<h4>Chapter 15: - What Curse?</h4>


    In a moment from the past, the Saintess sessfully broke the curse of ''Soul Siphon''.


    [ALERT]


    [Curse Broken]


    Bong was resting in his cave when a sudden alert appeared before his eyes, notifying him that the curse had been dispelled.


    "What? What is this? A curse? When was this curse ced?" Bong eximed, confusion and surprise evident in his words.


    [ALERT]


    [''Soul Siphon'' When your enemy survives, a curse will be ced upon them, giving you MP from them until the curse is dispelled.]


    "Oh, of course, you conveniently forgot to mention this little detail before. My bad, I didn''t even think to ask," Bong said with a sarcastic tone, rolling his eyes at the system''s response.


    [ALERT]


    [Exactly]


    Bong continued to stare at the System screen, his expression a mix of bewilderment and humor.


    "Gosh, if Duke''s son survived and someone dispelled the curse, then he must have found out about me," Bong suddenly realized, remembering who had survived his bat bite.


    "What should I do? What should I do? Oh wait, I forgot, they already killed me," Bong eximed, pping his wings and swinging back and forth in a humorous disy of his momentary panic.


    "Phew, now I can finally concentrate on my evolution," Bong sighed in relief, his wings pping with determination.


    "System, when will I be able to evolve next?" Bong inquired eagerly, his bat eyes shining with anticipation.


    [ALERT]


    [When you reach level 30]


    "Ten more levels to go, then," Bong mused, his determination evident in his voice.


    "Every low-leveled monster, I''ve in them all. Should I venture out of my bat cave?" Bong pondered, his contemtion echoing in the quiet depths of the cave.


    "My beloved cave, a repository of countless memories. How could I ever leave this ce?" Bong mused, his attachment to the cave evident in his tone.


    [ALERT]


    [You cannot leave this ce]


    [This ce belongs to you]


    [As thest monster standing, you''ve be the final boss of this Dungeon. Your existence and the Dungeon''s are now intertwined]


    A sudden realization struck Bong, his eyes widening in disbelief.


    "What on earth, System! Are you seriously saying I can''t leave this ce?" Bong eximed, his wings pping with agitation.


    [ALERT]


    [You can leave]


    [But if the Dungeon is destroyed or upied by someone else, your existence will fade away]


    "My bat cave, it seems we''re destined to be together as long as this world exists, Bat Cave," Bong mused with a mix of resignation and sentimentality.


    [ALERT]


    [Oh Gosh, don''t be so dramatic!]


    "Shut up, you devilish System!" Bong eximed, pointing a winged finger at the system in mock annoyance.


    In the Duke''s mansion,


    Knock, knock.


    Maid Amelia rapped gently on the door to Victoria''s room, seeking permission to enter.


    "Come in," Victoria''s voice called from within.


    "Your Highness, Sebastian has been healed by the Saintess. He has awakened from his slumber," Amelia informed respectfully, bowing her head and closing her eyes momentarily.


    As Amelia delivered the news to Victoria about Sebastian''s recovery, an unknown figure suddenly appeared out of thin air, resembling an Assassin.


    "Your Highness, please forgive the intrusion, but I have urgent news to share," the unknown figure said while bowing on one knee.


    "Speak," Victoriamanded.


    "Your Highness, the Duke has dispatched the Raven of the Shadow Army to investigate who harmed his son," the figure informed.


    "Nothing is going ording to my n. Who betrayed me? Who knows about it?" Victoria''s expression turned tense as she spoke aloud.


    "Your Highness, please forgive the intrusion. It was the Saintess who informed the Duke about the curse ced on Sebastian. That''s why he dispatched the Raven," Amelia rified, her voice respectful as she bowed down.


    "You! How dare you provide the Your Highness with half the information? fueling her tension with your information which is iplete Do you wish to die?"


    Amelia''s deration echoed through the room, her eyes aglow with a fiery crimson hue. The atmosphere around her turned dark and ominous, like a shroud of impending doom. Her face twisted into an expression of anger and intense determination, sending shivers down the spines of those who witnessed her wrath.


    The unknown figure gulped audibly, feeling a shiver run down his spine, causing his hair to stand on end.


    "Your Highness, I beg for your forgiveness. Have mercy on me; it was entirely my fault," he stammered in fear.


    "You insolent fool! Get out of my sight now!" Victoria''s voice carried a mix of anger and frustration as she dismissed the figure with a wave of her hand.


    As soon as Victoria''s voice ordered him to leave her sight, the figure didn''t waste a moment. He quickly paid his respects and vanished into thin air.


    "I am unable to make sense of this situation. Someone killed the Assassin and ced a curse on Sebastian? What is happening? Amelia, who initially harmed Sebastian? I believed it was the bat, but Duke already killed that monster." Victoria''s brows furrowed in frustration and concern.


    "Yes, Your Highness, the bat was indeed the creature that initially harmed Sebastian. However, we are still unaware of who killed the Assassin and ced the powerful curse on him," Amelia replied, her expression reflecting the confusion and concern.


    "There are too many unknown variables in my n. Amelia, what is my father doing? Has he managed to uncover any leads?" Victoria asked, her brows furrowing with concern.


    "Yes, he uncovered something while investigating the Dark Forest. The same pattern urred with the monsters in the Dark Forest - they were killed in the same manner as Sebastian was harmed. We have concluded that it might be the work of a newly evolved monster or possibly a vampire," Amelia exined, bowing down and showing her respect.


    "Hmm... it''s possible that this could be the work of a Vampire. We must proceed with caution and be vignt in our actions," Victoria pondered aloud.


    "You can leave now, Amelia," She added, dismissing her attendant.


    Meanwhile, in the Dark Forest, Bong remained unaware of the unfolding events and conspiracies within the Everhartia state.


    Under the cover of night, Bong ventured out of his cave with a determined heart. He was driven by the goal of achieving his next evolution, having realized the immense power of the Captain of the Knights. He acknowledged his own status as a mere bat in a vast world of magic and swords, inspiring his pursuit of greater strength.


    "I am the bat of the night, and now I hunger. Let''s go, Bong, and savor some devilish delicacies for your next evolution," Bong dered as he took flight from his cave, embarking on a new adventure in pursuit of his next evolution.