《Reborn As An Evolving Monster》
Chapter 1 Reborn As A Monster
?In an endless void, countless souls shined.
Surrounded by nothing but darkness, they hovered between the world we know of and...
"This one?"
Nod-
"I don''t like it. Seems like quite the gamble. Are you sure?"
"A gamble, huh? I like that."
***
Suddenly, something happened to one of those souls.
''I... What is...? Where...? How long...?''
[Congrattions!]
The chosen consciousness heard a soft and gentle voice.
[Your soul has been chosen by the System.]
[You are being offered a Second Life.]
[Do you ept?]
''Huh? I can''t talk... I can''t see anything. A Second Life? I can''t remember anything...''
Still, there was one thing that soul had left.
A sole desire.
''I want to live once more.''
[Congrattions!]
[You have acquired a new Title.]
[You have acquired the Title "System Holder".]
''Title?''
[You shall be reborn in the Higher World.]
[It is a World inhabited by Monsters and Mythical Creatures.]
[Only the strong can survive.]
''Wait wait wait wait... Monsters? That''s not how my past life was. I can remember at least that. Is a peaceful afterlife too much to ask?''
The System ignored the soul''s question.
[Please choose which Form you would like your Physical Body to take:
1) Skeleton:
They are weak Monsters made of bones. They have no muscles, tissue, or organs. Their Strength, Agility and Senses are average because of that. Their Endurance, on the other hand, is very high.
2) Ant:
They are weak scavengers, usually feasting on others'' meals. Their Strength and Endurance are below average while their Agility and Senses are above average.
3) Horned Hare:
They are weak Monsters, usually seen as prey. Their horn is sharp. Their Strength is very low while their Agility, Senses and Endurance are above average.
]
''So I don''t even get to live as a Human? Bing a rabbit, what kind of joke is that?''
[Choose wisely, for your survival is at y.]
''Tsk... That''s it for your exnation? How am I supposed to choose? Even if I were to choose, the right choice would depend on where I appear. To survive, I should probably put the Agility and Sense Stats as my priority. But then I''ll be a ant or a weak rabbit. Ugh whatever...''
[Your answer has been epted.]
[The System shall, randomly, choose the Form you will take on.]
''Huh...? Wait... Huh? NO, I-''
The lone consciousness faded.
As if guided, the chosen soul traveled immeasurable distances.
...
Some timeter, that soul hovered above a body.
It couldn''t really be called a body, as it looked more like a decrepit corpse than anything else.
A Skeleton.
With no light in its eyes, it was lying on the ground in a dark ce.
Unmoving and silent.
The soul entered that Skeleton.
The next second, its eyes lit up.
A blue light appeared inside of them.
''What is...? Where am I?''
The Skeleton raised its arm and scratched its head.
''Huh... Oh. OH! I HAVE A BODY! FINALLY!''
The Skeleton rejoiced as it stood up.
''This feels so good. Finally, I have a body.''
The Skeleton lowered its gaze.
It brushed its whole body using its hands.
''Creepy... I have close to no sense of touch. Still...''
The Monster looked around.
''Being able to see things... Touching the ground... I feel like I could cry...''
Maybe the Skeleton would have cried, had its body the ability to do so.
''So I became a Skeleton, huh? Maybe a Horned Hare would have been a better choice for survival. Anyways, I just came back from death, so I should stop thinking about death. Yeah. I''m alive. Finally-''
[You have taken the form of a "Skeleton".]
[You currently possess three "Titles".]
[Check your "Status" for additional information.]
''Alright. I can''t talk though. That''s to be expected since I became a Skeleton... Is thinking about it enough? Umm, Status?''
[ Name: None
Species & Level : Skeleton Lv1 (0/10exp)
Evolution Points: 0
HP: 20/20
Endurance: 150/150
Stats: Strength: 3
Agility: 3
Sense: 3
Vigor: 2
Endurance: 15
Skill(s): (None)
Title(s): System Holder.
Devourer.
Evolving Monster.
]
''Aren''t these Stats super low? I guess I have no reference to judge... Only Endurance is high. Probably because Skeletons don''t really get tired... Skills? What are those?''
[Skills are certain actions or moves that require a specific amount of Endurance Points to be used.]
''Alright. How do I get Skills?''
[Repeated actions can give birth to Skills.]
[There are many other ways to obtain them.]
''How about those Titles? Devourer and Evolving Monster?''
[Those are your Unique Titles.
[They are yours and yours only.]
[Your "Devourer" Title allows you to devour other Monsters and turn them into Energy.]
[The Energy is turned into Evolution Points.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" allows you to use those Evolution Points to Evolve into a different Monster Species.]
[Once you Evolve, your Level will be back to 1.]
''Umm... Okay, I guess. Level, huh? Am I supposed to level up somehow?''
[You Level Up by acquiring a certain number of Experience Points.]
[You acquire Experience Points by defeating Monsters.]
''So I have to kill Monsters and eat them to get stronger? What kind of second life was I given?''
[Monsters can be devoured even if you are not the one who defeated them.]
The Skeleton looked around.
It was in arge corridor.
''Where am I?''
[You are inside what we call a Dungeon.]
[Currently, you are on this Dungeon''s Tenth Floor, the lowest one.]
''Am I alone?''
[The Monsters on a certain Floor are weaker than those on the Floor above it.]
''So that''s a no. Tsk. Since this is the lowest floor, the Monsters here are the weakest. Good...''
The Skeleton''s gaze wondered.
It stared at its bony feet for a bit.
''I''m standing... I''m actually-''
Howl-
''What...? A wolf?''
The Skeleton ran towards a wall and stuck its back to it.
''Should I fight? Can I even beat it? Probably not. I don''t have a weapon...''
The Skeleton stared at the darkness to its left.
Something emerged from the darkness.
Gray pelt tainted by drops of blood.
Burning eyes filled with hatred.
Sharp fangs.
''I can''t beat that... I can''t...''
The sound of the Beast''s saliva hitting the ground echoed.
It wasing closer and closer.
[ Gray Wolf: An [F] Rank Monster.]
''Rank?''
[Monsters are ranked from [G] through [A].
[Above them all, stand the Special [S] Rank Monsters.]
''Oh. [G] are the weakest then. What''s my Rank?''
[You are currently [G] Rank.]
''...''
The Skeleton stood still as the Gray Wolf passed in front of it.
''It didn''t see me... I guess turning into a Skeleton has its benefits. No beating heart. No need to breathe. The only sounds I make are those produced when moving around...''
The Skeleton waited for the Gray Wolf to go further away before walking in the opposite direction.
It walked without making a sound, with extreme caution.
''I seriously can''t remember anything about my past life. But it was nothing like this! I was human, that I remember, but the rest is...''
After the Skeleton walked for about five minutes, the way split in three.
Soundsing from the path on the right could be heard.
The Skeleton carefully looked at what it was that made those sounds.
A lone creature was eating something greedily.
Its skin was greenish.
The green Monster was ugly and made disgusting sounds as it ate.
It was eating an unmoving Monster.
The scene awoke something in the Skeleton.
''Is this... Hunger? Why do I feel hungry when I don''t have organs?''
The System gave no response.
''Hungry... I feel so hungry...'' The Skeleton thought as it stared at the feasting Monster.
The green Monster was a Goblin.
''Can I take it down? It looks small and weak enough...''
The Goblin was about 10 steps away.
''It looks light...''
The Skeleton walked towards the Monster without making a sound.
Drool would have been going down its mouth, had its body the ability to do so.
A handful of secondster, the Skeleton stood right behind the Goblin.
''It''s eating... A Gray Wolf...''
The Skeleton''s feeling of hunger skyrocketed.
It couldn''t resist anymore.
The Skeleton used all its strength to grab the Goblin''s head with both hands.
The green Monster shrieked, but the Skeleton gave it no mind.
The green Monster was lifted into the air.
Its body was mmed on the ground repeatedly.
[You have defeated one Goblin. 5 Gold Coins and 10 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[1 Stat Point has been added to every Stat.]
The Skeleton gave no mind to the floating messages in front of it.
The instant parts of its body were chewed and swallowed, they disappeared.
After about 45seconds, the Goblin''s whole body had been eaten.
[You have gained 5 Evolution Points.]
The Skeleton turned towards the remains of the Gray Wolf.
''It looks disgusting, but...''
The instant it started eating, all feelings of disgust disappeared.
The Goblin had eaten a very small part of the Gray Wolf''s carcass.
''Most of it is still intact, lucky...'' The Skeleton thought as it devoured the meal.
[You have gained 30 Evolution Points.]
''They don''t have a taste at all... Or maybe it''s just that I don''t have tastebuds, since I''m a Skeleton...''
[You can check the Body Modifications avable.]
''Sure... I felt so hungry I forgot about all this. I need to get stronger. Experience Points are pretty hard to get. Eating on the other hand is... Well, I don''t need to go through all the fighting for that.''
[Avable Body Modifications:
1) Strengthened Bones: 50 Evolution Points.
2) Horned Skull: 30 Evolution Points.
3) Sharp Elbows: 20 Evolution Points.
4) Strengthened Arms or Legs: 25 Evolutions Points.
]
''That''s it? I only gained 35 Evolution Points... They''re all pretty straightforward.''
The Skeleton started dissecting the presented option.
''The first one enhances the whole body and the second one gives me a horn which might be useful. The third one, Sharp Elbows means that my elbows will kind of be knives. That might be good. The fourth seems like a scam. If I strengthen my arms and my legs, then that would have cost me 50 Evolution Points. Meanwhile, the first option costs the same, but enhances the whole body, not just my arms and legs. Mmm... There''s no reason to believe that the level of strengthening would be different. Still, beggars can''t be choosers. Getting stronger arms or legs might be the right move...''
The Skeleton walked deeper into the path where it had found the Goblin.
''I guess my choice will depend on how the next enemy will look like...''
Chapter 2 Just A Couple Of Bones
?The Skeleton kept walking deeper down the path without making a sound.
''So I''m supposed to just survive in here? I wasn''t given information beyond-''
[Congrattions!]
[You have developed a new Skill.]
[You have developed the Passive Skill "Silent Steps[G]".]
''Yes!! This is great! My first Skill, finally. It helps me move without making too much noise. So Skills have ranks too, huh?''
[Correct.]
[Skills are ranked by the same standards as Monsters.]
[If Skills are used enough, they can be upgraded.]
''Is that so? Nice then. Since this is a Passive Skill, I''ll be using it a ton!''
The Skeleton kept walking silently.
After a bit, it found something on the ground.
A knife.
It was very rusty, but it was a weapon nevertheless.
''Good. This will help. Can I get info on it?''
[ Rusty Knife: [G-] weapon.]
''That''s it? No Attack power or anything?''
The System did not respond.
''Maybe it''s too low to even have a value... Or, I guess there''s no reason for it to have an Attack Power value. It''s a rusty knife. That''s all-''
Kweek-
The Skeleton stopped walking and got closer to the wall.
Not one sound could be hearding from the unmoving Skeleton.
It focused on its hearing.
Slowly but surely, the sound of footsteps became a bit clearer.
[Congrattions!]
[You have developed a new Skill.]
[You have developed the Passive Skill "Curious Ears[G]".]
''That''s a weird name but cool... Oh. I can hear the footsteps a lot more clearly now that I got the Skill. Three small Monsters are approaching. I can hear their steps....''
After a bit, the Skeleton could see the iing Monsters.
Three Goblins.
''The two at the front look the same as the one from before, but the one behind them is different.''
Indeed, the third Goblin''s muscture was a lot more defined.
Unlike the other Goblins, this one did not have a bulging belly.
Its skin also looked tougher.
''What is it?''
[ A Muscr Goblin: An [F] Rank Monster.]
''How about the other ones? What''s their rank?''
[ Goblins: [F-] Rank Monsters.]
The Skeleton had its back against the wall.
The group of Goblins got closer.
''Three of them is too much for me. Let''s leave them alone...''
The group of Goblins did not notice the unmoving Skeleton.
After all, it was just a collection of bones.
As soon as the group passed it, the Skeleton sighed internally.
It stared at the Muscr Goblin walking at the back of the group.
It stared at its muscr neck and arms.
An intense feeling, that would have made the Skeleton drool if it could, turned it into a puppet.
The Skeleton''s mind shut down.
Before it realized it, it had already started walking.
After matching the Goblins'' pace for a bit, the Skeleton stabbed the Muscr Goblin''s neck repeatedly with the Rusty Knife.
SHRIEK-
Green blood flowed everywhere as the Muscr Goblin fell to the ground.
The Skeleton stepped back as the two Goblins turned towards it.
''Shit... Can I defeat these two? If I can, it''ll be a real feast...''
The next second,
[You have defeated one Muscr Goblin. 10 Gold Coins and 20 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[1 Stat Point has been added to every Stat.]
The Skeleton stood with its arms raised defensively.
''Fight... I need to fight!''
One of the Goblins shrieked loudly.
The next second, it ran towards the Skeleton.
Thetter tried stabbing the iing Goblin, but the little Monster dodged the attack.
''Fast...''
The next second, the Goblin opened its mouth.
Clink-
It tried digging its teeth inside the Skeleton''s thigh bone.
While the Skeleton was prepared to feel pain, none came.
The Goblin was trying its best to injure the Skeleton, but it didn''t work.
''Looks like those broken yellow teeth can''t prate my bones... Hehe!'' The Skeleton thought as it stabbed the Goblin''s neck.
[You have defeated one Goblin. 5 Gold Coins and 10 Experience Points earned.]
The remaining Goblin looked at the standing Skeleton as if it was a great foe.
A foe had defeated its leader and its brother.
The Goblin took a step back.
The Skeleton took a step forward.
The next instant, the Goblin took off while shrieking loudly.
It ran away as fast as it could.
''Look at you! An [F-] Rank Monster running away for me...ME A [G] RANK MONSTER!'' The Skeleton greedily thought as it followed the prey.
The Goblin was a bit faster, but it was quickly getting tired.
''Alright! Come to me!''
They were back where the Skeleton had defeated the first Goblin.
''Behold! The Endurance of a Skeleton!''
In front of them, the way split into three paths.
But before the Goblin could choose which way to go,
Stomp-
A huge Monster appeared from one of those paths.
It immediately blocked the Goblin''s path.
The Goblin recognized the Monster right away.
It stopped running.
The Goblin''s body trembled.
The next second, it fell to the ground.
The Skeleton had stuck its body to the wall after seeing the Monster.
It was much, much bigger than a Goblin.
The Monster''s skin was blue.
It stood on two huge and muscr legs.
Some kind ofrge pouch was in its hand.
At the sight of such a Monster, the Skeleton''s sense of hunger immediately disappeared.
''How didn''t I hear it approach? Does it have a Skill like my Silent Steps? What is it?''
[ An Orc: [E-] Rank Monster.]
''What? WHAT?'' The Skeleton would have instinctively screamed if its body allowed it to.
It would have trembled if it had nerves or muscles that would have reacted to stress or fear.
But since it didn''t have any of those, the Skeleton stayed next to the wall, unmoving.
''I shouldn''t have followed... It was shouting all the way here! I should have eaten those two damn Goblins and left. I was too greedy...''
The Orc must have been two meters tall, while the Skeleton stood at about 150 centimeters.
The Goblins were a lot smaller, barely a meter tall.
The Orc took heavy steps towards the Goblin.
''How the hell didn''t I hear those loud steps??''
The Goblin was shrieking weakly on the ground.
It had lost all will to fight or even run away.
The Orc stood in front of the Goblin.
After looking at it for a bit, it raised one of its feet.
Green blood poured everywhere.
The Skeleton would have felt chills and cold sweat if it could.
The Goblin''s head had been crushed.
The Orc then proceeded to lift the bloody body and put it in its pouch.
''Just take it and go!''
The Orc, then, walked towards the Skeleton.
''No. No, no, no!''
The Orc stared at the bones in front of it.
It brought its face towards the Skeleton''s skull and started smelling it.
Moist air enveloped the Skeleton''s head.
''Don''t... Move... Don''t move...'' The Skeleton told itself.
After a bit, the Orc raised its head and looked at the way the Skeleton and the Goblin hade from.
Finally, it grabbed the Skeleton.
''Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!'' The Skeleton thought as it was lifted and put inside the pouch.
The Orc walked with its pouch, now, a bit fuller.
''What the hell?'' The Skeleton thought while looking at the Goblin''s carcass it was lying on.
Still, the Skeleton couldn''t do anything.
Its speed was inferior to that of a Goblin.
And yet, even thetter thought that running away from Orcs was meaningless.
''Why is it taking me?''
A bitter, two carcasses were thrown on top of the Skeleton.
It was the two Monsters it had previously defeated.
''Let''s wait for now. There''s not much I can do anyway...''
All the Skeleton could do was focus on its sense of hearing.
After being carried around for about twenty minutes, the pouch was put down.
''Please don''t eat me... Please don''t eat me...''
The next instant, the pouch was turned upside down.
The Orc shook it.
Three Goblin corpses and some bones fell to the ground.
The Orc found it strange that the bones were stuck together, but it didn''t think about it too much.
It walked away.
Once the Orc was far enough, the Skeleton sat up.
''Thank god I''m only made of bones...''
[You can thank the System for that. ]
''Yeah, whatever...'' The Skeleton thought as it looked around.
A dark room.
There was one big hole in one of the walls.
The Skeleton could pass through that hole if it bent its body a little.
Stare-
The next instant, a boulder was pushed.
''What the hell? No! NO!'' The Skeleton thought as its only means of escaping disappeared.
The boulder perfectly covered the hole.
The Skeleton stood up and examined the room carefully.
''Yep. That was the only way to exit!''
After that, the Skeleton lowered its gaze.
''Huh?''
Not only were the defeated Goblins on the ground, but also multiple other dead Monsters.
Gray Wolves were lying on the ground, small creatures with wings, a Monster that looked like a Muscr Goblin but much taller, and others.
The Skeleton''s hunger was awakened once more.
''Fuck this. I can''t go out for now. Until then...''
And it was stronger than ever.
''It''s a feast!''
The Skeleton started munching on the Goblins it had previously fought.
The more it ate, the stronger its hunger became.
[You have gained 5 Evolution Points.]
[You have gained 5 Evolution Points.]
The Skeleton turned towards the Muscr Goblin''s body.
It was unclear how the Skeleton could eat.
After all, it didn''t have a stomach or somewhere where the food would go after being eaten.
Still, the Skeleton didn''t worry about it.
It felt great to eat.
It made its body stronger.
That was enough.
A minuteter, the Skeleton had swallowed the whole Muscr Goblin.
[You have gained 30 Evolution Points.]
The Skeleton turned towards the other dead Monsters.
''What are the other Monsters? What are their ranks?''
[ Three Grey Wolves: [F] Rank Monsters.
Five Poisonous Bats: [F-] Rank Monsters.
One Hobgoblin: [F+] Rank Monster.
Two ck Wolves: [F+] Rank Monster.
One Paralyzing Centipede: [F] Rank Monster.
One Orc: [E-] Rank Monster.
Two Stone Lizards: [F] Rank Monsters.
]
''Some are hidden under other corpses... Some are half-eaten... This must be where that Orc keeps its food, huh?'' The Skeleton thought as it started devouring a lizard whose scales looked like stones.
After devouring two Stone Lizards and a half-eaten Orc,
[You have gained 10 Evolution Points.]
[You have gained 10 Evolution Points.]
[You have gained 45 Evolution Points.]
[Evolution is avable.]
[Would you like to Evolve now?]
''Nope! I''ll evolve after eating all of these!''
[You can already check the avable Evolutions.]
[Would you like to?]
''Check them? EvolutionS... Plural. So I get to choose, huh? Sure, I''ll check them.''
[You can Evolve into:
1) Skeleton Soldier.
2) Goblin.
3) Muscr Goblin.
]
''Will I get more choices after eating these?''
[The number of choices depends on how many Evolution Points you possess and on the Monsters you have devoured.]
Chapter 3 Reborn As An Evolving Monster
?''So I can evolve into a stronger version of the Skeleton or into a whole other species of Monsters...''
[Correct.]
The Skeleton picked up the unmoving Paralyzing Centipede and started devouring it.
It was a huge centipede, over one meter in length.
''What happens to my Skills once I evolve?'' The Skeleton asked telepathically.
[Most will be kept.]
[Some might get upgraded.]
[Some might be lost.]
[Skills can be obtained through Evolution.]
''Is that so?''
[You have gained 10 Evolution Points.]
The Skeleton had swallowed the whole Paralyzing Centipede and took what looked like a bigger version of the Muscr Goblin.
It was a Hobgoblin.
''I should hurry. Can''t take my time when that Orc mighte back...''
About fifteen minutester, the Skeleton had devoured every dead Monster in the room.
''Can I see my Status?''
[ Name: None
Species & Level : Skeleton Lv3 (10/50exp)
Evolution Points: 485
HP: 40/40
Endurance: 170/170
Stats: Strength: 5
Agility: 5
Sense: 5
Vigor: 4
Endurance: 17
Skill(s): Silent Steps.
Curious Ears.
Title(s): System''s Holder.
Devourer.
Evolving Monster.
]
''Alright! That''s a huge increase in Evolution Points!''
[Would you like to check the avable Evolutions?]
''Sure!''
[You can Evolve into:
1) Skeleton Warrior.
2) Hobgoblin.
3) ck Wolf Skeleton.
4) Venomous Flying Snake.
]
''This isn''t super impressive. None of these can beat an Orc... ''
[You have mostly devoured [F] Rank Monsters after all.]
The Skeleton thought about what to choose for a bit.
''Will evolving use up all my Evolution Points?''
[Negative.]
[Each Evolution has a different cost.]
[That cost cannot be divulged.]
''So even if I evolve, I''ll be able to get modifications. These will be essential... Do the Body Modifications depend on the Monsters I devoured too?''
[Correct.]
''Alright then. Hobgoblin and Skeleton Warrior might be the strongest, but they''re still weaker than an Orc. I''ll evolve into a ck Wolf Skeleton!''
[Understood.]
As soon as the Skeleton thought that, its consciousness faded.
And while ity on the ground, the Skeleton''s bones were broken and reassembled differently.
The Monster''s size increased a lot.
***
''Huh... Where am I?''
White walls.
Machines at his side.
White sheets covered the lower portion of his body.
''What is-''
The person tried talking, but somehow, couldn''t.
''A dream? What the hell is this ce?''
The person tried to look around, but couldn''t move their neck.
Knock-
A gentle voice.
"Hey, hey! It''s me..."
***
Minutester,
[Congrattions!]
[You have evolved into a ck Wolf Skeleton[F].]
''Cool... WAIT I FELL ASLEEP? FOR HOW LONG?''
[You have been asleep for 3 minutes.]
''Oh... Alright. I had a dream... I was somewhere. I can''t remember it at all. Strange. Somebody... yelled my name... My name...''
The ck Wolf Skeleton got up on its four limbs.
It resembled the ancient fossils of wolves that could be found in museums.
''This feels weird though... Being on four limbs. Maybe I should have just evolved into a Hobgoblin...''
The ck Wolf Skeleton was a bit smaller than a tiger in size.
The Monster tried walking around for a bit with its new body.
It only took a couple of minutes before doing so becamefortable.
''Status?''
[ Name: None
Species & Level: ck Wolf Skeleton Lv1 (0/40Exp)
Evolution Points: 250
HP: 80/80
Endurance: 150/150
Stats: Strength: 8
Agility: 15
Sense: 10
Vigor: 8
Endurance: 15
Skill(s): Silent Steps.
Curious Ears.
Title(s): System''s Holder.
Devourer.
Evolving Monster.
]
''Name... Name... Oh, right. My name is... Mark? Or... Was Mark?''
[Your Name has been recorded as Mark.]
''Mmm... I''d like to think about that dream more, but the Orc mighte back soon. Tsk. Anyway, I didn''t gain Skills, I kept those that I had which is good, I guess. My Stats increased a lot, especially Agility. WAIT! 250 Evolution Points?? Howe I still have that much?''
[Your Evolution consumed 235 Evolution Points.]
''I don''t get an answer, huh? I guess it''s because, in the end, I''m still a bunch of bones. The more the body has to change, the more Evolution Points the Evolution will consume, probably. Mm. Yeah. That seems to make sense.''
[Would you like to check the avable Body Modifications?]
''Yeah!''
[Avable Body Modifications:
1) Strengthened Bones: 100 Evolution Points.
2) Horned Skull: 40 Evolution Points.
3) Sharp Fangs: 35 Evolution Points.
4) Poisonous ws: 50 Evolution Points.
5) Stone Tail: 60 Evolution Points.
]
''Huh? More options than before... Wait, why is the Strengthened Bones Modification more expensive than it was before?''
[As your size as a Monster has increased, the quantity of bones did too.]
''Oh, yeah. With 250 Evolution Points I can get a goodbination... Just need the rightbination to fight that Orc, or at least run away from it...''
Mark thought about what to do for a bit.
''I''ll get Strengthened Bones.''
While the bones that made up his body previously had some cracks, those disappearedpletely.
The bones also became whiter and looked sturdier.
[Your Bones have been strengthened.]
''Alright, Ummmm... Sharp Fangs too.''
Mark''s fangs grew in size.
[Your Fangs have been sharpened.]
They looked deadly.
''Alright. I''ll go with... Stone Tail.''
The ck Wolf Skeleton''s bony and weak-looking tail got much longer.
The tail''s bones were covered by what looked like hard rocks.
The tail became heavier.
At its tip, arge rock appeared.
The tail looked like that of an Ankylosaurus.
Mark moved it around a bit until he got used to it.
''55 left, huh? The horn wouldn''t be that useful since I''ll mostly use my fangs-''
Suddenly, the rock that separated the room from the outside was moved.
The Orc had pushed the rock away.
It bent its body and entered the hole headfirst.
Just when its head had entered the room,
BAM-
The Orc''s face was met by a huge rock that hit it with great strength.
The blue-skinned Monster growled as it let go of its full pouch.
The Orc''s nose bled.
Nevertheless, it fearlessly entered the room.
The Orc looked around but couldn''t find a thing.
Not the enemy.
Nor the food it had stored.
Suddenly,
Pierce-
The Orc''s neck got bit by extremely sharp fangs.
The Monster that bit down did not let go until a portion of that neck was stolen.
Huge amounts of blood squirted out of the Orc''s neck.
The Orc jumped away and found one Monster in the room.
It was Mark, currently a Modified ck Wolf Skeleton.
The two Monsters faced one another.
A river of blood was going down the Orc''s body, as numerous arteries and veins had been shed by Mark''s fangs.
''Come. I''ll hit again, then make a run for it!''
The Orc''s feet hit the ground.
It pulled its muscr arm back, ready to deliver a strong punch.
In response, Mark quickly turned his body sideways.
The Orc''s hard fist was met with an even harder rock.
The Monster''s fist was broken.
It growled in pain.
''Should I run now? While it''s distracted by the pain?'' Mark asked himself.
[The Orc has about half of its Health Points remaining.]
''Is that so? Losing a portion of its neck and bleeding that much obviously hurt it a lot. Still, I should probably-''
The Orc, seeing the amount of damage it had sustained, turned away.
''Huh?''
It turned its back to the enemy.
''Is it... Running away?''
As soon as the Orc took a step forward, away from Mark,
Pierce-
Fangs sank deeply into the Orc''s neck once more.
Thetter tried to grab the Monster on its back with its strong arms, but Mark was agile enough to jump away at the right time.
Just afternding on the ground, Mark used his tail to sweep the Monster''s legs off the ground.
As the Orc fell to the ground, Mark started shing it with his ws.
Eventually,
[You have defeated one Orc. 70Gold Coins and 140Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
''Holy shit... Holy shit... Even though that was simple enough, it sure was stressful. The element of surprise helped. Also, getting used to having a tail and using it to fight are totally different things...''
Mark felt ecstatic.
Not just because he had won, but because the roles had been reversed.
The predator greedily savored the fallen prey.
[You have gained 100 Evolution Points.]
''Oh, right. I also get Gold Coins when defeating monsters. What are those for?''
[Gold Coins can be used in the Store to buy Items or Skills.]
[Would you like to check out the avable Items and Skills?]
''Huh? Of course, I do. Why wasn''t I told sooner?''
[Select what it is you are looking for:
[Items] [Skills]
]
''Umm. Let''s start with Items.''
[ Avable Items:
1) Healing Potion: 5 Gold Coins.
2) Iron Sword: 50 Gold Coins.
3) Wooden Shield: 50 Gold Coins.
4) Mana Potion: 25 Gold Coins.
]
''That''s it? The weapons won''t help much in this form. Maybe it''ll be useful in the future... Show me the Skills.''
[ Avable Skills:
1) sh: shing attacks do 1.25times more damage. Cost: 200 Gold Coins.
2) Pierce: Piercing attacks do 1.5times more damage. Cost: 500 Gold Coins.
3) Poisonous Bomb: Grants the ability to shoot balls of poison. Cost: 1000 Gold Coins.
4) Paralyzing Bomb: Grants the ability to shoot balls of a paralyzing poison. Cost: 1000 Gold Coins.
]
''Alright. How many Gold Coins do I have?''
[You currently possess 90 Gold Coins.]
''What the hell? Really? How am I supposed to get 1000?''
Mark would have chuckled if he could.
After the fight against the Orc, he was obviously in high spirits.
[It is possible to exchange Evolution Points for Gold Coins.]
[Rate: 1Evolution Point-->10 Gold Coins.]
[You cannot exchange Gold Coins for Evolution Points.]
''Oh...OH! That''s perfect! I''ll exchange 150 Evolution Points for Gold Coins.''
[You have exchanged 150 Evolution Points for 1500 Gold Coins.]
''Perfect. I''ll get that Pierce Skill. I''ll go well with my sharp fangs.''
[You have obtained the Passive Skill "Pierce[F+]".]
''And, ummm. I guess I will go with Paralyzing Bomb for now. Hopefully, I''ll buy the other one too in the future.''
[You have obtained the Magic Skill "Paralyzing Bomb[F+]".]
[You have developed a Mana Stat.]
''Mana? You mean that I can shoot firebombs and stuff?''
[That is not possible since youck a Magic Skill that would allow you to do so.]
''So if I get the Skill, I could do it, huh? Great!''
Mark''s gaze fell on the pouch the Orc had brought.
In it, he found two unmoving Gray Wolves and a Goblin.
They were devoured right away.
[You have gained 40 Evolution Points.]
[You have gained 40 Evolution Points.]
[You have gained 5 Evolution Points.]
''Perfect. Exchange 100 Evolution points with Gold Coins. I''ll buy the Poisonous Bomb Skill.''
[You have obtained the Magic Skill "Poisonous Bomb[F+]".]
[Two Skills of yours have merged.]
[The Skills "Poisonous Bomb[F+]" and "Paralyzing Bomb[F+]" have merged to give birth to a new Magic Skill.]
[You have developed the Magic Skill "Venomous Bomb[E]".]
''So Skills can also merge, huh? Nice. Any info?''
[The Magic Skill "Venomous Bomb" grants the ability to shoot balls of venom that can both poison and paralyze.
[The effect is stronger if the venom enters the enemy''s body through wounds.]
[The Magic Skill consumes 10 Mana Points per use.]
''How many Mana Points do I have?''
[As your Mana Stat is at 15, you currently possess 150 Mana Points.]
Mark immediately left.
He found himself, once again, in a corridor.
As soon as Mark got out, he noticed some kind of small Monster running away.
It was a Horned Hare.
Mark used his four limbs to chase after the Monster, as it was only a dozen meters away.
The difference in speed was obvious.
He caught up in no time.
The Horned Hare had some kind of piece of paper in its mouth, but Mark did not even notice.
His fangs sank into the Monster''s body, and blood flowed into his mouth.
[You have defeated one Horned-Hare. 5 Gold Coins, 10 Experience Points and the 10th Floor''s Map earned.]
The piece of paper disappeared as Mark devoured the small Monster.
[You have gained 5 Evolution Points.]
''So this is what I could have appeared as? Good thing I became a Skeleton... Oh. What was it about a map?''
[You have obtained this Dungeon''s Tenth Floor''s Map.]
[Would you like to view it?]
''Sure.''
A map appeared in front of Mark.
There was a white blinking point on it, which showed his current location.
''So this floor is kind of circr. ording to this map...''
Mark ran for about 5 minutes.
''Yep. Back where I started.''
Mark was back at the crossroad next to which he had first appeared.
The 10th Floor''syout followed the symbol ¡â.
The lowest point of that symbol, ording to the map, was where the Floor''s Guardian was.
A Certain Floor''s Guardian is a Boss Monster whose sole purpose is to block ess to other Floors.
''So there''s a Floor Guardian on every Floor. They won''t let you go to the higher Floor, and they won''t let you go to a lower Floor? Since this is the lowest Floor, I can only go up... Although, I still am too weak for that... Probably.''
Chapter 4 A Demon?
?''Having a Monster''s body isn''t that bad...'' Mark thought.
He was devouring an unmoving Gray Wolf.
Three hours had passed since Mark''s fight with the Orc.
That time was spent exploring the right and left pathways from Dungeon''s crossroad(¡â).
Mark was now back at the crossroad, ready to go towards the circr area.
''Other than a few holes in the walls, this Floor is mostly just a bunch of corridors. It still is a veryrge ce though...''
Mark had mostly found [F] and [G] Rank Monsters, which were extremely easy to beat.
''What''s my rank?''
[You are currently an [E-] Rank Monster.]
[Your Body Modifications and Skills made you surpass the [F] Rank.]
''Nice. In that circr area, Monsters are tougher right?''
[Correct.]
[It is also true that the majority of Monsters from the Floor are there.]
A strong feeling arose once more.
''Yeah... Let''s hunt. I''m not a weak Skeleton anymore.'' Mark thought as he ran towards the circr area.
Some of Mark''s Skills had be stronger while he was wandering around after defeating the Orc.
His Passive Skill "Silent Steps[G]" had be "Assassin''s Footsteps[F]".
His Passive Skill "Curious Ears[G]" had be "Acute Hearing[F]".
Mark had also developed the Passive Skill "Tail Flick[F]", which increased by 20% the damage inflicted by his tail.
He also leveled up to 4, and amassed about 300 Evolution Points.
''Mmm...''
As Mark got closer to the circr area, he encountered more and more Monsters.
They were weak though, like Muscr Goblins or Gray wolves.
Yes, Gray Wolves had be weak Monsters for Mark.
That was what it meant to "Evolve".
They were defeated and devoured in an instant.
Mark continued running forward.
He had truly be a force to be reckoned with.
...
Mark was now halfway between the crossroad and the circr area(¡â).
Loud sounds and growls could be heard.
''Huh...''
Mark saw a group of Monsters about to fight.
He slowed down and walked stealthily forward.
''2...6...13.''
Three groups of Monsters were fighting.
They made a triangle.
Each group was watching the others while making threatening noises.
''What a beautiful sight...''
If Mark had a heart, it would have been beating extremely fast out of excitement.
On one side, 2 Orcs were growling.
On the other, 6 Hobgoblins were hitting their chests with their fists.
And finally, 5 ck Wolves were snarling at the rest.
''Orcs are [E-] Rank Monsters, but they''re outnumbered...''
Mark would have let out a smirk if he could.
''Let''s put some fire on this juicy situation...''
Mark proceeded to open his mouth wide.
In front of his mouth, three balls of purple venom were formed.
The next instant, they were shot at one of the Orcs.
The balls of venom exploded as they hit the Orc''s head.
Secondster, the Monster started throwing up blood.
The Hobgoblins and the ck Wolves took that as an opportunity to get rid of the Orcs, a Monster Species much stronger than they were.
The two Orcs struggled, but still fought back.
They managed to take down two Hobgoblins and three ck Wolves before dying.
Four Hobgoblins and two ck Wolves were left.
The ck Wolves jumped back and took a defensive posture.
The Hobgoblins, sure of their victory, followed.
However, balls of venom rained down on the group of Hobgoblins.
Three of them were immediately paralyzed and threw uprge quantities of blood.
They fell to the ground secondster, unable to breathe.
[You have defeated one Hobgoblin. 50Gold Coins and 100Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated one Hobgoblin. 50Gold Coins and 100Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated one Hobgoblin. 50Gold Coins and 100Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
''Perfect.'' Mark thought.
The ck Wolves, seeing that the situation had been reversed, attacked the remaining Hobgoblin.
The Hobgoblin punched one of the ck Wolves with all its strength, but that was not enough to fend them off.
Eventually, the ck Wolves made it fall to the ground as they attacked with their ws.
It was at that moment that a ck Wolf''s Skeleton bit one of the ck Wolves'' back.
A huge portion of that back was stolen.
''Thanks to my Pierce Skill, their skin is no problem for my fangs...''
Mark hit the remaining ck Wolf with the big rock at the tip of his tail andunched it away.
The Hobgoblin was bleeding and half-dead.
Mark finished it and the two other Monsters.
''Alright, Level 5. Even though I didn''t really fight. The most important thing is Evolution Points anyway...''
Mark ate the 13 Monsters right away.
As devouring an Orc gave 100 Evolution Points, a Hobgoblin 70 and a ck Wolf 60, he had amassed, from this one feast, 920 Evolution Points.
''How many Evolution Points do I have?''
[You currently possess 1220 Evolution Points.]
''Ummm, any new Skill or Body Modification?''
[None.]
''Too bad.'' Mark thought.
He looked in the direction of the circr area.
''I really like this form. Hope I can evolve and stay this strong and versatile...'' Mark thought as he ran towards that location.
The circr area was nothing more than a circr corridor, although its walls had many holes where Monsters hid.
After a bit, Mark arrived at the area in question.
''Now, I can either go for it from the right or the left. Since I''m doing a fullp, I''ll be back here anyways...''
Mark decided to start the loop by taking the left passage.
''What are these??''
After only a couple of seconds, Mark found Monsters he had never seen before.
Some of the Monsters were about four meters tall and made of stones.
There were three of them.
Other Monsters were flying above these, out of their reach.
[Small Golems: [E-] Rank Monsters.]
[Winged Kobolds: [E-] Rank Monsters.]
Four Orcs were punching the Small Golems with all their strength.
''And that''s a small one? Can I even eat it?''
[Your Title Devourer gives you the ability to eat any dead Monster.]
Mark started out by shooting balls of venom towards one of the Small Golems.
Five balls of venom hit the Monster.
The stones, that made up its body, seemed to soak the liquid in.
The Monster''s movements stopped.
About a minuteter, it fell to the ground.
[You have defeated one Small Golem. 90Gold Coins and 180Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
One of the remaining Small Golems tried kicking an Orc.
Thetter easily evaded the attack.
''They''re slow. Extremely slow...''
Mark decided to get rid of the Winged Kobolds first.
They were small Monsters, the size of Goblins, with heads resembling those of dogs or wolves.
Mark shot them with his "Venomous Bomb" Skill, and, one by one, they fell to the ground.
Four Kobolds were defeated right away.
They had a very low Vigor Stat, and therefore had low Health Points.
[You have defeated one Winged Kobold. 60Gold Coins and 120Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated one Winged Kobold. 60Gold Coins and 120Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated one Winged Kobold. 60Gold Coins and 120Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated one Winged Kobold. 60Gold Coins and 120Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
The Orcs became aware of Mark''s presence and ran towards him.
''I already used my Venomous Bomb Skill 9 times. I only have twelve shots left...''
Mark shot a ball of venom at each of the four iing Orcs, before shooting the ones closest to him once more.
Every ball of venom was perfectly aimed as it hit the Monsters'' heads.
The Orcs, poisoned, partially paralyzed, and blinded by the purple liquid, found it extremely hard to fight back as the agile Mark either bit with his sharp fangs or hit with his heavy tail.
He managed to get rid of every Orc perfectly except thest one.
As Mark had just dealt with the third Orc, the fourth raised both its arms up and mmed them down his rib cage.
The bones cracked.
Mark mmed his tail into the Orc''s stomach before biting its neck.
[You have defeated one Orc. 70Gold Coins and 140Experience Points earned.]
Thest Orc died.
''Shit. I took a lot of damage... Although it doesn''t hurt, probably because I am a Skeleton. Not being able to feel pain is a problem...''
The only Monsters remaining were the Small Golems who took extremely slow and heavy steps towards Mark.
''I''ll buy a Healing Potion, how can I use it though?''
A red potion contained in a small ss bottle appeared in front of Mark.
It was floating in the air.
He looked at it for a second.
It started falling to the ground.
''Shit..''
Mark managed to grab it with his mouth at thest moment.
He closed his mouth.
The ss broke and Mark drank the potion.
The cracked bones quickly started healing.
''Can I be alerted every time a lose Health Points? Not feeling pain is pretty cool, but it could be dangerous...''
[A change has been recorded by the System.]
[From now on, you shall be alerted every time you lose Health Points.]
''Cool.'' Mark thought.
He looked at the Small Golems in front of him.
Mark hurriedly moved behind one of them and hit it as hard as he could with his tail.
The rocks on the spot he hit were broken, but,
[You have lost 10 Health Points.]
''So it''s that hard, huh? How are my Mana Points?''
[You have 90 Mana Points.]
He shot four balls of venom at the Small Golem he had just attacked and five others at the remaining one.
[You have defeated one Small Golem. 90Gold Coins and 180Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have defeated one Small Golem. 90Gold Coins and 180Experience Points earned.]
''I leveled up a ton... Can I see my Stats?''
[ Stats: Strength: 15
Agility: 22
Sense: 17
Vigor: 15
Endurance: 37
Mana: 22
]
''Nice. Leveling up sure is worth it, but...'' His eyes fell on the different dead Monsters on the ground.
''Gotta eat!''
Once more, Mark devoured the Monsters.
For some reason, the Small Golem''s hard body wasn''t as hard when it was being eaten.
After he swallowed the first Small Golem, he got pleasant information.
[Evolution is avable.]
''Alright! You''re going to have to wait a bit more though!''
He devoured three Small Golems, four Winged Kobolds and four Orcs.
Mark currently had 2420 Evolution Points.
Knowing this fact, he was extremely excited.
After all, his previous Evolution had only cost him a bit more than 200 Evolution Points.
What could he evolve into now? What Skills could he develop or obtain from the Store? What Body Modifications could he get?
Mark decided to wait a bit more.
''The more Evolution Points I have, the better my Evolution will be!''
Mark continued walking deeper into the circr corridor.
After walking for a bit, he found three dead Orcs, one dead Small Golem and three dead Hobgoblins.
Mark did not think twice about it.
He started stuffing his face.
After Mark was done with his free meal, he kept walking.
Once again, more dead Monsters were found.
Three ck Wolves, one Small Golem, and a big Monster he had never seen before were lying on the ground.
It was about three meters tall and resembled an Orc.
Except that it was much more hideous..
[Ogre: [E] Rank Monster.]
''What the hell? [E] Rank? That''s the first [E] Rank Monster I saw here... Jackpot!'' Mark thought as he started devouring it.
The more he walked, the more dead Monsters he found.
Mark kept devouring them one by one, but he started feeling slightly anxious.
''Did these die while fighting each other... Or did one Monster do all this carnage?''
Mark kept walking and devouring.
Walking and amassing Evolution Points.
Walking and exposing himself to danger.
Exposing himself to the danger of finding the creature that killed all of these Monsters.
Still, Mark walked carefully.
[Your Passive Skill "Assassin''s Footsteps[F]" has evolved into the Passive Skill "Assassin''s Movements[E]".]
...
After some time, Mark checked the map.
He was more than halfway done with the loop.
''Should I go back? Or will I find the Monster on the other side?''
Mark did not know what the right thing to do was.
Therefore, he kept walking and devouring the Monsters found.
Suddenly, one of his Skills evolved.
[Your Passive Skill "Acute Hearing[F]" has evolved into the Passive Skill "Acute Senses[E]".]
Right away, all his senses became much better at picking up sounds and smells.
''Smells like something is burning...''
Mark heard soundsing from a small distance to the front.
He kept walking stealthily, focusing on his surroundings until he found that creature.
Mark finally found the Monster that had made all that carnage.
''Maybe I should run away... It didn''t notice me yet...''
A humanoid-winged Monster with legs that resembled those of a goat was flying in the air.
Its skin was red.
Its wings were dark and resembled those of a bat.
''What the hell...is that?''
[An Inferior Demon: [E+] Rank Monster.]
''A Demon...??''
Two ck horns were going out of its skull.
''I should run away...'' Mark thought.
But he didn''t.
''It will kill me... I''m not strong enough....''
Still, he stood there.
The Monster shot Fire Balls from its hands thatnded on the different Monsters below.
At that moment, Mark was afraid.
But his fear was weaker than his excitement.
Not only was Mark excited, but extremely hungry as well.
The Inferior Demon was fighting three Small Golems, two Winged Kobolds, two Ogres and three Orcs.
The Fire Balls hit one of the Ogres'' leg.
The leg was immediately scorched.
Secondster, it started regenerating.
''What the hell? All these are Monsters! One can shoot fireballs from a safe distance, and the other one can heal its burnt limbs like it''s nothing??''
The weaker Monsters teamed up against the stronger ones.
After defeating the stronger ones, they would fight each other.
That was how the Monsters acted inside Dungeons.
And Mark was no different.
''Let''s take down that flying bastard. After that, it''s a free for all!''
Chapter 5 Teaming Up
?Mark opened his mouth as he stared at the flying Inferior Demon.
''Let''s start with this.''
Three balls of venom appeared in front of his opened mouth.
The Monster cut a Winged Kobold''s neck as two of those balls of venom hit its back.
''How many will I have to shoot to bring it down...''
Mark shot another three.
This time, all of them hit the Monster''s body.
Right away, it turned towards Mark.
Its piercing gaze made the Modified ck Wolf Skeleton freeze.
''Found me already...''
The Inferior Demon extended its hand towards Mark.
A Fire Ball was formed in front of that hand.
Aimed at Mark, it flew at a fast pace.
While the Inferior Demon''s focus was elsewhere, a Winged Kobold didn''t miss the opportunity.
The flying Monster started falling to the ground.
It had lost one of its two wings.
Mark had jumped sideways to dodge the attack, but,
[You have lost 10 Health Points.]
''Shit. I thought that dodging it would be enough...''
The bones on his side had small cracks all over.
''The whole area around the point of impact is burnt...'' He thought.
Mark hadn''t taken into consideration the fact that Fire Ball would explode once it hit the ground.
While he wasn''t burnt, the explosion''s shockwave was strong enough to damage his body.
The Inferior Demon hit the ground.
It immediately got up.
Since it wasn''t in the air, the other Monsters weren''t moving targets anymore.
The Small Golems, the Ogres and the Orcs joined the fight.
An Orc sprinted towards the Inferior Demon''s back.
It tried punching the Demon with all its strength.
The diabolical creature, much more agile, dodged the attack easily.
The Inferior Demon''s ws pierced the Orc''s heart.
Its whole hand had prated the Orc''s chest.
The Monster pulled that hand back with great strength.
Great amounts of green blood spurted.
''In one hit, huh?'' Mark thought as he stared at the falling Orc.
The Inferior Demon extended one of its arms to its right.
Mark, who was behind the Demon, sprinted forward.
Three consecutive Fire Balls were shot towards a Small Golem.
BOOM-
It died on the spot.
Flick-
Mark''s heavy tail hit the Demon''s side andunched it a couple of meters away.
''Shit! Shit! Shit!'' Mark thought as he sprinted away.
He hid behind a Small Golem.
The Infernal Demon rolled on the ground before shooting Fire Balls towards that same Small Golem.
An Orc took advantage of the opening and mmed its fists on the Inferior Demon''s shoulders.
''Good!''
The Demon''s body hit the ground.
While the Inferior Demon was sturdy and strong, it was rtively light in weight.
As the Small Golem in front of Mark fell, five balls of venom were shot one by one.
The small devil took down the Orc right away.
And as it did, balls of venom rained down on its body.
The Inferior Demon was not impressed by the attack.
It didn''t even bother dodging.
Instead, itunched itself forward.
''It''s...'' Mark thought as he shot balls of venom at the iing Monster, ''...Too fast!!''
Mark turned his body sideways.
The Inferior Demon did not care one bit and kept running forward.
Every Venomous Bomb shot by Mark hit the target''s upper body.
In total, 9 balls of venom had hit its body.
As the Inferior Demon arrived in front of him, Mark tried to hit it with his tail.
The Monster retaliated by using its sharp ws.
[Your Passive Skill "Tail Flick[F]" has evolved into the Passive Skill "Heavy Tail Flick[E]".]
A secondter,
[You have lost 30 Health Points.]
''Seriously...?''
Shatter-
The big rock that constituted the tip of Mark''s tail had been destroyed.
''How are its ws so hard?''
Mark immediately jumped away to create some distance.
''Two Healing Potions! Fuck... With that speed, it''ll reach me any second now!''
The potions appeared in the air.
He grabbed them with his mouth, hurriedly broke the potion bottle and drank the liquid hurriedly.
His tail started slowly regenerating.
''What...?''
Unlike what he had expected, the Inferior Demon hadn''t followed Mark.
A secondter, he understood why.
The [E+] Rank Monster coughed up blue blood.
''The venom... Finally... It''s paralyzed and poisoned...''
Without wasting a second, Markunched himself forward but an Orc had already moved closer towards the paralyzed Monster.
''This f#cker... Don''t steal my kill!'' Mark thought as he ran even faster.
But he couldn''t catch up.
The Orc pulled its arm back, prepared to give a strong punch.
Infernal Demon''s stomach was hit with great strength, but its body wasn''t moved back.
sh-
The next instant, the Orc''s head was rolling on the ground.
Mark would have gulped if he could.
''It wasn''t paralyzed...?''
He instinctively took a step back.
''Just poisoned... Maybe its lower body is paralyzed?''
That seemed to be the case, as the Monster raised its arm towards Mark, ready to shoot deadly Fire Balls.
Mark immediately started running in circles around the Inferior Demon.
A series of explosions left multiple holes in the ground, but not one Fire Ball had hit its target.
Mark positioned himself behind the Demon.
Two Ogres had been taken down by the explosions, even though the attacks were not aimed at them.
The only Monsters left were Mark, the Inferior Demon, one Winged Kobold and one Small Golem.
''Let''s attack from here...''
Mark used the remaining of his Mana Points to shoot more venom at the Inferior Demon.
As thest ball of venom hit its body, the Monster suddenly turned around.
''Was it bluffing by acting like it had been paralyzed? Good thing that Orc got there before me. Otherwise, that would have been-''
Mark couldn''t finish his thought.
The Monster disappeared from the spot it had been standing on.
In a heartbeat, the Demon''s hateful yellow eyes appeared in front of Mark.
Thetter couldn''t do a thing.
''I''m dead. If I take a hit straight-on... I''m dead!''
The Inferior Demon pulled its arm back, ready to break Mark''s fragile body.
''These bones won''t be able to-
Suddenly,
''Wha-..''
The Monster fell to its knees.
It threw up massive amounts of blue blood.
The light in its eyes started fading
Mark stared for a bit.
Surprised and relieved.
''So it used thest of its strength to try and kill me...''
Mark''s heavy tail hit the Monster''s head.
''But the more you move, the faster the poison spreads.''
Mark''s newly acquired "Heavy Tail Flick[E]" Passive Skill increased the damage inflicted by his tail by 40%.
The Monster''s head hit the ground.
Pieces of debris flew.
Mark walked with great caution.
''Is it alive? Of course, it is. Since I didn''t get that notification about Experience Points...''
The Monster was lying on its stomach, its wings folded on its back.
A second time, the heavy tail hit the Monster''s head.
The ground beneath that head cracked.
A third time, the heavy tail hit the same spot.
[You have defeated an Inferior Demon. 500 Gold Coins and 1000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
The Demon''s skull had been crushed.
Mark would have sighed if he could.
''Finally. Its Health Points are high, despite its body being on the smaller side. All that venom was barely enough to keep it from moving...''
A strong but slow punch suddenly came from above.
Mark dodged at thest instant by jumping sideways.
''Not even a moment to breathe, huh? Even though we were teaming up a moment ago?''
It was the remaining Small Golem.
Mark ran away from both it and the remaining Winged Kobold until his Mana Points regenerated.
He shot the Winged Kobold first, as it had started attacking the Small Golem.
After that, the Small Golem was easily taken care of.
The only Monster left standing, was Mark.
And in front of him was a magnificent feast.
Hunger-
...
After devouring all the Monsters, Mark continued the loop(¡â).
He only found a couple of Gray Wolves and Goblins.
After a bit, Mark was back at the point he had been before entering the circr corridor.
''That was... Not what I''d expected. Anyways, Evolution Points?''
[You currently possess 9445 Evolution Points.]
Obviously, it was a very high amount.
After all, Mark had devoured more than 20 Orcs, 15 Small Golems, 10 Ogres and 10 Winged Kobolds.
Plus other the lower-ranked Monsters.
And of course, the Inferior Demon that had given him 540 Evolution Points at once.
''Holy sh... This is way too much! I should evolve, right? But what if I can beat the Floor''s Guardian and evolve then??''
Mark''s greed started growing.
''If I can do that, then...''
He snapped out of it a secondter.
''That would be impossible. I can''t even beat this Inferior Demon 1-on-1. And the Guardian is supposed to be the strongest on this Floor...''
Mark walked towards the crossroad(¡â).
''It''s supposed to be the strongest...''
Monsters were rare.
A lot of them couldn''t even sense Mark, thanks to his Passive Skill "Assassin''s Movements[E]".
''I will evolve in that room where the Orc had put me. That Orc if it hadn''t fed me all of those... Haha!''
Mark started running towards it.
''I''m so excited!''
After a bit, he entered the room.
It was empty and dark.
''Perfect. I hope I''ll only pass out for a bit... Oh, any new Skills avable?''
[Yes.]
''Can I get those Skills after evolving?''
[Yes.]
''I''ll check themter then. Gotta keep my Evolution Points. Alright!! Show me those Evolutions!''
[You can Evolve into:
1) Great Bear Skeleton.
2) Skeleton Mage.
3) Weakened Inferior Demon.
4) Four-Armed Ogre.
5) Giant Skeleton.
6) Infernal Hound Skeleton.
7) Great ck Wolf.
]
''Oh! Wow! So many choices! Let''s dissect them one by one. Great Bear Skeleton is obvious. I''d get the skeleton of a big bear. Great Strength but low Agility. I would probably keep the low Vigor Stat I have now though. It wouldn''t use too many Evolution Points since I would still be a Skeleton. Mmm...''
Still, Mark wasn''t too fond of that option.
''Skeleton Mage sounds good. I''ll be back on two feet which I wouldn''t mind and my Mana Stat will increase. I probably will be able to obtain new Magic Skills too.''
Skeleton Mage was definitely a route Mark could see himself taking.
''Weakened Inferior Demon is a no. It had lots of Health Points and its ws were nothing tough at, but a weakened version might be too weak! It''s not specified how much weaker it is so I don''t want to gamble. It''s probably weakened since I''ve only devoured one of them. Mm... Further Evolutions might be good though. But I need immediate strength, since I''ve already explored the whole Floor...''
This option could have been a good choice in the long run.
Still, a great foe was waiting for Mark.
The Guardian whose strength was supposedly higher than that of an Inferior Demon.
Fighting as a "Weakened" version, therefore, seemed like a bad option.
Mark did not know it was the case, but the Boss Monster was much, much stronger.
''As a Four-Armed Ogre, I would probably look like some kind of god of war and destruction, but Ogres are big and not that strong. Their regenerative ability is really cool, but that''s just a Skill. The Giant Skeleton probably interests me the least. It''ll use up all my Evolution Points to make me huge, turning me into a big target for Monsters to team up against. I probably would be slow too.''
The two options interested Mark the least.
''Infernal Hound Skeleton is interesting. I''ve never seen an Infernal Hound on this floor. It, for sure, has a drop of the demon''s blood in it. Had I not devoured the Inferior Demon, I probably would not have gotten this Evolution Option. It must be pretty good. Although, hounds are just dogs, right? So I''ll probably get smaller. Finally, Great ck Wolf is a stronger bigger version of the ck Wolf... No thanks...''
Mark sat on the ground like any other four-legged Monster would have.
He was truly ustomed to his new form.
''It really is between the Skeleton Mage, the Infernal Hound Skeleton and the Weakened Inferior Demon... I guess. No. Not the demon. Not only is it Inferior, but it''s also Weakened. The final two contestants are the Infernal Dog''s Skeleton and the Skeleton Mage.''
[Understood.]
[You can Evolve into:
1) Skeleton Mage.
2) Infernal Dog''s Skeleton.
]
''Wait, are you for real? Did you just delete the other options?''
[Only two options are avable.]
''Son of a...''
A bitter, Mark made his choice.
His consciousness faded.
''Not... Again...''
The bones thatposed Mark''s body were broken and rearranged.
His body got smaller than before.
mes engulfed the skeleton for a second.
The color of the bones that made up the body slowly changed.
They were painted ck.
A sole red stripe made its way from the Skeleton''s head to the tip of its tail, passing by its spine.
***
"It''s me, Mina! I''ming in." A woman said.
Mark opened his eyes.
''This...? Again...?''
The same room.
White sheets.
Machines.
A window from which rays of light could enter.
Mark couldn''t move his body.
He couldn''t even turn his gaze towards the woman.
"d you''re still here." The woman said cheerfully as she entered the room.
Suddenly, Mark''s gaze started moving.
''Huh? Still here? When I was... Just before I was in... Where was I again? I can''t remember-''
"Yeah, well. Can''t really leave now, can I?"
''Did my lips just move? I didn''t mean to say that... What''s going on??''
And once that gaze fell on the woman, pure shock and surprise overtook Mark.
''She''s... She''s...!''
***
An hourter,
[Congrattions!]
[You have developed the Passive Skill: "Infernal Senses[E+]".]
[Two Skills of yours have merged.]
[Your Passive Skills "Infernal Senses[E+]" and "Acute Senses[E]" have merged to form a new Passive Skill.]
[You have developed the Passive Skill: "Demonic Senses[D]".]
[You have developed the Magic Skill: "Infernal''s Corrupted Touch[E+]".]
[You have developed the Magic Skill: "Infernal Breath[E+]".]
[You have developed the Passive Skill: "Intimidating Stare[E]".]
[You have developed the Passive Skill: "Burning ws[E]".]
[Your Magic Skill Venomous Bomb[E] has evolved into the Magic Skill "Corrupting Bomb[E+]".]
The Monster woke up from its slumber.
Its eyes shone red.
[You have evolved into an "Infernal Hound Skeleton[D-]".]
Chapter 6 An Infernal Monster
?The Infernal Hound Skeleton stood up.
''How long... Was I out?''
Mark felt dizzy.
''Still... Can''t remember a thing. Someone... There was someone. A dream? No, it felt like... That person, it was someone... Someone important-''
Suddenly, something entered the room.
It was defeated right away.
''Does it happen every time I fall asleep? Every time I Evolve?''
Mark thought about it for a while, but his memory was hazy.
''I can''t remember her face, nor who she is...''
Therefore, he decided to focus on his current condition.
''[D-] Rank, huh? So I''m stronger than that Inferior Demon? Show me my Stats.''
[ Stats: Strength: 12
Agility: 25
Sense: 30
Vigor: 12
Endurance: 40
Mana: 55
]
''Mana went up by a lot. Can''t remember how the rest looked like. Strength sure isn''t a Skeleton''s strong point...''
Mark walked around in the dark room with his, now, smaller body.
''My bones are ck... They look sturdier than before. How many Evolution Points do I have left? Also, some info on the new Skills would be nice.''
[You currently possess 2775 Evolution Points.]
[ Demon Senses: [D] Rank Skill.
The user can detect living beings, sounds, heat and Mana in his surroundings much more easily. A Skill that belongs to Demonic and Infernal Beings.]
[ Infernal Breath: [E+] Rank Skill.
The user can breathe out a powerful stream of Infernal Fire that shall burn his enemies to a crisp. Mana Cost: 40 Mana Points.]
[Intimidating Stare: [E] Rank Skill.
The user will appear much more intimidating due to his bloody-painted eyes. Weaker Monsters will feel an innate sense of fearing from the user. Monsters as strong as the user will be less inclined to fight. Stronger Monsters than the user will see him as a threat.]
[Burning ws: [E] Rank Skill.
The user''s w attacks will leave a burning after-effect on the wound inflicted that will burn it with Infernal Fire.]
[Infernal''s Corrupted Touch: [E+] Rank Skill.
The user, belonging to the Demonic or Infernal species, can use his power of Corruption to bring back the dead''s Skeleton. One Monster can be brought back from the dead at a time.]
''That''s pretty good. Especially thatst one, bringing back the dead, huh? How does it work?''
[You must use your Skill on the Monster''s body.]
[Its Skeleton will rise.]
''What? WHAT? What happens to the rest of its body?''
[Only the Skeleton lives.]
[The rest is an offering to the dead.]
[It is therefore lost.]
''What are you talking about? That''s no good... Means I''ll have to choose between devouring or reviving them... I guess it''s fine. Thank god I can only revive one Monster at a time. Having an army sounds good, but devouring strong Monsters sounds better.''
Mark made his way out of the cave.
His new Passive Skill "Demon Senses" helped him pinpoint the location of nearby Monsters right away.
Mark walked towards the circr area.
The first Monster he found was a Hobgoblin.
Mark stealthily moved until he was just behind the Monster.
He shed its back with his fierce ws twice.
After blood flowed down the Hobgoblin''s back, raging mes appeared on the wounds.
[You have defeated one Hobgoblin. 50Gold Coins and 100Experience Points earned.]
''In two shes...?''
Mark devoured the weak Monster.
The next enemy he found was an Orc.
These already did not pose a problem when he was an [E-] Ranked Monster.
''Let''s try that Infernal Breath...''
While standing behind the Orc, Mark opened his mouth.
A powerful stream of red fire exited it.
The Orc''s whole upper-body was turned burnt to a crisp.
[You have defeated an Orc. 70 Gold Coins and 140Experience Points earned.]
''Must not... Get cocky...''
Part of him wanted to run and fight the Floor''s Guardian, but he resisted that urge.
Instead, Mark put his paw made of bones on the Monster''s burnt body.
The next instant, its skeleton stood up.
Mark immediately jumped back.
[You have brought one Monster from the dead.]
[As a base parameter, the Orc Skeleton will gain 30% of the Experience Points the Monsters it kills drop.]
[The other 70% will go to you.]
''As a base. So I can change that?'' Mark thought while cautiously staring at the Orc Skeleton.
[Correct.]
The Orc Skeleton was huge.
It had very wide shoulders and stood at about 2 meters tall.
The huge skeleton got on one knee in front of its master.
[You can check the Orc Skeleton''s Status.]
''I don''t think I need to.''
Mark walked towards the Orc Skeleton and circled around it for a bit.
''So it won''t attack me?''
[Correct.]
He used his paws to push the Orc Skeleton.
Thetter let itself fall to the ground.
''So it''s really on my side?''
[Correct.]
''Huh...''
Mark stared for a bit.
''Can I order him around even though I can''t talk?''
[Yes.]
Mark stared at the skeleton, doubtful.
''I guess... Umm. Follow me. Don''t fight.''
The two walked for a bit, until,
[Your Unique Title "The Devourer" is resonating with one of your Skills.]
[Your Unique Title "Evolving Monster" is resonating with one of your Skills.]
[Your Skill "Infernal''s Corrupted Touch" is resonating with two of your Titles.]
[Your Skill is evolving...]
''What? Usually, Skills evolved right away. What do you mean it''s evolving?''
A couple of secondster,
[Your Magic Skill "Infernal''s Corrupted Touch[E+]" has evolved into "The Devourer''s Corrupted Touch[C]".]
''Oh. Wow. [C] Rank? What''s the difference between the two?? It must be something amazing...''
[The Monsters brought from the dead are Evolving Monsters.]
[You can now bring back three Monsters from the dead.]
''They can evolve too?''
Mark turned towards the Orc''s Skeleton.
''Don''t tell me I have to share my food...''
[The Monsters can Evolve after defeating a certain amount of strong Monsters.]
''So by amassing Experience Points?''
[Correct, but not exclusively.]
''What else, then?''
[That information is unavable.]
''Whatever. I take it they just need to gain Experience Points. I don''t really care about Experience Points anyways. You can take 100% of what the Monsters you hunt drop.''
[Your Revived Monster shall gain 100% of the Experience Points dropped by the Monsters it defeats.]
''Alright. So now there''s that "Corrupting Bomb" Skill to try... What else? The rest are Passive Skills so they''re whatever. I''ll take my time and check other stuff.''
A few secondster, Mark sensed a ck Wolf approaching.
''Kill it. If you can''t, I''ll make it my Revived Monster instead of you. Since we''re both dogs, I wouldn''t mind having it instead... If you kill it, bring me its body.''
The Orc Skeleton approached the ck Wolf and both started fighting for their lives.
''It''ll really do whatever I tell it, huh?''
Mark stared at the fight for a bit.
''Show me the avable Body Modifications.''
[Avable Body Modifications:
1) Thorned Bones: 1000 Evolution Points.
2) Demonic Fangs: 1600 Evolution Points.
3) Demonic ws: 1200 Evolution Points
4) Demonic Wings: 5000 Evolution Points.
5) Demonic Horns: 2500 Evolution Points.
]
''Kind of disappointing for some reason... Wings are good for running away. Horns can be an offensive asset. Thorned Bones is pretty cool though. I''ll get that.''
The bones that made up Mark''s body got stretched out at multiple points.
Sharp thorns appeared on his bony body.
They looked more like spikes than thorns though.
Mark''s whole body was covered with these dark thorns.
''That''ll be a good defensive addition, but... I feel like a porcupine now.''
Mark raised his gaze.
The Orc Skeleton was still fighting the ck Wolf.
The Monster was bleeding a lot, but the skeleton wasn''t in such good shape either as many of its bones were cracked.
''The choice should be obvious. An Orc is an [E-] monster, a ck Wolf is [F+]. Obviously, an Orc Skeleton would be stronger than a ck Wolf Skeleton... Not only that, but wolves use their ws and fangs to fight. Skeleton Monsters are a bad match for them. Still, I wonder if the skeleton of an Orc is stronger than an actual ck Wolf. Anyways, show me the avable Skills.''
[ Avable Skills:
1) sh: shing attacks do 25% more damage. Cost: 200 Gold Coins.
2) Fire Bomb: Grants the ability to shoot explosive Fire Balls. Cost: 5000Gold Coins.
3) Stone Armor: Grants the ability to cast temporary armor on the user''s body. Cost: 4000 Gold Coins.
4) Merging Bones: Grants the ability to fuse Skeletons together. Cost: 10.000Gold Coins.
]
''How many Evolution Points do I have left? How many Gold Coins?''
[ You currently possess 1775 Evolution Points and 3235 Gold Coins.]
''I''ll exchange all my Evolution Points for Gold Coins.''
[You have exchanged 1775 Evolution Points for 17''750 Gold Coins.]
[You currently possess 20.985 Gold Coins.]
''I''ll buy Merging Bones and umm... I guess I''ll buy all of them really.''
[You have obtained the Passive Skill: "sh[F]".]
[You have obtained the Magic Skill: "Fire Bomb[F+]".]
[You have obtained the Magic Skill: "Stone Armor[F+]".]
[You have obtained the Magic Skill: "Merging Bones[E+]".]
''Which should I try first...''
[Your Revived Monster has leveled up!]
A secondter, an unmoving Monster was thrown in front of Mark.
It was a dead ck Wolf.
''So you won, huh?''
The Orc Skeleton stood proud, although it had lost an arm in the process.
Many of its bones were broken.
''Let''s try that then...''
Mark felt hungry, but a lone ck Wolf was far from enough to satisfy his hunger.
He touched the ck Wolf''s body with his paw and the Orc''s Skeleton with the tip of his tail.
''Should work like this. Merging Bones...''
The dead Monster disappeared.
A Skeleton appeared from where the ck Wolf had been lying before.
The next second, its bones were broken and reassembled.
They turned into an arm and bone fragments.
The arm took the ce of the Orc Skeleton''s missing one, and the bone fragments closed the cracks in the Monster''s bones.''
''So this is basically a Healing Skill for Skeletons...''
[Correct, but not exclusively.]
Mark sensed an approaching Hobgoblin.
He opened his mouth and a Fire Ball appeared in front of it.
[You have defeated one Hobgoblin. 50Gold Coins and 100Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
Mark used his Skill on the dead Monster.
Its bones were superposed on the Orc''s Skeleton''s arms and shoulders, making them sturdier and bulkier.
''So this Skill can even make him stronger...''
[Correct.]
''It''s not an Evolution, but this is good too... You''re stronger than a ck Wolf. Go beat some Monsters ande back to meter. Go that way. Oh, wait. Can I see the Items I can buy?''
[ Avable Items:
1) Healing Potion: 5 Gold Coins.
2) Iron Sword: 50 Gold Coins.
3) Wooden Shield: 50 Gold Coins.
4) Venomous Potion: 25 Gold Coins.
5) Pouch: 10 Gold Coins.
6) Iron Mace: 75 Gold Coins.
]
''Nice. Since I''ve been on four legs for so long, I forgot about weapons... I''ll buy a Pouch and an Iron Mace.''
The two Items appeared in front of Mark, before falling to the ground.
''Kill the Monsters you see and put their bodies inside the Pouch. Use that Iron Mace, if you think it suits you.''
The Orc Skeleton was ordered to stay near the crossroad(¡â).
Mark walked towards the circr area.
''It probably can''t beat Orcs. The circr corridor would be too much for it. Although it is armed now so...''
Mark devoured the usual Monsters he found on the Tenth Floor.
As he didn''t find any Inferior Demons, the Monsters were easily dealt with.
They did team up against him though, since he was now a [D-] Ranked Monster.
Mark revived a Winged Kobold and a ck Wolf.
''Tsk...''
Despite what Mark had hoped, the Winged Kobold Skeleton could not fly.
Still, he gave it a Pouch and sent it towards the Orc Skeleton.
The ck Wolf Skeleton, however, stayed with Mark.
''This is how I looked like before, huh?''
It felt strange for some reason, staring at the form he used to have.
''Don''t worry. I''ll make you stronger than those other two!''
...
The Infernal Hound Skeleton stood with its three Revived Monsters.
The first was an Orc Skeleton armed with an Iron Mace and a Wooden Shield.
Its whole body had been strengthened asyers of bones from different Monsters were added to it.
It also had developed a tail of bones, which was not useful at all.
The second Revived Monster was a Winged Kobold Skeleton.
As its wings were strengthened with the bones of other Winged Kobolds, it could now fly.
It had also developed a hard carapace that protected its upper body.
The carapace came from Paralyzing Centipedes.
The third and most impressive Revived Monster was the ck Wolf Skeleton.
Although it didn''t look like one anymore.
The ck Wolf Skeleton had been reinforced by strictly using the bones from other ck Wolves.
Mark learned that by using a dead Monster from the same Monster Species as the first Revived one, more bones from the dead one were used to strengthen the Revived.
The ck Wolf Skeleton''s body had grown in size.
It looked ferocious.
And hideous.
From its ribcage, two extremely sturdy-looking skeleton arms had been formed.
They came from the bones of various Ogres.
The Monster had also developed the Ogre''s "Self Healing" Passive Skill.
Mark felt good about having strong Monsters fighting for him.
''What are their Ranks?''
[The Revived Monsters are not Monsters usually found in Dungeons.]
[Their approximative Ranks are:
Modified Orc Skeleton: [E-]
Modified Winged Kobold Skeleton: [E-]
Modified ck Wolf Skeleton: [E]
]
''Good. All of them have beaten an Orc 1-on-1 so that''s enough. Howe they can''t Evolve yet?''
[Conditions for Evolution have not been met yet.]
''I am by far the strongest Monster on this Floor. Still, fighting the Boss Monster that is the Floor''s Guardian seems risky. I would rather have these guys Evolve before that...''
Somehow, after cleaning up most of the Dungeon''s floor, Mark only needed to wait about 20 minutes before finding Monsters once again.
It was like they appeared at different random locations, as long as Mark was not near that location.
He let the three Revived deal with all the Monsters.
The only thing Mark did, was devour the fallen Monsters after that.
Chapter 7 Abyssal Unification
?''I''M SORRY, WHAT??''
[After your second Evolution, you were awarded a Skill Point.]
''Really? I had no idea. What are those for?''
[Skill Points can be used to upgrade Skills.]
''So I can upgrade any Skill I have using it?''
[Correct.]
''Ummm... Show me my Skills.''
Mark thought about which Skill to upgrade while his Revived Monsters defeated numerous Monsters.
''My strongest offensive Skills are "Corrupting Bomb" and "Infernal Breath". "Merging Bones" is also a very good Skill. Still...''
There was only one real option.
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "The Devourer''s Corrupted Touch" is evolving...]
''Hope I get something good...''
[Two different Evolutions are possible.]
[Would you like to choose one? Otherwise, the System will choose at random.]
''I''ll choose of course!''
[ The Skill''s avable Evolutions are:
1) The Devourer''s Undead Army.
2) Evolving Guards of The Abyss.
]
''Can I get more info on them?''
[Negative.]
''The first one seems like an upgrade in the sense that I will be able to have a lot more Revived Monsters. The second one is different. Evolving Guards, huh? You can''t have an army of guards, right? I''m not sure what that Abyss is, but I basically have the choice between an army of weak Monsters or a couple of strong ones.''
Mark made his choice a bitter.
''I don''t want ants fighting for me.''
[Your Magic Skill "The Devourer''s Corrupted Touch[C]" has evolved into "Evolving Guards of The Abyss[B+]".]
[You have obtained a new Title!]
[You have obtained the Title "Minor Lord of The Abyss".]
''What''s that Title? Also what''s new about my Skill?''
The next instant, bones hit the ground.
Mark turned around.
It was his Revived Monsters.
Unmoving bones on the ground.
''Shit... Did I lose them?''
[Correct.]
''So I don''t bring back Skeletons anymore?''
[Correct.]
''What do I bring back? Tell me about the Skill.''
[ Evolving Guards of The Abyss [B+]: A Magic Skill that grants the ability to revive 3 dead Monsters bying into contact with the remains of their body. Those Monsters wille back as Abyssal Monsters that will follow their Lord''s orders. They shall be the Lord''s Guards. The Guards Evolve after obtaining a certain number of Experience Points.]
Mark proceeded to use his new Skill on two of the bodies in front of him.
A dark and red aura rose from the bones.
That aura engulfed the two dead Monsters and expanded.
[You have brought back two Monsters from the dead.]
When it faded, two Monsters stood.
One was what looked like a red Orc.
''Scary...''
ck sharp horns were on its head.
It truly looked like the devil incarnate.
Its upper body was covered with armor made of bones.
The Orc had a long and thin tail.
The other Monster was a red wolf with ck spots here and there on its pelt.
Its ribcage was protected by sturdy-looking bones.
''It lost those Ogre arms, but that''s okay. They weren''t useful in the first ce. Had those arms been longer and able to reach in front of him, then they would have been a great addition. I bet you guys got stronger, huh?''
The Orc bent its body.
It took the Iron mace and the Wooden Shield on the ground.
''Picking up your weapons already, huh? Anyways, you two can go wild in a bit. For now, bring me either a dead Orc, Ogre or Small Golem. Go.''
The two Abyssal Monsters followed the order.
''I guess I''ll use the third one on me...''
Mark put his paw on the Winged Kobold''s Skeleton''s unmoving body and used his "Merging Bones" Magic Skill.
The Skeleton''s wings were separated from its body and were attached to Mark''s.
He spread them wide and pped them a bit.
After taking off, Mark fell to the ground a couple of secondster.
''This is tough...''
[Congrattions!]
[You have developed a new Skill.]
[You have developed the Passive Skill "Aerial Movements[G]".]
Mark tried flying once more.
This time, thanks to his new Passive Skill, it was a bit easier.
''I hate this. This body is obviously not made to fly. At least, not using wings made of Kobold bones. There was that Body Modification... Demonic Wings? Maybe I''ll get it. Anyways, this can help dodge attacks, I guess. I''ll try to upgrade the Skill a bit.''
...
The Abyssal Orc came back shortly after.
It was pulling the body of an Ogre on the ground.
[Your Title "Minor Lord of The Abyss" is resonating with one of your Skills.]
[Your Unique Title "Evolving Monster" is resonating with one of your Skills.]
[Your Skill "Merging Bones" is resonating with two of your Titles.]
[A new Skill is being born...]
Mark waited, but no further message came.
''I guess this one will take some time. Anyways, good job.''
[You have brought back one Monster from the dead.]
The Ogre''s green skin became red and two ck horns appeared on its head.
''You too can go. Kill every Monster. Take these. Bring me back a bunch of small Monsters.''
The horned Monsters followed their Lord''s orders.
''Too bad my Merging Bones Skill can''t create armor. The wolf and the Orc only got armor because the bones were part of their old bodies...''
Right after that, the red wolf appeared.
With a dead Orc on its back, it was pulling another one from its mouth.
''Would you look at that... You''re trying hard. Mm... I ordered you to get one, so howe you brought two? I guess it doesn''t really matter. I''ll use these two to strengthen your armor then.''
And as soon as Mark did touched the dead Monsters,
[A new Magic Skill is born.]
[You have developed the Magic Skill "Abyssal Unification"[C].]
The bones from the two Orcs extended the wolf''s already existing armor.
It now covered its legs, neck and shoulders too.
''Looking good. What does that Skill do?''
[ Abyssal Unification [C]: The ability to fuse together two Abyssal Monsters that are your Underlings. The Skill can not be used on Unified Monsters.]
''No way... This is good. Really good. I''ll soon have the ultimate Guards.''
Mark looked at his Revived Monster.
''I''m keeping you. The other two might get fused together though. Go. Defeat all the Monsters you see.''
The red wolf took off.
''Maybe I should name them. Although, that doesn''t matter since I will be changing them and fusing them a lot...''
Mark ran in the direction the Orc and Ogre had taken.
''I have to fuse them now. Otherwise, it''s wasted time and Experience Points...''
They were found pretty easily thanks to the "Demon Senses[D]" Passive Skill.
As soon as they noticed him, the two ran towards Mark.
Each one put a full Pouch in front of him.
They were full of diverse Monsters, but none that Mark hadn''t seen before.
''That''s good, but we''ll take care of itter. Stand close to each other and give me a hand each.''
The two Monsters obeyed right away.
Their hands were basically touching.
The Infernal Hound Skeleton raised its paw and touched both hands at once.
Suddenly, the two Abyssal Monsters felt an extremely strong gravitational pull towards one another.
A red aura engulfed the two Monsters as they fused into one.
[You have used Abyssal Unification.]
[You have given birth to a new Abyssal Monster.]
[Your new Guard is a "Four-Armed Abyssal Ogre[E]".]
The red aura faded and the huge Monster appeared.
It was three meters tall and had red skin.
Its fangs looked fierce.
Four muscr arms.
Its upper body and legs were covered in bone armor.
A lone ck horn was on its head.
The Monster took a knee in front of its Lord.
''You really look like a devil. How should I call you...''
The one-horned Monster raised its head towards its Master.
''Devil... Demons... Hell... Sinners...Oh. Sinners. Sin. That''s your name from now on.''
[You have bestowed the name "Sin" upon one of your Guards.]
''Alright, Sin. You have four arms, so take these.''
Mark bought three Iron Maces and a Pouch.
''Don''t forget to bring back some Monsters. A bunch of Hobgoblins and Winged Kobolds. Others don''t interest me. Go wild.''
? The Monster took the weapons gracefully and sprinted, happy to wreak havoc.
''So this is the form I could have evolved into... Although I would have been a normal Four-Armed Ogre. Anyways, this is tricky. I can only fuse Abyssal Monsters together. I have an uneven number of Guards. I can fuse the wolf with some other Monster, but I won''t be able to fuse my third Guard, since my other Guards would, then, be Unified Monsters...''
...
[Your Passive Skill "Aerial Movement[G]" has evolved into the Passive Skill "Flight[F]".]
''Finally...This practice thing really isn''t fun. Although it wille in handy for sure. I wonder when I''ll be able to fly for real, in an open ce... Anyways, those guys leveled up a lot. Hey, can I order my Guards from afar?''
[Yes.]
''I should have known... Alright, bring me a dead ck Wolf.''
The Revived Monsters took their time as ck Wolves weren''tmon, but both brought a ck Wolf of their own.
''I only needed one but this is good too.''
Mark revived one of the ck Wolves.
Two of Mark''s Guards were now Abyssal ck Wolves, except that one of them had armor.
He fused both of them together.
''I wonder what this will result in... The Orc and the Ogre fusion resulted in an Ogre with the Orc''s armor. The Orc''s body must have been used to make Sin''s second pair of arms...''
[You have used Abyssal Unification.]
Two ferocious heads stared at Mark.
[You have given birth to a new Abyssal Monster.]
[Your new Guard is a "Two-Headed Abyssal Wolf[E]".]
The Two-Headed Abyssal Wolf was twice asrge as ck Wolves.
Its pelt waspletely red.
Of course, it still had the bone armor that protected its shoulders and ribcage.
The Guard looked much tougher.
''Looks very cool. Let''s hope it''s strong too. Can I see his Status?''
[ Name: None
Species & Level: Two-Headed Abyssal Wolf Lv1 (0/400exp)
HP: 400/500
Endurance: 200/200
Mana Points: 400/400
Stats: Strength: 30
Agility: 29
Sense: 25
Vigor: 40
Endurance: 20
Mana: 40
Skill(s): Acute Senses.
Pierce.
Abyssal Bomb.
]
''Look at those Stats! You''re strong and have a Mana Stat, this is perfect! Can I get info on thatst Skill?''
[Abyssal Bomb[E+]: The user can shoot burning bombs made of Abyssal mes. Mana Cost: 70 Mana Points.]
''Wow! This is really good! Alright... Umm? From now on, I''ll call you Cer. From Cerberus.''
[You have bestowed the name Cer upon one of your Guards.]
Mark revived thest ck Wolf.
''Alright, Sin, Cer. You two can do as you want. Just stay away from the Guardian. As for you, stay with me.''
Mark fought various Monsters alongside his third Guard.
He let the Abyssal ck Wolf take all the Experience Points.
Mark did not kill one Monster.
He only weakened them to make sure his Guard could handle them.
Mark, of course, devoured the fallen Monsters.
...
Some timeter,
[Your Guard has leveled up!]
[Evolution is avable for your Guard.]
[Possible Evolutions:
1) Abyssal Dark Wolf.
2) Great Abyssal Wolf.
]
Chapter 8 The Guardian
?''You two aren''t close to evolving, are you?''
[Four-Armed Abyssal Ogre Level: 16.
Level necessary before Evolution: 40.
Two-Headed Abyssal Wolf Level: 13.
Level necessary before Evolution: 35.
]
''Huh? You can tell me that?''
Mark was obviously frustrated.
The System only answered questions when they were clearly formted.
It also didn''t answer every question.
Sometimes it wouldn''t answer.
Sometimes it would say that particr pieces of information were unavable.
''I''ve been letting you two grind for a long time and you''re not even halfway there. I guess the stronger a Monster is, the harder it''ll be for it to Evolve. Light,e here.''
An Abyssal Dark Wolf came to its Lord.
It was smaller than Abyssal ck Wolves, and its pelt was dark as night.
The red slits near its eyes were easy to miss.
''Show me the Status of my Guards. Oh, except Cer.''
[ Name: Light
Species & Level: Abyssal Dark Wolf Lv1 (0/300Exp)
HP: 200/200
Endurance: 200/200
Stats: Strength: 18
Agility: 38
Sense: 45
Vigor: 20
Endurance: 20
Stealth: 48
Skill(s): Acute Senses.
Fade Into The Darkness.
Sneak Attack.
]
Light''s Passive Skill "Fade Into The Darkness" made him practically invisible when hiding in shadows.
His "Sneak Attack" Passive Skill multiplied the damage from attacks by 2 if Light is not noticed by the enemy before attacking.
The two Passive Skills made a killerbo.
''High Sense Stat, high Agility and a Stealth Stat... Pretty impressive.''
[ Name: Sin
Species & Level: Four-Armed Abyssal Ogre Lv16 (2350/4500Exp)
HP: 960/960
Endurance: 360/360
Mana Points: 260/260
Stats: Strength: 66
Agility: 36
Sense: 26
Vigor: 96
Endurance: 36
Mana: 26
Skill(s): Self-Healing.
]
''You''re Level 16, so you gained 16 Stat Points on every Stat... Still, high Strength Stat and a very high Vigor Stat. You can even heal yourself. You guys go level up some more. Once Light reaches Level 10, we''re paying a visit to that Boss Monster.''
The three Abyssal Monsters obeyed.
''How strong is this Floor''s Guardian?''
[A particr Floor''s Guardian is strong enough to keep the Monsters from that particr Floor inside of it.]
[It is also strong enough to keep the weaker Monsters from the Floor above it on that Floor.]
''So it won''t let us go above, and it won''t let them go below... It''s stronger than the Monsters here, but that doesn''t tell me much. All my Guards are stronger than those here. What is its Rank?''
[That information is unavable.]
''I guess I''ll level up a bit too then.
...
Sometimeter, Mark reached Level 15.
Sin was Level 20, Cer was Level 18 and Light was Level 11.
''This should be enough. I never even went in the Guardian''s direction, so I don''t know what the area looks like. Hope I can escape if it''s too strong...''
Mark made his way towards the location of the Boss Monster.
The end of the corridor.
Huge doors stood in front of him.
At least six meters high.
''Open it.''
Sin stepped forward and used two of his strong arms to push it open.
The Four-Armed Abyssal Ogre had found that having two empty hands and two armed ones felt best.
Of course, Sin didn''t tell Mark about it.
He had just thrown away two of the four weapons Mark had given him.
''I''ll trust your judgment, Sin.''
The doors were heavy.
It was obvious they hadn''t been opened in a long time.
The group entered arge and dark room.
At the center of it, a torch hung from the ceiling.
It emitted just enough light to partially see one''s surroundings.
Mark could see pretty clearly though, thanks to his "Demon Senses[D]" Passive Skill.
On the other side of the room, was another set of huge doors.
Under the hanging torch, nine Monsters were sitting on the ground, munching on the bodies of dead Gray Wolves.
They were Orcs.
Behind them, a big wooden throne was upied by a tenth Monster.
It was twice as big as the other Orcs.
Its body was covered by armor made of iron.
On the ground were its weapons.
To its right, a big war hammer.
To its left, a wooden staff.
The Monster still hadn''t noticed Mark.
''What is it?''
[Tenth Floor''s Guardian.]
''Rank?''
[That information is unavable.]
''It''s about four meters tall. Even bigger than Sin...''
Mark had previously ordered his Guards not to move without his permission, so they were waiting for further orders.
''Light. It''s a dark room, so always stay hidden. Only start attacking after we do. Let''s aim for those Orcs first.''
Light moved towards the room''s edges, where it was darkest, and slowly approached the enemies.
''Sin. You wait until we take out those Orcs. After that, it''s a 1-on-1 between you and the Guardian while we assist you from afar.''
Sin readied his Iron Maces and took a couple of steps forward.
''You''re probably the only one who can fight that thing head-on''
Mark did not worry about the Underling though, as his Health Points stood at 1000.
Sin also had the Ogres'' "Self-Healing" Passive Skill.
''Cer. Take out those Orcs.''
The Two-Headed Abyssal Wolf immediately opened its two mouths.
In front of its sharp fangs, balls of raging mes appeared.
It was his "Abyssal Bomb" Magic Skill.
They were fired.
At the same time, Mark opened his mouth too.
A ball made up of some kind of ck liquid appeared.
He shot it towards the Guardian.
The three attacksnded at the same time.
Two Orcs started screaming in pain as their stomachs were burnt.
The Guardian, on the other side, was indifferent to Mark''s attack, as its chest was sshed by a ck liquid.
''Mmm... It probably has high HP. It''ll take a while for this to show any effet...''
It was Mark''s "Corrupting Bomb[E]" Magic Skill, the Evolved version of his "Venomous Bomb[E]".
Out of nowhere, ws shed an Orc''s throat.
Before he was noticed, Light moved back into the darkness.
The Guardian stood up.
It grabbed its wooden staff.
''Now that it''s standing... The Guardian is taller than I thought...''
As Sin started sprinting towards it, the Boss Monster pointed its staff.
A Fire Ball appeared in front of it.
''So it has Magic Skills...'' Mark thought as he shot another ck ball towards the enemy.
The Guardian''s Fire Ball flew in the air andnded on Sin''s extended arms.
His two hands were immediately scorched.
But the next instant, they started regenerating.
Sin was only a dozen meters away from the Guardian.
The Monster growled loudly, and the rest of the Orcs sprinted towards it.
In an instant, six Orcs positioned themselves in front of the Guardian.
Since the Boss Monster was twice as big as the Orcs, it continued shooting Fire Balls at Sin.
''Sin, dodge while getting closer. Light, attack the Guardian from behind. Cer, continue attacking the Orcs.'' Mark ordered as he started shooting sessive Fire Bombs at the Orcs.
Even though he was trying his best to dodge, Sin was not agile enough and the attacks usually grazed him or burnt his skin.
Twenty secondster, the six remaining Orcs died from Cer and Mark''s sessive Magic Attacks.
Shallow scars could be seen on the Guardian''s unprotected and yet tough nape.
Light was not powerful enough to properly damage even the bodyparts not covered by armor.
Sin swung both of his two Iron Maces.
The attacksnded on the Guardian''s defensively raised right arm.
Punch-
Sin''s whole body was pushed back.
Mark switched back to using his "Corrupting Bomb" Magic Skill on the Guardian.
''Gotta poison and paralyze him as quickly as possible!''
Two Abyssal Bombs hit the Guardian''s shoulders.
While it didn''t deal much damage, the attack blew away the Monster''s shoulder armor.
Light did not miss the opportunity and sank his fangs into the Guardian''s left shoulder.
Thetter instantly let go of its wooden staff.
More ck liquid sshed the Guardian''s body.
The Boss Monster grabbed Light with both its hands and threw him down.
Light''s body bounced off the ground with great force.
The wolf cried in pain.
A momentter, the Guardian coughed up drops of ck blood.
''All these Corrupting Bombs and it''s only at this stage...''
A Monster coughing up ck blood was the first sign that Corrupting Bomb was working and damaging that Monster.
Its blood was not originally ck.
It was the Magic Skill''s effect.
It corrupted the enemy''s blood, and eventually, its internal organs.
''Everyone''s Health Points?''
[ Your HP: 270/270
Sin: 830/1000 (Healing.).
Light: 140/310.
Cer: 580/580.
]
''Light lost that much?! Light, stay hidden in the darkness. Only attack using your ws. Don''t let the Guardian touch you.''
The Abyssal Dark Wolf quickly got up and ran away.
The center of the room was where it was brightest, and where the Guardian stood.
Sin was swung his weapons.
The Guardian used its strong arms to counter.
The difference in size was obvious.
It was enough to make Mark doubt the probability of sess.
''Still, the Orcs are gone. It''s just him. Cer, stay next to the walls. Go towards the other side of the room. From there, you can attack without worrying about Sin.'' Mark ordered as he pped the wings he had strengthened many times using Merging Bones.
The ceiling was about 10 meters high.
Mark flew towards Sin andnded behind the Guardian.
He kept his wings spread wide, ready to fly away if necessary.
While Sin was swinging his weapons, Mark used his "Infernal Breath" Magic Skill.
A powerful stream of red fire exited his mouth.
''Sin, keep it upied.''
The Four-Armed Abyssal Ogre started swinging its weapons and using its unarmed hands to punch and grab the Guardian.
Cer arrived at the other side of the room and started shooting Abyssal Bombs.
He could shoot them faster now.
Even though Mark was between Cer and the Guardian, Mark''s body was very smallpared to Sin''s, which made aiming safely a lot easier.
A couple of secondster, the armor on the Guardian''s back hadpletely melted.
The Boss Monster''s armor fell to the ground.
For the first time, the Guardian shouted in pain.
The attacks were now hitting its back directly.
It turned around suddenly, leaving its back to Sin.
''These attacks sting more now, don''t they?'' Mark thought as he flew away.
The Guardian shot Fire Balls at him, but Mark easily dodged.
''Good thing I practiced this a lot.''
An Abyssal Bomb exploded on the Guardian''s face while iron maces hit its sides.
The Boss Monster grabbed its staff with both hands and swung it with all its strength at Sin''s stomach.
Thetter wasunched away as he threw up blood.
Light shed the Boss Monster''s bare back.
The Guardian understood that it was surrounded.
Sin from the front, Cer from the back, Mark and Light from the sides.
It shot multiple Fire Balls at the numerous enemies before throwing away the wooden staff.
''Does this mean it''s getting serious..?''
With its war hammer in hand, the Guardian ran towards Sin.
Cer, who had run out of Mana Points, started running towards the Guardian.
More ck liquid fell on its body.
It was basically covered by it.
''Shooting towards wounds makes the Skill''s effect stronger, but... It only has small shallow wounds...''
The Guardian raised its weapon above its head with both arms.
Sin defensively raised his four arms.
He knew that he was not strong enough to take a hit from the huge Monster, so he also quickly stepped back.
Cer sneakily sang his fangs into the Guardian''s side.
Even though the Guardian could not use all of its strength due to the Cer''s surprise attack, the war hammer was mmed down with great strength.
Four red arms spun in the air as massive amounts of blood spurted.
Both Sin and Cer quickly jumped away.
''Too bad Sin''s arms aren''t covered by armor...''
The Guardian turned towards Cer, but it didn''t move.
Blugh-
Instead, it bent its body and threw up lots of ck blood.
Light shed its bent back twice and quickly stepped away.
Mark flew towards it and did the same, except that thanks to his "Fire ws[E]" Skill ,he could deal more damage.
''Gotta conserve those Mana Points...''
Sin and Cer did not attack, as one needed to recover Health Points, while the other needed Mana Points.
Marknded right next to the Guardian and used his "Infernal Breath[E+]" Skill.
The Guardian''s whole body was being torched.
It raised one of its fingers ever so slightly.
Mark noticed and flew away.
A Fire Bullet wasunched from that finger.
''Shit!''
It prated Mark''s right wing.
Having lost his bnce, Mark immediately fell to the ground.
[You have lost 10 Health Points.]
''Stupid weak skeleton body...''
The next instant, the Guardian stood up.
It was good news, but at the same time, the sight troubled Mark.
A river of ck blood was flowing down the Guardian''s eyes.
Chapter 9 To Revive Or Devour?
?ck blood was flowing down the Guardian''s face.
From its eyes, nose and mouth, it was bleeding.
''Finally. This means my Skill has corrupted all of its blood and most of its organs...''
Suddenly, a red ball of energy was formed in front of the Guardian''s mouth.
''Shit! Shit! Shit!'' Mark thought as he moved away.
The Boss Monster opened its mouth wide.
''What is it doing...''
The Guardian swallowed the ball of energy.
The next instant, the Monster seemed to be in excruciating pain as it fell to its knees.
''Alright! Die!''
Mark sprinted towards the fallen enemy.
His Guards did the same.
Once Mark was about ten meters away from the Boss Monster, he got a certain feeling.
''I''m going...
The Guardian suddenly raised its head.
''...To die, aren''t I?''
The Boss Monster opened its mouth and,
BOOM-
An extremely powerful stream of red energy was shot towards Mark.
He tried jumping away, but it was toote.
As the stream of energy was about to turn Mark''s weak and fragile bones to dust, something appeared in front of him.
A wide back hid him from the bright stream of energy.
''What are you...''
Mark froze in ce.
The Monster in front of him had a ck horn and four raised arms.
It was his Four-Armed Abyssal Guard, Sin.
''Doing...?''
Sin''s hands and arms were slowly being incinerated.
Mark''s mind suddenlw went nk.
The next second, a Two-Headed Abyssal Wolf and an Abyssal Dark Wolf stood in front of Mark.
''Don''t... Stand there. I can''t... See him...''
After a bit, the light that was emitted by the stream of energy faded.
Light and Cer turned back towards their Lord.
Both their heads and forelegs were burnt to a crisp.
Half their skull was visible.
Sin, on the other hand,
[One of your Guards has returned to the dead.]
Was nowhere to be found.
The only thing that Mark could see beyond his two remaining Guards was the Guardian throwing up more ck blood.
The next instant, it fell to the ground.
[You have defeated The Tenth Floor''s Guardian. 2500 Gold Coins and 5000Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated a Guardian.]
[You have been awarded 3 Skill Points.]
[You can now ess the Dungeon''s Ninth Floor.]
Mark didn''t read the messages.
Instead, he stared at the spot Sin had been standing seconds ago.
''I feel... Strange.''
A nostalgic emotion.
One Mark hadn''t experienced in a while.
''The same way I felt... Seeing that woman in my dream. I can''t remember her face or... Who she was but-''
Mark''s thoughts were immediately interrupted.
[The weaker Monsters from the Ninth Floor will descend into the Tenth Floor.]
[The Monsters will fight to determine which one has the right to be the Tenth Floor''s Guardian.]
''When will they do that?''
[In 5hours.]
''...''
Mark walked towars the spot Sin stood on a minute earlier.
''I''m shocked, he sacrificed himself for me... The other two were ready to do the same. I knew they were on my side, but...''
[Guards only live to defend their Lord.]
''Yeah... I guess.''
Mark walked towards the Guardian''s dead body.
''Should I eat it to evolve soon... Or make it my Guard?''
He thought about it for a bit but couldn''te up with the right answer.
''You guys stay here for a bit until your Health Points are back at full. After that, go hunt some Orcs and stuff.''
? The two Guards obeyed.
''I really want this guy as my Guard, but I also need a stronger body. Being a bunch of bones was good at first, but Skeletons have a very low Vigor Stat. My Health Points are too low. Tsk... I even have fewer Health Points than every one of my Guards. I guess I just have to evolve... But then, maybe having this guy as a Guard will make hunting and devouring Monsters from the Ninth Floor a lot easier. After all, it should be stronger than the ones above, right? Devouring this guy probably won''t be enough for me to evolve anyway. But turning it into my Guard means an instant increase in strength!''
Mark walked towards the unmoving body, ready to bring it back to life.
''Oh wait... I got Skill Points, right?''
[You currently possess 3 Skill Points.]
''Alright. Three is good.''
Mark looked at the list of Skills he had.
He hesitated between many Skills, but narrowed it down to 5 Skills.
They were:
Demon Senses[D], Infernal Breath[E+], Corrupting Bomb[E+], Abyssal Unification[C], and of course Evolving Guards of The Abyss[B+].
''The first one makes noticing enemies and attacks a lot easier. The two after that are my main offensive Skills. The other two strengthen my Guards, making them either stronger or more numerous...''
Mark made his choice a few minutester.
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Corrupting Bomb" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Corrupting Bomb[E+]" has evolved into "Corrupting Arrow[D]".]
''Not bad. The Skill will wound the enemy before starting to corrupt its blood using the wound it created as the poison''s entrance point...''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Abyssal Unification" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Abyssal Unification[C]" has evolved into "Abyssal Fusion[B-]".]
''So now I can fuse three Monsters together... I can also add a third Monster to Unified Monsters already made up of 2 Monsters... Still can''t fuse Unified Monster together which sucks...''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Evolving Guards of The Abyss" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Evolving Guards of The Abyss[B+]" has evolved into "Evolving Abyssal Underlings [A-]".]
''Now I can have 5 Guards... Guess they''re called Underlings now... Sin will be remembered as the only Guard I ever had, I guess...''
Mark walked around for a bit.
''Now, what should I do? Add the Guardian to one of my other Underlings, or just turn it into one? Probably thetter. It''s obviously strong enough on its own.''
Secondster,
[You have turned the 10th Floor''s Guardian into your Abyssal Underling.]
[Please name your Abyssal Underling.]
''I have to name it? Why?''
The huge Monster stood up.
Its wounds were healed and the ck blood that covered its body had disappeared.
Three ck horns were on its head.
Its skin turned red with a couple of ck stripes on its neck and chest.
The iron armor, that protected its legs, was still there.
''Mm. So you''re on my side now? I can''t get used to how quicklw they switch.''
[You will.]
Mark stared at the Ex-Guardian.
''You''re the first of 10 Guardians, huh? I don''t really like you since you cost me a Guard. Although... I didn''t really care about Sin. He was just an Orc and an Ogre fused after all, but his gesture was pretty cool. I hope you will be as cool as he was, Kal¨¨s. From Heracles, kind of... Since you''re strong and all.''
[You have bestowed the name Kal¨¨s upon one of your Underlings.]
The huge Monster took a knee in front of Mark.
''Show me his Status.''
[ Name: Kal¨¨s
Species & Level: Unique Abyssal Orc Chief Lv1 (0/5000Exp)
HP: 3500/3500
Endurance: 1000/1000
Mana Points: 500/500
Stats: Strength: 95
Agility: 30
Sense: 25
Vigor: 350
Endurance: 100
Mana: 50
Skill(s): Fire Ball.
Fire Bullet.
Life Force Stream.
]
''5000 Experience Points just to turn Level 2... Those Stats... Yeah, Sin had no chance against you. Life Force Stream? That''s what you used before... The Skill uses up 100% of your remaining Mana Points, 100% of your remaining Endurance Points and 90% of your remaining Health Points for that attack? That''s crazy... Must be why my corruption killed you after you lost so many HP... Although that attack would have easily killed me. Never use it without my permission.''
Kal¨¨s nodded and got up.
''Mmm... Cer and Light won''t Evolve this way. Should I fuse them with Monsters from the Ninth Floor? Wouldn''t it be better to just fuse Ninth Floor Monsters together? Cer, bring me a dead ck wolf. Light... Ummm... What should I fuse you with? Bring me whatever you feel like being fused with. Kal¨¨s, go bring me three Orcs or three Ogres.''
Kal¨¨s obeyed right away.
''Wait. Take your weapon.''
...
A bitter, in front of Mark were one ck Wolf, three Orcs, three Ogres and two Gray Wolves.
''Really, Light? You want to be fused with Gray Wolves? I guess that''s okay... Kal¨¨s, I asked for three Ogres OR three Orcs...''
Mark thought about how to fuse the Monsters.
''I should have revived Kal¨¨ster. While having five Underlings is great, the fifth one won''t be fused...''
Mark started by reviving the ck Wolf that Cer had brought and fused it with thetter.
[You have used Abyssal Fusion.]
[You have given birth to a new Abyssal Monster.]
[Your new Underling is a "Three-Headed Abyssal Wolf[E]".]
Cer looked the same, except that a third head was formed.
He had also gotten bigger.
''Nice. I''ll check the Statster.''
Mark then proceeded to fuse an Ogre and an Orc together.
''While Ogres are stronger than Orcs, Orcs are more agile. I''d like to go with two Orcs and an Ogre, but the Self-Healing Skill is pretty important.''
The result of the "Abyssal Fusion" was different this time.
[Your new Underling is a "Resistant Abyssal Orc[E]".]
''Resistant Orc, huh? It has the Skill "Rapid HP Regeneration" which is great. This is perfect. I''ll add a second Orc to the mix.''
[Your new Underling is an "Elite Abyssal Orc[E]".]
The Monster had a single ck horn on the side of its face.
It was bigger than other Orcs, stronger and more agile.
''It still has that Skill. This is the perfect oue I guess. I''ll think of a nameter.''
Mark turned towards the two dead Gray Wolves.
He revived one of them, fused it with Light before reviving the second one and fusing it once again.
The result was not what Mark had expected.
He didn''t know what to expect really.
[You have used Abyssal Fusion.]
[You have given birth to a new Abyssal Monster.]
[Your new Underling is an "Elite Abyssal Dark Wolf[E]".]
''So by using weaker Monsters that resemble the original one, I can make Elite Monsters...''
Light looked exactly the same, except that his stats had increased a lot.
Mark looked at his five Underlings.
Cer, the Three-Headed Abyssal Wolf looked like a creature straight from hell.
Light, the Elite Abyssal Dark Wolf was the Elite Version of an Evolved Monster.
Kal¨¨s was an Ex-Guardian who didn''t get fused, which meant that he could still get stronger.
The unnamed Elite Abyssal Orc with fast HP regeneration and high Stats was obviously a Monster to fear.
The fifth Underling was an Abyssal Ogre that was bound to either be reced or fused with stronger Monsters.
''How many Evolution Points do I have?''
[You currently possess 4350 Evolution Points.]
''Alright. Let''s go to the next Floor and get some more.''
Chapter 10 The Ninth Floor
?Mark looked at the huge doors that supposedly led to the Ninth Floor.
''We''re strong enough to go in... Right?''
Kal¨¨s pushed the huge doors and the group entered.
Beyond, was a huge staircase.
After walking up hundreds of stairs, the group arrived at the Ninth Floor.
''So the entry to the Ninth Floor is this cave, huh?''
Mark walked outside the cave.
Shock-
''Is that...''
The Ninth Floor appeared to be a huge exotic forest.
High trees, exotic flowers and green nts were everywhere.
''This looks...''
A weird feeling overtook Mark.
He shook his head.
The ceiling was very high and made of some kind of blue material, giving it the appearance of a blue sky.
It looked like it stretched out forever.
Mark pped his wings and took off.
Once he was high enough, he could see the whole Floor.
''The Floor is circr. It looks like an... Igloo? The ceiling goes down on the extremities of the floor... Forests...Jungles...Lakes... But they stretch for kilometers and kilometers. I wonder if-''
His thoughts were interrupted by a Fire Ball that approached him rapidly.
Mark dodged and went back to the ground where his Underlings were.
''I found the doors, but we should probably spend some time here to get stronger...''
The trees shook.
From it, a peculiar-looking beast appeared.
''It has the head of a rhinoceros... and the body of an Orc? Its whole body is gray though. Probably pretty resistant...''
The next instant,
BOOM-
''I can see you''re eager to test your strength, Cer. But wait for orders next time.''
Three Abyssal Bombs had hit the Monster''s body simultaneously.
It was thrown back by the attack.
The Wererhino stood back up.
''So three Abyssal Bombs were not enough to take it down? Its stomach is torched though.''
The Monster rushed forward, head first.
''Kal¨¨s, get rid of it.'' Mark ordered dismissively.
The Unique Abyssal Orc Chief took steps forward and stood in front of the group.
He raised his war hammer high above his head.
Once the Monster was close enough,
Crash-
Its skull was split open.
Although Mark was not impressed by the Monster''s strength, it was hard to judge it objectively, as his Underlings were extremely strong.
''Let''s explore for a bit. Kal¨¨s, you go that way. Cer and umm... the Orc, your two go this way. Light, you go with the Ogre there. Kill Monsters and bring them to me. Light, focus on using your stealth. Also, don''t go too far.''
The five Underlings obeyed and Mark started devouring the fallen Monster.
[You have gained 150 Evolution Points.]
''Any new Skills?''
[None.]
''I really would rather not fight before evolving, but I can''t stay here and do nothing... You guys bring back the Monsters you killed in front of the cave before going to kill some more afterward.'' Mark ordered as he followed the direction that Light and the Ogre took.
''Kal¨¨s is alone, but this group is still obviously the weakest of the three. I''ll support them from behind.''
After a bit, he found the Abyssal Ogre fighting some kind of werewolf.
The Underling was punching it repeatedly while trying to keep a safe distance between them.
Just as a Fire Ball appeared in front of Mark''s open mouth, Light appeared behind the Werewolf.
The Monster cried in pain as its bloody arm spun in the air.
The next second, Light disappeared, just as suddenly as he had appeared.
The Abyssal Ogre punched the Werewolf''s face with all its strength pushing it back.
Light finished it right after by sinking his fangs into its neck.
''Good.''
...
About two hourster, Mark, Light and the Ogre went back to the cave.
The Abyssal Ogre was carrying many dead Monsters, leaving it barely visible.
As they entered the cave, two mountains of dead Monsters were found.
Kal¨¨s was standing in front of an especially huge pile.
Cer was standing alone in front of another one.
The Orc had died a bit earlier, but it wasn''t really missed.
It hadn''t even been named after all.
''So they''re showing me which group did what? Kal¨¨s must have killed twice as much as you and the Orc did, huh? Good. I''m d to know you can hold your own on this Floor too, Cer. Alright. You put them down too.''
The Abyssal Ogre put down the Monsters that Mark, Light and himself had hunted.
''The four of you stand at the entrance of the cave. Make sure no Monsterse in.''
Mark''s hunger had awoken once more.
''Let''s dig in!''
He devoured Werewolves, Weretigers, Wererhinos, but also Great Poisonous Scorpions, Great Paralyzing Bats, Lizardmen and a Four-Armed Orc.
His Evolution Points kept going up and up.
After devouring all of them, Mark had a little over 25''000 Evolution Points.
[Evolution is avable.]
''Finally! I''m not sure I''ll evolve now, but show me the options.''
[You can Evolve into:
1) Horned Abyssal Lizardman.
2) Great Werewolf''s Skeleton.
3) Elite Abyssal Weretiger.
4) Elite Abyssal Wererhino.
]
''Ummm. That''s it? Just these 4? Being a Lizardman doesn''t sound great. The ones I''ve seen for now were pretty weak. The second one is a no-go since I''m sick of being a skeleton with low Health Points. The third one sounds very cool. Mmmh, I don''t like Wererhinos, they''re too bulky and not agile enough... Should I evolve or amass some more Evolution Points?''
Mark turned towards his Underlings.
''I don''t think this is the best long-term solution, but I''m sick of needing them to protect me.''
He took his decision right away.
''I need the ability to fight on my own.''
A minuteter, Mark passed out.
This time, he slept peacefully.
No dream disturbed his thoughts or sleep.
...
Once Mark opened his eyes, everything around him was different.
The colors, the texture of his surroundings.
Everything.
His sight was much more detailed.
He could smell things better.
''Huh?''
Mark took another deep breath in.
''Breathing is-''
Bump-
Bump-
Bump-
As soon as Mark had regained consciousness,
''Is that...''
Bump-
''My heart?''
Sounds were being emitted from his body.
The beating of his heart somehow made him feel nostalgic.
Mark stood up.
He was now two meters tall.
His pelt was red with many ck stripes.
Mark took a deep breath in, and his eyes widened.
''Being able to breathe... Feels good for some reason.''
He took two steps forward before losing his bnce and falling to the ground.
''Guess I''ll have to get used to this again...''
It was the first time in a while that Mark stood on two legs.
After five minutes, he made his way outside the cave.
His Underlings stood at his sides.
The Elite Abyssal Weretiger that Mark was, opened its mouth wide.
ROAR-
''This was a dumb thing to do. But it''s been so long since I could emit sounds-''
His thoughts were interrupted.
The ground and the trees shook.
Dozens of Monsters appeared, running towards the entrance of the cave.
Mark felt slight tension for a second,
''Fuck!''
Before realizing what was happening.
''Go towards the walls. Let them pass.''
Dozens and dozens of Monsters ran between the group and towards the staircase.
''So they''re going to fight to be the Guardian, huh? Let''s make thepetition a bit easier for them then.''
At the great swarm of Werewolves, Weretigers, Wereleopards and different Orc Species, Mark shot Corrupting Arrows and Fire Balls.
Cer shot Abyssal Bombs and the other Underlings tried taking down as many Monsters as they could.
After a bit, the swarm of Monsters was gone.
Most of them had made it down the staircase, but a lot of them died trying to get there.
''Show me my Stats.''
[ Stats: Strength: 45
Agility: 30
Sense: 35
Vigor: 50
Endurance: 45
Mana: 60
]
''Finally decent Strength and Vigor Stats...''
Mark devoured some of the fallen Monster.
''I guess you can go. You''re not needed anymore.''
His Underling, the Abyssal Ogre, turned into dust.
[One of your Underlings has returned to the dead.]
Mark revived others.
[You have brought back two Monsters from the dead.]
[They have be your Abyssal Underlings.]
The two were Abyssal Weretigers.
As Mark was an Elite Abyssal Weretiger, he was taller and bigger.
The two were fused together.
[You have used Abyssal Fusion.]
[You have given birth to a new Abyssal Monster.]
[Your new Underling is an "Elite Abyssal Weretiger[D-]".]
''So your body''s as strong as mine now, huh? Only difference is the Skills. Wait...''
Mark suddenly realized something.
Something extremely important.
''I am an Elite Abyssal Weretiger, right?''
[Correct.]
Mark''s heart started beating faster.
''I am an Abyssal Monster... Right?''
[Correct.]
His mouth was salivating.
''So I can fuse myself with other Abyssal Monsters?''
[Correct.]
Mark felt chills going down his spine for the first time in a very, very long time.
''I''ll devour those Monsterster. For now...''
Mark extended his hand towards his Underling and used the Skill "Abyssal Fusion".
Suddenly, it was pulled towards him.
[You have used Abyssal Unification.]
[You have given birth to a new Abyssal Monster.]
[You have used Abyssal Unification on yourself.]
[You have be a new Abyssal Monster.]
[You have be a "Unique Abyssal Weretiger[D]".]
''Unique, huh?''
Mark looked at his body.
''I kind of look the same. What changed?''
[Your body has been strengthened.]
[Your Stats have increased.]
''Show me my Stats then.''
[ Stats: Strength: 75
Agility: 55
Sense: 40
Vigor: 55
Endurance: 50
Mana: 75
]
''Wow...
He was dumbfounded for a bit.
''That''s an insane increase... Is that the power of Unique Monsters? Like the Kal¨¨s?''
Minutester, Mark started munching on the many dead Monsters.
''Show me the avable Body Modifications and Skills.''
Chapter 11 Nobility?
?In front of Mark, stood a Werewolf.
Its pelt was dark.
Drool was going down its sharp fangs.
Mark now stood as a Unique Abyssal Weretiger.
Red pelt covered by ck stripes.
Orange piercing pupils.
''Alright. Let''s test this new body!''
Mark sprinted towards the Werewolf.
Taking full advantage of his superior Agility, he shed the Monster''s body upward before it could react.
The Werewolf stepped back.
Mark''s "Fire ws[E]" Skill burnt the wounds left by the ws, but the next second,
[You have lost the Skill "Fire ws[E]".]
It was the second Skill he had lost.
The first being "Infernal Breath".
They were Skills that came with the body of an Infernal Hound.
And since he wasn''t one anymore, they were lost.
The Werewolf tried to counterattack but Mark grabbed its arms.
He squeezed the Monster''s wrists until they broke.
''Oh.''
It seemed the Unique Abyssal Weretiger was surprised by its own strength.
Mark opened his mouth and a Fire Bomb appeared.
[You have defeated one Werewolf. 100Gold Coins and 200Experience Points earned.]
''That was easy enough. Didn''t even have to use this...''
Behind Mark was a long tail resembling that of a scorpion.
It was the only Body Modification that was avable, apart from Sharp Fangs and Sharp ws.
''The tail''s tip is highly poisonous. I''d like to get used to it, since it''s a poison that doesn''t use Mana Points ...'' Mark thought as he devoured the Monster.
After hunting some more, he went back to the cave.
His heart refused to settle down.
''I can''t wait to test my strength against stronger Monsters!''
A bitter, his 5 Underlings came back.
Other than Cer, Light and Kal¨¨s, he now had two other Underlings.
One of them was thebination of two Werewolves and a Wererhino.
It had the body structure and agility of a Werewolf but also the sharp horn and the tough skin of a Wererhino.
''Physically, it looks wrong. But its strength is pretty good.''
The Underling was called Nor.
The second one was much smaller than all the other Underlings.
It was thebination of two Great Paralyzing Bats and one Great Poisonous Scorpion.
The result was an Elite Abyssal Venomous Bat that was as big as a cat.
Mark showed his sharp fangs at the Underling''s sight.
It might have been a smile.
If so, it was a monstrous one.
While its size was nothing to boast about, the potency of its venom was nothing tough at.
After inserting its fangs into a Werewolf, thetter died one minuteter.
The Underling Monster was simply called Bat.
''Bat is great for recon as he has a high Sense Stat. He and Light are great stealth types. Kal¨¨s and Nor are strong and bulky. Cer too. Additionally, he can also fight from afar very well. This is a pretty good team I''d say...''
...
A couple of hours passed after Mark''s Evolution into a "Unique Abyssal Weretiger".
''It''s time for us to go a little further.''
He was followed by his Underlings as they walked away from the cave.
Mark had previously ordered his five Underlings not to hunt Monsters that were further than three kilometers away from the cave.
Anything further than that was the territory of Monsters that seemed stronger.
''There are way fewer Monsters than when we first arrived. I guess we turned this into my territory.''
After a bit, they passed the 3 kilometers limit they had never crossed before.
In front of the group was a hugeke.
''That''s the one I had seen back when I was still an Infernal Hound Skeleton. Tsk. Can''t fly anymore...''
On theke, various Monsters were minding their own business.
Giant sea otters, crocodiles and even some Monsters that looked like an ancient dinosaur, the Pistosaurus, could be seen swimming at the surface.
But those were not the Monsters Mark was looking for.
The group walked closer to theke.
''Mmm...''
Dark shadows danced under the water.
''Pretty deep. Cer, let''s shoot those underwater Monsters.''
The next instant, abination of Infernal Bombs and Fire Bombs rained down on theke.
Huge waves sshed and bubbles started rising.
The peaceful Monsters on the surface were surprised at the sudden explosions and all turned towards Mark''s group.
Their eyes shined with anger.
Mark showed what looked like a smile.
''Come then.''
A Monster that resembled a big crocodile went underwater and started rapidly swimming towards the group.
But the next instant, that Monster''s body reemerged again.
It was lifted above the water, before being split in two by a huge pincer.
''Here we go. You should havee sooner.'' Mark thought as he readied himself.
A dozen or so gigantic crabs started emerging from the water and attacking the Monsters on the surface.
None of them stood a chance against the sharp pincers that cut Monsters in two like it was nothing.
''I''m guessing they can go onnd... Cer, let''s start shooting them. Try to shoot as many of them as possible. We don''t want them to die and sink. Let''s guide them to us. What are they called? Rank?''
[Simple Noble Crabs: [E+] Rank Monsters.]
''Simple Noble? What kind of name is that?'' Mark thought.
A series of explosions made water ssh everywhere.
Secondster, more than a dozen pairs of weird-looking eyes were looking at the group.
''Damn... Their shells are pretty hard. Some of them lost a leg, but not one of them died...''
The next instant, the "Simple Noble Crabs" started moving as fast as they could towards the group.
They even stepped on one another to get there faster.
''Let''s step back. There are 14 of them. Cer, only shoot the closest ones. Bat, try poisoning those all the way behind.
Three Infernal Bombs hit the closest Monster''s pincers.
It lost its two forelegs.
Mark raised his right arm towards the sky.
''Let''s try it.''
Above his hand, three balls of a ck liquid appeared.
A secondter, the balls of ck liquid changed shape.
They turned into sharp arrows.
Mark lowered his arm.
Instantly, the three arrows flew towards their targets, which were the closest Monsters.
Each arrow hit a Monster''s eye and wounded it.
They turned back to the liquid they were made of and entered the wounds.
It was Mark''s Skill "Corrupting Arrow".
The closest monster, which was already damaged by Cer, started crying blood that was dark as night.
A bitter,
[You have defeated one Simple Noble Crab. 600Gold Coins and 1200Experience Points earned.]
''Oh. 1200... Alright. Everyone step back.''
Mark and his Underlings stepped away from the iing Monsters.
Most had now left the water.
''Let''s have you level up. Kal¨¨s, use your Life Force Stream. Kill all of them.''
A red ball appeared in front of the Unique Abyssal Orc Chief.
He swallowed it.
A huge and powerful stream of energy was shot at the Monsters.
Mark''s eyes widened.
''It''s much more powerful than the one he had used before... His HP, MP and Endurance Points are practically full right now...I''m not getting any of those Experience Points but whatever.''
The stream of energy could easily prate the shells of the Monsters.
After all, the Magic Skill converted the Ex-Guardian''s life force into energy.
There was no way such an attack wouldn''t decimate the enemies it fell upon.
Kal¨¨s turned his head from right to left,pletely obliterating all the Monsters on theke.
[Your Underling Kal¨¨s has leveled up!]
[Your Underling Kal¨¨s has leveled up!]
''Maybe this wasn''t the best idea... Your Stats are so high that adding one Stat Point to them doesn''t help much... What level do my Underlings need to be at to evolve?''
[Three-Headed Abyssal Wolf Cer:
Current Level: 14.
Level necessary before Evolution: 50.
Elite Dark Wolf Light:
Current Level: 12.
Level necessary before Evolution: 30.
Unique Abyssal Orc Chief Kal¨¨s:
Current Level: 3.
Level necessary before Evolution: (MAXED OUT).
Elite Abyssal Venomous Bat Bat:
Current Level: 9.
Level necessary before Evolution: 25.
Modified Werewolf Nor:
Current Level: 7.
Level necessary before Evolution: 40.
]
''So Kal¨¨s is maxed out... Mmmm, maybe an Orc can''t really get much stronger than this? I''ll have to fuse you with Monsters stronger than you are so that you''re used to strengthen them instead of being the base for the newborn Monster in that case. I wonder if making my Skill evolve will, at one point, give me the freedom to fuse my Underlings however I want... Anyways, take these.''
Mark bought Healing Potions and gave them to Kal¨¨s who gobbled them right up.
The instant the Underling''s Health Points hit 50%, the ground started to shake.
''What now?''
Mark asked himself, amused.
Gigantic waves appeared on theke.
Something huge was about to leave the water.
Once it appeared, even though half its body was still underwater, Mark knew that this enemy was different than the rest.
His amusement had suddenly turned to worry in front of the Monster''s giant pincers.
''What is this?? It''s nothing like the others... The scale...Is too different!''
[Esteemed Crab King: [D] Rank Monster.]
''Rank [D], huh?''
Chapter 12 The Difference Between A Lord And A King
?The Monster walked towards the group.
More and more of its body could be seen, in all of its glory.
[Esteemed Crab King: [D] Rank Monster.]
It was about 7 meters tall.
Asrge as a bus is long.
Its shell was golden.
Mark ran towards its long foreleg and mmed both his fists against it.
A small crack appeared.
''Too strong... Cer, shoot its eyes. Bat, poison it from behind. Light, attack its eyes. Nor, distract it. Kal¨¨s, try breaking its shell somewhere.'' Mark ordered telepathically.
The King''s eyes shined red.
''Its eyes changed color! Is it a Skill or...?'' Mark asked himself as he quickly jumped back.
The Monster''s ws were much sharper than those of the previous Crab Monsters.
sh-
Light stealthily attacked the Esteemed Crab King''s right eye.
''Perfect. The only part not protected by that hard golden shell...''
Therge Monster stepped back as its vision was clouded by its own blueish blood.
Kal¨¨s jumped up toward the Monster''s head.
With all his strength, he lowered his huge hammer on the Esteemed Crab King''s head, right between its eyes.
A huge hole appeared in the shell, but only a couple of small blood drops spurted.
''So even his strength isn''t enough to damage it much. Even Kal¨¨s could only break the shell...''
Mark noticed that his Underling was breathing heavily.
It was the first time Mark had noticed something of the sort.
''Kal¨¨s. Step back until you recover some Endurance Points.''
A session of Abyssal Bombs exploded on the hole in the king''s defense.
The huge Monster ignored the attacks.
It swung its giant foreleg and pushed aside the closest enemy, Nor.
The Underling wasunched away and rolled on the ground for over 20 meters.
But Nor had inherited the resilience of the Wererhinos.
Therefore, a secondter, he was already up and running toward the Monster head-first.
Bat bit the king''s injured eyes, trying to inject as much venom inside of it as possible.
''With a body that huge, poison might not be the answer but...''
Mark raised his arm up.
''I''ll use all my Mana on this...''
14 ck arrows appeared above him.
Fwoosh-
The next second, all of them flew towards the king''s head and eyes.
Some of them prated its already injured eyes.
The majority of them hit the king''s unprotected head.
The rest missed their targetpletely.
The Esteemed Crab King immediately coughed up a bit of ck blood.
''The more arrows I throw at once, the harder it is to aim...'' Mark thought as he sprinted towards the Monster.
Nor hit the king''s hard shell with his horn, but that horn''s tip barely made a hole in the enemy''s shell.
Obviously annoyed, the Esteemed Crab King opened its mouth.
As if sucking in all the air around it, the Monster seemed to ballon up.
''Shit-''
The next instant, an extremely powerful stream of water was poured at the group.
Mark, Nor and Light were pushed away.
Nor, who had taken the stream head-on, lost a massive amount of Health Points before turning to dust.
[Your Abyssal Underling has returned to the dead.]
Light, on the other hand, already had low Health Points due to his low Vigor Stat.
''Fuck... Light, you step back. Kal¨¨s,e.''
Bat was still injecting poison into the king''s eye.
Cer, on the other hand, had run out of Mana Points.
Kal¨¨s and Mark both ran towards the king.
Both were aiming for the same spot.
The Monster quickly tried to cut them into two using its extremely sharp ws.
Mark, thanks to his high Agility Stat jumped up, avoiding the attack.
He continued running towards the king''s injured head.
Kal¨¨s, on the other hand, was not so fortunate.
He blocked the attack using his Warhammer but the Monster''s pincer destroyed it.
The sharp golden ws cut Kal¨¨s'' stomach as he stepped back.
A water stream fell on the injured Kal¨¨s and pushed him away with great strength.
''Mm... Shouldn''t have used that Life Force Skill previously. It''s too risky...'' Mark thought as he climbed on the Monster''s head.
Instead of attacking, he enjoyed the view of the battlefield for a bit.
''Kal¨¨s, step back. Light,e back in but be cautious. Cer, wait for me to get out of the way before attacking.''
Right after that, Mark extended his hand towards the Monster''s injured head.
''A King, huh? King of the crabs...''
A Fire Bomb appeared in front of it.
''Is that why you only attacked after your Underlings died?''
Mark shot three Fire Ball, as that was all his current Mana Points enabled him to do.
''Sucks to be a king then!''
The pain obliged the Esteemed Crab King to shake its body.
It tried reaching Mark, but it couldn''t get close to his position with its limbs.
Mark repeatedly stabbed the Monster''s unprotected head with his sharp ws.
Every time he stabbed it, massive amounts of blood poured out.
Every time he stabbed it, he could stab a bit deeper the next time.
But the Esteemed Crab King could not suffer such humiliation.
It suddenly turned its body upside down to squish the bug that was on its head.
But as it rolled sideways, Mark simply jumped down.
Hended on the ground safely.
The Monster was now upside down.
Hunger-
Its delicious and unprotected stomach was left bare for all to see.
''Fighting alongside my Underlings feels right. I guess that''s the difference, huh? Between a Lord and a King.''
[You have defeated one Esteemed Crab King. 1250 Gold Coins and 2500 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
''This guy was huge... But weak. The arrows were not that useful. Mmm, they do much better against Monsters without shells or scales. I''ll need to remember that...''
Saliva started dripping down Mark''s mouth.
In front of him, was a glorious feast.
''You guys protect me.'' He ordered telepathically.
Mark started biting on the Esteemed Crab King''s foreleg.
''For the first time... It tastes good!''
Taste was something Mark had just acquired after evolving into a Weretiger.
He devoured the king, 14 crabs and many other Monsters.
''Well...'' Mark thought as he stood up. ''That was a great fucking meal.''
He stared at theke that separated him from the rest of the Floor.
''How do we cross it now...''
Theke stretched from one end of the Floor to the other.
The distance to the other side was about 50 meters.
On that other side, was what looked like a dense forest.
''Guess we could swim but-''
Light howled and Mark turned towards him.
The next instant, Light started running and jumped.
''What the...? Really?''
He managed to cross the whole river in one jump.
Kal¨¨s and Cer did the same.
Of course, Bat didn''t need to, as he could fly.
''Alright. I guess I''ll try it... Worst-case scenario, I''ll just have to swim.''
Mark ran as fast as he could.
His feet hit the ground with a "BAM".
Mark jumped using all the strength he could muster.
He happily noticed that he had jumped a lot higher than he thought he could.
A secondter, he unhappily noticed that he had jumped way further than he should have.
Mark passed his Underlings andnded on the ground dozens of meters further.
''Ouf... Didn''t think I would-^''
As soon as he hit the ground, his feet sank into it.
''Huh?''
Mark wasn''t on the ground.
He hadnded on something that looked like a t tail.
As Mark followed that tail, he found its main body.
It looked like a chameleon.
And the chameleon was not happy.
It lifted its tail and threw Mark up and away from it.
''WHAT?''
He wasunched into the air.
''What the hell was that?''
Mark moved his limbs to try and stop spinning.
''How is that tail so strong?? Are chameleons actually strong animals??''
He went past the forest and fell just outside of it.
[You have lost 10 Health Points.]
''At least this body is tough...'' Mark thought as he got up.
He looked around.
''Where did Ind-''
Grunt-
''Shit...''
Four Monsters were staring at Mark.
They stood on two legs and slowly approached.
When the distance between them and Mark was about 10meters, they started banging on their chests with their fists.
''Goris, really??''
Mark wasn''t really scared of the Monsters.
Still, it had been a while since he wasn''t the one with the advantage in numbers.
''Come here. Quickly-'' Mark ordered telepathically.
Before he could finish his thought, a strong punch hit Mark''s stomach.
"Argh-"
He immediately fell to the ground and coughed up a bit of blood.
[You have lost 120 Health Points.]
''What the hell was that?''
[ Elite Mutated Goris: [D-] Rank Monsters.]
''One rank weaker than the king. Four of them and... I''m fighting alone??''
Chapter 13 The Chimera
?In front of Mark were four [D-] Ranked Monsters.
''That was my Rank as an "Infernal Hound Skeleton". Shouldn''t be worried..''
Mark studied the Monsters.
''But it''s different. Unlike how I was, their high Rank stems from their physical strength. Mine came from my Skills.''
He quickly got up.
''It''s been a while since Ist fought alone...'' Mark thought.
The Monster that had just punched him tried mming its fists on his shoulders.
Mark dodged the attack by stepping sideways and stabbing the Monster''s chest with his ws.
''Huh... Alright.''
To Mark''s surprise, only his ws prated the enemy''s body.
He had expected his whole hand to do so.
Tiny drops of blood went down the Elite Mutated Gori''s body.
It tried punching Mark once more.
The Monster''s fist traveled extremely fast towards Mark''s face.
Thetter dodged by a hair''s breadth before hitting the Monster''s elbow with great strength.
Crack-
The Elite Mutated Gori growled from the pain it felt as its right arm was broken.
Mark jumped back.
''My ws are no good. Good thing they''re noting at once...''
Indeed, the other three Monsters were spectating from afar, as if waiting for their turn.
''Let''s focus on this one for now.''
A wide smile could be seen on Mark''s face.
''That was the first time I felt pain in a while by the way. Since I used to be a skeleton and all...''
The Monster got down on all fours and started running towards Mark.
A Fire Bomb appeared in front of Mark as he ran forward.
Only once the two were about 3 meters apart, was the Fire Bombunched.
It exploded in the Monster''s face.
The attack didn''t hurt much, but the smoke created was enough to blind the enemy for a second.
That second was enough for Mark''s sharp fangs to sink deep into the Monster''s thick neck.
[You have defeated one Elite Mutated Gori. 800 Gold Coins and 1600Experience Points earned.]
''Which one next?''
A huge chunk of the Monster''s neck was in his mouth.
The three remaining Elit Mutated Goris stared at Mark as he swallowed the stolen part of their fallenrade''s neck.
They hit the ground with their fists.
The next second, two of them started fighting.
''Fighting to decide who''s next, huh? Fine by me-''
Suddenly, the third enemy came running towards Mark.
The two grabbed each other''s hands in a showdown of strength.
Mark was definitely more agile than the Elite Mutated Goris.
He tried squeezing the Monster''s hands, but he could not break them.
The other two Elite Mutated Goris noticed theirpanion''s trickery and stopped fighting.
''I guess our Strength Stats are about the same. But I have this...!''
Mark''s poisonous tail, which resembled that of a scorpion, prated the side of the Monster''s neck.
Massive amounts of poison started entering its body right away.
The Elite Mutated Gori tried to break free, but Mark did not let go until the other Monsters had closed the distance.
Mark quickly jumped back.
The three Monsters followed him.
''You can try all you want...''
All Mark did was dodge and jump away.
''But you won''tnd a hit.''
Secondster, the poisoned Elite Mutated Gori fell to the ground.
Only then, did Mark stop running.
''Two down, two left. Come at me.''
The next instant,
Fwoosh-
A dark shadow passed between the two Elite Mutated Goris.
Their necks were shed.
It was not a fatal injury, but still a dangerous one.
''Took you long enough.''
Red bombs of Abyssal Fire exploded on the two Elite Mutated Goris.
Kal¨¨s joined the bunch by mming his fists on the Monsters.
They fell to the ground right away.
Mark looked at his Underlings.
They were covered in blood, but not heavily injured.
''The Monsters in the forest didn''t let you get here easily, huh?''
Still, Mark let them take care of the remaining Elite Mutated Goris while he devoured one of the fallen ones.
After that, they were dealt with, Mark revived two of the Monsters and fused them together.
A red gori with what looked like horns going out of its shoulders was born.
''Huh...''
[Unique Abyssal Mutated Gori[D].]
''Yeah. It does look unique...''
The group kept walking away from the cave that Mark considered his base.
They found many many Monsters.
Great Mutated Crocodiles that were as big as buses, Great Thunder Eagles that could shoot thunderbolts and even massive turtles that could stand on two legs were the norm on the Ninth Floor.
Of course, all in the way were ughtered and devoured.
...
''Already? Either this Floor is a joke or I''m too strong... Can''tin though. Better being too strong than too weak.''
In front of the group, were the huge doors that separated them from the Boss Room.
''Mmm. Let''s do this.''
They entered.
Right away,
FWOOSH-
A huge Fire Ball wasunched towards them.
Thankfully, every Underling and Mark could dodge the attack.
''Shit...''
Still, he couldn''t help but feel like he had lost the initiative, as his Underlings had scattered away from the doors they hade in from.
Mark turned in the direction the attack hade from.
There, he found a Monster that made him doubt his own eyes.
It stood on four legs, covered with green scales.
It had the posture of a tiger.
The Monster had a tail that resembled that of a giant lizard.
Its head was that of a lion''s.
A majestic mane was on its neck.
Its chest, stomach and back were protected by a tough-looking shell, simr to a turtle''s.
The Monster spread its huge wings.
Yellow shiny eyes stared directly at Mark.
''The Floor''s Guardian. A Chimera, huh?''
This Boss Room was a lotrger than the previous one.
Its ceiling was also much higher.
[Ninth Floor''s Guardian.]
''Yeah. I got that already.''
In front of Mark and his Underlings, stood a 25 meters tall Monster.
It was bigger than any Monster Mark had previously encountered.
''Even that crab king or the great crocodile Monsters are small inparison...''
The Guardian looked at Mark with its fierce eyes without moving.
It stood proud and tall.
''After making the first move, it''s now waiting? Cer, start the attack! Light, attack from the sides whenever you can.''
Immediately, three Abyssal Bombs were shot.
With a flick of the Guardian''s tail, the iing bombs exploded.
The Chimera had lost the tip of its tail, but,
''Serves you right-''
The next second, that tail started growing back.
''It regenerates fast. Wonder if it''s just the tail or its whole body... Let''s start!''
Mark, Kal¨¨s and the new Unique Abyssal Mutated Gori Underling ran towards the Guardian.
Bat flew towards its head, trying to either catch its attention or insert venom through a weak point.
Light was stealthily getting closer.
Cer stayed behind the rest, firing Abyssal Bombs again and again.
The Chimera Monster looked at the ants in front of it with great disdain.
After waiting for the enemies to get close enough, the Guardian used its tail to sweep the whole area in front of it.
The gori Underling was about to get hit by that tail when he turned his body, tackling the iing tail with his shoulder.
As his Abyssal Horns were located on his shoulders, they prated the tail and made the chimera retract it.
Still, the tail''s momentum pushed the Underling aside.
''Nice...''
Mark, who was more agile than Kal¨¨s, arrived at the Monster''s feet first.
He went under the Guardian.
''Let''s aim... For your stomach!''
Using all his strength to jump with his arms raised high,
''Fuck.''
Mark''s ws barely managed to scratch the Guardian''s tough shell.
As he fell back down, the Monster lowered its head and shot a Fire Ball below its body.
But that was expected.
Mark used his Skill "Stone Armor".
It temporarily covered his body with hard protective stones.
Meanwhile, Kal¨¨s had jumped towards the Guardian''s head and grabbed its majestic mane.
The next instant, fangs appeared from the darkness and sank into the Chimera''s neck.
Bat started injecting his venom.
''Going well enough...'' Mark thought as the burnt protective rocks fell from his body.
The Ninth Floor''s Guardian shook its head.
It spread its wide wings.
''Seriously, in here...?''
The Chimera took off.
Due to the pressure, Kal¨¨s could not hold onto its mane.
The room was big enough for the Monster to fly, but it didn''t have much space to move.
It started attacking by shooting more Fire Balls.
Mark raised his arm.
Twelve ck arrows appeared and quickly flew towards the flying target.
Each one of them hit the Guardian''s body.
On the other hand, Kal¨¨s was hit by one of the Chimera''s Fire Balls.
Another Fire Ball burnt part of Light''s body.
''We''re taking damage. Health Points of everyone? Retreat. Focus on dodging those Fire Balls for now.''
[ Your HP: 570/600
Cer: 780/780.
Light: 380/510.
Bat: 170/170.
Kal¨¨s: 3500/3900
Unique Abyssal Mutated Gori: 960/1200
]
''Alright. I''ll buy 5 Mana Potions.''
The blue potions appeared and Mark swallowed them one by one as he ran and dodged the Fire Balls.
Cer, Mark and Bat were the only ones who could both attack and dodge.
Although Bat did have it easier, as he was glued to the Chimera''s body, injecting his venom without even being noticed.
Fire Balls, Corrupting Arrows and Abyssal Bombs were shot back and forth.
After about two full minutes, the huge Monster stopped pping its wings andnded on the ground.
ck blood was flowing down its nose.
''Attack!''
The Chimera folded its wings andunched itself towards Kal¨¨s.
The Monster''s huge pawnded on thetter''s strong arms.
It tried to squish him like a bug.
But Kal¨¨s was stronger than the Chimera had expected.
He managed to push its paw back.
''Good one-''
The next instant, Mark, who was standing behind Kal¨¨s, was taken by the Chimera''s fangs.
''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!''
The sharp fangs were sinking into Mark''s stomach.
Thetter tried using his arms to spread open the Guardian''s jaw, but the difference in strength was obvious.
''Shit! You all attack!! AGHH!''
Mark couldn''t use his "Stone Armor" Skill either, as he had used all his Mana Points to shoot "Corrupting Arrows".
He managed to stop the Chimera from biting into his body any further, but his Endurance Points were draining fast.
Light climbed up the Guardian''s body and started shing its neck repeatedly.
Cer shot Abyssal Bombs towards its eyes.
The pain only made the Chimera bite down harder.
''Fuck! Kal¨¨s! Use that Life Force Stream!''
BOUM-
Only after the red stream of energy appeared, was Mark freed from the Chimera''s fangs.
He quickly jumped away while healing himself using Healing Potions.
ROAR-
A huge hole through the Chimera''s body was left by Kal¨¨s'' attack.
Its diameter was about two meters.
Mark could see the other side of the room by looking through the hole in the Guardian''s body.
''Shit...''
The attack had been shot at the Monster''s shell, the most protected part.
''If you had shot its head... Tsk. I guess I might have been hit too then. Still, the neck would have been...''
The Guardian was enraged.
It roared loudly and a yellow aura covered its entire body.
''Kal¨¨s, step back. The second phase is starting, I guess? Tsk, this is the only real damage we managed to inflict for now is-''
Suddenly, lightning bolts appeared on the Guardian''s wings, ws and tail.
The Guardian pped its wings towards Cer.
''Move away-''
Two lightning bolts were shot.
As could be expected from lightning bolts, their speed was insanely high.
Even though Cer tried dodging, both hit his body.
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
Chapter 14 Pain
?''SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!!''
A loud roar shook the whole room.
''Stay away from it!''
Not only were numerous lightning bolts being shot in random directions from the Guardian''s body, but its body was also covered by an electric aura that had damaged Kal¨¨s as soon as he got too close.
Despite his high Agility Stat, Mark could barely dodge the lightning-quick attacks.
He had no time to think about his Underlings.
''Should I buy time until it runs out of Mana or Endurance? Will it even run out-''
[You have lost 10 Health Points.]
''...Before I die? Or will I die before that?''
A thunderbolt had grazed his cheek.
Mark dodged the attacks and ran in circles around the Monster.
The Chimera''s whole body was covered by the electric aura.
''The hole Kal¨¨s made in its shell...''
Except for one spot.
''It''s not protected!''
Mark briefly turned away from the Guardian and found Kal¨¨s on the opposite side of the room.
''Kal¨¨s,e!''
The next instant, the Underling turned away from the Chimera.
Without caring one bit about the lightning bolts or the huge Monster trying to kill, he ran towards his Master.
The huge Unique Abyssal Orc Chief grabbed Mark''s body.
''Let''s do this!''
With great strength, Mark was thrown towards the Guardian.
Mark flew in the air towards the huge Monster, his ws extended in front of him.
''Nice... Aim!''
Once the distance between him and the Chimera was but a few meters, a thunderbolt hit him directly.
Electricity permeated through his body.
''AGHHH!''
Mark''s muscles twitched by part of his body was scorched.
Still, it didn''t change his trajectory.
Evolving into a Unique Abyssal Weretiger had given Mark great physical strength.
But with that, came tissue, muscles and nerves.
Therefore, pain.
Marknded inside the Monster''srge wound.
''FUCK! FUCKKK!!''
He used his ws to stop his body''s momentum.
It was barely enough to stop him from exiting the hole from the other side.
''FUCKKK!!''
A mix between roars and cries echoed.
''Those lightning bolts... Fuck! FUCK!''
Mark''s left arm had been obliterated.
Completely turnt to dust.
''YOU FUCKING...! FUCK!''
Using the rage and excruciating pain he was experiencing, Mark shed the Guardian''s body with the ws of his remaining arm.
''WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU EVEN NEED A SHELL FOR?''
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
Mark singlemindedly shed with his single arm and desperately used his fangs to further damage the Monster.
''ITS MUSCLES ARE SO TOUGH! FUCK''
Once his Mana Points regenerated a bit, Mark either shot Corrupting Arrows or Fire Bombs.
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
Mark kept attacking, again and again.
So much so, that it even started meaningless at one point.
''Why won''t this fucker fall already??''
But eventually, the lightning bolts stopped.
No matter how big a Monster was.
No matter how high its Stats were.
If damaged enough,
Thump-
It would fall to the ground.
Only then did Mark exit the Monster''s wound.
He moved towards the Guardian''s head.
It was still alive, but it could not move.
ck blood covered most of its face.
Its mane was tainted by it.
The light in the Chimera''s eyes was slowly fading.
''That was...''
Mark quickly turned around.
Only two of his Underlings were standing.
Kal¨¨s'' body had been scorched.
The side of Light''s face was burnt.
''My most durable Underling and my most agile one. Tsk...''
Mark remembered the tip of the Guardian''s tail.
He turned towards that tail.
It hadpletely regenerated.
''Mm...''
Mark drank Healing Potions to get his Health Points back at full.
The pain seized.
His wounds closed.
But his left arm did not grow back.
''Does this mean I''ll stay like this until I evolve?''
Mark walked towards the Guardian''s tail and cut it using his ws.
After a second, it started growing back.
''Mm... Must be using Endurance points to grow it back. I''ll keep doing this until it runs out of Endurance Points.''
Mark waited for the tail to grow back, before cutting it again.
...
Ten minutester, the Guardian''s tail stopped growing back.
Mark walked towards the Chimera''s head.
He inserted his arm deep into its eye.
''Die, you sturdy fuck.''
Once his arm was deeply embedded in there, Mark shot a series of Fire Bombs.
[You have defeated The Ninth Floor''s Guardian. 7500 Gold Coins and 15000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated a Guardian.]
[You have been awarded 3 Skill Points.]
[You can now ess the Dungeon''s Eighth Floor.]
Mark read the floating messages as he started devouring one of the tails he had cut from the Guardian.
After devouring the 10 tails he had cut, Mark started thinking about his next step.
''This is bad. Very bad. My offensive Skills are a joke. And now...''
He brushed over his left shoulder where, minutes earlier, an arm was.
''Tsk. That Life Force Stream is the only reason we won. I also lost 3 of my Underlings. Cer... Fuck. I thought the previous Guardian was tough because I couldn''t fight on my own, but... FUCK!''
Enraged, Mark punched the Chimera''s unmoving body.
''These 3 Skills Points... The way I use them will determine my rate of survival on the next Floor.''
Mark turned towards his Underlings who were now all healed up.
''Having strong Underlings is important, but it was barely enough against this Guardian. I need to get stronger... Much stronger. My only offensive Skills are Corrupting Arrow and Fire Bomb. Can''t I use Skill Points to buy Skills or something?''
[Your request is being processed...]
[Analyzing...]
[Calcting...]
[Your request has been denied.]
''Tsk. At least I know I can request things from the System now. The request has been processed and denied. Means it might be epted at one point in time?''
[That is possible.]
''Mm. Let''s revive this guy for now.''
[You have turned the 9th Floor''s Guardian into your Abyssal Underling.]
[Please name your Abyssal Underling.]
The huge Monster was healed up.
Its majestic lion mane became red.
The shell that protected its body was ck, just like its limbs.
The Monster''s lizard tail was now covered with ck spikes.
Mark stared at the Underling with disdain.
''So those Abyssal Horns appeared on its tail... The gori had them on his shoulders... Funny how that works. Guess it depends on the Monster. Show me his Status.''
[ Name: (None)
Species & Level : Abyssal Thunder Chimera Lv1 (0/10.000Exp)
HP: 10.000/10.000
Endurance: 1000/1000
Mana Points: 2000/2000
Stats: Strength: 170
Agility: 45
Sense: 45
Vigor: 1000
Endurance: 100
Mana: 200
Skill(s): Great Fire Ball.
Piercing Thunder.
Protective Thunder.
]
Mark stared at the huge Monster that stood in front of him.
His newly acquired Underlingy down on the ground.
It moved its tail from right to left.
The Underling lowered its head, as if bowing in front of its new Master.
''Yeah, you better. You little shit.''
No enemy had inflicted as much pain upon Mark as the Chimera.
And yet, he had decided to revive it.
''I guess reviving old enemies... Is devouring too in a way, right? Not like I wanna evolve into you. Couldn''t anyway even if I devoured you...''
Mark turned towards the huge doors that separated him from the Eighth Floor.
He suddenly felt extremely frustrated.
''Fuck!'' Mark thought.
He punched the ground with his only arm.
''Just like my Underlings, I, too, was brought back from the dead. I can''t remember anything my past. This is such a pain. All I can do is climb and climb. FUCK...''
Mark walked around the room for a bit, fuming.
''At first, it was okay since I got to live. But every time, I get so close to death. Every fucking time. This was way too close. Every Floor Guardian has been strong enough to take away my life. I just got lucky. I just got lucky... Twice...''
Veins appeared on the white of his eyes.
His arm started shaking.
''Even though I beat all the Monsters on both Floors... They don''tpare to the Guardians. Not even close... I thought I was well prepared, but my strength was far from enough, AGAIN!''
Mark''s thoughts started racing.
''Where did I mess up? Was it my Evolution choices? What if I had not chosen the Infernal Hound''s Skeleton? Would that have been better? Is that when I messed up? Should I have be a Skeleton Mage? Or that Weakened Inferior Demon? But then... I would not have developed the Skill that allows me to have Underlings...''
Mark walked towards the huge doors that separated him from the Eight Floor.
He stared at them for a bit, before sitting on the ground with his back against those doors.
''This is one Dungeon... One Dungeon out of many, right?''
[Correct.]
''If I get to the Floor at the top, I''ll be able to leave?''
[The top Floor of this Dungeon is above the ground.]
[Once it is clear, it is possible to leave the Dungeon.]
''Mm...''
[Temporary Leave will be allowed once the Fourth Floor has been Cleared.]
''Is that so? Good. I mean, that''s great...''
For some reason, Mark didn''t feel that excited about the presented possibility.
''Still, my appearance is... Is there even anything for someone who looks like a Monster to do in this world?''
[That information is unavable.]
''Right...''
Mark directed his gaze to his Underlings.
''Chimera... Chimera... Kim? Mera? I have no idea how to name you honestly. Still, you''ll probably stay with me for a while since you''re so strong. Gotta give you a name. How about Kira? Yeah, that sounds pretty good. Let''s go with that.''
[You have bestowed the name "Kira" upon one of your Underlings.]
''Three Skill Points... I''ll probably get those every time I beat a Guardian. I''ll use these three to strengthen myself instead of my Underlings. It really sucks that I lost Infernal Breath...''
Mark shook his head.
''I only have Corrupting Arrow and Fire Bomb. Corrupting Arrow is strong, but it needs time to inflict enough damage on big Monsters. It''s a perfect Skill for Monsters without shells or drawn-out fights. Fire Bomb, on the other hand, is pretty weak. Using a Skill Point on a weak Skill sucks since I don''t get that many of them. What else could I use it on...''
Mark suddenly remembered a Skill.
''Maybe what I need is... A weapon?''
It was a Skill he hadn''t used in a long time.
''I''ll use one Skill Point on my Skill "Merging Bones".''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Merging Bones" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Merging Bones[E]" has evolved into "Bone Smithing[E+]".]
''What does it do?''
[Bones from dead Monsters can be used to create Weapons or Armor.]
''Mmm... What I wanted, I guess. Having weapons might help. I''ll use another Skill Point on Bone Smithing.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Bone Smithing" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Bone Smithing[E+]" has evolved into "Bone Maniption[D+]".]
''So? The difference?.''
[Bones from dead Monsters can be manipted however the user wants to.]
[Mana Consumption is calcted depending on different factors.]
''Alright. I guess I''ll need a dead Monster to try this Skill. Kal¨¨s, go back to the Ninth Floor and bring me the first Monster you find.''
The Underling obeyed.
''Thest Skill Point... I''ll use it on Corrupting Arrow, I guess.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Corrupting Arrow" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Corrupting Arrow[D]" has evolved into "Corrupting Javelin[C-]".]
Mark decided to try out his new Skill.
Instead of a flying arrow, a ck javelin appeared in front of him
He held it tight.
''Weird. Am I supposed to throw it?''
[Correct, but not exclusively.]
''I guess I can also use it as a weapon, huh?''
Mark tightened his grip around the ck javelin and threw it with all his strength towards a wall.
The javelin pierced the wall deeply before turning into the ck corrupting liquid it was made of.
''It''s just like the arrow, but with more power...''
[The Potency of the Corrupting Poison is also higher.]
''I see...''
Kal¨¨s came back.
A dead Werewolf was dragged on the ground, leaving a trail of blood behind it.
Kal¨¨s threw it on the ground.
Mark walked towards it.
He raised his hand.
The bones from the Werewolf''s body exited its body and flew in the air.
''Alright. Let''s try...''
The bones were broken and reassembled to form a longsword.
The next instant, the longsword was broken down.
The bone fragments flew in the air and encircled Light.
They, then, turned into armor that covered his body.
Mark raised his arm up and the bones let go of Light''s body.
''This is pretty handy...''
The bones were reassembled and made a handful of bone spikes.
With a movement of Mark''s hand, the spikes flew towards the wall with great speed.
''That''s good. Very good. A third offensive Skill is obviously weed. It has many uses to. Oh, wait.''
The spikes were reassembled once more and formed a sword.
''So I can use the same bones as many times as I want?''
[Partially correct.]
[With repeated usage, the bones will be damaged and weakened.]
[Once the bones receive a certain amount of damage, you won''t be able to manipte them.]
''Yeah. That makes sense.''
Mark extended his hand forward and grabbed the sword made of a Werewolf''s bones.
[You can check your Item''s information.]
''Show me.''
[ Item: Werewolf Sword [E-]
A weapon made by using the bones of an average Werewolf.]
''Alright. It feels weird to have a weapon when I can use these ws, but it might be better to have more reach. Let''s try this out for a bit. Guess I''ll stay on the Ninth Floor for a couple more hours.''
Chapter 15 The Eighth Floor
?After a couple of hours, the Underlings and Mark made their way back to the Boss Room.
Mark was armed with a longsword made by using the bones of different Weretigers.
More specifically, the weapon was made using their fangs.
Kal¨¨s had a huge mace in his hands, made with the bones of an Elite Mutated Gori.
Additionally, all the Underlings and Mark had armor made with an Esteemed Crab King''s golden shell.
''It''s golden, but it''s not shiny. Guess it works. Sturdiest in this Floor...''
Mark looked at Kira, the Ninth Floor''s Ex-Guardian.
''You don''t need armor thanks to your shell. Feels weird to use you like a carriage though...''
On Kira''s shell.y 4 pouches full of bones that came from various Monsters that inhabited the Ninth Floor.
''This way, I can use those bones to attack right away. Although after killing a few Monsters, they won''t be necessary anymore...''
After theplicated battle against the Guardian, Mark now felt a bit better.
''The more Monsters I kill, the more bones I can manipte. The more Monsters are defeated, the more weapons I have. Losing an arm is a huge disadvantage, but it doesn''t have to be the death of me...''
Mark and his three Underlings walked towards the huge doors that led to the Eighth Floor.
He had decided not to fill out the two remaining spots with random Monsters.
''I''ll revive the first strong Monsters we beat on the other side. No reason to get weak Underlings.''
Just when Mark was about to open those doors,
''Oh. Any new Skills or Body Modifications?''
[New Skill avable.]
''Show me.''
[ Avable Skill:
1) Thunderbolt. Grants the ability to shoot thunderbolts. Mana Cost: 100 Mana Points. Cost: 10.000 Gold Coins.
]
''Mm. Sounds good. I''ll buy it.''
Mark stepped back.
''Kal¨¨s, you open it. I only have one arm after all.''
The Underling put his huge mace on the Floor and pushed the doors open.
They entered the Eighth Floor.
As Mark looked around, the space reminded him of the corridor he had first appeared in.
It was extremely dark inside, but Mark could see well thanks to his "Demon Senses" Passive Skill.
An eerie atmosphere reigned, as not one sound could be heard.
The floor, ceiling and walls were made of rocks.
They walked deeper.
''Huh...''
Numerous skeletons covered the floor.
The skeletons of dead Monsters.
Mark recognized some of them.
''That''s the skeleton of an Orc, right? That''s a Wererhino...''
One seemed unfamiliar.
''What is that though?''
It was the skull of what looked like a bull.
Except that the skull big.
Too big.
''It''srge enough for me to get inside...''
Mark walked towards that skull.
Once he got a bit closer, he noticed something was inside.
''Hiding?''
A small creature that resembled a ck lizard stared at him.
It opened its mouth.
Mark stopped approaching.
''It''s small, but it can''t be weak since it''s on this Floor.''
The next instant, the lizard let out an extremely loud screeching sound.
Mark jumped back as he covered an ear with his remaining hand.
''What... The hell was that for??''
His Underlings immediately positioned themselves in front of him.
The floor started shaking.
A couple of secondster, loud thumps could be heard.
Mark looked in the direction the sounds came from.
Three huge Monsters appeared through the darkness.
Each one was about ten meters tall.
Before Mark could even study their bodies, the bones he had stored in the pouches that Kira was carrying started levitating.
They turned into sharp spikes.
''Let''s start with the closest one!''
The spikes made from the bones of various Monsters flew towards the closest Monster with great speed.
More than a dozen spikes prated the Monster''s body.
Even though it had raised its arms defensively, the damage was not negligible.
As it lowered its arms, thinking that the attack was over, a ck javelin pierced its chest.
The next instant, the javelin turned into a ck liquid that entered its various wounds.
The Monster fell to its knees as it threw up massive amounts of blood.
[You have defeated one Lower Minotaur. 500 Gold Coins and 1000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
''Using the bones to wound them and the Corrupting Poison to finish them off... It''s a pretty goodbo.''
Only after the first one was defeated, did Mark take a closer look at the iing Monsters.
Their bodies were extremely muscr, their chest and shoulders were covered with thick brown fur.
Their heads resembled those of bulls.
''Minotaurs, huh? Why are their horns broken? It''s like they don''t have any...''
[Lower Minotaurs are Minotaurs who have lost their horns.]
[They are weaker than regr Minotaurs.]
''Alright. Light, you''ll do great in this obscure ce. Kal¨¨s, Kira... You two can chill for now.''
Part of Mark wanted to prove that he could fight despite losing an arm.
Of course, that meant heavily relying on Magic Skills.
But why would that matter?
Following his Master''s orders, Light disappeared into the darkness and only reappeared to bite the approaching Lower Minotaur''s ankle.
The surprise attack made it fall to the ground.
''I''ll leave that one to you then.''
Mark used his Skill "Bone Maniption" and raised his arm up.
Above him was a huge javelin.
It was made using the Minotaur''s skull that had been lying around.
The javelin flew towards the third Lower Minotaur.
It prated its stomach, but that only stopped it for a second.
It continued its approach.
''Right. Let''s try that then...''
Mark raised his arm.
The next instant, electric sparks appeared all over that arm and a thunderbolt was shot toward the Monster.
As it was struck by the attack, the Lower Minotaur''s muscles started twitching uncontrobly.
The Monster could not move as it pleased anymore.
Electricity permeated throughout its body.
''Oh. Right, Kira''s Skill is Piercing Thunder, not Thunderbolt. It looks like this one doesn''t do much damage, but it can stop the movements of such a huge Monster... That''s pretty good too.''
Mark lowered his gaze towards the sword he had entered the Eighth Floor with.
''This will be useless. These Monsters are so big that this sword is closer to a toothpick than anything...''
Meanwhile, Light had been shing the fallen Lower Minotaur''s neck with his ws.
The Lower Minotaur stood back up and looked for its enemy, but that opponent was far gone into the darkness.
Before it could realize it, its neck was shed again.
Before it could react, its back was shed.
Before it could turn around, its leg was bitten.
Before it could bend down, its arm was wounded.
That was the way Light, an Elite Abyssal Dark Wolf, fought.
Slowly but surely, the small and shallow injuries became more numerous.
The Monster bled more and more with every passing second.
It couldn''t do a thing against its small, agile and stealthy opponent.
The next instant, while Mark was about to finish off his enemy,
[Your Underling has leveled up!]
[Evolution is avable for your Underling.]
[Possible Evolutions:
1) Great Abyssal Dark Wolf.
2) Unique Abyssal Dark Wolf.
3) Shadow Wolf.
]
Chapter 16 Shadow Wolf
?''Before choosing...''
Mark ran towards the ce where the big skull had been.
He looked around a bit.
Mark noticed a shaking ck lizard hidden inside the ribs of a Werewolf''s skeleton.
''Would you look at that? Don''t be scared.'' Mark thought.
An evil smile was on his Weretiger face.
He grabbed the small lizard from its mouth to keep it shut, preventing it from screaming once more.
''So Monsters show up, you scream and those Lower Minotaurse defend you, huh?''
[You have defeated a Sonic Lizard. 20 Gold Coins and 40 Experience Points earned.]
''Probably survived by eating remains or something...''
Mark devoured the small snack and turned towards Light.
''What were the choices again?''
[Possible Evolutions:
1) Great Abyssal Dark Wolf.
2) Unique Abyssal Dark Wolf.
3) Shadow Wolf.
]
''Aren''t you amazing!'' Mark thought.
He put his hand on Light''s head.
''You''re my only Underling to have evolved. Not only that, but this will be your second Evolution...''
Mark brought his hand to his chin.
''Unique Monsters are usually very strong. An upgrade from Elite to Unique means a great increase in Stats. That''s an appealing choice. Great Abyssal Dark Wolf would make you bigger, right? Just like those Great Mutated Crocodiles... A very bad choice since you''re a stealthy and agile kind of fighter. Shadow Wolf seems like an Evolution from Dark Wolf to Shadow Wolf. Normally, I would not think twice. I would go with Shadow Wolf. But this isn''t that easy...''
He scratched his head with his remaining hand.
''Shadow Wolf. Not Abyssal Shadow Wolf... That means that if you be a Shadow Wolf, I won''t be able to use Abyssal Fusion on you... Should I leave you alone too? Kira and Kal¨¨s aren''t fused either...''
Mark thought about it for a bit more.
''A big increase in Stats is good, but not good enough. Let''s gamble a bit. Worst case scenario, I''ll get another Underling if need be. Shadow Wolf it is.''
The next instant, Light was engulfed in a dark sphere.
[Your Underling is evolving...]
Once the dark sphere faded, Mark studied his Evolved Underling.
''Mmm...''
Light''s body had gotten a bit smaller.
''Your pelt is still the same...Oh. Those red stripes near your eyes are gone. Show me his Status.''
[ Name: Light
Species & Level : Shadow Wolf Lv1 (0/1000Exp)
HP: 350/350
Endurance: 300/300
Stats: Strength: 30
Agility: 85
Sense: 90
Vigor: 35
Endurance: 30
Stealth: 97
Skill(s): Fatal Senses.
Shadow Betrayal.
Surprise Attack.
Shadow Transfer.
]
''You''re basically as stealthy as Kal¨¨s is strong, huh? Good. Oh. Shadow Transfer gives you the ability to travel between nearby shadows? That sounds handy. Shadow Betrayal gives the ability to attack using shadow ws created with the enemy''s shadow. Can only be used if the enemy hasn''t noticed you... Surprise Attack is an evolution of Sneak Attack. Fatal Senses an evolution of Acute Senses...''
Mark''s eyes widened.
''Shadow Betrayal. Since you''re using the enemy''s shadow to attack... Not bad. Show me that Shadow Transfer.''
Light obeyed.
The Shadow Wolf disyed swift movements as it ran towards Kal¨¨s and jumped.
Once his paws were about to hit the ground,
''Amazing. He really sank into the shadow...''
The next instant, Light reappeared by jumping out of Kira''s huge shadow.
''Good. Next up, those Lower Minotaurs... Kal¨¨s, throw away that mace.''
The Underling obeyed.
Mark used one of the Lower Minotaur''s skulls to make a sharp battle-ax for Kal¨¨s.
It was a very big weapon.
For Kal¨¨s though, it was just the right size.
''Finally...''
Mark''s stomach had been growling loudly for a while.
''I''ll enjoy this meal!''
...
Mark and his Underlings walked deeper into the dark floor.
They found groups of three to five Lower Minotaurs, but those were taken care of pretty easily.
After all, Mark and Light had defeated three of them without the help of Kira or Kal¨¨s.
It was only after the group kept going for about an hour that they found a stronger enemy.
The group heard loud noises, so they advanced vigntly.
Four huge Monsters were fighting.
Three of them were Lower Minotaurs.
They faced a fourth Monster.
It was burlier and sturdier.
Taller too.
Its horns were not broken.
They looked fierce and sharp.
''So three Lower Minotaurs and one Minotaur?''
[Correct.]
''Should we go in or let them fight?''
After thinking for a bit, Mark decided to attack.
Immediately, the shadow of one of the Lower Minotaurs moved, as if it had a mind of its own.
Part of that shadow turned into ws.
sh-
The next second, Thunderbolts, Fire Balls, Corrupting Javelins and spikes made of bones flew towards the three Lower Minotaurs.
''Kal¨¨s, you take on the Minotaur. Let''s see how strong it is.''
Mark''s Underling advanced with the huge battle-ax in his hands.
The Lower Minotaurs were quickly taken care of, as two of them had already been injured by the Minotaur.
Only thetter remained.
It faced Kal¨¨s.
A minuteter,
''If Kal¨¨s wasn''t armed, this might have ended differently. The Minotaur is far stronger but a bit less agile. The weapon and armor make up for it though. Maybe I''ll fuse Kal¨¨s with a stronger Minotaur Monster...''
Mark devoured the fallen Monsters.
He did not take any new Underlings, as not only were the Monsters deemed not strong enough but dividing the Experience Points with Monsters that would probably die early seemed counterproductive.
''Only the strongest will get stronger. Any Monster that can''t at least take care of Kal¨¨s is not worth having. Since Kal¨¨s has a weapon and tough armor, the Monsters will have to be a lot stronger than him to win.''
They continued walking further and further.
Amassing Experience Points and Evolution Points.
''I have a bunch of Evolution Points and I really need to evolve. Being one-armed is...''
As they got deeper into the Eighth Floor, they met more Minotaurs and fewer Lower Minotaurs.
Chapter 17 A Calamity
?In front of the group stood a Monster more than twenty meters tall.
The fur on its body was ck.
Its two sturdy-looking white horns were embedded deeply inside a Minotaur''s stomach.
The Monster lifted its head and the Minotaur''s whole body with it.
It shook its head sideways and the bloody Minotaur wasunched away.
''...What is it?''
[A Higher Minotaur: A [C-] Rank Monster.]
''Kal¨¨s, you know what to do.''
The Underling started running towards the Higher Minotaur.
He was noticed immediately.
Kal¨¨s swung his battle-ax at the Monster''s leg.
The Higher Minotaur did not bother dodging.
Instead, it punched down towards Kal¨¨s.
Its reaction speed was very high.
Which already told Mark all he needed to know.
''Dodge.''
The Underling barely managed to jump back.
As the Monster''s fist hit the floor, cracks appeared all over it.
Drops of blood were going down Kal¨¨s'' shoulder as the Higher Minotaur had grazed him.
''This guy... Is strong!'' Mark thought with shiny eyes.
''Kira, Light. Get him.''
The next instant, the Higher Minotaur''s leg was wounded and a huge Fire Ball hit its back.
Its whole back was now burnt, but the injuries were not fatal in the least.
The Higher Minotaur turned towards its strongest opponent, Kira.
It roared loudly.
So loudly and ferociously that the echoing roar made Mark''s arm shake for a moment.
The next instant, its foot was cut off.
The Higher Minotaur lost its bnce and fell to the ground.
As it directed its gaze towards its wounded leg, it noticed that Kal¨¨s was in the air about to swing his weapon at its head.
The Monster quickly pushed Kal¨¨s away with an open hand.
Even though it wasn''t a punch, the push had great strength.
Kal¨¨s wasunched away and rolled on the ground until he hit a wall.
''Mm. It''s very strong. Not strong enough to pose a problem by itself though...''
Suddenly, the Monster felt something hot going down its neck.
Its own blood was dripping down its body.
The Shadow Wolf Light had used abination of Shadow Transfer, Surprise Attack and Shadow Betrayal to sh the Monster''s neck multiple times.
Before the Higher Minotaur could understand what was happening, a Lightning Bolt hit its uninjured leg.
The Monster lost that leg.
The next instant, Kal¨¨s, who had recovered, cut the Higher Minotaur''s head off.
Massive amounts of blood spurted.
''...''
Droplets of the red blood fell on Mark''s arm.
He raised his arm towards his face.
The blood''s smell made Mark''s eyes widen.
His heart started beating faster.
The blood was hot.
Steaming.
Mark licked the droplets off his arm.
''I shouldn''t...''
Hunger-
Mark walked towards the Higher Minotaur''s body.
''I''ll have... plenty of opportunities...''
Mark controlled himself and revived the Monster.
''Wee to the team. If there aren''t stronger Minotaurs around here, you''ll probably stay for a while. Tor should do it as a name.''
The new Underling stood up.
Its ck fur became red, and its white horns ck.
''Show me his status.''
[ Name: Tor
Species & Level : Abyssal Higher Minotaur Lv1 (0/6000Exp)
HP: 5600/5600
Endurance: 2500/2500
Stats: Strength: 123
Agility: 41
Sense: 34
Vigor: 560
Endurance: 250
Skill(s): War Shout.
]
''War Shout... That was the intimidating roar he let out. Good.''
A bitter, Tor was armed with a truly huge mace made with the bones of another Higher Minotaur.
He also had armor made with the same bones.
...
With the addition of Tor to the group, advancing through the Eighth Floor got even faster.
As each enemy gave 1000 to 3000 Experience Points, leveling up got easier.
After a while, a message appeared as Mark was devouring a Higher Minotaur.
[Evolution is avable.]
''Nice. Show me the options.''
[You can evolve into:
1) Elite Abyssal Minotaur .
2) Unique Abyssal Lower Minotaur.
3) Abyssal Smilodon.
]
''Shit... Smilodon? That''s some kind of ancient tiger, right? I really want to evolve since I''m missing an arm, but I''ll have to wait some more. I can''t even evolve into a Higher Minotaur. Even if I could, those aren''t the most agile and they''re too big.''
The group continued their advance until the way split in two.
Previously, the way was nothing more than a very wide tunnel.
But now, the group could either continue forward or take the slightly narrower tunnel on their left.
''I don''t even know which one leads to the Guardian. Not that I''m eager to get there... I''d rather get stronger and Evolve before that.''
Mark decided to take the left tunnel.
''Let''s explore, I guess? I don''t have a map, but the smaller tunnel probably won''t lead to the Guardian.''
The tunnel was narrower, but Kira could still walk in with no problem.
The group entered.
''Huh...''
The skeletons of Higher Minotaurs were everywhere.
After a bit, Light stopped walking forward.
''What''s up?''
He started growling.
''Mm. I can''t sense anything at all...''
Light had the highest Sense Stat of the group, therefore, he was often the first one to notice the enemies.
After walking forward a bit more, Mark could finally see the Monster that stood in his way.
It was a bit smaller than Kira.
Its body was covered with golden fur.
The Monster had six long and muscr arms.
Its head left Mark perplexed.
''The head... Of a goat? What is that??''
[Cmity Of Minos: [C] Rank Monster.]
''Its strength is probably-''
Mark''s thoughts were interrupted as the Monster suddenly sprinted towards the group without wasting a second.
Mark used the skeletons around him to shoot spikes at the iing Monster.
It used one of its six arms to protect itself.
Kira, who stood at the front, shot a Lightning Bolt that was easily dodged.
The Monster stood in front of Kira.
It used two of its arms to punch the Underling with all its strength.
The punches hit Kira''s neck.
Even though his neck was protected by the golden armor made with an Esteemed Crab King''s shell, Kira threw up a bit of blood.
''Strong...''
Nevertheless, Kira countered by biting the Monster''s neck.
The Abyssal Thunder Chimera did its best to stop the enemy from moving.
While he only managed to stop it for a handful of seconds, it was enough for Mark to shoot two Corrupting Javelins that hit the Monster''s side and for Light to sh its legs multiple times.
The Cmity broke free and jumped back.
The next instant, Tor''s huge mace quickly approached its side.
The Cmity Of Minos used two of its arms to stop the attack and a third arm to attack the enemy.
Tor was pushed back and his body hit Kira.
Mark''s eyes widened at the Monster''s strength.
The Cmity was looking for its next prey, when five thunderbolts flew towards it.
It raised its arms defensively, but this wasn''t the type of attack that could be defended against this way.
''All of you, attack while it can''t move!!''
Mark''s Underlings immediately started attacking.
Kal¨¨s used his battle-ax to hit the Monster''s leg.
Light used his "Shadow Betrayal" Skill to sh that same leg multiple times.
Kira shot three Lightning bolts.
The Cmity lost three arms and a portion of its right leg before it could move once more.
It immediately jumped back and stared at its enemies.
Its horizontal pupils dted.
The Cmity Of Minos opened its mouth wide.
''What kind of Magic Skill is that?''
An orb of ck energy appeared in front of its open mouth.
The next instant, the ball was shot towards Kira.
''Tor! Protect Kira!''
The Higher Minotaur, more agile than the Chimera, managed to take the attack before it could reach Kira.
But to Mark''s surprise,
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
''In... One hit...??''
As soon as the attack had touched Tor, the Abyssal Higher Minotaur''s upper body turned into dust.
''Shit... Kill it! Kill it now!''
Thunderbolts, Conjuring Javelins and Fire Bombs rained down on the Cmity.
Light ran towards it without showing himself.
A big portion of the Monster''s body was now burnt.
It stood on one leg, and only had two of its six arms left.
It was heavily throwing up ck blood.
''Just a bit more!!'' Mark thought as he shot another Conjuring Javelin.
The Cmity of Minos, feeling cornered, needed to use its strongest Skill.
A Magic Skill that consumed insanely high amounts of Mana.
A ck ball appeared in front of the Cmity''s mouth.
''Shit! Shit! Not Kira!!''
The Cmity of Minos aimed the ball of ck energy at the biggest enemy to limit the chances of the attack missing.
Which of course, meant aiming at Kira.
But just before the attack was shot,
sh-
A dark shadow shed the Cmity''s right eye.
The Monster''s aim was thrown off and the attack hit the wall.
''Light, Nice!''
The rest of the fight went smoothly.
[You have defeated The Cmity Of Minos. 6000 Gold Coins and 12.000Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
Chapter 18 The Third Guardian
?''I really thought I was about to lose Kira...''
Mark walked towards the dead Cmity.
''You should probably take Tor''s ce...''
He stood right in front of the Monster''s unmoving body.
''Or maybe I should fuse you with Kal¨¨s...''
Before Mark knew it, he was devouring the dead Monster.
[You have gained 9000 Evolution Points.]
''That was a good meal. Mm. Show me the avable Evolutions now.''
[You can Evolve into:
1) Great Abyssal Smilodon.
]
''That''s just great. After devouring a strong Monster like this one, not only do I NOT get more options, I actually get LESS.''
The group continued walking deeper inside the tunnel.
After walking for five minutes, they arrived at a wall.
''A dead-end...''
They returned to the main tunnel and continued walking.
They didn''t find any Monsters.
A bitter, they found the huge doors that separated them from the Boss Room.
''Mm.''
In front of those doors stood two Monsters.
''What are those?''
[Minotaur Guards. [C-] Rank Monsters.]
''Guards? Of the doors? That''s new... Anyways, [C-] Rank, huh? Probably stronger than Higher Minotaurs but weaker than that Cmity Of Minos...''
Their fur was reddish and they were a bit taller than Kira.
''These guys shouldn''t be too hard to deal with. As long as they don''t have a Magic Skill simr to that guy''s... Light and Kira, you two take care of the one on the left. Kal¨¨s, we take care of the other one. Kira and Kal¨¨s, you''re the close-range fighters.''
The duos dealt with the Monsters perfectly.
''Guess I''ll revive them now...''
The two Guards stood up.
Mark stared at the huge doors before walking away from them.
...
The group came back hours and hourster.
The two Guards had been fused with two Higher Minotaurs each.
''That Cmity Monster didn''te back. Too bad. Any new Skills or Body Modifications?''
[None.]
''So I can either evolve into that Smilodon or fight like this... Can I use my Bone Maniption to attach a left arm or something?''
[That would be impossible.]
[Your Bone Maniption can only manipte bones from dead Monsters.]
[Attaching a dead Monster''s bone to yours would not be possible.]
''Guessed as much. I levelled up a lot but... Tsk. I hope I have enough bones.''
On Kira were four pouches.
Kal¨¨s and the two Minotaur Guards were holding two pouches each.
All of them were full of bones.
''Alright. As soon as we enter, you guys throw those bones. Mm... I guess I should name you two.''
Mark looked at the Minotaur Guards.
One of the Guards had evolved into a "Unique Four-Armed Abyssal Higher Minotaur".
He was named El.
The other one had evolved into a "Great Abyssal Higher Minotaur".
He was more than 25 meters tall and named Tor.
''Now that there are six of us, I guess we can go for it.''
El and Tor were armed with long spears and had armor made with Higher Minotaur bones.
The group entered the Boss Room.
Inside, they found three Monsters.
One was sitting on a throne.
The other two were standing by its side.
The standing Monsters were Minotaur Guards. Just like the ones Mark had found outside the Boss Room.
The sitting Monster seemed to be the Eighth Floor''s Guardian.
''Really...?''
The Guardian raised its gaze towards the group.
The room was darker than anywhere else on the Eighth Floor.
Still, they were noticed right away.
But that wasn''t what surprised Mark.
The Minotaur Monsters kept getting taller and taller on the Eight Floor.
And yet, the Guardian seemed to be just as tall as he was.
Its fur was golden.
''The guy is sitting, so it''s hard to tell. But this Guardian can''t be much taller than me...''
The pouches that his Underlings brought in were thrown on the ground.
Mark did not give any orders.
The Guardian''s vertical pupils were staring at him.
It made Mark''s blood boil.
''So you won''t make the first move, huh? Alright, then!''
A ck javelin appeared in Mark''s hand while some of the bones his Underlings had brought in were reassembled to make two spears.
''For now, focus on the Guards.''
The ck javelin was shot at the Guardian.
The two spears, at the Guards. Just like Kira''s Lightning Bolts and Kal¨¨s'' Fire Balls.
The Guardian raised its arm towards the iing Corrupting Javelin.
A barrier of golden energy appeared.
The javelin hit the barrier and turned into liquid.
The barrier was sshed, but not one drop fell on the Guardian''s body.
On the other hand, both Guards were impaled by the spears and the Underlings'' Magic Skills finished them off.
''Alright! Let''s do this!''
The Guardian slowly rose from its throne.
It extended its arm towards the group.
A secondter, a stream of burning mes was shot towards them.
Mark and his Underlings scattered around the stream.
The next instant, the Guardian positioned itself below Kira''s body.
''So it started with the strongest one of us, huh? Too bad for you, that shell is...''
Punch-
Blood started dripping down on the Guardian''s arm.
A hole in the previously indestructible shell was made oh-so easily.
Kira roared in pain as he activated his Magic Skill "Protective Thunder".
An electric aura covered his body and Lightning Bolt started shooting at random.
The Guardian jumped back but it was burnt by the attack nheless.
Barely burnt though.
Kal¨¨s sprinted towards it and swung his battle-ax.
The Boss Monster responded by extending its right arm towards the iing attack.
The same golden barrier appeared once again.
Only this time, it broke like ss.
The battle-ax traveled towards the Guardian''s open palm.
The Monster grabbed the weapon''s de with ease.
''This guy used that barrier to weaken Kal¨¨s'' attack and momentum...''
The next instant, the Guardian''s back was scratched.
''Good thing Light is here...''
The Monster clenched his fist.
The battle-ax''s de was crushed.
Mark noticed an opportunity.
''Dodge.''
Just before the Guardian could give a piercing punch, Kal¨¨s jumped back.
The Boss Monster''s body was scratched many times.
Mark had used his "Bone Maniption" to propel the battle-ax'' broken and sharp pieces towards the Guardian.
''Only shallow cuts, huh?''
El and Tor arrived behind the enemy.
The two tried to stab it with their spears but the attacks were easily dodged.
While the Guardian was busy dodging the consecutive attacks, two sessive Corrupting Javelins hit its back.
''They barely prated its skin. It''s nothing more than scratches... But there are enough scratches for the poison to enter-''
The next instant, the Guardian turned around andunched itself towards Mark.
Thetter used the dead Minotaur Guards'' bones to make a sturdy shield in front of him.
He also used his "Stone Armor" Magic Skill.
Still, the Guardian''s fist was powerful enough to prate both the shield and the Stone Armor.
Cracks appeared on Mark''s bone armor, as he was thrown back with great strength.
[You have lost 50 Health Points.]
ws from the Guardian''s shadow shed its legs and a destructive Lightning Bolt hit its back.
The Guardian, tired of going back and forth between the different enemies, decided that the next enemy to attack would be its sole target until that enemy''s death.
Tor approached the Guardian with his spear.
The Boss Monster jumped away from the approaching Tor and extended its open palm.
Tor''s body was burnt by a stream of mes.
''Throw it at him and run.''
Tor used the stream of mes as a smokescreen and threw his spear at the Boss Monster.
The Guardian noticed the attack at thest instant.
While it was directed at its neck, the Monster moved sideways.
The spear stabbed its left shoulder.
The Guardian pulled the spear outside of its body and broke it before running towards Tor.
From above it, a big pawnded on its body.
The Boss Monster''s blood started boiling.
It used both its arms to hold the huge Chimera away, while Kira tried to put all of his weight on the Guardian.
Light and Mark did not miss the opportunity.
Light''s fangs prated the Guardian''s side while Mark''s prated its neck.
Mark jumped away while shooting Corrupting Javelins at the Guardian''s injured back.
Light shed its body a couple of times and jumped away before it could push Kira away.
The Guardian pushed Kira away and used its stream of fire.
Kal¨¨s, who was unarmed since his weapon has been broken, mmed both his arms on the Guardian''s injured left shoulder.
The golden-furred Monster hit Kal¨¨s'' side with its elbow.
Thetter immediately coughed up a bit of blood.
Just as the Guardian was about to give him an extremely powerful punch, a thunderbolt flew towards it.
The Boss Monster jumped back and looked in the direction the attack hade from.
It was Mark.
''His punches are no joke. Since he could make a hole in Kira''s shell and injure him, a good punch might be more than enough to kill me. Maybe even Kal¨¨s...''
The half-burnt Tor and El ran towards the Guardian.
It was a suicide mission, but their roles were simple.
To stop the Guardian from moving for as long as possible.
Tor managed to grab the Guardian''s arms, but that did notst for long.
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
''Nice!''
Tor''s suicide mission gave time for El to grab the Boss Monster with his four arms.
Two of his arms grabbed each one of the Guardian''s arms.
Mark shot all the thunderbolts that he could.
His goal was to limit the Guardian''s movements as much as possible.
Of course, that did not stop Mark''s other three Underlings from damaging the Guardian as much as they could, using their Fire Bomb, Piercing Thunder and Shadow Betrayal Magic Skills.
Luckily, Mark''s thunderbolts showed their effect as the Guardian''s muscles started twitching.
El could hold it much more easily.
About 20 secondster though, the Guardian pulled its arms with such strength that El lost his.
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
One good hit, was all it took to perforate the Underling''s stomach.
''Shit...''
As Mark did nothing but shoot Thunderbolts and drink Mana Potions, the Guardian''s muscles were still twitching due to the electricity permeating through its body.
A golden aura engulfed the Guardian''s body, as it started walking towards Kira.
''Its movements are slow... We can do this!''
Mark focused on slowing the Monster down, while his Underlings damaged it.
''Looks like that aura or whatever acts as armor... But it doesn''t stop 100% of the damage.''
The Guardian stopped advancing.
It turned its head towards Mark.
''Does it know I''m the-''
The next instant, it was right in front of him.
Before Mark could do a thing, he wasunched away by a strong punch to the side.
[You have lost 350 Health Points.]
Mark''s body rolled on the ground.
He threw up massive amounts of blood due to an attack had barely even seen.
His side was bleeding.
Some of Mark''s ribs might have been broken by the attack.
''What the...''
The Guardian''s body was still twitching.
Mark, who was on the ground, tried to crawl away from the approaching Monster.
''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck-''
His hand touched something.
Once again, the Guardian sprinted towards him at an extremely high speed.
''I just have to... Time it right-''
Kal¨¨s jumped in the way, determined to stop the iing Boss Monster.
A shoulder tackle sent him away.
The Guardian continued its approach, as if Kal¨¨s had been no more than an ant standing in its way.
But once the Guardian was two meters away from Mark,
Pierce-
Mark had extended El''s fallen spear towards the iing Boss Monster.
Thetter''s speed was so high, that all it could do, was impale itself.
The spear went through the Guardian''s chest.
The aura that protected its body seemed to shine less brightly.
Despite the spear through its chest, the Boss Monster took a step forward.
It did not care one bit about the weapon that was piercing deeper into its chest.
''Fuck... Fuck!''
The Guardian took a second step forward.
Bone Maniption.
Three other spears pierced its body.
Due to the distance, punching wasn''t an option.
The Guardian used its legs.
[You have lost 180 Health Points.]
''AGHH-''
A hellish kick had sent Mark flying.
His back hit the Boss Room''s wall.
''Tough fucker... Sending me away... Is appreciated!''
The Guardian walked slowly towards its target.
''Now that those spears are already in, it''s over!''
Bone Maniption.
The spears that had already pierced the Guardian started changing.
They seemed to get shorter.
''Take this.''
The Boss Monster coughed up blood.
Mark barely managed to stand up.
Blood was going down both his nose and mouth.
''I win... Fucker.''
The next second, massive amounts of Mana left Mark''s body.
Embedded deeply inside the Guardian''s body, the spears, made using the bones of various Minotaur Monsters, grew thorns.
Unable to breathe, it coughed more of its own blood.
The Boss Monster fell to the ground.
Many of those thorns, had found their way to the fearsome Guardian''s heart.
[You have defeated The Eight Floor''s Guardian. 10.000Gold Coins and 20.000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have defeated a Guardian.]
[You have been awarded 3 Skill Points.]
[You can now ess the Dungeon''s Seventh Floor.]
'' Hahaha. Changing the bones'' shape once they''re inside uses up way more Mana...'' Mark thought.
He fell to the ground.
''This is a good weapon. An incredible weapon...''
Mark stared at the ceiling.
''Again. So close dying...''
A smile appeared on his face.
''But this time, I felt a bit more in control... I guess.''
Mark stood up a bitter.
''I won''t make this one my Underling though. The limits of this form... Yeah. I can feel it already.''
Mark walked towards the unmoving Monster.
''Other Minotaurs were at least 10 times bigger than this one, and yet...''
Despite its smaller size, it was both stronger and faster.
An incredible foe.
Mark grabbed its arm.
Tear-
''It tastes good. Yeah. Strong Monsters taste good!'' Mark thought as he devoured the Monster.
[You have gained 13.000 Evolution Points.]
[You have Devoured a Floor''s Guardian.]
[Calcting appropriate reward....]
''Reward? Whatever. Show me those Evolutions now. Tell me there''s something new-''
[You can Evolve into:
1) Great Abyssal Smilodon.
2) Royal Minotaur.
3) Great Abyssal Weretiger.
]
The reddish hairs all over his body stood up.
''Royal... Minotaur?''
Chapter 19 Reborn As A Monster II
?''Royal Minotaur? Is that a Monster Species rted to the Guardian?''
[No information avable.]
''Umm... Great Abyssal Weretiger would make me bigger and stronger, also would grow my left arm back. The first one is a no-no. I don''t feel like going back to walking on four limbs just yet...''
Mark looked at his Underlings.
Only those he hade into the Eighth Floor with, were left.
''Can I get some opinions?''
Kal¨¨s took a knee while the other Underlings, Kira and Light, sat on the ground.
''No reason to ask you, huh? Mark thought as he chuckled.
Mark walked towards the Boss Room''s wall.
''The Guardian and the Boss Room were protected by Minotaur Guards. Guards. It''s probable that the Guardian was royalty then, right? Its pelt was golden though... Just like that of the Cmity Of Minos. Maybe both of them were royalty? They were too different though...''
He rested his back against the wall.
''The king and a disfigured brother? Something like that...?''
Mark chuckled
''No need to choose too fast...''
He raised his gaze towards the ceiling.
''Mmm. It''s possible that Royal Minotaur is simply a bigger version of the Guards. They were already a bit taller than Kira. That wouldn''t be my favorite choice then. But it could also be the same size as the Guardian. Great Abyssal Weretiger would make me a bit bigger. Maybe as big as Kal¨¨s? Plus, I would still be an Abyssal Monster then, which would allow me to keep the ability to fuse myself with other Abyssal Monsters-''
[Your reward has been chosen.]
[You have Devoured the Eight Floor''s Guardian.]
[Your Unique Title "Devourer" gives birth to a new Unique Title.]
[You have earned the Unique Title "Heart Devourer".]
[Devouring a Monster''s heart gives you a chance to capture its essence.]
''Essence? What do you mean?''
[Among other things, you have a certain chance to develop that creature''s Skill(s).]
''Among others? You mean the rest isn''t important?''
[That information is unavable.]
''Tsk. No need to think about it too much then. So basically, I can devour a Monster and obtain its Skills?''
[Only one Skill can be obtained at a time.]
[Obtaining one of the creature''s Skills is not guaranteed.]
''Yeah.... Getting all of a Monster''s Skills would have been too good to be true, I guess. That''s pretty good though. Do I get a reward like this every time I eat a Guardian?''
[A reward is given after Devouring a Floor''s Guardian.]
Mark turned towards Kal¨¨s and Kira.
''Maybe I should have devoured you both...''
He shook his head.
''Anyways. Alright, I guess... Mm. If there''s a chance to turn into the Guardian, then it''s definitely worth it. If I don''t like the form I get, I''ll just have to Evolve sooner on the next Floor.''
Mark stood up.
''I''ll take the Royal Minotaur. Let''s seen what it''s abo...ut....''
He fell asleep mid-sentence.
Mark fell to the ground, unconscious.
His body started changing.
***
Shrouded in darkness, Mark could not see a thing.
''Where am I? Did I fall asleep again?''
The next second, something appeared in front of him.
''Is that... That''s-''
A mirror.
Reflected, was the image of a young man.
Mark stared.
And the young man stared back.
Brown eyes.
Long ck hair that fell over his narrow shoulders.
Mark studied the reflected image.
The young man wore white clothes, in which he seemed to drown.
The young man was frail.
Very frail.
Mark tried raising his arm, and so did the young man.
Mark lowered his gaze.
Instantly, the darkness, that covered his body, faded.
Mark clenched his fists.
He moved his limbs.
''That''s me. That''s... Definitely me.''
Mark studied his body.
Perplexed.
That body was his.
And yet, it felt foreign.
A lone thought, could not escape Mark''s mind.
''Was I really this skinny-''
Lightning struck through the darkness.
Mark''s body twitched.
He directed his gaze back to the mirror.
A secondter, the young man''s body started changing.
His face was deformed.
The frail muscles started growing.
The young man grew taller.
His ck hair, turned red.
Mark''s eyes widened, as a ferocious beast stared at him.
He would''ve taken a step back, had he not recognized the beast.
Mark lowered his gaze, before looking at the mirror once more.
''So that''s the form I have now. Staring at it is...''
Mixed feelings.
The Monster opened its mouth wide, showing its numerous fangs.
''It truly is-''
The mirror cracked.
The next second, it broke into pieces.
Once more, Mark was surrounded by nothing but darkness.
In the distance, shiny stars appeared.
They seemed to be getting closer.
Once they were close enough,
''Butterflies...?''
Mark tried to step back, but his body refused to answer hismands.
''What is-''
The butterflies got closer and closer.
Their wings were long and blue.
They pped those wings repeatedly, until they were right in front of Mark.
With grace and dignity, they hovered in the air.
''It''s... Beautiful-''
The butterflies flew closer.
Theynded on Mark''s left shoulder.
Unable to move his limbs, all he could do, was spectate.
With weightless steps, that Mark could not feel, the harmless butterflies walked on the red fur that covered his body.
A second time, lightning struck.
The sudden outburst of both light and sound, made Mark''s heart rate shoot up.
Surprise.
Confusion.
Which quickly turned into anxiety.
''This is... A dream. No need to...''
Anxiety gave birth to slight fear, as the butterflies'' wings turned red.
Blood red.
For some reason, Mark managed to raise his left arm.
He stared at the gentle creatures.
The butterflies stood on Mark''s left arm.
Right between his shoulder and arm muscles.
A weak smile on his face.
''They really are beautiful. Compared to this form I have, they''re-''
Lightning struck.
The next second,
''Stop-''
Fangs, that the butterflies did not previously possess, sank into his skin.
Worry.
Freight.
Mark tried to move his arms, but couldn''t.
Only his legsplied.
He took a step back
One of the butterflies pped its wings.
As if it was nothing more than loosely attached scotch tape, Mark''s skin was pulled away.
Torn.
Freight turned to horror.
Mark wanted to scream, but couldn''t.
His mind went nk.
His heart rate went through the roof, as one by one, the delicate creatures ripped the skin off his arm.
Secondster, the butterflies were hovering in front of Mark once more.
He stared at them, as they started flying away.
Dangling below each one of them, as if colorful red ribbons, were portions of Mark''s skin.
As the butterflies got further and further, Mark wanted to keep staring at them.
He didn''t want to look away.
Or rather, he didn''t want to look.
And yet, he did.
Muscles.
Tendons.
Bones.
An arm that had been cleanly undressed.
Horrified, Mark''s legs gave out.
On the dark and invisible ground, he fell.
Not a sound could leave his mouth.
Mark crawled back while extending his left arm as much as possible.
As if trying to increase the distance between that arm and himself.
The next second, something fell on his body.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
Droplets.
Rain.
''What the hell... Is this-''
The muscles that constituted Mark''s left arm started melting.
The melted muscles fell off and disappeared into the darkness.
Only white bones were left.
Soon after, cracks appeared on those bones.
They shattered.
As if it had be one with the darkness surrounding him, Mark''s left arm had disappeared.
Lightning struck.
A blinding light forced him to close his eyes.
Once he opened them back up, a cloudy sky weed him.
''Rain...?''
Mark looked around him.
A field covered in grass.
Suddenly, a voice resonated, and the clouds thickened.
A storm was approaching.
"Hey there!"
Somehow, Mark recognized that voice.
''That voice, it''s...!''
He turned around.
"Oh my... How you''ve changed..."
A gentle and cheerful voice.
Filled with yfulness.
It was only seconds earlier, that Mark was surrounded by nothing other than darkness.
It was scary.
Cold
Frightening.
Lonely.
And yet, somehow, the scene in front of him felt worse.
The woman he once knew, was out of reach.
So out of reach, that even his sight could not beid on her.
Shrouded in a dark fog, the woman talked.
"Not answering? It''s me! Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten about me?"
Mark tried standing up.
He tried to get closer.
But his body refused to move.
''No. It''s just... I''m-''
Mark tried talking, but only growls and roars left his mouth.
The falling rain got heavier.
"Fangs, ws... Wow. That''s horrible."
Mark''s heart shook.
"You''re scary. So scary."
Mark opened his mouth in an attempt to say something.
The woman''s yful tone suddenly turned cold.
Unweing.
"Hideous. You''re not the same Mark anymore, huh?"
''It''s not... No. I haven''t changed. I''m not a Monster. I... It''s... It''s just my appearance. I''m Mark! I''m not...''
Mark''s body started twitching, as he tried toe up with excuses.
Excuses that couldn''t even reach the one they were addressed to.
Mark grit his teeth.
He lowered his gaze.
"Not a Monster? Who are you lying to?"
''Huh?''
"I know what you''ve done."
Mark was both surprised and shocked.
"We both know it. You''ve fought like a monster. Killed like a monster... It''s disgusting really. Your appearance changed, and that was enough for you to be this?"
''But I had to, I-''
"Not only that, but you feast upon them. Killing and eating the things you kill. Absolutely disgusting. You look like a monster and live like one. How can you say you''re not one? And the worse of it is that..."
Mark''s mind went nk.
"... You enjoy it."
Mark lowered his gaze to the ground.
"You enjoy it, don''t you? Admit it. Eating what you find to survive, I could understand doing that. But to enjoy killing, to enjoy living like a monster... Still, I should''ve known, right?"
The light in Mark''s eyes grew darker.
"There was always something wrong with you."
''Stop.''
"It was always there. This hideous part of you."
''I said stop.''
"I knew it was there too. But I had to act like I couldn''t see it. I had to take care of you, even though... Even though... Tsk."
Mark''s heart ached at the woman''s words.
He couldn''t remember who she was.
He couldn''t remember how she took care of him.
But Mark believed her words to be true.
"Do you know how hard it was for me? I had to see you every day. I had to force myself to smile every day, even though..."
Mark knew it was true.
His sinking heart was reason enough to prove it.
Mark''s memories weren''t lost.
They had been buried somewhere.
Somewhere far away.
"I''ve always hated you. Always have. And you''ve proven me right. I was right to hate you. You monster."
Raging thunder struck above the in field.
Mark''s mncholic gaze changed.
Anger.
Rage.
His gaze turned vicious.
Hateful.
Before Mark could realize it, he was standing.
Before he could realize it, his legs were moving towards the dark fog.
Before he could realize it, words wereing out of his mouth.
Standing in front of the dark fog, Mark''s blood was boiling.
"I''ve had enough of you. Judging me? Who do you even think you are? You think I''ll make excuses? That I''ll apologize for what I''ve done? I''ve killed Monsters. So? You think I''ll feel bad about that?"
The wind became violent.
"I can''t remember a thing from my past. Actually, I don''t even care about it. It doesn''t interest me. Know why? You''ve made it clear. If I''m enjoying this life, if I''m enjoying turning into a Monster like you say, then it''s obvious..."
A powerful storm ruled over the in field.
"...This past life of mine, in which you were a part, must have been the worst."
Mark''s rage wasn''t close to being quenched.
On the contrary, it burned fiercer and fiercer.
Yet, the expression on his face changed.
"So if my past life was that bad, then what''s the harm? I''ll make the best of this life. Turning into a monster? Living like a monster? That''s fine by me. I''ll live this life to the fullest. I won''t be tied down. Not by my past, not by my previous perceptions of what''s right and what''s wrong, and certainly not by you. Seeing my past self did make me hesitant but... Actually, even before that..."
Mark clenched his fist.
He stared at his clenched fist profoundly.
"That''s right. Even before, I was thinking of myself as if stuck inside a Monster''s body, but that''s not it. That''s not quite right... After defeating the Chimera, I even asked questions about what there was, outside of the Dungeon, for someone stuck in a Monster''s body. Hear that? Someone stuck in a Monster''s body? It''s so foolish I couldugh. Acting as if I was trapped inside this body. "
A wide and horrific smile appeared on his face.
"I became a Monster. This body is mine. That''s all there is to it. No reason to feel bad about bing a monster. No reason to feel bad about living like one. I''ll live however I want to. Act however I decide to. Freely. And I''ll enjoy it as much as I can."
Mark raised his gaze once more.
"I am a Monster. And so-"
The raging thunder was no more.
The storm had passed.
Rays of gentle sunlight passed through the clouds, and the dark fog disappeared.
In front of Mark, a woman stood.
Red long hair.
Green vibrant eyes.
A warm smile.
Mark''s body froze in ce, as the woman raised her arms.
"Right."
Gently, sheid her hands on Mark''s cheeks.
"Live freely."
Her tone was, once more, cheerful.
Radiant.
"That''s more like it, Mark."
***
[Congrattions!]
[You have developed the Passive Skill: Royal Minotaur''s Aura [C-].]
[You have developed the Magic Skill: Protective Barrier [D+].]
[You have Evolved into a Royal Minotaur [C+].]
The Master, surrounded by his Underlings, had awoken.
Chapter 20 Stronger
?Mark sat up.
''A dream, huh? Or more like a nightmare, I guess...''
His thoughts raced.
''Are my dreams influenced by the System?''
[Negative.]
Mark thought deeply about his so-called "nightmare".
But as is often the case with dreams, his memory of it was blurry, hazy.
''I am a Monster, huh? But I''m still Mark. Tsk. Not that I know who that is... I just can''t remember. But it''s still me. The core of who I am didn''t change...''
More than anything, dreams were easily forgotten.
Fleeting.
''It feels distant, but it''s definitely important.''
Mark stood up.
''Saying that I am a Monster doesn''t feel right though. Mm. Let''s just say... Something between Mark and a Monster. Yeah. For now, that''s good enough.''
He turned his gaze to Kal¨¨s.
Mark thankfully noted that his Underling was still taller than him, although not by a lot anymore.
He lowered his gaze.
''Feels good to have a left arm. Oh. I wonder if that''s what that was about...''
Sturdy muscles.
Coverering parts of his body, was a blueish pelt.
''I''d like to think about that dream more, but...''
Mark raised his hands and clenched his fists many times.
A blueish aura appeared over his arms.
''My muscles are twitching. I''m overflowing with strength and energy.''
Mark reached over his head and found two fierce horns that pointed forward.
He brought his hand to his mouth.
''No fangs. No ws. Mm...''
After taking a step forward, Mark tripped, before bncing himself.
''Huh... I''ll have to get used to this.''
As a Minotaur Monster, his feet were the same as those of bulls.
After gettingfortable with his new body, Mark finally checked his Stats.
[ Stats: Strength: 205
Agility: 70
Sense: 65
Vigor: 400
Endurance: 300
Mana: 500
]
Mark''s new heart started beating faster.
''Mana, Vigor, and Endurance are way higher... Wait, my Strength Stat is...!''
He hurriedly turned towards Kal¨¨s and extended a hand towards him.
''Push me.''
The Underling tried his best.
Even when using two hands, Kal¨¨s could barely move Mark away from the spot he stood on.
''You can stop. Damn. This is new. Being strong is good. But being stronger than my Underlings...''
Mark''s heart skipped a beat from the excitement.
''Feels pretty damn good!''
The Monster immediately left the room.
Excited to test its new strength.
...
Once Kal¨¨s, Mark''s least agile Underling, arrived, a pile of Higher Minotaurs and Minotaurs was under Mark.
''2 Higher Minotaurs and 3 Minotaurs... Each one died from a punch to the chest or stomach...''
Mark started devouring them, without a care in the world.
''I''ve basically evolved into the Guardian, huh? Even though I technically only ate one of them. Howe, back then, I could only Evolve into a Weakened Inferior Demon? What''s the difference?''
[That information is unavable.]
''Mm. I''ve devoured one of both. The only logical answer I can think of is that I''ve devoured plenty of other Minotaur Monsters. Those were used to fill up the missing... Materials? Or something? Anyway, tell me about those new Skills now.''
[Royal Minotaur''s Aura [C-]:
A Passive Skill that activates to raise the user''s defenses or attack power.
]
[Royalty''s Barrier [D+]:
A Magic Skill that allows the user to protect himself using a durable and strong barrier.
Mana Cost: 50 Mana Points.
]
''Not bad. So that''s what that aura was...''
After Mark devoured the three Minotaurs, he revived the two Higher Minotaurs.
''Time for me to ask, I guess. Can I fight the new Guardians on the Lower Floors?''
[Negative.]
[Guardians will no longer be ced on the Cleared Floors.]
''Huh... I guess I wasn''t told that Monsters wereing to this Floor.''
[Correct.]
[Guardians are mainly made to protect the Floor they are on.]
''So?''
[The Cleared Floors do not need to be protected anymore.]
''Because I''m not on them? Or because I''m strong enough now?''
[Both.]
[The Boss Rooms will remain empty.]
''Tsk. Doesn''t change my ns much. To expect the ability to farm Guardians was a bit too much.''
Mark turned towards the two Higher Minotaurs he had just revived.
He threw two Pouches at each one of them.
''Go back to the Ninth Floor. Bring back any Monsters that use poison, paralysis, venom, or even thunder like those Thunder Eagles. Anything that has Skills is weed. Also, you can bring multiple Monsters from the same species. You should be more than strong enough. Go.''
The two Monsters obeyed.
''After killing five Monsters, I already leveled up... That''s to be expected since each one gives more than 1000 Experience Points. Guess I''ll farm a bit. Oh...''
Mark threw two Pouches at Kal¨¨s.
''You too. Try not to die.''
Since Kira, the Higher Minotaurs, and Mark himself were stronger than Kal¨¨s, he lost a bit of respect for his previously strongest Underling Monster.
But that was the way of an ever-evolving Monster.
An Evolving Monster that devours everything, in its way to get stronger.
An Evolving Monster that devours everything, on its ascension to the top.
...
''Wonder if I should get rid of Kal¨¨s. I''ve grown fond of him, but he''s weaker than Higher Minotaurs. Makes sense. This is the Eighth Floor and he was the Tenth Floor''s Guardian...'' Mark thought.
His three Underlings were dumping the Monsters they had hunted in front of him.
''Reviving Kira and Kal¨¨s was the right decision though. Maybe I should have revived this Floor''s Guardian too. After all, I''m now as strong as he was, approximately. The revived Guardian AND myself would be a stronger team than me with the Guardian''s strength...'' Mark thought as he devoured the unmoving Monsters.
After devouring all of them, he had gained two new Skills.
"Water Resistance" from Lizardmen and "Night Vision" from Poisonous Bats.
A secondter, Mark felt a presenceing from behind him.
''Mm, that might be entirely false...''
A ck javelin appeared in his hand.
A blueish aura engulfed both his arm and the javelin.
Mark threw it with all his strength towards the iing Higher Minotaur.
''I think I''m stronger than the Guardian was, I think.''
The javelin was thrown with so much strength that it easily made a hole in the Monster''s chest, before turning into the corrupting liquid.
[You have defeated a Higher Minotaur. 1500 Gold Coins and 3000 Experience Points earned.]
''My Mana has increased a lot. My strength too, obviously. And since I have more Skills than the Guardian had, this makes me a lot stronger.''
Mark instantly fused the two Higher Minotaur Underlings with the dead Monster.
''I can decide how many Experience Points my Underlings get, right?''
[Correct.]
''Alright. I''ll call this guy XP, and I''ll take 100% of the Experience Points he gets from defeating Monsters.'' Mark thought as he looked at his new Underling.
[Your Revived Monster shall gain 0% of the Experience Points dropped by the Monsters it defeats.]
''You should be strong enough to deal with all the Monsters here. Except if that cmityes back. You''ll stay on this Floor and kill as many Monsters as possible.''
XP obeyed and started looking for Monsters to y.
''Alright, that''s one thing done...'' Mark turned towards Kal¨¨s. ''What do I do with you now?''
Mark remembered something.
''I got three Skill Points, right?''
[Correct.]
''Show me all my Skills. It''s been a while since Ist checked them. Separate the Passive Skills from the Magic Skills.''
[You currently possess:
Passive Skills:
sh[F+] - Pierce[F+] - Assassin''s Movements[E] - Heavy Tail Flick[E] - Demon Senses[D] - Intimidating Stare [E] - Flight[F] - Royal Minotaur''s Aura [C-] - Night Vision[F+] - Water Resistance [E].
Magic Skills:
Corrupting Javelin[C-] - Fire Bomb[E-] - Stone Armor[F+] - Abyssal Fusion[B-] - Evolving Abyssal Underlings [A-] - Bone Maniption [D+] - Thunderbolt [E] - Royalty''s Barrier [D+]. ]
''Alright. Corrupting Javelin is good enough as it is. I''d like to have more options when ites to offense though. I''ll use a Skill Point on Thunderbolt.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Thunderbolt" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Thunderbolt[E]" has evolved into "Staggering Thunder[E+]".]
''Cool. The second Skill Point goes to... Abyssal Fusion.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Abyssal Fusion" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Abyssal Fusion[B-]" has evolved into "Abyssal Binding[B+]".]
''The difference?''
[The Base Monster for the Binding can be chosen.]
''Nice. That''s what I hoped for.''
Mark looked at his Underlings: Light, Kira and Kal¨¨s.
''I like Light as he is. He''s not an Abyssal Monster anyways. Kira and Kal¨¨s on the other hand are. I''d like Kira to be my only big Monster. Kal¨¨s has to be fused though. Even if the result of the fusion is disappointing, I can always discard him... Alright, let''s look for some guys to fuse you with.''
The group walked towards the Guardian''s room.
In front of its doors, two Minotaur Guards stood tall.
''These guys should be good. After all, other than the Guardian and the Cmity Of Minos, they''re the strongest around here.''
The two Monsters were easily dealt with.
Mark looked at the unmoving Monsters.
He felt a bit put off by them.
''After devouring the Guardian, these guys really don''t look appetizing at all.''
Mark revived one of the Minotaur Guards.
After that, he walked towards Kal¨¨s.
As soon as Mark touched his Underling, Kal¨¨s turned into a red ball of energy.
''Cool...'' Mark thought, as the ball of energy hovered above his hand.
He did the same to the Minotaur Guards.
Three balls of red abyssal energy floated above Mark''s hand.
''So I don''t need to Revive them first when using Abyssal Binding?''
[Select which Underling Monster will be the base for the Abyssal Binding.]
''Kal¨¨s will be the base.''
The next instant, the ball of energy, that Kal¨¨s had transformed into, engulfed the other two.
''It looks like it''s eating them. Devouring them, I should say...''
The three orbs became one.
It seemed denser.
As the ball of dense energy started getting bigger, Mark stepped back.
[You have used Abyssal Binding.]
[You have given birth to a new Abyssal Monster.]
[Your Underling Monster is an "Orc Of Minos[C-]".]
''Minos?''
As the red light faded, the new Underling appeared.
Kal¨¨s'' head was more or less the same.
But he had grown from four meters tall to approximately six.
He was also a lot more muscr than before.
''He looks... Beefier?''
On his arms, chest and shoulders was a reddish pelt.
Two ck horns were growing out of his head.
They pointed forward.
His legs were covered in reddish fur too, but they did not resemble those of Minotaurs.
''That''s a sess... Maybe? Show me his Status before I can decide.''
[ Name: Kal¨¨s
Species & Level : Orc Of Minos Lv1 (0/10.000Exp)
HP: 7500/7500
Endurance: 3000/3000
Mana Points: 1500/1500
Stats: Strength: 165
Agility: 45
Sense: 30
Vigor: 750
Endurance: 300
Mana: 150
Skill(s): Condensed Fire Ball.
Life Force Stream.
War Shout.
]
''So you kept that Life Force Stream Skill, huh?''
Chapter 21 The Seventh Floor
?''Alright.''
Mark and his three Underlings were standing in front of the wooden doors that lead to the Seventh Floor.
[You have gained 1000 Experience Points.]
[You have leveled up!]
''Nice. Getting XP to stay on the Eighth Floor and get me Experience Points was definitely a good choice.''
Mark pushed the doors open himself.
As soon as the doors were pushed, green clouds started seeping through the opening.
''It''s not poison...''
Mark opened the door.
A macabre atmosphere reigned in the area.
The floor was made of rectangr smooth rocks.
After walking for a bit, they found a staircase and went up.
Once they arrived at the top, the group found themselves inside a rectangr room.
Four doors on each of the room''s walls.
''Wish I had a map...'' Mark thought.
[Your request is being processed.]
[Analysing...]
[Your request has been epted.]
[Calcting...]
[Cost: 5000 Gold Coins.]
''Sure. I''ll buy it.''
A digital map appeared in front of Mark.
''You''re joking, right? Four rooms, each one leading to another room? Apart from the one where I''m in, eight rooms in total. That''s it? Why did I even buy a map for? Analyzing, calcting? it was only epted because the map was shit, huh? Anyways, the rooms are all prettyrge. Wait... Why are there four Boss Rooms?''
No answer came from the System.
Mark felt his heart beating faster.
''Let''s start with the smallest room then.''
Just as Mark was about to open the door, Light leaped above him.
The Shadow Wolfnded on the ground, and a Skeleton was between its fangs.
''So that''s what this Floor is about... Let it go.''
Light obliged.
The Skeleton struggled to stand up.
''This is how I used to look, huh? What I was, I should say.''
Mark walked towards the Skeleton.
Curious.
Heid his hand on the Skeleton''s skull.
It tried struggling, but it was useless.
Mark bent his body, so as to be at eye-level with the Skeleton.
''The difference in strength, can you feel it?''
A sadistic gaze stared at the helpless Skeleton.
Crush-
''Oh. I still have trouble controlling my new strength, I guess. Anyways...''
The group went through the door.
''Mmm.''
On the other side, they found hundreds of Skeletons.
A secondter, hundreds of hollow eyes were staring at Mark, who was standing in front of the group.
Beyond the wave of Skeletons, Mark could see a second set of doors.
''Those must lead to the next room, therefore, to one of the Guardians. Mm. There''s quite a bit of them... Kira, use your Great Fire Ball Skill and take them out. Light, get rid of the ones who get too close.''
The Underlings obeyed, and huge fire balls were shot at the Skeletons, wiping out dozens at a time.
''Kal¨¨s,e with me.''
Mark and his Underling left the room.
''Which one should we choose...''
The two entered the second smallest room.
In it, they found all kinds of different Skeleton Monsters.
''Those look like ck Wolf Skeletons... Orc Skeletons... Weretigers... Oh, they even have Winged Kobold Skeletons. Let''s get to it, Kal¨¨s.''
Mark and his Underlings started smashing the moving bones in front of them one by one.
''They''re pretty weak, but if you''re not careful you will get hurt. The number of Monsters fought at once is way higher than any of the previous Floors. I guess if enough of these guys work as a team, they could defeat Minotaurs... Maybe even Higher Minotaurs...''
While Mark and Kal¨¨s dealt with about 150 Monsters, Kira and Light dealt with about 300.
After dealing with all the Monsters, the group reunited.
''I guess we''ll leave the biggest room.''
They entered the second biggest room together.
In it, other familiar Monsters were found.
''Minotaur Skeletons, huh? It''s hard to guess which are Minotaurs and which are Higher Minotaurs judging from their size only...''
While Light couldn''t damage the skinless Monsters much, the team cleaned up well.
''Let''s go for the biggest room. This should be no problem.''
Still, Mark was cautious.
''The easier the main Floor is to clear, the stronger the Guardian of that Floor is...''
As they entered, a single Monster was found.
It was a Monster Mark had never seen before.
''What is it?''
Once more, the Monster was a Skeleton Monster.
It stood on two legs, but was different from Minotaurs or Orcs.
Instead of arms, it had wings.
The light in its hollow eyes shined yellow.
[Inferior Wyvern Skeleton: [C-] Rank Monster. ]
The next instant, the Monster spread its wings and took off.
''It''s pretty fast!''
As the ceiling was high, the Inferior Wyvern Skeleton was out of reach.
The Monster circled the room while breathing out a stream of fierce mes.
The more agile Mark and Light dodged easily, but Kira took damage from it.
The Royal Minotaur dodged the attacks while holding a ck javelin.
A blue aura surrounded Mark''s arm and the ck javelin.
''Not yet... Not yet... NOW!''
The ck javelin was thrown with insane strength.
It hit the flying Monster''s right wing.
The Inferior Wyvern Skeleton started its descent.
Kal¨¨s ran as fast as he could towards the spot the wyvern wouldnd on.
In his hands, was a brand new warhammer made by using the bones of the biggest Minotaur Skeletons that were in the previous room.
Kal¨¨s swung it with all his strength towards the Monster''s head, but it dodged and embedded its fangs inside his neck.
The Orc Of Minos responded by letting go of his weapon.
Instead, he grabbed the Monster into a bear hug.
Under Kal¨¨s'' full strength, cracks started to appear on the Skeleton Monster.
The Inferior Wyvern Skeleton pulled out a portion of Kal¨¨s'' thick neck and tried to move away.
Mark arrived a secondter.
He jumped above Kal¨¨s and punched the Skeleton Monster''s head with his arm wrapped in the blueish aura.
Marknded behind the Monster.
''It''s not going down?''
Mark raised both his arms and mmed them on the Wyvern Skeleton''s spine.
If it had blood, it would have bled.
If it had vocal cords, it would have cried in pain.
Mark repeated that action once more.
[You have defeated a Inferior Wyvern Skeleton. 4000 Gold Coins and 8000 Experience Points earned.]
Mark stepped away, followed by his Underlings.
He stopped a secondter.
''Wait. I can revive this guy...''
Chapter 22 A Cunning Guardian
?[You have turned an Inferior Wyvern Skeleton into your Abyssal Underling.]
The wyvern''s bones were covered with muscles and skin.
Red scales covered its body and wings.
''A Wyvern... They''re simr to Dragons, right? I wonder if they exist in this world. Dragons...''
The new Underling measured about 7 meters from head to tail.
''I''ll probably keep you for a while. Maybe fuse you with a Guardian. Status?''
[ Name: (None)
Species & Level : Inferior Abyssal Wyvern Lv1 (0/5000Exp)
HP: 2400/2400
Endurance: 1300/1300
Mana Points: 8000/8000
Stats: Strength: 90
Agility: 75
Sense: 50
Vigor: 240
Endurance: 130
Mana: 800
Skill(s): Fire Breath.
Flight.
Draconic Tail Flick
]
''Draconic, huh? Guess that answers my question about Dragons. Anyways, it''s not bad. High Mana Stat. The rest isn''t anything special though...''
Mark turned his gaze towards the doors in front of him.
''Four Guardians... Which one should we start with?''
The group walked towards the doors.
They entered the room.
Filled with green gas, it was tough to see through the smoke that reigned inside the room.
''I can''t feel any presence in here...''
Light growled.
''You can feel them, huh? Good thing we have you and your high Sense Stat...''
The next second, a pair of eyes glowed in the dark.
The light shined blue.
''A normal Skeleton?''
That lone pair of eyes became two pairs.
A secondter, there were three.
Once there were 10 pairs of glowing eyes, Mark understood what was happening.
''Multiplying? Something like that. Kira.''
A handful of Lightning Bolts flew through the room and exploded until those pairs of shining eyes were no more.
But about 5 secondster, a new pair of eyes stared at the group.
''Kal¨¨s, go. Destroy whatever is in there.''
Right away, the Orc Of Minos ran forward and smashed the Skeleton he found.
But a new one appeared.
''Are they immortal? No. They seem to pop up randomly, not on the spot we''ve defeated the previous ones. Then, what is it?''
Mark was amused and slightly perplexed.
It was the first time a Guardian Monster did not fight in a straightforward fashion.
''Leave them be.'' Mark ordered.
Kal¨¨s came back to his Master''s side.
Pairs of glowing eyes kept appearing.
''Mm. It''s getting sort of annoying. Gotta figure it out...''
More and more Skeletons appeared.
A few minutester, there were about 70 of them.
''They''re appearing one by one. Seems like there''s no limit to how many can be in the Boss Room at once. The Guardian must be the one summoning them. Yeah. That makes sense. He keeps summoning them one by one... Kal¨¨s, Kira and... Umm, the wyvern. You three destroy all these Skeletons. Light, let''s find that Guardian.''
Thunderbolts and a stream of fire obliterated dozens of Skeletons while Kal¨¨s smashed other ones to bits.
Meanwhile, Mark and Light were wandering around the room.
''It''s dark. And the green smoke doesn''t help...''
Five minutester, Light howled.
''Did you find it?''
Mark ran towards Light''s location.
''Huh? You think?''
Light barked.
In front of the two, was a Skeleton.
It wasn''t bigger than the other ones.
Its bones didn''t look sturdier.
Nevertheless, the Skeleton wore a dark robe and an amulet around its neck.
It was sitting on the ground with its back against the wall.
The scene would have made Mark chuckle if he could.
''Don''t tell me... He''s been hiding his glowing eyes with his hands this way from the beginning? That''s too funny! Hey, is this really the Guardian? Seriously?''
[Correct.]
''Mm. A letdown. Oh well, let''s smash it to pieces, I guess...''
Just as Mark extended his arm forward, the Skeleton stood up in a heartbeat.
''Huh? So you still want to fight? Let''s do it-''
The Skeleton started running away.
And Mark didn''t chase it.
Surprised and slightly entertained, he stared at the fleeing Skeleton.
''Why are you running?''
The Skeleton ran towards the center of the room.
But Mark was not worried one bit, as one of his loyal Underlings was there.
The Orc Of Minos, Kal¨¨s.
The Skeleton stood in front of thetter.
Pressure-
An ominous feeling.
Mark''s heart skipped a beat.
Light''s ears twitched.
The Skeleton grabbed its amulet and raised it up with both hands.
The amulet rose from its hands and stayed in mid-air for a bit.
Light started growling loudly.
Mark ordered Kal¨¨s to destroy the fragile Skeleton.
But before the Underling could get to it, the Guardian was swallowed by the jewel it was wearing seconds earlier.
The Guardian, had disappeared.
The hovering amulet fell to the ground.
Its jewel seemed darker than before.
The next second, the green smoke that reigned inside the Boss Room started moving.
Violently, as if a storm had appeared, the smoke spun and spun around the room''s center.
Around the amulet.
''What is-''
A secondter, the smoke entered the dark jewel.
Suddenly,
Crack-
''Come back.'' Mark ordered Kal¨¨s while staring at the amulet cautiously.
The crack spread, and the amulet broke.
Although momentarily hidden by a dark magical shell, a Monster had appeared.
Like a veil, the dark shell started fading.
''Is that...''
The Monster was taller than the Skeleton that had been swallowed.
In a way, it resembled a Skeleton.
But at the same time, it waspletely different.
Its body was covered by the same dark cape the Skeleton previously had.
Two red eyes stared at the group.
''...The Guardian?''
[Correct.]
Mark''s eyes widened.
The Guardian was not a Skeleton, as it had flesh.
But that flesh did not cover its whole body.
Only spots were covered by it, while the rest was not.
The Boss Monster''s right leg, just like its hands, was all bones, while its left was not.
When it came to the Guardian''s visible face, its mouth, nose and cheeks were covered by flesh.
The Monster raised its right arm.
Its bony fingers extended towards the group.
In front of those fingers, tiny balls of energy appeared.
Dark energy.
''That''s-''
Mark had already witnessed the devastating effect of such Magic.
''Dodge. More than anything, its attacks must be dodged-''
Before Mark could finish ordering his Underlings, thin streams of ck energy were shot at the group.
All, managed to dodge the attacks.
All, except Kira, whose body was too big.
The instant the ck stream of energy hit the Underling''s back leg, its limb started turning to dust.
Mark ran towards Kira.
''Wyvern,e here. Quick. Shit. It''s the same Skill! The same one that Cmity...!''
The Guardian raised its left arm.
The Boss Room shook.
Various cracks appeared on the ground.
The next second, a dozen Monsters rose from those cracks.
''Summoning? Just like-''
Except this time, the summoned Monsters were not mere Skeletons.
Two of them were Inferior Wyvern Skeletons.
Three were Minotaur Skeletons.
The rest were either Orc or Werewolf Skeletons.
''As if dodging those ck streams didn''t cause enough trouble??'' Mark thought to himself as he crushed the Werewolf Skeleton that separated him from Kira.
The summoned Skeleton Monsters started attacking.
The Guardian raised its right arm once more.
Its index finger pointed in the Inferior Abyssal Wyvern''s direction.
''Left arm for summoning. Right arm for attacking...?'' Mark hypothesized.
The Inferior Abyssal Wyvern Underling was close to Mark.
A sphere of dark energy, muchrger than the previous ones, appeared in front of the Guardian''s finger.
''This one might be enough to finish the wyvern or even Kira in one hit. No time...!'' Mark thought.
The ck energy was shot towards the wyvern at an insane speed.
Mark touched Kira''s body with his right hand.
The attack flew through the room.
Mark spun around and leaped forward.
The ck sphere was inches away from the winged Underling.
Mark''s left hand grazed that same Underling''s wing.
Just before it could reach its target, the Underling was turned into a red sphere.
The deadly ck bomb passed by Mark.
A huge portion of the wall behind him was turned to dust.
''Alright. Which one of you two should be the base for this one?'' Mark thought.
Two floating spheres of red energy in his hands.
Chapter 23 Assimilation
?The Royal Minotaur that Mark was, threw the red orbs away as he ran towards the Boss Monster.
While he sprinted forward, one of the orbs devoured the other.
It immediately started growing in size.
The Guardian raised both its hands towards Mark.
From its ten fingers, small dark spheres of energy appeared.
''Again, huh? Not too hard to dodge-''
The next instant, ten thin streams of energy were emitted from those fingers.
Mark easily dodged by moving sideways.
But the Guardian was not done.
As the streams were being shot, the Boss Monster started moving its hands and fingers.
And the streams of energy started moving too.
They intertwined and flew everywhere around Mark.
The Guardian''s movements resembled those of a conductor guiding musicians through a symphony.
Mark tried as best as he could to dodge.
One of his horns was hit and it turned to dust the next instant.
''Gotta hurry!!''
A secondter, a strong and thorned tail hit the Guardian''s side.
It wasunched away towards Kal¨¨s.
After all, the red orbs had been thrown behind the Guardian.
From the "Abyssal Binding", a wyvern with the fangs of a lion, a mane made of mes, and a body covered in orange scales was born.
Kal¨¨s, who had just gotten rid of all the Skeleton Monsters that had been summoned, kicked the Guardian''s body with all his strength.
It was thrown in Mark''s direction.
Thetter pulled his right arm back and a dense blue Aura was wrapped around it.
''This guy is half Skeleton, this should be enough...''
As Mark''s fist was centimeters away from the Guardian, a dark barrier appeared between the two.
''This fucking guy...!!'' Mark thought as he jumped away.
Fuming.
Enraged.
It was painless, and yet, it hurt.
His right hand had been turned to dust.
The Guardian fell to the ground.
Before it could get up, a dark javelin hit its skull with great strength, crushing it.
[You have defeated one of The Seventh Floor''s Guardians. 1''000Gold Coins and 2''000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated a Guardian.]
[You have been awarded 3 Skill Points.]
''Why so little Experience Points and Gold? Anyways, let''s revive this guy. Xp, you''re not needed anymore.''
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
''Oh, wait. I fused Kira with the wyvern. I actually had an empty slot, didn''t I? Mm...''
Mark shook his head and walked towards the dead Guardian.
Just when he was about the touch it, a ck cloud covered its body.
Mark immediately jumped away.
Under fog, the Guardian''s body was changing.
The cloud of smoke faded.
And once more, the Guardian was nothing more than a Skeleton.
''Did he just evolve into whatever he became and then go back to a Skeleton? Seriously? What kind of prank is that??''
Mark''s gaze fell on the amulet.
Ity on the ground.
Fissured.
''What is it?''
[ Broken Item.]
[Can only be used once.]
[It is now useless.]
Mark looked around him.
Usually, he would go to the next Floor, revive a Guardian or at least devour it.
But now, he couldn''t do any of those things.
''So I need to defeat all four Guardians to go to the next Floor...''
[Correct.]
''Hope there will be some worth devouring or reviving.'' Mark thought while looking at his right wrist.
His right hand had disappeared, just like his left horn.
''Again, huh?''
Mark stared at his wrist profoundly.
''Mm. Only the first Guardian too...''
Mark and his Underlings exited the Boss Room.
''Show me the new wyvern''s Status. I''ll name you Kira. Should be appropriate enough.''
It was now a bitrger.
[ Name: Kira
Species & Level : Inferior Chimera Wyvern Lv1 (0/15.000Exp)
HP: 11.000/11.000
Endurance: 1700/1700
Mana Points: 9000/9000
Stats: Strength: 190
Agility: 65
Sense: 55
Vigor: 1100
Endurance: 170
Mana: 900
Skill(s): Burning Fire Breath.
Piercing Thunder.
Protective Thunder.
Draconic Tail Flick.
Poisonous Breath.
]
''That''s a lot of Mana. Poisonous Breath? None of the two had that Skill. Won''t be useful on this Floor, but...''
Mark kept looking at the Underling''s Status and long list of Skills until he remembered something.
''Show me the avable Skills and Body Modifications.''
[Avable Body Modifications:
1) Right hand: 10.000 Evolution Points.
2) Left Horn: 4000 Evolution Points.
]
[ Avable Skills:
(None.)
]
''Huh? I can get the body parts I lost? I couldn''t do that before... Alright, I''ll buy my right hand back.''
A mysterious energy appeared in front of his wrist.
Once it faded, Mark''s right hand was back.
''The horn isn''t necessary. Sucks that I can''t have new Skills. I guess that makes sense since I didn''t devour a good variety of Monsters...''
Mark looked at his new Underling.
''Seeing that tail attackunch the Guardian away really makes me miss the time I had a tail...''
[Your request is being processed.]
[Analysing...]
[Your request has been epted.]
[Calcting...]
[Cost: 15.000 Evolution Points.]
''Oh. Well. Sure?''
Mark had enough Evolution Points to spare thanks to all the Lower and Higher Minotaurs he had devoured on the previous Floor.
From his lower back, a tail resembling that of a snake grew.
It was long enough to be wrapped around his body twice.
''Body Modifications?''
[Avable Body Modifications:
1) Left Horn: 4000 Evolution Points.
2) Heavy tail: 2000 Evolution Points.
]
Of course, Mark bought the second one.
His tail immediately got thicker.
Heavier.
Stronger.
Mark moved it around.
Secondster, a lone Skeleton appeared.
Despite not needing to do so, Mark used all of his strength to crush the weak Monster''s bones.
And so,
[Your Passive Skill "Heavy Tail Flick[E]" has evolved into the Skill "Bone Shattering Tail Flick[D-]".]
A wide smile appeared on Mark''s face.
...
Sometimeter, Mark and his Underlings stood in front of the room where a second Guardian was.
''Took some time to get used to this tail. Fighting with a tail is very different in this form. On four limbs, I didn''t have a problem bncing myself. Mm. The tail I had as a Weretiger was a scorpion''s, so it was made to pierce, not hit...''
The group entered, and they found a familiar Monster.
''Isn''t that... The Eighth Floor''s Guardian?''
Indeed, this Guardian resembled a previous one.
''That''s how I would look without my muscles and skin, huh?''
A shiver went down Mark''s spine.
He shook his head and focused on the enemy in front of him.
''This guy was extremely strong... As a skeleton, Strength and Vigor must have gone down though. Kal¨¨s, go fight it.''
The Orc Of Minos obliged.
With his huge Warhammer, he ran towards the Guardian.
Kal¨¨s, who was much taller, swung his weapon vertically toward the Monster''s skull.
''Mm. Kal¨¨s isn''t bad. As a Guardian, he was a Unique Orc Chief or something, right?''
The Guardian responded by grabbing the weapon with its hands.
''I fed him Minotaur Guards, but...''
