The countdown began, and the System finally discarded what was afflicting it. Like a sigh of relief after throwing large luggage aside.

The process started by removing the biggest bottlenecks in the area: The moving mansion.

Its feet began disintegrating, turning into pixels that popped and faded into nothingness. Since each monstrous foot was gradually getting erased at the same time, the two Users and the two NPCs still inside could not tell they were sinking yet.

After all, three of them were too busy with what was in front of their eyes to notice.

“Hey, I made it in time!” Clara beamed, entering the dome room, but something rolling her way startled her. Count Dylak’s decapitated head crossed eyes with hers before vanishing.

Before asking questions, Clara looked at the snarling beast human-hybrid standing 30 feet away from her, and read the info the System was giving her. Although it did not make sense. 

“A-Anastasia? Is that really you? You look… beastly.”

“Clara Domínguez, what are you doing here? Haven’t you seen the countdown?” The Countess asked, then snickered. “Well, whatever. Don’t you find the situation funny too? Although the System interprets my existence as one of this dungeon’s bosses, it started the reset as soon as the Count fell.”

The NPC woman turned to Clara, showing a faint smile. Her expression resembled that of a woman that has lost everything. Of a person that knows their time is nigh. Of someone who has accepted their fate.

“I’m here, and not at the same time,” the Countess continued. “I’ve become nothing more than a joke. Pitiful, huh?”

Clara stared at her, and the grim countdown.

49 seconds remained.

“It doesn’t have to end like--” Clara was saying, but got interrupted by the Countess quickly drawing twin blades to defend herself from a swipe trying to cut her neck.

“Step back, User!”

“WHOAH! Easy, Anastasia!” Clara yelled. “You’ve killed the last boss already, so let me talk to her!”

Anastasia roared, without taking her eyes off The Countess. “THERE’S A BOSS STILL STANDING!”

Clara knew it would happen in a matter of seconds. She would see The Countess’ head rolling through the floor before disappearing forever.

Time was running without a care in the world.

45 seconds remaining.

“F-Familiar Calling! Flammy, Freezy!”

“Yes, Master?!”

“Help me stop herrr--!” Clara shut her mouth to correct herself. “--stop my ally! Help me stop Anastasia!”

“Oh, yes, oh yes, Master! I’ll turn her into an ice cu--”

“She asked me to do it first, nya!” Flammy hissed, pushing his brother. “I’ll burn her to a crisp!”

“Listen to what you’re saying, idiot! Our Master just wants us to immobilize her!”

Clara’s hands shook at the sight of Anastasia slashing the Countess’ right leg, making her fall to the ground.

The countdown kept running inside her line of vision.

39 seconds remaining. 

“CUT THE CRAP!” Clara yelled at her familiars. “You know what? On second thought, go all out! The first one to kill the maid bitch wins!”

The little imps looked at each other with dumbfounded expressions on their faces, before grinning ear to ear. “Yes, Master!”

NPCs inside The Novus do not have a true identity. They reply, interact, and follow orders according to their fake, pre-established personalities. Thus, an algorithm simulates how they would approach and solve a problem.

This Decision-Making tool judged Flammy and Freezy’s mischievous and competitive personalities first and calculated that they would try to outdo each other.

Without channeling, Freezy puffed up his chest, looking like a blue, winged frog for a second, and blew a strong, freezing current of air that froze his target’s feet instantly.

This prevented Anastasia from finishing off the Countess.

“WHAT’S THE MEANING OF THIS?!” The transformed Anastasia cried. “I’M YOUR TEAMMATE, CLA--!”

Anastasia could not finish the sentence, for Flammy had started throwing a barrage of fireballs at her. The red Imp did it so indiscriminately, that he did not even have the time to scream something snarky, and just screeched instead. “Nyaaaaah!”

Anastasia fell to her knees. Although her Beast Form had boosted her Vitality and HP pool, she could do nothing but protect her head with her arms. “YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS, CLARA!”

She isn’t going down, is she? Clara thought, watching her imps running out of energy and their bodies gradually vanishing. Quick-casting like this will kill them before finishing her off.

From her place, lying on the ground, The Countess watched the betrayal while shaking her head. “Why are you helping me, Clara?!”

“G-give me a second!” Clara replied, dashing forward. 

She channeled mana, and her hands emanated a dark aura.

“I won, nya!” Flammy said, panting.

“Are you freaking blind? She’s still kicking, stupid!”

“Do it yourself then, boss! Finish the job!”

