdoll, hitting the wall with a sickening sound before collapsing into a lifeless heap.
One by one, they fell.
Their attacks became useless.
Their strength meant nothing.
The Minotaur adapted to everything they tried, and with each passing moment, it grew stronger while they grew weaker.
Their screams echoed through the dungeon.
Their blood covered the ground.
And in the end, there was nothing left.
Nothing except silence.
Cerys's body trembled violently as she returned to the present, her breathing uneven, her mind still trapped in that nightmare.
"That thing… cannot be defeated… it adapts to everything…" she whispered, her voice filled with despair.
Clay's face went pale as he listened.
"What the hell…" he muttered under his breath.
Then his expression hardened as he turned his gaze forward, his mind racing as he tried to figure out a solution.
System, this Minotaur can adapt to anything.
His thoughts were sharp, urgent, filled with frustration.
Don't tell me you malfunctioned again because you are incomplete.
Then how the hell am I supposed to kill this thing?