The attack had been stopped without even pushing the Guardian back.
''Out of the three Monsters involved in that Abyssal binding...''
The next second, the Warhammer was lifted up and so was Kal¨¨s'' body.
''Kal¨¨s was the weakest.''
The Guardian mmed the Underling on the ground behind it.
Kal¨¨s hit the ground with great strength.
But the next second, he stood back up, leaving his weapon on the ground.
Kal¨¨s'' hands and the Guardian''s interlocked.
Each one was trying to push the other one back.
''The difference in strength is obvious. Even though Kal¨¨s has those huge muscles. The Guardian is stronger. Kal¨¨s is more agile, maybe? He''s heavier and bulkier, but Skeleton Monsters usually aren''t very agile. Although...''
Even though he was using all his strength, Kal¨¨s was being slowly pushed back.
''They make up for it with their high Endurance.''
The Orc Of Minos'' breathing was getting unstable.
The Underling opened its mouth.
Arge Fire Ball appeared in front of it.
The next second, the Fire Ball started getting smaller and smaller.
''Oh.''
It was beingpressed.
Or rather, condensed.
''That was his new Skill, huh? Condensed Fire Ball...''
It was shot at the Guardian whose head was inches away.
The explosion was strong enough tounch both parties away from each other.
''Not bad.''
As the two opponents got back up, they ran towards each other once more.
Kal¨¨s'' right arm and part of his chest were burnt.
The Guardian''s skull was half broken due to the explosion''s shockwave.
Once again, their hands interlocked.
''I guess that''s enough...''
The next second, two ck javelins were thrown at the Guardian.
[You have defeated one of The Seventh Floor''s Guardians. 7''000 Gold Coins and 14''000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated a Guardian.]
[You have been awarded 1 Skill Point.]
''I guess the two remaining Guardians will also give 1 Skill Point only. How many do I have anyway?''
[You currently possess 5 Skill Points.]
''Is that so? That''s enough to cook up something pretty good. For now, I''ll use a Skill Point on Abyssal Binding.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Abyssal Binding" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Abyssal Binding[B+]" has evolved into "Binding[A]".]
''Are you... Seriously?''
Mark''s eyes were wide as he read the information provided by the System on the new Magic Skill.
''So now they don''t need to be Abyssal Monsters now? The biggest limitation is now gone. I can fuse myself, Light or even Kira now. Mm. Four Skill Points left...''
Mark looked at the Skills he currently has.
''I don''t need more Underlings. What should I use these on then...?''
Mark shook his head and walked towards the Guardian''s unmoving body.
''I guess I''ll leave those Skill Points forter. Right now, I have to...''
Mark''s hand grazed the bones that made up the Guardian''s unmoving body.
It was transformed into a sphere of blue energy.
''Seeing how it worked before... I guess it should go like this?'' Mark asked himself as he inserted the sphere into his open mouth.
Once he swallowed it, what looked like a blue barrier appeared around him.
Secondster, it disappeared.
[You have used "Binding[A]".]
[You have given birth to a new Monster.]
[You have be a new Monster.]
[You have be a "Strengthened Royal Minotaur[C+]".]
Mark looked down.
His body was the same.
The only difference being that he was now covered by bones.
Those of the dead Guardian.
But that did not make those bones armor.
''External bones? Like an exoskeleton or something?''
Indeed, bones were part of his body.
Even though they were outside his skin.
''Weird, but...''
Mark moved his body around.
''I don''t dislike it. There aren''t many on my legs. No bones at all on my feet or tail...''
His neck, shoulders, back, chest, core, and fists were the body parts covered by bones.
''Stats.''
[ Stats: Strength: 295
Agility: 75
Sense: 70
Vigor: 700
Endurance: 350
Mana: 600
]
A monstrous smile appeared on Mark''s face.
He turned towards his Underlings.
Light.
Kal¨¨s.
Kira.
Suddenly, a strong hunger took him by surprise.
It was unlike the hunger he used to feel before.
''Mm. I''ll use a Skill Point on Binding.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Binding" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Binding[A]" has evolved into "Assimtion[A+]".]
''Now I can fuse together Monsters that are already made up of Fused Monsters!''
The wicked smile on Mark''s face got wider.
He looked at each one of his Underlings intensely.
With a gaze filled with greed and craving.
Proof of his insatiable appetite.
''Which one of you should I assimte, I wonder...?''
Chapter 24 Undead Lich
?Mark stood in front of the 7th Floor''s third Boss Room.
His body had changed.
Mark''s pelt was now red.
His tail was covered by reddish scales.
It was thicker and longer than it used to be.
With an open palm, he pushed the doors open.
A chill-sending screech resonated as Mark''s sharp ws scratched the doors.
His ferocious fangs were put on disy as a wide smile refused to leave his face.
Behind him, stood two Underlings.
Light, a Level 12 Shadow Wolf.
Kal¨¨s, a Level 2 Orc Of Minos.
Both looked at their Master''s back as they followed him.
On that back, were folded Draconic Wings.
The three entered the Boss Room.
''This one is mine.'' Mark thought.
As his Underlings could hear their Master''s telepathicmands, they stopped advancing.
Mark walked forward towards the Guardian.
It was much taller than he was.
The Monster was as big as a Minotaur.
Once again, it was a Skeleton Monster.
Its skull resembled that of an elk.
Two magnificent horns stood proud.
Once the Guardian noticed Mark, it raised its hand towards him.
A sphere of green energy appeared in front of it.
A secondter, it was shot.
Thetter answered by doing the same.
He raised his right hand.
A red barrier appeared in front of him.
As the green sphere hit the barrier, it exploded.
Cracks appeared all over that barrier
A second attack was about to be shot.
''Not strong enough, huh? I''ll use a Skill Point on my Royalty''s Barrier Skill.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Royalty''s Barrier" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Royalty''s Barrier[D+]" has evolved into "Imprable Barrier[C]".]
The barrier that now stood in front of Mark was of a denser red.
The green sphere of energy exploded and smoke covered Mark''s location.
The Guardian, noticing movements inside the cloud of smoke, continued shooting.
As the fifth shot was about to be fired, tworge wings were spread.
Mark pped them once and the smoke dissipated.
He opened his mouth.
The next second, a small Fire Ball appeared in front of his mouth.
But it wasn''t a normal Fire Ball. Not only was it a Condensed Fire Ball, but it was covered with an electric aura.
''Let''s see which one is stronger.''
The two attacks collided and one of the spheres exploded upon contact.
The remaining one continued, on its way towards the Guardian.
It used its arm as a shield, but it ended up losing it.
''Closebat would be too easy against this guy. Skeleton Monsters aren''t durable at all.''
A secondter, the Guardian started sprinting towards Mark.
''Ugh...''
Not paying any mind to the approaching Guardian, Mark turned around.
He started walking away.
''Kal¨¨s, finish it. I''m bored.''
The Orc Of Minos intercepted the iing Guardian just before it could hit Mark''s body.
A hit from it wouldn''t have dealt much damage anyways.
''It probably wouldn''t be able to break my barrier. With this guy, I''ll have 3 Skill Points...''
Mark left the room, followed by Light.
''You haven''t been able to shine since these guys have no flesh. Your ws and fangs aren''t useful against them. Hope I''ll find something to fuse you with soon...''
Just as Mark stood in front of the fourth Guardian Room,
[Your Underling has leveled up!]
[You have defeated a Guardian.]
[You have been awarded 1 Skill Point.]
A couple of secondster, Kal¨¨s stood behind Mark, the Guardian''s unmoving body in his hand.
Mark quickly devoured it.
After that, he put his hands on the doors.
Mark felt a slight chill that made him pull his hand away.
Light growled while staring at the door.
''This guy must be pretty strong...''
Mark pushed the doors opened and the three entered.
Blue chilling smoke covered multiple spots inside the room.
The three took a few steps forward.
"Looks like you''ve defeated my Guards, little one." A cold voice resonated inside the room.
Despite his great strength, Mark''s hand started shaking while his eyes looked for the source of those words.
"You must be quite the mighty one, to aplish such a feat."
Mark finally found it.
On a throne made of bones, a Skeleton Monster wearing a dark purple robe was seated.
It was taller than other Skeletons. Its bones looked somewhat sturdier.
Its skull looked defined.
One could almost see a face and not just bones.
As the Monster''s jaw moved, words flowed.
''This is the first time... A Monster... No. The first time anything actually talks in here!''
"s, you are but another mindless Monster. Quite the strong one, which is why I will make you one of my Guards. Just like I did to the ones that came before you."
A piercing cold wind ruled inside the Boss Room.
''So those Guardians were this guy''s Underlings? What is this guy anyway?''
[ The Seventh Floor''s Guardian. Undead Lich.]
''A Lich? Wait, this is the first time the System tells me the species of a Guardian!''
[Special rewards will be given by devouring the Undead Lich.]
''Oh...''
Mark''s thoughts were interrupted as two sharp ice spikes flew towards him.
"So...One, two, three! Perfect! There are three of you! Just enough to rece my Guards!" The Guardian shouted as it stood up from its throne.
''Strange. Thest room I enter is the true Boss Monster...''
[The Undead Lich can use Spatial Magic.]
[No more information will be given.]
''Is that so-''
An ice spike that came from behind the group pierced Light''s leg.
''Interesting. I can only shoot Magic Skills from my hands or mouth. He can conjure up those ice spikes from anywhere, huh? Is that Spacial Magic?''
Mark stared at the Guardian.
''If that''s all there is to it then... This won''t be much of a challenge!''
A series of ice spikes flew in every direction.
Mark, who was now faster than his Underlings, dodged every attack.
The Guardian, on the other hand, wasn''t moving.
It stood in front of its throne.
"Looks like I will have to put some more effort into this." The Undead Lich said.
It raised its arms.
"Rise, my minions. Rise and fight for me. Rise and die for me. Rise and live for me."
As those words were pronounced, Mark felt multiple presences appear inside the Boss Room.
From below the ground, enemies started appearing.
''What the... Three Royal Minotaur Skeletons? Four Inferior Wyvern Skeletons... Are you for real? Kal¨¨s, take care of them! Try to! Light, dodge while attacking as much as you can.''
The Orc Of Minos ran towards the rising Monsters while Light ran around using his Shadow Betrayal Skill to attack.
Mark turned towards the Guardian.
It was looking straight at him.
"It is surprising to see mindless Monsters teaming up. I wonder if you are smarter than the rest, or the same as Goblins-"
Before the Guardian could finish its sentence, an electric fire ball was shot towards it.
A wall of ice appeared in the fire ball''s way.
But the attack was more powerful than the Guardian had expected.
The ice wall was destroyed and the attack continued on its path.
''Where is he??''
The Guardian had disappeared.
"Don''t make me use Mana like that. Teleportation uses a bunch of it, you see..."
From behind Mark, the voice resonated.
''I couldn''t sense him...''
The Guardian''s hand was about to touch his body.
''...Because he is a Skeleton!''
And as it touched his body, Mark wasunched away.
His back hit the wall.
Cough-
A drop of blood went down his mouth.
''Huh. It can''t be that strong. Must be a Magic Skill then...''
As Mark turned his gaze, it fell on Kal¨¨s.
The Underling was down on one knee as it had lost its right leg.
In front of him was an Inferior Wyvern Skeleton, about to shoot its devastating fire breath.
The Underling''s body was scorched, and Mark''s blood started boiling.
He ran towards the Guardian, but a bright light caught his attention from the corner of his eye.
A fire breath was about to burn the Shadow Wolf, Light.
''Run away.'' Mark ordered.
Light barely dodged the burning mes, but that only led to a Royal Minotaur Skeleton''s kick to hit his stomach.
''Get out.''
The two Underlings couldn''t do a thing but obey their Master.
And as they ran towards the doors they hade in from, a Skeleton Monster stood in their way.
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
Only one of the two Underlings had managed to escape.
Seeing his precious Underling turned to dust, Mark suddenly felt calm.
"Hahaha. The fate of the weak, how pathetic." The Guardian mocked.
The three Royal Minotaur Skeletons and three Inferior Wyvern Skeletons started moving towards Mark.
''So they could only take care of one Inferior Wyvern Skeleton...? I guess if they weren''t so numerous, they might have done better.''
Mark changed his path.
Instead of running towards the Guardian, he ran towards the other summoned Skeleton Monsters.
''Maybe this is for the best. A change of Underlings has been in order for a while now.''
Mark dodged a Royal Minotaur Skeleton''s punch easily and gave it one of his own.
The Monster''s skull was instantly broken.
It fell to the ground.
Two others arrived at once and Mark deflected their powerful attacks.
Meanwhile, his tail had moved towards the Monster he had just defeated.
And once that tail grazed the unmoving Monster''s body,
[You have brought back one Monster from the dead.]
"What are you..."
''Mm. Yeah. This is the way I should fight this guy. Devouring his army by making it mine.''
A Royal Minotaur with a red pelt and a muscr body had joined Mark''s side.
''I''m a pretty bad match for him.''
The Royal Minotaur fought the Inferior Wyvern Skeletons while Mark took care of the rest.
"Don''t tell me those were your Underlings. How can a random... How dare you... How..." The Undead Lich muttered.
''Random? Don''t make meugh.'' Mark thought as he defeated the third Royal Minotaur Skeleton.
The three of them, were now on his side.
''Now that I have these guys to protect my back...'' Mark turned towards the Guardian.
Heunched himself towards the Boss Monster with an extremely powerful and swift stride.
Mark''s arm was wrapped in a peculiar aura.
It was still blue, but of a much deeper shade than it used to be.
Just before he could hit the Guardian, a ck barrier appeared in front of thetter.
Mark jumped back.
''Good thing I didn''t punch thoughtlessly likest time...''
It was his third time encountering such an energy.
He therefore knew that Mana of such color was dangerous.
Incredibly dangerous.
The ck barrier encircled the Guardian.
"What senses you have! To be able to stop your attack at the sight of my deadly barrier. You will definitely make a fine Guard!"
''Tsk. Only a couple of things I can do now.''
A ck javelin appeared in Mark''s hand.
Unfortunately, it disappeared right upon hitting the barrier.
''Next.''
His electric fire ball did not make it through either.
''Onest option, I guess.''
But even his Staggering Thunder did not make it through.
Mark stood in front of the Undead Lich.
Behind it, were the corpses of Inferior Wyvern Skeletons and Mark''s new Underlings.
One of the corpses was lifted into the air.
Its bones were broken and reassembled into a big spike that flew towards the Guardian.
But even that did not make it through the dark barrier.
"Oh. Fire, Thunder, Corruption and now Bone Maniption too. Your appearance is impressive too. Yes! I definitely want you."
Mark felt a slight chill.
As if, he was about to be swallowed.
As if, he was about to be devoured.
''That damn barrier...''
Mark jumped sideways.
An ice spike grazed his side.
''Gotta stay focused. I can''t harm him for now, but he can''t harm me either. All I can do for now is wait for him to run out of Mana, huh?''
Mark continued dodging the attacks.
''Wait. Mana, huh? Maybe...''
He dodged once more.
Mark was starting toe up with a n.
''If I can somehow get a Skill like that one...''
A bitter, he found himself next to one of the dead Inferior Wyvern Skeletons.
As he touched its unmoving body, it turned into a red light.
Mark did the same with the other two.
Three red spheres were floating in his hands.
"So? Will you use your Necromancer Skill? As an Undead Lich, my Mana Points will run out way after you run out of Endurance Points. My advantage is obvious..."
Mark smirked and threw the three red spheres in his mouth.
"I shall be the victor."
As they were swallowed, a red Aura covered his whole body.
The Guardian stared at Mark without attacking.
Was it out of surprise? Curiosity? Or was it sensing what wasing?
As the Aura faded, the Guardian could see that Mark''s body had changed.
His Minotaur face was nowhere to be seen.
It now resembled that of a reptile.
Sharp fangs and ws.
His tail got stronger and thicker.
Mark was covered in red scales and bones.
A lone horn remained on his head.
''Wyverns have a really high Mana Stat. How many Mana Points do I have now?''
[Current Mana Points: 6900/8700. ]
''I hadn''t checked my Stats since devouring that Royal Minotaur Skeleton...''
An ice spike flew directly towards Mark''s heart.
Using his tail, it shattered right away.
[Your Passive Skill "Bone Shattering Tail Flick[D-]" has evolved into the Skill "Draconic Tail Flick[C+]".]
A smirk appeared on Mark''s face.
''I still can''t break that barrier, but...''
Mark''s eyes shined red as he stared at the Guardian.
''Let''s just say that step 1 isplete, for now.''
Chapter 25 A New Kings Beginnings
?While ice spikes flew from and towards every direction, Mark looked at his list of Skills.
[You currently possess:
Passive Skills:
sh[F+] - Pierce[F+] - Assassin''s Movements[E] - Draconic Tail Flick[C+] - Demon Senses[D] - Intimidating Stare [E] - Flight[F] - Royal Minotaur''s Aura [C-] - Night Vision[F+] - Water Resistance [E].
Magic Skills:
Corrupting Javelin[C-] - Electric Fire Bomb[D] - Stone Armor[F+] - Assimtion[A+] - Evolving Abyssal Underlings [A-] - Bone Maniption [D+] - Staggering Thunder[E+] - Imprable Barrier[C]. ]
''Which one is the right choice...''
As his concentration was elsewhere, an ice spike hit his back.
But it was of no concern to him.
The ice spike broke without even scratching Mark''s body.
Thebination of thick Royal Minotaur muscles and sturdy Inferior Wyvern scales was enough to keep him safe.
''I need something like Kal¨¨s'' Life Force Stream. Mm...''
"Do not make this harder than it needs to be. You cannot defeat me." The Guardian proimed.
''Easy to say when you''re hiding behind that barrier. Tsk...''
An ice spike flew towards Mark''s face.
He extended his hand towards it.
A red aura engulfed his hand.
''That''s... What Skill did this?''
[It is the effect of your Passive Skill: "Royal Minotaur''s Aura[C-]".]
''Aura, huh? That''s kind of the same as Mana, right? Ugh. Do I really have to gamble at a time like this? There''s nothing else though... I''ll use two Skill Points on this Skill!''
[You have used two Skill Points.]
[Your Skill "Royal Minotaur''s Aura" is evolving...]
[Your Passive Skill "Royal Minotaur''s Aura[C-]" has evolved into "Strengthening Aura[C+]".]
[Your Passive Skill "Strengthening Aura[C+]" has evolved into the Magic Skill "Aura Maniption[B]".]
As Mark continued dodging the attacks, he felt an unknown strength inside his body.
Unknown, and yet,
''I''m overflowing... With power!''
Once Mark concentrated on his right hand, it was engulfed in a thickyer of red Aura.
''Now, I can control it at will. But that''s still a step behind what I''m searching for...''
Mark concentrated on both his hands.
The two were enveloped by the red energy.
''The Aura is just above my skin. But I need it to go further...''
He brought both of his hands closer.
''I can feel it... This energy. The same that I utilize when using Magic Skills. I just need to... All I need to do... Is bring it out!''
Slowly but surely, a small ball of energy appeared between his hands.
''Gotta... Get more of it out...''
[Congrattions!]
[You have developed a new Skill.]
[You have developed the Magic Skill: "Mana Maniption[A]".]
''Good. Now, let''s put even more energy into it...''
The ball of Mana between Mark''s hands started growing.
As he poured more and more Mana into it, it grew bigger and bigger.
''I put about 2000 Mana Points in here. Now, let''s try this. Just like for Kal¨¨s'' Condensed Fire Ball...''
Mark started bringing his hands closer to one another.
The ball of energy got smaller and smaller.
He used great strength to make it smaller.
At least, it felt like he was using his strength.
In truth, he was using his Mana.
Once the ball was as small as a tennis ball,
''Perfect. It has the same amount of Mana, but it''s been condensed. Which means-''
BOOM-
Before Mark could finish his thought, the ball of energy between his hands exploded.
he was pushed back by the shockwave.
Mark fell to the ground a dozen meters further.
''Shit. Was it too much-''
[Congrattions!]
[You have developed a new Skill.]
[You have developed the Magic Skill: "Mana Condensation[A]".]
A smirk appeared on Mark''s Wyvern-like face.
He raised his arm towards the Guardian.
As ice spikes were about to hit him, Mark used his "Imprable Barrier" Magic Skill.
In front of his open palm, a small ball of energy appeared.
It got bigger.
And bigger.
And a bit bigger.
The ball of Mana quickly took the size of a small car.
''This should be about two-thirds of what I have left.''
The next second, the ball of energy started shrinking.
Until it became the size of a bowling ball.
Although it was still red, the color had darkened a lot.
A deeper shade.
A denser shade.
''Fuck. It''s... It''s unstable. Ah! It just... Wants to leave!'' Mark thought with a nervous smile on his face.
The Guardian took a step back.
"What are you-"
The ball of energy escaped Mark''s grasp.
It flew towards the Undead Lich with marvelous speed.
Just from shooting it, Mark''s body was pushed back and the ground below him cracked.
The attack collided with the Guardian''s dark barrier.
It shattered like ss.
''About here... Right?''
Just as the ball of energy was about to hit the Boss Monster, its body disappeared.
"You foolish-"
The Guardian''s words were interrupted as Mark''s heavy tail hit its body with great strength.
The Undead Lich had used its Spatial Magic to teleport behind Mark, just like it had done before.
The only difference was that this time, it was expected.
The bones that made up its ribcage were smashed to bits.
The force was such that it even forced the Undead Lich''s skull to detach from the rest of its body.
''Ha! Low Health Points. Weak body, weak bones.'' Mark thought to himself as he walked towards the Guardian''s skull.
"Mmmmh. Teleportation sure uses up a lot of Mana Points. I had to use the small portion I had left to protect my skull, but it seems that did not serve any real purpose..." The Guardian''s voice seemed calm, serene.
Mark kept walking towards the talking skull.
"So this is the end for me. A fitting end, for someone stuck in the past..."
Mark''s body was covered by Aura.
"It seems it was I, who was foolish. Still, I am d it happened this way. Dying, as a stepping stone..."
Mark stood in front of the Monster''s skull.
"I am d that I got to witness it..."
Stomp-
"The birth... of a new king-"
The skull was shattered.
[You have defeated The Seventh Floor''s Guardian. 30,000 gold Coins and 60''000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have defeated a Guardian.]
[You have been awarded 3 Skill Points.]
[You can now ess the Dungeon''s Sixth Floor.]
''A new king... He said?''
[You have been given a Title.]
[Analyzing...]
[You have been given a Title by the Seventh Floor''s Guardian.]
[You have been given the Title: "New King".]
[Calcting...]
[You have been granted the Title "Possible Demon King Candidate".]
''Mm.''
...
A Monster stood in the middle of the Boss Room.
Unmoving.
It stood at about 3 meters tall.
Its frame was extremely muscr.
The Monster used to be a Minotaur, but all that remained from that was its sole horn and powerful muscles.
The Monster''s head now resembled that of a ferocious reptile.
Its skin was covered by both thick bones and sturdy red scales.
With one white horn on its head, a red tail and two wings, the Monster had a hellish appearance.
''Demon King...?'' Mark thought while reading the digital message in front of him.
He sat down while staring at the broken skull in front of him.
''A Demon, huh? I''m considered as such simply because I''m a Monster? Mm. Am I considered evil then? I can''t say I''ve done anything wrong...''
Mark let out a weak chuckle.
''This again, huh...''
Chapter 26 Reborn As A Monster III
?''It''s true. In a way, I didn''t have to kill. I could have survived on the Tenth Floor. Pathetically, staying there forever, only fighting and eating when I needed to. But what kind of life is that? I am a Monster. And I''ve killed many, just like me. I devoured all of them to get stronger. I devoured all of them, to get to the top. The top...?''
Mark let his back hit the ground.
''The top of... What? This Dungeon? Sure, but... That''s not quite it. Tsk.''
Ever since Mark''s dream, it seemed like these kinds of wavering thoughts became more frequent.
''I do not know who I was during my previous life. A good person? A bad one? A murderer? A normal person? What''s a normal person anyway? Who''s to say what''s normal and what isn''t?''
Annoyed by his own thoughts, Mark stood up.
''I''ve already made up my mind. Human? Demon? Thosebels don''t matter. Not at all. Because...''
At the thought, a huge amount of Aura covered Mark''s entire body.
''I am now a different person. A new person.''
The Aura around Mark shined red.
''Even my name is just a distant memory. I do not know right from wrong. All I know... That''s right. All I know, is this hunger inside of me.''
The Aura around him grew more intense.
Fiercer.
''This hunger that pushes me to devour and get stronger. This desire to trample over my enemies and make their strength mine. That. Is all that matters. After getting a taste of fighting, of getting stronger... After getting a taste... Of my enemies'' blood...''
Mark felt a chill go down his spine.
''It might be messed up, but... This feeling. The feeling I get when fighting, devouring... The feeling after winning a close fight... There''s nothing like it. A peaceful life? Hahaha. How could I choose that? I''m sure my first life was peaceful enough. I can''t remember it, but how gruesome could it have been?''
Cracks appeared on the ground, due to Mark''s Aura.
''A King? Sure, why not? A Demon King? That sounds even better. Just the sound of it makes my heart pound like crazy.''
A devilish smile appeared on his face.
''Mm.'' Mark nodded to himself. ''That''s what I''ll be. With this monstrous body of mine, I''ll make this new world mine.''
Mark spread his draconic wings wide.
''It''s just like the Lich said... Nothing more than a stepping stone. Not just this Guardian. All of them... This whole Dungeon is a stepping stone. Isn''t that right? Then... Me bing a Demon King, that''s what the System wants too, right?''
[The System has no will.]
[The System is but an effect of your Title "System''s Holder".]
''It doesn''t matter who it is. Whether it''s the System or those who have given me this Title, I''ll... Yeah. I''ll conquer this new world.''
Mark could feel chills all over his body.
''I''ll do it... Because I can. With this body...''
Mark lowered his gaze.
Staring at his fist, his smile grew wider.
''...I have no limits.''
Realizing his train of thought, Mark felt surprised for a second.
Psychoticughter echoed throughout the whole Floor.
Markughed.
And not only at his thought of conquering the Higher World, a world he knew practically nothing about.
Markughed at his own belief too.
''I truly believe... I can do it.''
But reality is bound to catch up to fantasy.
Mark shook his head.
''I need information about the outside world...''
He turned his gaze towards the Guardian''s shattered skull.
''This guy is the only Monster who could talk so far. I''m sure he will have a lot to say. Oh. Since he is an Undead Monster, I wonder if I will revive him as an Undead Lich or-''
But as soon as Mark''s long tail touched the skull, a message appeared.
[You cannot revive the target.]
[Appropriatepensation is being calcted...]
''Compensation? Because I cannot revive him?''
[Correct.]
The Aura around Mark''s body grew darker.
The cracks on the ground spread, appearing on the ceiling and walls of the room.
''Compensation...? So it''s not that I can''t. It''s because the System is preventing me from reviving him?''
[The System has no will.]
''So the System can limit my strength? The power I fought to obtain? The power I risked my life for over and over again?''
[The System has no will.]
In front of the silent and unmovable wall that was the System, the anger that made Mark''s blood boil couldn''t do a thing, but slowly fade away.
Once he had calmed down,
''Why can''t I revive him?'' Mark asked telepathically.
[That information is unavable.]
Mark raised his gaze towards the cracked ceiling.
''A king to all, but a ve to the System? Am I supposed to be something like that?'' He asked himself.
His fierce Aura slowly faded.
There was too much that Mark did not know.
About the Higher World.
About those who brought him to this Higher World.
About the System.
And so, there was only one thing he could do for now.
[You have gained 8000 Evolution Points.]
[You have devoured a Floor''s Guardian.]
[Calcting appropriate reward....]
''Evolution Points are on the low end. Understandable, since it''s just a bunch of bones...''
[You have devoured the Undead Lich.]
[Special rewards are being calcted.]
''Right. It did say something about special rewards for devouring it...''
Mark did not care about whatever reward he was about to receive.
After all, he had lost something more important.
More valuable.
Much more valuable.
''The System allowed me to get Skills and Body Modifications. It allowed me to Evolve too. I truly didn''t think it could impose limits on my power. Nor that it would...''
What was lost, was his trust in the System.
Mark turned towards the doors that would lead to the next Floor.
''Troublesome. Just when I was fantasizing about bing king, I get hit with a reality check...'' Mark thought as he chuckled weakly.
Remembering something, he looked around the empty Boss Room.
''Oh. Those guys died. Too bad. Having them as my Underlings would have been pretty good-''
[You have devoured the Seventh Floor''s Guardian.]
[Your reward has been chosen.]
[Your Unique Title "Devourer" gives birth to a new Unique Title.]
[You have developed the Unique Title "Bone Devourer".]
[Consuming a Monster''s bones can lead to strengthening your own.]
''Good.''
[You have devoured the Undead Lich.]
[Special rewards have been calcted.]
[You have unlocked the System''s Inventory.]
[You have been awarded the Magic Skill "Freeze[E]".]
''Inventory. I can keep objects in there, huh? That''s not bad. Especially with my Bone Maniption Skill...''
Mark started walking towards the doors.
[Appropriate Compensation has been calcted.]
[You have been awarded three Items.]
[You have received three "Underling Evolution Pills".]
''So instead of letting me get a new Underling, you''re handing me stuff to make the ones I have evolve?''
Even though Mark was, only minutes earlier, bathing in his own strength and might, he, now, felt the strong presence of something hovering above him.
He felt the weight of heavy shackles ced around his neck.
Shackles that could be pulled and tightened at any time.
To contain and limit his power.
Limiting his power to what "they" would "let" him do.
''You cane in.''
The next instant, Mark''s only remaining Underling entered the Boss Room.
Once the Underling stood in front of its Master, thetter crouched.
In a sudden show of what could be described as affection, Mark stroked Light''s dark pelt over and over again.
The Shadow Wolf remained unmoving.
''Mm...''
Mark quickly stood back up and turned towards the huge doors.
He pushed them open with ease, a grin on his face.
''Well then, the future Demon King will kickstart his conquest of the world with... The Sixth Floor, I guess.''
...
Upon entering, Mark found himself inside what looked like a cave.
The floor was at an angle.
''A staircase was usually between the different Floors, but there is none here. Not that it matters... How many Skill Points do I have?''
[You currently possess 4 Skill Points.]
''Hum... Show me my Skills.'' Mark thought while walking forward.
[You currently possess:
Passive Skills:
sh[F+] - Pierce[F+] - Assassin''s Movements[E] - Draconic Tail Flick[C+] - Demon Senses[D] - Intimidating Stare [E] - Flight[F] - Night Vision[F+] - Water Resistance [E].
Magic Skills:
Corrupting Javelin[C-] - Electric Fire Bomb[D] - Stone Armor[F+] - Assimtion[A] - Evolving Abyssal Underlings [A-] - Bone Maniption [D+] - Staggering Thunder[E+] - Imprable Barrier[C] - Freeze[E] - Aura Maniption [B] - Mana Maniption [A] - Mana Condensation [A]. ]
''My offensive Skills are good. Between my high physical strength, Electric Fire Bomb, Corrupting Javelin and Mana Maniption, I''m notcking in firepower. Nor in defensive ability since I can use my Imprable Barrier or Aura Maniption defensively.''
Mark walked for about another 3 minutes.
''I guess I''ll use one Skill Point on my "Evolving Abyssal Underlings" Skill....''
[You have used 1 Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Evolving Abyssal Underlings" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Evolving Abyssal Underlings[A-]" has evolved into "Evolving Undead Army [A]".]
''Not bad. Now I can have 8 Underlings instead of 5. Although they are not Abyssal Monsters anymore. I''ll keep thest 3 Skill Points forter-''
Mark suddenly sensed a presence.
''It''s still a bit far. And there''s only one...''
After Mark took another ten steps, he suddenly stopped.
He stared.
Something inside of him was warning him not to take another step forward.
Out of nowhere, a ck horn, simr to that of a rhinoceros, appeared in front of Mark.
''Wha-''
A red barrier made of Mana appeared.
It was the Magic Skill "Imprable Barrier[C]".
The ck horn collided with the barrier.
Unlike what Mark had thought would''ve happened, upon impact, the barrier shattered like ss.
The horn hit Mark''s body with such force that he rolled on the ground many times before getting back up.
''What the hell was that? Out of nowhere too. Tsk. Not much damage but... Way to fuck up the start of the Demon King''s conquest.''
[ Mutated Rhino Beetle: A [B-] Rank Monster.]
The Monster was a gigantic version of the Rhinoceros Beetle, an insect known for its high rtive strength.
Its horn and whole body were pitch ck.
''How is it so fast? Strong too. Light, stand back.''
The growling Shadow Wolf obeyed its Master''s order.
Meanwhile, the Monster spread its wings menacingly, as if to intimidate.
Mark''s heart rate increased.
Aura started oozing out of his body.
He clenched his fangs.
''It''s telling me... To run away?''
His piercing red eyes stared at the Monster in front of him.
Mark took a step forward as a chuckle escaped his mouth.
''I''ll beat it up.''
He took another step towards the Monster.
''I won''t even use Mana. I''ll beat it up. With strength alone.''
That was the pride of one titled "Possible Demon King Candidate".
''It doesn''t look like it has any Skills or Mana. Just pure Strength and Agility.''
The Mutated Rhino Beetle folded its wings.
A secondter, Mark was, once more,unched away.
He instantly got back up.
''It''s fast. Incredibly fast. But I can see it, although... Just barely.''
Once again, Mark stepped inside the Insect''s domain.
''I''ll use a Skill Point on Demon Senses. Another one on Draconic Tail Flick.''
Chapter 27 Fiery Queen
?[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Passive Skill "Demon Senses" is evolving...]
[You are not an Infernal Monster.]
[You are not a Demonic Monster.]
[Calcting...]
[Your Passive Skill "Demon Senses[D]" has evolved into the Skill "Advanced Kic Vision[C+]".]
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Draconic Tail Flick" is evolving...]
[Your Passive Skill "Draconic Tail Flick[C+]" has evolved into the Skill "Sonic Tail Flick[B+]".]
Immediately, the way Mark saw the world around him changed.
Everything seemed clearer and brighter.
But more importantly, the Mutated Rhino Beetles'' movements seemed slower, as if lethargic.
''Amazing...'' Mark thought as his eyes widened.
It was as if time itself was slowing down for his sake.
''My own movements feel slow too, the only body part that can keep up is...''
As the Mutated Rhino Beetle''s ck horn approached Mark,
WHIP-
A loud noise was produced by Mark''s insanely quick tail flick.
''Oh. Increases tail movements by 150%, huh?''
The Mutated Rhino Beetle''s body was thrown against the wall.
Mark waited for it to get back up.
But the Insect Monster had fallen on its back.
No matter how much it pped its wings, it could not turn its body upside down.
Mark confidently, yet cautiously, walked towards the Monster.
''I guess these types of bugs were always like this.''
Once Mark stood in front of the defenseless Monster, he sank his sharp ws into the Monster''s fragile stomach.
[You have defeated a Mutated Rhino Beetle. 7''000 Gold Coins and 14''000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
''This guy was pretty strong and agile. Durability was on the low side though. Still, this was the first fight on this Floor.''
A smile appeared on his face.
''Unlike thest Floor where they were all bones, I bet I''ll find good ones to devour here.''
Mark stared at the dead creature in front of him with slight disgust.
''I would rather devour it than revive it. Although... I don''t feel like eating a bug. System, do something about it. You owe me at least that much, after fucking me over.''
It was clear that Mark still felt sour about not being able to revive the Undead Lich.
[Calcting...]
[You have been awarded the Magic Skill "Consume[A]".]
Mark touched the dead Mutated Rhino Beetle, and its body turned into a green sphere of energy.
[You have gained 10.000 Evolution Points.]
''Mm. I''ll have to be aware of which Skill I want to use. Whether it''s Assimtion or Consume. Since both turn the dead Monster into energy that I can devour. I guess it''s-''
Mark''s thoughts were interrupted by extremely loud sounds that came from deeper inside the cave.
''What is-''
The next second, the ground, walls, and ceiling started shaking.
A handful of secondster, Mark could see the reason.
In front of him, was a swarm of what looked like giant ants.
Dozens of them wereing at very high speeds.
Some were on the ground, others on the walls, and the rest on the ceiling.
Every part of the cave in front of Mark was full of these iing Monsters.
Each ant was the size of a wolf.
Mark immediately spread his wings and raised his right hand towards the swarm.
[Mutated Ants: [B] Rank Monsters.]
''Higher ranked than that Rhino Beetle?''
[Correct.]
[Mutated Ants get their strength from their high numbers.]
''I guess Ants always act in a group... Right?''
They were now only 100 meters away.
''Light. Stand back, for now.''
The Underling obeyed.
''I guess I''ll use about 80% of what I got. And condense it.''
The next instant a condensed ball of Mana was shot from Mark''s palm.
It traveled at an extremely high speed.
The sphere of Mana ripped the bodies of multiple Monsters apart as it passed through the first lines of the swarm.
A secondter, a huge explosion urred, decimating hundreds of Mutated Ants at once.
[You have defeated a Mutated Ant. 6000 Gold Coins and 12000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated a Mutated Ant. 6000 Gold Coins and 12000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated a Mutated Ant. 6000 Gold Coins and 12000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated a Mutated Ant. 6000 Gold Coins and 12000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated a Mutated Ant. 6000 Gold Coins and 12000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!] ...
''I guess Mana is my forte now.''
Mark couldn''t help but think that way after his fight against the Mutated Rhino Beetle who was both faster and stronger.
Due to the huge explosion, only a dozen Mutated Ants or so were left.
Mark and Light took care of them fairly easily.
''There''s that one too.''
Mark could feel another enemy remaining.
Behind the swarm of Mutated Ants, stood one Monster.
[Mutated Ant Queen: [B].]
The Mutated Ant Queen was as big as a truck and the amount of Mana its body held was no joke.
But Mark quickly noticed something.
After the whole colony had been destroyed, the queen wasn''t about to fight.
On the contrary, a huge amount of eggs were beingid.
''I wonder if that counts as a Skill...''
Although they were as big as car tires, they were still eggs.
Mark stood in front of the Mutated Ant Queen, as all it did wasy more eggs.
By the time 10 minutes had passed, hundreds of eggs were on the ground.
It was then, that Mark used his "Electric Fire Bomb" Magic Skill multiple times, burning every egg to a crisp.
[You have defeated one Premature Mutated Ant. 500 Gold Coins and 1000 Experience Points earned.]
....
Right after that, Mark dealt with the queen with ease.
''It has lots of Mana, it only uses it to produce those eggs. I''ll have to increase its offensive power somehow.''
Of course, there was only one conclusion to that thought.
[You have used the Magic Skill "Evolving Undead Army[A]".]
[You have turned a Mutated Ant Queen into your Underling.]
The Monster was healed, and its injuries disappeared.
''It looks the same. My Skill changed, so that makes sense. Show me the queen''s Status.''
[ Name: (None)
Species & Level : Mutated Ant Queen Lv1 (0/50''000Exp)
HP: 35''000/35''000
Endurance: 30''000/30''000
Mana Points: 7''800/7''800
Stats: Strength: 100
Agility: 70
Sense: 150
Vigor: 3500
Endurance: 3000
Mana: 780
Skill(s): Offspring Production.
Offspring Control.
]
''As I thought, it uses Skills to produce and control those Mutated Ants. The offspring will be under the queen''s control and not mine, huh? That''s great. They''ll be able to take care of themselves. Umm, I guess you''re a pretty good investment, Ant Queen. Take this.''
On Mark''s hand, appeared what looked like a white marble.
He threw it towards his new Underling.
Thetter opened its mouth.
The next second, a message from the System appeared in front of Mark.
[Your Underling has consumed an Underling Evolution Pill.]
[Evolution is about to start.]
The queen closed its eyes and its body was shrouded by a cloud of green mana.
[Two Evolutions possible.]
[Would you like to choose which one to undergo?]
''Sure.''
[Evolutions Possible:
Great Mutated Ant Queen.
Mutated Fire Ant Queen.
]
''Interesting. So Evolution can even add an Element to the Monster Species... I''ll choose the second one, obviously.''
The Evolution took 3 minutes.
During the first minute, the Mana around the Underling was as green as grass.
During the second one, it became bright red.
During the third, the Mana turned into zing mes.
[Your Underling has Evolved into a "Mutated Fire Ant Queen[B+]".]
The fire faded and Mark could see his new Underling.
Its whole body had be bright red.
mes appeared both on its back and on its sharp hooked ws.
''Show me its Status now.''
[ Name: (None)
Species & Level: Mutated Fire Ant Queen Lv1 (0/50.000Exp)
HP: 35.000/35.000
Endurance: 30.000/30.000
Mana Points: 14''000/14''000
Stats: Strength: 100
Agility: 70
Sense: 150
Vigor: 3500
Endurance: 3000
Mana: 1400
Skill(s): Offspring Production.
Offspring Control.
Fire Breath.
Fire Barrier.
]
''What will the queen''s offspring be?''
[The Skill Offspring Production will give birth to "Mutated Fire Ants[B]".]
''Good. I''ll name you... Fiery.''
[You have bestowed the name "Fiery" upon your Underling.]
Although it was against its nature, the queen bowed her head in front of her Master.
''Perfect. I won''t have to focus on numbers as much now.''
Chapter 28 Mana Manipulation
?After walking forward, Mark arrived at a crossroads.
Behind him, stood Light and Fiery.
''Three different tunnels. They''re all prettyrge, but the middle one is the biggest.''
Mark turned back and looked behind his new Underling.
''Maybe these guys can take care of a tunnel. Light, Fiery, you twoe with me through the middle one. The ants can take care of the other two.''
As if on cue, two hundred and fifty fully grown Mutated Fire Ants were divided into two groups before they entered the tunnels.
''Oh. Tell them to bring me the corpses of the dead Monsters.''
Mark entered the central tunnel with his Underlings.
Growl-
Immediately, the presence of multiple Monsters could be felt.
''It''s dark, but my Night Vision Skill coupled with Advanced Kic Vision help.''
The next instant, 8 spheres of purple liquid flew towards the three at great speed.
Markughed inwardly.
''Ah. That takes me back. Venomous Bombs, right?''
He, who could easily dodge, did not.
Instead, Mark activated his "Imprable "Barrier Magic Skill to protect Fiery.
But just before the spheres were about to hit his barrier, a second barrier appeared.
It wasrger than his and encircled both him and Light.
Made of zing mes, the Venomous Bombs evaporated upon contact.
''Ho. Already using your new Skills, huh?''
It was Fiery''s new Magic Skill, Fire Barrier.
As the Monsters got closer, they were easier to see.
Giant spiders, as big as tigers.
All of them were pitch ck with one purple stripe across their bodies.
''Spiders? Appropriate. I guess this is what this Floor is about. Insects.'' Mark thought as he raised his right hand towards the Monsters.
A secondter, he lowered it.
''Fiery, there''s still one Skill you haven''t tried. Get rid of them, the Experience Points are yours.''
The Mutated Fire Ant Queen took steps forward.
As the Spider Monsters advanced, they were finally in range.
Fiery opened her mouth, and a ferocious stream of fire lit up the whole tunnel.
The Spider Monsters, so used to the darkness, tried to step back, but they were still caught by the zing mes.
Secondster, their dark bodies resembled burnt coal more than anything else.
''Good. Let''s continue-''
The ground started shaking.
''Looks like they''reing to us instead.''
A giant swarm of Spider Monsters, alerted by the fire, filled the tunnel.
Once again, a stream of fire lit up the ce.
But this time, most of the spiders continued advancing.
''Why aren''t they dying?''
[Most Insect-Type Monsters are naturally weak to fire.]
[Therefore, some have developed Fire Resistance.]
Looking at the giant wave of different types of spiders in front of him, Mark''s eyes widened.
''This isn''t some of them... Fiery, we''re going to need some more ants. Light, dodging is a priority for you.''
The next instant, Markunched himself forward.
He jumped into the swarm of Spider Monsters.
With his Advanced Kic Vision and Night Vision, Mark easily saw their attacks.
With his ws, he pierced their exoskeletons one by one.
With his sharp fangs, he tore their heads off when his hands were busy.
With his Sonic Tail-Flick, he couldunch away, if not annihte, at least 5 Spider Monsters at once.
Mark grabbed the Monsters with his hands and tore them in two thanks to his high Strength Stat.
All kinds of Spider Monsters were part of the swarm.
And so, Mark received all kinds of System Notifications.
[You have defeated a Mutated Venomous Spider. 4000 Gold Coins and 8000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated a Mutated Paralyzing Spider. 3000 Gold Coins and 6000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated a Mutated ck Widow. 5000 Gold Coins and 10000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have defeated a Mutated Poisonous Spider. 3000 Gold Coins and 6000 Experience Points earned.]
Some of the Monsters were long-range fighters, while others like the Mutated ck Widow were close-range fighters.
Light, on the other hand, was using his "Shadow Betrayal" Skill to end the already wounded Spider Monsters.
After more than five minutes of tearing dozens and dozens of spiders apart,
''Jumping in the middle and tearing them apart seemed like a fun idea, but now...''
Mark''s tail touched the ground.
''It''s getting repetitive.''
A huge amount of Mana instantly exited his body.
The next second, the ground, the walls, and the ceiling, were frozen.
The tunnel, along with all the Spider Monsters, was frozen solid.
[You have acquired the Magic Skill "Frozen Land[C+]"]
As Mark looked around him, hundreds, maybe even a thousand Spider Monsters werepletely covered by ice and unable to move one bit.
A wicked smile appeared on the Monster''s face.
''They''re not dead, but their Health Points are slowly decreasing.''
He turned towards Fiery.
Around her, stood about 30 Mutated Fire Ants.
''Tell the ants to grab the remains.''
As Mark walked deeper inside the tunnel, he flicked his draconic tail left and right, destroying the many frozen Monsters as if they were nothing more than branches in the way.
''Strength in numbers? Is that this Floor''s theme? Insects and numbers...''
After walking for about five minutes, the group finally left the frozen area.
''Mana Maniption. It allows me to control my own Mana, and therefore, to add more fuel to my existing Magic Skills. Perfect.''
On the Mutated Fire Ants'' backs, were mountains of remains.
Mark looked at them with disgust.
''They were so weak. Should I even bother devouring them? Tsk. Fiery, tell them to put them together.''
All the unmoving bodies were ced one on top of the other, forming a massive mountain of corpses.
Markid his hand on it, and the mountain turned into a sphere of condensed green energy.
After swallowing it,
[You have gained 929''000 Evolution Points.]
Mark shook his head sideways before walking deeper into the tunnel.
''I want quality, not quantity. These are... Tasteless.''
Suddenly, Mark felt a gigantic presence.
He walked forward.
More and more spider webs appeared all over the tunnel.
Finally, Mark arrived at a huge circr room.
Lying on a wall, a spider so big it made Fiery look tiny inparison.
''So I guess this is the queen, right?''
[Mutated Spider Queen: [B+] Rank Monster.]
''That''s one Rank higher than the Ant queen. Even though it''s about five times bigger ...''
Thousands of eggs were lying on the ground below the Mutated Spider Queen.
Mark raised his hand and a ck javelin appeared.
''It''s been a while since I used this.''
It was his Magic Skill "Corrupting Javelin[C-]".
He threw it with all his might at the giant Monster.
The javelin hit its exoskeleton, before turning into the ck corrupting liquid that it was made of.
A chuckle escaped Mark''s monstrous mouth.
''Didn''t even damage the shell, despite my high Strength Stat...''
Not only that, but the attack wasn''t even enough to catch the queen''s attention.
Mark forgot about the huge Monster for a second.
''I didn''t use it, ever since I got the "Mana Maniption" Magic Skill...''
A second javelin appeared.
''This "Mana Maniption" is also what allowed me to raise "Freeze" to a whole other level...''
Mark stared at the ck javelin for a bit.
He tightened his grip around the Corrupting Javelin.
The next instant, a huge amount of Mana was imbued into the javelin.
In fact, it was practically all of Mark''s Mana Points.
The javelin grew in size many times.
It became darker.
Much darker.
Mark stared at it.
The darkness felt deep as if it had no end.
It truly felt like staring into the abyss.
The weapon was now too big to be called a javelin.
It looked more like a pir.
Therefore,
''Condense.''
The infinite darkness shrank.
[You have acquired the Magic Skill "Dark Corrupting Spear[A]"]
''I did just use all of my Mana Points to make it. It''d better be good.''
Mark raised his gaze towards the Mutated Spider Queen.
''Let''s test it.''
Mark held the ck spear tightly.
''Since it''s a spear, it can be used as a weapon instead of a projectile, right? It''lle in handy in the future, for sure.''
Red Aura covered both his arms and legs.
With one leg forward and the other one back, Mark firmly nted his feet.
Cracks appeared on the ground below him.
''Let''s hit the same spot as before...!''
Mark raised the weapon up.
The ck spear covered in Aura pierced the air.
The Mutated Spider Queen screeched loudly as the spear entered and exited its body.
''So it went from not being able to scratch its shell to piercing its body from one side and exiting from the other. Mana Maniption sure is a scary Skill...''
The giant Monster''s sixteen eyes were now fully locked on Mark.
Chapter 29 Spider Queen
?The Mutated Spider Queen used its legs to jump off the wall it was on.
As it fell to the ground, a cloud of smoke covered its gigantic body.
A nervous smile appeared on Mark''s face.
''Even Kira looks small inparison...''
The ck spear had pierced the wall behind the Mutated Spider Queen.
It turned into a thick ck liquid.
As if it had a mind of its own, the deadly corrupting liquid traveled through the air and entered the Monster''s wound.
The Mutated Spider Queen opened its mouth.
Its eyes were bloody red.
''Is the poison already showing some effect or...? Fiery.''
The next second, a stream of purple liquid was shot from the Mutated Spider Queen''s mouth.
Mark''s Underling activated its "Fire Barrier" Magic Skill just in time, protecting both itself and Light.
A purple smoke screen appeared, as the mes quickly evaporated the venomous liquid.
Without missing a beat, Markunched himself towards the Monster as fast as he could.
Meanwhile, Fiery ordered her Offspring, the Mutated Fire Ants, to climb on the walls.
Once the smokescreen had faded, the spider queen was nearly surrounded.
An avnche of Fire Balls flew towards it.
While each individual attack did not pose a threat, receiving fifty of them at once was bound to do some damage and catch the queen''s attention.
''Good.''
Mark ced himself behind the Monster.
He quickly and stealthily climbed onto its abdomen.
[Your Passive Skill "Assassin''s Movements[E]" has evolved into "Weightless Steps[D]".]
''That''s one of my oldest Skills. Nice timingL'' Mark thought as he looked down.
Mark stared at the wound his "Dark Poisoned Spear" had left on the Monster''s body.
''The flesh beneath the exoskeleton is much easier to damage. It''s already blueish because of the Corrupting Poison''s effect...''
The Mutated Spider Queen,pletely unaware of Mark''s presence, lifted its abdomen.
From its spinneret, a huge amount of silk was produced and shot at the numerous Mutated Fire Ants.
The silk was so sticky, heavy, and tough that Fiery''s Offspring were imprisoned by it.
Meanwhile, due to the queen''s sudden movement, Mark had fallen from its abdomen.
He stood the Monster''s head.
One of its creepy bloodshot eyes was staring straight at him, but it seemed like the Monster did not mind Mark''s presence.
''I can''t do anything since I''m alone. Since I''m this small, huh? Understandable.''
Mark''s tail waved behind him.
''The numerous Fire Ants are more dangerous than I am, right?''
A second eye stared at him.
And a wicked smile appeared on Mark''s face.
WHIP-
With a single flick of Mark''s tail, the Mutated Spider Queen''s staring eye was crushed.
The Monster quickly became agitated.
It screeched loudly as it randomly moved its body in every direction.
A second tail flick.
A second eye exploded.
The fact that it was being slowly deprived of its vision made the Mutated Spider Queen lose all reason.
The Corrupting Poison elerated the Monster''s descent into near madness.
The Mutated Spider Queen suddenly started using its forelegs to sh the Monster that was on its head.
Its 10 remaining eyes were staring solely at Mark.
The Monster on top of its head must be eliminated.
It used its sickle-like legs to sh the threat.
Although, more often than not, those sharp legs ended up shing the Mutated Spider Queen''s own body instead.
Mark could easily dodge the awkward attacks while bncing himself on the huge Monster''s body.
''It only lost 2 eyes out of twelve, but I get why it would panic this much. Without its senses, it would have no way of predicting danger. Even if the Fire Ants were much stronger, it still would have focused its attention on me, since I can limit its ability to sense threats. Although... It''s a bit toote now.''
Mark spread his wings.
With one strong motion, he was lifted into the air.
[Your Passive Skill "Flight[F]" has evolved into "Swift Aerial Maneuvering[E+]"]
Mark dodged the continuous attacks as he extended an open palm.
A Fire Ball wrapped in electric Mana appeared in front of that palm.
The next instant, the ball of fire started growing in size.
In a second, it became at least 6 timesrger.
''Tsk. It lost the electric Mana around it. Still...''
[Your Magic Skill "Electric Fire Ball[D]" has evolved into "Great Fire Ball[D+]"]
The Great Fire Ball was shot towards the Monster''s abdomen.
The Mutated Spider Queen''s 10 remaining eyes immediately focused on the shiny and fearsome attack.
As the enemy was a huge Monster, it could not dodgepletely, despite its best efforts.
But Mark did not care about the Great Fire Ball.
It wasn''t used to deal damage, but simply to divert the enemy''s attention.
Mark folded his wings.
He let himself dive head first.
With his arms extended in front of him, his ws pierced another one of the Monster''s eyes.
''Shit-''
But Mark''s body did not stop there.
As the momentum was great, his whole body ended up prating the Mutated Spider Queen''s enormous head.
''This is...''
In the middle of flesh, blood, veins and organs, Mark used his ws to sh as much meat as he could.
''THIS IS GROSS!!''
The Mutated Spider Queen screeched loudly as it moved its body in every direction.
Desperate, it even shed its own body and its remaining eyes while trying to kill the "parasite" that was nested inside its head.
The Monster''s huge body stumbled and crushed many of the eggs it had previouslyid.
It hit the cave walls and nearly broke them.
The whole area shook.
Multiple Mutated Fire Ants were squished like bugs.
Mark used his ws and multiple Magic Skills to damage the enormous enemy from within.
Despite its struggle, the Mutated Spider Queen fell to the ground minutester.
[You have defeated one Mutated Spider Queen. 20''000 Gold Coins and 40''000 Experience Points earned.]
Even though Mark had received that notification, he was still shing the Monster''s body.
''THIS IS GROSS!! WHAT THE HELL, I''M LOST! HOW CAN I LEAVE THIS FREAKING HUGE BODY!!!''
[The Mutated Spider Queen has been defeated.]
''SO? I KNOW IT''S DEAD! WHAT KIND OF DUMB INFORMATION IS THAT??''
Mark was enraged.
Only after shing the Monster''s body or a couple more times did he realize.
''Oh...''
With a touch of his hand, the Monster''s body, in which he was entrapped, was transformed into a red sphere of energy.
Mark was finally free, and slightly embarrassed.
Once his feet hit the ground, he shook his body in an attempt to get the blood off.
''Catch.'' Mark ordered.
He threw the red ball of energy at the Mutated Fire Ant Queen.
Thetter caught it with an open mouth.
The sphere of energy was immediately swallowed.
[You have used the Magic Skill "Assimtion[A]"]
[Your Underling "Fiery" is assimting another creature.]
The next second, Fiery''s whole body was shrouded by a cloud of Mana.
The cloud''s color changed every now and then.
It went from red to yellow, to purple.
Meanwhile, Mark looked around the room.
''So many eggs. I guess I''ll leave them to Fiery. But there''s no exit. This is the end of this tunnel, huh? Since it was thergest one, I thought it would lead to the Guardian...''
Mark couldn''t wait to test his strength against a Boss Monster.
Still, he had no choice but to step back out of the tunnel he had entered.
''Fiery, once you finish assimting the Spider Queen deal with all those eggs. The level-ups will help.''
Mark left his Underling behind, as it was still shrouded in the cloud of Mana.
He went back to the spot where the way was divided into three tunnels, alongside Light.
''Just the two of us now, huh? One down, two to go.'' Mark thought.
Eager to prove his worth, Light stood in front of his Master, waiting for orders.
Chapter 30 Poison
?Mark and his Underling stepped into the tunnel on the right.
''The Mutated Fire Ants didn''te back to us, which means they were defeated... Guessed as much, after seeing that huge swarm of spiders and the Mutated Spider Queen. There''s no way Fire Ants would be able to deal with simr enemies...''
After walking deeper into the tunnel, an uneasy feeling started settling in.
''Weird. It''s as if...''
Growl-
For no apparent reason at all, Mark tilted his head to the side.
sh-
A drop of blood went down his cheek.
Mark''s pupils dted.
All his senses immediately awakened, focused on finding where the attack hade from.
Light''s growling got louder.
The next instant, Mark''s side was scratched.
''There!''
While the attack did hit him, Mark''s "Advanced Kic Vision" Passive Skill allowed him to locate where the attacks wereing from.
Markunched himself forward with all the strength he had.
A third attack.
But this time, it was dodged cleanly.
''So you''re the one attacking, huh?''
In an instant, Mark had traveled about 20 meters to find the enemy.
On the ceiling, a giant scorpion was standing.
Its tail dangled in the air.
''So that''s what-''
Mark''s thoughts were interrupted as the scorpion''s pointy tail approached him with insane speed.
Once again, it was only thanks to his "Advanced Kic Vision" Skill that Mark could see the iing attack.
Unable to move his body fast enough to dodge, he had to rely on another Skill to deflect the attack.
Sonic Tail Flick[B+].
Mark''s tail collided with the scorpion''s, knocking it off its trajectory.
A shockwave followed the collision.
The scorpion, confused and frightened, turned around.
A crack had appeared on its tail.
The Monster started running away.
After all, its trump card which was its stretchable, swift, and sharp tail, had proven ineffective against the enemy.
''Already?''
Even though the Monster was running away, Mark stood still.
He stared.
''Its running speed isn''t anything special. Its Agility Stat must be pretty low. Only its tail is fast. Very fast. Which means it''s probably some kind of Passive Skill, right?''
Growl-
Shadow Betrayal.
The Monster''s leg was shed by its own shadow.
Knocked off bnce, it fell off the ceiling.
Five secondster, Mark''s arm went through the scorpion''s shell.
[You have defeated an Assassin Scorpion. 8''000 Gold Coins and 16''000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
''Alright. Let''s assimte this one. Its Skill will be useful. Especiallybined with my Sonic Tail Flick...'' Mark thought as he swallowed the red sphere of energy in his hand.
The next second, the tip of his tail became pointy and sharp.
[You have developed the Passive Skill "Tail Lengthening[D+]".]
''Mm. Not the one that made its tail incredibly fast, huh? Still, any new Skill is weed, I guess. System, any Skills or something I can buy?''
[None.]
''Still? Why the hell not??''
No answer came.
''Guess I''ll have to rely on my "Assimtion" Skill for now...''
[Correct.]
''Tsk.''
Light walked to his Master''s side.
''Good thing you noticed him. Your Sense Stat is still higher than mine, huh?'' Markplimented as he pet the furry Underling.
But the Shadow Wolf stood still.
Impassive.
Uncaring.
Mark shook his head sideways before walking deeper into the cave.
It was still unclear whether the Underlings or Revived Monsters were moving puppets brought from the dead, or something more.
After walking for a bit, Mark found a dead Monster.
''Huh.''
It was a Mutated Fire Ant.
The Monster was lying on its back.
Curled up and unmoving.
As he got closer, Mark noticed a dark purple spot on its body.
''Poison? Was it stung by that scorpion?''
The more Mark advanced forward, the more Mutated Fire Ant corpses he found.
''No. It must be something else...''
Most of the ants weren''t wounded.
Still, they were dead.
''Even though the difference in strength between Mutated Fire Ants and the other Monsters is obvious, defeating more than a hundred of them would be no easy feat...''
Mark stared at the deeper part of the tunnel.
That''s when a bright and shiny particle, seemingly, appeared out of nowhere.
It flew towards him.
The particle''s movements resembled those of a leaf that, freely and lightly, floats in whatever direction the wind takes it.
''What is that?''
Mark could not sense any life force or Mana emanating from the flying particle.
It was hanging in the air.
Floating in whatever direction it fancied.
''Light. Walk beside me. Alert me if you sense anything.''
Mark dodged the particle out of caution.
He and his Underling walked passed it.
The particle, having no scent or life force was practically impossible to detect, except by sight.
Which is why, neither Mark nor Light, had noticed itnding on the former''s tail.
Right away, a dark purple spot appeared on that tail.
It only took about 10 seconds, for dizziness to overtake Mark.
Light immediately started looking around for the enemy.
''What the-''
Suddenly, Mark started coughing up his own blood.
''Was I poisoned? When...??'' He thought as he wiped the blood off his face.
Mark felt sick, and a series of messages appeared in front of him.
[You have been strongly poisoned!]
[You are losing 100 Health Points every second.]
[HP: 8500/9000.]
Only then, did Mark notice the huge purple spot on his tail.
''Poison? Was it that floating thing? When did itnd on my-''
The next second, a swarm of purple particles appeared deep inside the tunnel.
Mark quickly raised his arms up.
Two Great Fire Balls were shot.
Just like he had hoped, the Great Fire Balls acted just like Fiery''s "Fire Barrier".
The poisonous particles evaporated.
''This... For real?''
Mark''s body started feeling heavier.
His breathing became unstable.
Still, Markunched himself forward, in search of the attacker.
After traveling about 200 meters,
''The tunnel ends here. Did I pass him or-''
A purple mist suddenly appeared above Mark, clouding his vision.
Mark''s upper body had been caught in it, but at the same time, it''d allowed him to find the enemy.
Through the mist, appeared a moth as big as a dog.
Its presence was extremely hard to notice.
It seemed like sight was the only sense that could even register its existence.
All over the moth''s body, magnificent purple and yellow patterns were drawn.
But Mark did not have the time to admire the beauty of the creature in front of him.
Actually, he didn''t even take a look at it.
Mark''s body moved as soon as his gaze fell on the enemy.
As the poison made his arm muscles tense up, Mark bit the Monster''s head off in one motion.
The rest of its body hit the ground.
A drop of blood went down Mark''s nose as he chewed and swallowed the Monster''s head.
''Fuck-''
Mark''s vision became blurry.
Strength was leaving his body.
''The poison is still in effect? Even though it''s dead-''
Mark''s left leg gave out.
The way he saw the world around him changed.
The light in Mark''s left eye faded.
''FUCK!''
Mark''s palms hit the ground, as heaps of blood exited his mouth.
''Don''t fucking tell me... This is... How it ends...''
As the light in Mark''s right eye started fading,
Grr-
About to pass out, Mark raised his gaze ever so slightly.
A couple of inches away, stood his Underling.
From Light''s mouth, hung the moth''s unmoving body.
''If I can... Devour it...'' Mark thought as he struggle to extend an arm.
Swush-
Missing the Monster''s body by a few centimeters, Mark''s hand hit the ground.
And so did his chest.
''Fuck... Fuck...!''
Mark''s whole body refused to obey hismands.
More blood flowed out of his nose.
Marky on the ground, unmoving.
His eyes slowly closed.
The Shadow Wolf took a step forward.
Light extended his body until it was centimeters away from Mark''s.
Inside his Master''s open mouth, Lighty the moth''s body.
It immediately turned into a red orb.
With thest of his strength, Mark swallowed it.
[You have developed the Magic Skill "Poisonous Wings[D]".]
[You have developed the Passive Skill "Poison Regtion[B]".]
[You have developed the Passive Skill "Poison Resistance[E]".]
[Your "Poison Resistence[E]" isbating the Poison that entered your body.]
The Shadow Wolf took a step back.
It lowered its behind and sat down.
Light''s tail waved from side to side.
With its ears standing tall, the Underling guarded its Master''s body.
Chapter 31 Looking For A New Pet
?''What... The hell... Happened...?''
Mark had lost consciousness for about five minutes, but it felt like he had been out for much longer.
As he opened his eyes, his whole body froze for a second.
A creature straight from nightmares hovered above him.
Its numerous eyes stared.
Purple sickle-like legs, twelve red eyes, sharp fangs.
The creature''s body was covered by both purple motifs and zing mes.
Only after Mark noticed the dozens of Mutated Fire Ants behind the Monster, did he recognize it.
''Fiery?''
The Underling looked nothing like it used to.
After all, it wasn''t a Mutated Fire Ant Queen anymore.
? Its body had grown in size by about 50%, but its legs had gotten a lot longer, making it look much more imposing.
Mark shook his head before checking Fiery''s Status.
''Poisonous ws... Silk Production... Venomous Mist... Good, looks like you got some useful new Skills. What about Offspring Production? Is it still the same as before?''
[As your Underling has assimted another Monster capable of Offspring Production, the Skill will give birth to Mutated Fire Ants, different types of Mutated Spiders or Hybrid Monsters.]
''Hybrid? You mean like Mutated Fire Spiders or something?''
[Correct.]
[The Skills the Offspring will hold, will also differ from one another.]
''I guess that''s as good as it gets. Mutated Fire Ants are good long-range fighters, while some of the spiders are better at close-range. That aside. What the hell happened earlier?''
[You had been strongly poisoned.]
[Thanks to your high Vigor Stat and the Passive Skill "Poison Resistance" you have managed to survive.]
''I can''t have gotten close to losing all my Health Points though?''
[As there were no enemies around, your body shut down to process the poison faster.]
''Huh? How can I stop that from happening again?'' Mark asked telepathically as he sat up.
To his side, Light was seated.
[Your new Passive Skill "Poison Resistance[E]" will stop that from happening again.]
''Huh. So I devoured it before passing out. I can''t really remember much after I beheaded it... Howe the poison was so strong though? The Monster seemed pretty weak.''
[The effect was thebination of two Skills.]
[Poisonous Wings[D].]
[Poison Regtion[B].]
''I did get both of them. So?''
[Poisonous Wings can secrete weightless poisonous particles.]
[They are spread through the air by using those same wings.]
[By using Poison Regtion, one can adjust the Lethality and the Quantity of the released Poison.]
[For the two variables, one of two values can be chosen.]
[Maximum or Minimum.]
[Two Maximums cannot be chosen.]
''Mm. I can either produce lots of particles full of weak poison or a small number of them but make the poison deadlier. It''s true that the first poisonous particle did way more damage than the cloudter on...''
Mark stood up and ced himself in front of a group of Mutated Fire Ants.
''I guess these were produced before Fiery''s assimtion of the spider queen. Anyways...''
Mark spread his wings.
Five purple particles were released into the air.
Once a Mutated Fire Ant was touched, it dropped dead about 10 secondster.
''Yep. Deadly...''
The Poisonous Wings were spread once more.
That time, hundreds of poisonous particles filled the air.
The Mutated Fire Ants were touched by many of those particles.
While their number was great, not one Mutated Fire Ant died from them.
Still, Mark noted that the Mutated Fire Ants were slow and sickly for about 5 minutes after they had been poisoned.
He tested onest thing after that.
Mark sensed a Mutated Fire Ant about twenty meters away.
A secondter, his tail was stretched and pierced the Monster''s body with ease.
''Tail Lengthening. I got some amazing Skills from these two Monsters. Let''s hope the remaining tunnel will be as productive.''
...
As Mark walked into the third tunnel, he noticed that it was getting wider and wider.
''Wonder if the Monsters will also be bigger...''
As Mark went deeper inside the tunnel, he found more and more Fire Ant corpses.
''Unlike in the other tunnel, the ants here were all torn in two...''
A devilish smile appeared on his face.
''Maybe I''ll get my second 6th Floor''s Underling here.''
The next second, Mark felt uneasy.
As if the enemy was close, but,
''Invisibility? No. Camouge.? No... That''s not it. Fiery, send some ants.''
Seven courageous Monsters stepped forward.
Two of them were Mutated Fire Ants, three were Mutated ck Widows and two were Poisonous Mutated Spiders.
As the Insects walked deeper into therge tunnel, the ground started shaking.
''A swarm of Monsters? Again?''
The ground shook much more violently.
Fiery''s Offspring lowered their gaze to the ground.
''Oh. It''s not a swarm, it''s-''
The next second, something emerged from the ground.
The three Mutated ck Widows were cut in half by a giant centipede.
More than 10 meters long, its body was covered by what looked like thick armor.
As soon as it exited the ground below the spiders, it used its fangs to cut them in two before using its momentum to create a hole in the ceiling.
The centipede dug itself a path and disappeared once more.
''What was that?''
The next instant, a second Monster exited the ceiling and tore apart two Mutated Fire Ants before disappearing by making a tunnel through a wall.
[Irond Centipede: [B-] Rank Monster.]
''So their body is covered in iron? They''re pretty stealthy too. Great for surprise attacks. The only downside is that they''re big. Too big. Which means that there probably won''t be a queen. I think?''
As he stepped forward, Mark felt confident.
Extremely confident.
Even though he was in the middle of battle, he didn''t feel like he was risking his life.
Instead, Mark felt as if he was simply choosing a new pet for himself.
Only two spiders remained in front of him.
Mark focused on his senses.
The vibrations, the sound of the centipedes digging through the ground, their iron carapaces scratching the rocks under.
Mark felt and heard it all.
Heunched himself forward at the perfect time.
As soon as a centipede left the ground, its head was crushed by a flick of Mark''s tail.
...
After defeating dozens of Irond Centipedes, Mark arrived at arge room.
On the other side of it, were two huge doors.
''The Guardian''s Room-''
Screech-
''Of course, it wouldn''t be that easy...''
Mark raised his gaze.
On the ceiling was a truly gigantic Centipede Monster.
At least 3 timesrger than the Irond Centipedes.
Its golden carapace shone brightly.
[Centipede Monarch: [B+] Rank Monster.]
Chapter 32 A Beautiful...?
?Mark extended his hand.
The unmoving Centipede Monarch''s huge body was transformed into a green sphere of energy.
[You have gained 18.000 Evolution Points.]
''Assimting it would have made me or Fiery bigger. No reason to make Light assimte it. This is probably the right choice.''
Mark stared at the giant doors in front of him.
''Maybe I''ll stay here for a bit so Fiery can make as many ants and spiders as possible. I also need to heal...''
Only a few shallow wounds were on Mark''s body.
He sat down and rest his back against the wall.
To his right, were the doors that separated him from the Sixth Floor''s Guardian.
''That Monarch Centipede sure was annoying. Its shell was tough and the Skill that allowed it to shoot dozens of its sharp legs at once was a surprise. It could regrow them at once too. Anyways, still no Skills or Body Modifications to buy. Looks like evolving will take a lot of time. I''m pretty strong after all. Mm... Do I have any Skill Points?''
[1 Skill Point.]
''Mm. Wonder if I should use it now...'' Mark asked himself as he raised his gaze towards the ceiling.
[A Proposition is being discussed.]
[Analyzing...]
''Mm...?''
Mark stared at the messages, feeling slight anticipation.
[A Challenge has been issued.]
[Would you like to view the Challenge''s Conditions?]
''As long as viewing the conditions doesn''t mean epting them then... Sure.''
[
Challenge issued by: (UNKNOWN).
Challenge''s Clear Condition: Enter the Boss Room ALONE and Defeat the Guardian.
Clear Rewards: 2 Underling Evolution Pills and 1 Elven Ne[A].
Challenge Compensation: 1 Skill Point.
]
''Unknown? Huh. First time I receive a challenge...''
Once his eyesid upon the Clear Condition, Mark''s heart started beating faster.
His emotions went from slight anxiety to excitement in a matter of seconds.
''Beating a Guardian... Alone...?''
Against every Guardian, Mark had to rely heavily on his Underlings.
Not because he wanted to, but simply because he was too weak not to.
Against the Tenth Floor''s Guardian, his Underling Sin had sacrificed himself to keep Mark alive.
On the Ninth Floor, Mark had lost two Underlings against the Guardian.
His victory against the Chimera was, arguably, attaintedrgely thanks to Kal¨¨s'' Magic Skill "Life Force Stream".
The same was true for the other Floor Guardians except for, maybe, the Seventh one.
After all, the Undead Lich had easily dealt with Mark''s Underlings.
Still, it was because Mark could revive the Lower Wyvern Skeletons and devour them that he had seeded in defeating the Seventh Floor''s Guardian.
''Not bringing Light and Fiery, huh? No. That''s not it...''
Mark''s face wore a slightly nervous smile.
''Not bringing the hundreds of Offspring that obey Fiery''s every order is the real handicap. I would be getting a Skill Point aspensation but... Is it even worth it? That Elven Ne... It better be a damn good Item. That''s what it is, right? An Item?''
[Elven Ne: [A] Ranked Item.]
''No additional info, huh? Alright.''
Mark stood up.
''Can I revive Monsters inside the Boss Room?''
[It does not go against the Challenge''s Clear Condition.]
''What happens if I order Fiery to enter the Boss Room after epting the Challenge?''
[You would have failed the Challenge.]
[There is no Penalty for failing this particr Challenge.]
''That''s good to hear. Okay.''
Excitement fueled Mark''s beating heart.
''I''ll do it.''
[You have epted the Challenge.]
[1 Skill Point has been awarded as Compensation.]
[The Skill Point will be taken back if the Challenge is failed.]
Mark stood in front of the giant doors.
''I''ll defeat it. A Guardian... I''ll defeat a Guardian... Alone!''
A drop of worry mixed with buckets of greed and anticipation.
''I can always call Fiery or run away. But if I can defeat it...''
Mark started pushing the two heavy doors apart.
''I''ll know I''ve truly be strong.''
Mark entered the Boss Room.
It wasrge and cubic.
Spiderwebs covered many spots on the ceiling and walls.
''The Guardian must be a Spider Monster, but...''
No matter how much he looked around, Mark could not find nor sense the Guardian''s presence.
He walked forward, towards the center of the Boss Room.
About fifty meters in front of Mark, were the doors that would lead to the next Floor.
''I wonder if I can run for the doors-''
Only once he arrived at the center of the Boss Room, did something, previously hidden, fall from the ceiling.
It silentlynded behind him.
Mark''s body shivered.
He quickly turned back.
But Mark found made his body shiver once more.
''What-''
He was met with a scene that left him unable to move.
Frozen.
Petrified.
Mark''s pupils immediately dted and time started flowing at a slower pace.
Long hair.
Dark as night.
Snow-white skin.
Piercing dark eyes.
In front of Mark, wasn''t a Monster.
It was a woman.
Just like those he once knew in his previous life.
Mark''s mind went nk.
The woman''s beauty was indescribable.
She was naked. And her long and luscious hair fell beautifully over her shoulders, covering her bare chest.
The woman''s fair skin seemed soft and delicate.
Her gaze was cold, but far from hateful.
And while Mark was lost in the woman''s eyes,
Pierce-
Extreme pain suddenly burst forth.
Taken aback, Mark slowly lowered his gaze.
A scythe-like leg had pierced his stomach.
So deeply, that the leg had pierced through his body.
Instinctively, Mark raised his arm with great speed.
He swiftly lowered his elbow upon that leg with great force.
Crack-
The leg broke, and Mark jumped back.
The sound of his feet hitting the ground resonated.
While the damage was negligeable, the woman had been injured.
And so, she stepped back.
But unlike Mark, the woman''s step was silent.
Quiet.
Weightless.
Indeed, the woman''s movements were light.
Delicate.
Full of grace.
Only once he was further away, did Mark gaze upon the woman''s whole body.
Her upper body was that of a woman.
Her lower body, that of a spider.
''An Arachne? Or something...? Is that what these are called?''
Drops of steaming blood hit the ground, as Mark pulled the broken spider leg out of his stomach.
He threw it towards the ceiling.
[Sixth Floor''s Guardian.]
The Boss Monster had dealt the first wound.
Mark was injured, but not by any means severely.
Still, despite his slightly bleeding stomach, a wicked smile was on his face.
The Guardian, seeing that the enemy was the one who had sustained more damage, decided to attack.
''It hid and attacked first. Which means...''
Just before the Monster could reach Mark, its back was pierced.
''It sees me as a threat.''
The Guardian lowered its gaze, confused.
Piercing through its lower back and stomach, was the same leg it had lost seconds earlier.
''Bone Maniption. It works on exoskeletons, horns and even fangs or ws. A leg that sharp can be a good weapon too.''
Suddenly, a strong gravitational force pulled the embedded sharp leg out of the Boss Monster''s stomach.
Leaving a hole in the Guardian''s waist, the sharp leg fell to the ground.
Drops of blood drew red lines on the woman''s waist, as they held on to her.
''Too bad that Skill is hard to use when fighting or moving around. Sweet revenge...''
The woman brough a hand to her stomach.
She gently stroke her wound, before wiping the blood that sullied her fair skin off.
''... How does that feel-''
The expression on the woman''s face suddenly changed.
The previously cold and unfazed expression turned enraged.
The Guardian opened its mouth.
A loud and sharp screech resonated through the Sixth Floor.
The Boss Monster used its 7 remaining spider legs to jump away.
It used so much force that itnded on the room''s wall.
The Guardian extended its two human arms towards Mark.
Mana was being condensed in front of its open palms.
''Yeah...''
Red Aura started oozing out of Mark''s body.
Cracks appeared on the ground below his feet.
''Bring it on!''
Chapter 33 Arachne
?In front of the Guardian''s right palm, purple Mana was being condensed.
It took solid form.
A bright purple crystal hovered.
In front of the Guardian''s left palm, three spheres of poison appeared.
''Magic, huh? Shouldn''t be too hard to dodge.''
The next instant, the purple crystal was shot.
Mark quickly stepped sideways.
The crystal hit the ground.
''Aiming for my feet? Is it trying to limit my mobility already?''
The next second, the three spheres of poison were shot one by one with great speed.
Mark had less than a second to dodge.
But as soon as he tried to do so, his right foot was caught by something.
Mark chuckled inwardly at his own mistake.
''Poison and Ice, huh?''
A trail of ice stretched from the spot the purple crystal hadnded all the way to Mark''s right foot.
Thanks to his high Strength Stat, Mark easily managed to break the ice that was keeping his foot in ce, but that portion of a second necessary to do so was more than he could spare.
Two of the poisonous spheres hit their target.
Mark''s body was sshed by the poisonous liquid.
The third Poisonous Bomb evaporated, as it collided with Mark''s Great Fire Ball.
[A Strong Poison has entered your body.]
Mark was wounded, which would''ve made the poison much more effective, if it wasn''t for,
[Your "Poison Resistence[E]" isbating the Poison in your blood.]
''Thanks to my Poison Resistance Skill...'' Mark thought while staring at the ball of raging mes that was approaching the Guardian.
[If any more Poison prates your body, you will start losing Health Points.]
The Great Fire Ball had crossed half the distance between Mark and the Guardian, when the former started sprinting as fast as he could.
As the attack got closer, Mark''s Passive Skill "Advanced Kic Vision" activated.
The Great Fire Ball appeared to be moving a lot slower.
Thanks to the Passive Skill''s effect, Mark was able to notice the Guardian''s silhouette, preparing to dodge.
The Boss Monster had slightly shifted its center of gravity to the left.
And so, Markunched himself forward with all his strength.
His arms were wrapped in Aura.
Mark threw a devastating punch, but the Guardian was quick enough to dodge by a hair''s breadth.
As Mark''s fist hit the wall, cracks appeared all over it.
''Itnded behind me, huh? Mm. Weaker but faster? Its Agility Stat might be higher. But not necessarily... Maybe it''s equal, but because of its 5 additional legs, it can produce more power? Is that how it works...?''
Mark turned around.
Noticing that his arm was still covered in Aura,
''I should use my Aura and Mana defensively more often... Oh. I guess I could have protected myself from those Poisonous Bombs. Especially since I have my barrier Skill...'' Mark thought to himself.
A monstrous smile appeared on his face.
Mark jumped off the wall.
Hended on the ground with a BAM.
''I guess I should utilize more of my power, huh? I have so many Skills, and yet...''
Once again, the Guardian raised its two arms.
Markunched himself towards it.
He used about 80% of his maximum speed.
The Boss Monster responded by immediately jumping away.
And Mark followed it.
Twenty seconds into the Approach-Flee-Follow contest, Mark felt at ease.
''Did it get scared after seeing my punch''s impact? Mm. Understandable. It''s not doing anything except running away. Which means...''
On the other side of the room, the leg that the Guardian had previously lost started floating in the air.
''...I can focus on other things!''
The next second, Mark elerated.
He reached his top speed instantaneously.
The Guardian was startled by the sudden change of pace.
It dodged.
A second toote though.
Mark''s fist managed to reach one of its remaining legs, breaking it clean.
But that wasn''t the end.
The Guardian, feeling that something wasing from behind it, moved at thest instant.
The first leg that it had lost grazed its neck.
Red blood started going down the Guardian''s pale skin.
''It managed to dodge that? Just how high is its Sense Stat? Mm. Could be the effect of some Passive Skill...''
Mark jumped back in order to create some distance.
''It''s fast enough to dodge most of my attacks. With those sharp legs, it could probably cut me in two, if I give it the opportunity. Its poison is strong enough to bypass my Poison Resistance. On the other hand, losing another leg must have slowed it down a bit though...''
Mark''s heart started beating faster.
He raised both his arms towards the Guardian.
A volley of Staggering Thunderbolts was shot.
The Guardian dodged.
The Thunderbolts hit the ground below it.
When the two thunderbolts hit the ground, the electricity spread, making a chain.
Mark did not miss that fact.
He started aiming at the ground below the Guardian.
Five thunderbolts hit the ground around the Guardian, who did not feel the need to dodge.
The next second, the electricity was transferred from the ground to the Guardian''s legs.
Noticing that a second toote, the Boss Monster jumped up towards the ceiling, but its movements had already been slowed down.
The Guardian''s thin muscles twitched, as it hung upside down from the ceiling.
Her ck hair fell, as electricity ran through its body.
Refusing to give the Boss Monster even a moment to rest, Mark ran towards it before spreading his wings and approaching rapidly.
As Mark got closer, the Guardian noticed that the two legs it had lost earlier were moving.
They were actually moving faster than Mark was.
One of those legs was aimed at the Guardian''s spider-like abdomen.
Since it was such a weak spot, it had to be protected.
The Monster decided to let itself fall.
The projectile missed its body.
The second projectile was approaching rapidly.
The Boss Monster tilted its head ever so slightly as it fell.
At the exact moment the second projectile grazed the Guardian''s neck, Mark stood at its side, ready to throw a devastating punch aimed at its head.
The Boss Monster tried dodging in mid-air.
But unlike Mark, itcked the wings that would grant it the mobility to do so.
A great amount of Aura enveloped his right fist.
The instant Mark''s fist came into contact with the woman''s face, his body twitched.
The attack was so powerful that the Boss Monster''s body wasunched away.
Its body hit the ground twice before crashing into a wall.
Mark stood tall.
Bleeding heavily from its stomach, the Guardian struggled to stand back up.
The Boss Monster stared with hatred at its great foe.
Its beautiful face had disappeared, as its face was now disfigured and covered with blood.
A single hit at full power had crushed the Guardian''s head.
''I guess that''s that. Didn''t even need to use those Skill Points. Not even the Compensation...'' Mark thought as he raised his palm towards his enemy.
Three Great Fire Balls were shot.
Once the smoke faded, only the Guardian''s body remained.
Unmoving.
Burnt to a crisp.
But just as Mark was about to walk away, he froze in ce.
''Did I not defeat it yet? Why am I not getting a message?''
The next instant, the Guardian''s spider abdomen was cut in two from within.
Chapter 34 A Child?
?Mark stared at the Guardian''s unmoving body, as something akin to a sickle pierced its abdomen from the inside out.
The tender spider abdomen was vertically cut.
From that severed abdomen, something was about to emerge.
''Still alive?''
Mark immediately extended both his arms.
Mana was being condensed.
Two zing spheres hovered.
But before they were even shot, the Great Fire Balls faded.
From the slit spider abdomen, a hand emerged.
Different from the hands that Mark was used to.
It was different from an Orc''s, a Weretiger''s, or even his own.
Small, weak, and fragile.
A hand that could only belong to one species.
The hand moved, and soon, an arm exited the spider abdomen.
A pale arm covered by some sort of mucus.
The arm, entrapped by the spider abdomen, struggled to push its way through.
Mark felt somewhat entranced.
Curious, he wasn''t sure how to act.
''Should I attack, or...''
From the slit spider abdomen, a foot emerged.
A delicate leg made its way out.
And soon, as if from a cacoon, a creature emerged and stood on two frail legs.
Mark''s muscles immediately tightened.
''A child...?''
What looked like a Human covered in mucus had exited the Arachne''s abdomen.
The "child" had vibrant green hair.
Long and luscious, it covered the creature''s shoulders and fell to its waist.
The creature moved its left hand.
Mark couldn''t help but instinctively jump back at the sudden movement.
Gently and delicately, the "child" wiped the thick mucus off its pale skin.
Thin limbs, tiny muscles, a height that might''ve reached 150 centimeters at the maximum.
A frail figure that, at a nce, screamed innocence and vulnerability.
Shiver-
Despite that frail appearance, every muscle fiber, every cell that made up Mark''s body, warned him not to underestimate the being in front of him.
''What is-''
A piercing gaze suddenly fell on Mark.
Piercing, yet innocent.
It was as if the "child" could see deep into Mark''s soul.
Shiver-
Without meaning to do so, Mark took a step back.
The "child" had the same face the Arachne Monster wore.
An eerie atmosphere reigned inside the Boss Room.
''Is this supposed to be the Guardian''s second form or-''
The "child" raised its right arm up.
Only then, did Mark notice.
The only body part the creature possessed that was not human, was that arm.
From the elbow down, the creature''s right arm looked like a curved de.
As it stared at Mark, a smile suddenly appeared on the child''s innocent face.
''What... Is that?'' He asked telepathically.
[The Sixth Floor''s Guardian.]
His gaze slowly turned towards the unmoving Arachne Monster he had just defeated.
''And... What was that, then?''
[The Sixth Floor''s Guardian.]
''What does that mean-''
Before Mark could finish his thought, two majestic and blueish butterfly wings suddenly burst forth from the child''s back.
Shiver-
The sight of those wings was enough to make Mark raise his guard up.
The "child" raised its left foot off the ground.
Delicately, that foot moved forward.
''What is-''
And as soon as that weightless foot touched the ground, the Guardian disappeared.
Mark''s pupils dted.
His heart started beating faster than it ever did.
Immediately, the realization dawned on Mark, that he was outssed in both speed and agility.
Outssed by andslide.
Only one thing could keep up with the Boss Monster''s speed.
His Advanced Kic Vision allowed him to follow the Guardian''s movement.
From Mark''s point of view, time started flowing at a much slower pace.
This, made his movements akin to those of a sloth.
Yet, the Guardian''s didn''t seem affected at all.
A fraction of a second was enough, for the "child" to position itself right behind Mark.
All thetter could do, was bathe in the intense pressure he was feeling.
The Guardian''s sickle-like arm was raised up high.
Images of his impending doom made horror burst forth, as he hopelessly stood tall.
Mark knew the Boss Monster was there.
He knew, that it was right behind him.
After all, Mark had seen the Guardian move.
Nevertheless, his bodycked the ability to keep up.
He instinctively tilted his body forward.
An attempt to limit the damage, he was fated to receive.
sh-
And as a river of blood was freed, Mark''s back was painted red.
A diagonal wound had been drawn.
Thin, yet deep.
Cut in two, part of his left wing hit the ground
The pain was great, but Mark had no time to dwell on it.
Gritting his fangs with such force that they bled, Markunched himself forward to create some distance.
''Fuck! Too fast-''
With the corner of his eye, Mark managed to spot something.
Relief and freight intertwined.
''Should I call Fiery? No... I should leave. I should escape from here...''
Mark turned around to face the Guardian.
Behind it, were the doors he had crossed to enter the Boss Room.
His leg muscles were prepared to run at a moment''s notice.
''I should... Run away-''
The twitching leg muscles froze.
''Run... Away?''
Mark''s gaze went back and forth from the doors to the Guardian.
''No... I have to run. I can''t let my arrogance-''
Mark noticed something.
''Its face...''
The Guardian stood still.
''It''s not smiling anymore. It...? It looks... Stressed?''
Indeed.
The "child" wasn''t smiling anymore.
It seemed Mark wasn''t the only one feeling slight anxiety.
On the other side of the Boss Room, one of the dead Arachne Monster''s legs started levitating.
It flew towards the Guardian with great speed.
The attack was dodged, but,
''Its movements aren''t as fast... Should I... It''s a gamble... A tough gamble... Either the perfect chance to flee, or the perfect chance to strike.''
A nervous smile appeared on Mark''s face once more.
''What... Should I do?''
A meaningless question.
After all, as Mark asked himself that question, red Aura, proof of his fighting spirit, was already oozing out of his body.
Markunched himself towards the Guardian.
A strong punch hit the ground where it had been standing.
CRACK-
A second punch was thrown.
A third one.
The Guardian dodged every attack.
''It''s faster than me, but it''s not as fast as it was before. Was that a Skill? It must have been, but then... Is it waiting for its Endurance or Mana to recover? Can it only use the Skill once? Or maybe it has some kind of a cooldown? I haven''t seen any Skill requiring that but...''
After throwing more than 20 punches, Mark finally managed to graze the Guardian''s side.
He had only grazed it, but the Boss Monster''s side started bleeding heavily.
''Low durability, low strength. It''s all agility, which means that...''
Mark stared at the sharp curved de that was the Guardian''s arm.
''What I must focus on is taking that arm. It''s the only thing that can damage me.''
The Boss Monster jumped back.
Mark brought his hand to his back.
With a Fire Ball in his palm, he burnt the wound on his back.
The pain was momentarily great, but he quickly felt much better as the severe bleeding stopped.
''As long as it doesn''t use that Skill again, I''ll win.''
Mark raised his right hand, and a weapon appeared in his palm.
Dark Corrupting Spear.
Mark''s only [A] Rank offensive Skill.
The Guardian, sensing an insane amount of Mana being condensed, pped its wings and flew up.
Staring at the dark spear felt the same as staring at infinite darkness.
The sight of such a weapon was more than enough to make the Boss Monster anxious.
From its five fingers, poisonous bullets were shot at Mark.
A red barrier of Mana protected him.
''Can''t throw the spear urately on such a small target. I''ll have to damage it with the spear if I want the corrupting poison to enter its body. But since it''s so small, the poison should do the job pretty quickly.''
The next second, the barrier was undone and Mark sprinted forward.
He jumped up towards the Guardian and extended his weapon.
The Boss Monster easily dodged Mark''s attack in mid-air, but a sharp projectile wounded its right arm.
''Shit. Couldn''t sh it offpletely...''
Mark''s momentum was enough for him to reach the ceiling.
Using both his empty hand and his herculean strength, he made a hole in the ceiling.
The next second, using the ceiling as foothold, Markunched himself like a bullet.
By a hair''s breadth, his attack missed the Guardian''s body.
Mark hit the ground with great force.
A cloud of dust covered the area around him.
Once he stood back up, a smile was, once more, on the Guardian''s face.
It moved its wings and, slowly, started descending to the ground.
''Time''s up, huh?'' Mark thought as he slightly bent his knees and elbows.
He spread his one remaining wing.
With majestic grace, the Guardiannded.
Once again, it raised its foot off the ground.
''A weird Skill, but...''
Once the Boss Monster''s foot was about to touch the ground, the Dark Corrupting Spear was thrown with extreme strength.
A sharp screech resonated as the weapon pierced the air.
But despite its speed, the spear missed the target.
Or rather, the target danced its way out of the spear''s trajectory.
Mark felt somewhat enchanted by the Guardian''s graceful movements.
But, once again, he had no time to waste.
Why?
Because the Guardian was already standing behind him, with its sharp de raised high.
The Guardian was already standing behind him, ready to cut his head off.
Chapter 35 Sour
?Mark''s neck was covered by Aura.
He barely had the time to activate his "Imprable Barrier[C]" Magic Skill.
The Guardian swung its de-like arm.
Crack-
The barrier broke.
Mark''s Aura was pierced through.
But just as the sharp arm was about to make contact with Mark''s body, the Guardian hurriedly jumped back.
A confused expression on its face.
Down Mark''s neck, a lone drop of blood.
His breathing was quick and shallow.
''Holy shit. That was close...''
Mark turned to face the Guardian.
It was staring at its stomach, puzzled.
''Shouldn''t take too long...''
The next instant, the "child" coughed up blood.
On the Guardian''s pale stomach, three dark purple spots stood out.
''That butterfly sure had some good Skills. The purple poisonous particles are impossible to detect...''
Indeed, Mark used the two Skills he had inherited from that opponent.
Poisonous Wings[D] and Poison Regtion[B].
He quickly jumped away while staring at the Guardian.
''The poison will be enough to kill it. It''s small and fragile after all. Too bad it''s poison... I could finish it easily if it was venom instead.''
As Mark had learned on the Tenth Floor, Venom inhibited the opponent''s movements and drained its Health Points.
Poison, on the other hand, only lowered the opponent''s Health Points.
As the Guardian coughed up more blood, it directed its gaze towards Mark.
Bloodshot shot eyes.
Mark felt a shift in the atmosphere.
Thick veins appeared all over the Guardian''s body, painting its pale skin blue.
A piercing screech echoed.
The child''s face was covered by those veins.
Blood started dripping down its nose and eyes.
A blue Aura started oozing out of the Guardian''s body.
''The final stand, huh?'' Mark thought as he raised his arms, ready to fight.
The ground below the Guardian turned to rubble, as itunched itself towards Mark.
Thanks to his Advanced Kic Vision, he could see the attack.
But dodging was another question.
Mark clearly saw the sharp arm traveling towards his neck.
He lowered his body as fast as he could.
Hisst remaining horn spun in the air, while Mark jumped to his right.
At this point, he was running low on Mana Points.
Bleurgh-
The Guardian bent its body.
Heaps of blood were being thrown up.
The Guardian''s blue Aura started migrating towards its back.
The child''s butterfly wings suddenly turned to dust.
The skin on its back started twitching.
Recing the lost wings, two sharp spikes appeared on each side of the Guardian''s spine.
Mark stared at the four sharp and gigantic spider legs the "child" had just grown.
His interest and curiosity were piqued.
So much so that he forgot that he was in the middle of battle.
''Did it just evolve? In the middle ofbat? No... That can''t be right-''
His thoughts were interrupted by the change in the Guardian''s facial expression.
It showed a smile.
A tyrannical smile.
A demonic smile.
Sharp fangs shone through the Guardian''s curled lips.
The once charming and innocent child had disappeared.
What was left, was a Monster.
A pitiful sight that, somehow, made Mark feel sorrowful.
Nheless, his monstrous face could not reflect such sentiments.
It was as if the Guardian''s transformation reminded him of something.
Something unpleasant.
''Let''s finish this quickly.'' Mark thought as he took a step towards the Guardian.
The Monster spread its four spider legs, as if they were still wings.
It ran with heavy steps, while screeching loudly.
Mark felt somewhat repulsed, almost disgusted.
It wasn''t clear whether it was the attempt''s desperate nature or the transformation that had brought forth that disgust.
Nevertheless, Mark stood still.
He knew that, in front of the Guardian, he was outssed Agility-wise.
But this wasn''t his first encounter with a Monster whose movements were faster than his.
The only body part that moved, apart from his dted pupils, was his tail.
The Boss Monster approached rapidly.
And as soon as it deemed its target close enough, the Guardian extended its four spider legs, aiming to pierce its foe''s stomach.
Crack-
But not one of those sharp legs reached its target.
Four consecutive tail flicks had destroyed each one of the Guardian''s spider legs.
Still, it, desperately, kept running forward.
With each step, the floor below cracked.
Mark stared at the Guardian for a bit.
Its movements were, now, slower, heavier, and rougher.
While the Guardian had gained in strength, it had lost things that might have been more important.
It had lost its grace.
Its elegance.
And more than anything,
''It''s not... Smiling anymore...''
That was when, using the "Tail Lengthening[D+]" Passive Skill gained from assimting the Assassin Scorpion,
Pierce-
Mark quickly retracted his tail, leaving arge hole in the Boss Monster''s tainted stomach.
The Guardian, with a hole in its stomach, was left stumbling.
It swayed from one side to the other.
The light in its eyes started fading.
Mark walked towards it.
The Guardian, enraged, let out a terrible screech as it gathered the remainder of its strength.
It swung its sickle-like arm with all the strength it had left.
Mark easily dodged.
He passed the stumbling Guardian, and walked away.
Secondster, the Boss Monster fell to the ground.
[You have defeated The Sixth Floor''s Guardian. 50,000 gold Coins and 100''000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have defeated a Guardian.]
[You have been awarded 3 Skill Points.]
[You can now ess the Dungeon''s Fifth Floor.]
Mark sighed deeply, as he arrived in front of the Arachne''s unmoving body.
[Congrattions!]
[You have cleared the Challenge!]
[You have been awarded 2 Evolution Pills.]
[You have been awarded 1 Elven Ne.]
''Oh, that... Yeah, I guess I did.''
Secondster, both corpses had been turned into green spheres of energy.
[You have gained 40.000 Evolution Points.]
[You have devoured a Floor''s Guardian.]
[Calcting appropriate reward....]
Mark''s mood turned sour as he swallowed those spheres.
''I really thought these would taste good...''
He shook his head and sat next to the doors that separated him from the next Floor.
''Light, Fiery,e in. Oh. I bet you''ve produced plenty of Monsters by now, Fiery. Have them enter the next Floor and kill everything they find.''
The next second, a swarm of insects entered the Boss Room.
Trampling over each other, the Insect Monsters broke the doors that separated the Floors down before disappearing.
Light and Fiery entered the Boss Room.
They stood in front of Mark, before folding their legs and sitting down.
Mark stared at his Underlings'' wide eyes for a bit, before raising his gaze towards the ceiling.
''I wonder when I''ll get to see the sky...''
A bittersweet victory.
Chapter 36 No Guardian?
?[You have devoured the Sixth Floor''s Guardian.]
[Your reward has been chosen.]
[Your Unique Title "Devourer" gives birth to a new Unique Title.]
[You have developed the Unique Title "Blood Thirsty Devourer".]
[By consuming a Monster''s blood, the user will recover Health Points, Endurance Points and Mana Points.]
''Mm.'' Mark nodded as hezily got up.
His wounds had healed, but his lost wing and horn could not be brought back.
He walked up to the doors that led to the next Floor.
They were wide open.
Mark stepped in.
Sigh-
''Five down, five to go...''
Mark walked up the huge staircase he found.
''No dead ants. That''s a good sign.''
Right after it, he found the entrance to an enormous room.
It was at least seven times the size of the previous Boss Room.
As Mark stared at the messages that had suddenly appeared.
[Special Reward for clearing half of the Dungeon''s Floors.]
Three different options appeared in front of him.
[Unique Evolution: You can dictate the exact form you will take upon evolving. The Unique Evolution will use the different body parts of the Monsters you have consumed thus far.]
[Unique Skill: You will gain a random Skill. Guaranteed Rank between [A] and [S].]
[Unique Item: You will gain a random Item. Guaranteed Rank between [A] and [S].]
Immediately, Mark wanted to choose the second option, but he decided to take his time.
''I''m pretty happy with this form right now, although...''
He stared at the huge Monster-filled room in front of him.
''...There''s a number of tasty options in there. Mm. I don''t know much about Items. Oh, let''s check out that Elven Ne.''
As Mark thought so, the ne in question appeared, floating in the air.
Its design was simplistic, but nheless, beautiful.
The chain was made of a certain type of silver.
One that Mark could not possibly have any knowledge of.
The pendant, an emerald, had the form of a tear.
The emerald''s color was deep green, almost dark.
''It doesn''t look like much. Guess I''ll equip it. Can I get some information about it?''
Once the ne appeared around his neck, a small amount of green energy was generated in the form of thunderbolts for a second.
[The Elven Ne is testing you.]
''Test? Well, try me! I''m plenty strong.'' Mark thought as he chuckled internally.
[The Elven Ne has deemed you unworthy.]
''Huh?''
[The Elven Ne''s strength has been sealed.]
''For real...?''
[You cannot draw any power from the Elven Ne.]
Mark brought his hand to his forehead.
''It''s an [A] Rank Item and I can''t use it? Can only Elves use it or something? That''s annoying, but I wasn''t counting on it anyway. Still, for such a shitty reward to be given after that challenge... Anyways, third option is now out then since it''s a random Item. Restrictions are a pain. Alright, show me all my Skills.''
[You currently possess:
Passive Skills:
sh[F+] - Pierce[F+] - Weightless Steps[D] - Sonic Tail Flick[B+] - Advanced Kic Vision[C+] - Intimidating Stare [E] - Swift Aerial Maneuvering[E+] - Night Vision[F+] - Tail Lengthening[D+] - Poisonous Tail[E] - Poison Regtion[B] - Poison Resistance[E] - Water Resistance [E].
Magic Skills:
Corrupting Javelin[C-] - Dark Corrupting Spear[A] - Poisonous Wings[D] - Electric Fire Bomb[D] - Great Fire Ball[D+] - Stone Armor[F+] - Assimtion[A] - Evolving Undead Army [A] - Bone Maniption [D+] - Staggering Thunder[E+] - Imprable Barrier[C] - Freeze[E] - Frozen Land[C+] - Aura Maniption [B] - Mana Maniption [A] - Mana Condensation [A] - Consume[A]. ]
''[B] Rank and up would be best actually...''
[You currently possess:
Passive Skills:
Sonic Tail Flick[B+] - Poison Regtion[B].
Magic Skills:
Dark Corrupting Spear[A] - Assimtion[A] - Evolving Undead Army [A] - Aura Maniption [B] - Mana Maniption [A] - Mana Condensation [A] - Consume[A]. ]
''Mmm... [A] Rank Skills are definitely impressive.''
Mark shook his head and took a step towards therge room.
''Guess I''ll choose my rewardter. I still have 5 Skill Points to use...''
As he stepped into the room''s entrance, the first thing Mark noticed was Fiery''s Offspring.
They were still standing.
About half of them were dead, but the remaining ones were still shooting Fire Balls or fighting in close quarters relying on their sharp legs.
The second thing that caught Mark''s attention, was, obviously, the rest of the Monsters.
Dozens of strong-looking Monsters.
''Huh...? That one looks like an Orc, but its strength is close to that of Kal¨¨s when he was a Guardian. That one is obviously a werewolf, but its fur is red and the pressure it''s exuding is no joke. It probably has quite a few Passive Skills. Oh, is that an Inferior Demon? No, it looks bigger and sturdier. A stronger version? Wait, there''s quite a number of them...''
Mark''s heart started beating faster.
His eyes started shining.
''It''s a Battle Royale! Even the Monsters of the Floor are fighting each other!''
All the Monsters inside the huge room were Evolved Versions of those Mark had previously fought on the Lower Floors.
''Alright, I''ll use 2 Skill Points on Evolving Undead Army and 1 on Poison Regtion.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Evolving Undead Army" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Evolving Undead Army[A]" has...]
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Evolving Undead Army" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Evolving Undead Army[A]" has evolved into "Purgatory''s Undead Troup[A+]".]
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Poison Regtion" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Poison Regtion[B[" has evolved into "Venom Regtion[B+]".]
[Your Magic Skill "Poisonous Wings[D]" has evolved into "Venomous Wings[C-]"
''Tsk, couldn''t get it to [S] Rank... The other one is good. It''s nice that evolving one Skill has led another one to evolve. Purgatory''s Undead Troup, huh? I can now have 12 Underlings. Each one of them will be very slightly imbued with the Dark Magic Element? I guess that means they can use Magic Skills rted to that Element or whatever? Good enough. Now, let''s make an army.''
[The Fifth Floor has no Guardian.]
[Defeat as many Monsters as you deem necessary before moving to the next Floor.]
''Haha! Alright then.''
Mark entered the room.
''Maybe I''ll take my time-''
[All Monsters on the Fifth Floor will be 30% more hostile towards you than to the rest of the Monsters.]
Mark chuckled internally.
''Ha! Wouldn''t be fun otherwise.''
Immediately after that, the Monsters in front of Mark stopped fighting between themselves.
They rushed towards him.
With his body covered in Aura and his fists clenched, Mark responded by doing the same.
''Come!''
Chapter 37 A Companion?
?Thest standing Monster roared weakly, before its body hit the ground.
''And that''s all of them.'' Mark thought to himself.
Around him, a little over 100 Monstersy unmoving.
Many of the bodies were covered by purple spots.
The effect of Mark''s "Venomous Wings" and "Venom Regtion" Skills working together.
''Good thing I can use it even though I only have one wing. The fact that I could hinder their movements while lowering their Health Points was really helpful, although...''
Mark looked around him.
''Is this really all there is to the Fifth Floor? While these guys were kind of strong, not one of them was even close to a challenge. I''m barely injured.''
He crossed his legs after sitting on the ground.
On the other side of the room were huge doors.
''Am I really supposed to leave and go to the next Floor? I mean... Mm?''
Light stood in the middle of the room.
He stared at the ground profoundly.
His ears twitched every couple of seconds.
A momentter, Light started scratching the ground with his sharp ws.
''Can you hear something? Coming from there?''
Light stared at his Master before tapping the ground with his foreleg.
''Really?''
Mark lowered his head.
He put his ear against the floor.
THUMP-
The sudden sound made his heart skip a beat.
''Is there something below? Tsk...''
Mark felt a bit frustrated.
After all, his Underling had detected sounds he couldn''t.
''Losing the Skill "Demon Senses" sure is a drag... Although "Advanced Kic Vision" saved me a good number of times. I basically sacrificed all my other senses to better my sight...'' Mark thought.
He stood back up.
''Light, Fiery, go outside the room.'' Mark ordered before conjuring up Aura around his arms.
After waiting for his Underlings to leave, Mark raised both his arms up, before mming them down on the ground with all his strength.
A small crater appeared below him.
Cracks spread all over the floor.
A smile appeared on Mark''s face, as he noticed those cracks.
Cracks, that appeared due to his strength.
A strength he was happy to disy on every asion.
Mark''s second hit was enough to break through the ground.
As the floor below him broke, Mark started falling.
Below the main room, seemed to be a second one.
And as Mark fell, his "Advanced Kic Vision" Passive Skill activated.
The ground was less than 10 meters away, but thanks to his Passive Skill, Mark had all the time he needed to study the different Monsters.
All the Monsters that had been fighting a second ago stopped to look at the falling ceiling.
Mark''s heart started beating faster.
Below him, were at least 5 Royal Minotaurs that looked exactly like the 8th Floor''s Guardian.
Behind one of them, was what looked like the 9th Floor''s giant Guardian, a Chimera Monster.
While falling, Mark also noticed new Monster Species he had never seen before such as Inferior Drakes.
''So this is where the real party is at!'' He thought as hended on the ground.
Without missing a beat, the Royal Minotaurs started attacking.
Mark dodged with great care while counterattacking whenever he could, making full use of his "Sonic Tail Flick" Passive Skill.
The Monsters were a lot stronger than those previously encountered.
But if anything, Mark felt like he was having fun.
''One misstep and I''ll receive some serious damage...'' He thought before lowering his body and using his ws to pierce through a Royal Minotaur''s chest.
The difficulty was high enough that Mark couldn''t rx, but low enough that he could try using his various Skills in different ways.
''Tail Lengthening really is amazing, too bad my tail isn''t sharp enough to pierce through their skin... Oh, let''s try that one, using more Mana of course...''
[You have developed the Magic Skill "Heavy Stone Armor[E]".]
''The Royal Minotaurs are the strongest Monsters around, especially if their size is taken into ount. When ites to Agility though, the Sixth Floor''s Guardian was far beyond them. These aren''t bad, but nowhere that level...''
Mark rushed towards the Chimera.
''Yep. Sturdy shell, but even the Eighth Floor''s Guardian could break it. So, of course, I can break through easily.''
The Chimera used the Skill "Protective Thunder", which had given Mark lots of trouble back on the Ninth Floor, but with his Advanced Kic Vision and much higher Agility, the thunderbolts'' movements seemed slow and predictable.
While he ughtered the Chimera, a different Monster caught Mark''s attention.
The Monster had dodged the sessive attacks of both Royal Minotaurs and Inferior Drakes with ease.
It was nimble and quick.
As a thunderbolt came flying towards it, the Monster bounced off the wall.
Before itnded, Mana engulfed its tail, and an ice spike was shot towards an approaching Royal Minotaur.
Mark followed the action on the other side of the room, even though he was in the middle of fierce battles himself.
The ice spike pierced the approaching Royal Minotaur''s leg.
The next second, the ice started spreading, and the Royal Minotaur''s entire leg was frozen solid.
That Monster''s nimbleness amazed Mark so much, that he ended up getting punched.
He wasunched away.
Mark''s back hit the wall and cracks appeared all over it.
Fierce red Aura spread through his entire body.
''That guy is smallpared to the others, but so fast, so swift... Yeah. I definitely want him!!''
During the next few minutes, an absolute massacre took ce.
Limbs, wings, and tails were torn.
Skulls and spines were crushed, until only Mark and one other Monster remained.
The Monster Mark desired.
On his hideous and monstrous face, was what looked like a smile.
Mark stood in front of that lone Monster.
It stared at Mark with its slit pupils.
Behind the Monster, was one of the room''s corners.
Both stared at each other.
Mark bent his knees, preparing to swiftly rush at the Monster.
Sensing that, the enemy tried escaping, but Mark moved extremely quickly, blocking its way.
The Monster tried bouncing off the wall in the other direction, but it found Mark standing in its way once more.
Feeling threatened, it could only step back.
Since the enemy had stepped back, Mark stepped forward.
An ice spike flew towards him, but it was easily dodged.
The Monster stared fiercely, even though it was obliged to step back over and over.
But, once its back hit the wall, it knew it could not escape.
The four-legged Monster lowered its body to the ground submissively.
What else could it do?
After all, it had witnessed Mark''s carnage.
''Good...'' Mark thought as he raised his fist.
[A Monster has lost its will to fight.]
[The Monster would like to act as your Underling.]
[Do you ept?]
''Underling...? What?''
Surprise overtook Mark.
After reading the messages, he slowly lowered his fist.
''You mean... I don''t have to kill it?''
The messages had left him in utter shock.
It was the first time, that killing wasn''t necessary.
Or at least, the first time it didn''t seem like it was.
''I guess...''
Mark did not have any real desire to hurt the Monster in front of him.
[A Moonlit Feline[B-] has be your Underling.]
[As your Underling, it cannot hurt you.]
While it was a Monster, the Moonlit Feline looked like a cat.
Its fur was white as snow and its eyes shined a piercing blue.
The Monster stood back up, before circling around Mark.
It jumped unto his tail and climbed up his body.
Once it stood on his right shoulder, the Moonlit Feline sat downfortably.
''What the... Hell?'' Mark asked himself, as his new Underling licked his cheek affectionately.
Chapter 38 Feeling Uneasy
?Surprised by the Moonlit Feline''s sudden show of affection, Mark''s mind went nk for an instant.
''Get off me.'' He telepathically ordered.
But the new Underling didn''t seem to care.
''I said get off me.''
Feelingfortable, the Moonlit Feline retracted its ws and started kneading Mark''s neck and cheek.
The next instant, ity down on his broad shoulder.
Annoyance quickly turned into irritation and red Aura engulfed Mark''s body.
The Moonlit Feline quickly jumped off and away.
For some reason, Mark was reminded of the Sixth Floor''s Guardian.
The Moonlit Feline hissed loudly as it raised its back and tail.
Mark felt puzzled by his own self and emotions.
He quickly took back control over his anger and Aura.
Mark shook his head and turned away.
He started munching on the dead Monsters around him.
Mark tore their bodies apart and used his fangs to crush their bones and muscles.
It was the first time in a while that he had devoured Monsters this way.
''Why isn''t it listening to me?''
[The Moonlit Feline has be your Underling through Submission.]
[The Authority you have on such an Underling is limited.]
[While the Underling cannot hurt you, it can disobey yourmands.]
''Right. So this was an option too...? The other Monsters always died fighting or fleeing. Submission, huh?''
Mark wasn''t sure why the Moonlit Feline had decided to submit.
Was it intelligent enough to realize that submitting was its only shot at survival?
Or was it more cowardly than all the other Monsters Mark had encountered?
''It ticks me off. That''s the first time an Underling doesn''t obey me, not only that...''
Mark stared at the white cat in front of him, and slight uneasiness started emerging inside him.
''Tsk. I was excited to have you. But now, I''m just annoyed.''
The Moonlit Feline dropped its guard.
After a couple of seconds, it started cleaning its white fur by gently licking it.
Mark crouched down.
He stared at the "Monster" that was meticulously cleaning itself.
''I''m not even sure why I''m annoyed, which makes it worse. A lot worse.''
Mark shook his head.
''Is this thing even a Monster?''
He went back to munching on the different unmoving creatures around him.
A couple of minutester,
Purrrr-
The Moonlit Feline started kneading its paws on Mark''s leg.
''What?''
To be disturbed in the middle of his meal was not something Mark was used to.
Therefore, the disturbance annoyed him.
The Underling''s eyes turned towards the Monster that was being devoured.
''Huh?''
The Moonlit Feline stared intently.
''Hungry?'' Mark asked telepathically as he extended a piece.
The Underling''s eyes lit up.
''Tsk. I guess cats need to eat...''
[It is not a cat, but rather, a "Moonlit Feline" Monster.]
''Mm. Yeah. I guess...''
After devouring the unmoving Monsters, Mark stood tall.
He jumped onto the upper floor, where he had previously been.
''You''re agile enough. I''m sure you can make it.'' Mark thought, while staring at the Moonlit Feline from above.
The cat ran and stood below the upper floor''s edge.
It took a couple of steps back before jumping up with all its strength.
But it wasn''t enough to get to the top.
The Moonlit Feline fell back to the ground.
The white cat stared at its new Master.
For some reason, its blue eyes piercing through the darkness shook Mark.
''Light, Fiery. Let''s get going.'' He thought, as he turned away.
His precious Underlings, crossed therge hole by either jumping over it or climbing onto the room''s ceiling.
''Well, I guess I''ll go through that Unique Evolution now.''
[Reward has been chosen.]
[Dictate your preferences.]
[The System will deal with the details.]
''So, I can use the body parts of Monsters I''ve devoured. Alright... Ummm... Where do I even start...?''
[Which devoured Monster''s body type would you like?]
''Oh, yes. That''s better. Let''s do it this way. Ummm, I guess sizewise I would like that of Royal Minotaurs. They''re about two meters tall which is plenty. Can''t give Monsters too big a target.''
[How many limbs would you like?]
''Ummm... I guess having four limbs is good. But make them human-like... Or, I guess Orc-like, since I''ve devoured Orcs. But I would like the muscles and bones of Royal Minotaurs. They''re the strongest Monsters around. Agility-wise, Insect Monsters are pretty good, but their limbs are too fragile.''
[How about your preferred skin?]
''Wait, I would also like a tail. The one I have now is pretty good. Also, those demons weren''t too strong, but they sure were agile in mid-air. I''ll take their wings. Skin... huh? I don''t know about skin but these Lower Wyvern scales are good protection.''
[How about your skull?]
''Right... Those Inferior Drakes had extremely tough and sharp fangs. I''ll take those. Horns aren''t that useful when you have fangs, but still. Royal Minotaur horns again. Oh, ws! Those Elite Velvet Werewolves had good ws. They could retract them too. Plus, they could even prate my scales and made me bleed quite a bit. I''ll definitely take their ws.''
[Input has been recorded.]
[Unique Evolution will begin in 10 seconds.]
Mark turned back towards the hole in the middle of the room.
''Strange...''
The uneasy feeling that used to float in the background of his mind faded, but a new one emerged.
One that he had felt many times, but at the same time, entirely different.
[Unique Evolution will now begin.]
''Somehow, I wish I was more... Like... You...'' Mark thought as his consciousness faded.
His body hit the ground.
The next second, a veil of Mana covered that body.
...
Minutester, the Mana faded, and Mark opened his eyes.
''How long have I been out?'' He asked telepathically whileying on the ground.
[7 minutes and 43 seconds.]
''I see. Somehow... I wish this could happen more often...'' Mark thought before extending his arms towards the ceiling.
''Huh? Why... Why are my arms white?''
Mark stood up and checked his whole body.
Close to 100% of his body, from head to toe to the tip of his tail, was white as snow.
The scales covering his body had gone from red to white.
There was only one part that wasn''t covered by scales, his wings.
Those were still ck as night, just like the Inferior Demons''.
[Your wish to look like the Moonlit Feline has been taken into ount.]
''My wish? Look like? What are you talking about? It wasn''t about looks or color, it was about... What was it about?''
Mark thought about it deeply, but he could not find an answer.
''White isn''t the stealthiest color. Anyways...''
[Would you like to check your new form?]
''Huh? Sure.''
For no more than a second, something akin to a mirror appeared in front of Mark.
If it wasn''t for his Advanced Kic Vision, he would not have been able to see much.
Mark''s whole body was practically white, except for his wings.
Two thick ck lines stretched from below his eyes all the way to his waist.
''Those ck lines are... Cool, but also creepy. Which is good? Horns are looking sturdy. The scales too. Intimidating really. Yeah... I look pretty strong. I might have gotten a bit shorter though... My skull doesn''t look like that of a Minotaur... Nor that of a Wyvern, huh... Anyways, Stats are the same as before too, so that''s good. Smaller, but just as strong. I guess that makes me stronger. Wait...''
As the mirror disappeared, Mark used his hands to reach over his head.
''Horns... Yep. Huh? As I thought, no ears. What kind of design is that?''
But before Mark could read the System''s answer, a loud and long howl resonated throughout the Fifth Floor.
Mark felt, for the first time in a while, something akin to guilt, which awoken annoyance inside of him once more.
''Tsk. At least I know I can still hear...''
A second howl echoed.
A louder one.
A longer one.
A sadder one.
Mark couldn''t help but go back towards the huge hole in the middle of the room.
As he stared down, he found the Moonlit Felineying on the ground.
Its ears were down and its jaw was stuck to the floor.
Tworge blue pupils staring at the ground shined through the darkness.
''From now on, you listen to me. Otherwise, you stay there.''
The cat immediately stood back up with excitement.
Mark jumped down.
He carefully spread his wings, beforending a couple of meters away from the Moonlit Feline.
Mark crouched down and gave it an open palm.
His hand was big enough for the Moonlit Feline to fit on.
The little Monster''s pupils grew evenrger.
Ignoring Mark, it yfully jumped onto his palm before jumping once more andnding on his shoulder.
Slowly but surely, Mark stood back up.
Irritation was swelling inside of him, but he controlled himself.
''You can have it this once. Just this once.'' Mark thought as he spread his wings.
As he got back to his other Underlings'' side, Mark, gently but firmly, pushed the Moonlit Feline off his shoulder.
Thetternded on the ground, but it did not hiss menacingly the way it had before.
''You can get on Fiery. Guess I''ll have to think of a name for you...''
Mark''s uneasy feeling started to fade away.
Still, he wasn''t sure what was causing it.
Maybe its cause was that, for the first time, an Underling had disobeyed him.
Maybe it was because he couldn''t help but wantplete and utter control over his Underlings.
After all, they were Monsters.
How was he supposed to trust them, if they weren''tpletely under his control?
Maybe the cause of that feeling was that, for the first time, something had shown him affection.
His Underlings had already given their lives for him, but this... Seemed different.
Or maybe, just maybe, its cause was that, for the first time, he didn''t have to kill the creature standing in front of him.
Ever since waking up inside the Dungeon, the onlyw was "kill or be killed".
And for the first time, Mark didn''t have to attack, hurt or kill.
Not only did he not do so, but the other creature didn''t either.
A peaceful encounter of sorts.
Although the answer might''ve been something entirely different.
After all, even Mark did not know the reason behind that feeling.
Not yet, at least.
The Moonlit Feline climbed onto Fiery''s back.
Only then, did it notice.
HISS-
''Don''t pay it any mind. It''ll just have to get used to it.'' Mark telepathically told his Underling.
But despite the Moonlit Feline''s hissing, Light stayed seated, indifferent.
''The Fourth Floor, huh? Let''s do it. Oh-''
Mark remembered.
''Wasn''t there something about leaving the Dungeon on the Fourth Floor?''
Chapter 39 Blind
?[Correct.]
[Temporary Leave will be allowed after clearing the Fourth Floor.]
''Temporary, huh? Tsk. No matter how much time passes...''
A Monster covered in white scales faced huge doors.
''...I just can''t get used to you bossing me around.''
[As your strength increased, so did your arrogance.]
''Oh-ho, so we can chat now, Dungeon Master?''
At that thought, no answer came.
''It must be the Dungeon''s Master that''s talking to me through the System. It must be, right? From time to time, quirky answers instead of the cold usual ones where there is only information... If anything, that UNKOWN that sent me the challenge on the Sixth Floor must be him, or rather it, the Dungeon Master.''
[That information is unavable.]
''Back to the dry answers, huh? That''s fine I guess. I''ll know for sure after clearing all the Floors.''
As if to reminiscence about the time spent, Mark turned around.
''All this time, and I''m only halfway there... Anyway, temporary leave? For how long?''
[That information is unavable.]
''Tsk. Don''t you dare call me arrogant again.''
[The System will need you to be much, much more than that.]
The side of the Monster''s mouth curled up, showing its numerous sharp fangs.
Probably to express something.
Something... Akin to a smirk.
''No need to think about these things too much. I''ll know for sure after leaving. But first, I need to get stronger. Who knows what kind of world is waiting for me out there.''
Mark put both palms on the huge doors.
''Hey, umm, kitty? Get on Fiery and stay behind.'' He pushed both doors wide open.
The Moonlit Feline climbed onto Fiery''s back.
''Guess I have to think of a name for you... An appropriate one.''
The doors left way for a huge stairway.
As he walked up, Mark noticed something.
After bending down and wiping part of a stair with his hand,
''Dirt? No... Sand?''
Meaaw-
The Moonlit Feline stealthily and swiftly jumped off Fiery''s back andnded on Mark''s.
Thetter pushed the Underling off, but the Moonlit Feline kept trying and trying.
Its perseverance was such, that Mark couldn''t help but allow it.
''You''re getting off once we get to the top of this stairway.''
Purr-
As the group of four got higher and higher up the stairs, the amount of sand covering them increased.
''This might be a bit tricky...'' Mark thought once he arrived at the top of the stairway.
In front of him, were huge doors once again.
This time, the whole ground was covered by a thickyer of sand.
''Dodging might be harder on unstable footing... Not that I need to. Now, fuck off.''
Mark pushed the Moonlit Feline off.
Thetternded on the sand-covered ground.
Its paws sank.
The Moonlit Feline growled as it fought against the sand.
''Why did it have to be so loud...'' Markined internally, before cing his palms against the giant doors.
Heined, but something akin to a smile was on his face.
The Moonlit Feline struggled, but it managed to climb up Fiery''s body.
It happily sat on the wide back, d to have left the sand.
The doors were pushed open.
''Oh, guess I should have told Fiery to make some offspring. Had the time to make quite a few too.''
Still, Mark confidently stepped into the Fourth Floor.
''I''ll repeat myself. The three of you stay behind. Only act when I tell you to do so.''
Beyond the doors, an imposing and wide deserty.
Covered by sand and semi-dead vegetation.
The horizon seemed far, far away.
Mark raised his head, and there they were.
''It''s...''
A clear sky.
An unforgiving sun.
''Is it... Real? It''s not, right?''
The thought of putting his wings to use in order to leave the Dungeon crossed Mark''s mind, but that fantasy quickly crumbled.
[The Fourth Floor is covered by a dome of Mana.]
[A sphere of Mana illuminates it.]
''Thought as much. Still, it''s nice to be in an illuminated ce...''
Growl-
The next second, from three different directions, the sand started shaking.
''Just like those centipedes. Moving underground, huh?''
Three Monsters surfaced once they were about 10 meters away from Mark.
Their skin was brown and looked tough.
Four humanoid limbs and a tail.
They stood on two legs, and were a bit shorter than Mark.
''Are those... Wings?''
They were simr to those of bats, connected by their arms and backs.
Not only that, but they were sharp.
Extremely sharp.
As if on cue, all three Monsters jumped up towards Mark.
? Time appeared to slow down as his "Advanced Kic Vision" Passive Skill activated.
The Monsters'' arms were raised high.
''Trying to cut me with those wings?''
Mark quickly jumped away at thest second.
Still not used to the unstable footing, one of those sharp wings scratched his leg, but it did not go through his thick white scales.
On the other hand, a lightning-quick tail flick beheaded one of the attackers.
The Monsters, surprised by Mark''s speed and by theirrade''s death, quickly stepped back.
They lowered their body towards the ground.
So much so, that their wings were practically buried under the sand.
''Submitting already? Sorry, but I don''t intend to take you as Underlings.'' Mark thought as he gathered Aura around his arms.
Heunched himself towards the two Monsters.
Once Mark was about two meters away, time slowed down once again.
The Monsters started raising their arms.
''What are they...?''
Even though he could see their movements, his body wasn''t fast enough to react.
As the wings were raised up towards the sky, so was the sand that was on them.
The sand particles touched his eyes, and Mark instinctively closed them for a second.
Darkness.
Once he reopened them, both Monsters were standing with their chests held high.
Their chests seemed to have been inted.
Thankful that the short moment where he couldn''t see wasn''t fatal, Mark decided to observe them more closely, instead of attacking right away.
The next instant, the two Monster exhaled arge fog made of sand.
Despite numerous grains of sand hitting his eyes, Mark did not close them.
Nevertheless, once again, he drowned inplete darkness.
''What the hell? What is-''
His eyes were open, but he couldn''t see a thing.
Mark waved his arms around randomly, trying to disperse the thick fog of sand.
A voice was heard.
[You have fallen victim to the Status Effect: Blindness.]
''What?''
Since Mark could not see, the System''s messages were passed on telepathically instead.
He quickly jumped back.
Mark was shed twice at different locations, but he did not bleed.
His scales were extremely sturdy.
Mark decided to move around while protecting his neck and head, as they were his most fragile body parts.
''Shit. How long will this go on for??''
[23 seconds.]
Five seconds passed, and the Monsters still could not damage him.
The next instant, a long howl was let out.
''What is-''
A sad and long howl, full of worry echoed only a handful of meters behind Mark.
[Your Underling has been affected by the Status Effect: Blindness.]
Without giving it a second thought.
Without even being aware of it.
Mark threw himself in the direction of that howl.
With his knees on the ground, his thick and wide back towered over the blinded Moonlit Feline.
Mark''s mind went nk.
''What the hell... Am I doing??''
He activated his "Imprable Barrier" Magic Skill, but the barrier was broken four shester.
Once.
Twice.
Thrice.
On the fourth attack, his back bled ever so slightly.
Since he wasn''t moving around anymore, he had be an easy target for the Monsters.
''Why am I-''
His back was shed over and over again.
The Moonlit Feline''s white fur was sullied, as drops of steaming red bloodnded upon it.
For the first time, without even consciously doing it, Mark had protected one of his Underlings.
For the first time, Mark had bled for one of his Underlings.
Seeing its Master hurt, the Moonlit Feline cries grew louder and louder.
Chapter 40 Monstruous Pride
?''Get back inside.''
The Underlings, that had been on the desert''s edge, obeyed right away.
More blood dripped down Mark''s back.
From one moment to the other, the darkness he had been plunged into faded.
His sight was back.
The first thing his gaze fell upon was the Moonlit Feline below him.
The white pelt, covered in red stains, was shaking convulsively.
Mark quickly and roughly grabbed the Moonlit Feline with one hand, beforeunching himself back on the other side of the doors that separated the Fourth Floor from the stairway.
He threw the Moonlit Feline inside dismissively before closing the doors behind him.
A heavy silence ruled one side of those doors.
Mark turned around.
''I told you... To stay behind.''
His veins and blood vessels thickened, as if they were about to pop.
The Moonlit Feline climbed up the two stairs it had fallen down, before lying on the ground.
Its ears lowered and its eyes glued to the ground.
''What was that?''
Red aura started oozing out of Mark''s body.
''What were you trying to do?'' He asked.
Coldly, menacingly.
Mark took a heavy step towards the Moonlit Feline.
''If you can''t follow orders, then...''
Mark took a second step towards the Underling.
''Tsk.''
While the Moonlit Feline''s actions caused endless irritation to swell up inside him, Mark was also annoyed by his own self.
His weakness.
Once his most proficient sense was taken from him, all Mark could rely on was his hearing.
A sense that wasn''t sharpened by any Passive Skill.
The situation was dangerous.
It could have been life-threatening, had Mark''s scales been any less protective.
And yet, in such a disadvantageous position, Mark ended up taking additional risks to protect an Underling.
He was used to seeing his Underlings as shields.
Shields and spears that could be discarded at any time.
For the first time, it was not an Underling that took risks to protect its Master.
But the opposite.
''Why the hell did I protect you? I could have died... What the fuck was I thinking?''
Was his body able to do so, Mark would have been shouting.
''I should have ignored you. I should have just left you. You''re MY Underling. You''re the one supposed to bleed for me! You got that??''
Mark stared down the Moonlit Feline with contempt.
''Why did you charge forward? Why, when I ordered you to stay behind?? What kind of-''
His thoughts were interrupted, as the Moonlit Feline let out a weak pleading cry.
Mark was reminded of the cries he had heard outside.
''Why did you enter that fog of sand?'' He asked coldly.
All the Aura that engulfed his body suddenly disappeared.
''Were you trying to protect me?''
As Mark asked that, the Moonlit Feline raised its gaze.
Their eyes finally met.
''You... Were trying... To protect me...?''
A heavy stillness fell on the area.
''You?''
The next second, an incredible amount of Aura surged outward from Mark''s body.
Fierce and untamable mes engulfed his body.
Feeling great amounts of pressure, the Moonlit Feline was forced to lower its gaze once again.
''You thought YOU could protect ME?''
The anger.
The pain that stemmed from his injured back.
Added to those, now, even his pride was hurt.
''You thought I needed your help??''
A tiny creature, weak and vulnerable.
Dared to think itself as one capable of protecting Mark.
How could it have such arrogance?
How could it have such ignorance?
How could it underestimate Mark''s strength so much, that it believed itself capable of acting as his protector, his savior?
Mark tightened his fist.
All the Aura gathered around his body engulfed that fist.
Channeling that Aura, anger, and pain, Mark punched the ground with all his strength.
''FUCK!''
The sand around him fled, as if it was running away from Mark''s fist.
Cracks appeared all over the ground.
The Moonlit Feline''s body started trembling.
Mark stepped forward.
The Underling closed its eyes, afraid of what was about to happen.
''You were trying... To protect me...?''
Mark took a deep breath.
An additional step.
A third.
The closer Mark got to the Moonlit Feline, the more intense and uncontroble the Underling''s trembling became.
Mark crouched down, extending a hand towards the Moonlit Feline.
Once that hand was centimeters above the Underling''s head, it stopped.
Slowly.
Gently.
The hand was lowered.
With great care.
Time started flowing at a slower pace.
Mark ced his palm on the Moonlit Feline''s head.
Its body started shaking even more.
After all, it knew very well how strong Mark was.
It knew that Mark could squish its head with very little effort, if he was so inclined.
A gentle touch.
Mark stroked the Moonlit Feline''s blood-stained fur.
''You were trying to protect me.''
The Moonlit Feline''s trembling ceased.
''You must have been worried, huh? Seeing me disappear in that cloud of sand?''
The Underling opened its eyes ever so slightly.
''Thank you. It''s a first really. My Underlings are usually no more than puppets, wired to protect me. But you... It''s different, isn''t it? You chose to enter that cloud of sand.''
The Moonlit Feline''s body shook.
Its eyes opened wide.
Cries echoed all throughout the stairway.
And Mark gently caressed the Underling, as if tofort it.
''Mm. There''s a better way of doing things than rushing in there with no n.''
The Moonlit Feline raised its gaze.
Its Master''s face looked absolutely monstrous.
Two dark lines stretched from below the Monster''s eyes.
Scales covered that face.
Extremely sharp horns.
Numerous fangs.
But the Underling wasn''t scared.
It stared tenderly at its Master.
The Moonlit Feline lowered its head, before raising it back up, as if to nod.
Flick-
With a flick of his finger, Markunched the Underling away.
''That''s it for the lecture. Do the same thing again, and it''ll be a flick of my tail instead.''
Hurriedly and repeatedly, the Moonlit Feline raised and lowered it.
''Mm. Good.'' Mark nodded.
He stood up and walked towards a wall.
''Now, it''s my turn.''
With all his strength, Mark hit the wall with his forehead.
The Moonlit Feline was surprised.
It quickly stood up, but stayed silent.
A drop of blood appeared on Mark''s forehead.
''There were three of them. And yet, I let them make the first move. I''ve gotten used to reacting to my opponents, instead attacking first. All of this, could have been avoided.''
He turned to face the shut doors.
''Just when I told the System not to call me that, huh?''
Mark chuckled inwardly.
''I''ve truly gotten... Arrogant.''
Chapter 41 A Walk In The Desert
?''You attack from afar while I attack from up close.''
The Moonlit Feline nodded.
''I''ll have to train my different senses and get some Passive Skills, but I''ll do that some other time. Right now...''
Mark pushed the doors open.
''All I can think of is the fact that I''ll be able to leave this Dungeon. Just gotta get through this Floor first.''
He stepped into the desert once more.
Mark waited for a bit, and once again, Monsters showed up.
This time, five of them.
They looked exactly like those Mark had encountered before.
''I won''t go the same way this time-''
Before any of the Monsters could move, an Ice Spike stabbed one of them.
The ice spread, and the Monster''s core was frozen solid.
Mark did not miss the fact that the remaining Monsters were thrown off.
He immediately rushed towards them.
While his ws pierced through one of the Monsters, his tail beheaded another one.
Just like that, three of the five attackers had been dealt with.
The remaining ones quickly went underground and fled.
After staying on high alert for a minute or so, Mark let his guard down.
''Good job.''
While the Moonlit Feline tried to act unaffected by thepliment, Light''s ears twitched.
The Underling growled as it raised its gaze.
Mark followed that gaze.
Multiple Monsters were flying in the air.
They were far away, and fairly high.
The Monster that Mark was showed its teeth.
''That''s good too, Light. You can''t do much since it''s so bright in here, but this is plenty.'' Mark thought as he raised a hand.
From the three unmoving bodies, multiple bones were lifted into the air.
''Maybe I should get you to assimte some stronger Monsters? Or wait for you to Evolve again...''
The bones were crushed and turned into a huge spear.
Bone Maniption.
The huge spear pierced the air and flew towards the flying Monsters in the distance.
[You have defeated a Sand Vulture. 7000 Gold Coins and 14000 Experience Points earned.]
The swarm of Sand Vultures started approaching faster.
''Fiery''s attacks don''t have much range either. So...''
Mark spread his ck wings.
He flew up.
The numerous Monsters screeched as they got closer and closer.
Mark immediately rushed towards the closest Monster and tore its left wing apart.
He, then, quickly moved on to the next one, leaving the previous one falling.
Once the eleven Monsters, each missing a wing, hit the ground, Mark extended his palm towards them.
The Monsters had been injured by their fall.
Broken bones, ribs, necks, and other various injuries.
Had the ground not been covered with sand, the fall would have been enough to kill them.
5 Great Fire Balls were shot.
''Going well for now.''
Unbeknownst to Mark, who was still in the air, the ground started shaking.
As he was in mid-air, Mark could not feel it.
And yet,
''Something ising-''
The next second, a giant hole appeared right below him.
A giant sandworm exited the ground.
It threw itself with such force, that it managed to capture Mark with its mouth.
The sandworm rotated and was about to dive back into the ground.
But instead, it cried loudly.
A cloud of smoke escaped from its mouth.
The next instant, a red light radiated from inside the Monster''s body.
Its stomach body was blown off.
From the giant carcass, a white-scaled Monster, covered in blood and internal organs, emerged.
''Disgusting...'' Mark thought.
He shook his head.
''Light, Fiery and um... You. Stay on the other side of the doors. I''ll go check if there are any worthwhile enemies in here.''
Mark spread his wings and flew over the desert.
On his way, he found multiple Monsters.
Some were absolutely huge, while others very small.
Still, not one of them managed to seriously injure him.
Mark arrived at the other side of the desert.
Two huge doors stood in front of him.
''The Guardian? Already?''
[The doors do not lead directly to the Guardian.]
[They lead to the second part of the Fourth Floor.]
''Why are you making this moreplicated than it should be? There''s no need for a second part. Just put them all together. Tsk...''
Mark flew back across the desert, reviving many Sand Vultures on the way.
The Moonlit Feline purred, delighted by its Master''seback.
''Alright, let''s go.''
Mark flew away while the Moonlit Feline was standing on his shoulder, trying hard to bnce itself.
Fiery and Light were carried by the multiple Sand Vultures across the desert.
''Maybe I should spend some more time here actually. Keep going to those doors. No Monsters should be near them.''
Mark put the Moonlit Feline on top of Fiery, before descending to the ground.
''Devouring Monsters is never a waste of time.''
...
[You have developed the Magic Skill "Blinding Sand[C]".]
[You have developed the Passive Skill "Heat Resistance[E]".]
Sometimeter, Mark entered the second part of the Fourth Floor along with his Underlings.
''Two Skills. I guess that''s pretty good...''
On the other side of the doors, was a long corridor.
The first Monsters that the group encountered were easily taken care of.
As time passed, the Moonlit Feline became more and more efficient at assisting Mark with long-range attacks.
''These guys shouldn''t be a problem...''
In front of Mark stood three giant Monsters.
Their bodies were made of rocks.
They looked extremely sturdy.
Purple inscriptions were all over their bodies.
They were Golems.
''It''s been a while. Finally, the normal version, huh?''
Mark confidently, yet cautiously, walked towards the Golems.
The three Monsters were facing him.
They were slow.
Extremely slow.
Once he arrived at one of the Golems'' feet, Mark amassed Aura around his right arm.
Using all the strength he had, he punched the Monster''s stone leg.
But Mark was left perplexed.
A single crack had appeared on the Golem''s leg.
Meanwhile, his knuckles were bleeding.
Slightly but, nevertheless, bleeding.
''Huh. That''s pretty-''
The next instant, the Golem hit Mark''s body with an open palm.
A palmrger than Mark''s whole body.
Despite the Golem''s slow movements, Mark was thrown towards the corridor''s wall with insane force.
The impact even made him cough up small amounts of blood.
''This is... Not bad.'' Mark thought as he showed his fangs.
An ice spear hit the Golem''s head, but only a small part of it was frozen.
''These guys are strong, slow and durable. The easiest enemies.''
Mark quickly got back up on his feet and rushed between the Golem''s legs before getting behind it.
''I could easily just go past them but... That wouldn''t be fun. Let''s try something else.''
He jumped onto the Golem''s back and climbed up its body.
A strong punch to the eye.
Numerous cracks appeared.
''Some spots are weaker than others. Makes sense.''
An open palm moved towards Mark.
Slowly.
Extremely slowly.
Yet, when it touched him, he was thrown away with insane force.
Mark rolled on the ground many times before his back hit the wall.
''Ugh. High strength? No... It''s impossible for a hit that slow to produce that much force. It must be a Skill...''
Mark let himself get hit.
''As I thought. Once their palms touch me, I get pushed somehow. But that does not deal any damage. It''s the impact against the ground and walls that does the damage. This Skill...''
His eyes started burning.
''I want it!''
Using his Sonic Tail Flick, Mark could damage the Golems a bit more easily.
''Freeze its eye.''
The Moonlit Feline obeyed.
A secondter, Mark used his tail to hit the frozen spot.
Half of the Golem''s head was destroyed.
Once it had lost its head, the rest of its huge body fell.
Upon impact with the ground, the Golem''s body crumbled.
''Like sandcastles...''
The two other Golems were defeated shortly after.
''Freezing can make things easier to break. I''ll have to remember that.''
Sometimeter, Mark arrived at the Boss Room.
On the way, he had devoured more than 15 Golems.
Still, it wasn''t enough to acquire the Skill he was looking for.
Instead, his Magic Skill "Heavy Stone Armor[E]" had evolved into "Golem Armor[D+]".
''Better than nothing. Anyways, let''s go in.''
Mark pushed the two huge doors open.
Behind him stood, of course, Moonlit Feline, Light and Fiery.
But also a Golem with ck inscriptions on its body, a Sand Vulture with ck pelt, a Great Rattlesnake and a Great Paralyzing Sand Iguana.
''Let''s see which of these Underlings are worth keeping!''
Chapter 42 Onix?
?A sandstorm ruled inside the Boss Room.
Mark couldn''t help but keep his eyes half-open.
''Tsk. Hard to see in here. Don''t attack before I do. All of you are here to assist me when I tell you to.''
Behind him stood his Underlings.
Something pierced through the dense sandstorm.
A rapidly approaching tail.
It hit Mark with great strength.
BAM-
He was left embedded in one of the room''s walls.
''Haha. That wasn''t a bad hit.'' Mark thought as he dusted himself off.
The stones that had momentarily covered his body fell off.
Right before impact, he had used the newly acquired Magic Skill "Golem Armor[D+]".
''Solid defense. Good.''
Mark turned in the direction the hit hade from.
Staring at him with two slit pupils and yellow iris, was what looked like a giant snake.
But instead of scales, its body was covered by sturdy-looking rocks, simr to those of the Golem Monsters.
The snake-like Monster must have been about 30 meters long.
Its whole body was covered by the sturdy rocks, except its eyes.
The Guardian opened its mouth wide and screeched, showing off its sharp fangs.
''Mm. Yeah. I can take him.''
Despite the Guardian''s massive size and its loud screech, the white-scaled Monster didn''t seem intimidated.
''It sure is huge though. I revived the Great Rattlesnake thinking its size was impressive, but it really isn''t whenpared to this guy. Rattlesnake, Iguana and Vulture. You''re up.''
The Great Rattlesnake quickly slithered to the front of the group while the Sand Vulture took off.
The Great Paralyzing Sand Iguana stood aside and spat a huge amount of Paralysing Poison over the Boss Monster.
A forked tongue exited the Guardian''s mouth.
It hissed shortly.
The next instant, a wall of stone rose from the ground, protecting it from the paralyzing poison.
Using its sharp ws, the Sand Vulture Underling tried to sh the Guardian''s unprotected eye, but the huge Monster moved at thest second.
One of the Sand Vulture''s ws was broken, as it hit the stones that covered the Guardian''s body.
The Great Rattlesnake, approximately 2 to 3 times smaller than the Guardian, tried its luck too.
The Guardian hissed.
A spike made of rocks exited the ground below the Underling.
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
The spike had pierced through the rattlesnake''s body.
''Hmm. So it hisses before using some kind of Earth Magic or whatever. Can''t tell if it''s offensive or defensive by the hiss though... The stones are hard enough to break the vulture''s ws. They''re probably a bit less tough than the Golems''. Probably...?'' Mark thought.
He watched over the fight.
''Golem. Try to grab and immobilize it. Iguana, shoot your poison whenever it isn''t focused on you. Ummm, you. Try freezing its body at different locations. Might make it easier to break, just like for the Golems. Light, your ws and fangs would probably break, huh? You stay back. Fiery too. Fire doesn''t work well against the Monsters of this Floor. And the vulture... You''re not needed.''
And just like that, the flying Sand Vulture turned into dust.
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
Obeying its Master''s orders, the Golem Underling approached the Guardian as fast as it could.
Which was, as one might expect, pretty slow.
The Golem was hit twice by the Guardian''s tail, but it was not enough to deal any real damage.
''Three Golemsbined. Not bad. I wonder if I can break its stones?''
Feeling pressured by the approaching enemy, the Guardian started slithering away.
An Ice Spike hit its body, and a tiny fraction of it started freezing.
Paralyzing Poison was about to fall on the Guardian''s tail, but it turned around at the right moment.
Hiss-
A wall of stones protected it once more.
But once it turned back to face the Golem, it found a white-scaled Monster instead.
Mark''s chest was held high, inted.
The next second, a fog of sand was exhaled.
The Guardian shook its head in order to dissipate the cloud of sand.
[Resistance is too high.]
[You have failed to inflict the Status Effect: Blindness.]
''I guess there was a sandstorm here before we came in. Makes sense. Still...'' Mark thought as he jumped, aiming tond on the Monster''s body.
He mmed his Aura-covered fists down the frozen part of the Guardian''s body.
''Tsk. Not much damage...'' Mark noted as he jumped off.
The Guardian hissed loudly.
''Something ising-''
Dozens of spikes made of rocks appeared from the ground all around the Boss Monster.
''Why does it get so agitated when we get closer? When its body is so hard... A weak point somewhere?'' Mark thought as he dodged the numerous sharp spikes.
The Golem finally managed to grab the Guardian.
Hiss-
Spikes hit the Golem''s body.
Numerous cracks appeared.
''Nice one!''
Mark jumped towards the Guardian once more.
''This should definitely keep you from moving for a bit!'' Mark thought as he extended his right arm
As soon as his hand touched the Guardian''s tail, a great amount of Mana left his body.
Except for its head, the Guardian''s whole body was frozen solid.
The Moonlit Feline gave Mark a death stare.
''I guess this is your first time seeing me use Ice Magic, huh? Well, you have a lot to learn!'' Mark thought as he chuckled internally.
He ran towards the frozen Guardian.
''Could look for a weak spot, but who has time for that? I''ll use all my remaining Mana on this!'' Mark thought while a ck liquid was condensed into what looked like a spear.
The Guardian, feeling its body getting damaged little by little, hissed louder than ever.
The stones thatposed the ground, ceiling, and walls were deformed into spikes designed to pierce through its enemies.
As Mark approached its head, his body was grazed multiple times by those sharp spikes.
Nevertheless, the ck spear sank into the Guardian''s right eye.
GRRR-
The Monster raised its head as it cried loudly.
ck blood flowed down its nose.
''Already, huh? Since I hit its eye, the corrupting poison acts faster...''
The Guardian''s body suddenly changed.
''Shit-''
The stones that covered its body were momentarily deformed.
They turned into spikes that pierced through the Golem Underling with ease.
Mark''s left leg was stabbed.
The ice that covered its body was destroyed too.
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
Only once the Guardian had lifted its head did Mark notice.
During the whole fight, the Guardian''s body never left the ground.
Its lower side had never been shown.
Not even once.
''Huh. Is that it? The lower side isn''t protected?'' Mark thought as he hurriedly jumped away.
Mark wasn''t far from the truth, but only the Moonlit Feline had positioned itself in a way that let it see the underside of the Guardian''s body.
Only its throat was unprotected.
Motivated by its Master''s show of strength, the Moonlit Feline condensed all of its Mana.
The tip of its raised tail radiated a bright light.
''Huh-''
The light shined so brightly, that it caught Mark''s attention mid-fight.
A spear made of ice, so clear that it looked like it was made of crystal, flew through the air.
[Your Underling has developed a new Magic Skill.]
Massive amounts of blood spurted, as the attack pierced the Guardian''s weak spot.
Mark''s eyes widened.
The Guardian cried weakly, as strength was quickly leaving its body.
Corrupted blood exited its nose and eyes.
Slowly but surely, the attack''s freezing effect was activated.
About a quarter of the Guardian''s body, starting with its head, was frozen.
The ice was so clear that Mark could see his reflection on it.
''Amazing...'' He thought as he ran forward.
Mark dealt the finishing move, before the Boss Monster could free itself.
[You have defeated The Fourth Floor''s Guardian. 50''000 Gold Coins and 100''000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have defeated a Guardian.]
[You have been awarded 3 Skill Points.]
[You can now ess the Dungeon''s Third Floor.]
Mark walked towards his Underling while showing his sharp fangs.
The Moonlit Feline, ready to receive praise, stood tall with shiny eyes.
''I guess you can do it when you try...'' Markplimented, as he ced his hand above the Underling''s head.
Pat-
Sometimeter, Mark devoured the Guardian.
''Fourth Floor, done.''
Arge smile was on Mark''s face.
''Well then, let''s check out the outside world.''
[You have gained 80.000 Evolution Points.]
[You have devoured a Floor''s Guardian.]
[Calcting appropriate reward....]
''Aren''t you forgetting something?''
Chapter 43 Unwelcoming World
?[You have devoured the Fourth Floor''s Guardian.]
[Your Reward has been chosen.]
[Your Unique Title "Devourer" gives birth to a new Unique Title.]
[You have developed the Unique Title "Ore Devourer".]
[By consuming different kinds of Ores, you shall inherit some of their properties.]
''Oh. I don''t really care about that. Let me get out of here. Now.''
[You are not ready.]
''I''m not asking. You said I could leave after clearing the Fourth Floor. Well, I did. So...''
[You might die.]
''And? I might die here too. Let me check it out for myself. This new world.''
[If you won''t back down, then, at least, survive for as long as possible.]
''Sure. Sure.''
Mark showed his fangs.
''Finally... I''ll finally see this world!''
His wide smile refused to leave his face.
The Moonlit Feline pressed its head against Mark''s leg.
''What will happen to my Underlings?''
[Calcting...]
[Familiar Ne[A]: A ne that can hold one''s Underlings in a subspace. The Underlings can watch their Master''s movements, but they cannot leave the subspace without the Master''s permission.]
''How much for that?''
[All your remaining Gold Coins and Evolution Points.]
''Tsk. I just evolved. No Skills to buy either. Whatever, take them.''
A ne appeared around Mark''s neck.
Its jewel shined red.
''Alright. Ummm, get in?''
The next second, Light, Fiery, and the Moonlit Feline were transformed into spheres of energy and entered the ne.
[Your Moonlit Feline Underling is greatly displeased by the situation.]
''Get used to it then.''
[The Moonlit Feline is hissing menacingly.]
''Right. Anyway, how do I leave?''
The next second, a portal appeared in front of Mark.
He walked towards it, but stopped right before entering.
''The outside world... I can practically feel goosebumps. Wonder if I can run away and nevere back here. Probably not, right? I wonder how it is, out there...''
Hesitant, Mark stood in front of the portal.
[Will you go in or not?]
[Keeping portals open uses up energy.]
[Hurry up and make up your mind already.]
The familiar tone made Mark smile ever so slightly.
''Alright. Let''s go face it.''
He held his breath from anticipation and slight anxiety.
Mark stepped inside the portal.
Woosh-
In the blink of an eye, he found himself outside.
The air was cold.
A bit too cold.
Mark turned around.
Behind him was what looked like an enormous building, simr to a fortress. Or a tower.
He lowered his gaze.
Snow.
Mark raised his gaze.
''Mm.''
But, where he had hoped would be a bright sky, wasn''t anything.
Nothing but grey clouds.
''For real?''
He was in the middle of a blizzard. A violent one.
Before he could notice it piling up, his shoulders and wings had already been buried by snow.
Mark couldn''t see more than 10 meters in front of him.
Still, two shining yellow eyes stared at him.
''Do I have to fight... Even when I''m outside?''
He exhaled deeply.
''Tsk...''
A cloud of fog exited his mouth.
''It''s that cold, huh? I''m not even sure why, but I''d expected to find myself in the middle of a city or something...''
Ready tounch himself at the approaching target, Mark took a deep breath in.
"ARGHHH."
The inhaled air felt like sharp thorns piercing his body from the inside.
The air was so cold that it burned.
"ARGH...!"
Mark truly felt like his throat and lungs were on fire.
He couldn''t stop himself from coughing uncontrobly.
But the more he coughed, the more unstable his breathing became.
With his hands gripping his throat, Mark coughed and coughed. Until blood exited his mouth.
Breathing felt impossible.
The approaching and shining eyes exited the thick fog that surrounded Mark.
A huge pr bear, with green inscriptions on its body, roared loudly.
''What... The hell?? How am I... Supposed to...?''
[Your body is struggling to adapt to the environment.]
[You have fallen victim to the Status Effect: Frost Bite.]
''No... Shit!? I can... See that...!!''
Despite coughing blood, Mark raised an arm towards the iing Monster.
A Great Fire Ball appeared.
Feeling threatened, the huge pr bear growled and a barrier of ice appeared around its body.
Mark''s Great Fire Ball hit the barrier. An explosion ensued.
But it barely made a dent.
''Shit...''
Mark desperately was in need of air.
He felt dizzy.
He couldn''t think straight anymore.
The world around Mark had be fuzzy.
The bear-like Monster roared, and the barrier around it broke.
Mark''s mind went numb.
He stopped thinking.
Or rather, his body couldn''t do so anymore.
The Monster, more than ustomed to the low temperature and air, ran forward before standing on its back legs, aiming to behead Mark with its strong paws.
GROWL-
Mark''s body moved instinctively.
His body was lowered, dodging the strong paws, before moving forward.
Pierce-
Mark''s ws pierced the Monster''s chest while his tail hit its neck.
BAM-
The light in the Monster''s eyes faded as it lost its bnce.
It passed out, and its heavy body fell forward, on Mark''s.
The weight made thetter fall to the ground.
It wasn''t because the weight was too heavy for Mark to lift.
But simply, because Mark''s body was too weak.
It had been weakened, to be exact.
Sharp fangs immediately pierced the bear-like Monster''s neck.
Only then, was the Monster turned into a blue sphere of energy and swallowed right away.
[You have developed the Passive Skill "Cold Resistance[A]".]
The next second, breathing became a little easier.
Mark''s feet and hands, which had been aching from the numbness, started hurting a bit less.
Still, the oxygen levels in his blood were too low.
Mark closed his eyes.
He passed out andy unmoving as more and more snow fell on his body.
A couple of secondster, another bear-like Monster appeared.
But this one was different.
At least twice as big as the previous one, it approached.
The bear-like Monster''s nose twitched.
It had smelled something.
The scent of its child.
The huge pr bear walked towards Mark.
Even though his body was gradually being covered by snow, drops of blood could be noticed.
The blood of its child.
Enraged, a greenish Aura covered the bear-like Monster''s whole body as it opened itsrge mouth.
GROWL-
The Beast walked closer before standing on its back legs, about to m both its front legs on Mark''s stomach.
An attack that, probably, could have ended his life.
But before the attack couldnd, the huge Monster was pushed back.
It had beenunched away, despite its great size.
"Now, now, we can''t let you y with our young little Lordling."
In front of Mark''s body was...
Its silhouette resembled that of a Human, but...
A body covered by a dark cape.
The passed-out Mark was by the neck and lifted with ease.
Mark opened his eyes ever so slightly.
Two ring red eyes stared at him.
"Being greedy is good."
Mark''s eyes closed once more.
"Still, I''m surprised you could breathe in here without enveloping yourself with Aura. Oh, I guess you didn''t think about doing that. Doubt you would have held on much longer either way. But this level..."
A wide smile.
"Isn''t too bad." The personmented while taking steps away.
Mark''s body was moved around as if it was no heavier than a twig.
"You still have a lot to learn. Guess that''ll be Draconia''s job."
Mark was put over that person''s left shoulder.
"Still, on the verge of death, you didn''t even ask her to bring you back, huh?"
The "man" walked through the blizzard.
"Not that she could anyway. That''s why I''m ever. Mm... You even took down that little guy. Gutsy, at least. Although, that one wasn''t even an adult so... Not much of a feat really. Yep, the strength isn''t there, but the guts are. Interesting..."
The man stopped for a bit.
"How arrogant..."
The unconscious Mark coughed up drops of blood.
His life was hanging by a thread, but the person carrying him wasn''t the kind to worry.
"But it''s the right kind of arrogance. Yeah. I think so. An arrogance that says leave it to me, I can do it. An arrogance that screams: I don''t need your help."
A devilish smile.
"I must admit, I don''t dislike it."
Chapter 44 Candidates?
?"I''m back!" Raven shouted as he entered the castle.
He took off his cape, revealing his pale skin and ck hair.
On the other side of the room, was a woman dusting off an old wardrobe.
Her hair was light red.
She was wearing tight ck pants and light armor that covered her upper body.
The woman, just like Raven, looked human, at first nce.
"Quicker than expected. Mess anything up?" She said, without turning towards Raven.
"Tsk. A cold wee. Again. Why are you always the one greeting me?"
"This ce is always a mess. Either dusty or dirty because of you. Why would I be anything but cold towards you?" The woman answered.
A tail covered by red scales dangledzily behind her.
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever."
Bam-
"No. No, no, no, no. You did not." The woman said as she heard the sound produced.
"What?"
She turned around, revealing her slit pupils and golden eyes.
A small part of her face was covered by scales. Just above her right eye.
The scales blended in nicely with her skin.
A descendant of Mythical Beings known throughout the whole world.
Beings known even in worlds they did not reside in.
Beings who dwelled in a certain city.
A city in the middle of the ancient Inferno Land.
The city, was called Draconia.
And the red-haired "woman" had been named after that city.
Although she did prefer to be called Nia.
Despite the grandiose origins of her name, she preferred Nia.
Perhaps it was because of those grandiose origins.
"You..."
Her eyes fell on the unconscious Mark.
The next second, the temperature inside the whole castle seemed to rise by a few degrees.
"Why did you bring him here?" The coldness in Draconia''s voice made her words resonate much more powerfully through the room''s heating air.
"Huh? What do you mean? You sent me to watch over him while he was outside." Raven answered, slightly surprised by the reaction.
"Yes. So? I''ll repeat myself. Why did you bring him here?" Nia said, as she took a step forward.
Her step was light, but it felt as if the whole room shook because of it.
"Well... What was I supposed to do with him?"
A burning red Aura started oozing out of Draconia''s body.
Her red hair started flowing upwards.
''Where the... Hell... Am I...?''
It seemed being thrown to the ground by Raven had woken him up.
The next second, Nia took a deep breath to calm herself.
"You were supposed to put him back inside." She answered before raising a hand towards Mark, who had barely opened an eye.
[The Spell "Deep Sleep" has been cast on you.]
Draconia started walking away, and Mark fell into a slumber.
"Huh? Why? He already exited though?"
Raven followed her.
"Barely. He still has a lot to do in there."
"But what if he dies like that other Candidate?"
"Then, just like that one, he wasn''t worthy. Our Master has made those eight Dungeons for those eight Candidates. If they can''t make it out alive, then they''ll just die in there. We''re not desperate enough to bring in some immature... Ugh! Do I have to exin everything?"
"Tsk. I know that but... They have so much potential. He''s only a couple of weeks old. Do you have any idea how long it took me to be as strong as that guy is now? Well, not that long, but not weeks either. The fact that not only Greed but also Gluttony flows in his veins... We could make him very strong just by-"
Draconia cut him off immediately.
"No. We can''t. And we won''t. Our Lord already talked about this. The first step to getting stronger is to survive. If they can''t survive, they can''t get stronger. Feeding them might make their bodies stronger, but that newfound strength won''t help them survive. They need to acquire it by themselves."
The two walked side by side.
"I get that, but-"
"If you get it, then bring him back in there before he wakes up. It would be a pain if he starts feeling resentful towards us."
Warp-
"Indeed."
A calm voice resonated.
Although it was calm, the voice was chilling and sharp.
Originating from someone seated on a throne.
Behind that person, were windows that let light into parts of the throne room.
The throne, itself, was shrouded in darkness.
Two eyes shone through.
"What? Why are we...? Master." Raven quickly got over the surprise and kneeled.
Draconia, too, kneeled before exining,
"I cast Space Magic to bring us here. I''m surprised you didn''t notice. Pardon us, my Lord, for the sudden intrusion."
"Raven, rectify your mistake. Draconia, don''t let his impatience and negligence rub off on you." The one in front of whom they kneeled said.
"Yes, my Lord." The two answered in unison before quickly disappearing.
Once his subordinates left, the Lord slowly rose from his throne.
''One Candidate dead... Another has decided to live on the Ninth Floor, simply surviving by hiding and feeding on the weaker Monster. Others, still stuck on the Sixth Floor... The gamble is paying off, it seems. Still, with the life he has led before, it is no surprise. Although Shamah would argue the opposite...'' Raven and Draconia''s Master thought to himself, as he gazed through one of the throne room''s windows.
...
Some timeter,
Mark opened his eyes ever so slightly.
He looked around.
The 4th Floor''s Boss Room.
Exactly where he had been before leaving.
Mark scratched his head.
Feeling a bit confused, he sat down and remembered the past events.
A feeling of irritation quickly rose.
How could it not?
Mark wanted to see this brand-new world. This Higher World.
He wanted to see what kind of future was waiting for him.
Instead, all he found was a blizzard.
But quickly, Mark remembered someone.
Someoneing to him.
Someone saving him.
While his pride was somewhat hurt, he had just been saved from certain death.
''Who was that guy?''
[Someone you shall meet one day, maybe.]
''One day, huh? He was strong, wasn''t he? How soon can I meet him?''
[As soon as you clear the Dungeon.]
Mark showed part of his teeth.
''I see. Mm. So in the end, I really wasn''t ready. I could barely stand out there for a bit...'' He thought beforezily standing up.
The System gave no answer.
It did not need to.
After all, it was obvious what Mark had to do.
''I did think the outside world would be unforgiving and unweing. I was sure of it. If this ce is made to prepare me for that world, then it''s obvious that the world would be as unforgiving as this ce. Still, I didn''t think I would be dancing with death seconds after leaving...''
Mark walked towards the huge doors that separated the different Floors.
But this time, in the opposite direction than the one he was used to taking.
***
"Oi, oi oi! Don''t tell me he''s going to chicken out!" Raven shouted.
He was seated next to Draconia.
In front of the two, was what looked like a digital screen.
As Draconia was in charge of monitoring Mark, she could peek at him at any time.
Raven, on the other hand, was simply passing time.
"I''m allowing you to watch, so stop talking." Draconia answered.
"I don''t think he''s a coward, but..."
Mark walked through the Fourth Floor''s desert, the Fifth Floor''s room, the Sixth Floor''s tunnels, the Seventh Floor''s rooms, and the Eighth Floor that was filled with Minotaur Monsters.
As he walked back, Mark remembered the different enemies he fought.
The different fights he went through.
And the Underlings he took along the way.
Mark also remembered every form he had taken.
The strong and sturdy Royal Minotaur.
The Unique Abyssal Weretiger.
The Infernal Hound''s Skeleton.
The ck Wolf''s Skeleton.
And before all of them, the weak and fragile Skeleton.
Above all, Mark thought of the different advantages and disadvantages each Form had.
He walked all the way back to the Ninth Floor.
"Oh. Let me write, let me write." Raven said.
"No. Every time you do, it''s either childish or stupid. The rest of the time, you''re trying to sound cool, which you always fail at."
"Come ooon! Just this once!"
In mere minutes, Mark had crossed all the Floors that had taken him oh so long to clear.
He went back to the Tenth Floor.
[Looks like your pride is hurt.]
[Don''t cower away.]
Mark chuckled internally at the message.
''True. My pride is hurt. But I have no intention of cowering away. No. I''m thinking...''
A Gray Wolf walked around.
Mark closed his eyes.
He focused on his senses.
All of his senses, except his sight.
Mark zeroed in on the Monster''s steps.
''There!''
He threw an insanely powerful punch.
A punch that could have ended the Monster''s life by grazing it.
Too bad the attack hit nothing but air.
The Gray Wolf growled.
Its ws found their way to Mark''s shoulder.
Protected by tough scales, the Monster couldn''t injure him.
The Gray Wolf''s ws broke upon contact.
''I''m thinking... I''ll take full advantage of this Dungeon, and train for a bit.''
Chapter 45 A Monsters Training
?Mark stood in front of a Hobgoblin.
Even when he was a ck Wolf''s Skeleton, the Hobgoblin was a Monster Species that did not cause much of a threat.
Mark closed his eyes.
He raised his arms forward.
The Hobgoblin, although shaken from finding an enemy of such caliber, mustered its courage and clutched its fist.
The next instant, the green Monster was overtaken by confusion.
It was preparing to attack, so why was it, so suddenly, spinning in the air?
Only once it rotated another 180 degrees, did the Hobgoblin understand.
It could see the white-scaled Monster, standing at the same spot it had been earlier.
The Hobgoblin could also see its decapitated body falling to the ground.
''My senses aren''t that sharp, but my Sense Stat is too high for me to have an issue with Monsters of this level. If I want to develop new Passive Skills, I''ll have to challenge myself.''
Mark left the Tenth Floor.
''Tsk. Ever since those Monsters blinded me, I''ve been feeling like this. I''m nothing but brute strength and eyesight. Lose one of those, and I''m done for...''
Mark challenged every Floor, but on every one of them, the Monsters were too weak to pose a threat.
''All of them keep dying after one Tail Flick. Plus, they can barely pierce through my scales...''
Mark went back to the Fourth Floor.
Despite not getting injured once, he felt defeated.
Still, he had amassed a number of Underlings on the way.
Behind him, stood two Velvet Werewolves, three Ogres, four Inferior Drakes and three Royal Minotaurs.
''Feels like a strong army, but... Individually, they''re pretty weak.''
Just when Mark was about to enter the Third Floor, he got an idea that made him chuckle loudly.
''Stand in line.''
The Monsters obeyed.
From left to right, the Ogres, the Velvet Werewolves, the Royal Minotaurs and the Inferior Drakes stood.
''I''ll use one Skill Point on Assimtion.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Assimtion" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Assimtion[A]" has evolved into "Perfected Assimtion[A+]".]
''Alright, no more limitations now. As long as the Assimted Monster is at least a bit stronger, the Assimting Monster will get stronger.''
The first step now was topare the Underlings'' Stats.
After that, Mark made one of the three Ogres assimte the two Velvet Werewolves.
Its body became a bit smaller, but its bulging muscles still looked impressive.
The Ogre''s head became that of a werewolf, and red fur covered its neck, chest, and shoulders.
ws reced the nails on the end of its fingers.
''Now, two Royal Minotaurs to up your strength.''
Horns appeared on the monstrosity''s head, while its muscles became a bit slimmer.
Slimmer, but much more defined.
It was as if each muscle fiber had be visible.
The Underling was about 250 centimeters tall.
Mark stood in front of the Underling, proud of the creation that was 50 centimeters taller than he was.
''Alright. You''re really ugly. A monstrosity, really. I''ll name you... Cmity.''
[You have bestowed the name "Cmity" upon your Underling.]
''Now, hit me. Hard.''
Cmity stared at its Master with wide eyes.
The next second, it clutched its hand into a fist and hit Mark''s side with all its strength.
The Underling sted the Master away and into a wall.
''Haha. Maybe I overdid it.'' Mark thought while exiting the hole made in the wall and dusting himself off.
Even though the wall had been destroyed by the impact, Mark was practically intact, apart from a couple of grazes.
''Alright then. Let''s fight.'' He thought while cracking his neck, ''I''ll try my best not to kill you.''
The Underling immediately roared loudly.
''Unless I go to the next Floor....''
It ran towards him with great speed.
''The strongest Monsters I can fight are those I make.'' Mark thought while dodging the numerous iing blows.
Mark dodged and deflected every attack from his Underling.
While their Strength Stats were on par, there was a slight difference in Agility.
Still, the main thing that gave Mark a definite advantage, was his Passive Skill "Advanced Kic Vision".
The Skill enabled him to utilize that slight advantage in Agility to dodge perfectly.
Multiple times, he had to stop his tail once it was inches away from the Underling''s neck, to avoid decapitating that Underling.
Mark was used to fighting and killing.
Sparring on the other hand, not so much.
The Underling was not sparring though.
It was trying its best to sink its teeth or ws into Mark''s body.
''This isn''t working...'' He thought while looking at the Underling''s attack, ''Just stop already.''
The Underling''s ws stopped right in front of Mark''s face.
It dropped on one knee right after, showing respect for its Master.
''Those Velvet Wolves can pierce through my scales... If I want to train, then the choice is obvious. Come.''
The previous Underling walked away while another one approached.
It was a Royal Minotaur.
''Hey. If I end up killing this guy, any way I can revive him?''
[None.]
''How about healing him?''
[As you do not possess any Healing Skills, you cannot heal it either.]
''Tsk, too bad. Guess I''ll use you. That''s why I brought you here after all.''
Mark made the Royal Minotaur devour the second Ogre.
[Your Underling has developed the Passive Skill "Self-Healing[E-]".]
''An Ogre''s healing ability isn''t anything special, but it can be useful. I''ll have to devour someter... Oh, go get me some Ogres.''
The Inferior Drakes and the newly created Underling left immediately.
The Royal Minotaur walked towards Mark.
Its body hadn''t changed at all.
Maybe it was because it had devoured a weaker Monster.
Mark closed his eyes and raised his arms.
"Come now. Beat some Passive Skills into me!'' Mark ordered.
The Underling, of course, could only obey.
''I can hear the footsteps.'' Mark thought as he moved his arm.
The next instant, a heavy punch hit his stomach.
It pushed him back, but his feet did not leave the ground.
''I''m too slow! I need to-''
A second hitnded on his back.
''What the hell, how can I...!''
A ferocious uppercut connected.
The hit made his feet leave the ground.
Mark''s whole body was lifted into the air.
Hended on his back.
Mark opened his eyes andy on the ground for a bit.
''This is... Going to take some time, huh?''
***
Five hourster, the white-scaled Monster''s eyes were closed.
Standing tall, with its open palms raised.
Facing that Monster, was a Royal Minotaur.
Thetter was breathing heavily.
If it had sweat nds, its body probably would have been covered by their secretion.
''Again. Come at me.''
And so, the Monster trained some more.
Chapter 46 Aura
?''F#ck this.'' Mark thought as he walked away from the crumbling Underling whose heart he had just pierced.
His blood was boiling.
[Your Underling is returning to the dead.]
''I just can''t develop Passive Skills anymore it seems. What the hell??''
Mark turned his gaze towards another Underling.
''You,e at me.''
Mark''s anger was such that his whole body was covered by Aura.
The Underling attacked as fast as it could, but Mark easily dodged by lowering his body before punching the attacker''s stomach,unching it into the air.
''F#CK! I need to calm down...'' He thought.
Bam-
The Underling''s body hit the ground.
Mark took a deep breath as he closed his eyes.
''What can I do to get stronger now? Before going through that door, I need-''
Mark felt sharp ws entering his skin.
Without opening his eyes, he tried to deflect the attack.
Mark had gotten used to fighting without his sight.
Just by him being touched, he could perfectly pinpoint the opponent''s position.
Mark could do the same using his hearing.
Although a lot less precisely.
Of course, it wouldn''t go the same way in a real fight against multiple opponents.
Toward the spot Mark felt he was being attacked, he mmed his elbow, aiming to break the attacker''s wrist.
But to his surprise, that elbow cut through the air.
He opened his eyes.
An instantter, the ws that he had felt hit his body.
They weren''t the sharp ws of Velvet Werewolves.
Therefore, the ws broke upon contact with Mark''s scales.
He instinctively jumped away, perplexed.
''Uh... What was that? I felt like those ws cut through me, but they hadn''t. They couldn''t...''
[Congrattions!]
[You have learned the second most basic aspect of Aura!]
''Is that so? I have no idea what that was though?''
To that question, no answer came.
***
Inside a castle far, far away, a ck-haired man was getting grounded by a red-haired woman.
"Are you dumb? Please, leave now. He''s supposed to learn by himself." She scolded.
"But I-"
"No buts. Leave."
The man left with a defeated expression.
***
Mark focused on his fist.
Aura engulfed it.
''So what I felt had something to do with Aura? Was it the ws entering the Aura? Those ws couldn''t enter my skin. But it felt like it. So I felt them tear through the Aura...''
Mark moved his fist around.
''Now that I think about it, it kind of felt like a premonition...''
The Aura around it danced like a me.
''That''s pretty cool... Mm. it''s the first time I''m taking the time to really check it out... When was it that I started using Aura anyways? After the 8th Floor''s Guardian, right? But I got the Aura Maniption Skill during my fight with the 7th Floor''s Guardian though...''
Mark sat down.
He thought deeply while staring at the red Aura that he could make appear and disappear on a whim.
''It feels like an ON and OFF thing. I can''t really control the amount... Although I can control where I want to... Produce? The Aura...''
Mark focused on his left foot, and Aura appeared around it.
Right shoulder, left side, lower body.
No matter which zone of the body, all could be covered by Aura.
''It doesn''t consume any Mana, does it?''
[It does not.]
''Endurance?''
[It might.]
''Might...? Aura can help me surpass my body''s limits in a way. I can hit harder using it. Or use it defensively. Covering a body part with Aura is kind of like wearing armor. I thought that was all there was to it. Honestly, it seemed like plenty, but...''
Mark remembered the enemies that had blinded him.
How powerless and confused he felt.
How lost.
Maybe even scared.
Mark shook his head, as if to clear his mind.
''Still, this is great. At least, I know...''
Mark got up and cracked his knuckles.
''Aura. That''s what I should focus on.''
He walked towards one of the walls around him.
''Let''s test it.''
After all the training he had done with his Underlings, most of the walls were cracked.
Mark raised his right hand towards an intact portion of a wall.
His open palm was about two centimeters away from it.
Using a small portion of his strength, he mmed his palm against that wall.
''No effect. Not one crack. Good. Now, let''s try with some Aura.''
His palm was immediately covered by the red energy.
Mark performed the same action as before.
A small crack appeared on the wall.
''Alright. Aura doesn''t make a huge difference but...''
He suddenly remembered something.
''Wait. The amount of Aura isn''t the same. It changes. Yeah...''
At first, Aura was the effect of a Passive Skill under the name of "Royal Minotaur''s Aura[C-]".
Mark remembered the times when the amount of Aura increased.
He remembered the times when Aura manifested by itself, as if it had a will of its own.
''Aura is... Linked to emotions or something, right? Emotions...? Something like that.''
It was more of a finding that he wanted to proim than a question to the System.
''The times when I felt the angriest. That''s when Aura manifested on its own. That''s right, sometimes just the Aura around me was enough to crack the ground below me or even walls...''
Mark raised his palm towards the wall once more.
The Aura around his hand was about 10 centimeters thick.
''I''ll crack it. I''ll break it. I''m... Destroying this wall.''
As his focus got sharper and sharper, the amount of Aura increased slightly.
Mark started thinking about various things.
Things that annoyed him.
Things that had enraged him.
He thought about every Guardian that had made him struggle, every enemy that had made him bleed, every fight where his life was on the line.
Mark thought of the time when he was a weak Skeleton, cowering in fear in front of an injured Gray Wolf.
He thought of the outside world that he did not get to see.
Every time, more emotions were thrown into the mix.
Annoyance, fright, anger, and pride.
Those four especially, made his Aura balloon up.
The red Aura, which looked like a small and calm me moments earlier, now looked like a huge and ferocious ze.
But there was one thing.
One thing that produced Aura like no other.
One thing that made Mark angrier and more pissed off than anything else.
As he thought about it, the Aura became twice as thick, but also denser than it had been previously.
Mark mmed his palm against the wall, using all of his physical strength.
SLAM-
Hundreds of cracks appeared right away.
His hand went through the wall.
''It really pisses me off...''
Mark pulled his hand out.
''That I can''t remember a thing about my past life.''
The whole wall crumbled.
''I thought it didn''t matter. I thought I didn''t care, but-''
Just as Mark''s mood was taking a turn for the worse,
[The Moonlit Feline is unhappy with the situation.]
[The Moonlit Feline is sick of being imprisoned.]
[The Moonlit Feline demands freedom.]
''Oh. Sorry, forgot about you. Come out. Light and Fiery too.''
The three Underlings appeared in front of their Master.
As soon as it appeared, the Moonlit Feline turned away from Mark and sat on the ground, as if sulking.
''Oh! I''ve thought of some names for you by the way. Wanna hear?''
Immediately, the Moonlit Feline turned back, its eyes shining.
Chapter 47 Part Of Me
?Mark looked at the Moonlit Feline, a hint of affection in his eyes.
''It''s been a while! How have you been?''
The white-furred cat stared at Mark with blue eyes impatiently.
''You want a name that badly?''
Its eyes widened.
''Mmh... I''m not sure you deserve one.''
A shocked expression appeared on the cat''s face.
''Look at Light and Fiery. They have a name.''
The Underling turned its gaze towards the two mentioned.
They stared at their Master, unmoving and impassive.
''They follow orders. They don''t do unnecessary things. Unlike you.''
It turned back towards Mark before looking away, as if saying "I don''t want it anymore. Keep it for yourself."
The Underling''s behavior made Mark show his fangs.
An action that could be described as smiling.
Mark sat on the ground.
The Moonlit Feline did too, although its back was towards Mark.
''How about this? I''ll suggest names. Turn back when you hear one you like.''
The Underling tried not to react, but its tail started swaying around.
''Alright. So. Iris?''
The Moonlit Feline did not move.
''Cloe or Lya?''
Yawn-
''This one came to me when I was outside. How about P? Or ? Maybe even Pr?''
Once more, the Moonlit Feline did not turn around.
''Huh. Mmmh, how about Liz or Lizza? From Blizzard.''
Not only did the Underling not turn around, but its tail also stopped moving.
''You dislike it that much, huh? Mm...''
Mark raised his gaze to the ceiling, a distant look in his eye.
''How about... Ocean?''
The name was read as "Oshan".
The Moonlit Feline jumped up and turned towards Mark with shiny eyes.
''Haha. That settles it then. Huh...?''
But right after that, it turned around and sat once again.
''Want me to continue until you choose the best?''
Its tail started wagging around.
''How about Kri? Or Krista? From Cristal.''
The Moonlit Feline immediately turned around at Krista.
It turned back hurriedly once again.
The Moonlit Feline waited for more options, but,
''That''s the end of my list. Sorry to disappoint.''
The Underling immediately stood up and jumped on Mark''s shoulder.
It pushed its head against Mark''s neck affectionately.
Thetter gently grabbed it and put it back on the ground.
Mark had no idea, but arge smile was on his face.
It wasn''t a pretty smile by any means though.
''So, which of the two? Krista? Ocean?''
The Underling walked away and climbed onto Fiery''s back before lying down.
''You like both equally?'' Mark asked telepathically.
He walked away and towards the rest of his Underlings.
''Anyways. Let''s get back to this. The Aura stuff is kind ofplicated. I need to be focused, to feel something go through my Aura. But the amount of Aura varies. Depending on how angry or in pain I am, the amount explodes...''
The Underlings stared at their Master
''The more Aura, the more useful it is to feel things go through it. Since I would be able to sense attacks before they get too close to me. But the angrier I am, the less I can focus...''
The Underlings, that had been ordered to bring Ogres, arrived.
''How do I remedy this?''
Six dead Ogres were thrown in front of Mark.
[You have developed the Passive Skill "Self-Healing[E-]".]
''Good. I''ll be able to recover faster now.'' Mark thought as drops of the Ogres'' blood went down his mouth.
He turned towards the third Ogre Underling he had brought to the Fourth Floor.
''This guy is the weakest and slowest.'' He thought, before closing his eyes and letting his Aura flow out.
Since he was calmer now, the amount of Aura was nothing incredible.
''Attack me.''
And the Underling did so.
Mark focused on his senses as much as he could.
Still, the Underling managed to hit his stomach.
The attack was far from enough to even move Mark away from the spot he was standing on.
''Good. Now he can attack as much as he can, and I''ll train as much as I want.''
After fifteen hits, Mark still couldn''t feel the attacksing.
''It''s difficult to use...''
He was forced to take an early break.
The Ogre''s fists had been broken by its own attacks.
''Tsk. Heal faster, dammit!'' Mark ordered, but the Underling couldn''t do anything about it.
The unnamed Moonlit Feline stared at its Master with wide eyes.
''Ugh! I should have gotten ten of these if I knew their fists would break so easily.''
Mark sat on the floor.
He grabbed a piece of rubble from the ground with his right hand and let his Aura flow out from his left.
Using that sharp piece of rubble, Mark started stabbing, not his skin, but his Aura.
''Yep. Still can''t feel a thing. What the hell? Why can''t I feel it? My own Aura being-''
That''s when something clicked.
''My own Aura. Huh?'' Mark thought.
He hurriedly stood up.
''You. Attack me.'' Mark ordered the Royal Minotaur Underling.
It approached as fast as it could.
Mark closed his eyes and waited for it to attack.
''Aura... Isn''t something external. It''s-''
As the Underling''s fist prated his Aura, Mark opened his eyes.
Time seemed to pass much slower and he could see that the hit still hadn''t reached his stomach.
A smile appeared on his face, as the heavy hitnded.
''Ha! Hahaha! I can do it. Yes. Thinking about Aura as some Passive Skill or as some kind of external barrier is wrong. So wrong.''
As his fighting spirit andpetitiveness were stimted, the Aura around Mark''s body became fiercer.
''Yeah. Aura isn''t some external thing. I have to think of it as part of my body. As part of me! Hitting my Aura... Is the same as hitting me!''
***
Somewhere far away.
"It''s true that these guys have huge potential, just like Raven said..." Draconia whispered to herself.
She stopped watching over Mark and left the room she was in.
''But this guy... He learns fast. Really fast. He can grip and wrestle with abstract concepts like Aura as if it was natural... Well, it''s not like he has any real understanding of it. Still, for him to learn how to use it to this extent in a couple of weeks... Yeah...''
Nia walked for a bit.
''A true Monster will be unleashed upon the world.'' She thought with a nervous smile.
Nia came to a sudden full stop.
"Still. If he doesn''t drop the cocky attitude, I''ll beat him up once he''s out." She proimed, to no one in particr.
Chapter 48 Underwater
?After a while, Mark finally entered the 3rd Floor.
''I can more or less detect things entering my Aura now. Still, it''s just a contingency n. If things go well then, all I''ll need...''
He pushed open the huge doors in front of him.
Shining pupils pierced through.
''Are these eyes.''
Right away, three streams of water were shot at him with great speed.
Only one of the three streams was aimed right though.
Mark defended byzily raising an open palm.
The water sshed upon contact with his hand.
''Huh...'' Mark thought as he turned back.
Two holes had appeared through the thick doors he had just passed through.
''Oh, right. I gained Water Resistance a while ago...''
An arrogant smile on his face.
Mark turned back towards the attackers, but he found none.
''Did they run? Anyway, what''s more important now is...''
The room Mark had entered was circr.
Its diameter must have been about 15 to 20 meters.
Below him, a chunk ofnd.
He looked up.
The ceiling was about 5 meters high.
''Ugh...''
Around the chunk ofnd, was a body of water.
''Don''t tell me...''
On the walls, no doors except the ones behind him.
''Am I supposed to fight underwater?''
After taking three steps, Mark''s feet were already underwater.
He leaned forward and stared for a bit.
Mark noticed creatures swimming in the shallow water.
But beyond that, all he could gaze at was darkness.
Mark called back his Underlings into the Familiar Ne.
''It seems deep. Very deep. I might even need to breathe underwater...'' He thought.
Mark raised his arm up.
''I''m sure if I spend enough time underwater, I would develop a Passive Skill that would allow me to do so but...''
A ck liquid appeared above his open palm.
It turned into a solid javelin.
Using all his strength, he threw it towards one of the swimming creatures.
The javelin pierced through the water.
Ssh-
Secondster, a dead creature floated to the surface.
Mark flew towards the dead Monster and grabbed its body using his tail.
The dead Monster had the anatomy of a crocodile, although its legs were longer.
Its jaw wasn''t as long as a crocodile''s.
Mark brought it back to the small chunk ofnd before devouring it.
''No new Skill, huh? Guess I''ll have to do that some more.''
Not wanting to fight in an environment he was not used to, Mark attacked the Monsters from a safe distance and let their bodies rise to the surface.
''I wonder if I''m being too cautious.'' He thought while taking a bite of a Monster''s arm.
After devouring about fifteen Monsters, Mark had acquired the following Skills:
[Passive Skill: Underwater Propolsion[E]
Acute control over one''s tail to move underwater swiftly.]
[Passive Skill: Water Pressure Resistance[D]
Can resist the pressure that one is subjected to underwater. Can resist about 100 meters of depth worth of pressure.]
''100 meters, huh? Who knows if that''ll be enough... Ugh. I didn''t want to do it, but it seems like breathing underwater isn''t a Skill.''
As Mark touched thest Monster he had defeated, its body turned into a red sphere of energy.
''I rather like this form. I don''t want to change a thing, but the ability to breathe underwater seems to be anatomical.''
The next instant, Mark''s body changed slightly.
Three slits appeared on each side of Mark''s neck.
They were gill slits, resembling those of sharks.
Mark passed his hand over them.
''Huh. That''s a nice addition.'' He thought.
Mark rotated his shoulders, preparing.
''Let''s get to it.''
He jumped into the water.
Thanks to his gill slits, strong tail, but also his new "Underwater Propulsion" Passive Skill, breathing and moving underwater quickly became natural.
Mark spent some time under the surface without diving too deeply.
''I''m getting the hang of moving around. Still, I feel like I can''t utilize all my strength. The fact that water has both a higher density than air but also a lower concentration of oxygen...''
Three Monsters started approaching Mark.
[Ludroth: [D] Rank Monster.]
''Three all of a sudden?''
One approached from behind, another from the side and the third from above.
''[D] Rank, huh? Might as well bring more of them then!''
Just as two of the Monsters opened their mouths wide, Mark''s ws pierced through both of their necks.
''And for the one above-''
Mark hit thest one using his tail.
Sonic Tail Flick.
A powerful attack that ended the Monster''s life.
So powerful, that Mark was pushed deeper into the water.
He was sent spinning by his own attack
''Shit!'' He cursed while trying to regain his bnce.
Once he managed to stop, Mark found himself close to the ground.
It was covered by abination of sand and dirt.
From it, various nts were growing.
After looking around him, Mark found a huge hole in one of the walls.
It wasn''t as much a hole as it was a tunnel or passage.
A tunnel that would lead to the continuation of the Third Floor.
***
Sometimeter, two underwater doors stood in front of Mark.
He pushed them open and entered.
Mark swam to the surface.
Secondster, his body left the water, as he foundnd.
''Damn. Finally... So the Guardian isn''t underwater, huh? Good. I got the hang of it, but still...''
Mark stood on arge circr tform.
Around that tform was, of course, water.
On the other side of the room, two huge doors.
Mark looked around him for a bit, before massaging his forehead.
''Shit. I''m all alone on this tform...''
The next second, something was preparing to emerge from the waters.
A long tail left the water before diving once more.
Crystals appeared before disappearing.
Mark called out all of his Underlings, except the Moonlit Feline.
He readied himself.
Red Aura appeared all over his body.
''It''sing!''
The Guardian''s head left the water.
Its two front legs climbed onto the tform, while the rest of its body stayed underwater.
Blue scales covered its body.
Its ws were razor-sharp.
On its head, two small horns.
GROWL-
Piercing yellow eyes stared at Mark.
Thetter couldn''t help but smile nervously.
''Some kind of underwater dragon?''
The Guardian opened its mouth wide.
The crystals that covered its back started radiating light.
The light quickly turned into sparks of electricity.
As if channeling that energy, the electricity disappeared from Guardian''s back and turned into an electric bomb in front of its mouth.
The instant the attack was shot, Mark spread his wings as quickly as he could.
BOOM-
The tform was covered by a thick cloud of dust.
As the smoke started fading, Mark checked his Underlings'' condition from above.
''Tsk.''
Three of them had already returned to the dead.
Chapter 49 A Leviathan?
?''Light, Fiery. Come back in.''
The Underlings turned into spheres of energy and entered the Familiar Ne.
''The rest of you, attack.'' Mark ordered while hovering above the circr tform.
His four remaining Underlings ran towards the Guardian.
Thetter roared loudly, showings its numerous sharp fangs.
The fastest of Mark''s Underlings jumped up and towards the Guardian''s head.
Meanwhile, Mark held a ck spear tightly.
Just as the Boss Monster was about to swallow the Underling whole, it noticed an iing attack.
The Guardian quickly pulled back and dived underwater once more.
It swiftly circled around the arena, while staring at Mark with its yellow eyes.
''Tsk. It''s cautious of me now...''
Mark folded his wings.
Hended on the tform and started walking towards its edge.
''Seems like I''ll have to fight underwater after all. I''m notpletely used to it yet, but...''
Arriving at the edge, Mark quickly dived head first.
''I''ve fought plenty of big guys on this Floor already.''
Mark and the Guardian were now both underwater.
Each was staring at the other.
Each cautiously studied the other''s movements carefully.
Facing such a great opponent, Mark started feeling excited.
His confidence was unwavering.
Mark was confident in both the Skills he had acquired and the strength he had built.
But, his opponent''s strength wasn''t negligible.
After all, a single attack has been enough to wipe out three of the best Underlings he could make usingbinations of the previous Floors'' Monsters.
''If I take that attack head-on, it would cause trouble. I can survive two, maybe three of those...''
At that thought, Mark showed his teeth.
Red Aura quickly covered his entire body.
''Once I beat it up enough, it''ll probably go onnd. There, you''ll finish it.'' Mark telepathically ordered his Underlings.
The Guardian, seeing such a rxed expression, couldn''t help but, ever so slightly, move its body backward.
The gesture wasn''t even enough to be called a movement.
The Boss Monster had simply shifted its center of gravity back by a few centimeters.
But for Mark, whose "Advanced Kic Vision" Passive Skill was active, such seemingly trivial actions could not be described as such.
At the sight of the Guardian''s wavering, Mark immediately snapped his tail.
A tail flick so powerful that it seemed a great explosion had taken ce underwater.
The force was such that Mark''s body was quicklyunched forward.
Waves mmed on the Boss Room''s walls.
With thebination of both Passive Skills, "Sonic Tail Flick[B+]" and "Underwater Propulsion[E]", Mark instantly found himself in front of the Guardian''s head.
Its pupils widened.
sh-
The Guardian''s eye was injured.
Just as Mark was about to go for its other eye, the Boss Monster curled up its spine.
A tail pierced through the water.
It was mmed onto Mark''s body.
"AGH-"
He wasunched outside of the water.
Before Mark''s body hit the Boss Room''s wall, he spread his wings and gained his bnce back.
''Damn! That was a heavy hit.'' Mark thought, a grin on his face.
With his ck demonic wings spread wide, he hovered in the air as he stared at the under water Guardian.
And thetter stared back.
''It moves quickly. Its strength is high, just as you would expect from a Monster of its size.''
A second ck spear appeared in Mark''s hand, as he glided towards the water.
''By lowering the amount of Mana poured in, I managed to make a weaker version than Dark Corrupted Spear, but stronger than Corrupting Javelin. l should probably not make more than three of these though...''
Seeing the approaching enemy, the Guardian opened its mouth.
An electric ball of energy shined brightly before it was fired with great speed.
''I''ll have to pierce its body with. I can''t throw it like I used to...'' Mark thought as he gracefully turned his body sideways.
The attack passed by him.
He folded his wings.
And as Mark''s body hit the water, the electric attack hit the ceiling.
A great explosion followed, but Mark did not give it any mind.
He moved his tail swiftly, approaching the Boss Monster.
But unknowingly to Mark, the crystals on the Guardian''s back were shining brightly.
Mark snapped his tail.
The Guardian opened its mouth and roared underwater.
''I''ll shut you up!'' The approaching Mark thought, aiming to pierce the Monster''s remaining eye with the weapon made of solidified Corrupting Poison.
But as soon as Mark got close, with perfect timing,
''AGHHH!''
A of blue lightning bolts enveloped the Guardian''s body as it roared.
Mark, who had propelled himself with great speed, couldn''t stop his body from mming onto the lightning.
His body shook uncontrobly.
His muscles ached.
His scales were burnt and damaged.
Massive amounts of Aura exited his body, dulling the pain and protecting him.
For about 5 seconds, Mark had to endure massive pain as his body was burnt.
Once the of lightning faded,rge amounts of blood started flowing towards the surface.
He tried moving, but couldn''t.
''Shit... The damage... Wasn''t... enough? The attack... Paralyzes... Too??''
The Guardian stared at its prey with wide eyes.
Convinced it had emerged victor, it opened its mouth wide.
''Fuck. FUCK!''
The next second, Mark''s upper body was inside the Monster''s mouth.
The Guardian shut its mouth with great strength.
At least, it tried to.
Before the Monster had closed its mouth, ayer of Aura enveloped Mark''s body.
It was easily pierced through.
But once it had been pierced through, the Guardian''s head couldn''t move anymore.
''Son of a bitch. Forcing me into such a desperate position...''
Mark had activated a Magic Skill.
Frozen Land [C+].
Indiscriminately, Mark had frozen everything around him.
Which meant freezing the water around him and the Guardian''s body.
Everything in a radius of about 25 meters was frozen solid.
Both the Guardian and Mark, were entrapped in a sphere of ice.
The Guardian immediately felt threatened.
While both could not move, the attacker wasn''t alone.
The Boss Monster wanted to free itself as quickly as possible.
The light emitted by crystals on the Guardian''s back shone through the ice.
Mark, on the other hand, managed to break the ice that was blocking him thanks to his powerful tail.
He moved away, while the Guardian used its Magic Skill once again.
Once Mark was out of the attack''s range, he turned back.
''I wonder... If it can move during that attack-''
Mark''s eyes widened, as he stared at the of blue lightning that engulfed the Boss Monster.
The Skill destroyed all the ice around the Guardian''s body.
But, through a hole in that, passed a ck spear.
It pierced the Monster''s body, before turning into a ck liquid.
The liquid immediately started entering the Guardian''s wound.
Noticing that it had taken damage, the Monster roared loudly before raising its gaze.
''A wound like that is barely anything for you, right?''
Once again, Mark stared at the Guardian from above.
''This much Corrupting Poison won''t be enough to take it down. It''s too big for one of these to be enough...'' He thought as he flew towards therge circr tform in the middle of the room.
Marknded and stood there while keeping an eye on the Guardian.
He was trying to recover both Health and Mana Points.
''I''ll buy some time this way. I can easily dodge its range attack. I''ll recover a bit, while I let the Corrupting Poison damage it as much as-''
Mark''s thoughts were interrupted.
A bored expression appeared on his face.
''For real?''
The Guardian''s head left the water.
Its two front legs followed.
Before long, its whole body was on the tform.
''So you want to fight onnd? Throwing away your advantage... How foolish-''
Suddenly, the Guardian''s body started shrinking.
It shrunk and shrunk, until it was about 7 meters long.
Mark''s eyes widened and a smile appeared on his face.
''Is it abandoning its size and strength for agility?''
The Guardian''s body started changing, morphing into something different.
The Monster stood on two legs.
Standing at about 2 meters tall, it was as tall as Mark.
The Guardian''s form hadpletely changed.
Its right arm, legs, and shoulders were covered in blue sturdy scales.
Its left arm and back, were covered by crystals.
Sharp and deadly crystals.
The Monster had arge tail and sharp ws.
Its head, leaving aside the two small blue horns on it, was that of a Human.
''Same as the Sixth Floor''s Guardian?''
Mark''s excitement surged even higher than earlier.
''If I can devour this guy, then...''
Red Aura immediately engulfed his body.
But then,
"As this Floor''s Guardian, I won''t show any mercy."
At those words, Mark froze.
''He can... Talk?''
The amount of Aura around Mark''s body doubled.
''Yeah... More than ever...'' Mark thought.
Heunched himself towards the Monster.
''More than any other Guardian I''ve encountered...''
The Boss Monster''s fist collided with Mark''s.
Cracks immediately appeared on the floor below the two.
''I want him.'' Mark thought as he looked into the Guardian''s deep green eyes.
Chapter 50 In Tandem
?Mark''s shoulder cracked.
''The difference in strength-''
He immediately jumped away.
The Guardian approached before bumping both its fists together.
Lightning started permeating through the scales that covered its arms.
''So he uses lightning instead of Aura?''
Once the two were within range, the fighters threw heavy punches at each other.
Mark''s fist made the Guardian''s mouth bleed while the Monster''s left a burnt spot over Mark''s stomach.
Other than the first punch from each, the rest was perfectly deflected.
''Seems we''re even when ites to Agility, but!''
Mark, feinting another punch, grabbed the Guardian''s wrists instead.
The Guardian showed its numerous sharp fangs, despite its, otherwise, human-looking face.
''This is payback for before!'' Mark thought as he mmed his tail against the Guardian''s side just before thetter''s fangs could reach him.
The Guardian''s side was protected by scales, but the hit was more than enough to crack those.
The attack would have sent the Boss Monster flying, if Mark wasn''t holding onto its wrists.
The Monster coughed up blood, before showing a devilish smile.
Only then, did Mark notice the sparks of lightning behind the Guardian.
''Son of a-!'' Mark thought as he mmed his tail on the same spot.
"DIE!" The Guardian shouted.
But it was toote.
A of blue lightning appeared around the Boss Monster once again.
But this time, the area covered was much smaller.
Which made the attack that much deadlier.
"AGH-"
As the lightning permeated through Mark''s body, he could feel his body being burnt to a crisp.
The spots that had been reddened by the previous attack now looked like burnt coal.
Once the lightning faded, Mark''s body was left swaying.
The Aura that previously surrounded him had disappeared.
Mark fell to his knees.
"It seems I have emerged victorious once again." The Guardian said as it raised its arm, ready to finish him off.
But just before it could do so, the strongest of Mark''s Underlings, Cmity, hit it with great force.
The Monster wasunched away and into the water.
''Fuck. Fuck. Fuck...!'' Mark internally cursed as he tried his best to stay awake.
His body wanted nothing more than to copse in order to recover.
''Cmity, you take care of him for now. Focus on protecting me.''
The Underling stood in front of Mark and faced the direction in which the Guardian had beenunched.
''The rest of you... Come here.'' Mark ordered, struggling to stay awake.
As if an explosion had taken ce underwater, waves rippled as the Guardian jumped out of the water.
It stared at Mark and his Underlings with contempt.
While in the air, the Guardian extended an open palm towards Mark.
A great ball of lightning wasunched in his direction.
The Guardian noticed the approaching Cmity right away.
But to the Boss Monster''s surprise, something pierced through its lightning attack.
BOOM-
A great explosion took ce in mid-air.
The Guardian, whocked the body parts that would enable aerial mobility, was stabbed.
"Ugh!"
Great amounts of a Corrupting Poison entered its body once more.
As the Guardian''s body fell to into the waters it had just jumped out from, great amounts of ck blood started leaving its nose and mouth.
Ssh-
''Phew... That was close.'' Mark thought as he stood back up.
His body had healed up nicely.
He was still covered with burnt marks, but the serious injuries had healed.
The Guardian, feeling enraged, left the water once again.
This time, it stayed onnd and ran towards Mark.
"What? Only two...?" The approaching Guardian muttered.
While there were at least 5 enemies previously, only two remained.
It puzzled the Guardian, but all it could do was be d that there were fewer enemies.
''Having to devour my Underlings in the middle of battle... What desperate turn of events.'' Mark thought.
He stared at the approaching Guardian.
''Seems like he''s a bit slower than before. Cmity, let''s team up this time. Since his body is pretty small, the more he moves, the faster the Corrupting Poison will spread.''
In tandem, both Mark and his Underlingunched themselves towards their enemy.
A blueish light started shining through the Guardian''s eyes.
Before long, Aura started permeating through its body.
''So it can use Aura too, huh?''
The three were now in range.
Mark threw a powerful punch.
The Guardian dodged it, but Cmity''s leg kick found its way to the Guardian''s back.
The Guardian ducked to escape Cmity''s punch,but Mark threw a Tail Flick so fast is was impossible to dodge.
''This is pretty good. Fighting alongside Cmity is much better than I had imagined...''
When the Guardian tried to sh Mark, Cmity punched its injured side.
The two fought in perfect harmony.
''Since you can hear my thoughts, you move exactly the way I want you to.''
Before long, the Guardian stopped fighting.
It fell to its knees.
The Boss Monster threw up massive amounts of ck blood while some started going down its eyes.
A "Sonic Tail Flick" knocked the Guardian off the tform and into the water.
''I used to think that "Sonic Tail Flick" was sort of a finisher, but I''ve hit him with it four times now...'' Mark thought as he waited for the Guardian to reemerge.
But the Guardian didn''t.
Instead, it took back the form it had first appeared as.
That of a Leviathan.
Mark spread his wings and flew up.
From up in the air, he could see the Guardian underwater.
''Going back to this, huh? Good choice. The bigger you are, the less effective poison will be. No matter if it''s regr Poison or Corrupting Poison...''
Mark raised his right arm up.
''I didn''t want to use these since it took a while to collect them, but... Inventory.''
A screen showcasing different Items appeared.
''Take all the bones out.''
At Mark''s thought, a massive amount of bones appeared in the air.
The bones of dozens if not hundreds of Monsters hovered around him.
As they had been previously manipted, the bones had the form of sharp spikes.
They started floating towards the ceiling.
''Howrge an area should I target...? This much should be fine. Let''s use a third of them for now.''
The sharp spikes spun around, facing the Guardian''s direction.
The Boss Monster, already in bad shape, started moving through the water.
''You can run, but...''
Mark lowered his arm swiftly.
''With that size, you''ll definitely get hit.''
The spikes flew towards the Guardian and the area surrounding him.
They pierced through the water and approached the Boss Monster.
Grrr-
More than thirty spikes hit the Guardian''s body.
Some could not prate its tough scales, but most did.
After all, the bones came from a great variety of Monsters.
The Guardian roared loudly, as its body was impaled by numerous spikes.
''Huh. That many could injure him? Good. I mostly wanted to make him run and let the poison do the job but...''
A second volley wasunched.
It was just as effective as the first.
The Guardian started panicking, just like Mark thought it would.
''The choice isn''t an easy one to make, huh? Either be impaled because of your great size, or shrink and die from the poison.''
At the third volley though, the Guardian roared loudly.
A of lightning protected its body from most of the sharp spikes.
''Since you''re only using it now, on the third volley... Means you''re running low on Mana, right?'' Mark thought.
He folded his wings andnded on the tform.
''Now. I can either finish you... Or let you die slowly-''
To Mark''s surprise, the Guardian emerged from underwater.
It emerged, but not as the Leviathan it was seconds earlier.
''You won''t take the easy way out, huh?''
Chapter 51 An Enemys Acknowledgement
?The Guardian left the waters.
The second it stood on the ground, the Boss Monster fell to its knees.
It threw up heaps of ck blood.
Still, the Guardian stood back up.
It stared at Mark before approaching.
''He''s slow...''
About midway through, the Guardian coughed up more ck blood.
But it didn''t stop running forward.
For some reason, the Guardian''s struggle shook Mark''s heart.
And so, he, too, started running towards his enemy.
Light was emitted by the Guardian''s crystals, but it quickly faded.
''Did he run out of strength? Or is he baiting me?'' Mark asked himself.
Still, he approached as fast as he could.
Once they were in range, the Guardian threw a punch with all the strength it had left.
Mark dodged it by ducking.
In front of him, was the Guardian''s unprotected chest.
Pierce-
"Agh-"
The Guardian coughed up blood.
Mark pulled his arm out of the Boss Monster''s chest.
Thetter''s body no longer possessed to strength to stand.
It fell forward, on Mark.
Thetter, for a reason that escaped him, gently grabbed the falling body.
"I guess... You were stronger." The Guardian whispered, as the light in its eyes faded.
Surprise overtook Mark at those words.
''Was I...?'' Mark asked himself, as he carefullyid the unmoving body on the ground.
The Guardian coughed up more blood, before drawing itsst breath.
[You have defeated The Third Floor''s Guardian. 75''000 gold Coins and 150''000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have defeated a Guardian.]
[You have been awarded 3 Skill Points.]
Mark stared at the unmoving Guardian before crouching down.
''I came to defeat this guy. And I did just that. Then why-''
[The Moonlit Felinemends you.]
[The Moonlit Feline says you did a good job.]
[The Moonlit Feline gives you a thumbs up.]
Mark chuckled lightly at the floating words in front of him.
''You cane out now.''
His three Underlings left the Familiar Ne.
The Moonlit Feline walked over towards the Guardian''s unmoving body.
The white-furred cat sat down next to Mark.
After a short while, it buried its head into Mark''s thigh.
Thetter pet it gently.
''I''m not sure why, but I''m feeling sort of gloomy...''
Maybe it was because the Guardian was so strong.
After all, if Mark hadn''t devoured his Underlings mid-fight, who knows what the oue would have been?
Maybe it was the Guardian''s desperate attempt to continue fighting.
But could it truly be described as such?
It was different from the Sixth Floor''s Guardian''sst stand.
''This guy... Was pretty cool.'' Mark thought.
It almost seemed like this Guardian had epted its death.
It epted it, but decided to die fighting, instead of dying a slow death.
Maybe it was the Guardian''s acknowledgment that moved him.
An acknowledgment, Mark felt he didn''t deserve.
Mark stood up.
''I would have liked to win in a 1-on-1 fight, but I''m not arrogant enough to think I could have beaten this guy by myself.''
Mark''s tail brushed past the unmoving body''s hand.
[You have used your Magic Skill "Purgatory''s Undead Troup[A+]".]
[The dead ising back to life as your Underling.]
And so, the Guardian breathed once more.
''Now that I think about it, it''s the first time in a while that I revive a Guardian. Also, it''s the first one that can talk. I wonder if it can still do so...''
The Ex-Guardian''s wounds healed.
It opened its eyes and looked around, feeling extreme confusion.
Once its eyes fell on Mark, the Ex-Guardian stood up right away.
Mark quickly stepped back and raised his hands defensively.
The next second, the Ex-Guardian kneeled in front of its Master.
''Huh...''
"My Lord." The new Underling said solemnly.
''So you can still talk.''
"Yes, my Lord."
Mark was sort of torn between two options
''Should I tell him not to call me that?''
On one hand, being called "my Lord" felt almost weird and creepy.
On the other, such a strong being referring to him as its "Lord", made Mark feel good in a way.
After deliberating for a bit, Mark decided not to say anything.
Instead, he turned towards therge doors.
"My Lord..."
Mark turned back towards his Underling.
"I wish... To apologize for my earlier actions."
''Huh?''
The new Underling''s words stunned him.
Mark kept staring at his Underling while his thoughts raced.
''Apologize? I just killed and revived him. My Skill... Don''t they return as dead moving bodies? Do their memories remain?? What is... That''s not how...''
The Underling stayed on his knee and stared at the ground.
''Do you remember everything? No... Tell me what you remember.''
"I remember my life, my Lord."
''Tell me everything.''
"I used to live beyond those doors." The Underling said, as he pointed at the doors Mark hade in from.
"Back then, I was weaker, smaller, and not endowed with reason. I acted mindlessly."
''Is that so? Reason? What happened afterward? How did you get here?''
"I acted as my instincts told me, my Lord. I attacked other beings. I ate and killed to survive. As time passed, I grew and became stronger. I used to look like the form I have shamelessly shown you earlier. An incident that I will apologize for once again. Although, back then, I was much smaller and weaker. Now, that form is my second one."
''I see. How did you obtain a second form? How did your reason develop and how did you end up here as a Guardian?''
Mark had so many questions he could barely contain his curiosity.
"Once I became stronger than any other on that side of the doors, I was guided here by... Something. Forgive me, my Lord, but I truly do not know what it is that guided me here."
''The System...? It must havemunicated with you somehow. Mm. Now that I think about it, the System does trante what I think to my Underlings perfectly, even though they shouldn''t be able to understandnguage. Yeah... Just like it can somehow put into words the emotions and thoughts of my other Underling here. Only when it''s inside the Familiar Ne though...'' Mark thought as he turned his gaze towards the Moonlit Feline.
The Ex-Guardian did the same.
''Please, continue.'' Mark thought as he turned back towards the new Underling.
While it wasn''t the first time he had felt something akin to admiration for an enemy, it was definitely the first time Mark had shown respect to an Underling he had revived.
"I entered this room and found myself alone. Instantster, a being entered it from the doors I had left open. Somehow, the doors were, then, shut. As the being, I was entrapped with, was much weaker, I trampled over it. Then, a blinding light enveloped me, my Lord. My body grew, but more than that, my... Spirit, took form. It was as if what used to be instinct developed to be... Something more. Quickly, my mindless impulsions turned into formted thoughts. Speech, on the other hand, came naturally with this form that I obtained upon developing the Skill ''Dual Forms'', my Lord."
''Evolution, huh?''
"Yes, my Lord. That is what the words, in front of me at the time, said."
''So evolving can even change Monsters to this extent? Then...''
Mark''s eyes wandered towards the Moonlit Feline, whose name hadn''t been chosen yet.
Chapter 52 Feline Evolution
?''I''ll have to think of a proper name for you. Do you have any Skills I haven''t seen?'' Mark asked his Underling telepathically.
"Apart from my Dual Forms, Great Lightning Bomb and Lightning Cover, I also possess Lightning Resistance and Passive Skills that allow movement underwater, my Lord." The new Underling answered solemnly.
''Mm.'' Mark nodded before turning his gaze towards the Moonlit Feline.
''How many of those Evolution Pills do I have again?''
[You currently possess 4 Underling Evolution Pills.]
''I see.''
Mark''s gaze fell on the only Underling he had taken on the Sixth Floor, Fiery.
''I only ever used one. And it was on you, huh?''
Mark sat down.
He raised his gaze to the ceiling.
The new Underling kneeled and stared at the ground, as it did not want to look at its Master from above.
''I only have four of those Evolution Pills. So I should probably keep them for the strongest Monsters I will find in this Dungeon. I''ll need their strength once I''m outside. Of course, that''s if I manage to make it outside. Two more Floors to go. This underwater floor was a hassle. The Guardian was tough too...''
Rubbing against Mark''s thigh, with great affection and tenderness, was the Moonlit Feline.
Mark''s eyes were ,then, glued on the tiny creature.
Once again, he found himself perplexed by his own Underling.
An Underling that was not killed nor fought.
One that had joined him of its own ord.
An Underling weaker than most Monsters, and even slower than some.
It was an Underling that was not chosen because of its strength.
Why was it chosen, then?
What was it that made it special enough for Mark to choose it?
What was it that made it worth protecting?
Worth bleeding for?
Even Mark, wasn''t sure what the answer to those questions was.
The Moonlit Feline proceeded to walk away from its Master.
It sat down, before licking its right paw and rubbing its face.
The Moonlit Feline''s long whiskers waggled, as its ears were folded again and again by its paw.
Mark gazed at his Underling with a facial expression that only seemed to appear when looking at the Moonlit Feline.
The Ex-Guardian briefly looked at his Master, who seemed lost in thought, before turning towards the Moonlit Feline ever so slightly.
As the new Underling lowered his gaze to the ground once more, a slight smile crept across his face.
A secondter, the Underling noticed his own smile and a surprised expression appeared.
''What is... This? It seems distant. Foreign even... And yet...'' The Ex-Guardian thought.
The only times that the Underling had felt anything close to what it was currently feeling, was either after winning a battle or while devouring a meal.
And yet, the situation it was now in, was vastly different from both those instances.
A puzzled expression remained on its face for a while.
''If I want to boost our chances of survival, the one I should give the Evolution Pills to is definitely a Guardian. The right thing to do now would be to give one to this guy. But-''
[Congrattions!]
[You have cleared 8 Floors out of 10.]
[Your strength has increased considerably!]
''Yeah, well... This guy is still stronger than I am.'' Mark said telepathically while pointing at the Ex-Guardian.
"Excuse me, my Lord, but I must disagree. From start to finish, the fight was yours entirely."
''Without my Underlings, I would have died halfway through the battle.''
"That is possible, my Lord. But we, as your Underlings, are nothing but part of your strength."
Mark turned towards his new Underling, before facing the doors that lead to the Second Floor.
''Maybe, but I must be stronger than my Underlings. I have to. Otherwise...'' Mark thought as he walked towards the huge doors.
The next second, something climbed up his body and took a seat on his right shoulder.
It was the Moonlit Feline.
Mark chuckled lightly before taking something out of his Inventory.
It was an Underling Evolution Pill.
''This might not the best decision, but...''
The Moonlit Feline jumped back to the ground and stared at the Item with wide eyes.
''Catch.'' Mark thought as he threw the Item in the air.
The Underling swiftly jumped up and caught the Item with its mouth.
[Your Underling has consumed an Evolution Pill.]
[Evolution is about to start.]
[Two Evolutions possible.]
''Oh. Having different choices is always better. Which one should I choose-''
[Your Underling has made its choice.]
''Huh?''
It wasn''t clear whether the energy that burst forth from the Moonlit Feline was Aura or Mana.
Nevertheless, the emanating energy was cold.
Extremely cold.
It seemed like the temperature inside the room had dropped by a handful of degrees.
A freezing mist appeared around the Underling.
Mark, Light, Fiery, Cmity and the Ex-Guardian took a step back and away from the Moonlit Feline.
Through the dense mist, blue eyes shone through.
All, stared at the shrouded Underling.
All eyes were glued on the veiled Moonlit Feline.
All eyes, except those of the Ex-Guardian, who, instead, stared at Mark.
The Underling discreetly monitored his Master''s facial expression.
Only the Ex-Guardian had, therefore, noticed that his Master''s heartbeat had increased after the Moonlit Feline was shrouded in the cold mist.
Feeling like he was prying, the Ex-Guardian turned back towards the mist.
The blue shining eyes disappeared.
A thickyer of ice spread under the shrouded Moonlit Feline.
The next second, originating from that mist,
ROAR-
Slowly but surely, the mist dissipated.
And right where it had previously been, the Moonlit Feline was still standing.
Mark let out a sigh.
The Moonlit Feline, immediately, tookzy steps towards its Master.
''Mm. That''s upsetting. A wasted Evolution Pill-''
The Moonlit Feline started running towards Mark with great speed, before jumping up.
Mark raised his arms up.
But just as the Moonlit Feline was about tond on Mark''s hands, a blinding light was emitted from its body.
Instantly, Mark''s heartbeat increased.
Aura immediately covered his body, as the light had blinded him.
m-
Mark''s back hit the ground.
His body was stuck under the weight of something heavy.
Mark was blinded, but the weight alongside the sharp ws that were gently resting on his body allowed him to imagine what the situation looked like.
Heughed out loud, making monstrous sounds, as something wet brushed against his cheek repeatedly.
Even the old Third Floor''s Guardian chuckled lightly, before covering his mouth with his right hand.
Once the light faded, Mark saw the Moonlit Feline''s new form.
[Your Underling has evolved into a "Moonlit Feline[B+]".]
It was that of a great Lioness.
Mark''sughter became even louder, as he started petting his Underling''s head.
''Your rank went from [B-] to [B+]. You developed the Dual Forms Skill, right? Oh, you don''t have a lion''s mane.''
The Moonlit Feline''s fur was still white as snow.
Its blue eyes shone as brightly as ever.
The next second, the Underling lowered its body and Mark felt an increase in weight.
''Oho... You want to y, huh? Just because you grew a bit, you think you can now pin me down?''
Mark''s arms stretched towards the lioness'' sides.
Contrary to the Moonlit Feline''s expectations, its body was lifted with ease.
''This level of strength is... Not enough!'' Mark thought as he threw the Moonlit Feline into the air.
The Moonlit Feline spun, trying to bnce itself.
Approaching the ground, its body started shrinking.
Once the Moonlit Feline touched the ground, its body was that of a cat once more, enabling a safe and nimblending.
The Master and the Underling stared at one another for a couple of seconds.
The Moonlit Feline broke the stare-down, as it opened its mouth.
A long yawn.
Mark chuckled.
Seemingly in dire need of a nap, the Moonlit Feline climbed onto Fiery''s back and curled its body up.
''Show me the Moonlit Feline''s Status.''
[Your Underling is debating.]
''Huh?''
[Your Underling has denied you ess to its Status.]
''For real? You mean I can''t even check-''
"It seems like she won''t need protecting anymore, my Lord." The Ex-Guardianmented.
''She...? Oh... Right. Protecting? I haven''t protected... Her... In a while.''
"Is that so, my Lord?"
''Yes. What made you think otherwise?''
"It''s just that... Well... During our... Previous encounter-"
''During our fight.''
"Yes, my Lord. While I do not know how many Underlings you possess, she was the only one, out of those I have seen so far, that you hadn''t called out."
Chapter 53 The Blood That Fuels His Heart
?[Only 2 Floors left to clear the Dungeon.]
Mark read that message as his fist went through a Velvet Werewolf''s chest.
He had been hunting all kinds of Monsters on the Fifth, Fourth, and Third Floors.
His goal was to amass an adequate amount of bones, while Fiery produced as many Offspring as possible.
[Information about the Higher World will be given upon clearing the Second Floor.]
''Mm...'' Mark''s thoughts wandered as he walked back to the Third Floor''s Boss Room.
There, he found Fiery, surrounded by hundreds of her descendants.
They were everywhere.
Absolutely everywhere.
On the ground, walls, and ceiling.
''Good thing I left you to it for so long. Fire Ants will probably be weak on the Second Floor. Still, send them in there.''
? Fiery''s antennas moved and the ground shook, as thousands of legs hit it repeatedly.
The huge doors that separated the two Floors were demolished by the offspring that entered the Second Floor.
"It seems arge number of them will precede us, my Lord." Mark''s newest Underling said before putting down a mountain of corpses.
''They''ll open up the path for us. Although... I can''t say I have high hopes for them.''
Mark raised his arm up and a massive amount of bones left the mountain of corpses.
The bones were dismantled and assembled into numerous spears before disappearing.
"Even though they are so numerous?"
''Numbers aren''t everything. Plus, the Fourth Floor was a desert where many Monsters used Earth Magic. This Floor was underwater. It''s very likely the next one will have something to do with fire or wind...''
"I see."
Mark walked towards the broken doors that lead to the Second Floor.
''I have plenty of Skill Points left, right?''
[You currently possess 8 Skill Points.]
''Nice. Which Skills should I upgrade...?''
[You currently possess:
Passive Skills:
sh[F+] - Pierce[F+] - Weightless Steps[D] - Sonic Tail Flick[B+] - Advanced Kic Vision[C+] - Intimidating Stare[E] - Swift Aerial Maneuvering[E+] - Night Vision[F+] - Advanced Self-Healing[C] - Tail Lengthening[D+] - Venom Regtion[B+] - Underwater Propolsion[E] - Poison Resistance[E] - Water Pressure Resistance[D] - Water Resistance [E] - Cold Resistance[A] - Heat Resistance[D].
Magic Skills:
Corrupting Javelin[C-] - Dark Corrupting Spear[A] - Venomous Wings[C-] - Electric Fire Bomb[D] - Great Fire Ball[D+] - Golem Armor[D+] - Blinding Sand[C] - Perfected Assimtion[A+] - Purgatory''s Undead Troup[A+] - Bone Maniption [D+] - Staggering Thunder[E+] - Imprable Barrier[C] - Freeze[E] - Frozen Land[C+] - Aura Maniption [B] - Mana Maniption [A] - Mana Condensation [A] - Consume[A].]
''So devouring my Underlings mid-fight made my "Self-Healing" evolve into "Advanced Self-Healing". Didn''t even notice...''
Mark studied the list of Skills.
''Corrupting Javelin and its stronger version Dark Corrupting Spear both are strong enough on their own. When ites to long-range attacks, there''s also Staggering Thunder that I haven''t been using much... If the next Floor is based on the element of fire then Great Fire Ball and Electric Fire Bomb won''t be very useful. It still seems like Poison-based attacks are my go-to...''
He sat down.
''My Sonic Tail Flick is still one of my best Passive Skills, but its power seems to be decreasing from Floor to Floor. It was strong enough to blow the Third Floor''s Guardian away, but not enough to make big damage. Still, its strong point is its speed. No Monster has been able to dodge it for now. When ites to defense, Golem Armor and Imprable Barrier hold up. Well... What is it that I need right now?''
Mark''s gaze turned towards his new Underling, the Third Floor''s Ex-Guardian.
''What is it... That would have made the fight easier?''
Mark realized something.
For the first time, he didn''t have to figure out the answer alone.
What would have made the fight easier?
If anyone could give a good answer to that question, it would be the enemy fought.
''Come. Um...'' Mark''s thoughts wandered.
He analyzed every part of his Underling''s body.
''A Leviathan that can turn into a demi-human. Crystals that cover much of his body... A Leviathan...''
The Underling turned towards Mark.
''Come, Levi.''
[You have bestowed the name "Levi" upon your Underling.]
The Moonlit Feline''s ears twitched.
It stared at Mark, before facing the other way and lying down for a nap on Fiery''s back.
Moving as fast as he could, Levi positioned himself in a kneeling position in front of Mark.
"Yes, my Lord."
As Mark was sitting, Levi lowered his gaze towards the ground.
''Sit. You don''t have to look down.''
The Underling obliged.
''I need your opinion on something.''
"Of course, my Lord. It would be my pleasure to help in any way I can."
''Good. Then tell me, what is it Icked during our fight?''
"What youcked, my Lord?" Levi asked.
''Yes. Well, more precisely... What facet do you think should be further developed? Passive Skills that have to do with my senses? It seems I do fall short in that department since I was caught off guard many times. Stronger long-ranged attacks? Maybe I need more physical strength? What do you think would have made me a stronger opponent?'' Mark exined.
Levi lowered his gaze.
In silence, he thought about the fight he had gone through.
The thoughts he had during that fight.
''So they''reing in numbers, huh? Only one of them hovering above.''
''A ck spear? Is that one the only one that can attack from afar?''
''Even underwater... Even with such a small body. Such strength!''
''Corrupting Magic... Ice Magic... Healing Magic... And now manipting bones??''
''So this... Is all I could amount to...''
Levi could feel cold sweat going down his back, as he remembered the instants that preceded his death.
The Underling looked into Mark''s eyes.
His gaze expressed solemnity and honesty.
"I can''t think of anything, my Lord."
Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
''Do you mean you were so strong there was nothing more I could do?''
"Not at all, my Lord. In my humble opinion, the only reason I won was because of my bulk. The fact that I was much bigger, meant that I had more Health and Endurance Points. Which is why the instant you healed your injuries, my loss became more or less certain, my Lord."
''I see. Mm. My healing ability isn''t that strong thought. It was because I devoured my Underlings that I-''
Mark stopped abruptly.
Was this something that he could tell his Underlings?
Was it something he should tell them about?
Telling his Underlings that, on a whim, they would be consumed like food?
Levi stood up, a smile on his face.
With the same solemn gaze, he stared into his Master''s eyes.
"My Lord, if the needes one day, please, do not hesitate..."
Mark''s eyes widened, as he stared at Levi.
"For it would be my greatest pleasure, to be the blood that runs through your veins. The blood that fuels your heart."
Taken aback, Mark couldn''t help but look away.
Chapter 54 Fire And Lava
?After spending some more time on the Third Floor, Mark made his way to the Second Floor alongside his Underlings.
The stones that made up the walls quickly became rocks, giving the tunnel they were going through the appearance of a cave.
"The terrain is changing oddly..." Levimented.
''Yeah. It''ll change some more, I think...''
After walking for about 15 minutes, light could be seen at the end of the tunnel.
Mark, Light, Levi, Cmity, and Fiery, with the Moonlit Feline on her back, entered the Second Floor.
''It''s as I thought. Except worse.''
"This won''t be simple it seems, my Lord."
Due to the heat, the Moonlit Feline and Levi could already feel their Endurance Points draining.
As if the group was inside a volcano, moltenva flowed freely.
A single pathway surrounded by burningva led forward.
Bubbles ofva popped here and there.
Sshes ofva fell on the pathway''s sides.
''Let''s stay close to the middle. Fiery and I already have Heat Resistance. Just gotta find some weak Monsters now.''
The next second, Fire Balls flew towards the group.
''Fiery.''
Immediately, a barrier made of burning mes appeared over them.
The Fire Balls turned into smoke as they hit the barrier.
From theva, Monsters climbed onto the pathway, encircling Mark and his Underlings.
[Magma Larvae: [E-] Ranked Monsters.]
They were about one meter long.
''[E-] Rank Monsters on the Second Floor? I wished for weak Monsters but... This is too much.''
After quickly positioning himself in front of one of the Monsters, Mark''s ws pierced through its body.
''Their body is soft too.''
Meanwhile, Levi, Fiery, and the Moonlit Feline hadunched ranged attacks, finishing off the rest of the Monsters.
''Huh. I wonder if we can even develop good Passive Skills by devouring these guys-''
The next instant, a Magma Larvae jumped out of the Lava and towards Mark.
Instinctively, he raised his Aura-covered arm towards it.
The Magma Larvae opened its mouth and swallowed Mark''s hand.
''Is it... Sucking on it? What the hell is up with these Monsters-''
The next second, he felt sharp fangs pierce through his Aura.
Shoo-
''This thing could have taken my hand... They''re pretty stealthy I guess.'' Mark thought as he flexed his arm muscles.
The frozen Monster broke into pieces, before turning into a red sphere of energy that Mark swallowed.
''Looks like devouring one of them won''t be enough to develop a Passive Skill...''
Mark turned towards his Underlings, only to find that Levi had already rounded up the dead Magma Larvae together.
''Good.'' He thought as he turned the pile of dead Monsters into a consumable sphere.
''Here.''
Mark threw the condensed sphere towards the Moonlit Feline who swallowed it right away.
[Your Underling has developed a new Passive Skill.]
[Your Underling has developed a new Passive Skill.]
''Good. Levi, Light. You''ll have to endure the heat for a bit longer.''
"I am thankful, but you do not need to worry about me, my Lord." Levi assured, even though his breathing had gotten heavy.
''It would be best if we can attract another swarm of these before proceeding further. We need you to fight at your best.''
Of course, allowing Levi to resist high temperatures was a priority.
He was a being that was much morefortable in cool waters.
Being anywhere near something as hot asva was very taxing on his body.
''Hmmm...''
Mark looked around him for a bit.
''The Monsters here can move in and out of theva easily while we''re obliged to stay on this pathway, where we can be easily spotted. Don''t know how many nor what Monsters can attack...''
Immediately, a giant bubble appeared in the middle of theva.
Seven Monsters exited theva and hovered above using their ck wings.
A smile appeared on Mark''s face.
''So. This is where you guys are from, huh?''
Six of the Monsters were simr.
They were "Lower Demons".
Their Rank was [C+], a huge leap from the "Inferior Demons" whose rank was [E+].
What seemed to be their leader, on the other hand, was bigger.
Its muscles were more developed and the Aura it exerted was nothing to scoff at.
[Lower Demon Warrior: [B] Rank.]
Even though these Monsters were versions much stronger than those Mark had already fought, he wasn''t scared at all.
''Thest time a demon was an issue was back on the Tenth Floor...'' Mark thought as he spread his wings.
His superior speed and agility gave him an obvious advantage.
A Lower Demon immediately fell, its chest pierced through.
Mark quickly used Bone Maniption to make its unmoving body on the pathway instead of the burningva.
''... You''ll need a Higher Demon to pose a threat to us.''
Mark''s confidence was at an all-time high.
But of course, he had no idea what kind of being a "Higher Demon" was.
...
Hundreds of miles away, in a castle worn by time and war,
"So? Everything''s going well? How''s that Circleing together?" Raven asked as he entered arge room.
The walls were hidden by shelves filled with countless books.
Some looked ancient, as if from another age.
On a desk,y many pieces of paper, where various emblems and designs had been drawn.
Nia stood in front of the desk, studying the Magic Circles.
Some had been created, while others recreated.
"Wouldn''t you like to know?" She said mischievously.
"Oh,e on. You know I''m just trying to make some small talk. Magic Circles and Spells have never interested me." Raven answered as he abruptly sat on the desk.
"What is it that interests you, then?"
"Our glorious and promising Candidate, of course. Is he still alive? How is he doing? What happened to him? How far along is he-"
"I''ll check on him. Get off my desk first. He was doing pretty wellst time I checked."
"You know he''s my favorite, right? Gotta make sure he''s doing good."
"Right, right. Didn''t you say the same thing to Arani and Hakai?" Nia asked as she closed her eyes.
"Well, I mean... I mean yeah. Gotta check on all the candidates..."
"Currently on the Second Floor. He''s making quick work of a hoard of Lower Demons."
"Lower Demons? Why is he still fighting weaklings?" Raven asked.
"Strength is rtive. Seems he hasn''t noticed the enemy that has joined the party though..."
"Haha! Diving in headfirst without properly looking around you, huh? I like that."
"Right. He''s very cautious at times. But almost as hot-headed as you are a lot of the time too." Niamented.
"That''s good." Raven said while chuckling. "So? What''s this enemy that joined the party?"
"I didn''t think a Monster like that would appear inside the Dungeon. I guess there is much I don''t know about when ites to other Species'' Evolution Trees..."
"Oh! Now I''m even more curious. Excited too! Can I watch?" Raven asked.
"Ugh..."
Nia opened her eyes.
Something akin to a digital screen appeared. It floated in the air, in front of the two.
"Ouuh! A little Fire Dragon under theva, huh? How cute. And dangerous..."
Nia chuckled lightly, although a drop of anger and indignation could be noticed in her tone.
"A Dragon? Barely. But..."
Mark could be seen swiftly dealing with the Lower Demon Warrior.
