Becoming the Wasteland Overlord With My Harem System!-Chapter 265: According to Plan!

As they entered, the darkness quickly faded, almost like an illusion. The path cleared, revealing their surroundings. Fenrir and Bella pressed on, rushing toward the far end of the ruined landscape.

Meanwhile, Axel inspected everything around him with a keen eye.

The rubble, in irregular sizes, suggested the remains of an ancient kingdom or temple that had fallen. The clearing was unnaturally wide—several kilometers across, even broader than the mountain itself.

Scattered throughout were shiny metal weapons, gold, and jewels—treasures of great value that had remained untouched over time. They piled up into rough mountains, several of them.

At a glance, it was clear this was the capital of the dwarves. Every detail confirmed it. But that wasn’t what Axel was searching for.

’There it is!’

As they listened to Bella’s story, they learned about the Hearthfire of Nidavellir.

It was a cup, a goblet made of silvery-white metal—Mithril. Atop it was a flame that burned endlessly, its color shifting every second, almost as if someone were conducting a continuous flame test.

That was what they had heard, but...

"Fuck, too big!" Nina growled.

Indeed, the cup was situated in the middle of the clearing, roughly 500 meters ahead of them. It lay exposed, almost like bait for the greedy, tempting them to reach out and activate it.

"Watch it!"

But that wasn’t all.

Right behind it stood a dragon.

However, it was not comparable to Bellachrona’s dragon form.

Even if she were to assume her usual shape, she would still be five times smaller in height alone, not to mention in volume.

A dragon with scales darker than black, eyes redder than fresh blood, and fangs yellowed with age. It stood at 50 meters tall, staring down at them with a hint of amusement, as if an idle person were watching ants fight amongst themselves.

The reason behind its confidence soon became evident.

"Ugh...!"

Maria and Cherry slowed down, clutching their heads. They felt dizzy, their vision spinning, and a strange voice echoed in their minds, urging them to act.

To turn and collect the nearby treasures.

To claim them as theirs, and only theirs.

To assert ownership over everything in sight.

"I-It’s the curse...!" Maria whispered through gritted teeth, struggling against the urge. "Even with a Substitute Doll, it’s still taking hold of us...!"

It wasn’t just them; the other girls began to feel the same effects.

The key was distance. The closer they got to the evil dragon ahead, the stronger the curse corrupting their minds became.

Of course, they would be fine if they could simply back away far enough to exit the "effective" range, which varied based on their individual resistances.

However, this meant they had to engage in combat from a significant distance.

In the end, only Bella, Fenrir, and Axel could rush ahead without hesitation—Arianne managed to tag along only through sheer determination.

The situation looked grim.

Only four of them could close the distance, reaching about a hundred meters from the dragon. It was not enough to overwhelm the cocky beast, which remained still, as if inviting them to come closer.

It was dire...

Just as they had planned.

BANG!

A powerful explosion echoed. A gunshot.

The next moment, a red-hot bullet sliced through the air in an almost straight line.

But this was no ordinary bullet. It had a holy element attached to it—not the typical crafted bullets with a passive holy effect, but the kind that required a premium price at the shop.

Not the usual ones from before, but a significantly more expensive version.

The bullet sped forward, trailing a white glitter behind it. Everything touched by the glitter was purified, including the girls in its path.

As soon as they were purified, the urge echoing in their heads vanished like a lie. The curse was not only dispelled; the glitter that lingered on their bodies also functioned as an anti-curse charm, providing protection.

The source of this power was Eve, who remained at the back, near the entrance, kneeling with her sniper rifle propped up.

With her "backup," as planned, the rest of the girls were free to move.

Specifically, only Nina and Ria needed to act. The rest was just a bonus.

Axel glanced back with a brief smile as he commanded, "Alright, proceed to plan C!"

They had devised several plans, taking into account various variables. This current situation aligned almost perfectly with their third plan, as if the entire battle were scripted.

"Yes, Master!" "Got it!"

The main players for Plan C, Fenrir and Bella, responded without hesitation.

Just in time, they reached striking distance of the great evil dragon, Fafnir. The two moved quickly, with Fenrir raising her right arm—shrouded in a red aura that formed the claws of her wolf form—while Bella swung a club made from shaped God’s Mineral.

Both attacks were launched simultaneously, anticipating that at least one would connect, but...

[As the one to free me, I shall be lenient with you all.]

The dragon’s voice echoed, a harsh sound that grated against their minds. It felt as though insects had invaded their thoughts, crawling around inside their heads. This unsettling sensation made them all flinch for a brief moment.

In this high-stakes battle, it was a critical moment.

[I am Fafnir! Son of the Dwarf King Hreimdar. The one who shall rule this world!]

Fafnir’s egoistic announcement was followed by the swift motion of his tail, which swung around with such speed that it appeared to teleport. One moment it was far from them; the next, it was right before their eyes—even without them blinking!

Fenrir quickly activated Overdrive, enhancing her defenses, while Bellachrona utilized a derivative of her ability to accelerate her cognition, successfully dodging the attack.

This was an ability she hadn’t been able to use during her battle against Axel’s group, yet it proved exceptionally powerful, enabling her to evade any and all attacks with ease!

She could cast it without chanting, much faster than her time-stopping ability, but it drained approximately ten times more of her mana per instance. The reason she could use it now was due to her tenfold mana pool, thanks to the ultimate potion Axel had given her.

Just like everyone else!

The two managed to survive one strike, but Fenrir was sent flying backward—

"RAAAGH!"

—or so it seemed.

Just as she was about to be thrown away, she tore open a rift in space behind her, appearing just behind Fafnir. As she flew through the rift, she aimed for Fafnir’s back and swung her claw, landing a solid hit, but...

CLANG!

It’s not very effective!