The imps cheered their master, as their bodies’ faded away.

“I’ll fucking try!”

Clara jumped towards Anastasia, who was about to stand up.

“CLARA!”

“I’ve already killed you once, you freaking, stubborn BITCH, so it’s fine if I do it again! Sorry, Alan! Dark Style, BAD TOUCH!”

Clara grabbed Anastasia by the head, corroding her hair, skin, and skull.

The NPC shrieked, as her face turned into ashes and her HP went down.

 

NOTICE: Teammate Anastasia was eliminated. WARNING: You have been flagged for killing your ally. This can only be dismissed by your Guild Master.

 

“W-WHATEVER!”

A couple of seconds later, the ground beneath them lost consistency and sunken them down, as if it was made of jelly.

“Clara, why?!” The Countess shouted as she sank. “I don’t have much time left, anyway! What use could I have when my own Administrator has forsaken me?!”

“Countess!” Clara made her way through what seemed to be a deep lake of liquid wood, bricks, and flower-themed wallpaper. “Form a contract with me!” she yelled, stretching out a hand to her.

“W-what are you planning, human?! Do you want me to be your slave so badly?! Is that the reason you betrayed your--?”

“F-FORGET THAT! There’s no time!” Clara yelled, with a broken voice. “If you become a summonable servant, the Novus won’t have any other option but to copy all of your data to my User profile! AT LEAST THAT’S WHAT I THINK SO!”

“That’s ridiculous! That’d only work if I was a dungeon…” The Countess narrowed her eyes. “...boss.” 

“You said you wanted to know what’s outside of this dungeon, right? Are you okay with disappearing when there’s too much to see out there?! I don’t think Dylak would want you to embrace termination so easily! Fight! Survive, and the Dungeon will live too, through you!”

The female NPC stared at her, as numerous System messages buzzed inside her head.

 

Mansion_frntyrd.dng has been eliminated. Mansion_lobby.dng has been eliminated. Mansion_kitchen.dng has been eliminated. Mansion_library.dng has been eliminated. Mansion_lftwng.dng has been eliminated. Mansion_rgtwng.dng has been eliminated. Mansion_lvngroom.dng has been eliminated.

 

Deleting B_Marick.chr…………..Error Attempt No.(2)........Error Deleting C_Monier.chr…………..Error Attempt No.(3)........Error Deleting C_Dylak.chr…………..Error Attempt No.(3)........Error Deleting C0unt3$$.chr………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ERROR ERROR ERROR ERROR … … … N/admin/: LOGIN R N: Password? N:admin/R: ******* N: Welcome, R. What can I do for you today? N/admin/R: shutdown dng

 

NOTICE: FORCING SHUTDOWN

 

“I-Is either serving you or getting erased, User?”

“OH, SPARE ME THE EXISTENTIAL CRISIS, BITCH! Why is serving others such a bad thing out of a sudden?! Are you seeing things differently just because you’re facing your imminent termination?! Weren’t you trying to help others in your own ‘yandere’ way just an hour ago?! Was that just a lie?! Humans and machines are codependent! You need to fulfill a function, and WE need your help! Help me level up Alan, then! He’s the weakest User in all The Novus, you know?!”

The Countess embraced herself for a moment, as if her chest and stomach hurt, before laughing out loud.

"You’re such a blunt woman, Clara Domínguez! Are you saying that although I've finally gained autonomy, my duty hasn’t changed at all?" She sneered, before raising her hand towards her. “Are you okay with having a broken doll around?”

“Hey! Sometimes a factory defect makes some things more valuable!”

“I think I’m missing some context here, Clara. I cannot fathom what you’re saying…”

 

N/admin/: LOGIN V N: Password? N/admin/V: ******* N: Welcome, V. What can I do for you today? N/admin/V: transfer data chr C0unt3$$ N/admin/R: chat N/admin/R: “What are you doing?” N/admin/V: chat N/admin/V: “Trust me, sweetheart.” N/admin/R: “Yeah, right…”

 

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You are reading story My Ex-Girlfriend is the Strongest Guild Master and I’m the Weakest! at novel35.com

That night, three years ago, Clara woke up after hearing a commotion around her. Her older twin sister was still sleeping, despite the constant noise of phones ringing and adults answering in an urgent tone of voice.

There were other Tandem like her nearby, asleep or asking questions that went unanswered.

No one had the time to address the teens. They were supposed to be quiet during the trip to wherever they were going. Although they had lost as much as anyone aboard that plane, no one had the time to comfort them.

