The Do-Over System:My Beloved is the Villain!-Chapter 113 - 03/31- Miscalculated

Aeliana stood amidst the ruins of the defeated beast, gripping her staff tightly as she caught her breath. The battle had been intense, far more than she had expected. The deeper they went into the dungeon, the more she could feel the weight of something pressing down on them—not just the physical strain of battle, but an unseen force, ancient and ominous, lingering in the air.

Lucian wiped the blood from his celestial blade, his golden eyes narrowing as he studied her. "You need to leave, Aeliana," he said firmly. "This is getting too dangerous."

She frowned, her lips parting to protest, but before she could speak, Riven—of all people—nodded in agreement.

"For once, I agree with him," Riven said, his voice surprisingly lacking its usual mockery. He rested a hand on his sword, glancing down the tunnel ahead. "We don't know how deep this dungeon goes. If the creatures we're facing now are this strong, then whatever's waiting below will be worse. You staying here is reckless."

Aeliana's grip tightened around her staff, her gaze flickering between the two of them. She could see the concern in Lucian's eyes, the calculated reasoning in Riven's. But before she could respond, Kael crossed his arms, watching her carefully.

"It should be her decision," Kael said, his voice steady. "She's the Oracle. If she decides to stay, she won't be unprotected. The three of us will be here to make sure nothing happens to her."

Lucian exhaled sharply, clearly frustrated. "That's not the point, Kael. The deeper we go, the harder it'll be to keep her safe."

"That's assuming she needs us to protect her," Kael countered. "She's stronger than you think."

Riven smirked at that. "True. But even strong people die if they don't pick their battles wisely."

Aeliana clenched her jaw, stepping forward. "Enough. I'm not a child for you three to argue over."

The three men fell silent, watching her intently.

Aeliana took a slow breath. She understood their concerns. She felt the weight of the danger ahead, the unspoken threat looming over them. But she wasn't ready to retreat.

"I know the risks," she said, leveling them with a steady gaze. "But I won't run. Not when we've come this far."

Lucian tensed. "Aeliana—"

"I choose to stay," she interrupted, her voice firm.

Silence stretched between them, the tension thick enough to cut with a blade.

Then Kael smirked, nodding approvingly. "Well, there you have it."

Lucian pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly resisting the urge to argue further. Riven merely chuckled under his breath, shaking his head.

"Stubborn," Riven muttered.

Aeliana met his gaze. "I prefer determined."

Lucian sighed, running a hand through his hair before reluctantly relenting. "Fine. But stay close."

Aeliana nodded, glancing at Kael, who gave her an encouraging smile.

Markus, who had been quietly eating some of the fatty herbivore meat, finally spoke up. "Well, now that that drama's over, can we please keep moving? I don't want to find out if that thing had a mate."

Selene smirked. "Agreed. The sooner we move, the better."

With the decision made, the group pressed forward into the dungeon's depths.

The tunnels twisted and turned, leading them deeper underground. The air grew heavier, thick with an ancient energy that sent shivers down Aeliana's spine. The runes on the walls pulsed faintly, whispering secrets she couldn't quite decipher.

Dorian ran a hand along the stone. "This place is old. Really old."

Lirian nodded. "Older than most dungeons we've encountered before. Something about it feels… unnatural."

Aeliana could feel it too. The magic here was different—darker, tangled with something wrong.

Lucian kept a firm grip on his blade, his shoulders tense. "Stay alert. Whatever's ahead, it's not going to be easy."

They continued forward, the flickering glow of their torches casting long shadows against the walls.

Then, without warning—

The ground beneath them trembled.

A low, guttural growl echoed through the cavern, followed by the crack of splitting stone.

Selene drew her daggers. "Tell me that was just the dungeon shifting."

It wasn't.

From the darkness ahead, two glowing eyes blinked open. Then another. And another.

A massive shape stirred, its form hidden in the shadows, but the sheer weight of its presence sent a chill down Aeliana's spine.

Markus exhaled. "Oh, hell."

Lucian raised his blade, his expression grim. "Get ready."

A monstrous figure stepped into the dim light, revealing itself fully.

Aeliana's breath caught.

It wasn't just one creature.

It was many.

Twisted amalgamations of beasts and humanoid figures, their bodies warped with glowing veins of corrupted magic. Their movements were unnatural, jerky and distorted as if their very existence defied reality.

Kael tightened his grip on his weapon. "This just keeps getting better."

Dorian knocked an arrow. "Time to see what we're really up against."

Riven cracked his neck, drawing his sword with a dangerous smirk. "Let's make this interesting."

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Lucian's eyes darkened, his stance shifting. "Aeliana, stay back."

Aeliana nodded but kept her staff ready. She might not be on the front lines, but she refused to be useless.

The creatures let out an ear-splitting screech—

Then they charged.

Steel met flesh, magic clashed against unnatural energy, and the battlefield erupted into chaos.

Kael drove his sword into one of the beasts, twisting it before yanking it free, its corrupted body dissolving into mist.

Selene moved like a shadow, her daggers slicing through the creatures with deadly precision.

