The pain in his shoulders eased, his breathing steadied, and strength returned to his tired arms. Luke stared at the notifications. The Dungeon of Truth had rewarded their honesty before, but never this strongly.

He gently tightened his fingers in Yvonne’s hair.

"I still don’t want to leave."

Her hold around his waist loosened slightly.

"I want to keep playing with you," Luke continued. "I want us to get out of this dungeon and see the rest of this world together."

He could not deny that Yvonne’s appearance played a large part in that desire. She was an absolute bombshell, and in less than an hour, she had embarrassed him more often than anyone else had managed throughout his entire life.

Still, he could hardly blame her for being beautiful, affectionate, and interested in him. Luke had never dated anyone or kissed a girl, while Yvonne could leave him speechless simply by pressing herself against him.

He was an eighteen-year-old virgin, and a gorgeous older woman was openly flirting with him. Pretending he wanted no part of it would have been ridiculous.

"I don’t want this to be our only adventure," Luke said. "I really do want to spend more time with you."

[A truthful statement has been detected.]

[Core motivation acknowledged.]

[Your attributes have increased by 15%.]

Power flowed through Luke’s body, driving the heaviness from his limbs and allowing him to stand a little straighter.

The Dread Devourer roared hard enough to shake another piece loose from the arena, but Luke did not look away.

"Do you feel the same?" he asked.

Yvonne stayed quiet for a moment while the boss’s breathing filled the space around them. Then she lifted one hand and placed it over his.

"Yes."

Her voice remained unsteady, but she answered without hesitation.

"Yes, I do. Luke, I want to spend so much more time with you. I want to explore this world together, fight beside you, and experience things I would never have the courage to try anywhere else."

Her fingers tightened around his hand.

"I don’t want this to end yet."

[A mutual truth has been detected.]

[Partner resonance established.]

[Your attributes and your partner’s attributes have increased by 30%.]

Energy rushed through Luke so suddenly that he nearly lost his balance.

Yvonne gasped as the gray mist around her faded. Violet light spread from her blindfold and traveled down her body in thin glowing lines before crossing the space between them. It wrapped around Luke’s wrist and formed a translucent thread that connected them.

The Dread Devourer threw back its head and roared, but anger had replaced the hunger in that sound.

"It didn’t like that," Luke said.

"No," Yvonne replied, sounding a little steadier now.

The boss lowered its body, digging its claws into the stone while one foot slid behind the other.

Violet symbols flashed across Yvonne’s blindfold.

"It’s charging!"

The creature had not moved yet, but Luke no longer questioned what Yvonne saw. His spear remained out of reach, and trying to retrieve it would place him directly in the boss’s path.

Luke wrapped one arm around Yvonne’s back and slid the other beneath her thighs. She left the ground with a startled sound.

"Luke?"

"Hold on."

Yvonne immediately locked both arms around his neck.

The Dread Devourer charged, shattering the stone beneath its first step. Luke ran sideways, but the monster crossed the arena far faster than something that large should have been able to move.

"Faster!" Yvonne cried.

"I noticed!"

The creature’s shadow swallowed them.

Luke focused on a point near the edge of the arena and activated Quickstep. The world lurched as he and Yvonne vanished from the monster’s path and reappeared several yards away.

His feet struck the stone at an awkward angle, and the additional weight in his arms pulled him off balance. Before they hit the ground, Luke twisted so that his shoulder took the impact. They rolled once across the platform before coming to a stop.

Unable to slow its massive body, the Dread Devourer crashed into the edge of the arena. Stone exploded beneath its claws as another section of the platform collapsed into the sky.

Luke lay on his back with Yvonne pressed against his chest. Her breasts flattened against him, and one bare thigh rested between his legs. The monster was only a short distance away, but he still became painfully aware of every place their bodies touched.

When Yvonne raised her head, her hair fell around their faces and briefly blocked the damaged arena from view. A sweet smile replaced some of her fear.

"My hero."

Luke felt his face heat. "I fell over."

"You carried me out of its path first."

"I nearly dropped you."

"But you didn’t."

The Dread Devourer dragged itself away from the ruined edge, and when Luke looked past Yvonne, he found its burning eyes fixed on them.

"We should probably move."

"That would be wise."

She still made no attempt to get off him.

"Yvonne."

"Mhm?"

"It’s coming back."

"I know."

Luke stared at her until she laughed and pushed herself upright. Some fear remained in her movements, but she no longer seemed frozen by it.

After accepting Luke’s hand, she allowed him to pull her to her feet. The violet thread still connected their wrists.

Across the arena, his spear lay near the opposite edge. The Dread Devourer now stood between them and the weapon.

"We need my spear."

"I can see that."

"Can you tell me how to reach it?"

Several possible futures appeared as the symbols across Yvonne’s blindfold shifted. Luke ran left and ended up beneath a claw. He went right and was thrown from the arena. When he used Quickstep directly toward the spear, the boss stomped on the weapon before he could reach it.

Yvonne winced.

"What?" Luke asked.

"In almost every future, it stops you."

"Almost?"

"One is different."

"What happens in that one?"

"You run straight at it. The monster swings, but you use Quickstep to pass beneath its arm and slide between its legs. You reach the spear, and then it turns around and crushes you."

Luke stared at her.

"That last part seems important."

"I was hoping the future would change after you reached the weapon."

The boss started toward them, forcing Luke and Yvonne to retreat together.

"Show me again," Luke said.

"The future where you die?"

"The part before that."

Yvonne raised one hand. Violet light gathered around her fingertips and flowed into the thread connecting them.

The vision became clearer. Luke watched himself run toward the boss, slip beneath its right claw with Quickstep, and slide between its legs.

He reached the spear.

The Dread Devourer turned, and its left foot came down on him.

As the vision faded, Luke replayed the movement in his mind.

"Why does it step with its left foot?"

"To turn around."

"It could turn the other way."

Yvonne tilted her head while Luke studied the boss. Its swollen stomach hung lower on the right side. When it had crashed into the edge, the creature planted its right foot and twisted left to regain its balance.

"The weight of its stomach pulls it that way," Luke said. "It always turns left."

"I think you’re right."

"That future only happens if it believes I’ll keep going for the spear."

Yvonne became quiet. Luke could almost feel the possibilities shifting behind her blindfold.

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

"You keep trying to tell me what it’s going to do."

"That is what my ability is supposed to do."

"But you see too many futures. Every decision I make creates more."

"Yes."

Beyond them, the monster continued closing the distance.

"Then stop trying to predict which future will happen," Luke said.

Yvonne’s lips parted.

He pointed toward the spear.

"Find the future we want, and I’ll make the monster choose it."