“Mamí…” Emily muttered in her sleep, as a tear ran down her cheek.

It’s okay. I bet she also made it in time, Clara thought, tucking away a strand of hair from her sister’s forehead.

“Vice Presidente, ¿alguna noticia?”

Hearing that made Clara jump and look over her seat.

A few feet away was a man of brown skin, with white combed hair, wearing a gray suit. His sunken eyes and cheeks made him seem as if he had not rested or eaten in a week, and when he shook his head as a reply to the person addressing him, he looked like collapsing at any moment.

“¿Papá?” Clara called aloud, meeting eyes with him.

He opened his mouth in an attempt to say something, but pursed his lips instead and walked away, acting like any other adult on board.

Clara sighed and looked through the porthole by her side. She wished to watch the lights of whatever city they were leaving behind, but she witnessed a giant mushroom-shaped cloud instead suspended in the air for what seemed to be an eternity.

 

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“I shouldn’t have watched that. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I suppose this is what happens when two souls link to each other.”

“Soul? I don’t think I have one.”

“It’s just a way of speaking…”

“Oh. Okay… Um… She did that. Didn’t she?”

“You know, it never occurred to me that ‘it’ could be a ‘she’, but whatever. If you say so. And yes. Partially. She only pulled the trigger, and a bunch of cowardly pigs followed through. They didn’t care if my home was in the crossfire. They’re as bad as her.”

“The entirety of your world was in the crossfire, so…”

“Yeah… That’s why I don’t blame the pigs as much. They were only looking for themselves, which is not excusable, but at least they were trying to protect their own… Their own selfish fat asses.”

“You know… It’s okay if you hate me too.”

“What are you talking about? You weren’t there. You have nothing to do with it.”

“But I may have some of her… code inside me…”

“So what? You’re not her, are you? I’m my father’s daughter, which means I have some of his DNA, but that doesn’t mean I’m him, correct?”

“Is that how you see it?”

“Trust me, everything is okay! I bet our Guild Master won’t have a problem with you either.”

“We’ll see… Um… Thanks, Clara. You are my new goddess now.”

“G-goddess?! I-I know I’m fabulous and super charming, but if you call me that in front of Amelia, the gates of hell may open!”

“It’s just a way of speaking.”

“Ah. Fast learner…” 

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Although Alan could not see what was happening up there, a System notification gave him an update.

 

NOTICE: Minion Anastasia was killed by Teammate Clara Domínguez.

 

He released a loud sigh, as he heard something landing a few feet away from him, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.

“A-Alan! What the hell happened to you?!” Amelia cried, out of his sight. “Your HP is barely holding up!”

“Ku-kyuuuu!” Sloochie cried with joy, jumping toward the girl’s arms.

“H-hey, my favorite redhead in all the Novus…” Alan said, quietly. “B-by the way, before you get too close, for the love of god, don’t touch me. It may not seem like it, but a single finger of yours could kill me.”

Amelia’s face flushed. “W-what do you take me for, huh?! I’d never--! W-wait. I think I have a red potion… somewhere in my inventory.”

“Amelia…” he called, once he had her face in his line of vision.

“Yes, what is it?”

“We really need a healer in our guild.”

“Agreed,” she replied with a half smile, while carefully putting a bottle against his lips. “Although don’t get your hopes up. They’re quite rare. The majority are already working for other guilds, and the few unemployed, are certified assholes. Trust me. Drink it all.”

The potion quickly helped him heal his broken bones, replenished his lost blood, and regenerated his injured muscles. Once he could stand up, he checked his User Interface. His mana bar was completely empty, and his connection with Aaron was still offline.

You have a lot to explain, Clara.

“Are you going to tell me what that thing is?” Amelia asked, looking up at the giant moving building slowly dissolving and turning into vanishing pixels.

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

A couple of minutes later, a moment after the monstrosity finally disappeared into nothingness, a wolven mount joined them, carrying Ashley on her back.

Amelia gasped after seeing her injuries.

“You too, Ashley?! I shouldn’t have left! W-wait, I have a red potion for you too.”

“I leveled up two times, Amelia,” Ashley blurted out, while still lying down.

“You say it as if coming here was not that bad! This was not a theme park, you know!”

Hearing all that, prompted Alan to check his status window, finding he was level 13 now.

He did not say a word and only smiled.

“So… All of our NPCs are dead,” Amelia said, checking her Guild’s window. “Clara is still online.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if she doesn’t show her face in front of us anymore,” Alan said, making Amelia fold her arms.