Markus swung his axe in a wide arc, knocking three of them back with sheer force.

Dorian's arrows rained down, piercing through the creatures' weak points with pinpoint accuracy.

Lucian's celestial blade shone like a beacon, cutting through the darkness as he fought with ruthless efficiency.

Riven danced between foes, his movements fluid, almost playful—until his blade struck with brutal precision.

Aeliana stood behind them, channeling energy into her staff. A golden shield shimmered into existence just as a creature lunged at Lirian, deflecting the blow.

"Thanks!" Lirian called, slashing at the beast with renewed determination.

The battle was relentless. For every creature they felled, more took their place.

But they refused to fall.

They fought with everything they had, pushing forward, deeper into the unknown.

And as Aeliana stood among them, magic thrumming in her veins, she knew one thing for certain—

This was only the start.

.....

Aeliana barely had time to process what was happening before a sharp, unnatural fizz filled the air. It was as if the very fabric of reality was glitching, the magic around her twisting and distorting in ways it shouldn't. The dungeon walls seemed to shift, warping in and out of focus, as though something unseen was interfering with their surroundings.

Her vision blurred. A sharp ringing filled her ears, drowning out the voices around her. She saw Lucian step forward, his mouth moving—yelling something—but the words didn't reach her.

Then everything tilted.

Aeliana staggered, her legs giving out beneath her. A splitting headache crashed through her skull, sharp and relentless, as if something was tearing through her very being. The world around her pulsed, flickering in and out like a dying flame.

Lucian lunged toward her, but before he could reach her—

Everything went black.

When Aeliana's eyes fluttered open, she wasn't where she had been before. The dungeon's cold, stone walls were gone. The sounds of her companions—Lucian, Riven, Kael—had vanished.

Instead, she was floating.

A vast, empty void stretched around her, its depths both infinite and suffocating. The darkness wasn't just blackness—it was alive, swirling and shifting, forming incomprehensible patterns in the distance. It felt like she was trapped between time itself, her body weightless, her very existence fragile.

Then came the whispers.

Soft, at first—like distant echoes carried by the wind.

Then louder.

"[Subject 821: should not be here."]

"[She disrupts the balance."]

["She must be removed."]

Aeliana's breath hitched. The voices weren't coming from one place. They surrounded her, pressing against her mind like a crushing force.

She tried to move—tried to do something—but she remained suspended, trapped in this liminal space.

Then, from the abyss, a figure emerged.

Tall. Cloaked in shadows. Eyes like burning stars, gazing at her with cold, detached judgment.

She knew, instinctively, that this being was ancient. Older than the dungeon. Older than the world itself.

It raised a hand, and suddenly—

Pain.

White-hot, searing through her very soul.

Aeliana screamed, clutching her head as the agony tore through her. It wasn't physical pain—it was deeper. It was as if something was rewriting her, trying to erase her very existence.

Her vision blurred again.

She fought to stay conscious, but the darkness swallowed her whole.

When she woke again, she was back in the dungeon.

Lucian was hovering over her, his face twisted with worry. His hands gripped her shoulders, shaking her slightly.

"Aeliana!" His voice was sharp, urgent. "Can you hear me?"

She groaned, her head pounding. "What… happened?"

"You collapsed," Kael's voice came from her other side. "Your whole body just—fizzed out. Like the system couldn't recognize you for a moment."

Aeliana's heart pounded as flashes of that place returned to her. The whispers. The pain. The figure in the darkness.

Lucian studied her face, his golden eyes filled with barely contained concern. "What did you see?"

She hesitated. Should she tell them?

Before she could decide, Riven's voice cut through the tension. "You're awake. That's what matters."

Aeliana turned to look at him. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, but for once, his usual smirk was absent. His golden eyes were calculating, almost knowing.

Did he… suspect something?

Dorian and the rest of his guild had already moved ahead, leaving them behind. The path forward stretched into darkness, the oppressive weight of the dungeon pressing against them.

Aeliana took a shaky breath. "I think… I think I saw something. Or someone."

Lucian's expression hardened. "Who?"

She hesitated. "I don't know. But they knew me. And they didn't want me here."

Silence.

Then Kael spoke, his voice steady. "Then we should be careful. If something—someone—in this dungeon is aware of you, then we can't assume we're just fighting monsters anymore."

Lucian nodded, standing up and offering her his hand. "Can you stand?"

Aeliana reached for it, allowing him to pull her to her feet. Her body still ached, but she was steady. "I'm fine. Let's keep moving."

Riven pushed off the wall, rolling his shoulders. "You sure? You looked like you were about to be deleted from existence a moment ago."

Aeliana shot him a glare. "Not helping."

He smirked. "Just saying. If you get erased, I'm taking your share of the loot."

Kael sighed. "Riven."

"What? Someone has to lighten the mood."

Lucian ignored their exchange, his focus locked on Aeliana. "If anything feels off, tell us immediately."

She nodded.

They continued forward, the tension still lingering.

As they walked, Aeliana couldn't shake the feeling that something—or someone—was watching her.

And whoever they were…

They didn't want her here.