"It''ll give him trouble, for sure." Draconia continued.
Chapter 55 S Rank Skill
?"Well, well." Raven chuckled.
"Yeah. I thought he would have more trouble than this. An Inferior Fire Wyrm isn''t an easy enemy to beat with his level of strength." Nia argued.
"If he was alone that is. They make a good team."
"They''re not a team. Those are his Underlings, brought from the dead. But yes, they all yed an important role. Mark and the other two attacked relentlessly while the cat and the ant attacked from a distance. Keeping a close eye on the Lower Fire Wyrm''s attacks, Mark could order them around with good timing."
"Yeah. The wolf is pretty useless though. Still, it almost feels like he cares about the kitty cat a bit too much." Ravenmented.
"You don''t have to say that twice. If it wasn''t for the ant''s protective barrier, he probably would jump in harm''s way to protect it." Nia said with a hint of annoyance.
"Think we should get rid of it?"
"No. We shouldn''t get on his bad side. He''s still a weakling, but he is part of our Master''s n." Nia answered.
"Yeah. I guess." Raven nodded before walking away.
He walked through the huge castle.
"Hey, hey!" Raven shouted as he entered a room.
"Oh, your highness. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Someone said with great sarcasm.
The person was at least four meters tall, sitting on a bed.
"Nothing much, Zephyr." Raven said, as his eyes glowed bloody red.
"I''ve told you already. I''ve thrown away that name."
"And yet, it is yours." Raven answered coldly.
Zephyr clicked his tongue.
He took the huge spear that wasying next to the bed into his hands.
The man started polishing his weapon.
"As disciplined as ever, I see. Always keeping your weapon sharp, huh?" Raven asked ironically, as he started leaving the room.
"Of course. I don''t know when I''ll have to use it next after all." Zephyr answered with a hint of hostility.
Ravenughed out loud as he walked away.
After walking for a bit through arge corridor, a voice called out to him.
"Raven."
Immediately, his body dissolved into a flock of ck crows.
The flock flew through the castle with great speed.
A secondter, Raven was kneeling in front of his Master.
"My lord."
"Stand up." The Master said, and Raven did so. "Have you given it any more thought?"
"My lord-"
"Stop it. Nia isn''t here. Talk freely."
"You know how my father is."
"And I know how you are. He would wee you with open arms."
Raven lowered his gaze. Despite fighting it as much as he could, a disgusted expression took over his face.
"He''s... Those... They''re all pigs. Not an ounce of pride in their bodies."
Fore a handful of seconds, The Master stared at Raven. Silently.
"They are Vampires, just like you are. Why would you expect them not to feed on their prey?"
Raven clicked his tongue.
"They don''t just feed. Tsk... I''m not like them. I don''t need that. I don''t need them."
The Master stood up, and Raven felt a great amount of pressure push his body down.
"You need to get stronger. Get over your childish tantrums. Both you and your father are the Count''s Descendants. Your father is the only one holding the Ancient Sanguinary Arts. He will pass them down to you, if only you wished to learn."
"He... Disgusts me. I don''t even want to think of him as my father."
"Then don''t. Think of him as the current Count."
"It disgusts me. Their Lust and Gluttony..." Raven said weakly.
"If you''re absolutely against the idea, then so be it."
The Master let out a deep sigh.
"You can leave, Raven."
Just as Raven turned around, the Master''s words made his heart shake.
"Just know that you, too, are limiting your potential."
Raven got out of therge room and exited the castle through a window.
A flock of ck crows flew away.
''Me too? You''reparing me to that Monster? Compared to me, that person''s potential is...!''
...
Inside the Dungeon.
On its Second Floor.
Mark''s body stood, half burnt.
Cmity, his Underling, had turned to ash.
Levi was missing his right arm.
''Fuck. You mean to tell me there are Monsters like this hiding below theva?'' Mark turned the Inferior Wyrm''s body into a red sphere.
''Levi, take your second form. Since your forms probably don''t evolve simultaneously.''
"Yes, my Lord."
A Leviathan appeared on the narrow path between the two seas ofva.
Levi swallowed the sphere of energy and his body immediately started changing.
Part of his scales turned reddish. The horns on his head burned fiercely for a moment.
The crystals on Levi''s back became darker.
One of his yellow pupils turned red.
''It seems the Assimtion is working well since the body types are alike.''
Mark nodded to himself.
''Show me Levi''s Skills.''
[List of your Underling''s Skills:
Magic Skills:
Dual Forms[B]
Great Lightning Bomb [C]
Lightning Cover [C]
Fire Breath [C]
Burning Vitality[B]
Passive Skills:
Lightning Resistance[D]
Underwater Swiftness[D]
Heat Resistance[D]
Fire Resistance[C]
]
''I see. Not many high-ranked Skills, but your high Stats make up for it. Burning Vitality, huh? It shrouds your body in fire and will enhance your regeneration ability while also protecting you... Oh, hope you don''t mind me looking through your-''
Before Mark could even finish his sentence, the Leviathan in front of him lowered its head, as if to kneel.
''Good.''
Levi turned back into his humanoid form.
His right arm was still missing.
There was no sign of the "Assimtion" except for a red pupil.
''Now, for these guys...'' Mark turned his body towards the dead Lower Demons.
He walked towards the Lower Demon Warrior and devoured it.
Immediately, the energy helped his body heal very quickly.
[You have acquired the Passive Skill: "Fire Resistance[D]".]
''Levi''s Fire Resistance is [C] Ranked. Mine is weaker, but that should be fine.''
After that, he fed the 6 Lower Demons to Levi.
''Good thing it was your weak arm that was lost.''
By weak arm, Mark meant the one that was not covered by sturdy and sharp crystals.
Right after devouring the sphere of energy, Levi''s arm grew back. This time, covered in red scales.
At the end of his fingers, ws.
Dark and sharp.
''Those could probably pierce my own scales. I guess the strength of those 6 Lower Demons was concentrated into that arm. Might be overkill...''
It made Mark wonder for a bit.
''Maybe I should make my "Perfected Assimtion" Skill evolve. If I can dictate how I want the dead Monster''s body to be assimted then... Yeah. Let''s do that.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Perfected Assimtion[A+]" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Perfected Assimtion[A+]" has evolved into "Devouring Architecture[S]".]
A monstrous smile appeared on Mark''s face.
Chapter 56 A Giant?
?From Fire Ants to Inferior Lava Drakes.
Burning Pythons to Inferior Wyrms.
Mark and his Underlings went through the Floor while defeating all the Monsters on their way.
The ecosystem was so that all the Monsters were resistant to fire and heat.
Of course, they could all use Fire Magic to varying degrees.
The area Mark and his Underlings arrived at, was no longer surrounded byva.
And in front of Mark, stood the final enemy that was guarding the Boss Room.
[Lower Demonic Giant: [A-] Ranked Monster.]
The Monster''s body was dark as night, unlike the Lower Demons'' whose bodies were red.
It was also several times bigger.
A gigantic ax was between its hands.
The weapon looked like it was made using moltenva.
The Lower Demonic Giant''s dark body looked like it was burning.
On the center of its body, a ring of fire glowed ever so slightly.
''A demon straight from hell. And the first Monster I encounter whose Rank is higher than [B+]...'' Mark thought, while keeping arge distance between him and the enemy.
"It hasn''t noticed us yet, my Lord." Levimented.
Mark used a certain Magic Skill.
The next second, a ck spear pierced through the air and found its way into the Lower Demonic Giant''s stomach.
The Monster looked down before roaring loudly.
It raised its weapon.
A series of messages appeared in front of Mark.
[The Fire that burns inside the Lower Demonic Giant is resisting the Poison.]
[The Demonic Nature of the Lower Demonic Giant is resisting the Corruption.]
''What...? Don''t tell me-''
BOOM-
A huge explosionunched Mark away.
"My Lord?!" Levi shouted, surprised that his Master was hit.
Only Mark had not seen the Colossal Fire Bombing, as he was too distracted by the messages in front of him.
BAM-
''Fuck...'' Mark thought.
His body had hit the wall behind him with such strength that he was embedded into it.
Of course, he was strong enough to easily pull himself out.
Only superficial grazes covered Mark''s body, thanks to his "Fire Resistance" Passive Skill.
Seeing that his Master was fine, Levi immediately ran towards the enemy.
The Lower Demonic Giant swiftly raised its weapon into the air.
The speed of its movements was unexpected.
The Lower Demonic Giant swung its weapon with great force towards Levi, aiming to cut thetter in two.
Its speed was unexpected, but it wasn''t anything Levi couldn''t deal with.
He dodged and positioned himself behind the Lower Demonic Giant.
With a closed fist covered in lightning, Levi used all his strength to hit the enemy''s ankle.
He was stunned.
So much so that he did not notice the Monster about to kick him away.
But before it could happen, Marknded on its head and used his ws to pierce through its eye.
''Always go for the eyes!'' Mark thought. as he pulled his hand out of the Monster''s eye.
The Lower Demonic Giant screamed in pain and brought its hands to its face, letting go of its weapon.
''Fall back!'' Mark ordered.
Both Levi and Mark jumped away from the Monster.
"Its body is too hard." Levi said.
His fist was slightly bleeding.
''If even you couldn''t damage its body then there isn''t much I would be able to do...''
The two studied the Monster in front of them, as it lowered its body to grab its weapon.
''Levi''s Strength Stat is a bit higher than mine. Yet, he couldn''t make a dent...'' Mark thought as he raised an arm to his side.
A ck spear appeared.
He held it tightly.
''I should focus less on hitting with strength, and more on where I''m hitting...'' Levi thought.
The next second, the Lower Demonic Giant took a fighting stance and the two sprinted towards their enemy.
Just as they arrived in front of it, they positioned themselves on either side of the Monster.
Mark on the enemy''s right side and Levi on its left.
The Lower Demonic Giant decided to focus on Levi.
It swept its giant ax towards Levi, and Mark took the opportunity to close the distance and attack.
''I''m not used to fighting with a weapon, but...!''
Using his Dark Corrupting Spear, two diagonal strikes drew a cross on the back of the enemy''s leg.
''Huh. So its dark and imprable body is actually a burntyer of skin. But it''s so hard that it acts like armor.''
Without stopping its weapon''s momentum, the Lower Demonic Giant drew a full circle around itself, sessfully making Mark jump away.
Its focus was now on Mark, who could damage the outsideyer of its body.
The Monster, enraged, roared loudly as it took heavy steps towards Mark.
The zing circle on its chest shined brighter than before.
A ball of raging fire enveloped the Lower Demonic Giant''s fist.
Mark spread his wings and flew up, as a torrent of Fire Balls were thrown at him.
To keep the enemy''s attention on himself Mark shot Fire Balls of his own.
A fog of ck smoke covered the Lower Demonic Giant''s head.
''The Lord can break through its tough skin, which means...'' Levi thought as he arrived in front of the Monster''s right leg.
The same leg that Mark had already attacked.
Lightning permeated through his open palm.
In front of him, was a leg ck as night.
With the exception of two diagonal lines, through which red tender skin peeked through.
Levi''s sharp ws opened the way for his entire palm to enter and pierce the colossal foe''s muscles.
The lightning sparks emanating from his palm burnt those tender muscles.
Knowing that the Monster was about to counterattack, Levi quickly jumped up with all his strength.
Sure enough, the giant''s axnded right where he had been standing a second earlier.
Levi had jumped with such strength that his arms were embedded in the ceiling above.
The Lower Demonic Giant was now looking at its enemies from below.
It threw its ax towards Mark, before bringing both its hands together.
The joined hands shined brightly.
They were mmed down on the ground.
Even though Mark was flying, he could notice the shaking of the ground below.
The next instant, cracks appeared all over the floor.
At random ces, pirs of moltenva and fire exited the ground with great force.
The pirs were high and could almost reach the ceiling.
Despite his best effort at dodging the random explosions ofva and fire, part of Mark''s right leg was burnt.
Levi, on the other hand, was safe, as he stood above the Lower Demonic Giant.
From a safe distance, three Underlings watched the fight unfold.
One of them stood up.
A bright light covered its body.
The Underling grew in size multiple times.
The next second, a lioness'' roar resonated through the Second Floor.
Chapter 57 Aurora Borealis, Freezing Spear
?As the lioness roared, a blinding light was exuded from her body.
A high amount of Mana was condensed above the Moonlit Feline.
It quickly started taking form.
Noticing that, the Lower Demonic Giant raised its body up.
The pirs of fire andva immediately seized rising from the ground.
''So its fists need to be in contact with the ground, huh? Interesting Skill...'' Mark thought.
The Lower Demonic Giant raised its open palm in the lioness'' direction.
Immediately, a huge amount of dark red Aura surrounded Mark''s body.
With insane strength, he threw his Dark Corrupting Spear toward the Monster.
The Lower Demonic Giant, whose right eye had been injured, could not see the attacking.
Mark''s spear hit the shining circle on the Monster''s chest.
Its whole body shook.
The Lower Demonic Giant took a step back.
The next second, a tear of ck blood flowed down its injured eye.
''So the Corruption is working now? That circle is its weak point, isn''t it? Mmm...''
The lioness'' Mana solidified.
It took the form of a giant spear made of ice.
Although it looked more like crystal than ice.
Focused on his thoughts, Mark did not realize that the Lower Demonic Giant''s arm was not lowered.
A ball of fire appeared in front of it.
Aiming at the Moonlit Feline, the Monster used its strongest offensive Magic Skill.
The fire ball became darker and darker.
Its size grew and grew.
me Of Chaos, Colossal Fire Ball.
''Shit-''
Before Mark could react, the burning sphere wasunched at the Moonlit Feline.
At the same time, thetterunched an attack of its own.
The freezing spear pierced through the air.
Since the Moonlit Feline was not an Underling that waspletely under Mark''s control, he could not see the lioness'' list of Skills.
Had he known the Skill''s strength, his heart wouldn''t have been beating so fast.
Just like the Lower Demonic Giant''s "me Of Chaos, Giant Fire Ball" was a Sub-Skill of "me Of Chaos", the lioness'' attack was a Sub-Skill too.
Aurora Borealis, Freezing Spear.
The two ranged attacks were about to collide.
The oue surprised Mark.
As the two attacks collided, a giant explosion that almost burnt Mark took ce in the middle of the battlefield.
A fog of ck smoke covered the area halfway between the Lower Demonic Giant and the Moonlit Feline.
It was caused by the explosion of the "me Of Chaos, Colossal Fire Ball".
An [A-] Ranked Magic Skill.
The next second, something emerged from that fog.
It pierced the Monster''s body.
A surprised smirk appeared on Mark''s face.
Aurora Borealis, Freezing Spear.
Rank [A].
It was a Magic Skill that used up 100% of the Moonlit Feline''s Mana Points.
The freezing Mana started spreading through the Lower Demonic Giant''s body.
Ayer of frost solidified over its body.
The Monster spread its arms wide and a burning fire started covering its body.
Unaware of its surrounding, the Lower Demonic Giant focused on fighting off the frost.
Meanwhile, Mark was in mid-air.
In front of him, was the Monster''s chest.
In front of him, was the ring of fire that was shining brighter than ever.
Mark''s whole right arm was covered by red Aura.
''I''m always underestimating...''
A fierce punchnded on the Monster''s weak point.
''Your strength, aren''t I?''
On the already damaged ring of fire, multiple cracks appeared.
The Lower Demonic Giant was forced to take a step back once more.
The next second, it tried bringing its hands together to squish Mark like a bug.
''Now.'' Mark ordered.
Only then, did Levi act.
For a while, he was hanging onto the ceiling, just above the Lower Demonic Giant.
Levi let go of his grip and started falling.
The next second, his body changed.
BAM-
A great Leviathan suddenly fell on the Lower Demonic Giant, pinning it to the ground.
The Monster roared as it tried to push itself back up, but the weight was more than it could handle.
As the Lower Demonic Giant got more and more agitated, the Corrupting Poison spread faster and faster.
The burning fire that covered its body disappeared, and the frost spread.
Mark folded his wings andnded.
Right in front of him, was the Lower Demonic Giant''s enraged and gigantic face.
It opened its mouth and a fireball appeared in front of it.
But before it could beunched, Mark''s ws pierced through his foe''s left eye.
The Lower Demonic Giant waspletely blinded.
Not that it mattered to Mark.
He thought of his victory as certain already.
''Weak points. Yeah... Gotta look for them more often.'' Mark thought as a high amount of Mana was condensed in front of his arm that was still embedded inside the Monster''s head.
An explosion ensued.
[You have defeated a Lower Demonic Giant. 45''000 Gold Coins and 90''000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
The Lower Demonic Giant''s head had been blown up to pieces.
Levi returned to his humanoid form while Mark was busy dusting himself off.
''Still gross.'' Mark thought as he lifted what looked like part of the Lower Demonic Giant''s brain off his shoulder.
"A strong foe, this one." Levimented while looking at the dead Monster in front of him, before looking at the great doors beyond it.
''Sure was. Good work.'' Mark said as he approached what remained of the Lower Demonic Giant''s body.
[Do not consume the Lower Demonic Giant yet.]
Mark was surprised by the sudden message.
''You''re saying I should revive it? Since when are you giving advice anyways?''
[Do look below the ring of fire on its chest.]
Mark was puzzled by the message.
After both Mark and Levi struggled to turn the giant around, Mark got on top of its chest.
Using his sharp ws, he dug through its body.
Under the ring of fire, at the ce of a heart, a red gem was found.
[Fire Giant Core: [S] Ranked Item.]
Chapter 58 A True Army
?''An Item? I didn''t find much of those. [S] Rank too...'' Mark thought as he stared at the gem.
He stared, and an ancient feeling emerged.
Strong.
Fervent.
[The Fire Giant Core is an Elixir.]
''Yeah? What does that mean?''
[Elixirs can be consumed to raise one''s strength.]
''Huh. No wonder I feel so hungry looking at it...''
Mark stared deeply at the red gem, as if getting lost in the light it reflected.
Suddenly, something pushed against his leg lightly.
Mark chuckled as he bent his body towards the Moonlit Feline.
''You really saved us there.''
The Moonlit Feline lowered its gaze and walked away, seemingly pouting.
''I really underestimate your strength, don''t I?'' Mark thought, before walking towards the Lower Demonic Giant''s corpse.
Its body was transformed into a dark red sphere of energy.
''Let''s start with this one first.''
Mark greedily swallowed it.
Immediately, he felt both his body heat and strength increase.
[Your Passive Skill "Fire Resistance[D]" has evolved into the Passive Skill "Fire Resistance[A]"]
[You have developed the Passive Skill "Fire Hide[C+]".]
[You have developed the Magic Skill "Fire Maniption[B]".]
[You have developed the Magic Skill "me Of Chaos[B+]".]
Mark was d to see his "Fire Resistance" evolve into a stronger form, but the excitement he felt definitely came from the other Skills.
He raised his hand and opened his palm.
A small me appeared on it.
''Ha... Hahaha!''
The me moved ording to his will.
Ecstatic, Mark stared at the dancing me in his palm.
''I can really control fire. I can manipte it however I want. Let''s put some more into the me...''
Mark increased the flow of Mana going to his hand.
The me grew.
But the next second,
''Huh. It dissipated the instant I put more Mana into it...? Is my Fire Maniption too low?''
Mark''s gaze went back to something.
Something that seemed like it could solve the issue.
He opened his mouth wide.
But just when Mark was about to crush the Fire Giant Core with his teeth,
[It would be better to hold off on consuming the Fire Giant Core for some time.]
''Yeah? Why is that?'' Mark asked telepathically, without moving the Item away from his wide-open mouth.
[Consuming Elixirs of such level can be taxing.]
[Sometimes, deadly.]
''You''re saying there are conditions to consuming it? Mm. If it can be taxing, then it''s a matter of strength, right? And I''m not strong enough to consume it?''
[It would be wiser to store it for now.]
''Tsk. I don''t want to listen, but... You''ve never been wrong, whoever you are.''
The red gem disappeared from his hand.
''Mm. Let''s wait a bit.'' Mark thought before he started walking away from the huge doors that separated him from the Second Floor''s Guardian.
"Are we not going in, my Lord?" Levi asked.
''We are. But we do have some empty spots that need to be filled.''
"I see. I shall bring the best I find." The Underling said solemnly.
Meanwhile, the Moonlit Feline walked towards the giant doors.
''What are you...?''
The next second, the white-furred cat started kneading the ground.
Mark sighed as the Moonlit Feliney down.
''Fiery, stay with her. Make us an army too.'' He ordered.
The Underling obliged.
''Now...''
Mark cracked his neck.
''Youe with me. I''ve put off raising your strength for long enough.'' Mark ordered before he started running.
Mark and Levi wreaked havoc on the Second Floor for some time.
Each one of them was strong enough to take any sole Monster.
Not only that, but most groups of enemies were not enough to cause an issue.
Still, the two fought together for efficiency''s sake.
Mark pierced through a Lower Demon Warrior''s chest.
It quickly fell to the ground.
''Finish it.'' Mark ordered.
Light sank his fangs into the dying Monster''s neck.
[Your Underling has leveled up!]
[Evolution is avable for your Underling.]
A wide smile appeared on Mark''s face.
''You didn''t get many kills on the previous Floors. Finally...''
"My Lord, should I?"
''Yeah. Keep hunting. Bring those worth keeping.''
And Levi did just that.
[Possible Evolutions:
1) Unique Shadow Wolf.
2) Great Shadow Wolf.
3) Demonic Dark Wolf.
4) Fire Wolf.
]
''Mm...''
Mark stared at the different options for a bit.
''The choice is obvious, right?''
The Master gave his answer, and the Underling was shrouded in darkness.
Great anticipation filled Mark, as his oldest Underling was evolving.
''I''ve thought about letting you go a lot since you lost most of your use. Ever since the Eighth Floor, you''ve been more of a burden than anything else. Don''t disappoint me-''
The veil that covered Light started expanding.
''He''s getting bigger? Not the stealthy type anymore? I''m not sure that''s what we need-''
A long and powerful howl suddenly echoed through the Second Floor.
Mark couldn''t help but smile, as he felt the vibrations produced by the Underling''s howl go through his body.
The veil faded.
Mark''s eyes widened.
A howl echoed from behind him.
His heartbeat elerated.
Before Mark could even realize it, Light had positioned himself behind his Master.
''What the hell... Was that?''
A wolf as big as a tiger howled.
''Did your pelt get darker? No. It''s... Different...?''
The Demonic Dark Wolf''s pelt seemed like it was made of darkness itself.
Infinitely deep and dense.
Even with Mark''s sight, it was difficult to differentiate between the different hairs that made up that pelt.
Red pupils stared at the Master.
The Underling walked around.
''What...''
Mark shook his head.
He studied his Underling''s movements.
Each time Light took a step, Mark was taken aback.
''It''s like my vision is dyed... What is this? Show me his Skills.''
[List of your Underling''s Skills:
Active Skills:
Dark Fog[C]
Shadow Transfer[D]
Passive Skills:
Assassin''s Aura[C+]
Blind Spot Killer[B]
Light Steps[C]
Acute Demonic Senses[C+]
Fire Resistance[C]
Heat Resistance[B]
]
''Active since they use Endurance Points instead of Mana, huh? I expected him to develop a Mana Stat, but fine. Information? Except for Shadow Transfer and the Resistance Skills.''
[ Dark Fog: [C] Ranked Skill.
Upon activation, the User''s body temporarily turns into an undetectable fog that allows swift and stealthy movements. Cost: 50 Endurance Points per second. ]
''Huh. I''ll need you to show me this one.''
[ Assassin''s Aura: [C+] Ranked Skill.
When in motion, the User''s body is shrouded by a Dark Aura, which makes following the User''s movements more difficult. ]
''Oh. So, that''s what it is. Yeah. The Aura is as dark as your pelt, making the edges of your body hard to see...''
[Blind Spot Killer: [B] Ranked Skill.
Attacking from an enemy''s Blind Spot will deal 300% more damage.]
''Brutal...''
[Light Steps: [C] Ranked Skill.
The User''s steps are lightened, making them swifter and quieter.]
[Acute Demonic Sense: [C+] Ranked Skill.
The User can, with ease, detect living beings, sounds, heat and Mana in his surroundings. A Skill that belongs to Demonic and Infernal Beings.]
''Ha... Looks like you''re getting some of your usefulness back.''
At thement, Light howled loudly, showcasing his sharp fangs.
''It''s strange though. I didn''t feed you any Monsters. Since I wanted you to evolve this way, naturally. Where did the Demonic aspecte from then? Does this mean that the Shadow Wolves and the Demonic Dark Wolves are rted somehow? Show me his Statu-''
Growl-
Mark turned in the direction his Underling was facing.
The next second, a bubble appeared on theva''s surface.
''Three Lower Demons? Not bad for a test.'' Mark thought as he spread his wings.
The Monsters approached rapidly.
Effortlessly, Mark cut a wing off each one of them.
Once the Lower Demons hit the ground, they stared at the enemy hovering above.
From their blind spot, a dark fog approached them
''Finish them.'' Mark ordered.
Once it was behind one of the Monsters, the dark fog suddenly turned into a ferocious Beast.
The Demonic Dark Wolf sank its fangs into a Lower Demon and took away a huge chunk out of its neck.
Blue blood spurted as the Monster fell to the ground.
''Dark Fog. Interesting. Combined with Blind Spot Killer...'' Markmented internally.
The two Lower Demons turned around and found a growling Beast.
They immediately ran towards it.
Their sharp ws approached the Underling.
Light swiftly dodged their attack and passed between the two.
The Lower Demons turned around once more.
Shock-
Surprised, they couldn''t do a thing but growl.
The enemy had disappeared.
''This Skill. Just like before...''
From a Lower Demon''s shadow, the Beast emerged.
''Yeah. I really like it.''
It didn''t take long for Light to deal with them.
[Your Underling "Light" has leveled up!]
''Mm... Yeah. That was perfect.'' Markplimented, as hended in front of his Underling.
Light walked towards his Master.
Once the distance separating the two was a couple of centimeters, he stopped.
''Huh...?
The Underling stared.
Mark gently ced his palm on the Demonic Dark Wolf''s head.
A secondter, Light walked away before taking a seat on the ground.
''I don''t get it.''
...
Some timeter, Mark''s back was turned towards the closed Boss Room.
''Alright.''
The Moonlit Feline, sensing that battle was approaching, had shiny eyes.
Swiftly climbing over Mark''s body, the Underling sat on his right shoulder.
''This is the final line-up.''
Thanks to Mark''s "Purgatory''s Undead Troup[A+]", eleven Underlings stood in front of him.
First, Levi, Light, and Fiery.
Next to them, were two Unique Velvet Werewolves.
Their pelt was bloody red.
As if their veins were on fire, thin burning lines ran through their body.
Using his S-ranked "Devouring Architecture" Magic Skill, Mark had focused on strengthening their ws and muscles.
To their side, stood two Elite Inferior Lava Drakes.
Their scales were strengthened by the environment on the Second Floor, making them harder than rocks.
Despite their size, their agility was nothing to scoff at.
Which is why, on top of both Elite Inferior Lava Drake, a Unique Lower Demon Warrior was seated.
The Unique Lower Demon Warriors were obtained by fusing together different Lower Demon Warriors.
Each of the two had its specialty.
One had developed stronger Magic Skills while the other had stronger and beefier muscles.
Using his Bone Maniption, Mark armed each of the two with a spear, made with the bones of some of the strongest Monsters found.
The two Underlings left made a strange pair.
On one side, an Inferior Fire Wyrm.
Its size wasn''t much smaller than Levi''s in his Leviathan Form.
A fierce Monster with strong Magic Skills.
Its Strength and Vigor Stats seemed to be extremely high.
On the other, a Monster, so small, it was hard to notice next to the Inferior Fire Wyrm.
A Chaotic Smander.
Its ranged attacks were top-tier, making it an incredible foe that could shoot down enemies before they could even notice it.
''A true army.''
Those were the Underlings that would fight alongside Mark.
In addition to the Moonlit Feline.
But that wasn''t all.
Mark had more fighters on his side.
He turned towards the Boss Room.
Mark took heavy steps towards it.
With little effort, he pushed the huge doors open.
''Alright. Send them in.''
Fiery''s antennas twitched, and more than three hundred Mutated Fire Ants entered the Boss Room.
Chapter 59 Master Of Fire
?More than three hundred Mutated Fire Ants had entered the Boss Room.
They immediately upied it.
On the ground, ceiling, and walls, Fiery''s Offspring stood.
And yet, all they could do, was stand around, with their heads and antennas moving in every direction.
''Where''s the Guardian...?'' Mark asked himself.
Just as he was about to enter the Boss Room himself, a lone me appeared in the middle of said room.
The me grew and grew.
Eventually, it turned into arge sphere of raging mes.
''What is...!''
Before Mark could even finish his thought, the giant ball of fire suddenly shrank.
''FIERY! GET THEM OUT-''
BOOM-
An incredible explosion urred.
Even though he stood outside the Boss Room, Mark could feel the shockwave pushing his body away.
The hundreds of Mutated Fire Ants fell to the ground.
Their bodies had either been turned to ash or burnt to a crisp.
''So much for that n...''
Mark stared at the now covered by burning mes and unmoving corpses Boss Room.
"Well, well. Won''t the little mouse enter?" A voice resonated.
Surprised, Mark took a step back.
"Afraid of getting burnt? Don''t be..." The same voice added.
''Is that... The Guardian? Is it invisible or something?''
One of Mark''s Underlings took a step forward.
"Should I enter the room, my Lord?" Levi asked.
Mark stared at the seemingly vacant Boss Room without answering.
"Come in, little mouse."
''Mm. No matter how much I look, even with my Advanced Kic Vision, I can''t detect any movements inside...''
Mark took a deep breath.
''Taunts and provocations of this level don''t work on me anymore...''
He stepped forward
''Still, I''ll make you regret those words.'' Mark thought as Aura started oozing out of his body.
"That''s it. Come on in..."
Mark entered the Boss Room.
''Let''s start with this...''
Immediately, a flick of his tail cut through the air.
The pressure exerted was such that the mes that reigned over the room were extinguished.
The mes disappeared, and a lone creature was revealed.
''The irony...''
Mark''s feet cracked the ground below.
''You calling me a mouse?''
The creature was what seemed to be a rat covered in mes.
A punch strong enough to shake the floornded.
''Since it''s so small, that should probably do it...'' Mark thought as he raised his fist.
To his surprise, no blood.
No corpse.
But that surprise was mild.
After all, it was a Guardian he was supposed to fight.
''This takes me back...''
And Mark had long ago learned not to underestimate the Guardian Monsters.
''Just like the Skeleton on the Eighth Floor, huh? Or was it the Seventh? Mark asked himself.
"My Lord!" Levi shouted.
A Fire Ball exploded upon colliding with Mark''s "Imprable Barrier[C]".
He raised his body and turned around.
In front of him, now stood the Second Floor''s Guardian.
''I know this Floor is based on the Element of Fire or whatever... But this is a bit much. That''s the Guardian, right?''
[Correct.]
"Of course, this much fire wouldn''t be enough. A protective barrier. Not bad..." The Guardian uttered.
In front of Mark, stood what looked like a Human.
It could have been considered as such, was its body not entirely made of mes.
''So its body is continually burning...''
The next second, Levi appeared behind the Guardian.
A destructive punch was about tond on its head.
"Trying to win with numbers? How..."
Levi''s widened.
His attack had caught nothing but air.
"Utterly pathetic." The Boss Monstermented.
Thanks to his Advanced Kic Vision, Mark had perfectly seen what had happened.
The Guardian hadn''t dodged.
Levi''s fist simply passed through its burning body.
"Troublesome." Levi said, before quickly jumping away and joining Mark''s side.
Not only did his attack fail tond, but a burnt mark had appeared on his fist.
''Yeah...'' Mark stared at the burning Guardian.
The sides of his mouth rose up, setting free his deadly and sharp fangs, in what could otherwise be described as a smile.
Apart from Levi, all of Mark''s Underlings had only taken a few steps upon entering the Boss Room.
"Well then, if that''s all..." The Guardian said as he raised his palm to the ceiling.
Immediately, Mark''s new Passive Skill "Fire Hide[C+]" activated.
Protective mes appeared around his body.
''Fiery. Light.''
A protective barrier made of mes appeared around his Underling, protecting the Moonlit Feline who was on lying on its back.
The Demonic Dark Wolf had moved closer to Fiery before thetter used the Magic Skill.
To the Moonlit Feline''s displeasure.
Hiss-
"Let''s make this a short and pleasant encounter." The Guardian said as a sphere of raging mes appeared over its palm.
''Will he target me...? Or Levi...?''
BOOM-
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
...
''Fuck... He just makes them explode without shooting, huh? Tsk. For four of them to die so early. They all have Fire Resistance too...''
Of course, each Underling had the "Fire Resistance" Passive Skill, to varying degrees of resistance though.
The 2 Unique Lower Demon Warriors and the 3 Unique Velvet Werewolves disappeared before they could even act.
On the other hand, the rest was intact.
"Mmmm. It seems I will have to burn a bit more fiercely." The Guardian said nonchntly.
''Burn...?''
As if taken by the wind, the mes that made up the Guardian''s body faded
The next instant, the Boss Monster reappeared in front of Mark.
Instinctively, thetter''s tail moved.
The Guardian''s body was cut in two.
The air pressure from Mark''s "Sonic Tail Flick[B+]" scattered the Boss Monster''s mes away.
"Wowowow. No need to be that forceful!" The enemy''s voice resonated throughout the Boss Room.
''Its body isn''t burning...''
The scattered mes eventually reconnected, taking on a human''s appearance once more.
''Its body is made up of those mes. Tsk...''
Mark could feel the sting from touching the Guardian''s mes, despite his"Fire Resistance" Passive Skill being [A] Ranked.
"There''s this innate feeling that-"
The Guardian''s words were interrupted by the Inferior Fire Wyrm''s burning breath.
''Good. There''s no way that breath wouldn''t have done at least some damage. It was enough to beat us half to death-''
To Mark''s surprise, the Guardian was standing tall, while the ferocious breath rained hell upon it.
With its hand resting on its forehead, the Boss Monster clicked its tongue.
"One, don''t interrupt. It''s rude. Two..."
The Guardian raised its hand.
"That''s not how Fire is wielded."
A peaceful expression was on the Guardian''s face, as raging mes descended upon it.
''Wha-
The iing mes, instead of crashing into the Boss Monster, started circling around it.
The fierce mes, that made up the Inferior Fire Wyrm''s destructive breath, seemed to dance around the Guardian.
In that instant, Mark and Levi were forced to stop moving.
They couldn''t bring themselves to do a thing. but stand and watch the spectacle in front of them unfold.
The Guardian raised its arms, and the mes rose too
The mes didn''t hit the Boss Monster.
The Inferior Fire Wyrm''s attack, could no longer be described as such.
Therefore, it stopped.
The Underling had been forced to stop.
The Fire, that the Inferior Fire Wyrm was spewing, was no longer its own.
That Fire, now had a new Master.
"I''m not sure what those are, but they''re inspiring me."
''Huh?''
The next second, the Inferior Fire Wyrm''s mes that the Guardian had amassed took form.
They were turned into a dozen spears.
''For real...?''
The spears of fire were exact copies of the ones Mark had made for his Unique Lower Demon Warriors.
Except that, of course, these weren''t made of bones, but mes.
The spears hovered above the Guardian.
The Inferior Fire Wyrm roared loudly.
"Are you mad that I took what was yours? Don''t worry about it. After all..."
The Guardian lowered its arm.
The burning spears pierced through the air.
The Inferior Fire Wyrm''s Fire was thrown back at it.
Each time a spear touched the Underling, an explosion urred.
Each time a spear touched the Underling, a portion of its body was lost.
[Your Underling has returned to the dead.]
"That Fire was never yours to begin with."
Chapter 60 Inspired Flames
?The Inferior Fire Wyrm''s giant body became ash.
The Guardian turned around.
"Who''s next?"
Shiver-
The next second, the Chaos Smander Underling attacked.
A fire ball, the size of an apple, was fired from the small Underling''s mouth.
[Chaos Fire Bullet: [C-] Ranked Magic Skill.]
While small in size, the attack''s mes were red.
The Guardian turned towards the approaching attack before raising its hand.
"Now this type of fire..."
The Chaos Fire Bullet was stopped in mid-air, before it could hit the Guardian''s open palm.
"Isn''t bad."
The sphere was dissolved into the red mes it was made of.
Dissolved into "mes Of Chaos".
"Let''s mix in some of mine..."
As those words were spoken by the Guardian, the orange mes that made up its body moved.
A portion of those mes separated from the Boss Monster.
They encircled and danced around the "mes Of Chaos".
''What the hell? Just how high is this guy''s Fire Maniption? Mine is [B] Ranked and yet...!'' Mark thought with wide eyes.
Mark''s was [B] Ranked.
And yet, he could barely make a small me dance on his palm.
"That guy is too small. That one looks a bit fragile. The kitten and the spider seem too weak to take it. I guess you''ll do."
The Guardian raised its arm as it turned towards Levi, who stood at Mark''s side.
A smirk appeared on the Boss Monster''s face.
The red "mes Of Chaos" turned into a sphere.
The Guardian''s orange mes engulfed it.
An attack thatbined two different Types of Fire.
''It almost looks like-''
As the Guardian lowered its arm in Levi''s direction, the ball of raging fire flew towards him.
Levi braced for the impact, and a of lightning covered his body.
An excited expression appeared on the Guardian''s face.
"I''ll call it ''zing Sun''. What do you think of it?" The Boss Monster candidly asked Levi.
Just before the attack hit Levi, it suddenly shifted directions.
The attack had changed targets.
A great explosion urred.
The spot where Mark stood seconds earlier, was now covered by a ck cloud.
"My Lord!" Levi shouted.
"Your Lord...? Aren''t you the strongest here?" The Guardian asked.
Both Levi and the Guardian stared at the dark cloud of smoke.
Suddenly, as if cut by a sword, the fog that covered Mark split.
It faded away.
The Guardianughed out loud.
Mark couldn''t help but chuckle in response, even though the attack had burnt parts of his body.
''Fire Maniption that can not only consume fire attacks, but also change the direction of its attacks after they wereunched...''
Mark''s Advanced Kic Vision had bought him just enough time to realize he was the attack''s true target.
Noticing the attack''s sudden change in direction, his Passive Skill "Fire Hide[C+]" covered his body while he activated his "Imprable Barrier[C]".
''It''s good. It''s impressive. It''s really good...''
Something growled within Mark.
''Ahh... It''s been a while... Since I felt this...''
Its growling got fiercer and fiercer while Mark''s breathing got heavier and heavier.
''I can''t wait...''
"So that wasn''t enough, huh? Maybe you truly are this guy''s lord. Though you don''t seem like much of a lord to me." The Guardian said mockingly.
Red Aura oozed out of Mark''s whole body.
"My Lord?" Levi asked, waiting for directions.
Mark extended his sharp ws.
''I can''t wait...''
Drops of saliva went down his sharp fangs.
''I just can''t wait...''
Thick veins became visible all over his body.
Mark''s legs hit the ground.
BOOM-
The ground below him shattered, as he leaped forward.
''To make you mine.''
Before the Guardian could even react, Mark''s fist, engulfed in Aura, went through its chest.
Such strength was exerted, that the Guardian''s upper body dissipated.
Its lower body disappeared with a flick of Mark''s tail.
"Now, now. You''ve already tried this, haven''t you?" The Guardian argued.
The mes that made up its body reappeared a couple of meters away.
Levi, understanding his Master''s actions, immediately attacked.
''No matter whether its body is truly those mes or if its real body will appearter...''
Levi''s fists were covered with lightning as he attacked, protecting him from the Fire.
''These mes burning... These mes made to disappear and reappear out of thin air...''
"What''s gotten into you? You''re making it-"
Before the Guardian could finish its sentence, its body was forced to disappear once more.
''These things cost Mana. You can''t have an infinite supply of it, therefore...''
This time, the Guardian appeared a bit further away, but all the same, its body faded once more.
''We''ll make you run out.'' Mark thought as his attack made the Guardian''s body disappear.
Again and again, their attacks forced the Boss Monster''s mes to fade and reappear.
After ten exchanges, Mark and Levi were both focused on their surroundings.
They waited for the Guardian to reappear.
Realizing that their Master was wide open, Mark''s Underlings attacked the Guardian.
"My, oh, my... You''ve chosen..."
''It''s-''
"A really boring route."
The voice came from above.
In an instant, three Chaos Fire bullets and two Lava Bombs were shot.
"There you go! That''s what I''m talking about!" The Guardian, who was standing upside down on the ceiling shouted.
The Boss Monster stared at the approaching attacks.
"Give me some more toys to y with." The Guardian added.
Before the attacks reached the Guardian,
''Stop butting in. Get inside the Ne.'' Mark ordered coldly.
But,
[Familiar Ne is unable to store Underlings due to the influence of Foreign Mana.]
''You mean this guy''s mes make it unable to-''
"Let''s see..." The Guardian whispered as the Fire Attacks danced around his body.
Attacks, that once again, were made his.
There was no doubt in their minds that the next attack would be a very strong one.
And so, Mark and Levi continuously leaped around the room with great speed.
A desperate attempt to try and make the Guardian miss its shot.
''ALL OF YOU! GET OUT!'' Mark ordered the rest of his Underlings.
The next second, Light, Fiery, the Inferior Lava Drakes and the Chaos Smander turned away from the center of the room and towards the exit.
The Moonlit Feline, resting on top of Fiery without a care in the world, didn''tin.
"Wowowow! Not so fast!" The Guardian shouted.
Its body faded away with insane speed.
Before Mark''s Underlings could leave the room, a giant wall of burning fire appeared, blocking its exit.
"Where is it?" Levi asked, as he looked around the Boss Room.
"If you all won''t keep feeding me more then... I might as well turn you to dust."
The voice came from the wall of fire.
Mark noticed that a portion of the wall was made of red mes.
Another, of moltenva.
''Shit...!''
Mark instantly leaped towards that wall of fire.
A flick of his tail made a breach, but the mes quickly closed it back.
An arm of fire was extended from that wall.
"Ahh... The opportunity to y with so many types of Fire... What fresh inspiration this is..."
Mark positioned himself in front of Fiery.
"Too bad it''ll have to end now-"
''Huh...?'' The Guardian felt slightly confused by Mark''s positioning.
Levi immediately took Mark''s side.
In front of the Guardian''s arm, the red mes and the moltenva from Mark''s Underlings were blended with the Guardian''s own fire.
This time though, it used much, much more fire.
Mark felt a chill down his back.
''Shit! I won''t be able to stop this one...''
The amount of power amassed earlier was nothingpared to now.
The attack hadn''t beenunched.
And yet, Mark and his Underlings could feel extreme heating from it.
Despite their Fire and Heat Resistances, they could feel the air around them start to slightly burn their skin and lungs.
"I''ll call this one..."
The Molten Lava was surrounded by the "mes Of Chaos".
Great amounts of the Guardian''s Fire engulfed it.
"Scorching Star."
Chapter 61 Deal With The Devil
?In front of the wall of fire blocking the exit, Mark and all his Underlings prepared for the mighty attack''s impact.
"Mmmm..."
The giant ball of burning fire floated in the air, but it wasn''t shot.
As if being pulled out from the wall, part of the Guardian''s previous humanoid form appeared.
Its upper body was now visible.
The Guardian stared at Mark.
"You. You''re the other one''s ''Lord'', huh? Then you must be ''Lord'' for the rest too, right?" It asked.
Mark, unlike Levi, could not speak.
He stared at the Guardian.
"You let the previous big one die. Even though it was much stronger than these guys...." The Guardian''s eyes wandered, studying every one of Mark''s Underlings.
''So what?'' Mark thought.
"You let that one die without lifting a finger, and yet, now, you stand in front of these extras."
Mark''s eyes widened.
"Why?" The Guardian asked with great interest.
A smile on its burning face.
But that smile disappeared, as no answer came.
"I''m still surprised that the so-called Lord, like an animal, can''t even talk... Anyway, why are you putting your body on the line for these weaklings?"
Mark could only greet his teeth at his enemy''s inquisitive remarks.
A devilish smile appeared on the Guardian''s face.
"Don''t tell me... Hahaha! Don''t tell me... You''re protecting one of them?"
A great amount of pressure befell Mark.
The Guardian was already tough to fight.
Could he do so while protecting his Underling?
The Boss Monster''s smile widened.
"It seems I''m right. Well then, which one is it?" The Guardian asked as it moved its arm around. "The kitty cat, or the abomination it rests upon?"
Calling Fiery an abomination was no overstatement.
After all, the Underling was made by fusing a Mutated Fire Ant Queen and a Mutated Spider Queen.
Silence-
"Hahahaha! I''m right, aren''t I? I''m right, huh?" The Guardian enthusiastically shouted.
The next second, more mes surrounded the already huge fireball and fused with it.
Without missing a beat, Mark activated his "Imprable Barrier[C]" Magic Skill.
It immediately covered not only himself, but also Fiery, and therefore, the Moonlit Feline.
Meanwhile, a burning barrier appeared around Fiery.
"Twoyers of protection, huh? Think it''ll be enough? I hope it''ll hold up!" The Guardian Shouted sarcastically before snickering.
''We definitely won''t escape unscathed but-!''
The Guardian raised its other arm.
It spread apart both its arms, leaving the giant zing sphere of mes between them.
"I''ll show you a new trick I picked up from that small lizard."
As the Guardian brought its arms closer and closer.
''Is that... Mana Condensation?''
"Condensation?" Levi mumbled.
"Condensation, huh? Is that what this is called?" The Guardian asked with shiny eyes.
The giant sphere grew smaller and smaller.
Until it was the size of a human skull.
The attack was so thoroughly condensed, that it had be entirely red.
Mark could feel shivers down his back.
''Shit!''
His muscles twitched.
The deadly attack could be fired at any time.
But it wasn''t.
Instead,
''Seriously...?''
The attack was condensed even further.
"Let''s see... Who''ll survive this, I wonder? Hahaha!" The Guardian said as its hands were brought closer and closer.
The fireball now had the appearance of a small tennis ball, exuding a blinding light.
Mark couldn''t help but take a step back.
It was obvious that the great amount of energy could not be condensed any further.
Only a couple of centimeters separated the Guardian''s hands.
"DIE!" The Boss Monster shouted
''We''re about to-!''
Immediately, every one of Mark''s Underlings trembled as their Master tightened his muscles to prepare for the impact.
p-
The Guardian''s hands touched.
Mark''s mind went nk, as the insane amount of energy had suddenly disappeared.
"Hahahaha!"
The Guardian''sugh resonated throughout the Boss Room.
All the tension in Mark''s muscles dissipated.
It felt like his nerves wanted nothing more but to make his body copse.
The extremely high heat produced by the Guardian''s attack faded too.
''Is he... Laughing at...?''
"Oh, my. Looked like you were all scared to death. Hahaha! Well, I guess you were facing death, weren''t you?" The Guardian asked mockingly.
The expression on Mark''s face changed.
''Is this guy... Having fun?''
Crack-
The ground below Mark was fractured as his ferocious Aura covered his body.
"Would you look at that? Looks like you have a Fire of your own." The Guardian noted.
Veins appeared all over Mark''s arms.
He felt enraged.
Just when Mark was about to attack,
"How about I offer you a deal? Call it a favor, really."
Mark showed his sharp fangs, as growls left his mouth.
''Levi.''
"What is this ''deal'' you''re talking about?" Levi asked.
"Oh." The Guardian turned his sight from Mark to Levi. "You''ll trante for the Beast? I guess that would do."
Levi, just like all the other Underlings, felt enraged that their Master was insulted.
"What deal?" Levi pressed.
"It''s a favor I''m offering your ''Lord''. Shouldn''t you act a bit more grateful?" The Guardian asked.
Levi''s solemn gaze darkened.
"What. Deal?"
"Hahaha. Well, let''s see..." The Guardian took its time exining. "Seems like your ''Lord'' doesn''t care much about you. Or the others really. But it''s different for the kitty or the insect. One of them is special. Maybe it''s the insect. I wonder if it made the swarm of weaklings that had entered earlier. Mmmm... Tsk-"
Mark''s growls got louder, showing his impatience.
"The beast needs to be on a leash. Anyways, I''ll let both of them leave. The cat and the abomination under it. How does it sound?" The Guardian asked candidly.
"And why would you do that?" Levi asked.
"Mmmm... Doesn''t look like the lizard will attack any longer. And that would be a shame. You see, I like its Fire. It''s different from mine. It''s... Anyways. I''ll let them go, and you''ll give me four or five of the lizard''s attacks. Just like earlier. Let''s just say the Fire it has isn''t one I haveplete control over so-"
"Why?" Levi interrupted.
"Why?" The Guardian asked itself.
It wore a wide smile.
"Because it''s fun, obviously."
Mark, who was left out of the conversation, felt his rage grow.
It wasn''t the first time that a Guardian didn''t register him as a threat.
It wasn''t the first time he left belittled or underestimated.
But it was different this time.
As a being brought from another world, Mark was, of course, part of someone else''s n.
And Mark was acutely aware of that fact.
He was nothing more than a tool to those who brought him here.
It enraged him.
But, even tools have value.
After all, they can''t be used carelessly, lest they break.
Standing in front of this Guardian was different though.
The Guardian didn''t see him as a threat.
It didn''t see him as an ally, an enemy, or a tool.
No.
In front of the Guardian, Mark''s entire being, his entire existence, was but a...
''Shoot him six times.'' Mark thought.
The Chaos Smander obeyed its Master.
? The Guardian extended its hand towards the iing attacks.
"Hahahaha! You trust me this much, huh?"
One after the other, the Chaos Fire Bullets were changed into red mes that fused with the Guardian''s body.
"Ahhh... These mes... I can''t get enough of them." The Boss Monster muttered, overjoyed.
The next second, the wall of mes quickly faded.
''Get out.'' Mark ordered.
Fiery walked outside of the Boss Room.
Light, who was much more agile and stealthy, had left before the wall of mes could block the exit.
Yawn-
The Moonlit Feline felt sleepy, bored by the situation.
It couldn''t tell why Mark had trouble defeating the enemy.
The Moonlit Felineid down for a nap on Fiery''s back.
The Guardian reappeared in the middle of the room.
"Foolish? Arrogant? Which is it?" The Boss Monster asked as it stared at its palm.
The Guardian''s right arm was now made up of "mes Of Chaos".
''Thinking of me as a toy, huh? Just you wait.''
Mark turned towards the Guardian.
''I''ll quickly extinguish those mes you''re longing for.''
Chapter 62 Wielding Fire
?"More... More... More...!" The Guardian shouted.
Mark and Levi''s sessive attacks passed through its burning body.
"You''ll have to do much more..."
Their fists were about to pass through their enemy.
The Boss Monster brought its hands together.
"To hurt me."
BOOM-
''Fuck...!''
The two fighters wereunched away by the explosion, but they quickly stood back up.
The physical damage was negligible.
Still,
''How the hell do I beat this guy?''
Before Mark and Levi could approach the Guardian, streams of mes were shot at them.
"Hahaha! How do you like this one?" Their enemy shouted.
From each one of its extended fingertips, the Guardian shot a stream of fire resembling a burning spiderweb.
Just when the two thought they had dodged the attack,
"AGH!"
The Guardian moved its hand, twisting the fire stream.
Levi''s leg was burnt because of that.
"Now, let''s dance! Hahaha!" The Guardian shouted as it moved its hands in every direction.
The streams of fire moved as if they were whips that hit and burnt everything in their way chaotically.
There was no regrity or thought to be found in the Boss Monster''s movements, which made the attack pattern erratic, unpredictable, and therefore, hard to dodge.
''This fucking guy...! Levi.''
Mark''s Underling immediately took his side.
A protective barrier appeared over the two.
A couple of bruises and burn marks were on their body, but no major injury.
"Huh...? That barrier sure is troublesome. Still, that was a pretty good attack, right? I tried to recreate the way your tail hits. Although-"
Before the Guardian could finish its sentence, Mark''s infamous "Sonic Tail Flick[B+]" Passive Skill made its body disappear.
"Yeah. Yours is faster and has more... Strength? Weight? Mmm..."
The Guardian reappeared on the ceiling.
But just as Levi was about to jump towards it,
"Let''s try this. Why not, huh?"
A torrent of violent mes surrounded its body.
''Another explosion? No. This feels different...''
The Guardian''s body started changing.
''It''s just one thing after another against this guy! Can''t even get a moment to-''
A mighty roar echoed throughout the Second Floor.
''Seriously...!''
Its body had be that of a ferocious dragon.
The Boss Monster opened its mouth.
''How many forms can this fucker take??''
The Guardian''s scorching breath burnt the whole room.
Apart from Levi, what remained of Mark''s Underlings inside the Boss Room was decimated.
But he didn''t mind, after all, their early death only help to entuate and show their worth.
"I really thought this one would be good..."
Before Mark could get back on the offensive, the dragon disappeared.
"Even added wings to it. Guess being that big in a small room doesn''t help." The Guardian muttered with its hand on its chin.
''Adding wings? You mean... He was just mimicking the Inferior Fire Wyrm''s appearance? Then... The forms he takes aren''t Skills, they''re just-''
"Well... I guess it can''t be helped." The Boss Monster added, in a disappointed tone.
The Guardian''s burning palms were raised towards Mark and his Underling.
A burst of Fire Balls was shot.
"This is really fun but... I''m really running out of ideas here..." The Guardian whispered as its attacks were dodged swiftly.
"My Lord! About those red mes-" Levi shouted.
''I know...'' Mark said as he raised his right palm towards the enemy''s back.
Great Fire Ball[D+].
Before the attack could hit Mark''s foe, the Great Fire Ball was turned into mes that spiraled around the Guardian.
"Well, well. Aren''t you kind, haha! I''m not running out anytime soon though!" The Boss Monster shouted before turning towards Mark.
''There''s a definite difference between Fire and mes Of Chaos... Even the Guardian thinks of them as different types of Fire. Plus, every time this guy absorbed the Smander''s attacks, he had to extend his hand towards the attack. He didn''t do that to absorb normal Fire Attacks like mine or the Inferior Fire Wyrm''s.'' Mark thought as he dodged the numerous attacks.
"Well? You running out of ideas too??" The Guardian shouted.
''Either its Fire Maniption Skill is higher ranked than its me Of Chaos Manip... Wait. Is there even such a thing as me Of Chaos Maniption? The Skill I obtained from devouring that giant was "me Of Chaos"...''
Mark instantly tried to activate the Magic Skill, but nothing happened.
With a puzzled expression on his face, he quickly created more distance between the Guardian and himself.
''How do I use it? The "me Of Chaos" Skill?'' Mark asked the System.
No answer came.
The next second, Mark felt intense heating from behind him.
He quicklyunched himself forward, but,
SLASH-
''AGH!''
A long wound appeared on Mark''s back.
He turned back.
"That''s what you get from running away." The Guardian said with a smile.
In its hand, was a sword.
A sword made of red mes.
Mark''s eyes widened as he stared at the "weapon".
"Cool, isn''t it?" The Guardian said jokingly. "That lizard of yours is stingy so I don''t have much of this kind of Fire. Shooting it would be a waste. This way, I can keep it."
Despite the sharp paining from his back, Mark''s thoughts raced.
Mark thought back to when he had tested the "Fire Maniption[B]" Skill earlier.
Even though he wanted nothing more than to bash the Guardian''s head in, Mark jumped away once more.
"Huh...? You''re no fun!" The Guardian eximed, as it ran towards Mark.
The Boss Monster swung its burning sword again and again, but Mark''s high Agility Stat along with his "Advanced Kic Vision" Skill made dodging rtively easy.
''Oh. Right. The Skill that I have is... "Fire Maniption". It must be like my "Bone Maniption" Skill. Of course, what I tried earlier couldn''t work. After all, maniption... Is different from... Production? Which means I should be able to...''
A vertical strike from the Guardian was dodged by a sidestep.
"Got you." The Boss Monster whispered as Fire Ball was shot from its other hand.
A stunned expression appeared on the Guardian as Mark quickly stepped back.
"What... Did you do?" It asked.
The Fire Ball that was aimed at Mark''s stomach grazed his side and missed.
A wide smile appeared on his face.
''Ha... Hahaha! I couldn''t change its coursepletely. I could only make it deviate from its path. Must be the difference in Rank between our "Fire Maniption" Skills, right?'' Mark asked himself as he stared at his slightly burnt side.
"What did you do?"
''Now that I get how it works, Fire Maniption is pretty handy. Now, let''s figure out this "me Of Chaos" Skill.'' Mark thought.
"What did you... Do?"
The temperature inside the Boss Room rose as a great amount of Mana surrounded the Guardian''s body.
''Levi. To my side.''
The Underling immediately obeyed.
"You just... Stole my fire, didn''t you??"
The next instant, an outburst of mes was released in every direction.
Mark extended an open palm forward.
''Ha... Hahaha!'' Heughed nervously.
Mark''s eyes widened.
His heart started beating faster.
''This Fire Maniption...''
The iing mes were split.
''I love it!''
The whole Boss Room was burnt, except for the portion behind Mark.
"You think..."
The expression on the Guardian''s face waspletely different than it was previously.
"You cane in here... In this room..."
The mes that made up its body became violent.
They fiercely and sporadically sprung in every direction.
"And do... Whatever you want?"
The Guardian''s mes became even more vibrant.
Its humanoid shape became hard to discern.
"You think you cane into my own room..."
A gigantic ball of fire appeared above the Guardian.
''Shit! LEVI GET OUT-''
Red mes covered the sphere before seeping in, coloring it from the inside out.
"And take what''s mine?"
Mark immediately positioned himself in front of the opened doors while Levi obeyed his order.
It only took an instant, for the attack to be thoroughly condensed.
"Now..."
So much so, that it wasn''t stable.
So much so, that it couldn''t be controlled.
"Die."
The explosion that ensued was so violent that the light it emitted was more than enough to blind Mark.
BOOM-
His Passive Skill "Fire Hide[C+]" was activated, and his "Imprable Barrier[C]" appeared around him.
''It''s... Too much!!''
The barrier that was supposed to protect him broke like ss.
"MY LORD!!" Levi shouted from the Boss Room.
His legs trembled, as he was torn between two opposing instincts.
To protect his Master.
Or to obey his Master.
Even though Mark''s feet were firmly nted on the ground, he was being pushed back by the attack.
He raised his hand to use his "Fire Maniption[B]".
An attempt to keep the explosion''s mes at bay.
But it wasn''t enough.
''Fuck...!''
His raised arms were burnt to a crisp.
The force pushed him back.
Mark''s feet left the ground.
He bathed in the burning mes, as the attackunched him away.
The mes were so hot, that even his [A] Ranked "Fire Resistance" couldn''t keep him safe.
The shockwave was so powerful that he was pushed out of the Boss Room.
Mark''s back hit the ground
He rolled on the ground many times, until his back hit a wall.
''What... The hell...''
Mark could only open his eyes slightly.
Anguish overtook him right away, as a limb was missing.
Mark had lost his right arm.
He felt dizzy.
His half-opened eyes spotted the Underlings outside the Boss Room.
After he noted that they were okay, his eyelids immediately felt much heavier.
Parts of his white scales had been burnt to a crisp.
Massive amounts of blood were leaving his body.
''I can use... The ne now, right...? Get me... The one remaining...''
The next instant, the sole Underling that Mark had kept inside his Familiar Ne appeared.
"My Lord! If you need my-" Levi shouted as he arrived in front of Mark.
''It''s fine... This one... I kept... For this reason...''
The Underling was immediately devoured.
Mark''s missing arm was restored and the burn marks on his body started healing.
As he felt his strengthing back, a horrifying smile appeared on his face.
''You know... I never lost... To a Guardian before. Ever since I found myself inside this damn Dungeon. I never lost against a Guardian. And I never... Ran away. Until today.''
"My Lord, you were pushed back, it''s not the same-"
''No. It is the same. I didn''t mean to exit the Boss Room, but I still took the opportunity to heal. If I hadn''t been pushed out then... Yeah.''
Mark started walking towards the Boss Room once more.
''I''ve realized two things thanks to that guy. First, it was how to properly use "Fire Maniption", and now...''
Mark raised his hand towards the ceiling.
He activated a certain Magic Skill.
A Great Fire Ball appeared in front of his palm.
''This Guardian... Is infuriating. It''s finally taking me seriously.''
Then, he thought about activating a different one.
The Great Fire Ball started changing.
Mark''s horrifying smile widened.
''The good thing is...''
The mes that made up the Great Fire Ball changed.
[You have learned a new Sub-Skill!]
[You have learned the Sub-Skill "me Of Chaos, Great Fire Ball[B+]".]
''I''m learning so much...''
The attack was shot towards the ceiling.
A great explosion ensued.
Arge crater was left on the ceiling, and melting pieces of it fell to the ground.
''Against this guy!''
Chapter 63 Fire Itself
?"COME BACK HERE, YOU COWARD! I''LL TURN YOU TO ASH RIGHT AWAY!! OH, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT..." The Guardian shouted from inside the Boss Room.
''Mm. Seems like Guardians really can''t leave their rooms. Not that it matters, since the next one will be thest. Anyway, looks like it can''t attack me when I''m outside.'' Mark thought as he stood in front of the Boss Room. ''Might as well rest a bit before the second round...''
The Guardian continued shouting from inside the Boss Room while Levi walked to his Master''s side.
"My Lord, any orders for me?" The Underling asked solemnly.
''None. I''ll be going in alone-''
"But my Lord-"
''No buts. That guy is pretty strong, but he probably doesn''t have any more of those mes Of Chaos thing. Doubt he''ll be able to inflict significant amounts of damage. I''m curious as to why he uses his hands to absorb the mes Of Chaos though. I wonder if it''s the effect of a different Skill. A Skill different from the one he uses to absorb normal Fire. Although... What''s normal Fire anyways...?''
Levi stood silently, as he could not tell what the answer to his Master''s question was.
''Anyways, it''s a good opportunity to raise my "Fire Resistance" and "Fire Maniption" Skills. With some luck, I''ll get an idea as to how to actually damage this guy.'' Mark thought as he walked toward the Boss Room.
"I''ll be waiting for orders, my Lord."
The Guardian''s mes burned as brightly as ever.
"OH, FINALLY! LOOK WHO DECIDED TO SHOW UP!! DIDN''T GET ENOUGH LAST TIME, HUH??" It shouted.
Mark showed his fangs as he entered the Boss Room.
''Seriously... With this personality...''
Immediately, the Guardian shot a Great Fire Ball in Mark''s direction.
Thetter raised his arm towards the iing attack.
As Mark swung his arm to the side, the attack''s trajectory changed.
The Great Fire Ball exploded, as it hit the wall to Mark''s side.
"As I thought... You... You...!"
The Guardian''s intense anger made his mes burn fiercer.
''Mmh. Once again I couldn''t actually take control of it... The Rank of this guy''s Fire Maniption must be [A] at least. Still-''
Mark''s thoughts were interrupted as the Guardian''s body ballooned up in size.
"Once again... You dare!!"
The mes that made up its arms, stomach, and legs fused, as they gotrger andrger.
''Haha! That''s not bad!'' Mark thought as the Guardian''s mes started spinning.
They spun faster and faster, until the humid air around Mark started pulling him closer to the tornado the Guardian had be.
"You weak little beast, I''ll swallow you up right away!!"
Mark could feel his feet being forcibly lifted from the ground.
''Haha! Looks like I''ve sold this guy short...'' He thought as he spread his wings to negate the Guardian''s pull.
A Fire Ball was shot toward Mark, but its trajectory was changed right away.
"YOU PISS ME OFF!" The Guardian shouted as a volley of Fire Balls exited the tornado from different spots.
''The humanoid form really got me for a bit. Fire Maniption, Skills... I doubt this guy needs any of those...'' Mark thought as he redirected every attacking his way.
A Great Fire Ball was shot, and the tornado disappeared the next instant.
But just as Mark tried to redirect the attack,
"YOU FUCKER!"
An arm was extended from that Great Fire Ball.
Despite Mark''s fast reflexes, the Guardian managed to drag its burning arm along his chest.
A flick of his tail made the enemy disappear.
"SINCE PROJECTILES AREN''T WORKING, I''LL GET IN CLOSE AND PERSONAL! HOW''S THAT?!" The Guardian shouted as it reappeared on the ceiling.
Mark couldn''t help but let out a monstrous chuckle.
''This guy... I''ve really sold him short. He doesn''t manipte fire. He doesn''t use fire. No, it''s more like...''
The Guardian''s mes disappeared for a few seconds before reappearing in front of Mark.
''He''s...'' A punch through the Guardian''s burning body made it disappear. ''Fire itself.''
The Guardian reappeared a safe distance away from Mark.
''FUCK! I''m so pissed! I''ve never been this annoyed or pissed off before!! It was fun earlier but now... NOW!!'' The Boss Monster was seething.
And the mes that made up its body let all who gazed at them know
''It almost feels like... It''s getting hotter here. Could it be-''
The Boss Monster extended both its palms towards Mark.
"LET''S SEE YOU STEAL THIS!!" The Guardian shouted.
A ferocious stream of burning mes was shot.
''The amount of fire... The force... I can''t redirect this one!!'' Mark thought as he barely dodged the attack.
"COME ON COWARD! TRY IT!!"
The Guardian moved its palms, and the stream of fire followed.
''You wanna y this game, huh?''
Mark quickly activated his "Imprable Barrier" Magic Skill.
And as his Passive Skill "Fire Hide" activated,
''I''ll use two Skill Points on Fire Maniption.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Fire Maniption[B]" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Fire Maniption[B]" has evolved into "Fire Maniption[A]".]
The stream of fire hit the protective barrier with great force.
Cracks started appearing on the spot hit, while the rest of the barrier looked like it was melting from the intense heat.
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Fire Maniption[A]" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Fire Maniption[A]" has evolved into "Fire Maniption[A+]".]
Mark couldn''t help but stare at his open palm, ignoring the barrier that was breaking down.
''It feels... the same. And yet, different.''
The "Fire Hide" that protected his body disappeared.
Mark raised his hand.
The barrier broke.
BOOM-
A cloud of smoke.
"HAHA! SERVES YOU RIGHT, YOU THIEF!!"
But as the smoke faded, the Guardian''s expression changed.
Mark wasn''t harmed at all.
Instead, two giant craters had appeared on the wall behind him.
"You...! Again!!" The Guardian greeted its teeth.
''Mmmm... There wasn''t much time so I couldn''t try to manipte it. Still, I managed to split THAT attack.''
A wide smile was on Mark''s face.
''Now...''
His eyes burned fiercely.
''Since I''ve had to use Skill Points, I guess there probably isn''t much more for me to learn from you.''
Mark took a step towards the enraged Guardian.
''Let''s finish this.''
Chapter 64 Controling Fire
?The Guardian''s anger was tangible.
Mark lifted his hand towards it, as he thought of a previous fight.
A great amount of Mana was amassed and formed a ball in front of his palm.
''Mana is a bit harder to use than Magic Skills like Great Fire Ball. But it was the only thing that could damage that Guardian''s barrier, so...'' Mark thought as he fired the Mana Bomb.
The Guardian he was thinking about was the Seventh Floor''s Boss Monster, the Undead Lich.
Its barrier made of Dark Magic could not be prated nor broken by anything other than pure Mana.
"What''s that? You think you can-" The Guardian''s words were interrupted once the Mana Bomb hit its leg.
An explosion of Mana ensued.
Once the smoke faded,
''So I was right...?''
Mark''s eyes widened.
"SON OF BITCH!! WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?! WHAT WAS IT, HUH??" The Guardian screamed.
Its left leg had disappeared.
''Did that take his leg, or... Is he making fun of me? He might''ve just made his leg disappear. The same way he can make his whole body disappear...''
Mark had no way of knowing which was the truth.
"I''LL KILL YOU! I''LL KILL YOU!!" The Guardian shouted before opening its mouth wide.
In front of it, a small ball of fire appeared.
''That almost looks like... The Magic Skill Kal¨¨s-''
The next second, the ball increased in size many times over.
At the same time, the Guardian''s missing leg reappeared.
''So it was trying to trick me... I''ll make you regret it.'' Mark thought.
The next instant, he realized something.
''Oh. Huh. I''ll use two more Skill Points on Fire Maniption.''
The ball of fire in front of the Guardian''s mouth was now about ten meters in diameter.
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Fire Maniption[A+]" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Fire Maniption[A+]" has evolved into "Fire Maniption[S]".]
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Fire Maniption[S]" is evolving...]
[Your Magic Skill "Fire Maniption[S]" has evolved into "Fire Control[S]".]
The ball of fire in front of the Guardian''s mouth was condensed thoroughly.
So thoroughly, that it emitted a blinding light and was small enough for the Guardian to swallow.
Mark knew what was about to happen.
But he wasn''t scared.
After all,
''Mm. Yeah. You don''t use Fire, do you? You don''t need Fire Maniption, Fire Resistance...''
The Guardian swallowed the ball that held an extremely high amount of energy.
The next second, the Guardian seemed like it was about to throw up.
About to throw up all that energy as a devastating st.
''After all, you are Fire.''
But before the Guardian could move, Mark raised his arm.
A devilish yet nervous smile on his face.
He lowered that arm.
''To the ground.''
The Guardian''s body was immediately mmed on the ground.
The Boss Monster, unable to contain all the energy it had swallowed, opened its mouth while its face was on the ground.
BOOM-
A great explosion urred.
''It''s just one explosion after the other against this guy. Still, I guess this means I win, right?''
The smoke faded.
And the Guardian appeared.
It looked the same, but,
"My... My Fire... You made it... Turn... Against me... You..." The Guardian whispered, as it struggled to stand.
Its mes didn''t shine as brightly as before.
After all, it had expended a great amount of energy, with no way to regain much of it.
The Guardian tried reabsorbing the energy that it had meant to use for the st, but it could only get a portion of it back
As soon as the Guardian stood up, Mark swayed his hand towards his right side.
The next instant, the Boss Monster felt an intense gravitational pull.
BAM-
Its body hit the wall with great force.
As it was made of mes, the collision caused an explosion.
And the Guardian disappeared once more.
''Fire Control, huh? Yeah. I guess having control over something equals more power over it than simply manipting it.''
Mark stared at the empty Boss Room, waiting for the Guardian''s mes to reappear.
''It makes sense. Since you ARE fire, then...''
It reappeared right in front of Mark.
"SON OF A-"
Just as it was about to punch Mark, a strong force made its body hit the ground.
''I can control your mes...''
Mark felt chills go up his body as the Guardiany at his feet.
''I can control...''
Defenseless, unmoving, and at his mercy.
''You.''
As if gravity itself was trying to constrain its movements, the proud Guardian, now, seemed utterly powerless.
''How does it feel... Being made to crawl on the ground?''
Mark could not talk, but that didn''t mean the Guardian couldn''t understand the position it was in.
The Boss Monster struggled against the gravitational force to lift its head.
And as its gaze connected to Mark''s, it seemed like the Guardian could read his thoughts.
No.
The wicked expression on Mark''s face made his thoughts obvious.
"AGHHH!!!" The Guardian grit its burning teeth.
It tried to stand back up, but,
''I can''t even... Make my Fire disappear... Is his control over me that... That immense?'' Despair filled the Guardian''s thoughts
And Mark looked down on that despair and struggle.
''His control... Over me... His control... Over my... My... MY FLAMES!''
The Boss Monster''s mes regained their brightness.
"I can''t ept it... I can''t... To have... My mes stolen from me... This..." The Guardian whispered.
''Still struggling, huh? Don''t know if that''ll help.'' Mark asked himself sadistically.
He raised his palm.
What seemed like an increase in weight immediately bound the Boss Monster''s whole body to the ground.
"I WON''T ACCEPT...!" The struggling Guardian shouted.
''What-'' The Boss Monster''s mes grew tremendously in both size and heat.
"I WON''T! I WON''T! I WON''T! I WON''T! I WON''T! I WON''T... ACCEPT IT!"
The Guardian''s mes burned brighter than ever.
Mark, sensing resistance, immediately increased the flow of Mana that fueled his Magic Skill "Fire Control[S]".
He raised his arm.
''Time to end this.''
The Guardian''s body hit the ceiling, the floor, and the room''s walls multiple times and at great speed, leaving a trace of mes behind that showed its course.
Again and again, the Guardian''s body was hit.
But its mes didn''t disappear.
Not only that, but,
''Huh? Feels like... His body is getting heavier... No... It''s-''
The light emitted by the Guardian''s mes started changing.
Slowly but surely, the tip of its mes started turning red.
The Guardian''s body was hit again and again, but each time, the speed with which it was moved decreased.
''My control is... Weakening? I should have plenty of Mana left though...''
Mark''s control over the Guardian''s body got weaker and weaker, until he could not move the Boss Monster by an inch.
"Ahhh..." The Guardian moaned as it stood up.
Shiver-
"I''ve never felt like this before. Something... Ising." The Boss Monster whispered, as it stared at its own mes.
''What is he talking about?''
"I can feel it... My Fire... My mes...!"
''What the hell is happening-''
[Warning!]
[The Guardian is evolving!]
[You must defeat the Guardian as fast as possible!]
''Evolving? What do you-''
"Trust me..."
A wave of extreme heat was suddenly exuded by the Guardian.
"This humiliation... I won''t forget." It said as it stared at its hand.
From that hand, red mes appeared.
"It seems my Fire didn''t appreciate it either."
The Guardian raised its gaze towards Mark.
''mes... Of Chaos?''
"My mes... Are quickly changing. You wanted to make them yours but... They, too, couldn''t ept that. Fascinating... These new mes... They feel strange... but also natural... I can tell..." The Guardianmented, as if in a haze.
''This... Can''t even be described as a power-up or an Evolution. Just the mes from a couple of Chaos Fire Bullets had given it the firepower to beat me half to death. But now...!''
"That feeling. I''m not sure what to call it. The way you made me feel. I want you... To feel it too..." The Guardian whispered, before it raised its foot, revealing a melting footprint.
Mark couldn''t help but step back.
''If he can use those me Of Chaos the same way he can use Fire then...''
One devastating explosion was all it would take to end Mark.
He stepped back once more, and the Guardian disappeared.
''Where is he??'' Mark asked himself as anxiety started creeping in.
The Guardian appeared right in front of him.
A flick of Mark''s tail cut the Boss Monster in two, but its body didn''t disappear.
Not only that but,
''AGHHH!''
A horrific burn scar had appeared on Mark''s tail.
The Guardian chuckled while Mark took another step back.
''I have to... I need... To run!!''
The Boss Monster disappeared and reappeared between Mark and the Boss Room''s exit.
"Come now. Let me help you understand how it felt. Let me teach you, what hopelessness is. What powerlessness feels like!" The Guardian shouted, drunk on its own power.
Chapter 65 Dungeon Master
?Mark could feel his tail trembling from the lingering pain.
The smile on Mark''s face, was long gone.
Long whiskers shook.
Yawn-
''Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! What the hell should I-''
The next instant, something entered the Boss Room.
A projectile.
An Ice Spike flew through the air.
Directed towards the Guardian''s body.
The Boss Monster immediately disappeared.
The Ice Spike missed its target.
The Moonlit Feline meowed from outside the Boss Room.
''Did it... Did the Guardian just... Dodge?''
A nervous smile appeared on Mark''s face, as he brought his right head to his head.
''Hahaha... Hahahahha! Oh my, hahahhaha!''
Heughed andughed, while monstrous sounds were emitted from his mouth.
''I was a fool, wasn''t I?''
The Moonlit Feline meowed in response.
Mark chuckled once again.
The Guardian appeared in front of him, ready to attack.
''Mm. That was dumb of me, to fight fire with fire.'' Mark thought, as his tail moved towards the ground.
The expression on the Guardian''s face changed.
"NO! STOP IT!" The Boss Monster shouted, sensing a change in Mana.
A massive amount of Mana was immediately turned into Freezing Mana, as Mark''s tail touched the ground.
[Your Skill "Frozen Land[C+]" has evolved into "Freezing Winter[A+]".]
The next instant, the entire Boss Room was frozen solid.
The ground, ceiling, and walls.
Everything had been frozen.
Only the Guardian remained, hovering in the air.
"NO! YOU DIDN''T...! YOU DIDN''T JUST...!"
The more the Guardian struggled, the hotter and fiercer its mes got.
The fiercer its mes burnt, the faster the ice that covered the ceiling melted, turning it into fire-extinguishing water.
Mark stared at the spectacle in front of him.
"I''LL TAKE YOU WITH ME AT LEAST!!" The Guardian shouted as it prepared a great explosion, ignoring the water that fell on its body.
This time, instead of using his "Imprable Barrier" Magic Skill, Mark tried something different.
[You have learned the Magic Skill "Ice Dome[B]".]
An insanely strong explosion ensued, destroying and melting most of the ice in the Boss Room.
Even Mark''s "Ice Dome[B]" was turned into hot water.
But, the instant the barrier melted, he used the Magic Skill once more.
By doing so, he avoided all damage from the Guardian''s explosion.
A minuteter, Mark broke the protective dome with his tail.
The Boss Room, which, once, was filled with mes, was now covered by water and blocks of ice.
The air had be misty.
And the Guardian''s mes were slowly dying out.
''Mm. That was a good fight. Oh. Now that I think about it, he must have been scared of you, huh?'' Mark thought as he lowered his body.
The Moonlit Feline had entered the Boss Room and had taken a seat in front of Mark.
''That must be why he wanted to make that deal, huh? He wanted to keep the ice outside. To keep you outside. To keep the one that could cause him the most trouble outside. And, he, as if doing me a favor, convinced me to go along with it. Haha. I hope... I really hope...''
Mark''s eyes burned.
''That I can turn him into my Underling. Strong, smart, cunning. Yeah. Almost wicked.''
Mark gently ced his palm on the Moonlit Feline''s head.
''Above all, full of pride.''
Secondster, the Guardian''sst me died out.
[You have defeated The Second Floor''s Guardian. 80''000 Gold Coins and 160''000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have defeated a Guardian.]
[You have been awarded 3 Skill Points.]
[You can now ess the Dungeon''s First Floor.]
[You can ess the Dungeon''s Last Floor.]
''That took a while.'' Mark thought as he read thest message in front of him.
"It was well fought, my Lord." Leviplimented.
''Was it? That guy basically had me on the ropes at the end. Plus, he really pulled me into his game. I was too focused onpeting that I-''
Using its paws, the Moonlit Feline moved around two Items thaty on the ground.
Right where the Guardian''sst me had died out.
''What are these?'' Mark asked as he picked up two red gems.
[You have obtained a "Fire Spirit Core[S]".]
[You have obtained a "Guardian''s Core [S]".]
Mark got no information from the System, and yet, something inside him awoke, letting him know what one of the two Items was for.
Swallow-
[You have gained 5000 Evolution Points.]
[You have devoured a Floor''s Guardian.]
[Calcting appropriate reward....]
''So little, huh?''
Mark turned his gaze back to the second red gem.
''Fire Spirit Core. Can I get information on that or...?''
[Fire Spirit Core[S]: A gem full of Mana.
A certain Fire Spirit slumbers within it.
The Fire Spirit Core can be used to either Manipte Fire or summon the Spirit inside.]
''A certain Fire Spirit, huh?'' A wide smile appeared on Mark''s face.
All his Underlings had now joined his side.
''Not a random Fire Spirit, but a certain one.''
Mark held onto the gem tightly.
''Come out.''
Silence-
''Come out, I said.''
No answer came.
''Come out, you coward.''
[The Slumbering Fire Spirit awakens.]
The next instant, the red gem caught fire.
But it wasn''t nearly hot enough to burn Mark whose Fire Resistance was [A] Ranked.
[The Fire Spirit is testing you.]
''This again? Well, I''ve beaten you so-''
[The Fire Spirit has deemed you unworthy.]
''You''re joking, right? Come out, now.''
[The Fire Spirit refuses.]
''Scared?''
[The Fire Spirit res at you.]
''I''ll give you a rematch sometime.''
At those words, great mes exited the vibrant red gem.
The exiting mes left the gem dark and stone-like.
[The Fire Spirit epts your bargain.]
[The Fire Spirit has deemed you worthy.]
[You can now summon the Fire Spirit under certain Conditions.]
Mark''s eyes widened.
The Guardian he had defeated appeared once more.
A humanoid being made of mes.
It stood in front of Mark with an expressionless face.
The ex-Guardian rose its finger and pointed at Mark.
"Next time..."
[The Fire Spirit''s Evolution has been halted.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is resonating with the Fire Spirit''s Nature.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is resonating with the Fire Spirit''s Nature.]
A nervous smile appeared on Mark''s face as he stared at the messages in front of him.
[The Fire Spirit has acquired a new Title.]
[The Fire Spirit has acquired the Title "All Swallowing mes".]
[The Fire Spirit''s mes shall grow stronger with each Being it burns.]
[The Title will remain the Fire Spirit''s as long as you are the holder of the "Fire Spirit''s Core".]
"... I won''t lose." The ex-Guardian eximed.
''The more it burns, the stronger its fire will be...''
The Fire Spirit lowered its arm.
Only then, did Mark notice that its whole right arm was made of red mes, different from the rest of its body.
''So part of your "mes" did be "mes Of Chaos", huh? Guess I defeated you at the right time, before you couldpletely evolve.''
An annoyed expression appeared on the summoned Fire Spirit.
"I can hear your thoughts now. How irritating." It said before disappearing.
[The Fire Spirit falls back into a slumber.]
''Already?''
Levi walked to Mark''s side.
"Every time I see it, I am amazed, my Lord. Turning your enemies into allies. It truly is a power fit for a king." He proimed.
Mark was taken aback by his Underling''s words.
''A king, you say...? What do you-''
[Appropriate Rewards cannot be calcted.]
[The swallowed Guardian Core is reacting to your Titles.]
A stomachache surprised Mark.
''Huh? AGH-''
[Your "Devourer" Title is staring at the swallowed "Guardian Core".]
[Your "Evolving Monster" Title is longing for the swallowed "Guardian Core".]
Suddenly, Mark felt as if his stomach had been split into two differentpartments.
''What... Is happening... AGH!''
The urge to throw up suddenly overtook Mark.
As did extreme dizziness.
He couldn''t even muster the strength to read the messages in front of him.
[Your "Evolving Monster" Title is ring at your "Devourer" Title.]
[Your "Devourer" Title is showing its fangs to your "Evolving Monster" Title.]
Mark felt that using his hand to keep his mouth shut was the only way he could keep his insides from spilling out.
No, it felt even worse than that.
Mark suddenly started coughing out blood ck as night, while worry overtook his Underlings.
[Your "Devourer" Title desires to feast upon your "Evolving Monster" Title.]
It felt like he was being eaten from the inside.
As if fangs, ws, and thorns were piercing his internal organs.
The pain was unbearable.
Beyond reason.
Mark''s head suddenly started twitching uncontrobly.
[Your "Evolving Monster" Title wants to flee from your "Devourer" Title.]
''AHHHH!!!! IT FEELS... LIKE... LIKE I''M... GOING TO... LIKE I''M ABOUT TO... I''LL SPLIT... IN TWO!!''
Mark growled loudly as he gripped his head and held it with all his strength, as if to keep it together.
An incredible amount of Mana was emanating from Mark''s body.
A Mana, that did not seem to be his.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" partially bes the "### ## G####".]
[Your Title "Devourer" partially bes the "### ## G#######".]
A mixture of purple Mana and Mana dark as night emanated from his body.
The two shed again and again, before enveloping Mark.
The light in Mark''s eyes started fading.
He was about to pass out, when,
BOOM-
An explosion of Mana.
Mana, from a different source.
The sh led to a powerful explosion.
Smoke covered the entire Boss Room.
Once the smoke faded, a cylindrical barrier, that stretched from the ground to the ceiling, had appeared to surround Mark.
His Underlings, confused and fearing for their Master''s life, attacked the barrier.
s, they couldn''t do a thing.
Above the barrier, something appeared.
A red eye made of Mana, hovered in the air.
''AGH...AAH...!!''
The eye looked down upon the scene below.
As if finding it not to its liking, the eye started exuding insane pressure inside the barrier, in which Mark was held captive.
The pressure made his body feel many times heavier.
His knees fell to the ground.
The pressure made breathing difficult and painful.
It got heavier.
Mark''s whole body was brought to the ground, as he coughed blood.
The ground below him cracked.
Breathing became impossible.
The pressure kept increasing, making Mark sink into the breaking ground.
His lungs and blood vessels were about to burst.
Mark lost consciousness, long before the extreme pressure ceased.
The reason, why it ceased, was,
[The Dungeon Master is suppressing the "### ## G####".]
[The Dungeon Master is suppressing the "### ## G#######".]
Mark had lost consciousness, but messages did not stop appearing in front of him.
[The Dungeon Master settles the dispute for the "Guardian Core".]
[The Dungeon Master rules that the "Guardian Core" fits the "Evolving Monster" Title.]
[The "Devourer" Title res menacingly.]
[The Dungeon Master stares back.]
[The "Devourer" Title retracts begrudgingly.]
A final explosion of Mana appeared.
With it, the barrier and the hovering eye both disappeared.
"What was that? My Lord? MY LORD?" The usuallyposed Underling shouted as he approached his unconscious Master.
Levi was both worried for his Master and terrified.
''That eye... That purple and dark Mana... Are those... Something else... Or are they... Something within you, my Lord?''
***
Somewhere far from the Dungeon where Mark was trapped.
A certain Master red at one of his Army''s Generals.
"Make sure it doesn''t happen again." The Master''s voice was calm, and yet, it was enough to make the whole room shake.
"Yes, my Lord." Draconia said, as a message appeared in front of her.
[You have been reassigned as the Temporary Dungeon Master.]
Without a trace, she disappeared from the room.
''Amusing.''
The Master stood up and walked around his throne room.
''A Spirit has no true form. Its physical manifestation can change... Again and again. Depending on its needs, it can turn into a great dragon or a tiny pup. No true form, just like the Evolving Monster. Always changing. Not only that, but a Fire Spirit as well... Fire is nothing if not a devourer and a consumer of the living...''
A slight smile appeared on the Master''s face.
''Too raw. Too simr. It seems it was a bit too much for that child to consume.''
A chuckle escaped the Master''sposed expression.
Chapter 66 The Final Floors Entry
?''Agh...''
Even though a couple of hours had passed since he had lost consciousness, Mark''s head still hurt.
He opened his eyes suddenly and quickly sat up.
His breathing was unstable.
Heavy.
Mark checked his surroundings.
''Still here. Yeah, where else would I wake up...''
He was inside the Second Floor''s Boss Room.
But something had changed.
''Did they bring these for me?'' Mark asked himself, as he was surrounded by dozens of corpses.
Dead Monsters from the Second Floor.
Without even thinking about it any further, he started munching on the closest unmoving body.
It was that of a Lower Demon Warrior.
Only when he had swallowed the whole Monster, did Mark remember the scene from earlier.
''Titles... Those were... My Titles?'' Mark asked himself as he started feeding on another dead Monster.
Levi entered the Boss Room.
With him, the corpses of multiple Monsters from the Second Floor.
He approached his Master.
But seeing no reaction, he left quietly.
''Titles... Titles... What are Titles anyway?'' Mark thought as he tore a dead Monster''s limb with his fangs.
He wanted to check the list of Titles he had obtained along the way.
But at the same time, he was scared that calling it out would produce some kind of reaction.
''That feeling... As if my head was about to split. I''ve never felt anything like that...''
Mark''s leg shook slightly.
He tightened his grip on the corpse he was devouring.
The unmoving Inferior Lava Drake''s head was crushed right away.
''Show it to me. My list of Titles.'' Mark demanded.
[Titles:
[System Holder]
[Evolving Monster]
[Devourer]
[Heart Devourer]
[Blood Thirsty Devourer]
[Bone Devourer]
[Ore Devourer]
[Possible Demon King Candidate]
]
Mark''s heart beat faster as the list appeared in front of him.
Thankfully, nothing unexpected happened.
''Devourer and Evolving Monster. The Titles that I was given at first... Without those two, I wouldn''t have survived this long. What happened earlier?''
Mark waited for the System''s answer, but none came.
''Those Titles together allow me to get stronger and Evolve. Together...? Wait... How does each one work separately? They work so well together that I started thinking of them as one and the same-''
[Your Title "Devourer" is shaking.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is shaking.]
Freeze-
Apart from these messages in front of Mark, nothing happened.
''Did... Did they... Why are they... Are my Titles... Reacting? Or something?''
Nothing.
''Did they react to me saying that I thought of them as the same? That makes no sense. Titles...''
Mark stood up.
Instead of eating the Monsters like he had been doing, he used his "Consume[A]" Skill to turn the dead into energy for him to absorb.
''Titles... are more than what I think, right?''
[Correct.]
''What are they exactly?''
Silence-
''Tsk. At least, this made it clear. Inside of this monstrous body...''
Mark absorbed most of the corpses around him at once.
''There''s a part I''m not familiar with.''
He looked around the room.
''All of you,e.'' Mark ordered his Underlings.
They were not inside the Guardian''s Room, but they could hear their Master''smands.
Without waiting for his Underlings, Mark started walking towards the doors that separated him from the Dungeon''s Final Floor.
The Final Floor, that separated him from the outside world.
He stared at the doors for a bit.
''There''s no denying that I do not understand these two Titles I was given. The others, like "Heart Devourer" have simpler effects. But those two... The Titles I was given the moment I was thrown into this Dungeon... This damned Dungeon...''
A message surprised Mark.
It made him smile weakly.
[You were once asked whether you wanted to live anew.]
[Do you regret your choice?]
''You only answer when you feel like it, huh? Do I regret being thrown in here...?''
Mark pushed open the doors in front of him.
What he found, on the other side of the door, was a pitch-ck room.
Despite his "Night Vision", he couldn''t tell howrge it was.
Mark raised his gaze towards the ceiling.
He couldn''t see the room''s ceiling, but a faint ray of light shone in the darkness, a good distance above from where he stood.
''Earth, Water, Fire and now... It must be Wind, right? Am I supposed to fly to get there?''
Mark''s dark wings spread immediately.
A strong wind st was left behind him as he took off.
''Titles... Titles... They might not be things as simple as belongings, maybe. Those two... At that time... It was like they had a will of their own... A mind of their own. Still, there''s no denying that those are MY Titles. Even the System refers to them as mine. Then... Yeah. The problem, earlier, was that they changed, didn''t they? They turned into... What was it? I couldn''t quite catch it...''
Mark chuckled weakly as he flew higher and higher.
''Yeah. It was like they had evolved into something else. Into something... That wasn''t mine. Yeah... That seems... To make sense.''
Due to another one of his Titles, Mark felt slightly anxious.
''The one that is still silent worries me though. The others have shown their effects, but the "Possible Demon King Candidate" one...? When I first received it, I didn''t think about it much. That must be why I was brought here, right? To be a Demon King''s Sessor? To be a Demon King? Haha, seems like I''m still a way off. Since I''m only a POSSIBLE CANDIDATE for now-''
Something clicked.
At the same time, Mark arrived.
A hole in the ceiling from which rays of light passed.
''My Titles... Aren''t my belongings, are they? They''re more than that... I didn''t get it before but... It''s like that Undead Guardian said. I am the Possible Demon King Candidate. By that same logic, I am the Evolving Monster and I am...''
Mark was bathed in gentle sunlight as he passed through that hole.
''The Devourer.''
Mark arrived at the Dungeon''s Last Floor.
Above him, a clear blue sky.
''This is... This isn''t the outside world, right?''
[Correct.]
Around Mark, was a grassy in.
Far away was a huge forest that encircled the grassy in he stood on.
The trees seemed abnormally tall.
''It resembles the Ninth Floor, but... it feels totally different. Setting aside the fact that I''m at the Floor''s center right away...''
Mark was weed by birds chirping, a gentle sun, a pleasant breeze, and beautiful scenery.
''There''s something... Different...''
Mark walked on the grass that covered the ground.
He lowered his body andy his hand on the vibrant grass.
''Mmmm... It must be because of my "Mana Maniption[A]" Skill that I can sense it...''
Mark raised his body and looked around him.
''Feels like... There''s Mana everywhere on this Floor. Even in the grass. It feels different. Oh. The air is different too.''
Mark took a deep breath in.
He showed his fangs right away.
''The air is heavier. No... Thicker? But... It fills me with strength.''
Mark felt light-headed, but the feeling was faint enough that it was almost pleasant.
He raised and lowered his arms many times.
''Mm. The air is heavier. Breathing feels better. My Endurance and Mana would probably replenish faster here, but moving my body is a bit harder.''
The fact that the air was filled with Mana made cutting through the air to move around more difficult than on the other Floors.
''It''s not a huge difference but... I won''t be able to reach my top speed here. Wait, I''ve felt this before-''
Only then, did Mark remember.
Heughed out loud, before taking deep breaths
''That''s how the air is outside. Outside of this Dungeon. Yeah... That''s why I couldn''t breathe back then. It wasn''t just the cold. No... The air outside of the Dungeon is denser in Mana than here. Much denser. That, I''m sure of.''
Mark realized that his aim on the Last Floor was different from the previous ones.
It came before fighting the Guardian Monster.
Before beating and devouring strong Monsters.
The first objective, was to get used to everything being filled with Mana, especially the air that his lungs desperately needed.
''It''s circr. And I''m in the middle of it. Is there even a Guardian on this Floor? Or can I leave after crossing the forest? I won''t leave straight away though. I would probably just end up passing out as soon as I exit the Dungeon if I did so....''
[There is a Guardian at this Floor''s end.]
Somehow, Mark felt good about that fact.
Maybe it was simply the familiar aspect of that fact that reassured him.
Or maybe, he was d to hear that there was yet another strong opponent waiting for him.
''Alright then. Unlike the earlier cramped Floor, this one is huge. I''ll spend some time exploring it-''
Mark''s thoughts were interrupted, as he heard soundsing from behind him.
CLANK-
Mark''s worry dissipated right away, as he could guess what was approaching.
CLANK-
"My... My Lord..."
An exhausted Levi appeared from the dark hole in the ground.
''Oh. Did you climb all the way up? Using your hands and feet like ice axes? Good one. Ipletely forgot that you couldn''t fly.''
"It is... Nothing... My Lord..." Levi struggled toplete his sentence. Hey on the ground.
The next second, Fiery followed.
As Fiery was an Insect-Type Monster, climbing was no challenge at all.
''Good. Now-''
"My Lord, the air is... Different here... Isn''t it?"
''Right. The two of you stay here. Get used to it, I guess. I''ll go bring theter.''
Mark immediately stepped into the dark hole and started free-falling.
''I bet Krista is still sitting in the Boss Room, all proud. Pouting and-''
[You have bestowed the name "Krista" upon your Underling.]
Surprise caught Mark, as he spread his wings to stop himself from gaining any more speed.
''Oh. I guess I did. It was time, huh?''
[Your Underling is judging whether it should take the Name bestowed.]
''Mmmm...''
After Mark descended some more, he could see the Moonlit Feline.
Surprise-
''Oh.''
Instead of patiently and proudly waiting for its Master, the Underling was jumping from a tform made of ice.
The Moonlit Feline ran up the wall for as long as it could, before creating another tform using Ice Magic.
The newly named Krista was slowly, but surely, making her way up.
But the Underling''s movements were rushed.
Tense.
As if filled with anxiety.
Krista ran up and up, without noticing Mark who was still a good distance above.
Maybe it was because his Senses were sharper than hers, that she hadn''t noticed him.
Maybe it was the anxiety from being left behind.
Mark started descending a bit faster.
As soon as the Moonlit Feline noticed him, its blue eyes widened.
The white-furred cat immediately created a bridge of ice on which it ran, without caring about saving up Mana.
Krista leaped into the air, towards Mark, whose arms were opened wide, weing the Underling.
But the instant the Moonlit Feline was about tond on Mark''s body, a blinding light forced Mark''s eyes shut.
''Huh-''
The next second, a heavy mass fell on his body.
''What are you-''
Mark''s back hit the wall.
''UGH-''
And the two started falling.
They quickly hit the ground, as Krista hadn''t climbed much.
''What the hell was that?'' Mark asked, his body buried under that of a Lioness.
Akin to a hyena, the Moonlit Feline couldn''t stop giggling.
In front of the Lioness'' uncontrobleughter, Mark couldn''t help but do the same.
Despite the grazes on his back.
Chapter 67 Ascension
?[Your Underling is judging the name bestowed upon it.]
The Lioness turned towards Mark for a second.
''Huh?''
The Moonlit Feline turned away immediately.
[Your Underling has postponed the judgment.]
''Seriously? It''s a good name! I thought you liked it too.''
The Moonlit Feline ignored the remark, and opted to use the "Dual Form" Skill to turn back into its white-furred cat Form instead.
Mark stood up, while his Underling waved its tailzily.
''I know I thought of Krista a long time ago but... Wait, is that why?''
The swift cat climbed up Mark''s body and sat on his shoulder.
''Did you think I would have found a better name by now? Huh. You''re not even going to react to my questions?''
Feeling a mixture of defeat and entertainment, Mark simply spread his wings.
The next second, something brushed against his hand.
Surprise and slight anxiety immediately sprung forth.
Mark''s pupils moved in every direction, while the rest of his body froze.
''What is-''
Bathed in darkness, not much was visible.
Mark couldn''t see anything around him, except for two bright red pupils.
He chuckled nervously.
''ces like these are where you shine, huh?''
The practically invisible Light sat on the ground.
Mark called the Underling into his Familiar Ne before taking off.
Meanwhile, Levi and Fiery were waiting on the Last Floor.
Both Underlings had an issue adapting to it.
But while Levi was starting to get used to the Mana-filled air, Fiery was still having trouble.
Maybe it was simply the difference between a Guardian from the Third Floor and a Monster from the Sixth Floor.
Or maybe, one was morepetent when it came to Mana-rted situations.
"It sure is different. Are you adapting well?" Levi asked.
The mandibles on Fiery''s head moved.
"That is true. Our Lord has gotten used to it already. We must do everything we can to make sure we do not bring our Lord down." Levi said solemnly.
Fiery''s mandibles moved once more.
"Yes. It is strange. I expected us to find enemies sooner. Just like on the previous..." Levimented while looking around the grassy in.
Feeling their Master''s presence, the two Underlings turned around.
A dumbfounded expression on his face.
''The two of you canmunicate together?''
It was a thought, but also a question directed to his Underlings.
After all, Mark wasn''t capable of speech.
Not yet anyway.
Levi and Fiery turned towards one another.
"Yes, my Lord. I thought you knew..." Levi answered with slight embarrassment.
''How would I? Why can you... Howe I can''t understand Fiery?'' Mark asked, as he turned towards his Underling.
Fiery''s mandibles started moving.
''Ugh! Stop that! I can''t understand. Why the hell can''t I?''
It seemed like Fiery really wanted to develop her thought, as her mandibles kept twitching.
Mark massaged his forehead in quiet desperation.
The Moonlit Feline quickly jumped off Mark''s shoulder and climbed onto Fiery''s back.
''Don''t tell me... You understand Fiery too?''
The white-furred cat nodded before sitting.
It started to meticulously clean its fur.
"It seems like..." Levi started hypothesizing.
''What is it?''
"Well, my Lord... Maybe... The bond between us Underlings is... Stronger?" Levi questioned.
''WHAT?'' Mark felt somewhat enraged.
Still, deep down it felt pleasant.
Having a conversation about a trivial matter was something that Mark hadn''t experienced in a while.
After all, Levi was the first Underling with whom he could converse.
''The bond is stronger? Howe? Fiery has been with me for longer...''
"No, my Lord. I mean that... Maybe it''s because... Ummm... Well..."
''Just speak freely.''
"The two of us are Underlings, while you are our Lord and Master. The two of us are here for you. We would give our lives for you. I can''t speak for... Her." Levi said while pointing at the Moonlit Feline. "But Fiery and I are the same."
''So?''
"Coordination between Underlings is important. I couldmunicate with the others too. Well... Before they met their ends."
''I see. I''m sort of feeling left out... That''s new. Does that mean all my previous Underlings couldmunicate? Or is it because my Skill evolved...?''
Mark was reminded of his previous Underlings.
There weren''t many. But other than those at his side, there were some he hadn''t forgotten about.
''Weird... What were their names again? I only wanted the strong ones to stay. But...'' Mark''s gaze fell on Levi.''
It seemed Mark''s thought pattern when it came to his Underlings had changed slightly during his ascension.
At first, they were simply shields.
Dolls, dancing to his tune.
Obeying his every thought and desire.
But-
The Moonlit Feline yawned loudly as it closed its eyes.
''Kal¨¨s and Kira. Maybe Cer... Those three were... Oh, there was that Four-armed Orc. Or was it a Four-armed Ogre? The one that protected me from Kal¨¨s... Well, it wasn''t Kal¨¨s per se, since I hadn''t revived him yet. It was a Guardian. Just a Guardian...''
Mark couldn''t help but scratch his head at the thought.
''Plus, Kal¨¨s changed a lot after I made him absorb That Minotaure Monster. Oh. Sin? Was that the Ogre''s name-''
Mark''s thoughts stopped for a second.
Monstrous growls echoed in the ce of loudughter.
''This is getting ridiculous.'' Mark thought as he spread his wings.
Secondster, he was about two hundred meters above the ground.
''Having flown all the way up to this Floor, the difference in speed is obvious...''
Mark looked down upon the wide scenery from above.
It seemed like the forest that encircled the grassy in was endless.
''There''s a ceiling, right? Just... Really high up.''
[Correct.]
''Mmmm... Unlike on the Ninth Floor, I don''t see walls encircling the area.''
[Walls made of Mana encircle the Final Floor.]
''Of course... Walls of Mana... I can assume all Monsters can use Magic Skills too, right?''
Mark looked around.
He focused on his vision as much as he could, but failed to detect any movement inside the forest.
The forest was extremely dense, and all Mark could see were the numerous trees.
''Mmmmh...'' Mark thought as he raised his arms in different directions.
Mana was concentrated on both his palms.
''Let''s stir up some trouble.''
Two Great Fire Balls appeared.
He put more Mana into the Magic Skill, and the spheres grew.
The next second, their fire was coated with a deep red.
me Of Chaos, Colossal Fire Ball[A-]
''Mm!'' Mark was pleasantly surprised.
But just before he could shoot the attacks,
[Supplementary Information about the Final Floor.]
''Huh?''
[Spin around by 45 degrees to your right.]
The spheres of fire faded, and Mark did as the Systemmanded.
''What now?''
Silence-
''You just wanted me toply for no reason? Should I do a flip next?''
...
Somewhere far, far away.
"Tsk. Arrogant little..." A red-haired person whispered.
...
[The Final Floor is a Forest.]
''Oh. Is it now? Couldn''t have guessed-''
[The Forest can be divided into two distinct Territories.]
''Territories? That''s new. Mm. Territories of... What?''
Silence-
''Since you told me to spin around then... Ahead is one territory. Behind me the other. To my sides, they meet.''
[Correct.]
''If that''s how it is, then-''
[It would be wiser not to enter the zones in which the Territories meet.]
[Not yet, anyway.]
''Ugh... Do I really have to-''
[Choose the first Territory to attack wisely.]
''You''re not gonna tell any more than that?''
Silence-
''Mmm... Since they wanted me to face this way, I suppose that''s the territory I should start with.''
Mark extended his arms forward towards the forest.
''Doesn''t matter anyway...''
me Of Chaos, Colossal Fire Ball[A-].
''I''ll destroy all of it.''
BOOM-
After shooting about 12 Colossal Fire Balls imbued with the mes Of Chaos, Mark looked at the mayhem created.
Trees were falling over, burning.
The fire was spreading, but at a slow pace.
''Just like the grass, the trees must be filled with Mana. Might be why they''re not burning as much as I-''
Mark activated his "Imprable Barrier[C]" Skill just in time.
SLASH-
A crack appeared on the barrier from the attack''s impact.
''Should upgrade this er, probably...'' Mark thought as he deactivated his Skill and folded his wings.
Woosh-
''Mmmm... It looked like some kind of sharp sword made of... Wind? Somehow? Oh well. Guess I was right about this being about the Four Elements. '' Mark thought as he fell.
His "Advanced Kic Vision[C+]" Passive Skill activated, and time started flowing a bit slower.
''This is by far my best Passive Skill. Might be my best Skill overall actually. Even though it''s only [C+] Ranked. I wonder why... Anyway, Monsters have starteding out of the forest. They''re approaching pretty quickly. Are they the weakest ones? Or the territorial kind?''
Mark spread his wings just before hitting the ground, killing the speed with which he was falling.
''Doesn''t matter either...''
He extended his sharp ws.
''I''m starving.''
Mark''s fangs shined through his open mouth.
''Let''s see what this Floor tastes like.''
Chapter 68 Control The Battlefield
?More than 20 Monsters from the Dungeon''s Final Floor were approaching Mark and his Underlings.
He felt rxed, despite the enemy numbers.
Mark had already cleared 9 of the Dungeon''s Floors.
Fighting when outnumbered wasn''t anything new.
Also, the fact that this was the Dungeon''s Last Floor obviously didn''t escape him.
Mark''s fighting spirit was burning. And the ferocious Aura that emanated from his body made it obvious.
"There is quite a number of them, my Lord." Levimented.
Since the Monsters were different from any others Levi had previously faced, he was on his guard.
''You guys take care of thoseing from the sides''
Mark, on the other hand, felt no fear.
''Let''s get rid of the fodder quickly.''
The Master immediately leaped towards the approaching enemies.
''So? What are they?'' Mark asked.
His feet hit the ground at smaller and smaller intervals.
Messages appeared in front of Mark right away.
[Tempest Saber-toothed Tigers: [B+] Ranked Monsters.]
Two Monsters resembling regr tigers, except muchrger.
Their fur was white, with a taint of blue.
[Storm Eagles: [B+] Rank Monsters.]
Twice as big as normal eagles, the Monsters'' wings were long and strong.
The power each p of their wings produced made that strength obvious.
Those two Monster Species were the fastest.
Behind themgged others, such as "Typhoon Wolves[B+]" and "Winged Kobold Generals[B]".
''Mmmm... I expected [A] Ranked Monsters. Actually no, I didn''t. That Lower Demonic Giant was [A-], right? I couldn''t handle it alone. The stronger Monsters are deep inside the forest, or in the other territory.''
Mark chuckled slightly.
The Tempest Saber-toothed Tigers opened their jaws in unison.
''I guess there won''t be Demons to fight on this Floor. I expected them since they have wings, but... That''s no reason, I guess-''
At the same time, the Storm Eagles pped their wings with such force that their bodies wereunched backward.
The attack was a hard one to notice, but Mark swiftly leaped to his right.
The next instant, the spot he had been standing on was decimated.
A crater appeared on the ground.
''It''s different from the attack they used earlier... But at the same time...'' Mark made his way to the closest enemy. ''It''s very simr.''
He felt a sudden breeze.
The Tempest Saber-toothed Tiger leaped towards Mark, convinced that its ws would tear the enemy apart.
Mark''s eyes widened.
''Oh...?''
He bent his body and barely dodged the attack.
And as the Monster was, in mid-air, above him, Mark quickly used his ws to pierce the enemy''s unprotected stomach.
At least, he tried to.
The Tempest Saber-toothed Tigernded on the ground.
Behind Mark, and unharmed.
''Interesting...''
Mark''s ws couldn''t pierce its fur.
No.
More precisely, Mark couldn''t reach its fur.
But he had no time to worry about that.
He was once again targeted by the Storm Eagles.
''This Wind Magic...'' Mark thought, as he spread his wings and kicked the ground.
One motion was enough to close the distance between the nearest Storm Eagle and himself.
''It''s troublesome.''
The Monster, about to use a Wind-Type Magic Skill, was interrupted.
Its body twitched for a bit.
It wasn''tpletely paralyzed, as the Magic Skill''s Rank was only [E+].
But it was enough to buy time for Mark''s ws to pierce the Storm Eagle''s body.
He pulled his arm back, and the bleeding Monster started falling.
''This "Staggering Thunder" wasn''t effective against the Monsters of the previous Floor, but... It''s pretty good.''
Mark let his body fall towards the bleeding Storm Eagle.
''These Monsters are tough. I''ll need to finish this quickly to assist Levi and the others...''
Since he had shot random locations of the Territory, Monsters had approached from different directions.
Mark grabbed the falling body beforending on the ground.
[You have used your Magic Skill "Purgatory''s Undead Troup[A+]".]
[The dead ising back to life as your Underling.]
Mark quickly dodged to the right and threw the Storm Eagle''s body into the air.
? BOOM-
''Shockwaves, huh? Is that another form of Wind Magic? Or some other kind of Magic Skill?''
Just as another Storm Eagle was about to use its Magic Skill "Wind st[B]", it lost one of its wings.
The Monster had been attacked by, what it considered seconds earlier, its fallenrade.
''Good. As long as I can slowly turn these guys into my Underlings then...''
An approaching Tempest Saber-toothed Tiger leaped forward.
''I''ll make this Floor mine.''
Its open jaw was met with a flick of Mark''s tail.
The Monster''s body was thrown aside, left stunned by the hit''s incredible force.
''My "Sonic Tail Flick" really is amazing. The higher my physical strength is, the more useful it bes. If it wasn''t for the Skill that these guys have, one tail flick might be enough to finish them.''
Mark had realized from the earlier exchanges that the Tempest Saber-toothed Tiger Monster Species possessed a certain Skill.
''They suddenly elerate when attacking. Plus, the resistance I felt when I tried to attack its stomach... Some kind of protective wind?'' Mark wondered, as he raised his palm towards the stunned Monster.
"Repelling Tempest": [B+] Ranked Skill.
A Magic Skill that takes control of the wind around the user''s body.
The wind is, then, made to flow violently.
A small tempest is created around the user.
That tempest has two effects.
The first is obvious.
The violent winds add ayer of protection around the user.
The second effect could be qualified as a "Buff".
The wind that makes up the small tempest flows in a way that facilitates the user''s movements, by making that user''s body lighter.
Its Rank was well-deserved.
After all, Mark''s high strength and sharp ws hadn''t been enough to pierce through theyer of protective wind.
Mark didn''t know the Skill''s name, but he was more or less aware of its existence.
me Of Chaos, Great Fire Ball[A].
[You have defeated a Tempest Saber-toothed Tiger. 23''000 Gold Coins and 46''000 Experience Points earned.]
''Whatever...'' Mark thought as he turned towards the rest of the enemies.
One Tempest Saber-toothed Tigers and six Storm Eagles were left.
The rest of the Monsters had stopped approaching, opting to, instead, observe how the fight would turn out instead.
Mark used his Tail "Lengthening[D+]" Skill before running toward an approaching enemy.
[You have used your Magic Skill "Purgatory''s Undead Troup[A+]".]
[The dead ising back to life as your Underling.]
What had started as a one-versus-nine at best, had been turned into a three-versus-seven.
''Levi isn''t that much stronger than me. Actually, I''ve be a bit stronger than him now, I think. But this ability, this Skill that allows me to control the battlefield...''
Mark showed his fangs in what looked like a smile.
''It definitely puts me in a category above.''
...
It only took an additional five minutes for the rest of the Monsters to meet their end.
Only a couple of scratches were on Mark''s body.
''That "Wind st" Magic Skill is one both of these Monster Species have... It''s not bad, but weaker than the Magic Skill that shattered by Imprable Barrier earlier...'' Mark thought as he stared at the Tempest Saber-toothed Tigers and Storm Eagles he had turned into his Underlings.
''The eagles are useful. For the rest...''
Mark transformed the newly acquired "Tempest Saber-toothed Tiger" Underlings into energy using his "Consume[A]" Skill.
''I definitely need to obtain Wind Magic Skills. Not only are they hard to notice, but-''
[You have gained 60.000 Evolution Points.]
''No new Skill, huh? Just Evolution Points...''
Mark turned back towards the center of the Last Floor, where he and his Underlings had first appeared.
''Levi, Light, and Krista seem to be doing well. Fiery is assisting them from behind. Good. You all, go assist them too.''
The newly acquired "Strom Eagle" Underlings immediately flew towards Mark''s other Underlings.
''The other Monsters seem to have run back into the forest. Mmmm... 60.000 Evolution Points... How many Evolution Points do I even have now?''
[You currently possess 1''386''820 Evolution Points.]
''I won''t even ask about the Gold Coins.'' Mark thought, annoyed by the ridiculously high number.
He raised his gaze towards the bright sky made of Mana.
''I wonder when I''ll get to evolve...''
At the thought, his heart started beating faster.
I wonder what I''ll evolve into next...''
Excitement overtook Mark, as he leaped towards the spot where his Underlings were fighting.
Chapter 69 Reborn As An Evolving Monster II
?Mark and his Underlings dealt with the Monsters without much difficulty.
''Evolving would be tough. Ever since that Unique Evolution...'' Mark wondered, as he stared at his open palm.
Mark started walking toward the dead Monsters one by one.
''It allowed me to get the best body parts from the different Monsters I had defeated at the time... But that meant the creation of some kind of hybrid unique Monster...''
He started munching on the different unmoving bodiesying on the ground.
''There''s so obvious Evolution for this body. I''ll probably have to turn into an entirely different Monster Species...''
Mark was right.
His body was unique.
The strong muscles and sturdy bones of Royal Minotaures.
The hard protective scales of Lower Wyverns.
The sharp fangs of Inferior Drakes.
The retractable and deadly ws of Superior Velvet Werewolves.
The light yet powerful wings of Lower Demons.
It was a body entirely constructed for maximum killing efficiency, using the dead as tools.
''But there are no Monster Species that interest me here. For now, it''s mostly Monsters rted to animals... Going back to walking on four limbs doesn''t appeal to me much. Mmmm... There is a Body Modification that I would''ve liked to get though...''
[Body Modifications are no longer avable.]
''Oh, shut up. I know that.''
Mark chuckled lightly.
''But, now that I think about it... Body Modifications, Evolutions, buying Skills... I used the System for them but... That''s not necessary, is it? I used to buy the Skills of Monsters I had devoured. But now, I gain those Skills without going through the System... Then, wouldn''t be the same for Evolutions and Body Modifications?''
Mark pondered about it for a bit.
''After all, I already have something. I didn''t know it held power by itself, but that''s probably where those abilities came from-''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is shaking.]
A nervous smile appeared on Mark''s face.
''Reacting to my thoughts?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
A strange feeling overtook Mark.
''I''ll need to devour some of them first. But...''
It was as if a part of him, a part he was not familiar with, was staring at him coldly.
''You''ll make that Body Modification for me, won''t you?''
That gaze quickly warmed up to him.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is smiling.]
''Huh... Haha... Um... Alright then?'' Mark chuckled weakly.
[The System chuckles at your foolishness.]
[The System hopes you''ll keep your own Titles at bay.]
[The System hopes you won''t let your Titles swallow you.]
Immediately, intense hunger sprung forth.
[You Title "Devourer" is waking up.]
A hunger for stronger Monsters.
''Swallow me...? What''s that supposed to mean? It''s true that I do not know nor understand much for now. But, for now...''
Mark''s gaze turned cold.
''How about you stop calling yourself "System"? Who is it that I''m talking to exactly?''
[Your Title "System Holder" is trembling.]
....
Somewhere far away.
Hundreds, if not thousands of miles away.
"Ugh! He''s being so stubborn. So annoying." A womanined.
"Huh? He''s interested in us and his Titles. That''s a good thing!" A man argued.
"No... It''s not." The woman said as she massaged her forehead.
"I don''t get why Mark... That''s his name, right? Such a shit name... Totally unfit for hideous Monster he is." The manmented.
He was tall and thin.
His pale skin contrasted nicely with his dark hair.
"Still, his Titles aren''t bad." The man added.
His eyes shined a bloody red.
That man, was called Raven
"Don''t talk to me about Titles. I was chewed out earlier because his Titles were going haywire. The other candidates didn''t have such problems, you know?" The female descendant of Dragonsined with a tired voice.
"Yeah, well-"
Just as Raven was about to lose interest in the conversation, a certain character entered the room.
"Well, look who''s here..." Raven said, a mischievous smile on his face.
"Should I get going now, General?" A huge man asked.
While his appearance resembled that of a Human, it wasn''t clear that he was one.
Standing at about four meters tall, the man''s frame was wide and his presence imposing.
His whole body was covered by ck armor, tinted with gold.
"Yeah. Better earlier thanter, Zephyr." Draconia answered without turning to face the huge man.
Without missing a beat, Raven walked to Zephyr''s side.
"Now, now..." Raven said, with a condescending tone, as he gently taped the man''s armor. "Don''t you know that Zephyr doesn''t like his own name?"
Anger rose inside Zephyr''s body.
Still, he could not do a thing about it.
Not only were the two in front of him much stronger than he was, but they outranked him too.
"Is that so?" Draconia asked, as she finally turned to face the giant in ck armor. "What should I call you?"
Zephyr was taken aback by the question.
It had only been a couple of weeks since he had joined their Army.
This much respecting from a General was unexpected.
His surprise was understandable.
After all, he had no idea that Draconia, too, knew what it was like to bear a name one couldn''t ept.
"I... Haven''t given it much thought." The huge man admitted.
While Raven was trying hard to stop himself fromughing out loud, Draconia turned away.
"Do tell me once you find the right one. Anyway, make sure you do just as I instructed. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Yes, General. Then, I''ll take my leave."
Raven turned towards Draconia.
"Think it''ll be okay?"
"Probably. My issue is with Mark though. Do you think I should start exining things already?" Nia asked, even though she didn''t really care about Raven''s opinion.
"I don''t know. Whatever. Good luck." Thetter answered before exiting the room.
Draconia nodded.
She had expected such a response.
''Whenever some work or thinking needs to be done... The weasel runs away.'' Nia thought to herself.
...
"You didn''t need toe all the way here, my Lord. It would have been my pleasuee to bring you plenty." Levi said solemnly, as he killed three Spider Monsters at once.
''It''s fine. Let''s get the most we can.'' Mark thought, as he swallowed the Monsters right away.
[Your Title "Devourer" sighs due to the disappointing quality of the ingested Monsters.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking for ways to put the Evolution Points to use.]
''Tsk. They really won''t stop now-''
[The System regtes your Titles'' actions.]
''Oh... Only answering now, huh? Tsk. It''s confusing. Messages from the System, messages from... My Titles?''
[Evolutions and Body Modifications were the effects of your Titles.]
[Those effects were channeled by the System, to make them easier to use and control.]
''But you can''t do that anymore?''
[Incorrect.]
''Then?''
[It is aplicated matter.]
''So... I can use my Titles directly now?''
[Possibly.]
''Ugh... What does that mean? Where do I even start? Is it the same as using Skills?''
Mark swallowed another dozen Spider Monsters.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
''Mmmm... How do I go about this? The Body Modification I wanted was kind of like-''
The image of the desired Body Modification appeared in Mark''s mind.
The next second, words appeared in front of him.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is smiling widely.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is consuming your Evolution Points!]
''What''s happening-''
The next second, Mark felt multiple spots on his back twitch.
He fell to his knees, his hands on the ground.
The shadow cast by his body changed suddenly.
''This is... UGH!''
It was painful.
But not enough for him to scream.
''Ha... Hahaha...'' Mark chuckled weakly, as he slowly stood back up.
What looked like spider legs had grown from his lower back.
It only took a couple of seconds for Mark to get used to his new limbs.
''Using them in battle would be different but... Yeah. They''re sharp, just like those the Sixth Floor''s Guardian had... This is exactly what I had in mind.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is proud of its creation!]
''Good job?''
Mark was still confused by his Titles and their effects.
But the slight fear they had provoked was slowly fading.
As if in response to the amount of Evolution Points decreasing,
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to swallow the Last Floor''s Guardian.]
''Is that so? Then...''
Great arrogance, greed, and excitement mixed.
The Underlings and their Master immediately started making their way back to the Last Floor.
''I won''t make you wait.''
Chapter 70 Typhoon Wolves
?In a certain vibrant forest, colorful flowers bloomed, beautiful greenery prospered, and wild beasts thrived.
Species of all kinds could be found.
Both fauna and flora lived in harmony.
While the natural bnce and atmosphere found could be referred to as "harmonious", it would be a grave blunder to refer to it as "peaceful".
Multiple Species of Beasts lived inside that forest, making it an ecosystem regted by its inhabitants and its inhabitants only.
There wasn''t anything like a link or connection between those inhabitants.
Still, there seemed to be an understanding of some kind between all of them.
An almighty axiom, that ruled the forest with an iron fist.
An axiom, that was both necessary and essential to the ecosystem''s regtion.
An axiom, that both flora and fauna followed.
It wasn''t taught.
Nor was it imposed on the forest''s inhabitants.
Yet, without fail, every one of them followed that axiom.
Maybe it was so self-evident, that the axiom was intuitively understood and agreed upon.
Or maybe, it was part of the inhabitants'' very being.
Part of the very genes that made up every cell of their bodies.
The axiom, is often referred to, as "Thew of the jungle".
As that axiom is instinctively understood and agreed upon, there is a variety of ways to describe it or formte it.
Any action in the pursuit of survival is not only eptable, but necessary.
Self-preservation trumps all.
Hunt, or be hunted.
The simplest way to describe it would be...
Kill, or be killed.
Of course, it is also possible, for the agreed-upon axiom, to be something entirely different.
After all, it might be the case, that only those who live in such ecosystems, can describe that axiom.
It might be the case, that only those living under those specific conditions, can formte it clearly and correctly.
It might be the case, that only those who live by the axiom, truly understand it.
Simply put, all the inhabitants agree to hunt and devour each other, using merciless brute force.
Out of the many Species that lived and thrived inside that vibrant forest, one Species truly encapsted that axiom.
Howl-
A Signaler''s howl echoed.
The next prey had been detected.
The Wolves, that had been walking through the robust and tall trees that made up the forest, changed the direction in which they were heading.
They weren''t normal "Wolves".
But that didn''t make their way of life much different.
Inside the forest, this particr Species was neither the strongest, swiftest nor the most agile.
Yet, they prospered inside the ecosystem.
How could they, when their strength didn''tpare to that of others?
Why does this Species thrive?
Because, when ites to survival, all means are justified.
Outnumbering the enemy.
Preying on the youngest.
Catching the enemy off guard.
Creating packs to divide up different tasks.
ALL means are justified.
The Wolves are, admittedly, individually weaker than many of the other Beasts inside the forest.
But the Species turned that weakness into strength.
That weakness obliged the Species to change and adapt.
It made the Species turn away from "Competition", and towards "Cooperation".
Bigger predators will fight each other.
Meanwhile, the Wolves will cooperate and take down the injured predators, who were, previously, too busypeting against each other.
Six Warriors walked stealthily.
In front of them, stood their Leader.
The seven, were "Typhoon Wolves".
Their pelt was mostly white, with a light hint of blue.
Seven "Typhoon Wolves".
But one was different from the rest.
It was bigger, stronger, faster, and its pelt more magnificent.
The Leader''s eyes had a vibrant golden tint.
The sky was clear.
The sun was shining.
For most of the Pack, it was just another day of hunting.
But for two of those Typhoon Wolves, it was a special day.
A very special day.
The day of their first hunt.
One of those two Typhoon Wolves was younger than the rest.
Much younger.
Too young to be hunting.
And yet, that Typhoon Wolf was the second biggest and strongest in the Pack.
The youngling''s pelt was undeniably the most beautiful and stunning in the Pack.
This one was often referred to as the Pack''s next Leader.
After all, it was still a growing Typhoon Wolf.
There was no doubt, that it would, one day, be, as big, if not bigger, as strong, if not stronger, than the Pack''s current Leader.
We''ll call this Typhoon Wolf "Snow".
The second one, on the other hand, was, whenpared to the rest of the Pack, below average, in both size and strength.
Its pelt wasn''t white like the rest, but rather grayish.
It was only due to ack of Warriors, that this one was temporarily given the right to participate in the Hunt.
We''ll call this Typhoon Wolf "Grey".
Both were eager to prove their worth.
A bird flew off a tree''s thin branch, leaving it swaying.
The Leader suddenly picked up the pace, and the rest followed.
After running for a couple of minutes, the Leader raised its snout.
It came to a stop and growled.
Snow, who had been running just a couple of meters behind the Leader, enthusiastically waited for orders.
On the other hand, Grey was thest of the Pack to arrive.
Already breathing heavily, the Typhoon Wolf''s movements were sluggish, almost lethargic.
The Pack''s Leader stared at the tired wolf.
Grey, aware of his own inadequacy, couldn''t do a thing but lower his gaze to the ground.
He couldn''t help but envy both Snow and the Leader, whose bodies were both strong and powerful.
The Leader gave orders.
A handful of minutester, every Member of the Pack was stealthily hidden.
If one gazed from above, it was clear to notice that the Pack formed a circle.
And at that circle''s center, stood the Pack''s prey.
The Leader was confident.
After all, just 24 hours earlier, the Pack had managed to take down two "Tempest Saber-Toothed Tigers" at once.
Inparison, the enemy around whom the Pack had positioned itself, did not seem like much of a challenge.
Additionally, the Pack''s Hunting Team was, a day earlier,posed of five Members only.
But now, they had both Snow and Grey.
While expectations for Grey were low, Snow was, undoubtedly, a particrly strong addition to the Hunting Team.
The Typhoon Wolves, waiting for the perfect time to strike, stared at their prey.
It wasn''t a Beast, like the Storm Eagles or the Tempest Saber-toothed Tigers that the Pack was used to seeing.
The prey, this time, was a Monster.
But for both the Pack and its Leader, that did not change a thing.
The Monster''s body was muscr and lean.
Large, but notrge enough to cause the Pack worry.
Saliva went down one of the Typhoon Wolves'' mouths, already fantasizing about the lean cuts of meat it would devour after the battle.
The prey''s body was covered by white scales.
It had two horns.
ck wings folded on its back.
Unlike the wings that the Pack was used to seeing, the Monster''s wings had no feathers.
But that too didn''t matter to the Pack.
The Members of the Pack patiently waited for their Leader''s signal.
A gentle breeze passed through the trees of the seemingly peaceful forest, making the Beasts'' fur dance.
The prey blinked, and,
Growl-
Determined to bring it down by himself, Snow swiftly jumped out of his hiding spot and quickly approached the target.
The rest of the Pack was stunned, but none moved.
The Leader hadn''t given the order yet.
Gazing upon the leaping Snow, Grey felt slight jealousy.
The Pack''s Leader opted to watch over the scene, as the youngest Typhoon Wolf demonstrated its muscles'' strength.
Snow freed his sharp fangs, aiming for the Prey''s neck.
Unfortunately, the Prey was no easy target.
The Monster covered in white scales reacted quickly.
Only then, did the Leader''s howl echo.
Two hands with deadly grip strength got a hold of Snow''s open mouth.
As per the Leader''s previous orders, Gray and another Typhoon Wolf stayed hidden.
The others immediately left their hiding spots and encircled the Prey.
BOOM-
From their hiding spots, Gray and another Typhoon Wolf used their "Wind st[B]" Magic Skill.
But before the attack could reach its target, a protective barrier appeared around the white-scaled Prey.
The barrier did not seem sturdy, as one could see through it.
Nevertheless, it somehow held up.
Through that barrier, the Pack Members witnessed a horrific scene.
A scene that made each Member tremble slightly.
The Monster''s right hand had a firm grasp on Snow''s lower jaw.
Its left hand, on his upper jaw.
TEAR-
The shaking Grey couldn''t help but take a step back.
Demonstrating both contempt and brutality, the Monster cast aside Snow''s bloody body, as if the young Typhoon Wolf was nothing more than a torn piece of cloth.
The Leader and three other Typhoon Wolves stood around their target, waiting for the protective barrier to disappear.
Once the barrier faded, Grey noticed something.
Something in the Monster''s hand.
Something it, previously, did not hold.
Ignoring the Typhoon Wolves around it, the Monster strengthened its grip, before throwing something akin to a ck javelin with all its strength.
Weak and muffled whimpers echoed.
The "Weapon" had reached its target.
The hiding Typhoon Wolf''s body had been pierced.
Grey''s body shook.
He immediately ran to his injuredrade''s side.
Somehow, the javelin that had pierced the Typhoon Wolf''s body, was nowhere to be seen.
In response to hisrade''s weak cries, Grey''s body started trembling.
The fallen Typhoon Wolf rolled on the ground uncontrobly.
The next second, ck blood started exiting its mouth and snout.
Undescribable pain took control of the injured.
The pain was such, that the poisoned used its own ws to scratch and mutte its very own body.
When highly concentrated, Corruption could cause such horrible pain, that death seemed like a gentler option.
An option that the poisoned''s body instinctively longed for.
Grey''s whole body was violently trembling.
Unsure how to act, he used his paws to stop the poisoned Typhoon Wolf''s movements.
Grey stopped hisrade from self-mutting any further, but...
The Corrupting Poison continued to spread.
Therade''s weak cries stopped a couple of secondster.
Grey turned towards the Monster.
Witnessing the demise of a secondrade, the Typhoon Wolves were seething.
The Leader growled.
New orders had been given.
The four Members, that encircled the Monster, took a couple of steps back.
The next second, three of them attacked.
The Leader, once again, opted to oversee the situation.
Orders were meant to be followed.
The Leader''s orders could not be contested.
Especially not in the middle of a hunt.
After all, the Leader is strongest.
After all, the Leader knows best.
With great speed, three Typhoon Wolves jumped towards their enemy, but the white-scaled Monster moved with even greater speed.
In one swift motion, the Monster''s left fist punched the attacker on its right, while a tail flickunched the other two away.
The next second, an attack, that the Monster had not expected, was about to pierce its neck.
Grey wanted to run away.
The Typhoon Wolf feared for its own life.
It had neither the size nor the strength, to be a Warrior.
Still, the weak and frail Typhoon Wolf couldn''t stand by, after witnessing the ughter of two Members younger than itself.
Grey''s jaw was about to reach the enemy''s neck.
Unfortunately, all his fangs managed to catch was the Monster''s muscr forearm.
Surprised by Grey''s stealth, the Monster was taken aback.
The Typhoon Wolf bit down with all its strength.
It was convinced that, if it managed to tear that limb away or even just distract the enemy for long enough, the rest of the Pack and the Leader would end the Monster''s life.
Grey growled ferociously, but he couldn''t hide his trembling.
The weak Typhoon Wolf''s fangs barely made a dent in the Monster''s tough scales.
Still, Grey was convinced that if he could create an opening, the Leader would take down the Monster.
The two Members that had beenunched away by the Monster''s tail flick struggled to stand back up.
Both had broken ribs.
The one that had been punched by the Monster, was heavily throwing up blood.
Nevertheless, it stood back up too.
Thanks to Grey''s surprise attack, the Monster had turned around.
The injured Typhoon Wolves now stood behind that Monster.
Grey strengthened his grasp on the forearm.
A fang pierced through the tough scales.
It came into contact with the Monster''s skin.
A drop of blood brushed Grey''s tongue.
Immediately gaining confidence, he could already savor the sweet taste of victory.
Grey was, more than ever, determined to never let go of that forearm.
He swore to keep the enemy''s attention on himself, even if it cost him his life.
He bet that life on the sneak attack that the Leader and his three injuredrades were about to execute.
Seeing Grey, who was both weaker and smaller than they were, fighting in their stead, the three injured Typhoon Wolves felt their strength and courage instantlye back.
The three used all the energy they had left to run towards the enemy.
The injured wolves jumped towards the Monster''s back.
The next second, the sound of heavy and powerful paws hitting the ground resonated.
Grey''s confidence peaked.
A ferocious expression appeared on his face.
His jaw exerted strength he did not know he possessed.
The Pack''s Leader had finally made his move.
How will the Leader coordinate the attack?
How can we help the Leader defeat the Monster?
Will the Leader even be able to defeat the Monster?
Futile and foolish questions that never crossed the Typhoon Wolves'' minds.
Every Member of the Pack had absolute confidence in their Leader''s capability and strength.
The Leader cannot be defeated.
The Leader cannot lose.
The Leader will defeat the enemy.
By this time, Grey''s fangs were firmly imnted inside the Monster''s forearm.
But the next second, the rage-filled expression, that the Typhoon Wolf previously wore, disappeared.
Grey''s murky pupils reflected an unimaginable scene.
A scene that made no sense.
So much so, that his own mind went nk.
The Pack Leader''s paws hit the ground repeatedly.
But the Leader wasn''t moving towards the enemy.
The Leader wasn''t trying to save the Pack Members.
The Leader wasn''t trying to fight for the Pack Members.
The Leader, around whom the Pack was formed, was strongest.
The Leader, around whom the Pack was formed, abandoned that very same Pack.
Chapter 71 The Omega
?Disbelief turned into rejection.
Rejection into denial.
The Typhoon Wolf''s murky and yellowish pupils changed.
The very pupils that, at birth, ced Grey into a certain position inside the Pack''s hierarchy changed.
Rage quickly filled both his mind and body.
The injured Typhoon Wolves that had leaped towards the white-scaled Monster''s back, realized too, as the sound of their Leader''s steps faded.
The Leader, to whom they had sworn absolute loyalty, had betrayed them.
But it was toote now.
Their bodies, which had leaped into the air aiming for the Monster''s neck, were pierced.
From that Monster''s lower back, four limbs had appeared.
Four limbs, resembling spider legs pierced their bodies.
The next second, those spider legs moved in opposite directions.
Grey''s bloodshot eyes witnessed hisrades'' bodies being torn in two.
He witnessed their red and steaming blood painting the Monster''s white scales.
The Typhoon Wolf knew.
It knew that it was powerless against the Monster.
Yet, instead of desperation, all it felt was wrath.
Wrath for which it couldn''t find but one outlet.
Grey''s fangs, which had already pierced scales harder than he had evere across,cerated the Monster''s forearm.
His pupils were colored red.
A deep red, as if all the blood inside his body had been concentrated into his eyes.
Grey''s jaw was exerting strength he did not know he had.
Perhaps, strength he previously did not possess.
But before his fangs could prate deep enough to reach the Monster''s bones, a strong punchnded the Typhoon Wolf''s skull.
Dizziness immediately overtook him.
Blood went down his body, tainting his own pelt.
Still, Grey didn''t let go.
He couldn''t let go.
Not even if it cost him his life.
The Monster stared at the Typhoon Wolf, whose expression had gained its ferocity back.
The next second, something entered Grey''s sight.
A hand.
A hand that symbolized certain death.
And as that hand was about to beid on his stout, Grey was reminded of Snow''s ughter.
He let go.
Grey stepped back, while growling.
It wasn''t exactly fear of the enemy that made him let go.
Grey had realized that he wasn''t ready to die just yet.
There was still something he had to do.
He growled and growled while staring at the Monster.
If the intensity that invigorated Grey''s eyes could inflict damage, then, surely, his staring red pupils would have ended the Monster''s life.
He took a step back.
At this point, the Monster in front of Grey was, despite its strength, nothing more than a nuisance.
An obstacle.
A river of blood was flowing down Grey''s damaged skull.
The dizziness made the Typhoon Wolf feel like it could pass out at any moment.
Which is why Grey went back on the offensive right away.
He had no time to waste.
But in front of the white-scaled Monster''s might, the attack proved pointless.
Grey''s approach was met by an insanely quick tail flick.
Crack-
Part of Gray''s skull had already been broken.
Now, many of his ribs were too.
His body wasunched away.
Grey stood back up right away.
But pain sharper than he had ever felt made him lose his bnce.
The bleeding Typhoon Wolf''s body hit the ground.
The impact wasn''t much, but its consequences heavy.
As his body hit the ground, a portion of Grey''s broken ribs had pierced its right lung.
Breathing wasn''t an option anymore.
Moving was impossible.
Nevertheless, Grey''s eyes shined brightly.
The Monster was thest one standing.
Certain of its victory, the Monster walked over Grey''s body.
It approached Snow''s torn carcass.
As was custom inside the forest, the victor was to feast on the defeated.
And Snow looked like the most appetizing of meals.
Such was the way of Beasts.
Only the strongest, gets to win.
And only the winner, gets to live.
The Monster lowered its body towards the fine meal.
A creepy feeling suddenly made its body twitch.
The Monster hadmitted a fatal mistake that could cost it much.
Sensing that its neck was about to be mutted, the Monster''s muscles used all their strength tounch its body forward and away.
Away from the one remaining threat.
The Monster hurriedly turned back towards the only Beast that could pose a threat.
It turned towards Grey.
The only one whose attack had been stealthy enough to go unnoticed.
The Monster was met by a scene that made its eyes widen.
Despite its severe injuries, the Typhoon Wolf was standing.
Barely standing, as its body swayed from side to side.
As blood flowed out of its body.
Still, it stood.
Not only was the Typhoon Wolf standing, but it was slowly walking forward.
Discreetly and stealthily.
Its steps produced no sound.
Despite the pain.
Despite its broken bones, despite its pierced lung, the Typhoon Wolf silently walked.
Grey took a step forward.
Both his body and mind were resilient enough to allow him to move.
Both his body and mind, tirelessly and relentlessly, helped Gray advance towards his goal.
The Monster stared.
Why was it that, unlike those of the other Typhoon Wolves, Grey''s movements were undetectable?
Was there something special about him?
Something that allowed his movements to be undetectable even by the Monster''s sharp sense?
It might''ve been a Skill.
A privilege that Grey was born with.
A special privilege that the other Typhoon Wolvescked.
Some kind of gift orpensation from Lady Fate, in exchange for his weaker body?
That might have been the case.
But not necessarily.
Maybe it was something Grey had learned.
Something he had learned as a member of the lower end of the Pack''s hierarchy.
After all, it is true that Grey had often been hurt by the Leader.
Thetter would greedily feast on either food or the females of the Pack, before swinging its sharp ws at the unsightly Grey.
Even when he was standing a safe distance away from the Leader.
Even when he was encircled by the rest of the Pack.
He was hurt many times over, simply because of his presence.
Simply because of his existence.
Grey was hurt, again and again, for being a Typhoon Wolf whose pelt was a bit grayer than that of others.
For being a Typhoon Wolf whose body was a bit weaker than that of others.
It could have been because of those recurring incidents, that Gray had learned to move discreetly.
Learning to move stealthily might have been the only way for him to survive, even in the midst of the Pack he was part of.
Grey was acutely aware of the Leader''s contempt for him.
No.
Gray was acutely aware of the Leader''s hatred for him.
But, as one can imagine, having a weak body meant that there was nothing for him to do.
Nothing but quietly endure.
In the forest, strength is everything.
And that, is the very thing Greycked.
The strength to survive on his own.
The strength to rebel against his Leader.
Grey couldn''t do a thing, but erase his presence, in the hope of being forgiven for his unsightly existence.
Some might think that his weaker body was, ultimately, a blessing.
After all, it was his fangs, and his fangs only, that had managed to reach the mighty Monster.
Grey was "blessed".
And therefore, he had managed to damage the enemy.
Grey walked, and no sounds were emitted by his movements.
The direction in which the Typhoon Wolf was heading surprised the Monster.
It wasn''t aiming for revenge.
Not against the white-scaled Monster anyway.
Thetter quickly realized where Grey was heading.
It seemed the Typhoon Wolf had a duty that couldn''t be ignored.
Not even on the verge of death.
The direction in which he was heading was...
Thump-
s, Grey''s strength was depleted.
His body hit the ground.
A terrible howl echoed.
A howl that made the Monster''s body twitch.
A howl that expressed deep hatred, wrath, and, above all, sorrow.
On the verge of death, Grey could forget the ughtering of hisrades.
Maybe even forgive it.
Kill, or be killed.
The Beasts inside the forest had agreed to y a certain game.
And just because the Typhoon Wolves were the losers this time, didn''t mean they had any right toin or hold a grudge.
After all, the Pack, too, had killed monstrous amounts of living beings along the way.
Still, there was one thing, the Typhoon Wolf just couldn''t forgive.
Unlike the others, Grey was "blessed".
But all the same, he drew hisst breath.
[You have defeated 1 Typhoon Wolf...]
Floating words appeared in front of the Monster.
It didn''t bother reading those words.
To the Monster, they held little to no value.
Right now, there was something else.
Something more important.
Something that had captured its interest.
The Monster walked towards the fallen Grey.
More words appeared.
[You have used your Magic Skill "Purgatory''s Undead Troup[A+]".]
[The dead ising back to life as your Underling.]
Mana instantly covered the fallen Typhoon Wolf''s body.
Grey''s wounds were healed.
Pulled out from absolute darkness, the Typhoon Wolf could, once again, sense its surroundings.
Grey opened his eyes, unsure of what had happened.
The terrible pain he was enved by seconds earlier was now entirely gone.
He looked around, confused.
But the instant his gaze fell on the white-scaled Monster, something clicked inside his mind.
Immediately, Grey lowered his body.
Both his body and mind swore allegiance to the Monster that had previously killed him.
And as the Monster walked towards Grey''s fallenrades, thetter felt confused.
Conflicted.
Therades, that he, once, would''ve given his life for, now seemed insignificant.
Insignificant inparison to the Monster.
That Monster, was no simple Monster anymore.
That Monster, was now his Master.
But that did not mean Grey had forgotten about hisrades.
Nor had he forgotten about his duty.
Still, his new Master now sat at the pinnacle of Grey''s priorities.
The rest was negligible and held little importance.
The Monster touched the unmoving Typhoon Wolves, and their bodies turned into orbs of red energy.
''You can''t do it the way you are, right?''
A voice echoed inside Grey''s head.
The Monster walked towards Grey.
Whatever the demands, the Typhoon Wolf would obey.
Not because it was obliged to, but because it deeply cared about its Master.
Grey cared about the Monster in front of him more than anything else in the world.
Even though, it was only minutes earlier, that Gray was longing for that Monster''s death.
Grey did not know why that was the case.
He did not know where those feelings came from. And he felt no need to question those feelings.
''Think of it as... Your old buddies giving you their strength.''
The Monster fed his new Underling those red orbs.
As Grey was now one of the Monster''s Underlings, he would never go against his Master''s wishes.
Which is why he felt the exnation wasn''t necessary.
Grey swallowed the red orbs.
The next second, his body started changing.
Grey could feel the strength of his fallenrades invigorating his body.
He immediately felt his muscles and bones grow bigger and stronger.
His fangs and ws became sharper and deadlier.
The strong and explosive muscles of Snow had be his.
No.
He surpassed Snow''s strength and size thanks to the strength of his other deadrades.
There was no doubt that Grey was, now, much stronger than Snow ever was.
There was no doubt that he was now stronger than the one previously known as the next Leader could''ve ever been.
Grey could feel his Magic Skill "Wind st" grow more powerful as well.
His pelt, for which he was shunned previously, became more magnificent.
Patches of a gray color remained.
And they blended in nicely with his otherwisepletely white pelt.
The Typhoon Wolf felt thankful towards his fallenrades, and, most importantly, his Master.
Grey turned towards that white-scaled Monster, as if asking for approval.
The Monster nodded, and an incredible howl echoed throughout the forest.
The sound Grey emitted was more than enough to prove his strength.
It was nothing like the weak and shaky howls he let only out days earlier.
Grey thought that as he was now, the pack''s Leader would be nothing more than a young pup standing in his way.
But that, didn''t matter.
All that mattered, all that Gray wanted to do, was to use his new found strength for his Master.
To protect his Master.
To fulfill his Master''s every wish and desire-
''Now, go for it.''
The Underling stared at its Master for a bit, incredulous.
The next second, Grey leaped through the air faster than he thought would ever be possible for him.
His leg muscles exerted power they previously never could.
His lungs and heart worked harder than was ever possible for him.
''Get your revenge.'' The Monster ordered telepathically.
That white-scaled Monster, was Mark.
''Your old buddies giving you their strength... I never thought of it that way.'' Mark thought, before following his new Underling.
Grey ran towards the ce he was most familiar with inside the forest.
As a Pack, the Typhoon Wolves had a very precise spot that was theirs and theirs alone.
It was their den.
Their home.
Chapter 72 A Leader To Die For
?Grey, following his Master''s order, leaped through the forest with great speed.
A trip that would have previously taken him twenty minutes only took five.
In the middle of the forest, there was a certain spot.
A spot that wasn''t covered by trees.
What looked like a small crater upied the space instead, about a meter deep.
Its surface was about 200 meters square.
There,y the Typhoon Wolves'' den.
With a great leap, Grey exited the tree-covered forest.
From above, he looked down on what used to be his den.
Pained cries echoed.
About twenty pups were standing on the crater''s border, opposite Grey.
The pups were shaking.
Trembling.
Three female Typhoon Wolves stood at the den''s center.
Two of them had their fur stained by red spots.
They stood silent.
On the other hand, the third was letting out loud harrowing cries.
The reason for that was...
Grey immediately leaped into the den.
It was only once his paws hit the ground that he was noticed.
The Pack''s Leader, who was biting down on the crying female Typhoon Wolf''s neck, let go of it.
Enraged that its breeding ritual had been disturbed, the Leader turned to face the intruder.
The female Typhoon Wolves immediately ran away and towards the young pups.
They stood in front of the pups, acting as thest barrier between them and the intruder.
Although the intruder wasn''t the one they feared most.
Grey looked at the Pack''s Leader with both contempt and disgust.
It was obvious that after cowering away, the Pack''s Leader needed to recover its pride and blow off steam.
And the only way it could do so, was by terrorizing the rest of the Pack.
The Leader growled repeatedly, while Grey slowly approached.
The former didn''t recognize Grey.
How could it?
Not only had his body changed, but so had his scent.
The Pack''s Leader took Gray for the Leader of some other Pack of Typhoon Wolves.
Another Leader, fixated on taking this one''s Den, its Pack, and therefore its own life.
The Leader''s growling got louder, but the foe did not seem intimidated one bit.
An extremely one-sided fight took ce thereafter.
***
Minutester, a new intruder peeked at the Den through the dense trees.
''Around here?'' The intruder, a white-scaled Monster, asked itself.
A devilish smile appeared on its face once it found the Den.
The Monster''s Underling was sitting on the crater''s edge, wagging its tail.
Satisfied.
Grey turned his head towards his Master.
''You did it, huh?'' Mark asked telepathically, as heid his hand on Grey''s head.
The Underling stared at his Master.
Loud growls echoed, but they were not directed at them.
The female Typhoon Wolves growled at an unmoving carcass.
Even though it was already dead, they used their ws and fangs to desecrate its body.
The body of their former Leader.
A Leader that had turned out to be nothing more than a tyrant.
Grey turned back towards what used to be his Fen.
One of the female Typhoon Wolves looked particrly old and tired.
He stared profoundly.
Out of the three females, this one seemed to have the most hatred for the Pack''s dead Leader.
That same female Typhoon Wolf, had given birth to Grey some time ago.
The Underling felt strange.
Grey knew that his Master would now ughter the rest of the Pack.
But that did not disturb him.
The Master''s wishes were too important for any lingering affection to matter.
Not only would Grey watch his Master ughter the Pack, but, if ordered to, he would, without doubt, or hesitation, partake in the ughtering.
''Pups and three other Typhoon Wolves, huh? Howe they''re not attacking?''
Mark stared at the scene in front of him with wide eyes.
''Wait... Pups? Huh... Do they Evolve or... Grow? Monsters usually just reappear out of thin air sometime after I''ve defeated them but... Is it different on this Floor?''
Floating words appeared in front of him.
[Correct.]
''Interesting... So they''re actually living here...'' Mark wondered.
His eyes carefully studied what remained of the Pack.
[Your Title "Devourer" is salivating at the sight of tender meat.]
Hunger-
Immediately, the way Mark viewed the pups changed.
He took a step forward, and let himself fall into the crater.
At the sound of his feet hitting the ground, the female Typhoon Wolves finally noticed the intruder.
They growled menacingly, as they slowly stepped back.
''Scared, huh? Then, let''s end it quickly.''
As Aura oozed out of his body, a crack appeared on the ground below him.
Immediately, the Typhoon Wolves moved.
Mark, who had been expecting a fight, was left confused.
The Typhoon Wolves had turned their back on the enemy.
''Just like that guy, huh? Guess you''re not so different after all...'' Mark thought, about to leap towards his prey.
They ran.
But unlike the Pack''s old Leader, the injured female Typhoon Wolves turned around to face the enemy.
Only once they were positioned in front of the young pups, were they ready to fight.
Calling it "fighting" would be a stretch though.
''You don''t want to fight... But you''re not running away?''
Mark felt confused.
Every Monster he had crossed since the Tenth Floor did one of the two.
Fight or flight.
Every Monster except one that is.
But from behind the Typhoon Wolves, something made that confusion fade.
A weak cry.
The weak and helpless cry of a young pup.
''You''ll only fight... To protect them?''
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to quickly devour them.]
The hunger got stronger.
Mark took a step forward.
The female Typhoon Wolves growled fiercely, but they could not stop their body''s shaking.
''Tsk...''
Mark raised his hand to the side.
In front of his open palm, a Giant Fire Ball appeared.
It wasunched towards the forest''s trees.
A great explosion ensued.
An explosion that looked strong enough to wipe out all that was left of the Pack.
''You''ll die if you don''t move.''
The female Typhoon Wolves immediately stopped growling.
Their trembling, on the other hand, only got more intense.
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to get on with it.]
''Shut up.''
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to...]
''I SAID SHUT UP!''
The enraged Mark''s Aura ballooned up.
Multiple cracks appeared on the ground.
The Typhoon Wolves shivering became uncontroble, as they held their breath.
Awaiting certain death, they, surely, would have run away or passed out by now.
If it wasn''t for the ones they wished to protect that is.
The next second, something brushed past Mark''s hand.
His new Underling''s soft and fluffy fur.
The Aura surrounding Mark''s body seemed to calm down.
Mark lowered his gaze towards that Underling.
''What do you think?''
Mark stared gravely at his Underling.
And the Underling waited.
''If I order you to kill them, you''d do it, right?''
The Underling stared at its Master, before turning its gaze towards the horrified Pack.
''Yeah. I know you would...''
Mark''s gazey on the Pack once more.
''If you''re a Pack, then you''re family, right? Or something like that. Mm. Probably. Oh... I could, huh? Yeah, I definitely could...''
An idea popped up inside his mind.
An idea that had never urred to him before.
After all, this Floor was different from all the previous ones.
A monstrous chuckle escaped Mark''s mouth.
''I could make you ughter your own family.''
The Underling stared at the Pack.
Dispassionately.
Ready to obey whatever order was given.
But the next second, the Master turned around and started walking away.
Grey was left confused.
Conflicted.
He was ready to fight.
Ready to decimate the Pack.
Even if that meant ending the Typhoon Wolf that had birthed him.
The Master felt conflicted too, sort of.
''They''re pups. So who cares? Not much meat. Not a lot of Evolution Points. I''m definitely not getting a Skill from it so...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is disappointed.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is starving.]
''Yeah. Well, let''s look for a real feast then.'' Mark thought as he walked away.
Grey''s gaze repeatedly went from the Pack to his Master and back.
Why was the Master leaving them alive?
When he was about to kill them, why did the Master change his mind?
Grey did not know.
Still, he ran to his Master''s side.
And as the two were about to enter the forest once more, Mark came to a stop.
He kneeled in front of his Underling, beforeying his hand on its head.
''Making you kill your own family, huh? This is the first Floor where Monsters actually HAVE families, I guess. It must be this way outside the Dungeon too, right? Even Monsters have families... Mmm... I could make you kill them. But... That doesn''t sound appealing to me.''
The Underling tilted its head to the side in response.
''You''re my Underling now. So... You serve me, and your family will be safe. From me at least. Yeah. That sounds fair.'' Mark thought as he stood up.
Grey''s red pupils immediately dted.
He was thankful to his Master, for the strength he has recently obtained.
Thankful because he allowed his revenge.
In truth, these things were only extra though.
For being brought back from the dead, Grey owed everything to the Master.
And since he owed everything, extreme loyalty was instinctively instilled inside of him.
Still, the Master has spared others out of consideration for him.
Grey couldn''t help but feel both his devotion and loyalty deepen.
Even if, he were to, somehow, be freed from his position as "Underling", Grey felt he would never leave his Master''s side.
The Typhoon Wolf followed Mark through the forest.
Having a Master was different from having a Leader.
Nevertheless, the way Grey perceived Mark contrasted nicely with the way he perceived the Pack''s previous tyrannical Leader.
With glittering eyes, he fondly stared at his Master''s back.
The Underling felt like he had now found a proper Leader.
A proper Leader to follow.
A proper Leader to fight for.
A proper Leader to die for.
Chapter 73 Birdcage
?''Let''s meet up at the Floor''s center, Levi. Where it connects with the Second Floor.'' Mark telepathically ordered one of his Underlings.
Apanied by his new Underling, he walked through the forest.
A couple of Tempest Saber-Toothed Tigers and Storm Bears were met along the way.
None of them posed a real threat to the Master-Underling duo.
Mark especially took pleasure in defeating the Strom Bears.
Maybe because they reminded him of the Monsters he had encountered outside the Dungeon.
''Since I''m feeding you, you''ll get stronger. Guess you''ll stay alive. Should think of a name for you...'' Mark thought as he fed his Underlings the red orbs of energy made from the fallen enemies.
The Typhoon Wolf immediately grew in size.
The Master had already feasted on plenty of the First Floor''s Monsters.
Yet, he hadn''t obtained any new Skills.
It was strange, since devouring the first few Monsters encountered on new Floors usually led to gaining quite a few Skills.
''The same as the Body Modifications...? I can''t buy Body Modifications, nor can I buy Skills. And now, I don''t even get Skills after devouring so many... Which means that I have to use my Titles directly, right?''
No answer was given by the System.
Mark''s thoughts wandered, as he made his way through the dense forest.
''My Body Modifications are obviously... Umm... Done? Or performed? By my Title. It''s a perk of the Evolving Monster Title...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is smiling.]
''Right...''
Mark couldn''t get used to conversing with his Titles.
Conversing with the System felt natural. After all, Mark thought of it as conversing with the person watching him.
But with Titles, it felt different.
''Still, the Body Modifications and Evolutions use up Evolution Points. Thosee from devouring Monsters. Therefore, the Devourer Title allows me to get the... Let''s call them... Crafting Materials? The two work so well they could be one-''
Mark immediately felt dizzy.
[Your Title "Devourer" is showing its fangs.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is sneering.]
''Tsk... Anyway, Skill Points probablye from that too. I''ve been getting them by defeating Guardians but, there must some other way. Probably. A way to obtain them directly through my Titles...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" wants to get to work!]
[Your Title "Devourer" is yawning.]
''The fact that I have to use the Titles without the System''s help is tricky, but...''
Mark raised his gaze to the blue sky above.
''Coupled with the fact that the air is full of Mana, that Monsters reproduce on this Floor, and that I haven''t been obtaining Skills even though I''ve devoured so many. It''s more than obvious now...''
[Your Title "System Holder" is shaking.]
''Mmm. Yeah...'' Mark nodded.
His Underling stared at him with wide red eyes.
''The First Floor isn''t about getting stronger, but rather about getting used to how it''ll be outside, right?''
[Correct.]
''So you can do the things you used to. You just won''t.''
[Correct.]
Mark brought his hand to his shoulder, before cracking his neck.
''I''ll have to get used to it then.''
Piercing fangs peeked through his curled lips.
''Not getting Skills despite devouring so many is definitely the biggest and worst change so far... Any other perks I should worry about losing?''
[Everything will be exined after leaving the Dungeon.]
Despite his "smiling", Mark could feel his nerves tensing up.
''Mm. These Titles and changes are upying my mind a lot. So much so that I''m not even thinking about the outside world. You made me forget about it. The world outside this Dungeon. The whole world. Beyond that cold, windy, freezing fucking tundra...''
[Then, by all means, continue not thinking about it.]
Despite feeling slight irritation, the white-scaled Monster chuckled at the response.
''That''s your answer to everything, isn''t it?''
There was a limit to how much Mark could ept.
Being left in the dark for so long was obviously weighing on his mind.
But now, he was finally approaching the finish line.
Mark was close.
So close to escaping.
And yet,
''I do owe them this second life of mine... I guess. Tsk. Leaving this Dungeon seems like freedom, but...''
Mark''s heart started beating faster.
''Freedom, huh?''
Images immediately sprung forth.
Images of the time after defeating the Second Floor''s Guardian.
When his Titles had gone haywire.
When he held no control over them.
He remembered the dark, freezing, and oppressive Mana that had englobed his body.
Mana, that felt like it could make anything disappear with a touch.
Mark''s hand slightly trembled, as he was reminded of the insane power that had made those Titles submit.
The power that made that Mana disappear.
The pressure he felt, as his body was pushed to the ground.
The pressure he foolishly tried fighting.
The feeling of being forsaken by this world''s veryws.
As if gravity itself was fighting against him, trying to him down.
Trying to bury him under.
More than anything, Mark remembered the eye that looked down upon him.
An all-powerful eye.
An all-seeing eye.
''Tsk...''
There was no denying that being stuck inside the Dungeon was akin to being stuck in a prison.
A prison he desperately wanted to escape.
But when thinking about those who hide behind the so-called "System".
When thinking about that all-powerful eye.
Mark couldn''t help but feel like escaping this prison would only lead to entering a new one.
A different one.
A wider one.
A prison, nevertheless.
With such power, those beings could, probably, turn the whole world into a birdcage.
A birdcage in which Mark was stuck.
Winning against them seemed impossible.
Running from them felt futile and hopeless.
Mark clenched his fists.
''Let''s do this. Overthinking it won''t lead me anywhere.'' He thought, before elerating.
Power.
Strength.
More was needed.
Much more.
''Stronger. I need to get stronger...'' Mark thought, as he ran.
And, as if answering, or reacting, to that thirst for power, floating words appeared in front of Mark.
A silver lining, some might say.
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to feast on stronger enemies.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is excitedly waiting for an opportunity to act.]
''Yeah. Devouring... Evolving... Yeah. As long as I have you with me...''
Mark''s beating heart upped its pace.
''As long as I have you...''
This time, the increase was not due to anxiety or fear.
[Your Title "Devourer" is chuckling.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is smirking.]
''Annoying. You''re annoying... I guess there''s still a lot I don''t understand about this yet, but there''s no denying that...''
[Your Title "Devourer" is smiling widely.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is smiling widely.]
Mark exited the forest, and his speed only kept increasing.
''With you, I have no limits.''
Mark''s shivers had turned into chills.
"My Lord!"
From outside the forest, in the middle of the in field, Levi shouted.
He ran to his Master.
The Underling immediately brought his knee to the ground once he arrived in front of Mark.
''You don''t have to kneel. You did as I told you?'' Mark asked telepathically, as he walked past Levi.
He asked, even though there was no doubt in his mind about the answer.
"Yes, my Lord."
In the middle of the grassy in, right next to the hole that led to the Second Floor, a lump of bodiesy.
[Your Title "Devourer" is salivating.]
''Alright.''
Mark''s hand touched one of the bodies from the great lump, and the lot turned into a green orb of energy.
[Using the Skill "Consume[A]" won''t be possible outside the Dungeon.]
''That so?'' Mark asked telepathically, as he swallowed the orb.
[You have developed the Magic Skill "Wind st[B]".]
''Finally-''
[Your Magic Skill "Consume[A]" is dissolving.]
''Seriously?''
[You have lost the Magic Skill "Consume[A]".]
[You must get used to how things will be in the future.]
''Tsk. Good thing I didn''t waste Skill Points on it then. As long as I keep my "Devouring Architecture" Skill then... Wait... Isn''t it-''
[That Skill is different.]
[It was born due to your Titles resonating with certain Skills.]
''Yeah. Mm... On the other hand, I got "Consume" by asking you, huh? I get it.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you with wide eyes.]
''Huh?''
[Your Title "Devourer" is staring at you.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you with sparkly eyes.]
''You got me the "Wind st" Skill? I guess? Mm... Good job?''
Mark felt just as confused as he felt amused.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" smiles widely.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is sneering at the boot licking.]
Chuckle-
The next second,
HISS-
Now that the lump of bodies had disappeared, the rest of Mark''s Underlings were visible.
On top of Fiery was a hissing Moonlit Feline.
It had been named Krista, although it still hadn''t epted the name.
The Moonlit Feline, in its cat form, raised its back and lowered its head.
The hair on Krista''s body stood, as she hissed menacingly.
The reason for that was...
Howl-
An aloof Typhoon Wolf stared at its Master''s other Underling.
Krista''s hissing got louder.
In response, the Typhoon Wolf Underling lowered its head and raised its behind.
The Underling seemed in high spirits, and its energetically waggling tail made it obvious.
''I didn''t think he would-''
The Typhoon Wolf Underling suddenly leaped towards the hissing Krista.
Thetter immediately jumped off Fiery''s back and ran away.
Mark couldn''t help but chuckle at the scene.
The Typhoon Wolf chased behind the Moonlit Feline.
One was barking joyfully, while the other was running for dear life.
Krista, slightly tired but mostly annoyed, shifted her course.
The Moonlit Feline ran towards Mark and climbed over his body.
''Huh. I didn''t think you would start acting like pets-''
Suddenly, theTyphoon Wolf Underling''s ears stood up.
It had heard somthing.
It had noticed something.
Something that seemed to be in hiding.
The Underling immediately jumped over Fiery andnded behind her.
There, was found...
''I''m definitely curious now...''
Two Underlings faced one another.
A Typhoon Wolf, which seemed different than the other members of its Species, and a Demonic Dark Wolf.
Both stared deeply at one another.
Their pelts were nothing alike, but their eyes appeared simr.
Each seemed to get lost inside the other''s red pupils.
''Huh...''
A secondter, the Typhoon Wolf Underling lowered the front side of its body.
Another attempt at initiating y it seemed, as the first attempt hadn''t proved sessful.
But unfortunately, this Underling was not much of a yer either.
Light stared for a bit, before walking away.
Chapter 74 Strength In Numbers
?''Come out.'' Mark ordered as he stared at a certain red gem.
Immediately, a being made of ferocious mes appeared.
He, who used to be the Second Floor''s Guardian, now, known as nothing more than a Fire Spirit, looked around.
''What do you think?'' Mark asked telepathically.
The Fire Spirit''s burning eyes started shining.
"Wood... Grass... I can''t wait..." He whispered.
As if lifted by the wind, his burning body started rising into the air.
"So much to burn..."
A grin appeared on Mark''s face.
Having the ferocious Fire Spirit by his side was definitely a great addition.
Levi and the rest of the Underlings eagerly waited for their Master''s order.
A gentle and peaceful breeze passed over the vibrant in field.
Mark turned away from a certain location.
His Typhoon Wolf Underling''s eyes gleamed.
''Burn everything in this direction.''
A silent second followed the Master''s order.
A silence that was broken by...
"Well then..." The Fire Spirit shouted as he extended his arms forward. "Don''t mind me getting the festivities started!"
A humongous ball of raging fire appeared in front of those extended arms right away.
''My Scorching Star from before... With more of those mes Of Chaos... A bit less of my original Fire to keep it stable... I''ll condense it, and then-''
The attack was fired.
''Almost like...'' Mark stared.
The Fire Spirit''s attack had been so thoroughly condensed that it looked more like a ball of light than a fireball.
''A shooting star.''
Fwoosh-
What looked like a minuscule star flew across the grassy field with great speed.
Aq the magic attack approached the target, time seemed to stop.
The shining star hit one of the numerous trees that covered the forest.
A blinding sh ensued.
BOOM-
An explosion of a scale none of the forest''s inhabitants had ever witnessed urred.
A devilish smile appeared on Mark''s face, as overwhelming excitement made shivers go down his spine.
It only took one moment.
One attack.
Dozens of unsuspecting Beasts were burnt to a crisp.
The trees surrounding the point of impact were torched.
No.
Obliterated.
''Like a sun...'' Mark thought, as he stared at the dome of fire that had appeared in the middle of the forest, his eyes wide open.
The Ex-Guardian started pping his hands as heughed hysterically.
The Fire Spirit felt euphoric.
Truly delighted by his attack''s destructive impact on the forest.
The raging and burning dome disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared.
Violent winds ruled part of the forest. Extremely violent winds.
The shockwave that followed the explosion was so powerful rhat it tore the surrounding trees and pulled their firm roots right out of the ground.
The next second, a deadly silence fell over the Floor.
In the middle of the forest, a circr area with a diameter of at least eighty meters had been obliterated, leaving the scorched ground covered by nothing more than dust, and burning ashes.
"THIS..." The Fire Spirit eximed. "Is what Fire is capable of."
At those words, Mark felt inclined to recreate the Fire Spirit''s attack.
But it wasn''t that simple.
''The difference in Mana reserves is toorge. Right now, what we need is...''
Secondster, Fiery''s mandibles twitched.
In response, thousands of legs hit the ground.
Hundreds of Insect Monsters trampled over each other to reach the forest as quickly as possible.
Their whole existence served one purpose, and one purpose only.
And so, the Insect Monsters ran over the grassy in.
Mindlessly.
Fearlessly.
With one single objective in mind.
To obey their queen''s order.
And thus, their sole objective was destruction.
As soon as the swarm''s front line prated the forest, itsyout quickly started changing.
Fiery hadn''t ordered them to kill.
But rather, to destroy.
With only mayhem on their minds, the Insect Monsters used their sickle-like legs to cut trees down, their Fire-Type Magic Skills to burn everything to a crisp, and their sheer advantage in numbers to kill all living beings on sight.
...
A Tempest Saber-Toothed Tiger immediately ran towards a Monster of a Species it had never encountered before.
With a single hit, it decapitated the target.
But the next second, five simr Monsters approached.
Despite their weakness, they used their sharp legs to injure the Tempest Saber-Toothed Tiger.
Still, thetter was unphased.
The attacks were weak and could barely prate the feline''s thick muscles.
Secondster, the ground started shaking.
The Tempest Saber-Toothed Tiger turned in the direction the group of Insect Monsters hade from.
Dozens if not hundreds of them used their numerous limbs to make their way through the forest.
It only took a handful of seconds for the petrified and overwhelmed Tempest Saber-Toothed Tiger''s body to be drown under the swarm of Insect-Type Monsters.
Secondster, the swarm continued its expedition through the forest, leaving an unmoving corpse behind.
Insatiable and ravenous.
The insect swarm''s movements truly resembled that of a great and unstoppable wave making its way across the ocean.
''Guess it''ll take some time to clear this part. The sooner we find the limit, the better...'' Mark thought.
"Well then, I''ll go the other way. These ants don''t leave behind much to burn."
Mark stared sternly.
"Huh? There''s nothing for me to burn if I stay here. Ugh... Whatever. I''m done here." The Fire Spiritined, before entering the "Fire Spirit Core" once more.
[The Fire Spirit falls back into a slumber.]
''Tsk. Impatient as always. Guess I''ll call him outter...'' Mark thought. ''Anyway, this Territory is more than manageable. I''m guessing the Guardian is on the other one, right?''
[Would you like to be guided towards the Final Floor''s Guardian?]
Surprise-
''Well, yeah. I can neither evolve nor gain Skills, so what''s the point? I just need to find some strong Underlings, and... That''s it. That''s all I can do really.''
[The System nods.]
''So? Just tell me about it so I don''t waste time clearing the whole-''
Floating words interrupted Mark''s thoughts.
[Where would be the fun in that?]
[The Final Floor''s Guardian protects the Dungeon''s Exit.]
[What kind of Final Trial would this Floor be if you were told everything?]
Mark started walking.
''Where would be the fun in that, you say? Tsk... There''s no fun to be found here anyway. All the Monsters I''ve encountered weren''t particrly strong. If this is just about Wind Magic, then I''ve already gotten a Wind-Type Magic Skill. If it''s about getting used to things, then I''ve done that already.''
[The System chuckles.]
Just as Mark was about to retort,
"My Lord." Levi called out.
Only then, did Mark notice the piles of Insect Monster corpses in front of him.
''It''s no wonder that Monsters from the Sixth Floor would be no match for those of the Final Floor, but... There are a lot more corpses than before. Did we finally get to the good part?''
Mark immediately spread his wings and took off.
''Good progress...'' Hemented, looking at the advancing swarm''s frontline.
''But there''s less than a third of them left. Still can''t see an end to this damn forest...''
With a p of his wings, Mark advanced and found himself above the swarm.
He positioned himself dozens of meters ahead of the swarm''s frontline.
''Let''s make this easier on them...''
Mark activated two Magic Skills.
"Venomous Wings[C-]", coupled with "Venom Regtion[B+]".
With each movement of Mark''s wings, hundreds of purple particles were released into the air.
The wind made the venomous particles move erratically as they fell down.
''Let''s hope the wind doesn''t make themnd on Fiery''s Offspring...''
Only once Mark had used up most of his Mana Points, did he go back to his Underlings'' side.
"My Lord, how does the army''s progress look?" Levi asked.
Mark chuckled lightly at his Underling''s war general-like attitude.
''Good. Not as fast as I would like but we should be approaching the limit. Now that the venom will slow down the Monsters ahead, it should keep on going smoothly.'' The Master answered telepathically, as hended on the ground.
Surrounded by his Underlings, Mark couldn''t help but feel like his overall firepower was slightlycking.
''The Final Floor. I didn''t gain much strength for now. This is difficult...''
Light, a Monster originally from the Tenth Floor.
Fiery, a Monster from the Sixth.
Krista, the Moonlit Feline, a Monster from the Fifth.
Levi, the Third Floor''s Guardian.
The Typhoon Wolf, a Monster from the First Floor.
These were the Underlings at Mark''s side.
Of course, the Fire Spirit could also be counted as additional firepower.
''I still have some Skills Points, but... I''d prefer waiting for a fight during which I feel an aspect of my powercking. Using those Skill Points at the right time to upgrade the Skills needed could get me out of a tough spot.'' Mark thought as he walked away from his Underlings.
"Are we leaving, my Lord?" Levi asked.
''Yeah. Let''s wait for the insects to die out. I need to replenish my Mana too. They''ve cleared a path that''ll lead directly to... Well, whatever it is that''s lurking.''
As Mark and his Underlings turned around and started walking away, two yellow eyes stared at their backs.
Hidden amidst the trees, more than two hundred meters away, was a single Monster.
It was part of the Species that originally ruled over the Final Floor.
A Species that only fights or hunts when necessary.
Its yellow eyes shined brightly.
The Monsters it was staring at, were definitely a threat that needed to be eradicated.
***
"Agh..." Draconia sighed heavily.
Watching over Mark''s condition and progress wasn''t a simple job.
Nia considered the task both stressful and tiring.
"Master doesn''t want me to get involved in any way. I can neither help nor protect him but... If he were to die now, it would be... Ugh. Let''s just hope all this work won''t result in a disappointing oue. There''s still a lot for this Mark to do..." Draconia whispered, as she stared at a screen.
It showed a certain Territory inside the Final Floor''s forest.
Hidden under a dome of Mana that made it invisible, was what looked like a vige.
Theyer of Mana acted as a veil and a barrier.
It restricted both entry and exit.
''I only activated it once Mark entered the Final Floor. There should be two or three of them in the forest but... It would require insane luck to randomly find them. They should be at the limits but... Mm.''
The vige''s inhabitants looked simr.
After all, they all belonged to the same Monster Species.
Standing at about 180 centimeters tall, they had four limbs, yellow eyes, white hair, and two pointy long ears that twitched with the wind.
Their skin was dark, greyish.
They were part of a Monster Species that lived in groups.
Groups that could contain as many as hundreds of members.
The Monster Species was [A] Ranked.
"Should I unveil them? Or..." Nia asked herself as she watched over Mark.
Chapter 75 Follower Of...?
?''What''s up with it?'' Mark asked telepathically.
In front of him, floated what looked like a glitching screen.
[Your Stats, and therefore, your Status Window cannot currently be shown.]
''Why not? How long has it been this way? I haven''t checked my Stats for a while now. Is it the same for my Underlings'' Stats-''
[Analyzing...]
''What? Can''t think of a convincing answer?'' Mark asked.
His slight annoyance was obvious.
[Stats are a way to express numerically one''s rtive strength.]
''So?''
[The Stats you were previously shown or assigned reflect your strength inside the Dungeon.]
''So, if I understand right, what you''re saying is that...''
A sinking feeling started settling in.
''My Stats outside of here are actually lower?''
[Much lower.]
The Monster named Mark startedughing out loud.
''I guess me and my Underlings having Stats with values surpassing 4000 should have made it obvious.''
Hisughter was such that if his body was able to produce them, tears would be going down his face.
''Well, that''s quite the curveball.''
[Isn''t it?]
''In that case... It must be the same for the Ranks of Monsters, huh? Actually, it must be even more true for Ranks. Wait, for the Ranks of Skills too...''
[Correct.]
Mark let his body fall to the ground.
''I knew the Monsters outside would be stronger, but for the Ranks to be different... This is hrious!''
His back hit the floor, while monstrousughter echoed.
''Here I was, thinking: Oh, where are the [A] Ranked Monsters? Haha! I Bet [A] Ranks here must be [C] or maybe even [D] outside...''
Mark stared at the blue sky above. Or rather, the imitation it was.
''Then do it already. Show me what my true Stats are. The Ranks of my Skills too.''
Somehow, Mark did not fear the news.
Knowing that even his Skills, that even his [S] Rank Skill, would actually be ranked much lower outside the Dungeon, did not bother him.
On the contrary, it made him excited.
[Your Stats and Skill Ranks will be avable once you leave the Dungeon.]
''I want them now.''
[They are unavable.]
''Weren''t you analyzing something? Analyze some more. Then tell me.''
[Your Stats and Rank will be calcted once you leave the Dungeon.]
[The same applies to the Ranks of your Skills.]
Mark''s thoughts stopped.
A mix of surprise and shock.
''Calcted? They must be calcted, huh? Then... You mean you''re... You''re just toozy to calcte them now?''
[It isplicated.]
More monstrousughter ensued.
If anything, Mark felt amused.
[The System warns you that the Challenge ahead is one you must put your entire focus on.]
''Right.''
Mark chuckled, before standing up.
[The System wants you to neither lose confidence nor get arrogant.]
''That so?''
By then, Mark wasn''t paying the messages any mind.
He was looking dead ahead, at the dense forest.
[Your rise through the Dungeon has been challenging.]
''Yeah, tell me about it.''
[You went from a weak [G] Ranked Skeleton, to the Monster you are now.]
''No. I didn''t mean literally...''
[You have gone through numerous tough fights and Trials.]
[It is only fitting that thest Challenge would be the most difficult.]
''You''re pretty talkative today.''
[Devouring everything on your way, you''ve be a Monster that stands on the Dungeon''s Highest Floor.]
[And rightfully so.]
''So...?''
[You deserve your ce on this Final Floor.]
Mark started walking forward, as the System''s messages seemed endless.
[But this Final Trial, will dictate whether you deserve to leave the Dungeon or not.]
[It will dictate whether you deserve a ce on the outside or not.]
''Deserve? Only I get to decide whether I leave or not. If I beat them all, if I defeat those who stand in my way, then I''ll finally be able to leave.''
[Correct.]
[Still, after all this time, it seems you only think of this Dungeon as a prison.]
Even though Mark chuckled, the System''s message also slightly angered him.
''Because it''s supposed to be anything else? I''m stuck here. Exactly where you want me to be.''
[It is not so simple.]
''Tsk...''
While Mark''s thoughts did not stop, they were not directed at the System.
Which is why they could not be read by it anymore.
Nevertheless, more messages kept appearing.
[The Dungeon is more barrier than prison.]
''Yeah. A barrier that keeps me locked.''
[First and foremost, it is a barrier that prevents external influence from entering.]
''Whatever. A locked cage is a locked cage. Can''t leave it, can''t enter it. Same thing. Now shut up. I have to figure out what it is that was lurking inside the forest.''
[The System wants you to calm yourself before going forward.]
[A Trial that can only be passed with a calm mind is awaiting you.]
''Shut up. Since when do you give advice anyways? Answer when I ask. It''s what you do best.''
Mark walked for a couple of minutes.
Suddenly, a ringing sound echoed inside his head.
''What... The...? Ugh...!''
Mark tightly gripped his head.
[Your Title "System Holder" is shaking.]
''What is... Don''t tell me it''s likest-''
[Your Title "System Holder" is trembling.]
The ringing got more and more intense.
[Your Title "System Holder" is splitting.]
The sound suddenly ceased, leaving Mark dizzy for a moment.
[Your Title "System Holder" has split into two distinct Titles.]
[Your Title "System Holder" splits into "(True)System Holder".]
Mark''s eyes widened as he read the next message.
[Your Title "System Holder" splits into "Gaavah''s Follower".]
''Huh?''
His mind went nk for an instant.
''Follower? Gaavah? What''s that?''
[Previously, both Titles had been merged for efficiency''s sake.]
''I get that. Doesn''t answer a thing though.''
[Questions about your state, Status, and others things rted, are answered by the "System Holder" Title.]
[Simply put, they are answered by the System.]
A smile appeared on Mark''s face.
One piece of the puzzle hade into ce.
''Alright. So that''s where the stale answerse from.''
[Correct.]
''Conversing with you, however...''
[Is due to your Title "Gaavah''s Follower".]
[A Title my Master has bestowed upon you.]
''Bestowed upon me?'' Mark chuckled. ''How gracious of him.''
[This much should do.]
[Calm your mind before going forward.]
''Wait a second. This isn''t nearly enough. Now that you''ve admitted that it''s a person I''m talking to, I''ll need you to exin things thoroughly.''
[What if I choose not to?]
''Then I won''t leave this ce. I''ll stay here.''
[You wouldn''t.]
''Maybe I will.''
[You wouldn''t.]
''Maybe I fucking will.''
At the thought, slight amounts of Aura oozed out of Mark''s body.
[You are being unnecessarily stubborn.]
A couple of seconds passed.
[Still, I''ll bite.]
[I will answer three of your Questions.]
''How about 10? I''ve been locked in here for a while now. You wouldn''t answer my questions then, and they''ve been piling up. Answering ten questions is the least you could do.''
[Three Questions.]
[Ask away.]
A smile appeared on Mark''s face, as he took a seat on the grassy in.
''Three questions? Kind of stingy. Still, I can ask moreter on. Whether they''ll answer or not is a different matter though. Questions, huh? Where am I? What''s outside? What''s the outside like? Why was I brought here? What...''
But amidst the torrent of questions that Mark wished to ask, one stood out.
''Who am I?''
[What is it you mean precisely?]
''My past life. Tell me about it.''
[It doesn''t matter.]
''I know-''
[You thought so yourself.]
''I know, but still-''
[Right after beating the Seventh Floor''s Guardian, you...]
''Oh, for fuck''s sake. I know. Just answer.''
A handful of silent seconds passed.
[It is knowledge I do not possess.]
''You... What? So you don''t know? Really? You expect me to believe that?''
[It is the truth.]
Mark scratched his head.
''Fine...''
Disappointed.
Mark had been left disappointed.
By both the answer he had obtained, and his own lingering attachments to an ancient past.
[As a favor, this question won''t count as part of the three.]
''Well yeah, I''d hope so. Tsk...''
A disappointment that left him conflicted.
His follow-up questions now seemed meaningless.
''I''ll ask who you are, I guess. And don''t give me some dodgy answer like your name or something.''
[I am surprised by your choice.]
''Whatever. Just answer.''
[Of course.]
[My name is Nia.]
[I am the one who has been watching over you since your Rebirth.]
''Anything else?''
[I am one of those Titled "Generals Of Gaavah''s Army".]
''What''s this Gaavah thing? Some kind of city? A city, huh? Do Monsters even live in cities? Wait, you''re a Monster, right?''
[That''s four questions.]
[You only have two remaining.]
''Then answer none of them. Except if you feel like answering without it costing me.''
A second passed.
[Some Monsters do live in cities.]
[Lord Gaavah is my Master.]
''Your Master, huh? Then... This Master would know about...''
Mark shook his head.
''Tsk. The Title said I was a Follower of his?''
[The Title of "Follower" is the lowest Title Position for an Underling.]
[It, being the lowest Position, means that, from it, stems the least responsibilities and rewards.]
[Two questions remaining.]
Mark felt rather good about the "least responsibilities" part.
''Why was I brought here? What''s the purpose behind it? And don''t answer with: Because we want you to get stronger. I already get that part. I want to know what''s beyond it.''
[Something ising.]
[Strength is needed.]
[Change is necessary.]
''Seriously? There''s no way a vague answer like that counts in my book.''
[What counts in your book doesn''t matter.]
[Plenty has been answered already.]
[One question remaining.]
Sigh-
Since matters of the past nor those of the far future could be answered, only the immediate future was left.
''What happens when I defeat this Floor''s Guardian? What happens when I leave the Dungeon exactly?''
The question of whether he would even be able to beat the Guardian did not even cross Mark''s mind.
[After leaving the Dungeon, a certain person will act as your Guide.]
[That person will guide you to a certain Location.]
[I shall meet you at that Location.]
[From there, we shall make our way to our Lord.]
''Our? Already counting me as part of your... Ugh. Whatever. Guide, huh? At least I''m not taken there like some kind of prisoner. Guess that''s good enough. Oh. The person I''ll meet outside... Is it the guy who brought me back here that time? Or was that you, Nia?''
[Three questions have already been answered.]
''So? This is a pretty important one, don''t you think?''
[The person you will meet is the one that brought you back and saved you.]
''Yeah. I guess. Alright. So what''s-''
Mark''s thoughts were interrupted as unexpected information was dumped at once.
[The Territory that you have yet to conquer appears to be part of the forest.]
[But it is not.]
[A Veil of Mana covers its location.]
[In four hours, the Veil will be lifted.]
[The trapped Monsters will, then, be able to leave those locations and roam the forest.]
[Find that Territory before the time limit passes.]
[Or focus on raising your strength.]
''Wait, what kind of random information is that? Why is it-''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" falls into a silent slumber.]
''Seriously? Hey... Hey! Nia! HEY!''
As Mark expected, no answer came.
While puzzled,ughter welled up inside him nevertheless.
''A Follower, huh? Not too bad. Doesn''t sound too constrictive...''
Mark started rotating his arm, as if warming up his shoulder.
''I might be a Follower. But in the end, they want me to be King, right? In that case, until I''m out of here...''
He spread his wings wide.
''Until I can get everything sorted out...''
Mark took off.
''I''ll y along.''
Chapter 76 Worthy Meal
?''Four hours... Four hours...''
Mark ran through the forest.
He stayed away from the area the Insect Monsters had destroyed.
''We''ve already made it to the wall that limits the forest. Then... Should I move along that wall? I might end up finding the Guardian instead. They''ve always been waiting in those Boss Rooms but... There''s no reason to believe it''ll be the same now...''
Alongside Mark, was his Typhoon Wolf Underling.
Gaze-
''I''m being watched... Something has been following me for a while now. A gaze... Can''t tell how far or close the emitting it is though...''
The rest of his Underlings had been ordered to stay on the Second Floor to level up.
All the Monster Species on that Floor had already been encountered and defeated.
Additionally, all Underlings had already developed both Heat and Fire Resistance, except the Typhoon Wolf Underling.
Mark ran and ran, while moving his gaze went from right to left.
''It must have a Stealth Stat, just like Light does. I''m sure you do too, though I can''t check now... Should I give you a name close to his? You''re both wolves after all.''
Mark did not know, but the enemy tailing him had the highest Rank out of all the Monsters he had previously encountered.
''Light is a good name, I think. Since his pelt is dark... Yours is white though...''
The Typhoon Wolf stared at his Master while running by his side.
''Should I give you a name that has something to do with your white pelt?''
The Typhoon Wolf barked in a way that made it obvious he disagreed.
''Mm... It''s white but... It used to be gray, right?''
The Underling''s eyes widened.
''You like the gray part, don''t you? All the other Typhoon Wolves havepletely white pelts... Hm. Only spots of your gray pelt remain now but... It''s kind of what made you unique, huh? Grey...''
Bark-
''Really? Grey? You like it?''
Bark-
[You have bestowed the name "Grey" upon your...]
Before Mark could even read the whole message, something quickly approached.
It rapidly got closer, while dodging the dozens of trees on its way.
The sound its movement produced made the Underling''s ears twitch and Mark''s skin shiver slightly.
Before they could even tell what was approaching,
Pierce-
The Typhoon Wolf Underling, Grey, cried in pain.
Mark''s eyes widened at the sight of what had pierced the Underling''s leg.
''Huh?''
His mind went nk for an instant, but he quickly shook it off as the situation demanded immediate focus.
''An arrow? So they use weapons, huh? Finally...''
The white-scaled Monster''s thigh muscles increased in size as they were contracted.
''Something on this Floor that isn''t a Beast.''
Like a bullet, Mark''s body wasunched in the direction the arrow hade from.
In a couple of seconds, he had crossed over 500meters.
''Just how fast is this guy? Already gone...''
Mark had absolutely no experience with archery.
Or with weapons in general really.
Which is why he could not even begin to appreciate the enemy''s skill level.
A precise shot from such a distance would''ve been impossible for Humans.
Such a shot would have required the use of an insanely strong bowstring.
A bowstring far too strong for Humans to use.
Too strong, in fact, for most of the Monsters Mark had encountered actually.
Not only that, but the shot was as precise as theye.
The hiding Monster had to thread the needle through dozens of trees and branches in order to hit its target.
Additionally, it hit a moving target.
The Monster had to take into ount the Typhoon Wolf''s movements too.
''A game of hide-and-seek, huh?'' Mark thought as his eyes twitched rapidly.
STUCH-
Since the bow was capable of shooting arrows from extremely far, it was only obvious that the loosened bowstring would produce noticeable sounds.
''That way.''
The world around Mark started moving at a slower pace, as his gaze turned toward the direction that sound hade from.
"Advanced Kic Vision[C+]"
But just as he took a single step in that direction,
sh-
Mark barely had the time to bend his neck sideways.
''Too fast...'' He thought, as a drop of blood went down his cheek.
A nervous smile appeared on Mark''s face and his feet hit the ground.
Through the forest, he ran towards his target.
''It produces sound before the arrow is released. It''s thanks to that, that I can pinpoint its position. Still, I thought I could easily dodge an arrow but...''
Passing the numerous trees that separated him from his target, Mark''s thoughts raced.
''I can dodge, if that''s what I focus on. The problem is that this guy moves too quickly for me to follow if I stop every time to dodge. I could use my "Imprable Barrier", but I doubt it would hold against an arrow going that fast. It works better against attacks like fireballs. Since it''s a whole barrier, the Mana is spread thin. The barrier is strong, but the surface area a single arrowhead hits is weak... But, I guess-''
STUCH-
Mark made a right turn and immediately came to a full stop.
A barrier of Mana appeared around him, while Aura covered his tail.
BAM-
He started running again.
''Damn...''
After leaving a bruise on his tail, the deviated arrow flew passed Mark.
The "Imprable Barrier" had been easily pierced through, but it had managed to, ever so slightly, slow down the arrow.
''Even my tail could only deviate it... It''s not a special arrow, but its speed makes it close to unstoppable.''
Emerging from the many trees acting as cover, was the silhouette of Mark''s enemy.
''Did I get too close for it to run away?''
Growl-
Mark got closer.
The enemy was finally visible.
Its body made Mark''s pupils dte.
After all, it was nothing like he had expected.
The Monster stood tall, as if it had been waiting for Mark.
''I thought it would be something like an Orc, since they''re the only Monsters who have used weapons until now. Or something else but I didn''t expect...''
The Monster threw away both its bow and the quiver that was on its back.
''I didn''t expect it to be this skinny. It doesn''t have the bulging muscles of all the other Monsters. It''s nothing like Orcs or Demons. It almost looks....'' Mark''s thoughts raced.
He approached.
''Human.''
After discarding its bow, the Monster took out two sharp daggers from the sheathes that hung from its waist.
Mark stopped.
He raised his arms, cautious and ready for battle.
''Eyes... Surrounded by veins. Its neck too...''
The enemy growled, but its growl was different from that of the Monsters Mark had previously encountered.
''It''s almost like it''s... In pain, or something...? What is it? System?''
[The System cannot give Information about the Chosen Target.]
''Why not?'' Mark asked telepathically, his eyes focused on the growling enemy.
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
''Mm. That was quick.''
[The System can only give information about Monsters you have already defeated.]
''So all this time... It''s been you?''
[Correct.]
''Well, then. Get on with it. What is it?''
[Your questions will only be answered while you are inside the Dungeon.]
''Sure. Now tell me.''
The Monster looked to be about 170 centimeters tall.
It was thin, almost fragile-looking.
Different from all the muscr Monsters Mark had previously encountered.
The Monster''s skin was dark.
Almost greyish.
Its long hair was white. As if it had long lost its natural color.
Two long ears twitched.
[Corrupted Dark Elf: [A] Ranked Monster.]
''Corrupted, huh? Is that why it looks like it''s in pain? Does it have something to do with Corruption Mag-''
The Monster, noticing an opening, immediately sprinted forward.
The Corrupted Dark Elf was fast.
Very fast.
But Mark felt at ease.
At the very least, he wasn''tpletely outssed when it came to Agility.
Slight amounts of Aura covered Mark''s body.
It only took an instant, for the distance between the two to be closed.
Even though Mark''s "Advanced Kic Vision[C+]" was in full effect, the Monster''s speed did not seem to have slowed down by much.
Once its enemy was within reach, the Corrupted Dark Elf extended its right arm.
The Monster''s dagger quickly approached Mark''s neck.
''I''ll deflect... And counter.''
Mark stared at the sharp approaching dagger.
It seemed to be made of some kind of ck material.
Purple patterns were drawn on it.
''Poisonous...?'' Mark asked himself, as he noticed those purple patterns.
He raised his Aura-covered left arm, aiming to deflect the attack.
But just as he was about toe into contact with the Corrupted Dark Elf''s wrist,
''Did it just-''
The dagger had been let go of.
It spun in the air, passing over Mark''s shoulder.
PIERCE-
Mark quickly jumped back.
His right side was bleeding.
''Ha! Not bad. I put all my attention on that dagger. And just when I was about to deflect it, he let go of it. Opting to attack with the other one instead. Almost s if he knew I would forget about his second weapon. Shrewd fucker. One moment of surprise was enough to get me injured. Damn...''
A nervous smile appeared on Mark''s face.
''Is this what you meant, Nia? By the need of a calm mind for this?''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" falls into a silent slumber.]
''This won''t be easy. The injury isn''t too deep though... Guess its Strength Stat is lower than mine. Doesn''t make it low though. Oh. That Territory... Is it filled with these-''
Demonicughter erupted.
The Corrupted Dark Elf raised its arm towards Mark.
A barrier immediately appeared around thetter.
''A Magic Skill?''
The next instant, the dagger that had been lying on the ground was moved by some kind of gravitational force.
It immediately flew back into its owner''s hand.
''He can control them? No. Probably just bring them back to his hands. Otherwise, he would''ve used it the way I use Bone Maniption...''
The Corrupted Dark Elfughed hysterically, before licking its dagger''s bloody de.
''Tasting my blood, huh? Sneaky bastard.''
A chuckle escaped Mark''s mouth.
The Monster''sughter seized, surprised by its enemy''s rxed reaction.
It growled once more.
Immediately, something else started growling.
''You''ve gotten a taste of my blood...''
[Your Title "Devourer" is staring at the prey with shining eyes.]
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to finally have a worthy meal.]
Mark extended his sharp ws.
''It''s only fair I get a taste of yours now.''
Chapter 77 Power Over The Dead
?''If that Territory is full of Corrupted Dark Elves, I can''t take too long against this guy.''
Mark shifted his center of gravity forward.
''He''s quick, butcks strength. Which is why he couldn''t gravely injure me...''
As soon as Mark started moving, the Corrupted Dark Elf moved its arms.
Mark swiftly bent his body to dodge the two daggers that had been thrown.
''Fine. Let''s do it your way.''
Once he arrived in front of the enemy, Mark raised both arms up.
Even though those strong arms were about to get mmed on the Corrupted Dark Elf''s shoulders, thetter did not raise its arms defensively.
It didn''t move.
Yet, a smirk appeared on its face.
To the open palms next to its sides, the thrown daggers came back.
Pierce-
Grab-
''Got you.''
Just as the daggers entered his stomach, Mark grabbed the Corrupted Dark Elf''s wrists.
"RGHHHAAA!"
Extreme pressure was immediately exerted on its frail limbs.
The next second, four insect legs appeared from Mark''s lower back.
Noticing their sharp ends, the Corrupted Dark Elf''s movements immediately became erratic.
It growled and growled, as it struggled against Mark''s grip.
But its wrists were not set free.
Mark smiled terribly, as he used his strength to keep the enemy''s daggers embedded inside his body.
Pierce-
Four Spider-like limbs prated the Corrupted Dark Elf''s body.
Thetter gritted its teeth as blood went down its mouth.
The Corrupted Dark Elf started twisting the daggers inside Mark''s wounded stomach.
''Shit-''
Thetter couldn''t help but instinctively let go.
The Corrupted Dark Elf jumped away.
It had freed itself from Mark''s grip, but its body was bleeding heavily.
''It''s not deep. I caught him at just the right time to limit the damage. Still, he''s too fast for me to fight any other way. Maybe if I-''
While Mark was trying to figure out ways to fight his enemy, the Corrupted Dark Elf turned around.
The white-scaled Monster''s pupils dted.
Its skin twitched.
A monstrous smile appeared on Mark''s face.
The Corrupted Dark Elf had started running away.
He followed immediately.
But the distance separating the two slowly grew.
The difference in speed was obvious
''I could use Magic Skills, but if I''ll have to deal with a whole Territory filled with guys like himter then... I need to learn more about how they fight.'' Mark thought.
Keeping track of the running Corrupted Dark Elf was no easy task.
''He''s taking corners at every tree...''
It was perfectly utilizing the environment. Every bush, every tree.
It used everything, to hide and escape from its pursuer.
The next second, Mark jumped onto a tree''s thick branch.
''I can''t lose him...''
From tree to tree, he jumped on his way to the enemy.
''As long as I can keep an eye on him...''
Secondster, the distance between the two started shrinking.
Eventually, the Corrupted Dark Elf stopped, before coughing up blood.
''Fragile.'' Mark thought as he jumped off.
ARGH-
His heavy body hadnded on his enemy''s, pinning thetter to the ground.
"RGHAAA"
The Corrupted Dark Elf growled and growled while moving its limbs erratically.
But it could not move the mountain of muscle thaty on its back.
''Any more tricks up your sleeve?''
Mark grabbed the Monster''s arm.
''Nothing?''
He squeezed it with all his strength.
Pull-
"AGHHHH!!"
Steaming lines of blood drew circles in the air, as they left the Corrupted Dark Elf''s spinning arm.
''Oh. I pulled it off using only my strength... So?''
"ARGHHH!!"
''That all there is to you?'' Mark pulled his arm back.
Pierce-
Another hole had been added to the Corrupted Dark Elf''s bleeding body.
Mark pulled his arm out of its chest.
A secondter, the Corrupted Dark Elf''s breathing ceased.
[You have defeated a Corrupted Dark Elf. 35,000 Gold Coins and 70,000 Experience Points earned.]
Mark stood back up.
''Can I use those Gold Coins once I''m outside?''
[Correct.]
[The amounts will be converted to match the real value of "Gold Coins".]
''Yeah. Of course...''
Mark looked down on the enemy he had fought.
''They''re fast, but weak. Fighting multiple ones at once will be tricky, especially if some are archers and others close-range fighters. I wonder if they use weapons other than bows and daggers. Oh...''
Mark bent his body down and grabbed the Corrupted Dark Elf''s daggers from the ground.
[Timeworn Elven Daggers: [S] Ranked Weapons.
Made using a mix of two Materials: Obsidian and Mithril.
Ancient Dark Elven Runes are inscribed on the Weapons.
Due to the passage of time, the Runes have lost most of their strength.
]
''Umm. Whatever, I guess? It''s a bit too small for me to use. Ancient Elven Runes... Must be what allows the owner to pull them back.''
Mark stared at the inscriptions for a bit.
''The Rune part sounds interesting. Other than that, it''s not much. The de might be sharper than my ws but...''
He let go of the Weapon.
''Come back.''
[The "Timeworn Elven Daggers" have judged you unworthy.]
Sigh-
''Put them into my Inventory, I guess.''
The daggers disappeared from Mark''s hands.
''I could''ve finished the fight faster but... It was worth trying to figure out additional things. Didn''t get much though. Still, it''s strange. The guy didn''t even use Wind Magic...''
Mark lowered his body towards the dead Monster.
''Let''s try to get some more information this way then-''
[Your Magic Skill "Purgatory''s Undead Troup[A+]" cannot Revive the Chosen Monster.]
''Huh?''
Mark massaged his forehead, trying to keep his calm.
''The same as that Lich?''
[Negative.]
''What is it, then?''
Silent seconds passed by.
''Tsk...''
Just as Mark was about to devour the Monster,
[The Seal on your "Purgatory''s Undead Troup[A+]" Magic Skill has been lifted.]
''A Seal? Oh... Oh! Nice. So I can Revive this guy now?''
[The Seal increased the strength of all your Skills rted to the Undead.]
''What?''
[Proficiency for both Soul Magic and Necromancy had been enhanced by the Seal.]
''And I suppose my Skillbines both? But then... Why lift the Seal?''
[The Seal can only be activated because you are within your Master''s Territory.]
[As you are approaching the...]
''Alright. I get it.'' Mark did not bother reading the rest. ''So? What changes now? What''s different?''
Silence-
''Why couldn''t I Revive him?''
The series of messages that followed made Mark feel as if he was getting an earful.
[The Chosen Monster hasn''t been Marked.]
[The Chosen Monster''s Body has been thoroughly damaged.]
[The Chosen Monster''s Soul has been thoroughly damaged.]
[The Chosen Monster does not wish to return from the Dead.]
[The Chosen Monster does not wish to be your Underling.]
[Additional Conditions:
1-The Chosen Monster must not be attacked before it is Marked.
2-The Marked Monster must be defeated by you, and you only.]
''Damn. Are you serious? You mean I have to abide by all these conditions From now on? Tsk.''
Mark clenched his fists.
''Bringing them back from the dead is...''
[Only thest two Conditions are Mandatory.]
[Still, the rest can influence whether your Skill shows Effect or not.]
''Fuck...'' Mark cursed as he stared at the unmoving Corrupted Dark Elf.
A nervous smile on his face.
''I''m getting my strengths taken left and right.''
[Your Title "Devourer" is smiling.]
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to hurry up.]
''Yeah, yeah.''
Mark started munching on the unmoving Monster''s body.
A couple of secondster,
Bark-
A wounded, yet joyous, Typhoon Wolf walked to its Master''s side.
''Oh. You''re here. Sorry for leaving you...''
...
Sometimeter, Mark walked on the in field that stood at the Floor''s center.
His mood had turned sour.
After all, the effect of one of his best Skills had been weakened.
Severely weakened.
"My Lord." Levi called out.
The Underling had just climbed back up to the Last Floor.
''They''re at the bottom, right?''
"Yes, my Lord."
Mark looked down the hole that connected both Floors.
''Therger the distance, the more Mana it consumes but...''
A minuteter, the bones of all the enemies Levi and the other Underlings had defeated flew up through that hole.
Mark stocked all of them into his Inventory.
''We''ll have visitors soon.''
"Is that so? Then, I shall do my best, my Lord."
The Master nodded silently.
''Reviving Monsters will get tougher from now on...''
The Underling solemnly took a knee in front of his Master.
''Which makes the ones I currently have all the more precious...''
The next second, the Moonlit Feline climbed up Mark''s body.
Sigh-
Mark stroked the Underling''s fur.
''Now that I can''t Revive them...''
Thetter gently pushed against his hand.
''I wonder if more Monsters will choose, out of their own ord, to be my Underlings...''
Crystal-clear eyes stared wide at him.
''Doubt it...''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
[No need to feel so bad.]
''Nia?''
[Having Power over the Dead is incredibly impressive.]
[No matter how limited that Power is.]
''Oh, is that right?'' Mark felt a hint of sarcasm.
[Realistically, obtaining the kind of Power that would allow one to Revive any dead Being, without extreme Conditions being attached to it, is impossible.]
[It would go against the Laws of this very World.]
''Well, that''s the kind of power I had. Of course, I''d feel bad about losing it...''
[Stop sulking childishly.]
[Your Power might still be enough to pass this Final Trial.]
A chuckle escaped Mark''s mouth.
''I don''t doubt that.''
Mark took a step forward and the Moonlit Feline jumped off his shoulder.
He turned towards the Territory he had yet to enter.
''This Dungeon doesn''t worry me anymore. The outside does though. And this would''ve been an amazing power to have then. Especially since I could revive Monsters I hadn''t even fought myself.''
[Tough luck.]
''Right?''
[The Seal had to be lifted.]
''You could''ve let me revive that one at least. Myst easily obtained Underling?''
[It would form a bad habit within you.]
''Bad habit? What am I, a child?''
Mark started walking forward.
[Three hours left before the Veiles down.]
''So? Here to give me a pep talk?''
A short silence.
[Do you need one?]
Mark monstrouslyughed out loud.
''Maybe?''
The solemn and dignified Levi.
The whimsical and entric Fire Spirit.
Those were the two entities Mark was used to conversing with.
[Well, you won''t be getting any once you''re outside.]
[So no pep talk now.]
''Cold.''
The sour mood, Mark was in previously, was now long gone.
[Only strength, rationality, and tactics help during fights.]
[While you mightck in rationality, you have demonstrated the ability toe up with simple tactics from time to time.]
Mark wasn''t sure whether his intellect was being insulted or not.
''Oh. Is that so? I''ve demonstrated some. Am I supposed to take it as apliment?''
[Be more rational when making decisions.]
''Uh, excuse me? I usually don''t have the luxury to think much during fights.''
[Then make the time.]
''This did be a pep talk in the end. Ugh. Just let me do it my way.''
[Try not to die.]
''Die? Haha. I doubt I would.''
[Loving the Confidence.]
''Huh?''
[Just don''t let it turn into Arrogance.]
''I thought you guys wanted me to be arrogant.''
[You have no idea what it is we desire.]
[Less than three hours before the Veil is taken down.]
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" falls into a silent slumber.]
''Mm. Seal lifted, Veil taken down...''
Mark spread his wings.
''You really control everything here, huh?'' He thought to himself before taking off.
From above, he stared at the Territory that awaited him.
The Territory that separated him from the Final Guardian.
The Final Guardian that separated him from the outside world.
''Should I look for it, or...''
me Of Chaos, Colossal Fire Ball[A-]
''The middle of the forest... Maybe?''
The attack was shot.
But before it could get close to the ground.
Before it could get close to the trees that covered that ground.
The attack had hit... Something.
The reddish Colossal Fire Ball exploded in the air.
''That''s... The Veil?''
The next second, an incrediblyrge dome of Mana appeared.
It surrounded arge portion of the forest.
''So that Veil gave the illusion that it was all forest? Interesting. Is it the only Veil in this Territory, or...''
A hole had been made in that dome.
And so, it started fading away.
The Veil slowly faded, revealing what trulyy behind it.
Arge vige.
Dozens of wooden houses.
''No wandering Monsters, huh? Did they hide once the Veil started disappearing?''
A shack made of bricks stood out, positioned closest to Mark.
''Interesting...'' Hemented, before calling out his Inventory.
Secondster,
"Well, well. Need me toy some more Fire and Explosions?" The Fire Spirit asked with shining eyes.
Mark pointed at the vige.
[Your Title "Devourer" is expressing extreme hunger.]
''Let''s turn it to ash.''
Chapter 78 Toys And Playthings
?BOOM-
Both Mark and the Fire Spirit gazed at the explosion that covered the vige in smoke.
"Strange... Only got one message this time." The Fire Spiritmented.
''So all of them survived, huh? Expected as much.''
"What we doing now? Should I keep shooting?" The Fire Spirit asked, excited to be outside the Fire Spirit Core.
While he could enter the red gem whenever he wanted, the Fire Spirit could only leave it when called out.
''Let''s go take a closer look. Levi, youe too.''
A couple of minutester, the three stood in front of the vige.
The ground was scorched.
The logs of wood that made up the houses were burning vividly.
"Hehe!"
The vige had been left in shambles due to the attack.
And the Fire Spirit truly felt proud of its own firepower.
Every house had been destroyed.
Only the slightly smaller shack, made of bricks, remained.
Though it was half destroyed.
"Marvelous..." Levimented as he looked around.
"Isn''t it? Haha!"
''Your destructive power really is insanely high. The rest is... Well, most of them dodged the attack, didn''t they?''
"Uhu. Guess so. Are you saying Ick uracy? Need I remind you how I had you on the ropesst time?"
''Well, yeah. You had me on the ropes. And yet, here you are.''
The Fire Spirit looked away, obviously annoyed and unable to retort.
''Still, I''m surprised most of them had the time to run away...'' Mark wondered.
"Should I go look around the... Vige, my Lord?" Levi asked.
Indeed.
It could barely be referred to as such anymore.
''Sure-''
Weak and barely audible growls that only Mark had managed to pick up echoed.
''In there...?''
Mark stared at the brick shack.
It was half destroyed, and yet,
''Something in there?'' Mark wondered, as he walked towards that shack.
"My Lord?"
"Anything left?" The Fire Spirit asked excitedly.
Mark peeked inside the half-destroyed shack.
His eyes widened.
It was more a room than a shack.
"Argh..."
It was more a prison cell than a room.
"Arghhh..."
Painful weak cries echoed.
Rays of sunlight passed through the holes made by the Fire Spirit''s attack.
''This guy is...''
The same skin.
The same hair.
The same long ears.
''Different.''
"Waaa..."
Wide and round eyes stared back at Mark.
Levi stood a couple of steps away from the shack.
"My Lord?"
The next second,
SMASH-
Mark''s back hit one of the shack''s brick walls.
BAM-
He was suddenlyunched away with great speed.
Mark''s body tore down multiple trees before hitting the ground anding to a stop.
''Ugh. Strong...'' A drop of blood went down Mark''s face.
GROWL-
A ferocious and vile creature broke the chains that held it captive.
"My Lord!" Levi shouted before running towards the shack.
GROWL-
Before he could get close, the shack was turned to debris.
Destroyed by the Monster''s sheer physical strength.
Its body was incredibly muscr.
Purple veins covered its arms, neck, and face.
So didrge and dark purple spots.
"Amazing..." The Fire Spiritmented.
The Monster''s red eyes were burning vividly.
"It took my attack. And yet, less than a third of its body was burnt."
The Monster was about four meters tall, making it much taller than both Mark and Levi.
Its left thigh and side were burnt to a crisp.
"Still. A third isn''t too bad." The Fire Spirit whispered, as if trying to make himself feel better.
The next second, a punchnded on the Monster''s side.
Meanwhile,
''Ahh. It hurts...''
Mark pushed a fallen tree off his body.
''That guy really can throw a punch. Did it break ribs? Mm. Seems not.''
He stood back up.
''Its Strength is probably way higher than mine. Since it caught me by surprise, I can''t really judge its Agility.''
Mark''s gaze fell on the Monster.
It had just grabbed Levi''s arm.
The next second, the Underling''s whole body was swung into the air before being mmed onto the ground.
The Fire Spiritzily watched over the scene.
[Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker: [A] Ranked Monster.]
''Berserker? I''ve heard of those. If its Rank is the same as that one, then...''
Mark started running forward.
''It probably sacrifices both Agility and... Intelligence? For Strength and Vigor.''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
[Sacrifice?]
[That''s a good way to put it.]
The Monster growled powerfully.
''Now''s not the time. Stop talking.''
Levi''s body bounced off the ground, after being mmed.
"Ugh!"
He hurriedly stood back up.
Sparks of electricity appeared all over his arms.
The Berserker''s growls stopped.
It opened its mouth wide.
The ferocious growls turned intoughter, as a twisted smile appeared on the Berserker''s face.
''Its strength is extraordinary, but it seems to have lost all reason.'' Levi thought as he raised his arms.
He observed the iing Berserker.
Thetter came to a stop.
"Eeeh?" It cried out.
The Berserker''s eyes were wide open.
''Really?'' Levi thought, as he stared at the Berserker whose posture changed.
He took a step forward, and so did the Berserker.
''It''s mimicking my movements. Does it not think me a threat?'' Levi asked himself.
The smile on the Monster''s face grew wider.
"Suit yourself." Levi dered solemnly.
The two stared at each other.
As if the scene had been previously rehearsed, both moved towards one another at the exact same time.
But before they could each other,
''Levi sure is mature, huh?'' Mark thought as his body spun in the air, just behind the Berserker.
Using his momentum, a violent and instantaneous tail flick hit the Monster''s nape.
Sonic Tail Flick[B+]
The Berserker stumbled.
The shock from Mark''s attack had left the brain inside its skull shaking.
''I would''ve definitely been riled up by its taunting.'' Mark thought, as hended by Levi''s side.
"My Lord, are you-"
''Don''t worry about it.''
Mark immediately ran towards the huge stumbling enemy.
Red Aura appeared all over his right arm as he clenched his fist.
Punch-
''Huh?''
A smile appeared on the Berserker''s face, as it lowered its gaze.
''It''s like...''
The world around it had be blurry, but not so blurry that its enemies couldn''t be seen.
The Berserker used an open palm to sweep the area in front of it.
''Hitting a mountain-''
upied by his own thoughts, the attack sent Mark flying.
''It doesn''t even need to use its whole body. Just the strength of its arm is enough to push me away!''
Mark turned his body around to kill his momentum.
Hended on all fours.
The next second, Mark ran towards the enemy once more, leaving the ground below cracked.
Meanwhile, consecutive quick attacksnded on the Berserker''s stomach.
Levi''s fists, covered by a Mana that resembled lightning, left faint burn marks on the Monster''s body.
"You really think your little sparks will be enough to burn it? When my Fire barely did?" The Fire Spiritmented from afar.
"Cease your bbering and fight instead." Levi retorted as he attacked the unmoving Monster.
"Nah. Don''t wanna!"
The Fire Spirit stared at the scene.
''It''s not fighting back. Actually... The more this guy''s attacksnd, the wider its smile gets. Don''t tell me...''
A chuckle escaped the Fire Spirit''s mouth.
''It''s almost like those sparks are tickling it.''
With great speed, Mark''s ws drew four bloody lines on the Berserker''s lower back.
''Tsk. Can''t sh through all that muscle.''
The Monster, sensing pain, immediately turned around.
Its chin was met by a tail flick.
''Itnded! This much should-''
The Berserker stumbled, and its smile widened.
''Just how sturdy is this fucking guy?!''
Mark''s ws shed the Monster''s stomach and chest again and again, while Levi punched its back repeatedly.
"Ha... Hahahaha!"
''It''sughing?''
The Berserker stumbled forward.
Noticing that slight movement, Levi immediately mmed both his arms on the enemy''s back.
''Nice timing!''
The Monster lost its bnce and fell to the ground.
''What the hell?'' Mark thought to himself, bewildered by the sight.
The Berserker''sughter only got louder.
"HAHAHAHA!" The Fire Spirit, who stood a dozen meters away,ughed out loud. "It''s the dizziness! The dizziness is making himugh hysterically."
Indeed, the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker couldn''t hold itsughter back anymore.
Thebination of both dizziness and uncontrobleughter made getting back up a struggle.
''The dizziness, huh? Is it the first time you got that feeling, sturdy fucker?'' Mark thought, as he angled his body.
Suddenly, the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker''s loudughter ceased.
It raised its arm.
A great "Bam" resonated, as Mark''s tail hit the Monster''s open palm.
Grab-
''What-''
Mark tried to free his tail, but the Berserker''s grip strength made that an impossible task.
"Pffff! The dizziness is gone, now he''s mad. Oh my! This is so funny!"
"My Lord!" Levi shouted as he rushed at the Monster.
With a spinning back fist, the Berserkerunched Levi away.
The Monster raised its arm up.
And with it, Mark''s body upside-down.
Feeling humiliated, rage immediately filled Mark.
''You little...'' He pointed an open palm at the Berserker''s head.
A fireball appeared.
The next second, its mes became red.
[You have learned a new Sub-Skill!]
[You have learned the Sub-Skill "me Of Chaos, Fire Ball[B]".]
The Fire Ball exploded on the Berserker''s face, immediately burning part of it.
"GRRAAA-" The Monster mindlessly shouted as it stepped back.
''How do you like that? Little fuck-''
But just as a second Fire Ball was about to be shot, the Berserker started spinning around.
Like an athlete about to perform a ''hammer throw'', the Monster spun around and around.
''Fuck, fuck, fuck! Didn''t loosen its grip at all!''
Faster and faster, the Berserker spun around with its arms extended in front of it and Mark''s tail in its hands.
Thetter tried raising his arms, but realized he couldn''t.
The speed at which the Berserker was spinning around made it impossible.
''The force is... It''s limiting my movements!''
The Fire Spirit''sughter echoed.
The speed kept increasing. Until Mark could feel his tail being stretched.
The fear of having his tail ripped activated the Passive Skill "Tail Lengthening[D+]".
And as the tail in its hands started getting longer, the Berserker''s stern expression quickly turned into a smile once more.
"Uwaaa!"
The spinning got even faster.
"My Lord!" Levi shouted as he ran towards the scene.
The next second,
"Bwaa!"
Mark''s tail was let go of.
His body was thrown.
With insane speed, he pierced the air.
Mark tried to spread his wings, but the speed was such that he couldn''t help his wings from folding.
"Waaaa!" The Berserker''s eyes shined as it stared at the moving Mark.
A ything that was getting further and further.
"Insolent little...!" Levi raised both arms at the Berserker''s back.
Great Lightning Bomb[C-]
Boom-
The explosion slightly burnt the Monster''s body.
Still, it chuckled.
Despite the lightning permeating throughout its body that made its muscles twitch.
''Now that its movements have been impaired, I''ll-''
Levi''s thoughts were immediately interrupted as a powerful fist covered his field of vision.
The world around him became blurry.
Levi''s whole body would have beenunched away, had the Berserker not gotten a hold of his arm.
The Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker raised its hand and, therefore, Levi''s body off the ground.
He tried to free his arm, but once challenged by the Monster''s grip strength, that very same arm broke like a twig.
Painful cries echoed.
Still, despite the pain, Levi extended his free arm towards the enemy.
A smile appeared on the Monster''s face.
A second punch was thrown by a Berserker.
That smile got wider.
Followed by a third.
A fourth and a fifth.
But then, the Berserker''s smile disappeared.
"Ughhh!"
It moved its newly acquired toy around.
"Agh... Agh...!"
The ything had gone limp.
The Underling, Levi, had lost consciousness.
"AGHHH!"
Great rage took over the Berserker.
Rage so powerful, that it was about to break the toy it had been ying with.
"My, oh my. Seems I''ll have to step in now."
A red fireball hit the Berserker''s back.
"Uwaa?"
It dismissively threw away Levi''s body.
"An unmoving toy isn''t that interesting, huh? Truly childish. I like you. Although... You''re pretty ugly."
The Berserker''s smile came back as its gazeid on the Fire Spirit.
It excitedly ran towards it.
The Berserker clenched its fist and,
Woosh-
Its eyes widened.
''Owaa...?
The punch it had thrown, with all its strength, had simply passed through the Spirit''s body.
A palm made of mes hung in front of the Berserker''s confused face.
"Mm. Good luck winning against me."
A fire ball hit the Berserker''s face once more.
"Hahahaha!"
"You still think it''s funny, huh? Yeah, I really like you."
The Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker eagerly swung its fists repeatedly.
"Uwaaa!" It screamed out cheerfully.
The Berserker had found a new toy.
An incredibly amusing toy.
A toy, it couldn''t wait to break.
Chapter 79 Berserker
?"Waaah!"
The Berserker marveled.
With great interest, it watched the swaying of the burning toy''s mes''.
Swaying, that was induced by the Berserker''s own clenched fists.
"Woooo!"
Fascinating.
The Berserker found the fact that it could not get a grip on the Fire Spirit truly fascinating.
"Waaaa!"
"You find it that interesting, huh?" The Spirit asked with a smile. "Can''t say I me ya. Fire is the best, isn''t it? Even I get enchanted by my own mes sometimes."
As if those words held any meaning to it, the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker stopped swinging its fists.
It stared for a bit.
"What you gonna try now?"
The Berserker took heavy steps towards the Fire Spirit, whose mes had been blown a couple of meters away.
It extended its hands forward.
''Huh?'' The Spirit was shocked.
"Chichichi... Hahaha!" The Berserkerughed and chuckled, as it held its hands in the middle of the Fire Spirit''s burning body.
"You..."
The mes that made up the Fire Spirit immediately grew fiercer and burnt brighter.
"I kinda like you. But if you keep this up..."
The Fire Spirit''s pride was somewhat hurt.
Yet, a smile was on his face.
"Hohoho!"
The Berserker''sughter got louder, as the heat produced by the Spirit''s mes increased.
''Tsk. After I made fun of that guy''s electric sparks...'' The Fire Spirit thought, as he started moving away from the Berserker.
"Uwooo?"
Thetter followed, with its arms extended.
"I found you interesting. Quirky too, at first. Even fun, maybe. But now..."
The Fire Spirit''s body rose into the air.
"You, following me, as if I was some kind of butterfly..."
The Berserker positioned itself under the ything that was getting further and further.
"I dislike it."
The Monster stretched its arms high into the air.
"Uwaaa! Uwaaa...!"
The Berserker''sughter ceased, giving ce to cries instead.
''Does he think of me as some kind of toy? A toy that''s out of reach, huh?'' The Fire Spirit wondered as he looked down on the childish tantrum being thrown.
The Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker jumped up, but its body was too heavy to reach the required height.
With wide eyes, it stared at the mes that constituted the Fire Spirit''s body.
It opened and closed its raised hands repeatedly.
''Huh?''
The Berserker''s lips moved.
"Shiii...Ny!"
A blinding light covered the whole area.
BOOM-
An extreme and sudden increase in heat.
A great shockwave ensued.
The explosion turned the already burnt vige into an immense crater.
The whole area was shrouded in smoke.
"I can only allow so much disrespect, ya know?"
Hovering above the area, the Fire Spirit looked down upon it.
From the shack made of bricks to Levi''s unmoving body, everything had been burnt and pushed away by the extremely powerful shockwave.
Only the proud Fire Spirit remained.
''Hope that fish snake guy is alive. Although... Meh.'' The Spirit shrugged its shoulders at the thought.
But a couple of secondster, through the dense smoke,
GROWL-
"You have got to be kidding me..."
A loud growl, that exuded enough pressure to tear the cloud of smoke, resonated.
"AGH... AAAAAGH!"
The wounded Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker shouted and growled with all its might.
"Tsk..."
More than half of its body had been burnt to a crisp.
"Ya really don''t want an easy death, huh? I like ya, but taking two of my attacks head-on is a bit..."
The Berserker''s shouting got louder, and the light in its eyes started fading.
Its red pupils disappeared.
"UGH!!!!"
The Berserker bent its body forward.
Its muscles started twitching.
"AGHHH!" The Berserker screamed out, and its muscles seemed to start growing even bigger than they already were.
The purple veins that covered its body thickened, and became apparent all over its body.
The veins practically painted the Berserker''s whole body purple.
The next second, it went silent.
Ther Berserker''s arms fell to its sides.
It took an incredibly heavy step forward.
''Mmm...''
But it wasn''t going in the Fire Spirit''s direction.
The Berserker had, suddenly, started walking around in circles.
"No matter how much bigger you get, you won''t be able to do much." The Fire Spirit mocked.
Yet, he wasn''t smiling anymore.
For some reason, orck thereof, the Berserker had started wandering around aimlessly.
''The guy almost looks rxed. Different from before. It''s obvious he has lost the little reason he had left though... Mm. What should I do with ya?'' The Fire Spirit wondered.
A silent second.
An order had been given.
"Aye, aye. Captain." The Fire Spirit whispered sarcastically.
Something pierced through the air with insane speed.
"I was running low on Mana anyway so... Tsk. For two of my attacks not to be enough to deal with this one. My pride is hurt. He''s truly interesting. And infuriating..."
Before the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker could notice it approaching, it had already pierced through its stomach.
''That power-up must''ve dulled your senses, huh?''
The Berserker lowered its gaze.
Like a skewer, a ck spear was embedded through its body.
The next second, the spear turned into a ck liquid that quickly entered its wound.
The Berserker, almost uncaring, turned around.
The Monster it had previouslyunched awaynded on the ground with a "BAM".
''Hope they kept youpany while I was gone.''
Mark immediately extended his retractable ws.
''Your pupils are gone. And you''ve gotten bigger, huh?''
Mark took heavy steps forward.
''Guess I''ll have to use those Skill Points to beat you.''
His tailzily swayed behind him.
Once the distance between the two was about fifteen meters, Mark stopped approaching.
''Let''s do this.''
He raised his hands up, ready for whatever wasing.
The Berserker stared at Mark.
''Don''t tell me you''ll taunt me like you did Levi? Cause this time, it''ll be fatal-''
The Berserker looked away.
''Huh?''
The Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker started, once more, aimlessly walking in circles.
Mark turned towards the Fire Spirit.
''Did you break him?''
"Guess so?" The Fire Spirit answered.
''Huh. Guess I''ll have to get your attention back.''
Mark raised a hand forward.
A red fire ball wasunched toward the Berserker''s side.
Suddenly, a purple Aura appeared all around the its body.
BAM-
An explosion?
Not exactly.
Nevertheless, strong winds passed by Mark.
''Did he just... Did he just punch my fire ball away?''
Mark stared with wide eyes.
''The wind pressure his punch created... Blew my attack away.''
As if the wind itself, was running away from the Berserker''s fist.
''That strength...''
Mark''s hands started slightly shaking.
''I want it.''
The Berserker opened its mouth.
"aah!"
The Monster stuck its tongue out.
Drool started going down its half-burnt face.
''So he won''t attack unless attacked, or...? What happened while I was blown away? Did he really change that mu-''
The next second, the ground below the Berserker''s body broke.
"BAH!" It shouted as it clenched its fist.
''Fast-''
Mark immediately pulled his body back and called out his "Imprable Barrier[C]".
The Berserker''s clenched fist was approaching.
It wasn''t aiming for any particr body part.
All the Berserker wanted to do, was hit the enemy.
Break the enemy.
Destroy the enemy.
The attack was too fast to be dodged.
Mark positioned his Aura-covered hands in the punch''s path.
Clink-
The barrier shattered like ss.
''URGH!''
The collision between Mark''s Aura and the Berserker''s ignited sparks in the air.
''UGHHHH!''
The Monster used all its strength to resist the insane pressure and strength behind the Berserker''s punch.
But to no avail.
''Son of a-''
Mark''s muscles and arms couldn''t do a thing.
They couldn''t do a thing but retract in front of the Berserker''s might.
BAM-
Mark''s body bounced off the ground.
Blood started flowing down his nose.
His internal organs had been damaged.
But despite the fact that his injured body was beingunched further and further, a chuckle escaped Mark''s mouth.
''It''s been a while...''
[Your Title "Devourer" is eagerly waiting.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is daydreaming about how best to use the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker''s cells.]
''It''s been a long time...''
Once his momentum died, Mark struggled to get back on his feet.
''Since thest time I was so clearly outmatched in a contest of strength.''
The Berserker turned away from him.
It started walking in circles once more.
"It has lost more reason than I''d originally thought." The Fire Spiritmented.
''Well yeah. It''s a Berserker or whatever...'' Mark answered telepathically as he checked his condition.
Even though he tried to, he could not raise his left arm.
Actually, Mark couldn''t even move it.
Not any part of it.
Chuckle-
"True. Not all Berserkers are the same though. This one seems more like the unpredictable type."
''Right.''
With his right hand, Mark grabbed his unmoving left arm, as if to make sure it was still attached to his body.
''I''ll have to power through one-handed, huh? Mm. Not my first time. But...''
Shivers went down his spine.
''It''s different... Against this Beast.''
Mark stared at the incredibly mighty foe in front of him.
He couldn''t help but curse internally.
''I would''ve liked to beat him in a contest of strength, but it doesn''t seem like there''s a way for me to win without Magic Skills. I already can''t use my left arm. Gonna have to devour some Monsters to recover....''
[Correct.]
[You mustn''t think that way.]
[You must bring the battlefield to where it is advantageous for you.]
''I guess that''s an option. Not really my style though...''
Mark''s eyes burned with passion, as he stared at the wandering Berserker.
Mark''s eyes burned with passion, as he stared at the most appetizing of meals.
''Cause there''s no fun in that.''
[Bnce is necessary.]
''Oh, shut up.''
The Fire Spirit calmly watched from above.
Curious, but also disinterested.
As if the oue mattered not,
''This... No. Wouldn''t work. Could try that way... Mm... Maybe...'' Mark''s thoughts raced, as he tried toe up with different ns and ways to attack the Berserker.
But those racing thoughts were interrupted.
[You''ve said it yourself.]
[It is all about sacrifice.]
''Sacrifice? What does that have to do with anything? Anyway, shut up. I''m thinking-''
[What are you willing to sacrifice?]
[What will you sacrifice it for?]
[Your Intelligence for Strength?]
Like the Berserker had?
[Your Strength for Agility?]
Like the Sixth Floor''s Guardian had?
[Your Agility for Mana?]
Like the Undead Lich had?
''Tsk...''
Being disturbed in the middle of battle annoyed Mark.
Although, truthfully, what truly infuriated him was the fact that he could actually afford to think about something other than the battle.
After all, the enemy didn''t really seem that interested in him.
''So you''re saying that I have to choose what I want? That I can''t be at the top of every category? Basically, that I can either be quick or strong?''
[Correct.]
[You cannot be the strongest, fastest, sturdiest, and stealthiest at once.]
[You must choose wisely.]
A chuckle escaped Mark''s mouth at those words.
''No...''
[You must be more rational.]
''I think I can.''
[Your arrogance is-]
Before Mark could read the rest of the message, the Berserker had moved once more.
A Skill Point was used.
''Just like against the Fire Spirit...''
The way Mark perceived the world around him changed.
''Whether it''s Strength, Magic, or Agility, I''ll challenge my enemies to whatever contest they desire...''
A heavy punchnded on the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker''s burnt cheek.
''I''ll trample over them...''
A second Skill Point was used.
''Devour their beloved strength...''
The Berserker''s legs were swept off the ground.
''And make it mine.''
Chapter 80 The Devourers Greed
?''I''ll trample over them... Devour their beloved strength... And make it mine.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Sonic Tail Flick" is evolving...]
[Your Skill "Sonic Tail Flick[C+]" has evolved into the Skill "Earth-Shattering Tail Flick[B+]".]
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Advanced Kic Vision[C+]" is evolving...]
[Your Skill "Advanced Kic Vision[C+]" has evolved into the Skill "Superior Kic Vision[B]".]
The Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker fell to the ground.
Punch-
The Berserker''s tongue waggled, as more and more punchesnded on the half-burnt face it dangled from.
''Tsk. I''m hitting him with all my strength, and yet...''
Like a whip, the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker''s arm hit Mark''s side.
He was immediately pushed off the enemy''s body.
''I''m barely doing any damage.''
Mark jumped back, a nervous smile on his face.
"Uwaaaa..." The Berserker uttered as it stood up.
The next second, it started walking in circles once more.
''I wish he would take this more seriously...'' Mark thought to himself.
He stared at the Berserker for a bit.
''I should have some Skill Points left, right?''
[Correct.]
[You currently have 4 Skill Points.]
''I''ll use two of them on my healing skill.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Advanced Self-Healing[C]" is Evolving...]
[Your Passive Skill "Advanced Self-Healing[C]" has evolved into "Regeneration[B]".]
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Regeneration[B]" is Evolving...]
An unexpected message both surprised and infuriated Mark.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" interferes with the Skill''s Evolution.]
But before he could react to it, the Berserker suddenly moved.
The unsuspecting Mark could barely raise his right arm in time before a heavy, yet quick, hit sent him rolling.
BAM-
Mark''s body hit the ground again and again.
His momentum only died once it was buried under rubble.
''Fuck...''
Rubble, that the Fire Spirit''s attacks had turned the many wooden houses and the shack of bricks into.
''Maybe I''m the one not taking this seriously...''
A chuckle escaped Mark''s mouth.
''Physical... Strength contest...'' Mark started thinking, as he pushed a burnt log off his body. ''I have no way of raising my Strength during a fight. Mm. This is simply a contest of Strength Stats. And he''s obviously above. What should I-''
"My Lord..." A weak voice resonated to Mark''s left.
''Huh? You were here? What happened-''
Once his eyesy on his Underling, Mark''s pupils widened.
Levi''s body had been burnt to a tragic degree.
Both of his arms had been severely broken.
The injuries were easily noticeable, due to the unnatural angles Levi''s elbows and shoulders made.
His skull, too, had been practically shattered by the Berserker''s fists.
''He messed you up pretty badly, huh? It''s good you remained here.''
"My Lord... If you need me... To be your blood-"
''Stop it. Get two demons out.''