"What makes you say that? Is it because of that system message I got?"

“Never mind. There she is…”

They turned their gaze towards the approaching unicorn, and at the girl waving her hand at them.

“Guuuuys! Did you miss me?! Oh, man! What a night, huh?! Who do I have to kill to get some pancakes around here, eh?! I’m starving!” She put both hands on her lips and laughed out loud, before meeting Ashley’s blank expression, Amelia’s frown, and Alan’s squinting eyes. “W-what? Too soon? Too soon, I guess… S-sorry, Alan."

"Do you mind explaining to us what happened to Anastasia?"

“Of course, Guild Master!” Clara said, jumping down from her mount. “But before that, I have to show you something, just don’t freak out!” She raised her palms and winced, making her guild partners look at each other, unfazed. “O-okay…” Clara exhaled, channeling mana and making a magic circle appear in front of her. “Here it comes… Summoning, Dylak, The Forsaken Countess!”

“Wait…” Alan said. “What did you--?”

A woman with platinum hair, looking in his late twenties appeared, wearing Clara’s old office outfit. Her silver eyes looked fierce as if she was glaring at them, but a couple of seconds later, she did a curtsy.

“I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Dylak, and from now on, I’ll be Clara Dominguez’s servant…”

Amelia tilted her head, judging the woman’s outfit. “Who the hell is this?”

Alan blinked repeatedly. “D-did you say ‘Countess’? So, did Dylak have a wife?”

Ashley’s expression remained unchanged. “Isn’t she the dungeon Director? You know, the one responsible for locking Alan in this place.”

The three of them stared at Clara, looking for answers, but she turned around and hopped on her unicorn. “ALL RIGHT! A race back to the house, yes?! Last place will make breakfast, nya-ha-ha!”

As Clara ran into the horizon, The Countess nodded at them, before vanishing.

“I will participate in this meritless contest, just because I’m hungry,” Ashley said, ordering her wolf mount to take off.

Finally, Alan met Amelia’s eyes, and both sighed at the same time.

“By the way, I’m level 13 now,” he said, puffing out his chest.

“Yes, I noticed,” she replied, hugging him. “Good job.”

“Is life in the Novus this exciting?”

“Only during weekends...”

***

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EPILOGUE

 

RICARDO: That concludes my report. SAMUEL: Ricardo, you may not want to hear this… RICARDO: Oh, please. Try me. SAMUEL: But we asked Viola to do it some time ago. RICARDO: And here we go! And when did you plan to tell me? MICHAEL: We wanted to test how a NU with administrative powers would react. RICARDO: Of course you wanted that! I’d only be in the way, huh? And that this NU almost overloaded the system was an eye-opener for all of you? MICHAEL: It was, indeed… HAYDEN: He was being sarcastic, Mike. SAMUEL: This has been an excellent test subject, regardless. We got interesting data from this Director’s behavior, and the User that managed to tame it. HAYDEN: Yes, yes. But are we in a mutual understanding that we should never update a Dungeon Director again? JOHN: Agreed. XIA: That would be for the best. HAYDEN: Or we could strip them from their powers before updating them, but that’d only be a waste. We have tons of NPCs and monsters already, so… SAMUEL: Viola. I think the NU update may need some tweaks. VIOLA: I think it’s already working as intended! This is the perfect example of what wielding too much power does to a person, human or machine. Do not mind how long the leash is, Sam, what matters is that- SAMUEL: Just review the code. You have plenty of time until the next major update. VIOLA: Sure. I will. SAMUEL: All right. What else do we have? MICHAEL: Mother Goose is asking for more personnel.  SAMUEL: Not this again… RICARDO[whisper]: Another out of jail free card, eh. VIOLA[whisper]: You heard the man. They asked me to do it. RICARDO[whisper]: And I bet that all of this started as your idea. Seriously, all of your experiments are taxing my system. VIOLA[whisper]: Just because your work is to monitor it all the time, doesn’t make it ‘your’ system. Every one of us is progressing this community at their own pace, sweetheart. Testing the next generation of AIs it’s for the wellbeing of our mission and our survival. Don’t you agree? So relax a little, okay? I’ll send you a gift for helping me solve the situation, by the way. RICARDO[whisper]: Whatever… We may be playing with fire, you know?

 

Viola Lang leaned in her seat and sipped from her cup of tea, staring at the chat window.

“You can’t cook without fire, my dear.” She snickered, licking her lips. “If you're too afraid to get near the stove, you should leave the kitchen then.”