Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

"Good," she muttered, trudging forward. "Because it's not going anywhere."

Liria wiped the sweat from her brow, grimacing as the stickiness of dried blood clung to her hand. Her legs protested every step, and her head throbbed with the dull ache of overexertion. She let out a long groan, her mismatched eyes narrowing at the endless stretch of dungeon before her.

"System," she grumbled, "how much farther until the exit? Please tell me I'm not stuck in here forever."

[Distance to dungeon exit: approximately 3.2 kilometers.]

"Three point two—?!" Liria's voice echoed sharply, her frustration bouncing off the walls. She threw her hands up, glaring at the jagged ceiling. "Of course! Why not make me walk across a continent while we're at it? Just slap me in a marathon simulator!"

[Suggestion: Complaining will not reduce the distance.]

"I hate you," she snapped, her voice flat but venomous.

[Observation noted.]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Liria exhaled sharply, brushing her silver-and-black hair out of her face. The dungeon had gone ominously quiet after her battle with the Revenant, the oppressive atmosphere replaced with a hollow stillness. Her body screamed for rest, but the thought of camping out in a place where the shadows themselves might develop sentience wasn't appealing. Your next read is at empire

"That's it," she declared, stopping in her tracks. "I'm done. I quit. System, get me out of here."

[Error: Standard teleportation protocols are unavailable in dungeon environments.]

Liria froze, her left eye twitching. "What do you mean, 'standard protocols'? You teleported me into Seraphis's office last week to avoid a lecture!"

[Correction: Last week's teleportation was an unauthorized override of standard protocols. Immediate disciplinary measures were avoided due to your desperation being deemed 'mildly amusing.']

"You absolute heap of junk! If you don't get me out of here, I'm smashing this Core of the Revenant just to spite you!"

The system remained silent for a beat.

[Override initiated: Emergency teleportation sequence activating.]

Before she could even celebrate her hollow victory, a blinding light enveloped her. The dungeon walls dissolved into nothingness, the stone beneath her feet vanishing as the world swirled in a kaleidoscope of color.

Liria barely had time to process the abrupt shift before she landed face-first onto her bed.

"Ow!" she groaned, her voice muffled by a pillow. Lifting her head, she glanced around. Sure enough, she was back in her room at the Academy, the familiar chaos of books, weapons, and discarded outfits strewn everywhere.

She collapsed onto her back, the softness of the bed cradling her aching body. "Finally," she sighed. "Peace, quiet, and a mattress that doesn't feel like it's plotting my death."

[Observation: Your room requires significant tidying. Initiating motivational suggestion...]

"Don't even think about it," Liria interrupted, glaring at the ceiling. "If you play one inspirational jingle, I'm throwing this bed out the window."

The system went silent, wisely deciding against further antagonizing her.

For a brief, blissful moment, Liria let herself relax. Her eyelids grew heavy, her breathing slowed, and for the first time in what felt like days, she began to drift into sleep.

Then she heard it.

A voice. Low, rich, and dripping with malice.

"Did you think you could escape me, little one?"

Liria's eyes snapped open, her entire body tensing. The room was dark, yet it felt as if the shadows themselves had deepened, swirling with an unnatural presence.

"No," she whispered, sitting upright. Her mismatched eyes darted around the room, searching for the source of the voice.

"You have grown stronger," the voice continued, echoing faintly as if it were coming from all directions at once. "But you are still mine."

Liria's pulse quickened. Her heart pounded in her chest, the oppressive weight of the voice dragging her back into memories she didn't want to revisit. This wasn't the first time she'd heard it, and she doubted it would be the last.

"Dark Sovereign," she hissed through clenched teeth.

A low chuckle resonated through the room, sending chills down her spine. "Ah, so you remember me. How delightful."

Liria clenched her fists, summoning her courage. "What do you want? Haven't you got better things to do than haunt me in my sleep?"

"You carry my blood," the Dark Sovereign replied, her tone almost mocking. "Every step you take, every victory you claim, brings you closer to me. You cannot deny what you are."

"I'm not yours," Liria spat, standing despite the ache in her legs. "I don't belong to anyone!"

The shadows in the room shifted, coalescing into a vague, towering silhouette. The figure's golden eyes glowed with an intensity that pierced through the darkness, locking onto Liria's defiant gaze.

"You may fight it," the Dark Sovereign said, her voice smooth and unhurried. "But the truth is already written in your flesh. Those scales... the power you wield... they are mine, a gift you will come to understand in time."

Liria took a step back, her hand instinctively reaching for her sword—only to remember it had shattered in the dungeon. She cursed under her breath. "I don't need your 'gifts,' and I sure as hell don't need you in my life. Get out of my head."

The Dark Sovereign laughed, a sound that seemed to rattle the walls. "So much fire. So much resistance. It will be all the sweeter when you finally break."

Liria gritted her teeth, her green and amber eyes blazing with determination. "Keep dreaming. I don't break."

The silhouette tilted its head, as if amused. "We shall see, little one. We shall see."

With that, the shadows dissipated, the oppressive weight lifting from the room. Liria stumbled backward, collapsing onto her bed with a shaky exhale.

"System," she muttered. "Did you hear that?"

[Affirmative. The Dark Sovereign's presence was detected within your vicinity.]

Liria groaned, rubbing her temples. "Great. Just great. Do you have any helpful advice for dealing with her?"

[Suggestion: Avoid direct confrontation until further analysis of her motives is complete.]

"Brilliant," Liria said sarcastically. "That's so useful. I'll just add her to my list of problems I can't fix right now."

She flopped back onto her pillow, exhaustion finally catching up with her. Her body begged for rest, but her mind raced with questions. Why was the Dark Sovereign reaching out now? What did she mean about the scales and her power?

As much as she wanted answers, Liria knew one thing for sure: she wasn't about to let the Dark Sovereign dictate her life.

"One problem at a time," she whispered to herself, closing her eyes. "One problem at a time."