Immediately, two "Elite Lower Demon Warriors" left Mark''s "Underling Ne".
With a touch, they turned into orbs of red energy.
Mark cautiously fed one of them to his Underling, Levi.
He devoured the second one himself.
''It''ll take a while for me to get back to top form. Mm...''
Instantly, the two started healing.
''For now, get inside the ne.''
Levi''s body disappeared.
''Good. Now...''
Mark slowly stood back up.
''Still can''t use my left arm-''
The next second,
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" elerates your Skill''s growth.]
[Your Passive Skill "Regeneration[B]" is rapidly evolving!]
''What does that-''
[Your Passive Skill "Regeneration[B]" has evolved into the Magic Skill "Advanced Body Reconstruction[S]".]
''Magic Skill? Then...''
Mark lowered his gaze to his left arm.
A secondter, that arm started tingling.
''What''s...?''
Mark''s broken arm started twitching
A great amount of energy seemed to leave Mark''s body.
But it wasn''t truly leaving that body.
Into the cells that constituted his broken bones and muscles, the Mana entered.
Immediately, it made those cells work faster.
The Mana invigorated those cells.
No.
It, forcefully, made them heal.
Inside Mark''s body, a battle had started.
A battle between his different cells.
A battle, during which, the stronger cells devoured the weaker ones and started duplicating themselves.
Secondster, Mark raised his left arm.
''What... The hell?''
It had only taken 25 seconds for his broken arm to healpletely.
Of course, such an effect couldn''t take ce had the Magic Skill''s Mana Consumption been low.
A smile crept up on his face.
Mark bent his knees.
''Let''s get back to it then.''
The Berserker mindlessly and randomly walked around.
The next instant, the world around it became blurry.
"Uwa?"
Having lost its bnce, it fell to the ground.
Mark''s ws shed the Berserker''s stomach as he stood over its body.
''Shallow. Too shallow... ''
He jumped back hurriedly.
''Now that I don''t need them for healing...''
Mark called out five Underlings.
Apart from Light, Fiery, Levi, and Gray, he had decided to exclusively keep "Elite Lower Demon Warriors" as Underlings.
He found that, as they had a humanoid appearance, they were best suited for healing his body.
Three Underlings were turned into energy.
''I''ll use them all...''
Devouring Architecture, one of Mark''s few [S] Ranked Skills, was used.
''To strengthen my ws.'' Mark thought, as he swallowed the orbs of energy.
Instantly, his body heat increased.
Burning mes appeared.
For a few seconds, wild mes engulfed his fingers.
"Baah!"
The Berserker struggled to get back on its feet.
It wasn''t the first time it had been hit by Mark''s tail.
Yet, the effect was different this time.
One of the Skill Points Mark had used, made his "Sonic Tail Flick[B+]" Passive Skill evolve.
The Skill born from that Evolution sacrificed speed for power.
Mark''s tail had been formed using the body parts of Monsters that mainly attacked using their tail and fangs.
Lower Wyverns.
It was, therefore, no wonder that the tail born from that, would be powerful.
Passive Skills omitted, Mark''s tail could produce more power than his arms or legs.
And that powerful body part had been mmed on the Berserker''s neck.
With a Passive Skill that increased the damage inflicted by tail attacks by a whopping 200%.
An effect that Mark was, certainly, pleased with.
''Not bad...''
Just as the Berserker had managed to stand back up, its feet were swept off the ground once more
"Earth-Shattering Tail Flick[B+]".
''Can''t let you stand up just yet.''
sh-
Five deep cuts were drawn on the Berserker''s chest.
''That''s more like it.''
"AAAGHH" The Berserker cried loudly.
As if the pain had dulled its dizziness, the Berserker immediately stood up.
''Let''s go... ''
And Mark let it do so.
''Let''s do this.''
The Berserker smiled once more.
"Well, well." The Fire Spirit whispered as it watched over the scene." A brawl, huh? Perfect for the simpletons..."
Punch for punch, Mark and the Berserker fought.
Punch for punch, they fought.
Of course, this could only be done by heavily relying on dodging and the "Advanced Body Reconstruction[S]" Magic Skill.
''That guy really is having fun. After all, yeah. I really like him.'' The Fire Spirit nodded to its own thoughts.
Its eyes, glued on the Berserker, whose smile was getting wider and wider.
''Fighting using its own strength. Its body exclusively. Relying on brute strength and nothing else. Yep. In a way, it''s beautiful really...''
Mark dodged a punch by a hair''s breadth before retaliating with one of his own.
''It pains me to admit but...''
But once again, hitting the Berserker''s body felt the same as hitting an unmovable rock.
''He''s just like me. I rely exclusively on my mes, and he, on his body.'' The Spirit thought.
Mark jumped back.
His breathing had be unstable.
"Uwaaa!"
On the other hand, the Berserker seemed to only be getting more fired up.
''But it''s different for you.'' The Fire Spirit thought, as its gaze turned to Mark.
An expression that couldn''t be easily described on its face.
Disgust?
Maybe.
But, it also could''ve been...
''The two of you are smiling as you fight...''
Mark could feel his Endurance Points getting lower in lower.
But that only seemed to make his fighting spirit burn more fiercely.
''But it''s different. Fundamentally different.''
The Aura around Mark shone brightly.
''Even if a couple of good punches could kill you...''
The Berserker roared, and its muscles ballooned up.
''You''re not taking this seriously.''
Purple Aura covered the Berserker''s powerful arms.
''Mm. He looked at us as if we were mere toys. It annoyed me. It infuriated me, really. But at the same time, I found it amusing. It was eptable. Because its strength allowed it to do so...''
The two fighters, once more, ran towards one another.
''But it''s different for you. Just like you did against me, you''re limiting yourself.''
The Berserker threw a front kick that grazed Mark''s body.
''Why is that?''
Thetter punched.
''When I know you could freeze this whole area... When I know you could use those red mes I longed for... When I know you could fly into the air and defeat him from a safe distance...''
A heavy punch hit Mark''s side, immediately crushing two of his ribs.
''Why are you doing this?''
He quickly jumped back.
''Is there something you''re hoping to achieve?''
"Advanced Body Reconstruction[S]".
At the approaching Berserker, Mark flicked his tail.
The pursuer''s chin was hit.
''Something you''re hoping to learn? Or are you simply...''
Even though the Berserker seemed to have lost bnce, it continued its approach and roared.
''Limiting yourself to have fun?'' The Fire Spirit wondered, as he stared at Mark''s wide smile.
Mark increased his Mana output, and his ribs healed almost instantly.
''Just like you did against me?''
But his Mana Points were depleting faster than previously anticipated.
''That guy is giving everything he has. And yet...''
The Berserker stumbled.
''You''re holding back.''
An opportunity had presented itself.
''See? Even now, you''re...''
Pierce-
''The only one left smiling.''
The Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker coughed up blood.
Its smile had indeed disappeared.
"Waaa?"
A confused expression had taken that smile''s ce.
Mark swiftly, maybe even cruelly, pulled his arm out of the Berserker''s chest.
Leaving arge hole, from which massive amounts of blood spurted.
Experiencing levels of pain it had never before, the Berserker truly felt disoriented.
"Uwo...?"
Chapter 81 Encircled
?"Uwo...?"
The Monster took a step back, leaving the confused Berserker staring in disbelief at the stream of steaming blood leaving its body.
''Mm.''
Mark nodded to himself.
''That was a good fight-''
[Your Title "Devourer" is starving.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is urging you to hurry up!]
''Yeah, yeah-''
Suddenly, Mark''s instincts made him jump back.
''What was... That feeling?''
He stared at the Berserker, but its body wasn''t moving.
In fact, the Berserker''s body looked like it was about to fall to the ground, face-first, at any moment.
A silent second that seemed tost a minute passed.
''Finally...'' Mark sighed internally, as the Berserker started falling.
But once its upper body was parallel to the ground, it stopped.
''Seriously...?''
The Berserker''s muscles started twitching.
Trembling.
Mark smiled nervously, as shivers went down his spine.
''I can''t even count how many attacks this guy took. You''re telling me he still has more?''
FWOO-
As if its body had been lit on fire, massive amounts of steam were released by the Berserker''s body.
''Huh...?''
Shrouded by a cloud of steam, the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker''s enormous muscles started shrinking.
''What is-''
The cloud of steam had been split.
But what used to stand at its center had disappeared.
''Wha-''
Before Mark could even lift a finger, the Berserker had already closed the distance.
It stood tall right, in front of him.
The Berserker raised its arms up.
''Shit-''
Mark jumped back as fast as he could.
SLAM-
The Berserker''s fists hit the ground, and the whole area shook.
''What... The hell...?''
Mark was in total disbelief.
Arge fissure had been carved on the scorched earth below.
"His fists just... Split the earth!" The Fire Spirit whispered with shining eyes.
It was, of course, a massive exaggeration.
But there was no denying that the attack was an extremely powerful one.
The long and deep rift it had left on the ground was more than enough proof of that.
Mark''s wings enabled him to quickly move away from the gap created below him.
But once his feet touched the ground, the Berserker reappeared.
''Are you serious-''
Long rifts were, again and again, drawn on the ground.
Each time, the Berserker''s imposing muscles shrunk more and more.
Mark''s "Superior Kic Vision" was constantly in full effect, allowing him to barely escape his enemy''s deadly fists.
Again and again, the Berserker split the ground.
By the time it happened for the fifth time, the Fire Spirit''s eyes had lost their spark.
"Not bad..." The Spiritmented.
''He''s not giving me any time to counter-''
The Berserker raised its arms high, once more.
And Mark jumped away as quickly as he could, once more.
Tremble-
The flow of time seemed to have been slowed.
No.
The flow of time seemed to have been halted.
The Berserker stood with its arms raised high.
But those arms never touched the ground again.
As if frozen in both time and space, the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker''s body remained still.
Standing tall.
Unmoving.
"Not a bad ending..." The Fire Spiritmented, before letting out a weak chuckle.
A secondter,
[You have defeated a Corrupted Dark Elf. 50,000 Gold Coins and 100,000 Experience Points earned.]
[You have leveled up!]
''For real?''
Mark''s whole body was aching from the many hits he had taken or barely dodged.
Truthfully, it had been aching for a while.
''He died standing? Seriously?''
Mark cautiously approached the defeated and unmoving enemy.
Standing a couple of centimeters away from the Berserker, Mark''s body refused to let its guard down.
Despite the Berserker''s stillness.
Despite the System''s messages.
''Huh...''
And as he stared, a quiet wrath started rising inside of him.
The cause of which wasn''t clear.
Mark stared and stared, but there was no denying it.
The powerful and unpredictable Berserker was now long gone.
Skinny, frail, and unmoving.
Unrecognizable.
''Mm. Not how I wanted it to end...'' The victor thought.
Mark extended a hand towards the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker''s forehead.
''Did he convert those muscles into energy somehow? He kept getting skinnier and skinnier...''
With the light tap of a finger,
''Bam.''
Mark toppled over the Berserker.
Its body hit the ground.
Dry and cold.
''Mm. If he consumed those muscles to turn them into energy, then...''
[Your Title "Devourer" is sobbing.]
''There''s not much merit in devouring the remains.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is crying out.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is criticizing you for ying with your food.]
''Huh? When was I-''
The next second, Mark turned around.
''Tsk. Not giving me a second, huh?''
STUSH-
His Endurance and Mana Points were reaching an all-time low.
Breathing heavily, even simple movements were deemed a struggle by his beat-up body.
''How could I forget...''
A volley of arrows had been shot, aimed right at him.
''That there was a whole vige.''
Mark did his best to dodge, but three arrows ended up piercing his limbs.
UGH-
The pain forced his exhausted body to move faster.
''They waited... For one of us... To end it...''
But fatigue was rapidly building up.
Corrupted Dark Elves left their hiding spots.
Armed with Dark Elven Daggers, they growled while approaching.
It had to be eliminated.
The threat, that was standing on the scorched earth below.
The threat, that had scorched that earth.
The threat, that had destroyed their home.
''Fuck!'' Mark cursed internally.
Three Corrupted Dark Elves ran towards him.
He immediately raised his guard.
''Can I... Take them on...? That guy is with me but... If, like earlier, they can dodge his attacks then...'' Mark thought while breathing heavily.
He quickly pulled the embedded arrows out before using the rest of his Mana to heal the wounds they had inflicted.
''Fuck...''
Mark''s current Mana Points: Zero.
''I''ll have to make this a close range-''
Growl-
''Huh?''
Once they were about ten meters away from Mark, the Corrupted Dark Elves stopped their approach.
''Why...?''
They growled at the enemy, while taking short sideway steps.
''They''re not approaching... Could they be stalling for time? Waiting for something?''
A slight smile.
''No. They watched me fight the Berserker. And so...''
Mark immediately lowered his body.
''They''re not sure they can take me on...''
His leg muscles contracted.
''They''re scared!''
Mark immediately turned around and leaped away from the three attackers.
But the next second,
Growl-
''Shit...''
Only then, did Mark realize.
Three Corrupted Dark Elves stood in front of him.
Three behind him.
And three to each side.
A circle of Corrupted Dark Elves, with Mark at its center.
''These bastards...!''
Realizing that they were more numerous than originally thought, Mark''s head and pupils turned in every direction to keep an eye on each enemy.
A bush in the distance shook.
STUSH-
''That''s-''
By swiftly bending his neck, Mark dodged the arrow.
''They still have more hiding in the forest...''
Much more numerous than originally thought.
''I don''t even know how many are hiding...''
An unknown amount.
Uncertainty settled in.
The next second, one of the Corrupted Dark Elves moved.
Armed with two "Timeworn Elven Daggers", it charged.
''One-on-one? Is that what they want?''
Mark asked himself for a second before running forward.
''Suits me-''
STUCH-
Two secondster, the Corrupted Dark Elf jumped back to its spot.
Having fulfilled its purpose, it filled the hole it had left once more.
''Fuck!'' Mark cursed.
His focus on the iing enemy had been broken.
''Tsk. How...''
An arrow was now embedded inside his back.
A shallow wound had been drawn on his side.
''I can''t... Focus on each one of them... And the iing arrows... At the same time...''
It was obvious.
Focusing on "everything" at once is impossible.
''Then... What should I...''
To truly focus on something, one must discard the rest.
''As long as the arrows don''t hit vital points... I can take them... Then...''
There was only one thing to do.
''The next one to attempt the same...''
A Corrupted Dark Elf moved.
''Is dying.''
Mark''s feet hit the ground.
Aura covered his right arm as he pulled it back.
STUSH-
A smiling Corrupted Dark Elf quickly jumped back.
''Huh...''
Before Mark''s fist could shatter his enemy''s skull, it had been pierced.
''They can aim... That well...? Where will the next arrow... Come from...?''
Mark clenched his bleeding fist, breaking the arrow.
''They''re...''
Uncertainty had given birth to pessimism.
''The archers are...''
Mark immediately imagined 50 pairs of eyes hiding all around the forest.
''Everywhere.''
The worst-case scenario.
Chapter 82 Enemy Plans
?A lone Monster stood.
Wounded and fatigued.
Around it, a circle made up of 12 others.
And around that circle, arger one.
Made up of an unknown number of Corrupted Dark Elves, hidden and ready to shoot their deadly arrows.
Most of the encircled Monster''s endurance had been used up.
And the Monster knew that.
It could feel it.
Its breathing had be heavy.
Uncontrolled.
The slight irritation that the dryness of its throat provoked had to be suppressed.
No false moves could be made.
Not here.
Not now.
The circles made by its enemies had turned into a rope.
And the Monster couldn''t afford any false moves.
Not with the deadly rope loosely tied around its neck.
''Should I call out Levi? Did he recover enough by now? Calling him out could at least confuse-''
A Corrupted Dark Elf moved.
The Monster attacked.
STUCH-
The Corrupted Dark Elf stepped back.
The Monster had been wounded.
''I don''t get it...''
An arrow had pierced its fists once more.
''They have the advantage in numbers...''
Confused, the Monster struggled to find a way out.
''If they attacked at once, I wouldn''t be able to do a thing...''
All it could do, for now, was limit the injuries inflicted.
''When I attack with my fists, they aim for my fists...''
A different Corrupted Dark Elf moved.
The Monster didn''t attack.
STUCH-
After the short exchange, the Corrupted Dark Elf stepped back.
''When I don''t attack, they aim for my body...''
The arrow had been dodged, but a wound had been drawn on the Monster''s left leg.
''Surrounded... Surrounded... When I attack... When I don''t attack... Outnumbered... Surrounded...''
The Monster''s thoughts were racing.
But its enemies did not seem keen on it arriving at a conclusion.
STUCH-
Another short exchange took ce, not much different from the previous.
''They can''t all shoot at once. Otherwise, they would hit the ones surrounding me...''
STUCH-
The Monster clenched its fist once more.
Breaking, once more, the arrow that had pierced its fist.
''If I fly away, they''ll shoot me down...''
STUCH-
''I need to run...''
STUCH-
''How...''
STUCH-
The loose rope around its neck was slowly tightening.
STUCH-
''It hurts...''
Unable to find a way out of the situation, the Monster opened its mouth wide.
It showed its fangs and roared.
The Monster roared and growled.
An attempt at intimidation.
''I''m tired...''
A desperate attempt that proved unfruitful.
As, once again, a Corrupted Dark Elf had moved.
''I''m sick of this...''
The Monster''s blood was slowly but surely being drained.
''I don''t... Care... Anymore...''
The Monster roared with all its might as the Corrupted Dark Elf approached.
As fast as it could, the Monster ran towards the attacker.
Another arrow let out a piercing cry as it was released.
Without a care in the world for either, the Monster lowered its body and ran.
Escaping the deadly circle it was trapped in was all that mattered.
Taking advantage of the gap left by the attacker, the Monster left the circle.
Hope.
A bit of energy seemed to havee back.
The Monster''s feet hit the ground a bit faster.
Despite the arrow that had just pierced its shoulder.
Despite the dagger that had just shed its right leg.
The Monster ran.
Those things didn''t matter.
For the Monster had left the circle.
It had escaped.
Suddenly,
STUCH-
STUCH-
STUCH-
The Monster''s rush had been cut short.
It stopped, as three arrows pierced the ground in front of it.
But the Monster''s muscles contracted once more.
''I can still-''
The shortpse of time that had been gained was more than enough.
Dread loomed over the Monster, as the circle it had so desperately escaped reappeared.
''Why...?''
It seemed like the Corrupted Dark Elves had a strategy.
A strategy that they would stick to no matter what.
''Surrounded... Surrounded... They can''t all shoot...''
The Monster''s wounds stung.
''Outnumbered... What can I...''
A Corrupted Dark Elf moved forward, once more.
What the Monster had, at first, considered a fight, wasn''t one.
No.
Each had a distinct role to y.
A predetermined course of action had been forced on every party.
No matter what, the situation would be brought back to this exact scenario.
A short exchange took ce, once more.
''Outnumbered... They shot to keep me in here... Keep me in... Keep me...''
It wasn''t a fight.
''Oh. I get it now...''
STUCH-
''I thought they were scared at first. But it''s the opposite...''
STUCH-
''They''re keeping me here, because they''re confident...''
STUCH-
''Confident they can finish me...''
It was an execution.
''Without suffering any casualties...''
Rage.
An arrow hit.
''It hurts...''
Disgrace.
A dagger shed.
''It hurts...''
Humiliation.
Smiles appeared on the Corrupted Dark Elves'' faces, who seemed to be savoring every moment.
''Is this...''
A Corrupted Dark Elf approached.
The Monster''s limbs trembled.
Without even meaning to do so, it took a step back.
''Death?''
STUCH-
Dagger.
''It hurts...''
STUCH-
Arrow.
''It hurts...''
STUCH-
Dagger.
''But I won''t... I can''t... I can''t...!''
Once again, the Monster opened its mouth.
Once again, it roared with all its might.
And once again, a Corrupted Dark Elf approached.
That''s when the Monster decided something.
To hell with these Corrupted Dark Elves.
To hell with fighting.
To hell with this.
The dizziness induced by the blood loss couldn''t be ignored anymore.
The Monster wanted to run.
The Monster wanted to fly away.
Even if it meant risking being shot down.
Even if it meant risking certain death.
And why wouldn''t it?
After all, a quick death might be gentler than this?
The Monster spread its wings.
The attacker stopped its approach.
The Corrupted Dark Elves'' pupils dted.
What they had been waiting for was finally approaching.
A chance to execute the target quickly, efficiently, and with minimal risk.
But just as the Monster was about to p its wings, it froze in ce.
The Corrupted Dark Elves growled, urging it to take off.
The Monster didn''t quite understand why, but it opened its mouth and roared.
Even though it wanted nothing more than to fly away, it folded its wings.
Why was that?
Well, it seemed like Monster''s pride couldn''t allow it to take the easy way out.
Its pride couldn''t allow it to go along with the enemies'' n.
If it had to die, it would die fighting.
It would die bleeding.
It would die standing.
Despite being angered by its target''s stubbornness, the Corrupted Dark Elf mechanically continued the approach it had previously halted, as was its role.
But the Monster didn''t move.
An arrow was shot.
But the Monster didn''t move.
Perhaps the Monster had epted its fate.
A coward''s death wasn''t tolerable.
A painful one, on the other hand...
The next instant, the world around the Monster started moving at a slower pace.
Painful.
Its muscles ached.
Painful.
Its wounds stung.
Painful.
It hurts.
It hurts.
Gazing upon the approaching sharp dagger and arrow, a horrified expression appeared on the Monster''s face.
Fear.
Not of death.
But of the iing pain.
It had been hurt many times already.
And it had borne the pain.
But this, was too much.
One too many.
''No...!''
Using the little Mana he had recovered, Mark hid.
Clink-
Clink-
Into darkness, he hid.
[You have developed the Magic Skill "Golem Hold[B+]".]
Both attacks had been deflected.
Around Mark, had appeared what acted as a barrier.
The Corrupted Dark Elves struck again and again, but little damage was done to the protective structure.
Tworge hands hade together to hold his body.
The hands of Golems.
''...''
Mark, who had been suddenly plunged into darkness, froze in both mind and body.
A secondter, he let out a terrible scream.
His hands slowly rose. Mark crossed his arms.
''I can''t die here...''
As if embracing his own body.
''I can''t die here...''
He tightened his grip.
''Not yet... Not here...''
So much so, that his ws slightly pierced his own scales.
''I can''t die here...''
Mark brought his hands to his head.
''I can''t...''
Without meaning to do so, his body started rocking back and forth.
''I can''t die here. I''m supposed to...''
nk-
The sound of weapons trying to tear down the protective structure resonated.
''I''m supposed to...''
nk-
''I can''t die here...''
Mark''s body froze.
''I''M SUPPOSED TO...''
He let out a loud growl, as if responding to the sounds emitted by the attackers.
''BECOME KING, RIGHT?''
Mark''s eyes burned violently.
''THEN...!''
...
Hundreds of miles away, inside a castle worn by time and war,
"Don''t think we''ll help you."
A certain woman stood in front of what seemed like a digital screen.
"Don''t think we''lle save you."
Long red hair fell over her shoulders.
"When the fear makes you tremble... When the pain bes unbearable..."
The woman watched over a certain Monster.
"When you think that you have no chance of winning..."
Her golden eyes dted, revealing the intensity of the interest she held in the unfolding scene.
"When you think that you have no chance of surviving..."
Curled up lips.
"Do not die just yet. Instead, show us..."
A sadistic smile.
"That you''re worthy."
Chapter 83 Disrupt Their Plan
?Three pairs of ears stood up.
Mandibles twitched.
As if on cue, four different Beasts pointed their gaze in a certain direction at the same time.
...
A distance away, Monsters stood around a structure made out of tough rocks.
Clink-
They repeatedly used their weapons to bring it down, but progress was slow.
Something had been trapped inside that structure.
Something had hidden inside.
And they needed to bring it out.
Clink-
Twelve Corrupted Dark Elves took turns attacking.
Again, and again.
A stone hit the floor.
Another one.
The repetitive hits were, slowly but surely, chipping away at the tough rocks.
It took a couple of minutes for a hole to be made.
The Corrupted Dark Elves kept attacking.
About ten minutes after the structure had appeared, a holerge enough for an arm to enter had been made.
A Corrupted Dark Elf approached.
The target had hidden.
But it was still heavily wounded.
Letting it bleed out was an option.
But the Corrupted Dark Elves didn''t waste time considering it.
After all, they had witnessed a fight between the target and another fearsome foe.
They knew that the target was capable of recuperating from even the most serious injuries.
Yet, it hadn''t.
Why hadn''t the target healed the inflicted injuries?
There was only one conclusion the Corrupted Dark Elves could arrive at.
The target simply couldn''t.
For now anyway.
And therefore, the target couldn''t be left alone, lest it would recover its ability to heal.
The Corrupted Dark Elf, through the hole made, stared at the darkness that resided inside the structure.
Nothing.
It couldn''t see a thing.
Had the target escaped somehow?
The Corrupted Dark Elf stepped a bit closer.
Had the target disappeared somehow?
It tilted its body forward a bit more.
The next second, ferocious and gleaming eyes stared back through the darkness.
Shake-
Before the Corrupted Dark Elf could step back, an arm had exited the protective structure.
''Got you, fucker.''
"GRR! ARGHH-"
The Corrupted Dark Elf growled and let go of its weapons.
It was being pulled by an extremely powerful arm.
The Corrupted Dark Elf, with its palms against the structure, used all its strength to try and push its body away.
Quickly realizing its blunder, it raised a hand and called out its weapon.
The "Timeworn Elven Dagger" it had previously let go of shook before taking into the air.
It had to be cut off.
The long ashen hair that had been grasped.
But unbeknownst to the Corrupted Dark Elves, the target had pulled its other arm back.
BAM-
Rubble wasunched with great force.
A single powerful punch had, by many times over, widened the hole that the Corrupted Dark Elves had struggled to create.
The despised target was finally visible once more. Only its upper body could be seen though, as the rest of the structure remained intact.
Before it could cut the hair from which it had been grasped, a second hand wasid on the trapped Corrupted Dark Elf.
Lacking the strength to put up even an ounce of resistance, it was pulled into the structure.
Immediately, the rest of the attackers tensed up.
One of theirrades had been stolen, but they couldn''t break their formation.
They couldn''t afford to do so.
After taking a couple of steps, the Corrupted Dark Elves stood in a circle once more.
Their side still had the advantage.
And yet, their hands slightly and sporadically shook.
Had something changed?
Were the ten minutes gained by the target enough for it to fully recover?
That could''ve been the case.
But even then, the battle was still theirs to win.
After all, they just had to repeat the actions they had previously taken.
Slowly but surely wounding the target.
But what if the target decides to, once more, hide inside its imprable fortress?
It had proved its ability to buy time.
If the target is capable of buying about ten minutes worth of time...
Additionally, if that time is enough for the target to recover then...
The same scene would unfold again and again.
Infinitely.
Had they arrived at some kind of stalemate?
Despite their advantages?
No. It wasn''t a stalemate.
Far from that.
The scene couldn''t take ce again and again. Not infinitely anyways.
After all, they had just lost a fighter.
And if one fighter were to be taken out at every exchange then...
BAM-
Rubble wasunched.
A dust cloud rose, veiling the target.
The tension felt by the Corrupted Dark Elves was apparent, as they had closed their mouths and stopped growling.
Forgetting about their lostrade, they waited for the answer to their question to reveal itself.
The veiled Monster brought a hand to its neck.
''I couldn''t get exactly what I wanted but...''
Crack-
''This might be enough.''
The dust settled, and the Monster reappeared.
The Corrupted Dark Elves'' shaking immediately grew in intensity.
They opened their mouths.
Their lips curled up.
''Come.''
Blood was still leaving the target''s body.
The inflicted wounds were still there.
The arrows piercing its back hadn''t even been pulled out.
The Monster hadn''t recovered by much.
Actually, it didn''t seem to have recovered at all.
Excited and overjoyed, the Corrupted Dark Elves shivered.
With curled-up lips, they exchanged nces for a moment.
''I should have recovered enough Mana to disrupt their-''
A Corrupted Dark Elf stepped forward.
And so did the Monster.
STUCH-
Clink-
BAM-
Low growls immediately followed the short exchange.
''The archers aim for my fists when I attack...''
The Corrupted Dark Elf''s body hit the ground.
''Not happy it went this way, huh? Well then...''
A skull had been broken.
The Monster raised its arms, ready for anything that could be thrown its way.
''What now?''
The Corrupted Dark Elves stared as they growled.
Something covered the fist that had shattered theirrade''s skull.
Something had protected that fist from the iing arrow.
''Golem Armor shields my body with the same rocks that make up the bodies of Golems. It could''ve protected me from their attacks, but I wouldn''t have been able to move using it. Still, I should have thought about using it sooner...''
What had the appearance of an armor piece was wrapped around the Monster''s fist.
''This on the other hand...''
It was as if one had taken a portion of a Golem''s body, polished it, and refined it.
''Mm. Truthfully, this doesn''t change much. But at least...''
The Monster clenched its fist, breaking the protective gauntlet.
''It won''t hurt anymore.''
The Corrupter Dark Elves'' growls got louder and louder.
''Now that I''ve killed one in front of them...''
Their movements became agitated.
''Will theye at once, or...''
The Corrupted Dark Elves tightened their grips around their weapons.
The archers took aim.
Mark extended his ws.
But before any could do a thing, a third party interfered.
The archers immediately noticed it, but it took longer for the others.
From above, something was descending upon the fighters.
Upon the circle they made.
They seemed to be streams made of mes, but the way they moved was truly bizarre.
Despite being made of fire, they moved like solid objects.
As if mes had been turned solid somehow.
Whips.
They looked like whips. And moved like whips too.
Five extremely long whips of fire had been swung.
And they were quickly descending upon the battlefield indiscriminately.
Whether they hit the Corrupted Dark Elves or not didn''t matter.
Whether they hit the lone Monster or not didn''t matter.
Disturbing the current state of the battlefield seemed like the only objective.
As soon as the Corrupted Dark Elves noticed the iing whips, they immediately stepped away and dodged.
The lone Monster, on the other hand, didn''t move a finger.
The burning whips hit the ground and,
BOOM-
On every spot the whips had descended on, a series of explosions ensued.
ARGHH-
One, who had deemed barely dodging the attack to be enough, had lost its right arm.
Another, its left arm.
On the other hand, the rest of the Corrupted Dark Elves had only been slightly burnt.
The damage wasn''t negligible.
Still, the damage taken wasn''t what worried them most.
A cloud of smoke rose.
The Corrupted Dark Elves quickly stepped away.
An unknown variable had entered the battlefield.
Or so it seemed.
"Seems like you''re in dire need of help."
Covered by a thick fog of smoke the lone Monster stood, uninjured.
''Took you long enough.''
The next second, a being made of mes appeared behind the Monster.
Scattered due to the unforeseen attack, the Corrupted Dark Elves didn''t dare enter the thick fog.
"Well, what can I say? I trusted you to take care of them. Was I wrong to?" The Fire Spirit asked mischievously.
''Mm. I guess you were.'' Mark answered, while cautiously checking his surroundings.
He refused to let his guard down in the midst of the dark fog.
"Oh. Don''t tell me you were scared or something?"
Despite the gravity of the situation, monstrous chuckles resonated through the smoke.
''Yeah. If you really want to know then... Yeah. I was scared shitless, to be honest.''
"PFHAHAHA! How the mighty has fallen! Guess ying around costs, huh? HAHAHA! Guess you learned something new then!"
Unwilling to waste time on futilities any further, Mark turned towards the bright mes that made up the Spirit.
"Tsk. Can''t even joke around with you, huh? I ran out of steam. So I had to save as much as I could."
At those words, Mark turned away.
''Right. Forgot you could make yourself disappear.''
"It''s the best way to recover some. Anyways, the ten around you don''t seem keen on getting closer. Those waiting further aren''t as patient. They''re starting to take aim. Probably about to shoot at random-"
''Wait. You can see them? Through the smoke?''
The Spirit chuckled at the question.
"Haha! Well, no. I can''t see them per se, but I can sense their movements."
''How-''
Not allowing time for further discussion, a dozen arrows pierced the smoke at random.
None hit their targets, but the threat was enough to cause worry.
"Should probably get rid of it now. Helps them more than you."
''Me... Huh?''
Sessive powerful tail flicks split the smoke.
''You''re saying we''re not in this together?''
The Fire Spirit clicked its tongue.
Mark''s question seemed friendly enough, but his tone definitely held some animosity.
Secondster, the smoke faded.
The Corrupted Dark Elves'' pupils dted.
The target was once more visible.
But something they did not want to see had appeared.
Mark waited, but the enemies did not move.
"Seems like they''re intimated..."
''Guess so-''
"By me." The Fire Spirit added after a short dy, definitely aiming for the words to sting.
''Yeah. Prove them right then. You must have amassed plenty of Mana after leaving me alone, right?''
"Oh..."
For a short moment, it seemed like his side had taken back some control over the battlefield.
"Nope."
Mark''s hand shook momentarily.
"That was most of what I had."
Chapter 84 Trapped
?"That was most of what I had."
The Fire Spirit shrugged his shoulders.
''Then...''
For a short moment, it seemed like Mark''s side had taken back some control over the battlefield.
A nervous smile.
''We''re fucked.''
The Fire Spirit stared at Mark for a bit before looking away.
"Not necessarily. They saw me attack that Berserker. They saw what I''m capable of."
''Yeah. I could see that explosion all the way from where I wasunched. It''s obvious that they know. So what?''
"The show I just put on is a bluff. I might be low on energy now but..."
''Oh. Yeah. That''s why they''re not approaching. They don''t know that, huh?''
"Correct. They can still attack though, since they can-"
The Fire Spirit''s words were interrupted as an arrow passed through his body.
But that didn''t bother him in the least, as the timing was quite opportune.
"See? They can still shoot. And they''ll probably aim at me for a bit."
Mark remained silent.
He stared at the enemies that had, slowly, started walking closer.
"But they''ll figure it out soon. That I''m low on energy, that is."
''Mm.'' Mark nodded. '' By devouring the remaining Demons and that one guy I managed to regain Mana but... I don''t have much either.''
The Fire Spirit turned towards the approaching Corrupted Dark Elves.
"I guess you could try something but..." He muttered.
An arrow went through the Spirit''s body as he rubbed his chin with his hand.
If one were to think about it, it was a strange scene.
A hand made of mes somehow scratched a chin that was, too made of mes.
Yet, those mes could be turned solid or, at least, be given the appearance of being solid.
''If you''ve thought of something, then better tell quickly. They can''t defeat you, but still.''
"I guess..."
It was unclear how the Spirit was even able to produce sounds, but Mark didn''t dwell on it much.
After all, even an Undead Lich made solely of bones could, somehow, talk.
Therefore, questioning or even wondering about it seemed meaningless.
Much was yet to be discovered about the "Higher World" Mark had been reborn in.
The Fire Spirit clicked his tongue.
"Yeah. The Core in which I reside holds my power. If I go back in there then... You could draw power from it. If I let you."
''Mm. Good point. There was something like that...''
Mark proceeded to call out his Inventory and grabbed hold of the empty "Fire Spirit Core".
''If I remember right, I can manipte fire using it. Not what I need, since they can dodge even your fire attacks but...''
The Fire Spirit remained silent, which was not expected of him.
''It''s good too. Anything I can get right now is-''
The Corrupted Dark Elves, armed with their Timeworn Elven Daggers, upped their pace a bit.
"They might have figured it out."
Mark turned towards the Fire Spirit.
''I can only use it if you let me, huh? Then...''
He looked into the Spirit''s ming eyes with a gaze no less fiery.
''Will you?''
The Spirit clicked his tongue.
A secondter, the burning mes that made up his body faded.
Immediately, the Corrupted Dark Elves halted their approach.
[The Fire Spirit falls back into a slumber.]
Mark tightened his grip over the gem that had gotten its brightness back.
The Fire Spirit, although reluctantly, had chosen to aid Mark.
In a way, it had no reason to do so.
After all, Mark''s death didn''t mean the Spirit''s.
There is no inherent reason for a Spirit to be on the side of its Core''s holder.
Sure, the Spirit cannot hurt the Core''s owner, but it doesn''t have any obligation to obey that owner''s orders.
Which is why Spirits tend to test the new owner''s worthiness before offering their power.
Spirits are often considered tricksters and deceivers.
In most cases, that is absolutely true.
But even when ites to Spirits, Fire Spirits are the most ambiguous.
They are mischievous, proud, and fickle in nature.
And this Fire Spirit was no exception.
Still, Mark''s death didn''t seem to lead to a great future for it.
If Mark were to die, the Fire Spirit would be called back into the Core, where it would wait for a new owner to pick it up.
In that eventuality, a worthy owner appearing inside the Dungeon seemed unlikely.
Above all, Spirits adore freedom.
''They''re confused, huh?''
The Corrupted Dark Elves looked around them.
Repeatedly, from right to left.
Anxious that something could reappear out of thin air.
''I''ll wait it out then. The archers are probably scared too. Scared of him appearing behind their backs...''
Unfortunately, it only took a minute for the Corrupted Dark Elves to resume their approach.
Secondster, they stood, once more around Mark.
''They''re closer than earlier...''
Step-
''Oh.''
Step-
''If they''re this close, the probability of crossfire using the arrows shoots up, huh? Well, this is...''
While the enemies opted to make circles of about twenty meters in diameter earlier, they now stood a lot closer.
After all, the target was heavily wounded.
And the powerful being made of ferocious mes, that arrows couldn''t hurt, was still roaming.
They couldn''t waste more time.
''Just perfect.''
Mark''s tail, which he hadn''t used for a bit, twitched.
The Corrupted Dark Elf that stood behind him stared at that limb. It knew that the limb was a powerful one.
''You guys made circles to trap me, huh? Then...''
The next instant, three Corrupted Dark Elvesunched their bodies forward.
''Time for me to do the same.'' Mark thought.
The tip of his tail touched the ground.
Immediately, the enemy behind him growled to warn its brethren, but it was toote.
A second was all it took.
The Corrupted Dark Elves looked around, confused.
One of them breathed out, and a thick fog of cold air exited its mouth.
Around them, arge dome of ice had been cast.
''Let''s do this.''
The Corrupted Dark Elves looked down.
They tried raising their feet, but,
BAM-
A deadly punch crushed a Corrupted Dark Elf''s skull andunched its body against the dome''s walls.
The rest became agitated.
Fear started, slowly, creeping in.
BAM-
Two had already been defeated.
The Corrupted Dark Elves growled and roared, as if to strengthen their resolve, before pulling their bare feet out of the ice''s deadly embrace.
Before Mark could touch another one, the Corrupted Dark Elves stepped away from the target.
They walked back until their backs were against the dome''s walls.
Without taking their attention off the targte, they hit the walls to ascertain the situation in which they were.
The walls of ice were thick.
Too thick to be broken through with light weapons.
Of the twelve, two had been defeated.
Additionally, another two had lost an arm because of the Fire Spirit''s previous attack.
The Corrupted Dark Elves growled without moving away from the dome''s walls.
''They''re noting...''
Mark looked at the enemies he had trapped, unsure how to attack.
''They still have the advantage in numbers, but-''
A Corrupted Dark Elf roared and ran forward.
Mark turned towards it.
The ones facing his back started approaching too.
''They''re slow...'' Mark noted.
And delight was written all over his face.
The Corrupted Dark Elves relied on their mastery of weapons and Agility more than anything.
But now, their feet were bleeding, missing the skin beneath.
Additionally, the ice was easy to slip on, which made moving efficiently more difficult, especially for thosecking in weight or strength.
A Corrupted Dark Elf''s neck was cracked by a powerful tail flick.
By then, only five Corrupted Dark Elves were still standing.
And their bodies shivered intensely.
Despite the "advantage in numbers" still being on their side.
A devilish smile was on the Monster''s face.
''Let''s turn you all...''
The thick ck lines going down its eyes, horns, and fangs only made it seem even more diabolic.
''Into the fuel that''ll allow me to defeat the rest.''
Using his tail, fangs, ws, raw strength, and the Fire Spirit''s mes he could call out, Mark took care of the attackers.
What had started as an execution, was turned into a massacre.
Of course, he did sustain injuries defeating multiple enemies at once, but nothing that devouring the dead couldn''t heal.
Mark looked around him.
Once again, he had been left alone.
Once again, he was hidden and protected by thick walls.
Once again, his enemies were standing outside, waiting for him.
Waiting to pierce his heart.
Chapter 85 Have It Your Way
?Around Mark,y the unmoving bodies of multiple Corrupted Dark Elves.
He grabbed a dead one''s arm.
''Come out.'' Mark ordered as he tore the arm off his victim and started munching on it.
[The Fire Spirit is ring at you.]
''Get on with it.''
From the bright gem Mark had left on the frozen ground, a being of mes appeared.
''So you said that-''
"You really have no respect, huh?" The Fire Spirit interrupted. "I go out of my way to help you and this is how you repay me?"
Mark turned towards the Spirit, confused.
As if on cue, a drop of water fell from the Ice Dome''s ceiling onto the Fire Spirit''s body, immediately evaporating.
''Let''s make this quick then. You said you could sense those outside. How many?''
The inconsiderate attitude didn''t leave the Spirit indifferent, but he couldn''t do a thing except let it slide.
"Sixty-seven."
Mark let out a dry chuckle before turning once more towards the meal he had started seconds earlier.
''Worse than I thought.''
"Is that all?" The Fire Spirit pressed.
Being under a dome of ice seemed to bring back memories the Spirit preferred forgotten.
''Yeah. You can go.'' Mark answered dismissively.
But the Fire Spirit didn''t disappear.
''Should I say anything...?'' He wondered.
The Spirit pensively stared at Mark.
''If I devour all of them, I''d probably have enough to healpletely. Or get my Mana Points back...'' Thetter thought.
Mark greedily devoured his meal.
His hand took hold of a Corrupted Dark Elf''s head.
He opened his mouth wide and stole more than half its neck with his fangs, which allowed him to easily pull the Elf''s head off.
Squeeze-
The skull was crushed and swallowed.
Morbidly.
And naturally.
The Devourer enjoyed its meal.
The Fire Spirit seemed to have arrived at a conclusion.
"I can see you enjoying yourself, but before I leave, I would like to add that-"
''Not now. Keep your snarkyments and pleasantries to yourself.''
The Spirit''s pride was slightly hurt.
Nevertheless, he chuckled with a smile.
"Have it your way."
The Spirit disappeared.
''Sixty-seven... Sixty-seven...''
The sound of a dozen arrows ricocheting against the dome''s exterior echoed inside.
But Mark paid it no mind.
It was clear that arrows couldn''t pierce through.
''Mm. If I could''ve obtained Earth Maniption this would be a lot easier. Would probably consume less Mana.'' Mark thought as he looked up at the dome of ice.
He thought about it, but Mark did not truly know whether "Earth Maniption" existed or not.
Still, he assumed it did.
After all, there seemed to be no reason to think otherwise.
''Maybe I should go back to the Fourth Floor at some point-''
A drop of water tapped Mark''s shoulder.
''Wonder how long it''ll hold. Wouldn''t have this problem either with Earth Maniption...''
Mark stood up and moved towards the next meal.
He lowered his body and grabbed hold of it, when,
BAM-
Mark''s muscles immediately tensed up.
His pupils dted as the "Superior Kic Vision" Passive Skill activated.
''What''s-''
BAM-
Cracks appeared all over the ice walls.
''Already?? Howe-''
BAM-
The barrier shattered.
''For real..?''
Revealing what had been knocking.
''Another one?
A growl that reverberated through Mark''s body was let out.
''Ha...''
At a nce, they might''ve looked simr, but they weren''t the same at all.
Mark immediately cleared his thoughts and raised his arms defensively.
The attacker pulled its arm back.
Studying its movements, Mark could tell.
His Agility could allow him to dodge the attack.
But for some reason, he pulled his arm back too.
Their fists shed.
Upon impact, both parties felt great force travel up their arm.
''You''re not bad either.''
The two jumped back.
''Different. You''re shorter. Not as bulky. Not as strong. Not as fast. But definitely simr. Plus...''
Mark stared at the enemy in front of him.
''You look serious and angry. Nothing like that guy.''
Indeed, the resemnce with the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker was definitely there.
It seemed to be a Monster Species that resided between Corrupted Dark Elves and Corrupted Dark Elves Berserkers on the Species'' Evolution Tree.
The System didn''t answer questions about Monsters Mark hadn''t defeated anymore.
But if it did, the answer wouldn''t have surprised him much.
Corrupted Dark Elf Warrior.
''Stronger than a normal one, weaker than a Berserker, I guess.''
Mark''s heart started pumping.
An interesting duel. Evenly matched? Perhaps. A good challenge then.
The Warrior leaped forward towards its enemy.
At the same time,
STUCH-
''I''m not letting you all...''
Dozens of arrows were released.
''Interfere.''
A second Ice Dome was cast, recing the previous one that had been destroyed.
''I''ll have to deal with you quickly, fake Berserker. In case there are others just like you.''
Trapped, the Warrior growled while looking around.
''Tsk. He told me that there were 67 of you guys, seems he forgot to mention you weren''t all the same. Or that one was approaching. Oh, well...''
Mark bumped his fists.
''As long as I can iste you, it''ll be fine-''
The Warrior''s feet hit the ground, crushing the ice below.
Mark waited for the enemy to get closer, before ducking and leaping past it, leaving four horizontal wounds on its side.
He quickly turned around, expecting the enemy to have moved already.
But it hadn''t.
''What''s up with it? Is it gonna get angry like the Berserker?'' Mark wondered as he brought a bloody finger to his mouth.
Lick-
''Mm. Not bad.''
Without turning to face Mark, the Warrior raised its arms and let out a roar that powerfully echoed through the dome''s walls.
''Loud. Too loud-''
The Warrior mmed its arms on the walls and the dome fell.
''Huh. So you really are nothing like-''
At the same time,
STUCH-
STUCH-
STUCH-
Mark''s pupils dted.
"Superior Kic Vision"
''I need to hide behind him-''
Mark''s mind went nk as his gaze fell on whaty beyond the Warrior.
''So they''re shooting everywhere, without caring...''
His right hand momentarily trembled.
''About him.''
Simultaneously, sixty-six arrows had been released.
It seemed defeating the target wasn''t as simple a task as it had first seemed.
Defeating the target would require sacrifice.
The Warrior growled, showcasing both strength and resolve.
Lacking the time to properly assess the situation, Markunched himself towards the Warrior.
Thetter swung its fists, and Mark ducked under.
He let his momentum drive his body closer to the Warrior''s, as if about to embrace thetter.
Markcked the time to think about it, but he was d to have finally found a use for his forward-pointing horns.
"Partial Golem Amor"
Rocks turned into pieces of armor to protect the backside of Mark''s body.
The front didn''t need armor.
For it had a shield.
The Warrior growled loudly as two sharp horns pierced the frontside of its body, while dozens of arrows pierced its backside.
Mark contracted his muscles, breaking the damaged and bulky rock armor that limited his mobility.
But before he could move away, the Warrior got hold of his left wrist.
''Shit-''
Because of their earlier exchange, Mark believed that their Strength Stats were evenly matched.
A mistake that would cost him.
Whether the Warrior had been holding back earlier or simplycked striking power, the difference in strength became obvious once Mark was taken a hold of.
His body was swiftly pulled before being mmed on the ground, not giving any time for a possible counter.
''UGH-''
Once, twice, thrice.
Blood was going down Mark''s mouth when the Warrior swung his body in the air before letting go.
His body rolled on the ground as he coughed up blood.
''Fuck...''
Staggered, Mark struggled to stand back up.
''Guess I''ll have to...''
Using the Mana Points he had recovered, Mark healed his broken rib, wrist, and dislocated shoulder.
''Tsk. With this, I don''t-''
STUCH-
STUCH-
STUCH-
At the piercing and repetitive sound, Mark''s mind went nk.
Once again, sixty-six arrows had been released.
All aimed at Mark.
The Corrupted Dark Elves didn''t all aim for the same spot.
They couldn''t.
After all, if all aimed at the target''s heart, then ducking would suffice to dodge all the arrows.
Therefore, each aimed for the body part it pleased.
Some wanted to limit the target''s mobility and chose the legs, knees, ankles, or hips.
Others wanted to limit its fighting ability and aimed for its arms.
Some wanted a quick death for the target.
Others, to deprive the target of its sight.
These small differences are what made the volley truly inescapable.
With his arms, Mark guarded his stomach, chest, and face.
He curled his body up.
Using up the little Mana remaining, a piece of armor was made around his neck.
But that was all that could be done.
In less than one second, more than fifty arrowheads prated his skin and body.
The pain was as sudden as it was immeasurable.
So painful, that it didn''t hurt anymore.
It didn''t feel like pain.
It felt like death.
Blood went down Mark''s mouth and nose, but mattered not.
For rivers of blood were going down his whole body.
Mark remained unmoving, with his perforated arms protecting his vital points.
The next second, a powerful clenched fist collided with those perforated arms.
Time seemed to slow down.
''It hurts...'' Mark thought, as his feet left the ground.
The punch hadunched him away.
''It hurts so much...''
His back hit the ground, before sliding back a handful of meters away.
''So fucking much...''
Fatigued, Mark let out a long sigh.
His gaze was directed forward.
He stared at the clear sky above.
It wasn''t "the" sky per se.
Mark knew that.
Nevertheless, it was a good enough imitation.
''It hurts so fucking much...'' Mark gritted his teeth.
He clenched his fists before sitting up.
His eyes burned with rage.
Mark stood up, but his body was in no condition to move much.
The uncontroble swaying made hiding that fact impossible.
''Hurts so fucking much...''
The pain was too much.
''You all are getting...''
And it was unfair for him to be the only one feeling that pain.
''A terrible fucking death.''
The Warrior ran towards the target, determined to finish it off.
The archer took aim once more.
Meanwhile, the Monster''s gaze had traveled somewhere.
It stared at something.
Something, that the rest believed to be of no importance.
Something, that the rest believed had yed its role topletion already.
Something, that the rest believed had no longer a role to y.
Something, they believed had no value.
The Warrior stood a meter away from Mark.
The archers were one second away from releasing their arrows.
''Levi,e out.''
The next second, a great Leviathan appeared on the battlefield.
It appeared while Mark''s gaze was glued to that "something".
Decrepit, dry, and cold.
The Berserker''s bodyy.
Chapter 86 The Final Stand?
?A Leviathan''s imposing presence befell the battlefield.
No Monster within the 1st Floor couldpare when it came to size alone.
Which is why, following its appearance, a moment of confusion took hold of the Corrupted Dark Elves.
The Leviathan''s powerful roar resonated through the forest, shaking countless trees and urging flocks of birds to fly away.
The Corrupted Dark Elves had a target.
The wounded target that stood in front of that Leviathan.
And so, the Corrupted Dark Elves didn''t let the imposing figure intimidate them any further.
The archers drew their bows, while the Warrior ran forward.
A secondter, countless arrows were shot at once.
With perfect timing, the Leviathan moved.
It spun around, setting its tail free, sweeping the whole area around it clean.
While some arrows had pierced the Leviathan''s scales, most had been deflected and pushed away, just like the scorched earth below and the approaching Warrior had been.
A second volley was shot.
The Leviathan spun once more.
Like apass, it spun.
With the Monster, standing at thatpass'' center.
A third volley was shot.
More arrows pierced the Underling''s scales.
The Master stared at the inflicted wounds.
A fourth volley was shot.
Something started boiling up inside the Monster.
''Must hurt, huh?'' Mark asked himself, barely conscious due to the heaps of blood that had been leaving his body.
A fifth volley.
Levi protected his Lord from the attackers.
''I know it must hurt a lot, I could barely... When I''ve taken even fewer hits than you have...''
Volley after volley, the wounded Master watched its Underling get hit.
Solemnly, proudly, and courageously, the Underling bled for its Master.
But the light inside that Master''s eyes faded slowly.
Whether it was due to the blood loss or something else was unclear.
''Come out.''
Another volley was shot.
Mark''s feet started hitting the ground right after giving the order.
"Huh? What''s this? Why you calling me out now? Is this some kind of final stand? Don''t tell me it ends with our loss? I''d be..." The Fire Spirit bbered on and on right after leaving the red gem.
With each step, each movement, blood spurted from Mark''s numerous wounds.
"Running away now? After all that? That''d kind of-"
The great Leviathan spun around, sweeping the area once more.
And Mark moved perfectly so as not to be caught by the defensive move.
''Just a couple more...'' Mark winced, as sharp pain traveled through his whole body each time his feet touched the ground.
The Corrupted Dark Elves and the Warrior noticed the target running away from the great Leviathan.
They changed their aim.
Why wouldn''t they?
The Leviathan was powerful and imposing.
But it had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
To protect the Monster.
Could it be a summon?
Possibly.
Nevertheless, that was more than obvious to assert that there existed a definite link between the two.
A "killing two birds with one stone" situation?
Probably.
Defeating the target might mean defeating the Leviathan.
The reasoning was sound. But unnecessary.
To begin with, the Corrupted Dark Elves only had one target they truly wanted to hunt down.
"Oh. OH!" The Fire Spirit noticed whaty beyond the path Mark was taking.
The archers drew their bows.
"This is going to be amazing!"
The Warrior ran towards the target.
"This isn''t the final stand..." The Fire Spirit shouted as he raised his arms towards Mark.
A high number of arrows were shot.
Less than earlier, but none involved had the time to notice that.
"It''s the climax!"
Spinning mes appeared around Mark.
Diverting the arrows away from their trajectory, a zing tornado had been cast.
The tornado moved with him, so as to keep him hidden and protected at its center.
The Leviathan roared and sparks of electricity appeared over the crystals that covered its back.
Three "Great Lightning Bombs" were shot one after the other, no doubt injuring if not defeating a handful of Corrupted Dark Elves.
Another volley of arrows was shot.
And the protective tornado yed its role perfectly, as only one arrow had shed Mark''s shoulder.
Only one arrow.
He had already taken many.
Yet, this one arrow was nearly enough to make his body copse.
''Just a couple more-''
The next second, something fearlessly made a path for itself through the tornado''s spinning mes and entered Mark''s domain.
Determined to stand in the Monster''s way, the Warrior passed through those mes, with minimal concern about the incurred injuries.
Despite feeling dizzy, lethargic, and sleepy, Mark ran towards his target.
His dim eyes were fixed straight ahead.
Fixed on his target.
Beyond the Warrior.
Thetter roared.
''Fuck off...'' Mark cursed as he ran forward.
The Warrior stood, ready to attack as soon as the Monster enters its range.
''Don''t stand in my way...''
The distance separating the two was about three meters.
The Warrior pulled its arm back.
Hatred filled Mark''s dim eyes.
''I''ll kill you.''
The Warrior''s muscles twitched momentarily, and the Monster ran past it.
A handful of secondster, Mark had arrived at his target.
Meanwhile, the Warrior was still unmoving.
Standing with its back facing the enemy, the Warrior breathed heavily.
For a moment, it seemed as if its heart had been pierced.
It felt as if it had been plunged intoplete darkness.
As if the abyss that resided inside the Monster''s eyes had drowned him.
As if it had devoured him.
"Let''s see it. This climax of yours." The Spiritmented from afar, highly interested.
The Monster stood unmoving, at the center of a zing tornado.
Above its right palm, five spheres of purple energy.
''I''ll kill them...''
Gulp-
Mark couldn''t help but close his eyes as he swallowed the spheres.
Momentary relief.
They tasted good.
Sweet.
Powerful.
[Your Title "Devourer" extracts everything usable from the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker''s Core.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" isn''t pleased by the result.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" uses the remaining Corrupted Dark Elves to strengthen the Berserker''s Core.]
Inside Mark''s body, a battle started.
Thergest of the five swallowed spheres grew fangs.
Greedily and mercilessly, it devoured the other spheres one by one.
Until only it, remained. Larger, denser, and stronger than ever.
Mark''s eyes suddenly opened.
His muscles twitched.
As if he had been hit by a lightning bolt, his head fell back, while his arms were outstretched.
Mark breathed out, and his heart started beating faster.
Much faster.
Faster than it ever had.
Faster than it previously could.
[Your Title "Devourer" takes back what used to be its own.]
[Your Title "Heart Devourer" fades into nothingness.]
The Warrior finally turned back.
It cautiously stared at the enemy that was leaving itself wide open.
Mark''s muscles twitched uncontrobly.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" polishes the final product.]
For a reason unknown even to itself, the Warrior believed it had made a mistake.
A grave mistake, for which it would pay dearly.
What the Warrior had seen inside the Monster''s eyes had left it frozen, unable to move.
Mustering its courage, the Warrior roared.
Now was the time to finish this.
It ran, as fast as it could, on the scorched earth below, towards the target that was standing wide open, leaving its back to the enemy.
The Warrior clenched its fists and raised both arms up high.
But before those arms could be mmed down,
Pierce-
Confusion.
Four limbs, that previously weren''t there, had appeared from the Monster''s back.
Nevertheless, the Warrior gritted its teeth.
It started driving its raised arms down, when, roughly, the Monster drew a half circle with its left leg.
The sharp limbs that had sprouted out of the Monster''s back broke clean.
Abandoned, they were left embedded in the Warrior''s stomach.
Faced with the expression on the Monster''s face, the Warrior stepped back.
It stepped back, but not before the Monster had extended its arms and taken hold of the limbs it had previously purposefully lost.
The Warrior stepped back, and the sharp limbs easily and willingly left its stomach.
Angered, it pulled an arm back.
The Monster dodged by ducking before roughly swinging the sharp limbs horizontally.
The Warrior let out a loud cry of pain.
''I''ll kill you... Definitely...''
Its left leg had been cut off.
''I''ll definitely...''
The Warrior lost its bnce and fell on its back.
The Monster instantly let go of its weapons and jumped over the Warrior, unleashing the ferocious fangs that would soon find their way to that Warrior''s tender neck.
"Not bad. Let''s see more!" The Spirit was overjoyed.
A roar shook the entire battlefield.
Every party could feel it echo throughout their body.
''I''ll kill them...''
The zing tornado was torn, revealing a Monster.
The same as earlier, yet different.
Its muscles hadn''t grown in size, but striations were now visible all over them.
In its left hand, a carcass that had been half-eaten.
Blood was going down the Monster''szily half-open mouth.
Its eyes shined purple.
A volley of arrows was shot.
Despite the Leviathan doing its best, many arrows pierced its Master''s body.
''I''ll definitely...''
The Monster''s purple pupils looked at the wounds inflicted on itself and the Leviathan.
''KILL ALL OF THEM!''
It let out a mighty roar before disappearing.
The Corrupted Dark Elves looked around, unable toprehend what had happened.
Before one of them could realize it, its neck had already been grabbed.
Before it could react, that neck had already been snapped.
Aiming to avenge its brethren, another Corrupted Dark Elf threw its Timeworn Elven Daggers.
Both pierced the target''s back.
The Monster slowly turned around.
''I''ll definitely...''
The Corrupted Dark Elf took a step back.
Before it could step back, the Corrupted Dark Elf''s skull had been crushed.
Berserkers draw power from their rage.
Nothing enrages them more than pain.
Nothing excites them more than power.
Which is why the wounded Monster''s face wore arge smile.
''I''ll definitely kill all of you.''
Uncharacteristically, the Devourer wasn''t fantasizing about devouring, but killing instead.
[You have developed the Skill "Berserker[S]"]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is delighted.]
Chapter 87 The Monster Feared Most
?"Strange. Why are they breaking formation now...?" The Fire Spirit wondered as he looked around.
Indeed, a portion of the hidden Corrupted Dark Elves had left the forest and entered the area in which their vige used to be.
"Oh. Yep. Guess those do have some uses..."
Minutes earlier, a group was making its way through the forest.
The loud growls and roars of a Leviathan in the distance made them up their pace.
A white wolf ran as fast as it could in a straight line.
Following it, one with a dark pelt.
Thetter''s movements might have been faster than the former''s.
But for some reason, it took extra time to choose its course.
Avoiding lit spaces in the open, it opted for darker areas in the shade instead.
Someone had given it an order, some time ago.
An order that the wolf took as a piece of advice. Or rather, a rule to live by. A rule not to vite until necessary.
Through countless trees, the enemies finally appeared in the distance.
The two wolves upped their pace further.
The next second, something akin to a spear made of ice passed through the space between them.
The Corrupted Dark Elves, picking up the sound of something piercing through the air, turned back.
The ice spear hit the ground and, immediately, the area around the point of impact started freezing.
Having jumped away at the right time, the Corrupted Dark Elves hadn''t been hurt. Still, being taken by surprise added to the confusion that had been induced by a certain Leviathan''s appearance.
They threw their bows away and unsheathed their Timeworn Elven Daggers while looking around for the enemy.
A deadly silence ruled that precise area of the forest.
An enemy had found it.
The ideal course of action.
The perfect angle.
The blindspot from which no Corrupted Dark Elf could notice it approaching.
The wolf''s dark pelt twitched as it ran.
The next second, its body turned into a ck fog before turning left and rising at a slight angle off the ground.
Just as the fog was about to hit a tree, the wolf reappeared.
Swiftly and nimbly, its pawsnded on the thick tree''s trunk.
Light extended his legs and propelled himself towards the target he had deemed suitable.
AGHH-
His fangs reached the chosen Corrupted Dark Elf''s neck.
Despite thetter''s struggle, Light did not intend on letting go.
The four other Corrupted Dark Elves immediately rushed to theirrade''s aid. But before they could help, the white wolf opened its mouth wide.
A Magic Skill had been used.
The Wind-Type Magic Skill hit target, immediately costing one of the Corrupted Dark Elves its left leg.
The rest of the Corrupted Dark Elves were seething.
But before they could retaliate, the ground below started shaking.
Something was approaching.
Something huge.
As big as the Leviathan?
Something even bigger?
The sound produced and the intensity with which the ground was shaking definitely gave that impression.
But why couldn''t the approaching giant be seen through the trees then?
The answer revealed itself secondster.
The issue wasn''t one of size.
But of numbers.
The small group of Corrupted Dark Elves, noticing the predicament at hand, stroke their des together.
The produced sound served to alert the rest.
Led by their queen, a swarm of Insect Monsters was approaching.
On top of the swarm''s leader, stood a Moonlit Feline.
It jumped off and onto a different Insect Monster''s abdomen, shot an ice spear, then changed its position once again.
The Insects'' Fire Magic Attacks coupled with the Moonlit Feline''s Ice Magic Attacks threw the Corrupted Dark Elves off their rhythm.
Making it harder for them to retaliate.
And easier for Light and Grey to, stealthily, injure the enemies whenever they could.
Being attacked on two fronts, a portion the Corrupted Dark Elves decided to leave their hiding spots.
They exited the forest and walked on the scorched earth that had taken their vige''s ce.
Some were turning their back to the Leviathan. While others, the approaching swarm.
The next second, a certain Monster''s mighty roar shook the area.
Once the swarm arrived at the entry of the "vige", they stopped.
Fiery''s mandibles twitched.
We must support our Lord.
We must disrupt the cowards fighting from afar.
We must drive them out of their hiding spots.
So that our Lord can have his vengeance.
Instead of walking onto the scorched earth, the swarm circled around it, forcing more and more "cowards" to leave the various positions they upied.
The Monster crushed a Corrupted Dark Elf''s skull.
Floating words appeared in front of it.
[You have developed the Skill "Berserker[S]"]
Despite its numerous injuries, a wide smile appeared on Mark''s face.
''I can feel it... Fill my body... With strength...''
Dismissively, he let go of the skull he had crushed.
''With this...''
Before running towards his next target.
''Let alone sixty of them, I could defeat a hundred!''
Seeing about a third of theirrades break formation and theirrades'' atrocious ughter, the rest of the Corrupted Dark Elves quickly arrived at a decision.
"GRRRRAAA!" They growled in unison, as they threw their bows away and ran forward.
Towards their enemy.
Even those that had been worried about the swarm of Insect Monsters turned towards Mark.
It was time to kill him.
No matter the sacrifices.
No matter what happens after.
Kill the Monster.
Had they been Dark Elves, and not Corrupted Dark Elves, their choice and course of action might have been different.
But, with their bodies and minds already thoroughly damaged by Corruption, this, was as far as they could go.
They couldn''t dismiss the animalistic instincts that were screaming inside of them any further.
The little reason they had left, was discarded.
Hence why, to them, the future did not matter anymore.
What happens after did not matter anymore.
More than fifty Corrupted Dark Elves ran towards Mark.
Levi tried his best, but they were way too agile for his gigantic body and slow movements to even graze.
Timeworn Elven Daggers were thrown.
Two pierced Mark''s shoulder.
His smile widened.
''It doesn''t hurt...''
Mark''s feet cracked the ground below.
''At all!''
A hand that seemed infinitely wide covered a Corrupted Dark Elf''s field of vision.
Mark grabbed its face.
Using his momentum, he buried that enemy''s skull into the ground, before moving on to the next one.
His throat didn''t feel as dry.
His muscles didn''t feel fatigued anymore.
His wounds didn''t hurt anymore.
''This Skill is...''
His body seemed to have been brought back to top shape.
''Amazing!''
Matter of fact, it seemed even stronger.
Even faster.
Mark felt more powerful than ever.
A dagger pierced his side.
Mark grabbed the arm holding the weapon.
As if it had nothing more than a frail tree branch, the arm was torn off.
No one had realized it yet. Not even Mark himself had realized that his consciouness had been sipping in and out of his mind for some time now.
''Spectacr. Once again...'' Levi thought to himself as he watched the massacre taking ce.
Whenever he could, he used his tail and size to limit the number of enemies moving towards Mark. Or to, at least, dy their arrival.
''Our Lord has attained new heights.''
The Fire Spirit seemed pleased too.
"It''s different from that guy''s, but I don''t dislike this either." He whispered before extending an arm forward.
A stream of zing mes blocked the path for a couple of Corrupted Dark Elves.
"Can''t let too many of you go for him at once." The Spirit whimsically said as a dozen daggers passed through his burning body.
Mark waspletely surrounded by dozens.
But it felt different from earlier.
He wasn''t scared.
It didn''t hurt.
Nothing hurt.
Matter of fact, he felt like nothing could hurt him.
From outside the huge mass surrounding Mark, Light stood.
Fighting in in daylight was definitely not his forte.
But the Master needed his help.
It might not have seemed that way, seeing how he was tearing apart Corrupted Dark Elves one after the other, but it was obvious.
The Master couldn''t feel the pain stemming from his wounds.
Which meant he was free to move however he wanted. To fight however he wanted. For however long he wanted.
The shackles of "pain" didn''t hold him back anymore.
But pain isn''t such a simple concept.
It isn''t all negative.
After all, it is because we feel pain, that we move away from the things that hurt us.
Just because "hurt" and "pain" are usually coupled together, doesn''t mean they are the same.
The Master''s wounds didn''t cause any pain, but they were still there.
In fact, the wounds on the Master''s body grew in number.
This seemed to, somehow, make him even stronger.
Light didn''t understand how or why, but that mattered very little.
The Master''s wounds were still there.
The Master''s wounds were still bleeding.
But was it an Underling''s ce to tell its Master to stop fighting?
Light did not know.
Nor did Krista, Grey, Fiery, or Levi.
They helped out, however they could, and watched their Master fight.
"Hey. Probably time to knock it off, don''t you think?" The Spirit asked, with not a hint of worry, after appearing behind Mark.
No answer.
"You might feel pretty good now but... No. I bet you feel amazing. But your injuries are piling up."
Still none.
"Hey?"
The Monster kept fighting.
"Can you even hear me?"
The Monster fought.
The Spirit stared for a bit.
"Mark?"
It was the first time the Fire Spirit called out to him by his name.
The Monster''s injuries grew in number.
And the Monster continued fighting.
The enemies needed to be destroyed.
Killed.
Broken.
By this time, Mark had long since passed out.
Yet, his body hadn''t stopped moving.
Unbeknownst to the Spirit, a new entity had crept its way into the battlefield.
Quietly, discreetly.
Silently.
A dagger pierced the Monster''s stomach.
And a purple Aura started oozing out of its body.
A new Monster had entered the battlefield.
[Your Title "Devourer" resonates with your "Berserker[S]" Skill''s True Nature.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" resonates with your "Berserker[S]" Skill''s True Nature.]
A Monster Mark feared.
[Your Skill "Berserker[S]" has evolved into "Berserker[SS]".]
[Your Skill "Berserker[SS]" has evolved into "Berserker[SSS]".]
[Your Skill "Berserker[SSS]" has evolved into "Berserker[#]".]
The Monster Mark feared the most.
[Your Skill "Berserker[#]" wishes to Immortalize itself.]
[Your Skill "Berserker[#]" desires to be a Title.]
Chapter 88 The Giant Hiding In The Dark
?On the Monster''s face, a wide smile.
A weak cry was let out by a Corrupted Dark Elf whose leg had just been cut off.
With nothing but mayhem on its mind, the Monster ran through the field of Corrupted Dark Elves, cutting arms, legs, and heads off.
"That''s good. Really good!"
The Fire Spirit watched over both the field and the Monster running through it.
"Just like that guy... Letting it all out... Truly..."
His eyes shone brightly.
"Without care or second thought... Just moving... Instinctively... Freely..."
Above all, Spirits adore freedom.
The mes that made up his body started moving through the crowd at high speed.
"But you should know when enough is enough." The Fire Spirit said while approaching.
He arrived in front of the Monster.
And the Monster stopped moving.
"Time to stop. If you don''t want it to be yourst, that is." The Fire Spirit reproached.
The Monster turned its head away andunched its body towards its next target.
"You can''t hear me, huh? Lucky you. Means you''re having a great time, aren''t you?"
The Monster used the sheer difference in weight and power to cate a Corrupted Dark Elf to the ground.
"Am I supposed to stop you or something? Get your shit together. You''re bleeding all over."
The Monster sank its teeth into the neck of the helpless crying enemy.
Warm blood went down its sharp fangs.
"You''re having a great time..." The Fire Spirit whispered to himself while the Monster moved away.
Without a care, the Monster moved on to the next.
"Right?"
The Spirit wondered.
***
Mark opened his eyes.
''Ugh... What is... Huh... What... Where...?''
All he found around him was darkness.
''What... Happened?'' Mark thought to himself.
No matter how much he tried to, Mark couldn''t see a thing through the darkness. Not even his own body.
The darkness around him seemed boundless.
Infinite.
''Where am I? Did I pass out? What''s-''
Mark recalled earlier events.
''I was fighting against those... I devoured the Berserker... Then...''
Mark moved his head from right to left, even though he knew that nothing could be seen on either side.
A simple realization put him at ease.
It wasn''t the first time he was experiencing something of the sort.
''Darkness everywhere... A dream, huh? Just like then...? So I''m asleep? Or passed out I should say. How? The only times this has happened was during my Evolutions. Did I Evolve all of a sudden or something? I didn''t choose an Evolution option. Can''t be that then. But I''ve never passed out in any other scenario-''
Something was amiss.
''Hm. Wouldn''t make sense. Then, did I run out of Endurance Points and pass out? Possible. I''ve never run out before, but passing out seems like a logical... Huh. Might be but...No? After devouring the Berserker, it felt like my Endurance had be endless... Was it just an impression or something? An effect of the Skill?''
Mark shook his head.
"What could it be other than those two...? Why would I be dreaming if-''
Something was strange.
''Huh? How can this be a dream... When my mind and thoughts are this clear-''
The next second, the darkness around Mark''s body stretched out.
As if a darker shadow existed within the darkness he was plunged in.
Loud frenziedughter resonated.
The darkness around him took form.
''Huh-''
Squeeze-
Something had gotten a hold of Mark.
He wasn''t sure when it had happened.
Mark lowered his gaze.
He realized that he could, now, see his body.
But that seemed insignificant.
Something was squeezing his body.
Tightly.
The shadow holding him became a bit clearer.
''What is... What the hell is-''
A hand.
A hand made of darkness itself.
Barely visible.
The outline of bursting veins could barely be spotted.
The naked eye could barely detect the hand''s presence.
But there was no denying that it was there, squeezing Mark''s body.
Tightly.
Almost furiously.
Mark could feel it.
He could feel the space around him get tighter.
But somehow, it didn''t hurt.
Mark''s heartbeat increased.
The hand was grabbing him from the chest down.
His arms were free.
And so, Mark clenched his fists. He mmed them down the darkness around him.
''What the hell is-''
The next second, something caught his attention.
Something in front of him.
The distance separating him and the "thing" couldn''t be measured. Not even estimated.
It seemed to be miles and miles away. But at the same time, a couple of feet away.
The darknesspressed.
Condensed itself.
Darkness gathered into a single point.
After a couple of seconds, a blinding light sprung forth.
Into that single point, so much darkness had been condensed, that it started shining.
It radiantly shone. Golden.
As if unable to keep the lightpressed, that point suddenly expanded.
It took form.
Mark''s hand shook.
Through the darkness, a golden eye stared at him.
With great interest, it stared.
Curiously.
''The fuck is this supposed to be?''
The surreal experience left Mark bewildered.
The eye stared.
And Mark stared back.
But after a bit, he lowered his gaze and mmed his fists on the hand holding his body once more.
''LET... GO!''
Mark wanted to free himself.
But, more than that, he wanted to escape that eye''s gaze.
The eye looked at each of Mark''s body parts.
Slowly, meticulously, as if it craved them.
It stared at his body.
Almost lecherously.
Greedily.
Frenziedughter resonated, and darkness stretched below the wide-open golden eye.
Was it below? Once again, distances were difficult to estimate.
Fangs.
Some pointed up.
Others pointed down.
Dozens on each side.
More? It was unclear.
Mark''s heart started racing.
He contracted every muscle in his body.
Moved every limb.
But the darkness holding him stood firm.
The jaw of darkness opened and closed repeatedly.
Like a broken bear trap,
ng-
ng-
CLANG-
Mark took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
He tried to calm himself.
He told himself that it was a nightmare, just like any other.
That it wasn''t real.
That, in truth, the situation wasn''t as hopeless as it seemed.
That, in truth, he wasn''t as incapable and defenseless as he seemed to be.
Mark''s ws sank into the hand holding him hostage.
Was he trying to free himself? Or was it simply a reaction induced by the stress and pressure?
Between the many fangs of darkness, something emerged.
A tongue.
Large and long, it, eagerly, moved forward until mere inches separated it from Mark.
His eyes were forced open.
Lick-
The tongue returned to its ce, before licking the many fangs around it, anointing them with the sticky drool it seemingly secreted.
Ravenously.
Hehehe-
Gluttonously.
''The fuck youughing at?''
Unable to do a thing, it seemed cursing was all he could do.
The rows of teeth moved.
They curled up.
The golden eye''s stare changed.
An idea.
''System?''
No answer.
''Nia...?''
As if "they" could hear Mark''s thoughts,
Squint-
Hehehe-
The three entities seemed to, at first, be separate.
But maybe that wasn''t the case.
''So you can hear me, whatever the fuck you are?''
They might have been, instead, part of arger entity.
In the infinite darkness, seemed to reside a Giant.
A Giant, whose eye, mouth, and hand, were the only detectable body parts.
***
"My Lord!" Levi shouted as he arrived at the Monster''s side.
With his back against the Monster''s, he prepared to fight off the numerous enemies.
"It was magnificent, my Lord. But now is the time to flee. They''ve thrown their bows. Flying would no longer-"
BAM-
Levi''s body wasunched away by a spinning back fist.
A spinning back fist that was as powerful as it was sudden.
Blugh-
Blood went down Levi''s nose and mouth.
Dizziness overtook him.
He struggled to get on his knees.
Levi couldn''t wrap his head around the current situation.
ROAR-
Dizzy and puzzled, a whisper left Levi''s mouth.
"My... Lord?"
It only took an additional couple of seconds for him to understand.
The Lord seemed to be somewhere else.
But then, who was it, that was currently fighting?
Who was it, that he had to protect?
Chapter 89 Less Than A Memory
?Mark''s feet hung in the air.
Held from the chest down, his arms were extended in front of him.
''The eye. It''s different than the onest time but... Are you that Dungeon Master?''
Kekekek-
Laughter echoed.
Despite the situation, Mark tried to stay as calm as possible.
''Can''t do a thing. I don''t feel tired. My wounds from earlier are gone...''
Mark brought his right hand to his left arm.
He extended a finger.
Pierce-
''Hm.'' Mark nodded to himself.
A drop of blood went down his arm.
''Can''t feel pain. Oh. The wound is already gone. So I wasn''t teleported or anything. This is a dream. Or... Something... Like a dream.''
The rows of fangs moved.
''I''m still out there. I can''t remember that I copsed on the ground or anything. I just... Gradually...''
Kekekek-
Mark raised his gaze to the golden eye staring at him.
His anxiousness was tangible.
In front of the golden eye, he felt seen through. Naked.
Adding to the fact that Mark was convinced that the "Being" facing him could hear his thoughts,
''Can''t feel pain. So fear is the only issue here. Just like... In a nightmare...''
Mark''s gaze went from the golden eye, to the rows of fangs, to the dark hand holding him sessively.
''I''m out there... I''m still out there, aren''t I?'' Mark asked telepathically as he directed his gaze towards the golden eye once more.
Connecting with its gaze felt extremely ufortable.
Nevertheless, Mark looked for it for an answer.
''So? Is my body currently passed out in the middle of those Elves, or-''
The darkness shook.
[My Lord...]
A distant voice barely made it to Mark.
[MY LORD!]
''Levi...?''
Mark closed his eyes.
''If he''s calling out to me, then I''m definitely still out there. Could be part of the nightmare though... Could also be some kind of barrier I was trapped into? Hm. One thing''s for sure, he''s out there. And-''
The image of his Underling being pierced by dozens of arrows suddenly came to mind.
Mark opened his eyes.
''Let me out.'' Hemanded, his eyes burning.
The golden eye widened, seemingly surprised by the tone.
''Even before I passed out, I''d blink and find myself a couple of steps away from where I previously had been. Didn''t even realize it at the time. That''s how powerful that Skill is, huh? Must''ve been the same for the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker.''
At the thought, the rows of fangs suddenly started nging. Repeatedly.
They seemed to get closer to Mark. Orrger.
The fangs shed with one another, sending bright sparks into the darkness.
Mark took a deep breath.
''I''m not scared. You can''t hurt me, can you? I''m puzzled, since you''re a mystery. But that''s as far as it''ll go. ''
He stared sternly.
''I have no clue what the fuck you''re supposed to be but, right now, I don''t have time to waste.''
The golden eye''s gaze changed.
The rows of fangs stopped moving.
''Let me out, now.''
Mark''s tone seemed to please the rows of fangs.
The intensity in his eyes seemed to amuse the golden eye.
''Good...''
Quietly, the rows of fangs faded back into the darkness they were born in.
Gradually, but also suddenly.
''Now-''
The golden eye had started disappearing too, but the next instant,
Squeeze-
The third entity seemed to have a mind of its own.
''What''s-''
Squeezed much harder than earlier, Mark''s body tightened.
His heartbeat increased.
Acting fearless was one thing.
But truly being without fear, another.
''I said...''
Mark raised his arms up.
''LET ME OUT!''
He mmed those arms upon the hand of darkness with all his strength.
The gigantic hand retaliated by tightening its grip even further.
An opening.
Fear.
Sensing Mark''s fear, the golden eye opened wide.
A blinding light was exuded. Like a sun shining brightly up above.
Mark couldn''t help but raise his hand to protect his eyes from the glow.
''What now...?!''
The particles of light traveled through the darkness.
None can say for sure how long or short the distance they covered was.
The grip on Mark''s body tightened.
He bathed in the golden eye''s glow.
And as soon as that light touched the hand he was protecting his eyes with,
Crack-
The sturdy white scales that covered his hand broke.
As if disintegrating, the scales started peeling off his body.
''What is...? No...!''
They slowly left his body and floated into the darkness, before disappearing.
''No. No. No. No. Wait... Wait!''
It didn''t take long for more than his scales to disappear.
Mark mmed his arms on the hand of darkness.
But they didn''t hold as much power anymore.
They weren''t as heavy nor as strong as earlier.
Frail and weak.
His arms were a Human''s.
"No... Wait... I don''t..."
Mark stared at the weak arms extended in front of him.
They were his.
Or used to be his?
Despair, disgust, and uncertainty mixed.
Mark''s monstrous body was no more.
And neither was his strength.
Repeatedly, Mark mmed his arms on the darkness holding him hostage.
The next second, the grip tightened even further and,
Crack-
"Did it just-"
And his body was let go of.
As if Mark had only been hovering centimeters off the ground, his body hit the invisible floor right away.
Lying on the ground, powerless, defenseless.
"Fuck. FUCK!" Mark shouted.
He hadn''t realized it, but words had beening out of his mouth.
Mark immediately raised his back off the ground and sat up.
"Huh...?"
He tried standing up.
He tried moving his legs.
"What...?"
Mark directed his gaze to those legs.
Different from the muscr ones he previously had.
Frail? No.
Frail didn''t evene close to describing how fragile they were.
"Move."
Legs even more feeble than his skinny arms.
"Move. Move. MOVE!" Mark shouted the orders over and over again as he tried moving those legs.
He clenched his fists and mmed them down his unmoving quadriceps muscles.
"Move dammit. MOVE!"
Mark''s hands started shaking.
His breathing, unstable.
"What am I supposed to..."
Darkness filled his pupils.
That''s when something returned.
"Wait..."
Mark''s heart sank.
"Wait. Wait. Wait! No..."
More than an impression.
"No. No. No..."
Less than a memory.
"NO!"
A familiar feeling.
The feeling of being unable to use one''s legs.
"No... Not... Not now... Not after... I''ve finally...!"
A feeling Mark had been familiar with in a past life.
He clenched his fists and teeth.
A harrowing cry traveled through the infinite darkness.
Mark screamed, and so did the Monster.
***
ROARR-
The Monster mmed its fists, breaking the ground below.
The next second, fourteen Timeworn Elven Daggers were, at once, thrown in its direction.
The Monster lowered its body and grabbed a huge chunk of the earth below.
Swallow-
nk-
nk-
A wall of sturdy rocks had exited the ground and protected the Monster from the iing weapons.
"Earth Maniption?" The Fire Spirit wondered.
With a punch, the protective wall was brought down by the protected.
The unarmed Corrupted Dark Elves extended their arms forward.
But the Monster grabbed hold of four weapons before their owners could take them back.
With four Timeworn Elven Daggers in its right hand, the Monster raised its arm.
The weapons dangled above it for a bit, before,
Swallow-
Cough-
It coughed up small amounts of blood.
Consuming the weapons must have been painful, but the Monster couldn''t look more pleased.
The next second, four limbs simr to spider legs exited its lower back.
Dark purple in color.
Sharp.
Truly, as sharp as Daggers.
As Timeworn Elven Daggers.
Chapter 90 Incomplete Berserker
?[The Birth of a new Title has been initiated.]
The Monster''s newly grown limbs pierced a Corrupted Dark Elf''s stomach.
[Analyzing Eligibility...]
Despite their numbers slowly dwindling, the Corrupted Dark Elves kepting.
Their fear had died, along with their reason.
Only fighting spirit remained, animating their bodies.
"My Lord!" Levi shouted as he positioned himself behind the Monster.
He immediately extended an arm to cover that Monster''s back.
The two Timeworn Elven Daggers that had been thrown towards the Monster pierced Levi''s arm.
[Calcting necessary Status for the Formation of a new Title...]
The Monster jumped forward.
Its right hand grabbed hold of a Corrupted Dark Elf''s head.
From behind it, three attackers approached.
They swung their weapons towards the Monster''s back, but thetter turned just in time.
Using the one it had grabbed as a shield, the Monster protected itself from the attacks.
The attackers, realizing they had injured arade, jumped back.
The Monster tightened his grip.
A head was pulled off.
Unwilling to let go of the corpse yet, the Monster plunged its hand into the unmoving beheaded Corrupted Dark Elf''s neck.
"What the..." The Fire Spirit was at a loss for words.
Which is exactly why his timing was thrown off, allowing more attackers than he would''ve liked, to approach the Monster at once.
Faced with screeching enemies, the Monster simply pulled its hand out of the corpse.
And something followed that hand.
Long and flexible.
The Fire Spiritughed out loud.
"His spine? Seriously?!"
The chain whip made of bones was swiftly pulled out of the corpse. But it seemed much longer than a Corrupted Dark Elf''s spine should''ve been.
"Creepy. He manipted the bones inside to make it longer... It''s so creepy that it''s kinda..."
The newly made weapon was swung and swung in the air before being brought down on the closest enemy, immediately shing its body diagonally.
Sensing more enemies approaching from behind it, the Monster made the chain whip draw a half circle.
It connected with the enemy''s leg and wrapped around it.
The next second, as if it had a mind of its own, the chain whip''s sharp tip rose and pierced that enemy''s heart.
[The Status necessary for the Birth of a new Title iscking.]
Maybe the floating words had something to do with it, but the Monster decided to let go of its weapon.
An approaching Corrupted Dark Elf immediately stopped in its tracks once its gaze met the Monster''s.
Before the former could realize it, the Monster was already standing behind it.
The Corrupted Dark Elf fell to the ground.
In the Monster''s palm, a freshly removed heart.
Swallow-
[Your Title "Devourer" is pleased.]
[Your Title "Devourer" vouches for the Skill "Berserker[#]".]
The Monster stopped moving for an instant.
[The Status necessary for the Birth of a new Title hasn''t been reached.]
"You tired yet?" The Fire Spirit asked after appearing in front of the Monster.
Thetter extended an arm.
Twelve Corrupted Dark Elves, in a circle, ran towards the Monster.
"You''d better-"
The Fire Spirit moved.
Or rather, his body was moved.
The Spirit was condensed into a small ball of fire, before turning into a circle of mes.
The Monster lowered its body.
The next second, the circle of mes expanded, blinding the approaching Corrupted Dark Elves.
The Monster took full advantage of that and decimated the temporarily blinded enemies.
When thest of the twelve fell to the ground, ten Timeworn Elven Daggers were in the Monster''s possession.
Swallow-
Immediately, a dark purple Aura covered the Monster''s ws.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is pleased.]
The Aura faded, and the Monster''s ws had changed.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" vouches for the Skill "Berserker[#]".]
A malicious smile appeared on the Monster''s face.
[umted Status is being calcted...]
[Analyzing...]
Kekekek-
[umted Status is barely sufficient.]
Muffledughter left the Monster''s mouth.
[A New Title is being conceptualized.]
Purple Aura surrounded the Monster''s body, and itsughter got louder.
[The Title "Berserker" has been-]
Suddenly, the floating words started glitching.
[Your Title "Devourer" runs away.]
Something was interfering.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" hides.]
Something stood against the Birth of that Title.
Immediately, the Monster''s bleeding body started trembling.
[Your Title "Possible Demon King Candidate" opens its eyes.]
Anger took over the Monster due to the unexpected disturbance.
[Your Title "Possible Demon King Candidate" stares.]
The Monster''s trembling got much more intense.
[Your Skill "Berserker[#]" cowers.]
Something touched the Monster''s leg.
Before even looking down, the Monster let out a menacing roar.
[The Birth of the new Title has been halted.]
[Part of your Skill''s Ability has been Temporarily Locked.]
The menacing roar was met with a piercing hiss.
But once the Monster''s gaze fell on the crystal clear eyes staring at it,
''...?''
The Moonlit Feline pushed its front paws against the Monster''s leg.
''Krista?''
Immediately, insane amounts of pain sprung forth.
Multiple broken bones.
Both internal and external bleeding
The Monster''s whole body ached.
It felt like it could pass out at any moment.
? But it wasn''t over yet.
A Corrupted Dark Elf ran forward before jumping into the air, determined to behead its enemy.
The Monster clenched its teeth and turned around at thest moment.
Two daggers levitated, centimeters away from its eyes.
BOOM-
Two attacks had simultaneouslynded on the Corrupted Dark Elf''s body, causing an explosion.
From the right, a ball of zing mes.
From the left, a devastating Wind st.
The Monster''s fatigue had reached critical levels long ago.
With the "Berserker" Skill deactivating, the "Buffs" disappeared along with it.
The shockwave was more than enough to knock back the Monster.
''Finally... It''s over...'' It thought as it lost its bnce.
Dizzy, exhausted, and overly anemic due to the blood loss.
The Monster''s body would''ve fallen t on the ground, if not for something supporting it from behind at thest second.
A chuckle escaped Mark''s mouth.
''Ha... I really don''t understand you. From the beginning, you''ve stared at me with those same eyes.''
Mark pushed himself off his Underling.
''You know... I''ve even forgotten about you a few times. Forgotten that you were there... But every time... You''ve always been there for me when I needed you.''
Mark''s legs struggled to keep him standing upright.
''You emerge from the shadows when I need you most, huh?''
Light stared at his wounded Master for a bit, before taking a seat on the ground.
Chapter 91 Concern For The Candidate
?A woman with long red hair stared at a digital screen.
Sigh-
"Looks like it went well after all..."
On that screen, a copsing Monster could be seen.
"Well might be an overstatement..."
Bloody, the Monster had numerous wounds all over its body. Its white scales could barely be seen through the heaps of blood leaving its wounds.
"Well fought? Hm. Not really. But that''s what you get when you''re this thrilled aboutpeting against an opponent. Happened too many times already..." Draconia whispered.
She gently ced her palms on the desk she was seated in front of.
"We ced you inside that Dungeon for one reason. To fight. We wanted you to fight. To think about fighting, and nothing else. So that you would strive for strength. Leaving you surrounded by nothing but enemies. Still, this is..."
Nia raised her hands slightly, put her left over her right, and lowered them on the desk once more.
"He''s not just thinking about fighting. He likes it. He loves it. Which is great actually. Sort of what we wanted, but..."
She slowly lowered her chin, until it delicately rested on her crossed hands.
"This is too much. He loves fighting. He lovespeting... Way too much. Could be a problem..."
Nia''s eyes nced over to the right side of her desk.
On that side, many books had been neatly arranged.
"This passion you developed might be a problem. And it''s concerning. Sooo concerning...''
Over those books'' spines, titles had been inscribed.
The ink hadn''t fully dried out yet. It was clear that the words had only been written recently.
''Hand-to-hand Combat, The Basics...''
''Mana and Magic, An Elementary Guide...''
''Magic Circles, How and Why...''
''Swordsmanship, Techniques From Various Master Swordsmen...''
''Fighting Tactics And Startegy, An Introductory Essay...''
In a smaller font, and at the corner of every spine, were additional words.
Their cement was odd.
As if meant to be overlooked.
''To Mark, By Nia.''
She directed her gaze towards the digital screen once more.
"So concerning..."
A Monster, with an arm covered by red scales and another with crystals, had lowered its body towards the wounded white-scaled Monster.
Both were wounded, but the degree to which, vastly differed.
"Because I don''t have a clue how to help with that..."
Nia thought for a bit.
She recalled the various fights the white-scaled Monster had gone through. Even those before the Monster had be white-scaled.
"Absolutely no clue..." Nia whispered.
Three of those fights stood out.
The Monster''s fight against the Leviathan.
The fight gainst the Fire Spirit.
And the one against the Berserker.
Nia was surprised at how well she remembered those fights.
"Not a shred of rationality. Letting instincts... No, passion? Dictate your actions. Irrational. Illogical."
Nia''s slit pupils stared.
"Dangerous."
The white-scaled Monster on the screen was raised from the ground and ced over the body of what looked like a gigantic red ant.
Draconia suddenly let out a chuckle.
"But it''s pretty entertaining, I must admit..."
The next second, she, uncharacteristically,ughed out loud.
Nia raised her right hand, covering her mouth as sheughed. Even though there was none to overhear herughter.
As a General, Nia''s quarters were hers and hers alone.
Her slit pupils fell on the digital screen once again.
''Discipline? Is that what hecks? Or...'' She wondered.
Nia''s left hand slid over the wooden desk and stole a nk page from the pile on the left side of that desk.
She stretched her arms for a bit before grabbing a pen.
Using Magic to inscribe words was something Nia was more than capable of. For some reason, she had decided to write manually instead.
"The Master assigned him to me..."
Her gaze fell on the digital screen once more.
"Which means that I am the most suited to help him grow."
Nia''s eyes burned with dedication as she stared at the nk page.
''Plenty of lessons are to be learned from what he has just gone through. And if he doesn''t get it by himself, I''ll have to lecture him once he''s out. I''ll have to wait for Raven to bring him to me though...'' She thought.
A slight sense of anxiety arose once Nia thought of Raven, but it was quickly shaken off.
"Fighting numerous strong enemies... Right after a tough battle. A tough battle that resembled a battle against a Boss Monster in a way. He must be painfully aware that this is how it''ll be from now on. Can''t limit your strength and toy with enemies, especially when the difference in power isn''t a huge one..." She whispered to herself.
Nia brought a finger to her cheek.
''And that''s putting aside the issue with his Titles. Mmh. That''s what the final Trial is about anyways. No use thinking about it too much...''
Nia rose her gaze to the ceiling.
''How does it feel being the Boss Monster for once?''
A slight smile appeared on her face.
"I wonder what he would answer to that." Nia whispered.
The next second, an intruder entered the room.
"NIAAA!" Someone shouted from behind her.
Draconia immediately rose to her feet. She hurriedly turned to face the intruder.
The digital screen had disappeared as she turned around.
"First time you didn''t sense me approaching. Anything on your mind? Could it be trouble?" The intruder said with a mischievous voice.
"Nothing of any concern to you." Nia answered coldly as she eyed the intruder.
Pale skin covered by a sturdy purple exoskeleton.
Long white hair that seemed more silk than hair.
Thin limbs.
Numerous thin limbs, as four sharp ones protruded from the intruder''s back.
Four eyes stared at Draconia at once.
"I see you came in with your weapons, Arani. Hope you''re not looking for trouble." Nia said as she leaned back until her lower back rested against the side of her desk.
Heryback attitude was betrayed by her burning eyes.
"Oh, these?" Arani rose her hands, revealing the deadly and thin rapier-like bones protruding from her elbows.
They seemed to be sharp bones that Humansck, located between the Ulna and Humerus.
They could be extended and retracted.
Arani did thetter.
"Since you hadn''t noticed me, I feared something might''ve happened." She added, as the deadly stingers slowly went back inside the purple exoskeleton they resided in.
"You think I''d need your help?" Nia asked with a calm voice. She lightly pushed herself off the desk.
"Oh my. You don''t have to be so defensive about it. We''re on the same side here." Arani answered cheerfully, albeit maliciously.
Her feet took silent and graceful steps closer.
Once she arrived at Nia''s side, Arani spun around elegantly and leaned against the desk.
Draconia remained unmoving, impassive.
She stared at the door Arani hade in from.
"No one gave you permission to enter."
"Oh,e on! We''re both Generals. No need for formalities between us."
"I''m rather fond of formalities."
"You mean boundaries."
"What do you want?" Nia asked as she finally turned her head sideways, towards Arani.
"What were you looking at? Anything interesting?" Thetter asked.
"None of your business. If that''s all then-"
"Your Candidate, wasn''t it?" Arani, having glimpsed at the digital screen before it had disappeared knew already. "How is he doing?"
"I don''t see why I should answer." Nia said coldly.
"Huh? Why so defensive?"
"Go check on the Candidate you''ve been tasked to-"
"But that''s just it, my dear Nia." Arani''s four eyes widened. "We''ve been tasked to keep an eye on them. I don''t see why you don''t want to-"
Nia was the one to interrupt this time.
"I see no reason for it." She said, still holding Arani''s gaze.
Thetter chuckled brightly.
"Nia, Nia, Nia... Always so rational. So rational, logical, and cold."
"If you''re done, then-"
"Then why don''t you tell me, what''s your reason? For not showing me? You must have one..."
Arani smiled, showcasing her sharp four sharp fangs, two on each side of her jaw.
"Right?"
Chapter 92 Another General
?The two stared at one another.
"You must have one, right?" Arani said as she smiled maliciously.
"I don''t need to justify-"
"You''re not getting out of this one with words alone." Arani''s smile widened. "Show me how he''s doing, why don''t you? I might be able to help with something."
Only then, did Nia look away, as if fleeing from the piercing gaze.
She remained silent.
"Don''t tell me you''re scared of something happening to him. You don''t think I would do anything, would you?"
A slight smirk appeared on Draconia''s face. An opening had presented itself.
"Well..." Nia took her time responding. "Now that you mention it, I do believe it to be strange that you''d be interested in a Candidate other than your own. Mm, yes. It''s true. You''re not really dependable. Not very trustworthy either for that matter, so... Who knows what you might do."
Nia, soaking in the silence, waited for a bit, before turning back towards Arani.
Four wide open eyes.
A grave expression.
A mysterious Aura emanated from Arani''s eyes and quickly expanded to cover her body.
"What... Did you just say?"
The air inside the room immediately turned stuffy.
Arani''s hands twitched uncontrobly. It seemed they would move on their own, were she to neglect keeping them in check.
"Those Candidates... Are part of our Lord''s n."
The next second, the whole room started shaking.
The bookshelves trembled violently.
Waves of books hit the ground.
"Did you just... Question my loyalty... To our Lord?"
[The Title "Third General Of Gaavah" is staring menacingly.]
While still holding Arani''s gaze, Nia turned sideways to face her.
She took a step closer.
The two were, now, inches away from one another.
"Don''t do that here. If you''re looking for trouble, you''ll find some. We can take it outside..."
A fiery Aura emerged from Nia''s eyes.
[The Title "Sixth General Of Gaavah" stares back.]
Immediately, the trembling seized.
"You just need to ask."
The two forces seemed to have negated one another.
Arani stared without saying a word, but the twitching that ruled over her hands seemed to only get more intense.
After a handful of seconds, Nia broke the silence.
"As for what I said, I didn''t think you would take it to heart."
The two were mere centimeters apart.
Both Generals knew a fair amount about each other.
And so, they knew that, at such close range, each could inflict a non-negligible amount of damage to the other.
The tension inside the room was palpable.
There was only one question.
Who would take the initiative?
Who would dare strike first?
Arani''s left hand moved ever so slightly.
Nia''s eyes followed that hand closely.
The hand was raised.
"Well..."
For both parties, apologizing was out of the question.
If they had to choose between apologizing and fighting to the death, the two would have, probably, chosen thetter.
That, is what it meant to be a "General Of Gaavah".
That, is how powerful the Pride of such Generals is.
"These are your quarters. I shouldn''t have entered the way I did." Arani said as she looked away and brushed away the hair that had cascaded down her left cheek.
Nia nodded.
"I might have gone too far." She said, before directing her gaze towards the piles of fallen books.
Noticing that, Arani raised a hand and extended her fingers.
A secondter, streams of luscious silk wandered around the room, sticking to and lifting the various books that had fallen to the ground.
They were collected and brought to Arani.
"Here you go."
She handed the pile to Draconia.
"Don''t get your sticky stuff all over them." Niained as she took hold of the pile.
"Plenty would pay a pretty penny for my sticky stuff."
"Gross."
Arani chuckled.
Nia walked towards the bookshelves.
She started rearranging the books.
Arani stared silently while Nia walked from bookshelf to bookshelf, meticulously putting the various books back where they belonged.
The two seemed deep in thought.
''How can I get her to show me her Candidate? I''m pretty curious about it...''
''She''s right. Huh. I was being overly defensive. Can''t find a good reason why I didn''t want to talk about...''
Only once Nia was done putting the books back, did Arani talk.
"I''d like to see how the Candidate you''re in charge of is doing. I think it might allow me to better guide mine."
Arani decided to be truthful. At least, as much as she could be.
"I''ll think about it." Nia answered after brief consideration.
"So coooold!"
Draconia walked back to the desk.
Arani stared silently.
Nia took a seat and, a secondter, a digital screen appeared in front of her.
Arani took a step closer, until she stood just behind Nia. She slightly bent her body forward.
On the digital screen, multiple Monsters could be seen.
Arge Insect Monster was walking through a dense forest.
On its body,y a seemingly passed-out white-scaled humanoid Monster.
Next to thetter, was a seated Moonlit Feline.
Three others were in a triangr formation around them.
At the rear, a Typhoon Wolf on the right side and a Demonic Dark Wolf on the left.
Leading the group, a second humanoid Monster.
"Interesting. So he''s made Companions. Or... Underlings?" Aranimented.
Nia nodded.
Arani moved closer to the floating digital screen.
She pointed with her index finger.
"So..."
A malicious smile on her face.
"Which one is your Candidate?"
The blow did sting a bit, but Nia did not let it show.
"The one passed out."
Arani slowly brought her hand to her face.
The next second, sheughed out loud uncontrobly while covering her mouth.
"Pffft! Hahaha! Is that why you didn''t want to show? Didn''t want me to see your Candidate passed out and beaten up? Hahaha!"
Nia didn''t say anything.
Perhaps she hadn''t managed to find an appropriateeback.
Perhaps she didn''t feel the need to retort.
"Well, I''ve seen what I''vee to see. Thank you and goodbye!" Arani said cheerfully as she took steps towards the door.
But just before she could exit the room.
"Arani." Nia called out.
"What is it?" Arani smiled, despite feeling somewhat displeased.
''Coming from you, even my name sounds sooo not cute.'' Arani thought to herself.
"What about your Candidate? Same overall situation?" Nia asked intently.
"My Candidate, huh...?" Arani whispered.
She brushed away the hair that fell covered her right shoulder and rested her hand on the side of her neck.
"My Candidate is... Hmmm..."
''Huh?'' Nia''s reaction could''ve been mistaken for surprise or shock, but it was neither. ''She''s blushing...?''
"Well, unlike yours, mine... He doesn''t have Companions. No Underlings either. I guess he doesn''t want any... He''s..."
Arani''s blushing became much more visible.
"He''s a bit too twisted for that." Arani barely managed to get the words out.
Her eyes screamed of passion, or perhaps, madness.
"I see." Nia said sternly.
"Anyways, I''ll... I''ll get going."
Arani left, and Nia was, once more, alone.
''Twisted. Just like her, huh? A two peas in a pod situation then. It does make me wonder though...''
She tapped the wooden desk with her finger multiple times.
''Why was I matched up to Mark...?''
Nia raised her gaze to the ceiling.
"I hope I can figure that out before I see him..." She whispered to herself.
Chapter 93 Quirky
?''It''s been pretty boring here ever since we''ve been assigned our Candidates...''
Arani skipped down the castle''s corridors.
''My quarters are opposite Nia''s...''
With each step, her luscious white hair danced.
''Guess I''ll stop by and check on the others...'' Arani smiled maliciously.
A golden strapless dress covered Arani''s body.
A dress she had made by herself, for herself.
''Let''s see... First is...'' Arani thought after having walked a bit more.
She peeked throughrge steel doors.
A roompletely different from Draconia''s.
No bookshelves, no books.
Not even a desk.
Instead, dark bouldersy next to every wall.
The boulders differed from one another in size.
Some even had strange and peculiar shapes.
''Oho.''
They differed in size but, the biggest was, without a doubt, the one being slowly brought down.
"Hey you!" Arani shouted cheerfully.
A single person was inside the room. At its center.
Their hands and feet were on the ground.
"Training hard, I see. As per usual, huh? Cy."
The man''s ears twitched.
Ears that seemed to be a tiger''s.
His hair was orange. Vibrant.
The man''s bare chest was slowly being lowered to the ground while, on his back,y the boulder.
Drops of sweat were barely hanging onto his dimpled face and chiseled body.
Focused, he hadn''t the time to answer. Nor the desire to do so.
Arani watched, as the man''s chest lightly kissed the ground.
The next instant, every stretched muscle fiber contracted, allowing him to go back into his starting position, with extended arms against the floor.
Cy took a couple of deep breaths.
"Fuck off." He bluntly said, before slowly lowering his body once more.
Despite the hostile reaction, Arani watched for a bit more.
On every boulder inside the room, were purple inscriptions.
''Gravitational Magic, huh?'' She thought to herself.
The Magical Inscriptions, therefore, made guessing the boulder''s weight close to impossible.
With a skip in her step, Aran continued her stroll through the castle.
Unfortunately, two additional Generals gave her the same wee as Cy.
''Couldn''t even ask about their Candidates. Tsk. They''re like this even though we meet so rarely¡''
Arani stopped and looked through one of the many windows that allowed light to enter the corridor.
She brought a finger to her cheek
''I hate Draconia the most, yet she''s the one who gave me the warmest wee¡''
Her eyes nced over the many tents set up outside the castle.
Warriors and Soldiers of all Races and Species could be seen.
Arani shook her head and kept going.
She was on her way to her quarters. Which made talking to her "fellow" Generals on the way nothing more than an attempt to pass time.
''Let''s hope it goes better with¡''
Knock-
No answer.
Arani knocked twice more on the shut doors made of a greyish material.
''Is he not in¡?'' She slowly and discreetly grabbed the door handle.
Ever so slightly, Arani pushed the door.
Absolute darkness would have ruled inside the room, if it wasn''t for the ss vial that shined neon green.
Put on disy in the middle of the room, the ss vial proudly stood as the only object in there.
Someone was in front of that vial.
They were obviously tall, as the person had to bend down quite a bit to be at eye level with the vial.
Enchanted by its contents, Arani hadn''t been noticed at all.
She knocked once more.
Only then, did the person slowly turn their head away from the vial, reluctantly taking their attention away from said vial.
"Hope I''m not interrupting..." Arani said with a smile.
The unknown General straightened up, revealing his impressive height of about 5 meters.
"Al."
That was his name.
An impressive height, but extremely narrow shoulders.
Al''s limbs were long and slender. Very much so, as his hands fell way beyond his waist.
He stared silently.
"Was I¡? Interrupting?"
Al quietly raised a hand and extended it towards Arani.
He unclenched his fist, revealing a mouth on hisrge palm.
The mouth moved.
"Not at all. I found it and just had to get it. An Abyssal Kraken''s Core. Can''t find them in these parts. I got really lucky. Want to check it out?"
"Oh. Cool¡ No, I''m fine."
The mouth moved once more.
"Suit yourself."
The next second, Al snapped his fingers and, in response,mps on each wall of the room lit up, revealing the man''s appearance and the room''s state.
''Did he put all those up just to check the Core properly?''
On the room''s two windows, dozens of wooden tes had been ced hurriedly to keep the light out.
They hadn''t been arranged properly, but their numbers were more than enough to do the job.
The mouth on Al''s hand moved once more.
"Anything on your mind?"
Arani looked him up and down.
"You have terrible fashion sense." Aranimented.
"Do I?" Al seemed surprised.
His body was covered by a ck full body and skin-tight suit that went up to his nose.
Additionally, he wore red boots, a pair of leather pants, and a purple cloak.
Arani thought it was a shame. She was rather fond of the color purple.
"Your greasy long hair doesn''t help." Arani added.
Al lowered his gaze for a bit, looking at each piece of clothing that covered his body.
He couldn''t find what was wrong with it.
Arani brought her index fingers together.
Once she pulled them away, a golden stripe of silk was stretched between those fingers.
"Want me to sew you something up?" Arani offered.
Al stared for a bit.
"If you have the time." He said as he turned his gaze away.
Silence-
''Oh. I lost him already.''
Al had gone back to staring at the valuable Item he had recently obtained.
"How''s your Candidate doing?"
"Good. He''s thorough, curious, and taking his time. I couldn''t have asked for better." Al answered without turning to face Arani.
She waited for a bit.
''He''s not even going to ask about mine?''
Arani waited a couple more seconds before taking a step.
"If that''s all, please close the door behind you." Al said before snapping his fingers, plunging the room back into darkness.
She obliged the request.
''Quirky weirdos, all of them.'' Arani thought as she walked away.
Minutester, she arrived at her quarters.
"Well then, let''s see how Neid is doing." Arani whispered, sparks in her eyes.
Chapter 94 Aranis Candidate
?Arani entered her quarters.
The room was full of shelves and tables on whichy various vials and Items.
Three particr vials stood out, as their contents shone brightly.
A Kraken''s Core shined a deep blue.
An Abyssal Kraken''s Core shined neon green.
And the most prized Item of the collection, a Dark Kraken''s Core, from which emanated a dark Aura.
Aside from those, all kinds were visible such as a Werewolf''s paw, a Siren''s tongue, and a Vampire''s eye.
Thetter had been received as a gift from Raven.
Arani took a seat on what seemed to be a cocoon hanging by a thread of silk.
A homemade hanging egg chair, one could say.
"Let''s see what Neid is up to." She whispered, and a digital screen appeared in front of her.
The familiar scene made Arani chuckle.
She truly enjoyed watching her Candidate.
"Back to his hobby, I see."
...
In a Dungeon mostly like the one Mark was in,
''How do you like that? Huh? HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, HUH? HAHAHA!''
A Monster had its right knee resting on a Gray Wolf''s stomach.
Thetter whined and cried, but that only seemed to make the Monster more eager to push its knee deeper.
''Do you have any idea how much you made me suffer? Do you have any idea?'' The Monster thought as it brought its face closer to the Gray Wolf''s.
The Monster opened its mouth.
''You have no idea. No idea. Absolutely no idea. Of course, you don''t since it wasn''t you.''
A cloud of fog forced the Gray Wolf to close its eyes.
Neid smiled as the Gray Wolf''s trembling got more intense.
The Monster''s skin was pale. Certain spots were even pinkish.
Hairless from top to bottom.
Clenched hands that couldn''t bepletely ttened.
Long ears simr to a bat''s.
Sharp and thin teeth that weren''t as numerous as one would think.
A Ghoul.
The scene, apanied by the Gray Wolf''s cries, truly made for a horrid and repulsive spectacle.
Neid''s appearance contributed much to the atmosphere.
''It wasn''t you, but it also was. Another Gray Wolf. But you''re all the same, aren''t you? Maybe you''re exactly the same actually. Every time Ie back here, I find you. As if you''d been waiting for me.''
He sank his ws into the Gray Wolf''s pelt.
The cries got louder.
Steaming red blood dirtied the pelt.
Neid could feel the heat leaving the Gray Wolf''s body.
And he loved that feeling.
''You''ve been waiting, haven''t you?''
Neid''s hatred for Gray Wolves had started as soon as he''d found himself inside the Dungeon.
Right away, he fell prey to one.
Neid was injured. Trapped. He was convinced that his second life would be cut short immediately after starting.
Despair. Powerlessness. Anguish.
But just before he could be yed, a third party interfered.
An Orc.
Compared to both, Neid couldn''t a thing.
Even the Gray Wolf couldn''t do a thing against an Orc.
Which is why it opened its jaw and let go of Neid, before running away.
He was left injured and unable to move. At the Orc''s mercy.
Thetter stared for a bit.
But it was obvious.
There was much more meat to be ingested in a Gray Wolf''s body.
And so, the Orc pursued the Gray Wolf.
''It was you, wasn''t it? Don''t think I forget.''
Neid positioned his ws between the Gray Wolf''s skin and its leg muscle.
Pull-
The Gray Wolf cried and cried, while its skin was being pulled off.
''Hahaha! How do you like that, huh?''
The Gray Wolf was being skinned alive by a true Monster.
''Bet it doesn''t feel good, HUH? BET IT DOESN''T!
A piece of pelt was torn off before being thrown away.
The Gray Wolf, desperately whined.
Hopelessly.
It closed its eyes, wishing for death.
The pain was too great.
The next second,
''Now, now. No need to be that sad about it...''
The Gray Wolf opened its eyes.
Its head was being gently caressed by the back of Neid''s hand.
''No need to cry. It hurts, but pain is only temporary, right?''
Confusion overtook the Gray Wolf, but it didn''t let it show.
''Pain... Is temporary.''
Neid slowly lowered his hand towards the Gray Wolf''s neck.
''It''s temporary...''
The Gray Wolf couldn''t do a thing but stare into Neid''s eyes.
Thetter took hold of the former''s neck.
''It''s temporary. That''s...''
The next second, he exuded so much force, that the Gray Wolf''s neck broke cleanly.
''What you taught me...''
Neid held the Gray Wolf''s unmoving body gently.
''Right?''
...
Inside the castle, Arani wasughing out loud.
Overjoyed and entertained.
"Twisted! Sooo twisted! You gotta love it! HAHAHA!"
Sheughed andughed while tapping her leg with her hand repeatedly.
"Oh my... How many times is it now?" Arani whispered to herself as she directed her gaze sideways.
On the wall, multiple scratches had been made.
Arani directed her elbow towards said wall.
Scratch-
"Aaaand that''s the 42nd time he''s gone down to the Tenth Floor to torment a Gray Wolf. Can''t hate the dedication. The hatred might be justified too. Pffft-"
...
Even after the Gray Wolf had stopped breathing, Neid tore its limbs off, poked its eyes out, and-
[You should probably hurry up, Neid.]
[A Candidate has already made it to the Final Floor.]
The message immediately made Neid''s body freeze.
''The... The Final Floor?''
[Yes.]
''So... He''ll make it out... This soon?''
[Yes.]
Neid''s mind came to a stop.
Secondster, his hands started shaking.
''That''s... Unfair. That''s... So unfair.''
[Isn''t it?]
''Why... Why is he already there? When I''m still on the third?''
[Unfair, isn''t it?]
''You think so too...? So... So it''s not my fault... Of course, not. I knew it. it is unfair...''
[Yes, my dear Neid, it is.]
''Can you stop him? Don''t let him leave. Don''t let anyone leave. Not until I make it. I have to be the first. I want to leave first. I want to leave quickly.''
[Sadly I can''t, my dear Neid.]
''Why? Why can''t you? Why won''t you? How are you going to let someone get there before me?''
Neid''s trembling got more intense.
''I can''t... I can''t let that happen. I have to make it out first.''
[If you clear the Dungeon early enough, you might catch him outside.]
Neid''s trembling seized.
''What does he look like? Who is it?''
[A white-scaled Monster.]
''I''ll definitely g-'' The next words interrupted his thought.
[With a reptilian tail and ck wings.]
They made Neid''s eyes shine.
''Scales? A tail? Wings...? Are you serious? How is... That''s...''
He made his feet hit the ground as fast as they could.
''So unfair.''
When it came to Neid, hatred seemed toe easily.
The seed of hatred for a certain individual had been nted.
And Arani smiled.
Chapter 95 An Underlings Place
While Mark was passed out on Fiery''s back, Levi led the group. Light and Grey took care of the rear.
To their Master''s side, was a seated Moonlit Feline, Krista.
Plus, a pile made up of the corpses and remains of all the Corrupted Dark Elves that had been defeated.
The piley, waiting for Mark to devour it.
''The Lord still seems to need time to recuperate...'' Levi thought, biting down on his lip, as he turned around for a bit.
Walking through the forest with vignt eyes, he made sure no trouble or enemies were found on the way.
Levi did his best to focus solely on detecting threats, but he found that task to be near impossible.
Something was bugging him.
Something important.
Levi clenched his fists.
''I couldn''t...''
Grit-
''Do anything...!''
Using a tree that would have stood in Fiery''s way as an excuse, Levi threw a punch with all his might.
The tree''s trunk was immediately destroyed andunched away.
The Underlings'' goal was to make it to the grassy in that stood at the Final Floor''s center.
''I couldn''t...''
Having somewhat cleared the way, Levi walked forward.
''Not against the Berserker... Not against those Corrupted Dark Elves...''
The veins that popped across Levi''s face and neck made his frustration more than easy to notice.
''The Lord was forced to fight despite being driven beyond his limits... And I... I just...''
Levi''s hand shook slightly.
''Couldn''t do a thing but watch.''
He bit down on his lip until a drop of blood went down his chin.
''I uselessly stood... While my Lord broke his body again and again.''
Levi came to a stop.
And so did the rest of the group.
''Again... Just like then... Again... When the Lord... Isn''t himself... Just like then... I couldn''t...''
Noticing that he had halted the group''s advance, Levi took a step forward.
The next second, a Tempest Saber-toothed Tiger roared in the distance.
Levi immediately leaped forward, ddened by the distraction.
An opportunity to redeem himself had appeared.
But at the same time, guilt sprung forth.
After all, this didn''t mean a thing.
When the Lord needed him most, he couldn''t offer any help or assistance.
After realizing that his Master wasn''t himself at that time, Levi had frozen.
As an Underling, was Levi supposed to do?
Was he supposed to obey?
To protect?
But then, what if protecting Mark meant having to stop him?
What if it meant going against his wishes?
What if it meant physically restraining him?
This, after all, would have been the only way to stop Mark after the "Berserker" Skill had activated.
Could an Underling even do that?
Was it Levi''s ce, to tell Mark when to fight and when not to?
When to run and when to hide?
Was it an Underling''s ce to tell its Master what to do and what not to do?
No.
Levi didn''t believe so.
To obey its Master''s orders and wishes.
That, is an Underling''s ce.
More than that would be...
Yawn-
The Moonlit Feline opened its mouth wide before getting on its legs and stretching.
If Mark were to lose control again.
If the "something" that slumbered inside him was to wake up again.
How would the Underlings act?
This was a question every Underling asked itself.
Levi didn''t trust the "thing" that slumbered inside Mark.
And so, he arrived at a conclusion.
''There is something... I must ask the Lord.''
Minutester, Mark woke up.
Dizzy.
Tired.
Immensely so.
With half-opened eyes, he could barely see around him.
Still, he didn''t need to see much.
Sniff-
Mark struggled to turn his body so that his stomachy on Fiery''s abdomen.
He didn''t ask where he was, where he was being taken, or what his Underlings were doing.
Those things didn''t matter.
He was too fatigued for those things to matter.
Slowly, his hand was extended.
It found a Corrupted Dark Elf''s severed arm.
Munch-
[It seems you have survived.]
Mark''s half-opened eyes couldn''t care less about the floating words.
[You did well.]
[Being defeated so close to the finish line would have been unfortunate.]
The world around Mark seemed hazy.
[Your next Trials will be thest.]
[After that, you''ll have proven that you deserve a ce...]
Mark''s left hand chased away the floating words as if they were annoying flies.
For a couple of seconds, no additional messages appeared.
Mark ate in peace.
[Do tell me once you''ve recovered enough.]
He took a few more bites, before letting out a grunt.
[You will soon learn that your Value is much higher than what you might think it is.]
[Some will probably fight over you at one point or another.]
[Others will do all they can to get rid of you.]
[In a way or another, you will have a target on your back.]
Mark didn''t understand the reason behind the messages.
He didn''t care enough to ask questions, and focused on chewing his food.
[What you have been made to acquire isn''t Strength, but Potential.]
Mark found the wording peculiar, extended a hand, and grabbed a delicious-looking thigh.
[Everything will be exined once you meet Raven.]
This message made his left eyebrow twitch; and was thest of the series.
Grunt-
Having recovered a bit of strength, Mark bent his knees and sat on his heels.
Most of the blood that covered his body had dried up, but some drops were still going down his white scales.
Mark grabbed a Corrupted Dark Elf''s upper body.
With both hands, he held onto its head and brought it closer to his face.
He opened his mouth wide. But before he could take a bite, he noticed something and lowered his hands.
Blue eyes stared at him.
Clear and bright.
''Go away.''
Seated to his side, the Moonlit Feline kept staring.
Mark looked at his Underling for a bit, before raising the "meal" towards his mouth once more.
A tired grunt.
Mark put the piece of Elf down, and let his body copse.
Having consumed its fill, the Monster needed to recover.
As Mark''s consciousness seeped in and out, his eyes opened and closed.
Krista kept staring.
Mark couldn''t see much by this point.
Nothing more than two blue spots.
Two blue eyes.
''It really does make me uneasy...'' Mark felt almost surprised by the remark. As if it was a recent realization.
Brown serpents appeared behind those blue eyes.
Greenish tiny Monsters floated above.
White fur had taken the appearance of a wrapped nket.
''It''s like...''
The pair of blue eyes gotrger andrger.
''You''re judging me or something.''
Somewhere between dream and reality.
Levi turned back.
''It seems the Lord still needs much rest.'' He thought as he stared at the passed-out Mark.
Levi let his gaze go from his Lord to Fiery.
From Fiery to Light.
Light to Grey, before finally going to Krista, who was, as if making a bed for herself, kneading a portion of Fiery''s abdomen.
The difference was small.
Minuscule really.
But Levi''s gaze, as it fell on the Moonlit Feline, was different. Different than when it was on any other party.
Levi stared at the Moonlit Feline for a bit.
''Back then...''
Levi remembered the moment just before the fight had ended.
''The way she hissed at the Lord... The way her ws rested on his...''
Was Mark to lose himself again, Levi did not know how he would act.
But perhaps the Moonlit Feline did?
''Would she have sunk those ws in the Lord''s skin...? Would she...?''
There was no doubt that, even if it wanted to, the Moonlit Feline wouldn''t be able to fight Mark. It probably wouldn''t even be able to hold its grounds against him.
But right now, the Lord was absolutely defenseless. More than ever.
Levi took a heavy step towards Fiery.
''If that''s the case, then...!''
He clenched his fists.
''If there''s even the tiniest possibility that she might-''
Levi tried to lift his legs.
He tried taking another step, but his body refused to move.
Or rather, something didn''t allow him to move closer.
Something he couldn''t see.
Something he couldn''t sense.
But it was there, blocking his way.
''I have... To protect-''
Before Levi had realized it, Light was already standing between him and Fiery.
They stared at one another.
"I have to. You get it, don''t you? I have to, at least, move her away. Not while the Lord is... I can''t let anything-"
The Demonic Dark Wolf''s head moved.
"She''s different than us. And the Lord is-"
Light opened his mouth.
Bark-
Levi remained silent for a bit.
He just stared into hisrade''s red eyes.
"You really think so?"
Bark-
Light went back to take his position, protecting the left wing on the rear.
Levi pressed his lips together.
Or perhaps, his lips had moved on their own.
Once again, Levi turned to face the way in which the group was heading.
But he didn''t step forward.
He raised his gaze.
Levi stared at the blue sky that peeked through the numerous green leaves above.
He squeezed his eyes repeatedly.
His nose wrinkled.
His eyebrows went up and down.
His pressed lips moved up and down, and from one side to the other.
Levi took a deep breath.
Whether his body was capable of doing so or not wasn''t clear.
Whether those who have been brought back from the Dead could do so wasn''t clear.
Nevertheless, a Monster, who had already experienced death, was seemingly doing its best to hold it back.
It was something the Monster hadn''t done facing, even, death itself.
The Monster did its best to hold back its tears.
Were Levi to let go, it wasn''t clear whether tears would actually flow or not.
''I must... Ask the Lord.''
Secondster, Levi took a step forward.
Chapter 96 His Shield
Mark opened his eyes to a clear blue sky, unobstructed by leaves or branches.
His Underlings had brought him back to the Final Floor''s center.
A couple of meters away, was the hole that connected the Final and Second Floors.
Mark tried to push himself off the ground, only to notice that he was lying on Fiery''s abdomen.
Argh-
Hey back down.
''So I''m still this beat up...''
Mark stared at the sky.
''First time it''s taken this long to recover.''
His wounds had healed up nicely, but his muscles still felt extremely sore.
Additionally, he could feel knots in his belly. It was an unpleasant feeling. Very much so.
''Seems I remembered...''
Even extending his arm in front of him hurt a bit.
''Something very unpleasant.''
Mark remained unmoving for a bit, before rolling to the side twice.
? Pouf-
He let himself fall off of Fiery''s body and onto the ground.
''You couldn''t do much since I was here, huh?''
The Underling pushed itself off the ground with its numerous legs.
''Go a bit further.''
Fiery walked about thirty meters away from her Master, before activating the Skill "Offspring Production".
Marky on the vibrant grass. While taking deep breaths, he thought of the various urrences that had taken ce in what seemed like a very short time period.
''Fighting the Berserker... Was so damn fun.''
A slight smile was on his face.
''So fun... But I can''t do that anymore. I can''t fight that way. I can''t act that way anymore...''
Feeling somewhat somber, he slowly brought his right hand to his chest.
''Those Corrupted Dark Elves. I don''t think I''ve felt that scared... Ever...''
Mark clenched his right fist.
''Just thinking about it is enough for my heart to go haywire...''
Nevertheless, his smile didn''t disappear.
For one reason only.
''It''s a good thing I got to experience this before leaving.''
Mark''s index finger tapped the grass-covered ground as he thought.
''The Berserker felt like a Boss Monster. But he wasn''t...''
Chuckle-
''He was just a normal Monster. Just a normal Monster, huh? What kind of Guardian will this Floor have then-''
Mark''s thoughts stopped for a moment.
''Now that I think about it... This Floor''s Guardian...''
His heartbeat increased greatly.
''Isn''t just this Floor''s-''
The next second, a being made of mes appeared out of thin air.
"How are we doing? Taking a nap under the sun? Did you rest well?" The Fire Spirit asked humorously.
Mark chuckled.
It was a chuckle, but it sounded more like a grunt.
''Surprised you care.''
"Somehow, I do."
''Well, that''s new. Didn''t realize we''d grown closer. Don''t tell me it happened without me being aware-''
"What happened back there?" The Spirit interrupted.
Mark struggled to push himself off the ground. He sat up.
''Mm... I''m not sure myself.'' He answered reluctantly.
The Fire Spirit stood, or rather hovered, silently.
''Mm. It started with an outburst of Strength. Or energy, I should say. Then...''
Mark raised his left hand slightly. He stared at his palm.
''My body started... Moving on its own. Well, not exactly. It was more like-''
"You lost control?" The Spirit asked.
''No. Well, not initially. At first, it felt pretty good. Almost as if...''
Mark''s gaze changed.
''My body moved on instincts alone.''
The Fire Spirit raised an eyebrow.
"And that''s supposed to be a good thing?"
Mark looked at the Spirit for a bit.
''It felt... Freeing. Kind of?'' He hesitantly answered after a short pause.
"I don''t get it, but whatever. What''s important is what happened after that."
Mark scratched his head, obviously at a loss for words.
The Fire Spirit opened his mouth, but before he could utter a word,
nk-
nk-
Someone was approaching. Climbing.
"Oh. I might have to get going."
A secondter, Levi stood on the Final Floor.
On his shoulders, two unmoving Lower Demon Warriors.
He stared at the Fire Spirit.
"So you were there."
"I was." The Spirit admitted.
"Why didn''t you help while we were bringing our Lord-"
The Fire Spirit disappeared. He entered the red gem before Levi could finish his sentence.
Mark remained silent.
His Endurance hadn''t recovered yet, but he pushed himself off the ground and stood up.
The fact that the Underling had talked to the Fire Spirit before acknowledging its Lord''s presence surprised Mark.
"My Lord."
Levi solemnly kneeled in front of his Master.
''Once again, no need to kneel-''
"No, my Lord. I apologize, but I must..."
The look in Mark''s eyes changed.
''No?''
Mark wasn''t used to hearing that word.
It was something he didn''t want to hear. Especially noting from his Underlings.
"My Lord, I must..."
''Speak.''
"With the previous urrences, it has be obvious that I am not fit to serve you. Against the Berserker, my strength wascking. Against the numerous Elves, I could barely offer any assistance. And-"
''Huh? What is-''
"My Lord, please allow me to continue."
While his body had previously been at an angle, Mark turned to face Levi.
It was the first time an Underling had interrupted him.
Mark stared from above at the kneeling Levi.
Thetter lowered his gaze to the ground.
"Something simr has happened previously. After fighting the Spirit that has, now, joined our Lord''s side..."
''So that''s what it''s about.'' Mark thought to himself.
"Only now, it was... Forck of a better word, worse. All I could do was watch as you fought. As your body was broken, again and again. I couldn''t prevent that, I couldn''t dare to. As I am but your loyal Underling. To protect you, I would have had to stop you. And that is something I am unable to do."
Levi took a short pause.
"As your Underling, I can only assist and obey yourmands. But-"
''But mymands weren''t clear, since I wasn''t truly the one fighting? True. I hadn''t thought about it. I can see how it would pose an issue.''
"And so, my Lord, I would like to ask-"
''What to do were it that to happen again? I''m not sure. I haven''t had the time to even think about what happened yet. It seems to me like-''
"No, my Lord. That is not what I..."
Mark''s eyes narrowed.
''Make your ask then.''
Levi took a short pause.
"My deepest wish is to protect you, my Lord. As much as is within my ability, I want to protect you from any threat. And that would also include..."
Levi raised his gaze off the ground.
Solemn eyes.
Earnest, and loyal.
"Protecting you from yourself, if you''d allow it."
The Lord''s eyes widened.
''From... Myself...?''
Levi lowered his gaze once more, silently.
''To protect me from myself...? What does that... Wait. From myself? That would mean... Giving Levi... the ability to even go against my orders; if that''s what it takes to protect me... The ability... To go against me...'' Mark thought to himself.
He pondered the question a bit longer.
Meow-
The Moonlit Feline, who had been lying down a dozen meters away, rubbed itself against Mark''s leg.
He lowered his body and stroke the Underling''s fur.
''I can''t agree to that.'' Mark answered sternly.
Levi couldn''t help but press his lips together at the refusal.
Krista raised her gaze towards Mark.
Thetter stared back, silently.
He thought of many things.
Various encounters, fights, and mistakes.
Mark straightened back up after a bit.
He looked at the kneeling Levi.
''I can''t agree to that. But there might be times when you''ll know better than me.''
Levi stood up abruptly.
"My Lord, I would never dare think that I-"
Mark raised his hand and Levi stopped.
''My orders are absolute, but there are times when you might know better. So my question to you is...''
The Moonlit Feline walked towards Levi, before rubbing its white fur against his leg.
''What''s more important, Levi...''
A slight smile was on Mark''s face.
''My wishes, or my safety?''
The Underling didn''t need a second to think.
"Your safety, my Lord."
''Even if ensuring my safety meant going against my wishes?''
Levi lowered his gaze. He clenched his fists.
For an Underling, the answer was a particrly hard one to give.
"Yes... My Lord."
Mark let out a chuckle.
''Interesting.'' He thought to himself. ''Underlings Are... Such strange things. I wonder if the others would give the same response.''
As if on cue, Light and Grey exited the forest and walked on the in field. They approached, each with a Storm Eagle lifelessly lying in his mouth.
''Somehow...''
Mark stared at them before answering.
''I can ept that.''
A dignified smile appeared on Levi''s face.
He walked closer towards his Master, before taking a knee right in front of him.
"I swear to you, my Lord, to shield and protect you, to the best of my ability, now and forever."
The grand deration made Mark want to chuckle. But he decided not to.
The Master looked down on the kneeling Underling in front of him.
''I''ll hold you to that.''
[Your Underling "Levi" has been assigned a different Position.]
''Position? Just like...''
[Your Underling''s Position has changed.]
[The Underling "Levi" has been Promoted.]
[The Underling "Levi" has been Promoted to the Position of "Guard".]
The next instant, a blueish Aura appeared around Levi.
[Your Title "Devourer" opens its eyes.]
[Your Title influences your Guard''s Growth!]
[Your Guard has acquired a new Title.]
[Your Guard has acquired the Title: "The Devourer''s Shield".]
Chapter 97 The Final Trial Before...
The blue Aura around Levi seemed to seep into his body.
Immediately, changes could be noticed.
His body became burlier. His shoulders, wider.
The reddish dark scales that covered his right arm were colored blue, and became tougher. Thicker.
The crystals on Levi''s left arm and back seemed to grow. Both in size and sharpness.
A bright blueish light emanated from his horns and ws.
The next second, that light, just like those horns and ws, faded away.
''Title Position...?''
Mark stared at the changes Levi''s body went through.
''Just like my Follower Title?''
[Correct.]
He thought for a bit.
''The Devourer''s Shield, huh? So all my Underlings can get that Title if I assign them as Guards?''
[Your Title "Devourer" affirms that it is not possible.]
Mark stared silently at the floating words in front of him.
''Assign them as Guards...? A previous version of the Skill did revive Monsters as Guards, not Underlings. What''s different now?''
Neither the System nor Mark''s Title responded.
He brought a hand to his chin.
''Purgatory''s Undead Troup. So I can assign Positions to my Underlings? Is that what provoked this... Powerup?''
[Affirmative.]
[Negative.]
Mark tapped his left cheek with his index finger repeatedly.
''Could I have done this earlier?''
[Negative.]
He shook his head.
''Everything is changing now that I''m on this Final Floor...''
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
Mark raised an eyebrow at the message.
''This supposed topensate for... Whatever it was earlier?''
[Your Title "Devourer" chuckles nervously.]
''Mm.'' Mark nodded. ''So you did have something to do with it. What about the other one?''
[Your Title "Devourer" falls into a slumber.]
Tsk-
Mark''s eyes fell back on his kneeling Guard, Levi.
''Guard... Mine... My Guard, huh? ording to Nia, Follower is the lowest Title Position. Positions have to do with responsibility and freedom. Therefore, Levi, as a Guard, has more freedom than the others.''
He brought a hand to his hip.
''Makes sense after what we''ve discussed...''
[A change has been input into the System.]
[Analyzing...]
[Your Underling Krista''s Position has been recorded as "Companion(Inferior)".]
''Mm. Companion?''
The next second, the Moonlit Feline climbed onto Mark''s body.
''Don''t you mean pet or something? Mm. I guess that''s what the Inferior means?'' He wondered.
[Correct.]
Mark let out a long sigh.
''Levi.'' He called out.
The Guard raised his gaze to meet his Master''s.
''You probably got new Skills or something, right? I won''t check those out. I''ll leave it to you.''
Mark pushed Krista off his shoulder.
''My orders are absolute. But I won''t be ordering you around anymore, Levi. Fight for me however you see fit. And above all, protect me to the best of your ability...''
The Moonlit Feline nimblynded on the ground.
''As my Shield.''
The Guard''s heart shook.
Levi lowered his gaze hurriedly.
"Yes, my Lord!"
Mark turned away at the response, seemingly pleased by it.
At the very least, he felt intrigued by how things would go from now on.
By this time, both Light and Grey had arrived.
Mark called out his Inventory.
The next second, dozens upon dozens of bones fell to the ground, forming a huge pile around him.
''Nia.''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
[Have you recovered yet?]
''There''s another Veil, isn''t there? Another one full of Elves.'' Mark asked, ignoring the question.
[Yes, there is.]
[From the beginning, there were two Veils.]
[It will be unveiled...]
Mark didn''t bother reading the rest.
''How about you wait for me to find it instead? I''ll go look once I''ve recovered. Can''t be too far from the first Veil.''
He took a seat and grabbed what looked like a thigh bone.
It took less than a second for that bone to turn into a sharp spike.
''Consumes less Mana when I hold them.'' Mark nodded to himself.
[Do you think you are in any position to give outmands?]
''It''s not amand...''
He grabbed another bone. Its shape was different.
''Just a request.''
The person Mark was talking to seemed to need some time to respond.
[Any reason why?]
''Well, a couple of them.''
Mark took his time answering as he used his "Bone Maniption" Magic Skill.
''First, revenge. Well, I don''t want revenge per se. A rematch, I guess.''
While Fiery was continuously using her "Offspring Production" Skill, the rest of the Underlings simply sat on the vibrant grass.
''Second, I know what''s waiting for me. So I definitely want to beat the Corrupted Dark Elves wlessly. Assuming those are the Monsters under this Veil too.''
[wlessly?]
[You think that''s something you''re capable of?]
Mark took a couple of seconds to think about it.
''Yeah, I think so. Plus, you said that Icked the ability to... Strategize? There''s something I want to try out. Not tooplicated, but probably good enough to deal with them.''
[Intriguing.]
[Anything else?]
''This...''
Levi stared at his Master from a distance, while the Moonlit Feline stretchedzily.
''Is the final Trial before the First Floor''s Guardian. More than that...'' The bone that Mark held broke like a twig at the thought. ''It''s the final Trial that stands between me and the Monster that guards this whole Dungeon.''
[So?]
''So let me face it head-on. With all I have.''
[If you take too long after recovering, I''ll put the Veil down.]
''Fine by me.''
[If that''s all, then I''ll leave you to it.]
Mark sat silently for a bit. He stopped making weapons.
''There is one more thing. The way I lost control... It had to do with those Titles, right?''
[Partially, yes.]
''Only partially, huh? Seems to happen more and more as I approach the exit. Will it happen even more often once I''m outside?''
[Possibly.]
''Mm. I''ll ask again, what are-''
Floating words interrupted before he could finish his question.
[You should not fear your Titles.]
[As you have been told upon being Reborn, those Titles aren''t simple Titles.]
''Huh...?''
[They are your Unique Titles.]
[They are yours, and yours only.]
[Do not fear them.]
[Try to understand them instead.]
''Understand them? But what are they-''
[Raven will exin everything.]
''The guy who brought me back, huh? No need to think about it, is that it? Again?''
A short silence.
[Your Titles weren''t handed out to you.]
[They will test you.]
[But they are undoubtedly and unequivocally yours.]
Chapter 98 Take #2
Mark stood in the middle of the forest, about 500 meters away from the destroyed and scorched vige.
Thanks to the Fire Spirit, the second Veil was located with rtive ease.
''They might''ve had about 10 minutes to preparest time, since I''d shot the Veil down. It''ll be different now.''
A serious expression ruled Mark''s face.
''More Corrupted Dark Elves? More Corrupted Dark Elf Warriors maybe? The Berserker was in a shack made of bricks at first. Will have to keep that in mind in case there''s another one, or even multiple ones...''
The Veil made whaty beneath it seem simr to any other part of the forest, but if one was to focus on it, faults in the illusion could be noticed.
The way leaves fell to the ground, the way branches shook with the wind, it all seemed slightly, ever so slightly, wrong.
''If there are many of those shacks, or simply multiple Berserkers, retreat.'' Mark ordered.
His Underlings gave a nod, despite not being able to see their Master.
Telepathy is such a convenient thing.
Forming a circle around the dome-like Veil, more than 700 Insect-Type Monsters stood.
If Mark''s position was to be referred to as the Veil''s Nothern border, then on the Eastern, the Insect Monsters'' Queen stood.
On Fiery''s abdomen, Krista, the Moonlite Feline.
Thetter rather liked the cement.
To the West, a pair of wolves.
Their fangs, itching for blood.
The South had been left empty.
"Back already. la..."
That area was someone else''s responsibility.
"If my explosions flop likest time, I''ll feel pretty bad." The Fire Spirit whispered, standing tall above the veiled dome.
ncing around him, a smirk appeared on his face.
"Since he''s going at it seriously now, guess I have no choice but to do the same..." The Spirit chuckled.
Pointing straight down, dozens of spikes made from the bones of various Monsters floated around him.
''Now that I think about it, this Veil stretches upwards much more than the previous one. Almost cylindrically...''
The Spirit didn''t worry about it too much.
''Let''s try it. If it doesn''t work well, I''m sure I''ll be able to change it.'' Mark thought to himself.
Behind him, steps were taken on the vibrant grass.
''As I''ve said, I won''t be ordering you around.''
"Yes, my Lord." Levi answered after kneeling.
And Mark raised his right arm up.
***
Many Corrupted Dark Elveszilyy in their wooden houses.
The houses differed slightly in size. Some smaller, some bigger.
One might think that the Monsters had to fight in order to decide whose house was whose. But that hadn''t been the case at all.
It seemed the Corrupted Dark Elves instinctively knew who owned which house.
Why would they know that?
Because the houses had been theirs long before they had been moved.
Long before they''d been teleported into an unknown forest''s midst.
Long before a dark dome had appeared above them.
The houses were theirs, before they''d even be Corrupted Dark Elves.
The dome above them was dark, yet there was light. But the Corrupted Dark Elves had no time to think about that unconsequential detail.
Upon being trapped by the dome, their first instinct had been to attack and attempt to destroy the looming cage.
Having been inflicted by powerful Corrupting Magic before they were teleported from where they previously lived, a different way to leave couldn''t be figured out.
The Corruption was slowly harming both their minds and bodies.
Trapped, they couldn''t do a thing. No matter how much they hit and attacked the dome, a dent couldn''t be made.
Still, they tried, again and again.
Until fright and terror slowly turned into frenzy, which, unfortunately, allowed the Corruption embedded inside of them to spread both further and more profoundly.
It allowed the Corruption to break their spirits to such an extent, that those spirits became no different than a Beast''s.
Only the shadow of their past selves and intellect remained.
And so, the Corrupted Dark Elves waited.
Under the dome, food wasn''t necessary. They didn''t need to defend themselves against outsiders either.
All they could do, was wait.
For what, they did not know.
A tired and bored Corrupted Dark Elf walked.
For no real reason, it had left its wooden house.
The Corrupted Dark Elf roamed the vige.
Randomly.
Aimlessly.
Not unlike many other Corrupted Dark Elves.
For no real reason, that same Corrupted Dark Elf raised its gaze.
It stared at the dark dome.
Just like it had already, many, many times in the past.
But this time was different.
The Corrupted Dark Elf''s eyes widened.
A hole had appeared through the dark dome.
The Corrupted Dark Elf opened its mouth, and let out a weak cry.
"Aaaa-"
The bright sky that had been taken away from them could finally be seen through the narrow gap.
It only took a moment for the number of holes in the dome to multiply.
"Aaaa!"
The dark dome had started fading.
Could it be?
Was the freedom they had been deprived of finally-
Struck by both surprise and hope, the Corrupted Dark Elf''s body had frozen in ce.
And a sharp spike pierced its head.
***
''Letting them fall randomly uses up way less Mana...'' Mark noted.
With this simple move, he had not only defeated some enemies and injured many, but also nted numerous weapons throughout the vige.
''Now...''
His eyes, just like those of every Underling, nced over the vige as the Veil fell.
Mark''s lips started curling upwards.
Let alone one shack of bricks, none could be seen.
But something else was found instead.
''Huh...''
A tower made of bricks. About fifty meters high.
Mark''s eyes looked it up and down.
''One door. One window. An archer? Or something bigger than a Berserker? What to do...?''
His Underlings, finding a tower instead of shacks of bricks stopped.
Only Fiery''s Offspring ran forward.
Mark gave his order shortly after.
''Keep going.''
The next instant, the Fire Spirit swung his right hand.
Four whips of mes descended upon the vige, exploding upon impact.
"This one worked pretty wellst time." The Spirit whispered enthusiastically.
Taken by surprise, the Corrupted Dark Elves'' first instinct was to flee. Some had run out of their wooden houses without even taking their weapons.
But they, soon, found waves of Insect Monsters blocking the way.
Volleys of Fire Balls were shot at them.
Light and Grey stealthily moved through the gaps between the Insect Monsters. The wolves'' fangs slowly approached their targets.
Fiery and the Moonlit Feline attacked from afar, aiding the Offspring in front of them in their raid of the vige.
Levi moved forward, clearing the way for his Lord.
Mark clenched his fists.
''Now...''
A purple Aura started oozing out of his body.
''Let''s try this again.''
[Your Skill "Berserker[#]" is activating!]
Chapter 99 Testing, [S] Rank Berserker
Noticing the appearance of a familiar Aura, the Fire Spirit looked down.
"A hundred and twenty-four Corrupted Dark Elves. Fourteen Warriors. You hear?" He shouted.
Enveloped by the characteristic purple Aura of Berserkers, Mark''s body had started slightly twitching.
''Yeah.''
A slight smile appeared on the Spirit''s burning face.
''Losing to your own Fire again would''ve been pretty sad.'' He thought to himself.
Mark took a deep breath in.
Just like his muscles, the Aura around his body was pulsating.
''Interesting...'' He noted.
Aware that a battle against agile enemies was about to start, the Passive Skill "Superior Kic Vision[B]" was activated.
''Unlike how my other Skills work, seems this one has an... Activation Rate? Something like that.''
The flow of time slowed down, and Mark found it easier to focus.
The Aura increased in size, before stabilizing.
[The Skill "Berserker[S]" activates!]
[Your Endurance Stat temporarily increases by 20%.]
[Your Agility Stat temporarily increases by 10%]
[Your Strength Stat temporarily increases by 5%.]
He smiled, despite the floating words being unnecessary.
After all, Mark had gotten ustomed to the body he currently had. To its strength, speed, and overall Stats.
Plus, it had been a while since the Stats his body held had increased by a substantial margin.
Being told was not needed.
''Let''s...''
Mark could feel the additional strength flowing through his body.
''Do this.'' His feet left a crack on the ground as he leaped forward.
Despite seemingly being a bad match against the speedy Corrupted Dark Elves, Levi held his own well.
Against their sharp weapons, he used the tough crystals that covered his left arm and back to protect himself.
Levi''s Agility was much lower than theirs. Which is why all he could do was protect himself.
Nevertheless, the look in his eyes was calm. His mind, clear. Focused.
Three Corrupted Dark Elves nimbly dodged the Fire Balls shot at them and approached Levi rapidly.
''Aiming for my chest.'' The Guard noted.
As fast as he could, Levi stretched his left arm towards his right side while rotating his body slightly to that same side.
Three Timeworn Elven Daggers bounced on the protective crystals.
Having closed the distance, the Corrupted Dark Elves were set on finishing the target quickly.
But before attacking, they noticed Levi''s right palm peeking through the space between his left arm and side.
"Condensed Lightning Bomb[C]"
By a hair''s breadth, the Corrupted Dark Elves dodged to the side.
The three smiled terribly, as the attack had seemingly missed its target.
But that hadn''t been the case.
After all, the three weren''t Levi''s targets.
An explosion took ce a dozen meters behind the three Corrupted Dark Elves.
The screams of theirrades resonated. And the three turned back hurriedly.
They had dodged the attack, but it had cost four of their kin a limb each.
Four of their brothers nowy on the ground, an arm or leg missing for each. Their brothers screamed terribly as heaps of blood left their bodies.
And it was their fault.
Before the three could regain theirposure, a sphere made of blue lightning appeared around Levi.
"Lightning Cover[B+]"
The three Corrupted Dark Elves screamed as the blue of lightning turned their skin and muscles into torched coal.
Surprised by his own strength, Levi stopped moving for a moment.
His goal had been to fend off the attackers and catch the enemies at the rear off guard with his long-ranged attacks.
To slowly and indiscriminately damage the enemy troops.
After all, it made no difference to him whether the enemies were right in front of him or much further.
They were all his Lord''s enemies. And they all had to be defeated.
In the momentarypse of inattention, four Corrupted Dark Elves leaped towards Levi, the enemy they, now, deemed most dangerous.
But before their des could reach that foe''s body,
BAM-
A powerful fist covered by a purple Aura collided with a Corrupted Dark Elf''s defensively crossed arms.
It only took a moment for those arms to break.
The Corrupted Dark Elves changed targets.
The next instant, sparks appeared on the numerous crystals covering Levi''s.
Knowing that Corrupted Dark Elves wouldn''t miss that, full advantage was taken of the diversion, as a powerful tail swept the area,unching away the enemies and breaking a couple of ribs each.
''Can''t let yourself get distracted.''
Levi apologized, but his Lord had already moved on.
Hundreds of Fire Balls were shot at once.
Whips of mes exploded as they hit the ground.
Spikes of ice flew through the air, impaling and freezing numerous at once.
Mark leaped right into the center of the mayhem taking ce.
Corrupted Dark Elves fell one after the other.
Mark could barely contain his excitement.
As his legs moved faster than ever, his arms hit more powerfully than ever, and his heart beat louder than ever.
''My vision is clear.''
Three arrows were headed towards Mark''s chest.
''My body...''
Without lowering his pace at all, he nimbly dodged. Both the three arrows and the Fire Balls that Fiery''s Offspring had randomly shot.
''Light.''
Another volley of arrows was shot. This time, targeting his feet.
Mark plunged, letting his body rotate to the side while in the air.
He took a deep breath.
''I need...''
Only once his feet had touched the ground, did the Corrupted Dark Elves surrounding him notice his inted chest.
''To use everything.''
Blinding Sand Fog[B+]
And just like the name suggests, the enemies were temporarily deprived of their sense of sight.
Mark defeated five of them, before using a sixth as a shield, defending himself against more iing arrows.
''This is going well. I''ll have to lower their numbers if I want to go further though...''
He quickly jumped back before extending both arms in front of him, towards the swarm of encircled Corrupted Dark Elves.
me Of Chaos, Colossal Fire Ball[A-].
Mana Maniption[A].
As more Mana was poured into the ball of mes, its size increased.
Mana Condensation[A] & Fire Control[S].
Mark smiled nervously.
''Despite using my Fire Control too... I can barely contain-''
The next instant, a dozen arrows rapidly approached.
Mark had no time to fire the attack.
''Tsk-''
But before he could move away, an arm was extended in front of him.
An arm covered in crystals.
From Levi''s body, a blueish Aura oozed out.
The next second, the crystals that covered his arm and back started growing in size.
They rapidly turned into something akin to a wall, shielding the Lord from the iing arrows.
And the smile on Mark''s face widened.
''Just...''
Just as quickly as they had grown, the crystals shrank in size.
''Perfect.''
Mark shot the sphere of mes and Mana from which emanated a blinding light.
The push back was a testament to the attack''s strength, as Mark''s feet drew two straight lines on the ground while his arms were forcibly spread to the sides.
The blinding sphere burned and went through the bodies of multiple Corrupted Dark Elves, before exploding powerfully at the vige''s center.
"Well, well. That''s pretty good..." The Fire Spiritmented with shining eyes.
And many, many more explosions descended upon the vige.
''Let''s try...''
The purple Aura around Mark thickened.
His muscles twitched for a moment.
His pupils dted.
''To go further.''
[Your Skill "Berserker[SS]" activates!]
Chapter 100 Focus
[The Skill "Berserker[SS]" activates!]
[Your Endurance Stat temporarily increases by 40%.]
[Your Agility Stat temporarily increases by 20%]
[Your Strength Stat temporarily increases by 10%.]
The increase in power was great.
So much so that cracks appeared below Mark''s feet despite his not moving.
''This...''
A slight feeling of lightheadedness.
The world around him appeared slightly fuzzier.
He couldn''t tell whether his senses had been dulled or sharpened.
But something had definitely changed.
''This is it.''
[Your Pain Tolerance temporarily increases substantially.]
Despite the numerous enemies before him, Mark did not move a muscle.
His gaze moved up and down, from right to left.
Instead of moving, he observed.
He observed the Corrupted Dark Elves fending off the waves of Insect Monsters, the struggle of those Insect Monsters to coordinate with the troops shooting Fire Balls from the rear, the Fire Spirit''s attacks that grew fiercer and fiercer.
''Huh...''
It all seemed fuzzy.
Not exactly blurry, but out of focus somehow.
As if the events weren''t happening in front of him. As if they were taking ce somewhere far away.
''This is...''
An arrow was shot. Aimed straight at his chest.
For some reason, the arrow did not produce any sound as it pierced through the air.
Or rather, it seemed not to.
A side step was more than enough for the attack to miss its target.
Mark contemted the carnage for a bit longer.
It seemed far away from him.
Distant.
Mark couldn''t exactly tell why it seemed that way.
But he wanted to enter that carnage.
Something inside of him wanted to be a part of that carnage.
To be one with it.
Mark closed his eyes for a moment.
''I have...''
The purple Aura around him stopped fluctuating.
''To calm down... And focus.''
Mark opened his eyes to four Timeworn Elven Daggers approaching his neck.
With a flick of his tail, two arms were broken.
The Corrupted Dark Elves cried in pain.
Uncharacteristically, Mark took two steps away from the injured enemies.
It was an uncharacteristic action, as the Fire Spirit, who was looking down on the scene, thought so too.
A distance away, a volley of Fire Balls was shot by Fiery''s Offspring.
The Fire Balls were still at the beginning of the parab they were about to draw.
At the end of that parab was the raging battlefield. A certain area of that battlefield. The area densest with Corrupted Dark Elves. The area that ensured a higher probability of hitting the targets.
''I have to start thinking...''
Despite having just been shot into the air, Mark could more or less tell when and where the Fire Balls would hit the ground.
He didn''t really have to think about it either.
Mark was very familiar with the motions of such attacks. After all, the first time a Fire Ball had been thrown at him was a long time ago, on the Dungeon''s Lowest Floor.
If anything, it might have been the mostmon Magic Skill inside the Dungeon.
It was an attack Mark had witnessed again and again. An attack he had used many times too.
''A bit more like Levi.''
Mark extended his arms and aimed for the spot he believed the Fire Balls would descend upon.
A flurry of Thunderbolts was shot.
Due to their high Sense and Agility Stats, most of the Corrupted Dark Elves had the ability to dodge the attacks. And many did just that.
Many dodged the Thunderbolts. Nevertheless, most of those Thunderbolts did end up hitting target.
Electricity permeated through the Corrupted Dark Elves'' bodies, momentarily causing their muscles to twitch uncontrobly.
That short window was more than they could afford, as a volley of mes sent straight from hell was descending upon them.
''Shooting at those at the back. Mm. Yeah.'' Mark nodded as he stepped back and dodged a hurriedly and sloppily swung Timeworn Elven Dagger.
Four injured Corrupted Dark Elves formed an arc in front of him.
Despite their attempts at taking his life, none could even scratch Mark.
The substantial Stat boost from his newly obtained "Berserker[SS]" Skill allowed him to freely evade their attacks.
Even though numerous opportunities to counterattack presented themselves, Mark did not take them.
He focused on dodging and using his Magic Skills to injure and debilitate the enemies away from him.
"How mature." The Fire Spiritmented, before ending the lives of four paralyzed Corrupted Dark Elves.
Mark stepped back, and the injured enemies followed him.
He leaped to the side and jumped over several Insect Monsters. And the injured Corrupted Dark Elves did the same.
''I can''t focus solely on those in front of me like I used to. There''s no reason to do so...''
Indeed, prioritizing long-range attacks to take out the enemies unaware of his presence seemed to work well.
After all, no matter how numerous, the Corrupted Dark Elves had been surrounded. And each only had one pair of eyes.
Growl-
''These guys are really sticking around, huh?''
The same injured Corrupted Dark Elves stood in front of Mark.
''Well...''
He smiled.
''Why not?''
Not only were their attacks easy to dodge due to their injuries, but they also yed a certain role.
The Corrupted Dark Elves, as a whole, knew that they were outnumbered.
And so, each took up a role. An enemy to defeat.
Now that Mark was being followed by attackers, no additional Corrupted Dark Elf turned his way.
Unbeknownst to them, the injured enemies had been assigned the role of shield. Or barrier, perhaps.
''I''d like to test it out further, but I can feel it. If I let go, the Skill will go wild. I''ll test it on a Lower Floor. Yeah. That''s probably the right move.''
Mark continued following the same game n for a bit.
He followed the same simple n, until a powerful punch was thrown at him,ing from his blind spot.
The clenched fist grazed Mark''s cheek, as he dodged by a hair''s breadth.
''Ha...!''
Mark''s heart immediately started beating faster.
Arge smile appeared on his face, and his tail moved explosively. With great power and speed.
The four injured Corrupted Dark Elves had finally been disposed of.
''It''s only right...''
GROWL-
''We try this again too!''
A second punch was thrown, and Mark managed to dodge it somewhat gracefully.
At the sight of the imposing Corrupted Dark Elf Warrior, his fighting spirit started burning brighter. And so did the Aura around his body.
''Let''s do this. We couldn''t finish itst time, but now it''ll be-''
The Warrior was preparing to throw a third punch. And before Mark could move,
Pierce-
Three arrows broke through Mark''s scales and prated his right arm.
Anger immediately sprung forth inside of him.
The purple Aura turned fierce and violent.
Ants meddled where they shouldn''t have.
A powerful punch hit Mark''s left side.
His fighting spirit and desire for a rematch had been ignited.
And those feelings quickly mixed with the sudden and rising anger.
Mark clenched his fists.
''You fucking...!''
His focus had been disturbed.
An opening had appeared.
And the repressed beast did not miss that.
[Your Skill "Berserker[SSS] is activating!]
Chapter 101 Scary, This Skill Is
[The Skill "Berserker[SSS] activates!]
A punch that should haveunched Mark away barely moved his body three meters away.
[Your Pain Tolerance temporarily increases greatly!]
He remained standing, and his nailed-to-the-ground feet drew lines on the floor.
[You have temporarily developed Pain Resistance!]
His powerfully beating heart obliged his breathing to speed up and turn shallow.
Mark''s muscles twitched intensely.
[You have temporarily developed Pain Immunity!]
The Corrupted Dark Elf Warrior, d to see its prey unable to fight back, pulled its arm back, preparing for another powerful punch.
The Warrior''s fist collided with the white-scaled Monster''s side once more.
And once more, thetter''s feet did not leave the ground.
The Corrupted Dark Elf Warrior stared with wide eyes at its enemy.
Huh-
Before it had realized, the enemy''s left hand had already pulled out the three arrows embedded in its right arm.
Mark clenched his fist, and the arrows broke like twigs.
In the middle of the chaotic battlefield, everything seemed to fade away.
Only the Monster and the Warrior remained.
The Monster slightly curled its body and brought its shaking hands closer to its head.
Its twitching fingers periodically tapped its skull.
The Warrior prepared for another attack.
BAM-
The Corrupted Dark Elf Warrior was left surprised.
It had attacked the same way, the same spot, the same Monster.
Yet this time, it feltpletely different.
The Monster''s shaking ceased at once.
And the Warrior took a step back.
Despite the hit containing all of its strength, it couldn''t even budge the Monster from the spot it was upying.
As if a gigantic boulder.
Mark''s Aura abandoned its me-like appearance.
''Mm.'' He nodded to himself.
The Warrior quickly got over its surprise and pulled its arm back.
''I can do it.''
BAM-
The Warrior''s surprise turned into utter shock and confusion.
A gently raised palm had stopped its powerful fist.
Before the Warrior could move, something hit its core with insane power and speed.
Mark took a leap.
The thing that hit him couldn''t have been a fist.
It couldn''t have been a punch.
No.
It was way too powerful for that.
After all, the hit hadunched the Warrior''s whole body into the air andunched it away.
How could a smaller Monster''s hit have such an impact?
The Warrior thought it was impossible, and its confusion grew.
But before it could properly process what had happened, before its back could even hit the ground, the Monster appeared above the Warrior.
BOOM-
The Corrupted Dark Elf Warrior''s body wasunched against the ground below, with such power that the outline of its imposing back muscles was drawn on that ground.
The impact was more than enough for dizziness to settle in.
The Warrior coughed up blood.
Just when it was about to pass out, a third hit followed.
Mark straightened up his body.
His right fist, bloody.
His eyes, calm.
Composed.
He breathed out, and a misty cloud left his mouth.
[Your Endurance Stat temporarily increases by 60%.]
[Your Agility Stat temporarily increases by 30%]
[Your Strength Stat temporarily increases by 20%.]
[Additional Effect:
Your Strength and Agility Stats will further increase proportionally to the amount of Damage Incurred.]
''Focus...''
Mark took another deep breath.
''Just gotta stay focused.''
Without even meaning to, he moved his feet.
An arrow flew by, missing its target.
''Strange.''
Mark directed his gaze towards therge group of Corrupted Dark Elves.
His legs moved a secondter.
''I''ll get closer...''
Before he could finish his thought, he already stood in the middle of the group.
''That one will notice me, so I''ll have to dodge...''
Before he could finish the thought, Mark had already bent his body.
Before he could even think of what to do next, his fists had already crushed a Corrupted Dark Elf''s skull.
''Scary...''
A wide smile was on Mark''s face.please visit
''So scary...''
Dozens of Corrupted Dark Elves now encircled him, not unlike an earlier situation.
''This Skill is.''
Timeworn Elven Daggers were frantically swung at him from every direction.
Mark had no time to think about what to do, how to dodge, or how to counterattack.
Not because the enemies were too fast, but rather because his body moved as soon as the idea appeared in his head.
''I''ll dodge here-''
He had already done so.
''A Tail Flick there-''
His tail had already beheaded the Corrupted Dark Elf.
''My body...''
Three arrows were dodged.
''Moves exactly how I want it to...''
And Mark found that feeling exhrating.
''This is... Amazing...''
The tip of a Timeworn Elven Dagger scratched his left arm.
A Corrupted Dark Elf Warrior''s fist grazed his right side.
And Mark felt no pain.
None whatsoever.
The only thing he felt, was an increase in power.
''This kind of reminds me...''
Mark jumped up and spun in the air, perfectly dodging the arrows shot at him.
''Of back then...''
His tail beheaded a Corrupted Dark Elf.
''When I couldn''t feel pain...''
A Warrior''s fist collided with Mark''s back.
''Back when I was a Skeleton...''
Blink-
''Where it all began. A weak, tiny, and fragile Skeleton. It''s crazy when I think about it. How much time has passed since then? To think that after all this time, I would be thrilled to get an attribute I used to have at the beginning. Makes me want to chuckle. It was only for a short while, but it seemed to have taken so much time... Inside that dark corridor, where I could barely see a thing. That dark corridor where I first appeared... That dark corridor...''
GRRR-
Mark looked to his left, where the sound emanated from.
The growling became much more intense.
''A... A Gray Wolf? What is...?''
A wolf barred its fangs.
Wounded and famished, part of the wolf''s gray pelt had been painted red. Probably by its own blood.
Mark didn''t move despite the hostile growling.
Blink-
It was dark around him.
Oh so dark.
''What the-''
A familiar ce.
''This is...''
A dark corridor.
The wolf growled, pulling Mark''s attention back towards itself.
''Wait... It''s pretty big for a Gray Wolf-''
Mark lowered his gaze.
And all he found, were bones.
A body made of fragile bones.
That of a Skeleton.
Mark blinked.
He jerked his head.
And three arrows pierced his back.
Mark had stopped moving.
The next second, a dome of mes appeared around him.
"You there?"
''Yeah...'' Mark answered after a pause.
"Mm. You stopped pretty suddenly there." The Fire Spirit noted.
''Yeah...''
"Were you about to lose control? Tsk. Would''ve liked to see that again."
Mark remained silent.
"Well? You got this or?"
Pull-
''It''s a good thing you came. Perfect timing really.''
Mark crushed the arrows that had pierced his body.
''I''d like you to keep an eye on me in case it happens, but...''
Advanced Body Reconstruction[S].
''It won''t happen again.
"It won''t,?"
''I won''t let it.''
Mark extended his right arm, and an opening appeared on the dome of raging mes.
He entered the battlefield once more.
"Keep an eye on you, huh?"
The Fire Spirit chuckled, his eyes shining.
"Will do."
Chapter 102 Focus... And Let It Flow!
Mark exited the dome of mes and entered the battlefield once more.
The number of Insect Monsters, of Fiery''s Offspring, was slowly dwindling.
But so was the number of enemies.
Light rushed towards a Corrupted Dark Elf.
Before he could reach it, Gray, who remained behind, opened his mouth wide.
Wind st.
BOOM-
The area where the enemy had been standing was decimated, but that enemy had leaped into the air, sessfully dodging.
The Corrupted Dark Elf reached for the quiver on its back.
Light''s momentum hadn''t decreased at all.
He jumped up.
An arrow was shot, and Light''s body turned into a dark fog.
The Corrupted Dark Elf''s hand that was holding its bow twitched.
The fog approached rapidly, uninhibited by gravity.
The Corrupted Dark Elf let go of its bow, but before it could unsheath its Daggers, the dark fog turned into a ferocious beast.
Sharp fangs pierced its left shoulder, before turning once more into fog.
The attack wasn''t a powerful one.
After all, Light''s fangscked what they needed most.
The element of surprise.
Blind Spot Killer.
A [B] Ranked Skill that could increase the inflicted damage by 300%.
But Light''s goal wasn''t to deal damage.
The Demonic Dark Wolf had attacked an airborne enemy.
Its left shoulder.
Light had sessfully set the enemy into motion.
And as the Corrupted Dark Elf''s body was forced to rotate in the air,
ROAR-
And with that powerful roar, a mighty gust of wind was shot by Gray.
A secondter, the Corrupted Dark Elf''s body hit the ground.
Multiple ribs had been crushed.
Meanwhile, Mark''s legs were moving at full speed as he dodged multiple arrows and daggers at a time.
''This Skill makes fighting simple... Instinctive...''
He bent his body backwards, and an arrow passed by.
''Natural.''
A volley of arrows were shot, forcing Mark to jump back.
''I need to focus and keep it under control but...''
He raised his arms.
''How do I do that?''
Immediately, a dozen spikes made of bones, previously lodged in the ground, split before flying towards the Corrupted Dark Elves with great speed.
''My mind can barely...''
He ran forward.
''Keep up with my body.''
Mark clenched his fists.
''Fighting bes...''
Dodge to the left.
''Like turning pages...''
Tail Flick.
''Absent-mindedly...''
Punch.
''Then should I just let my instincts...? Why should I even fight it? Fighting is done with the body anyways, so why-''
Mark raised his leg and hit the floor.
''Can''t let my mind wander.''
He took a deep breath in.
''I can''t sit back and rely on my instincts...''
Even though every minute, every second, had been spent honing those instincts inside the Dungeon.
''That would be the opposite of focusing. I''ll be swallowed again if I do that. Then...''
A volley of arrows was shot.
Before Mark could move, his shield positioned itself in front of him.
''That''s it. That''s exactly it!''
He stared at Levi''s back.
''Previously, he attacked the enemies at the back. Those who couldn''t see him. He ignored those in front of him...''
The crystals that covered his Guard''s body grew in size.
''I thought I had to act a bit more like him. To think more... Long-term? When fighting. And that''s true. Except...''
The numerous arrows hit the tough crystals, barely making a dent, before bouncing back.
''Not now. Not here. Not...''
Mark hadpletely stopped moving.
''When using this Skill.''
He relied on his Guard and his Guard alone to shield him from the aggressors.
''I can''t focus on the enemies far from me. I can''t attempt to think strategically, otherwise, I''ll lose control. I need to focus solely on the enemies in front of me. No...''
Mark raised his foot slightly, before mming it on the ground.
''I need to bring my focus even closer than that...''
The look in his eyes changed.
''I need to... Consciously...''
Mark shifted his center of gravity forward.
''Focus... On every move... On every muscle... Don''t think about running. But rather...''
His left foot moved.
''About every individual step.''
The next second, Mark''s body seemed to disappear.
''My entire focus...''
Cracks were made on the ground every time his feet touched the ground.
''On every action.''
''The opposite of instinctively... Of passively...''
Mark''s fists moved, and skulls were split.
''Turn every move... Every act...''
His tail moved, and ribs were crushed.
''Into a conscious one...''
In a handful of seconds, a dozen Corrupted Dark Elves were defeated.
And the Fire Spirit seemed pleased.
"Good. Pretty good. It''s different. Lacks the edge, brutality, and... Savagery. But this is good too...'' Hemented from above.
Mark''s left foot traced a half circle.
He extended his right arm.
And Mark was conscious of his muscles'' every contraction.
Every stretch.
A Corrupted Dark Elf Warrior threw a punch.
And Mark''s eyes seemed to see clearer than ever.
He felt as if his "Superior Kic Vision" Skill had evolved, even though there was no message from the System confirming that.
Before Mark could counter-attack,
Pant-
He jumped back twice and Levi positioned himself in front.
"My Lord?"
''Shit... This is... It''s tiring... Howe? My Endurance should still be...''
Indeed, his Endurance Points were still at a rtively high level thanks to the increase induced by the Berserker Skill.
''No. It''s not my Endurance... My head... Dizzy...''
Between heavy breaths, chuckles exited Mark''s mouth.
Only then did Mark notice.
''I haven''t... Been breathing...''
By making every action a conscious one, the most basic instinct was neglected.
''I can feel it. Using this for too long... Is tough mentally...''
The beginnings of a headache could be felt.
A smile was on his face despite his heavy breathing.
''This adds... So much to my arsenal.''
Mark took a couple more seconds to recover while Levi protected him.
''Not so many left...''
He looked to his left, and found a good distance away, the Underling he was looking for.
''Fiery.''
The Underling had previously been told what to do when called out.
The FireAnt-Spider Queen Mutant curled its body.
For the first time, Fiery used a Skill she had obtained long ago.
A body part she had obtained long ago.
By this point, less than two dozen enemies remained.
The Aura around Mark became fiercer.
''Let''s make this...''
His feet cracked the ground.
''The final stretch.''
As something was suddenly cast, shadows covered the Corrupted Dark Elves group in front of Mark and Levi.
Chapter 103 The Final Stretch
As something was suddenly cast, shadows covered the Corrupted Dark Elves group in front of Mark and Levi.
Mark bent his body slightly and reached for two spikes made of bones as he ran.
The spikes turned into des. And Mark disappeared.
Surprised and confused by the shadows, the Corrupted Dark Elves raised their gaze above.
Arge of thick spiderwebs had been cast. And it was slowly descending upon them.
Silk Production.
Secondster, Mark had gone past the group of Corrupted Dark Elves.
He stood tall with his back to the group.
Seven fatally wounded Corrupted Dark Elves copsed.
The of silk fell, entrapping the remaining Corrupted Dark Elves and Mark.
The former struggled to free themselves, but thanks to their agility and flexibility, it was only a matter of time before their daggers could cut them.
Mark raised his gaze, and at the same time, ming whips indiscriminately descended upon the trapped.
''Perfect timing.''
Explosions ensued.
Explosions that could not damage Mark, thanks to his "Fire Control" Magic Skill.
He took a deep breath before extending a hand towards the burning mes.
A stream of fire took to the air and approached him.
The next second, those mes took a shape simr to that of a snake and spiraled around Mark''s arm, burning the spiderwebs stuck to him.
''Good.'' Mark thought after freeing himself.
He looked around.
By this point, only a handful of enemies remained standing.
Sigh-
[Your Skill "Berserker[SSS]" is deactivating.]
Agh-
''So the pain doesn''t just disappear, huh?''
Mark hadn''t been wounded too deeply, but it still hurt.
He immediately used the [S] Ranked Magic Skill "Advanced Body Reconstruction" to heal his injuries.
And the pain disappeared.
''Handy...''
Mark looked around to inspect the state of the battlefield.
''Light and Grey seem fine... Levi isn''t too hurt... Krista and Fiery weren''t touched. Good... They can deal with those remaining. Not a single one of her Offspring left...''
He raised his gaze to the sky.
''They sure did their job right... Would have been a lot harder without Fiery... Perhaps even impossible... How would I have done it... Without them...?'' Mark didn''t ponder the question for too long.
He took a deep breath.
''Mm...''
Mark could feel both his muscles and mind rx.
''I''m pretty hungry.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
[Your Title "Devourer"mends you for unexpectedly devouring the "Berserker[SSS]" Skill.]
''Devouring, huh?''
He chuckled.
''I guess that''s one way of looking at it-''
A presence was suddenly sensed.
Bloodlust.
One of the few remaining Corrupted Dark Elves had crept up on him.
But Mark didn''t fear attacks from behind.
Not from such enemies.
Not anymore.
Before the enemy could reach him, four limbs exited his lower back.
Spider Legs.
Or at least, they used to be.
Their pointy ends now had the appearance of sharp des.
Purple.
Just like the des of the "Timeworn Elven Daggers" [S] Ranked Items.
The so-called Spider Legs were swiftly extended towards the enemy.
At their sight, the Corrupted Dark Elf was stopped dead in its tracks.
''Last one... Down-''
They stopped suddenly.
''Huh-''
Mark''s limbs froze in ce.
The next second, their pointy ends'' purple color started fading.
Rapidly, the four limbs started losing their color.
They seemed to harden.
Or rather, dry up.
As if about to turn to ash, the four limbs fell off Mark''s body and to the ground.
For they weren''t his.
It didn''t hurt.
Not once bit.
And Mark''s confusion grew.
The limbs had been made using certain Materials.
Timeworn Elven Daggers had been devoured.
But Mark wasn''t the one who had devoured them.
Twitch-
The Corrupted Dark Elf got over its confusion much quicker.
Daggers approached Mark, but he wasn''t too worried.
Suddenly, he sensed an attacking from elsewhere.
The next second, a barricade made of rocks appeared around Mark.
Earth Maniption.
A Magic Skill he expected to lose right after use, just like those limbs, but didn''t.
''Huh...''
Plunged in darkness, a dome of rocks made of protected him.
Only a small circr gap had been left, from which light could enter.
''A swordof wind...''
Next to Mark,y the unmoving body of the Corrupted Dark Elf.
''Just like when I first entered this Floor...''
Through the gap in the dome, he could peek at one particr spot.
''So that''s where you were hiding...''
A tower of bricks with no doors or point of entry.
None, except a single window.
Mark grabbed the unmoving Corrupted Dark Elf.
''It cut his arm off and went even further. A clean cut. Went pretty deeply into his chest too...'' He noted as he started munching on it.
Despite taking a break to enjoy a snack, Mark''s gaze did not leave that solitary window.
''Did it mean to attack him? Or did it target me but misaim? Why would it attack him?''
Mark felt rather uneasy about theing encounter.
''No reason to rush... Let''s wait for a bit.''
The Corrupted Dark Elf was devoured.
''Keep an eye on it.'' He ordered.
And every Underling turned towards that tower and window.
Silent minutes passed by as Mark studied that window.
Nothing exited.
Nothing entered.
And nothing could be seen through it.
Mark''s Underlings had encircled the tower. They waited for further instructions.
''Going in there through the window is not the right move. It''ll definitely be a trap of some kind. But before that...''
Mark stared at his palms for a bit before extending his ws.
And just as he had expected, those ws turned to ash and fell off.
''Mm...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
''Do something about it.''
Mark felt his lower back twitch and the ends of his fingers tingle.
Grunt-
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is waiting.]
''Waiting? What for? Want me to thank you? You caused it. Why did they even... Ugh-''
Mark shook his head.
He thought the situation was ridiculous.
After all, he was arguing with...?
Mark extended a hand forward.
His hand touched the barricade of rocks, and it crumbled.
''Levi.''
Upon being called out, the Guard immediately appeared in front of his Lord and kneeled.
"Yes, my Lord."
''You''re with me.''
Mark stared at the tower, before walking towards it.
And Levi followed him closely.
''I lost the things I obtained when I lost control. Why? Also...''
Marky his hand against the bricks that made up the tower.
''Why did I keep Earth Maniption?''
Chapter 104 A Test Meant To Be Passed [Bonus ]
Sometime earlier, during the encounter with the first vige of Corrupted Dark Elves.
Golem Hold[B+].
''I can''t die here... I can''t...''
Driven beyond his limits, Mark had decided to hide.
From the enemies. From the pain.
''I can''t die here. I''m supposed to...''
Quiet desperation.
nk-
With each sound of a Dagger or arrow knocking, Mark''s body trembled.
nk-
Five Daggers hit the protective barricade at once, which amplified the noise resonating inside that barricade.
Mark responded in kind to the increase in sound with growls of his own.
''I''M SUPPOSED TO...''
nk-
''BECOME KING, RIGHT?''
Mark asked.
But no one answered.
''THEN...!''
CLANK-
His body shuddered.
And his mind went nk.
''What the hell... Am I supposed to do... Trapped... AGAIN!''
Mark clenched his fists until his palms bled.
''How the hell... Am I supposed to get out of here...''
He gritted his teeth until they hurt.
''This is all supposed to be... A stepping stone... Right? RIGHT? THEN...''
Mark grabbed his head as if he was trying the crush his own skull.
''Then... This is all... A test... Right?''
nk-
Mark''s eyes followed where the sound came from.
nk-
His gaze followed.
nk-
''Ha... Hahaha... They...''
Hope.
''They can''t break it...''
nk-
Monstrous chuckles echoed.
Almost delirious, Markughed andughed.
''Tests... Are meant to be passed... So... Once again...''
He stared at the rocks that encircled him.
That hid him.
That protected him.
''There''s a way... For me to do this...''
Mark''s thoughts started racing.
''They can''t break it. Rocks. Blunt. des. Daggers. Arrows... What I need is...''
He extended a hand forward, andy his palm against the rocks.
''Fire Control. Or Fire Maniption. I need... Something like that...''
Mark pushed slightly against the cold rocks.
''If I can freely control these rocks... Or the ground... Earth Magic? Yeah. Something like that. Earth Maniption...''
The sounds of daggers bouncing back echoed, but Mark''s mind barely registered them anymore.
''But how do I acquire that? Tsk. That should''ve been the reward for devouring the 4th Floor''s Guardian, not some...''
Mark took a deep breath to keep himself from getting sidetracked.
''Magic... Magic... Maniption...''
He brushed the smooth rocky surface with his hand.
''Let my Mana... Flow out... Into the rocks... And then... As if they were mes...''
Nothing happened.
Mark tried twice more.
Nothing.
''Tsk. Get them out.''
Two Elite Lower Demon Warriors were turned into spheres of energy.
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
''Make sure it replenishes my Mana. Mana. You hear? Not anything else.''
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
[Your Title "Devourer" nods.]
''Good.''
Swallow-
Mark immediately felt his Mana Points increase.
''Now that I have more Mana, let''s try it again...''
Nothing.
''Fuck... FUCK! I don''t get it. My Mana enters the rocks just fine but... It''s too different. The feeling I get when controlling mes and-''
The answer had been staring at him for a while.
''Ha... Haha. It''s nothing like Fire Control. No. Why would it be? If anything, the feeling of controlling earth would be closer to...''
Small spikes appeared on the smooth surface at Mark''s whim.
''Bone Maniption.''
Arge smile appeared on his face.
''Controlling mes and controlling a solid... Object? Would bepletely different.''
His heart beat faster.
Mark moved his hands, and the spikes broke into pieces.
''That''s the difference. Fire... mes... Are one continuous... While bones and earth are...''
nk-
''What to do now... If I want to develop Earth Maniption, should I keep repeating this? It might work. I''ve obtained some Skills obtained that way. Though it hasn''t happened in a while...''
Mark stared at his palm. And the broken spikes levitated to cover that palm.
''Golem Armor... I need something like that, but on a smaller scale so that I can keep my mobility. Earth Maniption... Let''s try to...''
By this point, Mark was close.
Very close, to developing "Earth Maniption".
The only thing hecked was...
Developing that Magic Skill would have been a massive win.
After all, Mark hadn''t acquired any Magic Skills using this method. A method other than devouring a Monster that possessed those Magic Skills.
Or at least, not yet anyway.
A hole in the Golem Hold was made by the Corrupted Dark Elves three minutester.
...
Marky his hand against the bricks that made up the tower.
"Should I climb and enter, my Lord?" Levi suggested.
''Mm. No... No. We''re going through here.''
Mark pulled his arm back.
He clenched his fist, and red Aura covered that arm.
BAM-
''Huh. Barely made a dent...''
"They don''t seem like any regr bricks. They are probably imbued with Mana of some kind." Levi noted as he took a closer look.
''Probably.''
Mark walked away.
He positioned himself so as to have a clear view of the singr window.
With a touch of his hand, a wall of rocks, about three meters tall, was formed.
Mark turned towards his Underlings.
''Keep an eye on that window. Make sure whatever is inside doesn''t leave. If attacked from afar, hide behind the wall. Should be thick enough to handle most attacks. If not, quickly circle around the tower and wait.''
The Underlings nodded and positioned themselves by the wall''s sides, their eyes glued to the window.
''Good. This''ll allow me to test it.'' Mark thought as he walked up to the tower once more.
Levi stepped back.
''Berserker, Berserker... Tough to use when I focus on every single action. Tough to use when I''m not focused. Tough to use... For extended periods of time.''
Mark pulled his arm back.
''And that''s why...''
Purple Aura started oozing out of Mark''s body.
[The Skill "Berserker[SSS] activates!]
[Your Endurance Stat temporarily increases by 60%.]
[Your Agility Stat temporarily increases by 30%]
[Your Strength Stat temporarily increases by 20%.]
[Additional Effect:
Your Strength and Agility Stats will further increase proportionally to the amount of Damage Incurred.]
Mark clenched his fist, and the Aura around it ballooned up.
BAM-
''It might be better to use it in short bursts.''
A wall on which he could barely make a dent earlier was practically brought down.
[Your Skill "Berserker[SSS]" is deactivating.]
''Not bad... Enough space for us to get it. But still...'' Mark stepped back for a second. ''It''s prettyrge.''
"Should I enter to scout the-"
''It''s fine, Levi. There''s nothing inside.'' Mark answered as he peeked. ''Not here anyways.''
The Guard stared for a bit.
''We''ll have to go up the staircase for that. Tsk. Another staircase...''
Mark stepped inside the tower, and Levi followed.
''I can''t sense anything inside. Empty apart from the top of it? Or are they that stealthy...?''
Levi stayed silent.
The two quietly walked up the stairs.
Before long, they could see the top of the staircase.
Mark walked up, until his line of vision was barely above thest step.
He peeked, and his "Superior Kic Vision" Passive Skill activated.
What was on the other side of the staircase was...
Mark''s eyes widened.
His left hand twitched.
Chapter 105 A Monster With A Name
Inside a certain Dungeon, hundreds and hundreds of miles away from the one Mark was trapped in.
[Doing okay in there, Kai?]
On that Dungeon''s Second Floor, a different Candidate was training.
A different Monster.
"Yeah, Cyd... Doing... Just... Fine." Grunts were let out between each word.
The Second Floor was covered in ice and filled with arge variety of Monsters. Ice Bears and Yettis to name a few.
Obviously, different Dungeons had been constructed for different Candidates.
[Your Unique Title "Training Beast" increases your Endurance Stat and Pain Tolerance!]
''Good...''
A True Werewolf stood on two legs.
It bent its knees and grunted as it lowered its body.
''87...88...''
On its shoulders,y the huge body of an Ice Bear.
"99...100. Fuck that was rough!" Kai shouted as he let the weight used fall to the ground.
Despite the intense cold, he could feel his body burning.
And the reason for that burning sensation wasn''t simply due to the efforts exerted.
[Your Unique Title "Training Fanatic" is pleased by your diligent Training.]
[Your Unique Title "Training Fanatic" permanently increases your Strength Stat by 2 Stat Points!]
Kai let his body copse to the ground.
"Let''s-a-gooo!" He shouted as he enthusiastically extended his hands toward the cloud-covered sky.
[That was a good set.]
"Right? 15 more reps thanst time. I''m getting crazy strong now that my Titles started working with me more often."
[A disciplined mind will always lead to a stronger body.]
"Yes, sir. Agreed." Kai chuckled.
He stared at the sky for a bit.
"This Floor sure is different though. Training in the open feels crazy good. Cramped ces aren''t meant for that."
[Training should be a habit for you.]
[You should train regardless of the circumstances.]
"Yes. Yes. I n on doing that."
He stood back up after a couple more minutes of rest.
"Training and Leveling Up. The only two ways to get stronger..."
Kai smiled like he never had before.
At least, never before he was reborn.
"A dreame true..."
[There''s another Candidate whose Titles have Effects simr to yours.]
The fact that there were multiple Candidates was unknown to Mark.
Those Titled "Generals Of Gaavah''s Army" were massively different from one another, and so were their approaches to raising the Candidates.
"Is that so? Simr...? We''ll probably get along just fine then. Especially if we can train togetherter on."
Kai felt delighted.
Ecstatic even.
Were he asked the reason, he would have been unable to tell whether it was because of the increase in Strength, or simply because he enjoyed training that much.
[That Candidate''s Titles boost the Effects of Leveling Up.]
"Oh. And I''m guessing that''s as simr as it getspared to the others?"
[Most refrain from sharing too much Information.]
"I see... Well, good thing I have you, Cyd."
[Four minutes have passed.]
"Yeah-" Kai ced the unmoving Ice Bear''s body on his shoulders once more.
[Take pride and joy in your Training.]
[Your Titles won''t increase your strength with every Set.]
"I know. It''s a blessing, really."
[Don''t neglect Leveling Up either.]
"Yeah... Since I won''t be able to do that outside, right?"
[The Ability to Level Up won''t be lost.]
[However, you probably won''t gain Stat Points for Leveling Up.]
''Probably...?''
Kai nodded as he bent his knees.
Squat-
He pushed his way up with ease.
"Time to move onto heavier weights..." Kai whispered as he turned to his left.
The unmoving creature was...
''Still can''t believe I have a mammoth in front of him...''
He chuckled.
''I fought and killed a mammoth.''
Kai could barely contain hisughter.
He let the Ice Bear''s body hit the ground.
Before his hands reached the mammoth-like Monster,
"I won''t be gaining Stats by Leveling Up outside... Should I really be training now then?"
[Training is never a waste of time.]
"I agree. But losing the ability to gain Stats by Leveling up will be a bit... Inconvenient."
[It sure will be.]
Kai nodded.
He grabbed the unmoving mammoth''s body, and thought it was too heavy for him.
[That''s how Unique Titles work.]
Cyd was known to be part of the less talkative Generals of Gaavah.
But he was different when it came to his Candidate.
''Bnced benefits and drawbacks, huh?''
...
In the corner, was a well-made wooden bed covered by white sheets.
What seemed to be a vanity stood against a wall. Arge mirror.
A simple and, all things considered, spacious room.
Mark had noticed none of these things.
The "Superior Kic Vision" Passive Skill was in full action, yet his gaze had frozen.
Rays of sunlight passed through the ssless window before gently, quietly, settling on her smooth dark skin.
She stood at the window, and stared ahead at the horizon.
Immobile, as if to give others the chance to bask in her beauty, just as she basked in the sun.
She wore a white sleeveless gown.
The dress'' plunging neckline and its overall shape unapologetically entuated her own.
Mark stared for a bit.
And perhaps, she let him.
A familiar and unpleasant uneasiness resurfaced once again.
Corrupted Dark Elf Royalty.
[S] Ranked.
Or so would answer the System, were it asked.
A princess locked in a tower.
That''s what she looked like.
That''s what she was.
A famous trope known to all, stood right in front of Mark.
Her eyelids wavered, as a gentle breeze passed.
The straight hair that seemed to stretch forever was momentarily elevated, before flowing down her back in an ashen cascade.
Purple earrings dangled below her long and pointy ears.
And so did the bracelets above her delicate bare feet, as she turned to face the intruders.
Yellow eyes.
Piercing.
Mark immediately snapped out of it.
But before he could move, her lips parted.
"Well, hello there."
Twitch-
She was different than the other Corrupted Dark Elves. That much was obvious.
"I thought you woulde in from here," She pointed at the window to her left. "But it seems you prefer a more direct approach."
Her gaze moved from Mark to Levi repeatedly.
"That''s fine by me. So..."
Her eyes wandered for a moment.
She raised her hands slightly.
Mark and Levi focused on the Monster''s every movement.
"I wee you to my humble estate."
Both stood still.
Silence filled the room, and she felt an ounce of pressure.
Her slender hand returned a wandering strand of hair back behind her left ear.
She gave them the warmest smile she could muster.
"The name is Elisa. How do you do?"
Mark''s eyes widened.
In all his time inside the Dungeon...
No.
In all his time since he was reborn, it was his first time meeting one.
His first time seeing one.
A Monster with a name.
Chapter 106 A Contract With Royalty?
"The name is Elisa. How do you do?"
Mark''s eyes widened.
A Monster with a name stood in front of him.
Both Mark and Levi walked a bit closer.
Fighting while remaining on the narrow staircase could''ve posed a problem.
Elisa was, now, about 5 meters away from them.
"Well? Anything to say?" She asked.
The silence was killing her.
"Huh? Don''t tell me you... No. There''s no way, right? I''m sure I heard at least one of you talk..." Elisa whispered to herself.
Levi positioned himself in front of Mark.
"Who are you? What do you want?" He asked, and her face lit up.
"So you can talk! Ouf. Got me worried for a bit. Hahaha!"
Silence-
"I''m... Uh... Elisa, as I''ve said. And what I want is..."
The look in her eyes changed, and Mark''s hands twitched.
His body''s instinct was to extend his ws.
The wooden floor creaked behind Mark and Levi.
Something had entered.
Elisa took a sudden big breath, as if she were about to scream.
''Wind st?'' Mark asked himself as he raised his guard.
Electricity started permeating throughout Levi''s body.
Both were ready to fight.
And yet, the jingling sound of dangling bracelets resonated behind them.
The bracelets around her ankles.
She had disappeared.
No.
She had moved past them at a speed that left them unable to even realize she had moved.
And the two were frozen in both time and space.
Elisa was fast. Too fast.
As if she and the wind were one.
They turned around slower than they wanted to, perhaps fearing what they would see.
And what they found is...
"My... OH MY! YOU''RE SO CUTEEE!!" Elisa shouted.
She was on her knees, with her arms extended forward.
And between her hands was...
Meow-
Mark and Levi froze once more.
"You''re so fluffy! And your pelt... Why is it so cold? But it''s so clean and fluffy!" Elisa shouted as she brought the Moonlit Feline closer to her chest.
MEOW-
"It''s so beautiful!! Too cute! And your eyes...!"
Krista''s eyes shone.
"I can see you take care of your pelt properly!"
Mark''s eyebrow twitched as Krista was buried between the stranger''s breasts.
''It''s so nice... Seeing something other than madmen and Monsters... Finally...'' Elisa thought to herself.
She could almost cry.
A Moonlit Feline.
A cat, one could say.
A pet, in a stranger''s hands.
Fragile and frail.
''Come.'' Mark telepathically ordered as he extended a hand.
"Huh?"
The Moonlit Feline escaped from Elisa''s grip with ease, proof that thetter wasn''t exerting much pressure.
Krista nimbly jumped onto Mark''s palm and climbed up to his shoulder.
''You prefer that? Really? That?'' Elisa thought to herself as she studied both Mark and his Underling.
She slowly rose from the ground.
Levi walked up to her.
"What do you want?" He pressed as he looked down at her.
She was much shorter than both him and his Lord.
"Which one of you am I talking to?" Elisa bluntly asked.
She turned to her left, and found a white-scaled Monster.
Levi didn''t step away.
The white-scaled Monster stood centimeters from her.
They stared at each other in silence.
Mark thought about activating his "Berserker[SSS]" Skill, since he couldn''t react to her speed.
She thought about...
''If it''s you then... Ugh... But if that Moonlit Feline isn''t scared of him then... Perhaps...''
Elisa put her hands up and shower her palms.
"What I want I''m not willing to share. Not yet anyways. But I don''t want to fight at least."
They silently stared at each other.
Mark believed her words.
But he didn''t believe in his instincts.
After all, this was the first encounter of the sort ever since his Rebirth.
In the silence''s midst, Krista jumped off Mark''s shoulder and onto Elisa''s.
Thetter barely managed to catch her.
Mark stared.
''This again...'' He cursed internally.
Mark stared at both.
They had met.
And formed the perfect duo.
Uneasiness & Uneasiness.
Mark was starting to understand where that feeling wasing from.
He was starting to understand its cause.
"We''re trapped here, aren''t we?" Elisa''s slender fingers danced with Krista''s fur.
Mark let out a grunt.
One of the only sounds he could produce.
And Elisa took it as a "Yes".
"I want to make it out of here... I''ve been..." She seemed to get lost in the Moonlit Feline''s crystal clear pupils. "I''ve been here for a while... For a long time... Too long."
Grunt-
"It''s time for me to leave. And if you''re nning on doing so too, then I''ll apany you..." Elisa turned to stare at the white-scaled Monster. "If you''ll have me."
Mark remained silent for a bit.
''Was that... Thing she did to show her strength? To prove she could be useful? Or was she just that excited to see Krista? What she wants, huh? A negotiation then? I don''t like that. I don''t...''
Krista turned to face Mark.
He seemed deep in thought.
With a jump, shended on his shoulder once more.
Mark stared at the Moonlit Feline on his shoulder.
''The closer I get to the exit... The harder getting new Underlings became...''
"Are you worried I''ll stab you in the back?" Elisa was sick of the perpetual silence.
Mark stayed silent.
So did Levi.
"I''ll take it as a yes. If that''s the case, then..."
A green Aura appeared over her index finger.
The next second, what seemed to be a digital scroll hovered in front of Elisa.
One all could see.
Her finger moved on that scroll as if a pen.
"Let''s start with this." The scroll started rotating so that Mark could read what had been inscribed. "Our first, and maybest, contract. From me, to you. I''m sure you''ll see that it''s as fair as Contracts can be."
[
Contractor: Elisa.
Contractee: [Fill up the missing information].
Contract uses:
use 1: Each Party swears on the Mana that fuels their bodies not to attack or injure the other Party.
use 2: The attacked Party has every right to defend itself.
use 3: Each Party reserves itself the right to terminate the Contract at any point, provided they inform the other in advance.
Additional Information: The Contract''s Duration is yet to be determined and will be, for now, epted as a short-term Contract.
Additional uses and Information can be added in the future, provided both Parties agree on the Additional uses.
Contractor''s Signature: [Present]
Contractee''s Signature: [Link your Mana to the hereby Contract if you wish to enter it].
]
''What the hell is this?
Chapter 107 Mana Contracts
[
Contractor: Elisa.
Contractee: [Fill up the missing information].
Contract uses:
use 1: Each Party swears on the Mana that fuels their bodies not to attack or injure the other Party.
use 2: The attacked Party has every right to defend itself.
use 3: Each Party reserves itself the right to terminate the Contract at any point, provided they inform the other Party in advance.
Additional Information: The Contract''s Duration is yet to be determined and will be, for now, epted as a short-term Contract.
Additional uses and Information can be added in the future, provided both Parties agree on the Additional uses.
Contractor''s Signature: [Present]
Contractee''s Signature: [Link your Mana to the hereby Contract if you wish to enter it].
]
''What the hell is this?''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
[You have been offered what is usually referred to as a Mana Contract.]
[They are fairlymon, so it''s a good thing for you to get ustomed to how it functions.]
''How does it function then?''
[Both Parties enter a Contract.]
[The Penalty for breaching the Contract uses is to be discussed by the Parties involved.]
[Here, the Penalty is a rather serious one.]
''The Mana that fuels our bodies? So if one is to breach the contract-''
[You might lose the ability to control Mana.]
''Too constraining. Why would I enter that? And why would she even propose that?''
[The degree to which Penalty is exerted depends on the degree to which the uses have been breached, but also on which uses were breached.]
''Mm...''
Mark was having a discussion with a certain someone.
But to the rest, it seemed like he was thinking silently.
''The most important use is the one about attacking and injuring... So depending on how severely the other is injured, you might keep part of the ability to use Mana?''
[Or your Mana might be temporarily locked.]
''And those are things that should be stated in the Contract I''m guessing.''
[Of course.]
[Every little detail should be put in writing when ites to Mana Contracts.]
[Also, anything can be made into a Mana Contract.]
Mark nodded as he read the messages.
"So? I''m still waiting for an answer. And I don''t appreciate the two of you towering on me."
Both Levi and Mark took a step back.
The next second, something entered from the window.
And Elisa''s eyes lit up.
"Seems I might sign another Contract before finally leaving this room."
"Oh, I don''t think so." The Fire Spirit mocked.
"Oooh, is that so? Well, we can have that discussionter. Anyways, what do you think?" Elisa asked as she turned towards Mark.
''My Party concerns me and my Underlings.''
The next instant, the Contractee section changed.
''Not attacking or injuring on purpose. If it''s an ident, then I won''t ept getting any Penalty. In advance... You''ll have to inform me. Informing my Underlings isn''t enough. Also, the Contract gets terminated only if we both agree to that.''
The Contract changed more and more.
Elisa snapped her fingers, and a second scroll appeared.
The two scrolls were identical.
"So no termination if we don''t agree? Then the Contract serves as a shield too. I like it."
''If breached, Mana will be temporarily locked. Also, only the one who did the attacking or injuring can receive the Penalty.''
The scrolls changed some more.
And the look in Elisa''s eyes changed.
"You''re kidding, right?" Her voice, increasingly strident. "I''m not agreeing to this. It''s only right you''re held responsible for your Underlings'' actions. Especially if you''ve ordered them. And I won''t ept that ''on purpose'' excuse. Even if it''s not on purpose, you should be held ountable. To which degree, we can discuss though."
''Tsk.''
"Did you just click your tongue at me?"
Mark took a step towards the window.
''Levi. Can you enter a Contract with her?''
The Guard transmitted his Lord''s idea.
"Signing with an Underling is below me. I''ll do my best not to take offense. We can enter a Mana Vow for now."
Since both Levi and Elisa could talk, they reached an agreement both thought fair pretty quickly.
Mark didn''t ask about the details.
''Keep an eye on her. I won''t be far.''
"Yes, my Lord."
Mark walked towards the window.
''You. You''re with me.''
With Krista on his shoulder, he jumped out the window and spread his wings.
"Ordering me around now, huh?" The Fire Spirit chuckled. "Yes, boss."
They left.
Only Levi and Elisa remained.
She enthusiastically raised her arms to her sides and took strides towards the staircase behind her.
"What are you doing?" Levi questioned.
"Going outside. Not that it''s any of your business. Except if you want toe with?"
He followed her without answering.
And his gaze was cold.
Cold and emotionless.
''So I''m stuck with the one that''s less fun, huh?''
Elisa slouched for a second.
But she didn''t let that bring her down for too long.
She couldn''t.
She was finally about to step outside.
After a long time.
Such a long time.
Elisa couldn''t remember how much time had passed.
She couldn''t remember how much time she had spent in that room.
There were many things she couldn''t remember.
Such was the curse of Corruption Magic.
Fifteen minutester, Mark was seated in the middle of the first vige of Corrupted Dark Elves he had destroyed with his Underlings.
In his hand, a long pointy stick made of bones.
"I''m surprised you didn''t feed on all those dead Elves already." The Fire Spiritmented.
''I''ll get to themter. For now, I need to think a bit.''
Mark draw a small square on the scorched earth below.
''Earth Maniption. Extremely convenient. Doesn''t use too much Mana, since the earth is already provided. Useful for defense. Using it offensively might be a bit harder. The further I am from the area I want to manipte, the more Mana is consumed. Taxing mentally too.''
He thought about his numerous and various offensive Magic Skills one by one. About how best to use each.
''Now all that''s left is...''
Mark''s hand twitched.
He drew a circle.
Perhaps that''s what the Skill felt like.
''Three different ways I can think of...''
And three arrows pointed away from that circle.
''One. Short bursts. Great increase in Strength and Agility. Should be used when I''m about to deliver a blow or dodge. Problem is, switching the Skill on and off at short intervals is intense. I managed to keep moving earlier, but the headache it gave me was insane. If I''d done that in the middle of a fight then... Yeah. Probably better kept for decisive blows or to dodge attacks I otherwise can''t.''
Check-
''Two. Using it for a longer period of time by focusing on my every move and action. Putting 100% of myself in every movement. Mentally taxing. Can''t take the time to look at further enemies like those in the rear, but the mental rity might be enough to give directions to my Underlings. I felt my strength increase most using the Skill this way.''
Check-
''And the third way-''
"So why did you ask for me?"
Mark remained silent for a bit.
''You could tell that something had changed earlier, during the fight. How?''
"Mm. When I came to you, huh?" The Fire Spirit pondered for a bit. "Well, the way you moved had changed...Mmm... I could feel a different kind of Fire emanating from you. Yeah. That''s what it was."
Mark stared silently for a bit.
He didn''t think the exnation useful at all.
''I''m sure Levi can tell the difference too. But you realized much sooner. So you have a better grasp on the way I move than he does? Why is that?''
The Fire Spiritughed out loud.
"Isn''t it obvious?"
Mark didn''t think it was.
"That guy is loyal to you. He cares about you, and your life. I don''t. I''m only interested. Which is why I can notice those things. He gets scared, I don''t. He gets worried, I don''t. That''s why I can tell."
His interlocutor didn''t truly believe those words. After all, the Fire Spirit''s actions seemed to convey the opposite. At least, that''s what Mark thought.
He didn''t press the matter further.
A short silence.
Grey was chasing Krista a dozen meters away.
The Moonlit Feline turned into a Lioness, and the roles were reversed.
Fiery was seated, seemingly taking in the sun.
Light had found the perfect spot below the remains of a brick shack. Hey in the shade.
"Something changed. I can tell."
''Can you now?'' Mark asked, disinterested. ''I''m not sure I get what you''re talking about.''
"You did. Change. A change to your mes. I can tell. A minor change. Nevertheless, a change."
''How so?''
"They seem... More docile. As if you''ve tamed them. You know what I mean? Ever since the battle that took ce here, I would say."
Mark lowered his gaze.
''Didn''t realize you had an eye for detail. I''m not sure what you mean by more docile, but yeah. Something did change, in a way.''
The Fire Spirit chuckled.
''I remembered something rather unpleasant. About my past. It was... Well,'' Mark directed his gaze towards the Fire Spirit. ''I doubt it would interest-''
He found shining eyes staring.
"Do tell."
Chapter 108 Say It Bluntly
"Ahhh! It feels so good to finally be out!" Elisa eximed as she walked out of the tower.
Levi followed her.
"It reeks of blood though..." She whispered to herself.
Around her, the remains of a massacre.
Dozens and dozens of Corrupted Dark Elvesy dead.
Elisa took gracious steps away from the tower, and towards the fallen.
Levi watched from afar.
Once Elisa found the location she thought best suited, she got on both knees, closed her eyes, and brought her palms together.
Inaudible whispers.
That was all Levi could hear.
Which is why he approached.
"... The Forest has offered itself to you. Now, you must offer yourself to the forest. Rest, and find your way to the Ancient Tree once more."
Levi stood silently, his gaze fixated on her.
"Are you going to ask?"
He didn''t answer.
Elisa stood back up after a bit.
"Oh." She walked towards one of the many unmoving Corrupted Dark Elves. "Your clothes aren''t as torn. I''ll be taking them."
...
"Huh."
''What?'' Mark asked.
"It''s interesting. Exins some things. Makes others unclear."
''Enlighten me.''
The Fire Spiritughed.
"All I know is what I''ve seen. Doubt anyone could get a good understanding that way. It''s like that for my mes. The only way to truly understand them, is to be the one producing them, to be the one there at their conception. To be the one there from their beginning." He exined
''I''m not sure I follow.''
"I don''t doubt that." The Spirit snickered.
''Mm.''
Mark silently stared at the Underlings around him for a bit.
''I didn''t take you for one to talk... Or think about things like this.''
"Well isn''t that riching from the brute who only cares about fighting with his own arms and legs."
Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
And the Fire Spirit did not miss that.
''My own arms and legs... Yeah. It''s something like that.''
"So your past came back to bite you at your most vulnerable. I, for one, would''ve loved to see that."
''You were there, weren''t you?''
"I only saw the fighting. The outside."
''And you would''ve loved to see both the outside and the inside?''
"Ha! And why wouldn''t I?"
''Well isn''t that greedy...''
The Fire Spirit smiled brightly.
"Isn''t Fire the greediest of the four Element?"
''Is that a fact?''
"Of course it is. I would know. Who do you think you''re talking to?"
Mark took a short pause.
''Fire itself...'' He looked away. ''Or at least, that''s what I thought during our first encounter.''
The Spirit''s eyes shone brighter.
He quickly got rid of the smile on his face before Mark could see it.
"Our first encounter. It''s a perfect example."
''Is it? I got my ass handed to me during the whole thing.''
"Bwahaha! I''m d we''re talking while you''re in this kind of mood. This is perfect! We should do it more often. Only call me out when you feel this way.''
Mark rolled his eyes.
"Alright. Alright. Let me expand on that. You wanted to do it yourself. You took the first opportunity you got to get those guys out. You wanted to fight alone. And more than that, you wanted to fight with your arms and legs. With your own body. Once you realized you couldn''t, you tried using what I had at my disposal."
''So? That''s just being foolish? Against you, I was arrogant thinking everything could be solved with brute strength.''
"Yeah... No. I don''t think that''s it." The Fire Spirit argued. "You wanted to do it with your own body. Get it?"
''My own body...? Well, with this memory from my past, I can''t argue the contrary, now can I?''
"Exactly. You were dumb enough to think physical attacks were all-powerful. Dumb enough to think that being able to use your body could... Don''t look at me with those eyes. Those were your words, not mine."
''What are you trying to say?''
"You''re arrogant and insecure. I''ll say it bluntly."
The Spirit took a pause.
"Because no one else will."
That was it.
The reason why talking to him was so different.
"Those two can''t coexist. They don''t mix. And the reason why you''re having trouble is-"
''That one is caused by my past, while the other is...''
"That''s right."
Mark let his back hit the ground.
''I can''t remember it. My past. I guess it''d be easier if I could.''
"You did remember some things though."
''I did.''
"When?"
''On different asions.''
"Can you find anything inmon between those asions?"
Mark silently stared at the blue sky, and the Fire Spirit took it as a cue to move on.
"That aside, I just can''t get over the fact that you got humbled by your own past." He snickered.
The Spirit couldn''t, or rather, wasn''t willing, to move too far away from the subject.
''Humbled? I wouldn''t say that. It just...''
Mark couldn''t find the proper words to exin himself.
''It''s like there were knots all over the ce. And now-''
"You undid the knots? Cause that''s not what it sounds like."
''No. More like... I''m aware of them. I can see those knots now.''
The Fire Spiritughed out loud.
Even Mark felt like he could chuckle.
Talking to the Fire Spirit was different.
Depending on the situation, it would prove better or worse.
Leaves rustled-
"Ohh! Finally someone other than this rock! I just got out for the first time in forever and I already feel like going back in! Death wouldn''t be as nd and uneventful! That''s how much of a bore he is." A shouting Elisa exited the forest.
The white gown she previously wore had been traded off.
Leather pants, boots, a vest, and an unclear number of sheathes around her waist.
Levi exited shortly after her.
"You see his face?" The Fire Spirit whispered.
''Looks like he''s the one dying.''
The twoughed as Elisa walked towards them.
Mark turned towards the Fire Spirit.
His opinion of thetter had changed slightly. Or at least, that''s what he thought. Mark wouldn''t ept it being described as more than slightly.
''Think we can trust her?''
The Fire Spirit took his time answering.
His first instinct was answering: "There is no we."
He chose not to.
"How would I know?"
''Good point.''
Markzily pushed himself off the ground.
"You know I''ve been nothing but cordial with you all. And you''ve been nothing but rude. Asking me to sign a Contract with an Underling, then leaving me with this damn shell of a-"
Gulp-
"What... What are you doing?"
As a violent purple Aura oozed out of his body, it took an instant for Mark to close the distance.
And now, he stood in front of Elisa.
His sharp ws, less than a centimeter away from her bare neck.
''Nia.''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
''Can you do something for me?''
The hovering Fire Spirit took his time to catch up to them.
"Who are you? And what do you want? He asks."
Chapter 109 Conversation At Point-Blank
"I don''t appreciate being treated this way. I haven''t done anything warranting-"
"Not what he asked."
The Spirit''s voice was as joyful as it could be.
Elisa stared into Mark''s eyes.
"So that''s your answer? I offer a Contract, and this is your answer?"
The next second, digital messages appeared in front of her.
[Who are you exactly?]
"I told you. I''m Elisa."
[That''s not nearly enough.]
"I''m telling you it is."
[Answer quickly.]
"I''m about to do something both of us will regret, so how about you step back."
[Sometimes, my body moves faster than I can think.]
[So answer before this goes badly.]
"What more do you need? I''m trying really hard not to mess up this whole situation right now."
[Are you with them or with us?]
"Who''s them? Tsk. Whether you mean the one or the other, I''m not. I''m in the same boat as you all."
[One or the other?]
"By them, you meant the other Elves and the who put us here, no? I''m with neither, alright? My people are dead. And that fucker is outside. So I''m with neither, alright?"
[That fucker?]
[Who are you talking about?]
Elisa stared sternly.
"Step back if you want a discussion, otherwise..."
The wind around her suddenly started moving.
And Mark''s ws got closer to her skin.
[Who are you?]
"I''m not getting through to you, huh? What do you want me to say? I''m goddamn Elf just like all the others."
[You''re not anything like the others.]
[You can talk, you have a name, and it seems you were waiting for me inside that tower.]
"Get your head out of your ass, alright?" Her eyes burned. "Waiting for you? You''re not special, and neither am I."
The winds turned violent.
"Talk? I can see others around who can do the same."
[They''re different.]
Elisa suddenly yanked her head.
Drip-
A drop of blood went down her face, as her forehead collided with Mark''s.
She stared down his eyes and into his soul.
"Fuck you. I don''t need to justify my existence to you. I was cursed by Corruption Magic, just like all the others. I was brought here, just like all the others. I was trapped, just like all the others. And while they''ve lost their reason, I managed to keep my own. But I watched them lose theirs little by little. Just like I watched you kill every single one of them. I decided not to hold that against you, but you''re making it very difficult. And don''t ever talk to me about having a name, cause there are nights where the Corruption fucks with my brain SO BAD THAT IT''S THE ONLY GODDAMN THING I HAVE LEFT, SO HOW ABOUT YOU STEP BACK AND GIVE ME SOME FUCKING SPACE!"
Neither moved.
Both stared at each other, silently.
[You really can''t remember?]
Elisa gritted her teeth.
Pure anger filled her heart as her teary eyes stared.
The purple Aura oozing out of Mark''s body faded away.
And he took a step back.
"Well finally, you bastard." Elisa whispered as she proudly held back her tears.
''She can''t remember... Just her name... Just like I was at first... Was she brought to this world too...? No. Just like the rest, huh? Then...''
Mark looked away.
He nced over the destroyed vige around him.
''They were brought here. They were broken...''
"Anything you''d like to say?"
''To be... For me-''
"Would you look at that? A peaceful encounter. Didn''t think you had it in you." The Fire Spirit snickered.
''Yeah. Whatever.''
"They''re ignoring me...? After...?" Elisa whispered to herself.
She stared, and the rage bubbling up inside her for who knows how long started bleeding out.
"My Lord." Levi kneeled in front of Mark.
''Anything stood out to you?''
"I couldn''t say, my Lord. She-"
The wind that reigned over the whole area started moving.
Faster and faster, into a spiral.
"Wow... That''s got some power." The Fire Spiritmented, seemingly impressed.
A tornado had been had appeared, and at its center, Elisa hovered in the air.
[No reason to fight.]
"No... Reason...? That''s not... You call to-"
[I can''t remember my past either.]
And the storm settled.
As if the air under her had turned into an invisible staircase, Elisa jumped down step by step, until her feet gracefullynded on the ground.
She stood, inches away from Mark.
"They did it to you too?"
[Something like that.]
"Mm, yes. You don''t reek of Corruption. So it must be different."
[It is.]
"But you''re trying to make it out of here, right?"
[We are.]
Mark felt weird about using "we" in this situation. Levi bing his Guard was a big part of it.
"I can help with that."
[I can see that.]
Elisa chuckled.
"But... I will need something from you. Once we''re outside."
[What is it?]
"I''d rather not say."
[I reserve myself the right to deny your request if it''s an unfair one.]
"Reserve yourself the right, huh? That''s what I wrote in our Contract. Too bad it fell apart when you read it so carefully."
[Agreed?]
Elisa smiled brightly.
"Agreed."
[So I can trust you to have my back?]
"You can. I''m not sure I can trust you with mine though. It was only minutes ago that you had your ws to my neck."
[As long as you don''t purposefully mess up, get in the way, or change targets, you can trust us.]
"Well, that''s good to know. But I''ll be the judge of that. Happy we managed to reach an agreement though."
[Just know that if you cross any one of us, I will kill you.]
Elisaughed out loud.
"Same. Same. Now, can we move on?" She gracefully spun a half circle and started walking away. "I''ve spent too much time locked in that room. I''ll be wandering in the forest if you need me."
''Corruption. I''d like to know a bit more...'' Mark thought.
[Can Ie with?]
Elisa stopped dead in her tracks.
"Didn''t think you were the type to ask for permission. Well sure, why not?"
[So now that we have something inmon, we''re ying friends?]
"Hahaha! Ahh that''s a good one. You''re better than that crystal bore. ying friends, huh? Yeah."
She turned back, a smile on her face.
"That''s how it starts, doesn''t it?"
Chapter 110 A Curse, Part 1
Birds were chirping, flowers were blooming, leaves were dancing with the wind, and Elisa was smiling.
She loved the forest.
But she couldn''t really remember why.
[Corruption Magic. What is it exactly?]
"Hmm... How direct. Heavy questions already?"
[How much time did you spend in that tower?]
"Who knows?"
Mark thought her uncooperative.
"Couldn''t see the sun in there. Because of that Veil. Couldn''t really feel time passing either. To be honest, it felt like I''d been frozen in time for a while." Elisa reluctantly added.
They walked silently.
"Definitely thought you would be fighting by now." The Fire Spirit uttered before appearing.
"Oh, no. We wouldn''t. We''re ying friends now. Didn''t you hear?"
"Stop ogling me with those eyes."
"Can''t help it."
"Fight the urge."
"Enter a Contract with me."
"Why should I?"
"It''ll be beneficial for the both of us."
"I doubt it."
"Why is that? Wind can turn a weak ze into hellish mes, you know?"
The Spirit didn''t take offense.
"It can also kill that ze."
"la. Can''t you show a little faith?"
"Don''t see any reason to."
"Ha! The time to dream is now, Spirit. My Wind and your Fire might end up a match made in heaven."
"Mm. I''m guessing your Wind would also redirect my Fire."
"Isn''t that what Wind is about? I''ll direct it, and you''ll be free to go wild ."
The Fire Spiritughed. He almost seemed tempted by the offer.
"As enticing as that sounds, I''ll have to pass."
Elisa didn''t hide her disappointment.
"Why? You''re a Spirit. I can''t see why you-"
"The Contract I have now suits me better. Didn''t even have to sign anything too. This guy somewhat understands me. And he interests me, for now. So I''ll stick with him-"
"Who are you talking about?"
Only then did the Spirit realize,
"When did he leave?" He whispered to himself.
A good distance away, Mark was walking towards the unmoving Corrupted Dark Elves.
''Watching them talk is irritating. Tsk. Stronger Monsters can talk, for some reason. Plenty will have that ability outside. But I can''t. Except if I were to...''
He turned to face the direction in which his Underlings were.
''Devour some who can.''
Mark shook his head.
''Can''t do that. Can''t do that. Getting Underlings is getting hard and harder. I haven''t even had the time to try out my Skill after it''s gotten all those Conditions attached to it. Can''t do that...''
He sighed and raised his gaze.
''I don''t want to do that...''
Mark suddenly remembered, and as if on cue,
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
''Think you can do it?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" says that if it''s necessary, it will try.]
Chuckle-
His right hand grabbed one of Elisa''s pastrades.
His fangs sank into thatrade''s skin, as his mind was filled with her words.
And while they''ve lost their reason, I managed to keep my own.
''She meant they could talk, right? It has to be what she meant. Then, their bodies and vocal cords allow speech... If that''s the case, then...''
He was inspired by her words and, therefore, devoured her pastrades.
But Mark didn''t know how she would react to that, so he ordered the Fire Spirit to keep her upied.
Thetter didn''t refuse.
A minuteter,
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is consuming your Evolution Points!]
Mark''s throat gradually went from tingling to twitching, from twitching to aching, and from aching to burning.
It only took a couple of seconds for the burning sensation to settle.
Mark brought a hand to his throat.
It didn''t feel any different.
He opened his mouth and took a breath in.
Cough-
It was different.
"Aaah-"
He shut his mouth.
''I can... I can talk...''
Mark wanted tough but didn''t.
Instead, he resumed devouring the Corrupted Dark Elves and Warriors thaty around him.
Mark tried not to think.
He tried thinking about anything else, from Elisa to the Final Guardian.
But currently, there was only one thing on his mind.
And he couldn''t chase it out.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
Mark stared at those words for a bit before he started walking away.
''Thanks.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" isughing proudly.]
Mark started walking towards the forest''s exit before stopping.
''I wonder if I''m supposed to apologize in this situation...'' He wondered.
Apologizing was something Mark hadn''t done for a long time.
...
An hourter, Mark, his Guard, the Fire Spirit, his Underlings, and Elisa reunited in the middle of the Floor, on the grassy in.
"Isn''t this a nice spot? So this is where you all were spending your time while I was doing time? Huh. Can really take in the sun." Elisa added thest part in a quieter voice. "Though, just like the Mana, it does feel fake, just like the Mana."
[You can tell?]
"Is there anyone who can''t?"
"I can''t." The Fire Spirit admitted.
"Huh? HUH? You''re a Spirit, of course, you can. Plus, you''re a Fire Spirit... How can''t you? That''s not just unlikely, it''s an impossibility. I was about to sign a Contract with a...?"
"A what? Please continue. Tsk." The Spirit looked up. "I can tell that sun obviously isn''t made of mes, but not anything more than that."
Elisa brought a hand to her chin, deep in thought.
''Probably because you haven''t experienced the outside. Both the outside sun and Mana?'' Mark suggested.
"Oh!" The Spirit pointed at Mark. "That''s exactly it! Maybe!"
"What did he say?" Elisa asked.
"You''re right. That must be it. But wait... What''s outside? And if it''s outside then... We must be inside... Of what?"
"Hmph!" Elisa walked away, offended. She hated being ignored, especially after having spent so much time alone.
Meanwhile, Mark quietly and telepathically exined things to both the Fire Spirit and Levi.
Things he had been putting off exining.
Partly because he wasn''t sure it was necessary.
Things about the time before they had joined him, about the previous Floors, and about the Dungeon in general.
"So there''s a whole world out there..." The Spirit''s eyes shined.
Levi, on the other hand, seemed indifferent.
He was simply pleased to hear things from his Lord.
To hear things about his Lord''s future.
Mark took a seat on the vibrant grass.
Elisa walked over and sat a safe distance away.
"You can''t remember your past, right? What can you remember?"
[Heavy questions already?]
She chuckled.
"I said that, so I''ll argue that using my words against me shouldn''t work. If you answer my questions, I might answer yours."
Mark didn''t mind answering.
But he also felt no desire to do so either.
''Tsk. You would think that after threatening to kill me, he would open up in good faith. But nooo. I have to do everything...'' Elisa thought as she slowlyid her back on the green grass below.
All remained silent for a bit.
Only the rxing sound of a cool breeze ruled over the grassy in.
"Corruption Magic..." Elisa started, immediately attracting the group''s undivided attention. "Is the worst kind of Magic."
Mark felt like chuckling. The worst kind of Magic had saved him many a time.
He didn''t.
"If you ask me, it shouldn''t even be referred to as Magic."
Elisa''s gaze turned ice cold.
"It''s a curse."
"How so?" The Fire Spirit asked.
Being the only one asking questions and not answering any could prove to be a rather unpleasant position.
Which is why Mark was d to see the Spirit contribute and chime in.
The next second, Elisa started undoing her vest.
None looked away. Why would they?
Mark thankfully noted that she was wearing something akin to a corset beneath the vest. He found the relief he felt both absurd and hrious.
On her stomach and sides, multiplerge spots were visible.
Dark spots.
Mark recognized that color.
Pitch-ck.
There weren''t many things rting to Magic that had such a shade.
Corruption Magic was the first on his mind.
But there were two other instances he remembered.
The Seventh Floor''s Guardian''s pitch-ck barrier.
And the Cmity Of Minos'' attack that could disintegrate Monsters with ease.
''I devoured both... Wish I''d gotten one of those Skills...''
"Corruption isn''t something one can recover from naturally. A Healer, able to use Holy Magic, is necessary. No matter how long you wait," Elisa lowered her gaze towards the stomach. "It won''t fade away, it won''t disappear, it won''t run out."
"So Corruption is... Infinite?" The Spirit asked.
"Perverse, isn''t it?"
"Right..." The Fire Spirit took a short pause. "Fire is greedy. The greediest..."
Elisa nodded silently.
"Fire would like to burn forever, but it eventually runs out. To burn something, a small braze will have to grow in order to devour that thing. Otherwise, it dies. And you''re saying that Corruption Magic isn''t like that? That it shows its effect without ever growing weaker? Without... Consuming anything?"
She nodded again.
"Well, it is a Sub-Type of the worst kind of Magic, making it, too, the worst kind of Magic."
"What''s that?" The Spirit asked.
"Dark Magic, obviously."
The Fire Spirit turned towards Mark.
He was surprised to find thetter looking away, into the distance.
But how could he do anything else?
Mark had no pelt or hair, so the chills running up and down his body couldn''t be seen or noticed.
But about the expression on his face, he had to do something.
Elisa, just like herrades, had been hurt by Corruption Magic.
But all that was on Mark''s mind, was how d he was to have obtained such a weapon.
Chapter 111 A Curse, Part 2
Elisa clicked her tongue as she took hold of her head.
[Something wrong?]
"Nothing. Just... Don''t worry about it." She smiled weakly.
Mark stared at her for a bit.
"So anyways, this is nice and all but..."
Her shaking hands let go of her head.
Truthfully, the pain she felt was unbearable.
Many, many times had been spent screaming because of it.
The only reason she could somewhat handle it was that it''d been happening for a long time.
"Shouldn''t we get going? I''d like to get to the outside as fast as possible."
[There are still some things I need to do.]
"No. If I join your side, we can make it outside. I can tell..." She pointed in a certain direction. "The exit is that way. We just need to defeat the Boss Monster."
Mark was surprised that she could tell, but he didn''t let it show.
Having such a monstrous face made the task a bit easier.
"Why the hurry?" The Fire Spirit asked, his interest piqued.
"Nothing, just..." She tried hiding her shaking left arm. "I just want to be out. The fake light, the low level of Mana, I''m sick of these. So..."
[I''m not rushing in there unprepared.]
[We have time.]
"We don''t have time." Her irritation gradually became harder to contain and hide.
[Why do you think that?]
"I don''t think it. I know it."
''Huh.''
Mark pushed himself off the ground.
[I''ll get to it then.]
"No. We need to go. Now."
He stared at her for a bit.
[You''ll have to wait.]
"I CAN''T!" Elisa suddenly shouted.
Levi''s eyebrow twitched. He stood up.
"My Lord said to wait..."
Levi walked up to her.
"So you will."
A smile Mark had seen before was drawn on Elisa''s face.
A dangerous smile.
''Back off, Levi.'' He ordered.
And the Guard immediately did so.
[It''s not that we don''t have the time.]
[It''s you who''s running out, right?]
Elisa clenched his teeth as she lowered her gaze.
"Yes." She admitted. "So let''s get to it before I-" Elisa noticed the way Levi was staring. "Why are looking at me like that? We can go at it if you want. I''ll carve you up a new one."
The Guard averted his eyes, ignoring her.
She was seething.
"A new what?" The Fire Spirit maliciously asked.
"A new face. Cause I do not like his expression. A bore. Empty, boring, and lifeless. That''s what you are, right?" Elisa smiled again.
A smile Mark didn''t like to see at all.
It reminded him of a certain Guardian.
A smiling Guardian.
Sigh-
[I''ll allow it.]
Both Levi and Elisa turned towards Mark at once.
"WHAT?" She shouted.
[Not a fight to the death though.]
[Both of you stop immediately once we tell you to.]
"If that''s my Lord''s wish, I shall do my best."
"I''M SORRY, WHAT?"
Mark turned to face her.
And his gaze was cold.
[You''re consciously fighting the Corruption, right?]
Elisa''s hand twitched.
[You can''t have a moment of rest, or the Corruption will spread.]
[It''s something like that, right?]
She clenched her fists and her teeth.
[I partially know what that''s like.]
"Haha! Good one. You''ve already used up that argument. And your repetitive use is making me question the previous one."
Mark scratched his head for a moment.
[I don''t care whether you believe me or not.]
Elisa jumped back.
"So we''re back to this, huh?"
[We''re not.]
"Why should I fight then?"
Mark stayed silent for a bit.
[To prove that you can be useful.]
No matter how wide she smiled, her anger couldn''t be hidden.
"The longer this takes, the less useful I''ll be against the Boss Monster. And my ability to..." She didn''t finish her sentence.
The Fire Spirit simply spectated the situation, waiting for an opportunity to add fuel to the fire.
[You previously talked about the fucker who used the Corruption Magic.]
[Who was it?]
Elisa stared with disbelief.
"What does that have to do with this? I can remember his face..."
And she did.
His face appeared inside her mind. The face that has haunted her for so long. And her body started trembling.
"That''ll be enough for me to find him. And kill him."
It was unclear whether it was her wrath or fear that made her tremble.
Elisa had whispered thest part in a low voice.
Just not low enough for the words to escape Mark''s hearing.
''Nia?''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
[What is it?]
''You know who she''s talking about?''
[I do.]
''Will you tell me?''
Draconia found no reason not to.
[Not many can freely use Corruption Magic.]
[Amongst those few, he is one of the best users of such Magic.]
''Mm. And he''s-''
[On our side.]
''Our, huh?'' Mark thought to himself.
[He''s a General under Gaavah, just like I am.]
Sigh-
Mark had already grown tired of the situation.
[Are you feeling sorry for her?]
Mark was surprised by the question.
More than that, he was surprised by the wording.
In a way, Draconia was too.
[Don''t tell me you''re feeling sorry for her?]
That''s what she initially wanted to ask, but decided otherwise for some reason.
Mark didn''t answer, and turned towards the seething Elisa instead.
''Corruption Magic can make others go mad. I''ve seen its effects plenty of times. She said the others went mad because of it. Which means that she very well could too. She''s already mentally unstable. Clearly unstable. I can''t risk it. I can''t risk having a ticking bomb on my side. But if she can keep it together against Levi then... No. That''s not good enough. But if they fight first and she loses control then...''
I won''t feel as bad devouring her.
Mark shook his head before he could arrive at the conclusion he was heading towards.
Elisa sat on the green grass once more.
She brought her knees closer and enveloped them with her arms.
''No.''
The intensity of her trembling had decreased.
''That''s not me. It''s noting from me. It''s...'' Mark thought to himself
Elisa stared dead ahead, with her chin resting on her knees.
''Tsk.''
A nervous chuckle escaped her mouth.
"To be honest, I''m scared. I''ve been scared for a while now, constantly scared."
Uneasiness, uneasiness.
"Scared of those I once knew changing. Scared of those I once knew dying. Scared... Of those... I once knew. They saw me through that window. Multiple times. Want to know what they did?"
None uttered a word.
"Every single time. No matter how loud I called out to them. No matter how many times I shouted their names. Their first action after noticing me was always..."
She took a short pause, as memories raced inside her mind.
"To grab their bows and arrows. I''m scared. I''m scared damn it. I''m scared of..."
She didn''t want to utter those words.
As if uttering them would make them true.
As if uttering them would make them real.
And Mark didn''t want to hear them.
"I''m scared of losing myself damn it."
A tear went down her face.
"And I just... I... I have no idea what to do. Focusing on getting out of here. Focusing on running away. Focusing on that guy... I mean who knows how I would even find him? It would be impossible. The world isrge and... I just have to focus on something, otherwise..."
Elisa fell silent.
''Tsk.''
Despite resisting, despite telling himself that those weren''t his real feelings, despite telling himself that those feelings were nothing more than the remnants of a meaningless ancient past, despite all of that, Mark felt sorry for her.
He felt sorry. And he hated that.
A cool breeze passed over the peaceful in.
And a purple Aura started oozing out of Mark''s body.
Chapter 112 A Curse, Part 3
The Fire Spirit seemed highly interested in Mark''s actions.
''She''s a liability.''
Mark took a step forward, and the ground below cracked.
''She''s unpredictable. Unstable. She''ll cause nothing but trouble. And I can''t find one good reason not to end this right here, right now.''
Step-
''The Corruption will keep spreading anyways. I might as well devour her as quickly as possible.''
Step-
''This... Just like the rest... Is a test.''
Step-
''These deceptive feelings I hate... Aren''t mine. The inconsistencies created by my past...''
Step-
''I''ll crush them, and finally be freed by that past.''
Step-
Elisa hadn''t moved a finger.
But her trembling has ceasedpletely.
''Those feelings I can''t exin from my past are screaming at me... The thing they want me to do the least is this...''
In front of him, was a true damsel in distress.
And part of him wanted nothing more than to protect her.
To save her.
''Which is exactly why I need to do it.''
The rest, however, wanted to choke that part of him until it left his body.
The part that wavered. The part that felt for others because they had a thing inmon.
The part that cared. The weak part of him.
Step-
''With this... With you... With your blood...'' Mark''s ws shined like well-polished des. ''I''ll be reborn again. Truly, this time.''
He stood over Elisa.
''I need to do this... To be someone... Something... That can act this way... Otherwise, in this world, I won''t be able to...''
Despite Mark walking towards her with the full intent to kill, she hadn''t moved a muscle.
And he understood her perfectly.
She was slowly losing herself.
There was no doubt in her mind that the Corruption would, at one point, make the person known as "Elisa" disappear.
That''s what she was afraid of most.
And dying as "Elisa" seemed like a much better option than living as something else.
Mark slowly pulled his arm back.
And Elisa closed her teary eyes.
Depending on how her future would have turned out, Mark could have been doing her a favor. Of course, neither had any way of knowing what the future held. Which is why each one simply thought of it in a way that suited them.
But despite what he told himself, his body froze.
Amb.
He couldn''t do it.
He couldn''t.
Not this way.
Mark took a step back.
And Elisa opened her eyes.
A confused and, perhaps, disappointed expression on her face.
Mark raised his arm to the side.
Elisa''s whole body trembled.
She got on her feet and jumped back before she could even process what was happening.
A dark javelin appeared in Mark''s hand.
And the expression on her face changed.
Elisa unsheathed the Timeworn Elven Daggers hanging around her waist.
