Chapter 46
[A person’s desire is the most fatal flame that burns the heart.]
As soon as we entered the mansion, this warning message appeared.
“Desire burns the heart… huh.”
I muttered the cryptic warning to myself, but the murmuring voices around me drew my attention.
“Wow.”
“This is so beautiful!”
The grand interior of the mansion, filled with red roses everywhere.
Moving toward the spot where most of the people had gathered, I shrugged my shoulders.
In the center stood a massive golden fountain, easily ten meters high.
The golden fountain continuously spouted a faintly pink liquid that looked so sweet it made you want to take a sip if this weren’t a dungeon.
‘So this is what everyone’s been admiring.’
As I approached Lyria, who was standing mesmerized by the sight, I gently tapped her on the shoulder.
“How is it? I told you it wouldn’t be too bad, right?”
Startled, Lyria seemed to regain her composure and slowly nodded.
“Yeah, it’s actually better than I thought.”
It wasn’t just Lyria who was beginning to relax.
“I never thought I’d see such a paradise on earth!”
“To be honest, I was a bit nervous about entering the Fire Base…”
“With this, maybe our team will be the first to finish the conquest?”
I watched the team members, who had already loosened up, chatting away.
All of them, really.
“Don’t let your guard down,” I thought with a sigh.
I walked along the red carpet, taking in the surroundings.
‘This place is just like it was described in the original story.’
Ornate pots held ripe fruits hanging from trees, and the cupid statue above the fountain twirled as if performing a sorrowful dance.
And the vast rose garden… how impressive.
Unlike a regular greenhouse, which would be relatively small.
‘The overpowering scent of roses…’
This mansion’s interior felt like one gigantic greenhouse.
Flowers and water.
Life and blessings.
In the rose garden, where ruby-like petals fluttered, life thrived everywhere.
‘Come to think of it, everything here is the opposite of fire.’
Fire typically symbolizes destruction and death.
Lyria’s flames are special, but normally, fire has that connotation.
But this place was different.
It felt more like a warm hearth embracing us.
This strange sense of familiarity made me stop in my tracks.
‘Wait, hold on… that cupid statue… did it look like that in the original?’
The delicate garden, the golden fountain, the pink water, the gentle atmosphere.
It was like a place from a dream.
Which is why it felt even stranger.
The Fire Base in the original story had many luxurious items as well.
But this place, in the original story…
-“Save me, Lyria!”
Memories flashed before me, leaving my heart sinking like a stone.
‘Right, how could I forget this?’
In the original story, the only reason Lyria made it through this place unscathed was because she was free of greed.
Specifically, she lacked any material desires.
Lyria safely navigated this place.
But Wendy, true to her title as a villain, had lusted for the treasure and found herself in danger.
Not realizing the trap, Wendy had resented Lyria for not seizing the treasures.
That event was the turning point in their relationship.
‘How foolish…’
I knew all of this from the original story, but I got distracted by the mansion’s grandeur and forgot.
Touching any of the mansion’s objects transforms the cupid.
From the innocent baby angel form to a three-headed demonic figure.
When that happens, hidden beasts rush in.
The beautiful roses turn into blazing flames.
[A person’s desire is the most fatal flame that burns the heart.]
That initial message had warned us all along.
“Don’t touch any of the items inside the mansion!”
Startled, a team member who was reaching toward the fountain quickly pulled back his hand.
Watching from a distance, Sylvester sternly advised, “Don’t get enchanted by appearances. It may look beautiful, but it’s still one of the key bases.”
Embarrassed by the younger boy’s warning, the team members blushed.
They exchanged glances before quietly gathering closer to me.
“Y-yeah, we’re here to conquer, after all…”
“Then, let’s continue.”
Some seemed disappointed, but at least they had the sense to follow instructions.
Relieved, I encouraged them.
“Even so, the Fire Base is relatively easier than the others. All we need to do is find the boss room and complete the conquest—”
As I continued speaking, I heard a faint noise from somewhere.
That’s strange.
In the original, there weren’t any minor enemies before reaching the boss room.
Was it because I stirred up trouble earlier?
With a gulp, I organized our formation and shouted, “Everyone, prepare for battle!”
But what emerged from the bushes wasn’t a fearsome beast.
Nor a hideous monster.
‘Meow!’
It was a small creature with red fur.
“…Huh?”
