I don't want to conquer witches anymore.

Anne paused for a moment, then uttered her answer slowly and deliberately: "Meeting you."

"Correct answer."

"...Your answer leaves me speechless." Duke rolled his eyes. "Isn't I the one who regrets meeting you?"

"No, it must be me."

……

Anne now knows she was wrong. She was naive and immature back then because she never really knew Duke. The Duke she thought she loved was just something Anne had made up in her head.

Even in dire straits, it didn't mean Duke would condone her actions. Her behavior remained disgusting and horrific, and she openly shared these things with Duke. Anne felt she had seized the opportunity to take Duke away, but her subconscious was inclined towards self-destruction and inner conflict.

She wanted to get close to Duke, but also wanted her humble self to melt away in Duke's brilliance.

"I am such a disgusting guy."

"I have to say, your behavior is indeed a bit outrageous," Duke said at the time. "I wonder if you've considered seeing a psychologist? If that doesn't work... I can only suggest you /remake."

“You’re right, I…”

"So, have you noticed? You have such a low self-esteem. I've never seen a pretty girl describe herself as 'disgusting' before," he said with a smile. "Shouldn't you take your eyes off me and focus more on yourself, Miss Anne?"

……

"Round thirteen."

Duke sighed: "A dare."

Annie, without hesitation, flipped over a card:

"Choose another player for a duel."

written request for leave

I'm skipping tonight.

I did write it, but it's a complete mess. I don't even know what I wrote. I can't possibly post this kind of thing. I've been so sleep-deprived these past two days staying at the hospital with my husband that my brain isn't working properly. Writing on my phone is slow, so I'll just organize the outline today and rewrite this section tomorrow.

I'll make up for the two missed updates today after I leave the hospital.

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas.

Chapter 131 French Speed

"Choose another player for a duel."

A duel? How do we have a duel?

Is it about styling your hair in a weird way and then starting to make up cards out of thin air? Is it the kind of thing where you can even surpass light in Accelerated Synchro Summoning?

Before Duke could even mutter a few words of complaint, Annie magically produced a staff made of bones and scattered several bones like coins, transforming them into complete bone warriors that attacked him. Clearly, the duel in this card was exactly what it sounded like.

...or rather, Anne is understood literally.

Although Duke was the one who chose the adventure, he was not the one who initiated the attack. Instead, he was forced into the battle after being attacked by Annie.

"Attacks from both sides will not harm each other. The duel ends when one side concedes, or when either side suffers a fatal blow from the duelist." Annie, controlling her skeleton soldiers, casually recited the rules of the duel without looking at the cards: "The winner will receive a kiss from their opponent..."

"Hey, is the rule about lying enough?" Duke's lips twitched slightly. Two days of dating had been too rushed. He hadn't even taken the exam to find a way to advance further. If it really came down to a fight, he would undoubtedly be at a huge disadvantage. "Everything else remains the same. The winner can ask the other one question that cannot be lied about or concealed. How about that?"

"Playing Truth or Dare within Truth or Dare, huh?" Annie retorted expressionlessly. "You're something else."

"Don't you want to know the answer to my first truth question? The one I cheated on?"

"make a deal."

The two participants finally agreed on simple rules a minute after the duel began, but the ethereal voice that had organized the duel remained silent.

Does it deny the rules that Duke and Anne agreed to themselves, or does it tacitly approve of these rules... or does it help them improve the rules?

Duke and Anne were making that clear.

Duke deliberately stopped in his tracks, letting a skeleton soldier wielding a bone sword slash at his shoulder. The cut was shallow; Duke only felt a sharp pain in his shoulder but saw no wound.

He felt as if he had returned to the previous witch's game, protected by the rules of the other dimension, but Duke understood that these were only temporary rules established for this duel.

"Ouch, that hurts! Couldn't you have made it cut less?" Duke clutched his shoulder, wincing in pain even though there was no blood. "Sure enough, the rules written on the cards are just the basics; players can customize the rules."

Just like Annie's definition of "deep affection" which forced Duke to repeat "I love you," the content on the rule cards for Truth or Dare is fixed, but it can change depending on other people's definitions.

Moreover, the rules of the alternate dimension would give the green light to such changes, which makes one feel that... the core of this alternate dimension seems a little too easy to talk to.

The last witch game with such an obedient core was the all-powerful wish-granting machine called "Cinderella".

Research on witch games continues.

In this respect, Duke and Anne have an exceptional understanding of each other. They don't need to waste words; the other understands what to do next. This compatibility in their thinking makes them the best working partners.

But apart from that, Duke felt that Anne was his nemesis.

"Do you have to be so serious?" Duke asked irritably as he leaped and bounded amidst the attacks of skeletons, zombies, and undead. "Why don't I just tell you what you want to know?"

“I will win the reward myself, I don’t need you to go easy on me.” Annie smiled elegantly. “Besides, looking at that neon revolver with only one bullet left in your hand, you don’t seem like you’re ready to surrender. What’s the effect of the last bullet? ’Explosion’? Or ‘Sheep’ or ‘Instant Death’?”