"I''m not letting you... Not again... You won''t..." Her voice was shaking. And her head was killing her.
Sweat covered her face as she repeatedly took hurried breaths.
A purple vein appeared on her neck.
"I''m not... You fucker... Not... Not again... I won''t..."
Her unstable breathing became worse. She was hyperventting.
Elisa felt as if her skull was being smashed to smithereens.
And Mark was d it was happening now, not in front of the Final Guardian.
"She''s delirious..." The Fire Spiritmented with a whisper.
Elisa clenched her teeth and raised her Timeworn Elven Daggers.
And Mark tightened his grip against his Corrupting Javelin.
''Struggle... And fight with all you have.''
The two stared into each other''s eyes for a moment.
Both leaped towards one another at the exact same time.
And both stopped at the same time, as something interfered.
Elisa''s heavy breathing started to calm down.
''Don''t stand in my way.''
The Moonlit Feline took a seat halfway between the two and stared at Mark.
''Move.'' He ordered.
But Krista didn''t move.
All she did was stare with those crystal clear eyes.
Mark thought he hated those eyes.
''You''re... Protecting her?''
The Moonlit Feline did not react in any way.
Mark''s eyes moved from Krista to Elisa and back.
''I was... About to take it out on her. About to take the easy way out, by ming it on the Corruption but... No. It''s not her. It''s you.''
His hands started twitching.
''It was you. From the beginning. Ever since I came across you, my past became a curse. Ever since I came across you, this... Feeling... Just won''t leave.''
Mark''s shaking leg stepped forward.
''You''re the one I should... You''re... The problem... You''re...''
His shaking got much more intense.
''What''s wrong with me... From the beginning... It was all going perfectly before you...''
It wasn''t.
''You''re the first one... To make me question myself and my actions...''
She wasn''t.
''You''re the first to awaken these past feelings... These relics of a past I despise and want to get rid of so much...''
She wasn''t.
''You''re the one...'' The Moonlit Feline was at his feet. ''I have to get rid of.''
Mark stared into Krista''s eyes for a moment which felt oh so long.
But all he could see, was the reflection of his monstrous face and body.
A body he had meticulously designed.
''I know that to be the case. I know that I should get rid of you. I know that it would set everything back to how it was...''
Would it?
''I know that it set me free from...''
Would it?
''Then why...''
Mark clenched his fist.
''WHY? WHY CAN''T I DO IT?'' He growled loudly as his fist hit the floor below.
Mark''s eyes were glued to the ground.
While Krista''s turned away.
Elisa fell to her knees, and the Moonlit Feline slowly walked towards her.
She pet Krista''s fur, and her trembling ceased.
''So... You''re choosing her side?''
Krista stared impassively.
Mark''s thoughts started racing.
''Her side...? Why would she choose mine when I was about to...? Why do I care... I need to... But I want to... Is it me that wants it or... Why do I feel this way... My past... Why should I even fight my past... I need to... I can''t remember... I need to...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
Mark raised his gaze towards those messages.
''What... Should I do...?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is smiling at you.]
[Your Title "Devourer" reluctantly pats you on the back.]
''Huh? Haha... What is...?''
[Your Title "Devourer" argues that swallowing your Past might be a deed too gluttonous.]
''Swallow my past?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" argues that the Past is important for it is what drives and leads Evolution.]
''Am I seriously getting a lecture from... Whatever this is? I can''t believe it.''
He chuckled, at a loss for words.
''So what the hell should I do?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" says that you should reconcile your Past with your Present.]
''Well, wouldn''t that be nice. Except I have no idea what the fuck that Past looked like-''
[Your Title "Devourer" sneers at you.]
[Your Title "Devourer" says that your Past has been swallowed and that it''s time to spit it out.]
''Ha. What are you even talking about-''
Before Mark could finish his thought, two paws gently pushed against his leg.
''I hate your eyes, you know that?''
Stare-
''It''s like you''re judging me or something.''
Mark shook his head.
''Can''t believe I''m holding even that against you. After all this... All this time... Why wouldn''t you be judging me?''
He looked at Elisa for a moment.
''Tsk. After I talked about her being unstable too...''
Mark scratched his head.
''Let alone who I was. I can''t even tell who I am. Seriously...''
He raised his gaze to the sky.
''I''m a mess.''
Chapter 113 Close Quarters Procedure
"My Lord!" Levi shouted as he stood at Mark''s side. "Is there anything I can-"
''No, Levi. There isn''t anything. I''m just tired. Awfully tired.''
Sigh-
''Tired of being unsure. Tired of not being told anything about the outside... About the world.''
Mark turned his back to Elisa.
He started walking away.
With no clear n or reason to.
Mark just walked away.
But it didn''t take more than ten steps before,
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" wishes for more.]
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to devour more traces of Corruption Magic.]
''I don''t think I''ll find much more of that.''
[Your Title "Devourer" reminds you that there is one filled with traces of Corruption.]
''Yeah... No. I don''t think so.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is getting to work!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is consuming your Evolution Points!]
[Your Title "Devourer" tears apart the "Devoured".]
''Go right ahead. Have no ns for them right now anyways-''
[Your Title "Devourer" separates the Corruption from the Corrupted/Infected.]
''You... What?''
Mark''s left arm started twitching suddenly.
Feeling the same as if hundreds of ants had appeared on that arm, he immediately started moving it around, grasping, and massaging it with his right arm.
''What did you do?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" hates unfinished work.]
The next second, it somehow made sense.
Mark stared at his left arm.
It was his.
And he, instinctively, understood what had happened.
Mark wasn''t sure of it.
But he could feel it.
His arm was longing for something.
Mark turned back around.
He took short, slow steps.
Elisa immediately jumped back, but she didn''t pull out her weapons.
And Krista stood in his way.
''I''m... Good now.''
The Moonlit Feline blinked, and Mark had no idea whether his words had gotten through to her or not.
He walked by Krista, and approached Elisa.
Thetter stepped back.
"No... No..."
Afraid, anxious, restless, and distressed.
Her panicky eyes nced at every single being that stood on that grassy in. And none seemed to care. After all, none had offered any assistance or help.
"Get... Get away from me!" She barely managed to utter.
[I won''t hurt you.]
"You think... You think I''ll believe after... After...!"
He walked up to her until mere centimeters separated them. And Elisa fell silent.
Her hands shook, as her eyes were glued to the ground.
[Undo the vest.]
"Wha-"
Her throat became drier than ever before. Her legs shook.
Elisa''s lips parted, but no words were uttered.
She stared at the message, and clenched her teeth.
''If it wasn''t for my head... If it wasn''t for... If it wasn''t for...'' Elisa shut her eyes, cursed internally, and did as demanded.
She pulled the vest back, letting it fall off her shoulders.
Her arms remained in the sleeves, and the vest was stretched between her elbows and behind her back.
As if to preserve whatever dignity she had left, Elisa looked away. Far to her left. With her chin raised high.
A hand touched her soft skin.
Elisa flinched.
She wanted to fight. She wanted to scream.
She wanted to cry.
''Mm. Yeah. I can''t sense anything with my right hand...''
It wasn''t clear whether Mark waspletely oblivious to her distress or was simply ignoring her.
''I have no idea why or how but... I can feel it. My left hand wants to...''
That hand approached Elisa''s side, and she did her best to hold back tears.
An open palmnded on her bare side, making her flinch once more.
The palm covered arge dark spot.
''Devour the Corruption.''
The next second, as if in contact with a vacuum, the dark spot was absorbed by Mark''s palm.
Elisa immediately opened her eyes wide.
She brought her hands to her head and grasped.
"It... I... It..." Elisa was obviously at a loss for words. "It doesn''t hurt as much. What did you... How did you...?"
Thud-
Her body hit the ground.
Mark took three steps back.
He turned his palm towards him, and found, in the middle of the numerous white scales, a dark spot.
The next second, Mark fell to his knees.
Blugh-
Blood dark as night was thrown up, dirtying the vibrant grass.
"MY LORD!"
Mark''s Underlings hurried to him.
AGHHHH-
Unbearable pain immediately took hold of him.
His skull was about to split. His eyes, about to explode.
At least, that''s what it felt like.
Mark screamed and screamed.
The world turned hazy and murky.
The next second, a dark rain seemed to fall, tainting the world with a dark shade.
In truth, it was Mark''s scleras, the white of his eyes, that were slowly turning dark.
His head hit the ground, and his eyes could barely remain open.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is getting to work!]
''What is... Happening...?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reassures you that there is nothing to worry about it!]
Mark was barely conscious.
''Nothing...? Are you... Kidding me? What is-''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" assures you that it is nothing more than a problem of Concentration.]
''Con... Centration...? What the fuck... Do you mean...?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" admits that it might have underestimated the Corruption Magic''s Potency.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" argues that it, nevertheless, is not its fault.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reminds you that the Corruption within the previous Corrupted Dark Elves wasn''t as potent.]
''What...? I don''t... I don''t care... Just... Do something...''
[Your Title "Devourer" suggests devouring the Corruption and turning it to shreds.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" chases off your "Devourer" Title.]
''Am I... Hallucinating... Or something...?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reassures you that you can trust it with this.]
[Your Title "Devourer" sneers at your vulnerability.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" tries to persuade your "Devourer" Title to prove useful.]
[Your Title "Devourer" refuses categorically.]
''Help... Him... You... Grumpy fuck.''
[Your Title "Devourer" takes great offense.]
[Your Title "Devourer" doesn''t want anything with your "Evolving Monster" Title.]
''For... Fuck sake... What is this...? Fine... Just... Don''t help him... Alright? Help... Me...''
By this time, the white parts of Mark''s eyes had turned pitch ck.
His Underlings tried helping, but he couldn''t hear them.
He couldn''t see them.
''It better not... Turn out... Like that time...''
Mark lost consciousness.
Chapter 114 Elisa
''Agh. What the fuck happened...?''
Mark scratched his head and opened his eyes.
A bright sky above.
It took him a couple of seconds to remember the events that had transpired earlier.
''What the hell was that about...?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is smiling!]
[Your Title "Devourer" proudly sneers at you.]
''Proudly? The fuck do you have to be proud of?''
[Your Title "Devourer" clicks its tongue.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reminds you that you asked for it not to turn out likest time.]
''I didn''t ask. But... Yeah. That''s a good thing, I guess.'' Mark reluctantly admitted.
He stared at the bright sky without standing up.
"Morning."
Mark immediately turned his head to the side.
A smiling Elisa was seated on her folded knees. And on those knees,
Meow-
Lay a cheeky Moonlit Feline.
Mark looked at them for a bit, before turning to face the sky again.
"Slept well? That Levi person really didn''t want to leave you with me. It took a bit of convincing, but it worked out in the end. He said they were going to bring you food or something."
He listened to her, and felt more confused than ever.
''Why is she talking to me... After... All that?''
Mark turned his head sideways once more.
He stared at her for a moment.
Elisa lowered her gaze towards the leisurely stretching Moonlit Feline, before gracefully cing a lock of her ashen hair back behind her ear.
''Something''s definitely wrong with her.''
The Moonlit Feline got up and off Elisa''s knees.
Mark directed his gaze back to the sky.
Secondster, something damp went up his cheek.
''Yeah...''
And Krista walked away.
"So... I talked a bit with that Spirit. He''s quite the character. And he also had many things to-"
[What are you doing?]
"Huh? Um. Making conversation. Seems appropriate, since you just woke up."
A confused expression was on Mark''s face.
The two stayed silent for a bit.
After a couple of minutes, Mark turned his head towards her.
Elisa''s gaze was glued to the hands she rubbed one against the other.
Sigh-
Mark opened his mouth, and decided to close it back down a secondter.
[I guess I should apologize about earlier.]
Elisa''s arms straightened, and so did her posture.
She blushed, which Mark found incredibly hrious and strange. He didn''t say anything though.
"Well..." Elisa looked away. "You have nothing to be sorry about. While touching me that way was inappropriate and could be perceived as absolutely despicable, I understand that it was necessary to get rid of the Corrup-"
[What?]
"What?" Elisa asked, slightly flustered.
[That''s what you''re focusing on?]
"Um, who do you think you''re talking to? A fair maiden does not deserve to be treated that way. And you should apologize for it-"
[I was talking about me trying to kill you.]
"Oh. That?"
''That''s her response?!''
"Well, I would have fought back to the death. So we''re even, I suppose."
''How?''
Mark stared at her for a bit.
She seemed different.
[Without Krista interfering, I would have probably gone through with it.]
[You know that, right?]
Elisa was at a loss for words for a moment.
"Well if you hadn''t shown me that you could use Corruption Magic, I probably would have let you."
[What?]
"What?"
They stared at each other.
Mark tried his best, but he couldn''t keep a straight face.
Heughed.
Heughed out loud and uncontrobly.
Elisa tried to contain herself too, but ultimately failed just like him.
And the twoughed.
Together.
Mark went back to staring at the sky.
[I was right.]
"How so?"
[You''re unstable.]
[And strange.]
[I mean I was so close to killing you.]
[And you care more about me barely grazing your skin?]
"First of all, it wasn''t barely, and you know it. Second, I can''t help what I care about, alright? I just do. I just care. That''s all there is to it. Can''t control it. Third, I would say you''re at least as bad as me when ites to instability, okay?"
[Okay well-]
"I''m not done. Fourth, I have an excuse. It''s called Corruption. You have none. So... There you go."
Mark turned to face her.
[You seem to be taking it rather well.]
"What do you mean?"
[I mean you''re joking about the Corruption Magic that destroyed... Wait let me see... Everything dear to you?]
"Well aren''t you a bitch? You didn''t have to make it personal like that." She smiled and looked away.
Mark silently stared at the sky for a couple of seconds.
Her asional use of foulnguage amused him.
[Anything happened while I was out?]
"Mm? Oh, yes. Apparently, something appeared on your left arm. To be honest, I can''t tell if it''s new or not."
Mark frowned for a moment.
''My left arm...? Right.''
He extended that arm in front of him, and...
''Doesn''t seem like a big deal.'' Mark thought to himself.
Three dark disks of varying sizes had been drawn on his arm somehow.
The first at the shoulder, the second at the elbow, and the third on the back of his hand.
The three dark disks were connected by a thick dark line.
Mark passed his right hand over both those dark disks and that dark line.
''It''s like the scales were painted ck. Is that all there is to it...?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" urges you to behold its creation!]
''Creation? This...? It''s more like tattoo than-''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" exins that all the devoured traces of Corruption have been stored inside your left arm.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" adds that all Magic Skills involving Corruption or Dark Magic will now use up less Mana.]
[Your Title "Devourer" demands that you consume more traces of Corruption.]
"Oh. Now that I think about it, they''re simr to the lines that go below your eyes. Those that go all the way down to your waist."
Mark instinctively brought a hand to those thick dark lines.
''Huh. Simr...?''
A short silence.
"It''s pretty impressive really." Elisa broke it.
[What is?]
"You can use Corruption Magic. I could''ve been fine with that now that my curse has been... Lessened? Which... I guess... I should thank you for. Anyways, I could''ve been fine with that, but now..."
[Now?]
"Well... Do I even need to say it? I mean you reeeek of Corruption. And I mean, you really do. Like really really. As in it would be impossible not to notice, or even pretend not to."
[Huh.]
[How can you tell?]
"How? I can''t say for sure. You just reek of it, that''s all."
[Well, that doesn''t help at all.]
"Well, it does help. You''re just not listening. It''s just like when I say that it smells of flowers. What does that mean? It means that it smells of flowers. Simple as that. And if you don''t know how flowers smell, then I don''t think I can exin it to you."
Mark remained silent for a bit.
[You''re fun.]
"I am, aren''t I?"
[Truthfully, I think I can trust you.]
[It would be nice to have you by my side.]
"Well... Uh... Hum. I mean... How would I benefit from that?"
[Not sure honestly.]
[I''m not even over all the stuff that happened earlier.]
"And what does that mean? Not over it? As in you hold a grudge?"
[Means I might...]
[Do something like that again.]
"So you''re sooo unstable that you need to warn me in advance. That''s what you''ve just admitted, right?"
Mark didn''t answer. Elisa stood up and walked closer.
"You don''t need to worry about that."
She extended a hand towards him.
"The moment you flip out, lose your shit, or go crazy, I''ll grab that Moonlit Feline and disappear. I''ll steal her from you forever. I can promise that I''ll take care of her properly. And more than that, I can bet that she will looove being with me."
Mark chuckled.
He took her hand.
And he tightened his grip around that hand.
[Just know that if you stab me in the back-]
"I can''t really do that now, can I? I... Uh... I... Sort of? Need your help for an extended period of time."
[Right.]
She tightened her grip around his hand.
"Which is why I will do everything I can to keep you alive. Because with this Corruption of mine, even if I were to find myself outside, making it to a Healer capable of getting rid of it on time would be near-impossible."
Nod-
[Then I''ll be counting on you from now on.]
"Same, same. And you better not let me down. I''ve gotten my hopes up now, so..."
[Sure.]
They shook hands.
[I''ll try.]
Chapter 115 Coordination?
"Still, I''m surprised a bit of joking around is all it took for you to trust me. We could''ve gone that route earlier."
[All it took?]
[You risked death a couple of times.
[You got Krista taking your side.]
[You even got help from some other guys.]
"Some other guys?"
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is disappointed.]
[Your Title "Devourer" criticizes you.]
[Your Title "Devourer" shouts that Titles are meant to be eximed with pride!]
In the distance, Levi and the rest of Mark''s Underlings could be seen approaching.
"They''re bringing... Beasts?"
[I need to eat, don''t I?]
"How many pounds of meat is that? Seems a bit excessive."
[It really isn''t.]
They waited for the Underlings.
"Oh. There is one thing I have to correct you on by the way."
[What is it?]
"I would rather get into it before that Levi guy arrives."
[Anything you tell me, you can tell him.]
"Well... Not quite."
[What is it?]
"You''ve been saying that I''ve risked my life but... I''m not sure how true that is."
[You think you could win?]
"Well, you''re lucky I''ve got this Corruption on me." Elisa pped her right bicep with her left hand. "Otherwise..."
They stayed silent for a bit.
[You did walk past us that time.]
"Mm." She nodded. "I did."
[Was it a Skill?]
Elisa smiled deviously.
"We''re on the same side, but I''d like to keep some secrets to myself."
Mark nodded.
A silent minute passed.
[It was a good move.]
"Right? Can''t let you underestimate me on our first meeting."
[Yeah.]
[It really put me on edge.]
"So the intimidation worked, hehe!"
[A bit too well]
[Definitely too well for someone seeking cooperation.]
"You did the same right after though."
[I did.]
"Why?"
[Because I won''t let you push us around.]
"You won''t, huh?"
"My Lord."
Levi put the various Beasts he had defeated inside the forest on the ground before kneeling.
''Good job, Levi. But I have to say, I''m surprised you left me with her alone when I was out cold.''
"I... Never would have... I... Alone... I...?" Levi stammered.
"Oh, rx. I was there the whole time." The Fire Spirit appeared a secondter.
''That makes more sense.''
Without a care in the world, Mark sat on the ground and grabbed an unmoving Storm Eagle''s body.
He started taking bites as if the Monster was simple poultry.
Elisia found it barbaric and disgusting, but she didn''t say a thing.
For a bit.
After the Storm Eagle, it was a Tempest Saber-toothed Tiger.
"So um... Sorry to interrupt... Whatever this is but... What are we doing?"
[We''re back to what I told you at first.]
[Since your issue of time has been dealt with.]
"For now."
[For now.]
"Couldn''t you just... Take all of it away? You already reek of Corruption so it shouldn''t really change much."
The Fire Spirit chuckled.
So did Mark.
But Levi did not find it funny.
"Aren''t you being, perhaps, slightly presumptuous?" He asked sternly.
"Slightly presumptuous?"
"A lot, to tell the truth."
Elisa scratched her forehead.
"Is this how it''s going to be with him?" She asked Mark.
He didn''t answer.
"Well, that''s just great. Okay, Levi. How is it presumptuous of me to ask for help when I''m about to help just as much?"
Levi took a step closer.
"Because for you to ask that, you must not have noticed how heavy a burden you were to my Lord earlier."
"A burden?!"
"That''s exactly right. You could see that blessing and healing you wasn''t an easy task for my Lord. Yet, you demand that he keeps-"
"I didn''t demand anything. I was just joking around-"
"Were you? Because it seems to me you''re trying to reap profits without doing anything in return. My Lord might be incredibly kind and benevolent, but I won''t stand by as you take advantage of his Saint-like qualities. Plus, you being infected by that Corruption is in no way my Lord''s-"
A hand gently jerked Levi''s head forward, giving the impression that he was bowing.
''That''s enough, Levi. No need to sweat the details. Also, Saint-like?''
To Levi, that was more than obvious. After all, he had given him life after he''d lost it.
"But... My Lord, she doesn''t deserve it."
Elisa looked offended.
[Mm.]
[Now that he''s said it, I''m not sure I can disagree.]
She rolled her eyes.
"Okay. Seems to me that we''ve gotten off topic-" Elisa started.
"We sure have. But why go back now? Seems to me that Levi has raised a legitimate issue." The Fire Spirit interrupted.
"I knew you weren''t just a cockroach sticking to our Lord''s feet because you had nowhere else to go! I knew there was some loyalty in you!"
''Is that really what you think of him, Levi? Also... Huh. Now that I think about it, the way he speaks to others ispletely different to the way he speaks to me...'' Mark thought to himself. He felt rather good about that though.
"Well, alright." Elisa started walking backwards. "I can see that nothing important is about to happen here, so I''ll be going back to where you found me, alright? There''s a bed in there, it''sfortable, it''ll be perfect. I''ll catch up on some sleep. It will probably be the best sleep I''ve had in sooo long now that my head doesn''t hurt as much. Anyways, that aside, once you''re ready to do something useful, you cane to me, and we''ll... Redo our introductions, you know? Just... In a more peaceful manner. How''s that? Oh. No one objects. Perfect, I''ll get going then."
And she did just that.
"She''s going to sleep...? Ungrateful minx-"
''Levi, stop that.''
"What about us, then? What do we do?" The Fire Spirit asked.
''Us, huh?'' Mark wondered for a bit before answering. ''I have some things to learn, some things to perfect, and some things to try out. So that''s what I''ll be doing.''
"My Lord, your word is mymand." Levi kneeled.
''Mm. You can make it to the 3rd Floor by yourself.''
"Certainly."
''Then bring me as many Monsters with Water-Type Magic Skills as you can.''
"Yes, my Lord."
Except for one Underling, the rest of them and the Fire Spirit followed Mark down the Dungeon''s Floors.
Levi remained on the Third Floor, as he was ordered to.
And after a while, Mark arrived at a certain Floor.
The Floor that he remembered to be the one filled with thergest variety of Monsters.
The Fifth Floor.
The Floor on which he had found Krista.
But this and that had nothing inmon.
''Let''s do this... Against numerous Monsters weak enough for me not to worry.''
[Your Skill "Berserker[SSS]" is activating!]
Mark spent his time fighting, but the thing he truly was training, was his mental capacity.
The ability to repress the Skill.
The ability to focus on every single action for extended periods of time.
And the ability to endure the mental drawback thates with using the Skill in short bursts.
The rest of the Underlings tried to assist him without getting in his way, which proved pretty difficult.
What waited for them wasn''t a vige of enemies this time, but a Guardian.
A single Boss Monster.
''The Final Guardian...''
Which is why coordination was so important to Mark.
''I''ll being at you with everything I have.''
Chapter 116 Thanks. But No Thanks
''Can I really trust him... A Monster who looks like that? Who can use Corruption Magic..?''
Elisa stood in the middle of the room at the top of the Final Floor''s tower.
"Never thought I would evere back here..." She whispered.
Elisa stared at the mirror on the wall and started undressing.
"Not a trace of it left..."
There were multiple other spots on her sides, stomach, and lower back.
Some on her thighs too.
The next second, noise entered the room.
''Are Beasts starting to approach now that the Veil is down?''
Something was climbing towards the window.
Elisa quickly grabbed one of the Timeworn Elven Daggers she had ced below her clothes, and waited.
The next second, multiple dark pupils stared at her.
"Oh. You''re his, right?"
Fiery nodded. The Underling''s head barely went through the window.
"Did he have a message for me or something?"
The Underling didn''t move, and Elisa took it as no.
Fiery was about to step down when,
"Wait..."
She stared at the half-naked Elisa.
"You''re the one who... Made all those Insect Monsters, right?"
Fiery didn''t move.
"You must be, right?" Elisa stepped closer.
The Underling stared without moving.
"You won''t bite if I put my hand out, will you?"
The Underling didn''t move, and Elisa slowly put her hand over Fiery''s head.
"Sending your own Offspring for his sake..."
Fiery stepped down, and Elisa moved her hand off.
"What a kind Monster you are."
...
Huff-
Huff-
Mark breathed heavily as he jumped away from the horde of Monsters.
''It''s... Too difficult... The mental drain and headache... Thates with short bursts... Of the Skill... I can''t get used to it... And it seems worse every time...''
It couldn''t be too surprising.
After all, the Skill increased Strength, Agility, and Endurance.
Switching it on and off in a short amount of time meant that the user''s body went through great changes without at any point having the time to adapt if even temporarily.
''And if I try the focused approach... I can''t take the time to look around... And if I can''t look around... Then I can''t order Krista and Grey properly...''
Three Underlings were currently by his side.
Fiery stayed on the Final Floor.
She had been ordered to remain next to Elisa''s tower and produce as many Insect Monsters as possible. The Underling was left at that spot because Mark counted on Elisa protecting Fiery, was something to go wrong. He hadn''t discussed this with Elisa, but he assumed that she would do it.
Levi had dropped off the first shipment of Third Floor Monsters capable of using Water-Type Magic Skills.
They were left behind the door that separated the Fifth and Fourth Floor. Exactly where Mark was headed.
He was d to find a pile of about twenty Monsters.
But such an impressive shipment had toe with a drawback.
Mark grabbed one of the Monsters.
''Slimy...''
He didn''t let his mind fixate on it and started devouring the Monsters right away.
''For me to use the Berserker for an extended period of time, I need to focus on my own movements and nothing else. It''s strange... Krista and Grey were having so much trouble not getting in my way. Light, on the other hand, didn''t just refrain from getting in the way, he always moved how I wanted him to. How I needed him to. It''s like he understood my every move, the purpose behind every movement, and then determined the perfect course of action ordingly...''
Mark had already devoured four Monsters from the pile.
Seventeen were left.
''This difference between Underlings... I couldn''t notice it on the Lower Floors...''
Mark grabbed a fifth.
''Was I just not as aware of my and their movements? Or maybe I wasing up with ways to fight on the go. In a way, I''ve sort of been developing my own fighting style. And the Berserker Skill forces me to focus on the style I want to pursue... Kind of? So I can easily tell when there''s a disturbance...''
Before carrying on with his meal, he decided to enter the Fifth Floor for a moment.
In and out. Didn''t take more than ten seconds.
Hanging from his hand, a struggling Werewolf grabbed from its head.
Mark''s hand covered the Monster''s eyes, and his grip made its movements only get more erratic.
''Surprised how weak these are now...''
He could easily hold it, despite the Monster trying its best to escape.
''Now that I think about it, I cleared this Floor before taking this Form... Before the Unique Evolution.''
Mark nodded to himself.
''Makes sense you''d be this weak.''
He thought about activating a certain Skill.
[You have Marked the Chosen Monster.]
''Marked, haha.'' He chuckled. '' Let''s make you Mark''s property now.''
The Monster clenched its fist, and the Velvet Werewolf''s ceased.
Its head had been crushed.
A drop of blood flew all the way to the side of Mark''s mouth.
Lick-
''Mm. Doesn''t taste as good as it used to.''
[Your Title "Devourer" is d to see that your tastes are getting better.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is d to see that your tastes are Evolving.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" chuckles.]
And so did Mark.
[You have defeated the Marked Monster.]
''Marked. Mark, Mark, Mark..'' He let go of the unmoving Velvet Werewolf, and scratched his shoulder. ''I wonder why I was given that name...''
[Your Magic Skill "Purgatory''s Undead Troup[A+]" cannot Revive the Chosen Monster.]
''What were those new Conditions again?''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
Mark clicked his tongue at the message.
''We''ve already talked about this.''
[Whatever do you mean?]
''I get it, okay? Haha. Very funny. Power over the dead. Impressive. No matter how limited it is. If you''vee to do that then-''
[I must admit, the reason why I came, at this precise moment, was for that.]
''Alright. d we got that out of the way. Anything else, or?''
[It''s time for us to have a talk.]
''What about?''
[About the World that awaits you beyond these walls.]
Mark''s eyes widened.
He grabbed a Monster''s unmoving body and sank his teeth in.
After taking his time chewing, he swallowed and...
''No, but thanks.''
A short silence allowed Mark to eat in peace.
[I''m sorry, what?]
[Did you hear me correctly?]
[I''m offering you...]
He didn''t bother reading the rest.
''I heard you. Thanks, but no thanks.''
Mark took another bite.
[Did you lose your mind?]
[The "Berserker" Skill or that Corruption you consumed?]
[Which one was it that fried yourst brain cell?]
Chapter 117 An Unspoken Quest
Mark chuckled.
''Myst brain cell is enough to deduce why it''s, now, of all times, that you''vee to talk about the Outside.''
[You''re approaching the Exit.]
[That''s why.]
''Mm... Yeah, no. See, I don''t think that''s it.''
[Enlighten me then.]
''What I think is happening? Well...''
Mark grabbed a Monster''s leg and took a bite.
''You put me in here, alone. With no one to talk to. And then... You appeared. You talked, and became the only person I could converse with. That meant your input was always important to me. You were the one who could help when I didn''t know what to do.''
His teeth crushed a bone with ease.
''The only person. Sure, I had Underlings. But that''s just because I developed a Skill to have them. This whoole thing seems to be made so that you''re the only person I can trust, whether on the inside or the outside. Blind trust, that''s what you wanted. Mixed with the gigantic gratitude thates with we''re the ones who brought you back to life and I''ve always been there when you needed help. I think that''s partly why you kept me in the dark for so long about... Well, everything. About the whole outside world. Your word is absolute, and I should trust it. You, and only you I can trust. That''s the kind of rtionship you were aiming for. At least, that''s what I think.''
[Sounds like you''ve wanted to get that off your chest for a while.]
''Yes.''
[Good.]
[d you could take the weight off.]
[Now, I''m trying to share some important information about how things are outside, so...]
''Right. Brings us to the other point.''
Mark devoured a whole Monster, before letting out a sigh.
No new Skill, despite devouring 12 of the 21 Monsters.
''I really wanted information about the outside. For a while, I asked for it. But you always said nooo... Focus on this. Everything will be exinedter. , , .''
[Your point being?]
''You kept me in the dark for a long time. But now you want to talk. And it''s obvious why you want to. You lost your leverage.''
[Did I?]
''Yes. Obviously. You''re not the only one with information now. I can get it from someone else.''
[Oh is that so?]
''It is.''
[You''re saying you can trust her words?]
[On something as important as what the world is like?]
Mark chuckled.
''You saw all that, huh?''
[I did.]
''I have my issues and reservations, but I don''t see any reason why I shouldn''t trust her for now.''
No messages came for a bit, giving Mark the time to devour another aquatic Monster in peace.
[You have acquired the Magic Skill "Water st[D]".]
''Finally. But [D] Rank, huh? Mm. Doesn''t matter. Since Ranks are getting updated once I leave.''
Mark extended a hand forward.
A drop of water appeared in front of his palm.
It started spinning and turned into arge sphere of clear water.
''Pretty cool.'' Mark thought before shooting the attack.
It hit the wall, and, noticing the impact it had on thetter, he thought the opposite.
[What are you doing?]
Mark slowly stood up and took his time answering.
''Just trying stuff.''
[Stuff?]
''Yes. Different Magic Skills. Also wanted to acquire one Magic Skill per Element. So that''s one thing done at least.''
[You''re preparing more than I thought you would.]
Mark didn''t answer.
Instead, he reentered therge room that the Fifth Floor was.
''Mm... What to do now...?''
After a couple of seconds, Mark called Krista to his side.
The ferocious Lioness took its cat Form as it approached.
''Think you can go get her for me?''
The Moonlit Feline stared, as if it hadn''t heard the question.
''Bring Elisa. I doubt she would listen to Fiery or Levi.''
Shock overtook Krista''s face.
''Well? I''m sure you can do it. I''ll tell Levi to wait for you at the Third Floor''s entry. You just have to cross the Fourth Floor.''
The Moonlit Feline didn''t seem thrilled by the idea, but reluctantly nodded.
''Good. You look anxious, why? With your Agility, it shouldn''t be a problem. You''ve developed Heat and Fire Resistance on the Second Floor already. Cross the desert then you''ll be with Levi. After that, you''reing back with Elisa. Should go pretty smoothly. No reason to be scared.''
Krista proudly held her head up high as she started walking away.
Mark''s gaze didn''t leave the Moonlit Feline until the Underling crossed the doors that separated the Floors.
[That''s a first.]
''What is?''
[Sending the Moonlit Feline alone.]
''Is it?''
It was rather obvious that Mark didn''t feel like talking.
At least, to the person behind those messages.
[So you''ll trust her?]
''Yes.''
[Despite the Corruption?]
Pause-
''What does that have to do with anything?'' Mark asked.
And no answer came.
He clicked his tongue and walked toward the two Underlings that remained on the Fifth Floor with him.
Both wolves stood in front of him, and Mark ced his palms on their heads.
Grey cheerfully pushed back against his Master''s hand. His eyes closed, and his tail wagging energetically.
Light, on the other hand, kept his gaze fixated on his Master.
Mark crouched a bit, and stared back.
''What''s going on... In that head of yours?''
His Underlings had changed.
Levi was, now, showing more emotion.
Grey was, from the beginning, a happy and carefree mutt.
Light, on the other hand, is...
''I guess it''s the same for Fiery...''
Mark had already thought about it many times, and he wasn''t any closer to finding an answer.
''Because I revived them before my Skill''s Evolution...? Or is it simply a difference in personalities?''
Two pairs of red pupils stared at Mark.
And both told different stories.
''Sometimes, your eyes...''
One, earnest, sincere, and passionate.
The other, enigmatic, mysterious, and quiet.
''Really remind me of Krista''s.''
The Master turned around towards the horde of fighting Monsters.
''We''re going at full throttle now, so...''
[The Skill "Berserker[SSS] activates!]
The Underlings moved their centers of gravity forward.
[You have temporarily developed Pain Immunity!]
''Don''t get in the way...''
[Your Endurance Stat temporarily increases by 60%.]
[Your Agility Stat temporarily increases by 30%]
[Your Strength Stat temporarily increases by 20%.]
''And don''t hold me back.''
[Additional Effect:
Your Strength and Agility Stats will further increase proportionally to the amount of Damage Incurred.]
The white-scaled Monster, from which oozed a purple Aura, cracked the ground as it ran.
Grey followed.
Right, left, kick, tail flick, punch...
As no instructions were given, the Underling tried predicting its Master''s movement.
The goal was for the three to fight while being close to one another and without getting in each other''s way.
Light suddenly emerged from his Lord''s shadow and his fangs took hold of a Royal Minotaur''s approaching arm.
Before thetter could attack, the Demonic Dark Wolf disappeared, and the Royal Minotaur realized that the white-scaled Monster had turned its body around already.
Grey watched them for a bit.
Compatibility, synergy, and harmony.
For a short moment, he wished his pelt would turn dark.
Meanwhile, the Moonlit Feline was climbing up the stairs toward the Fourth Floor.
Its body was slightly shaking.
The Moonlit Feline''s nose would twitch sporadically, which annoyed her greatly.
Still, the Master had given a task to the Underling.
Refusing was out of the question.
Or was it?
The Moonlit Feline stopped for a bit.
It looked back.
It had already climbed a lot.
Krista was less than halfway there, but she didn''t think about that.
The Moonlit Feline continued climbing.
Slowly but surely, more and more sand covered the stairs.
Anxiety and fear intertwined.
Minutester, she stood in front of the huge doors that separated her from the Fourth Floor.
Krista stared at those doors as her heart beat faster and faster.
She lowered her gaze.
Krista was reminded of the scene that had taken ce at this exact location.
Of how she jumped into the desert to attempt to save her Master.
And of how she ended up being the one protected.
A fuzzy feeling.
The Master who put his own body on the line to protect her.
The one who had ordered her to stay behind.
The one who had ordered her to stay away from his enemies.
The one who repeatedly told her to hide inside a ne.
The Master that ordered her to leave the Boss Room against the Fire Spirit.
The Moonlit Feline raised its gaze towards the huge doors.
It took a step forward.
The Master had finally given her a task.
Krista put her paws against the huge doors.
She had finally earned the Master''s trust.
And she was not about to disappoint him.
That day, unbeknownst to many, an epic adventure had taken ce on the Fourth Floor''s desert.
A quest filled with surprises, deception, perseverance, and extreme battles.
A quest, many wouldn''t have survived.
But at the same time, a glorious adventure.
Krista managed to reach the Third Floor''s entry.
The Moonlit Feline shuddered.
Its hairs stood on end.
After all it had gone through.
After all the fierce battles and shocking surprises.
What was found at the end of the quest wasn''t a Reward, but the wide-open mouth of an enormous Leviathan.
Krista stared at the countless fangs, some four times the size of her head.
Freeze-
A sphere of ice appeared around her.
She knew the Leviathan.
Nevertheless, a sense of impending doom settled, as the gigantic Monster''s wide-open mouth approached.
Chapter 118 Humans & Demon Lords?
[Whether you want to or not, I''m giving you information before you enter the Boss Room.]
Tsk-
Interrupted, the purple Aura around Mark started fading.
Apanied by Light and Grey, he exited the Fifth Floor.
''Alright.''
[We won''t be able tomunicate once you enter that Room.]
Pause-
''Why not?''
[It''s the final wall before the outside.]
[I don''t have much Authority over that ce.]
''So you won''t be there once I leave the Dungeon either?''
[No.]
[However, Raven will be.]
''Wasn''t he supposed to be the one telling me about the outside after I defeat the Guardian?''
[He is.]
''So?''
[It''splicated.]
''How so?''
This time, it was Nia that took some time before answering.
[He might miss a few details.]
''Huh. Why do you think that?''
[Everyone makes mistakes.]
[It would just be unfortunate were he to miss something important.]
''So you don''t trust him to do it properly.''
[If you really want to know, then no.]
[I don''t believe he will do it properly.]
''Does he know you''re telling me this?''
[No, but that doesn''t matter.]
''It matters to me.''
[Listen, I''m sure Raven will do his job just fine.]
[It''s just that he, sometimes, takes decisions in a rather impulsive fashion.]
''Mm. Fine.''
Mark wasn''t sure whether his "guide" being the impulsive type was a good or bad thing.
[Where to start?]
''From the beginning. Why was I brought here?''
[So the Continent is divided into two separate Realms.]
''You''re going to ignore my question? Just like that?''
[At the Continent''s center, is the Monster Realm.]
[It is surrounded by the Human Realm.]
''Why?''
[Long ago, a Great War between Monsters and Humans tore the Continent apart.]
[Even Historians do not agree on whether it is the Monsters that drew the Humans to the Outer Regions, or that it is the Humans that drew the Monsters to the Inner Regions.]
''Then? How did the war end?''
[It ended with the First Demon King''s demise.]
[This took Great War took ce centuries, if not a millennium ago.]
''Demon King... That''s the being that rules over the Monster Realm, I assume.''
[Correct.]
[Although, the Throne is, nowadays, empty.]
Mark''s eyes narrowed.
[It has remained empty, ever since the First Demon King''s demise.]
''So no one wants the Throne? Or is it that they can''t choose?''
[First of all, "Demon King" is a Title.]
[The Conditions for obtaining that Title remain unclear.]
''Huh. So the previous one took his secret to the grave.''
[You could say that.]
[Now, we turn to those under the being Titled "Demon King".]
[They''re titled "Demon Lords".]
''Makes sense.''
[There are seven Demon Lords that rule over the Monster Realm.]
[Each rules a certain region.]
''So the Monster Realm is made up of seven regions.''
[Correct.]
[Every region has its own characteristics.]
[Peculiarities, you could say.]
[Each region is named after the Demon Lord that rules over it.]
''Peculiarities? Like the fact that this Dungeon is located in the middle of a tundra?''
[No.]
[No.]
[It''s a bit more peculiar than that.]
''You''re repeating the same message? Got me interested now.''
[To exin those peculiarities, we need to talk about the Demon Lords a bit more.]
[Each Demon Lord draws Power from something.]
Mark stayed silent.
He could tell that Nia was struggling to find the right words, as it took longer than usual for messages to appear.
[Sins.]
''Sins...? Like the Seven Deadly Sins?''
[Not like, that''s exactly it.]
''How biblical.''
[How what?]
''Nevermind. It''s something from... Anyways, continue.''
[Each Demon Lord holds the power of one of those Sins.]
''Wait. How would that work? Are the Sins physical things? Or perhaps like the Fire Spirit? Something with a Core that allows you to use its power?''
[No.]
[Not really.]
''Then...?''
[It''s more like they''re one with their Deadly Sin.]
''Huh.''
[We''re getting sidetracked.]
[The Dungeon you are currently in resides on the Border between the Monster and Human Realm.]
[The Border is usually referred to as the Rift.]
[Arge zone that circles around the Monster Realm.]
''That''s what the tundra.''
[Correct.]
[But the Rift changes as it moves along the Monster Realm.]
[From a tundra to and of volcanoes, a greatke of poison, an unescapable forest, and other areas ruled by other extreme conditions.]
''Mm. Makes it harder for the Monsters to leave their Realm.''
[Or the Humans to leave theirs.]
''Right.''
[The region closest to the Dungeon you are currently in is the Land of Sloth.]
[It''s ruled by the Demon Lord of Sloth.]
''Doesn''t sound too intimidating.''
[That''s because you know nothing yet.]
Mark shrugged his shoulders.
[Thend of volcanoes.]
''Yeah?''
[It''s called the Land of the First Kindled Inferno.]
[That''s where I was born.]
''So you were born in the... Rift?''
[That''s right.]
Mark stayed silent for a bit.
''I think I might need a map...''
[I don''t have the means to give you one, unfortunately.]
[Raven will, surely, have one for you.]
''Okay. Good...''
Mark scratched his head.
''So... Those Sins...?''
[Right.]
[Let''s take an example close to home.]
[The Demon Lord of Pride.]
''That sounds pretty cool.''
[Doesn''t it?]
[My Master is the Demon Lord of Pride.]
''HUH? Wasn''t it... Gaavah? Or something?''
[Correct.]
[Gaavah is my Lord''s name.]
''Huh... Wait... But if I was brought here to be the next Demon King or something... Wouldn''t that make the Demon Lords... My rivals? Or something like that?''
Could he see or hear her, Mark would have felt embarrassed at how loudly and uncontrobly Nia wasughing.
[Quite frankly, I do not have any hopes of you bing the next Demon King.]
[While I cannot speak for the Master, I doubt that to be his intention.]
''Oh. Well... Good. Everything other than that would be easier, right? That''s a weight off my back... I guess.''
[But there still is a reason why he brought you back to life.]
[I''m not sure what the reason is though.]
''Then I''ll have to ask him directly?''
Nia chuckled.
[Perhaps.]
[You seem awfully concerned by the reason you were brought to this world.]
''Yeah. I mean... Of course, I am. It''s the whole reason why I''m here. The reason why I''m alive. I don''t see how I could not be concerned.''
[I see your point.]
[You were brought back for a reason.]
[But perhaps that reason has nothing to do with you.]
Mark''s eyes widened.
He brought a hand to his neck.
''Nothing to do with me...''
Scratch-Scratch-Scratch-
''I''ve heard something like that before... No. I''ve been told something like that.'' Mark thought to himself.
''What do you mean?''
[I mean that you should stop focusing so much on why you were brought back.]
[It shouldn''t matter to you why you were brought back.]
[My Master isn''t the kind to force others to do his bidding.]
[So you have nothing to worry about.]
''Yeah, well...''
Mark raised his gaze to the ceiling.
''Easy for you to say.''
Chapter 119 Skill Points
[Demon Lords draw their Power from their Sin.]
[And the Land the Demon Lord rules over will be impacted by that Sin.]
''How so?''
[The simplest example would be the Lord of Sloth.]
[Those living under his rule would be impacted by Sloth, one way or another.]
[The degree to which they are impacted varies, just like the effects.]
''Those living under his rule... What about those who pass through the region?''
[They might be affected too.]
''Okay... That''s a lot to take in. It''s possible that all those in the region are affected... Can''t imagine how much Mana that would take.''
[It is the Demon Lord and the Sin''s Authority.]
''Authority?''
[That is what Titles confer.]
[Just like you have Authority over your Underlings, a Demon Lord has Authority over those living in the region he possesses.]
''When you say it like that... I guess it makes sense.''
[That''s all I wanted to discuss.]
[Any questions?]
Mark thought for a bit.
''Just the one.''
[Ask away.]
''Think I''m ready to fight the Guardian?''
[Preparing more can''t hurt.]
''Yes, I know. I''ll think a bit more about my Skills, about how to use my Skill Points, and train a bit more with the Berserker Skill. I guess I could use the remaining Underling Evolution Pills too. But other than that... I''m running out of ideas.''
[That should be enough.]
''So I''m not ready right now.''
[Do you want the honest answer?]
''Sure.''
[I think you are ready.]
[Your Underlings can hold their own.]
[If you have that Corrupted Dark Elf helping, it''ll be simpler.]
Mark scratched his head.
''That''s a relief.''
[Just don''t get overconfident.]
[Don''t act the same way you did against the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker.]
[Don''t overprotect your Underlings.]
[Think as rationally as you can.]
[And make sure to keep your Titles in check.]
''Yeah, alright. I''ll try.''
[Make sure you keep your Titles in check.]
''Okay, I get it. I don''t need you to repeat it.''
[Anything else on your mind?]
''Not right now.''
[I''ll check back in with you before you enter the Boss Room.]
[Until then, you''re on your own.]
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" falls into a silent slumber.]
''Huh.''
Mark stood motionless for a bit.
''She was nicer than usual...''
Both his Underlings were seated. Their chinsy on the ground.
Mark sat too.
''Is Nia even a she?''
He sat silently for a bit.
''I''ll have to discuss the outside with Elisa.''
A minuteter, Mark called out his Skill List.
[The following list of Skills is a temporary representation of both your Skills and their Ranks:
Passive Skills:
sh[F+] - Pierce[F+] - Night Vision[F+] - Underwater Propolsion[E] - Water Resistance [E] - Poison Resistance[E] - Intimidating Stare[E] - Swift Aerial Maneuvering[E+] - Weightless Steps[D] - Water Pressure Resistance[D] - Heat Resistance[D] - Tail Lengthening[D+] - Fire Hide [C+] - Superior Kic Vision[B] - Earth-Shattering Tail Flick[B+] - Venom Regtion[B+] - Cold Resistance[A] - Fire Resistance[A].
Magic Skills:
Freeze[E] - Staggering Thunder[E+] - Electric Fire Bomb[D] - Bone Maniption [D+] - Golem Armor[D+] - Great Fire Ball[D+] - Corrupting Javelin[C-] - Venomous Wings[C-] - Ice Dome [C] - Blinding Sand[C] - Imprable Barrier[C] - Frozen Land[C+] - Wind st[B] - Aura Maniption[B] - Golem Hold[B+] - Earth Maniption[B+] - me Of Chaos[B+] - Dark Corrupting Spear[A] - Mana Maniption[A] - Mana Condensation [A] - Freezing Winter[A+] - Purgatory''s Undead Troup[A+] - Fire Control[S] - Advanced Body Reconstruction[S] - Devouring Architecture[S].]
''The Ranks are all fucked. The Sub-Skills aren''t here. Mm... Whatever. How many Skill Points was it?''
[You currently possess 2 Skill Points.]
''That''s it, huh?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
Mark stared at the message for a bit.
''Think you could make some more?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" says it thought you would never ask!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is burning through your Evolution Points.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at the Dungeon Master.]
''Huh?''
[The Dungeon Master has given permission.]
''Nia?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" has managed to create 2 Skill Points!]
''Well...''
Mark couldn''t help but chuckle.
''If I knew it was this easy.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" warns you that making Skill Points won''t be possible outside the Dungeon.]
''What? Why not?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" says that it will only be able to create Skill Points attached to certain Magic Types.]
''Huh? As in... If devour Monsters that can use Fire Magic, I''ll get... Fire Skill Points?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
[Your Title "Devourer"ughs out loud!]
[Your Title "Devourer" mocks your "Evolving Monster" Title.]
''Alright, that''s enough bullshit for today.''
Mark thought deeply about what Skills he wanted to make stronger.
''If I use one on my Purgatory''s Undead Troup, I doubt it would get rid of the Conditions... Or would it?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" says that it probably wouldn''t.]
''Mm... The Guardian will probably use Wind Magic. Or perhaps all four Elements. What''s the right Magic Skill to counter Wind Magic-''
"Looks like you''re in need of help. What''s on your mind, Monster?" A cheeky voice resonated.
...
Some time earlier,
"Agh... I''m so bored." A half-naked Elisained.
The next second, a light-headed Moonlit Feline walked up the stairs and entered the room.
"Hey, you!" She ran and lifted the Moonlit Feline. "Sooo good to see you. You have no idea how happy I am to... Wait, you look sick. Don''t tell me you''re about to throw up?"
Nod-
Elisa hurriedly put the Moonlit Feline to the ground.
It didn''t throw up.
Krista had assumed that the voyage inside the Leviathan''s mouth would onlyst for the duration of the underwater Third Floor.
She was mistaken, and ended up deathly dizzy.
The Moonlit Feliney on the ground for a bit, unmoving.
"You good? Hey? Good? You okay? Everything alright?" Elisa gently poked the Moonlit Feline''s stomach repeatedly.
Realizing that rest was never an option, Krista stood back up.
She turned towards the staircase, and moved her head in its direction.
"Want me to follow you?"
Krista nodded and started walking away.
"Where to? You look pretty sick, so how about I carry you on the way there? You can still-"
The dizzy Moonlit Feline ran away before Elisa could finish her sentence.
Chapter 120 Dancing With Monsters
[Monster?]
[That''s how you call those you y friends with?]
Elisa stared sternly.
Mark turned towards the other neer, Elisa''s guide.
''You made it. Knew it wouldn''t be too hard for you.''
A returnee. That''s how the guide thought of itself after the Quest it had gone through.
The Moonlit Feline, drained and fatigued from that Quest,y on the ground.
Without reacting, it closed its eyes.
"I was in the tower. That''s where she found me."
[Right.]
[That''s where I told her you would be.]
"I was in the tower."
Mark didn''t understand what Elisa was getting at.
[So?]
"The area around it was different."
A chill went down Mark''s body.
He stayed silent.
"Why did you bring me here?"
Mark took a couple of seconds before answering.
He stood up.
[To see you fight.]
"Let''s get to it then. I''ve already seen you fight, so it''s only right if we''ll do so side by side."
The two entered the Fifth Floor while the three Underlings remained on the other side of the doors.
A swarm of fighting Monsters.
''I guess Nia made it so we won''t run out of enemies on this Floor... Wonder how that works. Monsters seem to spawn endlessly on every Floor except the Final one.''
"I''ll make this quick..." Elisa drew two Timeworn Daggers out of the sheathes around her waist. "So make sure you watch carefully."
Mark stood back while she walked towards the horde.
Weightless steps. A discreet presence.
''Her Stealth Stat must be pretty high...''
That Stat, was something Mark unfortunately stillcked.
The Monsters slowly became aware of Elisa''s presence.
And the first to approach her was a Royal Minotaur.
A Monster Mark, at one point, feared.
A Monster he, at one point, had turned into.
The Royal Minotaur upped its pace, while Elisa continued walking closer.
Mark noticed that her grip around the Timeworn Elven Daggers was especially rxed.
As if they would fall from her hands from the slightest contact with resistance.
The Royal Minotaur roared as it stretched his chest and shoulder muscles, to throw a powerful punch.
Mark wondered whether Elisa''s Vigor Stat was high enough to survive such a hit.
But the answer didn''t seem too important.
After all, the Royal Minotaur''s fists never got to even graze her.
No.
Before it could even fully extend its arm, a dozen cuts had been drawn on that arm.
Cuts that stretched less than four centimeters appeared on the Royal Minotaur''s skin.
The wounds would''ve appeared harmless, if it wasn''t for the heaps of blood leaving them.
Veins and arteries had been carefully severed.
Short but deep cuts.
And the deepest one, seemed to be the one on the side of the Royal Minotaur''s neck.
Mark chuckled nervously.
''I could barely see that...''
A session of quick and efficient actions made possible by Elisa''s high level of weapon mastery.
Her shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints seemed to move as one, nimbly, and with Snake-like flexibility.
Elisa''s whole body danced freely, to allow her fangs to reach target.
Before the Royal Minotaur could even realize what had happened, she already stood behind it, her daggers at her sides.
The rest of the Monsters quickly turned towards her.
A stronger Monster had appeared.
And so, the weaker Monsters became allies.
It didn''t take long for Elisa to bepletely surrounded.
The Timeworn Elven Dagger in her left palm spun a half circle.
Grip-
''She''s holding it upside down?''
One Dagger was pointed upwards while the other was pointed downwards.
Surrounded by dozens of Monsters, stood Elisa.
Mark''s hand twitched.
Her head was hurriedly turning from side to side.
Right-
Left-
Behind-
To Mark, Elisa seemed, for a couple of seconds, lost.
Scared.
As if she were looking for a way out.
Amb surrounded by wolves.
The next second, a Velvet Werewolf threw itself at her.
Multiple Monsters followed its lead.
And Elisa''s Daggers started dancing one more.
She cut, stabbed, and parried perfectly.
But Mark didn''t like her dodging.
''She always moves out of the way at thest moment... By hair''s breadth...''
Not only that, but her seemingly hurried and anxious head movements did not stop.
Even when ws approached her stomach, Elisa would turn her head to the side.
The Timeworn Elven Daggers danced while their des drew cuts and painted the floor bloody.
Watching her made Mark feel slightly anxious.
Yet, he couldn''t look away.
The way her hair flowed.
The way her body moved.
The way her hips rotated.
The way her feet silently and wlessly moved, avoiding every limb and corpse on the ground.
The way her des cut veins and throats.
The way her ashen hair was slowly colored by lines and drops of a beautiful red.
In the middle of that swarm, she was different.
Mark found watching Elisa fight rather enjoyable.
He liked the way she fought.
He liked the way she danced.
He liked the way she killed.
The way she gracefully danced with Monsters and Death.
Mark thought that she might''ve been having fun.
Her smile, although weak, seemed proof enough.
He couldn''t tell what it was that she took joy in though.
Was it in fighting?
Killing?
Killing Monsters?
Or was that smile, perchance, the effect of her Curse? Of the Corruption that dwelled within her?
Mark didn''t know the answer to those questions.
And perhaps, neither did Elisa.
It was very likely that she didn''t even have knowledge of the smile on her face.
Still, Elisa danced. With a smile on her face.
A beautiful Monster.
A Monster nheless.
Little under five minutes passed, and the dance wasing to an end.
"Should be enough, right?" Elisa asked as she slowly made her way out of the swarm.
Mark was slightly caught off guard by the question, which is why he took a couple of seconds to respond.
Of course, there was no way for Elisa to tell.
The monstrous face he bore could never betray him.
[Sure.]
An Orc Chief''s approach was halted, as Elisa''s left footnded on its chest.
There wasn''t enough power the push the Monster back, but that hadn''t been her goal anyways.
Using the Monster as foothold, sheunched herself backward.
Elisa gracefully spun in the hair, beforending on a Royal Minotaur''s shoulders.
From there, she jumped from one Monster''s body to another, until she made it out of the swarm.
With herst leap, Elisanded on the ground, right in front of Mark.
"So? That good enough for you, Monster?" She asked coldly.
Mark thought she smelled of blood. He didn''t dislike the smell.
From behind her, enraged and humiliated enemies approached.
[Will you deal with them or should I?]
While maintaining Mark''s gaze, Elisa sheathed the Dagger in her left hand before raising the one in her right slightly.
Elisa''s fingers gently moved alongside the Dagger''s de.
The next second, a typhoon seemed to appear over that de.
Mark''s eyes widened.
The Dagger''s de had be that of a Sword, except that it was, somehow, made of wind.
Elisa''s right foot stepped back and around slightly.
With a backswing,
Wind sh-
A dozen Monsters were beheaded at once.
Uneasiness, uneasiness. His heart shouted.
Though he couldn''t hear it, he could feel it.
Chapter 121 A Curse, Part 4
The doors separating the Fifth Floor to the Fourth were closed shut by the Monster.
Elisa walked away from those doors before sitting, her back against the wall.
"What now?" She asked.
Floating words appeared in front of her secondster.
[I might need some help.]
This, was the only means ofmunication that the Monster disposed of.
The use of the System.
Elisa found it peculiar.
Why would the System allow the Monster tomunicate this way?
Could it, perhaps, not be the System, but rather the Dungeon Master?
But if so, then what ties linked this Monster to the Dungeon Master?
What ties linked this Monster to the being who...
"What kind of help?"
[The Guardian will probably be a Wind Magic user.]
[Or a Monster that can use the Four Elements.]
"So?"
[I''d like your opinion on what Magic Skills would be best tobat Wind Magic.]
Elisa didn''t feelfortable answering the question.
She didn''t want to.
After all, she was a user of Wind Magic.
"Earth Magic is a bad match for Wind Magic users. Anything that can''t be blown away by a tornado is bad news for them." Elisa decided to answer. A disinterested tone.
[Would Bone Maniption help?]
Her hand twitched.
"Probably."
[I see.]
[That helps.]
[Thank you.]
It was the first time that the Monster had thanked her.
And a sense of repulsion arose inside her.
"If that''s all, I''ll get going."
[Shouldn''t we discuss how we''ll fight the Guardian?]
[Also, you have a habit of looking around a lot when fighting.]
[What''s that about?]
"I already have a n for how I''ll fight. A habit? You make it sound like you''re about to give me some advice. If that''s the case, then don''t. I''ve seen how you fight, and it would benefit you to learn from me."
The Monster wanted to retort, but didn''t.
And Elisa could feel it. Her sense of repulsion grew.
"I''ll get going now." She said suddenly as it stood up.
Elisa only took a handful of steps away when,
[Wait.]
She turned back around.
The Monster was seated.
Its eyes were locked on her.
What a horrifying and hideous Monster it was.
[You said that the area around the tower was different.]
Elisa felt a chill down her back.
She didn''t say a word.
The Monster''s lips parted slightly.
As if it were about to...
Its mouth was closed shut a secondter.
And its gaze fell to the ground.
Elisa stared at the grotesque Monster.
She turned around and walked away.
Three Floors separated her from the tower.
And the image of the hideous creature staring at the ground did not leave her mind for a while.
Elisa entered the Fourth Floor''s desert.
A Monster that can not only use Corruption Magic, but also manipte Bones. Corrupt. Foul. Rotten. Scary. Terrifying. Run away. Run away. Danger. Run away.
Her mind shouted.
She stood in front of the underwater Third Floor.
The next second, Elisa hovered above.
The wind around her started spinning increasingly fast, until it created a spherical barrier around her.
Elisa went underwater, protected by the typhoon-like barrier.
After so long. After so much despair and agony. Change. Something has finally changed. The dome disappeared. Relief from the curse. An opportunity. Leave the cage. Freedom. Trust. Trust and hope. Trust the Monster.
Her heart shouted.
Elisa truly did not know which she should listen to.
It is a well-known fact that the Magic wielded by a person can tell more about that person than they ever could about themselves.
A well-known fact on the outside.
Two gloomy and sinister Magic Types.
To that, the Berserker-like ability.
The perfect recipe for disaster.
The perfect recipe for a Monster.
Still, Elisa couldn''t abandon her hopes of making it outside the Dungeon.
She couldn''t deny that her chances of getting out increased greatly by having the Monster on her side.
The Monster, and those thate with it.
Trusted by Moonlit Feline. Trusted by a Fire Spirit. Isn''t that enough to prove that it is worthy of trust?
Perhaps it would''ve been enough.
Elisa could''ve trusted the Monster based on those two facts and the things she had learned about the Monster since their first encounter.
She could''ve, were her hopeful heart and cautious mind the only ones shouting.
...
Mark stared at the ceiling, his back against the cold floor.
He didn''t want to apologize, but felt like he should have.
Or rather, he felt like he owed an exnation.
But how could he exin that?
First of all, where did this need to exin anythinge from?
There''s no reason to apologize. Because I did nothing wrong.
Mark told himself that, but it was unclear whether he believed it or not.
The Moonlit Feline stretched her paws against his leg, and he sat up.
''You like her, don''t you?''
Nod-
''Mm... She''ll be useful against the Guardian.''
The Moonlit Feline stared.
...
Covered in sweat, Elisay on her bed.
Her eyes were closed. She had kept them that way for a while now, but she couldn''t sleep.
Her head hurt. Her stomach burnt. Her throat was dry.
Shivers, shivers.
Elisa''s whole body was trembling.
She put her left hand over her right arm, as if to calm herself down.
She started gently petting her own arm.
Then less gently.
The pain. The pain.
Her head could split at any moment.
She thought the curse had weakened.
No.
The curse had weakened.
Then why...?
She nervously scratched her arm over and over again.
You won''t ever make it out of here. You know that, don''t you? And even if you did, there''s no ce for you outside anymore.
She clenched her teeth, as if shutting her eyes wasn''t enough.
Locked. Locked forever. Sick. Corrupt. Foul. There is no remedy for you. Suffer. Suffering. That''s all there is for you.
Shut up-
There''s nothing for you out there. You know that. Nothing for you. No one waiting for you. After all, you watched them die. You did, didn''t you? You closed your eyes, you hid, you covered your ears, and tried to escape. But you couldn''t. You still heard her cries. You could still picture their expressions. And then... As if that weren''t enough, you decided to betray them all. You yed friends with the Monster who killed them. That Monster killed them. And you epted that. How virtuous and vile. But you know that''s not all there is to it. Their bodies are gone. The Monster made them disappear. The Monster turned those you once knew into vulgar pieces of meat. It turned those you once loved, into vulgar pieces of meat. All of them, except you. Only you remained. What a lousy Princess you are.
Shut up-
There''s only one thing for you to do now. ept that suffering. The weight you''re carrying in your heart. The darkness you try to hide. The thing you try to get rid of. ept it. Be one with it. That''s your salvation.
No... I-
ept it, and kill them. All of them. The Monster. Those on its side are just as bad. Kill them. All of them. The ones who cursed your people. Kill them. And make them suffer. Let them know what your suffering is like. What your pain is like.
That''s not-
You''ve suffered silently for a long time. For so long, you bore that suffering. Aren''t you tired? Isn''t it time to let go? You''ve resisted it for so long, but it''s time to go beyond that suffering. One who can ce on others the same Curse that was ced on you appeared. The same Curse. The same Curse. The Monster is just as bad as that one. The two of them spread your Curse. The Curse stems from them, wouldn''t you agree? The two of them are the same. The two of them are one.
Thoughts that weren''t Elisa''s raced inside her mind.
She tried silencing them. She tried chasing them away. She tried ignoring them.
She has tried doing so for so long.
But to no avail.
Kill them. Make them suffer. Make them feel the same things you feel and have felt all this time. Make them understand your suffering. You have to, don''t you? It''d be too lonely otherwise. Don''t be alone in your suffering. You want them to understand you.
Grip-
You do know that''s what you want, don''t you? You must, at least, know that much about yourself.
The Corruption inside her shouted.
Elisa gripped her head tightly, as she cried herself to sleep.
It is only in her sleep, that the voices of Corruption cannot reach her.
It is only in her sleep, that she is free.
Chapter 122 A Monster With A Name, Part 2
A couple of hours passed after Elisa had made it back to the Final Floor.
Mark was seated with his back against the tower made of bricks.
Around him, his Underlings.
''I still have to figure out how I want to use my Skill Points. But for now...''
Mark''s eyes nced over his Underlings.
Levi, Krista, Light, Fiery, and Grey.
''Three Underling Evolution Pills...''
The Items had been kept for a while, and Mark was d to have them now.
''Who among you should I have Evolve...?''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
''Sooner than I thought.''
[Your Underlings won''t Evolve after consuming the Underling Evolution Pills.]
''Huh? Why not?''
[Their strength is high enough that the power held in an Underling Evolution Pill won''t be enough.]
''You''re kidding me?''
[Three Underling Evolution Pills might be enough to make one of them Evolve.]
[Apart from the ant.]
''You mean Fiery?''
[That one will probably Evolve from 2 Underling Evolution Pills.]
''I guess I have made Fiery and Krista Evolve using one each. Light has Evolved multiple times. Grey''s from this Floor, and Levi was the Guardian from the Third. Plus, he changed after bing my Guard...''
Mark brought a hand to his forehead.
''Well, shit... That''s not something I wanted to hear.''
[I thought it better to inform you.]
''Yeah, you were right to.''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" falls into a silent slumber.]
''Means she''s watching closely, huh?''
Mark stared at the message for a bit.
''A Demon Lord''s Follower... I''m not sure how to feel about that. And I don''t think I can ask Elisa about it now. About anything really...''
He stood up.
''No matter how much I tried, I couldn''t revive a single Monster. Maybe the issue will resolve itself once I leave the Dungeon, just like for the Stats and Ranks...''
The Moonlit Feline walked up to Mark.
''I guess the time hase. Can you call her?''
Nod-
The Moonlit Feline entered the tower and walked up the staircase.
''My safest bet is with "Superior Kic Vision". My eyes are my strong point when ites to my senses. Always has been. Plus, it''ll probably help when paired with the "Berserker". If my vision is better, focusing will get easier. Probably.''
Mark called out his Inventory and took out a spike made of bones.
He drew an eyes symbol on the ground.
''The second option might be strengthening my "Earth-Shattering Tail Flick" and upping its damage but... Is making more damage my issue? Then perhaps my "Imprable Barrier"? It''s beencking for a while. It doesn''t hold well against blunt attacks. A stronger version of the "Wind st" Skill might be enough to bring it down... Other than these, the only choices I can think of are-''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
''This is happening a bit too often now.''
[It would be better not to strengthen Skills involving Mana or Aura.]
''Involving Mana? You mean Magic Skills?''
[Skills such as "Mana Maniption" or "Aura Maniption".]
''Why not?''
[Those Skills will change once you exit the Dungeon.]
''They''ll change? You said my Skills'' Ranks would change, not anything about-''
[Many things will change.]
[The System will inform you in due time.]
Mark stared at the floating words for a bit.
''You just love leaving the exining to others, don''t you?''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" falls back into a silent slumber.]
Tsk-
''If that''s how it is, then-''
"You called?" Elisa asked as she made her way down from the window to the ground. The Moonlit Feline between her arms.
Mark found the ability to step on air as if it were a staircase both interesting and fancy.
Elisa''s feet gentlynded on the ground.
[Yeah.]
[It''s time to leave this ce.]
[A bitter than what you originally wanted, but-]
"Let me stop you right there."
She lowered her body and let go of Krista.
"Before we go into that, I need to ask something."
[What is it?]
Elisa scratched her head as she talked.
"I... Have an issue with... I can''t... Huh. I have a problem trusting that..." She obviously struggled to find the right words.
[You want to sign that Contract?]
"Yes! Yes. That''s... That''s it. Yes. I would feel... Buch better. If we did that."
Mark stared at her for a bit.
[I don''t mind.]
Elisa''s eyes seemed to light up.
If he''s willing to sign a Mana Contract, then perhaps I can-
A digital Scroll appeared before each of the two.
"I''ve made some modifications, I''m sure you''ll notice."
[
Contractor: Elisa.
Contractee: [Fill up the missing information].
Contract uses:
use 1: Each Party swears on the Mana that fuels their bodies not to attack or injure the other Party intentionally.
use 2: The attacked Party has every right to defend itself.
use 3: The Contract can be terminated at any time, provided both Parties agree to its termination.
use 4: The Contract''s Expiration Date can be pushed back, provided both Parties agree.
use 5: The Contractee agrees to hear the Contractor''s Request once both Parties exit the Dungeon they are currently in.
Additional Information(1): The Contract takes Effect the instant both Parties have agreed to it and signed it.
Additional Information(2): The Contract expires once both Parties exit the Dungeon they are currently in.
Additional uses and Information can be added in the future, provided both Parties agree on the Additional uses.
Contractor''s Signature: [Present]
Contractee''s Signature: [Link your Mana to the hereby Contract if you wish to enter it].
]
''So she agreed on the intention part... Good. Request?''
Elisa stared at the Monster with wide eyes.
[Request?]
"Yes."
[I''m going to need more than that.]
"I''m not asking you to fulfill that Request. Just to... Hear me out. Once we''re outside."
The Monster raised its gaze towards the sky for a bit.
[I guess I could do that.]
Elisa''s eyes shined.
[Under two conditions.]
"And they are?"
[use six: If I have a Request of my own, you hear me out.]
"Done."
[Also, I''ll need you to tell me something.]
"What do you need?"
[I''ve seen how you fight, and it would benefit you to learn from me.]
[Is what you said earlier.]
Elisa scratched her head.
"I was in a bad mood. Don''t... It''s just that I-"
[Tell me.]
"Huh?"
[Tell me about it.]
"What about?"
[What I should learn from you.]
"Sure."
She smiled.
"I''ll be happy to."
The two walked a bit closer to one another.
''We can''t hurt each other. We can only terminate it if we agree to. The worst that can happen is we each go our separate way.''
A small amount of Mana appeared at the end of Mark''s index finger.
He ced it on the Scroll.
[You have entered a Mana Contract with the Contractor: Elisa.]
[You can check the Contract''s Details at any time.]
"Mark?"
Nod-
"So the Monster does have a name."
[He does.]
"You should have told me earlier?"
[I should have?]
"Well, yes. Of course. Names are really, really important things."
Sleeping always helped keep the Corruption at bay.
It''s not like Elisa''s doubts and fears had suddenly disappeared.
But with this, her mind was at ease.
At least, for a bit.
The Monster had a name.
And it wasn''t a scary one.
In a way, that name made the Monster seem a bit less scary.
He wasn''t just a Monster anymore.
He was Mark.
Still a Monster, of course.
But Elisa felt there was a slight distinction to be made.
Chapter 123 A Game Of Tag With Monsters
Elisa, Mark, and thetter''s Underlings walked through the Final Floor''s forest
"While I didn''t watch the whole thing, I can tell you have good Kic Vision."
[You could?]
"Yes. Your reaction speed is also good."
[About you watching, I think I need to-]
Elisa could feel the dark spots on her skin tingle. The bad kind of tingling.
As if ants were crawling on her skin, asionally taking bites for no reason.
"No need. It''splicated, and I don''t want to talk about it. They weren''t the ones I once knew. They haven''t been for a long time. So let''s just... Not talk about it."
[Right.]
She threw back the hair that was falling over her right shoulder.
"The best way for me to tell you is to show you."
[Okay?]
"We ''re going back to that ce, right?"
[What am I supposed to watch?]
Elisaughed cheekily.
"Me. My fighting."
Mark wondered for a bit.
''Her fighting... I can''t mimic the way she moves. My speed isn''t bad but she has me beat in flexibility and dexterity. I guess the three fall under the Agility Stat... Huh. It would benefit you to learn from me...''
You have a habit of looking around a lot when fighting-
''She said it after I talked about the way she moves her head around all the time. Is there something more to it than what I thought? Those movements... Those ces... I''ve seen them many, many times...''
The head movements of a Terrified Monster that''s been driven to a corner.
"So? Should we go back, or...?"
Mark scratched his head.
[No.]
[We already have all we need.]
"Is that so?" Elisa chuckled as she unsheathed her Timeworn Elven Daggers.
The cold eyes of his Underlings stared at her.
''Ugh. This feels so weird...''
"Don''t me me if some of them end up dead. When I get to it, stopping my des is-"
[No des.]
"Huh?"
A Demonic Dark Wolf and a Typhoon Wolf walked to the Monster''s side.
And the Monster smiled. Out of embarrassment surely, but its fangs hid the embarrassment rather well.
[We''re ying tag.]
Elisa jumped back as she put her weapons back into their sheathes.
"Mm!" She nodded cheerfully. "Works for me. I''ll take my headstart."
''No fangs, no ws, no Wind st. Alright?''
The two Underlings lowered and raised their heads.
By this time, Elisa had already entered the forest around the area.
...
Minutester, Elisa rested her back against a tree.
''Guess I''ll wait here.''
A secondter, something shined above.
''Is he supposed to be the one locating me?'' Elisa asked herself.
And a stream of mes descended upon the forest.
''They''re making a mess before we leave, huh? Appreciate that.''
The stream of mes started moving.
''The Spirit drew a circle. Delimiting the perimeter already?'' She chuckled. ''Guess they''re taking this seriously.''
Elisa gently pushed herself off the tree.
She extended her hips, arced her back, and a Typhoon Wolf missed her back by an inch.
"Your Stealth isn''t bad." Elisa''s tone was cheerful, as she nimbly turned around.
Before the Typhoon could even touch the ground, she quickly lowered her gaze.
"If it''s not dark enough, you stand out in the shadow."
The next second, a Demonic Dark Wolf jumped out of that shadow.
Elisa arched her back until the ends of her long hair kissed the grass below.
The Demonic Dark Wolf passed above and beyond her.
Her eyes followed it.
The Demonic Dark Wolf''s mouth was closed, its fangs hidden, and its ws retracted. It was the same for the Typhoon Wolf.
Both weren''t used to that.
Just as the Demonic Dark Wolf was about to touch the ground, its body turned into a Dark Fog.
"You don''t need to turn around if you use that, huh?"
Elisa brought her left foot behind her right, lightly tapped the ground with her left hand, and rotated her body.
''She can control her body way better than him. From that unstable position, he probably would have fallen to the ground.'' The Fire Spirit thought to himself as he watched from above.
The Dark Fog approached quickly, but Elisa looked away.
The Typhoon Wolf had jumped onto the tree trunk she had rested her back on earlier.
''I have a pretty good grasp of their speeds now.''
The Dark Fog materialized.
Demonic Dark Wolf from the front, Typhoon Wolf from above, slightly behind her.
Elisa turned her body to the right and raised her head.
The Typhoon Wolf''s eyes met hers.
Itunched itself with all its great, fully epting its role as bait.
The Demonic Dark Wolf elerated.
It reached forward.
Its snout could smell her.
It could almost touch her.
And with a back handspring the pair of Wolves never sawing, she escaped.
"Can''t go full throttle like that."
Just as both were about to collide, the Demonic Dark Wolf turned into Fog once more.
"Right." Elisa smiled. "That''s a good one."
...
Dozens of meters above, a flying Monster had taken the Fire Spirit''s side.
''Looks like they won''t be able to catch her.''
"Nope. She''s good. Really good." The Fire Spirit whispered.
The Monster turned at the Spirit, slightly confused.
Or perhaps, simply surprised.
''Didn''t expect you topliment anyone. Or anything really. Except for your mes.''
"It is my first time seeing someone fight this way. It''s interesting, not using brute strength. I fell in love with that Berserker''s... Rawness? But this is different. So different."
''It is?''
"Of course it is. Every move is calcted. She takes her time to think through and find the right option. That''s why she dodges by a hair''s breadth every time. You''re simr in that way."
''I usually don''t think too much during fights though. I just let my body... Do its thing. Or think on the spot?''
The Fire Spirit stayed silent for a bit.
"I meant simr in the sense that you dodge by hair''s breadth too."
''Oh.''
"She''s calcting, while you''re winging it and fearlessly, if not foolishly, risking getting hit."
The Monster chuckled as it spectated the scene from above.
She was smiling, as she ran from the Wolves.
A different smile than the one she had when fighting and killing Monsters.
''You''re not about to leave me for her, are you?''
"I just might if you don''t prove yourself worthy of me."
The Spirit chuckled, and so did the Monster.
"Now that I think about it, her movements remind me of the kitty cat..." The Spirit''s tone had turned serious.
The Monster didn''t say a thing.
"That cat has simr movements. Which makes me question..."
''What?''
"Is she calcting or simplyzy and can''t be bothered to move until thest moment?" The Fire Spirit asked.
The Monsterughed.
The Spirit did not.
''Oh. You''re serious?''
"Huh. I always am." An offended tone.
The Monster stared below for a bit.
''Feline grace, huh? Probably not something I could get with this body.''
The Spirit nodded.
''Which means that there''s something else I should be looking for.''
...
On the ground, a couple hundred meters away from where the game of tag was happening, Levi and Krista stood.
Just beyond the circle of mes delimiting the perimeter.
''Levi, Krista. Go.''
The two quickly leaped beyond the burning boundary.
Krista''s body immediately turned into that of a Lioness''.
The difference in speed made the gap between the two slowly widden.
Levi couldn''t help but notice that.
He didn''t feel bad about it though.
Krista was Krista.
What she was to his Lord, he couldn''t tell exactly.
But he had realized that what others were to his Lord didn''t matter to him, as long as they were not enemies.
Plus, speed wasn''t a priority for Levi.
After all, his goal is to understand the Lord, and assist him perfectly when needed.
He was "The Devourer''s Shield".
And so, what Levi felt he needed was Strength, Sturdiness, Endurance, and Vigor.
The second one wasn''t a Stat, but he thought it just as important.
...
Elisa escaped from, yet another, attempt from the Wolves.
"The two of you are good at coordinating your attacks." She noted as she stepped back, leaving ce for the Typhoon Wolf to miss its mark.
Thetter growled, its frustration was starting to show.
The next second, the Demonic Dark Wolf leaped from behind a tree.
She dodged closely.
"No..." Elisa whispered.
Closer than she would''ve liked.
"There''s no coordination, is there?"
Her eyes stared at the Demonic Dark Wolf''s bloody red pupils.
Its eyes were calm. Collected.
"You''re just letting him do whatever and reacting to what he throws your way huh?"
The two stared at one another for a bit.
"Not bad. Not bad at all. I didn''t expect that from-"
Elisa''s long ears twitched.
A handful of secondster, so did the Demonic Dark Wolf''s and the Typhoon Wolf''s.
Elisa jumped back.
Freeze-
"That''s illegal, you know?"
A Lioness stood tall, as the area Elisa had been standing on froze.
"Oh well. Contracts only take effect in the case of death or if one of the Partiesins. And if it''s you..."
Her face softened, and so did the Lioness''.
"I don''t think I will."
The Typhoon Wolf growled.
"What? Jealous?"
The next second, the three Beasts that made a triangle around her leaped.
"Call it: Cute Privilege." Elisa smiled. "The privilege of the cute."
Chapter 124 My Bad
"So why are you doing this?" The Fire Spirit asked.
A minute had passed since Levi''s arrival.
Light, Grey, Krista, and he made a square around Elisa.
''She said there was something I should learn. We''re going for the Guardian so I might as well get as much as I can before that.''
"And? Did you figure anything out?"
''Yeah. Her eyes.''
"Her eyes, huh? Always moving around. Just like those of a wounded Beast."
''That''s what I thought too. But it might be something I''ll have to incorporate. She''s always looking around. Always making sure where each enemy is, what each enemy is doing, what each enemy is nning.''
"So she''s judging the battlefield''s state at all times. Yeah, I can see that. Is it something you can do though?"
''Not when using my Berserker Skill. But the rest of the time, maybe. It''s like I haven''t been making full use of my eyes. Or rather, I''ll be conscious of it now? I''ll consciously look around instead of just looking around.''
"Is there really a difference?"
''I think so.''
Mark stared at Elisa as her body spun in the air beforending on a tree''s branch.
''You only find things when you''re looking for them.''
"Huh?"
''Nevermind.''
The two spectated silently for a while.
"Is there some other reason why we''re doing this?"
''Why do you think that?''
"Because you''re supposed to learn."
''So?''
"So why aren''t you there?"
Mark didn''t answer for a couple of seconds.
''She seemed in a bad mood.''
Elisa discreetly raised her gaze as she escaped Krista''s grasp.
Laughter. She could barely hear it.
Still, she was surprised that she could.
The distance separating them wasn''t negligible.
''Must be pretty fun for him tough that loudly. I wonder if-''
"They nearly got her there." The Fire Spirit noted.
''Yeah.''
"So. She seemed in a bad mood? And now we have to drop everything for her and do our best to make sure she forgets about it."
''She won''t forget about it.''
Mark''s eyes were glued to the scene below. The Fire Spirit''s were glued to the former''s.
He stared silently and intently at the Monster''s eyes.
''What?''
The question caught the Spirit off guard.
"Why do you think she won''t forget about it? Actually, no. I don''t care about that."
Mark let out a sigh.
''What is it then?''
"Why do you care?"
''What about?''
"Her."
''I don''t.''
"Enough to orchestrate this little game."
''That doesn''t mean much.''
The Spirit stayed silent for three seconds.
"You have a look on your face."
Only then, did Mark''s gaze move from the field below.
''What''s that supposed to mean?''
The Spirit smiled mischievously.
"I''m not sure yet."
''You''re lying, aren''t you?''
"I am. I know that look."
Mark lowered his gaze back towards the field where his Underlings were desperately trying to catch their target.
''What kind of look is it then?''
"Mmmm... I''m not sure I should tell. It would be presumptuous of me to make assumptions after all."
''Then don''t.''
"Aren''t you curious?"
Sigh-
''You''re turning into a cheeky brat, you know that?''
The Fire Spirit''sughter reached the ground once more.
"It''s a special look you have."
''Is that so?''
"Yeah. To be honest, I can''t read it. And I can''t help but wonder what''s beyond that look."
''Uhu. Okay.'' Mark answered absentmindedly.
The Fire Spirit''s gaze moved away from Mark and onto those below.
"It''s a look you sometimes have when looking at the ck wolf or at the fish snake guy."
''Just start calling him Levi already.''
"I don''t go well with water. And even less its inhabitants."
''I don''t care. He''s called Levi, and you''ll refer to him as that.''
The Fire Spirit stayed silent.
Secondster, Mark turned at him.
''Don''t tell me your jealous.''
The Spirit seemed repulsed by the idea.
''You want a name, don''t you?''
"Fuck off."
''I''ve neglected it for too long, huh? Want me to find a good one?''
The Spirit''s attitude stopped.
"Stop."
''Didn''t think you would take it this badly. Was only joking-''
"You think you''re worthy of naming me?"
Mark stared at him with wide eyes. He didn''t reply.
The Spirit''s silence turned longer than Mark had expected.
''The look I have when I look at Levi or Light.''
"Yeah. Sometimes when you look at them. But really, it''s..." The Fire Spirit''s tone was colder than usual.
Mark found it strange that the Spirit had taken his joke to heart.
He didn''t yet know of the importance that Names held.
The importance they held for Spirits.
"The look you have when looking at Krista."
It was the first time the Spirit had spoken the Moonlit Feline''s name.
''I don''t get it.''
"I don''t either. Just something I noticed."
Mark''s eyes remained on the Spirit for a bit.
''You''re really paying attention.''
"At what?"
''Me.''
"Yeah, I am. I have to."
''I''m honored, and creeped out.''
The Spirit noticed the sarcastic tone and ignored it.
"I can''t let you die."
Mark wondered if the look on his face, as he stared at the Fire Spirit, was the same as the one that Spirit had referred to earlier.
Mark lowered his gaze.
Krista''s left paw missed Elisa''s thigh by a centimeter. Surely, because thetter wanted it to go that way.
The frustrated Lioness growled, while the Elfughed.
"Going back to my original question."
''Why are we doing this? Because she''ll be a great asset. I can''t have her mess up or not be at her best-''
"What is it she won''t forget? And why do you care about the fact that she won''t?"
''I killed those she once knew. And I devoured them.''
"Hmph. She''s the one who suggested this, isn''t she?"
''What do you mean?''
"I don''t see a world where you saw her and didn''t think about swallowing her."
''That''s what you think?''
"It''s what it looks like. What I''ve seen."
''Right.''
"Surely, you attacked, she dodged, you kept attacking, and, at some point, she convinced you fighting wasn''t worth it."
''Why do you think that?''
"Because it''s what you do. It''s what you are. You attack, you fight, you devour."
''Am I supposed to take offense?''
"No. You''re not."
The two stayed silent for a bit.
''I don''t do just that.''
The Spirit chuckled.
"Don''t you? I can''t remember thest time you spared a Monster."
Mark thought about Grey.
He let him have his revenge.
He didn''t hurt the rest of his Pack.
But Grey too, he had killed.
''Guess I''ve only done that once.''
"Oh. True. I guess you have. How did that even happen?"
Pause-
''I''m not sure.''
"Let me guess, the kitty cat took the first step. Instead of risking a fight, it joined your side."
Nod-
"Mmm..." The Spirit wondered for a bit. "Must''ve been tough. Or rather, felt strange."
''Why do you think that?''
"I''ve seen you kill many. But I''ve also seen you bring them back to life. I assumed this was something you could do even then though..."
Nod-
"Right. So you were used to killing Monsters. You were used to forcefully bringing them to your side. But one day, a Monster willfully took joined your side. And that... Shook you? I can see it changing you in a way."
The two stayed silent for a bit.
''A Monster willfully taking my side, huh? Mm. The thing is...'' Mark started his descent towards his Underlings. ''I''m not sure that has happened yet.''
The Fire Spirit didn''t move from his spot, but his mind did wander.
Light, Grey, Krista, and Levi noticed their Lord approaching.
A cunning smile could be guessed on Krista and Grey''s mouths.
"Finally joining the game, Monster?" Elisa challenged yfully.
[I can''t.]
"Huh? Why not? Come on! The six of you might be good enough to make me work a bit harder!"
The Lioness growled with frustration.
[It would defeat the whole purpose of this.]
"The whole... Oh. You watching. Right. Yes. True. Forgot for a second."
"I apologize, my Lord..." Levi kneeled. "I have failed to fulfill your order."
''It''s fine, just...''
Mark ced a palm on Light''s head and another on Grey''s.
''Make sure to make it harder for her next time.''
"I will, my Lord!"
"Well isn''t that unfair. Don''t lock me out of the conversation!"
"My Lord has nothing more to say to you."
"Didn''t ask! I''m talking to him."
"Once my Lord has word for one such as you, I shall let you know."
"YOU PISS ME OFF!"
Mark ignored them and stared at his left palm.
''I''m rushing this. I''m definitely rushing this. I don''t understand what this... Has to do with Corruption. But I don''t care. I just. I...''
I think you are ready-
''I just want to leave.''
He turned towards Elisa.
Floating words appeared in front of her.
[Come closer.]
And she did.
[I''ll take some of the Corruption out again.]
[In case it goes likest time, we''ll rest for a bit.]
[After that, we''re leaving this ce.]
A smile.
But the smile faded as she pressed her lips together.
Mark extended a hand towards Elisa.
And she started undoing her vest.
[That won''t be necessary.]
"Huh? Really? Yey!"
They shook hands.
The next second, Mark passed out.
"Oh..."
And the look in his Underlings'' eyes changed as they stared at Elisa.
"My bad."
Chapter 125 The Ability To Use All Magic Types?
[Your Title "Devourer" disgests thest of the ingested Corruption.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" processes the Corruption.]
[Your Affinity with Corruption Magic is high!]
[Your Affinity with Dark Magic increases!]
[Your Control over Corruption Magic increases!]
[You have developed the Passive Skill: "Inferior Corruption Resistance[C]".]
Mark slowly opened his eyes to the avnche of messages.
''Affinity...? I''m guessing that''s something I''ll see more of outside.''
Mark''s hand was approaching his face when he noticed its shaking.
A nightmare.
He had just woken up from one, but couldn''t remember a thing.
"That was different thanst time, wasn''t it?"
Mark took his time to answer.
''You''re bing a bit too observant of me.''
The Fire Spirit appeared in front of him.
"I convinced her to fuck off once you passed out, even though she didn''t want to. You were shuddering and trembling continuously. What was that about?"
Mark''s body twitched as he stared at the Spirit''s mes.
''There was fire... Darkness... People... And... Death.''
"Aha. That''s it?"
Mark looked away as he tried to remember.
A good distance away and to his left, Elisa could be seen.
From the quiver on her back, she pulled an arrow out.
A secondter, the arrow was shot using a bow identical to those of the Corrupted Dark Elves.
Elisa''s eyebrow twitched.
Mark looked away. And at the same time, she turned in his and the Fire Spirit''s direction.
He lowered his gaze towards his right elbow.
"Anything else?"
Elisa shot an arrow at the bright sky.
''Did you know? Apparently...''
Mark slowly ced the ws on the ends of his trembling fingers against the scales that covered that elbow.
''Death is a person.''
"Huh-"
The Fire Spirit was interrupted.
"You doing okay, Monster? Me, I''m doing better than ever!"
Mark was about to stand up when,
"DON''T MOVE" Elisa suddenly shouted.
The next second,
Pierce-
For a moment, both Mark and the Fire Spirit stared at the arrow that had just pierced the ground. Just between Mark''s thighs.
"Haha..." Seconds earlier, Elisa thought doing this a good idea. She wasn''t so sure now. "I still got it."
[If that had touched me, it wouldn''t have gone well.]
"Really? One arrow?"
Mark stood up.
[I hate arrows.]
He started walking away.
"Well... You would have been well within your rights."
Elisa stared as his back got further and further.
"What was that? Definitely not how I would''ve imagined you thanking him."
"I don''t know. He looked away when I looked at him so I thought... I don''t know. It was a joke, alright?"
"And he would''ve fought you because of a joke."
"And I wouldn''t have minded." Elisa retorted as she walked in the opposite direction of the one Mark had followed.
"What do you mean by that?" The Fire Spirit followed.
"Even for a Spirit, you''re very nosy."
Elisa walked for a bit, before finding a fallen tree trunk.
She took a seat.
"I couldn''t have missed anyways."
"What if you had?"
"I couldn''t have-"
"But what if you had?"
Elisa stared at the ground for a bit, before raising her gaze.
"Then I wouldn''t be capable of making it outside anyways. If I can''t even make a shot like that nowadays, then there''s not a chance I''ll get out of here."
''Huh...''
The Fire Spirit''s body started fading away.
''mes from the same bonfire.''
...
''Earth Magic is apparently good against those who use Wind Magic. But my Magic Skill is Maniption. I can''t be sure that I''ll be able to use whatever the Boss Room is made of.''
Mark was on the ground, his back against a tree.
To his right, Light.
To his left, Grey.
Above, on one of the tree''s branches, Kristayzily.
''I''ll use one Skill Point on my Freeze Skill.''
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Magic Skill "Freeze" is evolving...]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" elerates your Skill''s Growth.]
[Your Magic Skill "Freeze[E]" has evolved into the Skill "Ice Maniption[B]".]
''Mm. I should still have the Sub-Skills to produce the ice...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" breaks down a portion of the "Ice Maniption[B]" Skill.]
[Your Magic Skill "Ice Maniption[B]" splits into "Ice Maniption[B]" and "Freeze[E]".]
''You''re full of surprises, aren''t you? Yeah. This is better. Freeze allows me to perfectly control how much Mana I want to use and howrge the area I want to freeze. The Sub-Skills don''t...''
Mark let his mind wander for a bit.
It inevitably went back to the nightmare he had just experienced.
Mark couldn''t remember anything, except the fact that he had stared Death in the eyes.
A long and heavy yawn from above.
Mark chuckled and raised his gaze.
A white cat with blue eyes cozilyy on a branch.
But one day, a Monster willfully took joined your side-
''How is that even a Monster?''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
[Ready to go in?]
''Basically, yeah. Waiting for Fiery to make more Offspring. Thinking about how to use my Skill Points in the meantime.''
[Once used, Skill Points cannot be reassigned.]
''I know.''
[Saving them for when you need them isn''t a bad idea.]
[It has worked well against a couple of Guardian.]
''I guess. Yeah.''
[Have you tried using Wind Magic?]
''Now that I think about... No. I haven''t. Why?''
[Half of defeating something is understanding it.]
Mark extended his right arm forward.
Wind st-
''Huh...''
Wind st-
''Not working. Something simr to the mes Of Chaos Skill...?''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is looking at you.]
''I get it. I''ll figure it out on my own. The usual.''
Mark tried using the Skill a couple more times before a message appeared,
[There is someone you could ask.]
He suspiciously stared at those words.
''Doesn''t sound like you. Not at all.''
[And what do you know about me?]
Mark scratched his head.
''Not much-''
[Exactly.]
[Ask, or ponder about it.]
[Whichever you do matters not to me.]
''That''s more like you-''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" falls back into a silent slumber.]
''Mm...''
Mark stood up.
''Wind st... Wind st... The ones I''ve seen using the Skill were the Wolves, the Eagles, and the Tigers. And the way they used it was...''
The answer became obvious.
Mark opened his mouth.
With a roar, a powerful gust of wind wasunched, decimating the four trees in front of him.
''Good. The other way was...''
With a p of his wings, a gust of wind, just as strong as the previous one, wasunched.
''Now, why is it-''
"WAS THAT-"
Mark suddenly turned around.
Centimeters from his face, was Elisa''s.
He instinctively wanted to step back, but didn''t.
"WAS THAT WIND MAGIC? IT WAS. IT WAS, WASN''T IT?"
Mark couldn''t help but think that Nia knew that Elisa had been approaching.
"YOU CAN USE USE WIND MAGIC?"
[Not really.]
[Just one Magic Skill.]
Her eyes shone brightly.
"THAT''S... THAT''S...!" Elisa suddenly stepped back. "That''s pretty cool. And strange. Very strange."
[How so?]
"Because that makes it Corruption, Bone Magic, and Wind. Too many. It doesn''t make sense."
[Huh?]
[I told you, I can only use one Wind Magic Skill.]
"But that means you have the potential to learn Wind Magic in general. And that can''t be right."
''Is that how that works? The potential to learn Wind Magic...''
[I can use more Magic Types than that, so I can''t see why it couldn''t be right.]
"Huh?"
[What?]
"What do you mean you can use more...?"
[It doesn''t matter.]
[Can you tell me more about Wind Magic?]
[Since the Guardian will probably be a Wind Magic user, we should-]
"I don''t care about that."
Elisa took a step closer.
"What do you mean you can use more? How? Why? Tell me. Which?"
[If I do, I assume you''ll tell me all I want to know about Wind Magic.]
"Sure. Whatever. I will."
Mark didn''t want to share more information than he needed to.
But at the same time, the two had signed a Contract, so the probability of one turning against the other was fairly low.
[So I can only use one Skill for some Types while others-]
"I don''t care about the details. Just tell me the Magic Types."
[Other than those, I can use Fire, Ice, Earth, Water, Thunder, and... Venom?]
[Is Venom a Magic Type?]
"You fucking... What?"
[What?]
"You''re kidding me. There''s no way-"
Mark raised an arm to his side.
Fire Ball-
Staggering Thunder-
Water st-
Water st, Freeze, & Ice Maniption,
Ice Spike-
Partial Golem Armor-
Mark clenched his fist, breaking the Golem rocks around his fist.
[The Venom one has to do with my winds so...]
Elisa turned around and walked away.
With a hand on her chin, she was deep in thought.
''Doesn''t make sense... Earth would be the most difficult to Corrupt, yet he can use both... Fire & Ice... Can''t work... Shouldn''t... But it does... He uses them... Does he have the ability to use all Magic Types... So then... The Corruption he can use... But what about...? Does Magic say nothing about him...?''
After pondering a while longer, Elisa turned around.
She found the Monster''s face, centimeters away from hers.
[Tell me about Wind Magic.]
Chapter 126 Like The Wind
"What do you want to know?"
[Everything you can tell me.]
Elisaughed out loud.
She found the question so ridiculous there was no way she wouldn''t.
"Hahaha! That tells me way more about you than you might think! Ahh..." Elisa wiped a hanging tear. "I really needed theugh."
The Monster seemed confused.
"If you want me to tell you about Wind Magic, seems I would have to tell you about Magic in general."
[Then do that.]
"BFFFWAHAHAHAH! Seriously? What am I, talking to a newborn?"
Sigh-
[Exin the same way you would to a newborn.]
Sensing the Monster''s growing annoyance, Elisa took a couple of deep breaths to calm theughter.
"Okay. Um... Let''s start with this. What is Magic to you?"
[The use of Mana.]
"And what''s Mana to you?"
[An energy that I can use.]
"That you can use to do what?"
[To use Magic Skills.]
Elisa did her best not to chuckle.
"Okay. Alright. Um... So if I get this right... You have no understanding of Magic, correct?"
Mark knew she wouldugh at his answer, so he thought of a different one.
[Did you expect a Monster to have some kind of profound understanding of it?]
Elisa moved her head from side to side repeatedly, arge smile on her face.
"It''s not about being a Monster or not. Understand Magic isn''t a prerequisite to using it anyways... Which is obvious, since you''re able to use Magic."
She brought a hand to her chin, and thought silently for a bit.
''Usually, one must understand the Wind to be able to wield it. Truly understand it. The kind of understanding that cannot be taught... That''s why most can wield one Magic Type, if that. Rarely can a being use three or more Magic Types...''
[Still waiting.]
Elisa wanted to think a bit more, but she decided to leave that forter.
Giving a short and concise answer to the Monster seemed like the thing to do right now.
"What is Wind Magic to you?"
[The ability to manipte wind.]
"That''s it?"
[Yes.]
Elisa stayed silent for a bit, and her silence made Mark he was mistaken.
"Mmm... Well, you''re not wrong. But we would need to go deeper. Um... Why do you want to learn Wind Magic?"
''Learn?'' Mark was surprised by the word.
[If I can use Wind Maniption, I would be able to counter the Guardian''s wind.]
"That''s it?"
Mark didn''t answer.
"You''ll need more than that. Huh... Okay. Tell me, what''s is wind to you?"
[What it is?]
"Mmm... More like... What does it feel like? Think about everything you know about Wind. Every impact the wind has ever had on your surroundings. How does Wind feel to you?"
[How it feels?]
Nod-
Mark found the questions strange, and intriguing.
"Take your time to think about it." Elisa walked towards a nearby tree and took a seat below it.
[Is it that important?]
She didn''t hide how ridiculously amusing she found the question.
"How can you expect something to listen to you when you don''t understand it?"
Mark was left perplexed.
He went back to the spot he was seated on earlier.
''Wind... The air moving? How does it feel...? Cold, and sometimes hot. Strong, and sometimes weak. Pleasant, and sometimes annoying. The wind...''
Mark moved his hand, feeling the air in front of him.
Elisa chuckled silently. She had already seen, more or less, the exact same scene. But trying to remember made the Corruption act up, so she did her best to think about something else.
''The wind. The air. It''s... Light...?'' Mark found his thoughts too embarrassing to share.
He stared at the hundreds and hundreds of trees that made up the forest in front of him.
''It''s hard to stop, or contain. The wind finds a way to go everywhere. If strong enough, it can turn into a storm. If strong enough, it can... Move anything? Is this the type of thing I''m supposed to think about? How can I expect it to listen if I don''t understand it...? What is there to even understand? It''s the wind. It does what it wants. It can''t be controlled. It justes and goes- ''
A cold breeze passed by.
''It does what it wants...''
Mark''s eyes widened.
A cold and gentle breeze had passed through hundreds and hundreds of trees before passing by him.
None of those trees, even though they stood in its way, could stop the breeze.
Despite itsck of strength or speed.
''Huh...''
"What do you think?" Elisa asked.
[Light and free.]
She chuckled.
"That''s the most basic answer. Got anything else? Something with more... Personality?"
Uncontroble and unpredictable.
Can be gentle or merciless, depending on...
It can make its presence known, or not.
Even when it can''t be felt, the wind is still there.
Just now, the breeze had passed through the whole forest.
Inconspicuously.
You don''t realize it''s there until it passes by or surrounds you.
It had danced through numerous trees, freely and gracefully. It had stealthily passed by them, without damaging them.
It hadn''t damaged them, but it could''ve.
The only reason the trees were still standing, was because the wind hadn''t decided to bend them to its will.
Not yet anyway.
[The Wind is a lot like you.]
Elisa was taken aback by the answer. And she didn''t hide it.
[Or rather, you''re a lot like the Wind?]
"I didn''t expect a Monster toe up with suchpliments."
[Compliment?]
[How?]
For a bit, Elisa silently fiddled with a rebellious lock of hair that the Wind had, yfully, covered her left eye with.
"When you want to use a Magic Type, in a way, you try to... Emte? That Magic Type. Once you be the same as that Magic Type... Once you truly understand the Wind, the Wind will, in return, understand you."
Mark didn''t really get it. He stayed silent.
"Once you be one with the Wind, you''ll be able to truly wield it."
Chapter 127 Your Understanding
"Once you be one with the Wind, you''ll be able to truly wield it."
Elisa nervously threw the lock of her behind her.
"Anyways, I''m surprised you''re even interested in that."
[Why is that?]
"When ites to emting a Magic Type, there aren''t many beings able do so more perfectly than-"
"HAHAHAHA! Correct! It is I, the one who does it more perfectly than any other being!"
[What do Magic Skills have to do with emting a Magic Type?]
"It''s simple really. A Magic Skill is the same as learning a facet or an aspect of a certain Magic Type." Elisa exined.
"DON''T IGNORE ME!"
[I''ve never thought of it that way.]
[I used to just obtain Magic Skills and use them.]
[If so, then it must apply to Magic Skills too, right?]
Nod-
[Based on what you''re saying, I assume that understanding them better might lead to strengthening them?]
"It can, probably." She answered.
[Probably?]
"I can''t tell for other Magic Types. Some might have more or fewer ways to-"
"I SAID DON''T IGNORE ME!" The Fire Spirit shouted.
His mes shone brighter than usual, as if to catch their attention.
"What is it, Spirit? Finally decided to sign my Contract?" Elisa asked jokingly.
"I just might, if my Contractor doesn''t prove himself worthy."
"Mmm... Poor Spirit. He''s been neglecting you, huh? Did he even give you a Name?"
"I wouldn''t take a Nameing from someone like him."
"Is that so? In a way, I understand your feelings. How about I give you one? Think of it a way to celebrate the Contract we''re about to sign."
"What makes you think you''re worthy of-"
"Long, long ago, in and far, far away. There once was a Spirit, nay, a God, that ruled over a whole Continent. A God of Fire, respected and revered by all. It is said even the sight of his mes was enough to render men blind. A spark of his could produce enough heat for viges to survive many winters at a time... Agni, was his name. In a way, you remind me of him." Elisa peeked at Mark. "Without you, this Monster wouldn''t have made it this far, I can tell that much."
The Fire Spirit nodded.
"I can also tell that he''s limiting your mes. He''s constraining your Fire, and not letting it run freely."
The Spirit nodded.
"With me, it would be different."
The Fire Spirit stared at Elisa.
Mark stayed silent.
"What do you propose?"
"Let''s not get ahead of ourselves. This Dungeon is huge, isn''t it? It''s made up of different Floors, each asrge as this one." Elisa raised her arms to her sides. "For such arge Dungeon, a very, very powerful Guardian is bound to block the exit. Or rather, the entry."
The Spirit nodded.
"In that case, it is entirely possible that not every one of us will make it outside."
"So?"
"You''re a Spirit. Which means that you, likely, won''t meet your end. The chances of your mes being extinguished, now that you have a Contractor, are close to none."
"True." The Spirit reluctantly agreed.
''What does she mean by that?'' Mark asked.
His question wasn''t answered.
"Therefore, in the case that the Monster, unfortunately, doesn''t make it out, how about I take you with me? To the outside."
"What if you don''t make it but he does?"
"Then you''ll stay with him."
The Spirit seemed intrigued.
"What if both of you make it outside?"
"Then you stay with him. Or you choose. I''m not presumptuous enough to discuss that. This part is between you and him."
The Spirit, deep in thought, turned towards Mark.
[You''re trying to steal him?]
"Don''t get me wrong. If the Monster doesn''t make it outside but I do, our Contract won''t be anything like the one you have with him now."
"How so?"
"You''ll listen to my every order. My Wind will forever guide your Fire. And I won''t let your mes diverge. Not even by a bit."
Mark chuckled.
The Spirit was surprised at the turn the negotiations had suddenly taken.
"That doesn''t sound appealing at all."
"Why would it? Don''t be mistaken, I''m throwing you a lifeline here. If the Monster dies, you''ll be stuck here forever. At least, until someone enters this Dungeon and finds you. Which would take... Well, who knows how long."
A yawning Krista climbed over Mark''s body.
Elisa turned towards him.
"What about her?" She asked.
Immediately, both the Monster and the Moonlit Feline''s eyes turned cold.
[What about her?]
Elisa scratched her head.
"Nevermind..."
The group stood silently for a bit.
"Do you mind me signing with the Spirit?"
[Depends on if your Contract will interfere with the way I handle him.]
"I''ll make sure it doesn''t. I can also sign it with you instead. Something like a Will?"
[You want me to sign on what happens if I were to die?]
[A bit ominous, don''t you think?]
Elisa chuckled.
"Didn''t expect to ever hear something like that from someone who can use Corruption Magic."
Mark stared into the Moonlit Feline''s eyes.
[I won''t die.]
"You can wholeheartedly believe me when I say this. I truly, truly, hope that you won''t. And that I won''t, obviously."
With a curled-up paw, Krista rubbed her nose.
[I can only use my Wind st Magic Skill the way Beasts use it.]
''Thinking about death brings us back to fighting and Magic, huh? Good. That''s how it should be.'' Elisa thought to herself.
[With a p of my wings, or with a roar.]
"Yes. That makes sense."
Mark extended a hand towards an empty area.
Wind st-
Nothing happened.
[Why is that?]
"Think about all the times you''ve witnessed Wind Magic being used. There''s something usually needed for it."
[Can''t you just tell me?]
"No. That''s what we talked about earlier. It''s not about knowing. It''s about understanding."
[If you exin, I''m sure I''ll understand.]
"Not how it works. I can''t tell you. I can''t exin it to you. I can''t teach it to you."
[Why not?]
"Your understanding must be yours and your own. You must arrive at that understanding by yourself. What is Wind Magic? What is a Wind st? What does it mean, to wield the Wind?"
[That''s not how I''m used to things going.]
"I can tell. You can already use many Magic Types, yetck understanding. Probably for all of them. I''d like to ask how, but I won''t pry."
[Then I''m supposed to just think about the Magic Types?]
"Think about it. Experience it. Understand it, but not with your head."
[What''s that supposed to mean?]
A cheeky smile took hold of her face.
With an open palm, Elisa pped the toned stomach below her vest as she answered.
"With your gut. Magic is best understood with one''s gut."
Chapter 128 The Final Guardian
''Understand with my gut... Understand with my gut... That means focusing on how it feels, right? The same way I learned Earth Maniption, huh? Not by thinking about Earth Magic, but rather about how Bone Maniption feels, and assuming that Earth Magic would be something simr...''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
''Was that as productive as you thought it would be? Cause I expected more.''
[She told you that youck understanding, didn''t she?]
''Yeah. So?''
[It''s not a matter of productivity.]
[You''re the onecking, so don''tin.]
''Whatever.''
[I''m guessing you''ll now go to the Guardian?]
Mark''s hand twitched.
With his left hand, he grabbed his right wrist and moved his right hand around.
''Yeah. The Final Guardian...''
[The Dungeon''s Guardian.]
''That''s the one...''
[You''re nervous.]
Mark only answered a couple of secondster.
''I am.''
[Good.]
[You should be.]
''That''s not reassuring at all.''
[It''s good to see you nervous before a fight once in a while.]
''Oh, really?''
[Yes.]
[It means that you will take it seriously.]
Mark put a hand over his shoulder.
Crack-
''I''m not in the habit of not taking things seriously anymore.''
[You say that, but I doubt your words.]
''This isn''t just any Monster waiting for me. It''s the Dungeon''s Guardian.''
[So you''ll use everything you have right from the start?]
''Well... No. Because...''
[So you''re not taking it seriously.]
''No. It''s just that... I would rather not overuse the Berserker Skill.''
[You can''t be scared of your own Skill.]
[You''d be fighting two battles at once.]
''Any advice then?''
[Nothing new.]
[Keep in mind what she told you.]
''About understanding Skills?''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" falls back into a silent slumber.]
''Mmm... The Berserker Skill...''
Mark wondered about it.
...
About two hourster, Mark, Elisa, and the former''s Underlings stood next to the tower of bricks.
''Nia.''
[Your Title "Gaavah''s Follower" is waking up from its slumber.]
[Need me to show you the way?]
''I''d appreciate it.''
The next second, a good distance away, a portion of the forest disappeared.
"That where the Boss Monster is?" Elisa asked.
[Probably.]
She took a deep breath to calm herself.
Mark thought her anxious, but it was the opposite.
Her restless hands rubbed against each other.
[You almost seem excited.]
"I am! How can I not be? I''m finally making my way outside. Away from this tower, from this fake forest, from thisme excuse of a sun, and this fabricated Mana. Finally..."
[Good.]
The group of eight started walking forward.
They walked silently, but two members seemed keen on breaking that silence.
"Aren''t you?" Elisa asked.
"Of course he is. He''s a brute that''s acting like it''s tamed itself." The Spirit argued.
"Is that so?"
"Obviously. He''s making it seem like he''s deep in thought and nervous, but he''s not."
Elisa nodded.
''That makes me feel a bit better.'' She thought.
[If you really want to know, I''m not excited.]
[Sorry to disappoint.]
"Huh? Even though we''re about to make it out?"
[Because we''re about to make it outside.]
"I see."
[I usually don''t get excited before fights anyways.]
[I only do once I see the enemy.]
Elisa chuckled.
"Yeah. I can picture that."
After walking for a while, they arrived at a curious area.
"A hole in the scenery." The Fire Spiritmented.
"Shows how fake the sky and everything else is."
Mark and his Underlings had previously found the wall that encircled the forest.
A wall that perfectly maintained the illusion of an endless forest.
A portion had now disappeared, leaving arge and dark hole through that wall.
They stood in front of that hole.
Beyond it, a floor made of grey stones with a greenish hue.
Mark was the first to take a step through.
His Underlings followed.
Despite her excitement, Elisa seemed to prefer taking her time.
A cramped corridor.
Dozens of meters beyond, a narrow circr room.
''No doors?'' Mark asked himself as he cautiously approached the room.
Once he stood at its center, its function became obvious.
"Should I pull it?" Elisa asked, her hand on a lever.
''Get away from the walls.'' Mark ordered his Underlings.
Secondster, Elisa pulled the lever.
Cogs started moving.
Creaks and squeaks.
The room started moving.
Krista immediately glued her body to Mark''s legs.
"An elevator, huh? Isn''t that nice." Elisamented as the room moved upwards.
"I don''t like it. Makes maintaining my mes harder. Since it''s constantly moving and I have to readjust." The Spirit grumbled.
"It probably won''tst too long. Now that I think about it, the other Floors didn''t have elevators. Made going back to the forest a chore."
''Tell me about it.'' Markined to himself.
"Pretty interesting mechanic." The Spiritmented.
"Probably made by Dwarves."
"Dwarves? What''s that?"
Mark wasn''t a fan of elevator small talk.
Badam-
Creak-
The cogs had stopped moving, and so had the room.
"We''re here." Elisa said.
[We are.]
She was the first to step out of the room and enter a short corridor.
It gave way to arge room.
Stairs.
Seven steps.
And beyond those steps, gigantic doors closed shut.
Mark and his Underlings stood below those stairs for a bit.
So did the Fire Spirit and Elisa.
They stared at the enormous doors.
"So... What do you think is on the other side-"
Ear-splitting screeches resonated from beyond the doors, interrupting Elisa.
Shrieks and screeches took turns making Mark and Elisa''s stomachs turn.
Cries and howls.
Full of agony and pain. Of rage and hatred.
Elisa quickly realized what caused those cries. She didn''t know what kind of Monster, but what that Monster was afflicted by was obvious.
Mark''s left arm shivered.
[Your Title "Devourer" is eagerly licking its lips.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" demands more traces of Corruption to y with!]
''If it''s been Corrupted, that means it won''t be able to fight at its best. Or at least, it''ll have lost, at least, a portion of its intellect... But even then, if a Monster is strong enough, no matter how much it is poisoned or weakened-''
"What are we going to do?" Elisa asked as she stared at the ground below.
[Kill it and get out of here.]
"Yeah. I guess... Yeah. That''s what we''re doing."
[Need some time to get over it?]
"Get over what?"
[I don''t know.]
[Whatever it is.]
"Hmph!" Elisa turned her head away. "Just because it''s suffering from Corruption too doesn''t mean I feel bad for it."
[Good.]
Mark stepped forward.
"Huh?"
[Let''s go in.]
He walked over the steps, and ced his palms against the huge doors.
"Just like that?"
With a grunt, Mark pushed the doors.
[Just like that.]
The group peeked through the narrow opening.
And what weed them was,
ROARRR-
SCREECH-
An abomination.
A monstrosity.
A creature whose appearance was so hideous, so repulsive, so horrific, that it made even Mark take a step back.
''What is... That...?''
The nightmarish creature seemed to be about five or six meters tall.
Its height was hard to estimate due to its constantly hunched back. A back from which the creature''s spine seemed on the verge of bursting out.
Pale skin all over, so pale it appeared blueish. Covered by small bumps.
Its feet resembled those of an eagle. Its talons were sharp and long. Too long, in fact. So much so that their continuous and unnatural growth and contact with the ground had grotesquely deformed them.
Its legs seemed to have, long ago, been covered by feathers. Now, however, only patches of colorful feathers remained here and there.
The creature''s wings and arms were one. The separate limbs seemed to have, for some reason, fused together. They, too, had lost most of their feathers. At the end of its upper limbs, deformed fists and ws that had taken the appearance of rocks.
At the joints, pieces of flesh were missing.
The creature had three distinct heads.
"That..." Elisa started.
One of those heads, was that of a hawk. An eyeless hawk.
Its second head was that of a woman with long dark hair. A woman with no eyes or lips. A woman whose lips and cheeks had been burned off, setting free her teeth into a brazen and unconceble smile. A woman whose eyes had, somehow, been fully erased, leaving not even a trace.
"Is what you can usually expect from Corruption."
The creature''s third head protruded from its stomach. A head with no features. None, except two wide eyes devoid of eyelids. Two wide eyes cursed to stay open forever. Two wide eyes cursed with Corruption that had turned thempletely ck. Differentiating between those eyes'' pupils, iris, or scleras was impossible.
Unnatural.
Synthetic.
Anyone could guess with a nce.
Noticing the numerous stitches that connected the creature''s different heads to its main body was far from necessary to tell.
Cursed, the creature''s eyes sporadically let out dark tears as it screeched with pain.
Elisa slowly stepped back, and so did Mark.
A moment after his hands were pulled off therge doors, the gap between those doors disappeared.
Elisa walked away and towards a wall.
With her back against that wall, she bent her knees and let herself slowly fall to the ground.
Her gaze was glued to the ground.
"It''s a Harpy. Or at least, used to be one. And now..."
She sighed.
Elisa turned towards Mark.
"Ever seen one?"
He stared at her before shaking his head.
"There aren''t many that resemble the Wind as much as Harpies."
Elisa raised her gaze to the ceiling.
"I hope you''ll get to see one someday. Truly, they''re..."
She stayed silent for a bit.
"They''re incredibly beautiful."
Chapter 129 The Same As Us I: Trapped
"So? What are we doing?" The Fire Spirit asked.
"I-"
[We''re going in, killing it, and getting out of here.]
"Are you serious?" Elisa asked, visibly shaken.
[Of course.]
[I''m not sure what you expected.]
"She''s in pain."
[She?]
"All Harpies are females."
[It''s a Monster.]
"Just like you are."
[Just like I am.]
[Which is why I''ll do my best to kill it, and it''ll do its best to kill me.]
"What if it doesn''t have to be this way? She''s constantly suffering because of the Corruption. You could help. The same way you helped me."
[I see what this is.]
[You''re feeling guilty.]
"I am. But that doesn''t matter. You can help ease her pain. And if you do, maybe she''ll even join-"
[Maybe?]
"Yes, maybe. If you could at least try to fix-"
[I can''t fix that.]
[Even you should know that much.]
[I can''t, and I won''t try to.]
"Why the hell not?"
The white-scaled Monster stood impassively for a bit.
[I''m going in there, with or without you.]
"You''re not even open to discussing it?"
[There''s nothing to discuss.]
Elisa rested her elbows on her bent knees and ced her palms against her face.
She remained silent for a bit.
"It''s unfair. She''s just like me. The only difference is the degree to which the Corruption has-"
[That''s not your call to make.]
Her voice grew weaker and weaker.
"She''s not the enemy. Why won''t you understand?"
[Once again, that''s not your call to make.]
"She''s not the enemy..."
Mark turned towards the huge doors.
''Levi, Spirit, Light, Grey, Fiery, Krista.''
The Underlings stood at his side.
Levi kneeled.
Krista looked at Elisa for a bit, before walking towards Mark.
"Why won''t you understand...?" Elisa whispered.
[There''s nothing to...]
"SHE''S JUST LIKE ME! JUST LIKE YOU DAMMNIT! SHE WAS BROUGHT HERE AGAINST HER WILL! SHE SUFFERED SO MUCH FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG! THE SAME AS YOU! THE SAME AS US! SHE..."
Mark quietly stared at the outburst of anger.
His eyes were cold.
[There is no us.]
Grit-
She lowered her gaze.
"Why won''t you even consider..."
Mark opened his mouth.
He closed it a secondter.
[I''m sorry, Elisa.]
She raised her gaze towards him.
[In a way, she is just like you.]
Mark took a step towards the Boss Room.
[You''ve suffered a lot here and even before you were brought.]
"So you get it! I knew you would-"
He ced his hands against therge doors.
[But there is no us.]
"What? What do you-"
[The reason I am here.]
[And the reason you were brought here.]
He pushed them wide open.
[Arepletely different.]
Puzzled, perplexed, and confused.
Elisa stared at their backs as they walked into the Boss Room.
Therge doors started moving slowly.
A bone-chilling screech resonated, and the entry was closed shut.
"Why didn''t he try to kill me then? Why am I still alive? Am I only here because the Corruption hasn''tpletely destroyed who I am? Is thatwhy? Or is it because those bastards didn''t fuck with my body the way they did to the Harpy? Because I''m still me? Because I''m still pretty? Is that it? Is my life really hanging..."
Her whispering voice shook, as tears started flowing down.
"By such a thin thread?"
...
Hundreds, if not thousands of miles away.
"Aghh! I can''t figure out." A red-haired woman shouted as she let her head fall on the wooden desk in front of her.
A dozen papers were scattered on that desk.
Some seemed to mysteriously glow.
"After his discussion with her, I thought going back to Magic Circles would be a good idea but... I still can''t figure most of them out." She whispered.
Knock- Knock-
She turned towards the intruder.
"Anything on your mind, Nia?"
"Just the usual. Working on Magic Circles."
"Can''t help you with that. I''m more of a straightforward kind of guy."
"A brute, you mean?"
"I''ve been called that a few times."
"And those calling you that didn''t live long enough to tell the tale." Nia chuckled. "Rare to see you, Cyd. What''s on your mind?"
He rested his back against the door.
"Your Candidate is about to leave the Dungeon."
"He is."
"Mine has a Floor and a half to go."
"Did youe to ask for advice of some kind?"
"Mm. Something like that."
"Can''t help you." Nia''s gaze returned to the papers on her desk. "The Lord assigned you that Candidate. I''m sure there''s a good reason. Whatever you see fit will probably work."
"If I''m honest, that''s why I''m here."
"Do tell. I''ll help if I can."
"My Candidate and I are simr. He seems to enjoy training and getting stronger that way. More than others usually do."
Nia chuckled.
"Yes. I can see the simrity between you too. So? Guide him through it how you would yourself."
"Well, that''s just it. I''m usually not of much help. He trains just as thoroughly as I would have him train. In general, he-"
"Acts the way you would?"
"Yeah. And I''m not sure if that''s the way to make him grow. If we think simrly then-"
"There''s not much for you to do?"
"Right."
"It was the same for me. I didn''t interfere much."
"Okay... Good. So your Candidate is, in some way, simr to you too?"
"Not at all. Couldn''t have been less simr."
"Huh..."
Cyd left the room a minuteter.
Draconia found returning to her Magic Circle study particrly difficult.
Her fingers felt restless, and her mind wandered a bit too much.
Nia walked up to a window and stared outside.
Since she was assigned her Candidate, this was the first time she couldn''t watch and judge his every action.
For the first time, she couldn''t tell what was going on, how he was doing. Not even whether he was alive or not.
''I''ll have to leave in a couple of days to meet up with him and Raven...''
Nia let out a tired sigh and took a seat once more.
''Provided everything goes well...''
Her fingers nervously tapped the desk.
''Though things do have a strange habit of not going well...''
Chapter 130 The Eyeless Hawk
Mark, his Underlings, and the Fire Spirit stood just beyond the Boss Room''s doors.
He looked around.
''Expected it to be different since it''s thest one but...''
It was mostly the same as every other Boss Room.
The main difference being the presence of four huge pirs linking the floor to the room''s incredibly high ceiling.
"Sure you want to fight now? She might have just thrown you off your game."
''She hasn''t. If anything, I''m more determined than ever right now.''
The Final Guardian was on the other side of therge Room.
"It hasn''t noticed us yet."
''Guess that''s how much the Corruption has messed with its head...''
Mark raised his left palm slightly.
''Good for us.''
A dark liquid appeared above that palm.
Rapidly, that liquid turned into a weapon.
''You said it decreased the cost of Magic Skills involving Corruption but...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" smiles widely.]
''This isn''t just decreasing. It barely used any Mana.''
Mark tightened his grip on the weapon.
"A bit cruel, don''t you think?" The Fire Spirit snickered.
''Yeah. That''s why...''
Mark pulled his left arm back.
His right foot rose above the ground.
[The Skill "Berserker[SS]" activates!]
[Your Endurance Stat temporarily increases by 40%.]
[Your Agility Stat temporarily increases by 20%]
[Your Strength Stat temporarily increases by 10%.]
A purple Aura covered his body and the weapon he held.
With a loud CRACK, his right foot hit the floor, and the "Dark Corrupting Spear" left his hand.
Pierce-
''It''s better with her on the other side.''
The Guardian immediately opened its two mouths.
The intensity of its cries cracked the ground below.
"Not fighting Fire with Fire this time, huh?"
''If it''s already halfway dead due to the Corruption then...''
Mark disappeared from the Spirit''s side.
''I''ll just add more until it drops.''
The Guardian''s body turned towards the intruders.
Two of them.
One was approaching rapidly.
With an effortless leap, the abomination found itself thirty meters above the ground.
It spread its wings.
''Aerial battle? Should I...''
Wind st-
A third of the Boss Room was instantly turned to ruins.
Wall and floor had been destroyed.
Mark''s right leg twitched as he stared at the devastated area he stood on moments earlier.
He had barely managed to dodge, despite the Berserker Skill already activated, although not fully.
The Guardian''s feet hit the ground at the center of the room.
Itspletely dark eyes seemed locked on Mark.
Both upper heads opened their mouths at once.
The next second, mes appeared in front of the protruding head.
A being made of mes.
"It has no pupils. Can''t tell where it''s looking. Can it even see? How curious." The Spiritmented.
The Guardian immediately swung its arms at those mes.
"Mmm... That''s what this Corruption does, huh? My love for that Berserker is decreasing."
The eyeless hawk opened its mouth.
The screech it let out towards the ceiling formed a growing sphere of violent winds around the Guardian, scattering the being made of mes.
Once its screeching ceased, the sphere disappeared.
And the being of mes reappeared.
"Your offensive power is incredible, but..."
A weapon passed through the Fire Spirit''s body.
"Doubt you''ll be able to do much."
The Guardian''s body had been pierced for the second time.
''It moved at thest second. It can definitely see.''
"Yeah."
The Dark Corrupting Spear turned into the liquid it was made of and entered the wound on the Boss Monster''s chest.
"More Corruption entered its body. But it doesn''t seem like the pain-"
Kek-
The Guardian wasn''t moving, Mark took the opportunity to circle around the Boss Room. Standing behind it and, therefore, out of its third head''s field of vision seemed like a better position to take.
Kekekek-
Mark ignored theughter emanating from one of the Guardian''s heads.
"It''sughing. Can''t tell if that means the Corruption is doing its job or-"
A head without eyes, lips, or cheeks snickered.
The Fire Spirit noticed that Guardian''s third head wasn''t letting out tears sporadically anymore.
Torrents of dark tears were flowing down that head''s eyes.
"Well, shit-"
Bleugh-
The eyeless and womanly head opened its mouth wide, and the Fire Spirit was forced to disappear and widen the distance.
"Seriously?"
The liquid hit the ground with a Ssh.
Kekekek-
The snickering continued, as the remains of a dark liquid went down the Guardian''s eyeless mouth.
"It''s not fully Corruption Magic, but it''s a liquid with Corruption in it. Did it just throw up?"
Mark had noticed that the tears falling from the Guardian''s body couldn''t be referred to as tears anymore.
''It might be working. Or this might be its way of getting the Corruption out.''
He extended two palms towards the Guardian''s back.
Great Fire Ball.
Two zing spheres of mes appeared in front of those palms.
me Of Chaos.
The mes quickly turned reddish.
But before the attack could be shot,
Crack-
Crack-
With insane speed, both heads above the Guardian''s shoulders spun around 180 degrees.
At the same time, a stream of fire from the Fire Spirit approached the other side of the Guardian''s body.
Mark shot the attack, and the eyeless hawk opened its mouth.
Smoke covered the area around the Boss Monster.
Mark changed his position before that smoke could settle.
"That head is trouble." The Fire Spirit said as he hovered by Mark''s side.
''Maybe.''
Inside the cloud of smoke, snickering.
"It won''t even get rid of that smoke. It might be blind. Just have a different way of... Seeing?"
Mark let two Underlings out from the Underling Ne.
The only two he feltfortable letting out after witnessing the Guardian''s first attack.
Both Wolves, Light and Grey, leaped into the smoke.
Before they could take a step closer, the hawk screeched.
The Wolves were forced to jump back due to the approaching sphere of wind.
Behind them, the Fire Spirit.
From above, a dozen spikes made of bones pierced the air.
The hawk raised its head, so that its beak could face those.
But before it could screech,
Freeze-
The area between Mark''s feet and the Guardian''s had been frozen.
Ice was slowly making its way up the Boss Monster''s feet.
All the same, the hawk screeched.
All ice, whether in the form of spikes or not, was turned into nothingness.
''Guess that head will be trouble after all.''
Chapter 131 No Matter What
''It''s focusing on defense. Hasn''t gone on the offensive since its first attack...''
The Guardian remained immobile.
''Screeching probably is its way of activating that Skill, just like the Beasts had to roar for their Wind st...''
Apart from two wounds from Mark''s Dark Corrupting Spears, the Boss Monster hadn''t been damaged.
But it hadn''t inflicted damage either.
''Right after its next screech ends, go for the counter. Aim for that head.'' Mark ordered.
The next second, a reddish Colossal Fire Ball was on its way towards the Guardian.
Screech-
Grey and the Fire Spirit shot their long-ranged attacks the instant the eyeless hawk went silent.
The Boss Monster bent its spine, dodging for the first time.
Mark thought its movements unnatural.
A body that wasn''t made to move.
That''s what it seemed like.
''Still unsure what other Skills it has... Or what those heads can do...''
The Guardian remained standing with its back curled. Its spine drawn as if it were about to pop.
Its ragged breathing made its whole body sway up and down.
''Should go for a counter. But if it catches us off guard with some other ability...''
Mark was well aware of the Boss Monster''s destructive power.
''The only thing that hit it was Corruption Magic. Was it really caught off guard, or does not mind Corrup-''
Suddenly, the Boss Room''srge doors scraped against the floor.
Immediately, all eyes except the Guardian''s were directed towards those doors.
"Phew... Why are they made to be so heavy?" Elisa sighed as she took a step inside the room.
The next second, a being made of mes appeared in front of her.
"He says it would be best if you remained on the other side."
"He can tell me himself."
"Apparently, he can''t."
"Too bad."
Elisa stared at Mark for a bit, before turning towards the Guardian.
"I don''t see much progress."
"We like to take our time."
"Right... You can still talk to him, right? Then tell him I''ve decided."
"Decided... What?"
"I''m getting out of here..." Elisa grabbed the bow on her back. "No matter what."
Mark chuckled and opened his left hand.
''Light, be ready.''
Elisa ced her right hand on the bowstring.
She took a deep breath in.
The next second, the Fire Spirit was forced to disappear and reappear a good distance away.
All the wind around her was sucked in.
It was condensed into a small and violent storm.
And the storm turned into an arrow.
Elisa pulled the bowstring with all her strength as she took aim.
''We''re the same... You could''ve been in my ce.''
Her eyes were locked on the Guardian''s crying eyes.
''And if you were, deep down...''
She let go of the arrow, and it flew with tremendous speed and precision.
''I would''ve wanted you to make it outside.''
At the same time, Mark had thrown his Dark Corrupting Spear.
Once the arrow was a handful of meters away from the Guardian''s body, thetter froze.
''Huh?''
Pierce-
Pierce-
''Both hit?''
"Apparently, you can''t talk here, so I''ll make this quick."
Before Mark had even realized it, Elisa was standing by his side, dual-wielding her Timeworn Elven Daggers.
"She''s blind. It''s a hunch", but I''m pretty sure.
Harrowing cries that shook the whole Boss Room echoed.
"With your level of Wind Magic proficiency, you couldn''t have noticed. She uses the Wind around her to read her surroundings."
''Huh... That''s a pretty cool Skill.''
"Either my arrow was too quick for her to read the Wind''s fluctuations, or Wind Magic confuses her and messes up her reading. Get it?"
Nod-
Elisa''s gaze turned back to the Guardian.
Her arrow had left a hole through its stomach, missing its crying head by a centimeter.
''Tsk. Guess I became unsure at thest second.'' She thought to herself.
Mark''s Dark Corrupting Spear had left a deep wound on the Guardian''s back.
''Tsk.''
Despite his high Strength and the usage of the "Berserker[SS]" Skill, Elisa''s attack had proved more effective.
"If I get close enough, I''ll be able to fight her for control over the Wind. Even if I only manage to disturb her readings, that should be enough, right?"
''So you don''t want to injure it any further?''
A question that couldn''t be heard.
Nod-
"Good. Let''s get to it then."
Just when Mark was about to step forward,
"Don''t..."
He stared at her.
"Don''t bring Krista into this."
''I wasn''t going to.''
Elisa couldn''t hear or, like she could before, read the answer. But maybe the expression on the Monster''s face was enough.
The Guardian, despite the four deep wounds on its body, wasn''t moving.
It was facing the direction of any of its enemies, which seemed to further prove Elisa''s hunch.
"Tell the Spirit to make a good one."
Mark gave the order, and an incredibly high amount of Mana was condensed in front of the Fire Spirit''s palms.
"Don''t me me if you all get burnt." He whispered.
BOOM-
SCREECH-
Elisa chuckled nervously at the sight in front of her.
"Not bad." Shemented before her feet stealthily and rapidly shortened the distance.
Mark followed as fast as he could without utilizing his Berserker Skill''s full potential.
''Despite protecting itself from the explosion, that heat must''ve put the Wind into total disarray...'' Elisa thought as she ran.
The Guardian''s arm-like wings moved frantically.
''Is it starting to conserve its Mana?'' Mark asked himself.
Once Elisa stood about six meters away from the Boss Monster, she raised her right arm towards it.
With a pull, the Guardian turned in the opposite direction to where she stood and powerfully swung its arm.
The next second, it did the same towards its left.
The next second, to its right.
The next second, it didn''t move.
The next second, Mark''s clenched fist, wrapped in the Berserker''s purple Aura, hit its back with great strength.
One, two, three.
Backswing-
''Heavy. Despite hitting with all my strength...''
Mark had managed to get three hits in before the Guardian''s backswing forced him to step back.
''I couldn''t move it.''
He didn''t fear close-quarterbat.
The only thing he was cautious of, was the eyeless hawk''s Expanding Wind Barrier.
It had managed to stop all the attacks thrown at it, so it was clear that getting hit by it would hurt.
Elisa took a deep breath.
The Wind on the other side of Mark''s position started moving.
As if the Wind had been condensed, it took form.
''She''s been manipting the wind with incredibly high precision to give the Guardian the illusion of attackers piercing through that wind and approaching... You''re telling me she can do more than that?''
Elisa smirked, despite the drop of sweat going down her face and the headache that was slowly getting stronger.
A being made of Wind.
That''s what it looked like.
Elisa slowly took steps away from the Guardian.
''I can''t move much... When doing this so...''
Mark remained immobile while she stepped back.
''If I can only get one hit... One perfect hit... Where would I...''
[Your Skill "Berserker[SSS] activates!]
[Your Endurance Stat temporarily increases by 60%.]
[Your Agility Stat temporarily increases by 30%]
[Your Strength Stat temporarily increases by 20%.]
[Additional Effect:
Your Strength and Agility Stats will further increase proportionally to the amount of Damage Incurred.]
Elisa stopped moving.
And with perfect timing, both Mark and the being of Wind stepped forward.
Sensing two attacks approaching at once, the eyeless hawk raised its beak to the ceiling.
But just when it was about to let its ear-splitting screech out, the attacks suddenly disappeared.
Two more approached before disappearing.
Disoriented, the Guardian stumbled.
It turned around and around, swinging its arms at the numerous attacks it felt approaching.
The next second, the Boss monster finally felt an enemy enter the area in which the Wind was under itsplete control.
An enemy that moved the wind around it in a natural way.
The Guardian immediately turned towards it as it spread its wings.
WIND BLAST-
BOOM-
Another portion of the room was turned into ruins.
The enemy had been turned to nothingness.
But while the Wind around the Guardian hadn''t settled yet due to its own attack, something had suddenly touched one of its heads.
A head that shouldn''t be touched.
Freeze-
Fluctuations, variations, movements.
The Wind was too unstable to read.
Elisa watched. Her knees on the ground. Her face covered in sweat.
Controlling the Wind the way she had was no small feat, especially when taking into ount the Corruption that kept her from utilizing her full abilities.
But taking Control of Wind which is and has been under a Being''s Control for a long time, is a feat that showcased such incredible Mastery, such incredibly high Magic Affinity that most could never replicate it. A feat that, unfortunately, all inside the Boss Roomcked the knowledge to appreciate.
The Monster had frozen both the eyeless hawk and the wing on that side too.
The Monster''s body spun in the air.
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Earth-Shattering Tail Flick" is evolving...]
[Your Skill "Earth-Shattering Tail Flick[B+]" has evolved into the Skill "Destructive Tail Flick[A]".]
The Skill "Berserker[SSS]" that increases Agility by 30% and Strength by 20%.
A powerful body part made from those of multiple Lower Wyverns.
A Passive Skill that increases the damage inflicted by tail attacks by 300%.
Enough torque to maximize both velocity and force.
And a frozen target, prone to breaking.
"Go for it."
A Destructive Tail Flick that went beyond shattering its target.
It even forced the Wind around the point of impact to flee.
''Me too.''
Marknded on all fours, while the Guardian, now one head short, was left stumbling.
''I''m making it out no matter what.''
Chapter 132 A Match Made In Heaven
"Ah...Ahh... AARGGHHHH!"
Mark could feel goosebumps as the Guardian screamed and cried.
The eyeless hawk that had protected it from many attacks was now gone.
The crushed and decapitated head rolled on the ground, several feet away from the Boss Monster.
''Finally... Finally!''
The exit.
The outside.
A whole new world.
After who knows how long.
After who knows how many fights.
After so many cuts, wounds, and injuries sustained.
After so much pain.
The result of all his suffering, was finally within reach.
Mark wanted to think.
To reminisce.
But now was not the time.
Despite losing one of its heads, the Guardian was still standing.
And judging from the pressure it exuded, it would remain standing for a bit longer.
Now wasn''t the time to reminisce.
Mark''s feet hit the ground.
Now was the time to topple the final wall standing between him and the world.
Without a care about the Guardian''s cries, Mark extended his ws.
Lacerations uponcerations were drawn on the Boss Monster''s back.
Thetter stumbled as it turned around, its right arm still frozen solid.
Grey jumped up after closing the distance.
Wind st-
With a Bam, the attack hit the Boss Monster''s side.
It wasn''t powerful enough to inflict any visible damage, but more than enough to make the Guardian lose its bnce.
And as it fell, Markunched himself forward, as if toy on his enemy''s body.
The Boss Monster''s back hit the ground, and Mark''s ws approached its neck.
Suddenly, the Guardian opened its mouth wide.
No sound, no screech, no scream.
But it only took a split second for Mark to realize what the feeling that had taken over his body meant.
He had no time to think.
Berserker[SSS].
With speed his mind was unable to keep up with, Mark''s hands instinctivelyy on the Guardian''s chest.
Using his momentum and the Boss Monster''s body as a ledge, he threw his body forward into a front handspring.
Mark''s gaze didn''t leave the Guardian''s mouth.
It couldn''t.
Not after that had materialized in front of its mouth.
The attack had missed him.
But not by much.
A hair''s breadth.
The distance Mark both adored and detested.
Adored when he was in control, and detested when...
He raised his gaze to the ceiling.
A gigantic dark sphere covered arge portion of that ceiling.
The sphere started suddenly shrinking in size.
It only took a second for it to disappear into thin air.
As if it had never been there.
The only thing that remained, was arge crater.
Mark''s leg twitched.
The same Magic Type that the Cmity Of Minos had used, way back on the Eighth Floor.
After experiencing everything that the Dungeon could offer, Mark understood.
Dark Magic.
He had only seen it a handful of times, but he had tasted it twice.
Dark Magic.
It doesn''t burn things to ash.
It doesn''t damage things until they turn to dust.
No.
When hit by it, no sense of pain follows. Not even when losing a hand.
No.
There is no need to inflict pain or agony.
Dark Magic is much simpler than that.
And Mark understood.
With his gut, he understood.
Dark Magic simply, and unfairly-
"Fuck... Fuck, fuck, FUCK!" Elisa shouted. Dark Magic. Memories. Bad memories.
Mark gave an order, his hands still on the ground.
The Fire Spirit extended his palms towards the fallen Guardian and Grey opened his mouth wide.
Elisa brought her hands together, conjuring a spherical, violent, and unstable typhoon she could barely control.
Eye Of The Storm-
Scorching Sun & me Of Chaos-
Wind st-
The three attacks were shot at once.
And once they covered about half the distance, Mark''s Mana Points were consumed at an incredibly high rate.
Earth Maniption-
Since the ground was made of stone, and not earth, the Mana Consumption shot way up.
Manipting a floor made of stone, and not earth, was something he had previously tested.
The stones surrounding the Guardian were broken and reassembled at an insanely high pace.
This, too, increased the quantity of Mana consumed.
Entrapped under a dome made of a thickyer of stone, was the Guardian and the three Magic Attacks.
Elisa and Grey had started running away from the Guardian''s position as soon as they had shot their attacks.
Mark remained on the same spot, increasing the number ofyers around the Boss Monster and their thickness.
The attacks collided with the Guardian''s body, and Elisa caught Mark out of the corner of her eye.
As if in a trance, he continued using his "Earth Maniption" Skill.
She raised a hand in his direction.
Unbeknownst to him, ayer of protective Wind had been cast around his body.
''It''ll explode any second now... Any... Second now...!''
His Mana Points kept getting lower and lower, until,
[Your Moonlit Feline Underling is looking at you.]
As if suddenly woken up, Mark jerked his head, stood up, and took a step away from the-
An explosion the likes none inside the Boss Room had ever witnessed took ce.
The dome of stone, despite its numerousyers, could hold it in.
And the Fire Spirit seemed pleased.
"Looks like we might be a match made in heaven after all..." He whispered, before the shockwave forced his mes to fade away.
...
''Argh. What just...''
Mark opened his eyes.
Dizzy and confused, he looked around.
Pain all over his body.
The Boss Room.
His heart rate shot way up.
Sigh-
He thankfully noted that the smoke inside the Boss Room hadn''t settled yet.
His back was against the wall.
And it hurt. His spine had been severely damaged.
''What happened... I can''t see through...''
Kek-
''Don''t tell me it...''
Kekekekek-
Deliriousughter echoed from the center of the Boss Room.
The Vigor Stat necessary to withstand such an attack head-on, Mark didn''t even want to think about it.
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
''With this, about two-thirds of my Mana is gone...''
He remained unmoving and silent, quietly letting his Mana Points recover.
Apart from the Guardian''sughter, no sound could be heard.
Nothing moved.
Mark assumed that the Fire Spirit and Elisa had decided to act the same way he was.
''Grey, is he still alive?''
The System answered.
[Affirmative.]
''Good. Then right now is-''
sh-
Mark''s eyes immediately widened.
Something had been sliced.
He couldn''t tell what it was.
Or who it was.
Heaps of blood cascaded onto the ground.
He could only hear it, but there was no doubt in his mind that was the sound of blood being spilled.
''Elisa...?''
Mark wanted to call out to her through the dense smoke.
He opened his mouth, only to close it back down a secondter.
Chapter 133 The Same As Us II: Cursed
Mark stared at the cloud of smoke in front of him.
It was thickest at the center of the Boss Room.
The space around him was barely visible.
Kekekek-
Is she still alive? Was she just...?
He had no idea what the answer was, and did his best not to think about it.
''Now that I think about it, Krista is the only one able to send messages from the Underling Ne. I''m sure Levi would be fuming, could he do the same...''
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
''Yeah. Yeah. Just taking a break-''
Steps to his right.
Mark turned so fast the dizziness could''ve returned.
What he found walking alongside the Boss Room''s wall was...
Shh-
With a finger covering her mouth, Elisa walked closer.
Despite the situation they were in, a cheeky smile was on her face.
Mark was reminded of Krista for some reason.
She turned around and gestured for her follower toe closer.
Grey walked along, an aloof expression on his face.
A word that hadn''te to Mark''s mind for a very, very long time.
''A bunch of dum-dums. I''m surrounded by-''
He could''veughed, was constant snickering not there. A reminder that the Guardian was only a couple dozens meters away.
Elisa crouched down beside him.
Her faintly glowing index finger moved in the air.
What now?-
The words, somehow written with Wind, dissipated a handful of seconds after they were written.
Mark raised his left hand.
A small me danced on the end of his index finger.
Should be about half-dead now-
I thought that the instant I saw her-
You''re still referring to that thing as her?-
Elisa shook her head.
I need to recover some Mana-
Same-
The two turned towards the thick cloud of smoke.
Elisa''s index finger moved in front of her.
Its ability to read the Wind should have diminished considerably-
That was Dark Magic, right?-
It was-
Is that what changed your mind?-
Elisa stared at the smoke for a bit.
I changed my mind the instant I entered this room-
We can''t stay close-
Why not?-
Increases the chances of us getting wiped out-
True-
This is my spot, so you move-
Elisa wanted to chuckle. She didn''t, but her smile made it obvious.
What happens if it shoots at random and hits you?-
Then I''ll die, probably-
Can''t have that-
Mark turned towards her.
She was looking straight ahead, into the smoke.
Kekekekek-
Mark opened his mouth.
KEKEKEKEK-
The Guardian''s continual snickering grew louder.
Much louder, before turning into a horrendous scream.
"KEKEKEKEK... HAAAA... HAAAAAA!!"
Pressure-
Both Mark and Elisa felt a chill go down their spines.
The Guardian''s scream had torn the smoke around it.
The sound of something being shed.
The sound of blood being spilled.
It all made sense now that the smoke had dissipated.
Mark and Elisa could see what had happened.
And both would have preferred not knowing.
"Kekekekeke!" The Guardian snickered.
Its body was covered by burn marks and wounds.
It had lost its right arm.
The hair on its head had been burnt off.
Its feathers, too, had disappeared, burnt to ashes.
But that wouldn''t have been enough to shock them in the least.
The preceding, they had expected.
"Kekekeke..."
The Guardian wandered, its left arm extended in front of it.
And in its left hand-
"BLEUGH-"
The Guardian turned in the direction the sound hade from.
It took steps closer.
The next second, two rays of dark energy were shot towards that location.
And in an instant, a crater was formed between the wall and floor.
A dozen meters away from that location, stood Mark, Grey, and Elisa.
Thetter could barely keep herself from throwing up.
''So it uses sound now?'' Mark asked himself.
He lowered his body and took hold of a small piece of rubble.
On the other side of the room,
Thud-
The Guardian immediately turned in that direction, and two rays of dark energy followed.
''If it''s sound it uses, everything will depend on how sharp its hearing is...''
Mark stared at the Boss monster''s scorched back as it got further and further away.
"Kekekeke.... Keeeeek... Keeee..."
Despite the sick feeling she got from the Guardian''s appearance, Elisa stared too.
In its left hand, was the shed-off head that used to protrude from its stomach.
"Keeee... Keeeee..."
Thest head that remained attached to its body.
That''s what truly made her sick.
The smile on that burned head.
As if it was d to have been hit and injured.
As if that head adored the pain.
As if it was d that its cheeks and lips weren''t the only scorched parts anymore.
"Keeee... Kiiiii..."
Unsure what to do, they stared at the Guardian.
"Kiiii..."
Disgust quickly filled them both.
An unnatural Monster.
A Monster like no other.
A Monster made from the severed body parts of others.
"Kiiii..."
A being yed with and experimented on.
A being brought here and made to suffer endlessly.
A beautiful Harpy that Corruption Magic had turned into an abomination.
A Monster on which body parts that weren''t its own had been sewed.
"Kiiii..."
Artificially and unnaturally.
Disgust, disgust.
"Kiiill..."
Their eyes widened, and Mark reactivated his "Berserker[SS]" Skill.
Focus, focus.
"Kill...."
Did it just-
"KIIIIILLL!!!" The Guardian shouted.
Elisa couldn''t help but bring a hand to her stomach.
To those dark spots she detested.
The two stared and listened, as if in a trance.
"Kill... Them all... KILLL... THEM ALL!!" The Guardian roared.
Kill them all-
Kill them all-
The Boss Room around them seemed to disappear for a moment.
For one, it was the Corruption.
For the other, it was...
Kill them all-
Both looked at the Guardian.
And both felt... Something.
The same as us-
Neither thought so, but the Guardian''s present state did resemble something.
"Kill them... All..."
Or rather, something inside of them resembles the Guardian.
A part of them.
A part that escapes Mark''s control whenever his Titles go haywire.
A part that constantly voices its discontentment and to Elisa.
"Kill... Them... All!" The Guardian shouted as it swung the head in its hand.
Its own head.
Watching the Harp, they became painfully aware...
[The Skill "Berserker[SSS] activates!]
Of how ugly that part of them really was.
And Mark couldn''t bare to be shown that part of him so directly.
So bluntly.
His feet hit the ground.
[Your Title "Devourer" smiles.]
Chapter 134 Dark Magic
The Guardian, now forced to primarily rely on its hearing, couldn''t miss Mark''s loud and heavy footsteps.
It turned to face in his direction hurriedly.
[The Skill "Berserker[SSS] activates!]
[Your Endurance Stat temporarily increases by 60%.]
[Your Agility Stat temporarily increases by 30%]
[Your Strength Stat temporarily increases by 20%.]
[Additional Effect:
Your Strength and Agility Stats will further increase proportionally to the amount of Damage Incurred.]
A terrible smile was drawn on the Guardian''s face.
"Kill... Them... All!" It whispered before slowly raising its remaining hand.
Mark approached as quickly as he could.
The decapitated head that the Boss Monster held blinked.
The next second, a dark Aura emanated from its crying eyes.
Those crying eyes, had been cursed.
For a long time, they were forced to bare that curse.
And now, the time for retaliation hade.
The cursed eyes took it upon themselves to let their curse be known, and to share with anything they could find.
But before they could, something suddenly appeared between the Mark and the Guardian.
"Sorry but..."
Dark Magic.
Its pr opposite and biggest weakness or counter, is, as one might expect, Light Magic.
"I can''t..."
Unfortunately, the Magic Type that resembles Light Magic the most, is Holy Magic.
An unfortunate fact that might exin why none inside the Boss Room could use either Magic Types.
Holy Magic isn''t a Magic Type that can be wielded by Monsters.
Therefore, expecting Monsters to use Light Magic would be extremely unreasonable, if not absurd or foolish.
Still, all wasn''t lost.
The thing that had imposed itself between Mark and the Guardian''s hateful dark eyes was neither Light nor Holy Magic.
It was the next best thing though.
It wasn''t Light Magic.
All the same, it produced Light.
The Magic Type that shines brightest after Light Magic.
"Let Death take him just yet!"
The fingers of his right hand touched those of his left.
The heels of his hands were connected.
The sphere of mes between the Fire Spirit''s palms had been condensed to the absolute limit.
Mark instinctively reacted by lowering his body and upping his pace.
The Fire Spirit''s fingers moved ever so slightly.
Distance between those fingers.
A narrow space.
A narrow escape route, for all the contained energy to take.
"Take this, ugly fuck."
A beam of energy?
Some kind ofser beam?
The attack had no name yet.
It wasn''t even clear what the attack was exactly.
And none inside the Boss Room even took a second to think about that.
The Aura in front of the dreadful eyes turned into tiny spheres of energy a centimeter away from those eyes.
Dark rays with nonsensical and absurd speed.
The dark rays and the Fire Spirit''s beam collided.
After shooting his attack, slight surprise, joy, and pride had momentarily overtaken the Fire Spirit.
The speed with which his condensed mes moved was amazing.
The Fire Spirit knew that better than anyone.
Yet, he couldn''t help but smile nervously.
His attack had been shot first. There was no denying that fact.
But even though he had shot first, the collision between the attacks had only taken ce after the dark rays had crossed about three-fifths of the distance separating the two Casters.
By this time, Mark was still behind the Fire Spirit.
Unlike most, if not every, collision between two different Magic Skills that, both Mark and the Fire Spirit, had ever witnessed, there was no explosion.
Not an ounce of force generated by both attacksing into contact.
No shockwave, no outburst of energy.
Not a hint of damage was inflicted upon the area surrounding the point of impact.
There was no great surge of either light or sound.
Not a spark, and not a crack.
Not even a weak and faint boom.
That was too much to ask.
Way too much.
The reaction waspletely different from the one generated by the collision between the Fire Spirit and Elisa''s Magic Attacks.
A silent collision.
Quiet.
Hushed.
The noise and energy that the Fire Spirit''s mes desperately wanted to let the world feel through the different senses had been repressed.
Subdued.
Stolen.
And the Fire Spirit hated that with all his heart.
A feeling of disgust filled him, as the distance between the dark converging rays and himself started slowly shrinking.
He, just like Mark, hade to understand Dark Magic with his gut.
The Guardian''s attack didn''t have more energy.
It didn''t overpower his attack.
No.
That wasn''t the reason why his Fire was losing to that, seemingly, infinite darkness.
Dark Magic simply, and unfairly, made things disappear.
No force, effort, or violence was needed or necessary.
Once covered by that darkness, once within that darkness, once englobed by it, anything and everything would disappear.
At least, that was the Fire Spirit''s understanding.
It was entirely possible for his understanding to be wrong, whetherpletely or partly.
But how could it be?
How could he be wrong?
His mes weren''t being overpowered. They weren''t being extinguished.
It was more like... They were dissolving. Vanishing.
The Spirit could tell, because he was the one to have given birth to those mes.
His mes were being made to disintegrate.
The Spirit could tell, because he was once with those mes.
He was a Fire Spirit.
He was his mes, and they were him.
The distance between himself and those dark rays shrunk and shrunk.
Right in front of the Fire Spirit, his mes were being stolen.
No.
More precisely...
''Maybe I was wrong...'' The Fire Spirit thought to himself.
He let out a weak chuckle.
The rays were centimeters away.
The Fire Spirit had bought all the time he could.
And he was not about to let himself get stolen.
He was not about to let himself get swallowed by that infinite darkness.
He was not about to let himself get devoured by it.
''Darkness... Might be the greediest after all...''
Before those rays could reach him, the Fire Spirit disappeared.
For a moment, he was reminded of Mark.
Chapter 135 A Curse V: Quiet At Times But Always Present
By the time the Fire Spirit disappeared, Mark was a dozen meters away from the Guardian.
While the collision between both attacks was silent, the Fire Spirit''s, in and of itself, wasn''t.
Couple with Mark''s, [D] Ranked Passive Skill "Weightless Steps" [D], the Spirit''s noisy mes had managed to make the Guardian lose track of the former''s movements.
Dozens of seconds earlier, Elisa stood next to the wall, while the Monster ran.
She watched it get further away.
Her body, shaking.
Her eyes, distant.
The hatred and horror of Dark Magic.
The disgust emanating from the Guardian''s grotesque appearance.
Pity for the Harpy the Guardian once was.
The Monster was running towards the Boss monster.
Hope.
The Monster was running.
The Monster that could freely use Corruption Magic.
Worse than that.
The Monster that had made Corruption part of its body.
Worse than that.
A functional part of his body. A practical part. A useful one.
Fear.
Elisa brought a hand to her stomach.
''Not...''
A headache.
Dizziness.
She suddenly felt extremely lightheaded.
''Now...''
She brought her other hand to her forehead before lowering her gaze.
Gripping her head tightly, Elisa clenched her teeth.
''Now is... Not the time...!''
Hope and fear, together.
The Corruption that hadid low for a while now came back.
It had worked up quite the appetite.
Hope and fear, together as one.
A meal too alluring to ignore.
Hope and fear, mixed and joined into one being.
Once Monster, that aroused both.
The Fire Spirit shot its attack, and Elisa trembled at the sudden sound.
She raised her gaze.
From crying eyes, dark rays were projected.
Something was about to happen in front of her.
A terrible encounter.
A terrible fight.
A horrifying matchup.
Corruption Magic VS Dark Magic.
Rted Magic types.
Two Magic Types that were feared. And for good reason.
Rted Magic Types that had caused her an infinite amount of pain.
Two Magic Types, wielded by two Monsters.
Two Monsters.
Two Monsters...
The light in Elisa''s eyes seemed to dim down.
''Dark... Corruption... Dreadful... Death...''
Her left hand slowly moved away from her stomach, and towards her back.
Lazily, her slender fingers wrapped themselves around the bow that rested around her shoulder.
''Uneptable... Unholy... Filthy...''
Dazed.
Or rather, half asleep, she seemed.
Elisa brought her bow in front of her.
The hand that gripped her head struggled for a bit, but it ended up letting go.
''Two Monsters...''
One hand around the bowstring, the other around the bow''s grip.
''Corrupted...''
The wind around her started moving violently.
Elisa smiled a terrible smile.
Wind Magic was, in no way, even remotely close to Dark Magic.
In fact, it was one of the more difficult Magic types to "Corrupt".
Perhaps that is why she found using it so hard.
Whenever she manipted the Wind, the Corruption would react and intense pain would follow.
But now, it didn''t hurt.
As she formed a powerful Wind Arrow, perhaps even more powerful than the previous one, it didn''t hurt.
The only time she could truly utilize her Wind Magic, was when listening.
When obeying the Corruption that had infected her body.
''Two...''
At some point, Elisa''s vision had changed.
Whaty in front of her had been altered.
''Monsters...''
Indistinguishable from one another, two Monsters.
Their bodies were dark.
No.
The Monsters almost looked like... Shadows?
The half-awake Elisa found that this made sense.
The two were terrible and grotesque Monsters.
So monstrous, that the World itself had deemed them cmities unworthy of being seen by others.
The World itself, had covered their bodies in darkness.
''...!''
All over those Monsters'' bodies, two dozen eyes emerged from the darkness.
Horizontally slit pupils.
Yellow iris.
The pupils wandered randomly, but it was enough to make Elisa''s hand tremble.
''The Devil''s-''
Suddenly, every one of those eyes was directed at her.
"AH...!" She hurriedly stepped back.
Her back hit the wall.
Despite her fear and agitation, Elisa clenched her teeth.
Despite the Monsters'' nightmarish appearances, she tightened her grip around her bow.
Now wasn''t the time to falter.
A great Evil was standing in front of her.
A great Evil that could not be ignored or forgiven.
An Evil that needed to be punished.
No.
An Evil that needed to be extinguished.
An Evil that needed to perish.
She had to kill it.
That, was the right thing to do.
After all, even the World itself had rejected that Evil.
Faltering now, would be the same as standing in the World''s way.
Elisa closed an eye.
With great determination and courage, she rose her bow slightly.
She tilted her head.
And took aim.
Two Evils.
One was unmoving.
The other was rtively fast.
Which to execute first?
The end of Elisa''s arrow did not move by a lot.
From one side to the other.
Less than one centimeter.
That was the distance the end of her arrowhead had to cross.
One centimeter was all it took for her arrowhead to change targets.
Elisa took a deep breath in.
She calmed her mind.
''Evil... That must be exterminated...''
Which to shoot?
The answer was obvious.
''The one... That I''m most convinced... I can hit...''
Elisa had decided on her target.
All she had to do now, was let go.
Let go-
Let go-
The Corruption inside her shouted.
''Kill it... Evil... Devils... Kill them... Monsters...''
And she listened.
''Kill them all!''
The arrow was released.
It flew towards the target.
Elisa smiled widely.
She was pleased.
Very pleased.
By arrow''s speed, by its trajectory, by the Mana it held. Everything was perfect.
Pierce-
The Evil had been pierced through.
The Evil she was less likely to miss.
The Evil closest to her position.
Inside Elisa, Corruption dwelled.
Compared to the mysterious "entities" that are Titles, Corruption seems a much simpler matter.
Corruption: A substance that, once inside a being''s body, Corrupts its organs.
A nice and simple circr definition. A useless definition.
How else could it be defined then?
Even Mark, who has been using Corruption Magic for a long time, would probably need to think a bit before exining what it meant exactly.
What it meant to Corrupt.
In a way, it seemed an extraordinary and nonsensical ability.
Previously, Mark thought of Corruption as nothing more than a very powerful type of Poison.
A Poison that would, gradually, inhibit various bodily functions.
But after witnessing the effects Corruption Magic has had on the Corrupted Dark Elves, it couldn''t be simply defined as Poison anymore.
Corruption almost seemed rted to something Nia had briefly told Mark about.
A Magic Type she had mentioned in passing, only once.
Soul Magic.
He had no idea what it was, or what it could do.
Nevertheless, Mark thought that Corruption Magic had something to do with Soul Magic.
It was understandable.
The idea wasn''t entirely false.
But not entirely true either.
The two Magic Types be linked, but linking them together wasn''t necessary.
Corruption Magic corrupts various vital body parts and organs.
The lungs, the heart, the blood that flows throughout the body, and others.
And among those other body parts, is the brain. The numerous nerves inside the body too.
A Corrupted Lung won''t allow breathing.
A Corrupted Heart won''t beat the way it is supposed to.
A Corrupted Liver won''t filter the blood inside the body.
Corrupted Blood won''t flow through the veins and arteries the way it is supposed to flow through them.
One definition some on the Outside have given the ability to Corrupt is:
[The ability to forcefully and gradually inhibit the Corrupted from operating the way they are supposed to for an extended period of time. After some time, the Corrupted, whether a living being, an organ, or else, will surrender to the Corruption and stop fighting back. Once the Corruption is not resisted anymore, the Corrupted will start operating once more, except in the opposite way than the one they previously operated in.]
Given that definition, how would Corrupted Nerves operate?
Or, more importantly perhaps, how would a Corrupted Brain operate?
How can a Brain operate in the opposite direction it was intended to? How would it do so? What would that mean?
For that, a precise answer on how a given Brain operates is needed.
But don''t different Brains operate differently?
Each Brain is unique, some argue.
And it is because they argue that, that they would not talk about a Corrupted Brain.
Those find such a denotation simplistic and, frankly, in wrong.
No.
Those wouldn''t refer to it as a Corrupted Brain. But rather, as a Corrupted Soul.
Then, how would a Soul operate in the opposite direction that it is supposed to?
An interesting question, for which the answer, unfortunately, remains a mystery for most.
Elisa could feel her body pleasantly tingle.
Were the Corruption inside her a Title, it definitely would have rejoiced at the events unfolding in front of her.
Elisa smiled, as her arrow passed through the Monster''s stomach.
''With this...''
She smiled, as her arrow passed through Mark''s stomach.
Chapter 136 Forsaken
''With this, I''ll finally...''
The Wind Arrow pierced Mark''s lower back.
''Get back what I''ve lost!''
A frenzied smile had taken hold of Elisa''s face.
She had attacked one of the Evils steeped in darkness by the World. One of the Evils forsaken by that World.
Her goal?
To get back the thing she had lost.
The thing that had been taken away from her.
Something she desperately tried not to think about.
Elisa, just like those Evils, had been forsaken by the World.
Starting from the moment she was captured, the moment she was brought inside this Dungeon, the World wasn''t on her side anymore.
When she woke up, she had lost something.
A fundamental right that all Sentient Beings benefit from having.
She called out to it, again and again.
But it never answered.
Not even once.
Not once, until she met the Monster.
Once when in the Monster''s vicinity, would it partially answer her call.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Elisa''s Status had been reduced to the same level as that of a Beast.
Or rather, that of a ve.
"It''ll finally..."
A fundamental right offered by the World had been taken away.
And if the World has taken away what it has previously given, the only thing to do is obey the World.
To do its bidding.
To y those forsaken by the World.
Only then will the World give back what it has taken.
Maybe?
If I kill those steeped in darkness, that would make me the opposite of them, right?
If that''s the case, then maybe...
Maybe after that, the System will answer my calls like it used to.
Elisa''s wrapped her fingers around the bowstring once more.
"One... More-"
Her eyes suddenly widened.
Her cold and dark pupils gained some of their color back.
Confused and surprised, Elisa slowly lowered her gaze towards her right thigh.
It stung.
It hurt.
Drops of blood were going down her leg, and the growling Typhoon Wolf did not seem keen on letting go.
She stared into the Wolf''s red eyes.
''What was I... What did I...''
Kekekekek-
Elisa''s gaze moved and time seemed to stop.
Her stomach turned violently.
Her hands trembled, and the bow hit the ground.
''What did I...?''
The Evils or Devils weren''t so anymore.
They were Mark, and the Guardian.
And one of them had been wounded.
She could see through the wound.
The pain...
Elisa''s lips parted and connected. Rapidly. Repeatedly.
She pressed her lips and clenched her teeth.
It wasn''t clear whether those lips had been simply shaking, or if she meant to utter words.
It couldn''t have been thetter though, right?
What could she have said? What was there to say?
Her body felt heavy.
She felt like she could pass out at any moment.
Her lips parted.
Elisa tried to take a breath in, but realized a fraction of a secondter.
She couldn''t breathe.
She gasped for air.
But it had suddenly disappeared.
The air had run away, perhaps, guided by the Wind.
Her throat hurt, and her lungs burnt.
She gasped for air.
But there was none.
None for her anyways.
Elisa''s eyes could not move away from the wound on Mark''s body.
The wound she had inflicted.
A terrible, terrible wound.
He wasn''t moving.
He stood, his back towards her, immobile.
She feared that he would copse.
No.
What she truly feared was...
The Corruption inside you is rejoicing-
Is what Elisa would have seen, were the Corruption something akin to a Title.
But it wasn''t.
Unlike Titles, Corruption doesn''t have an awareness or a will.
Corruption isn''t a conscious entity.
It merely wants to, simply put, mess things up.
The worse it gets, the better for the Corruption.
It wants to mess things up to the highest possible degree.
Elisa stared at the wound.
She knew she had inflicted.
She remembered perfectly. Everything. Down to thest minute details.
Every action she had taken, every thought that had crossed her mind, she remembered.
Which is why Elisa couldn''t move on.
Her eyes couldn''t move away.
Those actions, she wanted to perform.
A part of her wanted to kill the white-scaled Monster.
A part of her cared about that more than it did about leaving the Dungeon.
Elisa knew that.
The Corruption doesn''t "Take over".
It doesn''t overpower the Corrupted.
It doesn''t take control of the Corrupted.
It simply... Feeds a slumbering facet of the Corrupted.
A slumbering side of the Corrupted.
The side that is hidden.
The side that is fought.
The side that is hated.
The side we want to lose.
And that fact, Elisa couldn''t move on from.
Because despite the whirlwind of various tangled-up negative emotions colliding inside her.
Despite how horrible Elisa felt, a part of her had gotten what it wanted.
And so, a detested part of her, was joyous.
Elisa couldn''t feel that joy. After all, it was buried under an avnche of negative emotions.
She couldn''t feel it, but she believed that under the mountain, something akin to satisfaction was there.
And Elisa hated that, adding further size and weight to the avnche.
Corruption influences actions and thoughts.
In a way, it had strung Elisa along for a while. But its influence was caught off.
Yet, was the Corruption a conscious entity, it certainly wouldn''t have felt too bad about it.
Corruption is not Maniption or Mind Control.
No one can predict the results that Corruption leads to.
Corruption doesn''t Control.
It breaks.
And what better way is there to shatter something, than to show that thing just how fragile it actually is.
What better way is there to Corrupt something, than to show that thing just how Corrupted it already is.
Time inside the Boss Room almost seemed to stand still.
Just like Mark, who had stopped moving the instant his stomach had been pierced.
Elisa slightly raised her gaze towards the back of his head.
She waited.
Impatiently, she waited.
Expectantly, she waited.
And so did the Corruption.
For the Monster to turn around.
For its face to express the tremendous pain Elisa had inflicted upon it.
For its expression to scream of betrayal and treason.
For the Monster''s judging eyes to tell a story.
And for punishment to ensue.
Was the Corruption a conscious entity, it would have wanted nothing more than for that.
Certainly, Elisa wouldn''t have been able to handle it.
She, who couldn''t hope.
She, who couldn''t trust.
She, who couldn''t believe.
She, who was scared of trusting the Monster, who was scared of that Monster betraying her, had betrayed it.
A Monster.
A Monster worth trusting?
Since when do Monsters like that exist?
Monsters cannot be trusted. Isn''t that an obvious truth known to all?
But...
What if...
It''s a big if. An extraordinarily big if.
But what if there was a Monster you could trust?
One Monster you could believe in?
Even if notpletely.
If you can trust a Monster with, let''s say, 80% of your all.
That would, perhaps, make it a Monster different than all others.
A Monster worthy of trust?
Unheard of. Impossible. Improbable?
But what would you do, if there was one in front of you?
If, standing in front of you, was a Monster different than the rest?
A Monster that wouldn''t attack you.
A Monster that wouldn''t trick you.
A Monster that wouldn''t assault you.
What would you want to do, if such a Monster stood in front of you? Such a rare and unlikely creature?
You would protect it.
You would take care of it.
Because it is different than all the others.
Because it proved something.
Something about the nature of Monsters.
Something about Good and Evil.
Something about the World.
The kindness or sympathy of a Monster, is truly something to behold.
For it paints a beautiful picture.
Trembling and gasping for air, Elisa waited for the Monster to turn around.
A hurt expression of betrayal would have broken her.
An expression of hatred and rage would have appeased her.
She got neither.
The wound disappeared just as suddenly as it had appeared, and the Monster ran forward.
Elisa clenched her teeth.
No judgement.
No retribution.
And no punishment.
The Monster didn''t turn around.
Not only did it not turn around, but there wasn''t even any Penalty that ensued.
Despite breaching their Contract''s uses, no message from the System about a Penalty.
Despite being the one to vite the Contract she wanted signed so badly, no Penalty.
Elisa would get off scot-free, despite her actions.
Tears that refused to flow down clouded her vision.
Elisa''s lips parted, and she could breathe once more.
The air around her had returned.
Her eyes moved away from that side of the Boss Room.
The Monster was rapidly approaching while the Guardian was raising its remaining hand. No doubt, preparing to shoot those fearful dark rays once more.
She lowered her gaze.
Her hand moved.
"I''m a mess, aren''t I?" Elisa whispered, as shey her hand on Grey''s head.
The growling Typhoon Wolf hadn''t moved one bit.
She stared into its red eyes.
The Typhoon Wolf was still where it had been moments earlier.
Grey''s fangs were still piercing her thigh.
Drop-
Elisa gently caressed his pelt, as more drops of blood went down her leg.
Chapter 137 A Seed Planted In The Shadow
The thing that Mark had quietly feared for a long time.
The thing he was worried about.
The reason why he didn''t want her.
The exact thing he feared, had finally happened.
The uneasiness that was always creeping.
The uneasiness he felt in Krista''s presence. And now, more recently, in Elisa''s presence.
A feeling he knew was right.
Or perhaps, a hunch? A premonition?
A terrible fact. Logical, but also, in a way, tragic.
The reality that the beautiful can and will bite just as ferociously as the ugly and terrifying can and will.
Cat or Leviathan.
Elegant Elf or depraved Demon.
Their fangs can still reach you. And perhaps, they will.
A fact that is as obvious as it is sad.
It couldn''t have been surprising.
After all, even Roses grow thorns.
Even a delicate flower won''t hesitate to spill one''s blood.
Mark had stopped his approach.
He stared dead ahead, a hole through his stomach.
"Kekekekek-" The Guardian snickered.
[Amount of Damage Incurred has been analyzed!]
Mark remained immobile.
In front of him, words floated. But it didn''t seem like he was reading.
[Additional Effect for your Skill "Berserker[SSS]" has been triggered!]
The ground below his feet cracked violently.
[Your Strength Stat further increases by 40%!]
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
[Your Agility Stat further increases by 40%!]
The wound immediately closed.
His performed organs were, as the Skill''s name suggested, reconstructed.
Mark''s eyes were cold and distant, as he rapidly approached the Guardian.
An arrow had hit him.
His fears were confirmed.
The emotions he had been fighting for so long.
None of these things mattered.
Why?
Because Mark wasn''t even aware of the events'' passing.
With total focus, he had moved as fast as possible towards the Guardian.
Each eye movement, each step, each breath he took. Each action was performed with absolute and, almost, psychotic focus.
To the point that everything around him seemed to disappear.
Everything seemed to fade away.
Leaving only himself, his body, and the goal he was approaching.
But in the middle of his approach, something had suddenly broken his focus.
Something had poked his lower back.
A finger? A tree branch?
Mark wasn''t sure what it was, but that poke was enough to break his focus and make him stop for a moment.
Indeed, a Wind Arrow had passed through his stomach.
Yet, Mark had barely felt a thing.
A vague feeling of something grazing his back.
How could that be?
A message that had appeared the instant the "Berserker[SSS]" Skill had activated:
[You have temporarily developed Pain Immunity!]
The numbing of his senses, the disappearance of pain, and the psychotic focus necessary to utilize that Skill.
These, were enough for the events to escape him.
Had he realized what had happened, had he known of Elisa''s...
He hadn''t. But it wouldn''t take long for him to do so.
Mark had stopped moving, and so had the Guardian.
Relying on its sense of hearing, the only thing thetter could detect was an arrow made of Wind passing by, missing it.
"Kekekek!" The Boss Monster snickered.
Mark took a deep breath in.
His focus might have been broken, but it simply needed to be brought back.
Without even thinking about doing so, his S-Ranked Skill "Advanced Body Reconstruction" activated.
Despite the wound and visible damage disappearing, despite his injuries immediately healing, the "Berserker[SSS]" Skill''s Additional Effect did not deactivate.
Why not?
Because there was an important distinction to be made between Reconstruction and HP Recovery.
The former focuses on healing wounds.
Or rather, on using Mana to Reconstruct lost or damaged body parts.
An important thought to keep in mind. The "Advanced Body Reconstruction" is a Skill created so that, as long as Mana is plentiful, the user can never be incapacitated.
So that the user can never be found at his enemy''s mercy.
The Skill might heal all of the user''s injuries, but just because those injuries healed doesn''t mean that the user''s Health Points had recovered.
Indeed, despite the wounds being healed instantaneously, time was necessary for the recovery of Health Points.
An incredible Skill, that ensured that severe bleeding or even the loss of a limb wouldn''t be the end of the user''s life. It ensured that despite those injuries, the user could still fight or flee.
An incredible Skill, with a, somewhat, heavy drawback.
Mark moved towards the Guardian.
His body was faster than ever, lighter than ever, and more powerful than ever.
Mark was in peak condition, or so he seemed to be.
His heavy steps could not be missed by the Guardian.
It quickly moved its arm, aiming what its hand held at the approaching Mark.
The distance between the two was only a handful of meters.
But the dark rays were incredibly fast.
Both Mark and the Guardian knew that.
The crying eyes on the Boss Monster''s decapitated head blinked.
The dark Aura emanating from those eyes turned into tiny spheres of dark energy and-
''Now.'' Mark ordered telepathically.
Before those spheres could turn into deadly dark rays, something made its return.
A seed that had been nted a while ago.
Before the Guardian had even lost its first head, the seed had already been nted.
It had simply beenying low, waiting for the perfect moment.
And that moment hade.
Silently and stealthily, the Demonic Dark Wolf known as Light leaped out of the Guardian''s shadow.
The white-scaled Monster got faster. Its steps louder.
The spheres of dark energy seemed topress at the sides.
The next instant,
Fwoosh-
Dark rays swept the Boss Room indiscriminately.
A long arc was drawn, as a potion of both wall and floor disappeared.
"KIIIAAA!" The Guardian screamed while the Demonic Dark Wolf growled.
It hadn''t heard a thing until now.
It hadn''t felt a thing approach, yet something had taken hold of it.
Light''s fangscerated the Boss Monster''s only remaining forearm.
The Guardian hurriedly raised its arm, and the Demonic Dark Wolf''s body with it.
Still, Light didn''t let go. And he didn''t stop growling.
Grrrrr-
His growls, were all the Guardian could hear.
Chapter 138 The Final Wall
Light growled as loudly as he could with his fangs holding the Guardian''s forearm.
Thetter raised its arm, and the Demonic Dark Wolf''s body with it.
With a sudden and quick downward motion, the Guardian aimed to get rid of Light.
The instant he felt the change in direction,
"Ke?"
The Boss Monster''s confusion grew.
Both the fangs and the weight had suddenly disappeared.
So did the growling.
Everything disappeared, without making a sound.
The next second, a Destructive Tail Flick descended upon the Guardian''scerated forearm.
The Force was great, but not enough to make it drop that frightening head.
Having set his body spinning in the air to increase the torque, Mark wasn''t noticed until his feet hit the ground.
But the instant they did, he lowered himself to the ground, and his body spun once more.
A Destructive Tail Flicknded on the Guardian''s knees, sweeping its feet off the ground.
The Dark Fog turned back into the Demonic Dark Wolf it concealed.
The Boss Monster''s heavy body fell backwards.
And even when in the middle of its fall, Light didn''t waste a second.
His ws and fangs sliced, shed, and pierced.
The Guardian was blind.
It could only rely on its sense of hearing and weakened control over the Wind.
Which was perfect for Light.
[Blind Spot Killer: [B] Ranked Skill.
Attacking from an enemy''s Blind Spot will deal 300% more damage.]
THUMP-
The Guardian''s back hit the ground, and Light''s butchering continued.
Meanwhile, Mark had extended a palm towards the fallen Boss Monster''s forearm.
Freeze-
Immediately, the whole arm above the spot he had gazed was frozen solid.
The only thing that remained was the Guardian''s hand and the head it helt.
With his palm straightened and covered in the Berserker''s purple Aura, Mark aimed for the Boss Monster''s writs.
His ws approached with great speed.
The next second,
Thump-
The feared and decapitated rolled on the ground.
"Ahhh...Ahhhh... AHHHH!"
The Guardian''s voices held so much strength that even the Wind was intimidated and ran away from it.
Light distanced himself from it.
Grey approached rapidly.
The Boss Monster struggled and stumbled as it tried to stand.
One arm had been lost earlier.
The other was now frozen, and its wrist join was heavily injured. Injured enough that it couldn''t move its hand or fingers properly.
A piercing sound resonated for a fraction of a second.
Another hole through the Guardian''s body was added.
Mark stood patiently.
Only one head remained.
One too many to take a risk.
He raised his arms, and with palms extended towards the stumbling Guardian,
Colossal Fire Ball-
+
me Of-
"RWWAAAAA!!" The Guardian roared suddenly.
And just as suddenly, a spherical barrier of dark energy appeared around it.
Mark immediately jumped back. So did his two Underlings.
''What now-'' His eyes wandered, and he noticed.
The decapitated head had been trapped inside the barrier.
A curious thing, that crying head.
It had been cut off the Guardian''s body, by that very same Guardian.
What did that make it?
Was it still part of its body? Still connected to the Guardian?
Or had, perhaps, be an Item somehow?
Crack-
''Huh...?''
Crack-
''Don''t tell me it-''
Crunch-
Crunch-
Without really knowing why, Mark ordered his Underlings to run away.
Crunch-
The three ran away from that side of the Boss Room.
Gulp-
"Ah... Ah... Ahhh-"
The Guardian''s voice seemed filled with both fear and ecstasy.
The next second, the dark barrier expanded.
It didn''t take more than 3 seconds for its diameter to reach thirty meters.
And it took even less time for the barrier to shrink.
It shrunk and disappeared.
Or so it seemed.
Mark turned around.
The empty space left by the eyeless hawk''s disappearance had disappeared.
So did the one on its stomach.
The Guardian, despite having no eyes, directed its face to where its right wing used to be.
Mark''s eyes widened.
An illusion?
No. It couldn''t have been.
Slowly but surely, the Wind danced, and took on the appearance of that missing wing.
The same happened on the Guardian''s left side.
It moved those limbs a bit, as if to get ustomed to them.
One with the Wind-
The next second, pained cries left the Guardian''s mouth, and a dark, dark energy filled those wings made of Wind.
The limbs slowly turned pitch-ck.
Slowly, darkness filled those limbs.
Pitch-ck wings.
Suddenly, the Boss Monster pped those wings.
A hundred dark feathers were shot.
Fortunately, the Guardian remained blind.
But that didn''t matter.
For as soon as the dark feathers came into contact with something,
BOOM-
Is what all inside the Boss Room expected to hear.
But no sound was emitted, as the feathers turned into growing disintegrating dark spheres.
The Guardian turned 180 degrees.
Its attack had missed this time. But there was no doubt it would hit at some point.
Randomly, it would end up hitting the enemies.
An attack that couldn''t be dodged.
That''s what it seemed like to everyone inside the Boss Room, Guardian included.
Thetter pulled its wings back.
And Elisa looked away.
Her heart rate elerated.
She had no idea why she had looked away.
Her gaze moved, but it might have been toote already.
One moment, might have cost Elisa her life.
Just when the Guardian was about to p its wings,
BAM-
BAM-
BAM-
Every being inside the Boss Room froze.
The bext second,
BOOOOM-
An explosion.
Too fast.
None had seen what had happened.
Before they even knew it, Mark, Elisa, Light, and Grey, had been powerfullyunched at the Boss Room''s walls.
Pieces of rubble flew all over.
Two of the gigantic pirs inside the Boss Room fell.
The room was covered by a cloud of smoke, even thicker than the previous one.
''A...Gain...?''
With his back against the wall, Mark struggled to stay conscious.
His Underlings limped as they tried to move towards their Master.
Elisay unconscious a handful of meters away from Mark. A shallow wound on her forehead bled slightly.
''What did it do now? Tsk. I''ll need some time... To recover...''
[Your Skill "Berserker[SSS]" is deactivating.]
He immediately felt a great amount of pressure, but also strength, leave his body.
Mark took a deep breath.
''If it''s the same as before, then-''
The next second, the cloud of smoke was cleanly, and swiftly, cut in two.
Elisa slowly pushed herself off the ground.
Shezily rubbed her half-open eyes. And the first thing she saw, was the expression on Mark''s monstrous face.
And upon seeing that, Elisa couldn''t help but follow his gaze.
Split in two, the cloud of smoke made space for...
Something.
Its whole body was covered by ck armor tinted in gold.
In its right hand, rested arge spear, seemingly made of multiple des moving in a spiral and connecting at the spear''s tip. A strange design, as it allowed space and air to exist between the des and at the spear''s center.
Behind its helmet, flowed long grey hair.
Mark and Elisa froze for a bit.
The cloud settled a bit more.
In unison, they lowered their gazes slightly.
The Guardian''s bodyy. Crushed, and unmoving.
In unison, they directed their gazes to the same spot.
The spot Elisa had turned towards earlier, without knowing why.
Arge and deep hole in the wall.
In truth, it seemed more like a tunnel.
The two turned towards one another.
Mark asked a question Elisa couldn''t hear.
"I can feel it. The Wind..."
Mark''s hand twitched.
"The Wind... From outside."
Bang-
The spear''s heel hit the ground, immediately catching their attention.
"You weren''t done yet.. Fuck..."
A chilling voice.
Cold.
"Stand up, Devourer."
Powerful.
An imposing voice thatmanded respect and fear.
"I shall be..."
A man in ck armor tinted in gold.
There was no way for Mark or Elisa to recognize him.
Both had never seen him.
"Your Final Test."
Mark''s body froze, while his legs twitched.
The Final Wall had revealed itself.
And its name, was Zephyr.
Chapter 139 The Final Test, I
"Stand up, Devourer. I shall be your Final Test."
Mark''s body had frozen, and so had his mind.
He extended a palm towards the Intruder.
Towards the new Guardian.
me Of Chaos, Giant Fire Ball-
The attack wasunched.
A secondter, the armored Intruder was covered in smoke.
"Mm. Attacking right away while the smoke hasn''t settled yet."
The smoke settled.
The Magic Attack had been blocked.
And to do so, the Intruder didn''t need to do a thing but extend its armor-covered palm.
"You get one point."
[Your Skill "Berserker[SS] activates!]
The ground below Mark''s feet cracked as he moved.
Keeping his center of gravity as low as possible, he did his best to make full use of the remaining smoke covering the Boss Room.
"But you have no idea who I am. Which side I am on. Or what I want." The Intruder continued, ignoring the Monster''s movement.
A secondter, Mark''s ws were stopped by that very same palm.
"Half a point deducted."
Upon his ws approaching contact with the Intruder''s armor, Mark could feel himself lower his own momentum.
Perhaps it was instinctive?
Perhaps he knew that his ws would not survive against that ck armor, were he to put his all.
"Looks like you want to jump right into it-"
The Intruder''s words were interrupted as Mark suddenly lowered his body to the ground, no doubt aiming to sweep the former''s feet off the ground.
But it seems the Intruder was sick of it.
With a simple leg kick that didn''t even utilize the Intruder''s whole body, Mark wasunched all the way to the other side of the Boss Room.
BAM-
His back hit the wall with great force.
Cough-
A drop of blood went down Mark''s face.
The Intruder took slow steps towards him.
"Time to exin the rules of this Test."
With each step, the sound of his armor hitting the ground resonated.
"First, no Underlings. You fight alone-"
As if on cue, Light and Grey positioned themselves between their Master and the Intruder.
"You can call them back into that Ne..." Mark''s eyebrow twitched. "Or, I''ll make them disappear before starting this Test."
Doubtful, Mark stared.
Sigh-
"These are rules set by the Sixth General Of Gaavah''s Army."
There was no visible reaction.
"Mm. I suppose you might know her better as Draconia?"
A slight reaction.
The fact that Draconia and Nia referred to the same person wasn''t something that Mark had been told.
He had his doubts, but thought it exined the situation.
"Call them back into the Ne." The Intruder repeated.
Both Wolves had been heavily injured. They were limping and couldn''t move with their usual agility.
An issue due to their Vigor Stats, much lower than Mark''s.
They were in no condition to fight.
Plus, the Intruder knew about the Ne, which alleviated some of the remaining doubts.
The two growling Wolves stopped doing so, and turned towards their Master.
A secondter, they disappeared.
But as soon as they did, someone took over their position.
"I''m not letting you fight alone." Elisa dered, a Timeworn Elven Dagger in each of her hands.
"No Underlings, I said." The Intruder''s gaze did not leave Mark''s eyes.
"I''m no Underling."
The Intruder stayed silent for a bit, before raising his empty hand.
The helmet was taken off, revealing a Human face.
The gray and long tied-up hair was part of the helmet, which none had the time to think about or notice.
Buzzed hair, multiple cuts all over his face, and green pupils.
Zephyr scratched his forehead.
Mark didn''t know him as "Zephyr", but he shall be referred to as such, for it is his Name.
"Tell her to get out, or I''ll kill her before getting this Test started."
"I''m not going anywhere-"
Something had taken hold of her elbow.
She turned around.
Above his other hand, words floated in the air. Words written in mes.
Get out-
The fact that Zephyr had used to word "disappear" for the Wolves but "kill" for Elisa, was a detail that didn''t escape Mark.
"I can''t. I''m not letting you fight alone. Not against someone like him. What kind of Test is he even talking about? How can I-"
Trust me-
Elisa remained silent.
We''ll make it out in a bit-
She bit down on her lip.
"I can''t... Not after what I just-"
The next second,
Roaar-
Appearing beyond Elisa and facing the Intruder, was an Underling that wasn''t an Underling.
"Mm. Get this one out too."
It was obviously scared.
It could, just like Elisa, somewhat feel both the Aura oozing out of Zephyr''s body, and the Mana that body held.
Still, it didn''t step back.
The Moonlit Feline roared.
''Krista.''
Mark was ignored.
''Krista. Get out.'' He ordered.
She didn''t listen.
Zephyr clicked his tongue, and all immediately went silent.
"Tsk. What kind of..." His annoyance was reaching the tolerable limit. "I''m here for the Devourer. The Guardian is dead. The two of you have cleared the Dungeon. Congrattions."
Shock and surprised.
"Now, if you want to be able to step outside, to breathe outside, I suggest you get out of this Boss Room and wait beyond its doors for a while."
Elisa''s lips seemed to twitch uncontrobly.
She didn''t know what to do.
And she didn''t know what to say.
She couldn''t leave him.
Not after her arrow had pierced his body.
Not after betraying him.
She couldn''t do so again.
Leave-
"I can''t." She repeated.
None of us has the strength to beat him-
She clenched her teeth.
It was true.
There was no denying it.
"Still, I won''t-"
Take Krista with you-
"What are you-"
With cold eyes, he stared at her.
You owe me-
And she could feel the cold touch of chains around her neck and wrists.
She had breached a Mana Contract, and the Contractee could call in the Penalty whenever they wished to.
Not only that, but the longer the Penalty is dyed, the more is Owed.
A concept with which Elisa was very familiar.
Right now, she had no choice but to listen to him.
She stepped away and towards the Boss Room''s doors, stopped, and turned towards Krista.
"Come."
The Moonlit Feline ignored her.
"Get the cat out of here. I''m not going to wait for much longer."
The Moonlit Feline ignored him.
"Krista."
Surprised, she immediately turned towards Mark.
"Go with Elisa."
Secondster, the Moonlit Feline and Elisa walked out of the Boss Room, feeling somewhat defeated.
"Good. Now we can get to..."
Mark didn''t listen to Zephyr''s words.
The Monster had finally talked.
Words had finally left his mouth.
Something he had wanted to do for a long time.
"I can''t believe you made me waste them." Mark suddenly interrupted.
"Huh?"
Zephyr was confused for a moment, but upon seeing the Monster''s rage-filled eyes, he understood.
Mark clenched his teeth.
"I can''t believe... Those... Were my first words-"
BAM-
With an open palm''s sweep, Mark wasunched away.
With his limbs spread to the sides, Mark''s body was ingrained into a wall.
"This isn''t the time to worry about newborn issues."
Zephyr raised his spear, and imnted it into the ground, at the Boss Room''s center.
"The time for your Test hase."
The next second, words appeared in front of Mark.
[A Domain has been cast around you!]
[The Domain "The Tyr''s Colosseum" had been cast!]
[Your Health Points regenerate to 100% of their capacity.]
[Your Endurance Points regenerate to 100% of their capacity.]
[Your Mana Points regenerate to 100% of their capacity.]
[Your Ability to summon your Underlings has been locked.]
[The Boss Room has been set as the "Dueling Territory".]
''Huh-''
At the same time, a violent typhoon covered two spots inside the Boss Room.
The doors, and the hole in the wall left by Zephyr''s escape.
With all escape and entry routes blocked, a true Duel is about to begin.
Mark, whose every injury had been healed, pushed himself off the ground.
"The Test is simple."
He raised his fists, and patiently listened.
"Do your best to kill me."
"What kind of Test is that?"
"The kind that will push you to your limits, and beyond." Zephyr pulled his spear out of the ground.
"How do I leave once I''ve killed you?" Mark asked, somewhat innocently.
Zephyr walked silently for a bit, before stopping in front of a corpse.
"You won''t. That''s what the Test is about."
"What do you mean?"
"A Task simply impossible for you to aplish. You''ll climb the wall as long as you can, and reach as high as you can, but you''ll never move past it."
Mark jumped back hurriedly.
"That''s the kind of Test waiting for you."
Chapter 140 The Final Test, II
"A Task I won''t be able to aplish?"
"That''s right. Do your best to kill me. That''s your Task."
"Nia didn''t tell me anything about this."
"Nia? Ah. General Draconia, you mean? She was right not to then."
"How so?"
Zephyr put his helmet back on.
"I trust the General''s judgment."
Mark remained silent for a moment.
"Then, in the end, this is just like any other encounter with a Guardian..."
His eyes were burning with resolve.
"I just have to kill you."
Chuckles made their way outside the helmet, despite the wearer''s best efforts to suppress them.
"That''s right."
Purple Aura started oozing out of Mark''s body.
"Don''t have to tell me twice-"
Just when Mark was about to charge in, Zephyr lowered his body.
"I interrupted your fight earlier. I thought you would have been done by now but... Well, that''s my mistake."
He took hold of the Guardian''s unmoving body.
That''s when it hit Mark.
The Guardian he had been struggling against.
The Guardian whose body he could barely move.
The Guardian he could barely damage.
The Boss Monster, that seemed to have an endless amount of Health points.
Ity unmoving.
Crushed.
Killed in a single hit.
No.
Killed simply from the impact of Zephyrnding on it.
Mark''s thigh muscles started twitching uncontrobly.
That''s the kind of Monster that stood in front of him.
The kind that could kill a Guardian without even meaning to.
Zephyr''s armor-d hand grasped the unmoving Boss Monster.
By that hand, the Guardian''s whole body was lifted.
Light. Weightless? A few pounds at most, is what it seemed to weigh.
But Mark knew that wasn''t the case.
Zephyr was simply strong enough to make it look that way.
With a swift motion, the Guardian''s body was thrown at Mark.
The muscles over thetter''s body contracted right away.
Was Zephyr using the Guardian''s body as a diversion? A way to move out of Mark''s field of vision?
Mark immediately lowered his body to keep his eyes on the target.
But that target didn''t move a finger.
Thump-
At his feet, the Guardian''s unmoving body fell.
"Eat."
"Huh?"
Mark''s gaze did not leave Zephyr. Not even for a second.
"Or Devour, I should say."
He kept staring. Silently. Suspiciously.
The next second, Zephyr turned around.
He took a few steps away, before taking a seat on a huge piece of rubble.
A portion that used to be part of the fallen pirs inside the Boss Room.
Pirs that hadn''t fallen during Mark''s fight with the Guardian. Not by the explosion created by Elisa and the Fire Spirit, and not by the Guardian''s powerful attacks.
"I need you to be at your best. Otherwise, the Test would hold no value."
''This some kind of joke?'' Mark asked himself.
He didn''t move.
"Go on. I''ll wait." Zephyr said as he ced his spear to his side.
Without moving his gaze, Mark''s hand slowly, and carefully, reached for the Guardian''s body.
''I can''t devour it... Should I just use my Devouring Architecture Skill? But then-''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
''...?''
[Your Title "Devourer" looks at you.]
[Your Title "Devourer" swallows the Skill "Devouring Architecture[S]".]
''You fucking what?''
His Titles working against him was thest thing Mark needed.
Frustration. Anxiety.
He let neither show.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reminds you that your left arm is hungry.]
''I know it''s filled with Corruption or whatever but... How am I supposed to...?''
[Your Title "Devourer" says that you shouldn''t sweat the details.]
''Sweat the...?!''
"You''re cautious. 1 point."
Mark''s left hand reached for the Guardian''s body.
The next second, it turned into a sphere of energy.
A dark sphere of energy.
At its sight, Mark''s heart rate shot up.
[Your Title "Devourer"ughs out loud.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" chuckles.]
Reluctantly, Mark swallowed the dark sphere.
His body immediately tensed up.
A massive amount of heat was produced inside Mark.
Zephyr stared.
''His Titles, huh? Devourer and Evolving Monster. Let''s what they''re capable of-''
Suddenly, the Candidate''s twitching body curled up.
Only then, did Mark''s gaze move away from Zephyr.
An intense headache thatsted for the short duration of five seconds.
"Anything wrong-"
Zephyr''s words were interrupted by Mark''s sudden jerk of his head.
Thankfully the former''s facial expression was hidden behind his helmet, as he was met by the Devourer''s monstrous face.
For three seconds, dark tears flowed down Mark''s eyes. They were hard to see, due to the dark lines going down his eyes and upper body.
Mark opened his mouth and took a deep breath.
A semi-transparent dark mist exited his mouth.
"Never felt better." The Devourer dered, its muscles twitching.
[Your Vigor Stat has greatly increased!]
[Your Endurance Stat has greatly increased!]
[Your Strength Stat has increased!]
[Your Agility Stat has increased!]
[Your Mana Stat has greatly increased!]
Vigor, Strength, Agility, Mana, Endurance.
Practically every Stat that Mark had at his disposal, apart from his Sense Stat. A Stat that couldn''t be expected to increase after Devouring a blind Monster.
Each of those five Stats had increased substantially.
As one might expect. The Guardian''s Stats were incredibly high after all.
But there was something else.
Something different.
Something, that, for better or worse, was higher than those Stats.
The amount of Corruption running through the Guardian''s body.
"Good." Zephyr grabbed his spear.
He turned into upside down and drove it into the ground.
"Do your best to kill me. Show me everything you''re capable of."
Suddenly, Zephyr disappeared, leaving the ground below him damaged even further than it already was.
Just as suddenly, he appeared in front of Mark.
"Your Test begins now."
His eyes were barely able to follow Zephyr''s movement.
Superior Kic Vision-
Mark cursed internally.
The Guardian had been defeated by Zephyr.
Three Skill Points had been stolen from him.
Additionally, the usual messages about a Reward for Devouring a Guardian had not appeared.
Something that did not even cross Mark''s mind, as he dodged Zephyr''s armor-d fist.
Meanwhile, outside the Boss Room, Elisa and Krista stood in front of its entry.
A wall of violent winds barred passage.
"Even I wouldn''t be able to make it through this..." Elisa whispered.
Kristay on the ground.
She closed her eyes, and focused her hearing.
''He talked... He really talked... Huh... Since when could he? And why didn''t he?'' Elisa asked herself as she took a seat next to Krista.
She asked herself that, even though there was a different question that perturbed her.
A question she didn''t want to ask.
An answer she didn''t want to get.
Chapter 141 A Slugfest?
Following Mark''s Unique Evolution, back on the Fifth Floor, he''s devoured plenty of Monstersrger than himself.
Which is why, without realizing it, his body had gradually grown a bit taller andrger.
Tch-
Another fist barely dodged.
Still,pared to Zephyr who stood at about three meters tall, Mark''s size was nothing impressive.
Punch-
Punch-
Punch-
Mark focused on his vision to dodge the sessive iing attacks.
Zephyr''s reach was greater than his, which made counterattackingplicated.
Plus, whether it was because of the former''s imposing stature and build or not, Mark continuously stepped backwards as he dodged.
Slowly but surely, his back approached the wall.
But that wasn''t the least of Mark''s problems.
Before that back could even reach the wall, he braced for the iing impact.
Guh-
A powerful punch to the stomach.
Mark was pushed back a handful of meters and his feet remained on the ground.
''Tsk.'' He clicked his tongue, obviously annoyed.
The impact was way different from thest time Mark was hit.
He wasn''t sure whether the difference was caused by the increase in Stat that followed Devouring the Guardian, or because Zephyr was taking it easy on him.
The difference was enormous.
And so Mark couldn''t help but assume thetter was the reason.
His back was inches away from the wall.
"You''re not taking this seriously."
Mark was tired of hearing such criticism.
"Good. It shows that you are at least at this level."
His eyebrow twitched.
"What''s that supposed to-"
"It means that we''re upping the difficulty."
"Upping the-"
BAM-
CRACK-
A front kick that used all of Zephyr momentum.
His iron-d foot hit the wall, and multiplerge pieces or rubble immediately fell.
"Seems like you''re taking it a bit more seriously." Zephyrmented.
The purple Aura that oozed out of Mark''s body wasn''t hard to notice.
''Just this much should be... No. I''ll go further for now.''
[Your Skill "Berserk[SS]" is activating!]
[Your Endurance Stat temporarily increases by 40%.]
[Your Agility Stat temporarily increases by 20%]
[Your Strength Stat temporarily increases by 10%.]
Immediately, Mark felt chills run all over his body.
In his "Base Form", his Stats had increased a lot.
This increase, in turn, only amplified the "Berserker" Skill''s effect.
It doesn''t increase the user''s Stat by a certain amount.
No.
The increase in Stats is proportional to the user''s Stats.
A smile was drawn on Mark''s face as he pulled his arms back and slightly raised his fists.
''The stronger I be...''
His feet hit the ground repeatedly with such speed and power that even Zephyr was pleasant, though slightly, surprised.
''The strong the Skill gets!''
In an instant, Mark closed the distance.
And he was determined not to stay on the defensive much longer.
Taking full advantage of his longer reach, Zephyr threw a wicked fast left hook.
Mark lowered his body and dodged towards the inside.
His left fist tingled on its way. It cravednding on Zephyr''s chin.
Thetter moved his head to the side, leaving just enough ce for the approaching fist to miss closely. Despite turning his head slightly, his eyes, of course, remained fixated on Mark.
The uppercut had missed target, and left a huge area undefended.
A punch directed at Mark''s left side.
But before Zephyr''s punch couldnd, Mark''s left hand touched the former''s helmet.
Freeze-
Immediately, a thickyer of ice covered the entire armored fighter''s body.
Mark quickly brought his left arm to his side as he pulled his right one back.
A punch thrown will all his strengthnded on Zephyr''s frozen chest.
Upon impact, the ice broke, as if it had been no thicker than a ss wall.
Mark couldn''t tell whether it was his punch that had broken it, or Zephyr by simply moving his body.
Once again, he assumed thetter.
The smile on his face widened.
He had finallynded a hit.
"Good. I was waiting for you to use Magic." Zephyr said, without stepping back.
"You wanted me to use everything I had, right?"
"That''s right." He answered, before raising his armor-d fists once more.
A thirty-second slugfest followed.
The two did nothing but throw punches at the other and dodge.
Slowly but surely, Mark felt he was losing his edge as he was forced to step backwards more and more.
But he didn''t want to lose his edge.
He didn''t want the brawl to end.
And there was only one way he could think of to recover the bnce.
[You have used one Skill Point.]
[Your Skill "Superior Kic Vision" is evolving...]
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to be hungrier!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" wants you to be greedier!]
Mark could barely read the messages as he fought.
In truth, he did his best to ignore them.
Otherwise, there would be no way for him to dodge the consecutive and almost mechanical attacks thrown his way.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" elerates your Skill''s growth.]
[Your Passive Skill "Superior Kic Vision[B]" is rapidly evolving!]
''I''ll need you to get fucking faster!''
Mark cursed, but his tone was much different than one might think.
He wanted the Skill to finish its Evolution faster.
Not because he was scared.
Not because he was anxious.
But because he, truly and genuinely, took joy in the slugfest he was engaging in.
[Your Passive Skill "Superior Kic Vision[B]" has evolved into the Passive Skill "Combative Eyes[A]".]
The next second, everything changed, and a punch to the stomach sent Mark to the wall behind him.
"You let your guard down. 1 point deducted."
Mark chuckled as he breathed heavily.
''With these eyes...!''
Every attack from Zephyr was powerful enough to make him cough up blood or gasp for air.
"Your body froze suddenly. Why?"
"Is it your job to care?"
"Hm. It''s not. But for your benefit, you should answer when I ask."
"Ha!"
Mark pushed himself off the wall.
"I was surprised for a moment. That''s all."
"Then..."
"Let''s get back to it!"
A Test.
A slugfest where one didn''t use his spear, and the other his ws.
A contest.
A match.
A Test.
Not a fight to the death.
Mark enjoyed that very much.
Unfortunately, the Test wouldn''t remain this way for much longer.
Chapter 142 Playtime: Over
''My eyes are...''
The two ran towards one another.
''Completely different!''
As soon as they were within reach, the world in front of Mark changed.
Everything seemed clearer and brighter.
No.
Not everything.
Time slowed down as Zephyr''s pulled back arm started moving towards Mark.
''This is...''
Thetter slightly turned his head sideways, letting the former''s fist move past him.
''Perfect.''
Mark aimed for his adversary''s exposed side, but Zephyr managed to pull his arm back in time, protecting that side with his elbow.
The distance closed once more, the fight turned back into the slugfest it was moments earlier.
Punch-
Dodge-
Parry-
Punch-
Block-
Uppercut-
For a minute, the two fought using only their fists.
Neither managed to force the other to step back.
The next second, Zephyr sneakily bent his right knee, taking advantage of the fact that the attention had been directed upwards for a while.
But Mark''s eyes, despite staring at the adversary''s upper body, did not miss that.
With perfect timing, his feet left the ground.
His handsy on Zephyr''s iing knee. All the momentum and force were properly taken in.
Mark''s whole body rose into the air, and after a, somewhat, graceful back spin, his feetnded on the ground.
''1 point.'' Zephyr thought as he stared at the smiling Monster in front of him.
Mark''s whole body was twitching.
He could barely contain it.
His eyes were nowpletely different than they were earlier.
That much was clear after thetest exchange.
As soon as the distance between the two had been closed, everything suddenly had changed.
The more Mark focused his vision and mind on the fighting and his adversary''s movements, the clearer they became.
The clearer they became, the easier focusing on them became.
Focus.
That was the main take away Mark had kept in mind.
Everything in his field of vision didn''t slow down.
No.
It was more like his field of vision had narrowed. Narrowed incredibly.
Without wasting a second further, Zephyrunched himself forward.
And as he approached, the twitching that permeated throughout Mark''s body peaked.
His eyes were focused on the adversary
And solely on that adversary.
So much so that everything behind Zephyr, everything around Zephyr, disappeared from Mark''s field of vision.
Zephyr, and Zephyr only, remained.
Mark couldn''t contain his excitement any longer.
The Evolved Version of his "Superior Kic Vision" Passive Skill was too perfect.
Thepatibility was too high for him to contain his excitement.
For him to contain the urge rising inside him.
[The Skill "Berserker[SSS] activates!]
[Your Endurance Stat temporarily increases by 60%.]
[Your Agility Stat temporarily increases by 30%]
[Your Strength Stat temporarily increases by 20%.]
Combative Eyes didn''t stop at sharpening Mark''s eyesight.
He swiftly, and easily, moved past Zephyr''s fist.
The new Passive Skill facilitated, and by arge margin, Mark''s ability to Focus.
Three punchesnded on Zephyr''s stomach.
Making full use of his smaller stature, Mark slipped through the space between his adversary''s arm and side, positioning himself behind thetter.
The next second, a Destructive Tail Flicknded on Zephyr''s side.
Then, and only then, was his body moved.
For the first time since the beginning of the fight, an attacking from Mark had shown effect, and forcibly moved Zephyr from where he stood.
''Finally.''
The two remained unmoving for a moment.
Was Mark''s Agility and Strength finally on par topete?
Or did the sudden shift of gear simply catch Zephyr off guard?
Mark himself wasn''t sure.
But having tasted hits from Zephyr earlier, he couldn''t help but-
Shivers went down his spine.
Mark could''ve sworn he had been staring at his adversary''s back a moment earlier.
Yet, he was nowhere to be seen.
"I more or less get where you stand."
The voice resonated from behind Mark, nearly making his body shiver.
Crack-
"I''ll get a bit more serious now." Zephyr dered as he pulled out of the ground the spear he had abandoned earlier.
"What kind of Test is this anyways? Am I supposed to just-"
CRACK-
The two stood unmoving.
Mark, his back against the wall.
Zephyr, his spear embedded in that wall centimeters away from Mark''s head.
"The kind that will kill you if you let your guard down."
ytime was over.
That much was obvious.
...
A thousand miles away or more, a red-haired woman paced around her room.
It was the first time in a long time that she had felt this nervous.
Perhaps the first time ever.
"Anything stressing you out, dear?"
''This has been happening too frequentlytely.'' Nia thought to herself as she sighed.
Arani took slow and graceful steps to enter the room.
"Heard your Candidate is getting Tested now. That what''s stressing you out?" She asked while staring at Nia''s face, fishing for any additional information she could get.
"Why do you care? And stop barging into my quarters. First you, then Cyd-"
"Ohhh, Cyd. Yeah. I told him you were avable for... You know."
"I don''t know." Nia''s eyes turned colder than they were earlier.
"Ahhh... Does it even matter? Answer me this instead. You''re hoping that your Candidate will seed, aren''t you?"
Nia looked away.
"As much as I hope all the other Candidates will."
"Is that so? Seems to me like you care about your Candidate more than the others though."
"Why would you think that?"
Arani walked up to Draconia, until mere centimeters separated the two.
"Because you''ve grown soft."
A chuckle escaped the red-haired woman''s mouth.
"Good one. I''m busy so if you could just-"
"You can''t lie to me, my dear Nia. You care about him. I would even say that you''ve grown protective of-"
"Bfahaha! Sure. Yes. After throwing Zephyr his way and, as you know, designing one of the toughest Dungeons any of the other Generals have designed. Protective. Good one."
Arani smiled as she stared at Nia.
An innocent and radiant smile.
She turned around a momentter.
"Lies, lies, lies. My antennas are picking up lies." Arani said as she walked away.
She left the room and walked towards the quarters.
''Lies... There''s only one lie though. Can''t tell which one is the lie. One of the toughest Dungeons, true. But...''
Chapter 143 Overwhelming
The kind of Test that will kill you.
Bam-
Bam-
Bam-
Repetitive and quick thrusts of Zephyr''s spear made holes in the wall.
Mark, on the other hand, could only move sideways.
He desperately tried to find an opening that would allow him to move away from the wall behind him, but Zephyr did not allow that.
Mark''s vision, focused on the iing spear, barely allowed him to dodge.
The "Berserker[SSS]" Skill shouted its wish for retaliation, but there really was no opportunity.
With his reach advantage now even more obvious, Zephyr stayed a good distance away while thrusting the spiraling spear in his left hand.
It took a dozen more thrusts before Mark decided to do something different.
Instead of dodging on the outside like he was used to, he dodged to the inside-
BAM-
An unexpected right hook sent him flying.
Crack-
Crack-
Crack-
Mark''sunched body rolled on the ground.
Cough-
A drop of blood went down his face.
"Weapons are..."
He stood back up, seemingly struggling.
"Pretty cool."
A disgusted expression was hidden by Zephyr''s helmet.
The Monster smiled widely.
Its first time fighting an enemy with such an overwhelming reach advantage.
Its first time fighting an enemy this strong and intelligent.
Its first time fighting an enemy it could talk to.
"What are you waiting for?" Zephyr asked, his spear held in his left hand.
Mark thought holding the Weapon with both hands to be the next difficulty for the Test.
He shook his head.
"Focus... Focus... Gotta stay focused..." Mark whispered.
"Speak clearly."
Embarrassment immediately filled him, but he clenched his fists.
"Mm." Zephyr nodded. "Do it quickly."
"You could tell?" Mark asked as he opened his left hand.
On it,y a crushed head.
The eyeless hawk, brought to him by his Magic Skill "Bone Maniption".
Uponing into contact with Mark''s hand, it turned into a sphere of energy.
A green sphere.
And the disgust that filled Zephyr grew.
Mark swallowed the orb.
And a peaceful smile appeared on his face.
The sphere felt entirely different from the previous one.
Light.
Refreshing.
Delish-
Zephyr suddenly ran forward.
He pulled his spear back.
Mark jumped backwards and upwards, forcing Zephyr to thrust to be upwards.
The Weapon''s de missed by a tiny distance.
Had the Monster gotten lucky, or had it gotten used to the spear''s dimensions already?
As soon as the Weapon was fully thrust, Mark spread his wings.
Zephyr''s disgust turned into repulsion.
Wind st-
A version of the Magic Skill, while not as strong as the Guardian''s, much stronger than his used to be.
Zephyr raised his right hand towards the powerful gust of wind approaching.
Meanwhile, Mark''s own Magic Skill hadunched him backward.
About twelve meters above the floor, he took hold of the wall with his left hand and foot.
"Barely pushed him back... What to do...? Even if I reach him, that Armor..." Mark whispered.
Having spoken his first words in a new World minutes earlier, the separation between thinking and talking seemed blurry.
A Test that will kill you if you let your guard down-
A Test that will kill you if you''re careless-
Mark rather liked the sound of that.
It still didn''t sound like a battle to the death.
No.
It sounded like a Challenge.
And Mark loved Challenges.
Sigh-
In front of Zephyr, a smiling Monster hung from the wall.
''He''s taking this like a fight. Mm... I must have done a bad job exining things. Now that the damage is done, I''ll just have to...''
Zephyr pulled his spear back
''Break him.''
At the thought, Zephyr''s spear was already less than a dozen inches away from Mark''s eyes.
BAM-
"Did he just-"
Before Mark could finish his thought, Zephyr''s fists mmed him onto the ground below.
CRACK-
As soon as he could, Mark pushed himself off the ground.
The spear, thrown once more, drew a long wound on the Monster''s side.
Zephyrnded on the ground, by Mark''s uninjured side.
Thetter trembled.
A sudden leg kickunched the Monster away.
Its body hit the ground at the center of the Boss Room.
All excitement and joy had rapidly left Mark''s mind, just as Zephyr wanted.
He took hold of his spear and took slow steps closer.
Despite not feeling pain, the Monster''s body trembled.
Despite not feeling pain, the Monster threw up blood.
''Focus... Focus...'' Mark reminded himself internally as blood left his mouth.
The sound of Armor hitting the ground resonated.
Mark''s body shivered.
A short exchange had changed everything.
With overwhelming speed and power, Zephyr had seemingly aplished his goal.
''Now... Which should we go for first...'' He thought as he approached.
There was barely a hint of hostility or malice.
But from the usually stoic and detached Zephyr, that hint was nothing to scoff at.
"You''re a Monster, aren''t you?" He asked.
The Monster didn''t answer.
"Then it''s time for you to start fighting like one."
Unable to focus, unable to react in time.
A leg kickunched the Monster''s body to the wall once more.
And it hurt.
"Come on."
As soon as the Monster pushed itself off the ground, a punchunched it to another side of the Boss Room.
"Show me how Monsters fight."
Kick-
It hurt.
Punch-
It hurt.
Zephyr took hold of the Monster''s arm, and after spinning its body around,unched it to the ceiling.
"Show me."
The Monster was embedded in the ceiling.
And it hurt.
But it didn''t scream.
It didn''t shout.
It didn''t cry.
In the face of pain, the Monster roared.
Like any Monster would.
Despite being capable of speech, it roared.
With its body embedded in the ceiling, it roared.
A slight smile appeared on Zephyr''s hidden face.
A hint of malice.
Zephyr grabbed his spear with both hands.
Floating words appeared in front of him.
[Your Title "Monster Hunter" stares at the monstrous prey!]
[Your Title "Monster Hunter" increases...]
He was momentarily surprised by the messages.
''No. There''s no need.''
[Your Title "Monster Hunter" rolls its eyes.]
The slight smile on Zephyr''s face had disappeared.
''Seems I was getting ahead of myself...''
The "Monster Hunter" Title waking up only meant one thing.
That the "Monster Hunter" was preparing for a Hunt.
But right now, Zephyr didn''t stand in front of the Monster as a Hunter.
No.
"Let''s carry on with your Test."
Chapter 144 How Monsters Fight?
[Your Title "Monster Hunter" stares at the monstrous prey!]
Immediately, the Monster''s body started shivering.
One of the two had been assigned Prey.
Which could only mean that the other was Predator.
Mark remained on the ceiling, unsure what to do.
The instant Zephyr held his spear with two hands, something had changed.
Something about him.
Something about the whole situation.
A switch.
Zephyr didn''t feel like an "Examiner" anymore.
But rather, like an "Executioner".
The Aura that had confirmed the existence of that "Switch" had faded away, but Mark couldn''t just move past it.
''Do your best to kill me... Do your best to kill me...'' He thought back to Zephyr''s words and internally repeated them for a bit.
What was he supposed to do?
Zephyr wasn''t using some kind of special Active or Magic Skill.
There wasn''t any trick to his strength or speed.
Nothing.
It was simply...
"If you won''te, I will." Zephyr dered.
An overwhelming difference in Stats.
Only then, did the Monster push itself off the ceiling.
"Quit trying to fight like a Human."
Twitch-
Mark''s body started falling from the ceiling, and his thoughts raced.
''Your best to kill me... Like a Human...? Final Test... How Monsters fight...''
Mark had gone through dozens...
No.
Hundreds upon hundreds of fights since being Reborn.
Against hundreds upon hundreds of enemies.
Against hundreds upon hundreds of Monsters.
The way Humans fight? Why would he know anything about that? How could he know anything about that?
The only way he knew, the only one he had experienced, was the way of Monsters.
But then what did Zephyr''s words mean-
Suddenly, it clicked.
As far as Mark could tell, there were three ways of using the Berserker Skill.
One. Short Bursts.
Two, Focus. This method seemed to increase Mark''s Strength the most.
Three-
''Go wild...''
His feet touched the ground.
''My instincts.''
Zephyr''s body immediately tensed up.
He tightened his grip around the spear.
The Monster had closed the distance.
Fast.
Faster than it was before.
Faster than Zephyr had expected.
A swing of his spear.
The Monster swiftly lowered its body, letting the weapon cut the air above.
A sidekicknded on its body.
The Monster wasunched, but with a spin of its body in mid-air, its momentum was lessened.
Landing on both hands and feet, the Monster managed to eventually kill that momentum.
Zephyr opened his mouth, but before he could utter the word, the Monster ran forward.
The same sequence took ce thrice more.
Every time, the Monster wasunched away.
Every time, it approached as soon as the momentum it had beenunched with died.
[Your Title "Monster Hunter" is staring at...]
Zephyr took a deep breath in.
The one in front of him wasn''t a Monster.
But the one he was supposed to Test.
No, that''s not quite right.
Zephyr couldn''t afford to see him as a Monster.
Otherwise, a fair Test would be impossible.
But the fact that his Title was butting in was more than proof enough.
''You''re making this rather difficult.''
With the unyielding sturdiness and innate thirst for blood found in Monsters and Beasts, Mark reached for Zephyr''s body again and again.
With a kick, the Monster was cast away once more.
"You better not be losing your mind."
The Monster began its approach for the tenth time.
Zephyr repeated the sentence.
Only then did Mark hear it.
"I''m not."
"Good."
Mark blinked, and his back hit the wall.
ARGHH-
Clench-
"What now?" Zephyr asked, his hand wrapped around Monster''s throat, pinning it against the wall.
With all his might, Mark tried undoing the grip.
He couldn''t.
With his ws, he tried shing.
He couldn''t. The Armor around Zephyr''s body didn''t seem to leave any holes in his defense.
Mark opened his mouth.
It only took an instant for the hand that previously couldn''t be moved to let go of his throat and close his mouth shut.
His body felt a bit freer, and just when his legs were about to leave the ground,
"You''re getting nervous. That''s no good. Don''t tell me you''ve never found yourself in a simr position throughout this entire Dungeon?"
The question made Mark let his guard down for a second.
A second was much more than he could afford.
ARGHHH-
Zephyr slowly stepped backwards, as Mark''s arm, cut off at the elbow, fell to the ground.
"Nervousness, fear, doubt... Those aren''t traits Monsters have."
Heaps of blood exited the Monster''s wound as it roared and growled.
"I''ll beat them out of you."
The Monster, close to hyperventting, stared with hateful eyes.
A second before it charged forward,
"Grab it."
The Monster charged nevertheless.
A front kicknded on its sternum,unching it to the wall once more and making it gasp for air.
"Grab it, Monster."
"What the fuck... Do you-"
A punch to the face.
"Grab it."
A punch to the stomach.
The Monster fell to its knees.
"Grab it." The Monster was reminded.
It did just do.
"Now attach it back on."
The Monster raised its gaze, dazed and confused.
"Now."
Mark''s shaking hand brought the arm he had lost closer to the bleeding wound.
Once they connected,
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
A secondter, Mark could move the hand he had lost.
"Growing a new one would cost a lot more than reattaching the one you''ve lost. The less time passes between you losing it and reattaching it, the lesser the price."
Mark stared silently.
"Reattaching itter wouldn''t have been possible though. You can''t let the bleeding cease, or the lost arm die."
He lowered his gaze towards the arm he had lost seconds earlier.
"So I can just-"
"Yes." Zephyr interrupted. "Just as you would expect from a Monster."
Mark stared.
The expression on Zephyr''s face was hidden, but the hint of repulsion in his tone...
"You''re the Evolving Monster, aren''t you?"
The Monster remained silent.
Zephyr took hold of his spear with both hands.
"Then I''ll need you to Evolve. Right here. Right now."
"That''s not how-"
Mark barely managed to move his head to the side in time to leave space for the spear to pierce the wall.
"That''s not how what?"
Mark pushed himself off, moved away from the wall, and jumped back.
"That''s not how it works."
A slight smile appeared on Zephyr''s hidden face.
"Then tell me, Evolving Monster. How does it work?"
Mark''s muscles were twitching, ready to fire off at any moment.
Meanwhile, Zephyry the heel of his spear on the ground.
"How does it work?" He asked again.
Mark didn''t answer.
"You hold that Title, yet can''t tell how it works? How it operates? Or are you just unwilling to share?"
The Evolving Monster remained silent.
"I see." Zephyr raised his spear off the ground. "I''ll mutte you until you''re able, or willing, to answer."
Shiver-
The Armored Manunched himself forward, and did exactly as his warning foretold.
...
On the other side of the Boss Room''s walls.
Push-
Push-
Push-
"Don''t rush me. I''m trying, alright?"
The space separating the Boss Room''s doors was filled by a violent typhoon, blocking both entry and exit.
A typhoon Elisa knew she couldn''t pass through.
Push-
Push-
"You''re going to have to stop, or I really won''t be able to do it."
The Moonlit Feline took its paws off Elisa''s thighs and stepped back.
Krista sat down.
Elisa turned back to face the wall in front of her.
The wall next to the Boss Room''s doors.
''Alright...''
She was seated on her bent knees.
Elisa put her palm against the brick wall and closed her eyes.
''Focus... On the Wind... Focus...'' She repeated to herself.
And the Wind around Elisa started, slowly, moving in two distinct directions.
One, towards the brick wall.
The other, towards the typhoon that blocked the entry.
''If my Wind... Can make it through the somehow...''
The typhoon was too violent and rough.
Keeping track of her Wind as it passed through seemed like an impossible task.
But making her Wind pass through whatever space there may or may not be between the bricks that made up the wall proved just asplicated.
Between some bricks, there was space.
Between others, there wasn''t any.
Wall, ceiling, floor.
Elisa had to use all of them while keeping track of the different strands of Wind, the different passages they had already taken, and the differentbinations she had already tried.
An impossiblyrge maze with an infinite number of possiblebinations.
Still, she tried.
Because there was nothing else she could do.
And with a bit of luck, she could seed.
With a bit of luck, her Wind would enter the Boss Room.
With a bit of luck, her Wind would be able to read what was happening inside.
With a bit of luck, her Wind would be able to tell what was going on between those two.
Because that was all Elisa could do.
With a bit of luck, she would be able to tell what was going on between Mark and the Armored Man.
Between...
Elisa''s connection with her Wind was suddenly cut off.
Stand up, Devourer. I shall be your Final Test-
The reason I am here and the reason you were brought here arepletely different-
She clenched both her teeth and hands.
"Fuck... Fuck!"
Chapter 145 No Choice But To Trust The Strong?
?
Elisa''s eyes remained closed, and her hands against the wall.
''Not the same reason... Completely different... Brought here... Corruption... Devourer...? Final Test... That Armored Man... What is...''
She tried, but just couldn''t focus on her Wind.
''What does it mean... A different reason for being here... A Test...?''
Too many questions tormented her mind.
Push-
Push-
"That Armoured Man... Must be on the same side as that fucker... That fucker... The one who used Corruption on all of us..."
Push-
Push-
"Then... If they''re on the same side... If they know each other..." Elisa''s breathing turned so unstable she started hyperventting.
Push-
Push-
"Then Mark... Then... The Monster... The Armoured Man knew him... Which means... That..."
Push-
Push-
Elisa gripped her head with both hands.
"My head... Fuck...! If that Monster is... On their side then..."
Push-
Push-
"If he''s on their side then-"
Push-
"WILL YOU GET OFF ME? CAN''T YOU SEE THAT I''M THINKING? GIVE ME SOME FUCKING SPACE, ALRIGHT? STOP RUSHING ME!" Elisa suddenly shouted.
The Moonlit Feline, frozen by surprise, slowly took its paws off her thighs and stepped back.
Elisa massaged her forehead and eyes, deep in thought.
''If he''s on their side, then I need to...''
A decision had to be made.
Will she stick with Mark no matter what?
Or will him being on their side be the end of their...
Elisa turned towards the Moonlit Feline.
Thettery on the ground.
It stared at the floor, and its ears hung lower than Elisa had ever seen them do so.
"Sorry. You''re..."
Sigh-
"You''re not at fault here. I just... I just need some time."
...
"Willing to answer now?"
Cough-
Drops of blood were ejected from Mark''s mouth, while his nose continued bleeding.
"What kind... Of Test... Is this...?" His body swayed from side to side. "If you keep... Going like this... I''ll..."
"You''ll die? Mm. That would be troublesome."
"Right...? So how about... We find... A different way to..."
BLEUGH-
A punch to the stomach sent Mark to the wall for the hundredth time.
"Seems you''ve misunderstood something." Zephyr said as he walked forward. "You dying won''t cause a problem to anyone, Devourer."
"The fuck... Is that supposed to... To mean...?"
"I''m saying that if you die, you die. As simple as that."
A chuckle left Mark''s bleeding mouth.
"Yeah... Right... After all this time... After putting me through... This whole Dungeon... You think... I''ll believe that?"
Zephyr chuckled in return.
"Don''t tell me you thought you were special, Devourer. Don''t tell me you were na?ve enough or arrogant enough to believe yourself to be the only selected Candidate."
Twitch-
"How many?"
"So you really believed-"
"How many?"
Zephyr remained silent for a moment.
"Eight."
"More than I would have expected."
"Is it? What did you expect then?"
"Not much. There was no reason for me to think that I was the only one. And there was no reason for me to believe that there were others."
"Mm." Zephyr nodded. "You''re taking this rather well."
"I wonder why Nia didn''t tell me about them though..." Mark whispered to himself.
"Your arrogance knows no bounds."
"Huh?"
"You''re asking yourself that when Death is staring at you?"
"Well if you told me what the point of this-"
"Evolve. Right here."
"I told you already, I can''t. That''s not how it works."
"Sure it is. You have a way to Evolve right now."
"What the hell are you-"
"Devour them. Those inside that Ne of yours. That''s your only chance-"
"I can''t."
"Why not? Think they''re special? They''re just like any other Monster inside this Dungeon."
"Still, I can''t."
"Why not?"
Mark remained silent for a bit.
"Because I will need them once I''m outside."
"Ah! That''s a good one. Your arrogance truly knows no bounds. Devour them, or there won''t be an outside for you."
"There might be eight, but that''s not a big number. Not big enough for you to-"
"You''re the first to get this close to the exit. If you don''t make it, perhaps we''ll adjust the difficulty for the others."
Mark didn''t say a word for a couple of seconds.
"So what you''re saying is that..."
"You''ll die if you fail this Test."
"And what you mean by that is-"
"Yes, Devourer. I will kill you if you fail this Test."
Mark felt a shiver go down his spine.
His whole body immediately froze.
"Then... For the hundredth time, what Test am I-"
A front kickunched Mark away.
Ribs, crushed.
Breathing, increasingly more difficult.
Eyesight, blurry.
He could pass out at any moment.
His Mana Points had gotten low enough that he, now, felt the need to save them up.
There seemed to be a single manner to get out of the situation at hand.
''I have... To kill him... That''s... The only way for me... To leave... To survive...''
Dizzy and lightheaded, he was barely able to push himself off the wall.
''But I can''t do it-''
Something suddenly clicked inside Mark''s mind.
''I can''t do it... Alone...''
Zephyr abruptly halted his approach.
Something had changed.
The Aura around the Monster was different.
Too different.
It roared, and floating words appeared in front of Zephyr.
[The Unique Title "Devourer" is baring its fangs at you!]
[The Unique Title "Evolving Monster" is extending its ws!]
"Don''t let your Titles control you."
Mark''s lips parted, but his eyes seemed distant.
"Am I supposed to believe you instead? To believe that you won''t kill me if I don''t fail this Test?"
"That''s right."
"How can I?"
Zephyr took hold of his spear with both hands.
"The weak have no choice but to trust the strong."
Mark was seething. His blood, boiling.
"You think... I''ll ept that?"
"There is no other option for-"
"You think I''ll... Agree to live... That way? You think I''ll... ept a life... Hanging by... Such a thin thread?"
"What else can you do? Your desperate n is much worse. How can you let your Titles-"
"And what do you know..." Mark''s eyes burned. "About my Ttles?"
"Stop this foolishness. Is this supposed to be some kind of bluff? You know you can''t use or trust your premature Titles. They''re too-"
"Trust...? Can''t... Trust them?"
Mark''s body started trembling.
"Do you have any idea... What these Titles have done for me...?"
Zephyr stayed silent.
"I didn''t understand for a while but... These Titles... They''re the only reason... I managed to survive..."
Mark''s left hand took hold of his head.
"When I first appeared here... Weak... Scared... Confused... You weren''t there... Nia wasn''t there... Levi, Krista, Light... None of them... No one was there... When the first Monster appeared... That hunger... That had taken over my body... It wasn''t simply hunger..."
The Aura around Mark turned ominous.
"My Titles took over... And killed that first Monster... Because... I wouldn''t have been able to... They made me Devour... Because... I wouldn''t have been able to... They were there... From the beginning... They allowed me... To taste blood for the first time... When I wouldn''t have been able to..."
The ominous Aura thickened.
"And you think... I''ll trust you... Over them?"
[Your Title "Devourer" smiles widely.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" urges you to keep going!]
"So, that''s your choice?" Zephyr asked.
A mighty roar resonated throughout the Boss Room and beyond.
[Your Skill "Berserker[#]" is activating!]
...
''If they''re on the same side... Then why would he have let me join his side...? That wouldn''t make sense. Or are they just tormenting me...? No... I shot him, but he still...''
Elisa''s palm knocked on her forehead multiple times as she thought.
''If they''re on the same side, what would this Test be for? If they''re on the same side, why was he put inside this Dungeon? Why doesn''t he know anything about Magic? Why-''
The Moonlit Feline pressed its paws against her thighs.
Elisa turned towards Krista.
"Think they''re on the same side?" She asked.
The Moonlit Feline didn''t react.
"You can understand me, can''t you? Why aren''t you answering?"
The Moonlit Feline remained impassive.
And Elisa understood.
Sigh-
"You''re saying that it doesn''t matter to you?"
Nod-
"Well, it sure does matter to me."
The Moonlit Feline stared with wide eyes.
"I need to know... That''s why..."
Elisa brought her hands to the brick wall once more.
"I have to ask him something. I need to ask him."
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and the Wind around her listened to her everymand.
Through the spaces between bricks, cracks, and holes, her Wind went.
A multitude of passages were filled and emptied.
"Huh..."
One minute had passed.
Elisa turned towards the Moonlit Feline.
Thetter''s eyes were as round as ever.
"I''m in..."
Her Wind had made it into the Boss Room much sooner than she had expected.
The excited and overjoyed Moonlit Feline pressed its paws against Elisa''s thighs again and again.
Enthusiastic, it had even started purring uncontrobly.
Elisa closed her eyes once more.
Slowly, but surely, she redirected more of her Wind.
She directed more of her Wind towards the one passage that led to the Boss Room.
Slowly but surely, her Wind upied more space inside that room.
Drops of sweat were going down her forehead.
The effort was great.
But a slight smile was on her face.
Her head didn''t hurt.
A minuteter, she could feel movement.
Elisa took a deep breath in.
She breathed the air around her in.
Elisa''s lips parted.
"Mark, can you hear me?"
Chapter 146 Eager To Fly
?
Some time earlier, on the in field at the Final Floor''s center.
''I remembered something rather unpleasant. About my past. It was... Well... I doubt it would interest-''
"Do tell." A being made of mes interrupted.
