Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

"How can this be happening..."

Elolo panicked, clutching the octopus plushie tightly in one arm while flailing wildly with the other, groping for something to steady herself.

But there was nothing. Nothing at all...

Elolo remembered the shape of the hallway, the kinds of flowers and paintings that adorned it. Even without seeing, she could sense where they should be, even recalling the patterns in the art and the textures on the vases.

Under the meticulous care of the famously strict and rigid Miss Beleda, the house hadn’t changed at all in sixteen years. Even the angles of the tables, chairs, and benches were maintained with unwavering precision.

But now, Elolo felt that all that was left of her home was this viscous, ink-like darkness...

She abandoned her plan and immediately turned, wanting to flee back to her room.

But the one oil lamp at the other end of the hallway, the only source of light, was now completely gone...

Terrified, Elolo burst into tears. She hugged the octopus plushie tightly and ran back the way she came.

She had no presence of mind to count her steps, nor did she care if she woke Miss Beleda. She just kept her head down and fled.

Without realizing it, her delicate feet had taken dozens of steps, far more than the distance she had walked to get here.

But Elolo still saw no light at the end of the hallway, still couldn’t find her room, and still couldn’t touch a single thing.

She could only feel the darkness around her growing more viscous and heavy, as if tangible, wrapping itself tightly around her.

And behind her, it felt as if something was silently watching, closing in step by step. She had no room to think—all she could do was keep running, running in a direction she didn’t know.

Until suddenly, something seized her ankle, and she lost her balance.

"Ah!"

Elolo cried out as she fell to the ground. The octopus plushie fell from her arms and instantly vanished into the darkness.

"Ugh... that hurts..."

Elolo sat crumpled on the cold floor, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye as she panted breathlessly.

For some reason, she found it harder and harder to breathe. Was there something wrapped around her neck?

She reached up to touch it...

Her fingers met a cold, rough surface, like a solid, heavy iron chain bound tightly around her neck.

Elolo froze, instinctively reaching to hug her plushie, only to grasp at empty air.

Only then did she realize that her Lord Uther was gone...

For the first time in her sixteen years, she felt true, utter despair.

Fear, tension, and despair shattered her Rationality. She could only sit there motionlessly, her head hanging low like a broken doll.

It was only when she sensed something move from behind her to stand in front of her that she managed to lift her head to look.

"Huh? Miss Beleda?"

Somehow, Elolo recognized the familiar figure in the darkness. It was the personal maid who had cared for her for sixteen years.

Although the maid had always been stern and strict, to Elolo in that moment, she was a final, desperate hope. She quickly grabbed the hem of her apron, praying the woman would take her back to her room.

But Miss Beleda only looked down coldly at her young mistress. She didn’t help her up. She didn’t move. Her head was just tilted slightly downward as she silently studied Elolo.

Then, her head sank lower, and lower, past her chest, past her stomach, and finally past her knees, until it was right in front of Elolo’s panic-stricken face.

But her body remained standing perfectly straight...

Elolo finally realized something was wrong and whispered,

"Miss Beleda? Your neck..."

The maid didn’t answer, merely revealing a grotesque smile.

The smile stretched wider and wider, growing more manic until her mouth had split open to her ears.

Innumerable black tentacles writhed and thrashed inside her mouth, as if in anticipation of a delicious meal about to be served.

"Aaaah!"

Elolo screamed, instinctively trying to get up and run.

But she felt a sudden tightness around her neck. Her body went limp, and she collapsed back onto the ground.

She saw that the heavy chain around her neck was now in the grasp of the stranger Miss Beleda had become.

Her breathing grew labored, her head felt impossibly heavy, and she could no longer even manage a sob.

In the instant before she lost consciousness, a strange thought surfaced in her mind:

’I’m sorry, Venerable Master. I won’t be able to offer you little cakes anymore...’

The next second, she felt two gentle waves of power surge from behind her.

One stream of power struck the chain around her neck. Its solid form suffered a bizarre ’accident,’ twisting several times without warning before, with a few sharp CRUNCHES, it snapped in two.

Elolo felt oxygen rush back into her lungs, and her mind gradually cleared.

The other stream of power struck Miss Beleda.

Her snake-like neck and the fine tentacles in her mouth were instantly Twisted into knots. They began to bleed and fester, decaying at a visible rate as if afflicted by some horrific Curse.

Then, her entire body fell to its knees before Elolo. Clutching at her chest, she began to vomit uncontrollably.

TINK... TINK... TINK... TINK...

A pile of screws and gears spilled from her mouth. Her body began to twitch mechanically, like a broken doll.

A few seconds later, she fell still.

"HUFF... HUFF..."

Elolo panted heavily, her mind a complete blank. She had no idea what had just happened.

Then, something soft and fuzzy settled on her shoulder, nuzzling against her cheek.

She turned her head and saw that Lord Uther had somehow returned to her side.

Elolo was stunned, then overjoyed, and quickly hugged the plushie to her chest.

"Lord Uther, did you save me?"

As she spoke, she instinctively went to nuzzle her plushie.

But then she froze...

’No... it wasn’t Lord Uther. It was the Venerable Master?’

Muttering to herself, Elolo suddenly broke into a smile. She hugged the plushie tighter and nuzzled it even more forcefully.

She even snuck a glance from side to side and, confirming that her surroundings were still pitch-black, secretly planted a couple of kisses on the plushie.

Then she giggled and said,

"Thank you, Venerable Master!"