"You misunderstood, the last bullet was for 'treatment'."

Duke said without batting an eye.

In fact, the last bullet was a "death shot" bullet that Duke had left over from the previous witch game. Annie's caution was correct; she could easily have been hit in the face by Duke's Death Finger.

It's not surprising that Anne knew about the effects of neon; given her Stuka-like efficiency and execution, it would be strange if she didn't. But her performance so far today has surprised Duke.

In his view, she didn't act like a perverted stalker at all; instead, she seemed like a proper young woman facing a blind date with composure and dignity. Although she had shown her fanaticism before, the level of fanaticism was simply not on the same level as before... or after their meeting following the social incident.

She seemed much more normal.

"It seems you've accepted my advice."

Duke put away the neon lights, and the sorcerer's magic hand began to work, allowing him to easily survive the siege of undead creatures.

In fact, even before taking the grading exam, he was no longer just a level 7 thief. After that "deus ex machina," Duke realized that he had experienced his first upgrade since his transmigration—he had become a level 8 trickster.

Okay, he's still not that strong. His combat power still relies heavily on various items, but at least he's finally stopped stagnating, right?

"It's good to focus on yourself, why don't you take this opportunity to get rid of me completely? You deserve someone better, not a scumbag like me."

“No,” Anne refused without hesitation. “Give up, Duke, and then tell me the answer.”

"Will you give up if I tell you?" Duke's eyes lit up. "Will you stop being my stalker if I tell you?"

“Of course not.” Anne’s denial was even more resolute. “I don’t mind, I just want to know the truth.”

"let it go."

Duke pulled out the World Watch again. In a one-on-one situation, the World Watch is an almost invincible item. As long as Duke has a way to break through the target's defense, he can defeat any opponent. Although Annie is a very strong spellcaster, her magical protection at this moment is no match for the Death Finger.

But just before Duke could deliver the final blow, Anne spoke first: "I concede."

"what?"

Duke was stunned.

Sister, even France surrendered faster than you did!

"Adventure successful. Player Duke, please inquire about the reward."

Duke's lips twitched slightly as he asked the question he had prepared beforehand: "Are you confident you can recreate the body of a legendary professional?"

"Yes, I can't create a soul, but the physical body isn't a big problem, and the same goes for a legendary physical body."

Anne nodded and looked at the spinning wheel.

"Round Fourteen, Anne."

"The Great Adventure".

She gave an affirmative answer before her ethereal voice posed the standard question.

Anne looked at Duke and said expectantly:

"Come on, Duke."

Chapter 132 Kidney Deficiency, Always After Overexertion

"Come on, Duke."

What is Anne expecting?

Duke frowned, puzzled.

Although Annie understood Duke's thought process very well, Duke simply couldn't understand this guy. Just as the Joker could exploit human weaknesses, the people of Gotham City simply couldn't understand the madmen of Arkham.

Duke and Anne were neighbors for a month, but Anne was busy with her research, and Duke was also engrossed in his great career as a kept man.

At that time, he didn't know Guangbao yet. He mainly relied on his three "ex-girlfriends," led by Natasha, to "farm" points in several very "simple" witch games.

At that time, Duke was a typical example of someone who "could make a living with his talent but insisted on relying on his looks," maneuvering between three people under the control of the witch's conquest system.

To be honest, Duke's relationship with the witches wasn't as outrageous as the rumors suggested; it was more like the friendship he maintained with Natasha. And what Duke considered the "very simple" witch games at the time now seems to have had many hidden aspects.

But after all, with the help of the Witch Conquest System, he had arranged dates with the three of them and exchanged gifts with them. It wasn't unimaginable that they might have some feelings for him.

But Annie... Duke couldn't figure out why her favorability rating could rise so quickly.

This little bit of contact is enough to make Annie fall head over heels in love with him? His charm level is 18, not 180, so he shouldn't have the power to brainwash people, right?

If he truly possessed the power to kill with love potions, he'd probably have been captured and dissected by Eve long ago. Besides, everyone else was unharmed, so why was it that only Annie fell for it?

Using the controlled variable method, which even a middle school student could use, Duke was convinced that the problem lay with Anne.

He pursed his lips, cleared his mind of distractions, and looked down at the Adventure card in his hand. He had already decided which card he would take out when Annie chose Adventure.

However, things can change. Annie's choices in the previous round were quite extreme, but they also yielded significant results. If Duke sticks to their previous conservative choices, they won't be able to reciprocate the sincerity Annie has shown.

He pondered for a moment, then drew a card from the deck and read aloud its contents:

"Please contact a friend who is not present immediately and borrow money from them."

This seems to be a common trick in Truth or Dare. In Duke's previous life, this kind of "making a phone call" dare was a socially awkward project that was easy to complete, but in this witch game, it is a project that is impossible to do at all.

Because of the time difference between the floating city and the other dimension, coupled with the spatial barrier, this task becomes extremely difficult.