The creature, flaunting its red fur like dandelion fluff, strutted confidently towards us, standing boldly in front of the group.
‘Myaa?’
It tilted its large eyes, as if asking why we were here, showing its chubby belly and pointy ears.
Its fox-like, fluffy tail had a look that was more endearing than threatening.
“So cute!”
Team members, struck by its overwhelming cuteness, began to drop their weapons one by one.
“Indeed… it’s remarkable.”
Its fluffy fur and the faint pink of its pads made it irresistibly pettable, prompting Sylvester to murmur softly.
“Sister, it’s not an object, so touching it should be okay, right?”
Stretching lazily and then grooming its own fur, the mysterious fluffball caught Lyria’s attention, and she reached out instinctively.
“Lyria! Don’t touch it carelessly—it’s… not dangerous.”
Lick, lick.
The creature licked Lyria’s fingers a few times and then rubbed its cheek against the back of her hand.
Its affectionate gesture made any lingering tension vanish completely.
“Boss, I don’t think these guys are particularly dangerous.”
Eden, who had approached quietly, spoke up beside me.
In his palm rested a small red lizard he had somehow brought along.
More animals began to emerge from the bushes.
‘Mooo.’
A shaggy buffalo.
‘Neighhh.’
A pony, about half the size of a regular horse.
‘Chomp, chomp.’
And even a giant capybara.
Each one looked gentle and tame, wandering leisurely through the garden.
“When I was a child, I always dreamed of visiting a zoo. Never thought it would come true like this.”
A middle-aged man, petting the buffalo’s fur, let a faint smile play on his lips.
“I can’t believe this place exists…”
“This must be heaven.”
“Hey, you little rascals, don’t eat the gunpowder!”
“Haha, they just love it when I throw a spark!”
I watched in a daze as everyone played innocently with the animals.
“……”
What in the world is happening?
—Kogakla (colxxx): Did this team come for a zoo tour or what?
—sia (dllxxx): Hey, sometimes a quiet scene like this is nice.
—Sky (kinxxx): People are so cute, they just have to touch anything with fur lol.
—haha (ummxxx): But do capybaras actually make those chomp-chomp sounds?
—Mummum (mmoxxx): Look it up on NewTube.
[You have earned the favor of 10 observers.]
[Total Favor: 55]
I could hear the notifications of accumulating favor, but my focus was elsewhere.
‘There was no scene like this in the original…’
Could it be because our team is entirely composed of those with fire affinity?
If that’s true, it seems we were lucky enough to earn the goodwill of the fire-aligned creatures here.
“Well, that’s fortunate.”
The peaceful scene allowed me to relax a little.
I had been way too tense until now.
As I let out a relieved sigh, I heard a voice calling me from a distance.
“Boss, I think we found the boss room!”
The one who found the room was none other than the man who had thrown the fireball at me earlier.
‘What was his name again, Zen or something?’
With so many team members, and dozens of names that sounded similar, remembering all of them was nearly impossible.
But I managed to remember a few who left a strong impression, like Carl and Zen.
Especially short names—they were easier to remember.
Nodding, I prepared to leave.
“Let’s move out, everyone.”
It was time to say goodbye to these fluffy, squishy friends.
The team members each gave a final pat to the animals they had bonded with.
“Goodbye, buffalo friend.”
“I’ll miss you; your fur is so soft.”
They might have only existed inside the Thunder Base.
Creatures that, in a way, were closer to being virtual life forms.
“Goodbye, Mew.”
Lyria, who had even given a name to the small creature, found it hard to part.
‘Myaaang.’
Mew, as if understanding Lyria’s feelings, rubbed its head against her ankle for a long time, bidding farewell.
But with every goodbye comes the potential for new encounters.
Leaving behind their regret, we gathered before the massive golden door.
“This is the boss room…”
A team member murmured quietly, daunted by the sheer size of the door.
In truth, there was no clear sign marking this as the boss room.
But humans have instincts, after all.
A gut feeling that once this door opened, there would be no turning back.
“Everyone remembers what I said, right?”
I glanced around, making sure the team members, gripping their weapons tightly, were ready.
“Do not!”
“Touch anything inside!”
The chorus-like response of the team brought a smile to my face.
“Good.”
Hoping that my decision wasn’t wrong.
“Well then, here we go.”
I grasped the golden handle and pulled.
—
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