''It''splicated. A bundle of hazy memories I can barely put together.''
"Then put them together."
The white-scaled Monster by its side thought for a bit.
''I remember being stuck in a room. A room filled with machinery...''
The Fire Spirit remained silent, and listened with great interest.
''White walls, white sheets. As if I was... Stuck on a bed?''
"You mean you were a prisoner of sorts?"
''No... No. It wasn''t anything like that. But it did feel like a prison. Well, not like a prison per se...''
"What then?"
''Like a birdcage.''
The Fire Spirit wanted to explode withughter but controlled himself. Getting his witty sneering out was too important forughter to get in the way.
"Oh... Excuse me. Who would have thought that our fearsome and sadistic Monster was, once, a poor and defenseless little bird. A bird that was eager to fly and p its wings, but couldn''t."
The Spirit''s words rang true. More than he could imagine. More than even Mark could at the present moment.
The Monster chuckled.
''Something like that.''
And the Spirit''s interest grew.
He hadn''t expected Mark to react this way.
"You''ve really mellowed out."
''Have I?''
"It''s infuriating."
Chuckle-
A pleasant breeze passed over the in, and the two remained silent for a bit.
"So we''re back to prisoner. Mm. Might exin why you want to wreck havok so much. Or why you enjoy moving around freely."
Mark listened to the Fire Spirit''s words intently.
''I wasn''t a prisoner. It was more like... A hospital. I think?''
"A hospi... What? What''s that?"
''A ce where doctors do their best to...'' Mark turned his gaze towards the Fire Spirit. ''Wait, how do you not know-''
The Spirit raised his eyebrows.
Mark shook his head.
It was a dumb question to ask. Even Mark thought so.
''A ce where... Sick and injured people are healed. Or at least where doctors attempt to heal them, I guess. Something like that.''
"Huh..."
''Yeah. I have no idea why out of everything I could remember, it was such a ce. I''m not sure, but it feels like I was stuck there for a long time.''
"And that''s what you just remembered?"
''No. I remembered this a while ago. Just... It hadn''t...''
"Clicked?"
''Yeah.''
"Huh. So what''s new? What did you just remember now?"
''It wasn''t now. It was while-''
"Doesn''t matter. What''s new? Tell me."
Mark stayed silent for a moment.
A moment judged internally by the Fire Spirit as too long and convenient.
''What''s this sudden interesting from? If I didn''t know you, I would think it''s turning into an obsession-''
"You''re not getting out of this. You got my interest piqued. Only right that you quench it now."
''I mean... Yeah, but-''
"Tell me. I want to know."
''Why-''
"Doesn''t matter."
''Of course it does, I mean-''
"Stop diverting. It might help piece things together. Telling me might. Plus, I can probably help."
''Probably?''
"Yeah. I can help shine a new light on it. And don''t you dare forget, cause it seems you are forgetting, how lucky you are that I am willing to do so."
''Sure but-''
"Alright. Get this. As a Spirit, I absolutely must know. "
The white-scaled Monster uncharacteristically bit down on its lower lip.
Its slight fidgeting wasn''t something the Fire Spirit could miss. He stared
The right words, the right words.
They weren''t easy to find.
''It''s like...''
And they were even more difficult to say out loud.
''Mm...''
The Fire Spirit did not rush him.
''It''s like I needed help. A lot of help. Constantly. For even the smallest things.''
"How so?"
''I''m not sure. But I was... It''s like I couldn''t do anything by myself. I always needed others to do things for me. I always needed their help and... ''
"You hated that?"
''I hated that.''
The two remained silent for a while.
"Did these ''Doctors'' heal you or whatever in the end?"
Chuckles escaped the white-scaled Monster''s mouth.
''Who knows.''
The Spirit suddenly noticed something.
"When was this?"
''What do you mean?''
"Was this after you entered this Dungeon? Or before that? It can''t be before since you''ve said many times that you don''t know what the outside World looks like. It can''t be after because... Machinery? There is none here. Or is there? You haven''t gone to the lowest Floors ever since... Huh...?"
Mark couldn''t help butugh out loud.
''That''s a question for another day.''
The Spirit clicked his tongue.
''Trapped and in need of constant help...'' He wondered silently.
"Huh."
''What?'' Mark asked.
"It''s interesting. Exins some things. Makes others unclear."
''Enlighten me.''
...
A mighty roar resonated throughout the Boss Room and beyond.
[Your Skill "Berserker[#]" is activating!]
The Aura around Mark changed.
It oozed out of his body and danced around it.
"When I wasn''t prepared to kill... My Titles did it for me... When I wasn''t prepared to devour... They did it for me... And now... More recently... When I couldn''t fight..."
"You''re gravely mistaken if you think this is a viable solution..." Zephyr tightened the grip around his spear. "And you will regret it."
In front of each Party, different words appeared.
[The Title "Monster Hunter" aches for the Hunt''s beginning!]
[The Title "Monster Hunter" can''t wait to track, chase, and y the Monster!]
[The Title "Monster Hunter" is eagerly staring at you!]
In front of Mark, the Hunter''s Prey, the preceding words floated.
In front of Zephyr, the Devourer''s Target, the following words floated.
[The Title "Devourer" is barring its fangs at you!]
[The Title "Evolving Monster" longs for your flesh!]
Shivers ruled over Mark''s body.
Disgust filled Zephyr''s.
"Whatever you benefit from these premature Titles..."
One was seen as Prey to be hunted and exterminated.
The other, as a coveted Meal. A luxurious and energizing Meal.
"Make sure it remains your own."
The two stepped forward. And each left long root-like rifts on the ground behind.
Thirty-five secondster, Elisa''s voice, carried by her Wind, reached Mark.
Chapter 147 A Promise, I
?
The Monster barred its fangs as it leaped forward.
The Hunter nted his feet as he raised his Spear.
A swift horizontal swing.
The Spear''s tip was barely dodged by nimbly crouching.
With the weapon swung to the side, the Monster shortened the distance, aiming for the Hunter''s chest.
But the Hunter was no amateur.
He allowed his Spear''s de to move aside, before thrusting its heel against the Monster''s skull.
It hurt, but the Monster wouldn''t let pain or dizziness get in the way.
Still, the hit had allowed the Hunter to discreetly move his center of gravity backwards.
A leg kick approached the Monster''s left shoulder.
It didn''t block the attack.
It didn''t even try doing so.
Instead, the Monster extended its sharp ws.
w and Armor collided, and one emerged victor.
Intact, the Armoured Leg continued its way towards the Monster''s body.
But the collision had taken off just enough speed from that kick for the Monster to slip below it.
By this time, the Hunter had brought his Spear back in front of his body, back where it belonged.
But the Weapon''s des, due to their spiral pattern, weren''t sharp enough to be used sessfully inbat.
It was a Spear made to be thrust.
A Spear made to pierce.
A Spear made to impale.
Which is why the Hunter instinctively wished to widen the distance slightly.
The Hunter in question was used to fighting against very powerful Monsters.
Monsters whose skin, hide, or scales could only be pierced by the Spear''s tip.
The possibility of those des being capable to injure the Monster in front of him did not cross his mind.
The Hunter''s instincts and habits wanted him to widen the distance.
But he refused.
Stepping back was not an option.
Conceding one inch to the Monster, was one inch too many.
Giving the "Monster" the impression that it had managed to push back the "Monster Hunter" was out of the question.
The Hunter let go of the Spear with his right hand.
The Monster, despite three of the ws on the ends of its right hand breaking, did not let up.
It refused to back down.
It refused to slow down.
In fact, it seemed to have gotten even faster as it lowered its body.
Everything around disappeared from the Monster''s field of vision.
The only thing that remained was the Hunter''s body and Weapon.
The Hunter had one hand around his Spear.
The other hand free.
One foot in the air still, the other on the ground.
Knocking the Hunter off bnce seemed like the right way to approach the situation.
The Monster''s right knee kissed the ground and slipped closer.
Its left knee was bent as it hung in the air.
The Hunter''s hand approached the Monster''s face.
Thetter tucked its neck just enough for that hand to miss.
The Monster''s leg approached the Hunter''s, when,
''...?!''
Confusion and surprise.
"Horns..." Zephyr uttered.
The Monster''s body was slowly and easily lifted into the air.
"Are such ugly things."
Before Mark could attempt to free himself, Zephyr spun around.
BAM-
ARGH-
Grabbed by its horns, the Monster''s body was mmed onto the ground.
Cough-
With no time to flow down peacefully, the drop of blood was torn from the Monster''s mouth as its whole body was thrown against the Boss Room''s wall again.
ARGHHH-
Pieces of stones and bricks fell to the ground as Mark took their ce.
"Hey, can you hear me?"
The Monster opened its mouth and roared.
The Hunter remained where he had been standing.
"Can you hear me?"
The Monster slightly pushed itself off the wall.
But before it could leave the crevasse it had made in that wall,
"Mark, can you hear me?"
The Monster looked around, searching for where the familiar voice wasing from.
It didn''t find a thing.
"You should be able to hear me... What is..."
With an open palm, the Monster suddenly pped the side of its head.
"Mark?"
The Monster suddenly roared once more.
"Get out... Of my head..." It uttered.
On the other side of the Boss Room''s doors, Elisa let out a long sigh of relief.
She opened her mouth, and the Wind carried her voice once more.
"I''m not in your head, dumbass. But I need to ask you something."
"You''re... In the way."
"You asked me this a while ago. Now, I want you to answer that same question."
"Shut... Up... You''re..."
"Tell me, Mark. Are you with them, or with us?"
The Moonlit Feline pressed its paws against Elisa''s thigh.
Mark took a deep breath in.
He pushed himself off the wall.
With a bam, Mark''s feet hit the ground.
"Does it look... Like I''m with him?"
A chuckle escaped Elisa''s mouth.
A chuckled she made sure the Wind would filter out.
"Good. Then don''t forget. We have a Contract."
Mark shook his head.
He couldn''t tell where the voice wasing from.
In truth, it didn''te from one singr direction.
Indeed, from every angle possible, the Wind around him talked.
"What does that have to do with-"
"use 5..."
Suddenly, Mark felt something tighten around his right wrist.
Something cold, and heavy.
He pulled his arm immediately.
The sensation was already gone.
"You will listen to my Request once we make it outside. You hear?"
"What are you-"
"Once we make it outside. You''ve agreed to it, so don''t forget or neglect it. The two of us are making it outside. It''s already part of our Contract after all."
"You''re not-"
"I''ll help however I can from here, but don''t expect much."
"How would you even-"
"The two of us are making it outside, Contractee. It''s a promise made. So keep your word. No matter what."
The next second, he could feel the Wind around him change slightly.
"Have I indulged you enough?" Zephyr asked, after having patiently waited.
"My first words might not have been as good as I wanted them to be but..." Mark whispered.
He clenched his fists.
"In this World..."
His eyes zeroed in on Zephyr once more.
"I''m not breaching my first Contract."
Chapter 148 Three More Exchanges
?
''My Stats haven''t done a thing but increase since the beginning yet-''
The deadly Spear''s tip grazed Mark''s cheek.
''I can barely match his speed.''
He was forced to jump back.
''Or, more likely, he''s matching mine.''
Zephyr took a step forward.
nk, nk; his Armor shouted as it touched the ground.
''Tsk.''
Annoying.
Mark found the situation incredibly annoying.
He thought about many things, including Nia''sst words to him.
He tried finding a clue, about what this "Test" entailed exactly.
But his adversary found no reason to give him the time necessary to do so.
Zephyr leaped forward.
And Mark felt he had no choice but to leap forward in response.
Each one''s speed was more or less the same as the other''s.
Despite the Berserker Skill actively increasing Mark''s Stats each time his Health points took a big hit, Zephyr matched his speed.
Mark had no idea how high Zephyr''s Stats were.
But this, wasn''t his first time fighting an enemy whose Stats seemed much, much higher. Which is why he didn''t feel as anxious or scared as one might expect.
Or perhaps, not as anxious or scared as he should have been.
Mark dodged the Spear, and clenched his fist.
But that fist wasn''t meant to be more than a feint.
From his left foot, the one closer to Zephyr, Mana was released.
Freeze-
In an instant, Zephyr''s lower body was frozen solid.
Mark jumped high and back.
He called out his Inventory.
"This..."
Zephyr stepped forward, as if the ice wasn''t even there.
"Isn''t helping your case."
Ice Maniption-
Instantly, the broken ice turned into a multitude of small spikes.
Uncaring, Zephyr stepped forward as the ice spikes collided with his Armor.
"Bringing toothpicks to a Spear fight?"
Arge amount of bones had exited Mark''s inventory.
They had been instantly broken and reassembled into three huge spears.
Mark lowered his arm, and the bone spears pierced the air.
With a p of his wings, Mark did the same. He aimed to position himself behind Zephyr.
"Weak, shallow tactics."
With his right hand, Zephyr stopped one of the spears. And with a swing of his, the other two were crushed.
Mark stood in front of his enemy''s back. Perhaps because that enemy had let him.
Between his hands, a condensed sphere made of pure Mana.
Something that he seemed unable to damage no matter what he tried. This wasn''t Mark''s first time facing something of the sort either.
The sphere of condensed Mana moved around between Mark''s hands. It twitched and trembled.
''With most of the Mana I have left...!''
Before Zephyr couldpletely turn around, his whole body except his limbs was enveloped by the stream of energy originating from Mark.
For a moment, most of his body couldn''t be seen.
''Did that get him? Or at least, inflict a bit of damage-''
"I didn''t expect the General..."
Mark unconsciously stepped back.
"To be so generous. Giving you the ability to fire off pure Mana..."
Not a dent.
"Was my Armor not specifically made to block Mana-"
A muffled chuckle resonated.
But a secondter, it turned into all-outughter.
Zephyr stared gravely.
"That... Is an Armor specifically made to block Mana? Haha!"
"I see you''re still not taking this seriously."
"Oh, believe me. I am. I''ve never taken anything more seriously... Bahahaha!"
"Mm. Right. Why theughter then?"
"It''s just... It''s just..." Mark truly struggled to contain hisughter. "A bit too ridiculous. I find it a bit too ridiculous, that''s all."
"Ridiculous?" Zephyr stepped forward. "What is?"
"Isn''t it obvious?" Mark jumped back. "This whole thing. Seems like overkill. Can''t really see how I could ever win this. Plus, I can''t talk to Nia. Would''ve liked to get some advice. Some advice like ''Be more rational''. Haha!"
Zephyr stopped approaching, deep in thought.
''Did the fear of dying get to him? No... General Draconia did say that he was the unpredictable type. The irrational type...''
Zephyr hated those types of people.
Surely, that must be, at least in part, why he respected Nia so much.
She always acted rationally and logically. Every action of hers is calcted andpared with every other possible action to select the right one.
Whether in a fight or not, that was the way Draconia operated.
The way she, a Descendant of Dragons operated.
Zephyr had, once, stumbled upon the General in the middle of a fight against a particr humanoid Monstermonly known as a R.
A very rare Monster Species, known for its Agility and craftiness.
Despite having simr builds, yet, inparison,cking in Agility, General Draconia had managed to deal with the enemy with rtive ease.
The day Zephyr joined Gaavah''s Army, choosing which General to serve was an easy decision.
She was a Descendant of Dragons.
A Descendant of Monsters.
Yet, for her, logic and rational ruled above all else.
Zephyr respected and admired that greatly.
The General was respected.
The Candidate associated to that General on the other hand...
''No two ways about it. That Armor is trouble.''
A Monster that smiled nervously in the face of Death.
Zephyr hated that.
"Three more exchanges."
"Huh?"
"Three more. If you don''t show some promise..."
Zephyr leaped forward.
"You''ll die."
The smiling lips on Mark''s face twitched nervously.
''Meaning I haven''t shown any this far?'' He asked himself as he dodged the Spear.
"Focus." Zephyr uttered as his fist connected with the Monster''s chin.
Upon impact, Mark was stunned for a moment. Still, he managed to bend his body at the right time for the Spear to only sh the scales that covered his left thigh.
And as the Spear moved once more, Mark jumped back.
"Running away hasn''t helped you before. And it won''t now."
An idea had entered Mark''s mind. Something he didn''t want to think about.
Even though it would allow him topete against the enemy.
It could finally give him the edge he needed against Zephyr.
"Don''t even think about it." Thetter warned.
Mark, whose hand had absent-mindedly moved towards the Underling Ne around his neck, froze.
"The moment you get them out, with any purpose in mind other than devouring them, I''ll kill them."
Mark clicked his tongue.
"If I''m to die anyways, then what''s the harm?"
Zephyr stayed silent.
"Die anyways? Says who?" He stepped forward. "I might have my reservations, but the General believes, not only that you can, but that you will pass this Test."
"Nia has faith, huh? A lot of good that''ll do me."
Sarcasm. Something Zephyr didn''t like either.
The two moved towards one another.
Both, were tired of repeating the same session of actions over and over.
Both, were eager for it to end.
Mark was in full control of his body.
Yet, the Berserker[#] Skill was still active.
A fact he was not aware of.
Chapter 149 Timeout
?
''Fire Magic, Bone Magic, Ice Magic, Wind st, Thunderbolt, physical attacks...'' The Monster thought.
Staggered, his body swayed from side to side.
"Giving up already? Two exchanges left."
"I''m throwing everything I have at him... And nothing seems to show any effect..." Mark whispered to himself.
"Devouring the Wolves might increase your Agility and Stealth. Maybe even give you useful Skills. The other Underlings could also-"
"Shut up." Mark interrupted.
A dark liquid seemed to ooze out of his left palm.
"You really don''t like taking the easy way out, do you?"
The dark liquid turned into a spear.
"Or perhaps, this..."
Mark ran towards the enemy, Dark Corrupting Spear in hand.
"Is you taking the easy way out."
Zephyr brought his weapon in front of him.
"You don''t mean to challenge me to a spear fight, do you?"
A dozen meters separated the two.
"Weapons aren''t a Monster''s-"
Using all its momentum and strength, the Monster threw the Dark Corrupting Spear.
Mark threw the weapon, proving Zephyr right.
"Weapons..." Zephyr extended his weapons forward. "Weren''t made for Monsters."
The Dark Corrupting Spear''s tip connected with that of Zephyr''s Spear.
It broke upon impact.
But before being a Spear, it was a dark liquid.
After breaking, the weapon turned back into that dark liquid which, thanks to the momentum, sshed Zephyr''s Armor.
''Finally something...''
To Mark, this seemed like a win.
Corruption works best when injected inside the enemy''s body, but sshing that body can also show some effects.
It was something he had seen numerous times.
Even when there is no wound to enter, the Corruption will seep through the many pores on the enemy''s skin. Granted it can reach that enemy''s skin.
"Might be considered harsh, but I will count this as an exchange."
''Fuck you...'' Mark cursed internally as he breathed heavily.
A Task simply impossible for you to aplish. You''ll climb the wall. Climb and climb, for as long as you can. And reach as high as you can, but you''ll never move past it.
He was starting to truly understand the meaning of those words.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
"You guys got an idea or something?" Mark whispered.
A secondter, he felt embarrassed for doing so.
[Your Title "Devourer" isughing out loud.]
[Your Title "Devourer" argues that you deserve the beating.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" gives you a thumbs up.]
Mark ignored the first two messages. He thought of them as ''Useless bullshit I expect from that one''.
"Final Test. Final Exchange. Final Opportunity to prove you are worth something. Don''t waste it."
The heel of Zephyr''s spear hit the ground, and a bang resonated.
Silence momentarily ruled over the Boos Room.
"I need a second."
"You what?"
Zephyr had thought of a variety of ways this encounter could go from the moment he was tasked with Testing the Devourer.
He expected many things, but this...
"I just need a sec. Mighte up with something."
Zephyr stared with wide eyes hidden by his helmet.
Astonished, he stared.
"You''re asking for a timeout in the middle of battle?"
"Tsk. Yes, I am. This isn''t battle though. It''s a Test, right? So yes. I''m asking for additional time."
"What... What makes you think I would grant such a request?" The dumbfounded Zephyr asked.
"Well, I don''t see any way out of this right now. And if this is to be the final exchange or whatever then-"
"What makes you think you deserve that privilege? This is still a fight."
Hidden, a slight smile had appeared on Zephyr''s face.
"I don''t know. Nia started granting requests on the Dungeon''s Last Floor so... Seemed like a reasonable ask right about fifteen seconds ago."
Zephyr remained silent for a moment.
"BAHAHAHA! Fine. Fine. This is yourst, so make sure youe up with something good."
"Alright. So... Where were we? You got an idea? Something?" Mark whispered.
He couldn''t shake the embarrassment he felt asking such a desperate question in such a desperate situation to a Title. Whatever that is.
He asked the Title, and couldn''t refer to it by anything else but "you".
Mark wasn''t sure why, but calling it by its name did not feel right at all.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" gives you a thumbs up!]
"So...?"
Mark waited and waited.
And so did Zephyr.
"Don''t tell me you''re..."
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" believes in you.]
"You fucking what...?"
Useless. So useless. Incredibly useless.
A Task impossible to achieve.
A Wall impossible to climb.
"Who are you conversing with?" Zephyr asked suddenly.
Mark remained silent for a bit.
He had no idea what to do or how to fight.
The only thing he could do for now, was try to gain some time.
"My Titles. Though I''m not sure what those are."
Mark decided to tell the truth.
The Armoured Man is here to conduct a Test.
And aren''t those who Test also supposed to Teach?
That''s the way it was with Nia, however little she actually chose to do the teaching.
Then perhaps-
Zephyr grabbed his Spear with both hands.
''Shit-''
[The Title "Monster Hunter" is staring at you.]
The words appeared in front of Mark.
"You''re the Devourer, aren''t you?"
The question immediately created a whirlwind inside Mark''s mind.
"Are you the Devourer?"
"I guess... Whatever that is."
Zephyr tightened his grip on the Spear.
"A horrible answer."
Mark remained silent for a moment.
Any additional seconds to allow his Mana Points to recover a bit were needed.
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is disappointed.]
''Well, excuse me. I don''t know what you expected.'' Mark thought to himself.
Zephyr moved his Spear, and, the atmosphere in the entire Boss Room seemed to change.
Mark was forced to jump back, gasping for air.
He had been forced to jump back.
Or at least, it felt that way.
After all, something had just...
[The Title "Monster Hunter" is aiming for your heart.]
Pierced his heart.
"Answer me this then. And think carefully about your answer."
Mark''s whole body started trembling. He didn''t know why, and couldn''t stop it from doing so.
"If it''s a bad one, my Spear will pierce your heart."
[The Title "Monster Hunter" is waiting patiently.]
"What is it, that makes you the Devourer? What is it, that makes you the Evolving Monster?"
Chapter 150 On Titles, I
?
Zephyr allowed Mark time to ponder the question.
Mark feigned needing time to think about it.
After less than thirty seconds, Zephyr tapped the floor with his foot.
Patience was running thin.
Mark could feel it.
"The fact that they''re my Titles?"
The fingers wrapped around Zephyr''s Spear twitched.
Mark understood the answer was a bad one.
He decided to correct himself before that Spear could be pointed towards his heart.
"I can Evolve by Devouring Monsters. That''s why I''m... The Devourer... And the Evolving Monster...?"
"Mm." Zephyr nodded.
A short silence ensued.
"You don''t seem sure of your answer."
Mark thought that having an honest discussion was his best bet.
And so, he acted ordingly.
"I don''t know much... Still."
"What about?"
"Titles... Magic... The World..."
Mark attempted to erge the topic of discussion.
"Even though you''ve had them all this time? You expect me to believe you really do not know?" Zephyr asked.
Mark would have clicked his tongue, was his life not hanging by a thread.
[The Title "Monster Hunter" is staring at you.]
"My Title is Interacting with you. You can see it, right? "
An unfamiliar uneasiness settled in.
"Yes." Mark answered reluctantly.
"Why do you think that is?"
"Why I can see it?"
"Why it''s interacting with you."
"Because... I''m a Monster?"
"Correct."
"What does that have to do with-"
"Now, what is it, that makes me a Monster Hunter?"
Mark remained silent for a moment.
"You have the Title of Monster Hunter. So that makes you one?"
"Absolutely and categorically wrong."
Mark thought Zephyr would add something to that, but he didn''t.
He wondered for a bit.
There was a different answer, just as obvious as the one he had given.
But it seemed unlikely.
Zephyr''s foot was about to move.
Mark noticed that.
His lips parted.
"You''re a Monster Hunter. That''s why you''ve obtained that Title?"
Zephyr''s foot remained unmoving.
And Mark sighed internally.
"That''s right. Titles rarelye first."
Mark didn''t really understand what Zephyr meant by that.
"Now, what does it mean to obtain a Title? To have a Title? How does one obtain a Title?"
Mark didn''t like the line of questioning.
It reminded him of a previous conversation with Elisa.
One difference. His survival depends on the answers given.
"You''ve... Acted like Monster Hunter... Then obtained that Title?"
"Right. Why do you think that?"
"Well because..."
Mark was confused by the question.
But it only took a second for it to make sense.
"You said that the Title doesn''te first."
"Exactly. Now..."
Zephyr brought his Spear in front of him.
"What makes you the Devourer and the Evolving Monster?"
"That''s..." Mark smiled nervously. "A sudden leap, don''t you think?"
Zephyr remained silent for a bit, deep in thought.
"I''ve acted as a Monster Hunter...."
Mark sighed internally at those words.
"Lived like a Monster Hunter." Zephyr continued. "Hunted like a Monster Hunter. As the Title entails, I''ve Hunted Monsters. I did so for a while. And I was recognized as a Monster Hunter."
''Huh...'' Mark listened carefully.
"Get it? Now, what about you-"
"Wait, wait."
At the interjection, Zephyr''s eyebrow twitched behind his helmet. He didn''t say anything.
"Recognized as a Monster Hunter? Recognized... By whom?"
"Huh? Isn''t it obvious?"
Mark remained silent.
To him, it didn''t seem obvious at all.
Zephyr''s right hand let go of his Spear.
''Shit-''
His index finger pointed at the ceiling.
"By the World."
Without really knowing why, Mark stepped back.
"The World? What does that... How does that... How is that even a thing?"
Zephyr didn''t understand where the confusion came from.
''Simply the way the World works'' he wanted to answer, but didn''t.
"I bear the Title of ''Monster Hunter'' because I am one. Because I''ve been recognized as such by many. So many, that the World now considers me one."
"Wait... I''ve hunted plenty of Monsters though. Wouldn''t that make me a ''Monster Hunter'' too?"
Dumbfounded, Zephyr stared for a bit beforeughing out loud.
"Good one. Good one, Devourer."
"Huh?"
"Oh. You''re serious? Hm." Zephyr coughed. "You might have killed or hunted Monsters as you say, but no one recognizes you as a ''Monster Hunter''. Which is why you don''t deserve that Title."
"Who says I don''t deserve it?"
"The World. Me. Everyone. Do you even see yourself as a ''Monster Hunter''?"
"Well, not exactly."
"Then why would the World see you as one?"
Zephyr wrapped his right hand around his Spear once more.
"That''s enough soul-searching for now." He asserted.
Mark chuckled nervously.
"Time for thest exchange? Already?"
"This will be this Test''sst exchange. But we''ll remain on the topic. What makes you the Devourer? The Evolving Monster?"
"It''s different for me, isn''t it? I was given those Titles. I didn''t obtain them the way you did yours."
"You still don''t get it. Titles aren''t simple things that can be handed out. Each Title is linked to the individual bearing it. It says something about that person."
"Yes, except that-"
"Look at a time before you had those Titles. And find the link between that time, the Devourer Title, and the Evolving Monster Title."
"I can''t. Because there is none. I was given those Titles as soon as I opened my eyes."
"Then turn towards events before that. Before you were Reborn."
"Before...? What would that have to do with the Devourer-"
"Everything. It has everything to do with it. Those Titles aren''t simply Titles. They are Unique Titles. At the core of your being, you are the Devourer. At the core of your being, you are the Evolving Monster. How? Why?"
"How is that even-"
"If you can''t figure it out..." Zephyrunched himself forward. "I''ll have to beat the answers out of you."
A nervous smile appeared on Mark''s face.
"Then..."
Getting answers beaten out of him sounded better than going through ast exchange.
"I''ll try to survive long enough..."
Answers he, more than anyone else, wanted to get.
"For those answers to reveal themselves."
Markunched himself forward, fully aware that he was about to get beaten up once more.
It wasn''t like he had much of a choice though.
Chapter 151 Tired Little Eye
?
Bam-
"Mark."
Bam-
"Mark."
Bam-
"Mark...?"
The Wind around him called, but he couldn''t hear a thing.
The Monstery on the ground, bleeding and unmoving.
Bam-
Zephyr retracted his bloodied fist for the seventh time.
Bloodied, but not by his own blood.
"Passed out? Already?"
As he retracted his fist, the Monster''s deformed face was revealed.
The right side of its face had been thoroughly pummeled.
Zephyr slowly stood back up.
''Definitely fills many of the General''s requirements. Strength, speed... It''s all there.'' He thought.
Zephyr picked up the Spear by his side.
''Were he to get a bit faster, I could''ve been in trouble. Good thing the General rmended that Ie Armored.''
Pierce.
AARGHH-
Screams and growls of pain exited the Monster''s mouth, suddenly woken up by the Spear going through its thigh.
''Who would have thought reaching this level of strength would take so little time...''
The Monster''s cries became even louder as the Spear was pushed deeper, widening the, already,rge wound on its thigh.
''The Deadly Sins. Even just a fraction of them can bring about disasters, huh?'' Zephyr wondered as he stared at the Monster''s hateful eyes.
The Spear was pushed even further, and the Monster immediately sat up andy its hands on the Weapons spiraling des.
''Still...''
With a kick, the Monster''s body wasunched a dozen meters away.
''Having my 30% of my Stats Locked is quite the handicap.''
"What the fuck..." The Monster whispered, barely able to talk.
It struggled to stand, as can be expected from anything with a wound such as the one on its thigh.
Through the hole in the thigh, the wall behind could be seen.
"Do you want..."
Blood was flowing down its whole body.
Uncontrobly so down its mouth.
"More... What more... Do you want...?"
Despite the blood going down its mouth, the Monster talked.
Perhaps it couldn''t do anything about it.
Perhaps it wasn''t even aware of it.
"Not healing?"
Choked chuckles exited the Monster''s open mouth.
It couldn''t be bothered to close it. Or it, perhaps, simply couldn''t do so.
Mark raised his hands up, showcasing the totalck of hostile or fighting intent.
"Sucked... Dry."
"I see."
The two remained unmoving and silent for a moment.
Mark did not lower his hands.
"Starting to think... Ast... Exchange... Would have been better... Than this." He struggled to utter.
"Death sounds better than suffering?"
"Right about... Now... Mm... I..."
Mark took a short pause.
He lowered both his hands and gaze.
"Just... Kill me... Already."
"Don''t like being toyed with? I understand." Zephyr said as he stepped forward. "Not the end the General had expected but..."
"What... Ever... I... Can''t... I... Just..."
Exhausted beyond belief, Mark truly couldn''t find a way out.
"You won''t Devour them? Even now?" Zephyr asked.
The Monster''s lips parted, but only for a moment.
Mark stared at the ground, silent.
Were his thoughts racing?
Was he internally debating it?
Whatever the case might have been, the silence was taken by Zephyr as Mark''s answer.
"Well, then..."
Zephyr''s feet moved.
The ground cracked.
Mark, on the other hand, remained immobile. As immobile as he could. His body was swaying slightly from side to side.
His gaze went back to Zephyr.
Mark stared at the approaching enemy.
The Speed, the Strength, the Armor, the Spear.
Mark chuckled internally.
''And he''s not even using Magic.''
At the thought, his pupils widened slightly.
''Not even...?''
The Spear was approaching.
And Mark did not have the energy to dodge in time.
He thought about resting.
About closing his eyes.
The Spear was two meters away from Mark''s chest.
He sighed internally.
Regrets? Of course, there were some.
Hopes for the future? Of course, there was a whole world out there.
Still, there wasn''t much Mark could do in the situation.
''It was fun.''
He closed his eyes.
And waited.
Mark hoped it wouldn''t hurt too much. He was already hurting a lot after all. Has been for a while.
Actually, it wouldn''t have been an overstatement to say that the whole Dungeon was a session of pain and healing.
He hoped it wouldn''t hurt too much, but that hope onlysted a fraction of a second.
Mark hoped it would hurt.
He wanted it to hurt.
He wanted it to hurt more than anything that had ever hurt him.
The most painful experience possible.
The most painful sensation ever.
That''s what he wanted.
Because in a bit, he would be back.
Mutters-
Back to the endless and cold void from which he had been pulled out.
Mutters-
Back to the endless nothingness.
Mutters-
Back to... Nothing.
Mutters-
The most painful sensation ever.
Yes.
That''s something he would''ve liked to experience before going back there.
He liked experiencing new things, however extreme they were.
He loved new things.
He loved change.
He hated stagnation.
He hated it when things remained the same.
He loved chaos.
He hated boredom.
Perhaps, that is why he hated that endless void.
Perhaps, that is why his Soul was chosen.
All the same, the time for him to go seemed to havee.
"MARK!"
At the Wind''s sudden shout, he opened his eyes and was blown away.
Bleugh-
Heaps of blood exited his mouth, thrown up upon his back hitting the wall.
''I''m sick... Of this...''
His fell to the ground andy unmoving, chest against the floor.
Mark could barely keep an eye on Zephyr.
Keeping track of him and controlling that eye seemed like incredibly tiresome tasks.
Even that tired eye wanted to close and rest.
"Mm. I see..."
Zephyr turned away from the Monster.
And thetter did its best to stare at his back.
His eye nced at every part of Zephyr''s body.
Every part of the ck Armor tinted in gold that he wore.
Not one crack.
Not one fissure.
Not even a scratch.
Nothing.
So much fighting.
So much suffering.
So much Evolving.
Yet, not a scratch to be found.
That''s how much he amounted to.
Not even a scratch.
Zephyr pulled his Spear back, and the ground below him cried as it broke.
''Huh...? Why is he... Turning his back...?''
"No Underlings allowed." Zephyr said.
Mark realized what had happened.
He realized that Zephyr''s Spear hadn''t killed him for one reason and one reason only.
The Wind had protected him.
Her Wind.
And now, Zephr, with all his strength, throws the deadly Spear towards her.
Mark assumed it was all his strength, as Zephyr had not used, at any time, as much power as he was now.
A thick wall of bricks strengthened by Mana separated Elisa from the iing Spear.
A thick wall Mark knew wouldn''t be enough to stop the Spear''s approach.
Was she even aware that the Spear was approaching her? Mark did not know.
Hey on the ground, bleeding
Unable to do a thing, he watched the Spear approach the wall of stone.
Perhaps, because that was all he could do, Mark extended a hand in her direction.
As if that could be of any help to her.
The Spear pierced the wall, and he couldn''t do a thing but watch.
Mark wanted to close his eyes.
He didn''t.
Chapter 152 Her Blood
?
Arge portion of the wall was brought down.
Multiple pieces of rubble fell to the ground.
With each piece of rubble breaking as it hit the ground, Mark''s body shuddered.
"When I say no Underlings..." Zephyr slowly turned around to face him once more. "It means no Underlings."
Mark opened his mouth, but no words came out.
He stared through the hole in the wall, but nothing could be seen.
What had happened? He did not know.
Had someone been hit? He did not know.
If someone had been hit then who? He did not know.
Seconds earlier, the Spear was approaching.
The Spear that was synonymous with Death.
Death was approaching him.
But she protected him from it.
And now...
Mark clenched his teeth.
''I-''
Before he could even start the thought, something appeared through the hole.
Something appeared on the other side of the Boss Room.
"It''s... Uhh... Phew. Just a scratch. Just a scratch-" Elisa shouted, but she was interrupted as a violent typhoon appeared, filling the hole that the Spear had created.
Mark couldn''t hear her words.
He simply noted the usual cheeky smile on her face.
Mark stood back up. He barely seeded in doing so.
"What... Was that for...?" He struggled to ask.
Zephyr stared for a bit.
"The Test''s Difficulty will increase."
Mark''s gaze went from Zephyr to the ground repeatedly.
Anger and rage screamed inside him, but they could barely express themselves, choked under the excessive weight of his pain and tiredness.
''Every fight... Is a Test. A Test to discover... Who has the right...''
His knees gave out.
''To stay... Alive.''
Mark fell to the ground.
''That''s how it is... In here...''
And as hey, it didn''t hurt as much.
A chuckle escaped his mouth.
''Test... Difficulty...A bit... Too high... This time...'' Mark thought.
He closed his eyes.
And for the first time, in a very, very long time, Mark felt like he could sleep.
For the first time, in a very, very long time, he thought himself capable of going to sleep.
Capable and willing.
When was thest time he had slept anyways?
He couldn''t remember.
Sure, he had passed out a couple of times during his rise inside the Dungeon.
During every Evolution, Mark passed out.
Once, he had been Poisoned, and passed out.
Against the Corrupted Dark Elves...
Plenty of times, his eyes had fallen on the sleeping Moonlit Feline.
''Huh. Wish I could sleep too from time to time...'' Mark used to think.
And now, for the first time-
Mark''s eyes opened suddenly.
''Every fight... Is a Test... How it is... In here...!?''
"How was your nap, Devourer?" Zephyr asked as he stepped forward.
With his eyes open wide, Mark remained on the ground, though his body sporadically twitched.
He sat up suddenly.
So suddenly, with such speed, that Zephyr was slightly surprised.
Mark''s gaze seemed to wander randomly while he brought a knee to the ground.
With his right foot and left knee on the ground, he thought.
With his right arm resting on his right knee, he thought.
Mark''s eyes and whole body froze.
"You''re killing, right? This is a Test, right?"
Zephyr remained silent for a moment.
"That''s right." He answered.
A hand slowly made its way towards Mark''s neck.
Scratch- Scratch-
The hand stopped moving.
Scratch- Scratch- Scratch-
"It''s not the same... Not the same... Different... Too different... I can''t..."
Scratch- Scratch- Scratch-
''Did the fear of death break something? Or was it the fear of that Underling''s death...?'' Zephyr wandered.
''Each fight is a Test. The Victor gets to survive... Each fight is a Test. The Victor gets to survive...'' Mark repeated to himself internally for a couple of seconds.
Instantly, dozens of encounters entered his mind.
Dozens of fights he had gone through.
Dozens of enemies he had defeated.
Dozens of enemies he had killed.
Scratch- Scratch- Scratch-
''So many, I have already...''
The image of a certain Underling suddenly came to mind.
The X inside the X had agreed to y a certain game-
And just because the X X were the losers this time, didn''t mean they had any right toin or hold a grudge-
After all, the X, too, had killed monstrous amounts of living beings along the way-
Mark''s eyes, wide open, moved towards Zephyr''s.
"Why... Are you killing me?" He asked.
Once again, Zephyr took a moment to answer.
"Because you''re failing the Test."
Mark''s gaze fell to the ground.
"I can''t..."
And his eyes were cold.
"Let you do that."
"Let me?" Zephyr was taken aback by Mark''s words, but also slightly amused by them.
"I can''t let you kill me.."
"Ah! So that''s what-"
"Not... For that reason..."
"The reason? Is that-"
"I can''t let you kill for that reason... That reason is..."
As Mark continued talking, Zephyr realized that the former couldn''t hear him.
"Testing... Testing... Judging..." Mark whispered as he scratched his neck.
A scale suddenly fell off that neck.
Mark remained frozen for an instant.
"Who are you... To judge me? I can''t ept that... I''m not letting you kill me... Not that way..." He pushed himself off the ground as he whispered.
"Who am I to judge you? I am simply..."
Mark''s eyes were locked on him, which is why Zephyr knew he was being heard.
Otherwise, he wouldn''t have talked.
Zephyr wouldn''t waste words that way.
"Someone much stronger."
Mark''s gaze went back to the ground.
And he thought.
He remembered.
Every encounter.
Every fight.
Every time an enemy stood in front of him.
Every time he was much stronger than the enemy.
Mark raised his gaze once more.
"As... I thought..."
Mark''s body swayed from side to side.
"I can''t... ept it."
Zephyr wanted tough, but he didn''t.
"After killing so many Monsters during your rise inside this Dungeon, after killing so many on your way here, you can''t ept that your time hase? Of course, you can''t. Death is always terribly hard to ept, once it stands before us."
Mark opened his mouth. But for a couple of seconds, no words were uttered.
"..."
Inaudible whispers. His gaze went back to the ground.
"Huh?"
"I can''t... ept it..."
Zephyr sighed.
"It''s getting repetitive. Let''s end this now." He said as he stepped forward.
"I''ll do my best... To kill it..." Mark whispered.
"Save it."
"And it''ll do its best... To kill me..."
Zephyr suddenly stopped his approach.
"What''s that?" He asked.
"I''ll do my best to kill it... And it''ll do its best to kill me..." Mark whispered once more.
"Is that supposed to-"
"I''LL DO MY BEST TO KILL IT... AND IT''LL DO ITS BEST TO KILL ME!" Mark suddenly shouted.
With hateful eyes, he stared at Zephyr.
Thetter stayed silent.
Mark''s body shuddered.
"If you are to kill me... Then do it... The right way."
"The right way-"
"Do it. Not because... Of some Test... Not after judging me... Kill me... The way Monsters kill."
Zephyr''s eyebrow twitched.
"Kill me... For no other reason... Than the fact... That we''ve met..."
[The Title "Monster Hunter" is listening to your words carefully.]
"Kill me... For no other reason... Than the fact... That our roads crossed..."
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
"For no other reason... Than the fact... That we''ve looked at each other..."
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
"And that neither of us backed down... Neither of us... Ran away."
Mark''s lips were shaking.
And as they shook, they slowly turned into a smile.
A smile that filled Zephyr with disgust.
"Kill me... Because that''s what Monsters do-"
BAM-
Mark''s body hit the wall.
"Sorry, kid..."
An incredibly quick elbow hadnded on his chin,unching him away.
"I''m not about to fulfill your fantasy, or y along with it."
Zephyr stood tall.
"You''re dying because you''ve failed this Test. Because you''ve been judged unworthy. Because..."
Mark growled loudly as he pushed himself off the wall.
[Your Title "Devourer" roars!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" screams!]
"I''ve judged you unworthy."
The twounched themselves towards one another.
Despite the fact that one was much stronger.
Despite the fact that one was much faster.
***
A couple of minutes earlier, on the other side of the Boss Room,
"It''s... Uhh... Just a scratch. Phew. Just a scratch-" Elisa shouted, but she was interrupted as a violent typhoon appeared, filling the hole that the Spear had created.
The Wind filled the hole, and the Monster couldn''t be seen anymore.
Whimpers and cries.
"Oh,e on. Don''t look at me that way." Elisa said as she lowered her gaze.
The Moonlit Feline pressed its paws against her left knee.
"If you had seen... How beaten up he was... You-"
BLEUGH-
Elisa immediately fell to her knees as heaps of blood exited her mouth.
Her body hit the ground.
The Moonlit Feline walked to her side.
Krista didn''t want to see, but she felt like she had to.
Her eyes stared at the wound on Elisa''s stomach.
At the hole that Spear had left.
At Elisa''s missing side.
"Think you can-"
Cough-
"Think you can... Freeze it... Or something...?" Elisa struggled to ask.
Krista''s trembling paws slowly moved towards the wound.
In truth, the injury was too severe to be called a wound.
"You know... He-"
Cough-
A look that said "Don''t talk" fell on Elisa.
She knew that look well.
"He-"
Cough-
"It''s not as wide... As the hole I put... Through his stomach... So-"
Elisa coughed up more blood.
"We''re... Even."
It only took seconds for a pool of blood to appear around her.
From the corner of her eye, Elisa noticed the blood pouring.
A secondter, her vision became blurry.
She clicked her tongue.
Elisa wasn''t fond of that color.
The color of her own blood.
Chapter 153 The Most Fun
?
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." A familiar woman clicked her tongue repeatedly at the sight of him.
Mark struggled to push himself off the ground, but he eventually managed to stand up.
His legs trembled.
They were about to copse under his weight.
Not wanting to fall to the ground, Mark leaned against the bed at his side.
His legs gave out nheless.
"How does it feel," A familiar voice resonated. "To be back here?"
A woman he had seen in a dream.
A woman he once knew.
Mark looked around.
A room he once knew too.
Dread immediately filled him.
But at the same time,
"Comfortable, isn''t it?" The woman asked. "A bed. A window. Even air conditioning."
Mark remained silent, and the woman talked slowly, as if to give him the time necessary to look around.
"You wouldn''t have to worry about the cold. Not about the heat. Your every need, tended to. No one would beat you up here. No need to worry about a thing. No Monsters or Beasts. You wouldn''t have to fight. You wouldn''t have to struggle. You wouldn''t have to-"
"Yet..." Mark interrupted with a low voice. "I still died."
"Right."
"Is my body moving...? Out... There...?"
The woman chuckled brightly.
"That''s what worries you?"
Mark didn''t respond.
"No... No. You''re not moving out there. You''ve been knocked out for a bit. That''s all."
Mark''s eyes stared at the woman''s face, before scanning the room.
And as his eyes scanned the room, his arms pulled on the bed''s sheets.
He slowly climbed up the bed''s edge, perhaps without even meaning to do so.
It was soft and warm.
"And I''m supposed to believe that?" Mark asked.
"No reason for you to doubt my words."
He stared at her for a bit.
"Who are you?"
"You know me already."
"I don''t."
"Of course you do. My name is-"
"You''re not her." Mark interrupted.
"Right... That''s right." The woman took her time. "But if I''m not her... Then who am I, my dear Mark?"
A dream? A nightmare?
No. Once again, it couldn''t be that.
Then-
"You can''t answer that, can you?" The woman asked after a moment.
"My... Memories of her? Something..."
"Tsss. Come on, Mark. You know that''s no answer."
Mark agreed, but didn''t say a thing.
Memories of her? He couldn''t truly think that.
After all, there wasn''t a thing he could remember about her.
The womany her hands on the small and round table behind her.
With a hop, she took a seat.
Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
He felt disgusted for a moment.
A familiar setting.
Her, seated on the table.
Him-
"I must admit," She crossed her legs. "I''m disappointed. Especially after ourst conversation."
"Who are you?"
"Why does it matter? Why would it matter to you, when you can''t even say who you are?"
A smile was drawn on the woman''s face as Mark remained silent.
"I''ll live however I want to. Act however I decide to. Freely. That''s what you told me, remember? And I thought you would do good on your promise."
Mark sighed internally.
With no way to forcibly wake himself up, all he could was y along.
"I am. Doing good on that promise."
"Are you? Perhaps for a bit, but didn''t you put your life on the line to protect something?"
"That was different. And doesn''t go against-"
"Of course, it does, Mark. You said you wouldn''t be held back. That you would act freely. But having to protect something weaker... That''s quite the constraining link, isn''t it? As if that wasn''t enough, you started doing it more and more."
Mark shook his head. Perhaps an attempt to wake himself up. He could picture Zephyr''s Spear approaching him, getting closer and closer with every passing second.
"Even now, you keep those hidden. Protected. Mm... But I can''t criticize you, can I? After all, you prefer it that way. Fighting alone. Freely. You like that, don''t you?"
Mark stared for a bit.
"Sure."
"It was fun, wasn''t it? Fighting that Berserker. Fighting the Fire Spirit."
Mark lowered his gaze, before answering.
"It was."
"You''ve had tons and tons of fun inside this Dungeon, right? Sure, there was some pain and fear along the way. But overall, it was fun."
He clenched his teeth.
"Right."
"The most fun you''ve ever had, right?"
His hands grasped the sheets hey upon.
"Answer me, Mark. This was the most fun you''ve ever had, wasn''t it?"
Suddenly, the white scales that covered his body turned into weightless particles of light and floated upwards.
Upwards, and away from him.
Five secondster, the woman pointed her index fingers towards him.
"Bang... Bang..."
Two holes appeared on Mark''s body.
He wasn''t scared.
It didn''t even faze him.
Holes through his body.
He had seen that plenty of times already.
The woman brought her index fingers towards her mouth.
And as if they were guns from which smoke was being released.
Phew-
She blew the "smoke" away.
Mark couldn''t help but chuckle at the theatrics.
"What''s this supposed to be?"
Her right hand rotated.
Her right index finger came into contact with her left thumb.
Her left index finger with her right thumb.
She raised her fingers, so that the rectangle they made took the role of a frame around her green vibrant eye.
"You''re being recorded, so make sure you tell the truth."
Scales, horns, fangs, wings, tail, muscles.
Everything had disappeared from Mark''s body, without him even being aware.
Heughed out loud.
"Yeah... Yeah. It was the most fun I''ve ever had."
She turned her face and, therefore, the frame in front of her eye towards a wall.
Mark followed her gaze.
A mirror.
And on it, Mark could see himself.
His old self.
All of his past weakness. His past fragility.
Long ck hair in which he seemed to drown.
Narrow shoulders. Thin upper limbs.
And his legs.
Is there even a need to describe those?
"The most fun you ever had, right?"
"Yeah."
"It was fun for a while. Now, answer me this. How does it feel..."
Mark''s hands twitched.
"To be back here?"
Chapter 154 The Three Of Us
?
"How does it feel to be back here?"
A chuckle escaped Mark''s mouth.
"Just stopping by for a bit. Might die right after though."
"Oh... You don''t get it, do you?" The woman''s eyes narrowed. "You''ve been here for a while. That''s why you''re here now."
"Huh?"
"Obvious, isn''t it?" She asked before letting her back fall gently on the table below.
"I don''t think I have time for this."
"Oh, but you do. That man is patiently waiting for you to wake up. You have aaall the time in the world. Maybe? Haha!"
Mark''s eyes narrowed.
"How do you know?"
With one eye open and the other closed, she stared at the ceiling through the frame made by her fingers.
"Does it even matter? You have a habit of focusing on things that should hold little to no importance to you. Why are you here, Mark? Why are you in this room?"
He remained silent.
"Mark. What is this room to you?"
Her tone seemed to grow impatient.
"A cage."
She snapped her fingers, and left her extended index finger to aim at the ceiling.
"Exactly. Do you feel trapped, Mark?"
He stared silently for a bit, before chuckling.
"I guess. Is that why I''m here? I''ve felt trapped plenty of times."
"Yes. Yes, you have. But it''s different now, isn''t it?"
Mark didn''t answer.
The woman suddenly rose and extended her hands towards him.
"You''ve been back here ever since that man came in, haven''t you?"
Through her fingers, her eye stared.
He remained silent.
"Comfortable, isn''t it? In here?"
Mark looked away.
He turned his gaze towards the window, as he had countless times in a previous life.
A sinking feeling started settling in.
Mark couldn''t see anything beyond that window.
"You''re stuck here. You can''t escape, Mark. Not like you used to."
"What do you want?"
"I don''t want anything. I''m just saying, it''sfortable in here."
"It really isn''t."
"Why? Because anything you do ends up turning into pain? Because you can''t do a thing? Because you need me and others to help you? Because you can''t do anything on your own? Because you''re trapped? Because Death is looming over you?"
The words stung, and Mark chuckled.
Her words rang true.
"All of the above."
"That''s what I''m saying, Mark..." With a hop, her feetnded on the ground.
She slowly walked over to him.
The red hair that barely fell below her chin danced.
Her hands approached his face, but he quickly pulled back.
"It''s so sad to see you back here."
Mark studied her face.
Her words seemed honest.
But he knew he couldn''t trust a thing there.
"What are you saying?" His tone, impatient.
"I''m saying that... For a while now," She slowly stepped back. "This room and that one, have felt the same to you."
Mark looked away, but once again, nothing could be seen through the window.
The woman crossed her arms.
"You can''t do a thing. Trapped in a room. No matter what you attempt, it ends with you in pain. I mean..." She said while her index finger was aimed at the ceiling and drew circles. "Do you really need me to spell it out for you?"
He remained unmoving.
"Going up that Dungeon, pain and suffering included, was the most fun you''ve ever had. Imagine how being outside will feel. How discovering a whoole new World will feel."
His gaze distant.
"Thisst fight, sadly, hasn''t been fun. It could''ve been, but... Seems that guy wants something. Something he''s keen on keeping a secret."
She lowered her body and took a seat on the ground.
Her right elbow was on the bed, inches away from Mark''s feet.
Feet he couldn''t move.
"You''re not going to let it end so soon, are you?"
Mark didn''t answer.
"You wouldn''t, right?"
He wanted to answer, but didn''t.
"You''re about to throw it all away. All of it. Why?"
Mark''s eyes finally turned towards her.
"I don''t have a choice."
"Of course you do. You always have a choice."
"Not here. Not now..."
"So you''ve epted it? That this is the end?"
A telling silence.
"You haven''t. I know you haven''t. You''re not going to let him end it. You can''t."
"What do you know about-"
"Mark, Mark, Mark. I''m on your side here. It''s time for you to ept it. I''m not the enemy. He is. The one fighting you. The one beating you up. The one about to kill you. He''s judging you. Judging your whole being. Your existence. Choosing whether or not you''re worthy of staying alive? Who is he to do that? When he doesn''t know a thing? When he hasn''t seen any of the things you have? I''m on your side, Mark. Unlike him, I know a lot. I know you. That much, at least, we can agree on, right?"
Mark didn''t deny it.
He didn''t confirm the statement either.
"You''re cold, Mark. Too cold. Why won''t you trust me?"
"Why should I? Who are you?"
The womany her hands on the bed.
She moved closer.
For some reason, Mark found her movements akin to those of a spider.
"Your memories of her. That''s what you said earlier, right?"
Mark remained silent.
"That''s who I am then. What I am."
"No... That''s not it..." He whispered.
Suddenly, the woman''s pupils narrowed.
"It''s time for you to let go, Mark."
"Let go of... What?"
"Everything. You need to let go, if you want to survive. Let go. Perhaps, that''s even what that man wants. You fear letting go. You fear losing control. More so than you fear death. But that''s not how it should be, Mark. We can survive this. We can make it out. The three of us can move beyond this wall."
"The three...? What do you-"
Slit vertical pupils that seemed to drown in a sea of vibrant green.
"We''re running out of time. Ask him. Ask him if he understands. Ask him if he knows anything. And then, decide."
"What are you-"
The womany a finger on Mark''s forehead, and his mouth didn''t obey him anymore.
He couldn''t talk.
Not a word could exit his mouth.
"Ask him, then decide. We''ll..."
One of the woman''s slit pupils didn''t swim in a green sea anymore, but a golden one.
A golden eye.
"ept whatever you choose. No matter what, we''ll ept your decision. Don''t forget, the three of us are one. So we will always..."
Mark suddenly felt incredibly sleepy.
"Be on your side."
He closed his eyes, nodding off.
But before he could fall into a slumber,
KICK-
Mark''s body was suddenlyunched to the other side of the Boss Room.
"Nap time is over." An impatient Zephyr said.
Chapter 155 Gain & Loss
?
With a kick, Mark''s body was brought into the air.
After three seconds, it hit the ground.
"Nap time is over."
Mark opened his eyes and looked at the Armoured Man.
His vision was blurry, but Mark pushed himself off the ground.
He barely seeded in getting to his knees.
Inaudible whispers exited Mark''s mouth.
"Speak up." The Armoured Man demanded.
"Name... What''s... Your Name?"
After a short silence, he answered.
"For now, I have none."
"None...?"
"I''ve thrown my Name away."
"Pretty... Cool..." Mark whispered to himself.
He brought a hand to his knee.
"Answer me this... Monster Hunter."
An eyebrow hidden behind a helmet twitched.
"Have you always... Been strong?"
Zephyr took a moment to answer.
"Stronger than my peers."
A chuckle escaped Mark''s mouth, and so did a couple of blood drops.
"So you... Don''t know how it feels... To be weak. To be... The weakest..."
He pushed himself up, only to stumble and fall back on one knee.
"So weak... You can barely handle your own weight. So weak... You can barely stand."
Zephyr studied the dizzy Monster.
"No. I don''t."
"Yeah... As I... Thought."
"What does that have to do with this Test?"
Choked chuckles left Mark''s mouth at the word ''Test''.
"As I thought... I can''t let... Someone who doesn''t understand... Kill me..."
"You have killed plenty of weaker Monsters on your way here. No need to feel bad about it."
"It''s... Different... For me..."
Zephyr remained silent, as the stumbling Monster finally managed to stand on its feet.
"Standing... Use to be... A gigantic... Hurdle for me. Did you... Know?"
"I didn''t. And it matters not."
Zephyr stepped forward.
"I wonder if... Nia... Knows that..."
''Mm. Did something happen? Or is he simply delirious?'' Zephyr asked himself.
The Monster''s stumbling ceased.
It stood, its body leaning forward. Both its knees bent and caved towards the inside.
Its limp arms hanging loosely.
But on the Monster''s face, a victorious smile.
"You have no idea... What it''s like... To be weak... I... Do. I have been... For a long time..."
Zephyr approached.
"For longer... Than I can remember..."
He got closer.
"You can''t understand... The joy... I feel... Simply... From..."
Silent and impassive, Zephyr walked.
"From... Simply-"
BLEUGH-
Heaps of blood flowed out of Mark''s mouth, as Zephyr''s palm pierced through his stomach.
The Monster lightly grabbed the attacker''s Armor.
"I can''t... let you... Kill me-"
Punch-
Bam-
The Monster hit the wall, and its body fell to the ground.
"Not... You. Now... I get it..."
Suddenly, and inconspicuously, from the dark stains on the Monster''s body, dark particles were emitted.
The dark particles floated in the air, and slowly flew upwards, towards the ceiling.
"I would rather... Lose... To them..."
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
"Than... To you."
A torrent of dark particles fell onto the Monster''s body.
As if the Wind had taken them, as if they were part of an avnche, they flew down and covered its body.
A dark sphere covered the Monster''s body.
Secondster, a mighty roar resonated.
The area surrounding the dark sphere was ttened, along with all the rubble on the ground.
Cracks appeared all over the sphere.
It broke, revealing the Monster roaring louder than ever.
A dark matter covered its nails.
A dark matter filled its wounds.
Its cheeks were slowly torn, revealing more fangs.
The Monster''s jaw was widened, as if it had previouslycked the necessary space for that roar to exit.
A dark Aura oozed out of the Monster''s body.
The cracked and dark sphere was brought down.
And as its chunks hit the ground, they turned into a dark liquid.
A dark puddle covered the ground around the Monster.
It stopped roaring.
And opened its eyes.
Eyes dark as night.
Pupil, iris, and sclera included.
All, pitch ck.
The Monster had opened its eyes.
But those eyes, weren''t its own.
The whole Boss Room shook violently.
[The Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" opens its eyes.]
***
On the other side of the Boss Room''s doors.
A roar resonated from inside that Boss Room.
Both ground and air shook.
By this time, Elisa couldn''t see a thing anymore.
Too much blood had already left her body.
The Moonlit Feline tried its hardest to lower the temperature around the wound and slow the bleeding, but there was only so much it could do.
Elisa slightly moved her hand a couple of centimeters off the ground.
"You''re here... Right?" She whispered weakly.
The Moonlit Feline''s tail found its way to that wandering hand.
"I didn''t... Thank you... For earlier."
The Moonlit Feline stared at Elisa''s pale face.
"You like him a lot... Don''t you? That... Mark."
Krista pressed her paws harder against the wound, but simple intent or wishful thinking couldn''t change a thing.
"At first... I didn''t... Get it. What you... Or that Fire Spirit... Saw in him. But he''s... Different... Isn''t he...? Different... Than other Monters-"
A painful cough interrupted her words.
"Even though... You like him... A lot... You didn''t... Hold it... Against me..."
The Moonlit Feline''s ears hung even lower.
"When I... Shot him... You saw it... Right? I''m sure... You did... But you still... Didn''t hold it... Against-"
Cough-
"I''m... I''m sure... The two of you... Will make it... Outside. You hear... Me...?"
Krista moved her tail alongside Elisa''s finger.
"You will... Make it. And once... The two of you... Are outside... I''m sure... He will... Take care of you... Always... I''m sure... Of that... He will... Always..."
A hand moved blindly for a moment.
Krista pushed her head against that hand.
"You can... Stop... Now. It''s... Toote... For me..."
The Moonlit Feline cried out and pushed against that hand harder.
"Thank you... But... It''s already... Toote..."
Elisa stayed silent for a moment.
And how couldn''t she?
The pain she was feeling was excruciating. Talking only made it worse.
"You... Know... I asked him... About the tower... About the spot... Around it..."
Krista listened intently.
"The tower... I was... Stuck in..."
And how couldn''t she?
"I asked and... He... Lowered his gaze... He stared... At the ground... Ha-"
Cough-
Cough.
Herughter was cut short by the sharp pain, and by the blood rising.
"They weren''t... There... They weren''t where... I had... Left them..."
Elisa''s voice grew weaker and weaker.
"Where I had... Seen themst..."
Her hand fell to the ground.
Limp.
She didn''t have the strength to move it.
"They weren''t... There when I... Went back... Can you hear me?"
Krista pushed against Elisa''s body.
"Can you... Hear me...?"
The Moonlit Feline cried and cried.
"Are you... There... Still...?"
Cries and cries, forever unheard.
"Do you think... You don''t think..."
A tear to the side of Elisa''s closed eye hung for a moment.
"He''s going to... Like he did the others...?"
Krista''s body started trembling as she cried.
"Is he going to... Eat me... Once I stop... Breathing...?"
The tear went down Elisa''s pale face.
"He wouldn''t... Right?"
Fooosh-
"Right?"
Chapter 156 A Titles Authority
?
"Finally using your Titles to the full extent of their Authority? Good."
The Monster roared, and its body changed slightly.
A puddle of darkness below its feet.
The next second, the Monster opened its eyes.
[The Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" opens its eyes.]
And the whole room shook.
"This one however..."
Even Zephyr could feel the pressure exerted by the Monster. By its gaze.
By its eyes.
"You will need to shut down."
A second roar shook the Boss Room.
The Monster stopped roaring, but it didn''t close its mouth.
Suddenly, it started bleeding.
From its eyes, and from its left arm, dark blood flowed down.
"Mm. You don''t mean to spray me with that, do you?"
The puddle of darkness grewrger andrger.
Until, at one point, it started moving.
Waves appeared on the dark liquid as it danced.
Zephyr braced himself, but he wasn''t scared or even worried.
Gargle-
Gargle-
Bubbles seemed to appear on the dark puddle.
The next second, the darkness around the Monster started rising.
"Huh. So in the end..."
Four different spots rose.
"You resort to petty tricks."
They took form, although their lower bodies were indiscernible from the dark puddle below them.
"Four Monsters conjured. No... Made?" Zephyr whispered to himself.
He took his time studying each of them.
''An Arachne-Type of Monster. That two-headed... No. Three-headed Monster. The one that Guarded this Floor?''
Zephyr wasn''t certain.
The Monsters were made of a dark and gooey liquid after all.
A dark and gooey liquid that seemed to continuously leak out of even their bodies.
''Some kind of... Fairy? The shape of those wings and its size give off that impression, but it might just be some kind of Insect-Type Monster. There''s no way a Fairy would be brought into a Dungeon of this level. Additionally, that sickle-like arm isn''t something you would expect a Fairy to have. Andstly...''
The final Monster surprised Zephyr slightly.
''His Underling...? No.''
A Wolfpletely made of the dark matter.
Its four paws were indistinguishable from the puddle.
''Mm. Then...''
"Those are Monsters you''ve Devoured, I assume? Why them, in particr?" Zephyr asked.
The Potential Demon King Candidate stared, unmoving.
With its knees caved in and its arms hanging.
''None of the others resemble his Underlings. Is there something special about these particr Monsters? Or is it simply that he couldn''t create more of those he has Devoured? The wolf...''
Think they''re special? They''re just like any other Monster inside this Dungeon-
A slight smile appeared on Zephyr''s face as he remembered the words he had uttered some time earlier.
''The wolf is simr to his Underling, but it''s not that Underling. Then... Perhaps... No. Probably, because he has Devoured many just like it? That might be the Link. Then what about the others...?''
He was curious and intrigued. But now wasn''t the time to dwell on such matters.
The Monster''s body twitched.
"Unlike the two other Titles, this one..."
And Zephyr knew it would attack soon.
"Isn''t one you deserve."
With a growl from the Monster, the Beings made of dark matter moved forward.
Their movements were incredibly strange. Almost hypnotizing.
The four Beings moved, and, with them was pulled the dark puddle, which, a secondter, turned into their respective legs and paws.
''If they''re made of that Corrupting liquid, I doubt their fangs or ws would be... No. With a Title like that, I can''t underestimate it.'' Zephyr thought to himself as he braced himself.
The first to make it to his position was the creature resembling a Wolf.
It truly was a strange creature.
From the rough shape of its body, the indiscernible outline of its body parts, to the liquid falling off its ear only to be part of its paw.
The Wolf seemed to be the fastest, which didn''t surprise Zephyr.
"Is it taking the properties..."
The Wolfunched itself forward, with its jaw open wide.
"Of your Underling?" Zephyr asked as he threw a powerful punch that blew the Wolf to bits.
The next instant, he felt something behind him.
Zephyr instantly turned around.
And as he did, the Fairy-like Being lowered its sickle-like arm with great speed.
Zephyr quickly stepped back and dodged by a hair''s breadth.
The Fairy-like Being''s whole body was made up of the unstable and gooey dark liquid.
But not its sickle-like arm.
It had been condensed. Solidified.
And as the arm missed Zephyr''s body, the Wolf, whose body had been blown to bits moments earlier, leaped towards him.
Zephyr''s left hand grasped the Wolf''s gooey body.
Suddenly and discreetly though, behind him,
"If punching you isn''t enough..." The Monster whispered.
A powerful squeeze momentarily incapacitated the Wolf.
"Then...!"
A clenched fistnded on the Zephyr''s side.
He was immediately taken by surprise, as the punch pushed him about five meters away.
But that surprise quickly faded.
"So you''re starting to understand it better..." Zephyr uttered.
The Monster jumped towards him once more. As did the dark Beings on its side.
"Wind Magic."
Suddenly, the Arachne-like Being jumped down from the ceiling.
At the same time, the Wolf took a leap.
And he could tell that the Fairy-like Being was standing behind him, ready to lower its arm.
The four Being made of the dark liquid remained a couple of meters away, seemingly waiting for an opportunity or for Zephyr to dodge and react ordingly to the direction of that dodge.
The Monster''s dark eyes stared as its clenched fist was pulled back.
"This isn''t bad..."
Zephyr grabbed the Monster''s wrist as soon as it extended its arm.
"Not bad at all..."
And as if it was weightless, the Monster''s body was swung around with great speed, forcing it to crash and collide with the three other attackers, turning them into three distinct puddles.
"For a Title..."
Still grabbing it by its writs, Zephyr raised the Monster''s body.
The two stared at one another.
"You do not deserve."
Pressure-
Zephyr instantly brought his empty hand to the Monster''s face.
He had felt something.
Something, from its dark eyes.
Zephyr''s handy, hiding the upper portion of its face and shutting its eyes.
"Now. How about we-"
The Monster opened its mouth.
And with a roar,
RWAAAA-
BAM-
Rubble fell to the ground, as Zephyr''s body wasunched into one of the Boss Room''s walls.
Smoke rose and covered his position.
It wasn''t clear whether the attack utilized Wind Magic or not.
"Hahaha. Shoving me into a wall..."
Zephyr chuckled as his body was buried in rubble.
"How the tables have turned."
He pushed himself off, with a hidden smile behind his helmet.
"A Potential Demon King''s voice sure is different."
A smile that, if seen by anyone, could''ve been described as a tad sadistic.
[Your Title "Monster Hunter" is rejoicing!]
Had a Monster worth Hunting finally appeared?
Chapter 157 Let Go, I
?
[Your Title "Monster Hunter" is rejoicing!]
''To use it...''
After facing it and watching it being used countless times, Mark had figured it out.
Wind Magic.
For Beasts, it required a roar.
For the Guardian, for Storm Eagles, a p of their wings.
For Elisa, a swing of her dagger.
And, until now, for Mark, just like the Beasts, a roar or a wing movement.
He tried using the Wind-Type Magic Skill to produce a Wind st with his palm the same way he would a Fire Ball, but it didn''t work.
Mark''s clenched fist approached Zephyr''s body.
A body so strong and sturdy that punching it felt like hitting a gigantic boulder.
''What is needed is...''
The instant his fist was about to collide with the targeted area,
Wind st-
''Momentum.''
BAM-
Zephyr was instantly pushed a couple of meters away.
Unfortunately, the power wasn''t enough to damage the Armor that covered his body.
Having found a new use for the Magic Skill was a great addition to Mark''s arsenal.
A great addition that would,ter on, develop into a new and different Magic Skill.
"Show me more of what you''re capable of." Zephyr''s tone seemed to imply that the request wasn''t one, but an order.
But Mark couldn''t tell.
In fact, he couldn''t even hear those words.
He was focused solely on fighting.
Solely on his enemy.
On the enemy''s movements.
On his vision, sharpened by the Passive Skill "Combative Eyes" that increased both Kic and Dynamic Visual Acuity.
The main drawback from the Passive Skill was the user''s field of vision being narrowed.
But that mattered very little.
It was a Skill obtained by the Evolving Monster.
A Skill obtained solely to keep up with an opponent in a one-on-one setting.
Against multiple opponents, the Skill will provecking.
But in front of the present "Monster Hunter", that fact held very little importance.
Zephyr, unarmed and outnumbered, was forced to jump back.
But was stood a couple of meters behind him was,
SCREECH-
Immediately, the surrounding area was blown off.
Unfortunately for the Devourer, the power was not enough to knock Zephyr to the ground.
The attack barely managed tounch Zephyr''s body a dozen meters away.
"So it can even use the Skills it-"
The Monster Hunter was forced to take a leap forward.
sh-
The attack had missed, but once again, it made Zephyr wonder for a moment.
''I couldn''t see it move. It simply appeared behind me at some point, somehow. An interesting Skill. But is it possible for him to have defeated a Monster capable of, even if temporarily reaching such speeds? No...''
Zephyr was right.
There was no way Mark could''ve defeated such an agile Monster. Especially not with the strength he had while clearing the Floor on which a simr Monster had been encountered.
Zephyr could only find one answer.
''It''s not the Monster he has devoured. Which means that it''s...''
The Monster Hunter truly took his time thinking and fighting the Evolving Monster.
Interest and curiosity.
Two qualities that drive most Monster Hunters.
ying the Monster is the goal, but the real joy is found in the Hunt.
In the chase. In the studying of the Hunted. In the nning of the Hunt.
Zephyr wasn''t supposed to stand inside the Boss Room as a Monster Hunter.
But rather, as an Examiner.
The difference between the two wasn''t exactly arge one in the situation at hand.
"Not... Enough..." The Evolving Monster to itself as the Hunter dodged its attacks.
Nope-
The Monster''s head twitched.
Not missing that moment of inattention, Zephyr went on the offensive.
"Did your Stats increase that much?"
Not enough-
"Did your Mana increase that much?"
Not nearly enough, Mark-
"Enough for you to control those Monstrosities?"
Multiple punches, kicks, and elbow attacks that could only be dodged by a hair''s breadth were thrown at him, while two voices resonated at once.
"Answer me, Devourer."
Mark-
"Elisa?" Mark whispered.
Bam-
A punch to the stomach pushed him back.
"You''re losing your focus..."
You know I''m not her-
"Devourer."
Mark clicked his tongue.
He did his best to focus and continue the fighting but,
BAM-
A powerful kickunched his body to the Boss Room''s wall.
"I''m not sure what''s happening to you, but you''d better get over it quickly."
Mark stared at Zephyr.
Maaark-
I''m telling you, this isn''t enough-
He suddenly pped the side of his head.
"Get out of my head."
Mark blinked.
And she appeared.
I''m not in your head, dumbass-
Confusion overtook him right away.
He was still in the Boss Room.
Zephyr was still there, standing a couple of dozen meters away.
And yet, she had appeared.
"Fuck off."
Oh, is that how it is-
In that room, you''ll talk, but not here-
"Get out... Of my head..."
Inches away from him, she stood.
You''ve changed, Mark-
"I don''t... Have time for..."
Don''t you want to win-
The woman''s lips moved, but her voice seemed to resonate directly inside his mind.
"I want... To leave..."
That''s not what I''m talking about-
"Leaving... This ce..."
No, no, no, my dear Mark-
The woman stepped towards him.
Mark''s heart instantly skipped a beat.
Not because of her or who she was.
"Move... Out... Of the way..."
Why-
Don''t tell me you''re scared just because you can''t see him-
Her body covered Zephyr''s position.
"Out... Of the..."
You have to start trusting me-
"Who... Even are you..."
Winning, Mark-
Winning is what matters-
Winning is what you love-
"I just... Want to..."
Hahahaha-
Sheughed wholeheartedly.
You never just want something, Mark-
It''s high time you''ve epted it-
"What are you... Even..."
Complete victory-
Complete victory against strong opponents-
That''s what you want-
That''s what you love-
That''s what drives you-
"No... I just... Want to..."
She clicked her tongue repeatedly.
Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk-
You got tamed, my dear Mark-
You''ve forgotten, or, perhaps, tried to forget-
The woman extended her hands towards his face.
He would have pulled his head back, had he the energy to.
Chapter 158 Let Go, II
?
You got tamed, my dear Mark-
You''ve forgotten, or tried to forget-
The woman extended her hands towards his face.
He would have pulled his head back, had he the energy to.
Her slender fingersy on his cheeks.
Crush them, Mark-
Crush the strong-
Beat them at their own game-
That''s what gets your heart pumping-
That''s what you want to do-
He remained silent for a moment.
"I can''t... Not... Anymore..."
Don''t listen to what they say-
You can''t lose trust in yourself-
And more than anything, you can''t lose yourself-
Don''t lose sight of what it is that makes you, you-
Mark shook his head repeatedly.
Unfortunately, that wasn''t enough to make the ''illusion'' in front of him disappear.
It''s time to let go, Mark-
Anger started boiling up inside him.
"Let go of... What?"
Sigh-
She pulled back and stepped around.
Mark could finally see Zephyr once more.
He was slowly approaching.
Truly taking his time with each step.
The woman stood by Mark''s side, before letting her back rest against the wall.
What''s the difference between him and the Berserker-
"He''s... Too... Strong..."
That''s what you thought against the Berserker too-
"It''s... Different... I tried... Everything..."
Mmmm-
I''m not so sure about that-
You''ve stopped trying-
Mark remained silent.
You doubt that you even have a chance to win this-
"I can''t... Win this... I can just... Perhaps..."
You don''t truly believe that-
"I..."
You don''t believe it at all-
You''re simply trying to act rationally, as that whoever said-
Or rather, you''re trying to think that way-
You''re fighting against what you feel and believe, trying to rece it with... Whatever this is-
Mark''s hands started twitching.
Don''t listen to them-
That person is an outsider-
The woman turned towards Mark.
Her face was inches away.
He stared at her.
At her slit pupils. One, basking in a sea of gold. The other, in a sea of emeralds.
Mark lost himself in those eyes.
And he felt incredibly sleepy.
They don''t know anything-
They''re the same-
This guy, and the one that used to talk to you-
"Then... What am I... Supposed to do...?"
Listen to that voice inside you-
The voice that knows your true power-
"And what voice... Is that?" Mark asked, with a hint of irony.
The woman smiled brightly.
It''s a voice you used to trust-
The very voice that told you countless times you could beat the enemy, despite it being, seemingly, stronger than yourself-
Deep down, you don''t believe your chances of winning to be null-
"I... Don''t..."
The woman turned her gaze towards Zephyr.
Mark followed her gaze.
The Monster Hunter was about seven meters away.
Listen to that voice-
And win-
The woman''s body started fading.
''Win... Win... Win...''
Mark struggled to push himself off the wall.
''Win... Kill... Kill...''
Zephyr''s mouth was moving as he stepped forward, but no words reached the Monster.
''Kill...''
The Hunter suddenly stopped approaching.
''Crush.''
He raised his arms defensively just in time.
RWAAAA-
RAAAAA-
RWAAAA-
[Your "Berserker[#]" Skill''s Activation has reached its Maximum Value.]
The Monster roared.
Yet, there seemed to be two distinct sounds emitted from its mouth.
One, a powerful and grave roar.
The other, a strident and bone-chilling screech.
[Your Title "Devourer" roars menacingly!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" screeches at the enemy!]
Having braced himself this time, Zephyr hadn''t beenunched as far as the previous time.
"The time hase for the..."
He raised his hand to the side.
Instantly, a hole was made through the Boss Room''s wall.
His Spear had pierced the air and returned to his palm.
It had returned, for a...
"Final Exchange."
Not once word had been heard.
The Monster stared at him.
[The Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" stares at the Monster Hunter".]
And for a second, Zephyr felt his body freeze.
The Monster opened its mouth as wide as it could open.
[The Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" bares its fangs.]
The next second, a dark sphere of energy was formed in front of the Monster''s mouth.
Zephyr''s leg twitched.
An attack he absolutely had to dodge.
The dark sphere shrunk and shrunk.
And then, without a sound, an incredibly fast stream of dark energy was shot.
Dark Magic was a scary thing.
Zephyr knew that very well.
It was a Magic Type that could be described as nonsensical.
There was no true "Thing" that Dark Magic produced.
Only Darkness.
But isn''t Darkness the absence of Light?
Is it anything more?
Is there a way to describe it differently?
A way to describe it by itself?
Fire Magic, Water Magic, Wind Magic, Earth Magic, Lightening Magic...
All various types that produced something.
But Dark Magic doesn''t produce.
It only takes away.
Nonsensical Magic Types.
Zephyr had faced and witnessed the use of many.
Their uses, and their destructive impacts.
Red Lightning, for example, was one of those Magic Types.
One that Zephyr had faced.
But he had never faced an opponent capable of using Dark Magic.
Not only now.
[Your Title "Monster Hunter" is d to feel its blood pumping so powerfully!]
A nervous smile was on Zephyr''s face.
Red Lightning might be scary, but how different is it from Lightning, truly?
A change in color can be a scary thing.
But as the stream produced by Dark Magic approached him, he understood.
Dark Magic isn''t simply darkness.
The stream of energy was incredibly fast.
A stream of Light.
A Dark Light.
...
The Monster closed its mouth.
Arge portion of the wall in front of it had disappeared.
It stepped forward.
"That was an impressive one."
The Monster raised its gaze, only to find the Hunter on the Boss Room''s ceiling.
"Not something you should be able to do."
The Monster stared.
Zephyr let go.
"Was your Darkness any deeper, this could have gone very wrong for me." He said as hended on the ground.
Cracks had appeared all over his Spear and the Armor that covered his left arm.
"Did you lose control? Or have you tamed your Titles?"
[The Title "Devourer " is staring at you menacingly.]
[The Title "Evolving Monster" is staring at you hatefully.]
"Is that your answer?"
The Monster opened its mouth wide, and the Hunter tightened his grip over his Spear.
Chapter 159 The Devourers Fangs
159 The Devourer''s Fangs
"You can''t hear me, can you?"
Following Zephyr''s question, nothing other than growls and roars.
"Then you''ve lost control?"
The Monster stepped forward before stumbling.
''An increase in Mana. Endurance and Vigor probably weren''t affected much. Those Monstrosities disappeared as soon as I kicked him to the wall...''
Zephyr directed his gaze to his left arm and the Spear his hand left.
''He shouldn''t have anything new left to use.''
The Hunter directed his gaze towards the growling Monster once more.
Towards its dark eyes.
The heel of Zephyr''s cracked Spear hit the ground with a bang.
"I''m satisfied." He dered.
The Monster breathed heavily.
It didn''t let its guard down for a second.
"You might not understand your Titles for now, but it seemed to me that the level of cohesion between you and them isn''t too bad. I expected them to work against you. Your Greed and Gluttony. In the end, you surpassed my expectations."
"You can stand proud, Devourer..."
Zephyr nted his Spear in the ground.
"You have passed my Test, and piqued my interest."
His hands took hold of the helmet that covered his face.
"You know me as a Monster Hunter. There''s no reason for you to know me as anything else. You have piqued a Monster Hunter''s interest and curiosity. You can take pride in that as well. Most Monsters will never-"
A dark sphere appeared in front of the Devourer''s mouth.
Almost instantaneously, a ray of Dark Light made its way to the other side of the Boss Room.
RWAAAA-
The Monster roared.
Another portion of the Boss Room''s walls had been disintegrated.
"Not as wide an area of effect as the previous one. Running out of Mana?"
The Monster''s leg twitched.
Its dark eyes immediately turned in the direction the voice came from.
"Even my little speech wasn''t enough for you to take back control?"
Growl-
"Then, following the General''s guidance, I will give you some more time. Time for you to fulfill this Test''s second requirement."
The Monster leaped forward.
"Take back control over your own body."
Zephyr remained unmoving.
"Your Unique Titles are nothing more than the manifestation of your own Greed and Gluttony. They will make you powerful. Much more powerful, but..."
The Devoured swung its ws.
"They will be your downfall if you can''t tame them." Zephyr added as he dodged.
The Monster threw a kick.
"I imagine there is no harm in this..."
It was blocked.
"Those Titles were created..."
Punch-
"By giving you a portion..."
Block-
Tail Flick-
"Of the Deadly Sins."
Zephyr jumped back.
He widened the distance. Not because he was in any difficulty, but simply to make time for what he wanted to say.
"In your blood, runs a piece of both the Sin Of Greed, and the Sin Of Gluttony. In your blood, runs a portion of the Weapons used by two Demon Lords. It''s only a small portion, but the stronger you get, the more powerful those Titles will be. The Demon Lords utilize the Sins to gain great power. You understand, don''t you?"
The Monster remained unmoving.
"Demon Lords have an ability that the vast majority can ever obtain. Thanks to the Deadly Sin they hold..."
Growls asionally left its mouth.
"They can weaponize their own emotions and ambitions. Truly weaponizing them, and turning them into power."
The Monster stopped growling.
Zephyr took that as an indication that control was being taken back.
"Since you still don''t know much, not even about Titles, this probably won''t make much sense to you. But just like Magic, these must..."
The Devoured ran forward.
"Mm. Still not listening?" Zephyr asked as he easilyunched the approaching Monster away.
Growl-
"Your Lord, or rather, General Draconia''s Lord, is the Demon Lord Of Pride. He holds the Deadly Sin Of Pride. Do you understand what that means?"
The Monster''s approaching fist was stopped by an open palm.
"It means that Pride is most important to them. Nothing stands above Pride. That''s how it is for them. Understand?"
A session of unsessful attacks was thrown Zephyr''s way.
He dealt with the Monster''s haggard movements without breaking a sweat.
"Pride, above all else." Zephyr said as he took hold of the Monster''s neck.
Squeeze-
Raise-
Choked growls resonated.
"Pride that pushes one to prefer death over being controlled."
Zephyr brought the Monster''s face closer to his.
"That''s what Pride wants. That''s what the General wants. That''s what they expect. And that''s why..."
Three consecutive punchesnded on the Devourer''s stomach.
"They would rather you dead, than unable to control your own Greed or Gluttony."
The Evolving Monster extended the ws on its right hand.
"They won''t ever allow Pride to lose to any other Sin."
Zephyr held the Monster''s body tightly.
Crack-
With his right hand, no less. The side that, therefore, practically hadn''t been damaged.
"This isn''t a Test of Power anymore, but one of Will."
The Evolving Monster''s ws approached the hand holding its body hostage.
Zephyr watched those ws closely.
He expected them to break uponing into contact with his Armor, just like they had previously.
Still, Zephyr felt he couldn''t lower his guard.
''What is he-''
Once those sharp ws were centimeters away from Zephyr''s Armored wrist, they changed.
Not just those ws.
The Evolving Monster''s whole hand changed.
It transformed.
Thumb seemed to morph into a lower jaw.
Fingers into an upper jaw.
The Evolving Monster''s hand had morphed into a mouth full of fangs, resembling an Inferior Wyvern''s.
''ws or fangs, they''re made of the same Material. They won''t be able to-''
Crack-
Zephyr hurriedly let go and jumped back.
His eyes, wide.
His surprised face, exposed for all to see.
"That easily...? What did...?"
The sharp fangs had left holes in his Armor.
Blood dripped down his arm.
The injury was a superficial one, but it did seem like a bad omen.
Meanwhile, the Monster remained unmoving.
A tongue exited its second mouth.
Lick-
The tongue licked the steaming blood.
Chapter 160 The Guides Entry
?
A tongue exited the Monster''s second mouth.
Lick-
The tongue licked the steaming blood.
It licked the steaming blood off the fangs around it.
Kek-
Unlike what Zephyr had assumed, the Evolving Monster''s fangs weren''t just any normal fangs.
No.
They were the Devourer''s fangs.
Fangs that allowed it to Devour anything, no matter how tough.
As long as the target isn''t alive, the Devourer''s Fangs could pierce it.
Whether that target was a dead Monster, an unmoving Golem, or even an incredibly sturdy Armor.
Kekekeke-
Crazedughter exited the Monster''s mouth.
Gulp-
Instantly, theughter ceased.
The Devourer''s body twitched violently for a moment, before freezing in ce.
"I''ve entertained this enough."
Zephyr pulled his Spear out of the ground.
And as he did, a ray of Dark Light approached him.
The Monster Hunter easily dodged by jumping to the side.
''They''re getting less and less-''
The Devourer''s head moved.
And with it, the ray of Dark Light.
For the first time since the beginning of the fight, Zephyr truly felt in danger.
Could he really move faster than the Devourer could move its head?
''The Stat restriction-''
Zephyr instantly decided what was most important.
With a horizontal swing of his Spear towards the ground, pieces of rubble and smoke took to the air.
The Devourer directed the ray of Dark Light so that everything hiding inside the smoke would disappear.
It stopped.
Argh-
The Devourer brought a hand to its heart.
BLEUGH-
Heaps of dark blood exited its mouth.
"Looks like overusing them is costing you now."
The Monster''s body twitched.
"For the fairness of this Test, and my own safety..."
Zephyr swung his Spear.
"I''ll be fighting with all I have now."
The Devourer roared.
"With my Stats restricted, I have no choice but to take this as seriously as I can."
RWAAA-
The two leaped towards one another.
Zephyr swung his Spear diagonally.
The Devourer sidestepped.
A kick aimed at the Monster''s side was blocked by that Monster''s elbow.
The next instant, that elbow started morphing.
At the same time, Zephyr''s Spear had made a full recovery.
Its tip approached the Monster''s heart rapidly.
Too rapidly.
The next second,
BAM-
BAM-
BAM-
Mark wasn''t inside the Boss Room anymore.
With a shoulder charge, his body had beenunched away.
Far away, as his body had gone through three extremely thick walls.
In his ce, someone else stood.
With an index finger, the person stood.
Zephyr''s eyes narrowed.
A finger had been enough to stop his Spear.
Even with the Stat Restriction in mind, it was still an incredible feat.
An incredibly annoying feat.
An incredibly humiliating feat.
"What''s the meaning of this..."
With a malicious smile on his face, he stared at Zephyr.
***
"Hey! Hey! HEY! Are you okay??"
Mark begrudgingly opened his eyes.
The strange elevator that connected the First Floor to the one where the Boss Rom was.
''I''ve beenunched at... Too many fucking walls... Today...''
Mark was about to doze off when,
"You hear me?"
The sight of her could have almost made him smile, was he not in excruciating pain all over.
"What... What happened...?"
"I''m not sure. You going through the wall woke me up and I came to check in on you as fast as I could." Elisa answered.
"Woke... You up?" A dry chuckle escaped his mouth. "What were you... Napping...?"
Marky on the floor, his back against the wall.
''Huh. She looks different somehow...''
Mark couldn''t pinpoint what it was.
He assumed it was just the dizziness ying tricks.
Elisa lowered her knees and took a seat in front of him, slightly to the side.
"Huh? Well, I guess. Why? Aren''t you the one who-"
The next second, a blinding light forced Mark to close his eyes.
Thump-
Knocking both of them to the ground, a whimpering Lioness stood over them.
Elisa smiled before turning her head to the side.
She stared at the Monster who wasying by her side.
"Good thing you''re okay."
"This... What you call... Okay-"
Mark''s words were interrupted.
"Stop... Stop it... S..."
He gave up resisting midway, and the Moonlit Feline affectionately licked his cheeks.
Just when Elisa was about tough at the unlikely sight, her face became Krista''s target.
The Lioness cried and cried, as Mark caressed the left side of her neck. Elisa, the right side.
"Somehow..." Mark whispered. "That ended... Well-"
Only then did his confusion clear up.
Ended well?
He immediately sat up.
"What''s the matter?" Elisa asked as she pushed herself off the ground.
"I don''t know..."
"Huh?"
"I don''t know... How it ended-"
p-
p-
Pale skin.
Pitch ck hair.
A slender silhouette approached.
The three immediately started.
Two red eyes glowed in return.
He pped his hands one more time.
Instantly, both Mark and Elisa recognized the man.
They couldn''t tell what his name was or, truthfully, much about him.
But they knew enough.
The two arrived at the same conclusion instantly.
As soon as their eyes had fallen on him.
On the smile he wore.
"That was a good fight." He said with a cheerful tone.
Krista arrived at the same conclusion as the two, only a secondter.
Why?
Simply because both knew him.
Neither could say where from though.
One had seen him in the past. Memories lost and forgotten.
The other, in a hazy dream.
Not that it mattered much.
After all, even Krista had arrived at the same conclusion.
Their bodies didn''t tremble.
"Not going to say anything? Mmm... Draconia always said you were on the chattier side."
Their breathing wasn''t affected.
"Well, Mark. I''m the one supposed to be your Guide outside."
And yet, they couldn''t move a muscle.
"Nice to meet you."
All they could do was stare at him silently.
He let his head fall to the side.
"What''s the matter?"
He was Death.
There was no need for them to know anything more about him.
[The Title "Vampire Lord" is looking at you.]
[The Title "Descendant Of Count Drac, The First Vampire Count" is looking at you.]
Through Raven''s red glowing eyes, gazes too heavy to bear were projected.
Chapter 161 The Guide
?
[The Title "Descendant Of Count Drac, The First Vampire Count" is looking at you.]
The three remained unmoving, frozen.
"Are you okay? Didn''t think I hit you that hard."
Raven took a step closer.
Only then, did Mark snap out of it.
"No... It''s fine." He said in a low voice.
"Really? Why didn''t you say a thing then?" Raven asked as he took another step closer.
"I just... I..."
Mark really didn''t want him getting any closer.
He had no clear idea why that was the case.
Getting too close to him would bring nothing but trouble.
That''s what it felt like.
"I''m not used to talking out loud yet." Mark lied.
"Oh... Right. Last time I was with Draconia you couldn''t do that yet." Raven smiled. "Congrats."
"Thank... you."
The Vampire Lord pped his hands and all felt a shiver go down their spine.
"Let''s go back to the Boss Room."
He turned around, and started walking away.
Elisa and Krista turned towards Mark.
They stared at one another for only a fraction of a second.
Mark started walking.
The others followed him.
A Descendant Of Count Drac.
A Descendant Of the First Vampire Count.
A Count whose existence was known to many.
A Count whose tale was well known. And not just by those inhabiting the Higher World.
[The Title "Descendant Of Count Drac, The First Vampire Count" is looking at you.]
A Title that held meaning even to those from other Worlds.
"How is it, being able to talk?" Raven asked.
"G... Good. It''s good. D... Different. Definitely feels different..."
Mark couldn''t help but stutter.
The Vampire Lord took his time walking towards the Boss Room.
And the Devourer walked even slower.
Ten steps behind.
That was the distance Mark had instinctively settled on.
Anything closer than that, and he would have felt even lessfortable than he already was.
Anything closer than that, and Raven would have, perhaps, proven Mark''s instincts right.
In silence, they walked.
Raven arrived at the stairs in front of the Boss Room''s doors.
Right after walking up, he suddenly stopped.
From the corner of his right eye, Raven stared at Mark.
Thetter immediately felt the urge to jump back.
He didn''t.
"Remember me?"
Mark remained immobile and silent.
After a short moment, Raven walked through the Boss Room''s doors.
Remaining ten steps behind, Mark''s feet walked up the stairs.
And he, just like Raven had, stopped.
He turned around.
With a hand, he gestured to them to stay behind.
Both wanted to refuse, but they couldn''t.
Having already left him behind earlier against a strong enemy, they couldn''te up with a good reason to stubbornly follow him now.
Mark followed the one supposed to be his Guide into the Boss Room.
In shambles.
It was in a much worse state than Mark thought it.
His memory of the events and fight was, after all, hazy at best.
The walls, floor, and therge pirs that supported the ceiling.
Everything had been damaged to a severe degree.
After a quick nce around, his gaze turned to Raven.
For the first time since he had started following him, his eyes dared to move up.
Covering the mysterious man''s body, a cape dark on the outside, and red on the inside.
Pale skin.
Long nails.
Before Mark realized it, Raven stood at the center of the Boss Room.
He turned around.
Mark''s lips parted, but no words exited his mouth.
Raven''s head moved.
An unnoticeable nod, as if giving the other party permission to speak first.
"You''re the one... Who brought me back inside... That time?"
Raven smiled.
"Yep. That was me. d you remember."
''d? Why?'' Mark asked himself.
Raven looked around the Boss Room.
"She really put you through a tough one, huh? Didn''t expect there would be a Test after the Guardian, let alone that the Test would be someone of Zephyr''s level."
Mark''s body twitched.
"Zephyr?"
"That''s his name. The man you fought."
"Zephyr..." Mark whispered. "What... Mm... What happened?"
"When?"
Mark remained silent.
Every instinct in his body screamed at him to run away from the one in front of him.
"So... What now? Do I follow you...?"
"Hahaha!" Ravenughed out loud. "Man, Draconia really didn''t tell you anything. I''m supposed to be your Guide outside. You don''t have to be so wary of me."
He took two steps to the left, and took a seat on a big piece of rubble.
After a couple of seconds, Raven crossed his legs.
For some reason, Mark found that an indication that the Vampire Lord wanted him to talk.
"She... Didn''t tell me a lot. Um... Draconia. Is that her name? Or is it Nia? Because she-"
The temperature inside the Boss Room immediately dropped.
"It''s Draconia." Raven answered coldly.
Mark took a step back without meaning to.
"O... Okay. Alright."
Raven wiped his face for a moment.
"Ummm. Let''s try this. Do you have any questions for me? About anything? We don''t have much time, so get a move on."
Mark felt his body temperature drop.
"Don''t have much time? Why? Is there something-"
"Oh, god. Rx. Guardian, Zephyr. I get it. One after the other, you expect something. Just... Don''t. That''s over now."
"Over...?"
"It is."
"..."
Mark didn''t say a word, but it was obvious to Raven that he doubted his words.
"You can trust me, alright? I even went through the trouble of healing that one."
Raven extended a finger and pointed at a peeping Elisa.
Both Krista and her were looking at them through a hole in the wall.
Mark turned around, following the direction in which Raven''s finger pointed, and they hid.
"You healed her...?"
"I did."
"From... What?"
''Tsk. I knew it would''ve been better to do that after he saw her guts hanging out...''
"She didn''t have much time left. I''m guessing Zephyr''s Spear went through her stomach."
"Guessing...?"
"Yes. I had just arrived."
"Arrived here?"
"Yes. I healed her, then I... Anyways. Point is I healed her, then stopped the fight."
"Why...?"
"Because I felt Zephyr was going too far. There was no need for this Test to be life or death."
Mark remained silent for a bit.
"That''s the way this Dungeon has been though..."
"Exactly. You''ve had enough of that. So. Any other questions? It''s the reason why I''m here. Ask away."
"Why did..." Gulp- "Why did you heal her?"
Raven''s eyelids wavered slightly.
"Because I thought that''s what you would have wanted." He answered honestly.
"I see..."
eaglesnov?1,§ão§® After his encounter with Zephyr, Mark found the answer more than strange.
After all his time conversing with Nia, he couldn''t trust those words fully.
Since when did what he wanted really matter to them?
"Think I would have wanted you to Devour her?" Raven whispered. His hands around his smiling mouth.
A knowing smile.
"Why are you whispering?"
"Well... Wouldn''t want her to hear, right?"
The two looked at one another for a bit.
And a timid chuckle escaped Mark''s mouth.
"Thanks. For healing her... And saving me. Both this time and that time."
"Don''t worry about it." Raven smiled. ''Bingo!'' He thought to himself.
They remained silent for a bit.
"I can ask anything?"
"Anything. I''ll do my best to answer.
"Why was I brought here?"
"To this Dungeon, or to this World?"
Mark took a moment to answer, even though he didn''t need to.
"This World."
"Mm." Raven nodded. "You''ll have to ask Draconia''s Lord that question."
"So... You don''t know either?" Mark asked.
His tone seemed timid, but he had no choice. Asking with a different tone felt equivalent to putting his life in danger.
"I don''t. I can tell you how you were brought here though. At least, what I know about that. Does it interest you?"
Mark was surprised to be asked this way.
"S... Sure. Yes. I''d like to know. Thanks."
"Well, well. Let''s see... It starts with Shamah. Or perhaps by Gaavah asking him to... Mm. Let''s start at the beginning. Gaavah is the Demon Lord Of Pride. Draconia told you that much at least, right?"
Nod-
"Mm... How to tell this without unnecessary details...? Alright. One day, four other Demon Lords team up against the Demon Lord Of Pride. Well, actually, three Demon Lords. They roped the fourth one in with a lie. Or was it? A lie?"
''Huh? So he isn''t sure?'' Mark asked himself.
"Anyways. Pride fought against Wrath. The two were the strongest Demon Lords at the time. Pride won, as was expected. Wrath was actually the one roped in. Those that had roped him in were Greed, Gluttony, and Envy. Alright? Following?"
"Yeah... I think so."
"Pride obviously didn''t like that little... Prank. Apparently, that''s how Greed referred to it. Hrious, isn''t it?" Raven chuckled.
Mark did too.
Though he didn''t find it funny.
"So then Pride goes to the three Demon Lords in question one by one. Bam, bam, bam. Each got humiliated pretty badly apparently, even though Pride was quite worn out from his earlier fight against Wrath. One eye from the Demon Lord Of Greed, Fangs from Gluttony, and... There was something from Envy too. Can''t remember exactly what it was."
''Do the details not matter or...?''
"And then you were made."
"Can I... Um... Uh..." Mark struggled to find the right words.
"What is it?" Raven asked, genuinely curious.
"Can I get a bit more detail?"
Chapter 162 On Demon Lords & Titles
?
A Demon King once ruled over all the Monsters on the Continent.
Terrorizing and killing the Humans, they thrived for a very long time.
But eventually, the Demon King was defeated.
No one knows who defeated him or the exact circumstances of that defeat. Those are, after all, mere details for those under him.
The Age of Monsters ended after that defeat.
Humans started gaining more territory as they exterminated the Monsters, severelycking in strength after losing their King.
Little time had passed after the King''s defeat when they rose.
Seven Demon Lords rose, upied, and defended their respective territories.
The Monster Realm and Human Realm were, therefore, established.
The inner part of the Continent was the Monster''s, and the outer part, the Human''s.
"Got it? That''s how the Continent was divided." Raven asked.
"Sure... How does that rte to me?"
***
Had the Humans previously been pushed back to the Continent''s edges by the Demon King? Is that the reason why the Monsters retreated towards the Center''s Continent?
Various theories had been established over time.
After all, the Demon King''s defeat dated back more than a thousand years.
The Demon King''s Defeat.
A great historical event for the Humans.
A historical event they categorically refused to refer to as "The End Of The Age Of Monsters".
It was "The Demon King''s Defeat".
They felt very strongly about that.
Perhaps, to remind all that the End hade because of Defeat.
Because he had been defeated.
Because they had won.
A thousand yearster, Humans still insisted on calling it that.
Why?
Because they want to dictate the way that event is referred to.
Because the way it is referred to is important.
"The Demon King''s Defeat" might be a historical event''s, but it remains a Title nheless.
And Titles hold great power.
***
For a thousand years, the Demon Lords ruled over their respective Territories.
Territories that were simply named after the Deadly Sin the ruling Lord held.
But one day, a great battle between Demon Lords took ce.
"Greed lost an eye, Gluttonny a couple of fangs, and Envy... Something. Each of the recovered Demon Lord bodyparts held a portion of their Sins. Using those, Gaavah could have gained more power, but he was too proud to mix himself with... Those. Following?"
"Uhu..."
"A great battle might have taken ce, but it had only involved four of the seven Demon Lords. Another battle of, perhaps, greater magnitude was bound to take ce at some point. Great change was afoot. And so, with the help of Shamah and a certain General of his Army, Gaavah chose tenSouls from the... ce? Between this World, and the one you''re from originally."
Mark had many, many questions.
But the one he wanted to ask most was,
"Why me? Why was I chosen? And to do what? Fight for him?"
"Mm... Interfering with a different World or even Souls from beyond this World requires a lot. I''m not exactly clear on the specifics, but it''s possible that Gaavah''s power could only allow selection from a small sample. Meaning, there were only so many Souls he could review and decide to take or reject. Why you? Probably because your Soul was one he found suitable enough. However, it''s also possible that his Power only allowed him to select ten Souls, and, therefore, forced him to take those ten."
e¦Áglesn?¦Íel Mark listened intently and stayed silent.
"Fight for him... Yep, that might be Gaavah''s goal. Though I doubt it."
"What do you think it is then?"
"Mmmm. Knowing him, it might just be..."
''Knowing him...?'' Mark was slightly surprised.
"To cause chaos."
"Huh? That''s it?"
"Maybe. I can''t know for sure." A wide smile was on Raven''s face. "Great change is afoot. Perhaps he wants to be the one to get the ball rolling. I''m not too sure. Anyways. After selecting the Souls, it was time to decide which Sins go with which Souls. I''m guessing Shamah had quite a bit of influence over that part."
"Shamah... Who''s that?"
"He''s..." Ravenughed wholeheartedly. "Going to get mad no matter how I answer this. One of the greatest and very few Soul and Corruption Magic users. That should do."
"Huh... And for those Sins...?"
"Greed and Gluttony. That''s what you got. The Sins were... Offered? To your Soul. Something like that. And your Unique Titles were born."
"That''s where theye from... From the Sins... And my Soul...?"
[Your Title "Devourer" smiles smugly.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" looks at you with wide eyes.]
"That''s right." Raven answered.
He pushed himself off therge piece of rubble.
"So there are seven others like me? Where?"
"In other Dungeons. Their locations are kept a secret. Wouldn''t want outsiders toe in."
"Those seven, do they-"
"Six."
"Huh?"
"One of them died pretty early on. You''re the first to make it to the top of your Dungeon. Congrats on that too."
"Yeah... Thanks... So do those six have-"
"Unique Titles? Yep. They''re unique and, therefore, different from yours."
Nod-
"Though there is one with a Title that bears some resemnce to yours."
"How so?"
"Bahaha!" Raven took a step forward. "Wouldn''t be fair for me to share that kind of info."
Mark didn''t move as Raven got closer.
"Here, take these."
Raven called out his Inventory, which slightly surprised Mark.
It was his first time witnessing someone else doing that after all.
A rolled-up scroll and what seemed like a book.
"Picked these up on the way."
[You have acquired the Item: "Iplete Map Of The Monster Realm".]
[You have acquired the Item: "An Unknown Hunter''s Bestiary Notes".]
"Just tell your System to swallow them. It''ll give out information about Monsters and ces when you ask for it."
"It can do that?"
"Yep."
''I guess it did give information about Monsters and stuff... Though that turned out to be Nia. Or Draconia, I should say...''
Mark did as he was told.
[Your Title "System Holder" swallows both Items.]
"Can I... View the map?"
Chapter 163 Taken Away?
?
"Uh..."
"Something wrong?" Raven asked.
In front of Mark, a digital map hung in the air.
It depicted four different Territories. Circling around them, a grey area.
A blinking spot was at the bottom of that map.
Mark took it to be his current position.
''The grey area must be that Rift. The limit between the Monster Realm and the Human Realm...''
On each Territory was written the Deadly Sin associated with that Territory.
The closest one was Sloth, north of Mark''s position.
Lust was North East.
North of that one, was Pride.
And on the opposite side of Sloth, Wrath.
Red crosses had been drawn on the whole Territory Wrath and other spots.
The words ''Do not approach'' were written next to those red crosses.
"It''s um... It''s..."
"What?"
"It''s... Torn."
"Yeah. Couldn''t find a new one."
"So this is... Half the Monster Realm?"
"Yep. Not all of Wrath can be seen, but pretty much half. The center of the Monster Realm cannot be seen either.
"The center...?"
"Where all the Territories meet."
Mark''s interest and curiosity were immediately piqued.
"What''s there? At the center?"
Raven chuckled.
"Not much. Nothing, actually. Which is why no Demon Lord has imed thatnd."
"Huh..."
Raven remained silent while Mark studied the map for a bit.
Its design was somewhat minimalistic, but it gave enough details about theyout of the Monster Realm.
Forests, in fields,kes, mountains, etc...
There was no information about what the different parts of the Rift looked like though.
"Saw it yet?" Raven asked.
Mark guessed he was talking about the DN that had been written in green over a certain spot.
The rift on the East side of Lust.
"DN... Draconia?"
"Bingo! That''s where you''ll find her."
"Where I''ll find her?"
"Yep."
"So I''m..."
"You''re going alone."
Mark''s body twitched instantly.
"Aren''t you supposed to-"
"Yeah. I''m supposed to. But a pressing matter appeared, so... Gotta go."
Raven turned away.
Mark still had many questions he wanted to ask.
But not being monitored, being truly free, seemed much more important than the answers he could''ve gotten.
"Oh." Raven suddenly turned back around. "Forgot something."
Before Mark even realized that Raven had moved, he was already standing behind him.
He stood behind him, after having taken something.
Something important.
Dumbfounded, Mark stared at the spot Raven was standing on moments earlier.
His hand slowly moved towards his neck.
It was gone.
"I''ll be taking this."
"Give it... Back." Mark muttered as he turned around.
"Huh?" The look in Raven''s eyes changed. "I couldn''t catch that."
"Give it back." Mark demanded as he stepped forward.
Raven raised the Underling Ne in his hand.
"I won''t."
"L..."
Mark called out.
But his call wasn''t responded to.
"They won''t be able to do that if you''re not holding it."
"Then give it back."
Mark took another step forward.
A smile was drawn on Raven''s face.
A smile different from all the ones he had previously shown.
Perhaps, since their meeting, it was the first time that Raven was genuinely smiling.
A chilling smile.
"Make me."
Mark clenched his teeth.
"You''ll have to risk your life to get it back. No... Not exactly. You''ll lose your life and still won''t be able to get it back."
Mark bit down on his lip.
"Can you refute that?"
"No... I fucking can''t."
Raven''s smile widened.
A frustrated look.
A face that screamed of repressed anger and rage.
"Oh, don''t take it this badly. I''m doing you a favor..."
Raven loved those kinds of faces.
"You said Zephyr didn''t understand what it felt like to be weak. What it felt like to always need help from others. Think of this as me..." He casually made the Underling Ne spin around his index finger. "Giving you an opportunity to win against your past."
Mark lowered his gaze.
There was nothing he could do.
He was already drained from the earlier fight.
''Even if I was at my best... He''s far more...''
Raven loved being the reason for such expressions to be drawn.
"No harm will befall them. I can assure you that."
Mark clenched his fists.
"Can I at least talk to them before you take them-"
"No. You can''t."
Oh, the expression on Raven''s face.
Euphoria and disgust mixed in one.
Disgusted by the weak wordsing from the Monster in front of him.
But also delighted.
Denying such a heartfelt request from a Monster.
What privilege.
What joy.
"Now..."
Yet, it wasn''t enough.
"Give me the other one too."
"What other one-"
Raven''s eyes narrowed, and Mark felt the pressure was about to push his body to the ground.
Suddenly,
"Drop the tough act."
A being made of mes appeared by his side out of nowhere.
"I-"
"No need for parting words. Nothing you can do about this anyways." The Fire Spirit said coldly as he stared at Raven.
"Good. At least, this one understands."
"Don''t talk to me. And don''t talk about me."
Raven couldn''t help but chuckle at the words.
No.
He probably could have helped himself.
But why would he?
Actually, why not make it seem like it couldn''t be helped?
"The Nameless Spirit has guts at least. Now, give me that Core. I gotta get going."
Mark called out his Inventory and took out the Fire Spirit Core.
He tightened his grip around it.
"I-"
"I already said that there was no need." The Fire Spirit interrupted.
Raven walked closer.
He could''ve snatched the Core without Mark even realizing.
But he chose to take his time approaching, and slowly took it out of his hand.
"Once you get me back..." The Fire Spirit started fading away as the Core''s Holder changed. "Make sure you''re still worthy of me-"
And he disappeared.
Those words seemed to fill up quite a bit of space inside Mark''s mind.
After all, even after the Spirit had disappeared, those words were all Mark could think of.
As if they had put him in a trance.
It hurt.
It truly hurt.
He hadn''t lost them in battle.
They hadn''t sacrificed themselves to save him.
No.
They had simply, and unfairly, been taken away.
All of them.
They hadn''t died.
They had been taken from him.
Which made it infinitely worse.
"Guess you''ll have to figure out ways to do things alone now, huh?" Raven sneered.
Oh, what a hateful gaze Mark threw him.
Hateful and full of rage.
All the same, Mark repressed those feelings.
And Raven''s joy grew.
Chapter 164 A New Name, I
?
''Scrolls... Check. Weapons for training... Check. Potions and Antidotes... Check. The books I prepared for him... Check...''
For the fourth time, Nia scrolled through her Inventory to make she had everything she needed.
Or rather, everything he would need.
"This is happening way more often than I would like it to." She said suddenly.
Arani chuckled, her back against the wide open door.
"Preparing so meticously. I have to take notes since my Candidate will make it out soon too."
"Then take notes mentally."
The intruder stayed silent for a bit.
"You really think he''s going to make it out? Despite having to fight that... What was his name again? The neer."
"Raven is there to make sure it goes well."
"Bfahahaha! Raven?! That''s your insurance? Raven?"
Nia let go of the written list in her hands.
"You previously said that I wasn''t the most trustworthy. If you think that of me, I can''t see how you would believe that Raven would do as he was told." Arani added.
"He requested it. He wanted to be the Candidate''s Guide for half of the way. The Master epted. And since the Master himself epted that request-"
"Yeah, yeah. But I''m asking what you think."
Nia stayed silent for a moment, before starting to fill up her Inventory with various Items once more.
"I think it will take them three weeks to get to where I will be waiting. It will take three weeks if they take the route I rmended, which would allow the Candidate to try his hands at various Dungeons and get stronger."
Arani stared with doubtful eyes, and Nia massaged her forehead for a bit.
"If Raven just wants to be done with it as fast as possible, it will take a week for the Candidate to get there."
"One to three weeks then, huh?"
"No. It''ll be one or three weeks."
"Mmmm. Puts you in a tough position then."
"Not really."
"Right. Forgot you were so diligent. I assume you''ll be there in a week and, at worst, wait there for an additional two?"
"At best you mean."
"Right... Right. The Candidate''s growthes first."
They stayed silent as Nia arranged some more Items.
"I would''ve liked the ability to contact Raven though."
Arani''s lips curled up. She seemed d that Nia was initiating conversation.
"Can''t you ask Shamah about that?"
"The Connector? No. Raven isn''t a General. He''s not even part of our Army so..."
"Oh yeah. Forgot about that since he''s always around. Mmm... I kind of miss him already."
"Same situation as... Zephyr," Nia didn''t want to use that Name since he had thrown it away, but she didn''t have a different way of referring to him for now. "The Connector can tell whether they''re still alive or have died, but not more than that."
"That''s annoying. Hope it''ll go well though..." Arani muttered as she walked away.
"Yes. I hope it will."
***
"You can''t hate it that much. I did heal her after all."
Mark remained silent.
"Just hoping you''ll get used to your Titles more. Having Underlings fighting with you seems to hinder your ability to-"
"Just... Save it. Please." Mark interrupted.
Raven smiled.
To be interrupted by such a weak being.
Behind that smile, repressed anger Mark had no idea of.
"Unfortunate that I''m leaving on such a sad note but..." From one moment to the next, Raven stood next to one of the holes through the Boss Room''s walls. "See you when you make it to Pride with Draconia. I''ll give them back to you there. Until then, think of it as... Insurance? See ya, Potential Demon King Candidate!"
Raven entered one of the holes in the wall.
One of two holes deep enough to resemble tunnels.
One was made by Zephyr as he entered the Boss Room.
The other...
"Just..."
"Just what?" Raven turned around.
"You''re taking them but..."
"But what? Get on with it."
Gulp-
"Take care of them."
With narrow eyes, Raven stared at the Monster in front of him.
He took a couple of steps out of the tunnel-like hole.
"For a Monster, you act very... Not monstrous at times."
An ambiguous tone.
It was unclear whether the Vampire Lord considered that a positive or negative thing.
Mark stayed silent.
"Right. That''s the problem. We''ll start by fixing that." Raven said after a bit.
"Fixing what?"
"Icar."
"Huh?"
"I name you Icar. Seems appropriate, doesn''t it? A new World, a new life, a new Name."
Mark''s eyes narrowed.
"What makes you think you''re worthy of giving me a name?" He asked.
Words he had been told some time earlier.
"Haha." Raven chuckled at how ridiculous the question sounded. "I have more than enough strength to be worthy of that. It''s a good name, trust me."
"Why would I trust you?"
"You switch up that fast, huh? Then... Mmm... What was it Zephyr said?" Raven showed a terrible smile. "The weak has no choice but to trust the strong?"
Mark didn''t say an additional word.
He remained unmoving, his eyes running away from Raven''s gaze.
"Mm. So strength isn''t enough for you to ept a Name, huh? Then what is it you need?"
Raven thought for a bit.
"You would take a Name from something like that kitty cat, wouldn''t you?" He asked as he stared at the Moonlit Feline, barely visible as it peeked through a hole in the Boss Room.
The next second, it disappeared from Raven''s field of vision.
Mark put himself between the two.
And he didn''t run away from the Vampire Lord''s gaze.
But it was still a gaze too heavy for him to holdfortably.
Mark''s thigh started shaking.
He tried to ignore it.
Raven slowly moved his gaze towards that rembling thigh.
He wanted Mark to be aware of his own weakness.
Raven wanted him to be aware of the fact that he was shaking.
Of the fact he, himself, had noticed the shaking.
"Oh,e on. You really distrust me that much?" Raven took a step. "Don''t forget who you''re talking to again."
Before the next words could even reach Mark, Raven had already disappeared.
"Make sure you find Draconia, dear little Icar. She''ll be waiting. No matter how long it takes you to get there, you''ll find her."
He was left there. Standing alone. His legs trembling.
Chapter 165 At A Crossroads
?
Alone, Mark stood at the center of the Boss Room.
Despite Raven having left, his body was shaking.
Once you get me back, make sure you''re still worthy of me-
You know... I''ve even forgotten about you a few times. Forgotten that you were there... But every time... You''ve always been there for me when I needed you. You emerge from the shadows when I need you most-
My Lord, if the need everes one day, please, do not hesitate... For it would be my greatest pleasure, to be the blood that runs through your veins. The blood that fuels your heart-
This would have been a lot harder without Fiery. Perhaps even impossible-
You serve me, and your family will be safe. From me at least. Yeah. That sounds fair-
Mark struggled to clench his shaking hands as a torrent of thoughts filled his mind.
Underlings that had started out as simple shields.
As puppets would obey his every order.
But with time, they became much more than that.
Levi, the first Being he could converse with in this new World.
Fiery, the one who made plenty of tough situations easier to bear.
Grey, thetest addition, showed, before and after, joining Mark''s side, more emotions than most.
And Light, the one that had been by Mark''s side for the longest time.
They weren''t puppets.
They weren''t simple Underlings anymore.
''I''m about... To leave this ce... Yet...''
Mark did not know for sure when that switch had taken ce, but its effects were more than visible.
''I''ve rarely... Felt this...''
Throughout his rise inside the Dungeon, Mark''s goal was to leave the gigantic prison.
The gigantic cage.
To finally roam the earth and, freely, explore it.
But at some point during his rise, Mark''s goal had changed.
It wasn''t simply leaving the Dungeon.
Light, Levi, Grey, Fiery, Krista, and Elisa.
Simply leaving wasn''t the goal anymore.
Leaving with them.
That was the goal.
And yet, now-
"Fuck... FUCK!" Mark mmed both his clenched fists against the ground with all his strength.
An internal whirlwind of rage, anger, and loss.
A whirlwind he couldn''t calm.
Suddenly, On the opposite side of the Boss Room''s wide open doors, a portion of the wall fell down, revealing a new set of doors.
Mark remained unmoving, his fists against the cracked floor.
''...''
A timid Elisa and Krista tiptoed their way into the Boss Room.
"Are they gone? Someone elseing? Or can we finally leave?"
"No... No one ising."
Elisa''s eyes shone, but only for a moment.
She stared at the Monster.
"Did something happen?"
The Moonlit Feline slowly walked closer to Mark.
"Nothing... Nothing happened..."
And just when its paws were about to touch the Monster''s body,
"I just..." Mark stood up abruptly. "I need a bit of time."
Elisa stared at him as he walked away.
Away from the Dungeon''s Exit.
She turned her gaze towards the Moonlit Feline.
"That ne-"
Nod-
"Mm..."
The two were left alone in the Boss Room.
Elisa nced over.
The Exit.
It was right there.
She could leave if she wanted to.
After so long, after so much, the Exit was now only a couple dozen meters away.
Her eyes went back to the Moonlit Feline.
She took a seat.
"I was so impatient to get here, but now that I am..." Her slender fingers caressed Krista''s fur. "I can wait a bit longer."
Krista pushed her head against Elisa''s side, right where the fatal wound was not so long ago.
It didn''t hurt at all.
"Now that we''re in front of the Exit, the Contract states that I can bring up the issue of my Request..." Elisa whispered. "It''d be pretty selfish to do it now though..."
With both hands, she lifted Krista''s body of the ground before letting her back rest against the floor.
Cracked and covered by pieces of rubble, it wasn''tfortable at all.
"Guess I am pretty selfish."
Elisay the Moonlit Feline''s body on her stomach.
"Think it''ll take a long time?" She asked.
Krista turned her gaze towards the doors that the Monster had gone through.
eaglesnov?1,§ão§® Her pointy ears dropped.
A cheeky smile appeared on Elisa''s face.
"Hey..." The Moonlit Feline''s eyes turned back towards her. "Say I asked you to leave with me. Right here, right now-"
Before Elisa could even finish her sentence, she could feel an agitated Krista pulling back hurriedly.
"Mm." Elisa nodded.
She raised the Moonlit Feline''s body and extended her arms vertically as far as she could extend them.
Her smile was wide, and her teeth shone.
"He''s lucky to have you."
Elisa put the Moonlit Feline back down to the ground.
Shey for a bit, before turning on her side.
It hurt.
The floor wasn''tfortable at all.
Still, shey at her side and stared.
At those doors.
At the Exit.
"You''re lucky to have each other, I should say..." Elisa whispered.
Sigh-
Shey on her back once more.
From the moment a hole had been made through the Boss Room''s wall, Elisa could tell.
The Wind outside was cold.
Incredibly cold.
Cold and unweing.
''Crossroads, crossroads...'' She thought as she stood up. ''I''ve always hated those.''
***
''Gotta go faster... Gotta go faster...'' Raven repeated to himself internally as he ran on the field of snow.
The impact of each stride resembled a small explosion, as if mines had been buried under the snow.
He was in the middle of a tundra, but that didn''t seem to matter or affect him at all.
''Where... Where... Show yourself-''
Suddenly, a shockwave in the distance.
Raven smiled maliciously as he ran towards that location.
Secondster, he found him.
"What was that about, Raven?"
"Oh,e on. Don''t be mad because I blew you away. That''d be so boring. There''s something interesting I want to discuss first."
"It took a while for Stat Restrictions to undo themselves." Zephyr tightened his grip around his Spear. "You interfered. I''m not about to let that slide."
"Because you think you''re capable of doing anything but that? A drop of my blood was enough to restrict your movements for a while."
"As I''ve said..." Zephyr raised his Spear. "The Stat Restrictions have been undone."
"l..." Raven smiled. "Do we really have to?"
[The Title "Monster Hunter" is getting ready for the iing Hunt!]
"Ohe on. That," Raven''s eyes narrowed. "Is what you''re going with?"
Immense pressure immediately made Zephyr''s body shiver.
"I''m no Monster, so it won''t be of much help to you."
That presence.
That gaze.
"Try..."
[The Title "Possible Demon King Candidate" is staring at you.]
"Something else."
"Huh...? You...?"
Chapter 166 Raven, A Demon King Candidate?
?
"You...?"
[The Title "Demon King Candidate" is staring at you.]
"Why do you have that Title?" Zephyr asked, visibly shaken.
"What, this old thing? Mmm... It''s my birthright, nothing more." Raven answered before letting out a sigh. "Even that little chick is a Probable Candidate, after all."
"You''re... Is that why you interfered in his Test?"
Raven felt likeughing but didn''t.
He was d that Zephyr, now, seemed more open to conversation.
"I interfered because the Test had to be ended."
"I simply followed my General''s instructions." Zephyr raised his Spear and Raven sighed internally. "When the Test ends isn''t up to you."
"Oh, but it is. He might have lost control, but he did recover it afterward."
"After you knocked him out."
"Small detail. In any case, you were told not to use your Wind Magic. Yet, you did."
Zephyr stayed silent.
"He might not have noticed, but I sure did."
"You''re saying that you were watching?"
"I was. The hole you made through the wall was a good spot from which to spectate."
Zephyr clicked his tongue.
''Why didn''t I notice him...?''
"The fact that you didn''t notice me proves that the Devourer was strong enough to upy your mind fully."
"It still wasn''t your ce to-"
"You also forbade him from utilizing his Underlings."
"The General wanted him to fight alone."
"Alone, yes. Which means without the kitty cat and the other one."
Zephyr stayed silent for a bit.
It was true.
The Devourer''s Underlings are part of his strength.
Additionally, the General hadn''t specified whether fighting alone excluded Underlings born from a Magic Skill or not.
"I did what I thought best. And I''m not about to apo-"
"And you were right to!" Raven cheerfully dered. "You forced his Titles to awaken. You might not have followed your orders perfectly, but..."
Zephyr suddenly nted his Spear into the ground.
"Then that means I failed my Test, huh?"
"You knew about that?"
"Just a hunch. Can''t expect to be let into Gaavah''s Army without being properly tested. I didn''t follow orders, so I-"
"You pass."
Zephyr''s eyes narrowed.
"That''s not your call to make."
"It is."
"So I pass... Even though I really shouldn''t?"
"You can choose to look at it that way." Raven said with a smile.
Zephyr immediately startedughing out loud.
"So that''s how it is with you, huh? Going around collecting favors? A true Devil. A true Demon King Candidate. Hahaha! I''m sure it''s the same with the Devourer, huh? You tried getting him indebted to-"
Zephyr froze.
"Indebted to?" Raven asked.
Zephyr looked around.
eaglesnov?1,§ão§® "Where is he?"
"Who?"
"The Devourer."
"Oh. Well I-"
"You''re supposed to be his Guide. Or did you kill him? That must be it, huh? Two Demon King Candidates-"
Zephyr''s words were interrupted by Raven''sughter.
"You would''ve killed him, right? Then don''t worry about what happens to him now."
"Mm..."
The two stood silently for a bit.
"So you''re a Demon King Candidate too."
"I am."
"How did that happen? Why wasn''t I aware of that? Does the General know?"
"My birthright. No more, no less."
"Care to exin?"
Raven scratched his cheek for a bit.
He wanted to discuss something else, but quenching Zephyr''s curiosity seemed like the right thing to do.
''Give and take. Give and take.'' He thought to himself.
"Was the Vampire City a Kingdom, I would be Prince. As a Descendant of Drac, I was born a Demon King Candidate."
"So unlike him, you deserve that Title..." Zephyr whispered.
"Well... Not much we could do about that Undead Lich. Way past its prime, it wanted to cease existing, but its loyalty to Gaavah didn''t let it. Being thrown into that Dungeon to be food for the Devourer was simply a way to hit two birds with one stone. Nothing could be done about the Lich talking."
Raven purposefully said more than he needed to.
"Past its prime...? That would make it-"
"Yep. Very, very old. Apparently, it was also around during the time of the previous Demon King."
"Mm... That''s why the Title stuck."
"Correct. A Title is only as strong as people recognizing it."
Zephyr thought silently for a moment.
"That kind of strength from his Title... It''s-"
"Too much for a Title recognized by an Undead Lich, huh? Even though it was around during the Demon King''s time, it''s still too much."
"Then there are others who recognize the Devourer as a Demon King Candidate."
"Exactly."
"The question is... Who?"
Raven started walking in a certain direction.
Zephyr grabbed his Spear and did the same.
"Your General for one. Probably."
"Mm... That is possible."
The two walked for a bit.
"Recognition... An Undead Lich from ancient times and a General Of Gaavah''s Army..." Zephyr thought for a bit. "I doubt that''s enough."
"So do I."
"Then...?"
Raven remained silent.
Secondster, Zephyr suddenly stopped.
"You don''t think... It wouldn''t be...?"
Raven nodded.
"Probably." His eyes narrowed. "Gaavah. The Demon Lord Of Pride... Recognizes him as such."
"Mm..." Zephyr stepped forward. "Wouldn''t that pose a problem?"
Raven stopped and stared.
"How so?"
"A conflict of interests."
Chuckle-
"I have no intentions of fulfilling that Title''s intention."
The two walked silently for a bit.
They made an unlikely pair.
Both would agree.
What had brought them together was...
"You said there was something you wanted to discuss. If that''s all, I''ll get going. I''m headed in a different direction."
"Already? Just when I started thinking that walking with you was nice."
Zephyr stood impassively, and Raven smiled.
"That Domain you cast, it was an interesting one. It healed him and got him back to top condition. Perfect for testing. Not so much for actual battle."
"Your point being?"
"It''s the kind you would expect a Monster Hunter to have either."
Zephyr''s eyes narrowed, and Raven was convinced he had caught something good.
"Its Name was interesting too. The Tyrs'' Colloseum, right? They Tyrs''... The-"
Raven moved his head to the side, making just enough space for Zephyr''s Spear to pass.
"Who are you? And what do you want?" Thetter asked.
Raven smiled widely.
"So you are one of them, huh? The Tyrs." His blood started pumping faster. "You just got a whole lot more interesting, Zephyr."
Chapter 167 His Unconscious?
?
A stumbling Monster made its way out of the Boss Room.
Limping, it slowly walked.
Going down the stairs challenged its bnce, but it managed to remain on its feet.
The Monster''s body wasn''t bleeding; bruises did cover its entire body though.
Scales were missing, and the right side of its face had been deformed.
Healing would probably take a while.
''Hurts... It hurts...''
Its body swayed from side to side as it made its way to the circr "elevator".
Upon entering the circr area, it turned left and took two steps. Probably so as not to be visible from the Boss Room.
''Too... Strong...''
The Monster copsed.
Its body quickly hit the ground without breaking its fall.
Thump-
''Couldn''t do... A thing...''
Rage and frustration overpowered by tiredness and fatigue.
''Too strong... One Monster... After the next...''
The Monster struggled to flip its body over.
Ity on its back for a couple of seconds, before bringing a hand to its neck.
On its chest and neck, the Monster''s index finger absentmindedly drew the outline of an ellipse.
Half an ellipse.
Something used to be there.
''I shouldn''t have let him... Take them...''
Mark clenched the hand thaty over his chest.
He blinked. And from the corner of his eyes,
"You''re making this pretty hard on yourself." She said with a voice that only he could hear.
Short red hair, green vibrant eyes.
The same woman once more.
''Get out of my head.''
Shey on the pieces of rubble by his side and stared, seemingly amused.
"I''m not in your head. You already know that."
Mark shut his eyes.
"I''m not going anywhere. Closing your eyes won''t help."
''Get out of my head.''
She slowly pushed herself off the rubble and, on her hands and knees, approached.
eaglesnov?1,§ão§® "I''m not in your head, Mark."
He finally turned his face towards her.
''Don''t take her appearance.''
"Why? You don''t like it?" She asked with a smile charming smile. "I''ve judged it to be the best appearance though."
Mark clicked his tongue and turned his face in the other direction.
''You''re my Titles, right?''
"Is that what you think of me?"
''Am I right?''
"Only partly. But you don''t need me to answer. You already know."
Mark turned his face towards her once more, and she was only inches away.
He hadn''t heard or sensed her movements.
Zephyr hadn''t mentioned her appearance either.
More than enough proof.
''You are in my head.''
She got even closer.
"I''m not in your head, Mark..."
The woman raised her left leg.
With her hands on each side of his neck, and her knees on each side of his waist, she positioned herself above Mark.
"I am your head."
''You''re not really here.''
A malicious smile was drawn on the woman''s face.
"No, I''m not. I''m not really here. But at the same time, I am."
Chuckle-
''What''s that supposed to mean?''
"I''m always there. But at the same time, never really there. I''m the Shadow to your Light. The steps you leave behind as you walk." The green vibrant eyes seemed to glow faintly. "Who am I?"
Mark stared at her for a bit before turning his head to the side.
"In the world of dreams, I am queen. In the world of nightmares, I am king. They are my weapons and my nests. My weapons and my tools. Who am I?"
She brought her face closer to his.
He had grown to dislike that face more and more.
"Who am I, Mark?"
''The Devourer... And the Evolving Monster.''
The woman shook her head.
"No. No. Think deeper. You already know the answer. Come on, Mark..."
Shey her head against his chest. With a clenched fist, she banged on the right side of his chest repeatedly.
He couldn''t feel a thing.
"Don''t make me wait any longer."
Mark opened his mouth.
She could hear his thoughts, yet his lips parted.
The woman raised her head and stared at him, her chin against his chest.
"The unconscious... Part of me."
"That''s right."
"The unconscious... That should only be noticed in dreams and nightmares."
"Is that all?"
"Feelings... Emotions..."
"Mm!" She cheerfully nodded. "And more, but that''s not important right now-"
"My unconscious talking..." Mark interrupted. "The unconscious that''s supposed to be... Mm... Magic."
"Magic?" The woman smiled knowingly.
"Brought to light... And given... Something akin to life... Through Magic... Through Mana... Or perhaps... Through those Deadly Sins."
"Aha."
"Dreams are your weapons and tools... That''s why you''re showing up now. You can only do that... When I''m beaten up... When I''m half dead... When I''m half asleep."
"Bingo!"
"My unconscious..."
"Yes?"
"What do you want?"
The woman pushed herself off.
"I thought you would never ask."
***
"Oh,e on! I''m telling you-" Raven dodged the Spear thrust. "I just want to-" He dodged a swing of that same Weapon and jumped back. "I just want to talk."
"What do you know... How do you know..." Zephyr did not lower his Spear. "Of the Tyrs?"
"Which question do you want me to answer? Haha."
The Wind around Zephyr started moving.
Quickly, a storm covered his body.
"la. Can''t see a thing." Ravenined, though his smile remained.
The storm seemed to grow narrower and narrower.
Its focal point, the eye of the storm, was the tip of Zephyr''s raised Spear.
"Think a cracked Spear will be able to handle all that?"
The next second, it seemed like the whole storm had been condensed into the Weapon.
Violent winds spiraled around it, and a typhoon ruled the hollow center of the Spear.
"I guess we will just have to find out."
Raven let his shoulders drop as he sighed.
"Alright, alright." He raised his open palms to the side. "What do you want to know? What I know about the Tyrs?"
Zephyr remained silent.
"Not much." Raven continued. "Something between a Kingdom and a n. They lived somewhere far away. No one really knows whether they are from this Continent or not. Strong Warriors who valued individual force and chivalry. I''m assuming Duels were-"
"Don''t assume. Tell me what you know."
Sigh-
Despite his smile, a vein had appeared on Raven''s face.
His patience was wearing thin.
Chapter 168 What They Gained, What You Lost
?
"Don''t assume. Tell me what you know."
Raven''s patience was wearing thin, especially after he had gone through the trouble of revealing some things about himself.
He previously thought that Zephyr would simply reciprocate but,
"What I know, huh? I know that you''re one of them. I know that many of them were murdered in cold blood. And I think you killed them."
At those words, the Wind around Zephyr settled.
He lowered his Weapons.
"Finally some truthes out of your mouth."
"So I''m right?" Raven asked, his eyes shining.
"By truth, I mean something you believe to be true."
"Mm. Is that so?"
Cold winds passed by, and Zephyr remained silent.
"So? Will you satisfy my curiosity, or will I have to beat it out of you?"
"Why would a Vampire Lord care?"
"Don''t forget who you''re talking to. You''re flying too high for your own good and..." Raven''s eyes narrowed. "And you will end up burnt."
"A Vampireparing himself to the sun. Now I''ve heard everything." Zephyr said as he chuckled.
Raven chuckled too, but he was serious. And Zephyr knew that.
"I was one of the Tyrs long ago."
"Was, huh? Well, color me intrigued and tell me more."
"It''s not much of a story. Wouldn''t interest most."
"I''m sure it''ll interest me."
***
''Wonder when he''ll be ready to leave...?'' Elisa asked herself.
She stood only inches away from the doors.
From the Exit.
''Maybe I can just take a peek. Just a...''
Her hand approached the doors, but she stopped herself before touching those doors.
''Can''t do that... Can''t do that... It would be a betrayal... Of sorts?''
Elisa turned away from the Exit.
The Moonlit Feline was seated at the center of the Boss Room.
It patiently waited.
Elisa walked over and took a seat in front of Krista.
"Think he''ll say yes?"
The Moonlit Feline tilted its head to the side.
"My Request, want to hear it?"
The curious Krista tilted her head even further.
***
"Shut up."
"I''m just saying. In truth, he did us a solid by taking them away.
"Shut up."
"Think about it. You know it''s true. You just have to ept it."
Mark clicked his tongue.
"You said it yourself. You''ve lived a whole life needing help, unable to do things on your own, relying on others for everything. You don''t want help anymore. You want to do things yourself."
"Don''t lecture me about what I want."
"Argh..." She rolled her eyes. "We both know I''m right. It''s time for you to go your own way. To do things on your own."
Mark remained silent.
"Listen..." The woman positioned herself by his side. Side by side, the twoy on the ground and stared at the ceiling. "Let''s talk about the Guardians. Ten of them, right? One of them had the most impact on you. Which one?"
"Levi."
"Wrong."
"The Fire Spirit-"
"Wrong. It''s the Minotaur."
"Huh...? How is that even-"
"The first Guardian you Devoured."
Mark shut his mouth.
"Why did you devour that one, Mark?"
He didn''t answer.
"Why?" She pressed.
"Because I wanted to be stronger."
"That''s right. Why didn''t you Devour the two previous ones? Remember them? The Orc-like Boss Monster and the Chimera? Your dear and long gone Kal¨¨s and Kira."
"Because..."
"Because?"
"Because I..."
"You...?"
"I thought it was the right thing to do at the time."
"Mm." She nodded. "Why did you think that?"
"Because..."
"You wanted help."
Mark brought a hand to his face and massaged his forehead.
"You were still used to needing help. To being unable to do things on your own. It''s time to break away, Mark. You Revived them because you were scared. Because you were still used to others doing your bidding."
"Your point being?"
The woman sighed.
For a moment, Mark was amazed and astonished by the fact that the unconscious part of his mind could materialize itself.
But then, the fact that it could freely construct and create dreams, the fact that it could-
She snapped her fingers twice.
eaglesnov?1,§ão§® "Don''t let your mind wander. We''re having an important discussion here."
Mark repeated words he had been told some time ago.
"There is no we."
"Yeah, yeah, sure." She pushed herself back andy her head on a piece of rubble. "There must be a reason why he took them away, Mark."
"I don''t care."
"You should. And, in truth, you do. The other Candidates probably don''t have Underlings. It''s a Skill you developed by Evolving after all."
"So?"
"So you gained something great, but, perhaps, lost something greater."
"Stop talking in riddles."
"Riddles are what I do. Remember? Dreams? Nightmares?" She chuckled.
Mark didn''t find it funny.
"The other Candidates must have spent a long time in their Dungeons. More time than you have in this one, since you''re the first to make it to your Dungeon''s Exit."
"Okay, and-"
"And they spent all of that time alone. Without Underlings, without anyone to talk to, and without anyone on their side." She turned her face towards him. "Can you imagine how lonely it must have been for them? How hard? Both mentally and physically?"
"I guess."
"No. No, you don''t know. You can''t because you haven''t spent time alone. There was always something or someone by your side. They went through something much more difficult, Mark. And there''s one thing we know about this world..."
"The more difficult things are to aplish..."
"The more you are rewarded by aplishing them. Right. Now, what did they gain by being alone? What did you lose by having Underlings?"
Mark knew the answer, but he didn''t want to say it.
"You put yourself on the line for them. You check on them in the middle of battle. You protect them. You care for them. Mark."
He turned his face towards hers and stared into her vibrant eyes.
"It''s why you didn''t want to trust Elisa. Why you wanted to kill her. Sure, that desire didn''tst long, but you get the point."
"I do." Mark answered as his gaze went back to the ceiling.
"What is it, the thing they gained that you lost?"
He remained silent for a moment, and she started fading away.
Mark clenched his fists.
"Selfishness."
Chapter 169 A Melancholic Smile
?
"So you''re telling me you were part of the Tyrs'' Royal Family?"
"Something like that." Zephyr admitted.
"Why kill them then?"
"They... It''s a long story."
"I have time." Raven pressed.
Sigh-
"Well, if you really need to know, I was part of the Royal Family... That is not how the Tyrs refer to it, but we will refer to it as such."
Raven nodded.
"Part of the Royal Family, but not of the Main Line of that family."
"The Prince''s... Or rather, the next King''s cousin?"
"Essentially, yes."
Raven''s eyebrows dropped.
"Amon battle for the throne involving jealousy, resentment, and backstabbing? Is that what it was? Please tell me it wasn''t."
Zephyr found the Vampire Lord''s interest in the past affair strange. Extremely strange.
"What if it was?" He asked.
"Then my interest for the rest has died. I''ll just go now."
As soon as Raven said that, he started walking away.
Zephyrughed.
Something that had happened too many times already in such a short time interval.
It was something he usually did not do often. Rarely does he, in truth.
"They... Well, to make a long story short, they weren''t fit to rule."
Raven''s ears twitched.
"Why is that?"
"Comcency, sloth, arrogance... To name a few. The Tyrs are proud Warriors. And they were neither proud nor Warriors."
Raven raised an eyebrow.
"What made you think you had any right to judge them? To judge whether or not they were Warriors."
Zephyr stayed silent for a moment.
"Someone had to. And I defeated every single one of them, even though they..."
He didn''t finish his sentence, which only made Raven more curious.
"They...?"
"Let''s call them... Secret techniques that only the Main Line can use."
"Oh. Lightning, you mean? Red Lightning if I believe the rumors-"
At those words, Zephyr felt the urge to raise his Spear.
***
Even after he was left alone, Mark remained on the ground for a while.
Of course, it could be argued that he had been alone the whole time.
His body ached a bit less, but he could tell.
''I''d like to Devour some Monsters to recover faster but...''
Mark nced at the lever to his side.
He was convinced that pulling it would take him back to the First Floor.
After all, there was no reason to assume the tform could only move in one direction.
Even though it would allow him to recover much faster, Mark did not move towards the lever.
He remained on the ground.
''If I go back to the First Floor, Nia... Or Draconia? Would be able to see me again. That guy leaving instead of acting as a Guide outside wasn''t part of the n. Draconia probably doesn''t know about that, and going back would alert her.''
Sigh-
''Who knows what would happen next... That Armoured Maning back would probably be the worst oue. I have to let her assume that, ording to her n, I am leaving with Raven. Only way I can get out of here without being held captive... Though she really did her best to not make it seem that way.''
Mark tried pushing himself off the ground, but the pain made him think twice.
Tsk-
Every spot hit by the stone walls or floor.
Every spot hit by Zephyr.
Every spot pierced or cut by his Spear.
It all hurt.
Mark simplyy back on the ground and waited for the pain to pass.
His Health points were slowly going back up, just like Endurance and Mana Points.
''If I leave the Dungeon now, I might find weaker Monsters to Devour. That would help me recover quickly. But... Was I to find stronger ones...''
Leaving the Dungeon now was a risky gamble.
Going back to the First Floor was out of the question.
''Then... What now?'' Mark asked himself.
Instantly, a torrent of thoughts filled his mind.
A battle he barely remembered glimpses of after a certain point.
His Underlings.
Selfishness-
His Underlings.
A cold and unweing world waiting for him.
His Underlings.
Deadly Sins and Demon Lords.
eaglesnov?1,§ão§® Monsters and Humans.
His Underlings.
Draconia, Raven, Zephyr, Gaavah...
Mark''s mind truly resembled a web of tangled thoughts. Tangled thoughts abandoned halfway through thinking them.
And the fact that his mind was so chaotic irritated him greatly.
The fact that he didn''t even have control over his own mind.
The fact that she could pop up and-
Mark took a deep breath in.
''Focus...''
He slowly breathed out.
''What can I do... Right now? What''s the best thing to do...?''
Focusing his thoughts on such questions seemed like a much better use of his time as he waited to recover. A more productive use of his time.
But quickly,
''Elisa''s Request. I''ll have to hear it before leaving... I''ll have to hear it...''
Mark was reminded of something.
''Now that I think about it, I can also Request something from her. Request... Request... What should I Request...? Anything I could need from her...?''
He pondered the question for a while.
An answer made itself known a bitter.
It''s time to break away, Mark-
Something he could Request.
Something Elisa would probably agree to.
Knock-
Knock-
Elisa and Krista timidly peeked.
The former knocked on the wall a third time.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah. Just need a bit of time to recover."
"Alone?"
Before Mark could answer, the Moonlit Feline walked over to him.
"You''re not even going to give me the time to answer?" The Monster asked as it stroked the approaching Moonlit Feline''s fur.
Purr-
Krista raised her front paws andy them on Mark''s side.
He winced.
As if that was exactly the reaction she was looking for, Krista nimbly jumped and climbed over his stomach.
Mark winced. It hurt. Still, he couldn''t help chuckling at the situation.
Elisa watched them from afar, a smile on her face.
In truth, she was less than a dozen meters away from them.
But for some reason, Elisa felt like the distance was much, muchrger.
A mncholic smile.
Chapter 170 Eager To Step Out, Nervous To Step In
?
"Oh. Lightning, you mean? Red Lightning if I believe the rumors-"
At those words, Zephyr felt the urge to raise his Spear.
He didn''t.
"How do you know that?" Zephyr asked, interrupting.
"I know a lot."
"Doesn''t answer a thing."
Raven scratched his head for a moment.
"I have my ways."
"Still doesn''t answer a thing."
"If I''m interested enough, I can obtain information about pretty much anything."
Zephyr sighed.
"Red Lightning, yes. Most of the Tyrs can use and manipte the Wind with great proficiency. Only the Main Line can use the Wind to, somehow, produce that type of Magic."
"Interesting. Interesting... The rumor spread by the Tyrs is that outsiders murdered the Main Line. Saying the truth would have made them look pretty weak. Direct proof of internal conflicts and unstability. Though being wiped out by outsiders doesn''t particrly make them look good either."
"Did that quench your curiosity?"
"Not quite." Raven smiled. "How did it feel? Killing them? Those of the Main Line? Those supposed to be stronger?"
"They weren''t stronger. Could barely use the Red Lightning that is supposed to be their signature move. All of them had gottencent, had stopped training and fighting."
"I see... So? How did it feel?"
Zephyr took off his helmet and massaged his eyes for a bit.
"It was my duty. I didn''t feel anything in particr while or after doing so."
"Duty? Didn''t you run away from the Tyrs afterward?"
"I did."
"Self-proimed righteousness." Raven showed his sharp teeth. "My favorite kind."
Sigh-
"It could be argued that fulfilling one''s duty brings a certain level of joy."
"Now we''re talking."
"And now we''re done. I have to make it to the General as soon as possible to report-"
"No need."
"Huh?"
"We''re going somewhere, the two of us."
"Why would I-"
"I''ve grown to like you, Zephyr."
His eyes narrowed as soon as his name was mentioned.
"Haa... Forgot about that. Wait," Raven frowned and smiled at once. "You''re thest of the Royal Family, right?"
"Right."
"And you''ve thrown away the name the Tyrs have given you at birth, right?"
"Yes. So?"
"Can''t you see where I''m going with this? It makes you..." Raven pointed his index finger at Zephyer. "A Nameless King, doesn''t it?"
The two remained immobile for a bit.
"Riight...?" Zephyr wasn''t sure what was meant by Nameless King.
On the other hand, Raven had expected Zephyr to, at least, chuckle.
"Alright. Let''s get going."
"Where to? And I haven''t agreed on-"
"To the Vampire City."
"Huh?"
"Rejoice, my dear Nameless King! A ce most never get to step foot in. A ce most believe to be a myth."
Zephyr remained silent for a moment
"Just like the Tyrs." He muttered
Raven chuckle.
"Just like the Tyrs."
Zephyr thought for a bit.
"Why?"
"Is a reason necessary? You''ll let the chance of a lifetime pass by?"
"A reason is necessary."
"Well, I went to visit the Vampire City with Arani once. Really bonded during our time there. Deepened our rtionship." Raven smiled maliciously. "I''m hoping it''ll go the same way with you."
Zephyr had a duty towards General Nia.
But his curiosity as a "Monster Hunter" was too strong.
"Let''s make it a quick trip then."
"Let''s do just that."
The two disappeared from the spots they stood on, leaving, with each step, explosions in the snow.
''First her Candidate, now Zephyr...'' Raven thought as he ran. ''Draconia''s going to be seething, haha!''
***
Mark used the Mana Points he recover to Reconstruct the deformed side of his face.
"Strange... So strange. I''m left perplexed every time." Elisamented with narrow eyes as she stared at Mark''s changing face.
It went back to normal.
And Elisa wasn''t sure which she preferred.
She couldn''t tell which was less scary, the Monster''s normal face or the deformed one.
"Cool Skill, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess. It stops the bleeding instantly I assume. Allows you to keep fighting or to flee. You won''t find yourself at your enemies'' mercy even if you were to lose a limb thanks to it."
Mark nodded.
"Though I''m guessing your Health Points regenerate at a much slower rate despite the wounds being healed."
"Why do you think that?"
"Am I right?"
Mark took a short pause.
"You are."
Elisa smiled, ddened by the answer.
It wasn''t clear which of the two pleased her more.
Being correct, or being trusted.
"You don''t seem like the Healer type, so..."
''That''s your reasoning?'' Mark asked himself internally.
Shortly after, they made their way to the Boss Room, apanied by the Moonlit Feline.
The three stood in front of the Exit.
They stared at the wide doors and their frozen hinges.
For a couple of seconds, they stood in silence.
Gulp-
"Ready to leave?" Mark asked.
With her right hand, Elisa scratched her left elbow for a moment.
"Yeah. Just... I''ve been waiting for a long time and..."
"And?"
Mark turned towards Elisa.
She seemed embarrassed.
"My stomach is killing me. It''s like I have an iron ball in there."
Nervousness and stress.
The nerves refused to let them push those doors open so easily.
Doors that were both Exit and Entrance.
The Dungeon''s Exit.
And the Entrance to a new world.
Mark chuckled at her words, and Elisa''s embarrassment grew stronger.
But how could he not chuckle, when he felt exactly the same thing?
The only one who didn''t seem nervous was Krista.
The Moonlit Feline wasn''t nervous at all.
In fact, it looked excited.
Krista couldn''t wait to step outside.
For one simple reason.
"Emm... You, uh... You had a Request, right?
"Oh. Yes. Yes!" Elisa snapped her fingers. "That''s right, haha. Completely forgot about that."
Krista''s eyes narrowed as she stared at the scaredy-cats desperately trying to buy more time.
"I... Uh... I... Well... It''s not easy to ask like this but..." Elisa''s fidgeting made Mark even more nervous. "There''s... Somewhere I want to go. Somewhere I need to go. And I wanted to ask if you..."
Mark pressed his lips.
He lowered his gaze at her words.
She noticed.
"If you... Would... If you could... If you would ept to... Help me get there?" Elisa struggled to ask after seeing his immediate reaction.
Mark stared at the ground for a bit.
His tongue flicked the fangs inside his mouth repeatedly.
"I can''t..."
Elisa immediately felt the iron ball in her stomach expand.
"I can''t do that."
Chapter 171 First
?
Mark stared at the ground.
"I can''t... I can''t do that."
Despite feeling like the iron ball in her stomach had suddenly expanded, Elisa wanted to lighten the mood.
"Oh... Haha... Yeah. Yeah! I get that. I mean it''s-"
He suddenly raised his gaze.
"There''s somewhere I have to go." Mark continued.
''Have to... Not want to... Not need to... Have to...'' Elisa took a mental note.
"Well... Hey. We can still... Umm... We don''t have to part ways right away, right? We might be heading in the same direction after all."
"Mm. We might be." Mark muttered.
"Well, it''s... Uhh... Hey, if you don''t want to, I understandpletely-"
"It''s not that." Mark interrupted. "It''s just... Alright. I guess we could."
"Good. We can figure out our respective routes once we''re outside. So..." Elisa''s gaze moved towards the Exit.
Mark''s did the same.
An impatient Moonlit Feline walked closer to the doors.
Once Krista was inches away from the Exit, she turned back to look at them.
Mark sighed before approaching the doors.
Hey his palms against them.
They were cold.
Practically freezing.
"Is it just me or is your leg shaking a bit?" Elisa asked.
And as Mark heard the question, he became painfully aware of his own anxiousness.
"Didn''t think a Monster could be nervous about something like this." She chuckled.
"Mm." Mark nodded.
Just when he was about to push the doors open,
"Wait." Elisa turned away from the Exit. "Krista,e with me for a second."
Surprised, both the Moonlit Feline and the Monster stared at her.
"Please?"
Krista followed her.
The two walked towards one of the Boss Room''s walls.
"Can you freeze a portion of it?" Elisa asked as she pointed at the wall.
Krista was confused, but obliged the request.
The next instant, Elisa could stare at her own reflection.
"Alright."
She stepped closer and raised a hand.
"We''re going outside... Going back outside."
The Wind around her moved.
It seemed to collect pieces of dust off the ground.
Secondster, a small pile of dusty on Elisa''s left palm.
She brought her face closer to the mirror of ice in front of her.
"We''re going..."
Her right pinky gently tapped the pile of dust.
"To war..."
The Moonlit Feline, who had walked back to Mark''s side, stared at him.
"Makeup...? Really...?" He whispered.
"It''s not makeup dumbass."
Mark was surprised she could hear him.
After a couple more seconds, Elisa was done.
She walked back towards them.
"It''s warpaint."
"Right..."
"Goes well with my hair, right? Hard to tell whether it''s the paint or strands of hair."
''But it''s not paint though...? And... Goes well with your hair? What does that have to...?''
Under their confused gazes, Elisa stood proudly.
"Ready when you are." She dered.
Marky his hands against the doors. He took a deep breath in.
Momentster, the doors were pushed open.
***
A minute earlier,
"Think he''s going to make it outside?"
"Stop pestering me."
"Oh,e on. I''m bored. Neid is fighting, so..."
"Neid?"
"Yes. That''s my Candidate. How is yours called again?"
"The Devourer. Or the Evolving Monster."
Arani rolled her eyes at Nia.
"Is the Devourer going to pass his Test?" She entuated the word ''Devourer''.
"Possibly. Truthfully, I''m more worried about Raven doing something he shouldn''t."
Arani eyes shone.
"So you are worried."
Nia remained silent. She took a seat at her desk.
"You like him, your Candidate. As in you care for him."
"As much as I do the other Candidates."
"Oh, is that so?"
"It is so-"
Floating words appeared in front of Nia.
Floating words only she could see.
She was notified.
And of course, she would be.
Nia was the acting Dungeon Master after all.
Arani couldn''t tell what information or message had popped up.
She studied Nia''s face, but couldn''t find a clue.
''A robotic face for a robotic person...''
Not one thing had changed about Nia''s facial expression or posture.
The silent and quiet fist pump hidden below the desk remained a secret.
***
An hourter, floating words appeared in front of the one Titled "Training Fanatic".
The one who held a portion of Greed.
[Kai.]
"Yes?"
The True Werewolf let the unmoving Monster on its back fall to the ground.
He wiped the drops of sweat that covered his forehead.
[I see you are not neglecting your Training in this Form either.]
The Training Beast chuckled.
"Of course not. I''m way weaker in this Form, which only makes Training more fun. And simpler, since I don''t need as much weight." Kai answered as he flexed his left arm.
Currently, he could have easily passed himself off as a Human.
A bit hairier than most, but still.
[A Candidate has exited his Dungeon.]
Kai froze for a moment.
A wide smile appeared on his face as he chuckled.
"No way... Already, huh? That guy must be quite the Beast."
[Comparing yourself with others can only impend on your Training.]
"I know, but you still decided to tell me that."
Secondster, the timer was up. Growls echoed as Kai''s body started changing.
A True Werewolf.
For now, this meant rotating between two Forms.
For twelve hours, a Human.
For twelve hours...
Kai''s heart started beating faster and faster.
Excitement and enthusiasm filled him.
"I can''t wait..."
The smile on his face just wouldn''t leave.
"To meet that guy."
***
[Free to chat?]
"Sure. What is it, Al?"
[Someone has made it out of their Dungeon.]
"Okay and..." An Corrupted Dark Elf Warrior''s neck was twisted. "What does that have to do with me?"
[You have Leveled Up!]
[Every Stat increases by 1 Stat Point!]
[Your Title "Leveling Addict" increases the Stat Points gained by Leveling Up!]
[Your Strength Stat increases by 2 Stat Points.]
[Your Vigor Stat increases by 1 Stat Point.]
[Your Endurance Stat increases by 3 Stat Points.]
"Thanks for that."
[Your Title "Leveling Addict" smiles.]
[Number of Experience Points Required to Level Up has increased.]
[Your Title "Leveling Addict" lowers the Required Number.]
[Your Title "Number Enthusiast" aids in lowering the Required Number.]
"Al said that Leveling Up wasn''t the others'' forte. That they have different preferred ways to get stronger. How strange..."
[Your Title "Number Enthusiast" nods enthusiastically.]
"Everything just makes a lot more sense when quantified this way."
Chapter 172 The Protagonist?
?
[The First Candidate to make it out wasn''t you in the end.]
"BWAHA! Really? You mean someone got to the end before me?" A beefy man asked.
It wasn''t clear whether he was one or not, but he looked like one at least.
Bald, tall, and muscr.
"These guys should be thest between me and the Final Guardian, right?"
[Yes, they are.]
"Good."
The Weapon Master stepped forward.
Greed and Gluttony.
***
[I can''t believe this.]
"What is it?"
[I''m so, so sorry.]
"What? Whyyy?"
[I failed you.]
[You''re my Candidate and Ipletely failed you.]
"How so? Come on, exin. You''re stressing me out!"
[Someone else left their Dungeon first.]
[I didn''t advise you well enough.]
"Oh... That''s it? Don''t do that to me!"
[I''m sorry.]
[My Pride as a General has been tainted permanently.]
"You''re being sooo dramatic."
[I failed you.]
Rekka, the Whimsical Fiend, chuckled.
"You did great. If anything, I should be the one to me. And, to be honest..."
She spread her wings.
"I wouldn''t have had it any other way."
Rekka was a Harpie.
An oh-so-beautiful Harpie.
"I''ll be out in a bit too."
***
[You asked me some time ago to tell you once someone makes it outside.]
"Right." Said a young man seated on the ground.
He seemed to be a teenager, and could''ve passed for one, was it not for the horns on his head.
[Someone has.]
"Good." The young man stood up. "Perfect, actually. Means I get to speed things up now."
[You''re still going on about that?]
"Of course, this is a race after all." His eyes shone green.
Strange eyes, he had.
Especially one of them.
[And you''re not trying to win the race?]
"Huh? Are you dumb? Of course not."
He moved his arms around as if to warm up his shoulders.
"First andst are the most dangerous positions. Making it out as second or third will do me juuust fine."
***
"The first one to leave, huh?" A Beastman asked
[Yup.]
"Well, that''s a bad omen."
[How so?]
Despite being part of the Beastman Species known for its strength and sturdiness, the Monster looked somewhat frail.
"Makes it less likely for me to be the Protagonist." The Beastman answered after letting out a sigh.
[Huh?]
[Could you stop thinking like that?]
[It''s dumb, and not useful.]
"Hahaha. Right... Perhaps you''re right. Still, I can''t help it. Mmm... Second is also a good ce for the Protagonist. Hypes up the guy who finished first."
[I know you said you were some kind of storyteller in your past life, Kati.]
[But this isn''t a story.]
"Isn''t it?"
The Mind Bender smiled.
[It''s not.]
[And the time for you to realize that hase.]
"l..."
[It''s your life, so you''d better get serious.]
Kati took a deep breath in.
"I''ve never been more serious. I can''t help but think this way, and it has helped a lot."
[You''re frustrating, but listening to your thoughts is amusing.]
"Hehe. So... The matter at hand. Only three spots for a Protagonist. First, second, orst."
[Is that so?]
"First is obvious. Made it before anyone else. Won the race. h, h, h. The advantage and the disadvantage are the same here. You''re the first to make it outside."
[Which means?]
"Which means the First will either fulfill the task you brought us here to fulfill, and reap all the benefits, or..."
[Or?]
"Or the First will die, setting up another as the Protagonist, probably the Last."
[So you want to be Last?]
"Last is a good position. I got information about the First getting out. So theoretically, the Last would have the most information about the outside world and about how things went for the others. What to look out for, what to run away from... Those kinds of things."
[I see.]
[I guess that''s not a bad way of looking at it.]
[Now that the First has gone out, you''ll be taking your time I assume?]
"No. I''ll be going as fast as I can."
[Huh.]
[You''re confusing.]
"Thank you."
A short amount of time passed without Kati receiving any messages.
[Oh.]
[I get it.]
"You do?"
[You don''t want to be the Protagonist.]
[That''s what it is, right?]
Kati suddenlyughed out loud
[What''s so funny?]
"My, oh my... You really don''t get it, huh?"
[I guess I don''t?]
"A Protagonist cannot be engineered. Taking slow to be the Last to finish would make you even less likely to be him."
[Huh.]
[So you''ll be going as fast as you can while praying that you''ll finish Last?]
"Nope."
[You''re so annoying.]
[What then?]
"I''ll let Destiny do its thing."
[Destiny?]
[Don''t make meugh, Kati.]
[I''m already entertaining your trope nonsense.]
[Don''t bring something like Destiny into this.]
"Why not? Think it doesn''t exist?"
[I know that it doesn''t.]
"Then you don''t know anything. Haha!"
[This isn''t a story, Kati.]
[Get it through your head.]
"Wrong again. Everything is a story. No matter how mundane or normal, everything is a story."
[Bfahahhaa!]
[That''s the kind of storyteller you used to be?]
[Talking about random and mundane things?]
"Everything is a story. Question is..."
Kati smiled wide.
"Is it a story worth telling?"
[And how would one assert whether it is worth telling or not?]
"What makes a good story?"
[Many different things brought together.]
"Care to name a few?"
[Can''t think of any specifics now.]
"Asserting whether a story is worth telling or not..." Kati''s heart started beating faster. "Is a storyteller''s job."
[Aha.]
[So you''ll make it so that you''re the Protagonist?
[So that your story is worth telling?]
[So that your life is worth telling?]
[The story of your life, huh?]
"I''ll do what I can when I can when I want but... I don''t get to choose whether I am Protagonist material or not. Different Protagonists for different kinds of Stories, you know?"
[You''re definitely fun to talk to, Kati.]
"Right?"
[Wonder who the Master would bet on.]
[It''s obvious that he is the storyteller here, right?]
[Since he''s the one who takes the decision, and the one thanks to whom you guys are even here.]
[What do you think?]
"The Master...? Oh, Gaavah, huh? Mmm. Possibly."
[Possibly?]
[Who else?]
Kati smiled cheekily.
"Destiny, perhaps?
Chapter 173 A Melancholic Smile, II
?
"Ready when you are."
Marky his hands against the cold doors, and everyone went silent.
The Moonlit Feline''s heart was pumping powerfully. So much so that the other two could practically hear it.
He took a deep breath in and remained immobile for a moment.
They didn''t rush him.
It hade.
The time to leave.
The time to enter a new World.
And just when he was about to push the doors open.
"Ummm..."
Mark sighed.
It was the second time Elisa was interrupting him as he was about to push those doors.
"What is it?" Mark asked without turning or moving away from the Exit.
"It''s just... We''re in front of the Exit. So ording to our Contract..."
"Yeah? What?"
"Well... Do you have a Request of your own?"
Mark could feel his nose twitch.
"I didn''t fulfill yours, so-"
"It''s not about fulfilling. Just about hearing the other out."
He turned his head to look back at her.
Mark stared for a bit, before letting his gaze wander, seemingly deep in thought.
He turned his head to the other side and looked at the Moonlit Feline for a moment.
It''s time to break away, Mark-
With its clear and blue,rge and round eyes, the Moonlit Feline looked at him.
It tilted its head to the side.
"Can..." Mark muttered.
Elisa took a step closer. She couldn''t hear his whispering. Or perhaps wanted him to speak more clearly. He was about to Request something after all.
"Can?"
"Can I take a raincheck on that?"
"Pfhahaha! Um. Yes? Sure, yes. Won''t be part of a Contract though."
"Yeah... Of course... I''ll just... I''ll askter... If I think of something."
"Fine by me."
Mark looked over his shoulder for a bit, before turning back to the mission at hand.
''At that time, I could barely move outside...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" says that you should trust yourself!]
''Mm...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reminds you that you have grown much stronger!]
''Yeah. I know...''
[Your Title "Devourer" says that you should stop acting like a softie and a coward.]
''Wha-''
[Your Title "Devourer" urges you to stop acting like a bitch.]
With a vein bulging from his forehead, Mark pushed the doors open.
Elisa could feel goosebumps all over her body.
The floor was covered by a thickyer of snow.
A dozen meters further, was the edge of the tform they were on.
The edge,pletely buried in snow, protruded, resembling the edge of a balcony of sorts.
''So the entry is elevated from the ground...''
[Your Title "Devourer" says that it wasn''t so hard in the end.]
''Just...'' Mark shook his head. ''Shut up.''
[Your Title "Devourer" sneers.]
He took a step outside and raised his gaze.
Mark took a breath in and quickly realized that his breathing was unstable.
Excitement or nerves? He could not tell.
He raised his gaze. And for the first time, there was no ceiling.
The next second,
[Congrattions!]
[You have Cleared the Dungeon "Burrow Hidden In The Storm"!]
[Rewards are being calcted.]
''Burrow. Ironic.''
Mark hadn''t expected to be rewarded. It was a nice surprise.
He took an additional three steps forward and looked around.
"Blizzard. Still here..."
[Your Title "Devourer" says that you should stopining.]
''You know...'' Mark took a short pause. ''You''re the most unpleasant of the three.''
[Your Title "Devourer" is outraged by your words!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" chuckles.]
There wasn''t much to be seen on the tform Mark stood on.
It was covered by snow, and beyond its edge, nothing was visible due to the ruling snowstorm.
He couldn''t wait to jump off the tform.
Even though he couldn''t wait to do so, he didn''t.
Mark took a deep breath in.
The air was cold.
Incredibly cold.
But not as cold asst time.
He turned and looked at his shoulder.
Some snow was already piling on.
Mark brushed it off before turning around.
"So what do you-"
Awe?
Shock?
Confusion?
Astonishment?
Mark couldn''t tell exactly which one it was, but the expression on Elisa''s face was definitely an interesting one.
"It... It... It..." She stuttered.
"It?"
"It''s back."
Elisa took a deep breath, probably to stop the tears hanging by a thread from flowing down.
"It''s back..." She whispered to herself while staring at the floating words in front of her.
As those words exined, their appearance meant much more than one might think.
She had gained back ess to the System.
She wasn''t part of a Dungeon anymore.
She wasn''t indistinguishable from the mass of Space and Beings that made up the Dungeon anymore.
She wasn''t a ve anymore.
She had gained back what made her Elisa.
Once more, she was an Individual.
"S... S... S..." Stuttering, she couldn''t get the word out.
And once she did, a torrent of tears went down her eyes.
"Status."
In truth, Elisa didn''t care about her Status much.
Only one part of it was important.
The first line. That was all she needed. She was happy to ignore the rest.
[ Name: Elisa
Species & Level: Dark Elf Royalty, Vamp...]
Seeing the expression on her face, Mark thought celebrations were in order.
He didn''t know how to celebrate with her though.
The Moonlit Feline jumped up into Elisa''s arms as she spun around, as happy as one could be.
Mark thought that if he looked differently, he might have had ideas.
If he wasn''t a Monster.
But he was one.
And as a Monster, he had no idea how to partake in such festivities.
Elisa brought her hands together, scooped out snow from the ground, and threw it up high.
Sheughed at how ridiculous the action was.
The Moonlit Feline jumped around as petals of snow fell upon its white fur.
It wasn''t clear whether Krista knew exactly what they were celebrating. But that didn''t matter much.
Mark looked at the two from afar with his lips curled up.
Such an ugly smile he had.
How could anything else be expected?
It was a Monster''s smile.
Somewhere during the celebrations, Elisa caught him.
She smiled, and he turned away.
Mark walked towards the end of the tform they were on.
Heys his hands on the snow-covered edge and looked at the World.
Cold.
Unweing.
Just like he remembered it.
With meaning to, Mark moved his hand.
Ity between his neck and chest.
It moved absent-mindedly, as if looking for something.
[Your Stats have been Updated!]
[Your Skill List has been Updated!]
[Your Skill Ranks have been Updated!]
[Your Status has been Updated!]
[Would you like to check your Updated Status?]
"I''ll do that in a bit."
Mark turned around.
Elisa''s palms were filled with snow.
On her knees, she was seated in front of the Moonlit Feline.
Thetter was merrily stomping on the ground with both front legs as it spun around.
"Wouuuh... Hahahaha!" Elisa moved and pressed her fingers, letting the snow slowly fall upon Krista as if it was dust made of crystals.
Mark thought about jumping over the edge.
About entering the snowstorm immediately.
His hand, once again, moved absent-mindedly.
"What''s with that expression? Thinking about that Vampire Lording back?" Elisa asked suddenly.
"No. He''s noting back... Probably."
"Think we should get a move on just in case?"
There is no we-
"Yeah... We should..."
"Alright-"
Elisa was interrupted as a message appeared in front of her.
A message only she could see, of course.
"Light Armor...!"
"Huh?"
"Elven too! Yes!"
Elisa''s gaze moved to Mark.
It was that kind of look, so he understood and turned around.
Though he thought he was a bit stupid and, truthfully, meaningless.
He was a Monster after all.
"Yes..." Elisa got undressed under the snowstorm.
She threw her clothes which, perhaps not so randomly, fell and covered the Moonlit Feline''s body.
"Equip..."
Elisa moved a bit in her new set and spent a bit of time admiring it.
Only once she was satisfied, did she ask,
"How does it look?"
Mark turned around.
"It doesn''t look light." He said after a moment.
"It''s not supposed to. But it is. It''s Elven, remember?"
"What does that have to do with it?"
"Huh?" Elisa stared as if the question was the most idiotic one she had ever heard. "It''s Elven, so it''s good... Good quality... And stuff. Obviously."
"Obviously." Mark repeated.
He scratched his neck.
Elisa thought him nervous.
Perhaps she was right.
She took a pose.
"How do I look?" Elisa asked, a serious expression on her face.
"That''s what we''re doing?"
She pressed her lips, fighting off the rising smile.
He chuckled, and sheughed.
The Monster''s voice had changed.
Previously, only growls exited its mouth, even when one could tell that it wasughing.
But now, the chuckles sounded... Almost normal.
Mark turned away.
He stared at the snowstorm that seemed to englobe the whole world.
''Going to be tough out there...''
Mark was truly d to have her by his side.
To have both of them by his side.
But as he was reminded not so long ago, the time to break away hade.
Atchoom-
"It''s pretty cold out here."
Snif-
Mark nodded.
"It is."
Chapter 174 One Step Away
?
''Can I survive out there?'' Mark asked himself.
His eyes locked on the invisible outside, hidden by the unending snowstorm.
''Without anyone... Alone... Can I...?''
Shivers.
Caused by excitement or fear, he did not know.
''New World... New Monsters... New... Everything... Against... Me-''
"So." Elisa interrupted his thoughts. "Why did you keep the fact that you could talk a secret?"
She walked by Mark''s side andy her hands on the tform''s edge.
Ouch-
She was forced to pull them away a secondter.
It was freezing cold.
"Wasn''t a secret. I just... Didn''t talk."
"Mm." She nodded.
The two stared at the outside.
The endlessnd covered by snow that they had sought after for so long.
"Really would''ve liked a nicer location, like a forest or something. The frozen door hinges gave it away, but still. A bit anticlimactic, don''t you think?"
They couldn''t even tell how far the ground was from the tform they were standing on.
"I like it." Mark answered after a bit.
Elisa looked around.
It seemed she wanted to talk more than he did.
"Good thing those two left, huh? Would''ve been impossible to make it outside with them standing in our way. That guy with the dark armor would''ve been a problem, but that other one... A Vampire Lord. Oh well, guess we got lucky-"
"He said that he healed you or something." Mark interrupted. "Is it true?"
"Mmm..." Her eyes wandered. "I guess so. Like I told you then, it was just a scratch. So-"
"Not ording to Raven. He said you didn''t have much time left by the time-"
"Raven. You''re referring to him by name, huh?"
"Yeah, so?"
"What''s your rtionship with him?"
Mark chuckled at the question.
"Not much of a rtionship. He''s with those who locked us in this Dungeon."
"And? Is that it?"
"And..." His gaze went back to the endless tundra. "I owe him my life, I guess."
Elisa remained silent for a bit.
Her eyes studied the Monster''s facial expression, but as one might expect, not much is let through by such a face.
"He healed you. Was it just a scratch? And how did he heal you?"
The Moonlit Feline climbed over the edge, before jumping onto Mark''s shoulder.
''So you''re taking his side, huh?'' Elisa thought with a chuckle.
"I guess he did heal me. And no, it wasn''t just a scratch. But so what? Am I supposed to feel like I owe him my life too? It''s because of him and the others that I was stuck here in the first ce."
"Right..." Mark''s gaze seemed distant.
Perhaps because Elisa''s answer was diverging.
Perhaps because those who locked her had given him a second chance at life.
They had taken from her.
They had given to him.
The Moonlit Feline jumped off his shoulder.
"So, how did he heal you?"
"Why does it matter-"
Before Elisa could finish her sentence, something clicked inside her mind.
"Shit. Shit. Shit..." Elisa cursed.
Something she had barely caught from the corner of her eye.
"What is it?"
Elisa called out her Status.
Mark couldn''t see it.
"Dark Elf Royalty..." She read out loud. "Vampiric Muta... WHAT?"
"Aha."
"That fucker..." Her gaze turned to Mark. "He just... He... I can''t believe this..." Her hands started shaking. "I can''t believe you''reughing."
"I''m not."
"You''re trying to hold it in and failing big time."
"Alright. You have to admit it is pretty funny."
"It''s not. Fuck no. It''s not funny. Not at all."
Mark chuckled and turned back towards the raging snowstorm.
"Better Vampiric than dead."
He stared silently while Elisa was fuming.
The air wasn''t as cold as Mark remembered. He thought it was thanks to the "Cold Resistance" Skill he had obtained after his first time outside.
But the temperature wasn''t the only thing that was different.
The concentration of Mana in the air was much higher.
But after his time on the Final Floor, he could handle the change.
Mark thought for a bit.
His gaze went back to Elisa.
She was still furious.
"I can''t believe this. First Corruption, not a Vampiric..."
He stared at her for a bit, and the words leaving her mouth seemed to drown in the snowstorm.
"I knew something was different. You''re more pale. And your teeth-"
"What?" Elisa''splexion seemed to get even more pale. "My teeth... My teeth... What?"
She immediately froze.
Mark stayed silent.
"My teeth what? What about my teeth? Tell me. What is it?"
Elisa''s hand traveled half the way to her mouth before stopping.
"What about them?"
Mark found seeing her stressed out pretty funny.
He didn''t see why she was though.
"They''re..." Mark deliberately took his time answering. "Sharper than before?"
The expression of dread on Elisa''s face.
He could''veughed out loud, but didn''t.
"Pointier, I guess?"
"Pointier-" She suddenly brought a thumb to her mouth. "Ouch... What? Pointier? They''re freaking canines."
Elisa looked at him with a hopeless expression, as if she needed help or an exnation of some kind.
"I think having sharper teeth is more useful anyways." Hemented.
It was based on experience, so hisment was truthful and honest.
"Ugh." Not at all what Elisa wanted though. "This is... This is just great. Corruption, canines... I''m turning into a Beast. Why didn''t they turn me into that Guardian, huh? Might as well. Seems to be where we''re heading."
Her words made Mark think, but heughed.
"I think they suit you."
"Yeah. Right. They suit me. This is just great. I have the kind of face that goes well with... Might as well grow fangs now. Be a Werewolf or something. Why not, right?"
She was fuming but Mark found it hrious.
"A Werewolf? That doesn''t sound too bad. I just lost Light and Grey, so you might... You might... Yeah. Anyways..."
His gaze went back to the snowstorm.
Elisa extended her arms and yed with her fidgeting fingers.
''So they were taken away. Mm...'' She wondered.
Chapter 175 Finally Free (Volume1: End)
?
"A Werewolf? That doesn''t sound too bad. I just lost Light and Grey, so you might... You might... Yeah. Anyways..."
Mark''s gaze went back to the snowstorm.
Elisa extended her arms and yed with her fidgeting fingers.
''So they were taken away. Mm...'' She wondered.
Secondster,
"I might what?"
"Nevermind. It''s just that-" Mark''s slowly moved back to her.
What he found was...
Elisa''s right hand next to her face.
Her fingers curled down.
She proudly showcase her newly obtained sharp canines and,
Rawr-
He froze in ce.
Not all the reaction she had expected.
Elisa turned away, clearly embarrassed.
''Why the hell did I do that...?''
Imitating Werewolves?
Imitating the dozens, no.
The hundreds and hundreds of Beasts Mark had fought to make it here.
To make it to this ce.
To the ce they stood on.
Rawr-
Mark thought what he had just witnessed to be the cutest thing he had ever seen.
Stomp-
Both turned in the direction the sound came from.
A Moonlit Feline lowered its body, like any fearsome predator would while preparing to strike.
It took a leap.
Stomp-
Krista''s paws were immediately buried in snow.
She moved those paws, as if trying to make a snowball, lost her bnce, and gently fell on the snow.
"Like a fish finally back in water." Elisa said, happy to have found an asion to move past...
Mark corrected himself as he saw Krista ying in the snow.
Elisa imitating those hundreds of Beasts was the second cutest thing he had ever seen.
The next second, Krista''s ears stood up.
Elisa''s twitched.
Mark felt something was approaching.
Powerful winds all of a sudden.
The ground shook.
Both Elisa and Krista directed their gazes to the sky.
The snowstorm had been cut in two.
That''s how powerful it was.
The sky couldn''t be seen, but the way from itself to them had been cleared.
"What the hell... Is that?"
High up above, was a gigantic Beast.
Gigantic did not even begin to describe its size.
Its wings moved, and Mark feared the wind produced would blow Krista off the tform they were standing on.
The Moonlit Feline felt the same apparently, as it quickly ran and hid behind Mark''s leg.
"How big is that thing...?" Elisa whispered.
"Ten... Fifteen times? Fifteen times bigger than the biggest Monster I''ve ever seen..."
The creature resembled a Stingray.
"If it was closer, it''d look even bigger..."
Three main differences.
One, it was flying.
Two, its body was covered by what seemed to be a white pelt.
Three, its size.
Blow-
Each time its fins moved, more force than produced than the Guardian could by pping its wings.
Thankfully, it was, at the very least, a couple of hundred meters away.
A couple of secondster, the Monster disappeared, swallowed by the snowstorm.
"What... Was that?"
[Your Title "System Holder" opens up the "Unknown Hunter''s Bestiary Notes" Item.]
[Olga, [C] Ranked Monster:
Olgas are creatures found in the South Regions of the Rift. A lot remains unknown about them, but they are mostly unoffensive and usually do not pose any harm to those onnd. Magic isn''t their forte, but if one were to get close enough to the ground, the wind pressure produced by its movement might be enough to blow a whole vige away. Their mouths are incrediblyrge, but they do not possess fangs. Olgas simply move with mouths wide open, and swallow whatever enters their mouths. Some can be found hibernating on the ground. Beware! There is nothing scarier than walking on an Olga submerged in snow!]
"Huh..." Mark took his time reading the information.
"What?"
"An Unknown Hunter''s Notes... That''ll be useful." Mark said after reading all the given information twice.
"So you know what that was?"
Mark repeated what he had just learned.
At the end of the exnation, Elisa took a seat on the ground, her back against the edge.
"Ahhh, that''s scary. The first living this we see, and it''s something that scary."
Mark raised his gaze to the area filled by the Olga moments earlier.
"So cool..." He whispered.
"What?" Elisa asked.
No response for a couple of seconds.
"How long do you think it would take to defeat something like that?" Mark asked suddenly.
"Huh? Did you see how huge... First of all, it didn''t do a thing. Why don''t you just leave it alone."
Mark chuckled.
He could feel his blood pumping.
"Bigger than anything I''ve ever seen..."
"Ugh... Why do you have to be like that? It''s just a peaceful-"
"Yeah. Yeah. Still, I..."
Mark didn''t finish his sentence.
Elisa didn''t really want him to anyways.
''I wonder how that would taste...''
They remained silent for a bit.
Krista didn''t mind.
She was busy enjoying the snow.
Elisa''sparison was spot on.
For a Moonlit Feline or any other Ice-Creature really, being in the snow felt extremelyfortable.
It felt like being home in a way.
On the other side of the Boss Room, she was impatient.
But now that she had found the snow, the other two taking their time was perfect.
Mark called out the "Iplete Map Of The Monster Realm" he had obtained from Raven.
"Map...? You have one?" Elisa asked.
"Give me the Map."
The next second, the Item, a half-torn map, appeared in Mark''s hand.
"This is where I''m supposed to go."
''Supposed to, huh?'' Elisa thought.
He pointed at the red ''DN'' on the East side of Lust.
Elisa walked halfway to him before stopping.
Mark handed her the map.
She looked at it for a bit.
"Guess we can do a good part of the way together." Elisa turned the map towards him and pointed. "This is where I''m going."
"The Rift... Between Lust and Pride?"
"Yep. Following the Rift is dangerous. Adds a lot of distance since it would be faster for me to cut through Sloth and Lust but..." She handed Mark the map back.
"Mm." He stored it back inside his Inventory.
Mark walked towards the edge once more.
''Really can''t see anything.''
They knew where they were.
They knew where they were going.
Only one thing left.
''Is he nervous? His hand is shaking.'' Elisa wondered.
Nervous, or excited?
Mark climbed over the edge of the tform.
He stood there for a bit, before rubbing his twitching hands together.
''I''m scared...''
Mark spread his dark wings.
Elisa watched him.
Those wings, those fangs, that smile.
The expression on its face.
A Monster, no two ways about it.
''And finally free!''
Chapter 176 The Birth Before The Rebirth (Volume2: Start!)
?
Honk-
Honk-
"MOVE OUT OF THE WAY, IDIOT!" The woman in the passenger seat shouted.
She looked to the side, trying to forget about the current situation.
Tall buildings, sidewalks, and pedestrians.
A different world.
She tried forgetting, but the pain wouldn''t let her.
"Will you please go faster?" Her impatient tone showed that it wasn''t a request, but a demand.
"We''ll be there in less than ten minutes. You have nothing to worry about." The driver reassured.
"Nothing to worry about... Aghh... Easy for you to say."
The man wanted to chuckle. But with the pain his wife was experiencing, he knew that he really couldn''t afford doing so.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Huh?" The man did not take his eyes off the road.
"What are you smiling at?"
"I''m just... I''m..."
"You''re... You''re... What?? Why are you stuttering? I... Arghh! I aaaasked you a question!"
He knew the pain would make her irritable, but he didn''t think it would be to this degree.
"We''re going to be a family." The husband dered.
"Oh, shut uuarghhh...! Shut up!"
"You''re going to be a mom. And I''m going to be a dad. It''s going to be amazing, trust me."
"Ohhh. I see. Trust you. Neat. I''m sure you know aaaargh... A lot about it!"
His smile widened.
"I love you, Emma."
He truly did.
"That''s the problem with you all. My mother warghhh...! Warned me about you men. I''m here suffering while you''re smiling. I''m going to be a dad." She mocked. "The best day of your life is the one I''m... Arghh... The one where I suffer the most."
And she did too.
"Another five minutes and we''ll be at the hospital."
"Arghhh!" Emma held her stomach with both hands. "He''s not even out and he''s already being a pain in my-"
Her husband couldn''t hold hisughter anymore.
"You did not just chuckle." The man kept his eyes on the road. "I hope he will be a better son than you are a husband, James."
His lips curled up into a guilty smile.
"I love you." He said.
"And I''m starting to hate you."
The two remained silent for a bit.
"It hurts, James."
"I''m sorry."
James truly did not know what to say.
He thought that, had he a father growing up, he, perhaps, would have known better what to say, what to do, and how to act in the present situation.
"I''m scared, James."
"You have nothing to worry about." James reassured.
He was scared too. But he wasn''t the one with a human being growing in their stomach.
"I''m scared..." Emma whispered.
Her hand reached for his shoulder.
James momentarily took his eyes off the road.
It was obvious that she was afraid. But the expression on her face...
He had never seen his wife show such an expression.
"We''re going to be great parents."
Emma nodded and pulled her arm back.
"Ohh he''s going to be trouble, just like you." Shey back and raised her gaze to the car''s ceiling. "Arghh... I can''t believe... Your mother went through this alone."
James'' breathing grew unstable for a bit.
His mother had gone through this alone.
She had to, since his father had run away.
''Now isn''t the time to think about that...''
His mother had gone through this alone, and he had never asked about it.
James felt guilty about it. And about letting his mind wander there when his wife was here.
"You''re not going to leave me alone. You''re not going to run away, are you?" Emma asked.
The question shook James'' whole being.
He turned towards her with such speed she feared he had snapped his neck.
"I would never-"
"WATCH THE ROAD!" Emma suddenly shouted.
"WHAT-" His eyes went back to the road.
James had nearly pissed himself.
"Hahahaha. Gotchaaarghhhh! IT HURTS DAMMIT!"
She hit the seat repeatedly.
After taking a couple of deep breathes,
"I''m d you''re here, James."
"I''m d to be here."
"Hehe, I bet. Since you get to see me sufferrrgghhh...! Ahh. He''s impatient, just like you."
Had those words been spoken by anyone else, James would have thought the fault was being ced on him.
cing the me on others.
That was something he was used to.
Used to being both the one to ce it and the one on whom it is ced.
Emma gently held her stomach.
"I''m scared, James. I''m scared..." She raised her gaze to the ceiling and closed her eyes. "Why do you have to be so impatient...? Why...?"
"It''s going to-"
"I''m scared, James. It''s too early... Months too early..."
He pressed his lips.
Had I a father growing up, I would know what to-
An all toomon excuse he had grown used to telling himself.
"Why won''t you just... Argh... Wait a bit longer..." Emma whispered, her eyes on her stomach.
James bit down on his lip.
"40 weeks... 40 weeks it''s supposed to be..." She continued.
For the first time in a dozen years, he felt like he was about to cry.
"You''re early... Too early... Twenty weeks early-"
"They say babies can hear, you know?" James interrupted, his eyes on the road. "They say babies can hear us talk to them, even before they''re born. Sounds, music... They hear all sorts of things."
Emma listened silently.
"He probably even knows the sound of our voices by now. How cool is that?" His voice shook, as if it was about to break. It didn''t, and James continued. "He heard us talk to one another, he heard us talk to him... He heard our music. Remember that time? When I pressed headphones against your stomach and yed music for him to hear? He-"
"What... Are you trying... To say...?" Emma asked, her question interrupted by pained groans.
"Early? Impatient? That''s how much he wants to live. How much he wants to see us. He wants to be with us. To join us as soon as possible." James found it harder and harder to hold back his tears. "It''ll be okay. Our son will be okay. Because he wants to be with us. He can handleing early. And of course, he can. He''s our child."
By then, the hospital was just around the corner.
"I love you, James"
"Everything will go well, Emma."
She nodded.
Everything will go well-
One can only hope.
Chapter 177 He Who Could
?
"The delivery went well. Your wife is in stable condition. There should be no issues."
James stared at the obstetrician who had basically pulled him out of the room.
Through the window, his wife, Emma, held their newborn son.
The baby was tiny and frail.
His skin had a blueish tone, and appeared shiny.
Every once in a while, the baby would gasp for air, and his mother would hold him closer.
"Unfortunately, the baby was born too early."
"Too early? We know that but... I mean there he is." James pointed at his son, around whom Emma''s arms were wrapped tightly.
"As my colleagues have told you, it is rare for babies born this early to survive."
"What? But... He..."
"I''m sorry, Mister James."
"You''re sorry...? You mean that he''s..."
"We have done what we could. Unfortunately..." A ringing noise. "...The twenty-one weeks during which the baby grew were not sufficient to help him develop properly." The ringing grew more and more intense. "We can offer Comfort Care, but we advise you to spend time with your child-"
Lightheadedness took him over. It rang and rang until his ears hurt.
"My child...? Why? What... What''s the issue...?"
The female physician pressed her lips for a bit.
"Unfortunately, twenty-one weeks weren''t-"
"What... Is it?"
Gulp-
She was used to delivering bad news.
But it forever will remain an unpleasant affair.
"It''s his heart. His heart..."
Despite the fact that he was standing tall, James was about to lose consciousness.
The ringing in his head turned the physician''s words into background noise.
"Then... What does he need...? Surgery...? Or... Something else?"
"I''m sorry, Mr James. Please spend time with your wife and child. We will be informing your wife shortly."
The words uttered weren''t simply words.
They were knives.
Sharp des went straight through his heart.
And they were now aimed at his wife''s.
In a daze, the trembling man turned towards the room.
Badum-
The physician probably hoped that the husband would tell the wife. She excused herself and left. Many others needed her help after all.
Through the ss window, James could see them.
His wife and son.
Peaceful and quiet.
Badum-
With the back of her fingers, she delicately and gently brushed her baby''s cheek.
The most fragile thing she had ever held or touched.
The most important thing she had ever seen.
Through the ss window, he watched.
The family he had always dreamed of.
Badum-
The family he never had.
First, a missing father.
And now...
Badum-
His heart beat so fast he felt it could explode at any moment.
His leg shook.
And without really knowing why, James ran.
He ran through the hospital''s hallways as fast as he could.
Suffocating.
A minuteter,
Thump-
He mmed his hands on the reception desk, startling the receptionist.
For a fraction of a second, James thought about running away. A fraction of a second, for which he would always hate himself.
"A surgeon. I need a surgeon! A heart... Heart surgeon! Quickly!"
The receptionist''s lips parted.
Background noise-
He took a leap towards the other receptionist.
Background noise-
A nurse walked by.
Background noise-
A man wearing ab coat.
Frantically, James ran from one person to the next.
Like a madman, he searched for the one who could.
The one who would.
None.
"Sorry. Protocole says-"
Three words.
The same three words again and again.
James went through numerous hallways. Numerous floors.
Background noise. Ringing. His heart beating. More background noise.
The sequence was repeated endlessly. He was drowning.
Security was called three times.
But before they could get to him, James found the one.
"You...!" He reached and grabbed the man''s arm. "You''re a surgeon, aren''t you?"
The man turned around.
nted eyes.
He pulled his arm away from James'' grip and stared with the kind of confidence that is often regarded as arrogance at first.
"What do you want?"
"I need..."
I need-
It always starts with what they need.
Quickly, the words flowing out of James'' mouth turned into background noise.
The man turned away.
"Sorry. Protocol-"
"But you''re a surgeon."
The man started walking away from the desperate James.
"I can''t help you."
"It says so on your badge... You are a surgeon."
"I am."
"Then why... Why won''t you help?"
"Your baby is someone else''s patient. I-"
"THAT''S NOT WHAT I''M ASKING GODDAMNIT! WHY WON''T YOU HELP?"
The surgeon turned around.
The expression on James'' face.
The look of a madman.
Of a desperate man.
The surgeon knew that expression well.
"Is this really how you want to spend the little time your son has on this earth?"
James clenched his teeth.
The words were sharp, and they cut deep.
The surgeon walked away.
Having just performed surgery, he was determined to enjoy, or rather, try to enjoy what little rest time he had.
The surgeon entered his office, closed the door, andy his coat on the coat hanger next to the doors.
The next second, someone walked into the office.
"Diana. If there''s anything, refer to Doctor Ane. I''ve just performed a six-hour surge-"
It wasn''t the nurse he had expected.
But what looked like a dead man instead.
Hollow and desperate.
"Why won''t you help...? You''re the only one who can."
The surgeon sighed as he massaged his eyes.
Instantly, the pages of a book were flipped inside his mind.
A book full of prepared phrases and pre-made responses.
Protocol.
"You are not my patient, so I cannot give or administer proper treatment. I trust my colleague''s diagnosis. If they say that there''s-"
"If they say... What? Why won''t you understand?"
"I understand very well. I empathize with you. I truly do. But-"
Grab-
Pull-
"You will regret this." The surgeon warned as he was pulled closer.
James tightened his grip over the surgeon''s clothes.
"Early... Premature... My son wants to live dammit. Why don''t you all understand?"
"At twenty weeks, he can barely be referred to as-"
The surgeon''s words were interrupted by the delirious man''s forehead as it collided with his.
"He''sing early. That''s how much he wants to be with us. You didn''t see him gasping for air while his mother held him. He''s fighting! That''s how much he-"
Blugh-
The man fell to the ground after a clenched fist hit his side.
James'' words, too, were knives.
"He wants to live? About twenty weeks, right? Then..."
With eyes that were oh so cold, the surgeon stared from above.
"What about my daughter?"
For the first time in a while, James heard words and not background noise.
The surgeon in front of him wasn''t like the others anymore.
"Are you saying that she didn''t want to live?"
He wasn''t a robot, part of a well-crafted unbending system anymore.
The surgeon now stood as an individual.
He was the one who could.
But would he?
Chapter 178 Prove It To Me
?
In a well-decorated room, a blonde woman was seated at arge table.
She checked her watch repeatedly while sipping on a ss of wine.
On the table, a feast and a, mostly empty, wine bottle.
It was already dark outside, and the prepared meal had grown cold.
The door she had been watching was finally pushed open.
"You''rete."
"Sorry. I was stuck in the ER for-"
"Late, again."
The man''s nted eyes narrowed.
Still, he hung his coat and took a seat opposite her.
"It''s good." The manmented after taking a bite.
"Cold is what it is."
The blonde woman watched him as he ate.
The two remained silent for a couple of minutes.
"So. About my brother on Saturday-"
"What about it?" She interrupted.
The man sighed.
He thought he was too tired for this kind of thing.
"It''s at 2pm. I''m thinking we can-"
"You can''t be serious. You want me to go there? Seriously?"
"Of course. Congrattions are in order, and-"
"You want me to congratte them for having a child?"
He massaged his tired eyes for a bit.
"Our misfortunate shouldn''t spoil the others'' joy-"
"Oh, this is just great. Spoiling their joy. Well excuse me, I don''t feel joyous."
"Jennifer, it''s really not-"
"I don''t feel joyous, I said. And I don''t think I will feel joyous on Saturday either. You can go alone, but I won''t congratte anyone."
"Just because-"
"Just because what? Just because my child died? Just because my daughter never got to see the light of day? Oh. Excuse me. Just because, huh? Okay. Alright. I''ll congratte them, of course. It''s your brother after all."
"Jennifer, where is thising from?"
"Where is... Fuck you. Fuck you, Rei. That''s where it''sing from." She finished her ss in one gulp.
"Listen, I get that you''re-"
"You don''t get shit!" The woman shouted as she threw the empty ss against the wall behind him.
The man immediately pushed himself off the table.
"What the hell is wrong with you??" He shouted.
"Wrong with me? Hahaha! Wrong with me?? My daughter died, that''s what''s wrong with me." The man''s gaze ran away from hers. "Where were you, huh? Where were you when it happened? Where were you the next day?"
"You know where I was." He muttered.
"Oh, yes. Working. Work, work, work. The only thing that matters."
"People would have died if-"
"OUR DAUGHTER DIED! What is it you don''t understand?? Our daughter died while you were working. She died, and you went to work the next day. And you ask what''s wrong with me?? And you want me to go congratte them?"
"I..." His lips moved, but no words exited his dry throat.
"It''s your fault." The woman whispered.
"What?"
"It''s your fault. It''s your fault she died."
His eyelids twitched.
"It''s no one''s fault. it''s-"
"I never should have been with you. I never should have chosen you."
"What are you saying?"
"It never would have happened, were I with someone else."
"THAT DOESN''T MAKE ANY SENSE, JENNIFER! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU ON ABOUT? WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT?" He shouted at the top of his lungs.
"What I want?" She pushed herself off the table and stood up. "A divorce."
"You... What...?"
"You''re cursed. This is all your fault."
He remained silent.
"I want a divorce."
***
"Huh?" The surgeon, whose was Rei, grabbed James'' cor. "Your son wants to live? Then what about my daughter? Why didn''t she live?"
James clenched his teeth and averted his gaze.
"Did you... Do everything you could... To save her?" He muttered.
"My wife had a miscarriage," She was, now, his ex-wife. "There was nothing anyone could have done."
James didn''t utter a word for a couple of seconds.
"Given the opportunity, my son will survive."
The surgeon pushed him away with great force.
James fell to the ground, and his back hit the wall.
"Out... Get out..."
"Please, just-"
"I SAID GET OUT!"
James stood up and stared at the seething surgeon in front of him.
Ultimately, he left.
The door closed behind him, and the surgeon was left alone.
Rei walked over to his desk, grabbed the half-empty ss, and took a sip.
"FUCK!" He shouted as he threw the ss against the wall, shattering it into countless pieces.
The eyes of a desperate man. Rei knew them.
Having lost a huge chunk of his life, only two things remained.
Only two things kept him going.
His work, and the bottle.
"He wants to live... What kind of delusional... I''ve never operated on a child, let alone a baby so tiny and...!"
Rei''s clenched fist hit the disk.
Three minutester,
Click-
"Diana. Get me everyone you can."
He left hurriedly, without waiting for the nurse''s response.
''I''ll have that child prove it to me.''
...
One hourter, Rei stood in front of a room he knew well.
"Sir, with all due respect this is very much against protocol-"
"I didn''t ask your opinion."
"Sir, this-"
"Not a word."
"Who will take responsibility if-"
"I''m operating on this child, even if it''s thest thing I do in this hospital."
"But sir..."
Rei entered the Operating Room, ignoring the rest of that warning. It was background noise to him, and not anything more.
''Prove to me that you will fight to live.''
He washed his hands and arms, as he had countless times.
''Prove to me that you want to live.''
He put on replicas of the sterile gown and gloves he had worn countless times.
''Prove to me...''
The surgeon walked over, and there he was.
''That she didn''t want to live.''
A tiny baby, whose heart was smaller than any of the countless hearts Rei had operated on.
''Prove to me...''
A baby whose chances of survival were less than 10%.
A baby whose life, even if saved, would be filled with struggle and tribtions.
''That it wasn''t my fault.''
The surgeon had seen countless simr cases.
Yet, this one was different.
"Knife." The surgeon demanded from those around him.
***
I''m operating on this child, even if it''s thest thing I do in this hospital-
As fate would have it, operating on that child was thest thing Rei did inside that hospital.
Chapter 179 A Birth Tainted By Blood
?
After a surgery performed with, what all inside the Operating Room would describe as astonishing, if not extraordinary precision, finesse, and skill, Rei was beyond exhausted.
Still, he walked to find the baby''s parents.
He exined everything.
About how the baby''s condition was stable, about how their son was currently on life support, and about there, truly, wasn''t anything more that could be done now.
"It all depends on him now." Rei told them.
The words felt strangeing out of his mouth.
A sentence he wasn''t used to uttering.
A sentence he used to dislike a lot.
The mother, so thankful that she cried and cried.
The father, on the verge of tears, couldn''t find the words to express the level of gratitude he felt towards his son''s savior.
Rei excused himself and left the room.
The next second, James followed.
"Thank you!" He shouted. "I can''t thank you enough, doctor. I''m... I''m so sorry about my attitude. About the things I said. About the way I acted. I''m... Thank you. Thank you so much."
The surgeon''s lips parted.
But before he could say a word,
"Sir, Mister Liam is waiting for you in his office."
''The chief, huh?'' Rei massaged his tired eyes.
"Take care of your family."
"Thank you!"
The surgeon left.
...
It was only hourster that the parents could see their son.
The mother, Emma, wanted to do so earlier, but James and the nurses wouldn''t let her.
So fragile.
So small.
He breathed through a tube with great difficulty.
The two watched over their son silently.
"He''s fighting."
Emma nodded.
With wide eyes, they watched.
Somewhere between astonishment and shock.
They were now parents.
A human being in front of them.
Their son.
A human being that was half her, and half him.
Noticing her husband''s teary eyes,
"You''re going to be a great father." Emma dered.
For the first time in a dozen years, James cried.
And she watched him cry.
It was the first time she saw her husband doing so.
Emma was d to see him like that.
"That''ll leave a mark." James said as he chuckled and wiped his tears.
"Yeah. The scar probably will stay for a long time..."
"It''s... Proof that he fought. That he wanted to live." He fought back his tears as valiantly as he could.
"They say scars are badges of honor, huh?"
"He should... Never be ashamed of that mark."
Emma nodded as she turned her gaze back to her son.
Thetter''s condition wasn''t anything to feel relieved about, but they were hopeful.
"Never be ashamed of that... Mark..." James muttered.
And then it hit her.
"No." Emma turned back towards her husband
"No, what?"
"I said no."
"What are you talking about?"
"We''re not calling him Mark."
James'' eyes went back to his newly born son.
"It''s a good name-"
"I said no."
"Do you have better ideas?"
"He... Came too early for me to get good ones. I was about to start a list of potential names, you know?"
James chuckled.
"Let''s put Mark at the top of that list."
"Hell no. He might have a mark on his chest but..." James looked at her with his eyebrows raised. "BUT, naming him Mark is just..."
"Just what?"
"Well, you''re making it sound like he is the mark. That''s just wrong."
"I don''t know... I like it."
***
On the other side of the hospital, a long discussion had taken ce.
Many, many subjects were touched up. Morals, ethics, medicine, and what it meant to be a doctor to name a few.
And the result yielded by that discussion was,
"You''re fired."
It was to be expected.
Rei''s decision was both selfish and egotistical.
A surgeon ignoring the chain ofmand wasn''t something that could be afforded.
Not in the well-oiled machine that was the hospital.
Only a dozen minutester, Rei stood outside that hospital.
He slowly raised his left hand, flicked his lighter, and lit the cigarette pressed between his lips.
"A doctor smoking... You hypocrites! You should be ashamed!" An old woman shouted as she passed by.
Rei simply chuckled.
He wasn''t a doctor anymore.
Rei raised his gaze and stretched his back.
Exhausted.
Rei walked towards the street and took a left turn.
A route he was used to taking after work.
A route he was used to taking ever since his wife left him.
With no one toe home to, there wasn''t much to do.
A couple of minutester, Rei stood in front of it.
The ce he went to at the end of, practically, every shift.
The Sailor''sRefuge. Rei''s favorite bar.
For him, there was nothing quite like an Irish Whiskey on the rocks after a long day.
Rei stood in front of its entry, and, after a couple of seconds, confusion overtook him.
With his wife gone, arge chunk of his life had gone up in smoke.
Only two things kept him going.
And he had now lost of the two.
Reiy his back next to the bar''s entrance.
He raised his gaze to the sky, and couldn''t help but hide his eyes.
It was incredibly sunny.
A clear blue sky.
It was only 4pm.
Rei had lost his job.
His pride.
His way of life.
His reason for living.
Yet, an Irish Whiskey on the rocks did not seem that appealing at the moment.
Rei was truly surprised.
For the first time in a very long time, he walked away from The Sailor''s Refuge without even taking a sip.
For the first time in a very long time, he wandered the streets aimlessly.
''Huh... There was a park this close?'' Rei asked himself.
He hadn''t walked for a long time, yet it was an area he wasn''t familiar with at all.
He had no idea how he had even arrived there.
Children were running around.
Adults, probably their parents, were yelling at them to slow down, to be careful, or toe back to them.
Rei took a seat on a green bench.
It was a sunny day.
A beautiful day.
"Would''ve been a good day to be born..." He whispered.
Being born on such a nice day could have been considered a good omen.
A good omen for the newly born Mark.
Unfortunately, it was a bad day to require both a Surgeon with years of experience and three Assistant Surgeons.
In the time it took to save that baby...
Mark had lived, and three people had died.
This, of course, was something his parents neither had nor would evere to learn.
Chapter 180 The End Of...?
?
Another world, another time.
''No news from Raven. Nothing from Zephyr...''
Bookshelves were meticulously arranged.
''He made it outside at least. The rest is in Raven''s hands.''
Various papers and parchments were organized.
Nia couldn''tmunicate with any of them.
She was feeling slightly restless and, therefore, decided to organize her quarters.
Organizing her quarters usually helped her organize her thoughts.
''Whether they take the shortest route or take their time shouldn''t be an issue...''
Nia took hold of a peculiar vase and changed its location.
It was a gift she had received, long ago from Al, a fellow General, part of Gaavah''s Army.
''Problem is Raven. If the urge to go on a sightseeing trip gets to him...''
She stared at the Vase for a bit, before cing it in front of a Vial in which four glowing eyes floated.
The vial had been given to her as a gift too.
It wasn''t clear whether she thought the location appropriate for the Vase, or if she wanted to hide that Vial.
''They''re both fickle and entric in more ways than one. Mm. I could imagine them forming a duo andpletely dismissing the original n.''
Wanna see a city full of Vampires?
Vampires? Sounds good. I''m sure they''ll taste great.
Nia shook her head and quickly got dressed.
Secondster, she was walking down a long corridor.
The stones that made up the walls and floor seemed old.
Nevertheless, the structure, in its entirety, projected great power.
It was a castle.
A Demon Lord''s Castle.
The sound of her dark boots hitting the ground resonated with each step.
Each step, each movement, conscious, deliberate, and calcted.
Nia never took a step without, prior to doing so, thinking about where she was going and why?
About where or on what her foot wouldnd exactly.
Her long dark cloak danced with the wind behind her.
The golden patterns sewed on and there on the cloak entuated her golden eyes and red hair.
The cloak had been designed by Arani, another fellow General.
It only took a couple of minutes for her to arrive at the gigantic gates.
The doors felt like gigantic gates. Probably because of whaty behind rather.
Or rather, who.
Nia took a deep breath in before pushing the doors open and entering the room.
She took a dozen steps forward before,
"Nia."
Draconia immediately stopped advancing and kneeled.
"My Lord."
"I hope you bring good news."
A powerful voice that made both floor and walls shake.
A voice thatmanded respect.
In truth, itmanded respect from Nia simply because she was a General part of his Army.
Were she not, mind-breaking fear would have been elicited.
Gulp-
The Demon Lord Of Pride doesn''t hope. He expects.
Something he had never said or expressed. Nevertheless, it was understood by all.
Her gaze lowered to the ground, Nia''s lips parted.
"The Devourer has left the Dungeon. He currently should be with-"
"The Devourer."
Nia took a pause. She felt she was forced to do so.
"Yes, my Lord. The Devourer and the Evolving Monster."
"Mark, wasn''t it?"
She suddenly rose her eyes towards the Demon Lord.
Shrouded in darkness, a lone red eye glowed back.
"Yes... My Lord." Nia answered as she lowered her gaze once more.
She was surprised that the Lord remembered that name. Or rather, that he cared enough to remember it.
"How do you refer to him?"
"My Lord?"
"How do you refer to the Candidate? By Name or Title?"
"By Name."
The Lord nodded.
"How will you refer to the Candidate once you find him?"
Nia took a pause.
"By... Name. Probably."
"How will you have him refer to you? General? Nia? Or..."
Nia raised her gaze once more.
"Draconia?"
"I have introduced myself as General. But I have had him refer to me as Nia."
"Mm. Good." The Lord took a short pause. "Then?"
"Raven should bring him to me in three weeks at most. An additional two weekster, the Candidate will arrive here."
The Demon Lord remained silent.
Nia understood it was time to excuse herself.
But before she could stand,
"Do you remember our time in the Human Realm?"
The question greatly surprised her.
Both the sudden timing, and the question in and of itself.
"I do...?" A puzzled tone.
"Take care of the Candidate."
"Yes, my Lord."
Secondster, Nia was outside the throne room.
She only walked a couple of seconds down on hallway before,
"Waiting for me?" Nia suddenly asked.
A chuckle resonated, and Arani made her way down the ceiling.
"I was." Arani answered while standing in Nia''s way.
"What for?" Nia stepped forward.
"Mmm... Nothing in particr."
Nia rolled her eyes.
"Oh. Now that I think about it, it''s weird, huh?"
"What is?"
"Howe your quarters are the closest ones to the Lord''s Throne? When you''re the Seventh General? The weakest General? Thest to have be a General?"
Nia stared for a bit.
"The Lord doesn''t need protection. Which is why having the weakest being closest isn''t an issue. That might be the answer. Or perhaps, since I was thest to join, I need the most guidance."
"Hah. You always have a smart-ass answer to give, huh?" Arani sneered as Nia walked past her.
The former stared at thetter''s back and noticed.
"You''re wearing the cloak I made for you...?"
"I am."
"Why? Did you know I woulde?"
"Simply the best I have. Appropriate to wear when seeing the Lord."
Arani''s eyes sparkled.
"So you admit I have good taste."
"Only when ites to attire." Nia added as she walked away.
***
Thousands of miles away,
"You''re sure you want to go through with it?" Elisa asked, in the middle of a blizzard.
Her eyes narrowed as the Timeworn Elven Daggers in her hands spun.
Around her neck and head, a piece of cloth had been wrapped.
"Yeah..."
A handful of spikes made of bones exited Mark''s Inventory.
The next instant, they were broken and reassembled to form a Spear.
"Let''s end this."
Chapter 181 His Spear?
?
"So we really have to do this?" Elisa asked.
Mark nodded.
Both tightened their grips over their respective weapons.
In the middle of the dense blizzard, they stood about a dozen meters away from one another.
A dozen meters away from the midway point, an agitated Moonlit Feline was seated.
From Mark''s Inventory, a thigh bone was pulled out.
He threw it in the air with a snap of his wrist, giving it plenty of spin.
When it would hit the ground, the two would start.
Mark immediately tilted his body forward, ready tounch himself forward armed with his Spear.
Elisa, on the other hand, stood tall. She reversed her grip around both her Timeworn Elven Daggers while taking small hops on the snow.
''Why is she hopping around like that? Warming up, or...?'' Mark asked himself while the bone was spinning in the air.
He thought it could mess with her timing, giving him a definite advantage.
"Stay out of this." Both uttered in unison.
The Moonlit Feline who had taken a step forward immediately froze.
''If she''s in the middle of a hop as it falls...'' The bone quickly approached the ground. ''My victory will be assured-''
Mark clicked his tongue.
Sure enough, Elisa''s feetnded on the ground a fraction of a second before the bone touched the snow-covered ground, giving her ample time to prepare her posture to approach.
Both leaped towards one another.
Despite the fact that she had been hopping around, her reaction speed had been greater than his.
Mark pulled his left arm back and, therefore, the Spear he held.
''Just like him... Just like...''
She entered his range.
''Him.''
With a thrust of his Weapon, Mark aimed to finish it right there and then.
Aiming for her arms seemed impossible. First of all because of their thin appearance. It was mostly because of how fast Mark knew she was capable of moving them.
Aiming for the legs was the same.
He could not afford to underestimate the Assassin''s swiftness and dexterity.
This meant Mark felt he could only go for her upper body.
Stomach or chest.
He felt he could only go for one of the two.
Perhaps Elisa knew that. Which is why she expected it.
With a quick sidestep, she gave space for that Spear to pass by.
''Careless.'' Elisa criticized mentally.
With his Weapon out of the way,
''Time to go for the kill-''
But before she could move in, the Weapon moved.
The Spear instantly grew fangs on its side, taking on the appearance of something akin to a Halberd.
"Crafty." Elisamented as she quickly jumped back.
"Mm." Mark nodded absent-mindedly.
It wasn''t how he wanted it to go.
Not even close.
It was nothing like earlier.
Despite being the one with a massive reach advantage, it was nothing like it.
''Tsk.''
"As an Assassin..."
Elisa straightened her back.
"It''d be shameful for me not to end this quickly."
"Is that what you are?
"Mm?"
"An Assassin?"
Elisa''s eyes grew cold and unexpressive.
"That''s..." She took a step forward. "What I stand as now."
''Mm...''
Mark stared for a bit.
''She says that but still approaches head-on.''
Indeed, taking a couple of steps away would have been enough for her to hide in the blizzard and strike from a blindspot. Elisa''s Sense Stat was much higher than Mark''s after all.
She lowered her body slightly.
The Assassin took another step forward.
[Your Passive Skill "Combative Eyes[D]" is activating!]
Mark winced at the message.
At his Skill''s Rank.
It had dropped from [A] Rank all the way down to [D] Rank.
In truth, he wasn''t too bothered by it.
The Rank might have changed, but it was still the same Skill.
Immediately upon Activation, Mark''s eyes discarded everything deemed unnecessary in their field of vision.
The snow-covered ground, the blizzard around them, the falling snow.
Only the Assassin remained, with its spinning sharp Daggers.
Elisa''s lips moved.
Let''s do this-
Mark couldn''t hear those words.
The Skill certainly had significant drawbacks, which justified its low Rank.
Elisa took a leap.
Mark braced himself.
She had lowered her body, making his target smaller.
A slight smirk was on the Monster''s face.
''Really forcing my hand...''
His thrust had been dodged cleanly earlier. Which is why Mark opted for a horizontal swing instead this time.
Only three ways to go for Elisa.
He knew that well, since he had been in her position.
Jumping back was the first. Mark thought it unlikely that she would opt for it.
Only two left.
''Which...''
Above or Below the swing.
''Will it be?''
Mark''s eyes narrowed.
Elisa chose to go with Below.
Since she had previously lowered her body, this forced the swing to be slightly angled downwards.
Elisa slid below the swung Spear, narrowly evading the attack while simultaneously closing the distance.
But this meant she wasn''t on her feet.
And Mark''s right fist, which had been kept empty, was waiting just for that.
His eyes widened however when that powerfully swung fist caught nothing but air.
Blitz-
It wasn''t his first time seeing Elisa use such a move.
She was behind him, and he knew that.
Mark quickly turned around, but something blocked him.
Tap-
''Huh?'' He was momentarily confused and surprised, but didn''t let that keep him from moving.
With her fist against his shoulder, Elisa kept him from turning around.
Did she even have the strength to do that?
Mark didn''t think so.
He pushed back against that fist, but it held more power than he had thought.
The next instant, Mark lost his footing.
The momentary loss of bnce gave plenty of time for Elisa''s Dagger to make its way to his throat.
But before it could pierce through, the de stopped its approach.
"Alright. Best of five. Three and O. Let''s go!" Elisa smiled widely as she made her Daggers spin and put them back into their sheathes.
Mark clicked his tongue.
"You lost. You go find us some food. Hehe!" She chuckled.
Elisa skipped on her way to the Moonlit Feline.
"Hey, hey! Were you worried about him?" She picked Krista up, and thetter affectionately licked her cheek. "Ohhh. You were worried about me too?"
Mark remained unmoving.
''Tsk.''
He raised his gaze, only to find the endless blizzard.
''My Spear is nothing like his...''
Chapter 182 A World Of Dungeons & Dragons
?
''My Spear is nothing like his.''
Mark walked away from Elisa and Krista.
...
''Mm.''
Fifteen minutester, Mark was walking through the blizzard.
''Why is it so different?''
Alone, he walked and wondered.
''Grabbing his Spear with both hands made him much scarier, but even when he had one hand left empty it wasn''t easy...''
His head turned left and right repeatedly.
Not much could be seen around him. Still, he looked.
''Thrusting and swinging. That''s all he did, and that''s what I did. But it''s too different.''
Mark scratched his head.
''I made that Spear to be the same size as his... Tsk. Even when swinging it, it felt different. I wanted Elisa to take my ce, and me to take Zephyr''s but... He''s too amazing-''
He stopped.
Surprised by his own thought.
''Amazing, huh? Mm... What made him amazing then?''
Surprised to feel admiration for the enemy.
''He didn''t move around much. His feet were nted on the ground. I tried doing the same, but that only seemed to leave me wide open. I''m sure his sense of distance was part of it. I can tell the necessary distance for my ws to reach the enemy, since I''m used to that particr distance. Couldn''t get used to the Spear''s range in three matches though...''
His nose twitched, and Mark changed directions.
''But that''s only part of it. Every movement of his Spear felt... Oppressive. Like it took way more space than it should have. It limited my options considerably. With every swing and every thrust, he could tell how I was going to dodge. He could tell whether I was going to dodge or block... Or maybe that''s just an impression I have. Maybe he was just fast enough to react as if he could tell beforehand...? I''m not sure.''
He took a powerful leap and clenched his fist.
But before throwing a punch towards the ground, he stopped.
''Mm. Probably shouldn''t make a mess of it.''
Two eyes full of fear stared at him.
The Monster advanced towards Mark.
Thetter extended a palm towards it.
A horn collided with that palm, and Mark grabbed it.
''Guess I''ll take it alive. Tsk. This is seriously...''
[Your Title "Devourer" is sobbing.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is disappointed.]
''Kind of depressing.''
Mark turned around and started walking back.
In his hands, a Horned Hare dangled, trying its best to free itself.
''I wonder if Elisa would have had fewer issues fighting against Zephyr. She''s faster and more... Nimble? Dodging is more her thing while I usually don''t mind taking the hits head-on... Maybe that''s something I should change. I can probably Evolve into a Corrupted Dark Elf, right?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
''Mm. Too weak though. How about a Dark Elf?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" says that should you Devour, at least, one Dark Elf for that.]
''Yeah. As I thought.''
[Your Title "Devourer" sneers.]
[Your Title "Devourer" forbids you from taking such a puny appearance.]
''Somehow... I sort of agree with that.''
...
"He''s worried, isn''t he?" Elisa asked.
The Moonlit Feline, buried in snow, nodded.
"Wonder why... We''re outside the Dungeon. Usually, it''s inside Dungeons that most are worried... We''re finally outside... Mmm..." She whispered.
To Krista, the answer was obvious.
Elisa wasn''t as worried after leaving the Dungeon.
Mark was more worried now than he was inside.
The Moonlit Feline''s round eyes stared at her for a bit.
One of them knew the outside, the other didn''t.
"Think I should teach him how to use Daggers?"
Krista nodded enthusiastically.
"Mm... He really doesn''t have the physique for it though. He''d be better off using a Mace or a Sword. Spear might work too but... Learning how to use a Spear the right way is prettyplicated. I imagine, since it''s muchrger than a Dagger. Though perhaps that''s not how it works." Elisa chuckled.
Krista rolled her eyes.
...
''Is learning how to use Weapons what I should be doing? With no Monsters around, there''s nothing to fight or Devour. Mm. I''m only supposed to make it to Draconia but... I can''t stay this weak.''
[Your Title "Devourer" nods.]
''I''m free now, but that''s only because Raven decided to leave. Which is good for me obviously but... Mm. If I stay weaker than they are, I''ll never be free.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
''First step to get stronger is staying alive though. This isn''t the Dungeon anymore, so the levels of strength held by the Monsters I''ll find out here will be all over the ce. Can''t just approach the first Monster I see without thinking... Can''t do that anymore...''
Mark felt a bit restless.
Especially after checking out his Updated Status Window.
"Status."
[
Name: Mark
Species: (Unknown)
Level: Lv1 (0/1000EXP)
Evolution Points: 0
Health Points: 1150/1150
Endurance Points: 900/900
Mana Points: 1350/1350
Stats:
Strength: 98
Agility: 75
Sense: 55
Vigor: 115
Endurance: 90
Mana: 135
List of Titles:
Devourer: [Unique Title].
Evolving Monster: [Unique Title].
Potential Demon King Candidate: [Rare Title].
Gaavah''s Follower: [Umon Title]
System Holder: [Common Title]
]
All Stats had dropped considerably.
''Mm. Still, I didn''t get weaker. Only the numbers changed...''
Something akin to Ranks had been added to the Title List.
''The System won''t say much about those. Tsk... What''s my Rank again?''
[You are currently a [C-] Ranked Monster.]
''Mm...''
Mark thought it wasn''t that bad.
After all, the gigantic Olga he had seen was a [C] Ranked Monster.
''Wonder if I could beat that... I usually have fewer issues fighting against big Monsters. Those about my size are the most troublesome.''
Secondster, Mark could see Elisa and Krista through the blizzard.
The two had sensed him approaching before he could them.
"Finally..." Elisa''s eyes sparkled.
So did Krista''s.
Mark handed Elisa the Horned Hare.
One of her Daggers spun, and she started skinning the Creature that was a bitrger than a normal Hare.
''Raven and Zephyr. Those two were so powerful I can''t evenpare myself to them. I can tell that Zephyr was holding back. Didn''t even use Magic. As for Raven, well...''
Mark remember those red glowing eyes, and his hand twitched.
''He didn''t need to beat me up for me to realize how strong he is. Raven is, no doubt, stronger than Zephyr, who is, obviously, much stronger than me-''
"You''re quiet." Elisa said suddenly as she skinned the Hare''s thigh.
"Thinking."
"Okay."
Krista stood inches away from the Horned Hare that was being skinned. She stared at it with starving eyes.
''Raven. Vampire Lord, Descendant of Drac? Whatever that means... It couldn''t be the Drac anyways, since that one stems from a story. A story from another world. Then...''
"Elisa."
"Yes?"
"You saw Raven, right?"
"I did." She didn''t take her eyes off the Horned Hare.
"What Rank would you say he is?"
"Rank?"
"Yeah, Rank."
"Mmm..." Elisa''s Dagger stopped moving for a bit.
"S Rank?"
"Probably A Rank, like me."
"Haha, right."
"Huh?"
"Huh? Wait you''re serious?"
"Why wouldn''t I be? I''ll take offense, if you don''t drop it."
"How? What...? How?"
"Huh. Well for one, three and O. Hope you remember that."
"I do but...?"
Elisa let out a deep sigh.
"You''re being very annoying."
"How so? I''m just asking-"
"The Corruption." She interrupted." It''s the Corruption. You think Vampire Lord is impressive? Then you don''t know a thing about Elven Princess."
"Right. Right... Wait...?"
"What?"
"You''re not... You''re not actually...?"
"A Princess? Yes, I am. Now drop it..." The Dagger in her hand spun. "Or I''ll gut you."
Mark closed his mouth.
"I told you I was Dark Elf Royalty. Seems you weren''t listening. I''m a Princess, And I don''t want to talk about this any longer."
Krista''s gaze went from one to the other repeatedly.
Seemed Mark wasn''t the only one worried or stressed.
''Princess... Putting aside all the... Mm. A princess locked in the tower. I thought about that after first meeting her but... That''s such a clich¨¦. That''s a...''
Mark''s hands twitched.
He immediately stood up and started walking away.
Making sure he walked in a straight line, Mark got lost in the blizzard.
He wasn''t lost per se, but he was out of their fields of vision, and they were out of his.
''Clich¨¦... Clich¨¦... Elves... Spirits... Dragons... Dungeons... Vampires...''
Mark''s heart started beating faster and faster.
''Seven Deadly Sins... Drac...''
He raised his gaze towards the sky, hidden by the raging snowstorm.
''A world of Dungeons, Vampires, Dragons...''
Less than a minuteter, a scary, scary thought entered Mark''s mind.
Chapter 183 The Only Place They Knew
?
Elisa was seated in the snow. Inches away from her, the Moonlit Feline.
''Mmm...'' The former held an unmoving and perfectly skinned Horned Hare in her hands.
Skinned as perfectly as a Princess could skin it anyways.
Elisa moved her gaze towards Mark.
He was seated a dozen steps away.
''Mmm. He must be mad about that...'' Elisa wondered.
Mark was staring at the ground quietly.
Her lips parted, pressed against one another, and parted again.
''To beat an Olga... How would I do that? I guess I would-'' His thoughts were interrupted.
"S... Sorry about earlier."
"Earlier...?"
''Tsk. He really wants me to say it.''
"About saying... That I would gut you."
"Oh. Yeah. It''s fine-"
"It''s just that it''s a... Touchy subject."
"Yeah. No problem. I get it."
"You do?"
Mark took a short pause.
"Yeah. I think I do."
Elisa let out a long sigh.
"My Title... Well, my Titles don''t respond the way they used to." Mark thought back to Zephyr''s words as he listened to Elisa''s. "That''s why I... When you questioned them I..."
''If they''re not responding, then she might have lost them? Or perhaps is in the process of losing them? Recognized by the World... Recognized by many... Losing her Titles would mean that either the World or those who used to recognize her as a Princess anymore? Then-''
"Anways..." Elisa scratched her elbow. "Think you can make a fire?" She asked as she raised the skinned Horned Hare.
"So that''s why you were apologizing."
Elisa chuckled.
Mark extended his left hand.
A snake made of mes seeped out of his palm, and made its way towards Elisa.
"Creepy." Shemented.
Upon arriving in front of her, the mes changed, and looked like those stemming from a campfire.
"Handy." Elisa added.
"Nothing to burn here. So I''ll have to keep it burning."
"Thank you for that."
The Horned Hare went through one of Elisa''s Daggers. She held it above the mes, slowly cooking it.
''No herbs or anything growing out here... We''ll have to make do with this...''
Meanwhile, Mark called out his List of Skills.
[Skill List:
Passive Skills:
Water Resistance[F] - Poison Resistance[F] - Weightless Steps[E] - Water Pressure Resistance[E+] - Heat Resistance[E+] - Fire Hide [D-] - Combative Eyes[D] - Venom Regtion[C-] - elerated Endurance Regenaration[C] - elerated Mana Regenaration[C] - Cold Resistance[B] - Destructive Tail Flick[B]- Fire Resistance[B].
Magic Skills:
Golem Armor[E] - Venomous Wings[E] - Blinding Sand[E] - Great Fire Ball[E+] - Corrupting Javelin[D] - Mana Barrier[D] - Earth Maniption[D+] - Bone Maniption[C] - Ice Maniption[C] - Wind st[C+] - me Of Chaos[B] - Dark Corrupting Spear[B] - Purgatory''s Undead Troup[B] - Fire Control[B] - Advanced Body Reconstruction[B+] - Berserker[A].]
''It''s gotten a lot lighter. The Ranks might have dropped, but once again-''
His concentration wavered, and the mes that were cooking the Horned Hare disappeared.
Oh, the looks Krista and Elisa threw his way.
"Ah. Sorry."
Secondster, the cooking resumed.
''Everything involving Manipting and Controlling is weaker. No... Harder to use. And the worst is...''
Mark clenched his fist.
Nothing happening.
Not even a paper-thinyer of Aura appeared around that clenched fist.
Mark extended his palm.
Mana Maniption-
Once again, nothing.
Mark was reminded of Zephyr''s words.
I didn''t expect the General to be so generous. Giving you the ability to fire off pure Mana-
"Tsk."
Two great weapons he had been relying on for a while.
The ability to Manipte Mana and to, therefore, control how much Mana flowed into different Skills was a great weapon to have. Multiple times, the Mana Maniption Skill had allowed Mark to "create" stronger versions of Magic Skills he already had.
The ability to Manipte and use Aura was just as important to him, if not more. During every fight, every encounter, every time he ran, jumped, or blocked, it was used.
Not anymore.
Neither could be used. For now at least.
Mark stared at his open palm for a bit.
''I can feel it... It''s there. I just have to...'' His eyes moved to Elisa. She seemed focused on the cooking Horned Hare, determined to neither overcook nor undercook it. ''Learn? Is that what I''m supposed to do?''
Mark let his back fall on the snow.
It was cold, soft, and unstable.
He hated fighting in the snow.
Mark moved his head, and the snow below moved too.
''Tsk. Just like against Elisa. She got behind me, and the instant I tried turning around, the snow below my foot-''
"Anything on your mind?" She asked suddenly.
"Nothing in particr."
Mark pushed himself off the ground and called out the digital map he had obtained from Raven.
''I can hate him all I want for taking them... But these are useful.''
"So?"
"We''ve only walked for a couple of hours."
"True..."
Secondster, Elisa took the Horned Hare off the fire.
"Perfect." She whispered.
Krista''s eyes sparkled.
The smell of cooked food wasn''t something she had grown used to. If anything, her nose was ustomed to the smell of charred meat instead.
"Since you caught it, I''m thinking you can choose which part of it you want. The leg and thigh is probably-"
"No... It''s fine."
"Not hungry?"
"That''s not it. It''s just that," Mark scratched his head while looking away. "I''ve had one of those a long time ago."
"Wasn''t to your taste?"
"I guess it was. But now... I might just throw up after tasting it."
"Really?"
"No. Pretty sure I wouldn''t like the taste though." Mark answered and Elisa rolled her eyes.
She gently pulled one of the Horned Hare''s legs off.
Krista did her best to stand on her back paws. That''s how much she enjoyed the smell.
Elisa waved the leg in front of the Moonlit Feline, and thetter followed it.
Stomp to the right. Stomp to the left.
Finally, Krista''s fangs took hold of the leg.
With her tail raised high, she walked away before enjoying her meal.
"You''re sure you don''t want any? It''s too much for the two of us anyways."
"Too much? Really?"
Elisa nodded before taking a bite out of one of the Horned Hare''s remaining legs.
The meat was juicy.
There was something about the way Elisa ate that puzzled Mark.
He turned away.
''If anything, she does eat like a Princess.''
To the Devourer, whose body is usually covered by the enemy''s guts and blood, seeing someone eating cleanly was pretty strange.
Elisa put her meal away for a bit.
"Where are you going anyways?"
Mark found the question a bit sudden.
"Where are you going?"
"I''d rather not say." Elisa took a bit.
"Same."
The two remained silent for a bit.
Elisa scratched her cheek.
''I was the one to ask first. Plus I''m using his map... And his fire... And making him bring food... Ugh.''
"I''m going somewhere... To a ce where... Where someone might be waiting for me." Elisa hurriedly took another bite.
''Someone waiting for her, huh?''
"Same."
Cough-
Cough-
"Are you lying?" Elisa asked after nearly choking. It had been a while since she had eaten anything.
Inside the Dungeon, there was no need to eat.
It was one of the many properties of that particr Dungeon.
But now that she was outside, it was different.
"No. I have no reason to." Mark answered honestly.
"Mm..."
''Going somewhere someone might be waiting for her... Meaning somewhere people recognize her as... Wait...!''
"Hahahaha!" Markughed out loud.
Elisa''s eyes narrowed.
"What is it?"
"You''re a Princess, right? A Princess locked a tower now finally free."
"So?"
"You asked me earlier if I would apany you to wherever you''re going. What am I supposed to be? The Princess'' Knight or something? Haha!"
"Bfahahaha! Princess'' Knight. Cause you have the physique and body of a Knight, right? Good one."
Elisaughed a bit harder than Mark had expected her to. Or at least, that''s what she thought.
"Ah. Sorry. That was meaner than it had any right to be."
"Not at all, it''s fine."
"Is it?"
"It is. I found it funny too."
"Yes, but..."
"But what?"
"Nevermind."
About fifteen minutester, the three were on their way.
"Atchoom! Agh... I hate this weather." Elisained.
Mark remained silent for a couple of seconds before asking his question.
"The ce you''re going to. Is it... Something like... It''s-"
"It''s the ce I''m from. Where I live before. The Elven Forest, the most beautiful ce in-"
Ugh-
Elisa suddenly gripped her head.
"The Corruption?"
"Yeah... I have trouble remembering and thinking about the past... Ugh... Ah that''s a bad headache."
Mark''s hand reached for her shoulder.
"Want me to-"
She immediately jumped away.
"No. Absolutely not." Elisa''s gaze moved to the ground. "Thanks, but no. Can''t have you passing out in the middle of this blizzard. Can''t even see our surroundings."
"Yeah, true..."
