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n“What did you do? A one-hit KO? That’s cheating!” I screamed.

n“Eh… Deek?” Lydia spoke, slowly standing up.

nHer body looked like that of a walking corpse. There was nothing gross like blood, but her skin wasn’t the right shade and her body moved much like the corpses. She picked up her sword and then started walking towards me with shaky steps.

n“Wh-what… what is happening?” She asked, fear on her face, the fact she was moving didn’t seem to be within her control.

n“Curse of the Zombie.” The necromancer said. “A curse that turns a living target into an undead.”

n“What’s the point of that?” I asked, backing up as I noticed the skeletons were now standing by.

n“In my life, I was a powerful necromancer. I ruled over the undead. This woman, she is now mine to control.”

n“W-wait, no!” She cried out, trying to drop her sword.

nHowever, her hand tightened on it, and she continued to advance on me. I lifted my hand and cast Weak Heal. She let out a cry as if she was in pain, stopping for a second.

n“Yes…” the necromancer laughed. “This is exactly like it was back then. The Hero advanced on his White Mage under my curse. She could heal him… but healing only hurts the undead. Slowly, he walked towards her. She could have easily killed him and survived. She should have killed him and survived! But she wouldn’t… because she was convinced she loved him.”

n“So, he wasn’t some undead…” I spoke up. “Just a curse…”

n“Of course. Would it be so tragic if there wasn’t will there? That’s what I tried to tell my precious sister. There is no love between master and slave. That hero didn’t love her at all. He was just using her and kept her around because he was kind. But she wouldn’t listen!”

n“Remove Curse!” I shouted.

n{You must have contact to use Remove Curse.}

n“Haha… yes… it’s so simple, isn’t it? All you have to do is touch her without her killing you, and you can remove this curse and my control over her. And yet, she will stab you all the same. The Hero might have been able to resist my charm and choose not to. This girl is far lower level, do not think she could do the same.”

n“No… please…” Lydia exclaimed tearfully.

n“Either you kill her, or she kills you. That was the decision. That has always been the decision. Masters and slaves can never be together.”

n“So… what, the hero cut her down and then you killed the hero?” I demanded, wanting to keep him talking even though I continued to back up.

n“How would I let him cut down my own sister?” The Necromancer responded bitterly. “No… what he cut down was an illusion I put in his mind. I just wanted her to see the truth. To see that he never cared about her. I didn’t realize… I didn’t expect her to throw herself on his blade… to sacrifice herself to remove his curse… he killed me that day. Used my sister to the very end. The Hero Dormont, famed throughout the land, raising himself up on the corpses of his party members. His path had more blood on it than the Demon Lords, yet he was adored by all.”

n“You… don’t have to do this…” I said, looking in Lydia’s panicked eyes.

n“Don’t worry, there are no illusions here.” The Necromancer chuckled. “Show her the truth. Kill her so that you can survive. If you do… I’ll allow you to leave this dungeon. On the other hand, bring out your hands and allow her to kill you, and I will free her from her curse and return her to the surface. The choice is with you, hero, will you put a slave’s life above your own?”

nMy back hit the wall. I had reached the end. All that was left was to make a decision.

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