Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss-Chapter 342: And Then, There Were Six

"So, what do we do?" Thorn asked, keeping his eyes fixed forward.

The snow had lessened, falling now in soft flurries that carpeted the already white landscape.

"Hmmn?" Ren hummed in question, his breaths forming clouds in the chilled afternoon air.

"Why are you trying to act oblivious?" Thorn frowned.

"Because they think we’re oblivious, idiot." Lilith grinned.

The Seven were no longer in sight, but that meant nothing. They still had their eyes on them.

And Thorn had heard enough about them from Ren to know that those seven cloaked warriors didn’t need to be visible to be dangerous.

"They’re still following us." Thorn muttered after a long silence, his voice low. He didn’t glance over his shoulder, but his attention was totally in that direction. "I’ve counted three shifts in wind that didn’t come from nature."

Ren nodded. "We already knew they’d be shadowing us. Watching to see where we go. Why else have we adjusted our route to look like we’re heading to the Ninth Peak?"

"That reminds me." Thorn perked up. "How did they know that there’ll be a Divine Gift appearing around the Eighth Peak?"

"The Furies." Ren answered.

"The who?" Lilith frowned.

"Three women with precognitive abilities." Ren elaborated. "If they told the Seven As One, it means they’re using them to clear out any obstacles around here."

"Which means the Seven are waiting for us to lead them to the Divine Gift." Lilith’s voice was cold. "And the moment we get close, they’ll move in and take it. Or try."

"Which means they’re not going to stop following us just because we said we’re normal travelers." Thorn muttered. "And we can’t head straight to the Eighth Peak with them watching us. We’ll lose the only edge we have."

Ren exhaled slowly, watching the breath curl into the air. "Then we need a new plan."

They continued walking, feet crunching softly over the frozen path. It wasn’t long before Lilith spoke again.

"What if we don’t avoid them?"

Thorn turned. "You want to fight them?"

"No." She said, eyes narrowing. "I want to make them think they’re winning. Let them get closer. Let them think they’re in control."

Ren gave a slow nod, considering. "Keep your enemies close."

"They’ll reveal more if they think we’ve resigned ourselves to being part of their game." Lilith continued. "Once we camp, we invite them in. Play the role. Let them talk."

"And the moment we have what we need?" Thorn asked.

"We leave." Ren answered. "Or strike, depending on what we learn. If we take them off guard, we could be able to win. If not, I’ll teleport us out."

They fell quiet again, each considering the risks.

"I don’t like it." Thorn finally said. "But I like the alternative even less."

"We’re already being hunted, whether we like it or not." Lilith said simply. "Might as well choose the battlefield."

Ren nodded once. "Tonight, we’ll camp where they can see us. Let’s see how long they can resist walking into their own trap."

And with that, they continued forward, no one seeing the dark smile that appeared on Lilith’s face.

Time passed, and before long, it was night.

A fire crackled warmly in the dark, providing both light and warmth. They had chosen a small hollow in the mountainside to become their shelter for the night.

The winds howled farther up the slope, but here, wrapped in thick cloaks and huddled around the flames, the world felt far away.

Ren poured a small measure of gin into a tin cup and passed it to Thorn, who grinned and took it with a mock bow.

"To not dying before the Gift shows up." Thorn said, raising the cup.

"To not dying." Ren and Lilith echoed, lifting their own cups.

The alcohol burned its way down, bringing a rush of warmth to their bellies. And so, they began the act.

Thorn launched into a story about a time he’d gotten stuck halfway through a run around the roofs, and had ended up with his legs in someone’s chimney.

Of course, he’d manufactured the story out of thin air, but it was still entertaining. Ren nearly choked on his drink laughing, and Lilith smirked, shaking her head, her eyes soft in the firelight.

"I’m telling you," Thorn said, swaying a little with exaggerated flair, "it was the most awkward apology I’ve ever had to give. The guy was halfway through dinner!"

Ren coughed into his hand. "And people wonder why you don’t get invited anywhere twice."

Laughter echoed against the rocky walls, bouncing into the night like something sacred. There were no monsters right now. No fighting.

Just friends and firelight.

And it worked, because moments later, a figure stepped out from the snow.

Cloaked in black, hood lowered. Her dark hair shimmered slightly in the firelight.

It was her.

The woman from the Seven As One. The one whose eyes had her eyes on Ren.

"Evening." She said, her voice casual, amused. "Didn’t expect laughter to reach my ears in these parts of this cursed range."

Ren smiled, raising his cup. "It’s either that or freeze."

She stepped closer. "Mind if I join?"

"Pull up a rock." Ren shifted slightly, gesturing toward the fire.

Lilith said nothing.

The woman sat beside Ren, close enough to brush his shoulder, and accepted a cup of gin from Thorn with a gracious smile. Her eyes didn’t leave Ren’s face.

More laughter followed, more drinks poured. One by one, the rest of the Seven emerged from the shadows. Whether they’d sent her first or simply came after her impulsive decision to join them, they came nonetheless.

Ren welcomed them with open hands, offering cups and conversation like a practiced host. The gin flowed freely, warming hands and loosening tongues.

The Seven laughed. Thorn told more jokes. Ren played along with his enhanced charm.

Lilith watched.

She sat a little on Ren’s other side, pulling her hood over her head, a half full cup untouched in her hand.

Her gaze flicked to each of the Seven in turn. Watched the way they moved. Watched how quickly the gin intoxicated them.

Watched her.

The woman leaned closer to Ren with every sip, every laugh, touching his arm, brushing her fingers against his. Her laughter grew louder, her voice warmer.

Ren, keeping up the charade, didn’t push her away.

Then, she reached out, her fingers brushing his cheek.

"You know," she said softly, "we could make this war a lot more interesting... together."

Ren blinked, caught off guard.

And Lilith moved.

There was no warning.

One second the woman was smiling, and the next, Lilith’s knife was buried in her throat.

Blood sprayed across the snow in an arc, and the woman gurgled, falling back with wide, stunned eyes.

The camp fell silent.

And the seven were now six.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l