They walked for a bit.
Krista climbed up Mark''s body.
"So you''re going home."
"Yeah. Something like that. What about you?"
Mark stopped for a moment.
"Just going... Wherever..."
"Aha. Why?"
"Why... What?"
"Mmm... Don''t you have a ce like that?" Elisa questioned.
''A ce like that...?'' Mark asked himself.
"A ce you call home?"
Without meaning to, Mark slowly, slowly turned around.
''A ce I can...''
Both he and Krista looked in its direction.
''Call home...?''
The oppressive and tall tower that was the Dungeon.
The Dungeon they had left behind.
The ce they couldn''t see through the blizzard anymore.
The only ce they knew.
Chapter 184 Princess Decree
?
''What to do...?''
Marky in the middle of the blizzard, a good distance away from Elisa and Krista.
''I spent all that time fighting to make it outside. But now that I made it...''
He clicked his tongue and slid his arms over the cold snow.
''Nothing to fight or Devour. Huh. That''s the kind of Monster I became...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is smiling.]
''Yeah, smile all you want. Tsk.''
The clearlyid out path and future pushed on him inside the Dungeon had been pursued to its conclusion.
Only uncertainty and doubts remained now.
''Follow part of the way with Elisa and Krista. Meet Draconia. Go to Pride. Meet Gaavah? Is that what I''m supposed to do...? Meeting a Demon Lord. Sounds as exciting as it sounds scary. But then...''
Sigh-
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
''Got anything to say?''
[Your Title "Devourer" admits that as long as you Devoure, it won''tin.]
''Yeah. I want to do that too...''
Images shed inside Mark''s mind, making his leg twitch.
''Seeing those two before leaving...''
Raven & Zephyr.
''Definitely left a sour aftertaste. Even after finally leaving the Dungeon-''
Mark suddenly jerked himself and sat up.
"Wait... I''m a dumbass, aren''t I?" He whispered.
[Your Title "Devourer" nods.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" smiles.]
"Nia slowly decreased her involvement with me. At first, I could only use the two of you thanks to her help. She was like a... A moderator or something. But only at first. After that, she slowly stopped doing that. Slowly, she let the two of you do your thing by interacting with me."
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods aggressively.]
"But now... Now she isn''t involved anymore. She''s... Yeah. Nothing links me to her anymore."
[Your Title "Devourer" chuckles.]
"Gaavah''s Follower. That''s the only Link I have to Pride. To Gaavah. To the Demon Lord. It allowed conversation between me and Nia, but not much else than that. Plus..."
Mark remember words Nia had told him some time ago.
"Follower. The Position that holds the least responsibility. Haha... Maybe... Maybe they can''t even check where I am. Maybe they''ll just wait. That''s right. Raven decided not to act as my Guide, but that seemed to be a decision taken on the spot. There''s probably..."
His heart started beating faster.
"A breach between them. Between Raven and Nia. He said that she would wait for me. Mm... If she knew that Raven wasn''t going to Guide me there then... She would havee? Would have told me to wait for her instead? Or ordered Zephyr to Guide me, perhaps? Zephyr. He seemed to hold Nia in high regard... He said that she was his General. Then... Then... It must be true."
Mark brought a hand to his face, as if to calm his smiling lips.
"They have no idea where I am. Wait... The map. That blinking spot... It shows my position. No..."
His smile widened ever further.
"It shows the map''s position. Maybe... Probably! Could it have been something Raven gave me to keep track of my location? Perhaps. Mm..." Mark whispered as he stood up.
With a hand wrapped around his chin and mouth, he tapped his cheek with a finger.
''The map problem has a simple solution. If this one is special or something, I just need to get a new one and get rid of this one. If it''s that simple, would they even use something like that? Oh. Elisa... Elisa... Vampiric Mutant or something? Perhaps he can sense her position after...''
Mark''s eyes widened.
''He said that he had saved her for me. Because that''s what I would have wanted. If that''s how he sees it, then he might assume that I will stay with her. Mm... But the one I''m supposed to meet is Nia, not Raven. They''re on the same side but... I get the feeling that Raven didn''t really like her. Might just be an impression. Can''t base anything on it. They''re on the same side, and serve the same Demon Lord. That''s what matters. Can theymunicate though? Raven and Nia...?''
He had no clear idea of who Nia was.
Mark knew she was a General. That was enough to paint her as someone worse than Zephyr but better than Raven. After all, while he hadn''t seen her, he had talked to her multiple times.
''Can theymunicate...?'' He asked himself.
Mark had once been saved by Raven and brought all the way to Pride.
All the way to the Gaavah''s castle.
There, Raven had found Nia and gotten an earful.
Mark had opened his eyes and, for a fraction of a second, caught a glimpse.
Unfortunately, a Speel cast by Nia made him fall into a slumber.
Once he had woken up, Mark was inside the Dungeon once more, dizzy and confused.
Were he able to remember catching that glimpse, or rather, able to remember that glimpse, he would know.
Nia hadn''t expected Raven to bring Mark there.
The two couldn''tmunicate with each other when separated byrge distances.
Something clicked inside Mark''s mind.
"You weren''t done yet... You weren''t done yet..." He repeated those words.
With a finger, Mark tapped his head repeatedly.
"Weren''t done yet... That''s what Zephyr said after entering Boss Room. He thought the Boss Monster had already been defeated... Mm... Nia... Dungeon Master... The System... Upon the Boss Monster''s death, I receive messages... That''s how it''s been all this time. The Dungeon Master is the one who sends those messages... Probably? Then... Nia has a way of knowing whether or not the Boss Monster has been defeated yet. But Zephyr entered before that. Which means that..."
Breach.
"They can''tmunicate."
Mark scratched his head for a bit.
"At least Zephyr and Nia can''tmunicate... Probably. Then can I assume that Raven and Nia can''t either?"
He let his body fall to the ground.
"I can''t assume that." A wide smile on his face.
Without meaning to, Mark started moving his legs and arms.
A secondter, he realized it and sat up.
"Making snow angels? How cheerful. How carefree." Elisamented, barely visible through the blizzard.
The Moonlit Feline by her side started running and, upon arriving by Mark''s side, started stomping aggressively on the piled-up snow.
He looked at the energetic Krista and the smiling Elisa.
Thetter walked closer.
"Princess."
"Monster."
Both nodded.
Mark gently grabbed the Moonlit Feline from the nape.
He held it in front of him and stared.
Krista extended her paws towards him.
"There''s no Contract but... My Request. You''ll listen to it, right?"
"Sure. If you agree to my Request."
"So that''s how we''re doing this, huh?"
"It is." Elisa smiled. "Princess'' decree."
Mark took a short pause.
"So I am to be your Knight, mdy?"
Elisa took a long pause.
He turned towards her.
Elisa''s eyes were wide open and her body was frozen.
"What-"
"BFAHAHHAHA! What did you... What did you just say? Mdy?! Oh. That''s so funny. Argh... Aghhahahahaha! My side! It hurts!"
Mark''s eyes narrowed. He moved his gaze back to Krista.
Was his body capable of it, he might have blushed.
It was supposed to be a joke, but he found that she wasughing a bit too hard.
She extended her paws as far as she could, but couldn''t reach.
Mark let her down.
He felt embarrassed, but was bent on not letting it show.
"Oh... That was funny." Elisa wiped her tears. "I haven''tughed like that in-"
"Are you done?" Mark interrupted, slightly irritated.
"Yes, yes. I am."
"Then?"
Elisa silently took a seat on the snow.
"A Monster for a Knight, huh? Mm..."
She wrapped her arms around her bent knees.
"Sounds good. For a... Fallen Princess. Dethroned?" Elisa continued.
"I think I would make a good Knight."
She chuckled.
"Yeah..." Elisa''s gaze moved towards Krista.
The Moonlit Feline was doing its best to move Mark''s hand away from the ground.
Probably because it wanted its fur to be stroked.
"Perhaps you would be." She added, absent-mindedly.
"It''s still... Well, I''m still not sure about if I will do it or not. But it''s now a possibility. So-"
"She''s like your little Princess, isn''t she?" Elisa whispered suddenly.
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Nothing. Nothing. Nevermind. I was just... Uhh... Just... Anyways, it''s a possibility, huh? That''s good. Really good. Doing half of the way alone would have been pretty difficult."
"Think so? Hasn''t been too difficult for now." Mark said as he looked around.
"The area around a Dungeon is usually pretty tame.
"Didn''t even get a rematch against the bears..." He whispered.
"Huh? Bears?"
"Yeah. Just..." Mark scratched his head. "It''s not important. Think we''ll find some Monsters soon?"
"Probably, though I hope not."
"Why not?"
Elisa stared at him for a bit, somewhere between disbelief and confusion.
"Because... We''re going somewhere? Why would we want Monsters in our way?"
"Oh. I see your point."
The two remained silent for a bit.
With a finger, Mark gently pushed Krista''s head away.
With her fangs, she took hold of his finger, though she didn''t put her all into it.
"What brought this on?" Elisa asked.
"Mm. I''m not sure yet but..."
"But?"
"I think might finally be free. Actually free."
"Oh. Congrats?"
Chapter 185 A Princess Tears
?
"Mm. "Elisa nodded. "With the Corruption, being stuck in that Dungeon, and a half dozen other things, it might be hard to think of me as a Princess, but-"
"I believe you." Mark interrupted.
"Thanks." A low voice. "If that''s the case, then..." A Timeworn Elven Dagger spun.
''Huh-''
The next second,
Blitz-
Elisa stood behind the seated Mark.
Every cell in his body screamed at him to jump away.
She slowly lowered the raised Dagger until it kissed Mark''s right shoulder.
"Never do-"
"Don''t interrupt."
Elisa raised the Dagger and moved it to his left shoulder.
"Monster, I hereby pronounce you my Knight."
She took a step back, and Mark turned around.
Elisa was smiling.
"Don''t do that again."
He wasn''t.
"Your muscles twitched. Bet you had to fight against every instinct of yours not to move away, huh?"
"Do that again and I won''t fight them at all."
"Think you can defend?"
"The best defense is offense, right?"
Elisa chuckled.
"After I just made you my Knight?" Mark remained silent. "Okay. Sorry. That was a bad joke. Won''t do it again."
Mark stroked the Moonlit Feline''s fur, before pushing himself off the ground.
"Guess my humor isn''t very... Princess-like." Elisa''s tone seemed apologetic.
"It really isn''t." His was cold.
He started walking away.
She followed him, staying a couple of steps behind.
Krista walked by Mark''s side.
"You''re are mad about it, huh?"
He remained silent.
''Mm...''
A peculiar sense of distance ruled the space between Mark and Elisa.
Whenever, one way or another, they seemed to get closer, one of the two would act in a way to conserve that distance.
Neither did that on purpose or even consciously.
Yet, they preserved that distance between them.
Perhaps because each had been alone for a long time?
Or perhaps, it was simply because one was a Monster, and the other wasn''t one.
"It''s getting dark." Elisa noted after a while.
"Is it?"
"You can''t tell?"
Elisa walked a couple of steps behind, fidgeting with her fingers.
His silence seemed to weigh a lot.
"Oh."
Elisa stopped.
"What is it?" Mark asked without stopping.
"We''re out. Or rather... Close."
The next second, Krista suddenly forward.
"Where are you...? Hey!" The Monster followed the Moonlit Feline.
And Elisa watched them go.
She took a deep breath in and let out a sigh.
Took a step forward before stopping again.
''Just when he agreed to apany me there too...'' Elisa scratched her head as she raised her gaze towards the sky. A sky that couldn''t be seen, hidden by the snowstorm. ''I can be pretty dumb, huh?''
She directed her gaze forward.
They couldn''t be seen anymore.
Using the Wind the channel her Mana, finding their position wouldn''t have been a difficult task at all.
Still, she remained in the blizzard for a bit.
Standing, and unmoving.
"Is there even someone waiting for me out there?" Elisa whispered.
Her eyes widened, as if her own sentence had surprised her.
Kidnapped, poisoned, trapped, imprisoned, forced to see those she knew lose their minds, forced to see them die...
But now, she had left.
She had escaped.
The nightmare had ended.
Elisa clenched her teeth.
The nightmare had ended.
Why didn''t it feel that way then?
Argh-
An ice pick headache.
"Why..." She whispered, her voice weak and feeble.
Argh-
"Why can''t I remember... My time before... My time... In the Elven Forest... My time..."
Guess my humor isn''t very princesslike-
It really isn''t-
"As a Princess?"
It wouldn''t let her remember.
Serene days, calm and peaceful?
There''s no way the Corruption would let her remember that.
...
"That''s why you were running?" Mark asked.
In front of him, the Moonlit Feline was enthusiastically scratching and piercing with its ws.
"A dead tree... Elisa could sense it all the way from over there?" He whispered.
Decrepit, the tree stood.
Its wood had grown dark, full of cracks.
Its branches frail and thin,cking the leaves that would have given it the expected imposing stature.
''Dead. Mm... I guess that''s to be expected in the middle of this blizzard.'' The wind moved and a dead branch fell to the ground, startling Krista. ''Still, first sign of life since exiting the Dungeon. That''s good. Might find some Monsters soon.''
An idea passed Mark''s mind.
He didn''t want to go through with it but,
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
''Tsk. Okay, fine.''
Mark wrapped his right hand around the frail treetrunk and stole a piece of it with ease.
Crunch-
Crunch-
Crunch-
"Gross. Feels like eating dust."
[Your Title "Devourer" sneers.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" chuckles.]
Mark''s eyes narrowed as he stared at the messages for a bit.
''Still, even a dead tree has some Mana inside. That''s interesting. Guess I should ask about it. Can''t ask Nia anymore, so the only I can-''
Krista rested her paws against Mark''s knee, interrupting his thoughts.
Her gaze went from him to the area they hade from.
"Want to go check on her?"
The Moonlit Feline nodded and stared at him.
Mark sighed, and Krista started walking in Elisa''s direction.
He followed her.
...
''The Elven Forest... The Elven Forest... The most beautiful ce... The Elven Forest... Why can''t I...?''
"FUCK!" Elisa shouted.
With her knees on the ground, she hit the snow-covered floor with a clenched fist multiple times.
Elisa let her left elbow fall to the ground.
"What''s the point if I can''t remember...? What''s the point... If there''s no one there for me...?" She whispered, her face inches away from the ground.
Veins appeared over her neck as she tried to remember.
As she fought against it.
"Why..."
Pain like she had never felt before.
"That white-haired fucker... The only one... The only thing I remember. It''s him. That''s the only way it would make sense. He''s the one who... The one cursed us."
Elisa fought against the Corruption.
And the Corruption fought back.
"Kill him... Go back... Kill him... Go back. What the hell..."
Tears flowed, fell to the ground, and be one with the snow all around her.
"Am I supposed to do?"
Elisa''s body froze.
She couldn''t see them yet, but she could sense them approaching.
After hurriedly standing up, Elisa wiped her tears as fast as she could.
They walked closer.
She could see them.
Elisa thought that they probably could see her too.
A stubborn tear made its way down her face.
She decided not to wipe it off and let the blizzard take care of it instead.
The motion of wiping tears usually gave out more than the sight of a lonely tear, was that tear to be noticed in the first ce.
And Elisa was convinced it would go unnoticed.
How could it be noticed after all, when it was a Monster approaching?
A Monster just like any other.
A Monster on the same side as-
"Elisa?"
Her heart shook.
"Can you hear me? Or is this another not so Princess-like joke?"
Something was bubbling inside her.
"Elisa?"
She broke.
Her knees hit the ground, and she sobbed.
Elisa.
Her Name.
A Name she, for a long time, hadn''t heard.
A Name she, for a long time, was convinced would never hearing from someone else.
A Name she, long ago, had obtained from those she loved.
Mark and Krista looked at one another for a bit.
The Moonlit Feline''s eyes narrowed.
"Why are looking at me? I didn''t do anything." He whispered.
Krista''s eyes narrowed further, before turning towards Elisa.
The Moonlit Feline ran towards her.
Blinding light-
A secondter, Elisa''s backy against the cold snow.
Standing over her was a white-furred Lioness.
"Stop... Hey... Stop..."
Mark watched the two from afar.
''The same thing again, huh? Tsk.''
He watched, as chuckling slowly infiltrated Elisa''s crying.
''I can imagine. Losing everything you hold dear, being held captive, poisoned...''
Mark remained unmoving. His eyes seemed distant.
''Forced to watch those she knew die... Forced to cooperate with the one who killed them... Honestly, I don''t even understand how she could forgive that. Or, I guess, moved past it.''
He sighed internally.
''Makes me feel bad for her.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
''I don''t like that.''
[Your Title "Devourer" nods.]
''I shouldn''t feel bad for her. I''m a Monster after all. No, I guess...''
Mark raised his gaze for a bit.
''I don''t want to feel bad for her.''
[Your Title "Devourer" nods.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
The Princess wept and wept.
The Moonlit Feline, in her Lioness Form, licked her tears over and over again.
They were salty.
''A Princess'' Tears...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
''Think that would sell well in this world?''
[Your Title "Devourer" wheezes.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" rolls its eyes.]
Chapter 186 Nodding Off
?
Sometimeter,
"The snowstorm isn''t letting up. Thought we would have left it after walking into this area." Mark said.
Elisa nodded quietly.
The Moonlit Feline, in its Lioness Form, walked by her side.
Around the three, a forest of dead trees.
The ground was covered by snow, and the blizzard ruling over the whole area seemed as strong as ever.
Mark walked in front, and the two followed him.
"We should probably..." Elisa yawned, despite trying not to. "Probably stop soon."
"What for?" He asked without turning around.
"What for...? Aren''t you sleepy?"
"I don''t get sleepy." He answered honestly.
"Oh, is that so? Not even tired?"
"Not really. We''ve just been walking so."
"It''s been more than twenty hours..." She yawned again. "You know?"
"Mmm..."
Mark only turned around a couple of secondster.
Elisa was walking while resting against Krista.
Thetter, in her Lioness Form, walked with closed eyes. She seemed to be nodding off.
Mark chuckled, which immediately forced the Moonlit Feline''s sleepy eyes to open.
"I guess we can stop for a bit."
"No. If you''re not..." Yawn. "If you''re not sleepy, let''s just..." Keeping her eyes open seemed a difficult task for Elisa too.
"Right..." Mark scratched his head. "Forgot you slept inside the Dungeon too."
"Didn''t you?"
"Not really."
"Huh...? Seriously?"
"Yeah. I mean... Most Monsters don''t need sleep."
"Oh, is that a fact?"
"Yes...? Levi, Light, none needed sleep either."
"What about this one?" Elisa asked she knocked on the Lioness'' back, waking her right up.
"Mm. True..."
The group walked for a bit more.
"You really didn''t sleep in there?"
"No. I did. A couple of times."
"A couple of times? I only passed through a couple of Floors... How many were there again?"
"Ten. Ten Floors."
"Are the Lower Floors smaller than the rest?"
"Not really, I think."
"Howe you only slept a couple of times?"
"Didn''t need to."
"Why did you sleep a couple of times then?"
"I didn''t sleep per se... Well, I guess I did."
"Huh?"
"I only slept when I passed out."
"Haha..." Elisa chuckled. Were she not so sleepy, she might haveughed much harder. "What''s that about? I could never do that."
Mark shrugged his shoulders.
"Never felt tired? I know there''s, somehow, no need to sleep inside that weird Dungeon, but...?" Elisa asked as she came to a stop.
Krista did the same. Though it wasn''t clear whether it was a conscious decision or not. Her eyes were closer, so she might have stopped simply because Elisa, the one resting against her, had.
"I did. Plenty of times." Mark stopped too. He stood with his back against one of the numerous dead trees around. "Just sat and rested for a while, then... Got on with it."
"Got on with it, huh? Sounds kind of crazy, you know?" Elisa yawned, before pushing herself off Krista, waking her up once again.
"Why is that?" Mark asked as Elisa took a seat under a tree a couple of meters away from the one he was resting against.
"I don''t know... Never needed... A break or something? Just constantly fighting... No, not even that. Just constantly being... Awake?"
Elisay her back against the tree. She seemed sofortable it looked like she was about to drown in that tree trunk.
The Monster chuckled at her words.
"Not really."
Elisa rested the back of her head against the tree.
"Good for... You... Equip... My Clothes... Unequip... The Armor..." She whispered as she closed her eyes.
Kristay on the snow, halfway between the two of them.
"Mmm..." Mark let his body slowly fall to the ground. "I guess there were times..." He rested his head against the tree behind him. "I wished I could sleep."
"You... Can..." Elisa whispered, nodding off. "Just close... Your eyes... And sleep."
"I don''t think I can."
"I''m sure... You can... If you... Try..."
"Don''t think so."
"Then don''t... Mess it up... For the rest... Of us."
Mark chuckled, and so did Elisa. Secondster though, she seemed sound asleep.
''That was fast. Mm...'' Mark looked around. ''Guess I can... Keep watch or whatever.''
He looked around, but there really wasn''t much.
Countless dead trees all around the area. Of course, it could only be assumed that there were countless trees. In truth, seeing further than a dozen meters through the blizzard was a challenge.
Mark continued looking around.
He had taken upon himself the task of keeping watch.
So he did just that.
His gaze awkwardly stopped from time to time to look at the sleeping Krista or Elisa.
''First time I''m the one keeping watch...''
Indeed, it was usually Mark''s Underlings that did the protecting, especially when he was passed out or was Evolving.
''Wonder if Levi and the others felt this bored when I passed out. Oh. Now that I think about it, Light has seen me the most in bad condition... Unconscious, I should say.''
Mark was seated with his back against the tree and his legs straightened out in front of him, slightly at an angle.
''How many times did that happen...? My first Evolution... That was a wild one.''
He felt the urge to chuckle, but repressed it.
''That Orc was a blessing in disguise now that I think about it. Feels like ages ago... The second time was my second Evolution, I guess. Abyssal... No. Infernal? Infernal Hound Skeleton. Yeah. Should do a better job at remembering the Names of various Monster Species, since my abilities are centered around Evolution.''
[Your Title "Devourer" nods.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
''Don''t do that. You''re agreeing with me a bit too often now.''
[Your Title "Devourer" scoffs.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" chuckles.]
''Though I guess there''s no reason for you not to agree. Or... To be against me I should say.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
[Your Title "Devourer" shrugs.]
''I''ll have to ask Elisa about Titles once she wakes up. Have been putting that off for too long... Anyways, where was I? Infernal Hound Skeleton. That''s the Form that got me the ability to... A Necromancer''s Ability, I guess. Mmm. Nia talked about Affinity with Soul and Corruption Magic if I remember right. Strange... Then it wouldn''t be simply because I Evolved into that Form? Elisa says the Magic used says something about the user. Then... What does that say about me?''
[Your Title "Devourer" sneers.]
''Zephyr said something like that too, huh? Except with Titles. This is gettingplicated... And tangled up.'' The Monster''s lips curled upwards. ''I like it.''
Mark thought about many things.
His Underlings, of course.
About what a joy it was to have them, to be able to use them, to fight alongside them. But also about the fact that having Underlings was something that had kept him from raising his strength for a long time.
He thought about the Dungeon''s different Floors.
About Nia, Raven, And Zephyr.
About the world.
About the slumbering Krista right after she let out a groan.
And about-
With the back on her curled index finger, the sleeping Elisa scratched her nose, reddened by the cold.
He looked at her for a bit.
''I''ll probably have to help get to... Wherever she''s going. She''s the only one... I can trust with-''
Elisa suddenly shuddered.
Mark noticed that she would do so sporadically.
Every once in a while, Elisa''s body would shudder.
He couldn''t tell whether it was because of the cold, or because of a nightmare disturbing her sleep.
Mark watched her with a peculiar look in his eyes.
Perhaps the same look the Fire Spirit had once talked about.
After a while, the Monster sighed and raised its gaze.
''She''s too beautiful for me not to feel bad, huh? Tsk. I seriously hate that.''
[Your Title "Devourer" believes that beautiful things taste the best.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" criticizes your "Devourer" Title''s attitude.]
[Your Title "Devourer" rolls its eyes.]
Mark let out a weak chuckle.
''Parts of me, huh? The three of us...''
He stared at the nothingness above that separated him from the sky.
After some time, his eyes widened.
Mark had no idea how much time had passed.
Had it been a gradual change or a sudden one? He couldn''t tell.
He couldn''t tell when it had changed.
But it had.
The mist around the area had changed color.
At some point, while he had been engrossed in his own thoughts, the mist had turned red.
A bloody red.
Mark''s lips immediately parted.
He tried shouting, but no sounds exited his mouth.
He tried standing up, but his legs refused to obey.
He tried moving, but his arms denied the request.
His gaze moved towards the ground.
The snow had turned dark.
His eyes hurriedly moved.
In front of him, they remained.
Krista and Elisa.
They slept peacefully, on a bed of dark snow, surrounded by a red mist.
His heart started beating faster and faster.
''Paralyzed? Is it the mist? When... Nothing came close to... What is-''
Suddenly, something reached out to him from behind.
From behind the tree his back was resting on.
A pale handy on his right shoulder.
"Well, well. How nice of you to pay me a visit."
A vibrant green pupil and a golden one. Both stared at him.
"Oh, for fuck''s sake."
Chapter 187 Paralysed
?
"Going out? So soon?" Arani asked.
"I am."
"You said that it would take one to three weeks for-" "Either." Nia corrected.
"That it would take either one or three weeks¡" Arani corrected herself. Her tone hadn''t changed, which slightly surprised Draconia. "For Raven and the Candidate to get there."
"I like being early."
"Isn''t this too early though?"
"It''s been a day since the Dungeon was Cleared. It''ll take me five to get there if I take my time."
"If you take your time, huh? So you''ll be there at the least, one day early, and at the most, two weeks and a day early."
"That''s right." Nia nodded.
As had be a habit for the two, they met in Draconia''s quarters.
"Huh¡ Where''s the meeting point anyway? A tavern or something?"
"It''s in the woods."
"The woods? You mean a forest??"
Nia nodded.
"What¡? So you''ll be waiting in a forest for weeks? Seems awfully inconvenient that you let Raven bring him to you."
"He wanted to. And the Master agreed to it." Nia repeated the words she had already told her some time earlier.
"Right¡ Right. Well, I won''t keep you any longer. You seem so eager to wait in the woods after all." Arani chuckled.
"Yes." Nia said before she started walking towards the door.
"Yes? That''s it? No parting words?"
"Take care?"
Arani couldn''t help but sigh.
"I thought we had grown closer during this time." She let her shoulders drop. "We''ve spent more time together during this whole Candidate thing than we did before, during your whoooole time as a General, you know?"
"I know."
"la¡ Well, hope you have fun in the woods. Mmm¡" Arani looked around the room. "Want me to decorate the room for you while you''re gone? It''s kind of¡ Stale, you know? I can really make things pop in here. Like that Vial hidden by the Vase. Probably a gift from Raven, right? I have the same one, only¡ With only two. Souvenir from the Vampire City. Ever went there with him? I did once."
"I haven''t, no."
"Mm. Did he tell you about it?"
"No."
"I can see why, haha. Anyways, won''t tell either. What happens in the Vampire City stays in the Vampire City."
"Okay." Nia nodded.
"So? Want me to redecorate for you?"
"Don''t touch anything." Nia scratched her head. "Please don''t touch anything."
"Oho. We really have grown closer. Alright, I won''t." Arani took a step outside the room, and Nia walked out. "Tell Raven I said hi when you see him. Oh, and that I can''t wait for the next Vampire City excursion!"
"Will do." Nia nodded.
''She''s going to mess up the whole ce, I can tell¡'' She thought as she walked away. ''Though I doubt you''ll see him anytime soon.'' Arani wanted to say the words out loud, but chose not to.
How could she, when the two had just grown so much closer? Nia walked for a bit.
The door to a certain General''s quarters.
Since it had been left wide open, she didn''t knock. As usual, the General was training.
His palms were against the ground, and his feet hung in the air while his forehead was an inch off the ground.
While keeping the rest of his body straight, he pushed until his bent arms were fully extended.
Around each of his ankles, thick bracelets, or rather, smoothed-out dark rocks with purple inscriptions, acted as weights.
"Cyd."
"Nia."
He brought his feet to the ground immediately and stood up.
Cyd grabbed a towel and wiped the sweat that had umted over his chest, shoulders, and neck.
"Sorry to wee you like this."
"It''s fine. I was just passing by."
"Going to your Candidate?"
"I am." She answered.
Cyd took a short pause.
"You came in case I had any question, since I asked for advance earlier, huh?"
"In a way, yes."
"That''s very thoughtful of you. Thanks for stopping by."
Secondster, Nia left.
Compared to the other Generals, she considered Cyd to be one of the more considerate and amicable.
¡
"Al."
The tall and slender man extended an arm towards her.
"I''m guessing you''re going to find your Candidate." The mouth on his palm said.
"That''s right."
He scratched his head.
"The Evolving Monster, huh¡ The instant I heard that Title, I had so many ideas for the Dungeons and the Monsters inside it."
? I know. ?
"Mm¡ That Final Floor I had thought about would have been incredible. Thought of it right away too. Just full of Corrupted Monsters and Beasts sewed together, giving him a taste of a variety of Monsters in one."
"Yes. I did follow your advice for the Final Guardian."
"Yeah. Guess you did. Can''t help but wonder why our Candidates weren''t switched though."
"You mean why the Master assigned this Candidate to me?"
"Mostly why he assigned mine to me. He''s thorough and all, but¡"
"The Leveling Addict, right? Why do you think I would have suited him better?"
"He''s also the Number Enthusiast. I can''t think of a better Guide for someone with such a Title than you."
"Mm. Plus your knowledge about Monster Species and Evolution Trees¡ I can see your point."
"Yeah. Anyways, congrats. Mine still has a bit of the way left, but they''ll hopefully all get here at some point."
Nia excused herself and left a couple of secondster.
She was rather fond of Al too.
''By now, they should have exited the blizzard. Either inside the first Dungeon I told Raven about, or on their way.'' Nia thought once she stood outside the castle.
It was a beautiful day, and the sunlight falling on her skin felt great.
She thought back to her conversation with Arani.
"Maybe I should stop by Lust and get him something. Alchemy Ingredients usually don''t have uses outside of Alchemy, but he could benefit from them¡" Nia whispered to herself.
She nodded.
Even when taking the detour into ount, Nia would still arrive early.
Therefore, it was decided.
Next stop for the 7th General, Lust.
***
Meanwhile, Mark hadn''t left the blizzard yet.
Not only that but he, currently, couldn''t move a finger.
"You get it, don''t you?" She asked.
"I used to be scared, but you''re just in my head-"
"I''ve told you already, Mark. I''m not in your head. I am your head."
"Whatever you say. Now fuck off."
"You think you can order me around? You say you''re not scared, but your heart is racing."
"You''re part of a dream. No more, no less."
"Oh, is that so?" She crawled away and towards the slumbering Krista. "If I were to pierce her neck, what do you think would happen?"
"You can''t."
"True, I can''t like this¡" She brought a hand to her chin and looked around for a biz. "Oh. How about if I take a Dagger from the other one?"
"Stop it." Mark said as she was about to crawl towards Elisa.
"Scared for this one more than your pet? Or are you scared that I would actually be able to move the Dagger?" She crawled back towards him. "Which one is it, Mark?" She crawled closer. Her handsy on the ground around his waist, her face inches away from his. "Which one is it?" She pressed.
"You''re just-"
"Just? Just what, Mark? Just your unconscious?"
He remained silent.
"Tell me, Mark." The look in her eyes changed. "Do you remember¡ Say¡ Fighting the Cmity Of Minos?"
"What does that have to-" An index fingery on Mark''s lips.
"Do you remember?"
"I do."
"Tell me about it."
"I''m not going to entertain this-"
"Tell me about it, Mark."
He sighed.
"I was a Weretiger at the time. Missing an arm and-"
"I''m not asking about you. Tell me about it. About the fight."
"It could use Dark Magic somehow. Mm¡ I had Kira fight it up close while-"
"See, you didn''t know."
"Huh?"
"You took some time to remember it, Mark. And I''m sure you''ll find it extremely difficult to tell me about it in detail."
"So? I remember enough so that-"
"You don''t get it, do you?" With her index finger, the woman tapped her head. "I remember it, Mark. I remember it in detail. Every single action taken by every individual in that cave. Get it? I remember it all."
"Yeah, right."
"Doubt my words? Let me tell you about it then."
And she did.
With great detail, she described the whole encounter.
Vividly too, as she even included what Mark had felt and thought at the time.
"I remember everything. I don''t forget anything, Mark. You forget too often, don''t you?"
"No, I-"
She gently ced her hands around his cheeks.
"It''s okay, I remember and you don''t. Even now, my words allowed you to remember, right?"
Mark shut his mouth. "You can''t refute that, can you?" The next second, part of the red fog materialized, and something wrapped itself around his right arm.
He turned towards it.
HISSS-
Mark immediately moved back.
Or at least, tried to, at the sight of the wide open mouth of the long snake tightly wrapped around his arm.
Chapter 188 Break Away
?
HISSS-
Mark immediately moved back.
Or at least, tried to, at the sight of the wide open mouth of the long snake tightly wrapped around his arm.
The woman raised a hand off the ground andy on Mark''s stomach, as if to get his attention back. And she did.
"I am your head, Mark. I remember eeeeverything, get it?" Her hands slowly moved down his face. "I remember it all, Mark. I am you." She said, as she caressed his neck. "A moreplete you."
Grab-
She firmly grasped his neck, strangling him. It took no time for Mark to start gasping for air.
"A moreplete you, hear me, Mark?"
The golden and green pupils stared at him.
A diabolical smile.
The next second, cracks started appearing under the side of her face on which the green pupil resided.
"I am you, Mark¡"
The cracks fell. And, behind that side of her face, was revealed¡
"A better you."
His own monstrous face.
Mark hurriedly closed his eyes.
He was paralyzed. Has been for a while.
Not awake, but not asleep either. Somewhere between the two.
Mark had closed his eyes.
The only way to move past it, was to fall asleep.
He knew that, as it was something he had dealt with a lot in the past.
Albeit, a long-forgotten one.
Cold winds blew over the snow-coverednd that seemed limitless.
Dead branches broke under the pressure, which only seemed to fuel Mark''s restless slumber.
A slumber gued by nightmares.
After a while, Mark jerked himself awake.
His breathing was heavy and ragged.
''Wha-''
For a couple of seconds, he seemed in a daze.
His gaze slowly moved towards his right side.
Zzz-
Elisa''s finger scratched her cheek, probably due to an unruly strand of hair tickling her, then her reddened nose.
She tightened her arms, wrapped around Mark''s right arm once more.
Her heady against his shoulder.
Still in a daze, he stared at her for a bit as she slept.
He moved his gaze.
His breathing was unstable, and so, his stomach moved up and down as he breathed in and out.
Which caused the Moonlit Feline, curled up on his stomach, to be moved up and down too.
Mark focused on his breathing.
On slowing it down.
On stabilizing it.
He didn''t want to disturb them.
Not when they were sleeping so peacefully.
Mark closed his eyes for a bit.
...
A couple of minutester, Elisa yawned.
"Atchoom... So cold..." She whispered before rubbing her half-opened eyes.
''Huh... Is this the tree I slept below?''
She looked around for a bit, though she couldn''t see much.
Elisa was still half asleep.
She moved her hand and,
"Ah! Cold..." It came into contact with the freezing snow.
Through her half-open eyes, she was barely able to locate the Moonlit Feline in the snow, inches away from her.
"Krista... Hey, Krista..." She whispered before tapping the slumbering Moonlit Feline''s body.
The white-furred cat hissed instinctively, it hated being disturbed when asleep.
"Think you can get a bit... Bigger? Please...?" Elisa was nodding off while asking the question.
Krista yawned, and,
"Ugh... Can''t you do this... More quietly?" Elisained, blinded by the sudden outburst of light.
Light had been emitted, but no sound.
''Guess he couldn''t... Sleep after all...'' Elisa thought to herself.
She moved her body closer to Krista''s, before using the Moonlit Feline as a body pillow.
Judging by the expression on her face, it seemed like an incrediblyfortable position to be in.
Judging by the expression Krista showed, the Lioness didn''t mind either.
Zzz-
About twenty meters away, Mark was standing.
He watched them for a bit, before walking away.
How long he had slept, he did not know. Had he even slept? He wasn''t sure. And it didn''t matter to him.
Mark walked through the blizzard in a straight line.
He passed countless dead trees, and kept walking further and further.
The blizzard, snow, and dead trees.
Nothing else.
The sound of the wind.
Nothing else.
''Mm.''
Mark kept walking.
''I get it now.''
Perhaps sleeping had helped somehow.
''That uneasiness I''ve been feeling...''
Perhaps it was his encounter with her.
''The reason I protected you that day...''
It all seemed to make sense now.
''After beating the Lich, after killing the Arachne, and that child-like Monster... Yeah. That feeling. The way I was bing, that''s the way the rest of the Candidates must have be. Heartless, ruthless, and monstrous. Truly selfish and egotistical. But I... That child-like Boss Monster. Right now, I can see it. That was the most important battle. Had I continued the way I was going, I wouldn''t have Revived Levi, I wouldn''t have done a lot... I wouldn''t be the way I am now. The only reason I am this way, is because you were. At the turning point, I found you.''
A good distance away, the slumbering Lioness yawned.
''That Boss Monster... That was the first time there was a Monster that I didn''t want to... That I didn''t want to kill. Its child-like appearance, its innocent face, its smile...''
Mark sighed.
''I even felt somber once it had lost its smile. In a way, I didn''t want it to lose that smile. But I still killed it. No matter how I, deep down, didn''t want to. Because the two of us... Were Monsters. Even though it was beautiful, I tore its body apart, and swallowed it. Because the two of us... Were Monsters. Both of us refused to back down. So one of us had to die. In a way, you were just like it. I was prepared to kill you, but... You backed down.''
He stopped, ced his hands on his hips, and raised his gaze.
''The first and only time... A Monster did not choose Death... Over joining me.''
Mark stared at the misty sky above for a bit, contemting.
''And I protected you. Because I didn''t want to lose... The part of me that was being discarded. The part of me...''
For no real reason, he quatted down.
''That didn''t want to kill that child-like... The part of me that found the two of you beautiful. The part of me that didn''t only want to destroy. The one that pushed me... To Devour Kira.''
His eyes were fixated on the white snow below.
''The part of me that believed... That some things needed to be protected. That killing wasn''t the only...''
Mark smiled, and he stood up.
''In the ugliness and darkness that ruled that Dungeon, you were the light I found. And I''m so d that I did. But now, I realize. More than ever, that I am...''
He took a step forward.
''Fine with that darkness. No. More precisely... I''m, now, fine with that darkness, because I found you then.''
The first Monster to have preferred him over Death.
''And then it happened again, with Elisa. But it''s obvious. So obvious that I can''t understand how I didn''t get it sooner. Because the Dungeon was filled with them and only them, I assumed you were too but... That''s not the case.''
He walked and walked.
''The two of you... Aren''t Monsters. And I''ve grown ustomed to being with you. With others, that aren''t Monsters. It''s obvious when I think about it.''
Through the blizzard, Mark could see the outline of a certain... Something, in the distance.
''The way you tense up during battle, the way your hair stands on end... You never enjoyed fighting. You only did so because you needed to. Because I brought you into it. That fact... Has never been easier to notice than now.''
The shape became a bit clearer.
''And you... It''s the same for you too. Your smile when you fight, is way too different from the one you show when you''re with Krista, or when you''reughing wholeheartedly.''
Through the thick mist, yellow pupils were glowing.
''The two of you aren''t Monsters. And now that I''ve grown ustomed... Andfortable. The part of me that I''m scared of losing is...''
Mark approached the silhouette closer.
Closer and closer, until it could be seenpletely.
A Monster that stood at four to five meters tall, towering above Mark.
It had four limbs, and stood on two, just like him.
Its muscture was well-developed, something that could be noted despite the thickyer of coarse gray hair over its muscles.
[Growing Yeti, [D+] Ranked Monster:
Yetis are creatures found in the South Regions of the Rift...]
''I can''t drag... Or rather, force the two of you to live a Monster''s life further. Just like I can''t let the two of you drag me into a life that isn''t a Monster''s.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" looks at you with sparkling eyes.]
[Your Title "Devourer"ins that it took you too long!]
''Yeah. It did...''
A dozen meters away, therge Monster''s clenched fist banged on its chest.
''This kind of life isn''t for the two of you. The two of you...''
The Growing Yeti roared powerfully enough for Mark to feel vibrations go through his body.
Mark smiled at the approaching Beast.
''Are too beautiful to live like Monsters. Which is why...!''
The Devourer roared back.
Meanwhile, a good distance away, Krista''s pelt was hugged tightly by a half-asleep Elisa.
"Ugh. Kristaaaa...!" The Lioness groaned. "Why is... Your pelt... As cold as the snow?"
Chapter 189 A Yeti?
?
Why would we want Monsters in our way-
''That''s just it...''
The Growing Yeti growled.
''I want Monsters in my way.''
Why do you have to be like that-
Why don''t you just leave it alone-
Mark nted a spike made of bones into the ground.
[Your Passive Skill "Combative Eyes[D]" activates!]
The snow below, the dead trees surrounding it, the mist. Everything disappeared.
Only the target remained.
[Your Title "Devourer" is starving!]
''Thefortable road the two of you desire...''
Mark clenched his fists and leaped at the Monster.
The Growing Yeti''s swung open palm was dodged.
''Isn''t for me.''
Mark''s fist collided with the Monster''s side.
''Ha!''
Despite hitting it with full force, its body had barely moved.
The Growing Yeti''s open mouth was directed towards its enemy.
Before the freezing mist exiting that mouth could reach him, Mark had jumped back.
''My first fight outside...''
He extended his ws.
''Let''s make it a good one.''
The Growing Yeti roared and raised its arms up.
And while its clenched fists were reaching for the ground, Mark was reminded of two enemies he had fought in the past.
''That''s...''
Fully expecting an attack of the sort, the barrage of sharp ice spikes that exited the ground in a straight line did not even scratch him.
''A freezing mist and this, huh? Interesting Skills, just like that one...''
The enemies in question were the Lower Demonic Giant whose fists could make pirs of mes rise from the ground and the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker who, in its final moments, could draw rifts on the ground by mming its fists.
Ready to put those ws to work, Mark took a step forward.
But before he could move again, the Growing Yeti jumped up into the air.
His eyes followed, but it was surprising.
The Yeti had jumped extremely high, without even lowering its body beforehand.
Quickly, it started its descent.
Mark extended a hand upwards as he started moving back.
A Great Fire Ball was shot at the Monster above him.
Explosion-
The Growing Yeti growled as it continued its descent.
The handful of burns on its arms could barely be noticed.
''Interesting...''
Mark jumped back, and the Yeti''s fists hit the ground before the rest of its curled-up body.
''Shit-''
He was still in mid-air, when the set of ice spikes that made a circle around the Growing Yeti''s fists flew in every direction.
A spherical and translucent barrier appeared around Mark as he spread his wings.
Two ice spikes collided with the barrier and created two holes through it.
Mark pped his wings to move upwards, but each ice spike grazed a thigh of his.
Uwoo-
The feature''s on the Growing Yeti''s face softened as it howled.
It had drawn first blood after all.
But the only reason Mark''s body had been touched was,
Pierce-
Because he was focused on something else.
The Growing Yeti moved its gaze towards the back of its leg.
Its eyes widened. It growled.
An ice spike had pierced its left calf muscle.
An ice spike of its own.
Confusion and fury filled it as it turned back towards the enemy.
It had disappeared.
Wings.
The enemy had wings.
It raised its gaze.
The next instant,
sh-
sh-
The Growing Yeti winced as its back was carved.
Mark jumped back before it had even turned around.
The Growing Yeti''s fist caught nothing but air.
''Mm...''
Mark stared at his ws for a second.
''I guess fur like that can be useful.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
There was barely any blood on the tip of his ws.
The Growing Yetiunched itself forward, and Mark extended two palms towards it.
me Of Chaos, Great Fire Ball-
me Of Chaos, Great Fire Ball-
It crossed its arms defensively, and the attacks collided with its body.
Explosion-
The distance that separated the two wasn''t arge one.
Which is why the Growing Yeti took full advantage of the smokescreen created around it to press the attack.
It tore the smoke in two by swinging its arms but,
The Monster wasn''t where it had been standing moments earlier anymore.
Convinced that it would be behind it once again, the Growing Yeti immediately turned around.
Indeed, the Monster stood right where the Yeti thought it would be.
It stood, with its inted chest held high.
The Growing Yeti focused on its vision, preparing to block whatever was about toe.
But the attack wasn''t one that could be blocked.
[You have inflicted the Status Effect "Blindness"!]
[The Status Effect willst for 5 seconds.]
''That''s it, huh? No wonder it''s E-Ranked...'' Mark thought as he quickly slipped behind the Growing Yeti.
Thetter, deprived of its sight, had immediately raised its arms to cover its face and neck.
Before turning towards the Growing Yeti,
Destructive Tail Flick-
It was brought to the ground, face first.
sh-
sh-
sh-
Mark jumped back just before the "Blindness" Status Effect ran out.
''No matter how tough fur is, it''s...''
Both his ws and the snow below the Growing Yeti had been heavily tainted by blood.
''No Armor.''
RWAAAA-
Upon getting its sight back, the injured growled and growled while on its knees.
''This pressure. Wind Magic, or...?''
A greenish Aura started oozing out of the Growing Yeti''s body.
Immediately, Mark''s leg twitched.
''This feeling. It''s...''
[The Title "Abominable Snowman" is staring at you.]
He lowered his gaze.
It felt as if his legs had been frozen solid.
''So...'' Mark smiled nervously. ''Interesting.''
The Growing Yeti growled.
And as soon as it started approaching,
[Your Title "Devourer" stares.]
[Your Title "Evolving Mosnter" stares.]
It stopped.
The Devourer and the Abominable Snowman stared at one another for a moment.
A secondter, each leaped towards the other.
''That''s how I want it...''
Mark barely dodged the Growing Yeti''s front kick.
''With no words necessary...''
Its speed having increased as suddenly as it had substantially, Mark''s ws couldn''t reach the Abominable Snowman''s elbow.
''Try to kill me!''
A freezing mist was about to leave the Growing Yeti''s mouth.
Chapter 190 The Way He Wants To Kill
?
A freezing mist was about to leave the Growing Yeti''s mouth, but that mouth was suddenly closed shut by an uppercut.
''That''s right...''
The Abominable Snowman stared with hateful eyes as the Devourer jumped back and spread its wings.
''Do your best to kill me. And I''ll...''
Wind st-
Instantly, both were pushed back by the air pressure released.
Mark''s hands touched the snow.
With a back handspring thatcked both the elegance and skill showcased by Elisa many times already, his feet regained the ground.
''The Abominable Snowman. A Title, huh?''
The Monsters stared at one another.
''I''m guessing the Title would show more of an effect, were you a Yeti, and not a Growing Yeti...'' Mark thought.
The smile on his face seemed to irritate the Abominable Snowman greatly, as if it could reach his thoughts.
''Oh...''
A Title you don''t deserve-
''That must have something with it-''
Not allowing for further reflection, the Growing Yeti''s feet moved, leaving a small avnche of snow every time they did so.
The tense expression it wore made Mark chuckle.
''Abominable... Ugly. It''s perfect, Yeti.''
He ran, and his feet had just as much impact on the snow as the Abominable Snowman''s.
''With the two of us as ugly as the other, let''s decide...''
Dark Corrupting Spear-
''Who''s worthy of staying alive.''
A Weapon appeared in Mark''s left hand.
''Prove to me...''
Even though he was so used to doing so, he didn''t throw the weapon towards the approaching enemy.
''That you want to live!''
The two opened their mouths wide.
[The Title "Abominable Snowman" roars!]
[The Title "Devourer" roars!]
[The Title "Evolving Monster" roars!]
A good distance away, both Elisa and Krista shivered.
Dodge.
Hit.
Dodge.
sh.
The Grown Yeti left its side open for a second.
And Mark did not hesitate.
The Devourer immediately thrust its Dark Corrupting Spear into that side.
The Abominable Snowman''s clenched fist collided with its enemy''s skull.
Mark was immediatelyunched away.
He rolled in the snow multiple times before killing his momentum with both hands and feet.
The Growing Yeti growled at the Beast in front of it.
On all fours, Mark truly looked like a Beast.
He growled as his long tail swayed.
Just when the Abominable Snowman was about to pull the Weapon out of its side, it disappeared.
Or rather, turned into a dark liquid that quickly seeped through the wound.
Mark opened his mouth wide.
Instantly, three Great Fire Balls appeared, forming a triangle.
Slowly but surely, the mes that made them up turned red.
The Growing Yeti raised its arms defensively.
But before the attack was shot,
Fire Control-
The three attacks were condensed into one.
The Abominable Snowman instinctively took a step back.
Fire.
Something it hated.
Something it feared.
A secondter, a great explosion covered the area around the Growing Yeti with smoke.
''Shit...''
Mark stared at the smoke without moving.
Blood was going down his nose and mouth.
''A [D+] Ranked Monster with that level of strength...''
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
The bleeding stopped.
The smoke faded, and the Monster that became visible once more was nothing like it was before.
The Growing Yeti''s hair had been scorched, giving it an appearance close to that of arge gori.
It had lost a hand.
''Thought that would at least take an arm...'' Mark smiled nervously.
The Abominable Snowman remained unmoving for a bit, which caused the Devourer to grow more nervous.
The next second, its body started twitching.
''That''s right. Show me...''
Quivering.
''What you''re capable of. Show me...''
Trembling.
''What I''m Devouring.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is watching the "Abominable Snowman" with sparkling eyes!]
[Your Title "Devourer" is drooling!]
Drop-
Drop-
Drop-
Mark watched the Growing Yeti with his mouth open, without even noticing the saliva going down his mouth.
It simultaneously stopped trembling and moved its gaze towards the white-scaled Monster.
Thetter twitched, and the Abominable Snowman growled.
The next second, the ground started shaking.
Mark immediately rose to his feet.
''It''s not the ground, it''s-''
Around him, the snow started moving.
It rose.
''That''s-''
He stood at the center of a palm made of snow.
Mark immediately tried moving.
He couldn''t.
His feet had been entrapped by the snow somehow.
Mark spread his wings.
Wind st-
Wind st-
But it wasn''t enough.
A secondter, his body was trapped inside the Abominable Snowman''s hand.
It squeezed him just hard enough to prevent him from moving.
Only Mark''s head remained free.
''Mm...''
The Abominable Snowman slowly walked closer towards the prey he had caught.
''Very cool, Yeti.''
From Mark''s palms, Great Fire Balls were conjured.
But they weren''t shot.
Their mes were controlled and used to cover Mark''s body, freeing him from his restraints.
In his palm, a second Dark Corrupting Spear appeared.
The Growing Yeti continued approaching.
Its eyes, as dark as the scorched hair that covered its body.
The snow behind Mark flew.
The distance was closed in a second.
Kick-
Pierce-
Mark''s body wasunched a dozen meters away.
''The difference in strength... And weight...''
Two of his ribs had been broken.
Still, he smiled.
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
''Not bad, Yeti.''
The next exchange was thest.
***
"Think... We should just..." Elisa yawned. "Wait for him?"
Krista looked around with half-opened eyes, beforeying her head on the snow once more.
"Kay..."
***
With blood going down his mouth and nose, Mark stood.
''Killed by a Monster that I had the strength to defeat, that''s the only way I''ll let myself get killed.''
He pulled his arm out of the Growing Yeti''s chest.
''Killing a Monster... That has the strength to kill me... That''s the way I want to kill.''
Thump-
The Abominable Snowman''s body hit the ground.
Ity on the snow, tainted by its own blood, unmoving.
Mark breathed heavily.
From above, he stared at the Monster that was slowly bleeding out.
''Can''t wait to see... What a full-grown Yeti looks like.''
[You have defeated a Growing Yeti!]
[You have earned 100 Experience Points!]
Chapter 191 For The Two Of You
?
[You have defeated a Growing Yeti!]
[You have earned 50 Experience Points!]
"50? That''s it?"
[Experience Points are calcted based on the difference between your Rank and that of the Defeated.]
"Ha! So that''s how it works now, huh?"
Mark looked at the Growing Yeti for a bit.
"I don''t hate it." He whispered, before lowing his body towards it.
With a touch, the Monster''s body was turned into a sphere of blue energy.
''I''m guessing the color has to do something with the Magic Type used by the Monster, right?''
[Your Title "Devourer" nods.]
Gulp-
Mark swallowed the sphere.
The next second, he felt his body temperature dropping.
[You have acquired the Magic Skill "Freezing Mist[D-]".]
''That''s what I''m talking about.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" chuckles.]
Mark looked around for a second.
''What was it again...? Oh.''
He walked towards the spike of bones he had nted into the ground earlier.
''Should be facing the right way.''
Mark took a step in their direction before stopping.
He dropped to the ground andy his hands on the cold snow.
''That was a good fight. But not good enough... Not after...''
Mark thought about Zephyr.
The image of Raven passed through his mind, immediately making him shiver.
''Tsk. That kind of strength... I don''t even know how to describe it. Felt like just being in his presence was enough to stop me from breathing. Like a look could be enough to kill me...''
Mark scratched his head.
''I have to grow stronger. Much stronger...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
[Your Title "Devourer" nods.]
''I spilled a whole lot of blood to get here...'' He slowly stood up. ''And I''ll have to spill much, much more.''
Mark grabbed the spike of bone.
''But I won''t let my path full of blood...'' He pulled it out of the ground. ''Dirty your white fur, or her ashen hair any longer.''
Once again, there was no sound, except that of the wind.
''I couldn''t leave you back then. I was prepared to do so. I was about to, but...''
Once again, he walked through the blizzard.
''You cried. When I left you in that hole, your howls made mee back for you. Because you didn''t simply join me to survive. I was ready to let you be free. But your cries brought me back... Your cries... Though... That''s over now. You don''t and won''t cry anymore, because she will be there for you. And I''ll be free to...''
Some timeter,
"Finally. You almost had us worried." Elisa said without standing up.
She was seated, her back against the same tree she had slept below.
"The..." Mark whispered.
"The what?"
"The Elven Forest. That''s where you''re going, right?"
Elisa was taken aback by the subject being brought up suddenly.
"Yes...?"
"What kind of ce is it?" Mark asked as he walked closer.
"Mm. It''s a forest, obviously. A beautiful forest different from any-" Elisa was interrupted by the sudden headache.
"Is it safe there?"
"Safe?" Elisa massaged her forehead. "Yes... I guess."
Once he was about ten steps away, Mark copsed on the ground.
"Huh... Are you okay?"
"Yeah. Just... Need to rest a bit."
''Mmm...'' Elisa thought silently for a bit.
"What brought this on?"
"This?"
"The Elven Forest."
"That''s where we''re going, isn''t it?"
"Huh? It is?"
"Yeah."
"Oh... Alright... I mean, good. Okay. Would''ve been tough getting there alone, I guess."
"Where is it?"
"In the Rift. Between Pride and Lust. Well, outside the two. So outside the... Separation? Yeah."
"We can''t keep going through."
"Would be better not to. The Rift changes a lot depending on where you are. Blizzards, Deserts,nds covered byva-"
"How do you know that?"
"I don''t know exactly. I just know."
"Ever been there?" To those other ces of the Rift?"
"I-" She massaged her forehead. "No. Haven''t been. Just heard about them."
Mark nodded.
Hey for a couple more seconds before pushing himself off the ground and taking five steps to his left.
He sat down on the snow, and reached forward with both hands.
Purr-
Elisa was surprised.
''First time I''ve seen him go to her, and not the opposite...''
Mark held the Moonlit Feline with both hands.
He let himself fall back on the snow.
''To a peaceful ce... A ce where she''s called Princess. Where she''s recognized and treated as such... I''ll do my best to get her there. And then-''
"So you''re going through with my Request."
"Yeah."
"Well, I can''t promise that I''ll do the same with yours, but I''ll hear you out."
Mark stared at the Moonlit Feline''s crystal clear eyes for a bit.
"No..."
"No?"
"I''ll tell you about it... Once we get there."
"Mm... Suit yourself."
''She''s the only one I can count on to do it, so...'' Mark stood up while keeping the Moonlit Feline in his hands.
He walked towards Elisa.
Closer.
Closer.
"What?" The seated Elisa asked as she moved her body back.
She hated having anyone towering above her.
"Take care of her." Mark said as he handed her the Moonlit Feline.
"Uh... Sure... Didn''t you juste back though?"
"Mm." Mark nodded. He stepped back.
''To a ce where she''s a Princess... Yeah. I''ll help her get there. She likes you a lot. So I''m sure she won''t say no... When I ask her...''
Both Elisa and Krista stared at him.
He stood, unmoving, while looking at them.
"You seem... More cheerful than usual?"
"Do I?"
Slender arms were wrapped around Mark''s neck.
Her chiny on his shoulder.
No one could see her.
No one could sense her presence there.
Not even Mark.
But she was definitely there, with her arms around his neck, her chin on his shoulder, and a smile on her face.
"Yes? I think so?"
"I guess I just... Have a clearer vision for the future."
"d you find being my Knight a suitable future." Kristay a hand on Elisa''s chin. "What? Our Knight? Bfahahaha!"
''The two of you together... In a ce where she is Princess...''
The arms wrapped around his neck faded.
''That''s what I want for you...''
She faded away.
''For the two of you...'' Mark''s body fell backward.
"HEY! ARE YOU...?"
Elisa was about to stand up when,
"Oh."
Zzzz-
Elisa and Krista exchanged looks.
"He''s asleep."
Chapter 192 Half A Truth, Half A Lie
?
"Mmm... Do we just wait for him or...?" Elisa asked while looking at Krista.
Thetter let her head fall to the side with a puzzled expression.
''So cuuute!'' Elisa thought while caressing the Moonlit Feline''s fur.
A couple of steps away, Marky unmoving.
"He did leave while we were asleep. I guess we can do the same, right? Mm. He went and got beaten up, guess that suited him. Not really how I want to spend my time though..."
Both raised their gazes, seemingly deep in thought.
"Think we should-"
"I''m up." Mark said as he suddenly sat up.
So suddenly that he startled the two.
"Holy s... You scared me!" Elisa shouted.
"I''m up." Mark repeated.
"Your eyes tell a different story."
The Moonlit Feline was rolling on the ground.
Elisa chuckled at the sight.
"How long..." Mark rubbed his eyes. It was the first time he did something of the sort. "How long was I out for?"
"About ten minutes. Less, I think."
"Perfect. Let''s get going." Mark pushed himself off the ground, stumbled, and fell on the snow.
Krista''s rolled even more intensely.
"You can sleep a bit longer, you know."
"No need. I''m in top condition."
"That so? How many fingers am I holding up?"
"What is this? The-"
"How many?"
"Two."
"Go back to sleep."
"Tsk." Mark clicked his tongue and stood up. "The cold will wake me up."
"If you insist." Elisa got up too.
It took a bit longer for Krista to do the same.
"Map." Mark called out as he rubbed his eyes and pped his cheeks.
"Does he do that every time?" Elisa whispered while covering her mouth.
The Moonlit Feline shook her head in response.
"The Rift... Outside of Pride and Lust, right?" Mark muttered.
"Yep. That''s the one."
"Would be faster to cut through Sloth and Lust."
"Yep. It would be."
"Then let''s do that."
"I mean... Now that we''re going together, I guess that''s the n?"
"A bunch of red crosses all over the ce though..." He whispered.
"Red crosses?"
"ces I''m not supposed to approach."
"Why not?"
"Now that I think about it..." Mark rubbed his eyes once more. "I don''t think I asked."
"Why the hell not?"
"Because... I don''t know."
"You sure you don''t need to sleep some more?"
"I''m fine. I just assumed red crosses meant death. Plus, I didn''t want to talk to him more than absolutely necessary so..."
"Mm. Yeah. I guess that''s a valid excuse."
"It''s a reason, not an excuse." Mark corrected while staring at the digital map in front of him.
"If you say so."
Krista took a seat on the ground.
She thought they would be arguing for a while longer.
In a way, she was right.
"I do." Mark said sternly.
"Oh, great. At least there''s a reason why we don''t know what road to take."
Elisa''s sarcasm did not fail to irritate him.
"Are you seriously-"
"I''m jokiiing. Tsk. Never thought I would have to teach humor to a Monster one day."
Mark''s eyes widened.
"Monster..." He whispered.
"Huh? Couldn''t catch that-"
"Monster..."
"Monster?"
"You''re not one, are you?"
A mix of surprise and indignation was drawn on Elisa''s face.
"What the hell? Of course not. Just because my teeth got a bit sharper doesn''t mean that-" Krista''s muffled snickering quickly started irritating her. "What''s so funny? I..."
''Mm... Yeah.'' Mark nodded.
"What kind of question is that anyways?" Elisa asked, clearly offended, although she did try to hide it.
"You''re from the Rift, right?"
"I am." Elisa answered after a second.
"If those born inside the Monster Realm are Monsters, and those born inside the Human Realm are Humans, what does that make you?" Mark asked innocently.
Despite how innocently the question was asked, it was a pretty rude one.
"What does that make me?" Elisa repeated.
"Yeah?" Mark nodded.
"I don''t understand the question."
"Well... You''re not a Monster."
"Right."
"You''re not a Human...?"
"Right."
"Then?"
"Then...?"
"Well, what are you?"
"An Elf you dumbass what kind of question is that?"
With a puzzled frown, Mark stared for a bit.
He scratched his head.
''Let''s call it half human then. She probably wouldn''t like me referring to it that way but...''
"Is it that way for many of those from the Rift?"
"What way?" Elisa asked aggressively.
"I definitely did not sleep enough for this." Mark whispered.
"You did not just..."
He thought silently for a bit, without paying any mind to her words.
"Oh." Mark interrupted.
"Oh, what?"
"Raven."
"What about him?"
"Is he from the Rift?"
"How would I know?"
"But is it likely? That he is from some part of the Rift?"
Elisa really didn''t want to answer.
But she did.
"Yes. It''s probable, I guess."
"I knew you could be useful." Mark muttered.
Elisa stared at him, clearly offended.
The next second, she turned towards one who would listen to herints.
"Kristaaa..."
''Mmm. Half Humans? Vampires and Elves. Yeah. Let''s call them that from now. Theye from the Rift... But not everything in the Rift is that way, the Growing Yeti and that Olga being prime examples. Pretty sure Nia said she was from the Rift too? Or did she...? Huh... Can''t really remember. Doesn''t change a thing though.''
Mark turned towards Elisa and Krista.
The two stared at him.
"Can''t keep going up the Rift. Doing that would lead to... Those waiting for me."
"Oh. Forgot about that. So you have people waiting for you, but you''re not going to them?"
"Yes. To get to the Elven Forest it would be-"
"Wow. Wow. Wow. Slow down. Why are you not going to them? When they''re waiting for you?"
Mark scratched his head for a bit.
''It''s the ones who put us inside the Dungeon.''
To lie or say the truth?
He wasn''t sure whether being honest with her was the right thing to do.
After all, he remembered a time when Elisa said that she wanted nothing more than to kill the person who put her and the other Dark Elves inside the Dungeon.
Mark settled on...
"Don''t want to."
Half a truth. Half a lie.
Chapter 193 A Gift From A Monster
?
"To enter Sloth, we would have to go north. But that''s where you found the Growing Yeti... Running into a tribe of Yetis would be the death of us if we can''t escape. Due to the blizzard, it would be tough to locate them. Reading the Wind isn''t my specialty, and the Wind here is pretty chaotic. Mmm..." Elisa whispered, a hand on her chin.
"Ever seen a Yeti?"
"No. And I would rather not, if possible." She admitted.
"We''ll just have to run if we run into them."
"What if they encircle us before we even figure out that they''re there? This is their territory. Probably used to locating and getting rid of intruders."
"Mmm... Four or five Growing Yetis at once would be okay with the three of us. More than that would be a problem."
"When one was enough to make you pass out? Aren''t you relying a bit too heavily on us?" Elisa smile cheekily before turning towards Krista, who was walking behind the two.
"If I fight seriously I could get rid of three, I think. Especially if I do it fast."
"Because you didn''t do that earlier?"
"Not really."
"Why not?"
"Wanted to know what it was capable of. Anyways, it got a lot stronger after its Title started acting up."
"What Title?"
"Uh... Abominable Snowman. Yeah. That was the Title."
Elisa stopped abruptly.
"That''s a bad one. A really bad one for us."
Mark looked at her questioningly.
"Do I really have to exin it? Abominable. Sounds bad. Snowman. We''re surrounded by snow. Get it? Plus, that was a Growing Yeti. If even a Growing Yeti can be qualified as an Abominable Snowman, then imagine how much more Abominable a grown Yeti can get."
"Titles... Are pretty interesting." Mark whispered.
"Huh?"
"Nothing. What else can we do then?"
"I can try to direct us, but we won''t be able to advance both quickly and safely. Has to be one or the other."
"Guess so." Mark shrugged his shoulders.
Walking into Monster Territory was something he was rather used to.
"Then? Which will it be?"
"Oh. I get to choose? How generous."
"You''re the Knight, aren''t you? Choose wisely, and prove that you''re worthy of being my-"
"Ha." Mark interrupted. "Worthy... Completely forgot about it."
"About... What?"
Mark called out his Inventory and selected an Item he had obtained long ago.
The Item was equipped. But just like then, it showed no effect.
"Tsk..." Mark clicked his tongue.
"What''s that?" Elisa asked, showing great interest.
"Wanted to try it before but... I guess I have no choice." Mark wrapped his hand around the Item. "It''s yours, provided you can put it to use."
He unclenched his fist, revealing something that made Elisa''s eyes widen.
"That''s... That''s a... That''s..." She muttered in disbelief. "You''re sure I can have it? It''s really, really valuable. You''re sure?"
"Yeah, I don''t mind-"
"It''s very valuable, Mark. You''re sure?"
"I said yes, just-"
"You sure?" Elisa interrupted again.
"Yes-"
She took the Item before Mark could get the word out.
"No takebacks." Elisa dered while smiling incredibly cheerfully.
Mark nodded.
She stared at the pendant for a while, and started almost blushing.
"Equip." Elisa suddenly shouted.
The Item disappeared from her hands and appeared around her neck.
[The Elven Ne is testing you.]
She stared at the message expectantly.
But, without really knowing why, she felt anxious at the same time.
[The Elven Ne has deemed you Worthy.]
Elisa''s heart started immediately beating faster.
[Traces of Corruption have been located inside the Wielder.]
It was exactly what she feared.
But,
[Part of the Elven Ne''s Effects remain Locked.]
A green Aura started oozing out of the pendant.
The next instant, it spread all around Elisa''s body.
[Mana Consumption from Wind Magic decreases by 80%.]
An incredible Effect, especially for someone like her, who used Wind Magic very frequently.
But the Effect that truly made her heart stir was...
[Wind Magic Affinity increases by 50%.]
The green Aura faded, and Elisa was left with wide eyes staring at those words.
The wide eyes started moving from them to the white-scaled Monster repeatedly.
"T...T..." She stuttered. "Thanks."
"Yeah." Mark shrugged his shoulders.
"I''ll take care of it... And give it back when we..."
When we... What?
Elisa couldn''t find the right words.
"Sure."
"I''ll definitely put it to good use."
"Right. It''s fine, I said." Mark started walking again, and Krista followed him.
Elisa fiddled with a lock of hair for a bit.
It was an Elven Ne.
Elven.
This already meant a lot.
But something else, meant, perhaps, even more.
In a way, she had just received a Gift.
Or at least, Elisa decided to look at it that way.
It had been a while since she had received anything of the sort.
The fact that the Gift came from a Monster could have been interpreted by some as a bad omen, but she had no reason to perceive it that way.
A Gift from a Monster. A Devil''s Gift?
A Gift from Mark.
The third option was the only one flowing through her mind.
Elisa took a deep breath in.
The pendant around her neck vibrated weakly.
The next second, both Mark and Krista stopped moving.
"Did you do something?" The two turned around at once, feeling a difference in temperature.
"How is it? Better, right?"
"I guess." Mark answered as he looked around.
"You guess?? I stopped the cold wind from... You know what, never mind." Elisa walked past them.
The three walked silently, with her leading the group.
After a couple of minutes, Elisa pointed sixty degrees to the left.
"There''s something there. Walking on two legs."
"You can tell?" Mark sped up his pace to arrive at her side.
"I can. Thanks to y... Uh... Thanks to the Ne."
The Lioness filled the three meters offortable space that the two left between them.
"So that fixes it. Perfect."
"Yes, it does." Elisa said while looking straight ahead. "Mana Consumption is down, Wind Affinity is up. I can do this much more easily now. And for a longer period of time."
Mark stared at her for a bit.
A monstrous smile on his face.
"I knew I could count on you."
Elisa looked away.
"Of course, you can."
She blushed slightly, something that Mark couldn''t notice from his position, but that Krista could.
Chapter 194 Draugrs And...?
?
The three walked for a while longer through the forest of dead trees hidden by the blizzard.
Following Elisa''s directions, they could avoid most of the trouble.
"Anything on our way or getting closer?" Mark asked as his face turned back.
"Nothing as far as I can tell." Elisa answered.
She was seated on a fallen tree trunk. Krista was by her side.
"Mm. Too bad..."
''Tsk. Wish he would kill them quicker.'' Elisa thought to herself while watching the white-scaled Monster pulling its arm out of a huge pr bear''s neck.
Mark walked towards the two.
"Do you enjoy making them suffer or...?" She asked.
"Huh? What''s that supposed to mean? It''s-" The look in Elisa''s eyes changed, and Mark knew something was up.
Before he could realize it, she stood behind him.
"RUN!" Elisa shouted.
"Huh?"
The next second, something pierced through the snow a couple of steps away from Mark.
It slowly emerged to the surface.
"That''s it?" Mark whispered.
His eyes went back on forth from the emerging Monster to Elisa''s back.
"I SAID RUN!" She shouted again.
Mark walked closer.
[Draugr, [F+] Ranked Monster:
Draugrs, also known as Frost Skeletons, are creatures mostly found in regions covered by snow and ice. They can also be found in certain caves and...]
''Do we really have to run away from this...?'' He asked himself.
The distance separating him from the emerging Draugr was a couple of steps.
''It looks the same. Simr...''
The Frost Skeleton struggled to push itself out of the snow.
Just like its name suggested, it looked exactly like Skeletons did.
The Skeletons Mark had seen inside the Dungeon.
The Skeleton he used to be. The only difference being that most of its bones were covered by ice.
Hey a hand on the Draugr''s skull.
The Frost Skeleton grabbed his forearm with both hands, but despite struggling, it couldn''t move it one bit.
''Mm.''
The skull was crushed.
[You have defeated one Draugr.]
"No Experience Points, huh? To be expected, I guess."
Mark looked around him.
A dozen other Draugrs were emerging from below the snow.
''Since Elisa uses the Wind to locate enemies, seeing so many air pathways being created below the snow must have worried her. I guess it''s good that she''s so careful...''
The next second, Mark realized that the number exceeded his expectations upon seeing multiple Draugrs exiting the same spot at once.
"Dozens... No..."
He was surrounded by slowly emerging Draugrs.
"Hundreds..."
Mark immediately started crushing skull upon skull, hoping to, perhaps, acquire a new Skill by Devouring so many.
But in the distance,
''What''s that...?''
Shapes hidden by the blizzard started emerging from the snow.
Monsters much different from those Mark had been decimating.
He couldn''t see them in the distance.
But one of them opened its mouth.
Immediately, a freezing mist was emitted and traveled in a straight line.
''If I must...'' Mark turned around.
The dozens and dozens of Frost Skeletons separating him from that Monster were frozen solid.
Mark ran in the direction that Elisa had taken.
Due to the snow, he couldn''t move as freely as he wanted to.
But that wasn''t enough to make the Frost Skeletons that were emerging in front of him a problem.
Plus, snow or not, his speed could not bepared to that of [F+] Ranked Monsters.
It didn''t take a while for him to spot Elisa''s back.
She ran while holding Krista between her arms.
The Moonlit Feline''s eyes glowed in the blizzard, as they stared from above Elisa''s shoulder.
"Kind of you to wait for me." Mark said upon catching up.
"If you had run when I told to, I wouldn''t have had to."
She upped her speed, and so did he.
They ran forward through the blizzard while Krista stared at what was behind them.
A sea of Frost Skeletons, followed by huge Monsters that had an appearance suitable to be the Draugr''s overlords.
"That went well." Markmented as he ran.
"Could''ve gone better."
"I guess." Mark chuckled.
"That''s not funny. When I say run, you run."
"I''ll remember that next time, hahaha."
"Stop..." Elisa jumped over an emerging Draugr. "Laughing. Howrge is these guys'' territory??"
"I guess it''s prettyrge but..." A Forst Skeleton''s skull emerged in front of Mark. "Ah." He didn''t slow down or move away. The skull was crushed as he stepped on it. "But... But... Bfahahhaaha!"
Seeing hisck of grace, Elisa couldn''t help but crack a smile.
Two Frost Skeletons started emerging in front of them.
Elisa gracefully leaped over the one in front of her.
Mark''s crushed the skull of the one in front fo him.
She fought back her smile.
Elisa sidestepped a fully emerged Draugr and kept running.
Mark ran into a Frost Skeleton, immediately blowing it out of the way.
She couldn''t fight it back any longer.
Elisaughed nervously as she ran.
Markughed wholeheartedly as he charged into another Frost Skeleton.
''Tsk. So childish...'' Elisa thought to herself.
On the other hand, a look of horror was on the Moonlit Feline''s face as it stared at the hundreds, if not thousands, of Monsters running behind them.
Noticing that look of horror, Mark''sughter grew stronger.
This ignited Elisa''s curiosity, who decided to check that look of horror for herself.
Her nervousughter continued.
Oneughed wholeheartedly.
The otherughed nervously.
The reason behind that difference, was probably that one knew this wouldn''tst much longer.
That it wouldn''t be possible tough this way for much longer.
That, soon, the three wouldn''t be together anymore.
The three would soon get separated.
Or rather, would separate.
He knew that, because it was his decision.
And because it was his decision, he couldugh this way.
Genuinely and wholeheartedly.
The journey was a long one.
The remaining distance was still gigantic.
But that didn''t matter.
An ending point had been set.
An ending point had been decided.
"Think we lost them." Elisa said.
Still, they continued running for a bit.
"Oh." She suddenly stopped.
"What is it?" Mark stopped a couple of steps further.
"Found a cave."
Chapter 195 A Cave? Or...
?
"What is it?" Mark stopped a couple of steps further.
"Found a cave."
"So?"
"So it might be a good ce to stop. You really need me to spell everything out for you."
"Wouldn''t a cave be... The entrance to a Dungeon or something?"
"Not necessarily. If it is, the System will tell us before entering anyways." Elisa''s tone seemed like a reminder, not an exnation.
"Oh... That''s how it works." Mark whispered in a low voice.
An agitated Moonlit Feline was freed from Elisa''s embrace, and it jumped to the ground.
"Well?" She waited for an answer. "I''d rather not sleep in the snow and cold. Need to recover Mana too so..."
Mark called out his digital map.
"If we keep going at the same pace... We''ll cross into Sloth in a day or two. Though my sense of time is kind of messed up. Haven''t thought in ''days'' for a while..."
"I know, right? First the Dungeon, now this damned blizzard..."
The two thought silently for a bit.
"Let''s check it out. Either we get some rest, or we find a Dungeon."
"You''re not nning on entering it if it''s a Dungeon, are you?" Elisa asked suspiciously.
"No, especially if the Monsters inhabiting it can''t be seen from outside."
"That''s usually not the case. But I guess if the Dungeon''s Rank is low enough, we could give it a try. Clearing out the ce will make for a safer temporary shelter."
''So Dungeons have Ranks too...'' Mark noted internally.
"Then it''s decided." He said.
The next second, the Moonlit Feline, perhaps feeling left aside, climbed over his body.
"What do you think?" Mark asked once Krista was seated on his shoulder.
The Moonlit Feline showed its fangs as it yawned heavily.
"Lead the way."
And Elisa did just that.
...
It didn''t take long for them to arrive at the cave''s entry.
After all, the area over which Elisa could read the Wind was one hundred and fifty meters at maximum.
One hundred and fifty was the limit that she could only reach when trying to sense obstacles present in a certain direction.
When doing so for the area around her, the distance dropped significantly.
"So this is it."
"Yep."
The cave''s entry was rtively narrow.
Or at least, that''s what Mark thought.
After all, he was used to the caves inside the Dungeon.
The caves in which resided Insect Monsters or Minotaur Monsters.
Krista stared at the entry for a bit.
Snif-
Snif-
"The whole area is elevated... A small hill."
"Yes...? What did you expect? A hole in the ground? A hare''s burrow?"
Mark walked closer to the entry without answering.
He stood in front of it, and stared at the darkness that reigned inside.
Krista got a bit closer too.
Snif-
Snif-
The air was moist.
"Can''t hear anything... Didn''t get any news from the System either."
"Oh, thank goodness. Perfect. The cave is pretty deep, but there are no Monsters inside."
"Isn''t that strange?"
"Aren''t you being a bit pessimistic?"
Mark scratched his head before turning back towards the darkness inside the cave.
"I wouldn''t mind looking around inside, I guess."
"I''m more worried about somethinging from above."
"True. Might be Monsters on top of the hill waiting for something to enter."
"I''m running out of Mana, so we''ll have to go check before going to sleep."
"I can do that. Not really sleepy."
Elisa stared suspiciously for a bit.
"Yeah... I think I''ll go too."
"Suit yourself." Mark said before spreading his wings.
The Moonlit Feline climbed over his shoulder.
Ten meters high.
A distance that didn''t seem like much for them.
''Must be nice, having wings...''
Elisa stepped forward.
A couple of stepster,
"That''s pretty cool."
With a small leap, she arrived at their side.
"I think you''ve said that already."
"I don''t think I have."
"You''ve seen me do this though."
"And I didn''t say anything about it."
"Meh." Elisa shrugged her shoulders. "Your facial expression said it in your ce."
"I doubt that."
Both chuckled as they started walking.
A couple of minutester, Krista jumped off Mark''s shoulder.
Stomp-
Stomp-
"She really loves the snow."
Mark nodded, before moving his gaze towards Elisa.
With a tender gaze, she was looking at the Moonlit Feline.
''Yeah...''
Mark felt content.
He knew he could trust her to...
The hairs on Krista''s body suddenly stood on end.
"What is it-" Elisa asked, but she felt it just a second after Krista had.
The blizzard picked up.
The cold and freezing wind turned violent.
The ground and the snow thaty above it started vibrating.
''An earthquake?'' Mark asked himself. ''Or is it some kind of gigantic Monster making-''
The earth''s trembling got even strong.
He lost his footing and,
Dark Corrupting Spear-
The Weapon that appeared in his left hand was immediately thrust into the ground and used to remain standing.
"What the hell is happening??" Mark shouted through the blizzard that had thickened and grown in intensity
"R... Run..." Elisa muttered.
She could feel her entire body twitching.
Elisa quickly bent her body and grabbed Krista.
"RUN!" She screamed as she turned around to face the opposite direction they had been taking.
Elisa took two steps away, but she didn''t run.
She turned towards Mark, who was staring into the distance.
The earth''s vibrations and the wind grew too powerful.
A secondter, they understood what was happening.
It wasn''t the earth that was shaking.
It wasn''t the wind that had grown any fiercer.
No.
The earth wasn''t shaking.
Whaty below them wasn''t the earth in the first ce.
Mark immediately remembered words he had read some time earlier.
Some can be found hibernating on the ground. Beware! There is nothing scarier than walking on an Olga submerged in snow.
The ground suddenly rose.
"MARK!" Elisa shouted as she extended a hand towards him.
They weren''t standing on the ground.
Mark stared at the hand extended to him, and reached.
Chapter 196 Beyond The...?
?
''On an Olga... Standing... On an Olga...''
Images of Zephyr and Raven passed through Mark''s mind.
''If I want to get strong, I have to...!''
"MARK!" Elisa shouted as she extended a hand towards him.
By this time, her feet were in the air already.
Mark stared at the hand extended to him, and reached.
A second toote.
''Wha-''
His lips moved, but she couldn''t hear the words uttered.
With the Moonlit Feline between her arms, Elisa was blown off and swallowed by the blizzard.
...
"That fucking..." She whispered. " You okay...?"
In a pit of snow, Elisa and the Moonlit Feliney.
Cough-
A drop of blood went down Elisa''s face.
"A typhoon with that kind of power... Simply from moving around..."
The two had been blown away from the Olga''s back.
As if they were leaves, the blizzard moved them around and around.
Using the Wind, Elisa could lessen the impact of the fall, but that also meant allowing the blizzard to move them around more easily.
During the descent, she kept the Moonlit Feline protected between her arms.
Even when hitting the ground, she purposefully turned around tond on her back.
"Tsk... That''s not even the worst of it..." Elisa whispered as she slowly sat up.
Most of the damage had been avoided thanks to the spherical barrier of wind she had cast.
Elisa raised her gaze, and so did Krista.
The pit of snow at the bottom of which they were, was about five meters deep and had been created by the impact of the spherical barrier hitting the ground.
"We should leave. If those Skeletons encircle us on the surface..."
Krista nodded and turned away.
Using her Ice Magic, multiple spikes were created.
Pierce-
"A staircase... How nice..." Elisa whispered before coughing again.
A minuteter, they stood on the surface once more.
"Shit... What do we do, Krista? What do we do?" Elisa repeated absent-mindedly.
The fall had left her slightly dazed.
Lost in the endless blizzard, they had no idea where he was.
They didn''t have a map either.
The endless blizzard stared at them.
"North... Where the fuck is north...?" Elisa whispered.
Kristay on the snow.
"Are you serious?"
The Moonlit Feline did not react.
"We have no way of finding him... No way of knowing where we are... Or where we''re going... And you''re just...?"
Krista wasn''t too worried.
Meanwhile,
''FUUCK!''
Mark was holding on for dear life.
''I''m killing it... No matter what. I''m killing it... I''m Devouring it!''
The snow that covered the ground had been blown off, leaving the Olga''s white pelt for all to see.
Holding onto the Dark Corrupting Spear embedded into the gigantic Monster''s body tightly, Mark did his best to fight back against the wind.
With each movement of the Olga''s fins, the blizzard seemed to move.
''Just how big is this thing??''
Even though Mark was standing on top of it, an outsider would have had trouble noticing him.
''I''ve never seen something... Something so...!''
Mark was forced to lower his body and get on one knee.
The wind was merciless, and he was starting to realize that as ice started forming at the tip of his horns.
Would it freeze him to death? Mark doubted that thanks to his Cold Resistance Passive Skill, but the idea remained in his mind.
''Should I jump off...? This is...''
He rxed his grip over the Dark Corrupting Spear slightly.
"NO!" Mark shouted suddenly as he tightened his grip over it once more. "I might not... Get another chance. If I can kill this... If I can Devour... Something like this...!" He whispered to himself.
The Olga''s body was at an angle.
Which meant that Mark, too, was standing at an angle.
''It''s going up... If I want to kill it, I''ll have to go for its head and eyes. Otherwise...''
But how could he do that, when letting go of the Dark Corrupting Spear meant being blown away?
When one wrong step meant being blown off?
''How to...''
Mark suddenly remembered.
It was obvious, as he had seen it many times.
"This is..." Four limbs simr to spider legs left Mark''s lower back. "So freaking amazing."
Their sharp ends immediately pierced the ground. Or rather, the Olga''s incredibly thick fur.
With those nted in, Mark felt a lot more bnced and like it was less likely for him to be blown off.
"Alright. Now..."
Mark also remembered Levi and Fiery.
Did you climb all the way up-
Using your hands and feet like ice axes-
Good one. Ipletely forgot that you couldn''t fly-
Their first time on the Dungeon''s Final Floor.
A chuckle immediately escaped Mark''s mouth.
And that chuckle quickly turned into all-outughter.
Almost crazedughter.
"Using my ws wouldn''t work. That Growing Yeti''s fur was too thick for me to sh or pierce properly. There''s no way I could pierce this...!"
Mark moved his right hand away from the Corrupting Dark Spear.
He could immediately feel that a difference in posture and stance was necessary.
The Evolving Monster took its time adapting properly.
"Inventory!" Mark called out.
A Timeworn Elven Dagger appeared in his right palm.
''This might be too small, but it''s the sharpest thing I have. Much sharper than a spear made of bones could be!''
Mark lowered his body even further.
He was basicallyying t on his stomach, as he extended his right arm as far as possible in front of him.
Pierce-
There was no blood.
And as he had expected, no change in the Olga''s movements or behavior.
Mark pulled himself closer to the Timeworn Elven Dagger nted forward.
Something pulled him backwards.
He stopped moving for a bit, and focused on his sharp limbs.
''I need to advance while constantly moving them at the same time... Like a rope holding me in ce or something.''
Mark chuckled as the limbs out of his lower back pierced the Olga''s fur once more, in a way that would allow him to move forward.
''I need to move...''
With all his might, he focused on the sharp limbs and on the hand holding the Timeworn Elven Dagger.
''Like a spider.''
Mark slowly rxed his grip over the Dark Corrupting Spear.
A couple of secondster, he let go of it.
"Perfect..." He whispered.
With his left hand, Mark took hold of the Olga''s fur.
He pulled himself forward until the Timeworn Elven Dagger in his hand was close toing into contact with his shoulder.
It was time to move the dagger further.
''I can''t hold onto its hair alone... It''s silky and wet due to the wind and ice...''
Mark raised his empty left hand to the side.
Dark Corrupting Spear-
He reached as far as possible forward, and nted it.
''Good. Let''s keep going!''
As one might expect, the previous Dark Corrupting Spear had disappeared upon being let go of.
Or rather, it had turned into the Dark Corrupting matter it was made out of, and entered the Olga''s body.
Of course, Mark didn''t expect it to show any effect.
The Olga''s size made him look like an ant.
Which meant that much, much more Corruption would be needed for it to even have any kind of effect.
Mark pulled himself forward, and a third Dark Corrupting Spear was created.
''Let''s go... For its head...''
And of course, he nned on letting much, much more Corruption enter the Olga''s body.
The smaller the enemy, the stronger and quicker the Corruption is.
But in the end, Corruption remains a form of "Poison". A form of "Poison" that is, admittedly, very different, but that, nevertheless, grows stronger the more of it is used.
The first step to using a Poison well, is not letting the Poisoned realize that it has been Poisoned.
Or in Mark''s case, not letting the Corrupted realized that it has been Corrupted, or is being Corrupted.
In front of a Monster with such size, this wasn''t aplicated task.
''Just a bit more... Just a bit more...'' Mark repeated himself.
Despite climbing and climbing, he still couldn''t see an end to the Olga''s body.
He still couldn''t see the extremity of that body.
Its head still seemed far, far away.
The next second, the ground below shook powerfully.
Mark braced himself and took a deep breath.
''The air is getting...''
Fwoosh-
''Thinner and thinner!''
The next second, Mark''s eyes widened.
He raised his gaze.
His whole body shivered slightly.
"That..."
Riding the flying Olga, he had gone up and up for a while.
Until the air had grown too thin forfort.
"..."
His mind went nk.
Mark had left the blizzard.
The angle at which the Olga kept its body lessened, until it was parallel with the ground.
''...''
The view from above the blizzard.
Mark stared upwards, and he couldn''t look away.
For the first time since he was Reborn, he could see it.
For the first time in who knows so long, he could look at it.
Without even meaning to do so, Mark extended a hand towards it.
The dark sky of a starry night.
Chapter 197 Quiet Doubts Unseen Under A Starry Sky
?
"What do we do... What do we do..." Elisa repeated as she paced back and forth next to Krista.
The blizzard wasn''t getting any less powerful.
"No map... No way to tell where is what or which way leads to what... We might never make it out... We might never make it out, Krista!"
Elisa''s frustration was showing.
The Moonlit Feline mostly ignored her.
The Lionessy on the snow and let her chin fall to the ground.
"Oh, really? Going to sleep now? This is just... Just great. We might starve or freeze or stay here forever and you''re just calmly going to sleep?"
Krista really wasn''t worried about that.
Freezing to death? Impossible.
Starving? Unlikely.
She was confident that they would be able to survive.
With Elisa with her, there was no way that either would starve.
With Elisa with her.
With Elisa with her...
What if she wasn''t?
What if they were to get separated?
Would she be able to fend off for herself?
Slight anxiety sprouted inside the Lioness'' heart, but it was so weak she could barely feel it.
Elisa eventually sat next to her.
But she got up only secondster.
Feeling restless, she couldn''t remain unmoving.
"Do we go look for him...? Which way would we even go? We''ll end up running in circles. What if we end up widening the distance instead... What if he finds this spot somehow but only after we''ve moved..." Elisa''s whispering continued for a while.
Immediately, Krista raised her chin off the ground.
The Moonlit Feline''s anxiety grew tremendously.
Surviving wasn''t an issue.
But him not finding them.
Not finding his way back to them...
A restless back leg started shaking.
No.
He would.
Her Master would find his way back.
Of course, he would.
He always had so far.
And it wasn''t about to change anytime soon.
Whether it was a distance away from Monsters, or inside the Underling Ne, the Moonlit Feline was used to waiting.
To waiting for its Master.
The Lioness took a deep breath in andy her chin on the snow once more.
Krista wholeheartedly believed that her Master would find his way back.
She closed her eyes, but didn''t sleep.
Going back to the way it was before him.
To the way it was inside the Dungeon.
The struggle for survival.
The lonely and endless struggle.
Krista''s leg shook.
He woulde back, for sure.
Nevertheless, a seed of doubt had been nted inside her mind by Elisa''s words.
Thetter, of course, had no intentions of doing such a thing.
Still, quiet doubts started settling deep within Krista''s heart, buried by hope and belief.
...
A good distance away,
"Incredible..." Mark whispered.
With the Olga now flying with its body parallel to the ground, he stood on his feet.
The limbs that extended from his lower back were piercing the ground below.
Mark wanted to spread his arms to the side as he looked at the starry sky.
On the beautiful and dark canvas, countless lights shone, giving the canvas a slight purple hue.
Now out of the blizzard, the breeze was pleasant and refreshing. Nothing like it used to be.
Heeding his better judgment, Mark did not spread his arms, despite wanting to.
Who knew when the Olga would suddenly decide to take a dive or to rise higher?
He slowly lowered his gaze towards the gigantic creature he stood upon.
The gigantic creature he was, in a way, riding.
Mark had walked carefully for a while.
He was now standing on the Olga''s head.
Mark stared for a bit.
''Having something like this as an Underling would be... Oh. Now that Nia isn''t here, maybe I can...''
"Conditions for Reviving a Monster?"
[The Conditions required cannot be divulged.]
"You... What?"
[The Conditions required cannot be...]
"Yeah, yeah, I heard. Tsk. Does that mean Nia was giving me information that the System wouldn''t have given? I guess that has to be the case..." Mark whispered to himself.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
"Any idea?"
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" shakes its head.]
''Huh... Tsk. Marking the Monster was one of the pre-requisite, right? I can''t do that now. Monsters get notified when they''re poisoned or hit with a Status Effect. No doubt it would be the same for my Skill... Though I''m not sure how that would work for Monsters that are... Not? Intelligent.''
The Olga''s gigantic fins moved through the wind with grace despite their size.
For no real reason, Mark decided to turn around.
"Wha-"
A dozen Olgas were flying all over the snowynd.
Above the blizzard, they hovered.
Peacefully, and harmoniously.
Mark couldn''t help but scratch his head.
First of all, it didn''t do a thing-
Why don''t you just leave it alone-
Why do you have to be like that-
It''s just a peaceful-
"I really do get her point. Especially now that I''m standing here..."
Mark raised his left arm to the side.
''Why do I have to be this way, huh?''
A Dark Corrupting Spear appeared in his palm.
''Standing here, I realize...''
Many, many of them had already entered the Olga he was standing on.
But its size was such that even though more Corruption than Mark had ever produced had entered its body, there was no effect to be noted.
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you expectantly.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you fondly.]
''Nothing I''ve ever seen is making my stomach growl the way this Olga is.''
Mark took a deep breath in.
The oxygen levels in the air had decreased substantially, but the Evolving Monster had already grown used to the change.
A curious thought entered Mark''s mind.
He extended the arm holding the Dark Corrupting Spear forward.
"Affinity with Corruption Magic, huh?" Mark whispered.
He slowly let go of the Dark Corrupted Spear.
It didn''t fall, or move due to the wind.
It remained in ce.
The Dark Corrupted Spear floated in the air.
A wide smile appeared on Mark''s face.
''It has to be this way.''
Chapter 198 Hunting & Affirming
?
The Dark Corrupted Spear floated in the air, right in front of Mark.
"Yeah. It''s time..." He raised his left arm upwards. "To bring this back."
The next second, out of the center of his palm flowed out a great amount of dark liquid.
A cloud of Corruption hovered above him.
At first, Mark wanted to make a volley of Dark Corrupting Spears. But then,
[You have learned the Skill: "Corruption Production[C]".]
[You have learned the Magic Skill: "Corruption Control[C+]".]
Suddenly, the cloud started spinning, as if it was being molded.
[You acquired the Sub-Skill "Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon[B-]".]
"Well..." Mark directed his gaze towards the target. "That was easy."
He extended his left arm towards that target.
The Colossal Harpoon made of the Dark Corrupting liquid spun for a second, before flying towards the target with great speed.
Towards the chosen target.
Towards one of the Olga''s eyes.
A secondter, a mighty roar resonated.
"SHIT!"
As soon as the Olga''s head rose, opening its mouth, Mark lowered his body.
Unfortunately, the gigantic creature''s movement made his skull collide with its tough body, immediately making him cough up blood and turn dizzy.
Mark''s spider leg limbs, despite being embedded, couldn''t fight off the pressure at all.
A secondter, he was blown off.
''...''
Mark took a deep breath.
The distance between him and the Olga was increasing.
Waiting too long would result in a missed opportunity.
An opportunity he could not miss.
An opportunity he did not want to miss.
[Your Passive Skill "Combative Eyes[D]" is activating!]
Immediately, time started flowing slower.
Things slowly started disappearing from Mark''s field of vision as he focused.
Soon, he wouldn''t be shielded by the wind pierced by the Olga as it moved.
To fly, he would have to, first, kill the momentum with which he was blown off.
This meanting to a dead stop.
Something Mark couldn''t afford.
His speed couldn''t reach that of the gigantic Olga, especially with the wind working against him.
The distance between the two increased.
Mark''s left hand twitched.
He remembered something.
A memory he didn''t even think he had.
His body remembered instinctively.
The feeling of wielding a long chain as if it were a whip.
A chain made of bones, long ago.
Mark pulled his left arm back.
He extended it as if he was throwing something.
The next second, a long rope of Dark Corrupting Liquid exited Mark''s palm and moved with great speed towards the Olga.
The Dark Corrupting Liquid solidified, and, once the length was deemed appropriate, Mark grabbed it.
A Dark Chain.
He pulled it down with all his strength.
At the Dark Chain''s end,
Pierce-
A Dark Sickle.
Mark spread his wings and pulled on the chain at the same time.
Due to his earlier positioning, he was now behind the Olga.
The chain was parallel to its body.
Mark pulled with all his strength to kill his momentum.
The Dark Sickle was pulled, drawing a long wound on the Olga''s back.
It seemed like a long wound, but the creature was so big that it could barely be noticed.
All of Mark''s upper body muscles contracted to their limit.
Eventually, he stopped. Not without feeling like his arms were about to fall off.
Hanging onto the chain, Mark dangled next to the Olga''s tail.
He slowly started pulling himself up.
Convinced that it had gotten rid of the annoyance, the Olga was on its way.
A couple of minutester, Mark had taken back his position on its head.
Hey on top of its head, with his spider leg limbs embedded.
In each one of his hands, a Dark Sickle connected to a Dark Chain.
The Dark Chains were wrapped around his wrists.
Additionally, another five Dark Sickles were piercing the Olga''s thick fur all around him.
And, therefore, five Dark Chains encircled his waist tightly.
''Tsk. Using Corruption this way consumes much more Mana... Still, this is my best shot.''
Without moving around, without raising an arm, Mark focused.
He slightly unclenched his left hand, and let a great amount of Corruption leave his palm.
The dark disks connected by the dark line on his left arm were slowly losing their color.
[Your Title "Devourer" warns you.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reminds you that your supply of Corruption is not infinite.]
''Yeah, well...''
Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon-
Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon-
Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon-
Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon-
Mark braced himself and tightened his grip over the Dark Sickles.
''I''ll just have to take some more from Elisa.''
Pierce-
Pierce-
Pierce-
Pierce-
An ear-shattering cry resonated.
Mark clenched his teeth and contracted every muscle in his body.
The Olga''s convulsions and the wind pressure exerted as it turned around and spun made it impossible for Mark to think about anything else.
''Holding on now means... If I can hold on now...!''
Both of the Olga''s eyes had been pierced.
Not only that, but a great amount of Corruption had entered its body.
Still, that wasn''t enough to bring it down.
Mark was too focused on holding on for dear life to think about that.
On the other hand, the Olga was, more than ever, determined to get rid of the parasite that had climbed over its body.
It tilted its head downwards, and started a hellish descent into the blizzard.
...
What if Master doesn''te back?
What if Master doesn''t find me?
What if Master isn''t even looking for me?
The Lioness'' restless leg kept twitching and jerking.
What if I have to go back to that ce?
To that life?
Prior to being found by Mark, the Moonlit Feline had spent all of its time inside the Dungeon fighting.
Fighting and killing to survive.
But thanks to him.
Thanks to the Master, for the first time, it had... It could sleep peacefully.
What if the Master doesn''t...?
"Oh, for fuck''s sake!" Elisa shouted. She remained seated.
Krista immediately raised her head.
He was there.
Master had found his way back.
The Lioness immediately stood up and ran towards him.
She jumped and, with her paws, brought him to the ground.
Lick-
Lick-
"Don''t tell me you were worried I wouldn''te back?"
The Lioness pulled her head back.
She stared at her Master''s monstrous face.
You will make it-
Words that Elisa had spoken.
And once the two of you are outside, I''m sure-
Words that had been spoken in front of Krista.
He will take care of you, always-
Elisa had spoken those words while she was bleeding out.
I''m sure that-
And because Elisa spoke those words while she was bleeding out, there was no way Krista could forget them.
He will always be there for you-
"Well, color me intrigued. What kind of luck is that? How did you find us?" Elisa asked.
To Mark, he was simply returning from a sessful hunt.
But for Krista, this was much more.
For the first time, she had doubted that her Master woulde back. That he would be there for her.
Those doubts dissolvedpletely.
The Master would always be there for her.
Krista believed it wholeheartedly.
A sad cry emanated from the Lioness'' mouth as she buried her head into her Master''s chest.
Chapter 199 On Titles & Dungeons, I
?
"So what rewards did you get from Clearing the Dungeon anyways? Was it this Ne?" Elisa asked as she held the pendant around her neck.
She was seated, her back against a dead tree.
Mark was seated a couple of steps away. On his straightened legsy a yawning Lioness.
"I only got one Item."
Mark called out his Inventory.
"And that''s supposed to be... What?" Elisa asked as she stared at the dark sphere thaty on his palm.
"Darkness Catalyst... [A] Ranked Item. Supposedly lowers the Mana Consumption thates with Dark Magic use and raises Affinity with Dark Magic."
"Ugh... Ominous."
"You''ve said that plenty of times already."
"I know. Still very ominous."
"Right... It''s weird though. Never obtained something from the System that I couldn''t use before."
Mark said ''System'', but he meant ''Nia''.
"Mm... That''s how Rewards are sometimes. What else did you get?"
"What else? I developed two Skills upon leaving the Dungeon. elerated Mana and Endurance Regeneration. Are those part of the Rewards too?"
"Huh. No, probably not. Skills can''t be given as Rewards. The Endurance Regen Skill might simply be because you''ve grown used to staying awake and not needing much rest?"
"Uhu..." Mark nodded as he looked away.
He already knew the truth, but wanted to know if he was the only one who had obtained such benefits.
Messages he had received some time after leaving the Dungeon:
[The Seal "Enhanced Mana Regeneration" has been lifted.]
[The Seal "Enhanced Endurance Regeneration" has been lifted.]
[Your body has grown used to regenerating Endurance and Mana Points at a faster rate!]
[You have developed the Passive Skill "elerated Endurance Regenaration[C]".]
[You have developed the Passive Skill "elerated Mana Regenaration[C]".]
"So that''s all you got?"
"Yeah."
"Haha! Stingy with you."
"You got anything else other than the Armor Set?"
"A damn good bow, arrows, and Gold Coins."
"Huh..."
Mark didn''tin much.
He had an idea as to why there was such a difference in Rewards, even though he had Cleared ten Floors while Elisa had only Cleared one.
"That''s strange though. You really didn''t get anything else? Maybe there''s something special about the Item."
"Special how?"
"Mmmm. I can''t be sure, but sometimes the value of a certain Reward doesn''t only depend on the Reward itself."
"Huh. You''re saying that the value depends on the Rewarded too?" Mark lowered his gaze towards the Item on his palm.
"Yep. Exactly." Elisa snapped her fingers. "I can''t do anything with that Item, but you can. Just like the Elven Ne. It''s much more valuable for me than it is for you, since I can use it."
"Mm." Mark nodded as he stared at the perfect sphere of darkness in his hand.
"It''s the same thing for this... Darkness Catalyst. Must be. Though... There should be more than that."
"Uhu." He nodded absent-mindedly as he stared at the sphere.
A dark sphere which, in appearance, resembled the one the Final Guardian had been turned into.
Mark''s eyes got lost in that darkness until the Lioness thaty on his legs raised her head slightly, pulling him out of the daze.
"It''s hard to exin, but the Reward has to be proportionate to the achievement. The System wouldn''t let it slide otherwise."
"Isn''t it the Dungeon Master''s role to choose the Rewards?"
"It is."
Mark nodded silently.
To him, it was obvious why there was a difference in Rewards. A difference in value.
He lowered his gaze towards the Lioness for a bit.
Then stared at the white scales that covered his hands. At the sharp ws at the tip of his fingers. At his developed muscture.
Rewards.
The difference between the one who Cleared the Dungeon and the one for whom the Dungeon was made.
"It''s still weird though..."
Mark raised the Darkness Catalyst.
"What is?" Elisa asked.
"I can''t use Dark Magic."
"Even though you can use Corruption Magic?"
"Well, yeah. You should know that by now."
"Mmmm...." She brought a finger to her chin. "Maybe you can''t use it for now. Tsk. I would rather you remain unable to use it anyways. Dark Magic is just... Ugh."
Mark chuckled.
"I''d turn into some kind of Dark Mage, huh?" He whispered.
"Actually, yes. And that wouldn''t be good."
"I was joking."
"I know, but it''s noughing matter. Who you are has something to do with the Type of Magic you can use. But it''s also the case that the Type of Magic you can use has something to do with who you are."
"Huh...? Isn''t that the same thing?"
"Kind of, but not really."
"Mmm. Dark Mage... That would be a Title, huh?"
"Yep."
"Then the Magic Type or Magic Skills would make you a Dark Mage. And the Title would... Influence you?"
"Well, possibly..." Elisa yawned. "It''s more likely that you''ll develop that Title if it suits you." She crossed her arms and seemed ready to nod off.
''Dark Mage... That sounds pretty cool. If it suits you... So you''ll develop that Title if you act in a way that you would expect a Dark Mage to act. Just like Zephyr said about the Monster Hunter Title. Mm...''
"Elisa?"
"Yes...?" She yawned with her eyes closed.
"You said the System wouldn''t let the Dungeon Master choose freely the Rewards for Clearing the Dungeon."
Elisa nodded.
"Why not?"
"You can''t give an apple as a Reward for defeating Demons."
"Huh... Why not?"
"Because it''s a Dungeon..." She yawned again.
"So? What is a Dungeon anyways? If it''s just a ce filled with Monsters, then isn''t that how the Monster Realm is?"
"Haha..." Elisa chuckled. "What''s the Dungeon, huh? A business, I guess."
"Think you might be too sleepy. Let''s talkter."
"It''s a business. Or rather, a gamble. If the Dungeon is Cleared, it''s the Dungeon Master''s loss, and he, now, has to pay Rewards. If it''s not Cleared, then he keeps whatever was brought inside by the adventurers or hunters or whatever you want to call them."
"Whatever was brought inside?"
"Mm." Elisa nodded. "Items and all that."
A thought passed Mark''s mind. It made him chuckle.
''Maybe I should get into the Dungeon business then.''
Chapter 200 On Titles & Dungeons, II
?
''The Dungeon business... Keeping what was brought inside... Items, Armor, everything else... Everything else... I could probably get a lot of Skills that way... A lot to Devour-''
"It''s a gamble..." Elisa said with half-open eyes. A slight smile on her face. "And we won."
"A bit different for us, isn''t it?"
"Sure is." She chuckled. "We were forced to take part in the gambling, which should increase the Rewards. It''s truly strange that you didn''t get much more than me... In truth, I only had a Boss Room to Clear after all... Since I was... Part of the Floor..."
"Yeah." Mark nodded while looking at Elisa as she fell asleep.
Hey a hand on the sleepy Lioness'' head.
''Titles give power... And if they''re all like the Gaavah''s Follower Title, then responsibilities too, maybe? You can only be a Monster Hunter if you act like one. Then I imagine you can only remain a Monster Hunter if you keep acting like one. Dark Mage... What''s a Dark Mage? A user of Dark Magic, I guess. Curses and Corruption too, probably... An Evil Warlock. Yeah. I guess that''s how Dark Mages are seen. Or rather, how I''m used to seeing them. Might be different in this world, though I doubt it, judging from Elisa''s reaction.''
Mark let the back of his head rest against the dead tree behind him.
''Evil Warlock... Or just Warlock. That could be a Title. Now that I think about it, Knight or Princess'' Knight could be one too.''
He chuckled.
''Everything could be a Title really. Huh. And even Titles have Ranks. Mm. Now that I think about it, it''s normal for them to have Ranks. If one were to have to Title of "King" and another the Title of "Peasant", then it''s obvious there would be a difference in Rank. Huh. King, that''s probably the most simple Title to grasp...''
Mark felt a chill go down his spine.
''Being Titled "King" would give great power. A whole Kingdom, an Army, riches, and... More? But in exchange for that power, a "King" needs to act like a "King" and lead those below him. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be worthy of being "King" anymore, and eventually lose the Title. Recognized by the World and others... The World... The System?''
He closed his eyes, deep in thought.
''Elisa said that the Dungeon Master cannot freely choose the Rewards. That the Rewards have to match the Achievement. The Difficulty of the Task then, huh? A Dungeon... Is a Challenge. Matching Rewards... Fairness? Fairness... The System imposes fairness. Why?''
After a couple of seconds, Mark opened his eyes and looked at the sleeping Elisa.
"System, how high is her Agility Stat?"
[That Information is not avable.]
''Not avable to me, that is.''
He closed his eyes once more.
''It would be unfair to share that Information... Huh. The System...'' Mark opened his eyes and raised his gaze. ''The will... Of the World?''
He stared for a while.
''Fairness. The kind of fairness that even the strong must ept... The world... Tsk.''
Mark scratched his head, perhaps out of frustration.
''The fuck is that supposed to mean? How would that even work?''
He lowered his gaze, and remembered the Darkness Catalyst thaty in his hand.
Mark stared at it for a bit, before letting Mana flow out of the hand holding it.
Or at least, before trying it to let Mana flow out.
''Mana Maniption... Lost, huh? I haven''t seen Elisa use it. Zephyr said it was something special too. Controlling pure Mana. I can remember how using it felt but...''
Mark''s hand twitched.
Something clicked.
Magic is best understood with one''s gut-
"With my gut..." He whispered.
"Shhh..."
Mark clicked his tongue internally.
''With my gut. That''s it. That was Nia''s goal, wasn''t it? Making it easier for me to use different kinds of things... Yeah. That must be it.''
Arge smile was drawn on the Monster''s face.
''There''s no better way to understand something with my gut than experiencing it. Using Mana is slightly different from how it was inside the Dungeon. Using and acquiring Magic Skills requires more than it used to. But... It''ll be easier for me to get it back. Easier than simply acquiring them would have been.''
Mark clenched his fist.
''Because I''ve done it already. Because I know how it feels to use those Magic Skills... How it feels to control Mana and Aura.''
He closed his eyes once more.
''I''ll be able to do all the things that I could do inside the Dungeon. It''ll probably take some time though...''
I can''t do anything with that Item, but you can-
''Mmm...''
I can''t do anything with that Item, but you can-
''Mmmm.''
Just like the Elven Ne. It''s much more valuable for me than it is for you, since I can use it-
''Fuck.'' Mark opened his eyes and brought the Darkness Catalyst closer. He stared. ''Since I can''t use Dark Magic, this is useless... For now. Except if... Tsk.''
He stared at it.
He wanted it.
[Your Title "Devourer" is salivating.]
But at the same time, he feared it.
Something inside of him was yelling at him not to.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" warns you.]
''This is it... The thing only I can do... The thing that gives the Item more value.''
Mark stared at it for a bit longer, but eventually stored it back into his Inventory.
He felt there was no need to rush.
''Devouring an Item like this... Mm. I wonder what kind of effects that would bring. Wonder whether Devouring an Item would be better or worse than using it.''
Mark chuckled.
"Using an Item is kind of like Reviving-" He whispered.
"Shhh... Can''t you just... Go to sleep or something...?"
"Not sleepy."
"Hmph, right." Elisa yawned before turning to lie on her side. "Oh. Did you..."
"Did I what?"
"Did you kill it?"
"The Olga?"
Elisa shook her head.
"Nevermind. Good thing you managed to find us."
The Lioness showcased her fangs.
Moist air.
"Face the other way if you''re going to yawn." Mark nagged as he pushed Krista''s head away with his hand.
Chapter 201 Out Of The Blizzard?
?
"Ugh..."
"Are you serious?"
"Probably your fault."
"Right. Of course."
The two remained silent for a bit, until the Moonlit Feline got off Mark and stood on its four paws.
"Can''t sleep either?" He asked as hey a hand on Krista''s head.
The Lioness yawned.
"Mmm... You''re taking this Form more often than usual." Mark whispered.
"It''s not surprising. After those Draugrsing out of nowhere, and..." Elisa yawned. "And finding ourselves standing on a damn Olga."
His eyes turned towards her and narrowed.
"Howe you didn''t sense it?"
"I''m surprised too. That hole we found must have been its... Nose? Mmm... Its breathing should have been enough to let us know."
"Think it just... Didn''t breathe for a while? The Hunter''s Notes say that Olgas hibernate under the snow. Perhaps it slowed its breathing that much. Wouldn''t want to be found sleeping after all."
"Maybe... So, did you...?"
"Kill it?"
Elisa nodded slowly.
Mark took a couple of seconds to think.
"Only way for me to do that would have been by using Corruption Magic. I quickly realized that I didn''t have enough Mana to defeat it or even to damage it much. So... I didn''t kill it." He lied. "Because I couldn''t, not because I didn''t want to."
"So you didn''t inject too much Corruption before leaving it?"
Mark shook his head.
"That''s good to hear..." Elisa whispered.
He could understand why.
Leaving the Olga suffering after filling its body with the pain-inducing and mind-breaking Corruption...
A situation that would''ve been a bit too simr to hers, Mark thought.
He decided not to tell Elisa the truth.
The standing Moonlit Feline swayed from side to side.
Krista struggled to remain on her four paws.
"Go to sleep." Mark ordered.
He stared at the Moonlit Feline.
And it stared at him.
The order didn''t seem very effective, which made Elisa chuckle.
The Lioness turned into a white-furred cat, before slowly walking closer to Mark.
"Can''t sleep, huh? Need a bedtime story?" He whispered.
Mark chuckled, but the Moonlit Feline''s eyes started sparkling.
"Go to sleep." He repeated.
Unfortunately, the promise of a story seemed to have sapped the Moonlit Feline of all of its fatigue and sleepiness.
With a finger, Mark pushed Krista''s head away.
"Sleep. We still have a long way to go. And we''re not stopping until we''re out of the blizzard tomorrow."
At his words, the Moonlit Feline looked around for a bit.
"A story?" Krista''s eyes sparkled once more and she found the aid she needed. "That doesn''t sound too bad." Elisa whispered.
"Tsk. Not you too..."
"Why not? Bedtime stories are important, you know?"
"Oh, really." Mark looked away.
"Of course. They can influence how well you''ll sleep, they can influence your dreams, they can influence how you will feel when you wake up..."
Mark wrapped his hands around the Moonlti Feline and raised its body.
Hey it on his stomach.
"Go to sleep."
Elisa stared for a bit.
At the hideous Monster and the adorable Cat in front of her.
She turned around andy on her back.
"It''s been a while since I heard a story..." Elisa whispered.
The next second, the sound of steps on the snow resonated.
"If you''re not sleeping then we might as well keep going."
"You think she can?" Elisa asked after yawning.
The Moonlit Feline''s body swayed from side to side.
Mark remained silent for a bit.
"I''ll tell you a story after walking for a bit longer-"
"Yess!" Elisa immediately stood up.
And the three continued their journey through the blizzard.
***
''Shit! Why is it...!''
The Olga''s speed had suddenly increased.
It tilted its body downwards, and the rest of its body quickly followed.
A hellish descent during which Mark couldn''t do a thing but hold on tightly.
The speed was such that the wind forced him to keep his eyes half closed.
''Should I let go? If its speed keeps increasing this way...!''
The Olga opened its mouth.
Sounds that Mark couldn''t hear left that mouth.
He couldn''t hear them and yet, they made his ears bleed.
''FUCK-''
Just when Mark was in the process of rxing his grip,
BAM-
A collision.
The shock was like nothing Mark had ever experienced before.
''Did we... Hit the ground?'' Due to the blizzard and to being on top of the Olga, he really couldn''t tell.
But he had doubts.
The speed at which they went down was high, but this was still too fast.
WROOOooo-
He looked around,
''Wha-''
Mark wasn''t close to the ground yet.
The halted descent resumed.
What the Olga had collided with wasn''t the ground, but another Olga.
Thetter''s giant eyes stared through the blizzard.
"Fuck... Fuck... Fuck..."
Mark''s immediately started shivering.
Those staring eyes.
He had only seen simr ones in dreams.
"Fuck..." Mark whispered as he smiled nervously.
Simr how?
He could tell, even through the blizzard, even though it was pretty far from him, that those eyes wererger than he was.
That one of those eyes was bigger than him, just like the Golden Eye that had haunted his dreams a couple of times already.
Having collided with one another, neither Olga could take back control of their own body quickly.
Their size didn''t allow for such agility or aerial maneuverability.
And so, both fell for a while.
One had been blinded.
But the other one couldn''t forgive being attacked this way.
It opened its humongous month.
The darkness that resided in there made it seem like an opening to hell, and the air that exited it made it seem like a new blizzard had been born.
Mark''s eyes immediately widened.
He had already seen such a thing.
Using arge portion of the Mana he had left,
Ice Maniption & Mana Barrier-
[You have developed a new Skill!]
[You have...]
Mark did not read the rest of those words.
He couldn''t care about that.
Not now.
The snow and cold wind were turned into ice.
The ice was ced around the Mana Barrier, adding much-needed thickness to it.
The blizzard that was the freezing mist exiting the Olga''s mouth had a peculiar blueish tone.
For some time, Mark couldn''t see a thing.
He remained unmoving under the barrier.
Unbeknownst to him, the freezing mist made that barrier grow thicker and thicker.
It didn''t take much time for it to turn into a trap.
After a while, another collision.
But this time, the movement didn''t stop upon collision.
Mark understood that the Olga had, now, hit the ground.
The scraping and grinding against the floorsted for a while.
But eventually, the Olga''s momentum died.
For a while, Mark struggled against the overgrown barrier around him.
The igloo-like barrier had turned iceberg-like.
He freed himself and looked around.
Arge part of the Olga''s body had been frozen solid.
Weak whimpers, simr to a whale resonated.
Weak and low.
Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon-
Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon-
The whimpers continued for a couple of minutes.
But eventually,
[You have defeated an "Olga"!]
[You have earned 800 Experience Points!]
Mark spread his wings.
"Well, shit..."
He lowered his body towards the gigantic Monster he stood upon.
"800 for all this?"
The Olga''s huge body instantly disappeared, making it seem like a plot ofnd had been stolen.
Mark stared at the blueish sphere in his hand.
"Those... Those dark pieces inside... They''re..."
[They are Traces Of Corruption that the Olga held inside its body.]
Mark smiled as he raised the sphere closer to his mouth.
"I''m getting the Corruption I injected into it back, huh-"
His hand twitched.
The next second, those same gigantic eyes appeared through the blizzard.
Mark instantly folded his wings.
He instinctively extended a palm as he started falling.
Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon-
By the time Mark''s feet hit the ground, the staring eyes had disappeared.
Were they the same as earlier? He couldn''t truly tell.
Something was lurking in the blizzard.
No.
Things were lurking.
Gigantic things.
Powerful things.
Mark turned away and started moving.
''Can''t stop... Can''t stop...''
He called out his map.
"This thing shows the map''s location at all times. Can I see earlier locations? Or the path I''ve taken?"
[Affirmative.]
"If I can find the spot where the Olga originally took off then perhaps..."
The words he had spoken to Elisa weren''tpletely a lie. After all, they were true for one of the true Olgas
***
Mark walked at the front of the group.
''It isfortable. Even the blizzard doesn''t worry me as much when I''m with them...''
The Moonlit Feline dragged its paws through the snow with great difficulty.
Elisa, havingpletely given up,y with her stomach on Krista''s back.
"How about... We stop... Now?" She begged.
Despite being on the Moonlit Feline''s back, Elisa still focused on reading the group''s surroundings. Something that was easier to do this way.
The fact that it was easier to read the surroundings wasn''t the reason why she wasn''t walking by herself though.
"Just a bit longer." Mark turned back.
The three continued walking.
They couldn''t know that, but they had already exited the blizzard''s territory.
Chapter 202 The Same Dracula?
?
"More and more trees. We''re out of this soon." Mark said beforeing to a stop.
He turned around.
Krista and Elisa nearly copsed to the ground.
"Get a couple of hours of sleep. We should be out by the next time we stop."
"Are you... Serious...?" Both Elisa and Krista crawled towards a tree.
The trees that covered the ground were still dead, but they were taller, had more branches, and were much more numerous.
"So tired..."
"Good. Sleep, then we''ll-"
"But I can''t sleep."
"Huh?"
Mark turned towards them, and both were staring with half-open eyes.
"Still waiting... For that story..." Elisa said.
The Moonlit Feline nodded.
"You can barely talk. Just go to sleep."
"That''s not..." She yawned. "Entirely true."
"Right." Mark closed his eyes and feigned sleep for a bit.
"Stories are important... You know?"
"I don''t have any stories to tell."
"Not one?"
"None worth telling."
"How about... Your meeting with Krista?" The Moonlit Feline groaned. "Mm, guess you already know that one. How about your meeting with the others? With... Levi, was it? Or with the Fire Spirit? Or the Wolves?"
Mark remained silent for a bit.
"As I said, nothing worth telling."
"Why is that?"
He didn''t answer.
"Does it have something to do with the fact that they reek of Corruption too?" Mark''s eyes narrowed. "Sorry if I''m... Rubbing salt into a fresh wound."
"It does. And you are."
Elisa rested her head on one of the Moonlit Feline''s back legs.
"Strange... Very strange..."
"Is it?"
She didn''t answer, andy silently for a bit instead.
"So... No stories, huh?"
"None."
"Stories are important."
"You''ve said that already."
"A couple of stories..." Elisa scratched the back of her nape. "Were what kept me going... When I was trapped in that tower."
Mark rested his back against a dead tree.
"Cheerful stories, sad stories, ones with bittersweet endings... I kept repeating them to myself for a while, as if casting a sleeping spell. I had to." Elisa''s eyes narrowed. "They helped me remember things. Allowed me not to forget. They brought warmth when I was cold, so to speak."
Mark nodded.
He wasn''t sure what else he could do.
"You didn''t have anything like that?"
"I don''t think so."
"Even though you had ten Floors to climb?"
"No."
"Howe?"
"Probably..." Mark''s eyes wandered. "Because I had my Underlings with me."
Gulp-
Elisa mustered her courage and asked.
"Did they join you willingly?"
Mark didn''t want to answer.
Eventually, he shook his head.
"Did you use the Corruption to make them join you?"
"I wouldn''t... No. I didn''t."
"Then?"
"I''m not sure how to exin it."
"So you didn''t take control of their minds using the Corruption?"
Mark''s eyes widened.
He stared at the snow below.
"No... I mean..." Mark scratched his head. "I don''t think I did."
"You don''t think you did? Then was it some kind of Magic Skill? Beast Taming? No... I guess that wouldn''t work on Levi. How did you-"
"I killed them." He said bluntly and coldly. "I killed them, and revived them."
Elisa felt a shiver go down her spine.
"You did?" She asked as she pushed herself back.
"Yeah." Mark answered without looking at her.
Elisa scratched her head.
"I''m surprised that I''m not more scared of you."
"Ha. Yeah..."
She stared at the Monster for a bit.
"Using my powers of Corruption, I can bring them back... Or something like that. I was told this when I had an older version of the Magic Skill."
"So you are a Dark Mage."
"Guess I am."
"A Necromancer."
"Yeah, that too."
"Gross. That''s so gross. And ominous. Perverse, really."
Mark didn''t say a word.
Elisa remained silent for a bit too.
Her eyes did not leave him.
"Devourer..." His hand twitched. "That''s how he called you, right?"
"Yeah."
"What''s that about?"
"It''s my Title. Unique Title, whatever that means."
"Devourer... Just like how you Devour those you defeat, huh?"
His hand twitched once more.
Mark''s lips parted, but he didn''t say anything.
Elisa''s eyes turned cold.
"Just like you Devoured the other Dark Elves."
Mark''s gaze moved towards her.
He hid his hands and instinctively extended his ws, before nodding.
Elisa took a deep breath in, before stretching her arms.
She stared at the misty sky.
"I shot you inside the Boss Room. Put a hole through your stomach."
Mark remained silent for a bit.
"You did." He muttered.
"That should be enough retaliation."
"Huh?" Surprised and perplexed, he stared.
"Wait, actually no... I took a hit for you. That Armored Man''s Spear. So we''re even."
"You...?"
Elisa''s gaze moved towards him.
She looked at his perplexed expression for a bit, before chuckling.
"I shouldn''t beughing but... Well, I might cry if I don''tugh so, I''llugh."
"I... I don''t...?"
"You don''t follow? I''m not sure that I owe you an exnation. They were... But at the same time, weren''t those I knew. Plus, we''re Elves." Elisa raised a finger and moved it to draw a circle. "Of the Forest, we are born. And to the Forest, we shall return."
"Of the Forest?"
"Yes, of the Forest. We''re not born in the Forest, but of it. We''re part of it, so we go back to it eventually. Usually, buried underground."
"That''s..."
"Shut up and listen." Her eyes turned cold. "You owe me that much." Mark shut his mouth. "Going back to the Forest means being one with it once more. Underground, we be one with the earth. The small and weak organisms feed off our bodies. Get it? We spend our lifetime eating of the Forest. It''s only right to be food once our life hase to an end. They would have been eaten by wolves or other organisms anyway. The dead''s purpose is to feed those alive." Elisa pointed a finger towards Mark. "It just so happened that you were the Beast to feed on them."
Mark stared at the snow for a bit.
"Beast, huh...?"
"Yes."
A heavy silence reigned, until the Moonlit Feline yawned loudly.
"Ominous. Very ominous. Devourer and Necromancer."
"Mm." Mark nodded.
"You either Devour the Dead, or Revive the Dead, huh?"
"Yeah..."
"You have a strange rtionship with Death, don''t you?"
"I guess so."
"When did that start?"
"How would I know? Perhaps before I was even..."
Mark didn''t continue the sentence.
Perhaps before I was even born-
"Storytime then?"
"Are you serious?"
"Sure am."
Ominous, ominous.
Those were usually Elisa''s words.
Yet now, it was Mark who felt that way.
He raised his eyes and stared at her.
She didn''t run away from his gaze, and he didn''t run away from hers.
"I wanted to apologize for it. Inside the Dungeon, I wanted to apologize. But I wanted to do it by talking, not by..."
"Using the System?"
"Yes."
"Well?"
"I... I..."
"You...?"
"I feel sorry for you."
"That''s all you coulde up with? After-"
"I feel sorry for you, but I do not feel sorry for Devouring them."
Krista''s leg twitched.
In an instant, the air had be much heavier.
"You don''t?" Elisa asked as she pushed herself off the ground.
"I don''t. I fought them, and won. I won, and Devoured them. It''s what I do..." Mark pushed himself off the ground too. "As the Devourer."
The two stood in front of one another for a couple of seconds.
Neither seemed about to back off.
The next second,
Yawn-
Elisa brought a hand in front of her mouth.
"Guess you can be monstrous at times." Shey once more on the ground and rested her head on Krista''s leg.
Mark remained silent.
He sat back down.
"Can I ask something?"
Mark was surprised by the polite request.
"Sure...?"
"That guy... The Vampire Lord..."
"Raven?"
"Yes, Raven."
"What about him?"
"Had he not saved me. Had he let me bleed out. Had he let me die there... What would you have done?"
"What I would have done?"
"Yes."
Mark scratched his neck.
"I''m not sure I follow."
"Of course, you do. Just answer honestly."
"Would I have Revived or Devoured you? Is that what you''re asking?"
Elisa slowly nodded.
And Mark looked away.
He took a couple of seconds before answering.
"I''m not sure."
"Bfahaha. Are you serious? You won''t even lie when asked point nk? Why not say that you would have tried to Revive me?"
"Tried, huh? I''m not sure. I wouldn''t lie. I guess... I have no reason to lie to you."
Elisa pulled a lock of her ashen hair and fiddled with it for a bit.
"I appreciate the honesty. Even when it''s about... Well, unpleasant affairs. Let''s leave it at that."
"Mm." He nodded.
"So, story time?"
Mark massaged his eyes.
A question that had been tormenting him for a while now.
"Have you heard of Drac?"
"Sure... The Vampire Count."
"Do you know his story?"
"Huh? Of course not, how would I?"
"Mm..." Mark thought for a bit. "Transylvania, ever heard of it?"
"Is that... Supposed to be a ce or something?"
Scratch-
Scratch-
"Have you heard of Heracl¨¨s? Or Cerberus?"
"Can''t say that I have."
"Mmm..."
"What''s this about?"
"I guess I... I''ve heard of a Drac before."
"And?"
"And I''m wondering... If Raven''s ancestor is that same Drac, I guess."
"Probably. Haven''t heard of anyone or anything with that same name. Where have you heard the name? Apart from that Vampire Lord?"
A story told and written in another world-
Mark felt he couldn''t give that answer.
Chapter 203 The Boy Who Loved Running
?
There once was a boy who loved running.
He loved running more than anything else.
The boy was fascinated by it, without really knowing why.
There weren''t many things that he preferred doing over running.
There was nothing that the boy could think of as being more rewarding or fun than running.
Whether it was during his free time, or even when there were other things he was supposed to be doing, the boy thought about running.
He wanted to run. To be running.
He wished for it.
Longed for it.
That''s how much the boy loved running.
But why was he obsessed with it to this degree?
Why did the boy love running so much?
How did he discover this passion for running?
How did this love for running evene into existence?
The answer was rtively simple.
A random and idental urrence.
Something, which was evitable and very well could have never happened, had shaped the boy''s future.
"Let''s go, let''s go! One, two, three!"
The boy was about five years old.
Loving parents,passionate, and understanding.
Nothing out of the norm.
Ordinary parents, just like any others. Or so the boy thought.
"Go... GO! FASTER! THERE YOU GO!!"
A man shouted as he stared at a screen.
The boy walked closer.
''What is happening? What is...?''
The boy stared at the screen.
A number of men were being filmed.
It was a live transmission for an international event.
The boy didn''t understand what that meant.
''Oh. That one''s skin color is different... This one''s eyes are...''
For the first time, he was introduced to something incredibly important.
To the fact that all Humans did not look the same.
Or rather, to the fact there were differences between how Humans looked.
"Dad, what''s-"
"Mark! Come, sit! What...? History. History is being...!"
The boy did as the man told him, and took a seat next to him.
He stared silently, just as his father did.
The boy turned his gaze towards the man next to him.
Thetter''s excitement, the shaking of his hands, the nervous ticks on his face, the boy noticed them all.
He could even tell that the man''s heart was beating faster than it usually was.
The smile that his father wore, the boy had rarely seen such an expression on his father''s face.
He turned his head towards the screen.
Multiple men were being filmed.
Each one looked vastly different from the other. Or at least, they seemed that way through the boy''s ignorant and innocent eyes.
The men''s feet hit the ground faster and faster.
There only seemed to be one point inmon between their physical appearances.
They were all muscr and looked strong.
Strong and capable.
The men were tall, sturdy-looking, and lean.
In a way, they were beautiful.
Or at least, as beautiful as men could get, the boy thought.
Their fit hit the ground, again and again.
His father''s excitement grew more and more intense.
It didn''t take long for a woman to join them.
"Emma! They''re... They''re in the lead!" The man shouted, without taking his eyes off the screen.
"Really? Finally! Maybe this time, they''ll actually win?! Mark, are you seeing this?" The woman said after shey a te full of snacks and condiments on the table.
The three stared at the screen.
The three stared, but the boy''s eyes would, from time to time, divert.
He reacted to what happened and what the screen depicted.
But not because he cared about what was happening, but rather because of his parents'' reactions.
He copied and imitated them.
It felt like the right thing to do.
Whenever his father shouted, the boy would too.
Whenever his mother jeered and mocked, he did too.
Without really knowing why, the boy did the same.
He wasn''t particrly interest or impressed by the high-levelpetition urring.
He didn''t care about the event or its oue.
Still, the boy watched.
After some time,
Phwwhht-
A whistle.
The boy''s eyes widened.
His heart started beating faster.
This is it.
This is...
His parents shouted and celebrated.
They embraced him and one another.
They celebrated.
They had won.
Despite not participating, despite not being there, they had won.
The boy was embraced by his parents tightly.
They wanted to share the victory with him, but he wasn''t interested.
As they embraced him, the boy''s eyes remained locked on the screen.
Tears, cries, and screams.
The victors.
The true victors.
They weren''t anywhere near him.
The screams of thousands resonated through the screen as the camera zoomed out.
They should''ve been muffled by his parents'' screams, yet all the boy could hear were thoseing from the screen.
The next day, the boy had taken an important decision.
"Are you sure?" His mother asked. "It''s pretty far from here."
The boy nodded.
Minutester, he tightened his backpack''s straps and walked out of the house.
For the first time in his life, the boy would walk his way to the ce he was supposed to go. A ce many like him went to every day.
For the first time in his life, the boy would be going there alone.
But he wasn''t simply going to walk there.
No.
Not after seeing those through the screen yesterday.
Running.
That''s what he wanted to do.
Unfortunately, his body did not share the same desire.
And so, the boy fought against his own body, again and again.
***
"And one day, the boy was brought to doc... Healers. They spoke for a long time. His parents discussed things with the Healers. To the boy, this seemed tost a lifetime. It was a discussion filled withplicated words he didn''t understand and had never heard before. Even after he and his parents parted from the Healers, the boy still didn''t understand. So his mother gently and lovingly told him... ''The thing you want to do, the thing you love doing, you can''t do that anymore. Never again'' This... Wasn''t what the mother had said. But it was what the boy had heard. He fought back and shouted. His mother felt she had no other choice but to exin things to him. The exnation made the boy''s body shiver. He felt like he could pass out. ''A weak heart'', his mother called it. Born with a weak heart... Born with a curse, he couldn''t..."
Mark nced at them.
"Ah."
The Moonlit Feliney on its back. It snored from time to time.
Krista wasn''t used to sleeping on her back, it seemed.
Elisay on the side with her eyes closed. Her left thumb against her lips, and her head on Krista''s stomach.
''They fell asleep during my... Mm. It is supposed to be a bedtime story, so it makes sense.''
Mark brought his hands together.
After rubbing them for a bit, he raised them towards his mouth.
''I''m guessing you can remember everything, huh? Since you were bragging about it that time.''
[Your Title "Devourer" looks at you with a puzzled expression.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" shakes its head.]
''Mm. My Gluttony... And my Greed, huh?''
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to grow much more gluttonous!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" warns you against Gluttony.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monsters asserts that being greedier would be much better!]
''Pretty easy to guess which is which.''
Mark sighed.
"Status Window." He whispered.
[
Name: Mark
Titles:
Devourer: [Unique Title].
Evolving Monster: [Unique Title].
Potential Demon King Candidate: [Epic Title].
Gaavah''s Follower: [Umun Title]
System Holder: [Common Title]
Species: (Unknown)
Level: Lv1 (850/1000EXP)
Health Points: 1150/1150
Endurance Points: 900/900
Mana Points: 1550/1550
Stats:
Strength: 98
Agility: 75
Sense: 55
Vigor: 115
Endurance: 90
Mana: 155
]
"Since a lot has changed, feels like I have to ask. What happens when I Level Up exactly?"
[Leveling Up has two effects.]
[First, an increase in Stats.]
[Second, an increase in Status.]
"Status? What''s-"
Low whispers.
Mark turned his gaze towards where they originated.
Elisa''s thumb moved further from her lips.
"The boy..." She whispered.
Mark couldn''t tell whether she was talking in her sleep or not.
"The boy... Who loved running..."
"What about him?" Mark asked, even though he was not sure that Elisa''s words were addressed to him.
"Does he... Get to run... In the end? At the end... Of the story...?"
"In the end...?" Mark whispered as he looked away.
"If he loves something... As simple as running so much... It would be..." She yawned. "Too sad..."
"Want me to spoil the story?" Mark chuckled.
"Does it have... A happy ending...?"
A meaningless story.
That''s how he thought of it.
"A happy ending...?" Mark raised his gaze towards the sky.
And yet, Elisa''s words...
"Who knows?" He chuckled.
Mark was staring at the blizzard. But for an instant, he felt like he was looking at a starry sky.
''Did the boy get to run again...?''
The starry sky that the Olga had shown him.
''I can''t...
The Olga he had killed.
''Remember...''
Chapter 204 Aurora Borealis
?
It took more time for Mark to fall asleep and it did for the other two.
His thoughts ran and ran in circles for a while. But eventually, he slept.
No nightmare gued his sleep.
She didn''t appear once.
Mark slept peacefully for a couple of hours.
"Ah..."
For the first time in a long time, he wished he could sleep some more.
Mark slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the two of them.
"Amazing..." Elisa, her knees, whispered.
The Moonlit Feline was seated by her side.
Their eyes were wide open.
Their pupils reflected an external light.
It was the first time in a while that Mark could see them clearly.
Their chins were slightly raised. They were watching something.
Something amazing, as Elisa had described.
Mark was curious about, but he remained unmoving for a bit longer.
The way it illuminated Elisa''s yellowish pupils.
The way the light illuminated Krista''s blue eyes. Clear and bright. Infinite and deep. Mark wasn''t sure whether those eyes reminded him more of the sea or of the sky.
Finally, he followed their gaze, and looked in the same direction.
They danced freely and majestically, high above the earth.
Colorful and vivid, they lit everything below them.
The green, red, and blueish hues moved with grace.
They danced with one another, mixed, and exchanged partners.
A waltz high up in the sky.
The sky''s darkness allowed them to stand out even more, even though they certainly didn''t need assistance to stand out.
Their light was reflected by the colorless snow below, giving it life.
A simple meteorological phenomenon?
Traces left by mysterious flying creatures?
A Goddess racing across the sky in her chariot?
The first seemed the most probable.
But even Mark did not know which one it truly was.
His leg twitched.
He wanted to know.
To go there.
Still, he remained seated.
The three remained seated and unmoving.
Silently, they watched the spectacle urring in the distance unfold.
The wind wasn''t as violent or cold.
They could finally see their surroundings properly.
The blizzard that had caused unease and worry had disappeared.
Yet, none of the three had taken the time to check their surroundings upon waking up.
The seemingly never-ending waltz had stolen their attention just as soon as they had opened their eyes.
They stared at it.
At the beauty.
They didn''t look away, not even for a second.
Something so beautiful.
They couldn''t look away.
Perhaps, because they knew that something this beautiful wouldn''tst forever. That it couldn''t.
That in a bit, it would fade and disappear. Quietly, as if it had never been there.
So they watched the spectacle.
Silently.
Together.
A Monster, an Elf, and a Lioness.
...
Step-
Step-
"Well, that was something."
Mark nodded.
The two were walking side by side, a couple of steps separating them.
"Haha, she''s still amazed by it."
Indeed, the Moonlit Feline that was seated on Mark''s shoulder remained facing the opposite way. Its eyes, fixated on the area where the moving lights used to be.
''Now that I think about it, Krista has a Skill that has something to with them, doesn''t she...? Huh...''
"It really struck a chord with her." Elisamented.
It didn''t take much time before,
"Ah." She turned towards Mark with a puzzled expression before directing her gaze to the snow below.
Stomp-
Stomp-
"True..." Mark muttered.
The Moonlit Feline jumped off his shoulder andnded on the ground.
After taking a couple of steps, it nodded.
"Theyer of snow is a lot thinner now..."
Slowly but surely, the scenery changed.
The more they walked, the more it changed.
Both Mark and Elisa thought that Krista''s heartbroken expression, as she noticed the first plot ofnd that wasn''t covered by snow, was veryical.
As the snowy terrain slowly morphed into a forest, a peculiar creature appeared in the distance.
[Your Title "Devourer" is starving!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" stares with sparkling eyes!]
Mark immediately extended his ws.
"Can you not?"
"I can not. But I want to."
The creature slowly approached, before stopping midway.
Elisa and the Moonlit Feline walked closer.
"Hey, youu!" She said in a cheerful voice as she approached.
Bugle-
''A reindeer? Or an Elk, I guess...?'' Mark asked himself.
The Moonlit Feline stared with wide eyes at the creature''s white coat.
"I''m friendly..." Elisa whispered once the distance between her and the Elk was two or three steps. "Are you?" She asked as she reached forward.
The Elk brought its head a bit closer.
Ffffu-
A thick and moist cloud of air exited its nostrils and surrounded Elisa''s hand.
"Uhh... Please don''t do that."
The Elk sniffed around for a bit, before pushing its head against the hand extended to it.
"See... No reason to attack."
"Right. Whatever..."
Elisa gently caressed the Elk''s coat.
"Wanna touch it?" She suggested.
"Why would I?"
Without turning away from the Elk, Elisa''s gaze moved.
Mark rolled his eyes.
"Fine, I guess."
He walked closer.
The next instant, the Elk pushed back.
"Hey. Hey... It''s okay... It''s alright..." Elisa reassured it while petting its head.
"I don''t think it''s alright."
"Why? You scared?"
"Not scared. But I will kill it if it does something."
"You mean if it startles you?"
"No. I mean if it tries something."
"So you are scared."
Mark stared in disbelief for a bit.
"Scared that it''ll try something, if you insist." He said as he took another step closer.
"No need to be scared." Elisa moved her gaze back to the Elk. "No need to be scared, right?"
Another hand was extended.
A rough one, with ws and covered with scales.
An ugly hand.
The Elk stepped back, its nose twitching.
"Alright, he is a bit scared of you." Elisa admitted. "But still, no reason to attack right away."
"Right. What am I supposed to do? Befriend Monsters."
"Yes. That''s exactly it actually."
"No thanks."
"You''ve already done it though."
The Moonlit Feline walked closer, and the Elk lowered its head.
The two stared at one another for a bit.
Mark walked away.
"System. What is it?" He whispered.
He just had to ask.
Not only because of the alluring blueish light emanating from the gigantic horns as if they were made of sapphires, but mostly because of the way his stomach growled.
[Moonlit Elk: [D] Ranked Beast.
A Species of Beasts that can be found in a multitude of different areas, the main point inmon between those areas being snow and nature...]
''One Rank lower than a Growing Yeti? How...?''
Mark read the information carefully.
''They always travel in groups of... Huh? Is this one-''
Only then, did he notice the twenty or so Moonlit Elk that stood a dozen steps away from the one that had approached.
All of them stared. They didn''t seem scared one bit.
''The... They just appeared out of nowhere? How didn''t I notice them sooner?''
Elisa gently caressed the Moonlit Elk.
"Alright. Can''t let them wait too long, right? Gotta get going." She whispered before tapping the Moonlit Elk''s side.
Elisa walked back to Mark''s side.
Krista stared at the Moonlit Elk for a bit longer, before parting ways.
She climbed up Mark''s body, and they started walking once more.
"See? You don''t have to get all... Monstrous right away."
"Yeah, okay. I''ll think a bout it."
Elisa chuckled at the response.
"So what are you? Some kind of animal whisperer?"
"Pfahaha! Animal whisperer?? Never heard that before. Sounds like a fun Title to have though. A Beast Tamer, I assume you mean? Nope. Not one. Would''ve liked to be one though, I guess."
"Howe it didn''t get scared then? Wait... Could it understand your words? Can all animals understand words?"
"Nope. Krista is... Somewhat special. I''m not sure why though." Elisa nced at the Moonlit Feline that was proudly puffing its chest up. "Why it didn''t get scared... Mmm... I guess..."
Mark waited for a dozen seconds, but finding an answer seemed like a struggle for Elisa.
"So you''re like... Pfff! A friend of the animals or something."
The words surprised her.
She looked away as she blushed lightly.
"Or a friend of nature, I should say."
Elisa immediately turned back towards him.
She was blushing, and smiling widely.
"A friend of nature." Elisa said as she pointed towards him. "That''s exactly what I am!"
Mark was slightly taken aback by the energetic response.
"O-Okay...?"
"Friend of nature..." She whispered to herself. "Yeah."
Elisa walked, with her gaze fixated on the horizon.
A victorious smile on her face.
''Are all Elves like that...?'' Mark asked himself.
Chapter 205 A Conversation With A Demon Lord?
?
The snow had slowly turned to grass.
The dead trees were now full of leaves.
The three stood unmoving for a bit.
"Should we go in?" Elisa asked.
"I''m not sure."
The entry to a forest.
Mark called out the digital map.
"ording to the map, that''s probably..."
"The entry to Sloth?"
"Yeah. Should be it."
"Mmm..." Elisa nervously scratched her elbow. "A Demon Lord''s Territory... Entering it now-"
"It''s the Monster Realm. Just because the one standing above is a Demon Lord doesn''t mean we''re... Trespassing or anything. I think."
"True. Still, entering it when it''s still dark out would be... Stressful."
"What? You''re scared?"
Elisa rolled her eyes at his words.
"It''s not the same. Who knows what kind of Monsters we''ll find in there? Or rather, what kind of Monsters will find us."
Mark''s eyes narrowed for a bit.
His gaze moved from Elisa to Krista, before finally going to the endless forest of tall trees.
"I''m excited to go in there." Mark said honestly.
"Of course you are. Going back to where you''re from, huh?" Elisa teased.
"Sure..." He chuckled. "Something like that."
They stared at the forest for a bit.
"Question is, do we want to take a break here, or in there."
"We''ll be hidden by the trees in there. But the problem is-"
"That we haven''t encountered anything out here."
"Yeah. Haven''t encountered anything yet."
"I guess we''re already inside the forest in a way. Just gets a lot denser there."
The two stared for a bit.
"We''re being pretty careless." Mark noted.
"I guess. Think we should hide while discussing this?"
"Probably... Or just enter."
"We''re sleeping soon though."
"Sure, alright."
"Then let''s stay just beyond the entry for the night."
"Suits me." Mark said as he started walking forward.
The tall trees seemed to make, by the difference in their numbers, a wall that separated the Rift from the Monster Realm.
"Think the forest is..."
"The outer limit of Sloth? Yeah, I guess. Seems like a... Natural barrier, of sorts?"
"Would you look at that, you''re starting toplete my sentences for me."
"Seems Princesses can be prettyzy."
They approached the forest.
"A funny Monster, who would have thought?".
"More Knight than Monster at times-"
Upon taking a step inside the forest, Mark''s body froze.
"What is it? Can you sense anything?" Elisa immediately asked upon noticing him.
"No. It''s..."
[You have entered the Demon Lord Of Sloth''s Territory.]
The digital words halted Mark''s movements.
He could instantly feel a gaze.
A strange gaze, as it didn''t feel like he was being watched or looked at.
''Feels like something is... Looking for me...?''
As if a powerful being was looking around in his direction.
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth says that he will keep half an eye on you.]
[The Title "Devourer" stares.]
[The Title "Evolving Monster" stares.]
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth yawns.]
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth wees you into his Territory.]
Mark stared at the words, unmoving.
Suddenly, something pulled him out of the daze.
Yawn-
Yawn-
"We should probably find somewhere to sleep. Even Krista is-"
"You didn''t...?"
"Didn''t what?"
"Get the messages?" Elisa''s eyes widened. "About the-"
"Run."
"Huh?"
"Run, you dumbass!"
Only then did Mark understand.
The Moonlit Feline jumped off his shoulder and took on its Form as a Lioness.
''Shit. Shit. Shit!'' Mark cursed internally as he ran.
The three ran away from the spot they stood on earlier.
"Let''s stay close to the edge of the forest, just in case." Elisa whispered.
Mark nodded.
The Demon Lord had felt him entering Sloth.
''That gaze... There''s no denying it...''
The three ran as fast as they could through the dark forest.
But only one of them truly knew how bad the situation was.
Getting messages from the System upon entering a Territory is the System''s way of warning you that you are trespassing. That you are walking into a Territory you shouldn''t be in.
And if the System warns the trespasser, then it is of no surprise that it would warn the one to whom the Territory belongs.
They ran for a dozen minutes, before slowly stopping.
Elisa knew that the Territory''s owner had to have been notified by the System.
''The forest isn''t considered a Dungeon, otherwise, we would''ve been told about it... Some kind of tribe or pack of Monsters? Who does it belong to? And...?''
Why was Mark the only one notified?
The answer was simple.
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth is slightly interested in you.]
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth asks what you are.]
''What I am? What''s-''
[The Title "Devourer" snarls at the Demon Lord Of Sloth.]
[The Title "Evolving Monster" screeches at the Demon Lord Of Sloth.]
''What the fuck are you doing? You''re making it worse-''
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth is perplexed by your existence.]
''Perplexed? Oh, fuck... Why don''t you just forget about me, please?''
[The Title "Probable Demon King Candidate" stares at the Demon Lord Of Sloth.]
Immediately, Mark could feel the gaze looking for him grow much more intense.
He instinctively lowered his body and hid behind a tree.
"What are you doing?" Elisa asked.
"I''m... I''m not sure."
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth chuckles.]
A couple of seconds passed and,
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth has grown bored of your existence.]
The next second, that gaze disappeared.
Sigh-
Mark''s halted breathing finally resumed.
"Fuck. That was stressful..."
"What do you mean?"
"It''s just-"
Mark suddenly lowered his body once more.
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth says that you are wee toe see him.]
''Huh?''
[Your Title "Devourer" looks away.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" looks away.]
[Your Title "Probably Demon King Candidate" declines.]
''WHAT THE HELL?? DON''T BE THAT BLUNT ABOUT IT!!''
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth chuckles.]
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth offers the possibility for a 1-on-1 conversation.]
[Do you ept?]
''1-on-1...?''
Mark waited for a couple of seconds.
''Why aren''t the Titles... Wait... I''m supposed to answer??''
"Can you pleaase tell me what this is about? You''re stressing me out."
"I was... I was invited to go see..."
"To go see?"
"The Demon Lord Of Sloth."
Elisa felt like she was about to pass out.
The stress from not knowing didn''t seem so bad now.
After all, what she knew now was the worst oue she could think of.
Elisa looked around her.
A confused expression on her face.
She looked for it.
And once she found it,
"Well..." Elisa grabbed the Moonlit Feline''s body. "It was nice knowing you."
"What? Don''t leave now! Are you serious? Already walking away?"
"I hope you have a nice life, Monster."
"What happened to being your Knight?"
"My what? I have no idea what you''re talking about."
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth is waiting for your answer.]
Mark''s gaze went from the urging message to the walking away Elisa who was carrying Krista.
"I..."
Demon Lord.
Elisa & Krista.
Demon Lord...
The next second, a hissing Moonlit Feline was thrown Mark''s way.
He turned just in time to catch Krista.
"So? What does the Demon Lord want?" Elisa asked without walking closer.
"He... Said I was wee to visit."
"Are you going to?"
"No...?"
"That would be rude. And getting a Demon Lord on our bad side is thest thing we need."
"We?"
"Yes, we."
"Weren''t you just-"
"Oh, shut up."
Mark remained silent for a bit.
His gaze moved away from Elisa.
The instant it did, she started walking closer.
"You''ll be taking all of the Corruption. By the time we get to the Elven Forest, I want none of it. Agreed?"
"Yep-"
"And you go get us food. And..."
"And?"
"That''s it for now."
For someone who needed help to go somewhere, Elisa''s tone was rather rude.
Still, Mark was d that she was there.
"Getting a Demon Lord on our... Tsk. Why does he even care about you??"
"Who knows..." Of course, Mark knew.
The Demon Lord Of Sloth is perplexed by your existence-
There was only one reason why that could be the case.
The Demon Lord held the Deadly Sin of Sloth.
And Mark held fragments of Greed and Gluttony.
"You''ll be the death of me, you know that?" Elisa sat below a tree. "A Demon Lord..."
Mark nodded.
"He offered the possibility for a 1-on-1 conversation... Whatever that means."
"Did you ept?"
"Not yet. Do you know what that means?"
Elisa sighed.
She wasn''t sure whether she wanted to answer or not.
Whether she wanted to say the truth or not.
Elisa stared at Mark for a bit.
He didn''t seem too worried.
''What the hell is wrong with him...?''
Mark did not know much about Demon Lords. About how terrifying an existence they truly are.
Sigh-
"You''ll be able to hear his voice. And he, yours. Or perhaps, you''ll be able to see one another."
"Is that so-"
"But that doesn''t matter. What matters... Is the Link between you two."
"The Link... Between us?"
Chapter 206 A Link?
?
"So you''re not leaving?"
"Is that really important right now?"
Mark diverted his gaze away from Elisa.
Was it important?
He wasn''t sure, even though a Demon Lord was waiting.
"What did you mean by Link? Why would there be a Link between me and the Demon Lord?"
Mark asked, even though he already had a hypothesis.
The Demon Lord holds the Deadly Sin of Sloth.
He holds fragments of two Deadly Sins.
''That could be the Link...''
The Deadly Sins could''ve been the Link.
But there was no way for this to be what Elisa meant.
After all, she did not know that Mark''s Titles had actually been made using fragments of the Deadly Sins.
"It''s simple really. We entered the Demon Lord''s Territory as soon as we walked into Sloth. There''s already a Link there." Elisa''s eyes narrowed. "Your Link is different somehow... Since he was notified as soon as you stepped in."
"Right..."
"He knows that you are inside his Territory. He''s aware of your presence, but that''s probably as far as the Link goes."
Mark listened silently.
"Agreeing to meet him or to have a conversation would strengthen that Link by andslide. Get it?"
"I guess. I would go from... Trespasser, to a Guest or something."
"That''s right. A Demon Lord''s Guest. Or meal, depending on how the meeting goes I suppose."
"Huh. You seem pretty detached from all this."
"I am."
Mark scratched his head.
"Demon Lord''s Guest... Sounds like it could be a Title." He whispered.
"Could turn into one. Will you take that chance?"
"What chance?"
"Will you meet the Demon Lord?"
Mark felt like his heart had been gripped.
''Meeting...'' His hands twitched. ''A Demon Lord...? That sounds-''
Elisa sighed.
"You''ll risk your life. Either die, or survive and be the Demon Lord''s Guest... Or... Anything else he might desire."
"So the Link is like a Title?"
"Huh? More like Titles are Links. Do I really have to exin everything?"
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth yawns.]
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth warns you that he won''t wait much longer.]
"He won''t wait much longer."
"Then decide."
"What if..." Mark could feel chills all over his body." What if I want to meet a Demon Lord?"
"I guess you can do that."
"That''s not..." He scratched his head. "What I''m asking."
"What are you asking?"
"If I were to...?"
Elisa''s eyes widened.
"Would youe with?"
Her hand found a small stone on the ground.
She felt like throwing it to his face.
"Why?" Elisa muttered. Mark was puzzled by the question, and his facial expression made it obvious. "Why are you asking?"
"I''m not sure."
Elisa stared silently for a bit.
"Tsk." She clicked her tongue as she looked away. "I can''t leave my Knight before I get to where I''m going, can I?"
"If you don''t want to, it''s-"
"You know..." Her voice dropped. "The Princess is supposed to put the Knight in trouble. Not the opposite."
"So-"
"So yes. I''m staying with you. Even if you go see a Demon Lord."
Mark''s heart started beating faster and faster.
A Demon Lord in the flesh.
The probability of actually following through and going there was as low as theye.
Still, the thought of it was enough to spark something inside of Mark.
His gaze moved towards the words he had been ignoring.
[Do you ept?]
Just beyond those words, a Moonlit Feline stared with wide eyes.
"Would you say that the Demon Lord is stronger than Raven?"
"Mhm." Elisa nodded.
"How much stronger?"
"The difference between a Demon Lord and that Vampire is probably..." She brought a finger to her chin. "As vast as the one between you and the Vampire."
"Ha!" Mark chuckled nervously. "So you''re saying we have no chance of survival?"
"Huh? Did you hit your head or something? No chances of survival? That goes without saying. If the urge to kill us hits the Demon Lord, we''re done."
"How can you say you''ll follow me when you know that?"
"Well..." Elisa ced a lock of hair behind her ear." It''s-"
"WHAT?!"
"What? What happened?" She suddenly stood up at his shouting.
"He... He just..."
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth has grown tired of waiting.]
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth takes away the possibility for a conversation.]
"He... Doesn''t want to talk anymore."
"Well, shit. Shouldn''t have made him wait this long."
"So? What now?"
"How would I know? Maybe he''ll send a General to deal with you. Maybe he''ll ignore you from now on. I don''t know."
"A General... Like Nia?" Mark whispered to himself.
"He probably doesn''t know where we are exactly though."
"Gonna have to keep a low profile then."
Elisa nodded.
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth dislikes you slightly for making him wait.]
"Shit-"
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth forgives you.]
"Oh."
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth says that he was toozy for that anyways.]
"G... Good?"
"What''s good?"
"Apparently he was... Tozy to meet or talk."
"Why did he even ask then?"
"Not sure. Guess he wanted to do it but then changed his mind."
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth has decided to keep an eye on you.]
[The Demon Lord Of Sloth says that he needs a nap.]
After that, they silently stood unmoving for a bit.
But no new messages came Mark''s way.
"Guess he went to sleep."
"He...?" Elisa slowly brought her hands to her face, massaged her eyes, and remained with her hands covering her face.
It didn''t take long for her body to start shuddering.
Mark stared at her for a bit.
So did Krista.
Was she about to, for some reason, cry as she had a couple of days earlier?
Mark didn''t know.
"Hey, are-"
"Pfff..."
"Huh?"
"Pfahahahaha! He went to sleep? Are you serious? You''re talking about a Demon Lord and you''re... Bwahhahaha!"
Elisaughed so hard that shey on the ground, gasping for air.
"I mean it''s not really-"
"Wahahaha! Demon Lord going to sleep! What kind of... What kind of hot-headed dumbass are you?"
"It''s not like he can hear me." Mark argued, slightly embarrassed.
"Oh, really?" Elisa asked as she wiped her tears. "How do you know that?"
"Huh?" He froze.
"Bfahahahha!" Which made Elisaugh even harder.
For a minute, Mark remained silent.
He watched her silently, as sheughed out loud.
From time to time, he looked away.
In the middle of a forest they had never entered, in the middle of the night, Elisa wasughing like she had never before.
Perhaps because she had never been Linked to a Demon Lord this way before. Because she had never felt such tension or stress.
And while she was feeling that tension and stress, Mark was...
"Bfahaha. Going to sleep. Good one. Oh my, That was too funny."
"It really wasn''t. And it''s probably time to stop making so much noise."
"Right... Right... True." Elisa whispered. "No need to get mad though."
"I''m not mad. Just don''t bring unnecessary trouble." He whispered.
"Can you really say that after bringing a Demon Lord into the equation?" She whispered while hiding her mouth with a hand, clearly stopping herself from bursting out inughter.
"Just..." Mark started walking. "Shut up."
"Pfaha. Wait... Where are you going?"
"We should go away from here. Since it''s the ce where he was talking to me."
"Yeah. Let''s do that."
They walked silently and cautiously for a while.
"I think about here would be fine."
"Maybe. Though the whole ce is his Territory so..."
"You wanted to meet him, but now you''re scared of him?"
"It was just a thought. I wasn''t going to do it." Mark said as he stared at the Moonlit Feline who was yfully biting down on a thin branch Elisa had thrown its way.
"Really?" Her eyes narrowed. "Your eyes said otherwise."
"My eyes?"
"Yeah. The look in your eyes."
Mark sighed.
"The look in my eyes..." He raised his gaze towards the sky.
Dark and devoid of any light.
None of the stars that were visible that time could be seen.
That time when the Olga had taken him high up above.
"What?"
"Nothing. It''s just..." Mark scratched his head. "The Fire Spirit used to say something like that. Or rather, we talked about it."
"That''s... Unlikely."
"Why do you say that?"
Mark''s gaze did not divert from the dark sky above.
Elisa looked at him
Or rather, it.
At the monstrous creature in front of her.
"A Spirit caring about the look in a Monster''s eyes... I wouldn''t say that it''s unheard of, but it''s definitely..."
"Definitely...?"
"Intriguing."
"You think?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "What do you think he saw in your eyes?"
Mark thought for a bit, before chuckling at the question.
"The reflection of his own mes, probably."
"Bahahaha! I didn''t know him too well, but he was pretty in love with himself."
"That he was..." Mark whispered as he sat below a tree.
Elisa remained silent for a bit.
"Get up."
"Why? Krista is half asleep and you-"
"We''re not sleeping down here."
"Huh?"
Chapter 207 Sloth
?
Zzzzz-
"My Lord."
Zzzzz-
"My Lord...?"
Zzzzz-
"Sir?"
Time seemed to stop as the whole space around him froze.
Yawn-
He rubbed his sleepy eyes as he pushed himself off the circr bed on was lying on.
Of course, he remained seated. Standing up was too much of a hassle.
He peeked from above the bed''s elevated edge.
"Who are you?" The Demon Lord Of Sloth''s voice shook the castle.
"I am..." The kneeling interlocutor seemed taken aback by the question. He did his best not to show it. "The Fifth General of your-"
"What do you want?"
"Well, my Lord. It''s about the creature you were interacting with-"
"Spying on me?"
"NO! No... My Lord. Of course not. I was assigned here by yourself a couple of-"
"Continue."
The General coughed, obviously feeling nervous in front of his Master. His Lord.
Unlike what some might think, the Demon Lord did not have a monstrous appearance.
If only physical appearances were to be taken into ount, the Devourer would appear much more menacing and horrifying.
But appearances weren''t everything.
In truth, they didn''t mean much, especially the closer one got to the top of the pyramid of power.
The Demon Lord Of Sloth yawned.
"I was... Well, you, my Lord, said that you could sense-"
"I couldn''t sense. My Territory''s limit is made so as to notify me when a Demon Lord enters."
"Yes. Yes... But instead of a Demon Lord, it was a Candidate."
"Advance faster." The Demon Lord Of Sloth ordered.
"For a Demon Lord''s entry to be notified, the Deadly Sin he holds has to be detected by the Barrier."
"I told you that already." The Demon Lord let himself fall back onto thefortable andrge bed. "It smelled like Greed and Gluttony."
"Then... Perhaps we could kill or capture him. Surely..."
The Demon Lord Of Sloth extended a hand to the side.
He curled that hand up slightly, and the words leaving the General''s mouth turned into gasps for air.
"Is that..."
Choked breaths resonated.
"What you woke me up for?"
"My... My Lord... I just...!" The General pleaded between the panting.
"Capture him? Then sell him to Gluttony or Greed? Is that your proposition?"
The General nodded energetically. Or rather, frantically.
The Demon Lord Of Sloth did not need to see the nodding to know about it.
"And who would go through the negotiations with Gluttony or Greed? You?"
"No... My Lord, I would never... Overstep..."
"Overstep, huh? So, I will do the negotiating?"
"Of course... My Lord. I would never...!"
The invisible hand around the General''s neck made it even tougher for him to breathe.
"How long have you been a General here?"
"Th... Th... Three weeks."
"Know why that is?"
"I... I..."
The Demon Lord Of Sloth sighed.
His hand was clenched into a fist, and the General''s neck snapped.
Thump-
His body hit the ground, limp and unmoving.
"Someonee clean this up."
Immediately, two Monsters pushed the room''srge doors open.
They walked into a spacious room where there was nothing but the Demon Lord''s circr bed.
"Yes, my Lord." They shouted in unison.
"Not so loud, you dolts." The Demon Lordined as he picked his ear.
The two lifted the General''s unmoving body off the ground.
"You''re Commanders under him, right?"
"Yes, my Lord."
"Your strength is suitable. What do you think about the n proposed by the General?"
The two exchanged nces for a second.
"My Lord," one of them said. "I would never dare propose a n. I will follow, implement, and enforce any order you-"
Ssh-
The Commander who had remained silent twitched.
His eyes narrowed, as he was sprayed and drenched.
"What about you?"
The Commander''s tongue exited his mouth and slowly moved towards a spot on his own cheek.
Lick-
Another Commander''s blood.
He didn''t dislike the taste.
"I wouldn''t burden you, my Lord. I will capture the Candidate, find a General of Gluttony with whom I will negotiate, and bring a suitable price to you."
"You won''t go to Greed? Why not?"
The Commander''s lips curled up.
"Greed''s Generals would be... Too greedy for me to negotiate with."
"Mmm..." The Demon Lord nodded. "Greed and those below him usually want to have their cake and eat it too. You think Gluttony will be an easier option? Is that it?"
"Yes, my Lord." The Commander answered. "Anything else feels like it would be too much of a hassle."
"Your Sloth isn''t bad. Make sure you find the most optimal course of action, so that you have to take the least action."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Find the most optimal course of action..." The Demon Lord closed his eyes. "So that I have to take the least action."
***
"So what does a Demon Lord want with you?"
"Who knows."
"Anything he wants from you?"
"Who knows..."
"You like keeping some secrets. I understand."
"Who knows..."
Elisa turned around.
She stared for a bit, before breaking a branch off and throwing it towards the absent-minded Mark.
Thetter was hit, turned around, and almost lost his bnce.
"Shit-"
"Bfahaha!" Elisaughed.
Mark had managed to regain his bnce at thest instant.
"You''re really not made for this type of thing, huh?"
He remained silent, slightly annoyed.
"What were you thinking about?" Elisa asked innocently.
"None of your business."
"No need to be rude. You put me in a world of trouble adding a Demon Lord into this. I epted that, but I won''t ept you talking rudely."
Mark rolled his eyes.
"What were you thinking about?"
He sighed.
"My Underlings... And the Fire Spirit.
"Huh..." Elisa turned back to face in front of her. She stretched her crossed legs and raised her gaze towards the dark sky above. "You really care about them..." She whispered.
"More than I should."
"Aha. That''s your problem? Caring about them?"
"They''re my Underlings. I shouldn''t get too... Attached. Or shouldn''t have gotten attached."
"Mmm. I don''t think you can help it though."
"Of course, I can."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah."
"How would you go about that?"
"I just have too... Not think about them."
Elisa chuckled.
"How is it working out for you?" She asked.
He sighed.
"I just think that-"
"No... Bfahaha! Don''t tell me you were about to fall again."
"Shut up..."
Mark rearranged himself on the thick tree branch he was seated on.
"Think being here will really make it safer?" Mark asked, eager to change subjects.
"Yeah, except if you end up falling, I suppose."
They were currently about 90 meters above ground level.
After climbing up a tree with especially thick branches, each took one as their own.
"Maybe you should do like her. Since your bnce sucks." Elisa said as she pointed at Krista.
On a nearby branch, a couple of meters below the two, the Moonlit Feliney.
Its stomach and chiny on the thick branch, while its limbs were hanging in the air on each side of the branch.
"Fuck off." Mark said bluntly, and Elisa chuckled.
The two were seated on branches that were on opposite sides of the tree, with their backs against the tree''s trunk.
They remained silent for a bit, under the dark night sky.
"You care about them, huh?"
"So?"
"More than you realize, maybe."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well..." Elisa scratched her neck. "You Revived them after died, right?"
"Yes."
"Haha! Then it''s true!"
"What is?" Mark asked as he turned around, slightly annoyed.
"You care about them more than you realize. They''re special."
"I don''t see why-"
"It''s obvious, isn''t it?" Elisa dered as she turned and pointed at him. "Since you didn''t Revive any other since they were taken away from you!"
Mark stared with wide eyes for a bit.
He slowly turned to face in front of him once more.
After a pause,
"It''s not that I haven''t tried, it''s that I can''t."
"But have you?"
"Mm?"
"Tried? Have you?"
"No." Mark answered, and a victorious smile was drawn on Elisa''s face. "The System won''t tell me about the Conditions anymore, so-"
"Ah. That''s not the System''s job though."
"Fuck..." Mark whispered as he massaged his eyes. "True. Forgot about that."
Elisa chuckled.
"Want help to figure out how it works?"
"Ominous, ominous. Isn''t that how you feel about it?" Mark asked.
"It is, but..." Her slender fingers took hold of a flock of hair. "You care about them, so it''s different."
"How so?"
"Well, you gave them life, didn''t you?"
"Yes." Mark said as he scratched his head. "Only after taking it away from them."
Chapter 208 A Tracker?
?
''Mmm... Should I get going?'' The Commander asked himself as he picked his nose.
Standing at about 190 centimeters tall, he couldn''t be considered tall whenpared to other Monsters. His muscles weren''t as developed as the other Monsters'' either.
Still, the massive and sharp tusks that extended beyond his mouth made his appearance much more imposing.
The skin that covered those muscles waspletely green.
Its scaly aspect made the skin look much sturdier.
He remained right outside the Demon Lord''s Pce for a bit.
It was in perfect condition, unlike the rest of the city.
The only city in that Territory.
Which made it the Capital of Sloth.
The City of Atsel.
"Commander!" They shouted in unison, greeting the one higher in Rank.
"Yeah, yeah." The Commander whispered before yawning.
He stretched his arms up.
''Must be nice being a Lord. No one above you to kneel in front of. Must be nice being Lord...'' The Commander thought as he stared at those kneeling. ''In a Kingless World.''
"Commander."
He stared at the Monster greeting him.
The Commander yawned before,
"Think you can give me a lift?" he asked.
"Huh?"
The Monster was covered by a brown and thick hide.
Four tusks protruded.
"Think you can give me a lift?" The Commander asked.
"Of... Of course." Therge Boar-like Monster couldn''t really refuse.
A Requesting from a Commander isn''t much different from an order after all.
"Name?" He asked as he nonchntly climbed over the Monster''s body.
"My Name is Borus, Commander."
The Commander clicked his tongue.
''A boring Name. Fitting, for a random means of transportation... Yawn...''
Borus didn''t move.
The Commandery t on the Monster''s back.
"Whe... Where to?"
"South-east. Going to bring something for the Lord."
Immediately, the Boar-like Monster felt a great deal of pressure.
"Yes. Yes, of course."
They started moving.
''For the Lord... For the Lord...!''
Borus'' four legs started moving faster and faster.
"Slow down."
"Huh?"
Since it was a mission given by the Lord, Borus felt time was of the essence.
Making the Lord Of Sloth wait wasn''t something he could afford.
"I can''t nap on the way if you''re going too fast."
The Commander closed his eyes, and Borus walked.
''The Lord doesn''t care much, so this should be fine.''
In the middle of the night, the two moved through the City of Atsel.
While it was mostly a city in ruins, the nightlife was vibrant.
Vibrant in screams, jeers, tears, and blood.
Monsters of all kinds could be seen.
Some even had Human-like appearances.
Some might even be Humans.
Much like inside the Territory of Lust, the night was when most of the inhabitants were active.
The reasons were slightly different though.
Those in Sloth couldn''t be active during the day.
Or rather, refused to.
There was no greater pleasure than sleeping through the day for them.
Once night falls though...
"Stop." The Commander ordered suddenly.
Borus'' body froze at the word.
An arrow passed by a secondter, missing his tusks.
''What... Have I gotten myself into?'' The Boar-like Monster''s body started shaking.
"Sooorry about that. Didn''t see you there, Lin."
"It''s fine, Ani." The Commander answered before turning his head to the side.
Borus'' body started trembling slightly.
He recognized Ani, the one walking closer and closer, bow and arrow in her hands.
She had a muscr and well-defined body.
Her height seemed to be the same as Lin''s, the Commanderying on Borus'' back.
Just like him, her skin was green.
Just like him, sharp tusks extended beyond her mouth.
Just like him, she was a Commander of Sloth.
"Look away." Ani said.
"Why should I?"
"I don''t like your eyes. Look away."
"I''ll look at whatever I want to look at."
His gaze was fixated on her face.
She had expected it to move towards the cleavage that was unapologetically shown off by the revealing bikini top she wore.
"Tsk." Ani clicked her tongue. "Skinny as ever, I see."
"Yeah. Muu... Muscle work isn''t for me." Lin said as he yawned. Only then did his eyes move away from her ferocious face.
A lean body.
Muscr arms and shoulders.
A slim waist and a defined abdomen.
He didn''t care much about the rest of the curves she possessed though.
Lin only cared about those muscles. Muscles he had never managed to obtain.
The two were Orcish Fiends.
One was a female, the other, male.
Yet only one of the two Orcish Fiends had the muscles and the physical strength that was expected from Orcish Fiends.
"Keep going." Lin said as he tapped Borus'' body.
Ani stared at them as they got further and further, a smile on her face.
"We can get that rematch anytime! I''m ready!" She shouted.
Lin raised a hand andzily waved.
"Lethargic fucker."
"Commander, is that-"
"Lin? Yes."
The kneeling Soldier remained silent.
"Skinny, isn''t he?" The Commander asked.
Surprised to be talked to this way, the Soldier took a second to respond.
"I''m sure you will easily beat him once more." It seemed like a good response to him.
"Once more? No..." She smiled as Lin disappeared in the distance. "I''ve never beaten that fucker once."
"Huh?"
"Can you believe that? I''ve never beaten him, despite his Strength being much lower..."
"How is that possible?"
"Want to hear about it?"
The Soldier nodded.
"Mm. It''s a long story so..." Ani thought for a bit. "No." She turned around and started walking. "It''d be a hassle to tell it. And get back to your training,zy fuck. You wouldn''t want me to pummel you again, would you?"
"Yes, Commander!"
"Yes...?" Ani cracked her knuckles. "You would?"
"Yes... No! No, Commander. I meant-"
"Hahaha! Get back to it. Now."
"Yes, Commander!"
***
"It is, but..." Her slender fingers took hold of a flock of hair. "You care about them, so it''s different."
"How so?"
"Well, you gave them life, didn''t you?"
"Yes." Mark said as he scratched his head. "Only after taking it away from them."
"Mmmm..." Elisa brought a finger to her chin. "Sounds fair enough."
"Fair?"
"Yep, fair. Everything has a cost. You have to kill them to Revive them. Wait... You couldn''t have Revived me if I had died then?" Elisa asked as she turned around to look at him.
"I guess not. Though it wasn''t always like that..."
''So the options wouldn''t have been to Devour or to Revive, but rather, to Devour or not to Devour..." She thought as she stared at him. ''He still hesitated, so that''s a good thing. I don''t really care about what happens after I die, but I would rather be eaten by random animals, not by-''
"What do you think?" Mark asked as he turned around.
Having lost herself in thought for a bit, Elisa hadn''t heard the rest of his words.
She scratched her neck and looked away.
"Caring about your Underlings might have something to do with it."
"Huh?"
"Or perhaps... You trying not to care."
"Mm. I''m not sure about that. The Magic Skill has Conditions attached. I just can''t check those Conditions anymore-"
"You''re forgetting the important part. It''s a Skill, yes. But beyond that, it''s Magic..."
''True. I got used to thinking about Reviving and Devouring as the same things in a way. Since they were the two options avable for most of my time inside the Dungeon... One is due to my Titles, the other is a Magic Skill. Huh. Now that I think about it, Reviving is the only Magic Skill or... Ability... That didn''t use Mana. It never consumed Mana Points. I''m guessing it won''t be the case now. Could that be the reason why...? Because it costs too many Mana Points? Maybe... More than what I have? If that''s the case, then-''
"Got that?" Elisa asked.
"Yes." Mark answered confidently.
"Good."
He hadn''t heard a thing.
"So what do you think?"
''Shit.'' Mark cursed internally.
"Can you repeat that?"
Elisa chuckled.
"No."
"Mmm..."
They remained silent for a bit.
"Understanding Magic with one''s gut..."
"Mm?"
"That means experiencing it, right?"
"I guess. Not just that though."
"But you agree that learning a certain Magic Skill would be easier if you''ve already used the Magic Skill once."
"Probably, yes. Though the question bes why did you lose the use of it in the first ce."
"Something about a Seal being lifted. A Seal that allowed me to... Or I guess a Seal that raised my Affinity? What''s Magic Affinity anyways? The System won''t exin a thing about it."
"Ughh..." Elisa rolled her eyes. "It''s not the System''s job. Affinity is... Mm. You would have to look for the right person to check your Affinity with different Magic Types."
"It''s likepatibility then, huh? What yours?"
"That''s a personal question."
"You don''t have to answer."
"Wind and Water. Though I could never learn Water Magic no matter how hard I tried-"
Headache-
"Want me to take some of it off?" Mark suggested.
"Let''s do that..." Elisa massaged her forehead andy the back of her head against the tree. "Tomorrow."
The word made Mark''s heart beat a bit faster.
Tomorrow.
For the first time in a while, there was a tomorrow.
For the first time in a long time, he would see the sun.
Chapter 209 Wolves, I
?
Piercing howls echoed through the forest.
Yaaan-
It was enough to wake Elisa up, but not enough for her to open her eyes just yet.
''How long has it even been? Two hours of sleep? Three, at most?''
She let her neck bend from side to side.
''I sooo don''t feel like taking care of it. We''re too high for most Wolves to even be able to do a thing anyways.''
With the back of each of her hands, Elisa rubbed her sleepy eyes.
''Ugh. Being the one with the sharpest senses is so annoying. Though I guess I could use that as a way to be on the lookout... Yeah. Since I''m on the lookout, I can''t go fight. Gotta stay here and warn them. But then... Can I really just tell him to go fight instead? Ughhh... I guess not.''
She opened her eyes, and her back slowly moved away from the tree trunk.
''Hate imagining them sleeping while I-''
Elisa''s brows furrowed.
''Huh?''
Snif-
Snif-
''Huh?''
Snif-
"Really?" Elisa whispered.
She had grown used to it, but it wasn''t anywhere close to her at the moment.
"It doesn''t reek..." Elisa slowly turned around and peeked. "Of Corruption..."
It wasn''t there.
The Monster wasn''t there.
"I''m guessing..."
Mark wasn''t there.
"He couldn''t sleep..." Elisa whispered to herself.
She slowly pushed herself off.
"Ugh..."
Elisa stood up on the branch she had been lying on.
''With him gone, I guess I''m less against the idea of going to fight...''
Grumpy, she yawned and remained unmoving for a bit.
A slight smile only appeared on her face once her eyes found the source of light that dimly lit the area.
Elisa turned to face the moon.
She closed her eyes, and bathed in the moonlight for a moment.
The Elven Ne quivered, and the wind around Elisa started moving.
Numerous currents of air starteding and going in different directions.
Keeping her eyes closed, her pointy nose,
Sniff-
Sniff Sniff-
Her eyes opened as she found it.
''That''s...''
The detestable and awful odor of Corruption.
''The direction in which the Wolves-''
A whimper echoed in the distance.
A whimper she could only hear thanks to the Wind that obeyed her every whim.
Elisa was fully aware of that fact.
She lowered her gaze towards the pendant around her neck.
Elven Ne.
The Item lowered Mana Consumption and increased Wind Magic Affinity.
She stared at it for a bit.
Using it felt like cheating in a way.
She wanted to use the Wind better. To learn how to wield it better.
Elisa wanted to know the Wind better.
It felt like cheating, but at the same time,
Understanding Magic with one''s gut means experiencing it-
She had no doubt that getting used to having her Wind Magic Affinity raised, although artificially, would benefit her in the long term.
Would benefit her pursuit.
"Kristaa!" Elisa called out.
A sleeping Lioness groaned.
"Get up, Krista."
Elisa jumped off the tree branch and gracefullynded on the one upied by the Moonlit Feline.
"I want to sleep it too, but it''s better if we keep moving. Plus, we have to go check on-"
Krista''s eyes opened wide instantly. She stood up and stared at Elisa.
The white-furred Lioness turned into a white-furred Cat.
"Yeah."
Krista jumped into Elisa''s arms.
"Let''s go check on him."
***
A distance away, it stood.
The Monster''s body was covered by white scales.
Parts of those scales had been turned ck.
Two dark lines stretched down from its eyes to its waist.
On its left arm, three dark disks.
One on its shoulder, one on its elbow, and on the back of its hand.
A dark line ran through those disks.
Despite containing the same substance as the other lines on the Monster''s body, these disks had grown slightly more translucent.
The Darkness within them wasn''t as deep.
Perhaps because arge portion of that Darkness had been used up recently.
Perhaps because the Darkness hadn''t been fed for a while.
Growl-
Growl-
Growl-
"That''s right..." The Monster muttered.
In front of it, a small Pack made up of several Beasts.
[Common Forest Wolf: [E+] Ranked Monster.]
Six growling Wolves stood a couple of steps away.
Their pelts were brown, which made them slightly harder to keep track of under the dim moonlight.
They growled, as saliva drooped down their fangs and jaws.
"Come at me!" The Monster dered.
The white-scaled Monster stood with its knees slightly bent and its feet far apart.
Its arms were spread apart.
Wide and, almost, weing.
Despite itsck of movement, the Pack did not step forward.
An exchange had already taken ce after all.
[Your Skill "Purgatory''s Undead Troup[B+]" has currently Marked 6 Beasts.]
''Doesn''t seem like there''s a limit to how many I can Mark at once.''
On each of the Wolves'' bodies, a Brand had been deposited by Mark''s hand.
One by one, they had been Branded.
A circle that radiated a purple light had been drawn on their bodies by a touch of his hand.
The design wasn''t something he had chosen or even thought about.
Which meant that it, probably, had been chosen for him.
By whom, remains a mystery.
Mark brought his spread-apart arms closer.
''Their eyes shine through the darkness. I can''t help but think they have better vision here than I do. Still...''
The Monster showcased its fangs, just like the rest of the Beasts were doing.
The main difference though, was probably the sentiment behind that show of fangs.
Mark pped his hands together, and the Wolves'' pelts twitched.
"Come at me!"
Provocation? Wild Beasts knew no such thing.
Still, they heeded the Monster''s words.
They obeyed his order.
Whether they had the ability to understand his words or not, Mark did not know.
They were Beasts. He was a Monster.
And so, they ran towards him.
Their fangs, aching for flesh. Their tongues, aching for blood.
The six had practically the same size.
Which, to Mark, meant that there was someone missing.
The stronger one. The strongest one of the Pack.
Its Leader.
''So you''re the first one toe for me...'' Mark thought.
He moved his feet slightly, in order to angle himself properly.
Chapter 210 Wolves, II
?
Both the Beasts and the Monster were showing their fangs, yet, for some reason, something didn''t feel right.
With its murky yellow eyes, the front-runner approached.
Not without fear though.
Perhaps it was simply the difference in size. No. That difference should have been bnced out by the difference in numbers.
Was it, perhaps, the Monster''s unmoving aspect? It was standing with its arms spread wide open, weing the attacker. That, certainly, was part of it.
High above them, a ray of moonlight, that used to be blocked by a branch, escaped its prison.
The next instant, in the middle of their race towards the Monster, it became clear.
It was those scales.
In the middle of the night, the Beasts and Monsters are wide awake, craving for a taste.
All night long, until morninges, they roam the forest, hidden by the darkness, looking for prey and adversaries.
Hidden by the darkness.
The darkness was a friend to all inhabitants of the forest.
An ally.
It allowed them to hide and escape.
It allowed them to hide and attack.
But in front of them, stood a Monster who seemed not to need thepany of darkness.
A Creature who seemed topletely refuse its aid. More than that, it seemed to antagonize it.
That fact couldn''t be clearer, as the Monster''s white scales reflected the moonlight brightly.
In front of the Wolves, nothing shone brighter, nothing was more visible or easier to see, than the Monster''s body.
This, of course, would make the Monster''s movements easier to see and notice.
But at the same time, it was a frightening thing.
A Monster who didn''t need to hide.
To the Wolves, their brown pelt was barely enough to keep them safe and hidden from the stronger Predators.
In front of them, stood a Monster who, seemingly, didn''t need to hide in front of such Predators.
A Monster who had, probably, survived or even vanquished such Predators.
At least, that is what the Wolves instinctively feared.
They couldn''t know that those white scales were a random addition the Monster did not develop naturally.
They couldn''t know that the Monster hadined about those white scales being detrimental to stealthier movements.
They couldn''t know that the Monster had barely spent a couple of hours inside the Forest Of Yarnha.
GROWL-
The first Wolf to arrive into range took a courageous leap.
With its jaw open wide, it approached the Monster''s body.
But seconds earlier,
[Your Skill "Combative Eyes[D]" is activating!]
''Way more obstacles now...''
Slowly but surely, the trees and the ground started fading away.
''Ignore them...''
Only the six approaching Beasts remained in the Monster''s field of vision.
''Focus on staying here.''
The Monster remained with its feet nted on the ground as the fangs approached him.
''Don''t forget about...''
A hand moved upwards, shutting the leaping Wolf''s jaws shut.
''The Leader hiding somewhere.''
A second hand took hold of its hide.
The next second, the Wolf wasunched away.
One by one, the Common Forest Wolves were thrown behind Mark.
And once none remained in front of him, he swiftly turned around.
Once again, he could see the ground and trees.
''Amazing... Once my field of vision changes, I need to ignore the rest again. Or rather, to let it disappear.''
The Wolves stood back up.
They stared at the Monster, before exchanging nces.
All had been thrown.
None had been injured.
Luck?
A coincidence?
p-
"Again."
The Wolves ran forward.
Leap-
Without moving his feet, Mark pushed his knees forward and bent his body backwards, leaving enough ce for the enemy to miss.
With both hands, he grabbed its sides. Or rather, its hide.
The Wolf was thrown backwards.
Its back hit the ground and its body rolled. The slight feeling of dizziness only took a couple of seconds to disappear.
It quickly stood up, only to find the rest of the Pack by its side once more.
They shook their heads, stood up, and stared.
''Let''s-''
Just when Mark''s hands were moving closer to one another again,
Howl-
Howl-
Howl-
A smirk appeared on his face.
"Calling him already, huh?" He whispered.
The next second, Mark took a leap backwards.
And right where he had been standing, itnded.
With bam, its paws hit the ground.
[Elite Forest Wolf: [D-] Ranked Monster.]
"Haha... Not bad."
It was a Wolf, but had the size of arge Tiger.
The sight brought a smile to Mark''s face.
Though it''s not like he had not been smiling for a while now.
...
It only took a couple of minutes for the area to change.
Well, the area hadn''t changed much except for a couple of fallen trees and broken branches on the ground.
Weak whimpers resonated.
From seven different Beasts, weak whimpers resonated.
Standing over the Forest Wolf Leader that, some time earlier, was standing so proudly, Mark extended his ws.
Around him, six Common Forest Wolvesy on the ground.
Trembling and twitching.
None had received a lethal injury.
Not yet anyways.
On therge Beast thaty on its side, Mark set his right knee.
His left one was on the ground, slightly in contact with the whimpering Leader''s stomach.
The trembling Beast opened its mouth, but it was quickly grabbed by Mark''s left hand.
His hand and grip strength were enough to keep the fatigued Leader''s mouth shut.
The whimpers that emanated from the Beast became even weaker, as his ws approached its neck.
Its eye stared at him.
And he stared at that eye.
Mark''s ws stopped approaching.
He stared into the Leader''s sole visible eye.
Frozen, Mark stared.
For a couple of seconds, or perhaps, a couple of minutes.
What brought him out of it was,
"M..." A hesitant voice called out.
Mark felt a chill run down his spine.
Pierce-
Steaming blood went down his hand, before powerfully flowing out after he pulled his ws out.
"You''re... Okay?" A timid Elisa asked, with Krista between her arms.
"Yeah, I''m..."
[Your Skill "Purgatory''s Undead Troup[B+]" has failed to Revive the Marked Monster.]
"I''m okay."
Chapter 211 A Living...?
?
"Get behind me." Elisa ordered as she walked in front of Mark.
"Huh? Why should I-"
A green Aura enveloped the Elven Ne as well as her eyes.
"I''ll be able to react to it faster." Elisa exined.
"Fine." Mark said reluctantly as he scratched his head.
It was still night.
After being woken up by the approaching Pack of Forest Wolves, they decided to continue their journey through the forest for a bit longer before stopping to rest.
The fact that the Monsters and Beasts inhabiting the forest were more active in the night was something Elisa suspected.
This, was partly why she suggested walking a bit more.
The other reason, Elisa couldn''t properly express it, even in her own mind.
But it definitely had something to do with the scene she had witnessed a bit earlier.
It wasn''t much of a scene, really.
A Monster had a knee against a whimpering Beast on the ground.
The former''s ws were inches away from thetter''s neck.
Elisa''s eyes widened as soon as she found them like that.
A stillness that wasn''t expected.
An almost silent scene.
Frozen in time.
Her eyes had only found them a second ago, yet she couldn''t help but wonder... No. She was convinced that the scene had been this way for a while.
Why weren''t his ws moving?
Why were the Monster''s and the Beast''s eyes locked this way?
How long had they been this way?
And most importantly, the expression on the Monster''s face...
Elisa only remained standing for a couple of seconds, before her lips parted.
"M..."
Monster?
Mark?
Elisa didn''t know which one to go with. And so, she went with neither.
Only then, did the ws pierce the Beast''s neck.
"You''re okay?" She asked somewhat timidly
The Monster''s words were supposed to reassure her, but its voice betrayed a certain ''something''.
Elisa couldn''t tell what that ''something'' was exactly.
She could tell it had something to do with Wolves.
Which Wolves in particr? It seemed obvious to her.
The Monster finished the rest of the Pack.
None rose from the dead.
One by one, they were turned into spheres of energy.
[You have acquired the Passive Skill "Night Vision[E]".]
The Monster scratched is head.
The spheres left a somewhat bitter aftertaste.
"Can you tell where it is?" Mark asked.
The rustling of leaves.
Bushes being brushed.
The sounds were bing easier and easier to pick up.
It was approaching, but not in a straight line.
"Yeah." Elisa answered as she unsheathed her Timeworn Elven Daggers.
By Mark''s side, a Lioness.
The Moonlit Feline''s ears twitched while its eyes scanned the environment.
"It''s fast. Very fast." Elisa warned.
Mark clenched his fists and waited.
His newly acquired "Night Vision" Passive Skill wasn''t of much help. The target was too far to see.
He did his best to focus on his other senses.
Secondster, the leaves'' rustling stopped.
Bushes weren''t brushed any longer.
The Lioness'' nose twitched, just like the Elf''s pointy ears.
"It''sing."
The next second, it jumped out from behind a tree.
''What the...?''
With incredible speed, it jumped into the air, came into contact with a tree to the group''s side, andunched itself towards Mark.
His mind could barely register what had happened.
The Monster did not seem to be a Monster, but rather, some kind of Weapon.
A projectile.
Spherical, and ttened to a certain degree.
Mark raised his arms defensively, but before it could touch him, Elisa positioned herself in front of him.
She raised her crossed Timeworn Elven Daggers and the Wind enveloped them.
Sparks momentarily lit the area as the des came into contact with the spinning Weapon.
Strain.
It was heavy.
Even though her goal wasn''t to stop its momentum, her arms struggled.
Mark stepped forward, but before he could reach forward, it was deflected.
Elisa clicked her tongue.
She felt the deflection wasn''tpletely due to her.
That the enemy had epted being deflected after the short struggle.
It flew above them, and the spinning lessened.
The group turned around with their guard raised.
''Ha... It was spinning around that fast? How?''
A smile appeared on Mark''s face, as the Monsternded on all fours.
From head to tail, it measured about 16 feet.
It stood low and close to the ground.
Its limbs, covered by green scales, were shorter than those Mark was used to seeing.
The Monster''s head, nape, back, and tail were protected.
Under the moonlight, it glistened.
As if it was a piece of Armor that had been relentlessly polished by renowned cksmiths.
A smooth and thin carapace.
The Monster showed the yellowish frill around its neck menacingly as it opened its mouth.
A split tongue exited that mouth and,
Screech-
''Ugh...!''
Mark''s left eye was forced shut due to the pain.
The higher the Sense Stat, and the more developed the sense of hearing, the more it hurt.
[Ayena: [D] Ranked Monster.]
That was all the information Mark needed.
The reptile-like Monster screeched endlessly.
Elisa pressed her head with her hands, while the pain forced Krista''s eyes shut.
Mark stepped forward.
Being the less affected by the screech, he ran.
But before he could close the distance, he was overtaken on both sides.
From the right, an ice spike pierced the air.
From the left, a spinning Timeworn Elven Dagger.
[Your Title "Devourer" is waiting.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" stared with sparkling eyes!]
Attacked by the projectiles, the Ayena closed its mouth and folded its frills.
It couldn''t move around while screeching.
They weren''t mutually exclusive, but trying to do both at once would decrease the proficiency for both.
The Ayena jumped to the side, dodging the projectiles.
At the approaching Monster, it curled its tail.
The next second,
sh-
The Ayena growled.
It had meant to pierce with its long tail, and not sh.
Mark had barely dodged the attack by bending his neck sideways.
He raised his right hand up, and the Ayena''s eyes narrowed.
The next second,
sh-
"It''s not a Skill anymore but..."
The reptile-like Monster quickly jumped back, its left foreleg bleeding.
It growled while staring at the white-scaled Monster''s lengthened tail.
"I have it too." Mark whispered as he lowered his hand.
With its surprise attack turning unsessful, its foreleg wounded, and it being outnumbered, Mark wasn''t surprised that the Ayena would turn away.
He ran forward, but before he could catch up to it, the nimble Monster started running up a tree''s trunk.
Mark took a deep breath in, and,
BAM-
Elisa clicked her tongue.
The trunk was decimated, and the tree started falling.
But as soon as the tree started falling, the Ayena jumped.
''It''s already climbed this much...?'' A surprised Mark asked himself.
The Ayena''s body hung in the air with a slight backward spin to it.
Mark extended a hand towards it.
Great Fire Ball-
The attack was slowly coated red, as the "me Of Chaos" Magic Skill was activated.
The Lioness opened its mouth wide.
Elisa called out her Inventory. And with lightning speed, a Wind Arrow was formed and aimed at the Ayena.
Thetter suddenly curled its body up.
It curled its body up into a ball, and the backspin increased in intensity.
Elisa''s ears twitched, just like Krista''s.
Mark, whose Sense Stat was lower, couldn''t properly hear it. Instead, a feeling that something was wrong settled.
The Ayena''s spinning became faster and faster as it fell.
As if on cue, the attacks were shot at once.
Great Fire Ball, me Of Chaos-
Wind Arrow-
Freezing Ice Spike-
And as soon as they were shot, the group exchanged nces.
It took less than a second for each one to understand that the others agreed.
Something was wrong, though they couldn''t exactly tell what it was.
A great explosion took ce in mid-air as the three Magic Attacks collided with the Ayena''s body.
And before they had even collided with it, the group had started running away.
What happened to the Ayena was thest thing on their minds.
Whether it had being killed or not, whether the explosion had simplyunched the Ayena away due to its spin acting as protection or not, they did not care.
As fast they could, they ran.
The Lioness moved with speed and feline agility.
The female Elf ran with grace and dignity.
"You absolute dumbass!" Elisa, almost shouting, reproached.
"What? How is it my fault?"
"Who the hell knocks down a tree in the middle of the night??"
"Ah."
The next second, a tree root that Mark only noticed at thest moment tripped him.
He rolled on the ground and continued running.
"Be careful." Elisa said as she threw an unruly lock of hair back.
"Yeah, right."
The next second,
''Shit-''
Mark could barely contain hisughter as Elisa''s foot was caught by a tree root.
"Be careful-"
Before he could even get the words out, she was already up and running.
''Howe I didn''t notice that?'' Elisa asked herself.
An instantter, her eyes widened.
"IT''S-"
Suddenly, the trees in the distance curled themselves.
The branches moved to form a wall, blocking the way.
The Lioness and Mark, obviously taken aback, came to a stop.
The next second, the trees around them started moving.
"Don''t stop!" Elisa shouted as she passed them.
Messages appeared.
[The Forest Of Yarnha has judged your presence unwanted!]
Mark''s eyes widened.
''The... What?''
The Forest around them hade alive.
It hade alive, to get rid of the intruders within it.
Chapter 212 A Living Prison?
?
[The Forest Of Yarnha has judged your presence unwanted!]
[The Forest Of Yarnha is watching you.]
"What the hell is that supposed to-"
"DON''T STOP!" Elisa shouted.
Mark and the Moonlit Feline started running once more.
"That''s what you get for angering the Forest, you... You absolute dumbass!"
"The Forest?"
The sound of dozens of trees being taken down and uprooted filled the nightly silence.
"Yes, the Forest! Of course, it would retaliate after you brought a tree down for no reason!"
"What...? Don''t act like you knew this would happen."
The Lioness growled, and they noticed.
They had been running in a straight line.
Somewhere along the way, the Foret''syout had changed.
There were no trees in front of them.
The path in front of them had been cleared.
As if the trees themselves had moved out of the way.
"What do we do?"
"I don''t know. Why don''t you try apologizing?"
"To?"
"The Forest."
"Is someone controlling it the way you control the Wind?"
Elisa clicked her tongue.
"I don''t know. Maybe, maybe not."
Suddenly, they looked to the side.
The Forest had grown much, much denser.
There was practically no space between the trees.
The next second, the three stopped abruptly
"Shit-" Mark cursed as he raised his arms up.
Somehow, the trees were folded.
The top portion of those trees got lower and lower, but they never came into contact with Mark''s raised arms.
On both sides, the rivers of trees were bent and turned into cascades.
The trees on one side only stopped moving once they connected with those on the other.
"Should we keep running, or-" Mark''s sentence was interrupted.
Or rather, he stopped talking after looking back.
The way they had taken thus far had been filled by trees.
"What is..." He scratched his head.
It was a peculiar experience.
The trees bending, the branches moving as if controlled by the wind, those, he could understand.
But trees appearing out of nowhere?
The worst is that the trees only seemed to do that when they weren''t being looked at it, which cause a certain anxiety to rise.
Mark turned his gaze to the right.
The scenery had changed.
He looked back once more.
It had changed.
Slightly.
Slight changes that gradually made it tougher to remain calm.
Changes that made you think and worry about what was happening behind you.
About what was happening where you weren''t looking at.
Inside the Forest Of Yarnha, Blind Spots were one''s worst enemy.
Elisa pressed her lips.
"Let''s keep running for now. Staying here... It won''t help."
The three ran forward, but their gazes moved in every direction.
To the sides, there didn''t seem to be one centimeter of space between the trees.
No escape.
The trees bending above seemed to blend, and turn into a ceiling.
Rapidly, the way had turned into a tunnel.
A corridor.
Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
He raised a hand to the side as he ran.
"Don''t." Elisa warned. "It''ll get probably just get worse."
"Then what do you suggest."
"Just... Let''s keep going for now."
Mark clicked his tongue and did as he was told.
''I say that but... This is definitely bad. Even the Wind can barely find space between the trees. The Forest hase alive, but...'' Elisa wondered.
The Lioness'' eyes widened. It growled.
"Ah." Elisa noticed too.
"What?"
In the dark corridor in which they were trapped,
"CROUCH!" Elisa suddenly shouted. "I SAID-"
As her gaze moved towards him, she didn''t continue her sentence.
There was no need to.
Mark had lowered his body.
Without knowing the reason for it, he had listened to her words and crouched.
This surprised Elisa, as she thought of him as rather stubborn.
The next second, Mark felt something move above his body, piercing the air.
Right where his head had been seconds earlier.
"Seriously? This fucking guy?" Mark clicked his tongue.
Elisa stared at him for a bit, taken aback.
The Monster had really grown trusting of her words.
Screech-
The Ayena screeched as its body spun around with incredible speed.
The once smooth carapace was, now, cracked and burnt.
Still, the Monster wasn''t about to leave its enemies be.
After missing Mark''s body, it passed them. And once it was about to touch the ground, the Ayena quickly extended its tail.
With a tail flick, it hit the ground, immediately increasing its speed.
"What the-"
Instantly, the group''s movements became hectic as they tried to dodge the Ayena which collided with the trees and ground repeatedly.
Again and again, it hit the trees and ground, increasing its speed and moving in every direction.
The three did their best to dodge the living bouncing ball''s irregr and random movements.
But eventually, it collided with Mark''s body, who weed it with open arms aftering to a stop.
"Son of a...!"
A deafening and strident hiss resonated as the spinning carapace was scraped against the white scales that covered Mark''s body.
The grinding was so intense that sparks filled the air.
With his muscr arm, Mark grabbed the spinning Monster.
He squeezed with all his strength, but the speed didn''t seem to increase.
It didn''t take long for the contact with the Ayena to start feeling like he was in contact with something akin to an angle grinder.
His scales and fingers were being scraped rapidly.
The scraping only started decreasing in intensity once Mark activated a Magic Skill to lessen the Ayena''s speed and the produced heat.
Ice Maniption-
But the speed and heat were such that the depositedyers of frost evaporated quickly.
"You fucking...!" Mark muttered as he was slowly pushed back.
The next second, the angle changed.
Mark could tell.
He, now, could deflect the spinning Monster and send it behind him.
The same way Elisa had earlier.
''It...''
A crazed smile appeared on Mark''s face.
"Means you''re losing speed, huh?" He tightened his grip and flexed every muscle in his body. "I''m getting rid of you... Now!"
"HEY!" Elisa suddenly shouted.
The moment of inattention allowed the Ayena to flee from Mark''s grasp.
It spun andunched itself behind Mark.
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
The scales and portions of his fingers which had been scraped off were regenerated.
Mark turned around a secondter.
The Ayena had disappeared.
Only a river of trees remained behind him.
As if the Monster had been swallowed by that river.
Elisa, who was good distance forward, muttered.
"The way... The way is blocked."
The crazed smile on Mark''s face widened.
"Fuck this."
He extended both his palms towards the trees that had taken the role of a wall.
Immediately, three Great Fire Balls appeared.
They were slowly coated red.
"DON''T-"
The attack was shot, and a great explosion took ce.
Mark was reminded of the impact of the Fire Spirit''s attack on the Dungeon''s Final Floor.
He clicked his tongue.
The smoke faded and,
"No... Damage?"
The trees didn''t burn or break.
He took a step forward.
"STOP!" Elisa shouted. "I can tell because it happened to that spinning Monster." She felt the need to exin as she was convinced he wouldn''t listen without a proper exnation. "That spinning Monsternded in there." She pointed at the trees behind Mark.
"And?"
"And it was swallowed by those trees. By the Forest."
"Swallowed?"
"Yes. Its body fought against the trees and branches, but its body was eventually crushed."
"Crushed? THAT body? Crushed by trees?"
Elisa nodded silently, a serious expression on her face.
"Then what? Are we supposed to just run endlessly? Cause I''m not doing that." Mark asked.
"Why not?"
"It feels like the opposite of what we should do."
"Feels?"
"Yes, feels." Mark answered.
The two stood unmoving, a good distance away from one another.
Between them, a restless Lioness took steps to the sides.
"What do you suggest then?"
"We''re breaking out." Mark answered as he extended his hands towards the prison of trees.
[The Forest Of Yarnha is watching you.]
"The fuck is that supposed..." Mark whispered as he activated-
The next second, the ceiling opened up.
"That just won''t do. Why won''t you listen to my whims and desires, huh?"
An unfamiliar voice.
The three looked up.
"That''s annoying. Do as I say, okay?" She said before letting out a smile.
Mark and Elisa had different reactions to the sudden appearance.
"Who are..."
Dark Corrupting Spear-
The attack was thrown, but it missed target.
The young woman scratched her head.
Chapter 213 Yarnha, The Forests Spirit?
?
Dark Corrupting Spear-
The attack was thrown, but it missed target.
She had the appearance of a young woman.
Her long green hair shone under the moonlight.
"You just won''t coexist with me, huh?"
Her body was covered by a dress.
The dress'' upper portion seemed to be made out of leaves and flowers.
Its lower portion. on the other hand, looked more ominous, as it was covered by bones. Mostly skulls.
Probably those of dead Monsters and Beasts that used to inhabit the Forest.
With malicious eyes, she stared.
Elisa immediately understood who she was.
The young woman turned around and started walking away.
Mark jumped up as he spread his wings, but the ceiling was closed before he could reach it.
Fists, ws, tail, feet.
He tried attacking with everything, but nothing seemed to damage the wooden ceiling.
"How the hell is that possible...?"
Elisa clicked her tongue.
"We need to think carefully." She said.
"Think carefully? About what?"
"About how we''ll act from now on."
"And why is that? We just have to defeat the little shit that trapped-"
"That little shit is more than you think." Elisa interrupted with a stern term.
Mark thought quietly for a bit.
It clicked.
"Huh?"
Elisa nodded.
"You mean that''s..." He directed his gaze towards the ceiling.
"Yarnha." Elisa took a deep breath in. "The Forest''s Spirit, probably."
"What''s the difference between this one and the Fire Spirit?" Mark asked, even though he had an idea.
"Totally different. The main thing is-"
Crunch-
Crunch-
Crunch-
The trees behind them broke.
And for the first time, the group saw them move.
The roots exited the ground and rose into the air.
Like whips, they hit the floor repeatedly.
Great Fire Ball-
The trees on each side bent to the ground and stacked on one another, taking up more and more space.
''No damage at all... Again.''
The trees at the back started moving quickly.
The three found no other solution than to run forward and away from them, lest they be swallowed and drowned under them.
They ran through the corridor designed by Yarnha.
''Fuck...'' Elisa cursed internally.
The anxiety and fear made it easier to forget about it, but still.
Fatigue was building up.
"Are we supposed to defeat that Spirit then? What''s our goal? If Fire doesn''t work against trees then...? How do we-"
"Give me a second." Elisa interrupted.
She clicked her tongue as she looked around.
She looked around, but there was nothing new to see.
An endless path in front of them.
An unbreakable ceiling above, unbreakable walls to the sides.
''If she wanted us dead, this would have gone differently. The aggressiveness isn''t there.'' Elisa thought to herself.
You just won''t coexist with me-
''Won''t coexist. Which means she wants us to? Or has been trying to persuade us somehow? When... How? In any case, she''s making us follow this path. Which means one of two thing.''
Elisa''s lips parted.
"She''s leading us somewhere-"
"Yeah, I can see that." Mark blurted
"In a straight line, which is strange." Elisa continued. "So she might want us to simply cross the Forest and get out of here."
"Is there any need to be that forceful if that''s what it is?"
Elisa sighed.
"Let''s keep going for now."
"Tsk. We don''t have many choices right now. Krista, can you keep going?"
The Lioness was startled.
Perhaps because she didn''t expect the question.
Perhaps because she had been running low on energy.
Out of all the Monsters and Beasts that Mark had crossed paths with, the Moonlit Feline seemed to need the most sleep.
He extended a hand towards Krista.
Thetter took a leap.
Both Mark and Elisa turned away.
A blinding light was emitted.
The next second, a white-furred catnded on Mark''s palm and climbed up to his shoulder.
He continued running.
From the corner of her eye, Elisa watched them.
"It''s nice seeing you like this." Shemented after noticing that Mark wasn''t moving the arm on Krista''s side as much.
"You''re saying that in this situation, really?"
Elisa chuckled.
She was nervous, but tried to hide it.
"I''m a friend of nature, aren''t I?"
"So? You trust the Spirit somehow?"
"Only thing we can do."
Mark clicked his tongue.
The next second, a wall of trees appeared about fifteen meters away.
''Blocking the way?''
''No...''
The two noticed rather quickly.
Right or left?
But the trees behind them weren''t keen on giving them time to think it over.
The speed at which they were running only gave them mere instants to decide.
Elisa lowered her pace slightly.
She was only half a step behind.
Mark noticed, and therefore decided.
Right-
That half a step was more than enough for Elisa to realize where he was going and choose ordingly.
''Is she trying to separate us? Or simply guiding us somewhere? If we''re not going towards the outside of the forest then...''
The trees behind them broke, bent, and devoured more territory at a faster rate.
The distance between them and the group was about ten steps.
''If it''s taking us somewhere which isn''t outside the Forest...''
Elisa pressed her lips as she ran.
The path was blocked off once more.
Right or left?
This time, the wall of trees was even closer.
Elisa did the same as earlier.
"It wants to separate us. Any idea why?" Mark asked.
She shook her head.
"Think it has something to do with the Demon Lord?"
The second thest two words were uttered, the Forest came to a stop.
The trees immediately stopped moving.
Elisa and Mark, therefore, came to a stop.
They breathed heavily.
"If it stopped now, then-"
Crunch-
Crunch-
Crunch-
Howl-
Howl-
Growl-
Growl-
The session of different sounds immediately startled the group.
The trees broke, opening the way for various Beats and Monsters.
Common Forest Wolves, Ayenas, Great Falcons, and others.
A disgusted expression was on Mark''s face as he stared at them.
"This..."
Chapter 214 A Spirits Voice
?
The trees broke, opening the way for various Beats and Monsters.
Common Forest Wolves, Ayenas, Great Falcons, and others.
A disgusted expression was on Mark''s face as he stared at them.
"This..." Elisa looked around rapidly, scanning the environment in a second. "Can''t be good."
With a hand, Mark cracked his neck while the Beasts and Monsters growled and screeched.
"Think it''s controlling them?" Mark asked.
His left foot, just like her right foot, drew a half circle.
They stood with their backs inches apart.
"Maybe not controlling but-"
"It led them here. Just like it led us."
"Yeah. That''s probably what she''s doing."
Mark nodded.
"We''re the intruder. Which means..." He scratched his neck. "It wants to take us out by using the Forest''s inhabitants."
"Maybe..."
"Still think this Nature Spirit is friendly?"
"Well..." Elisa chuckled nervously as she took out her Timeworn Elven Daggers. "Most usually are. More Spirits of the Forest."
Mark extended his ws at the approaching Monsters and Beasts.
"Guess that depends on the Forest."
Elisa''s eyes widened.
"What did you-"
The Monster growled and ran forward, joining the rest of its kind in a deathmatch.
"Depends on the Forest..." Elisa whispered. "I''m so dumb-"
She hurriedly lowered her body, leaving space for the leaping Common Forest Wolf to pass above.
''It depends on the Forest. Duh. Of course, it does. This isn''t just any Spirit. It isn''t any normal Forest. It''s...''
Her Timeworn Elven Daggers spun in her wrists and repeatedly cut the Common Forest Wolf''s hide at multiple spots.
''A Forest inside...''
Elisa mainly targeted its joints and neck.
''The Monster Realm.''
Mark roared at the different Beasts and Monsters in front of him.
The weaker Monsters team up against the stronger ones.
Once the stronger ones are defeated, the weak fight amongst themselves.
The way it was inside the Dungeon.
The way of Monsters.
''Just have to kill them all.''
Mark''s monstrous face as he roared disguised his disgust as anger.
He leaped at the closest enemy.
''Forest''s Spirit... Whatever that means. In the end...''
He dodged.
''This is the same as a Dungeon.''
He attacked.
''Just have to kill them all...''
And dodged again.
''To make it out.''
Anger started rising within Mark as he moved from enemy to enemy.
''That Spirit is the same...''
At the three enemies that approached at once, he spread his wings.
Wind st-
''As a Dungeon Master.''
The Ayenas screeched, but they couldn''t do much more than that.
They attacked with the sharp ends of their tails capable of lengthening.
Due to being unable to build up enough velocity to utilize their spinning attack, which was their specialty, the Ayenas weren''t as much of a threat as they could''ve been.
Mark took a leap.
And as his feet hit the ground, the Moonlit Feline on his shoulder took the opportunity to jump and spin 180 degrees.
With her ws gently but firmly resting on and grasping Mark''s scales, Krista watched his back.
Elisa''s Timeworn Elven Daggers spun and drew lines of blood as she danced amidst the Monsters.
Mark didn''t worry about her.
And she didn''t worry about him.
Krista supported both by using Magic Attacks to damage or inhibit the enemies'' movements that approached either Mark or Elisa from behind.
It didn''t take long for the Monsters to be dealt with.
With a Destructive Tail Flick, Markunched an Ayena''s body towards the wall of trees.
The ground below him broke, as he leaped.
Before the Ayena could hit that wall of trees, Mark''s sharp ws pierced its unprotected stomach.
Thump-
As he had expected, the tree didn''t break, crack, or even shake.
''That''s thest of-''
Mark''s body froze.
With his hand going through the dead Ayena''s body, he froze.
"You..."
Out of nowhere, she had appeared.
Her face was inches away from his.
She stared with her green eyes.
The color of her eyes made him feel incredibly uneasy. No doubt because they reminded him of someone else''s eyes.
She had suddenly appeared.
It was as if she was emerging from the tree''s trunk.
Only her upper body had emerged, parallel to the ground, and at eye-level with him.
No.
She wasn''t emerging.
Her appearance was too sudden for that.
"You..."
Dizziness.
A ringing noise resonated inside Mark''s head.
Her voice. Something about it made him feel like his skull was going to explode.
"What are you?" The Spirit of the Forest, Yarnha, asked.
A drop of blood went down Mark''s nose.
[The Title "Devourer" roars!]
[The Title "Evolving Monster" screeches!]
He suddenly jumped back.
"You won''t answer me?"
Mark grimaced.
"Listen to me..."
Her voice wasn''t unpleasant though.
"Listen to my voice, and nothing else."
In truth, it was the opposite.
A sweet sweet voice.
The kind that made you feel safe.
The kind that made you feel like everything was going to be alright. That everything was going the way it was supposed.
The kind of voice, so sweet, that it could ease your pain and worries.
The kind that made you made your concerns and doubts melt away.
The kind that could put you to sleep.
Peacefully, and gently.
"Tell me..."
Lightly, and delicately.
"What are you?"
Mark clenched his fist without retracting his ws, piercing his palm.
He jerked himself awake and his eyes which were about to close opened wide.
"Tell me..."
Mark shook his head.
For some reason, he couldn''t see much.
"I want to know..."
For some reason, he couldn''t hear a thing.
"What you are."
He couldn''t hear a thing but her voice.
"I said tell me!"
A shiver went down his spine.
He wanted to look away, but couldn''t.
He wanted to call out to Elisa, but couldn''t.
Why couldn''t he hear her?
Why couldn''t he hear Krista?
Were they alright?
Were they-
"Now, now... Will you me one favor? I haven''t asked much of you ever, have I? Why don''t you tell me?"
"I... I..."
Mark''s lips parted before he had realized it.
"Yes? Tell me everything. I''m here..."
"Krista... Elisa... Where-"
"Don''t worry about them. I''m taking good care of them." Yarnha said gently as she smiled.
"G..."
"G...?"
"Good... That''s... Good..."
The Spirit''s smile widened.
"Now, tell me. What are you?"
"What... I am...?"
"That''s right. I''m curious. You''ll tell me, right?"
None of them had realized it yet, but the trees'' roots had already taken over the area they stood on.
"Why... Should I...?"
From the ground below the half-asleep group, firm roots were rising.
Slowly but surely, those roots wrapped themselves around their bodies.
"Huh? Isn''t it obvious?" Yarnha''s smile showed a smile oh so warm, oh so gentle. "You can tell me..."
The green mist that had covered the area, Mark, Elisa, Krista. None had noticed it slowly filling the air.
"We''ll soon be one after all."
Chapter 215 Yarnhas Mist
?
Without anyone noticing, something had started growing on the numerous trees.
Resembling overgrown flowers that had yet to bloom, green fluorescent pods had appeared here and there on the trunks and branches.
Sporadically, the pods would twitch, open up slightly, and...
Puff-
Puff-
Emit a breath of Green Mist.
Slowly but surely, the area was filled by it.
The pods had begun growing and sprouting some time ago.
It was breathed in by Mark, Elisa, and Krista, but also by the Beasts and Monsters that they fought.
As one might expect, the concentration of this Mist in the air was low at first. So low that it was impossible to notice with one''s eyes, or even with one''s sense of smell.
The appearance of the pods, however, was kept a secret.
On one hand, the fighting kept them from noticing those pods.
On the other,
"They really don''t want to fall asleep, huh? Especially those two..." The Spirit Of The Forest, Yarnha, whispered to itself.
On a branch, the Creature with a womanly appearance was seated.
It had been a couple of seconds since the Forest''s roots had started rising from the ground and entrapping the intruders.
The Forest''s Spirit was standing behind Mark.
Its lips moved as it stared at Krista.
The Forest''s Spirit was halfway through the ground.
Only its upper body was visible, as it stared at the kneeling Elisa.
The three were half asleep, and seemed to fight the stupor as they jerked themselves awake from time to time.
"la... Why do you have to make this harder than it needs to be?" The seated Yarnha whispered.
There were four Spirits.
But at the same time, there was only a single Spirit.
The four were one.
"You can trust me. You know that, right? I''m here for you. So why don''t you tell me?"
The sweet and irresistible voice entered Mark''s mind.
He shook his head, but the Green Mist had already done its job.
In a way, it could be described as a Poison.
Yet, it hadn''t triggered Mark''s "Poison Resistance" Passive Skill.
The body deals with different Poisons differently.
Each has a certain Remedy.
And this type of Poison, Mark had never stumbled upon.
The Green Mist was more Drug than Poison, though the line that separated the two was a rather thin one.
The Mist had numerous Effects on those who breathed in a certain quantity of it.
Amongst other things, the Green Mist would dull the senses in a peculiar way.
One''s vision would be blurry and hazy, but colorful things would appear brighter and shinier.
In this particr instance, the Mist made the Spirit''s hair, dress, and eyes stand out.
Breathing in the Green Mist would also lead to inhibitors slowing down the brain''s processing speed, impeding one''s thinking and reasoning.
This made it much harder to focus. Remaining calm and collected would also be an issue.
The sense of hearing, however, is heightened by the Green Mist.
These factors worked together to ensure that Yarnha''s voice was all they could hear.
That she was all they could focus on.
All they could think about.
A couple of steps away from the three, were the bodies of dead Monsters and Beasts.
Roots hade into contact with them some time ago.
By now, the unmoving bodies were nothing but carcasses.
Only the Monsters'' and Beasts'' bones remained.
Their life force had beenpletely drained by the roots. By the Forest.
This was, of course, what it meant to "Be one" with the Spirit.
The reason why the three were still standing was simple.
Unlike the Monsters and Beasts, the three hadn''t died yet.
Taking away energy and life force from a dying body was a much easier task.
Something that the Forest, or Nature in general, excelled at.
Taking from the living on the other hand, not so much.
Which is why the Spirit needed them to give in to its demand of "Bing one".
"Looks like that one is pretty much ripe for the taking." Yarnha whispered.
"Now, once again, what are you?" Yarnha asked.
"Where are you going anyways? Is there really anything you will find?" Yarnha questioned.
"Why not stay here? You will never be separated, if you remain here." Yarnha argued.
Mark''s brow twitched nervously.
Krista trembled restlessly.
"I''ve just... Started looking for it. I can''t..."
"Why not? It''s easier here, with me."
"No... I must... We have to-"
"We? There''s no true ''we'' here, is there? You should know that better than anyone."
"That''s not... True. We..."
"We this, we that. You''re an Elf, aren''t you? Why would you remain with a Monster? Especially one who reeks of Corruption. You can smell it, right?"
"I... I..." Elisa pressed her lips. "I can." She confessed.
"Then-"
"But it''s... Different."
"Different? Is that how Corrupted you have be?"
"Huh?"
The words truly shocked Elisa. It felt like the Spirit''s hand had brutally and ruthlessly grabbed her heart.
Yarnha sighed.
"It''s time for you to understand."
"Understand... What?"
"Understand that this is to your benefit. That being with me is better."
"No... That''s-"
"Look..."
Elisa''s body stopped rocking back and forth, resting fully on the roots around it instead.
"At what awaits you out there."
The eyelids that had been slowly opening and closing for a while stopped doing so.
Her eyes rolled to the back of her head.
The final Effect brought by the Green Mist.
One that could only be felt after breathing in a high quantity of the Mist.
The synapses in the brain start firing up.
The blurry vision isn''t so blurry anymore.
Suddenly, Yarnha disappeared.
The trees disappeared.
The whole Forest had disappeared.
Everything had faded away.
Only she remained, alone.
Elisa blinked.
She opened her eyes.
"What..."
Arge and well-decorated room.
"Where...?"
Golden tapestry covered the walls.
Arge and beautifully ornamented mirror was on the other side of the room.
Elisa stared at herself.
She brought a hand to her face. Dirty.
She brought a hand to her hair. Greasy.
"This..."
Elisa found herself kneeling on a spacious bed.
Her eyes teared up as she lowered her gaze towards that bed.
She recognized it.
It was hers after all.
Chapter 216 Sweet Dreams, Princess
?
Elisa brought a hand to her elbow.
Scratch-
She stared at the mirror once more.
"Why is my face so dirty?"
The Princess pushed herself off the bed and walked closer to the mirror.
She inspected her hair and skin.
They weren''t to her liking.
They weren''t worthy of a Princess.
The greasy aspect of her hair wasn''t Princess-like
The dirty aspect of her skin wasn''tPrincess-like.
A shiver went down Elisa''s spine as those thoughts seeped through her mind.
Scratch-
Elisa turned away and scanned the room for a bit.
It was rtively sunny outside.
" Some sunlight. It''s been a while..." She whispered as she started walking towards the window.
Elisa stopped midway there.
"A while...?"
She stared at the ground with empty eyes.
''Why...?''
Scratch-
Scratch-
Scratch-
Elisa moved her hand away from her elbow and towards her side.
''I can''t remember. I can''t remember what-''
The next second,
Creak-
The room''s sole room was slowly pushed.
Elisa''s heartbeat quickened as she turned around.
Her every sense focused on the room that was being opened.
And what emerged from that door was,
''...!''
The Princess'' heart seemed to stop beating for a second.
Her mind froze.
It was impossible.
It couldn''t be true.
After all...
After all... What?
A full ashen beard and long ashen hair. A belly sorge it could rupture the belt around it at any time.
"Elisa? ELISA! HAHAHA! I''m so happy to see you!" The old Dark Elf shouted.
She took a step back, her body shivering.
It didn''t take more than a second before Elisa was embraced by the man.
His arms were wrapped around her, but she remained frozen.
The next second, he lifted her off the ground.
With the size of that belly of his, this was no challenge.
The familiar feeling brought tears to Elisa''s expressionless face.
"Dad...?"
"I''m so d you''re here, Elisa. You''re finally back." The King said as his daughter''s feet regained the ground.
"Finally... Back?" The Princess muttered. "Where... How long..."
"Mm?" The King smiled.
Hey his hands on his daughter''s shoulders.
How proud he was.
His little Princess was all grown up.
"How long... Was I gone?"
"Oh,e on Elisa! You know I say that every time you sleep in."
The Princess clenched her fists.
It felt like...
It felt like it had been a long time.
Why did it feel that way?
"How about we get some breakfast, Lisa?"
A torrent of tears started going down the Princess'' face.
"Wha- Did I upset you?"
His daughter shook her head.
"I think... I think..." With the back of her hand, she rubbed her crying eyes. "I just had a terrible nightmare."
"How about we go get some breakfast then? You''ll tell me all about it then." Her father suggested as he extended an open palm.
The Princess stared at that palm for a bit.
She reach for it, but her hand stopped centimeters before grabbing it.
Fear.
The Princess had no idea why, but that hand-
No. It wasn''t the hand that scared her.
Grabbing that hand.
Taking hold of it.
Why was she scared of grabbing her father''s hand? She wasn''t sure.
"Come, let''s go."
"Mm." Elisa nodded as she grabbed her father''s hand.
***
"Sweet dreams, little Elf." Yarnha said. "To the Forest, you''ll soon be back."
"What about you? Why won''t you rest on the roots supporting you?" Yarnha asked.
Mark''s lips parted, but no words left his mouth.
"You''re tired, aren''t you? Why don''t you rest here, even for just a little while?"
"I..."
Mark''s eyes closed.
He jerked himself awake.
"I can''t... Stop..."
"Of course, you can. Right here, right now. I''m here to facilitate that. Fighting, killing, running... You''re tired of all that, aren''t you?"
"I''m..."
"Why don''t you go to sleep? You deserve some rest."
"I... Don''t."
"Why aren''t you sleeping?"
"I..."
''My Mist should be in full effect by now. Both the Elf and the cat are... Oh. That''s why you''re not sleeping.''
"Let me help." Yarnha suggested as she extended her hands forward.
Mark''s eyes immediately opened wide.
"DON''T TOUCH HER!" He shouted as his body and muscles fired up, fighting against the restraining roots around them.
Yarnha stopped moving.
"Alright. Alright. That''s my bad, I apologize." She retracted her hands away.
''The cat should be in the same state as the Elf. By now, it should be all sweet dreams. Or a sweet part of their past. But then, why is the cat...?''
The Moonlit Feline on Mark''s shoulder twitched sporadically.
Each time, its ws were extended, Mark''s scales were dented.
''The slight pain from that is keeping him awake. Is that it...?'' The Spirit asked itself.
"Krista... Elisa..." Mark muttered.
"Yes, yes. I''m taking care of them."
"How... How are you... Taking care of them?"
Yarnha couldn''t help but sigh.
"What are your ties with An?"
"At... Lan?"
"The Demon Lord Of Sloth."
"Ties... Links... Links... Ties... Haha."
"Tsk. Shouldn''t have waited this long before asking questions."
"Questions... Answers... Haha. Man... I''m tired of asking questions... I''m tired of not-"
"Yeah, yeah." Yarnha interrupted the delirious Mark. "Focus. Hey, focus! I need to protect this Forest. Is the Demon Lord after you?"
"Who knows..."
"You talked about Links. What kind of Links are between-"
"Who knows..."
Yarnha brought a finger to her cheek.
The Spirit thought for a bit.
"You asked how I was taking care of them."
Mark''s eyes opened.
"Yes... Yes. How... Are you-"
"They''re seeing sweet things right now. But-"
"Sweet things...? Mm. Like... A sky full of stars?"
"Sure, yes. A sky full of stars. But it''ll soon change."
"You mean the sun will rise?"
"No." Yarnha chuckled. "Hopefully, we''ll be one by dawn."
"One...? That... Doesn''t matter. Let them see... The stars. The way they watched... Those northern lights-"
"Sorry, but it won''t remain such a pretty sight for long."
Mark opened his eyes once more.
They didn''t close again.
He didn''t even blink.
"What''s that supposed to mean?"
Yarnha was surprised at how high his Resistance was, but she didn''t let it show.
"Soon, those pretty sights..."
Elisa''s body started twitching.
"Will turn into..."
Mark still had his back towards her.
"Visions of true horror."
Chapter 217 A Bluff, Really?
?
The Princess was seated in front of her mirror.
With a brush, she meticulouslybed her long ashen hair.
Every lock, every strand.
Every part was properly taken care of, until the Princess was satisfied with the result.
She had just taken a shower. With hot water too.
It had been a while.
Or perhaps, it just felt that way.
Elisa turned around.
She stared at the window for bit, before rubbing her eyes.
''The outside looks murky. I wonder why...''
Elisa stood up, but didn''t walk towards that window.
She wanted to look at the view outside, but something inside her kept her from doing so.
The Princess walked to her closet instead.
Open-
''Wonder what I should wear today...''
Elisa''s hands wandered around and slid over the numerous attires.
Finally, her hand settled on one.
A simple white dress.
The Princess stared at it for a while after pulling it out of the closet.
She didn''t particrly like that dress. Still, it felt like the one.
The one she was supposed to wear.
Elisa shook her head and got changed.
She pulled the trapped hair out from between her back and the dress she had just put on, before turning towards the window once more.
''Ah. Didn''t feel the time passing.''
It was already dark outside.
An uneasiness quickly settled as she stared at the darkness outside.
Before the Princess had even realized it, her feet started moving towards the window.
"So dark... And quiet." She whispered.
The next second, red dots started appearing in the distance at numerous spots.
Elisa''s heart shook.
''No... Not...!''
***
"I''ll kill you... I''ll definitely kill you! Let them go. Let them-"
"Yeah, yeah. So tell me, what''s your Link with the Demon Lord?"
"You''re not getting away with this. LET THEM GO!" Mark shouted.
He could shout, but, due to the seemingly indestructible roots around his body, he couldn''t do much more than that.
"What are your ties-"
Mark interrupted.
Due to the Green Mist''s various effects on the brain, it would be no overstatement to say that he wasn''t in his right mind.
Which is why for the first time since he was Reborn, he resorted to it.
"Let them go."
"Answer my-"
Arge smile was drawn on Mark''s face, which surprised Yarnha and stopped the Spirit in its tracks.
"The Demon Lord won''t let this slide."
"Atsel? Then you are-"
"The Demon Lord won''t forgive this. And he will retaliate."
Yarnha''s eyes narrowed.
A bluff.
It was obvious.
Too obvious.
"What are your ties with Atsel? You don''t have the strength of a Commander, much less of a General''s. I doubt you have much value at all." Yarnha sighed. "The only reason I''ve kept you this long is-"
"It''s not me."
"Huh?"
"They''re the ones important to the Demon Lord."
"The cat and the Elf? You expect me to believe that?"
"You better believe it. Or this Forest that you want to protect will end up burnt to the ground."
***
It didn''t take long for the red dots to turn into wild mes, which started permeating through the multiple houses and huts that covered the ground.
The fire quickly spread and revealed what, previously, could not be seen.
Screams and cries echoed, as wounded and burnt Dark Elves left their homes.
"NO! DON''T..." Elisa clenched her fists, her legs shaking. "DON''T HURT THEM!"
Just when she was about to jump out,
"LISA!"
The door was hurriedly opened, and the King rushed in.
"Dad! What''s happening?? Why is-"
"THERE''S NO TIME! HURRY, WE NEED TO LEAVE-"
"Dad...?" Elisa muttered as her father froze.
Cough-
"DAD!"
The King stumbled into the room, as a drop of blood went down his face.
The trembling Elisa couldn''t take a step.
She couldn''t muster the strength to move.
Eventually, her father''s hands reached her shoulders.
"Hurry... Run... Run... Away..."
The King fell, and the Princess held him in her arms.
"No! I can''t run away! I CAN''T LEAVE YOU, I WON''T! NOT WITHOUT EVEN-"
The father coughed, and drops of blood were projected onto his daughter''s cheek.
He held her by the cor before pulling her closer.
Their foreheads collided with great strength.
"Run!"
"I..."
The next second, he appeared.
It wasn''t clear how long he had been standing there, but Elisa had just noticed him.
The sight of him made her tremble.
Was it fear or wrath?
The one she had forgotten.
The one she simply knew as Death.
He brought a hand to his side.
A polite and refined curtsy.
"Princess."
Elisa immediately stood up and brought her hands to her waist.
No sheathes. She couldn''t find her trusty Timeworn Elven Daggers.
Still, her father''s killer was there.
Elisa had no time to worry about Weapons.
"RAVEN!!!" She shouted as she closed the distance in an instant.
"You''reing at me? Even though your father is bleeding to death?"
Bam-
Bam-
Bam-
"Pheew. We got a feisty one here." The ck-haired pale-skinned manmented as he blocked the multiple hits with his palm.
"KILL YOU! I''LL KILL YOU!!"
The next second, he appeared behind Raven.
Elisa''s eyes widened and her body froze.
Her feet were swept off the floor.
By the time she rose to her feet, he was already behind her.
The ''other'' one.
The one who had caused the Dark Elves an incalcble amount of suffering.
The one who had, practically speaking, turned them into ves.
Elisa quickly turned around, but before she could do a thing, her arms were caught by the Vampire Lord, immobilizing her.
His face was incredibly gentle.
His hair, devoid of color, was white and long.
"Part two. Are you ready, Elisa?" The ''white-haired fucker'', as Elisa referred to him, asked.
"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!!" Elisa frantically shouted as she fought against the Vampire Lord''s grip.
An index finger was extended towards her.
''...''
The next second, the Dark Aura oozing out of it turned into a dark liquid and started leaking.
"STOP! STOP!!!"
''El...''
To her cries, the Vampire Lord responded withughs.
''Elisa...''
The nightmare was about to repeat itself.
"Elisa..."
The never-ending nightmare was starting once more.
"ELISA!"
Chapter 218 Cornered, The Last Resort Is Their Name
?
"ELISA!"
Confused, lost, and dazed, she looked around.
Cold.
Elisa tried to move.
She couldn''t, as she found herself trapped by something.
Cold.
Numerous roots were wrapped around her body.
Crack-
Crack-
"WAKE UP AND MOVE!"
The Monster''s sudden shout startled her.
With rtive ease, she broke her restraints.
"So you froze them to make leaving possible, huh?" Yarnha asked. "Killing the roots using the cold. That must have cost quite a bit for someone with your strength, don''t you think?"
Elisa stumbled as she stood up.
''I remember now...''
"Let them go." Mark warned.
''The one who killed my father. The one who...''
"A bit desperate, don''t you think? Bluffing won''t get you out of this."
''Was Raven.''
"Assuming that this is a bluff will be the end of this Forest."
''Raven... And that white-haired... They were about to...''
"There''s no reason for Atsel to want them."
"Atsel? Oh. Sloth, huh?"
Yarnha sighed.
"So you admit it. Don''t make this more difficult on yourself."
The next second, the ground below started shaking powerfully.
It shook with such power that remaining on his feet was a challenge for a Mark.
Elisa, on the other hand, had fallen to the ground.
''The nightmare... Isn''t over. The nightmare-''
"GET UP AND STOP FUCKING DREAMING!" The Monster shouted without turning around.
A startled Elisa raised her gaze.
The Monster stood between her and Yarnha.
"Krista. Go to her."
A just as startled Moonlit Feline obeyed the order and jumped off Mark''s shoulder.
The white-furred catnded in Elisa''s arms.
Thetter looked around with empty eyes, barely acknowledging Krista.
"They know how it is outside this Forest. How it has been. How it will be. They''ve seen how much better it would be here. Why don''t ept it too?"
"The Demon Lord will burn this forest to the ground."
"Ugh... Will you drop this charade already?"
"There''s a General waiting for us... For them."
"Sure. Right. Of course, there would be one-"
"Gaavah."
At the mention of that Name, the Spirit froze.
"What did you just-"
"Gaavah, the Demon Lord Of Pride. That''s on whose orders I''m acting."
"Why would the Demon-"
"Why would a Monster travel with an Elf and a Moonlit Feline otherwise? Isn''t it obvious?"
Elisa''s body started trembling slightly.
Yarnha thought silently for a moment.
"And a General is waiting for them? A General Of Pride?"
"That''s right."
"Which..." Yarnha''s eyes narrowed. "General?"
Gulp-
Mark took a deep breath in.
The Green Mist had certainly affected his thinking and mind, but that was something he was used to.
He had grown used to things interfering with his mind.
"General Draconia."
The Forest''s trees started moving violently.
Draconia.
A Name the Spirit recognized.
In truth, it would have been unlikely to Name a General the Spirit did not know of.
Inside the Monster Realms, Demon Lords were the strongest entities.
And just below them, stood their Generals.
"I''m hearing a lot about them, but nothing about yourself. If the Demon Lord Of Pride wants them, then what about you?"
"I''m just doing his bidding."
Yarnha remained silent for a bit, before bursting outughing.
"That was well thought out, I''ll give you out. But a random Monster''s words don''t mean-"
The next second, it appeared.
It finally showed itself.
The thing that Mark counted on.
The thing he waited for.
The piece that could turn the tides in his favor.
The desperate gamble he had in mind for a while now.
[The Title "Gaavah''s Follower" stares.]
Those words, could the Spirit see them too?
Would it recognize him as a "Follower", or not?
Mark wasn''t sure.
The silent seconds that passed seemed tost an eternity.
Suddenly, the ground below Elisa and Krista started shaking violently, making the two tense up.
"They''ll find their way to the waiting General without issue, I assume."
Mark nodded.
The next second, a circr rift was drawn around Elisa and the Moonlit Feline.
A root as thick as a tree trunk lifted the whole piece of earth, and the two on top of it.
''You''re the one I''m interested in anyways.'' The Spirit thought to itself.
The Moonlit Feline cried and cried as the piece of earth rose higher and higher into the air. But Elisa did not let go.
''The nightmare... Isn''t ending...''
The cursed index finger approaching her forehead once more, Elisa knew what came after that.
She knew it well.
Shackles, suffering, poison, suffering, humiliation, suffering.
She could imagine the development of the Nightmare.
She had lived it once before after all.
But dazed and drugged by the Green Mist, there seemed to be something Elisa couldn''t ignore.
"MARK!" She shouted as she got further and further.
He had pulled her out of that Nightmare.
"Make sure..."
He had allowed her not to live it again.
"MAKE SURE YOU GET OUT OF HERE! WE''LL BE WAITING FOR YOU!"
The Monster nodded without turning back.
"UNTIL DAWN! SURVIVE! THIS... THIS CAN ONLY TAKE PLACE DURING THE NIGHT! PROBABLY, SO..."
''Probably?''
"SURVIVE!"
It didn''t take long before the two couldn''t be seen anymore. Not like Mark had turned around to see them.
He was too busy fighting the toxins inside his body.
The toxins that wanted to make him faint.
The toxins that ate away at his sense of equilibrium and wanted to make him fall to the ground.
"She''s telling you that, but is still leaving. Funny, isn''t it?"
"What..." Mark''s body swayed from side to side. "What did you show her?"
"Hard to remain standing, huh? I understand. Why don''t you rest for a bit."
"What did you show her?"
"Ugh..." Yarnha sighed. "I don''t show things. Whatever she saw is between her brain and herself. Get it?"
"I''m not..." He stumbled. "Forgiving that."
"Well, color me mortified."
Yarnha stared at the swaying Monster silently.
The Spirit thought most would be out of it by now.
Most wouldn''t be able to see straight by now.
Then why?
Why could this Monster do so?
"I can smell it. Something inside of you. What is it?"
With a crazed expression on its face, the Monster extended its ws.
"You''ll have to rip my guts out to find out."
Yarnha sighed once more.
And the trees started moving once more.
"How vulgar."
Chapter 219 How Nature Works?
?
Sigh-
Mark blinked.
Perhaps it was due to the fatigue, due to the situation, or due to the Green mist, but, for some reason, his eyes remained shut a bit longer than they should have.
Enough time for...
Pierce-
The tip of a root, sharper than any de, to go through his left thigh.
Mark jumped back, but no sounds left his mouth.
Not even a groan.
"By this time, I''m guessing even pain won''t reach you. That''s how far gone you are."
"I''m..." Advanced Body Reconstruction. "Right here."
Yarnha immediately frowned.
As the hole left through Mark''s thigh was filled, the Spirit''s mind was filled by something.
"Unnatural..." It was a strong feeling of disgust. "And unsightly."
Mark''s head swayed from side to side.
The next second,
Yawn-
"You can''t do anything in this situation, can you?"
Markzily rubbed his eye.
"Why does bing one sound so bad to you?"
"Huh?" Mark''s rubbing hand froze in mid-air. "Never said it sounded bad."
"Huh? So you get it?"
"I mean..." With a w, the Monster scratched the back of his head. "Bing one... That means bing like those, right?" With its thumb, the Monster pointed at the carcasses thaty on the ground behind it.
Yarnha nodded enthusiastically.
The Spirit''s eyes were sparkling at the Monster''s words.
"Mm!" Yarnha nodded.
Carcasses void of life.
Only bones remained.
But those, too, would soon disappear.
"Now that I think about it... Yeah. Nature, that makes sense."
"What does?" Yarnha titled her head, puzzled.
"Works just like your dress, I guess."
Yarnha stared a bit more, before lying her palms on the tree trunk her upper body was emerging from.
With a push, the rest of her body emerged.
She spun, and her bare feetnded on the ground.
Yarnha walked closer, until she was inches away from him.
"What do you know about Nature? Or about me? Or about my dress?"
Mark took a deep breath in, which unexpectedly turned into a yawn.
"It''s all flowers and leaves on top, but the beauty appears thanks to the sacrifice of those below."
Yarnha lowered her gaze.
"Mmm... Interesting."
Mark stared at her for a bit.
The young woman wasn''t taller than Elisa.
If anything, she was slightly shorter.
Yet, for some reason, she looked hugepared to Mark.
No. She didn''t look that way.
She seemed that way, to him.
''Wonder if I can leave now... Man, do I not feel like fighting a girl.''
"The beautyys on top of the ugliness."
"Yeah. Something like that." Mark said as he shrugged his shoulders.
"You''re pretty ugly. You know that, right?"
"Yeaaa... I know." He answered as he yawned.
She stared.
''This is weird. I''m not used to yawning. Why am I yawning? I feel sleepy. I don''t like it.''
"That''s a magnificent thing, isn''t it? Sacrificing the ugly to make the beautiful."
"I guess."
"It''s a beautiful thing to do. To make and perform that transformation. To make that sacrifice."
Mark turned to his left.
A Common Wolf''s skeletony unmoving.
He scratched his head.
"Not sure he had a choice."
"Hm?"
"Doesn''t seem like he made that sacrifice willingly."
"You don''t get it." Yarnha shook her head before walking towards the carcass. "He lived a full life in here."
The Spirit crouched in front of the skeleton.
"He ate of the Forest, for years and years. And didn''t, not even once, try to leave. I''ve been watching him, you know." Her hand caressed the Common Wolf''s skull." All of them, really. I watch them all live. I allow them to live. I give and give to them. It''s only right for them to give back now, don''t you think?"
Squint-
Mark focused on his vision as the Spirit talked.
The world around him seemed wobbly after all.
"I guess. It does sound fair."
"Right?"
"Then... Since I didn''t eat of the Forest, and didn''t take from you..." With a hand, he rubbed his left eye. "Are you willing to give me a choice?"
Yarnha''s palms pped her thighs as she quickly stood up.
"No, sorry."
"That doesn''t sound very fair."
"There''s something inside of you that could greatly benefit this Forest."
"Mm. Benefit the Forest. Benefit you, you mean."
Yarnha shrugged.
"One and the same."
"Sounds selfish."
"It''s not."
''She''s justifying herself. Why? Trying to convince me?'' Mark asked himself as he yawned.
"You see the beauty in their sacrifice, don''t you?"
"Depends on what that sacrifice leads to. Depends on what will grow on the spot that they died on."
"Beautiful things will grow."
"If you say so."
Yarnha''s right eyebrow twitched.
"I know so. Because I will make sure of it. Just like I''ll make sure something beautiful grows on the spot where your body willy."
"That so?"
"It is so."
Mark stared silently before raising his gaze to the dark sky above.
"Flowers growing on my grave, huh?"
"Mm!" Yarnha nodded.
"Doesn''t sound too bad, in a way."
"Right? Better than dying like a Monster. I mean look at them. Their bodies won''t be cut into pieces, shed, bit, sliced, or severed. They won''t be disfigured, or defiled. They won''t rot, decay, stink, or reek. It''s a quick transition. An easy one. A beautiful one."
"Not the worst death possible, I guess."
"Right? That-"
"But it''s not for me." Mark interrupted.
"Not for you?"
"Ughh... It''s not." He let his shoulders drop. "I''ve Devoured and Devoured. Only right I get Devoured at some point."
"That''s the way you want to die?"
"I don''t want to die. Still a lot I want to do. Plus, this is..."
Yarnha extended a hand to the side as she paid little attention to Mark''s rambling.
The green buds seeped back into the trees they had appeared on.
''Don''t want him getting any more intoxicated. At this point, I''m sure I could convince him. In his own way, he understands. I just need to find the right buttons to push.'' Yarnha thought while staring at the Monster.
"And that''s why I''m sure that I''ll leave this ce."
"Huh?"
Chapter 220 Intoxicated Monster
?
''Don''t want him getting any more intoxicated. At this point, I''m sure I could convince him. In his own way, he understands. I just need to find the right buttons to push.'' Yarnha thought while staring at the Monster.
"And that''s why I''m sure that I''ll leave this ce."
"Huh?"
"What?"
"You''re sure?"
"Well, yeah. As I said, you can''t kill me."
Yarnha''s eyes narrowed.
"What makes you think that?"
"You weren''t listening, huh? I don''t feel like repeating everything. Why wouldn''t you be listening anyways? You''re trying to trap me in here but won''t even-"
"What makes you think that?" Yarnha repeated.
The Spirit was used to conversing with those intoxicated by the Green Mist. Which is why it knew that repeating a question or request could lead to a different response.
And it did.
"Ugh..." Mark sighed. "As I said, it''s..." He talked as if he was exining the simplest thing ever. "Not how Nature works."
"You know nothing, Monster."
"I mean, that'' why..." With a hand, Mark held the side of his neck. "Only the dead were affected earlier, isn''t it?"
"You think you know so much about Nature, but my roots could pierce your heart just as easily as they pierced your leg earlier."
"See, that''s the thing." A wide smile was drawn on the Monster''s face." I don''t think they could."
"Ha! You think your scales are that tough? Those on your chest don''t look any different from those covering your legs."
"Mmm... No. It''s not that the roots can''t. More like..." The Monster''s gaze became much more intense. "You can''t. Get it?"
"I don''t."
"Hahaha! Don''t worry about it then."
Yarnha sighed. The exhausted droop of her shoulders showed her exasperation.
"I''m offering a gentle death. But I can give a horrible one just as easily."
The Monster crossed its right arm.
With its left hand, it grabbed its right elbow.
''Stretching?''
"A horrible death, huh?" The Monster''s eyes were sparkling. "Please do."
Yarnha brought a hand to her forehead and massaged it for a bit.
"What''s wrong with you?"
"WITH ME? Why would there be anything wrong with me?"
"You want your body shredded and torn to pieces, when I''m offering a quiet and gentle-"
"Quiet and gentle..." The Monster repeated. The smile on its face didn''t seem keen on disappearing. "I''ve had enough of that already."
"Perverse..." Yarnha extended a hand towards Mark. "And depraved."
The next second, three roots left the ground below her feet with great speed.
Their sharp tips approached Mark rapidly, and yet,
"Why aren''t you moving?"
"Mmm... Do I have to exin everything?"
Yarnha stared silently, as the roots hung in the air inches away from Mark''s body.
"Spirits sure do love to talk, huh?"
"What would a Monster know about Spirits?"
"Spirits, huh?" Mark raised his gaze to the sky. "I''ve only known one."
"You''ve known one and you-"
"Man, I miss him sometimes, you know? He..."
Yarnha was quickly growing tired of the intoxicated rambling.
"... Can you believe it? No matter what I tried, he just wouldn''t do any damage. Until I used Ice Magic. I guess Water Magic would have been the best counter. Still, crazy, isn''t it? Fairness, where? You know?"
"Aha...?" The Spirit nodded.
"I mean without those two, how are you supposed to beat that? I was convinced there was something in the room that I had missed but..."
''Should I just kill him?'' Yarnha wondered. ''No... I want him toe willingly. I''m sure he...''
"And that''s the difference between Fire And Nature, isn''t it?"
"You think so?"
"Of course. The Fire Spirit couldn''t be hurt by anything, but his attackse from him. Your attackse from, well, all around us. That''s another difference between the Fire Spirits and... Nature Spirits, I guess?"
"What''s the first difference?"
"Huh? Isn''t it obvious? Fire can hurt by itself. Nature on the other hand-" Mark bent his head, closely dodging the root that left a graze on his cheek. "Did I hit a nerve? Didn''t mean to."
Instantly, a session of a dozen tree roots emerged from the ground.
"Now that I think about it, the two of you are simr. Fire and Nature, rather." Mark said as he dodged the session of attacks which were powerful enough to easily leave holes in the ground.
"I don''t care anymore. Time for you to-"
"It''s that you can''t do anything on your own."
The roots immediately froze.
A vein appeared on Yarnha''s forehead.
"What... Did you just say?"
"Sacrifice this... Sacrifice that... Haha! You need the remains of the dead to nurture the earth so that trees can grow. So that the forest can exist. The same is true with Fire, isn''t it? Haha!" Mark chuckled. "If there''s a Fire, then something has got to be burning, isn''t that right?"
Yarnha clenched her twitched hand.
"Fire only exists because something is burning. Nature only exists because of the living. Yourme excuse of turning the ugly into beauty, I''m not buying it. You thrive on the ugliness. You need it to be alive!"
The trees surrounding the area suddenly started shaking violently.
"You should be thankful to those living in this Forest. It''s thanks to them that there is a Forest!
"Shut up."
"The Forest isn''t anything more than a collection of trees. A bunch of trees sticking close to one another. Forest Of Yarnha, is that Title supposed to scare me?"
"Shut up."
"You''re overstepping your bounds, Nature Spirit. You don''t get to choose what dies inside the Forest. You don''t get to choose what feeds the earth below."
"Shut up."
"You just..." The sight of the crazed and ecstatic smile on Mark''s face could have sent a chill down any living being''s spine. "Take what you get. What you find. You don''t get a choice, Spirit."
"SHUT UP!" Yarnha shouted, and the trees shaking immediately seized.
"You can''t kill me, Nature Spirit. The only thing that can, is the living beings within the Forest. Isn''t that right?"
Yarnha clenched her fists, but she could barely hide her hands'' shaking.
"That''s how low you believe the power of Nature to be? If that''s the case, then..." Yarnha raised a hand, and the whole ground started shaking.
A plot ofnd was slowly raised into the air.
Due to the numerous trees surrounding the area, Mark couldn''t exactly tell howrge the plot ofnd was.
"You''re in for a world of pain."
Chapter 221 Spirits Are The Worst
?
''There has to be something I can do. This is too simr to my fight against the Fire Spirit. My only way of winning then was using Ice Magic. What is it now?''
"Give up. You can''t fight against the Forest." Yarnha said.
''You''d expect Fire Magic to work against the goddamn trees but nooo. That''d be too easy, huh? Plus... I''m not inside the Dungeon anymore. There might just not be a way for me to win this. No. There has to be something I can do. I just have to find it.'' Mark thought in silence.
He jumped and spun repeatedly, dodging the spear-like tree roots approaching him again and again.
"Man, this is bullshit. Hahaha!"
"What?"
The roots stopped moving, and so did Mark.
"I can''t figure out a way to-"
"That''s because there is none."
"That''s the problem."
"Huh?"
"I can''t find a way but..." Mark took a deep breath in, and chills moved through his body. "I haven''t felt this good in a while."
Yarnha''s left eyebrow rose.
"Isn''t that because of my Mist?"
"The Mist, yeah... Probably. Wait, the Mist? You... You drugged me?!" The Spirit stared without saying a word. "I can''t believe this. I was drugged. Or maybe... Poisoned, I should say. No, definitely drugged. Hahaha. This feeling. It''s a first for me."
A slight smile was drawn on Yarnha''s face.
"Could get addicted to it, huh?"
"Oh, for sure. It''s... Really a first." Mark closed his eyes and rook a deep breath in, focusing on the tingly feeling that was permeating throughout his body. "Even in my past, I never took any. So this is..."
"There''s more where that came from."
"Mhahaha!" Mark chuckled. "It''s amazing really."
The Spirit''s head tilted to the side.
She seemed puzzled, but her eyes sparkled.
A ''praise me more'' kind of look.
"I feel the same way I do... After winning a close fight. This feeling..."
"Must be incredible, huh?" Yarnha said, proud as could be.
"Yeah. The same way I do after bleeding, getting cut, hit, and pierced to win." Mark''s body twitched as he whispered
"Right? Right? You can get more of that. As much as you want. If youe with me willingly, of course." Excitement seemed to make Yarnha''s body twitch just as much.
"More...?"
"Yes, Yes! How about it? Getting cut and bleeding, that''s no fun. But the victory, the feeling thates with it. You love that feeling, don''t you? Then how about-"
"I get that feeling... Without bleeding?"
"Yep!" Yarnha enthusiastically nodded.
"Without fighting?"
"Mm!" She nodded again.
"You want me to stay here... Without fighting... Without winning... Without doing anything?"
"Well that feeling-"
"DISGUSTING!" Mark shouted as he clenched his fists. "You want me to remain here,fortably, while you take care of me? While you pump me full with that drug?"
''Mmm...'' Yarnha scratched the back of her head. ''Really thought this was going somewhere.''
"Am I supposed to justy there like the rest of those bones? Am I supposed to-"
"This was a mistake. Let''s just end-"
"Lay there..." Yarnha immediately felt a chill. "Until my legs stop working?"
''What is... What is that??'' She asked herself as she stared at the expressionless Monster in front of her, whose body had started emitting a Dark Aura.
"Am I supposed to just... Lay there... Until my heart-"
Puff-
Out of nowhere, a green pod had appeared behind Mark.
Following its appearance, it wasted no time and shrouded the Monster''s head in a Green Mist.
''This should calm him down.''
The thick fog hit the Monster''s face for a bit.
Yarnha had expected it to wave its hand or move out of the cloud of Green Mist.
But no, the Monster did not move one inch.
Instead, it remained inside the Green Mist.
Inhaling and breathing it, until it faded away.
''What the hell is up...''
A crazed expression was revealed, which made even the Spirit shudder slightly.
''With this Monster??''
"I used to get drugged actually." The Monster said suddenly.
Yarnha remained silent, confused.
"Before surgeries. Used to have a lot of those..." Mark scratched the back of his head with a w. "Know what those are?"
The Spirit stared for a bit, before shaking its head to the side.
"Mm. Well, whatever..." Mark muttered.
He lowered his hand and stared.
"Fighting you is tricky."
"Is that right?"
"It is. You look tiny, but in truth..." A knowing smile appeared on Yarnha''s face as Mark talked. "You''re massive."
"I''ll try not to take offense."
"Why do you take the appearance of a Human?"
Yarnha''s eyebrow twitched.
"I''m a Spirit. This is the appearance of a Spirit."
Mark scratched his cheek.
"Forest Of Yarnha. Is the Forest yours?"
The Spirit didn''t answer.
"This is... Your Territory. Your Domain, right?"
Yarnha sighed.
"You could say that."
The Tyrs'' Collosseum-
Mark thought back.
''Two Titles. The wording is different, but it''s possible for them to convey the same thing. The Colloseum that belongs to the Tyrs, the Forest that belongs to Yarnha... But the difference in wording changes that. The Forest Of Yarnha. The Forest called Yarnha. Man... This is amazing.''
It wasn''t clear whether the feeling came from the Green Mist or not.
''A whole Forest... Has been condensed. A whole Forest has taken Human appearance to face me. To stand in front of me.''
Still, Mark felt ecstatic as shivers permeated throughout his body.
Never before was it as clear as now.
The young woman whose body was slightly smaller than Elisa, wasn''t all of it.
The woman''s skin wasn''t the limit to what she was.
Her body couldn''t contain all of it.
''No... More like...''
Everything was her.
Her body was Yarnha.
The roots were Yarnha.
Just like the trees, flowers, bushes, and leaves.
''Perhaps even...''
Mark lowered his gaze.
Perhaps even the ground below.
Everything was part of Yarnha.
Everything was Yarnha.
And as an intruder, he stood inside her Domain.
Inside her Territory.
"Intriguing." Yarnha said, which startled the silent Monster. "What are you thinking about?"
Only then, did Mark realize.
That sentence, did it reallye from her?
He couldn''t tell exactly.
"What is it?" Yarnha asked.
With this, Mark was sure.
"So that''s your cheat, huh?" He muttered nervously.
"Seems you''re starting to understand the situation in which you are in a bit better."
"You''re standing in front of me but... Even if I was to cut your head off, you wouldn''t die." The Spirit stared silently. "You''re Yarnha. You''re the Forest."
"Huh? Wasn''t it obvious from the start?"
Mark smiled nervously.
"I don''t have much experience with Spirits."
Yarnha smiled brightly before extending a hand towards him.
"So it seems."
''Now, how would I go about doing this? About-''
A dozen tree roots flew towards Mark.
He did his best to dodge, but grazes and shallow cuts appeared on his arms and legs.
The drops of blood that stained either the roots or the ground didn''t remain there for long.
''He''s nervous, but...'' Yarnha thought. ''Not scared. He''ll make perfect food for the soil.''
In front of Mark, stood an enemy bigger than any he had ever faced.
''How would I go about...''
Bigger than a Lower Demonic Giant.
Bigger than the Leviathan he fought inside the Dungeon.
Bigger than the Olga he fought outside the Dungeon.
''Killing a Forest?''
Mark could barely contain his excitement at the thought.
From fighting Goblins to Forests.
His intoxicated mind really wanted to spend more time thinking about that.
But each time he indulged, a new cut appeared on his body.
''How do I destroy a Forest... When even Fire isn''t working?''
Frustration started bubbling up inside the intoxicated mind who couldn''t quickly find an answer.
''Spirits are the worst.''
A couple of minutester, dozens of cuts had appeared on Mark''s body.
Blood was leaving his veins and arteries at a worrying pace.
"Giving up? Please do. I can help with the pain, you know?"
"Oh, fuck you." He muttered.
"You''ll turn into the most beautiful flower, Monster. You can trust me on that."
"Oh... Fuck... You..." Mark whispered, struggling to calm his breathing.
"Now that the ground and roots have tasted your blood, there''s no way you''ll-"
Yarnha''s words were interrupted.
No, that''s not exactly right.
She just suddenly shut her mouth.
Therge smile on the Monster''s face and the dark aura emanating from him forced her to do so.
Chapter 222 Restrictions
?
"You''ve tasted my blood, huh?"
Mark''s fighting spirit started burning.
''If she''s using the whole Forest, there must be a weak point. An obvious one, just like for the Fire Spirit. Just gotta find it.''
This, of course, was simply an assumption.
Fueled by the Green Mist, his past experiences, and his shallow understanding of how the Higher World worked.
"That''s right. Just a couple of drops though." Yarnha slowly extended a hand towards Mark. "Time to get the rest of it."
His leg twitched as he stared at her.
''Huh?'' Confusion suddenly overtook his intoxicated mind.
Pierce-
"Why... Didn''t you move?" Yarnha asked.
A tree root had gone through Mark''s shoulder.
There was something in the Spirit''s voice.
Something that shouldn''t have been there.
It was a tiny difference. Something that Mark shouldn''t have been able to perceive.
He jumped back, and the hole through his shoulder was filled.
Mark extended a hand forward.
He pointed at Yarnha.
"What do you think you''re-"
"You''re the weak point, aren''t you?"
The Spirit''s eyes narrowed.
''She feels massive up close. So massive that she can''t be hurt. So massive that it made me think the weak point had to be something else, as if there was some kind of heart inside the Forest. But no, she''s the heart. A heart that feels indestructible. That''s how she feels, but... It can''t be the case. Something that can''t be destroyed. That''s the feeling I get simply by looking at her. But...''
Mark extended his ws.
''I didn''t get that feeling from Zephyr. Not even from Raven. The fear I felt made me want to run away from Raven. But in front of Yarnha, it''spletely different...''
A slight smile.
"A Passive Skill? Or simply the effect of a Title? Spirits can have a Title too. Since the Fire Spirit got one..." Mark whispered.
The next second, heunched himself forward with a bam.
But before he could reach Yarnha, the trees around them bent and broke, their trunks and branches blocking off his path.
"It''s useless, Monster."
"Oh, is it?"
"You might have figured it out, but that feeling isn''t such a simple thing."
Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
It was as if she hadpletely read his thoughts.
"You won''t be able to reach me."
"Tsk. That''s why you walked away after leaving us with those Beasts."
Yarnha scratched her head.
"Talking to you was useless..." More and more trees separated the two. "I''m not even sure why I tried."
Eventually, Yarnha wasn''t visible anymore.
"Fuck. Then how-"
Grab-
By the time it took for Mark to turn his gaze towards his right arm,
Grab-
Grab-
Grab-
Four tree roots had taken hold of his wrists and ankles.
Despite pulling with all his strength, Mark couldn''t make them budge.
Immediately, a vision of his limbs being torn away made itself known in his mind.
But the next, from behind him,
Grab-
"Ughh... Ghh!"
A fifth root was wrapped around his neck.
Losing a limb, he could deal with.
After all, Zephyr had cut Mark''s arm to teach him that very possibility.
But if his head was to be torn then...?
On the other side of the dozens and dozens of trees that separated the two,
Pant-
A sweating Yarnhay on her knees.
With a hand on her right shoulder, The Spirit breathed heavily as it clenched its teeth with all its might.
"Tsk. This is... Argh!"
Unlike the Monster, who had grown used to being shed, pierced, hit, and hurt, Yarnha very rarely felt pain.
"Son of a..."
As I said, you can''t kill me-
It''s not how Nature works-
The Monster''s assumptions that had only been made because it was intoxicated, assumptions it only half believed, were correct.
The Spirit''s ability to control the Forest was due to a Title.
[Forest Of Yarnha]
A Title slightly moreplicated than the others.
The Spirit was the Forest Of Yarnha.
The Spirit was the Title.
Yarnha was the Title in a slightly different way than Mark was the Devourer or the Evolving Monster.
He was the Devourer, the Evolving Monster, Gaavah''s Follower...
The Spirit, on the other hand, was the Forest Of Yarnha, and nothing else.
Being the [Forest Of Yarnha], gave it Authority over the things that made up the Forest.
But the things that make up the Forest, are nothing more thanponents of Yarnha.
She could freely control the ground, trees, and their roots, simply by imbuing them with Mana.
Yarnha was the Spirit of the Forest.
The heart of the Forest Of Yarnha.
Which is why controlling those, by imbuing them with Mana, did not cost any Mana.
She could endlessly control them, unlike Mark with his Bone Maniption as he would, at one point, run out of Mana Points.
But as a Spirit of Nature, a heavy Restriction had been ced on Yarnha.
Nature nurtures the living, and consumes the dead.
Trying to consume or harm the living is not something the Forest is able to do.
It''s not something it is supposed to do.
Which is why the Restriction made it so that-
"ARGHHH!!"
Yarnha felt as if a de had pierced her shoulder, leaving a gaping bleeding hole.
Nature, or at least the Forest, doesn''t kill.
Only those living within it do.
This, is also why Mark''s limbs or head weren''t torn off his body.
Slowly but surely, the roots wrapped around him moved up his limbs.
Like living snakes, they slithered their way up.
"Fuck... Fuck...!"
Before long, Mark''s whole body was covered by the roots.
"Die a slow death." A voice said.
He couldn''t tell exactly where the voice wasing from.
"You''ll remain there, trapped, until you draw yourst breath, Monster."
But it was obvious who it wasing from.
"IS THIS HOW YOU THINK YOU''LL KILL ME??" Mark shouted at the top of his lungs. "YOU THINK I''LL DIE JUST BY BEING LEFT IN HERE??"
No answer was given.
After all, Yarnha was biting down on her left hand on the other side.
Her right hand was extended in front of her, held semi-open.
She breathed heavily, preparing for the outburst of pain she was about to experience.
Her hand curled up slightly more, and the roots around Mark''s body grew tighter.
Both felt the same pain.
Both felt their left knees crack under the pressure.
Tears went down Yarnha''s face as she rolled on the ground.
Screams and shouts exited the Monster''s mouth.
Both felt the same pain.
But the emotions they conveyed were vastly different.
The roots became tighter and tighter around Mark''s body.
As a Spirit of Nature, inflicting damage on pain on others, especially on those who do not pose a threat to ''Nature'', was forbidden.
It was a Restriction.
A Rule.
Posed by whom?
"YOU THINK I''LL DIE LIKE THIS? YOU THINK I''LL LET MYSELF BE KILLED THIS WAY??" Mark shouted.
His body was the one being crushed.
Yet Yarnha was the one suffering.
"I WON''T..."
So much so that they were starting to dig into Mark''s muscles.
Which will resist most?
Which will give up first?
Which will lose?
Mark''s life or Yarnha''s pain tolerance, which will endure more?
"YOU THINK I''LL LET MYSELF BE CRUSHED? THAT I''LL LET MYSELF BE SWALLOWED THIS WAY?"
"Shut up..." Yarnha whispered on the other side.
"I AM..."
"Shut up...!"
"THE DEVOURER!!"
The pain was truly unbearable, and yet, Yarnha continued.
Determined to finish what she had started, she continued.
Eventually, Mark''s anger turned into something else.
Perhaps because the Green Mist''s Effects were starting to fade.
"Fuck... FUCK!!"
In the middle of the tomb of wood, he tried and tried to move.
Tried and tried to flex his muscles.
"I can''t move... I can''t move... Let... Let me go..." He whispered.
Anger had turned into fear.
A peculiar kind of fear, akin to ustrophobia.
"Let me go... LET ME GO!! LET ME GO DAMMIT!!" Mark shouted, and Yarnha cried.
"Just shut up and die...!" She whispered, her body covered by sweat and her face covered by tears.
It hurt.
Hurting the living hurt.
Both literally and metaphorically.
She didn''t want to hurt him.
She truly didn''t want to.
Doing so pained her, both emotionally and physically.
But then, why had Yarnha interfered?
Why had she decided to stand in their way?
Why hadn''t she let them walk through the Forest?
Because Mark held something.
Something that made her do this.
Something that awakened a sense and feeling that she wasn''t used to.
Greed.
"I can''t move... I can''t feel... I can''t feel my legs... I can''t move... My legs...!" Mark muttered.
His heart rate shot up.
This sensation, was worst than any pain that could be inflicted.
Mark blinked.
And for a second, he was back there once again. Back into that room. The room he had lived in for so long. The room that hecked the strength to leave. The room where he had died.
A shadow loomed over Mark''s eyes.
He wasn''t shouting anymore.
He wasn''t screaming.
"I don''t... ept this."
Slowly and gradually, a dark aura started oozing out of the numerous wounds and grazes that covered his body.
"I won''t... Go back. I won''t..."
His body started changing.
"Be put in that ce again."
Chapter 223 A Body Born With Chains
?
His arms fell too heavy to lift or raise.
His legs, too weak to be bent or move.
His breaths were shallow and weak.
"How do you feel?" She repeated.
His fingers ached as he clenched and pushed his fist against the bed below.
Such thin fingers he had.
"Fine... I feel fine..." The young man answered between tired pants.
In truth, he didn''t feel fine at all.
"That''s good. That''s good." The red-haired woman said, a sliver of doubt in her voice.
He didn''t feel fine, and she could tell.
The nurse lowered her gaze towards the board she held.
The pen in her hand moved.
The young man scratched his head.
He could only do so for a few seconds, as his thin bicep muscle quickly started cramping up.
"Agh..." The 17-year-old patient tried to hide it, but the nurse was a bit too good at picking up such things.
He knew she could tell.
After all, they had been together for six years already.
For thest six years, he has been a patient.
For thest six years, she has been taking care of him.
For six years, he has been locked in the hospital they were in.
"Any chest pain? Trouble breathing? Dizziness?" The nurse asked.
"None. Doing juuust fine."
Waking up even more tired than he was the night before.
Out of breath after simply sitting up.
A cramping bicep from scratching his head.
"Your parents areing to see you tomorrow. They''ll..."
The young man absent-mindedly moved his gaze away.
He stared at the window by his side.
Or rather, at whaty beyond it.
"Are you listening?"
"Mm." He nodded, despite not really listening.
There was nothing new to hear after all.
"You have physical therapyter with Mike, right? He told me you''ve been making good progress thisst month."
"Mm. I guess..."
"That''s exciting, right? I''m sure by this time next year, you''ll..."
The young man''s ears filtered out the rest.
In the prison that was his room, nothing changed.
No matter how much time passed.
No matter how much effort he put in.
Everything remained the same.
Not even Mina''s usually intoxicating cheerfulness and optimism could move his heart anymore.
In the prison that was his room.
The young man truly hated it.
He hated the TV he had in front of him at all times.
He hated the air conditioner that always adjusted the temperature for it to be just right.
He hated howfortable the bed below was.
In the prison that was his room.
But the real prison wasn''t the room, no.
The real prison wasn''t something he could escape from or attempt to leave.
The real prison, he was born in.
It restricted his movements at all times.
Unfairly and unjustly tied him down.
Kept him from doing so much.
It kept him from doing everything.
"I think I''ll sleep some more before the therapy." He said with a weak voice.
"Mm." The red-haired nurse nodded cheerfully. "I''lle get you sometime before, ''kay? Make sure you rest well!"
Even though he had just slept for about ten hours, he was still incredibly tired.
His muscles didn''t want to move.
His heart rate increased.
It was such an arduous task, going from a seated to a lying position.
The young man curled his body up under the white nket.
Breathing was getting tedious.
Why was that? Why was it that others could do it so easily?
His whole body felt tense.
His muscles had a brick''s sticity, and rubber band''s strength.
Hey there, unmoving.
Twenty minutester, his eyebrow twitched.
The young man opened his eyes.
It had started.
He was convinced it had.
Nothing more than a hunch, but the young man trusted that hunch.
With clenched fists, he pushed himself off the bed and sat up.
It hurt a bit less than it had earlier.
He bent his knees and turned around.
His muscles felt a bit more flexible than they had earlier.
It had started after all.
The young man took a deep breath as his feet dangled.
Slowly, and carefully, he lowered them.
Slowly, and carefully, he moved his bottom closer to the edge of the bed.
His triceps, with which his was supporting his weight, trembled. But they didn''t cramp up.
The young man pushed himself off the bed.
And stood up.
Upright, the young man stood.
He didn''t stumble. And he didn''t sway.
Slowly, a foot rose. He stepped forward.
It only took three steps to arrive at his destination.
Heavy breaths exited his month.
His destination.
The furthest ce he could get to without copsing.
A ce he could only get to asionally too.
His body only allowed him this privilege when it was happening.
He looked through the window, and there it was.
In a way, it was his dream.
Without realizing it, the young many a hand against the ss window.
His dream was so close that he could peek at it.
The distance separating him from it was, at most, 200 hundred meters.
And yet...
***
The roots wrapped around Mark''s body tightened.
They crushed bone, cut his skin, and tore through his muscle.
The pain was excruciating.
But it wasn''t his cries that were heard through the Forest.
Yarnha''s screamed and screamed as if it was her skin beingcerated, as if it were her bones being broken.
A dark aura oozed out of the Monster''s wounds.
''I won''t...''
It blinked, and its eyes changed color.
''Go back there.''
Suddenly,
Crack-
Crack-
Crack-
Crunch-
Crunch-
Crunch-
"Ha... Hahahaha!" Crazedughter escaped the Devourer''s mouth.
***
The tform of earth flipped.
"Ugh-"
The two that were being transported hit the ground.
''She really... We''re...''
Elisa looked around for a second.
''Outside the Forest...''
They had been left about a hundred meters away, on arge field of grass.
"I''m guessing this is the limit of her-"
The next second, the back of her hand was suddenly scratched.
"Agh. What was that for? Krista??"
The Moonlit Feline jumped off and away from her.
"Hey!"
The white-furred cat stared for a bit, before turning away.
"What are you...?"
The next second, the Moonlit Feline started running.
"Where...!"
It only took a second for Elisa to catch up after realizing it.
"I''m not letting you..."
With her arms spread to the sides, she barred the Moonlit Feline''s way.
"Go back in there."
Krista bared her fangs, and a blueish aura started emanating from her body.
The ground and grass below started freezing, as a coldness took hold of the Moonlit Feline''s eyes.
It was the first time Elisa had seen such a looking from Krista.
It was the first time Krista had given such a look.
The Moonlit Feline hissed, and the area covered by frost grewrger slightly.
The silent Elisa and the hissing Krista stared at one another.
Simultaneously, their ears twitched.
The Moonlit Feline leaped forward, slightly to its right.
Elisa moved to intercept.
But just when her hands were about to reach for the Moonlit Feline''s body, Elisa closed her eyes.
The next second, an incredibly bright light was emitted and shone through the starless night''s darkness.
The running white-furred cat had turned into a Lioness.
Having closed her eyes before the light could be emitted, Elisa wasn''t blinded.
Which is why, once more, it only took a second for her to stand in the Moonlit Feline''s way once more.
"I''m not letting you go, Krista."
How cold the Moonlit Feline''s eyes were, there was no need to describe.
Cold enough to freeze the ground below.
Cold enough for the air to get heavier.
Cold enough for it to turn into Frost.
The Lioness bared her fangs, her face twitching. Was Krista thirsty for blood?
Probably not.
After all, the one in front of her was none other than Elisa.
Yet, at this time, Krista couldn''t care less about that.
At the moment, Elisa wasn''t Elisa.
She was simply something standing in Krista''s way.
Something separating her from her Master.
Something keeping her from getting to his side once more.
"I-"
Before Elisa could get a word out, the Lioness let out a mighty roar.
The intensity was enough to make Elisa''s leg twitch.
The Lioness might have counted on her Master for protection many times, but at her essence, she was his Underling. His Protector.
And if he were about to face Death, the least she could do was face it too, by his side.
Elisa took a deep breath in.
"He has put his life on the line for me too many times already."
The next second, she unsheathed her Timeworn Elven Daggers.
"No matter what, I''m not letting you go in there. Not until Dawn."
The Lioness'' eyes narrowed.
"I owe him... That much at least."
The Moonlit Feline roared powerfully. And Elisa''s gaze was lowered to the ground.
Krista wasn''t about to back off.
"I don''t let you go, no matter what. This is what he would have wanted me to do. So please, Krista. Don''t try to go in there..." Elisa whispered.
She looked back up.
"Please..."
A resolute expression and teary eyes stared at Krista.
"Don''t make me hurt you."
Too easy. Too cowardly.
The Lioness roared as she stepped forward.
The nightmare Elisa had seen left an impact on her mind.
Scrambled thoughts.
Her father, her people, Raven, her vige...
Too many things her mind wanted to focus on at once.
But one thing she was certain of, was the thing she did her best to focus on.
Protecting Krista until Dawn.
Protecting her until the Forest calms down.
"We''ll go find him once the sun starts rising. If you can''t ept that..." Elisa raised her Daggers. "I''ll have to force you to wait."
Chapter 224 Devourers
?
As hystericalughter echoed a dozen steps away from Yarnha, confusion overtook the Spirit.
They were feeling the same pain.
How could heugh like that then?
Howe he wasn''t screaming like she was?
It was obvious, more than ever.
He was a Monster.
But beyond this,
''What is... Happening?''
Yarnha''s extended and half-clenched hand twitched.
''What''s up with this...'' She curled up her fingers a bit further. ''Lack of resistance?''
The Spirit was absolutely bewildered.
Previously, a certain amount of pressure and pushback could be felt.
But now, nothing.
It almost felt like she could clench, and therefore crush the Monster, with ease.
It was so strange that the Nature Spirit started doubting its senses.
''Did he run away somehow? No... I can hear hisughter. I can still feel my roots in contact with his body. But then... Howe...?''
Yarnha clenched her hand a bit further, and the roots around the Monster''s body tightened a bit further.
''Why am I not feeling any pain?''
It was as if the Monster had disappeared.
No, as if its muscles had lost all their strength.
As if they had turned into some kind of stretchy and slimy substance that offered no resistance against pressure.
"Now that I think about it..."
The voice immediately sent shivers down the Spirit''s spine.
"The way you feed on the dead..."
Yarnha''s body froze. A voice this cold, she had never heard.
"We''re the same, wouldn''t you agree?"
Immediately, the Spirit''s face that was covered by tears and sweat twisted.
"WE''RE NOTHING ALIKE, MONSTER!" Yarnha shouted, taking great offense.
"Of course we are. Nature, huh? The oldest-"
"SHUT UP!"
Yarnha clenched her hand further, and there was no resistance.
"You don''t get it, do you? We''re both..."
The wounds on Mark''s body started changing. It wasn''t clear whether this was the effect of the dark aura oozing out of them or not.
The muscles, in which the roots seemed to sink, started changing too.
Crack- Crack- Crack-
On his arms, legs, sides, shoulders, hands, and neck,
Crack- Crack- Crack-
Fangs were formed.
"Devourers, aren''t we?"
All over the Monster''s body, the wounds and areas in which the roots had sunk turned into mouths full of fangs.
And between many of those fangs, rested the Spirit''s roots.
Yarnha clenched her teeth.
"You''re no more than a Beast feeding itself on others." The Spirit dered. "Don''tpare yourself to the Forest."
Squeeze-
But the instant the roots were about to tighten,
Crunch- Crunch Crunch-
All the jaws on Mark''s body closed at once.
''What is-''
Crunch- Crunch- Crunch-
It only took a couple of seconds for the Devourer''s Fangs to tear the restraints around the Devourer''s body.
Thump-
"Ha... Hahahaha!"
Yarnha''s body trembled for a second, as more than a dozen creaturesughed.
Or rather, more than a dozen mouths.
"Just a Beast, you say? I''m no Beast, Yarnha."
The Monster, freed of the constraints,y on the ground.
"I am..."
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
Only the crushed bones were healed by the Magic Skill.
"The Devourer."
"DIE!" Yarnha shouted suddenly.
And as Mark stumbled while trying to stand, four roots moved towards him.
Like whips, they descended on his back.
No bones were crushed.
And yet, Yarnha cried harder than she ever had.
The stumbling Monster, on the other hand, hit the ground silently.
"Stay down..." Yarnha whispered as she tried her best to hold her tears in. "Please stay down."
One-
Two-
Three-
The Monster didn''t stand up.
But on the wound left on its back, arge mouth appeared.
Kekekekek-
"Why won''t you just-"
"Man, falling like this..." The Monster slowly pushed itself off the ground. The jaw on its face remained shut. "Used to be such a big deal."
"Will you-"
"Thank you, Yarnha."
"Huh?"
The Monster scratched the back of its head.
Its dark eyes nced at the sky above a secondter.
Only then did the mouth on its face move.
"Part of the fog has lifted again."
"Fog?"
"Mm." Mark nodded. "Don''t worry about it. I just felt that I had to thank you..."
He took a deep breath in.
The moonlight was pleasant.
The air felt refreshing.
"Before killing you."
"Killing me? A Beast thinks it can-"
Yarnha''s words were interrupted by the piercing and repetitive sound of fangs shing.
"Forest... Devourer... Forest... Beast..." Mark muttered. "The individual versus the collective, huh?"
The Spirit''s eyebrow rose.
Curiosity and slight interest.
"What''s that supposed to mean?"
The Monster''s multiple mouths chuckled at the question.
"What is a Forest, Yarnha?" The Spirit''s hand twitched. "An ecosystem? A group? A collective, isn''t it?"
"A Forest is much more than that."
Mark raised his arms to the sides.
"A Forest is nothing more than a collection of trees, Yarnha."
Immediately, a chilling pressure could be felt by Mark. A pressure that wasing from all around him.
A portion of the wave of trees that separated him from her parted, leaving a hole through which they could see one another.
"Continue." Yarnha said with incredibly cold eyes.
The kind of eyes a Spirit of Nature very rarely could show.
"Do I need to? Trees are weak. They''re nothing, just like grass. Which is why they need to stick together. They stick together, and somehow turn into a Forest. Funny, isn''t it?"
"How so?" The Spirit''s eyebrow twitched with repressed anger.
"Mmmm... How to exin this?" The Monster whispered as it brought a finger to its chin.
''Is he still high?''
The Monster snapped its fingers and pointed at the Spirit.
With a wide smile,
"You''re basically a swarm of insects. Actually, I''m more scared of Insects than trees. The number is what gives you this... Status thing, or Authority? Number... And location. Yeah. Absolutely nothing special about you-"
The Monster suddenly jumped to the side.
"You''re dying, lowly Beast. You darepare yourself to-"
"No, no, no, no. I''m notparing anything. Come on now..." The Monster raised its hands and showed its palms. "No need to get violent here."
"You won''tply. It took some time, but I understand that now." Yarnha said as she started to extend a hand forward.
"Is that how weak your Pride is? Afraid of listening to a Beast''s words?"
"It''s not ack of Pride." Yarnha extended her hand fully, uncaring. "It''s Sloth."
"Well then," Mark said, ignoring the sharp tree root''s tip approaching him from behind. "Let''s settle this..."
The root seemed to pierce his body, but no blood was shed.
''What is...?''
The instant the root hade into contact with Mark''s scales and pushed against his muscles,
Crunch-
Jaws appeared and cut the root before it could injure him.
"As Devourers!"
Markunched himself forward.
"Foolishness." Yarnha uttered, and the wave of trees separating the two closed the hole in its midst.
You''re basically a swarm of insects-
''You little shit. I''ll show you what...'' Yarnha cursed internally.
Bang-
Bang-
"No matter how much you hit, you won''t be able to-"
Yarnha felt as if her heart had been grabbed by fangs, as a portion of the wall came down and a dark eye stared.
"You don''t get it yet, do you, Yarnha?"
The Spirit pushed itself off the ground and quickly stood up.
"You have no idea who I am. Or what I am. And you''re going to be sorry for not killing me earlier."
"What the hell are you-"
"You''re nothing in front of me, swarm of trees. You still DON''T GET IT!" The Monster suddenly shouted, startling the Spirit.
It took a step back, before looking around.
An ted expression on its face.
"I just need to kill you, Yarnha. I just need to kill you."
The Spirit stared silently. It wanted to step back, but it didn''t.
"This whole ce. This whole Forest. All... That makes you you. I just need to kill it and then..." Mark brought his hands together. The distance between his hands was about twenty centimeters. "I can turn all of you, into a sphere that can fit in my hand."
"Nonsense."
The Monster smiled widely.
"This whole Forest. I''ll make all of it..." A mad smile. "Fit in the palm of my hand."
"There''s no way such a thing would-"
"Don''t worry about it. It doesn''t matter." Mark said.
"Kekekeke!" The rest of the mouths on the Monster''s body snickered.
"This isn''t a fight for survival anymore. This is..."
Crack- Crack- Crack-
The Devourer''s Fangs shouted.
"A Battle Between Devourers."
"A... What?"
He snapped his fingers and pointed at her.
"Loser gets Devoured. Winner takes all. Mmm." Mark nodded. "I''ve always had a knack and passion for gambling, you know that?"
A slightly confused Spirit stared.
"I''ll keep you right where I want you."
Dozens of green pods suddenly appeared on the wall separating the two.
Puff- Puff- Puff-
Mark breathed the Green Mist until his chest was puffed up high.
"Humans are the destroyers of Nature, aren''t they? Then-"
A bundle of curled-up roots suddenly hit his chin,unching him away stumbling.
With a hand, Mark held his disconnected lower jaw.
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
"Mm. You''re right." He nodded. "I''m no Human."
Chapter 225 His Only Blindspot
?
"Now that I''ve started this," The small hole made through the wall of trees closed. "I''m not letting you go."
"Kekekek." The Monster chuckled. "I don''t want you to."
The next second, four tree roots left the ground and moved with great speed towards it.
The Monster jumped to the side then, with a p of its wings, rose into the air.
From above, he stared at the Spirit beyond the wall.
"Don''t think Nature can''t reach the sky." Yarnha said menacingly.
The Monster extended a palm towards the Spirit, and a volley of Great Fire Balls was shot.
Before they could touch Yarnha''s body, the ground moved to form a curved wall in front of her.
"Mm." The Monster nodded. "Of course the ground is part of the Forest. That''s where it all starts." It whispered. "Where the Forest starts."
With a root''s swing, the smoke covering the area around the Spirit was cut in two.
"Don''t think you escape by-"
"Escape?" The voice came from behind. "I told you already. This is..." Half a dozen Ice Spikes flew towards the Spirit. "A Battle Of Devourers."
Quickly asserting his position thanks to the Wind, Yarnha extended a finger, and half a dozen roots left the ground.
The spikes made of ice were pierced, and the roots continued extending further towards the flying Monster.
"Phew..." It whistled while dodging. "No range limit?"
"Think I''ll answer that?"
"Don''t mind me." The Monster extended its hands towards the roots that were being pulled back into the ground below. "I''m just thinking out loud."
Staggering Thunder-
''Tsk. Since it''s not a Magic Skill I have anymore, it uses up way more Mana than it-''
The thunderbolts came into contact with the moving roots.
It took a couple of seconds, but the roots seemed to lose some speed.
"Wait... I can use it even though it''s not a Skill I have?"
More roots exited the ground and,
Wind st-
The power was enough to raise the Monster even higher into the air.
"Wonder if you get me from here-"
A dozen of the trees below moved.
The branches curled up and, as if they were quills shot by an animal, detached and flew towards the Monster.
A slight smile was on its face as it deflected two of the sharp branches with a hand.
"Reminds me of that golden Centipede thing." The Monster noted cheerfully.
It slowly moved back.
The next second, a long line of trees behind it moved.
Their branches were angled towards the Monster''s back.
"I''m not letting you go." Yarnha whispered.
The Monster raised its hands to the side.
And in those palms,nded...
"The branches I shot?"
A second after they were grasped, they turned into a green sphere of energy.
"See, Yarnha?" The Monster opened its mouth wide and swallowed the sphere. "This is your future."
Like an animal erecting its tail full of quills at an enemy, the branches were shot in waves towards the Monster.
Almost uncaring about the iing organic des, the Monster moved its center of gravity forward.
"Instead of running away, you''reing right to me?"
A smirk appeared on the Monster''s face.
"Well I can''t Devoure you," It spread its wings wide.
Wind st-
"Without getting closer!"
The sudden increase in speed made the Spirit''s eyes widen.
Still, it wasn''t anything it couldn''t handle.
In fact, it was the perfect opportunity.
Yarnha extended a hand towards the rapidly approaching Monster.
From the ground below it, roots extended towards the sky with curvature and approached the Monster''s back like a scorpion''s tail.
The Monster pped its wings once more,
Wind st-
And it elerated further.
But the instant those roots were about to reach its back, the Monster extended a hand to the side.
Wind st-
The recoil was enough to push the Monster''s body to the side, but its downward speed could not be dealt with properly.
Its feet left marks as they slid on the ground.
"You can''t move the same roots for too long, huh?" The Monster asked as the roots slowly went back into the ground.
''Killing him... Would I be able to handle the kind of pain that would result from that?'' Yarnha asked herself as more roots forced the Monster to dodge and dodge. ''My best bet would be slowly draining his lifeforce. But for that, I''ll need him unconscious for a while...''
"Man, this feels amazing." The Monster dered out of nowhere.
The sudden deration brought a slight smile to the Spirit''s face.
"Does it?"
"Well yeah. I mean..."
Only then, did Yarnha notice it.
Many of the wounds-turned-mouths had changed.
They kept their wound-like appearance but,
"It feels like I have no blindspots."
The mouths had turned into dark eyes.
On the Monster''s back, neck, and arms.
Eyes that stared in every direction.
"And you can''t tell why?" Yarnha asked, puzzled.
"Mm." The Monster nodded. "I guess being high has its benefits."
"Pfff!" The Spirit chuckled. "I''m guessing they''re on and off, huh? Only feel them when something is approaching."
"On-and-off? What are you talking about?"
The Spirit smiled brightly.
"Don''t worry about it." It said before extending a hand towards the Monster.
Again and again, roots tried to pierce its body.
But at once point,
''They''re not as fast as before. Or rather, they don''t seem as aggressive...'' The Monster thought it itself.
"That Elf and that cat..." The Spirit started.
A distraction.
A fraction of a second had been gained.
More than enough.
"Gotcha."
More than enough for a root to wrap itself around the Monster''s ankle.
"You-"
Before anything could happen, more roots wrapped themselves around the Monster.
But they didn''t constrain its movements as much as earlier.
The Monster was suddenly plunged into darkness.
"Finally. This should do it." Yarnha whispered to herself as she walked closer.
In front of the Spirit, arge spherical barrier made of roots.
"Let this flower bloom, and be painted red..."
The sphere hung in the air, thanks to the lower extremities of those roots.
"With your blood."
Chapter 226 How It Works?
?
"Let this flower bloom and be painted red with your blood."
Bang-
Bang-
Bang-
On the interior walls of therge spherical barrier around its body, the Monster banged and banged.
Constricting.
Cramped.
Instinct made the Monster open its mouth wide.
But before it could dig its fangs into the bundle of roots, a dozen green pods appeared on its interior surface.
Puff- Puff- Puff-
"Let''s put you to sleep, Monster."
Minutes passed by.
The banging on the interior slowly grew less and less intense.
With time, it also grew less and less frequent.
"Sweet dreams."
It took a couple more minutes, but a breach through the sphere was eventually made.
And a Monster crawled out before falling to the ground.
"Mmm... You''re really stubborn. There''s really no need to-"
The Monster, whose eyes were slowly opening and closing, was whispering something.
Yarnha took a step closer.
"Kill... Kill... Kill... Kill them..."
"la. This is really-"
Yarnha froze, as the Monster''s eyes found her.
Ity on the ground and, with its back bent, stared at her.
The strange posture reminded her of a spider.
The Monster''s limbs twitched.
They moved rapidly, but also robotically.
While remaining with its pointed at the sky, the Monster extended a hand towards the Spirit.
Yarnha''s eyebrow twitched.
On the Monster''s left palm, a mouth appeared.
Disgust filled the Spirit.
But the next second, a different emotion emerged, as a ck sphere was formed in front of that mouth.
"You-"
A thin, silent, and quiet stream of dark energy was shot.
The stream itself was silent, but its effects weren''t.
Immediately, a dozen trees fell to the ground.
At the same time, the ground''s shaking stopped and the moving trees turned still as their roots reentered the ground.
The Monster remained unmoving, its body making a bridge, and its left arm extended.
The Forest had turned quiet all of a sudden.
And most importantly, the Spirit had disappeared.
Had it been killed, or...?
"You can''t do anything." The Spirit uttered before disappearing once more.
"You won''t be able to touch me."
"Why don''t you just go to sleep?"
"I get it now."
"You''re not even awake, are you?"
"You''re not conscious at all."
"This is simply you reacting by instinct."
"I''m surprised the mention of the Elf was enough to distract you."
Unlike what Yarnha had expected, no stream of dark energy was shot this time.
Instead, the Monster stood up.
From the bridge posture, it rose to its feet without using its arms.
It was truly as if its upper body had gone limp, or was made of a slimy substance.
The Monster turned around and stared at the Spirit, who was seated on an unmoving tree''s branch.
"You thought you could take them from me?"
A malicious smile appeared on Yarnha''s face as she crossed her legs.
"I can take anything I want."
"You''re dead."
"Yeah, yeah. You''ll be passing out soon anyways. Can you even see straight?"
The Monster remained silent for a couple of seconds.
"You''re dead."
"Mmm." Yarnha raised a finger. "Guess you don''t want to sleep so early, huh? You don''t have to worry about that."
Her finger drew a circle, and so did the root that exited the ground by the Monster''s side.
"The night is still young after all."
The root approached the Monster''s back.
Crunch-
"Huh. Didn''t even notice you turning around." The Spirit admitted.
"Trapped... A slow death..."
"Mm?"
"Forest... The Forest can only survive if it traps individuals inside. That''s why you need all these trees."
Yarnha looked away for a bit.
"Perhaps."
The Monster extended a palm quietly while the Spirit was looking away.
Great Fire Ball-
Boom-
"You''ve tried this already, haven''t you?"
The voice came from behind the Monster.
It slowly turned around and stared at the Spirit, who stood on a branch.
"Mm. I saw it now."
"Saw it?"
"Mm." The Monster nodded.
"What do you think you saw?"
"Disappearing... But not really. Temporarily bing one with the Forest, using it to hide and move away..."
"Temporarily? There''s nothing temporary about it."
The Monster raised its left arm up high.
Dark Corrupting-
Before the Skill could be used, an incredibly sharp branch pierced the air.
"That one..." The Spirit said. "Is dangerous."
Blood flowed out of both the cut-off arm that spun in the air and the Monster''s shoulder.
Thump-
The cut-off arm fell to the ground.
"What...?"
It didn''t take long for the Spirit to realize.
The Monster moved its shoulder.
It was still connected to the cut-off arm by something that Yarnha thought was blood at first.
The viscous and thick dark liquid that connected the shoulder to the cut-off arm stretched, before drawing a half circle and quickly retracting.
"I understand now..." The arm reconnected with the rest of the body. "How your stuff works now."
"Oh is that so-"
"It''s all connected, isn''t it?"
Yarnha immediately felt a chill run down her spine.
***
"You can stop here."
"Y... Yes, Commander." Borus said beforeing to a halt.
"I couldn''t get a good nap in because of your rocking. That''s really annoying."
"Ap... Apologies." Therge Boar-like Monster lowered its body and gaze.
"Ahh..." Lin stretched his arms after dismounting. "Really don''t want to go into the Forest when it''s dark."
"Is it that dangerous, Commander?"
With cold eyes, Lin turned towards the Subordinate.
He took a step towards the Boar-like Monster''s head and stared.
"Think you have the right to ask questions?"
"I... I-"
"Rx, you ignorant dolt." Lin said before yawning. "It''s not a full moon, but entering the Forest Of Yarnha at night is still nothing to sneeze at."
"I... I''m sure it would be no trouble for you, Commander."
"Probably. Though that wouldrgely depend on how motivated Yarnha is. Or on her mood."
"What if-"
"Doesn''t matter anyways. Either the target makes it out and we track him down for a bit longer, or we find him dead in the Forest."
"I see-"
"Shut up and get some sleep now."
Borus did as he was told.
''Let''s just hope I don''t go in there to find a couple of bones.''
Yawn-
''Oh, well. The Lord doesn''t care much anyways.''
Chapter 227 A Spirits Blood, I
?
With a graceful hop, Yarnha left the branch she was standing on andnded on the ground.
The Monster brought its center of gravity forward and bent its knees.
A dozen tree roots left the ground around the Spirit.
They swayed and dangled around it like tails.
"You''re right. Trapping intruders in, that''s how the Forest feeds itself. Interfering this way... Must be my third or fourth time in-"
It took no time for the Monster''s ws to suddenly appear in front of Yarnha''s eyes.
Crash-
Crack-
Bam-
Unable to properly control the speed with which its body was moving, the Monster crashed into a tree, breaking its trunk, and rolled on the ground multiple times.
"What was that?" The Spirit, who had disappeared into the ground below, asked after reappearing, its upper body emerging from a tree''s trunk.
The Monster rose to its feet, and took back the same posture as earlier.
It concentrated on its feet that were in contact with the ground.
And the instant those feet started moving,
Wind st-
An instant eleration that used the Magic Skill''s recoil to further one''s movement speed.
Once again, the Spirit disappeared before it could be reached.
The Monster crashed into the tree.
Crack-
Two ribs were fractured by the impact.
It felt the same way colliding with a gigantic boulder would have.
The Monster, panting for air, fell to its knees.
Bleugh-
"Throwing up on the ground. Disgusting." Yarnhamented. "Still, the blood isn''t too bad."
"Those roots of yours... And this tree..." The Monster, gasping for air, said in a low voice. "They''re not really alive, are they?"
Yarnha was positioned behind the Monster.
And yet, it had noticed the confusion and surprise.
The Monster rapidlyy a foot against the indestructible tree and,
Wind st-
The Spirit disappeared once more.
''Locating me with the rest of the eyes on its body. So creepy...'' It thought to itself.
The Monster looked to its right.
It looked to its left.
It turned around, then looked up.
The Monster''s multiple pupils moved and moved, looking for the target.
It took two steps forward, beforeing to a stop.
The Monster raised its left hand.
"Looking for me?"
At the Spirit that had suddenly appeared, a Dark Corrupting Spear was thrown with great strength.
"Phew..." Yarnha whistled. "Your aim isn''t bad." She said after dodging the attack by moving her head.
The Monster stared for a couple of seconds.
A second Dark Corrupting Spear appeared in its left hand.
"Think this one will do any better?" Yarnha asked.
The Monster remained silent for a moment.
"Why dodge?"
"Huh-"
With both hands, the Monster gripped the weapon tightly.
But as it was raised above its head, the ground below started shaking, and the Monster changed targets.
A Spirit dodging an attack meant a lot.
That much, the Monster knew.
And about more than that, it was sure.
The Monster let its hands fall back to the sides.
It bent its knees while holding on tightly to the Dark Corrupting Spear.
The next second,
''Huh? Seriously?''
The Monster had turned away, and was currently,
''Running away? Now?''
"Where you going?"
"You don''t think you''ll find the exit, do you?"
"You''re trapped here."
No matter how far the Monster ran, the Spirit appeared suddenly a couple of steps away from it.
No matter how much it ran, Yarnha found it.
And perhaps, more importantly, the ground''s shaking below didn''t stop, no matter how far it ran from the initial position.
The Monster''s mind, under the influence of the Green Mist, raced and raced.
Inconsistencies and coincidences.
Thoughts and theories.
Trees that could be brought down. Trees that couldn''t be brought down.
Ground that shook. Ground that didn''t shake.
Roots that could be torn by Fangs, but couldn''t be damaged by anything else.
A connected Forest.
A single collective.
A moving heart that, despite asserting that the Monster was trapped, kept following it.
The Monster could only arrive at one conclusion.
Crack- Crack- Crack-
A barrage of trees suddenly blocked its way.
Without slowing down, the Monster lowered its body and spread its wings.
Flying up above the multiple trees that tried holding it down, the Monster stared at the Forest below.
Not all roots are indestructible.
Not all trees are indestructible.
"I''m keeping an eye on you."
A root found its way to the Monster''s foot.
It wrapped itself around the Monster''s ankle, and quickly brought its body down to the ground.
Freezing Mist-
"That level of Ice Magic won''t do a thing against the mighty Forest''s Roots. They are what keeps the whole Forest alive, you know?"
The Monster''s body, which had been temporarily shrouded by the Freezing Mist, hit the ground with a ''Bam!''
But of course, the roots weren''t kind enough to leave it be, as ity on the ground.
The sinking roots did their best to drown the Monster under the earth.
And they would have, were it not for Fangs appearing on its ankle.
Yarnha slowly emerged out of a nearby tree''s trunk.
With slow steps, she walked closer.
Why was the Spirit approaching?
Why was it keeping an eye on the Monster?
Yarnha stared as the Devourery unmoving, t on its chest.
"..."
Mutters, that the Spirit had no interest in, left the Monster''s mouth.
Pain directly inflicted by her, would be brought back to her.
Grabbing the Monster and mming its body against the ground, didn''t seem to count as "direct" infliction of damage.
"Now, will you behave? The sooner we can get this over with, the less pain you''ll have to-"
Drop-
Drop-
Yarnha''s body froze.
The Monster''s lips, hidden against the ground, curled up.
Its nose twitched.
Its stomach growled.
"What... Did you do?"
It was such a sweet scent.
"What did you do?" Yarnha shouted as she brought a hand towards her nose.
The scent of a Spirit''s blood.
"You used Krista and Elisa earlier, so..." The Monster said, and Yarnha''s body twitched. "Don''t feel bad about this."
The next second, the three weapons that hung up in the air started their descent.
"Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon".
Chapter 228 A Spirits Blood, II
?
"What did you do?" Yarnha shouted again, as a trail of blood run down her left nostril.
With a hand, she tried stopping its descent, but to no avail.
"Kekekek..." The Monster chuckled.
The next second, Yarnha''s hair stood on end.
She turned around as quickly as she could.
As soon as the dark weapons had gone below the trees'' tips, their presence could be felt.
But seeing them was apletely different thing.
She raised her arms towards them.
Yarnha''s eyes suddenly widened as,
Wind st-
Her body twitched, as she turned back.
The Monster''s arm had barely been stopped on time.
Its dark ws were only inches away.
A secondter, Yarnha jumped back as a wave of pain went through her body.
She tried to hide but,
"I got it, right?"
The Spirit clicked its tongue.
Fanhs appeared on the Monster''s arm, cutting away its restraints.
The next second, a sphere of roots was formed around its body once more.
Dark Corrupting Spear-
The Monster nodded as the weapon was unable to pierce through the roots.
After letting go of the weapon, its fangs got to work.
Meanwhile, something sprouted on the interior surface above the Monster.
Silently, and quietly, a pinkish pod grew.
The Dark Corrupting Spear that had been let go of turned into a dark liquid.
Whether the liquid would be absorbed by the roots and ground or not, the Monster did not know.
One thing was clear.
The areas controlled by the Spirit are untouchable.
That is the reason why the trees and roots in its vicinity are indestructible.
By channeling Mana through portions of the forest, Yarnha can manipte and control them.
But by channeling that Mana through a tree''s root, the root changes. In fact, the tree changes. The root''s ''activities'' as a living being are halted, and it turns into something akin to a weapon.
As the roots halt their ''living behaviors'', they be something between living and dead.
The reason as to why Mark could manipte the mes used by the Fire Spirit more easily than those that made up thetter''s body is a simr one.
The portions controlled by Yarnha at any given time, could not be damaged by anything but the Devourer''s Fangs.
Fangs that could pierce through any inanimate object or dead living being.
Mark had, somewhat, figured these things out.
But this still posed a problem.
Added to the uncertainty and doubt, how could one know the areas that Yarnha currently had control over?
There seemed to be a limit imposed on how many roots could attack at once, but that was nothing more than conjecture.
The ground being part of the Forest was something that Mark had figured out early on. Additionally, he had witnessed Yarnha disappearing by hiding into the ground just like she had into the trees many times. This furthered his belief. Still, would harming the ground really lead to harming the Spirit?
Yes. He firmly believed the positive.
Why? It was simple.
The constant shaking of the ground below him.
No matter how much he extended the distance between him and Yarnha, thetter continued extending the territory on which she had control, hence the ground''s shaking.
The Spirit was following him too. Which allowed the idea that, perhaps, it needed visual information on the threat to defend itself. It needed to see where the attack was going, to decide which part of the Forest needed protecting.
Multiple Dark Corrupting Spears had been shot already. Without a doubt, many of them had found their way into a tree or into the ground.
Why was the Spirit''s nose bleeding only now then?
Because this was the only time it couldn''t see the attack.
The only time it couldn''t calcte its trajectory. The only attack the Spirit hadn''t seening.
By hiding his next move with the Freezing Mist, Mark was able to, unbeknownst to Yarnha, throw the Dark Corrupting Spear to a faraway portion of the Forest.
Mark had the means of damaging the Spirit. All that was left, was finding a proper opportunity.
Moments earlier, as the Monstery unmoving on the ground, it focused all of its attention on channeling its Mana.
Just like he had against the Olga, Mark used the "Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon" Magic Skill.
A Skill that, unlike his Dark Corrupting Spear, did not make the Weapon appear between his hands but rather, in the air above.
Since the ground was part of the Forest, Mark found it natural to assume that the Wind could be part of it too.
Therefore, he focused on forming the Weapons above the trees.
Above the Forest.
Outside the Forest.
The fact that Yarnha only sensed those Weapons approaching once their altitude was inferior to the trees'' height proved him right.
The ability to make those Colossal Harpoons appear dozens of meters away was an incredible addition to Mark''s toolbox.
But it didn''te free of charge. The further from the User the Weapons were to appear, the more Mana their conception consumed.
Mark had hoped that his ws would pierce the Spirit''s chest.
Unfortunately, the attack was stopped.
Or rather, only one of the two.
A bulging vein appeared on the Spirit''s face.
The Battle Of Devourers wasn''t as simple as it had expected.
Mark clicked his tongue internally.
A one-time pincer attack that Yarnha probably wouldn''t allow again.
The two remained silent, but their thoughts raced.
Suddenly,
Cough-
Despite being trapped inside the sphere of roots, Mark could hear.
He imagined a drop of blood going down the Spirit''s mouth, which cause his lips to curl.
Yarnha unclenched her hand, and a pinkish mist was released inside the sphere.
Upon taking one breath, Mark felt his heart rate increase like never before.
His fangs worked even harder to tear the roots entrapping him.
It beat so fast that Mark felt like his heart was about to explode.
''Taking him more time to get out than-''
Yarnha''s eyes widened.
She immediately raised her gaze to the sky.
The Spirit hadn''t noticed at all.
It was raining. Why so suddenly?
A drop fell on the Spirit''s arm.
Yarnha cursed internally.
The area covered wasn''trge.
Nevertheless, it couldn''t be stopped.
A rain of dark blood fell on the Forest.
Yarnha took control of as much as she could.
But the ''attack'' truly couldn''t be stopped.
Sure, the ground and trees wouldn''t absorb the Corrupting Liquid while they are being controlled. But what happens after that?
It didn''t take a while for dark tears to start going down Yarnha''s eyes.
A substance that attacked both Body and Soul.
As Mark would further learn and understand, Corruption is an especially potent Weapon against Spirits.
Chapter 229 Soon, Well Meet
?
"Wee, dear customer! We-"
The merchant''s face and lips froze at the sight of her.
She was mostly hidden under her cape, but...
"D... D-D.... Dra..."
"Dra...? Do you know me?" The woman asked as she took her cape off, revealing her long red hair.
"N-N-No... But uhmm." The stuttering Merchant rubbed his hands together as a drop of sweat went down his forehead. "It''s always an honor to serve a Dragon in my humble establishment."
Impassive and piercing, Draconia''s golden pupils stared as she nodded.
"Right." The Seventh General Of Pride put her cape back on.
"Keeping a low profile?"
Draconia''s eyes narrowed, and the Merchant felt as if a w was centimeters away from his heart.
"That''s not something one should say to those who want to keep a low profile. What kind of Merchant are you?"
"I... I''m still... Still new to the business. I apologize if I-"
"New to the business? What business?"
The merchant lowered his gaze for a bit.
He seemed both clueless and helpless.
"The business of... Selling things."
Nia chuckled internally. She didn''t let it show though.
The descendant of Dragons was very good at hiding behind an unreadable expression. Something for which Raven has praised her many times.
And after every one of those many times she was praised for it, Nia has denied hiding anything.
"What do you have?"
"Whatever you desire, dear customer." The merchant rubbed his hands together, obviously trying to redeem himself. "We have everything you might-"
"A Dragon''s Tongue, a Kraken''s Core, and a Devil''s Shadow."
"Well it... Well... We don''t-"
"I''m joking. This is Lust. I wouldn''t expect those things to be found here."
"I... I see." The merchant was convinced that the customer was not the joking type. He internally cursed his reading skills.
"Show me your strongest Poisons and Venoms. Or I guess... Drugs you would call them here. Not the kind you eat or drink though. Anything that Alchemists use such as Monster Eyes or other body parts."
"Yes, I will be right back."
After a bit of looking around, the Merchant presented multiple Items and Substances to the General Of Pride.
"This one, in particr, is an extremely strong hallucinogenic. It''s very popr these days. Its-"
"What it is made of?"
"Oh too manyponents to count. It is, however, made using the strongest aphrodisiacs and a pinkish mist that can only be found in-"
"No aphrodisiacs."
"None? But how-"
"I said none. I''m not buying these for... That kind of use."
"Oh well, you should. There''s no greater pleasure that being able to-"
Feeling the temperature in the room suddenly dropping, the merchant shut his mouth.
About fifteen minutester, Nia was outside the shop.
It was dark outside still.
She looked to the right.
In alleys or in the open, it didn''t change anything for them.
She looked to the left.
It was the same.
''Ugh... Such animals in here.''
Nia walked away.
She did her best to ignore the nakedness and moaning that ruled over the Capital of Lust, but it was strange.
The less she wanted to hear the moans and the more she focused on her hearing to make sure that she couldn''t hear those moans. Which in turn, made it pretty difficult to ignore them.
"Disgusting, gross, and, without Pride." Nia whispered after climbing on a tall building.
Lust was one of the more advanced parts of the Monster Realm.
She raised her gaze towards the dark sky.
''I''ll make it there tomorrow. Will Raven and Mark be there, or will it take another 2 weeks?''
Niay her back against the cold building''s rooftop and closed her eyes.
''Soon, we''ll meet.''
***
A breach was made in the sphere of roots.
Squirming out of that breach, a white-scaled Monster.
Thump-
Its body fell to the ground.
''The fact that he can heal and heal makes it so that no matter how much pain I got through, it won''t be enough. This has to be it, otherwise...''
The Monster''s hands twitched.
''Tsk.'' Yarnha clicked her tongue internally. ''If he can target arge area with Corruption, I won''t be able to protect the Forest. Plus...'' She lowered her gaze towards her right hand. It was trembling. ''I''m almost at my limit.''
The white-scaled Monster was breathing.
Its body twitched from time to time, but it didn''t move or stand up.
''He''s a poison. Meddling was a mistake from the beginning.'' Yarnha let out a sigh. ''The degree of Corruption is too high. The fact that its arm reattached that way earlier... It''s like his body is made of Corruption. It''s one with his body. I can''t have that be part of the Forest. I can''t.''
The Spirit stared at the unmoving Monster for a bit.
''This Greed... I didn''t know I had it in me.''
From the breach that the Monster had made in the sphere of roots, a pinkish mist flowed out.
''Wort case scenario, I''ll just have to separate what I want the Forest to ingest and what to leave. That-''
The Monster clenched its fist.
"You know I used something very valuable on you just now."
Cough-
"It''ll get even harder to breathe. But if you''re still awake now, then it won''t hurt you much. That should be able to work on Commanders. Maybe even a couple of Generals."
Pant-
"I''m guessing poisons and toxins in general don''t work well on you, huh? Does it have something to do with what you said? Devourers? Anything that enters your body is Devoured, right? Mmm... It''s just a guess, so who knows? Can you hear me, Monster?"
It had taken a couple of tries.
A bit of falling and stumbling.
But he had managed.
Mark was standing.
He couldn''t feel his arms.
In truth, couldn''t feel much at all.
With his arms hanging in front of him, lifeless, Mark stood.
"Can you hear me?"
The Monster opened its mouth, and a moist fog was emitted.
Mark opened his eyes.
"Can you?"
He raised his head, then lowered it.
"Good. You got lucky this time, Monster."
Mark tilted his head to the side, puzzled by the Spirit''s words.
Yarnha sighed and raised her gaze upwards.
"I''m feeling generous so... I''ll let you go."
The Monster''s eyes narrowed.
"You want a show of trust, huh?"
Mark didn''t react.
"I can do that." Yarnha said as she extended a hand towards him.
The next second, the ground settled.
The trembling and shaking stopped.
Mark immediately stumbled.
He had grown used to the shaking, and it ceasing at once made his body lose its bnce for a moment.
The trees a dozen meters behind Mark started shaking.
He turned around as fast as he could.
"There. That''s the way they went. Or... The way I sent them. That Elf and Feline. You might be able to find them if you hurry."
Filled with doubt and distrust, Mark stared at the Spirit.
"Come on." Yarnha gestured with the fingers on her right hand extending and curling. "Get out of here. While neither of us has sustained any longsting damage."
It seemed true enough.
The Spirit''s nosebleed had ceased.
Not one attack hadnded on its body.
None of the usual indications of Corruption entering the enemy''s body and damaging it could be seen.
On the other hand, Mark felt exhausted and slightly confused. Most of his Mana Points had been consumed, and he had trouble thinking straight.
Maybe it was right to leave.
Maybe that is what he should do.
A favor.
That''s what it felt like.
The Spirit was doing him a favor.
Mark couldn''t fully trust Yarnha''s words. But at the same time, he found it hard to distrust them.
epting a favor from the enemy? That wasn''t something he was used to. Mark wasn''t used to favors being offered by his enemies in the first ce, much less to epting them.
Yarnha scratched her head.
"Go away, and find those you came here with."
A sneak attack?
A diversion?
It was possible.
The Spirit had already done both after all. Including using Elisa and Krista as an excuse to disrupt Mark''s rhythm and distract him.
Still, there was something.
Something about the Spirit and the way it talked.
Its voice maybe? Or its tone?
Mark wasn''t sure what it was.
Additionally, he couldn''t tell if that feeling was simply an effect of the Green Mist he had already breathed in multiple times or not.
Yarnha brought her palms together in front of her chest.
"Please, leave."
Some kind of mind control effect?
It could have been.
Mark tried to convince himself that that was the case, as he took a step back.
But the next second, the pinkish mist, coupled with the green one, showed their effects.
The Monster had only dropped its guard for a second.
It was more than enough for those substances to take hold of its mind and brain.
Chapter 230 Hurts, Doesnt It?
?
The Spirit stared at the twitching Monster.
A small portion of the Forest had been sacrificed to mitigate the Corruption''s effects.
This allowed Yarnha to have no effects showing on her body. But the sacrifice did note without a great deal of pain that she was doing her best to hide.
The Monster had taken a step back.
Was it about to leave like Yarnha had told it to?
"Leave, while I''m giving you the chance."
The Monster''s twitching body remained impassive while the ingested substances affected its mind.
They''re seeing sweet things right now-
Sweet dreams, little Elf-
Soon, those pretty sights will turn into visions of true horror-
For Elisa, this meant seeing the ce she was from, thefortable ce she called home.
It meant seeing her father, the person she loved most.
And eventually, it meant seeing her father''s killer.
But what would it mean for Mark?
Sweet things. Sweet dreams. Pretty sights. What would those be for Mark?
Would it be a part of his life before he was Reborn? Before his death? His life as a Human?
Or would it be after that?
Could the pretty sights and sweet things chosen by his brain and soul be from his life as a Monster thus far?
Could that really be the case?
Would it be moments he lived inside of the Dungeon, or outside?
There was no way for anyone to know the answers to those questions.
Only he and his brain could see those
But perhaps, the more important and pertinent portion of the visions for a Monster wouldn''t be the pretty sights. But rather, the horror.
Mark''s visions of true horror.
The nightmares that haunt his dreams and sleep.
The thing that stands at the top of every negative encounter the Monster had gone through.
What could it be?
Yarnha clenched her fists.
"Leave." Two dozen roots exited the ground around her. "This is my final warning."
Saliva went down the Monster''s open mouth as it stared at the ground.
"Why... Should I leave?"
Yarnha''s eyebrow twitched.
"Go back to them while I give you the chance. While neither of us has been hurt badly."
"You think... I haven''t been hurt badly?"
The Spirit''s eyes narrowed.
"Then leave before it gets worse."
"You think I''ll leave... After finally finding you?"
Yarnha clicked her tongue internally.
Sigh-
"And I can disappear like that," She snapped her fingers. "Once again."
The Monster raised its gaze towards the Spirit.
"I''m not letting you go. Not after finding you."
It wasn''t really a negotiation taking ce.
Still, Yarnha perceived it as such.
The Monster had taken a step back earlier.
It was willing to leave.
But of course, the intoxicated''s decisions were fickle and vtile.
The Spirit knew that well.
It was, after all, something Yarnha had counted on earlier.
But now, the intoxicated''s instability stood in the way of what she wanted.
Yarnha took a deep breath in.
The Monster in front of her, she felt she knew it well enough.
The two had already talked plenty after all.
Therefore, to take the negotiation towards the ending she desired, Yarnha decided to...
"I was greedy. I shouldn''t have done what I did when you were simply passing by. The Forest does trap intruders, but that is never the Forest''s intention. It shouldn''t be. I messed up, and I apologize for it."
"You... Apologize?"
"That''s right. It''s just like you said earlier..." Yarnha suddenly brought a hand to her nose. With her left eye half open, she remained silent for a couple of seconds. "This isn''t how the Forest works. How Nature works." She continued. "Therefore-"
"Why are you apologizing now?" The Monster interrupted. Its body''s twitching grew more and more intense. "Apologizing won''t change anything. Not now. Not after-"
"Then what do you want? What should I do to make this fairer?"
"Fairer? Isn''t it obvious? What I need you to do is..." A Dark Corrupting Spear was formed in the Monster''s left hand. "Give them back."
Twitch-
"Give back... What?"
The ground below cracked and,
Wind st-
With the Monster moving even faster than earlier, Yarnha barely had the time to disappear below ground.
And with its body moving with such explosive eleration, the Monster had no choice to control that speed but,
Wind st-
Use the Skill while aiming in the opposite direction to mitigate the speed.
"If you won''t give them back..." Shrouded by a fog of dirt, the Monster raised its Dark Corrupting Spear. "I''ll kill you."
Pierce-
Instantly, an intense pain took over Yarnha''s body.
"AGHH!!" The Spirit shouted as its upper body emerged from a tree''s trunk.
"No matter what..."
Dark Corrupting Spear-
Wind st-
"You''re dying here."
The pain could not bepared to anything the Spirit had ever experienced.
Torn skin and muscles?
Crushed bones?
Nothing coulde close to it.
Yarnha''s vision turned blurry as tears hung to her eyelids.
She wanted to scream more.
She wanted to close her eyes.
But now wasn''t the time.
Not when the Monster could inflict that wicked Magic Type upon any portion of the Forest.
"Hurts..." The Dark Corrupting Spear approached the Spirit''s emerged body. "Doesn''t it?"
The sharp tip collided with the indestructible tree''s trunk.
But before that tip had even touched the trunk, the Monster''s neck had already moved.
Which is why as soon as Yarnha appeared, Mark was able to locate her.
Freezing Mist-
The Monster''s body was hidden for a moment, and the Dark Corrupting Spear collided with the Forest''s ground.
Clink-
What is necessary for Yarnha isn''t visual input on the attack or the spot that was being targeted.
Knowing, guessing, or deducing the general area was more than enough.
But because Mark, despite being shrouded by the Freezing Mist, knew Yarnha''s location,
Throw-
With all his strength, he threw in the Dark Corrupting Spear in the opposite way.
Away from Yarnha, so that the Freezing Mist could act as cover for as long as possible.
As soon as the Spear was thrown, he exited the Mist and ran towards the Spirit.
''Slower than earlier. Why? Why isn''t he using the...!''
Blood started running down the Spirit''s nose.
''He didn''t want to blow away...'' Yarnha brought a hand to her bleeding nose. ''The Mist!''
In all of the Spirit''s existence, this was the second time it had bled.
The first time had taken ce a bit earlier.
Instantly, it became much clearer.
The Monster was different from the Beast living inside the Forest.
It was different.
It had to be thrown out, if not eliminated.
"I''ll deal with you," Yarnha, whose charming face was bleeding, extended a hand forward. "Even if it kills me."
Instantly, a dozen roots started moving. Their sharp ends, aiming for the Monster''s heart.
[Your Skill "Combative Eyes[D]" is activating!]
Nothing but Yarnha and the approaching roots remained as part of the Monster''s field of vision.
With perfect timing, the Monster killed its speed.
Sidestep-
Fangs appeared on the Monster''s shin as it threw a vertical kick.
The roots were cut, and their sharp ends were disconnected from the rest.
Before the cut ends could even begin falling to the ground, the Monster was running towards the Spirit.
Yarnha watched, as the Monster got closer and closer.
The ground below it broke, but it refused to be swallowed and spread its wings.
Wind st-
"What are you hoping to aplish here?"
"What do you want?"
"Why won''t you leave?"
Again and again, Yarnha disappeared.
Again and again, the Monster followed.
What was going through its mind, what chemical reactions the ingested substances had brought forth, and what visions it had seen, none could tell.
Eventually, the Monster''s speed dropped.
It stared with hateful eyes.
A starved and injured Beast.
"Give... Them back!" The Monster shouted as it panted for air.
"WILL YOU LEAVE ALREADY!"
The Monster''s body froze.
The next second, it extended a hand forward.
Twitch-
Yarnha raised her gaze upwards, and the Monster ran forward, a Dark Corrupting Spear in hand.
Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon-
Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon-
Two weapons made of Corruption were falling from the sky.
A third was approaching.
The Forest, or the Spirit?
The Forest, or its Protector?
Which should be saved?
Which should be sacrificed?
Yarnha made her choice, and disappeared.
Secondster,
Bleugh-
The Monster stood tall, as a chill went down its spine.
Excitement.
It slowly, slowly turned around.
"Why... Won''t you..."
A pond of dark blood at her feet.
ck tears down her eyes.
A copsed Yarnha on her knees.
"Hurts..."
The Monster smiled.
"Doesn''t it?"
Chapter 231 Real Pain
?
The ground had stopped its shaking.
The trees, their leaves, and their branches, moved only ording to the wind''s will.
Bleugh-
A stench slowly started polluting the air.
From her nose to her lips, from her lips to her chin, and from her chin to her throat, dark lines stained Yarnha''s fair skin.
Dried, the dark blood seemed like ink. The kind of ink one would expect to find on the face of a Spirit that dresses in bones and skulls.
The pond of dark blood at her feet had dried off too. Or perhaps, seeped into the ground below.
The copsed Yarnhay on the ground. Her arms supported her weight, allowing her chest to be raised off the ground and her gaze to focus on the Monster.
''Fuck...'' The Spirit cursed internally.
It clenched its fists and lowered its gaze for a moment.
''Now that he has seen me like this, I-''
Cough-
Now that he had seen her in a position of weakness, now that shey on the ground and that he stood, there was no way the Monster would step back.
The damage couldn''t be kept hidden anymore.
His advantage couldn''t be kept a secret hidden anymore.
And a Monster in a position of strength would never step back.
Right?
Yarnha manage, but not without great struggle, to extend a hand towards the standing Monster.
Mark stared, as the extended hand was retracted.
Confused, Yarnha stared at her palm.
The dark spots that had appeared on her body were slowly increasing in size. She could tell without having a look at them.
But more than the pain,
''It''s affecting my ability to-''
The Monster stepped forward, and Yarnha shivered.
"Why won''t you leave??"
The Monster took another step.
"What are you after??"
A third step.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT??" The pain stricken Yarnha screamed.
The Monster stopped its advance.
It raised its gaze slightly, and took a deep breath in.
The stench of blood and Corruption.
The Monster didn''t mind that smell.
It didn''t dislike the stench.
It would be an overstatement to say that he liked it. Or perhaps not, judging from the expression on its face.
The Forest Of Yarnha was quiet.
A stillness reigned over it.
A stillness that was disturbed by the wind and the wind only.
The Monster found the breeze refreshing.
"What... Do you want?" Yarnha asked. Her tone seemed like a pleading one, much different from the one she had during most of the encounter.
"What I want?"
The Spirit clenched its teeth, before slowly nodding.
A nod that told more than ''yes''.
It was a nod full of frustration. Of anger.
A nod that screamed of repressed anger and rage.
The Monster found that it didn''t dislike being given that kind of nod.
What was it the Monster wanted?
It was about to answer.
But it was an ugly answer.
An answer he didn''t want to give to the beautiful woman in front of him. An answer he didn''t want to give to the bleeding woman in front of him. An ugly answer he didn''t want to give...
Or perhaps not?
Perhaps he wanted to give an ugly answer.
After all, that would exin why the smile on his face had widened.
Despite her beauty? No.
"I want you..."
Because of her beauty.
"To suffer."
"You want me... To suffer?"
The Spirit''s eyes were filled with confusion as its mind started racing.
Suffering, why?
The Monster had pleaded for the survival of those two.
It had fought to survive.
It wanted to leave earlier.
Why did the Monster want her to suffer?
Yarnha couldn''t wrap her head around it.
Beasts hunt and kill.
They inflict suffering on others frequently.
But inflicting that suffering is never the goal.
Or rather, it very rarely is.
As the Incarnation of the Forest, Yarnha''s views were extremely practical.
Nothing is done without a purpose.
Killing is done to defend one''s self.
Killing is done to feed one''s self.
I want to Devour you-
This, Yarnha would have understood.
But suffering...?
As the Incarnation of the Forest, Yarnha''s views and thinking were also directed towards the future.
Always.
After all, the preservation of the Forest is the ultimate goal. The future of the Forest is what matters. The future.
Inflicting suffering... How would that help in the long term?
It was a desire devoid of meaning or purpose.
Selfish and short-sighted.
In a way, illogical and irrational.
How would her suffering help him?
Yarnha truly couldn''t understand.
"Why-"
Before the Spirit could utter a sentence, mind-breaking pain went through her body.
But it wasn''t the kind of pain that made you forget about the lesser pain, the way biting one''s lip helped ease the pain of hitting one''s elbow or foot.
No.
Corruption wasn''t that gentle and forgiving.
On the contrary, the pain that had been inflicted earlier seemed to only grow more intense.
Unreal pain.
Were she simply a beautiful woman, the pain, alone, would have broken her mind.
"Why-"
Again and again, Dark Corrupting Spears pierced the ground and the trees surrounding the area.
Again and again, they were thrown and thrust as soon as Yarnha uttered a sound.
"Why, you ask?"
The Monster only said those words after the Spirit had given up on talking.
Yarnha clenched her hands until her palms bled.
Were she simply a beautiful woman, the pain, alone, would have broken her mind.
The pain, alone, would have forced her body to shut down.
The pain, alone, would have ended her life.
Yarnha clenched her teeth, as a dark foam exited her mouth.
Indeed, she wasn''t simply a beautiful woman.
She was the Forest.
Using every ounce of power she had, Yarnha opened her mouth.
Doing her best to forget about the unbelievable pain she was feeling,
"Why..."
She couldn''t forget the pain.
In fact, it had changed her question entirely.
"Won''t you kill me?"
The Monster, who had remained a dozen steps away until now, started moving.
"I can''t..."
It started walking closer.
"Kill you yet."
Yarnha clenched her teeth as her face twisted.
And the Monster halted its approach.
"Don''t do that." It ordered.
But the words didn''t seem to have an effect.
"Stop."
"I... I..." Yarnha''s lips twitched.
"Stop that."
"I CAN''T!!" Yarnha shouted as a torrent of tears when down her face. "IT HURTS! IT HURTS SO MUCH! I CAN''T!!"
Clear translucent went down her eyes, before being tainted by the dark blood on the lower portion of her face.
The Monster''s body started twitching.
Its breathing became unstable.
"AHHH!!! IT HURTS!!" The woman cried.
All of the repressed pain was suddenly let out and carried by her voice.
The most gentle voice the Monster had ever heard.
The pain was expressed and let known to all by her body''s squirming on the ground and her voice.
"Don''t cry." The Monster, who had resumed his approach, said sternly.
"I CAN''T! AGHHH! YOU DON''T UNDERSTAND, IT''S-"
Suddenly,
Bleugh-
Thump-
Yarnha, whose body had beenunched away, hit the ground.
Fear froze and strangled her throat, muffling her cries.
"Don''t cry." The Monster, whose leg was still raised, repeated.
Yarnha vomited on the ground, as the Monster''s kick hadnded directly on her stomach.
"You don''t get to cry. Not yet. It''s..."
The Monster approached once more.
"Too soon."
A terrified Yarnha tried to raise to her feet, but the pain forced her to the ground.
"This amount of Corruption... This amount of pain..."
With her butt on the ground, she tried crawling back and away.
"Isn''t enough to justify those cries."
Temporarily, anger prevailed against fear.
"AND WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MY PAIN??" Yarnha screamed as more tears went down her face.
For a bit, the Monster didn''t take a step forward.
It scratched the back of its head.
"Do you know what it''s like... To be trapped somewhere endlessly?"
Step-
"Do you know what it''s like... To have your mind and memories toyed with?"
Step-
"Do you know what it''s like... To have everyone you know and love die in front of you?"
Step-
"Do you know what it''s like... To rely on your loved ones'' killer?"
Step-
"Do you know what it''s like... To be a toy, a pawn, in someone''s game?"
Step-
"That''s pain."
Grab-
"That''s real pain."
Squeeze-
"That''s..."
Raise-
"Her pain."
With a hand around her throat, Yarnha was lifted off the ground.
"You don''t know anything about pain. But don''t worry..." The Monster smiled sadistically. "I''ll try to make you understand."
Chapter 232 Ill Take Them Back, I
?
''That''s right...''
Yarnha''s hands instinctively grabbed the Monster''s wrist as she was choked by its hand.
''Focus on me... Focus... On me.''
The Monster tightened its grip around the Spirit''s neck.
''Kill... Me. Kill me, and then-''
Suddenly, Yarnha was let go of.
Her knees hit the ground.
With her hands on her aching neck, she gasped for air.
The Monster stared at her from above, before looking away.
Was it about to leave?
"Now that you''re like this..."
The words sent shivers down Yarnha''s spine.
"I''m sure even Fire could take over the Forest."
Her body started shaking.
No.
Not the Forest.
Anything but that.
The Monster extended its right hand towards an area dense with trees.
And just when a Great Fire Ball was being formed in front of its palm,
Grab-
"Let go."
The shivering hands didn''t do as told.
"Let go." The Monster repeated.
Down Yarnha''s grimacing face, tears flowed as her trembling hands held the Monster''s left wrist.
"Not... The Forest..."
"Not the Forest?"
"Kill me... Leave... The Forest..."
"Why... Should I do you that favor?"
"Allow it to survive... Don''t hurt it further... Let the beauty... Remain... And grow..."
A darkness took hold of the Monster''s eyes as he stared at the Spirit on the ground.
"That speech about beauty earlier." The Monster pulled its wrist away. "It was all bullshit, huh?"
"It''s-"
The Spirit''s words were interrupted, as its hair was suddenly taken hold of.
"Huh? It''s?" The Monster pressed as it pulled Yarnha closer from her hair.
"It''s... The truth."
"Sacrificing the ugliness for the beauty, huh?"
"Yes!" Yarnha answered with a shout as she opened her eyes wide.
Inches away, was the Monster''s face.
And what a horrendous and ugly face it was.
"Then..." The Monster tightened its grip over the Spirit''s face. "What about them?"
Yarnha clenched her teeth as her hair was pulled further.
"Sacrificing the ugly for the beautiful... How does-"
"BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED-"
The Spirit''s hair was suddenly let go of.
And just as suddenly, its jaw was grabbed, covering the mouth.
"Shut up."
Tears went down her face, climbed over the Monster''s hand, and continued their descent.
"During all my time in this world, there has never been..." Yarnha shut her eyes. "Something more beautiful than them. Than Krista and Elisa. And yet, you were about to sacrifice them. To kill them. Why? WHY?" The Monster shouted, demanding an answer.
But the Spirit''s lips couldn''t part. Its mouth couldn''t open.
The Monster was demanding an answer, yet its grip around Yarnha''s jaw only grew stronger.
"You were going to kill them... For me. To get me. All you''ve said until now is a lie, Spirit. It''s all backwards. You were about to sacrifice the beautiful... For the ugly. Why?"
Yarnha''s shuddering grew more intense.
The Monster''s words seemed to hurt her even more than the Corruption going through her body.
Or perhaps, it was because both worked in unison.
"Why were you trying... To take them from me?"
For the first time in its long life, the Spirit had listened to its Greed.
No.
For the first time in its life, the Spirit had felt Greed.
And Yarnha acted upon that Greed.
For the first time, a selfish desire...
But was it truly selfish?
Yarnha had found something that could potentially strengthen the Forest.
Something that could give it more power.
Something that could allow it to better protect itself.
Was it selfish?
Yes. That''s what Yarnha felt.
After all, it meant forcibly taking from another.
Something that a Nature Spirit shouldn''t do. Something that they don''t do. Nature Spirits get what they find. They get what they are given. They do not take.
Yarnha had acted, for the first time in her life, selfishly.
And the World had judged her for it.
Punishment for her Greed.
That''s what she thought the Monster was.
But the Forest, no.
That was going too far.
''Kill me... So that a new Spirit can be born. So that a better one can protect-''
The Monster, impatient for an answer that the questioned didn''t seem keen on giving, let out a merciless kick.
Yarnha''s body wasunched away, as trails of blood and tears intertwined in the air.
She brought her palms together.
Even if it meant dying.
Even if it meant pain.
Even if it meant disappearing.
Even if it meant allowing the Corruption to advance faster throughout her body.
''Kill me... Monster.''
Her palms came into contact with one another as her body moved through the air.
The ground started shaking.
Cracks appeared all over it.
The next second, Monsters emerged from the ground.
The creatures weren''t Monsters, but they were treated as such.
They could move freely after all.
They even had fangs.
If it weren''t for the dark spots that covered them, for the decaying portions of their bodies here and there, they could have been described as dangerous, but beautiful.
Flowers and nts with minds of their own.
The Monster''s ws proved ineffective against them. And so, it had no choice but to target the bleeding and weeping Spirit.
Channeling Mana through those Creatures without taking control of them makes the Creatures indestructible. In return, the Spirit''s own body is weakened.
As the Monster ran towards the Spirit, thetter''s body was at its weakest.
Yarnha pushed her body off the ground.
While seated on her knees, she rose her arms to the sides slightly, and shut her eyes.
Weing the Monster.
Weing Death.
Blink-
"You didn''t think it would be this easy, did you?"
''Huh?''
Yarnha opened her eyes slightly.
The Monster''s ws were only inches away.
Inches away from piercing her skull.
"You didn''t think I would be scared of them, did you?"
Her body shivered as the hand moved.
Grab-
Yarnha''s eyes widened, as her dress was taken hold of.
The Creatures that had emerged from the ground couldn''t move.
They were indestructible, but they couldn''t move away from the area.
The Monster ran away from that area, while dragging the Spirit with it.
Thetter''s dress screamed out once in a while, when the bones that made up its lower portion collided with one another or with the ground.
Once the distance was judged suitable by the Monster, the Spirit was roughly cast aside and,
Great Fire Ball-
Great Fire Ball-
Great Fire Ball-
Spheres of zing mes rained down on the Forest.
Again, and again.
With each, Yarnha''s heart screamed.
With each, she could feel every living being burning.
Every leaf, flower, Beast, and worm.
With each, a portion of what she loved most was decimated.
Right in front of her.
After shooting a dozen Great Fire Balls, the Monster turned back towards the copsed Spirit.
It wanted to see the expression on the Spirit''s face. It wanted to see the Spirit''s pain.
But as he turned around, the Spirit wasn''t copsed.
The Monster took a sudden step back, as Yarnha stood inches away.
Time seemed to stop, as the Spirit''s hands moved towards the Monster''s.
The Monster wanted to jump back, but it didn''t.
Gently and carefully, Yarnha held the Monster''s hand.
"It''s enough. Please, stop this."
The Monster''s eyebrow twitched.
"If you want any more, take it out on me. Please..."
Yarnha''s eyes shone with a certain light.
Not the light emitted by Mana or Aura.
A kind of light the Monster had never seen.
Not since being Reborn anyways.
"Don''t hurt the Forest any further."
The Monster''s dark eyes widened, and the two stood in silence.
"D-Don''t-" It stuttered.
"I''m sorry about attacking you. About taking them-"
"Don''t... Apologize-" The Monster stepped back.
"I''m sorry..." Yarnha refused to let go of his hand. "About targetting them. I never should have. They truly are beautif-"
The Monster hurriedly jumped back.
It stumbled as itnded on the ground.
The world was spinning.
Its head was hurting.
Its body was trembling.
For a moment, the Monster seemed about to go mad as it stared at the ground.
And with tender eyes, Yarnha stared at the Monster.
"Not... Enough..."
"Then kill me. Right here, right now." Yarnha said as she raised her arms to the side.
"You... Took them from me."
"I...?"
The Monster''s trembling grew more intense.
"You took them... When they were the only thing I had. The only thing I knew. YOU TOOK THEM!"
Yarnha''s eyes widened, and they were filled with sorrow.
"YOU TOOK THEM FOR ME!! THE ONLY ONES I HAD IN THIS WORLD! THE ONLY ONES I KNEW! I KNOW NOTHING ELSE HERE!!! AND YET... And yet... That wasn''t enough for you. YOU TRIED TAKING EVEN MORE FROM ME!! WHY? WHY? WHY??"
Yarnha understood.
"I''LL KILL YOU! AND YOU''LL SUFFER FOR IT! I''LL MAKE YOU BEG FOR DEATH MORE! MORE! MORE!"
Her sin wasn''t her Greed.
"Because I''m not the only one you took from..."
It wasn''t acting selfishly for the first time.
"You took from her too."
Her sin was messing with their Souls.
Something that the World couldn''t ept.
Something she had done plenty of times.
"I''ve finally found you again... I''m not letting you go... Not this time... I''m..."
''When... Did it start?'' Yarnha asked herself.
Standing in front of Mark, wasn''t the Spirit.
"I''LL MAKE YOU SUFFER! I''LL TAKE EVERYTHING FROM YOU! EVERYTHING!! AND THEN... I''LL TAKE THEM BACK!!"
Chapter 233 My Name
?
"The only thing... That stayed with me... The only ones on my side... I''ll definitely... Definitely..."
With warm eyes, Yarnha stared at the whispering Monster.
His hatred was real.
So was his anger.
But it wasn''t directed at her.
Yet, it was spilling.
She had spilled it, by messing with his Soul.
Of course, it could be said that the substances that made up the Mists used by Yarnha had only influenced his brain.
But was there really much of a difference?
To the Spirit, there was none.
She had opened a door that should have remained closed.
Took off a Seal that should have remained on that door.
And now, whatever was inside, is about to spill out indiscriminately.
Yarnha let out a sigh, before raising her arms to the side.
"Who am I?"
"I''ll kill you. I''ll definitely kill you. I''ll make you suffer, and then... I''ll definitely-" The Monster whispered as he approached rapidly.
"Who am I?" Yarnha repeated once the Monster stood three steps away.
The Monster''s eyelids started twitching.
Its heartbeat increased.
The trembling that had ceased picked up.
"You were about to... Take them from-"
"What''s my Name?"
The Monster clenched its fists.
"I''ll-"
"What''s my Name?"
"N...Name?"
Yarnha took a step closer.
"What''s my Name?"
"You''re... Yar... Ra... Ra..." The Monster''s shuddering hands moved towards its skull. "Name... Your Name is... You are...!"
The Spirit stared while the trembling Monster stuttered, seemingly unable to find a suitable answer.
''I''ve used the Forest''s Mist so many times but... What is it?'' Yarnha asked herself as her right left rose towards her chest. ''This feeling... I never felt this way. Could this be...''
"You are... You are... Rav... Yar..."
''Guilt?''
"Why is it... I can''t... Your Name is... Your Name is..."
Slowly, Yarnha''s hand rose.
Quietly and gently, the handy on the Monster''s shoulder, and its shuddering ceased.
"What is... Your Name?"
The Monster''s confused eyesy on Yarnha''s face.
Its lips parted, but it took a couple of seconds before words were uttered.
"My Name... Is Mark."
"Mm." The Spirit nodded. "It''s a good Name."
The Monster stared with its right eye half closed.
The pain brought on by the Mist''s Effects made it feel like a nail was going through its skull.
"You''re angry, aren''t you, Mark?"
The Monster didn''t respond.
"Your hatred and anger... They''re strong and, I''m sure, justified. I do not know what or who was taken from you but... Am I really the one you are angry at?"
The Monster''s face grimaced.
"Am I the one you hate?"
"I... I don''t..."
"Forget about my Name. Forget about who I am, or who I am not. Mark," Yarnha gently pulled on the Monster''s shoulder, so that it would turn to face her. "Do you want to kill me?"
The fog seemed to start lifting.
"I didn''t take from you, Mark. You can tell, right? I am not your enemy."
The Monster''s vision was bing clearer.
"Who am I?"
The Spirit could tell, which made her lips slightly curl up.
"Say my Name, Mark."
"You''re..."
The Monster''s shaking had ceased.
The darkness that had taken hold of its eyes faded.
"Yarnha."
"Mm!" The Spirit nodded cheerfully before chuckling. "You know..."
Yarnha slowly moved her hands.
"For a Monster..."
Her hands rose.
Yarnha couldn''t help but feel this way after the conversations they''d had until now.
"You don''t act very monstrous."
The Monster''s body froze at her words.
Gently, Yarnhay her palms on his cheeks.
Something clicked inside the Monster''s brain.
Its hand suddenly took hold of the Spirit''s thin wrist.
"What are you-"
Squeeze-
The darkness that had faded emerged once more.
Indeed, it had emerged. Because it hadn''t faded in the first ce. It had simply retreated.
"Agh...! Mark! MARK!" Yarnha shouted as her left hand hit the Monster''s shoulder multiple times.
The Monster squeezed the wrist it had taken hold of further, until it broke.
"AGHH!"
Only then, did the Monster let go.
Yarnha hurriedly stepped back.
She took four steps back, before stumbling and falling to the ground.
The Monster slowly stepped forward.
The Mist''s Effect had been calmed down temporarily.
But it had been awakened.
By what exactly?
One, by the familiar sensation of being held the way Yarnha held its face.
Two, by the words she had uttered.
Words the Monster had been told.
Words he had uttered.
A Dark Corrupting Spear appeared in the silent Monster''s hand as it took another step forward.
''He''s... Used to it...''
By this time, Yarnha understood.
She understood why the Mist didn''t have an effect on the Monster the way it had on the Dark Elf or the Moonlit Feline.
The Monster was used to this.
Used to the limits between dream and reality, illusion and truth, being blurred.
Used to its own brain and Soul ying tricks.
Its Tolerance for such urrences was high.
So high, that the Monster''s brain didn''t need to force the body asleep for such urrences to happen.
''Your visions of horror... What... Are they...?'' Yarnha couldn''t help but wonder.
The visions of horror she had shown so many as theyy defenseless, now, fueled the Monster standing in front of her.
''Looks like this is it for me. But at least...''
The Monster''s dark eyes were locked on her.
''He''s not looking in the Forest''s direction.''
With a heavy step, the Dark Corrupting Spear was brought closer to her.
''A new Spirit will be born to protect the Forest. I hope they''ll be better than I was...''
The Monster raised the Dark Corrupting Spear up.
Yarnha''s ear twitched.
With a somber and gloomy look on her face, she stared at the Monster.
''That''s how much you hate him, huh? The one who took them from you. How sad... And kind... What...''
The Monster brought the Dark Corrupting Spear down.
And just when it was about to pierce through Yarnha''s body,
Woosh-
''A beautiful Monster...''
Clink-
The Monster''s eyes widened with confusion, as the Dark Corrupting Spear came into contact with the ground.
Chapter 234 Dawn
?
Clink-
The Monster''s eyes widened with confusion, as the Dark Corrupting Spear came into contact with the ground.
''Disappeared...'' It clenched its teeth. ''Again.''
Its ws extended as it looked around, eyes burning with rage.
Where would Yarnha reappear this time?
The Monster''s wrath filled it with impatience.
The muscles below the white scales contracted, and the Dark Corrupting Spear was thrown towards the nearest tree.
Mark''s eyes did not stop moving.
As the Dark Corrupting Spear approached the trunk, he kept looking for Yarnha.
''Where...?''
The tree was pierced through. The dark weapon remained on its way and trajectory, piercing through both air and trees alike.
"YOU CAN''T HIDE FROM ME!! WHERE ARE YOU?? I''LL KILL YOU NO MATTER WHAT! DON''T THINK YOU CAN RUN AWAY! I WON''T LET YOU! Not this... NOT THIS TIME!!" Mark shouted at the top of his lungs.
Realizing that eyes weren''t enough, his feet started moving.
"Where... Are you hiding-"
Mark stopped abruptly.
He raised his gaze slightly.
"Fuck... Fuck..." Mark whispered.
This can only take ce during the night, probably-
"FUUUUCK!!" The Monster shouted as it mmed its fists on the ground below.
Dawn hade.
...
Shivering with pent-up anger, Mark remained unmoving for a while.
With his fists against the ground, he remained.
"Don''t think... You got away with it..."
A mighty roar resonated throughout the Forest.
"I''ll destroy it. This whole Forest. By night, you won''t find anything but ash and cinders. I''ll turn this whole ce into..."
The Monster slowly straightened his body.
"The fire... Is already spreading. I''ll turn this whole ce into-"
Suddenly, Mark''s body froze.
Something had moved.
Something on which he could take out his anger.
A fight to make him forget that anger.
A fight in which he could lose himself.
He turned around hurriedly, and they locked eyes.
Surrounded by burning trees, it stood.
Its dark pelt, which would have been impossible to notice in the darkness, had been brought to the light by the mes dancing around and illuminating the area.
The two locked eyes.
Its red pupils stared at Mark.
"Li...?"
The two remained unmoving.
Even the one surrounded by the mes didn''t dare move.
Was it out of fear, or was it...?
''Move... MOVE!'' Mark ordered telepathically.
But it didn''t obey the order.
Could it be?
Did gaining the ability to talk take away Mark''s ability to telepathically order his...?
The Wolf, whose body was covered by a pelt dark as night, didn''t move one bit.
Its eyes did not leave the white-scaled Monster.
Even when a burning tree, a dozen steps away, started falling, the Wolf did not move.
Even though the burning trunk was making its descent towards its body, the Wolf did not move.
"MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" Mark shouted as he started moving forward.
Wind st-
In less than a second, the Monster had crossed the distance.
Grunt-
''Heavy...''
His left elbow bent, Mark stopped the burning trunk''s descent with his forearm.
"Move out of the-"
Drop-
Drop-
Mark''s wide eyes slowly moved away from the burning trunk, and towards the right hand that he let hang by his side.
Grrr-
The Wolf growled, with its fangs piercing the scales that covered Mark''s hand.
Thetter moved that hand, forcing the Beast''s jaw open.
The next second, the sound of footsteps resonated.
Whimper-
Growl-
Whimper-
Mark''s gaze slowly moved to the side, which seemed to render the Beast''s growling more menacing.
A second Wolf, very simr to the one biting his hand, stared at the scene.
The Monster''s eyes moved back and forth from one to the other.
Whimper-
Whimper-
Behind the second Beast, stood three pups. The three, as one might expect, could hardly be described as Beasts.
With a push, the Monster threw the burning tree trunk to the side.
It stared for a bit longer, before extending its left hand towards the biting Wolf.
Its snout was grabbed, and Mark brought his face closer to the red pupils that reflected the mes around.
Closer to the pupils that reflected a Monster surrounded by mes.
"Get out of here." Mark ordered.
Slowly, the Beast rxed its jaw.
Secondster, Mark was left alone.
He turned around, and stared at the mes.
At the burning Forest.
After extending a hand forward, the mes that were eating away at the wood and leaves started dancing.
As if the mes were streams of water, they flowed and moved toward the source.
Unsure what to do with the Fire, the Monster thought about Devouring it.
[You have acquired the Magic Skill: "Fire Absorption[C]".]
[The Magic Skill enables the User to convert mes into Mana.]
[The higher the Magic Skill''s Rank, the more efficient the Skill bes.]
[Your Magic Skill "Fire Absorption[C]" is resonating with your Passive Skill "Fire Resistance[B]".]
[Your Magic Skill "Fire Absorption[C]" is resonating with your Passive Skill "Fire Hide [D-]".]
[Your Magic Skill "Fire Absorption[C]" is resonating with your Magic Skill "Fire Control[B]".]
[Your Magic Skill "Fire Absorption[C]" is resonating with your Magic Skill "me Of Chaos[B]".]
[Your Magic Skill "Fire Absorption[C]" is Evolving!]
[Your Passive Skill "Fire Hide[D-]" is Evolving!]
[Your Passive Skill "Fire Resistance[B]" is Evolving!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" speeds up your Skills'' Evolution!]
[Your Title "Devourer" watches over your Skills'' Evolution.]
''...?''
Perplexed, Mark stared at the messages.
''Absorbing... That''s not something I could do before, I''m pretty sure.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" congrattes you!]
[Your Title "Devourer"ughs and says that it''s not too bad.]
''Right.'' Mark chuckled.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" says that this one will take a while.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reassures you that it will work its hardest!]
''Yes sir please do.''
Thinking that his answer was ridiculous, the Monster let out augh.
It walked for a couple of minutes before,
''The way Yarnha had opened... The trees still show the path.''
Mark stood in front of the way that had been left open for him.
He clenched his fists and turned around for a bit.
"I''ll be back for you." The Monster asserted.
It stood a couple of seconds, before walking away.
''I need... To get back to them.''
Mark stumbled, and fell to the ground.
Still, he continued on his way.
Chapter 235 The Devils Embrace
?
"I''m not... Letting you... Go!!"
Groan-
"I told you... We''ll look for him... At dawn...!" Elisa shouted as she struggled to contain the fierce Lioness.
Rwaaar-
Thetter opened its jaws wide and showcased its fangs while trying to break free from the former.
Her arms, wrapped around the Moonlit Feline''s neck, were starting to cramp.
This had been going on for a while after all.
"You''re going to... Stay... Right... Here-"
Twitch-
Twitch-
For a fraction of a second, their eyes widened.
With great speed, Elisa moved her arms away from the Moonlit Feline, stood up, and turned around to face the intruder''s direction in one swift motion.
''...!''
Elisa''s body immediately froze.
A hand from which extend sharp ws was inches away from her face.
How did that hand get so close?
How did it do so this rapidly?
Howe the intruder hadn''t been noticed until now?
The hand moved, while Elisa remained frozen.
The intruder, wasn''t an intruder.
Still, his diabolical face in the dark was enough to make one doubt.
He truly looked like a Devil after all. With those horns, scales, fangs, and earless head.
Her lips parted, but no words were uttered, as the wed hand moved upwards.
Pat-
Pat-
''Dawn...!''
Elisa''s eyes widened, taken aback by the Monster''s action gesture.
"What are you-"
"Thanks... For standing in front of her."
Feeling a rush of something head towards her face, Elisa pushed the Monster''s hand off her head.
"Get your hand..." She blushed lightly while looking away. "Off me."
"Yep, yep." The Monster nodded with a smile.
It looked beyond Elisa.
"Kristaaa!! Did you miss me??" The Monster shouted as he walked around Elisa and towards the whimpering Moonlit Feline.
The Lioness, upon his approach, took a leap, immediately bringing the fatigued and injured Mark to the ground.
Elisa slowly turned around.
''Howe I couldn''t sense him approaching? Howe he got that close without me noticing? Did he get stealthier somehow? I guess he... No.''
Her eyes turned cold.
''Sloppy. That''s not the sharpness of an Elven Princess'' senses. I need to-''
"Stop, stop, Krista! Hahaha!" The Monster shouted as he wrestled the Moonlit Feline.
''First, putting his hand on my head... And now this?''
Elisa let out a sigh, and her brain started thinking back about different things.
From the moment she and Krista were separated from Mark to now, Elisa had been trying to stop the Moonlit Feline from entering the Forest again.
She had no time to think about the disturbing things the Green Mist had made her remember.
Her time with her father as a Princess.
Her father''s demise.
Those who had orchestrated his demise.
Those who had put her and her people into cages.
Those who had moved them through the Realm like merchandise.
The one that had toyed with their bodies and Souls.
"I''m d the two of you made it out safely."
"It''s thanks to you. I''m d you''re okay too." Elisa scratched her head. "Sorry for... Well, I''m still a bit shaken from... That whole thing."
She immediately winced upon saying those words.
He had been put against a Nature Spirit inside the Monster Realm. He had managed to make it out after going through who knows what.
How could she be the one that''s...?
"Oh, don''t worry, I understand. Those mind games, I''m..." Mark moved an index finger, while the Lioness tried her best to yfully bite down on it. "Not a fan of them. Anyways, I''m really happy that you guys didn''t move away or go back inside."
"Ha! You can say that again. I told Krista that we''d go find you once dawnes. She really wasn''t having it though."
"Really?" Mark asked with a raised eyebrow.
The Moonlit Feline looked away, and he chuckled.
"Yeah, that''s right. Keep looking that way." Mark said as he repeatedly poked Krista''s head with his index finger.
"So..." Elisa started as she scratched her head and turned away. "What uh... What happened in there?"
"So you convinced her not to go in, huh? Thanks for that."
''Huh? Did he ignore my question? Does he not want to talk about it?''
"Having Krista there would have been an issue for sure." Mark continued.
''Well, if he doesn''t want to talk about it...'' Elisa thought to herself.
"Convince? Oh, no. There''s no convincing that one. No matter what I said, she was determined to go in there."
"Really?"
"Oh, yeah. I had to wrestle her for hours to keep her here. Can you imagine that? You''d think that, at some point, Krista would understand that no means no. But nooo, she just-"
Elisa barely had the time to bend her elbows.
That diabolical face...
Part of her couldn''t help but expect the sound of cracking.
Of bones cracking.
But even though part of her expected that, she didn''t move.
Elisa''s feet slightly left the ground.
Was she trembling?
Or had her body frozen?
Elisa couldn''t tell.
Was her heart beating extremely quickly?
Or had it skipped a beat?
She couldn''t tell.
Surprised, Elisa didn''t move.
She didn''t say a word.
Was she about tough?
Or was she about cry?
Elisa couldn''t tell.
"Thanks... For always being there for her when I''m not."
The Devil''s embrace was a gentle one.
With wide eyes, the Moonlit Feline stared.
For a couple of seconds, Elisa remained silent as his arms were wrapped around her body, as she was gently and lightly lifted off the ground.
Elisa could feel that something wasing.
A cry, or augh?
She couldn''t tell.
Which is why,
"Put me back down."
"Yep, yep. Haha!"
The Monster did as it was told.
A secondter, it turned around.
"Alright!" Mark called out his map, and turned 45 degrees to the right. "Next stop, the Elven Forest."
''Huh? He already wants to...?'' Elisa felt she had to focus on Mark''s words.
Not focusing on them would mean thinking about what the Green Mist had shown her, or about the Monster''s previous actions.
At this point in time, Elisa preferred ignoring both.
"Should be this way. If we go at the same speed we''ve been going since... Oh."
"Oh?"
Thump-
The Monster copsed.
Elisa brought a hand to her side as she realized.
"I''ll just... I need... A short break."
She smiled brightly.
"Take all the time you need."
"Just a couple of minutes."
"Just take a few hours."
"Minutes are enough."
"I said take your time!"
"Ugh... Alright..."
Mark, who had copsed onto the ground face first, slowly flipped his body around.
"It''s not as dark." Hemented as he stared at the sky.
"That''s dawn for you."
"Dawn... Dawn... Dawn..."
"What about it?"
"Nothing. It''s funny word."
"How so?"
"I don''t know. Pronouncing it feels funny. It sounds funny too."
"Did you get hit on the head a bit too hard?"
"Yeah. My jaw was practically flying off my head."
"Haha!"
"Haha?"
"Yeah...? That''s funny?"
"It''s not a joke."
"Oh."
A couple of steps away, Elisa sat on her bent knees.
Krista, on the other hand, jumped onto Mark''s body. Fortunately, she did have themon courtesy to take her Cat-like Form before doing so.
"Wooow, the colors in the sky... Amazing!!" The Monstermented.
''Colors...? It''s dawn. How can you think this after what we saw just outside the blizzard?'' Elisa thought to herself.
"You can count on me, Elisa."
"Mm?"
"I''ll definitely do it. Oh, goddamnit. Why is the world spinning around this fast?"
''Oh. OH! That exins everything actually...''
Yawn-
The Monster''s yawn provoked one from the Moonlit Feline.
"Yawn... Dawn... Lawn... Lawn...? Is that a word?" Mark muttered as he closed his eyes.
''He''s still high off that Mist.'' Elisa thought as she nodded to herself.
As the Monster''s muttering continued, she maliciously stared.
''Wonder if I should take advantage...''
Elisa thought for a bit, before taking a decision.
"Mark."
"W... What?" The Monster asked as it yawned.
"About that Raven guy... What do you-"
Mark suddenly sat upright, which caused the Moonlti Felien thaty on his chest to fly away.
"That''s it... That''s exactly it."
"Huh?"
''Raven... I saw him already. Before my fight with Zephyr...''
I convinced her to fuck off once you passed out, though she didn''t want to. You were shuddering and trembling continuously. What was that about-
There was fire... Darkness... People... And... Death-
The Monster bent its elbow and stared at its palm for a while.
''That''s right. I saw him...'' Mark''s eyes rose towards Elisa. ''In a dream.''
Chapter 236 This Isnt So Bad Either
?
"What... Is it?" Elisa asked, puzzled by the Monster''s reaction.
"It uhhh... What is it...? That''s a good question." Mark nodded.
"What?"
"What?"
Elisa clicked her tongue.
Trying to steal information from someone under the influence was unbing for a Princess.
"Nevermind."
"Yey." Mark celebrated quietly as he let his back hit the ground.
The Moonlit Feline affectionately licked the Monster''s cheek as its head went back to the ground.
"So... What happened?"
"When?"
Elisa sighed internally.
"With the Spirit. Did she let you go? Or did she disappear with dawn? What happened all this time?"
Mark''s nose twitched.
He clenched his teeth for a second.
"Anything wrong?" Elisa asked.
"My throat is dry."
"Anything else? Something of importance?"
"Well..." Mark scratched the side of his head. "I can''t remember the whole encounter. I hate that... It''s the same as with Zephyr. Somehow, there are more holes in my memory about my time with the Spirit than about my fight with Zephyr, yet thetter annoys me way more."
"You can''t remember?"
"It''s like... I can remember some things. But... Portions I just... Can''t. Guess I should get used to it."
"To not remembering? It happens that often?"
"It started on the First Floor, I think."
"That Dungeon''s?"
"Duh, what else? Think Elisa, think!"
She rolled her eyes.
"So the Spirit hit your jaw so hard you started forgetting stuff?"
"No. I mean... Perhaps. No. Mmm..." Mark scratched his head. "Against... Mm...After the Berserker, against Zephyr, and against the Spirit... I got beat up during those three encounters, so I guess it''s not impossible for that to be the answer. But there''s still... Something missing."
"Doesn''t it have to do with your Berserker Skill?"
"It probably does? But I wasn''t told about it activating by the System."
"Not all Passive Skills let their presence be known."
"True... I don''t get notified after throwing a ''Tail Flick'', but I do when''"Combative Eyes'' activates... Why? If they''re both Passive Skills...?"
"Categories?"
"Categories that the System doesn''t... Show?"
"I guess. Or perhaps your Understanding is too low to get it."
"To get what? The categories? Why wouldn''t I have them"
"No, haha. I mean... Too low for you to understand. You know... Get it?"
"Oh. Haha. Yeah. Got it."
"So you were saying... You don''t remember your fight against... That Armoured Man?"
"It''s weird. Too weird."
"The fact that you don''t remember?"
"Partially but... It''s mostly that..."
"That...?"
"I wasn''t... I wasn''t fighting alone. That''s what it felt like."
"Well, except if you called out your-"
"I didn''t call them out. And yet, even though I was alone the whole time, at one point... I didn''t feel as alone."
"What do you mean feel alone? You had my Wind with you. Well... Mmm... Only for a short while."
"Yeah." Mark chuckled. "That was really cool. And it saved me too."
"It didn''t do much..." Elisa ran her hand on her nape as she looked away. "I really... Can''t do much these days." She whispered.
"Yeah. You''re getting more and more useless."
"I ought to p you in the face."
"I''m joking."
"It''s not funny."
"Okay..."
"So why did it feel like you weren''t fighting alone against Zephyr? Is that the thing that annoys you?"
"Yeah. Yeah, it is. I don''t understand it."
"Are you developing some kind of mental disorder?"
The monster stared silently for a bit before,
"PFFFHAHAHAHAHA! Mental disorder! HAHAHA! Actually, yes. Maybe? Hahahaha!"
"Huh... Really?" Elisa''s tone didn''t match Mark''s at all.
"Well... It''s not all that. I can tell that it''s not. But it''s... A magical mental disorder."
"Since when?"
Realizing that Elisa was taking his words seriously, Mark scratched his head for a bit and thought silently.
"The Dungeon. Although... I''m mostly over it now."
"You are?"
"Yeah."
"That''s good to hear. I''ll keep an eye on you though."
"Thanks."
"Uh... I meant that I''ll keep an eye on you for my and Krista''s protection."
The Monster turned its head towards the white-furred cat that was nibbling on his left hand.
"Thanks for always thinking about her."
"Ugh..." Elisa let out a sigh. "You''re sooo annoying at times."
"How so?"
"Nevermind. Continue. You weren''t fighting alone against Zephyr? Are you sure your Underlings or the Fire Spirit didn''t-"
"No. They didn''t... But it was such a strange feeling. Hits that previously couldn''t reach Zephyr started connecting. Blindspots that he previously didn''t have started showing themselves to me. Openings started... Well, you get what I''m saying."
"I guess...? So it felt like something had attacked that guy from behind, which had left him open for your hit?"
"Something like that. Exactly like that actually..."
Elisa looked up.
The darkness of the night was slowly fading from the sky.
"Why didn''t we talk about this earlier?" She asked.
"I''m uhh... I''m not sure."
"You should tell me. About stuff like that."
"I should?"
"Yeah. I can help."
"Mm." Mark nodded.
He stared silently at the dark sky above that was slowly brightening.
"It could be something like Summoning Magic. Or, more likely, Necromancy."
Mark sighed.
"Now that I think about it... This is the worst. I was already half out of it then, but additionally, that damn skill made it so that I couldn''t see anything."
"What Skill?"
"Combative Eyes."
"What does it do?"
"Makes everything but the target disappear."
"Wow, that''s horrible."
"I knoooow. But I developed it in order to keep up with Zephyr. My life was on the line, so... Not much of a choice."
"Yeah, yeah... So you think that Skill made... Whatever was fighting with you disappear?"
"I guess."
"Mm..."
Elisa remained silent for a bit.
"First of all, how scary is that? It makes things disappear from your field of vision?? That''s sooo ominous. And scary."
"It''s not all that."
"Yes, it is! Can you imagine? It''s like the worst kind of Mind Control possible. Make things just pass by. You don''t even know what''s happening."
"Well, okay no. It doesn''t make things disappear. It''s just that... It helps me focus so much that the rest just..."
"Disappears?"
"Melts."
"Melts?"
"Yeah, melts. Good word, right?"
"I... I guess? Wait, what the hell?? That''s definitely the kind of thing you should tell me."
"Why?"
"Well what if we''re fighting an enemy together and you can''t see me?"
"It doesn''t work like that. If I n on focusing on you and the enemy, I''ll be able to see you both."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Yeah... Probably... Yeah."
"Not very reassuring."
"Just gotta not forget about you."
"Shouldn''t be too hard."
"Since you''ll shoot an arrow through my stomach?"
Elisa pressed her lips together while Mark chuckled.
"I guess I shouldn''t be the one talking about... Mental... Stuff."
"No, you shouldn''t be. Still..." Mark took a short pause. "That stuff kind of brought us together. That and the Dungeon, obviously."
Elisa''s eyebrows rose.
"Hmph!" She looked away. "I wouldn''t have given all that for this."
"Can''t say I me you."
Her pressed lips moved right to left, left to right.
The next second, a yful Moonlit Feline jumped off Mark''s body andnded onto Elisa''s chest.
Thetter stared at the Moonlit Feline''s eyes while holding it with her arms.
"Well... This isn''t so bad either." Elisa whispered.
"Right?"
"I''m surprised you could hear that."
"Weirdly enough, I can hear really well right now."
"Whatever..." Elisa whispered as her fingers caressed Krista''s fur. "This is way better than being inside the Dungeon..." A slight smile appeared on her face.
"Agreed..." Mark said before yawning.
Elisa suddenly raised her gaze towards Mark, and with arge smile,
"I''m pretty happy these days, Mark. It can''t even bepared to-"
She stared silently.
Zzzz-
Snore-
The Moonlit Feline turned around.
Noticing that its Master was asleep, it immediately used its four paws to push itself off and away from Elisa.
"What-"
The Moonlit Feline hissed as it jumped away.
"Don''t tell me... Don''t tell me you were..."
The white-furred cat slowly walked towards it sleeping Master.
It took a seat in the space between Mark''s right shoulder and ear, before curling itself up.
"You were acting for him...? You''re mad at me?? Really??"
Krista let out a hiss, before closing her eyes.
Elisa let her shoulders fall in response.
"You know I wouldn''t have used my Daggers. You know that, right?"
The Moonlit Feline didn''t respond.
"They were a... They were just as... Dissuasion tool? Yeah. A dissuasion tool. You know that, right?"
Yawn-
Chapter 237 A Selfish Request?
?
''They fell asleep...''
Zzzz-
Snore-
Elisa let her back slowly go to the floor.
''Might as well sleep too...''
She closed her eyes.
Turn-
Turn-
Scratch-
Turn-
Sigh-
Elisa sat up.
''Can''t sleep. Well, obviously. I can''t sleep after... Not after...''
Scratch-
Scratch-
''Tsk.'' She clicked her tongue.
You''re getting more and more useless-
''Dick.'' Elisa swore internally as she nced at the sleeping Monster. ''But I won''t be able to... Do what I have to do like this. I need to get my strength back. Get my strength back...''
Elisa bent her knees and spread them apart slightly.
Her left hand passed through the opening and a fingery on the ground.
''How do I get my strength back... Get my strength back...'' She tapped the ground again and again. ''Get my strength back...'' Her finger froze. ''What for?''
Gulp-
Elisa''s back fell back to the ground.
''Raven... Killed my father...''
Shey silently, as tears slowly started going down the sides of her face.
''All this time I was thinking about going back to the Elven Forest... But I didn''t think about my father. Because deep down, I knew he was gone. That''s right, it happened in front of me. And I grieved him for a long time, epted his death, then...''
A tense hand moved towards the side of her forehead, hiding her left eye.
''How... Could I...'' Elisa''s body shuddered with anger as veins appeared on her hand and neck. ''Forget about my own...''
Her nails kissed her skin, and she pressed them a bit further.
''How... Could I...'' She repeated to herself internally.
The sun had started rising.
More light was illuminating the field of grass on which they stood.
''How...'' Light, which was reflected by Elisa''s clenched teeth. Especially, the two sharp and -longer than the rest- canines.
Her trembling moved to her chest.
Elisa grabbed the Elven Ne.
A couple of secondster,
"Unequip." She whispered.
The Ne was pulled away.
She extended her hand towards the sky, and stared at the pendant while holding it with her thumb and index finger.
''I''m guessing this was also taken from us...'' Elisa thought. '' Still, it''s weird-''
Yaaaawn-
"Ugh..." Without opening his eyes, Mark pushed the Moonlit Feline away with a hand.
Thetter refused to budge or moved away willingly.
Elisa lowered the arm holding the Elven ne and extended the other instead.
The Wind started dancing and spiraling in front of her palm but,
''Tsk.''
She suddenly clenched her fist, and the Wind escaped as fast as it could.
''The Ne increases my Affinity. Artificially... Increases it. For a bit, it felt like I was getting it back, but it''s the opposite.'' Elisa took a deep breath in. ''Vampiric... Mutation. Feels like it lessens the Effects of the Corruption, but my Affinity with the Wind is... Tsk. Just great. Now...'' Images of those two appeared in her mind. ''I''ve been tainted by both that white-haired fucker and the Vampire.''
Sigh-
Elisa slowly pushed herself off the ground.
Her eyes felt dry.
She was extremely sleepy, yet couldn''t sleep.
''I''ll have to get him to take more Corruption. To take all of it. And then...''
Scratch-
''I''ll kill Raven. I''ll avenge my father. And my people...''
Scratch-
''If that''s the goal then...'' She nced at them. ''Why would we go to the Elven Forest?''
Scratch-
''Why would I go there, when my father is dead, when my people are dead? What am I going to find there? Are there still Elves remaining there? Or will I only find... I can''t go there. I can''t go there when it''s not clear whether I''ll find anything or not. No. I need to avenge them. I need to... But what if there are Elves remaining? What if there are Elves waiting? What then? How can I leave them... When I''m their... Their Princess?''
The Elven Princess wondered and wondered as she walked in circles.
''Killing Raven... Going to the Elven Forest... Killing Raven... Going back...''
Scratch-
She stopped and lowered her gaze towards the sleeping Monster and Moonlit Feline.
''If what I want is revenge... If my n is to kill Raven... If that''s what I want to do then...''
Elisa''s hand moved towards the side of her neck.
Scratch-
''I can''t drag them further. No... I can''t drag them into revenge.''
She winced and raised her gaze towards the sky which was turning more and more clear.
''I''m sure I could drag them into it though. Yes... Mark... He took Levi, Light, and the others from you, didn''t he? If I wanted to, I''m sure...'' Elisa lowered her gaze back towards the white-scaled sleeping Monster. ''I could get you to join in.''
The Princess sat back on the ground.
Her eyes didn''t leave the Monster, and her thoughts didn''t stop racing.
A couple of minutes passed, and Elisa brought her center of gravity forward.
''You would join me, wouldn''t you?''
Her palmsy t on the ground in front of her as she moved her legs.
''It''s not entirely selfish, since you hate him too.''
Slowly and quietly, Elisa moved forward.
''We have amon enemy. So it wouldn''t really be a selfish request, right?''
Slowly and quietly, the Princess crawled on the ground.
''You''re my Knight, aren''t you? So it would be fine, right?''
The Princess crawled until she was inches away from the sleeping Monster.
''You would help me if I asked, wouldn''t you?''
Elisa stared silently at the Monster''s hideous face for a bit.
"You''ll help, right?" She whispered, without meaning to.
Suddenly, the Monster straightened its upper body.
"I''m up."
"Sleep. It''s not even been an hour."
"No... No... I''m awaaaake." Mark said as he yawned.
"You can barely talk. And your eyes aren''t even fully open."
A slight frown.
It was strange.
The words wereing from...
Mark turned his face to the side.
He found Elisa, with her palms and knees against the ground, inches away from him.
"What were you doing?"
"An assassination mission."
"That''s not funny. You really should-"
"Ugh, alright." Elisa said as she pulled back. "Why is it whenever I''m having fun, it''s wrong?"
"It''s not something to joke-"
"So you don''t trust me?"
Yawn-
"You should sleep too." Mark muttered as his back hit the ground. He turned toy on his side, his back towards Elisa. "We still have a long way to go. And we''re going as soon as..." He yawned again. "As soon as we wake up."
"You want to get rid of me that much?"
"Yes."
"Mm."
"I''m joking."
"Thanks for rifying."
"Go to sleep."
"Yeah, yeah." Elisa answered, though she didn''t go to sleep.
Minutes passed.
Elisa''s backsidey on the ground.
On her bent right knee, was her elbow.
With a lightly curled fist, she gently tapped her pressed lips repeatedly as thoughts came and went.
''I should have asked when the Mist was still...''
Elisa shook her head.
She bent her left knee andy her left elbow on it.
''It feels wrong. I owe it to my people to go to them, even if the probability of finding them is low... But...''
Elisa let her head fall forward.
''I didn''t run. Even when a Demon Lord looked for you, I didn''t run. So you won''t run, right? You''ll answer me if I ask, right?''
She crossed her arms and ced her hands on her shoulders.
''You won''t leave me, right?''
Elisay her chin on her wrist.
Thanks for standing in front of her-
Thanks for always being there for her when I''m not-
Thanks for always thinking about her-
''It''s always about her, isn''t it?''
Elisa was reminded of the words Mark had uttered back when they were still surrounded by the blizzard.
When they realized that an Olga was under them.
When they were about to get separated.
When Elisa held Krista in her arms as all hell broke loose.
Don''t let go-
''Don''t let go... It''s always about Krista with you. I don''t mind that. I love Krista. I really do. But... Still, I can''t help but wonder...''
Scratch-
Scratch-
''If you care about me beyond that-''
Realizing the thought that had just crossed her mind, Elisa''s head shot up.
''If he... What the hell...? What the hell?''
She shook her head and let her body fall to the side.
''Let''s sleep. Sleep. Just sleep. It''ll be easier to figure out things after getting some sleep. Yes. Yes.''
Elisa curled herself up and closed her eyes.
She closed her eyes, and held the Elven Ne to her heart.
...
Hourster,
Yawn-
Yawn-
"Wow..." Mark rubbed his eyes. "That was a great nap."
The Moonlit Feline by his side nodded.
The next second,
"I''M UP!" Elisa shouted as she sat upright.
"Huh..."
Both Mark and Krista stared at her suspiciously.
It was obvious, from the bags under her eyes and the swaying of her head.
"You didn''t sleep at all, did you?"
"I SAID I''M UP, ALRIGHT?"
Chapter 238 Its Always About...
?
"You sure you don''t need to sleep?"
"I said I''m fine." Elisa answered for the third time.
"Why aren''t you standing up then?"
"Ah." The Princess rose to her feet, despite the stumbling and generalck of bnce.
"We can wait for you."
"Shut up." Elisa said as she started walking. "I''m too hungry to sleep."
"Since when did the Princess develop an appetite?"
"SiNcE WhEn..." Elisa mocked.
"Let''s get going then." Mark said after chuckling.
With the Moonlit Feline seated on his shoulder, the three started moving again.
Mark called out his map and stared at it for a bit.
"We''re north of the Forest. That''s good. Gotta keep going northeast... It is a long way though. We''ll have to cross into Lust then go to... Oh. Is there anything special between the different regions?"
Yawn-
"What do you mean?" Elisa muttered as she rubbed her tired eyes.
"The border between Sloth and Lust. If Yarnha was the separation between the Rift and Sloth then-"
"What happened in there?" Elisa asked suddenly.
Mark started exining for a couple of seconds but eventually,
"Elisa?"
"Huh?" She opened her eyes.
"You''re not listening."
"No, I am. It''s just-"
"It doesn''t matter anyways. But you need to sleep. If we get attacked now, it''ll-"
"What? I''ll be a burden? Since I''m useless, right?"
Mark chuckled at the sudden outburst.
"Oh yeah, it''s funny, isn''t it?"
"You''re cranky."
"Excuse me?"
"Grumpy?"
"You-"
Mark turned his gaze towards the other side.
Towards his left shoulder.
"Krista."
The Moonlit Feline''s eyes narrowed.
"Can you...?"
Krista looked away.
"Ohe on. Just for an hour or something. If you can carry her while she naps then..."
Elisa stared at the two as they argued.
What happened in there-
''Tsk. That''s not the question I want to ask...''
They continued walking, as Krista seemed unwilling to take her Lioness Form and carry the Princess.
Elisa''s lips parted multiple times, but she couldn''t bring herself to ask the question she wanted to ask.
After restless hours of thinking, the question had changed.
You want to get rid of me that much-
''Get rid of me... To do what? What is it you will do once we make it to the Elven Forest...? Once I make it home? What would you be doing if I wasn''t here? Where would you be going?''
Sigh-
''It''s aaaalways about me. Where I want to go, what I want to do. But what about you? I can''t believe I don''t even know that.'' Elisa''s face twisted into a slight grimace. ''I can''t believe I haven''t asked. Not once, about what-''
Thump-
Elisa stepped back after her forehead collided with Mark''s back.
"Well, don''t just stop suddenly."
"That wasn''t sudden at all." Mark said as he held backughter.
The Moonlit Feline on his shoulder, on the other hand, didn''t hold back.
It snickered hysterically.
"Yeah, whatever..."
About half an hour passed while they walked.
The Princess swayed and walked with closed eyes half of the time.
By this time, the sun was fully visible and shone on the field of grass below.
Not once did Mark raise his gaze towards it.
The sun and clear sky he had wanted to gaze at for so long were just above him.
Yet, his mind was elsewhere.
Images of the night kept popping into his mind.
Images of the hurting Spirit. The screaming Spirit. The bleeding Spirit. The crying Spirit.
He would shake his head and keep going.
Krista could tell something was wrong but... There wasn''t much a Moonlit Feline could do about such things.
''Defenseless and harmless... Why do I feel-''
With a hand, Mark stopped Elisa''s swaying body.
"Ah. Sorry..." She muttered.
"You were about to copse. You really should-"
"It''s... Fine..." Elisa whispered.
"Krista."
The Moonlit Feline shook its head in response.
The Monster couldn''t help but sigh.
Secondster, Elisa opened the eyes that had closed without her permission.
"Huh?"
In front of her, a crouching Monster.
"Get on."
Elisa''s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"Do it before I change my mind."
"Do what?"
"Get on."
"On your back?"
"Yes."
"No."
"Tsk." Mark clicked his tongue. "I''m alternating with Krista. Twenty minutes each, alright? So get on."
"No."
"Well, we can''t keep going like this. Either you sleep or-"
"Why would I get on your back?"
"What?"
"Why would I?" Elisa repeated.
"Because it''ll allow us to keep going while allowing you to rest... Wait why do I even have to exin this?? If anything, I''m doing you a favor." Mark said as he looked behind him.
"Well... No thanks."
"You''re being stubborn for no reason."
The two remained silent for a bit.
Silent, but not unmoving as Elisa''s swaying really couldn''t be stopped.
Mark directed his gaze forward and away from Elisa.
"I need you to get some rest."
"Huh?"
"If you''re not in top form then... We might get in trouble. I managed with the Spirit but... We need you rested, or else it''ll be difficult."
Elisa swaying ceased.
Taken aback, she stared at the crouched Monster.
After taking a step forward, Elisa stopped.
She extended her hands forward.
Just when they were about toe into contact with the Monster''s body, she pulled them back slightly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, yeah. Won''t be for a while anyways. Krista agreed to twenty minutes each, but hopefully, I''ll only have to take the first turn."
The Moonlit Feline seemed appalled by the inlyid out and dered n of betrayal.
"Al... Alright."
Elisa''s hands took hold of his shoulders.
She raised and wrapped her legs around his waist, not without much hesitancy and indecisiveness.
"I''ll keep using the Wind... To detect things, okay?"
"Okay." Mark said.
His hands came into contact with her thighs, and she quivered momentarily.
Elisa clenched her teeth as she stopped herself from shuddering.
''Did he feel it?'' She asked herself. ''Can he tell that I... He so could tell.''
The Princess squirmed around, trying to getfortable.
"This is..." She yawned. "Thest time I''m not sleeping, okay?"
"Yeah. Please do next time."
"Well, you don''t have to make it sound like I''m that much of a burden."
Mark chuckled.
"You kind of are one right now."
"Oh really? Am I that heavy?"
"No..." Mark answered as he straightened up. "You''re lighter than I thought you would be-"
Her grip over his shoulders tightened.
''Shit...'' He cursed internally.
"Oh, really? Do I look heavy?"
Mark pressed his lips together, something that she couldn''t see.
He simply chuckled in response.
"Alright. Let''s get going..." Mark said as he stepped forward.
THUMP-
His foot hit the ground with great strength to keep himself from copsing.
"Haha..." Elisa chuckled.
The instant Mark had stepped forward, she had put all her weight forward, disturbing his bnce.
"Stop that."
"If you keep swaying like this, I might as well have been walking. Lousy work for a Knight."
"I feel more like a horse than a Knight right now..."
Elisaughed for a bit, and the two remained silent for a while.
The Moonlit Feline walked by Mark''s side. Its eyes only left them sporadically.
Elisa squirmed around some more until she wasfortable.
She wasfortable, but she still couldn''t sleep.
If anything, it felt worse than before.
"Didn''t you have wings?" Elisa asked suddenly.
"Yeah, I do."
"Then...? Did you lose them against...?"
"No. It''s just..." His right hand let go of Elisa''s thigh and moved forward. He stared at the hand for a bit. "I feel like I can control my body better now."
Elisa didn''t really listen.
Instead, she was focusing, determined not to shudder once that handes into contact with her thigh once more.
"You''re not wearing your armor." Mark noted.
''Did he notice? Did he notice?? Is that why he''s asking??''
"Of... Of course not. I''m not sleeping in armor. Duh."
"Right..."
Slowly but surely, Elisa felt morefortable.
Slowly but surely, she started feeling sleepy.
Perhaps because she didn''t need to walk.
Perhaps because the rocking was making it easier.
Still, her sleepy eyes wandered.
The white scales that covered his body. How strange. White scales. She had never seen any.
The sharp horns that extended from his skull.
Elisa felt like reaching forward and grabbing them.
She stopped herself though.
The Princess nced below.
At the hands that were in contact with her thighs.
Brutish hands.
Hands that could extend ws.
She wondered if she had the speed to move away in time if he were to extend his ws.
Elisa wasn''t sure, but she was surprised by how gentle the pressure exerted by those hands was.
After all, again and again, she had seen him crack skulls using those hands.
Her hands let go of his shoulders.
She was finally falling asleep.
Chapter 239 Strange Monster
?
Elisa''s sleepy eyes slowly opened.
''Mmm...''
She was still on Mark''s back.
The rocking seemed to have lessened.
Elisa thought it was due to him being considerate.
A considerate Monster.
''You just keep going, huh? Just keep... Walking forward.''
Had it been hours since Elisa had closed her eyes, or only a couple of minutes? She could not tell.
''Whenever we stop, it''s because of me or Krista...'' Elisa pressed her lips together. ''The same way you advanced through that Dungeon, right? Without sleeping, only resting here and there...''
Her gaze moved towards his round shoulders.
Elisa brought her hands to her forehead.
She hid her eyes from the shining sun while keeping them half closed.
''The sun is...''
Elisa hid both her eyes with her left hand, while her right hand turned into a fist and descended on the Monster''s shoulder.
"What is it?"
"Your scales..." Elisa muttered.
"What about them?"
"They''re white."
"So?"
"They reflect too much light."
"Mmm... I don''t think I can do anything about that."
Slowly but surely, Elisa''s index and middle fingers parted, opening the way for her right eye to see through.
''His back sure is wide...'' Her gaze slowly went from the right side of that back to its left side. ''As you would expect from a Monster''s.''
She stared for a couple of seconds.
''They took from you too, but you just keep going. Without looking back, without...''
Sigh-
''It''s hard to even tell that they''ve taken anything from you. You... Handle it well? Or hide it well? Whichever case it is, I can''t see it. The anger, the frustration... From getting them taken from you. Right in front of you. Now that I think about it, that''s Raven''s fetish, isn''t it? Then... How about we do the same to him?'' Elisa''s hands reached for Mark''s head, but stopped inches away. ''What would be the point in that? I can''t get them back...''
Her hands dropped onto Mark''s shoulders.
''But I still want him to suffer.''
Elisa shook her head.
Her gaze fell onto Mark''s back once more.
A wide and muscr back covered by white scales.
''You, on the other hand... You should probably take a break or something. How many times have you bled for us already? How many times...'' Elisa clenched her teeth in frustration. ''I don''t get it. I know you can heal but... Does it not hurt? Do you not feel pain? Did not hurt when...'' The hands that held Mark''s shoulders trembled slightly. ''My arrow pierced your back that day?''
Her fingers'' fidgeting kept going for a while.
''No...'' She let out a sigh. ''It did hurt. Just like losing them hurt. Just like... Fighting against Yarnha must have hurt. It was all obvious when you made it here. Pierce, shed, hit, and whipped. Your body was a mess.
Elisa''s right hand slid off Mark''s shoulder.
''It must have hurt...''
Slowly but surely, the hand slid towards his back.
The Monster almost shuddered at her touch.
''And now, it''s all gone. Wounds, grazes, everything... Not even scars remain. Not even scars...''
Her hand moved towards the left side of that back.
''Not one trace of all that pain remains...''
Mark thought about stopping or saying something, but remembering that Elisa was sleep deprived, he was reminded of how he was when fatigued.
''Just like how it hurts you to have lost your Underlings... Just like how you hide that pain...''
Elisa nodded slowly and silently.
''That Reconstruction Magic Skill... It''s a lot like that, isn''t it? You can hide your wounds, reattach an arm... But your Health points aren''t Regenerated. You seem okay... But you''re just as close to death as you were before using the Skill...''
Sigh-
''Though I don''t know anything for certain... But still, you are a Monster. And if you are a Monster, then...''
Elisa remained unmoving for a couple of seconds, before reaching forward.
"What are you doing?" The Monster asked as it came to a stop.
"You have been demoted..." Elisa grinned cheekily. "From Knight to horse."
"Let go of my horns."
"Don''t wanna."
The Monster could only sigh when faced with the Princess'' capriciousness.
Mark started walking again, and Elisa smiled victoriously.
The next second, her hands started slowly going down those horns.
"Stop." The Monster said suddenly.
Elisa obliged.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to get you mad." Elisa admitted.
Mark remained silent, and she stared.
Stop-
Exactly when her hands were about to make it to his cheeks.
"Sorry."
"It''s fine. I just..."
''Fine... Always fine, huh?''I think you should take a look at
The Monster pressed its lips together for a bit.
"You just?" Elisa asked.
"I just have bad experiences with women creeping up to me?"
"What?"
"What?"
"Pfahahahaha!" Elisaughed out loud. "You have experiences with women??"
"I mean... Well... Hem." The Monster coughed. "It''s uhh..."
"Pfahaha. That is funny..." Elisa yawned. "When did you have such experiences? Before being trapped in that Dungeon I suppose."
"Not really, it''s..."
"Huh... Oh... OH. OH NO!" Elisa shouted as if she hadn''t been half asleep a minute earlier. "Don''t tell me it''s..."
The Monster, with its lips pressed, slowly nodded.
"No..."
"Yeah..." Mark admitted.
"Your experiences with women creeping up on you... Are in your head?"
"It''splicated-"
"Pfaahahhaa! It''splicated he says!!" Elisa shouted andughed out loud as she vigorously swung her legs.
"Yeah, yeah. Have a goodugh." Mark said before chuckling.
Elisa only stoppedughing about a minuteter.
"You''re weird. Really weird, Mark."
The Monster had been nodding, until it heard that Name.
It still wasn''t used to being called by its own Name.
''I''m more used to My Lord, I guess... Now that I think about it, I wonder what Levi would have said about...''
''Weird, weird Monster...''
The two fell silent.
Elisa let out a long and blissful yawn.
Theughter had definitely brought her closer to sleep.
''Stupid, sooo stupid...''
''I have to find a way to switch with Krista. Doesn''t look like she can sleep this way...''
''The kind of stupidity that you don''t expect from a Monster. Experiences with women, pfha! That''s hrious. I feel like I willugh out loud again if I don''t stop myself. Curious... Curious... Weird... So weird. Why would a Monster act this way? If he wasn''t a Monster but rather, from Rift like me, I would understand but... No. I guess that doesn''t mean anything since that Vampire is probably from the Rift too...''
Elisa couldn''t help but sigh.
''Not Monsters, Not Humans... Dwellers of the Rift, forsaken by both...'' Her eyes suddenly widened. ''When did the hell did I remember that? Also... Where did I-''
"There''s the Spirit."
"What?" Elisa asked.
"Mmm..." Mark wanted to scratch his cheek, but he felt he couldn''t let go of Elisa''s thighs, as that would betray his embarrassment. "Yarnha. She... Crept up on me too."
"Mm." Elisa nodded. "I see."
Mark nodded in response.
"This is stupid." Shemented as she chuckled.
"I wouldn''t say that. It''s just that with the Mist and..."
It only took a couple of additional seconds for Elisa to feel incredibly sleepy.
In the middle of Mark''s exnation, which seemed important to him, her eyes started closing.
Suddenly, he felt a snake wrap itself around his neck.
Mark''s body trembled for a fraction of a second.
That fraction of a second was more than enough for him to realize that it was no snake, but her arms.
''Why did I think of... Oh.'' Mark sighed. ''It was that dream... With her and a snake.''
He shook his head.
"Weird Monster." Elisa whispered.
Mark felt like chuckling but didn''t.
''What does it mean anyways...'' Elisa''s head started falling forward. ''To be a Monster?''
Her right cheeknded on his shoulder.
Mark''s body froze for a second.
''Tsk.'' He clicked his tongue internally. ''If I didn''t have scales over my body...''
The sleeping Princessy with her head on his shoulder, and her breath on his neck.
''I definitely would have shuddered at that.''
Mark started walking again.
''That would have been embarrassing. Incredibly embarrassing. Especially...''
Breath out-
Mark winced
''For a Monster.''
He took another dozen step before,
"Krista, let''s switch."
The Moonlit Feline stared at him for a bit.
It looked away.
"Krista."
With its tail and head held high, the Moonlit Feline gracefully led the way.
"Ugh... Alright. Show me the map again." Mark whispered.
Chapter 240 Demon Lords Orders
?
The Moonlit Feline''s eyes went from the target to Mark repeatedly.
"Think you can deal with it?" Thetter whispered.
The Lioness didn''t respond.
Instead, she lowered her body and started moving towards the target.
''The grass that covers the ground has been steadily growing taller and taller. This should be Krista''s specialty, fighting in this kind of environment... Though this is her first time in a ce like this.''
Stealthily, the Lioness approached the Beast thaty in the middle of the field.
A Beast that resembled arge bull.
[Alri, [E+] Ranked Monster:
Alris are creatures usually found in the Eastern parts of Sloth...]
The Beast''s imposing muscles were almost enough to make the Monster''s mouth water.
Not only that but,
''That head... It sure is nostalgic.''
The Beast''s body strongly reminded Mark of the Minotaurs that he had found and fought on the Dungeon''s Eighth Floor.
''Finally, something to eat. Leaving the Forest empty-handed... Definitely left a bad taste.''
Eat, not Devour.
Why?
Because the Beast''s Rank was too low for it to be considered Devouring.
''Krista and Elisa need to eat but... Mm. They need to eat but, if this guy has any Skills, I''m keeping him for myself.'' Mark thought to himself.
He tried not to wake up the sleeping Princess as he shrugged and readjusted the slipping Princess'' position.
''Lioness versus Bull... Buffalo? A ssic nevertheless. Make sure you get him.''
The Alri, despite being aware of the white-scaled Monster''s presence, didn''t bother standing up. The distance that separated the two seemed sufficient. Plus, the white-scaled Monster didn''t seem ready to attack.
Meanwhile, while keeping its body inches off the ground, a Moonlit Feline stealthily passed through the sea of tall grass.
''Mm. That''s good.'' Mark noted internally as Krista circled around the Alri before closing the distance.
Once the Moonlit Feline judged the moment opportune, it leaped forward.
The bull-like Monster rose to its hooves, but not before Krista''s ws were embedded in its body.
The Beast let out a deep and powerful bellow as it stomped on the ground with its front legs, trying to shake off the Moonlit Feline.
Thetter, with its paws on the Beast''s body held on for dear life.
It didn''t take long for Krista to limate herself to the Alri''s movements and to sink her fangs into its body.
The next second, the Alri started running forward.
''Huh?''
In a straight line, it ran.
''Its speed isn''t bad-''
Suddenly, the Beast''s speed seemed to double out of nowhere.
The burst of speed made both Krista and Mark''s eyes widen.
"Phew..." He whistled as a slight smile appeared on his face. "That''s definitely a Skill. The eleration was too sudden for it to be due to anything else."
It only took a couple of seconds for the Alri to be the one surprised by the turn of events.
Its speed was decreasing, even though it didn''t feel tired. How could it already feel tired after all?
Nevertheless, the Alri''s muscles started losing power and flexibility.
Its body started slowing down, as ayer of Frost, emanating from the Moonlit Feline''s paws, covered part of its body.
Krista didn''t need much time to finish off the Monster after that.
"Good sneak attack." Markplimented as the bleeding Alri was dragged to him by the neck.
Krista let go of the bull-like Monster once ity in front of Mark.
''How to do this...?''
Stomp-
Stomp-
Stomp-
''Now...''
With a touch of Mark''s foot, the Alri''s body was turned into a sphere of energy.
''And then...''
Mark ced his foot below the sphere.
He slowly rose it, while trying to bnce the sphere on his foot.
''This is stupid...'' Mark thought as he chuckled.
Sap-
The sphere took to the air, and his jaw grabbed it.
[You have acquired the Passive Skill: "Ferocious Charge[D]".]
[When charging forward at top speed and in a straight line, Charging Speed will Increase by 50% after 30 seconds of Charging.]
[The Increase in Charging Speed will remain as long as the user''s Charge isn''t halted and the direction isn''t changed.]
''I guess that could be useful-''
Grooowl-
Mark surprised.
What growled ferociously wasn''t a Beast.
It wasn''t the Lioness that stood in front of him.
"Pfahahaha." Heughed, despite trying to resist. "Guess we''ll have to find something for the two of you to eat before she wakes up."
Krista nodded.
"Mmm. Let''s see..."
...
Yawn-
''I wonder how long I''ve-''
Elisa was suddenly let go of.I think you should take a look at
"Agh." She fell to the floor and her butt hit the ground. "You didn''t have to drop me like that-"
As Elisa opened her eyes, she realized that now wasn''t the time.
"Please, continue." The Orcish Fiend sneered.
At the end of its extended arm, was Mark''s throat.
Grabbed and lifted off the ground by Lin''s hand, he was struggling to breathe.
''Shit-'' Elisa cursed as she rose to her feet.
***
A couple of hours earlier,
"Are you sure we can go in, Commander?" A nervous Borus asked.
"Wait a moment." Lin ordered as he pushed himself off the Boar-like Monster.
The Commander Of Sloth lowered his body and reached towards his right ankle.
Tear-
''Part of his pants... Why?'' Borus asked himself.
Lin brought the long torn piece of cloth to his face before closing his eyes.
"Alright." The Commander climbed onto Borus'' body after cing the piece of cloth around his head and tying it so that it would hide his eyes. "Let''s go in."
"Yes, Commander."
In front of them,y the Forest Of Yarnha.
It was a little after dawn.
"Pick up the pace."
"Yes, Commander."
"Faster. Just go as fast as you can."
Borus obliged.
It didn''t take a while for them to cross the Forest and approach the Southern border of Sloth.
"Should be around here. This is where the Lord felt the target''s presence. Smell anything?"
Snif-
Snif-
Borus walked while sniffing around.
Snif- Snif- Snif-
''Oho. Did he get it?'' Lin asked himself internally.
"It smells..." Borus said as he continued sniffing around.
"Of?"
"Corruption."
A slight smile appeared on the Commander''s face.
"Perfect."
He pushed himself off Borus'' body and,
Bram- Bram- Bram-
Crack- Crack- Crack-
The Commander couldn''t help but sigh.
"What''s the meaning of this..." He lowered the piece of cloth that covered his eyes until it hung around his neck, but Lin didn''t open his eyes. "Yarnha?"
"If you''reing for him..." A voice started.
The Boar-like Monster started trembling as the dozens of trees surrounding them bent and broke, forming an entrapping barrier.
"You just missed him."
"Point me in his direction and I''ll be gone. Strange to see you interfere during the day though."
"I''m not sending you his way."
"You''re not? But he was here, huh? Don''t tell me he messed you up badly?" Lin questioned with a, somewhat, malicious tone.
Borus'' trembling grew more intense.
''Messed up... The Spirit of the Forest? Messed up Yarnha badly...? What kind of target are we-''
"You''re not going to him, Commander Of Sloth."
"Oh, but I am. And you can''t stop me?"
"Could this be a challenge?"
"It''s a threat."
"So it''s as they thought..."
"They?"
The roots and trees that were entrapping the two moved out of the way and took back their normal positions.
"You''re smart enough to know what''s good for you, Yarnha." Lin opened his eyes.
"If it''s on the Demon Lord''s orders, I don''t have a choice."
"That''s right. Although calling it an order is a bit of a stretch." The Commander said as he looked around with his shining eyes. Strangely enough, it seemed that Lin was purposefully keeping his gaze glued to the ground. "He''s the Demon Lord Of Sloth. Giving orders is too much of a drag. He''s too slothful for that."
"All the more reason why all of you kneel at his every word."
"Yep. He''s too slothful to move and look around, which is why his eyes can see everything. He''s too slothful to extend his arms, which is why his hands can reach everywhere. I don''t need to exin, do I?"
"You don''t." Yarnha answered.
Lin continued looking around for a bit.
"You''re not showing yourself. And you''re interfering after dawn. Did something change?"
"A lot is changing..." The Spirit''s presence started disappearing. "And it''ll change some more."
Lin couldn''t pinpoint Yarnha''s position earlier, but he could tell she was around.
With her disappearance, he was left with Borus.
"I can see the trail. Let''s get going."
"Yes, Commander."
"We''ll catch up soon, and finish this damn job."
Chapter 241 Trackers Target
?
"Stop."
Upon the Commander''s word, Borus immediately halted his galloping.
As thetter''s hooves left trails on the ground, the former stood up.
"Mm. This should be a good enough distance." Lin whispered as he stared at something in the distance. "Make sure to jump back in time."
"Huh?"
''Let''s get this...
A secondter, the Commander leaped forward.
''Over with.''
Krista''s ears twitched.
So did Mark''s eyelids.
Something wasing.
But before they could even turn around,
[The Title "Commander Of Sloth" is making its presence known.]
Through the space that separated the two, Lin drifted.
"Found ya." He said as he stood a dozen steps in front of them.
''Krista...''
With their bodies frozen by the Aura emanating from the Monster, the order really wasn''t necessary.
''Don''t move.'' Mark warned telepathically.
"Mmmm!" With his eyes closed, Lin stretched his arms upwards. "It''s you, isn''t it? The one I''m supposed to take."
No response was given.
"Can''t you talk? I doubt Yarnha would have given you the time of day if you couldn''t."
Mark''s eyebrow rose at the mention of her name.
"Oh well..." Lin opened his eyes. "Let''s see."
Immediately, Mark felt the urge to step back.
''He''s...!''
Completely naked.
Defenseless.
As if his tough scales and muscles had evaporated. As if those glowing eyes could see through him.
"Yes, it''s you. Now, let go of that one." The Commander ordered while staring.
The Aura emanating from Lin''s body was calm and smooth. Nothing like the fierce and burning Aura that used to emanate from Mark''s. And yet, that only made it seem all the more fearsome.
''He managed to get here... Without anyone of us noticing-''
"Let go, I said."
[The Title "Commander Of Sloth" orders you to heed its words.]
''Commander? Then he''s... Just under the Generals-''
Mark blinked and,
Grab-
Squeeze-
Elisa was suddenly let go of.
Lift-
Thump-
"Agh." She fell to the floor and her butt hit the ground. "You didn''t have to drop me like that-"
Lin''s gaze moved away from Mark momentarily and towards Elisa.
"Please, continue." The Orcish Fiend sneered. "Didn''t have to... What?"
Elisa cursed internally as she rose to her feet.
All grogginess and tiredness faded at once.
How could it not, when the one standing in front of her was,
''A Commander? When... Where-''
All thoughts were ignored by Elisa. Her hands quickly moved over to the sheathes around her waist and pulled out two Timeworn Elven Daggers.
"Now, now. How about we discuss this?" Lin asked, a slight smile on his face and not a hint of fear or hesitation.
The enemy wasn''t wearing Armor.
The enemy didn''t have Weapons either.I think you should take a look at
The Commander''s lower body was veiled by clothes akin to loose and baggy pants.
His wrists and forearms were protected by Gauntlets.
It took less than a second for Elisa to analyze the enemy and decide to leap forward while brandishing her Timeworn Elven Daggers without Equipping her Elven Light Armor Set.
''Prioritizing speed?'' Lin asked himself as he directed his gaze away from the approaching Elisa.
''Freeze his arm. Ice...''
Manip-
The instant Mark''s Magic Skill was about to activate, his throat was let go of.
And as his body was hanging in the air, with his feet inches away from the ground,
BAM-
A powerful kicknded on Mark''s left side, sending him away.
"Now..." Lin redirected his gaze towards Elisa. With great agility, he dodged the swung Timeworn Elven Daggers. "How about we talk about it?"
Once, twice, thrice.
Elisa swung her Daggers, but they didn''t connect once.
By the fourth swing, she stopped momentarily. Her right hand was shaking.
Meanwhile, Mark, who had quickly risen back to his feet, was running towards the Orcish Fiend''s back.
To Lin''s side, a Lioness stood with her mouth wide open as Mana was condensed between her jaws.
"Attacked on three fronts, I don''t like that." The Commander said as he raised his hands. "Let''s talk, shall we?"
Lin sighed, as the three didn''t seem interested in a discussion.
Perhaps it was because of his violent and aggressive entrance.
Perhaps it was because of the hostile and creepy Aura that was emanating from him.
"If I can just take the Monster, I''ll leave the two of you go. How does that sound?"
"Fuck you." Elisa answered as she leaped forward while making her Timeworn Elven Daggers spin.
"Agh... Fine."
With perfect timing, the Commander turned around before the white-scaled Monster could reach him.
Lin consciously turned in the direction that would allow him to peek at the Moonlit Feline.
"You''re," Before Mark could reach the Commander,
''Too fast-''
Punch-
"Coming with me."
The white-scaled Monster stumbled, and Lin took a sidestep to let it do so freely.
"Mark!" Elisa shouted as Krista growled.
''What is... How...?'' The confused Monster took two steps while swaying from side to side before,
Thump-
"What..." With hateful eyes, she stared at the attacker. "What did you do?"
"Nothing much. Just a quick punch to the chin that''s..." Lin took a short pause as he smiled. "What works best against such Monster, don''t you think?"
"What''s that supposed to mean?" Elisa asked with a voice filled with hostility after raising her Timeworn Elven Daggers.
The Commander smiled brightly.
"Does it matter?" He walked forward and started lowering his body. "Now, I''ll be taking him-"
Pierce- Pierce- Pierce-
"Well, that was quick." The Commander whispered after jumping back. Three arrows were embedded in the ground, right on the spot where he stood a fraction of a second earlier.
"You''re not taking anything."
"We don''t have to make this difficult."
"Shut up." Elisa swiftly put her bow over her shoulder and took hold of her Timeworn Elven Daggers once more. "Krista, you''re with me."
The Lioness growled.
"Do we really have to? You''re making my job more difficult than it needs to be."
"Stop talking." Elisa warned.
And the Wind started dancing around her Weapons.
With a horizontal swing,
sh-
"Phew..." The Commander whistled as he jumped up. "Almost looks like Sword Aura."
Chapter 242 A Commanders Status
?
"Stop talking." Elisa warned as the Wind started dancing around her Weapons.
With a horizontal swing,
sh-
"Phew..." The Commander whistled as he jumped up. "Almost looks like Sword Aura."
The Lioness opened her mouth wide while the enemy was in the air.
Ice Spike-
Ice Spike-
Ice Spike-
"You''re not the fighting type, are you?" Elisa asked as the Commandernded on the ground safely.
The Commander seemed surprised for a second.
"Look who wants to talk now." Lin chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "I''m not the fighting type. I''m more of the... Make them give up type, you know?"
"Yeah well..." Elisa bent her knees slightly. "Good luck with that."
She leaped forward with great speed.
''With the Effects of the Corruption decreasing thanks to Mark and due to Raven, my body has gained some of its power back. Especially...''
Blink-
Elisa suddenly appeared behind the Commander.
But thetter was quickly turning around, which filled her with surprise.
Still, she was prepared for that.
Elisa swung both her Timeworn Elven Daggers down, and Lin rose his arms defensively.
The Gauntlets around his wrists and forearms were enough to stop the attack but,
''It''s still... Lighter than I had expected-''
A powerful kicknded on the Commander''s left side, forcing him to cough.
His face winced as he was about to go on the offensive.
But Elisa had cautiously started moving her center of gravity backward even before that.
She jumped with a backflip, revealing a hidden Ice Spike that was quickly approaching.
Determined to keep the attack hidden for as long as possible, Elisa jumped at thest moment and as low as she could.
The Ice Spike barely missed her back as she bent her body.
"Petty tricks." Lin sneered.
But just as the Orcish Fiend extended its arm to block the Ice Spike, three arrows were shot.
''Would you look at that.''
Elisa''s feet slid on the ground as shended due to the backwards momentum.
''Drawing first blood. Not bad for someone so useless, huh?'' She thought to herself, a slight smile on her face.
"You really..." Lin lowered his body towards his knee. With one swift motion, he pulled out the arrow that had pierced through the lower portion of his thigh. "Don''t want to make this easier?"
Elisa''s eyes narrowed.
"Why the obsession with making it easier?"
"Why? It''s simple..." The Commander said as he straightened his body. "I don''t want to fight."
"Ha? Then what do you-"
"You''re not from here, are you? Mm. That''s to be expected since you''re a Dark Elf."
Her eyebrow twitched.
"What would that have to do with anything?"
"This is Sloth. We like to make things easier. For things to go smoothly without having to work too much or too seriously. Now..." Lin cracked his neck. "I have a job to do so-"
"And my job is to keep you from... Doing whatever it is you n on doing."
The Commander''s shining eyes turned cold.
The calm Aura around him started ring up, causing the ground below to crack.
"Even if that means going against a Demon Lord?"
The Aura emanating from him was powerful.
The Status he exuded was an imposing one.I think you should take a look at
Gulp-
[The Title "Commander Of Sloth" is staring at you.]
Demon Lord.
Generals.
Commanders.
Soldiers.
The structure of the hierarchy that ruled a Demon Lord''s Army was something that Elisa was familiar with.
In front of her stood a Commander.
In a way, it was one spot above the Lowest Grade, the Soldier Grade.
But at the same time, it was one spot below the General Grade.
''In the past, this kind of pressure...'' Elisa clenched her teeth. ''Would have been far from enough to impress me, let alone tremble...'' She bit down on her tongue, and a saltiness permeated throughout her mouth. ''I hate it.''
[The Title "Commander Of Sloth" awaits your answer.]
"Yes." Elisa dered as she made her Timeworn Elven Daggers spin in her hands. "Even if it means going against... A Demon Lord."
Lin''s eyes widened, and the Commander''s Aura seemed to explode around him.
''...!''
The difference in pressure, in Status, in the Aura exuded, it was way toorge.
Too sudden a change.
So sudden, that Elisa''s body took a step back without paying attention to her mind or thoughts.
"Don''t think too much of this." The Commander, shrouded in a deep greenish Aura took a step forward. "Those who make our job harder, will find their job bing harder. Get it?"
Elisa tightened her grip over her Timeworn Elven Daggers.
She bent her knees slightly.
Despite the fact that her every instinct was telling her to run away.
The Commander took another step forward, cracking the ground below once more.
Only then, did Elisa realize.
It wasn''t simply the ground cracking.
The tall grass all around them had lowered themselves under the pressure he exuded.
The tall grass itself, kneeled in front of him.
In front of Lin, the "Commander Of Sloth".
"You''re making my job harder... When I''m this slothful. Plus, you''re doing so on my Territory. You really..."
Elisa''s body forced her to take another step back.
Krista, who stood a dozen steps behind Elisa, had already copsed to the ground. Her legs couldn''t hold her weight under such pressure.
"Don''t know a thing, huh?"
The Commander bent his elbows and,
CLANK-
The Gauntlets that covered his fists collided, producing a shockwave that made the Wind run away.
''Stop... Stop it... Now... Isn''t the time...'' Elisa told herself as her gaze moved to her right leg.
A leg that wouldn''t stop shaking.
A leg that refused to move forward.
Crack- Crack-
The Earth was giving up under the Commander''s Aura.
Nature was bending and kneeling in front of his Status.
And the Wind itself, was running away from him.
"Then... I''ll assume this is it, okay?" Lin sneered.
Elisa''s lips parted, but no words exited her mouth. And of course, none would.
There was no air around her.
The Wind had already run away.
Chapter 243 A Commanders Aura
?
"Mm." The Commander nodded. "I''ll be taking this, okay?"
Lin walked forward.
He lowered his body towards the unconscious Mark and, the instant his hands were about toe into contact with the white-scaled Monster''s body, a trembling Lioness growled.
Her legs refusing to get closer to a Commander, Elisa took hold of her bow.
Wind Arrow-
"If you''re this bent on making my job harder then," Lin said after dodging the attack with ease. "I don''t have much of a choice, do I?" The Commander leaped forward. "I''ll have to work a bit harder."
Elisa jumped back while taking aim.
''I feel like I can''t step closer to him. A Commander''s Aura... Still, even if I have to keep my distance...''
With each step forward that Lin took, Elisa took one backward.
''The wound made by my arrow earlier is still bleeding. I can do this. Even if... Even if... I can''t get closer.''
She let go of the Wind Arrow before quickly Condensing the Wind to make a new one but, unlike what had happened before and what Elisa had expected, the Commander didn''t dodge.
Extend-
Grasp-
A small shockwave was set free as the Wind Arrow was stopped andpressed by Lin''s Gauntlet.
"Mm. I won''t have to work that hard it seems." He whispered before running forward.
But before he could take his third step forward,
Freeze-
Lin quickly lowered his body and mmed his fists against the Frost-covered ground.
''I''ll have to keep an eye on this one too?'' He asked himself, slightly surprised.
The trembling Lioness was standing.
"That one isn''t your Underling, huh?"
"That''s none of your business."
"You''re shaking, but can still move. That''s understandable. But for a Moonlit Feline... Mm. That Monster''s Underling then."
Without wasting time, Elisa quickly shot two arrows. So quickly that it seemed both had been shot at once.
One was aimed at the Commander''s chest. The other was aimed at his already injured leg.
''What... Reacting to a frontal attack I would understand but... Keeping up with two arrows at once...''
Elisa clenched her teeth.
''What is it?'' She asked herself as three Wind Arrows were shot in quick session.
Lin''s right foot drew half a circle as his left arm was extended.
Two arrows passed by, the third collided with his Gauntlet, and his positioning allowed him to move his right arm properly.
The iing Ice Spike was crushed.
''My first arrow, and the Frostid by Krista... Those two...''
''The Elves'' attacks move faster. They''re shot quicker too. The Feline''s are much slower. Priorities...'' A slight smile appeared on the Commander''s face. ''Priorities.''
"You can''t use Magic, can you?" Elisa took aim once more.
"What of it?" The Commander ran forward.
''In a straight line? When I''m already aiming-''
Lin turned his head to the side as Elisa let go of another Wind Arrow.
Grasp-
Crush-
"What of it, I asked."
The Commander''s punch connected with Elisa''s defensively bent arms.
"Argh...!"
He had aimed for her side, but the power was enough tounch her a dozen steps away.
"Oho. You got it? Already?" Lin asked, slightly surprised. "Stand up already," He smiled. "We both know that didn''t hurt."
''Tsk.'' Elisa, who had jumped back at the moment of impact, clicked her tongue internally. ''He won''t drop his guard again. Even when an arrow ising straight at him, he still takes the time to look in Krista''s direction.''
She pushed herself off the ground.
''This is a pretty bad matchup for me.''
While most of the force had been avoided, her elbow, on which the hit hadnded, still felt numb.
''The only arrow that connected wasn''t one made of Mana. I''d think Magic Attacks are the issues against him but...'' A thinyer of Frost could be seen covering the inferior portion of Lin''s foot. ''Krista''s Magic did work. But her Ice Spikes...''
The Commander''s Aura red up.
Green and deep.
''If that Feline is the Monster''s Underling, it would exin why it can still move. A Moonlit Feline shouldn''t be able to lift a finger in front of a Commander. Oh... Candidate, the Lord said. Candidate...'' Lin thought to himself before turning around and gazing behind him.
''Tsk. I''m supposed to be protecting him...'' The knocked-out Monstery a dozen steps behind the Commander. ''Now it looks like the opposite.''
''He looks like he''s sleeping peacefully, even though a Commander is... Huh. White-scaled, white-scaled...'' Lin turned back to face Elisa, a smile on his face. ''A Candidate for what, I wonder...''
"Think you can take him back from me?" The Commander sneered.
"I just need to buy time, don''t I?"
Lin''s eyes narrowed.
Four Wind Arrows were shot at once.
An additional two were shot, but they didn''t move in a straight line. Each of the two was shot 45 degrees off target. One, 45 degrees to the right. The other, to the left.
''Curving arrows?''
''Even if I can''t get closer...''
Elisa raised her foot and stepped in the air.
"Phew..." Lin whistled. "A staircase made of Wind..."
She ran as she rose higher and higher into the air, before jumping up once she stood right above the Commander.
A volley of Curving Wind Arrows was shot.I think you should take a look at
''Huh...''
The arrows Elisa had shot before taking to the air were dealt with but,
''I don''t like this.'' Lin thought as he raised his gaze.
A cloud of dust rose, as the volley of Wind Arrows hit both the area on which the Commander stood and the area surrounding him.
''Now... This should tell me.'' Elisa took aim.
She shot the arrow while the Commander was hidden.
One of the arrows that she had taken from the fallen Corrupted Dark Elves inside the Dungeon.
The smoke slowly faded away, and the Commander was revealed.
''Well... This feels insulting.''
"You got it." Lin said as he stared at the hovering Dark Elf.
From all the Wind Arrows shot, all the Mana that had been used, no damage.
"And if you got it..."
Only one arrow had pierced Lin''s body. It remained, embedded in his right shoulder.
''Surprise attacks... And magic? What''s the Link between-''
The Commander extended an arm forward.
"I''ll have to finish this."
The Commander''s Aura red up further, taking up so much space that it enveloped both Elisa and Krista.
"Shit-"
"Get back down here."
Immediately, an incredibly heavy and imposing pressure weighed down on the two.
The tform made of Condense Wind below Elisa''s feet started fading.
''Shit. Shit. Shit!'' She cursed internally.
The weight of being in a Commander''s presence.
The weight of that it meant to be in a Commander''s presence.
''Fuck!''
The tform broke and Elisa started falling.
Lin turned his gaze towards the Moonlit Feline.
It had copsed, and seemed about to pass out.
He turned his gaze towards his shoulder, before pulling the embedded arrow out.
''Mm.''
A drop of blood went down his arm.
''That was slothful.''
Elisa''s knees hit the ground.
Thankfully, she was able to use the Wind to break her fall.
A cloud of dust rose and surrounded her.
''If I can an arrow in through his chest-''
Her body wasn''t trembling anymore.
It was twitching or shuddering.
It couldn''t afford to do those things.
''...!''
Not even the smallest movements were allowed.
''I can''t... Move?!''
Not in a Commander''s presence.
Not when surrounded by a Commander''s Aura.
CLANK-
Lin''s Gauntlets were struck together, and the cloud of dust ran away.
''Huh...''
Elisa''s eyes widened.
''That''s what it was?''
"You got it." The smiling Commander said. "A bitte though."
''Those eyes...''
For the first time since the beginning of the encounter, Elisa got a good look at Lin''s eyes.
"I hear some Elves have eyes simr to mine. Funny, isn''t it?" The Commander sneered.
Eyes that Elisa wished she had time and time again.
Eyes that she had only forgotten due to the Corruption.
Their shine, the motif on those pupils. There was no doubt in her mind.
"Why... Do you have those eyes?"
"I''m surprised you can talk-"
"Why do you have those eyes?" Elisa repeated.
"Oh. I was born with them. Lucky, aren''t I?"
Elisa''s gaze dropped to the ground as long-forgotten memories resurfaced.
The Eyes that only a select few Elves were born with.
The Eyes for which they were hunted and killed.
A Blessing and a Curse.
Chapter 244 Kneeling In Front Of A Commander?
?
"Why... Do you have them?" Elisa repeated, almost in a daze.
"Mmmm... Well," Lin found this to be a pleasant surprise. "Some say Orcs and Elves are rted somehow, don''t they?"
"I''ve never heard... Anyone say-"
Bleugh-
"I say so." Lin sneered as his kick connected with Elisa''s stomach. "Isn''t that enough?"
Argh-
Elisa was left twitching as the leg kickunched her about five steps away.
"Now that felt like a proper hit." The Commander stepped forward. "Since you were keen on making my job harder, I''ll be taking my time now, okay?"
Elisa''s body trembled as she tried to raise her back off the ground.
Not because of the damage.
Not because of the pain.
But simply because of,
''This... Damn Aura...!''
"I wanted to get it over with quickly, but finding someone who recognizes these eyes... I can be pretty lucky sometimes, huh?"
The Commander took another step closer, and Elisa felt the weight pressing her body down increase.
"See, I''m an Orcish Fiend. Know what that is?"
Elisa''s eyes narrowed. She could barely move her neck under the pressure.
"Answer me."
Her lips parted immediately.
A Commander demanded it after all.
"Orcs... Given a Demon''s blood... A Demon... Lord''s blood."
"That''s right. Our whole vige was blessed by the Lord see. We were Blessed because of our strength. Makes sense, doesn''t it? The Lord wants strong people below him. Allows him to have less work to do. Strength is expected from us. Strength..." Lin took another step forward. "And nothing else."
Kick-
Elisa''s body rolled on the ground.
"But I wasn''t born strong... No. Instead," Lin brought a hand to his face. "I was given these eyes. I was robbed of the strength my brethren had and was given these eyes instead. Think that''s fair? Think that makes it fair?"
Elisa turned her face and sput blood on the ground.
"I don''t remember asking."
Lin let his head fall to the side.
With his shining eyes, he stared.
"You''re still talking tough? When you can barely move?"
Elisa lowered her gaze as she clenched her teeth.
''I can''t believe... This kind of Status is-''
Kick-
"Who told you you could look down?"
Elisa''s body hit the ground and a trail of blood went down the size of her face.
''I can''t... Be a burden to them anymore. Not now... Not when they need me...!'' She told herself as she fought against themanding pressure. ''Why the hell... Am I on the ground? Why am I-''
"Oh. Think you can stand? In a Commander''s presence?"
Elisa''s body froze as the burden increased further.
''I won''t... Let myself be...''
Still, she refused to let her knees copse.
''A burden...''
Even when every bone in her body ached.
''I won''t...''
The Commander extended his arm forward with his palm facing down, a malicious smile on his face.
''Be deadweight-''
He slowly lowered that palm, and the weight increased again.
Further and further.
Until the ground below Elisa cracked.
Until a drop of blood left her nose and went down her face.
"Argh...!!"
"How does it feel? Being in a Commander''s presence? A Commander who''s operating under a Demon Lord''s order? Inside their Territory? Can you feel it..."
Lin lowered his palm further.
"The weight of what it means to oppose us?"
"The weight...? You think this is enough... To keep me... Down?" Elisa uttered as she raised her gaze.
The Commander''s smile widened as he lowered his palm even further.
"Kneel."
With all her strength, she fought against the pressure.
Until she coughed up blood.I think you should take a look at
"ARGHHHH!"
But eventually,
Thump-
Elisa''s left knee hit the ground.
"Well... What now?"
The kneeling Elisa remained unmoving and silent.
"Oh..." The Commander lowered his body slightly. "You passed out already."
Everything around Elisa immediately turned dark as her knee hit the ground.
"That''s enough ying around, I suppose." Lin turned away to face the unconscious and lying Monster. "Let''s-"
The Commander''s hand twitched.
As fast as he could, he rotated his body and threw a powerful punch.
With full force, his Gauntlet connected with the standing Elisa.
Even though her eyes had rolled to the back of her head.
Even though she was unconscious.
Even though she was surrounded by his Aura.
''What kind of trick was that?'' Lin asked himself as he stared at the unconscious Elisa whose body had beenunched away.
He stood ready and stared.
Something had changed.
What made this even more obvious, was how Elisa was lying on the ground.
With her back against the ground, shey and...
''Laughing? In this situation?''
Lin found Elisa''s movements incredibly creepy and unnatural as she pushed herself off the ground.
"I can''t wait... To get it all back..." She muttered.
Using only her arms, Elisa pushed herself off the ground and stood with her back arched.
"Ahh... I can''t wait."
Lin''s eyebrow twitched.
His lips parted
"Kneel."
"Huh?"
"I said KNEEL!"
"Kneel? Why should I?" Elisa muttered as her body swayed forward.
With her back rounded and her arms hanging loosely in front of her, she directed her gaze towards the Commander.
"KNEEL DAMMIT!"
"You... You''re a Commander, aren''t you?"
The Commander''s Aura red up as his slothfulness peaked.
Something troublesome seemed to be approaching.
Something that would make his job harder.
And he sooo did not want that to happen.
"Tsk. No need to get heated I guess..." Line whispered to himself "You can barely, isn''t that right?"
"Barely stand? Says who?"
The Commander''s eyes narrowed.
He extended an arm forward, with his palm towards the ground.
"Kneel."
"This again?"
The Commander lowered his palm, and the ground cracked below Elisa.
"Kneel."
"HAHAHAHA! WHY THE HELL SHOULD I?"
The sudden outburst, unexpected due to the pressure weighing down on her, could almost make the Commander step back.
[The Title "Commander Of Sloth" is screaming out!"]
"KNEEL!"
"You''re a dumbass, aren''t you?"
Blood was going down her ears and mouth.
"Since when did Royalty need to kneel..."
But Elisa barely seemed like it affected her.
" In front of a Lord? Much less..."
She smiled widely.
"In front of a Commander?"
Chapter 245 Kneeling Royalty?
?
"Since when did Royalty need to kneel in front of a Lord? Much less in front of a Commander?"
"Royalty?"
"Hahaha! I don''t look the part these days, huh? Well," Elisa unsheathed her Timeworn Elven Daggers. "What can I say?"
"You think you can get closer?"
"Why would I think otherwise? That pressure is already," Lin''s eyebrow twitched. "Getting lighter."
''Aura? Since when? Hm... The quantity isn''t much, but it has started emanating from her. This is definitely...'' He took a leap forward. ''Not a good omen.''
"That''s right. No matter what I go through, no matter what happens to me, I remain Royalty." Elisa made the Timeworn Elven Daggers in her hands spin. "Unlike you, I won''t rely on a Title given or handed to me."
"A Title handed to me?" Lin asked as he pulled his arm back.
"I was born Royalty..." The light green Aura that was slowly emanating from Elisa''s shoulders started spreading. "And I always will be."
With one Timeworn Elven Dagger held in a reverse grip, she watched him approach.
A punch directed towards her face was dodged by bending her neck.
The Dagger held in a reverse grip was swung upwards and diagonally, but the Orcish Fiend jumped back in time.
"You''re stepping back? Now?" Elisa sneered.
A vein popped on Lin''s forehead.
''No need to let her get in my head. This remains the same as earlier. She might be able to stand, but she didn''t take a step from her initial position. That''s right...'' The Commander raised his Gauntlets. ''This doesn''t change anything.''
"Those can negate Magic, huh? Must be handing. Too bad I won''t be using Magic though, since you can read it anyways. OH! Now that I think about it, it''s a perfect match with those eyes."
''Those traces of Corruption I saw in the Forest Of Yarnha...'' Lin focused on his vision, and the dark spots under Elisa''s clothes could be seen. ''Looks like they''re noting solely from that Monster.'' A chuckle escaped his mouth. ''If she has this much Corruption inside her body, then it''s no wonder she wouldn''t be feeling pain. Or the straining from the pressure. Yeah. She''s high out of her mind on the pain and Corruption-''
Suddenly, she stood in front of him, with her Timeworn Elven Daggers raised above.
"See anything funny with those eyes?" Elisa asked as she rapidly swung the Daggers downwards.
Their des slid against the metallic Gauntlets that had been raised defensively.
"Yeah." Lin answered as he extended an arm forward, aiming to grab the Dark Elf''s arm.
Just when he was about to grasp it,
Blink-
The Commander immediately jumped forward, and the swung Timeworn Elven Daggers barely missed his bare back.
"l..."
Lin turned around, feeling cold sweat.
"Definitely I thought I had you with that one."
"What did you do?"
"Think I''ll answer?"
Lin focused on his vision, and it became obvious.
''She''s controlling the Wind around her at all times... Making it harder to detect Skill Activation, even with these eyes...''
"You got it?" Elisa sneered.
"Crafty forest-dweller."
"Forest-dweller, huh?" Her Daggers spun and her lips curled up. "That''s my Pride."
Elisa leaped forward.
''She''s charging forward while keeping her Daggers hidden?''
The Commander''s eyes narrowed, and the flow of Mana could be seen.
He could see how Mana was being umted around the hidden Timeworn Elven Daggers.
How the Mana was turning into Wind, and how the Wind was spinning around the des.I think you should take a look at
''Same one as before then.'' He raised his Gauntlets, ready to block and counterattack.
''Controlling the Wind around me while simultaneously doing this... It''s tough but...'' Elisa raised her Daggers once the distance was closed. ''I can do it!''
An intense exchange followed.
Elisa swung, ducked, and dodged.
Lin punched, blocked, and deflected.
''Stay focused on the Daggers. On the instant she releases the Magic Skill-''
A slight opening.
The opportunity for a shot to the side.
The Commander couldn''t let it go in the middle of the close exchange.
A blow thrown will all his strengthnded on Elisa''s side.
But at the same time, Elisa swung her Dagger.
She wasunched away, coughing up and panting for air.
"You''re going this far..." A diagonal wound stretching from Lin''s chest to his right hip had been drawn. "For a Monster?"
"For a Monster, huh?" Elisa muttered as she wiped the blood going down her mouth with her wrist. "Hahaha."
"Did I say something funny?"
"No, it''s just..." Lin was only half-focused on her words. Only one Dagger remained wrapped by the Condensed Wind now. "Let''s call that one my cat, and that one my dog."
"That Monster?" Lin chuckled. "Your dog?"
"Mm!" Elisa nodded cheerfully. "How happy do you think he will be..."
She ced a Timeworn Elven Dagger''s handle between her teeth, and pulled out a third one.
''How many of those does she have?''
"When he finds a nice treat upon waking up?"
"And I''m supposed to be the treat?"
Elisa leaped forward without answering.
With her full body covered by the light green Aura, the effect of the Commander''s Aura could barely be felt.
''I''ll get them back... Definitely!''
''Both Daggers in her hands are wrapped with the Wind... That third one... Why?''
Another intense exchange took ce.
Perhaps it was due to the doubts that the third Timeworn Elven Dagger had induced.
sh-
A short and shallow wound was drawn on Lin''s cheek.
The two jumped back.
"Shucks... Was aiming for your eye." Elisa muttered, her words muffled by the Dagger between her teeth.
"I can tell." Lin said as he wiped the blood off his cheek.
''If she''s truly Royalty, then this makes sense. Judging by her condition, she''s way closer to death. My wounds aren''t too deep. As long as I finish this quickly-''
Elisa swung her Timeworn Elven Dagger.
A slender and sharp crescent of Condensed Wind rapidly approached the Commander.
He extended an arm forward.
The attack was dealt with, revealing the sharp tip of a Timeworn Elven Dagger approaching rapidly, aimed for his head.
Chapter 246 A Light Punch?
?
Elisa''s Wind Attack was dealt with. Beyond it, was revealed the sharp tip of a Timeworn Elven Dagger approaching rapidly, aimed for the Commander''s head.
Dodge-
Lin bent his neck, letting the thrown Timeworn Elven Dagger pass him by.
"That was a close one." He whispered.
"Was it?" Elisa let the third Timeworn Elven Dagger fall off her mouth and into her mouth. "He acts like he doesn''t feel pain, but I can tell, since I''ve been looking at him for a long time..."
''Don''t tell me you-''
Lin quickly turned back, and Elisa leaped closer.
"He hates pain! But there is something he hates more!"
Elisa swung her Dagge. The Commander blocked with one hand and threw a punch with the other.
She slipped through the space below that arm and stood behind Lin.
Thetter wasted no time to turn.
"Can you see it?" Elisa asked as she pointed behind her with the tip of one of her des. "The expression on his face?"
Elisa''s Wind Attack was dealt with. Beyond it, was revealed the sharp tip of a Timeworn Elven Dagger approaching rapidly, aimed for the Commander''s head.
Dodge-
Lin bent his neck, letting the thrown Timeworn Elven Dagger pass him by.
"That was a close one." He whispered.
"Was it?" Elisa let the third Timeworn Elven Dagger fall off her mouth and into her mouth. "He acts like he doesn''t feel pain, but I can tell, since I''ve been looking at him for a long time..."
''Don''t tell me you-''
Lin quickly turned back, and Elisa leaped closer.
"He hates pain!"
Elisa swung her Dagger. The Commander blocked with one hand and threw a punch with the other.
She slipped through the space below that arm and stood behind Lin.
Thetter wasted no time to turn.
"Can you see it?" Elisa asked as she pointed behind her with the tip of one of her des. "The expression on his face?"
Elisa leaped forward the attack once more.
Once again, she slipped behind Lin.
Beyond the Commander''s shoulder, she could see it.
The expression on the Monster''s face who had been woken up from its slumber.
A slumber that had been interrupted by a Dagger pierced its calf muscle.
"I''ll just have to deal with you before the guard dog wakes up fully-" The Commander leaped forward, and so did Elisa.
"He hates pain, but there is something he hates more than pain. Can you guess what it is?"
Elisa''s Timeworn Elven Daggers were swung, thrust, and spun.
Lin''s Gauntlets hit, blocked, and deflected.
"Oh, the expression on his face once he sees the kitty passed out..." Elisa started. Lin flinched, and the tip of her Weapon drew a short and shallow wound on his arm. "Can you imagine it?"
Suddenly and out of nowhere, the Commander felt a great amount of pressure.
Something wasing.
It was close. Too close already.
His eyes stared at Elisa''s.
With his vision focused to its maximum, he could see it.
Without a care about the Timeworn Elven Daggers approaching his stomach, Lin jumped away to the side.
BAM-
The Commander jumped back a few more times before staring at the rising cloud of dirt which was hiding Elisa''s position.
The light emanating from his eyes shone a bit brighter, and he could see them through the smoke.
''Tsk.''
Lin clicked his tongue.
"How slothful..."
The cloud of dirt started settling and,
"Hohoooo!!" A smiling Elisa appeared. With the end of her Dagger''s handle, she tapped his shoulder repeatedly. "You''ve gotten stronger, haven''t you? Haven''t you?"
The white-scaled Monster scratched the back of his head.
"Maybe."
He turned to face Lin, and a familiar sensation left him puzzled.
"He-"
"Reminds you of someone, huh?" Elisa chuckled,pletely reading his thoughts. "That''s a Commander. Know what that is?"
Mark shrugged.
"I can guess. So? Anything you have to tell me before he-"
Elisa made her Timeworn Elven Daggers spin before putting them back in their sheathes.
"Zephyr. That was his name, right? That guy was probably a Commander. Or a future Commander maybe?"
Mark''s body started twitching, and a smirk appeared on Elisa''s face.
"Scared?"
The white-scaled Monster brought its hands together.
Crack-
Crack-
"Rematch 1 of 2..." Before Elisa could finish her sentence, a cloud of dirt rose in front of her. "Start?"
''Commander... The same as Zephyr? But then what about this visible Aura?'' Mark asked himself as he ran towards the Orcish Fiend whose eyes shone.
''Knock him out... Just like before... At the right...''
[Your Passive Skill "Combative Eyes[D]" is activating!]
Unlike what the Commander had wished for, the first punch didn''t connect.
What took ce instead, was one of the things Lin hated most.I think you should take a look at
A simple, boorish, and bruttish slugfest.
''Deflect, block, hit... Don''t forget about that tail. Looks like the kind that can be used offensively... Don''t forget about the Elf standing there... Keep an eye on the Moonlit Feline too...'' Lin''s eyes kept shining brighter and brighter. The strain from the use of those Eyes was negligible though. He was a Commander after all.
''Stay on the attack... Just like against Zephyr... He''s not wearing Armor, therefore... Elisa had no wounds, he probably has no sharp weapons... This is... This is...!''
''Idiot didn''t even ask if I was okay. Tsk.'' Elisa clicked her tongue before coughing up a small quantity of blood. ''Well...'' Her gaze moved to the side. ''With Krista knocked out, I can understand though.'' Her eyes went back to the slugfest.
A couple of secondster,
"Oh. He missed a tempo there. That''ll..." Elisa whispered to herself.
And sure enough,
Bam-
A punch thrown with all of the Commander''s strengthnded on Mark''s stomach,unching him away.
Cough- Cough-
Mark quickly stood up. But before he could rush at the enemy again,
"What do you think?"
The white-scaled Monster''s gaze went to Elisa.
She was standing a couple of steps away.
''Tsk. Feels like she knew I would end up here.''
"Well?" Elisa pressed.
"Mmm... What I think?"
''Are they seriously...''
"After taking a hit, what do you think?"
''Talking while in the presence of a Commander??''
"Mmmm..." Mark wondered for a bit. "Commanders are supposed to be on the same level, right?"
"Yes."
"Strange. Zephyr''s hits felt different. Plus, I don''t think he was using everything he had."
"Mm. Mm." Elisa nodded repeatedly.
Lin''s eyebrow twitched.
"Howe his hits are so light?"
Veins immediately popped on Lin''s face.
"Light?"
The Commander''s Aura red up and englobed the two.
Mark''s body shuddered for a moment.
A heavy pressure pushed him down towards the floor.
"Can you move?" Elisa, whose body was covered by a greenish Aura, asked.
[Your Title "Devourer" roars!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" screeches!]
"This is..." Mark bent his knees slightly under the pressure. "Status?"
"Mm." Elisa nodded. "Different kind of Status than the Status Window though."
"Yeah, it''s..." The white-scaled Monster slowly straightened its body up. "Not bad."
"Ha... Hahahaha! Not bad, you say? Amusing. Interesting! In front of a Commander''s Status, a Commander''s Aura, this is all you have to say?"
Mark brought a hand to the back of his head. By his side and With eyes filled with surprise, Elisa stared at him.
''Howe he can stand in front of a Commander?'' She asked herself.
"I''ve felt something simr before."
"Is that so? From that Zephyr, huh? I don''t know a Commander by that Name-"
"Oh, no." Mark cracked his neck. "I''m hazy on the details, but it was probably..." He extended his ws and leaped forward. "Nia or Gaavah."
Elisa stared at him as he ran forward.
''Surprising... This sure does make things easier though.'' She thought as she took a side step.
''Did we underestimate the job''s difficulty?'' Lin asked himself. ''Wait...''
The Commander''s body started twitching as he realized something.
''Gaavah?''
Instantly, the Aura surrounding him turned violent.
Pheww-
''Gaavah...?''
Mark''s body was forced to slow down, as the Aura surrounding him grew much more dense and almost gained a slimy feel to it.
''Gross...'' Elisa thought to herself as she ran.
"Doing this job might have allowed me to take it easy for a few weeks but now..."
As if it were a typhoon, the white-scaled Monster was forced to raise an arm to stop itself from being blown away.
Once again, the earth cracked.
Once again, nature kneeled.
Lin''s twitching body started growing slightlyrger.
Slightly more imposing.
Mark couldn''t tell whether it was actually growing, or simply an impression brought on by the change in the Aura surrounding him
"Feels like I''ll be able to take it easy for a few months, if not more."
Mark was a couple of steps away.
Lin pulled his arm back, and threw a punch.
Bleugh-
The Monster''s body wasunched back, and collided with the Elf that was tailing him.
A punch through air.
A punch through Aura.
Chapter 247 You Got It
?
"You''re okay?"
"Yeah..." The white-scaled Monster muttered.
"Come." The Commander''s tone seemed to imply both an order and a challenge.
A challenge that neither Mark nor Elisa wanted to run away from.
Even though they had been attacked, even though they were on their way somewhere, running away wasn''t an option for them.
"Zephyr''s hit... Were still heavier." The white-scaled Monster continued.
"Don''t tell me you think you got that strong. From absorbing a Growing Yeti and an Olga."
"Well, those two... Olga?"
Elisa arms lightly pushed Mark''s body forward, and thetter pushed himself off the ground.
"Focus." She said.
Mark stood up and stared at the Commander whose Aura forced him to nt his feet in the ground.
''If it''s the same or at least simr to how Aura was inside the Dungeon for me then... He can feel things entering his Aura. No, more than that. Since it takes up this much space, he can feel our every movement. Plus, I''m still intrigued by that... He let me go the moment I was about to activate my Ice Maniption, even though I had consciously tried not to move or show that I was about to use it-''
"What now? Got scared?" The Commander sneered.
''If he can feel our movements, then a surprise attack of sorts won''t work. What''s needed is...''
''I''m surprised he''s not even answering him.'' Elisa thought to herself.
The white-scaled Monster extended its palms towards the Commander.
''To overwhelm him with information.''
Small mes appeared in front of those palms, before growing in size, spinning around rapidly, and taking on the appearance of,
Great Fire Ball-
Great Fire Ball-
Great Fire Ball-
''No need to mix in the me Of Chaos Skill. Not going for damage here...''
Elisa, who had remained crouching behind Mark, grabbed her bow.
''That''s what they''re going for? She should know that it won''t work though... Mm. She doesn''t have much of a choice. Either go along with whatever he does or inform me of their n.'' Lin thought to himself.
A volley of Great Fire Balls was shot towards him.
The 7 Great Fire Balls should have been enough to hide both Mark and Elisa visually. But in truth, they only hid the Commander.
''Those eyes can see through Mana with ease but,'' Elisa let go of the Wind Arrow, and the bowstring moved with great speed. ''This shouldn''t be bad.
Aimed at Lin''s chest, the Wind Arrow pierced the air.
It didn''t take long before,
BOOM-
The Wind Arrow passed through one of the shot Great Fire Balls, provoking a series of explosions.
''They''re running through the smokescreen. Circling around me together? I would have expected them to split up...''
"What do we do?" Mark asked.
"Do whatever you want."
"This isn''t the time to be grumpy-"
"It''s not that." Elisa interrupted. "Let''s get out of the Aura for now."
The white-scaled Monster nodded, and both jumped back twice.
Before the smokescreen couldpletely fade, Mark extended his arms towards the Commander once more.
Great Fire Ball-
Great Fire Ball-
Great Fire Ball-
''They''re losing speed the instant they pass through the Aura. But what really disturbs me is... I need to use something else for that-''
An idea passed by Mark''s mind.
"Let''s try that."
"That?" Elisa asked as she took aim.
A Great Fire Ball appeared in front of Mark''s palm.
He didn''t shoot it.
Instead, his palms were ced on each side of the zing sphere and,
Condense-
Not without resistance. But eventually, the Great Fire Ball''s mes had the size of a small tennis ball.
''Now... me Of Chaos.''
The small sphere of burning fire was coated red.
But Mark didn''t stop there.
More. More. And more mes Of Chaos were added.
Until the sphere grew unstable.
Until his Fire Control Magic Skill had trouble keeping it in check.
Mark curled his hands around that sphere.
''If I add any more, I''ll lose control. Precise control... Is what I need.''
The fingers of his right hand touched those of his left.
The heels of his hands were connected.
With his fingers directed towards the Commander,
''Give it... Just enough space.''
His fingers parted slightly, leaving a narrow route.
A narrow escape route, for the contained energy to take.
Four Curving Wind Arrows were shot in quick session.
''Faster... And tighter... Don''t give him time... To keep up!'' Mark added a tiny bit more energy to the sphere in his hands and,I think you should take a look at
PHEW-
Elisa couldn''t hide her surprise.
''The same... As that Fire Spirit''s!''
''Now... The instant energy gets away, replenish it. Keep filling ti with Mana... The correct amount... The correct... Timing! The correct way to keep it going. To keep it from simply exploding!''
Mark smiled nervously, as theser-like beam of energy moved with great speed towards the Commander, shrouded by the cloud of dirt that had risen due to Elisa''s Wind Arrow Attacks.
''There''s no way he''ll react to this! It''s too fast for-''
The white-scaled Monster, whose lips had been twitching nervously, froze.
His eyes narrowed, as the cloud of dust started settling.
"Entertaining." The Commandermented.
The next second, Mark''s hands started moving.
In unison, they moved. Transforming the beam into an incredibly longser de.
Randomly and erratically, the beam drew all kinds of shapes.
And everytime, Lin''s Gauntlets were there to stop and prevent the beams from reaching him.
"Those Gauntlets. They use some kind of Anti-Magic. I''m hazy on the details, but attacking with-"
"He moves too quickly. No..." Mark interrupted. "You wouldn''t lose in a contest of speed against him."
"Of course not."
"He reacts fast. Too fast... It''s almost like..."
It felt disturbing. Eerie. Perhaps even creepy.
In an instant, the images of different enemies he had fought came to mind.
Those that were faster than him.
Those that could react faster than him.
Those with whom only his vision could keep up.
This was different.
"Almost like?" Elisa repeated, a knowing smile on her face.
"Almost like he moved to dodge before the attackes his way. As if he can already tell what is going to be shot, where, and-"
"Hahahaha!" Elisaughed for a bit, before making her Timeworn Elven Daggers spin and turning her gaze towards the Commander.
"What''s so funny?"
"That''s exactly what it is. He can read the flow of Mana perfectly. He can detect the activation of Magic Skills. He can detect which Magic Skills are about to activate. He can see through Magic Attacks, through smoke, and through our bodies."
"Huh? Why didn''t you tell me earlier? Wait... You got all that from fighting him? How much time did I spend knocked out-"
"Well, I got it from more than fighting him." Not giving any time for further questioning, Elisa continued. "He hasn''t taken a step since earlier. Strange, isn''t it?"
"It is."
"Why do you think that is?"
Mark was surprised by the question. Still, his eyes didn''t leave the Commander.
"It''s easier to control Aura that way? Without moving? I can''t really see anything else, since he can''t attack from far away... Or is that a bluff?"
"No." Elisa chuckled. "It probably isn''t a bluff. Controlling Aura? In a way, that''s true. If he was running and chasing after us, his Aura wouldn''t that fierce and imposing. It wouldn''t cover such arge area either."
"So it is about controlling it."
"It isn''t."
"Then?"
"What is the Aura of?"
Mark direct his gaze towards her for a bit.
"A Commander?"
Elisa nodded.
"Oh..." Mark seemed to realize something. "A Commander Of Sloth."
"You got it. Just like Yarnha is stronger in her Territory, he is stronger in his Territory."
"This whole ce is his Territory so-"
"It''s not that simple. His Territory can also be... Sloth."
"I don''t really get it."
"Then..." Elisa bent her knees. "Let''s fight and see if you figure it out."
She leaped forward.
But after taking about five steps forward, she turned around.
"What are you doing?"
"Huh?"
"How am I supposed to hide behind you if you stay there?"
"That''s what you were doing?"
A shining and mischievous smile on her face.
"Are you my Knight or not?"
"Feels more like I''ll be used as a Shield."
Elisa turned back around and stared at the Commander while making her Timeworn Elven Daggers spin.
"You''ve been promoted from Horse to Shield."
Mark brought a hand to his neck.
"Shut up, will you?"
Elisa chuckled cheerfully.
"I''ll be tailing you, okay?"
Crack- Crack-
"Do what you want."
Chapter 248 Wind Burst
?
''That''s not as scary as I first thought...'' The white-scaled Monster realized about a minuteter.
Boom-
An explosion caused a could of dust to rise. Mark managed to dodge at the right time, as he had a couple of times already.
''Those punches of Aura are interesting... The further they get from him, the weaker they grow. They be pretty easy to dodge once they exit the Aura surrounding him.''
Mark dodged a couple more of Lin''s attacks and,
"Is this it? A Commander?" He whispered to himself after jumping to the side.
"Find it underwhelming?" A voice asked, sending a shiver down Mark''s spine. "You might be able to dodge, but you''ve been unable to inflict any damage, you know? Oh well, that''s Sloth for you."
An attack aimed at his right side approached, and he was reminded of what had started annoying him more than the fact that he hadn''t inflicted damage on the Commander.
I''ll be tailing you-
If it wasn''t for the sentences she uttered from time to time, Mark would have definitely forgotten about her.
But Elisa was there.
''I''m not much of a Shield, am I?''
Her movements were silent and stealthy.
Perhaps just as stealthy as Light, Mark thought at first.
It didn''t take him long that the two couldn''t bepared.
Even when he moved at full speed silently, she remained there, behind him.
Hidden perfectly from Lin''s field of vision, she remained.
Mark could tell.
''She''s hiding from him... But also staying in my blindspot, constantly.''
He couldn''t tell everything that was going on though.
After all, he couldn''t see her move and twist her body with every one of his movements.
''Even with Light hiding inside my shadow it didn''t feel this eerie. Right, it''s almost like...''
"We''re going in soon...." The ghost behind him uttered.
''Being inside his Aura is pretty weird but... Her tailing me is starting to feel much creepier.''
''Tsk.'' Lin clicked his tongue. ''Crafty forest-dweller...''
"Make sure you keep up." Elisa whispered.
''Keep up?'' Mark dodged an attack by jumping to the side. The instant his foot touched the ground, his left hand opened.
''Oho. The Corruption I could feel inside Yarnha. Finally...''
''You''re the one tailing me, aren''t you? Then...'' The ground below the white-scaled Monster cracked. ''I''ll do what I want...'' He leaped forward as a Dark Corrupting Javelin was formed in his left hand. ''And let you react however you want.''
Elisa''s eyelids rose slightly at the sudden leap and her lips started curling upwards.
''Losing your Underlings left a void, didn''t it?'' She thought as she lowered her body. ''I''m sure you can''t even tell howrge the void is, but I noticed. Every time you fight, every time you''re in the midst of a battle, you inadvertently... Maybe even unconsciously... Look for them.''
''She''s keeping her body that way while running at such speed just to remain hidden? That''s a shrewd Elf if I''ve ever seen one.'' Lin''s eyes didn''t lose their shine once. ''Forcing me to keep an eye on you, huh? Wind Magic is the trickiest to read and notice. And you''re using that to your advantage? Even though you have no idea if I''m even keeping an eye or not. How very... Not slothful.''
The instant Mark''s body was about the enter the Commander''s Aura, he suddenly killed all of his speed using the Wind st Magic Skill.
The thought that Elisa might crash into him crossed his mind, but he didn''t pay it any mind.
He opened his mouth wide and,
Freezing Mist-
The thick icy mist covered the area in front of him, and the Dark Corrupting Javelin was thrown will all his strength.
''Tsk.''
Just as it left his hand, Mark started running to the right, aiming to circle around the thick mist.
The idea that Elisa might choose to go left crossed his mind. He counted on it.
The Magic Skill "Freezing Mist" was one that Mark had acquired after Devouring the Olga.
Its Effect was devastating. He had witnessed it first hand after all.
Why was the Effect of the Skill so much less impressive when he was using it though?
Simple. The difference in size was something that the Magic Skill took into consideration.
How much "Freezing Mist" could be produced and ejected at once dependedrgely on the User''s anatomy.
Having used it a couple of times already, Mark had a good grasp on how far the Freezing Mist could reach.
So why was it about to touch the Commander''s body now? When that should be outside of the effective range?
A slight smile appeared on his face as he ran.
The Wind was on his side.
How could it not be, when she was on his side?
Lin extended an arm forward, and the Mist stopped moving. Even though the Wind was doing its best to make it advance further, it stopped. The right to move had been taken away from it. Even the right to move around was something a Commander could take away, in his Territory.
''I''ve already taken one from your book so...'' A Great Fire Ball, coated by the me Of Chaos, hovered in front of Mark''s palm. ''Let''s take this one too. Now, Commander. How will you react...''
The white-scaled Monster''s hand pierced the zing sphere.
''Fire Control, huh? Tsk. Looks like you got it too.''
''To a Magic Skill like this?''
Mark rapidly pulled his arm out of the sphere.
''Good one, haha!'' Elisa chuckled internally.
The white-scaled Monster leaped into the Commander''s Aura before swinging down the red whip of mes in his hand.
Lin sidestepped, leaving more than enough space for the whip to descend.
''Giving it a form like this, you''re crafty one too. It might look like a whip, but it''s still Fire Control. No reason to believe that it''ll behave like an actual whip would.''
The Commander expected it to stop in mid-air and wrap itself around his ankle or, at least, try to.
But it didn''t.
The whip approached the ground.
Lin''s eyes widened as the Mana flowing out of the white-scaled Monster''s hand increased dramatically.I think you should take a look at
He could tell what would happen once the ming whip would touch the ground.
And of course he could tell. It was happening inside his Territory after all.
The Commander jumped back.
Mark leaped forward with a smirk on his face.
The whip hit the ground.
''Huh?'' Despite the surprise, Mark''s speed didn''t decrease one bit.
BOOM-
Through the smokescreen created by the explosion, the Commander''s eyes shone.
''He dyed the explosion? What kind of-''
Not giving any time to the confused enemy, Lin leaped forward, his fists under the Gauntlets clenched.
Mark quickly pulled his left arm back, and the Commander focused on his vision.
The image reflected by Mark''s pupils told him everything he needed.
His right arm threw a punch, while his left arm was extended behind him, blocking the Dark Corrupting Javelin that was flying through the air.
With one palm in front of the other, Mark blocked the hit.
''Tsk. I held onto it after he dodged... Even this isn''t enough, huh.''
Mark rotated his body, and as his foot left the ground to throw a kick,
[You have acquired a new Magic Skill!]
[You have acquired the Magic Skill...]
Mark''s eyes widened with surprise as the Wind propulsing his leg feltpletely different than it used to.
The Commander, not expecting such a radical change in speed, could only block with his Gauntlets.
The white-scaled Monster''s shin collided with the metallic Gauntlets.
Upon impact, the Commander''s arms were pulled back.
Whether he couldn''t handle the kick''s power or not, wasn''t clear.
Nevertheless, Mark didn''t think about it too long.
As his leg was left to move freely, he immediately jumped and threw a kick with his other leg.
''Amazing...!''
The speed and power of his kicks forced his lips to curl up.
The Commander managed to block the session of attacks, but seemingly not without difficulty.
''And now...!''
After the session of kicks, Mark started throwing in punches and elbow strikes.
''Tsk.''
With each hit thrown, Mark''s movements seemed to grow faster.
As if the momentum of the previous attack was carried by the next.
The constant speed made his options seem limitless.
Lin''s eyes were forced to work harder.
The goal wasn''t keeping up after all. But anticipating.
''Skill Activation is something you can read, huh? Then... Can you read this way?''
Punch-
Kick-
Strike-
Again and again.
Until at one point, a distraction? Ack of Endurance Points?
An opening.
Mark had seemingly been a tiny bit too slow retracting his leg after the kick thrown.
The leg was grabbed.
And the Skill was activated.
''Using it to run away? Or...!''
Lin took hold of Mark''s other leg before its speed could increase.
With both legs grabbed, his body started to fall.
Spin-
"Don''t think spinning will get you out of-"
Indeed, Mark couldn''t spin his body around when the one grabbing him had such strength.
Not an issue.
Spinning wasn''t the goal.
But momentum instead.
Wind Burst x Destructive Tail Flick
BAM-
The hitnded on the Commander''s nape.
The strength and power forced the Wind around them to flee.
The impact caused Lin''s brain to collide with the inside of his skull repeatedly.
For a second, the Commander''s eyes stopped shining.
For a second, his Aura faded.
For a second, the Commander lost consciousness.
Chapter 249 With My Own Eyes
?
''Against a Commander...''
The Commander''s Aura faded as Mark''s tail came into contact with Lin''s nape.
''Against Zephyr...''
The Orcish Fiend''s eyes rolled back, but it remained standing.
''I can win!''
With the Commander having lost consciousness momentarily, Mark only had an instant to decide what to do.
Attack. Where? What?
He instinctively extended his ws.
sh-
Whether it was the right decision or not, Mark did not know.
Nevertheless, a trail of greenish blood pursued his ws in the air as the Commander''s right eye was shed.
Perhaps it was due to the pain, or perhaps, due to one of his Eye being touched, but Lin''s body moved incredibly quickly.
His right hand covered by the metallic Gauntlet was wrapped around Mark''s right wrist.
[Your Passive Skill "Combative Eyes[D]" is activating!]
Mark immediately flexed his forearm muscles and curled his wrist.
The Commander, as if arm wrestling him, did the same.
The difference in Strength Stats wasn''t arge one.
But this was a contest that tested Strength purely and directly. Mark couldn''t keep his arm from being bent.
As he started feeling pressure on his shoulder, he had no choice but to move.
Letting his arm go in the direction that the Commander was pulling it, Mark circled around the Commander.
His left arm was about to wrap around Lin''s neck, but before that could happen, a backward elbow strike fell on his left side.
''This guy...!''
The direction in which the arm was pulled changed, and the Commander curled his body.
Mark''s feet left the ground as his whole body was raised and thrown over Lin''s shoulder.
THUMP-
Mark''s eyes reopened after the impact, and the view in front of him sent a shiver down his spine.
There was no anger in the Commander''s face.
No wrath. No emotion.
He was calm, and focused.
With his back against the ground, Mark imnted the heels of his feet into the ground, raised his buttocks off the ground, and threw a kick aiming for Lin''s head.
Before that leg could travel half the distance, the Commander forced the white-scaled Monster''s back off the ground, rendering the kick unable to reach target.
The next instant, Lin threw a kick of his own and, at the moment of impact, he readjusted his grip.
The two were now facing one another, their right arms connected.
The Commander''s left fist moved quickly.
Knowing fully well that he couldn''t block the attacks,
Partial Golem Armor-
Three hitsnded on Mark''s right side while his arm was being pulled.
The third broke the Golem Armor covering that side.
The hit was heavy enough to make Mark gasp. Something that Mark was counting on.
Freezing Mis-
Before the Magic Skill could be activated, the heel of Lin''s palm connected with the white-scaled Monster''s chin, closing it shut.
The fact that their arms crossed was something that Mark found especially troublesome.
''At least... My left hand is free.''
A semi-clenched fist started moving towards the Commander''s neck.
It was only once it was about to reach that,
[You acquired the Sub-Skill "Dark Corruption, Curved Dagger[D-]".]
''Tsk.'' Mark clicked his tongue as the Commander took a sidestep to his left while pulling Mark''s arm to his right.
But moving that way meant getting closer to Mark''s back.
BAM-
Letting himself be pulled and cleverly adding more momentum to the slight movement allowed Mark to add more weight and momentum to the tail flick.
The hitnded on the Commander''s bent arm.
Despite his feet being moved, they didn''t leave the ground. And he didn''t let go of the white-scaled Monster''s wrist.
Mark could tell that he was at a disadvantage. He could tell that the enemy had much more experience when it came to fights at such close range. And he could also tell that his movements were amateurish, if not sloppy, as he repeatedly swung the Curved Dagger made of Corruption.
''He''s not letting me move at all. Plus, he''s always moving my arm around to keep me in his field of vision. He lost an eye, but the fight almost seems tougher now. This is...'' Mark smiled nerveously as a powerful punchnded on his stomach. ''Amazing!''
The hit would have definitelyunched him away, was his wrist not trapped.
''Unlike Zephyr, this guy isn''t in a different ss when ites to Strength or Agility. But his Sense Stat... It''s several levels higher than mine. He can see and anticipate my every move. This is the difference between two Commanders, huh? Still, Zephyr wouldn''t lose. A Commander''s strength must, after all, depend heavily on...''I think you should take a look at
Lin''s eye widened suddenly.
''What he is a Commander of.''
The Curved Dagger in Mark''s hand changed and grew longer as he swung his arm.
[You acquired the Sub-Skill "Dark Corruption, Chain & Sickle[D]".]
The goal was wrapping the chain over the Commander''s neck as his attention was elsewhere.
Mark could tell, since he could see what stood beyond the Commander, about twenty meters behind.
Lin extended an arm behind him.
The Ice Spike piercing through the air and approaching his back could be dealt with. His hand covered by the Gauntlet was already positioned properly.
The chain approaching his neck, Lin just had to duck and dodge.
Letting go of the target would be a blunder after all.
The Commander ducked and the chain missed him.
Wind Burst-
Will full force and the Wind''s help, Mark''s kneended on the Commander''s chin.
Thetter''s feet left the ground, and his hand let go of the white-scaled Monster''s wrist.
''If he really is with Gaavah... Then Greed and Glutonny will pay for him no matter what... I''ll be able to finally take it easy... To truly take it easy... I won''t have to kneel in front of them anymore... I won''t have to stand whenever I see them anymore... Even if I have to bring him dead!''
The Commander''s back slid on the ground as he fell.
''Being slothful... Is a beautiful thing. Even though I have lost an Eye because of it. Even though I want nothing more than to take a nap... Sloth is only beautiful... If you can still do your job while being Slothful. And as a Commander Of Sloth...!''
Chuckles left the lying Commander''s mouth, and a tremendous amount of Aura spread over the area.
''This was a job for a General in the first ce but...'' Lin slowly pushed himself off the ground. ''Taking him alive might be a bit too much work for me.'' He thought as he stared at the white-scaled Monster.
In its right hand, a long and burning whip made of zing mes.
In its left hand, a long whip made of Corruption.
"What''s that about?"
"Huh?"
"Are they supposed to be whips?" Lin chuckled.
Mark''s eyes narrowed.
Why did he start talking now?
"I guess."
"They look more like roots."
"Mm." Mark scratched his head. "Those hurt a lot too."
"Pfaha! What''s that about?"
The white-scaled Monster tightened his grip over his weapons.
''I''m being more slothful than usual. Even though my Eye... Mm. Given time it''ll heal but... Yeah. I like this guy a lot. Maybe it''s because my right Eye was damaged that I can see it clearly now. The color of his Mana... I love it.''
The Commander chuckled, and Mark was unsure if that meant the former was confident or distracted.
''I''ve never seen so much Light and Darkness mixed together.''
''Should I go in? Into that Aura again?'' Mark asked himself.
The next second, the Commander leaped forward.
The white-scaled Monster swung its weapons, but they were dodged rather easily.
The reason was mostly Lin circling around Mark while remaining arge distance away.
"Ready?" The Commander asked as he stopped.
''What...? Oh.'' Mark''s eyes narrowed. ''Krista is behind me now. He wants to keep an eye on both of us at once. Well,'' His back started twitching. ''Won''t let that happen.''
Lin''s shining Eye widened.
''Corruption is being condensed? What does this mean? I can''t see it-''
The darkness that hung from Mark''s back changed, and two dark wings were spread.
"You can''t see her this way, huh?"
Lin chuckled.
"Only through the wings. So they''re in the way now, yes."
"Tsk."
The two leaped towards one another.
''Somehow, I hope Glutony and Greed won''t kill you once I bring you to them. Mm. I''m rather curious. Yes...''
Mark swung both whips, and the weapons moved with great speed.
''Once your Titles gain more Status, once your Aura blooms...''
With his Gauntlet-covered hands, Lin took hold of those whips.
''What color will it shine? With my own eyes...''
Mark was pulled closer.
''I want to see it.''
Chapter 250 Smiling Monsters
?
''I''ll let myself get pulled closer...'' The whips disappeared once the distance separating the two was about five steps. ''And then...!''
Krista, who had remained about thirty steps away, opened her mouth wide.
''With your speed and vision, you''ll be able to block both Krista''s and my attack. Whether it''s Magic or not, I''m sure you''ll be able to keep it from reaching you.''
Just as an Ice Spike was shot towards the Commander, Mark''s spread wings moved.
''My chin is what you''ve been after all this time. Think it''s a weak point or something, huh? Well, you''re not here to kill anyways. You''ve only brought these Gauntlets after all, right? Which is why...''
Wind st-
''I''ll give you my chin!''
''The Moonlit Feline''s attacks have no variety. His do, but hecks speed.'' Lin clenched his left fist. ''I''ll knock him out with this one.''
With the Magic Skill''s activation, Mark''s movement speed increased exponentially.
Mark''s feet slid on the ground as he extended his ws.
''Mm.'' Lin unclenched his hand. ''I''ll counter instead.''
The arm behind the Commander turned the Ice Spike into dust.
The ws approached.
With slow and graceful movements, Lin''s wrist came into contact with Mark''s right hand, the one closest to reaching him. After diverting that hand, he moved to the left.
Mark''s eyes were filled with not only surprise, but also slight admiration.
A single motion that, seemingly, did not hold much weight, had redirected both his hands to the sides.
This left the Monster momentarily open.
''Amazing...! With one hand, he managed to...''
A devastating punch approached Mark''s chin.
''What is he...? To keep himself from getting knocked out??'' The Commander asked himself as the white-scaled Monster in front of him lowered its body slightly. ''Breaking your nose and teeth suits me just fine too!''
But to Lin''s surprise, the Monster suddenly opened its mouth wide, as if weing his fist.
''You think your jaw will be enough to keep-''
CRUNCH-
"Well, shit." The Commander muttered after jumping back.
With a wide eye, he stared at the white-scaled Monster.
Its lower jaw had disconnected from the upper one.
Thud-
Thud-
Thud-
Three of its teeth hit the ground.
''That''s a first.''
"Tsk." The Commander clicked his tongue.
The white-scaled Monster brought a hand to assist its lower jaw, and it slowly started reattaching itself.
Even the three lost fangs grew back.
The Monster closed its mouth.
Crack- Crack-
Gulp-
"That Gauntlet doesn''t really have a taste." Mark muttered as he wiped his own blood off his face. "Your fingers on the other hand..." He chuckled, perhaps at the turn of phrase.
Drip-
Drip-
Drops of blood hit the ground as they fell from Lin''s hand.
''Must be nice...''
Two fingers had been stolen from him.
''Being able to heal that fast.''
''Now, the only surprise I have left for him is-''
Mark''s thoughts were interrupted as the Commander''s lips parted.
"Inventory."
''Tsk.''
Having only seen Elisa use the System''s Inventory Option, he still had doubts about howmon having it was.
Those doubts obviously faded right there and then, as a Shortsword appeared in the Commander''s hand.
"What happens to those when you die?"
"Mm?"
"The things in your Inventory."
Lin smirked at the Monster''s words.
"Two fingers is a proper price for a bit of peace."
"Huh?"
The Commander leaped forward as he swung his Shortsword repeatedly.
''Getting used to holding it with the Gauntlet?'' Mark asked himself.
''If I go for the chin, he might sacrifice his jaw again. I''m unsure how his Skill works. My best bet is cutting him in pieces until he begs. Until he''s so close to death that he has to tell me. Yeah. Let''s go with that.'' Lin thought, a smile on his face.
''The only thing I have left-''
Out of nowhere, arge Ice Spike hit the ground between the two.
Immediately, Frost spread around the area, forcing the Commander to hop.
''Tsk.''
The Frost curled up and took the appearance of spears embedded in the ground.
Mark''s surprisested less than a second and a smile appeared on his face too.
He bent his knees as he took hold of one of the spears to his side.
Ice Maniption-
The spear-like weapon of ice was easily pulled away from the ground.
Markunched himself towards the Commander as the spear in his left hand started changing.I think you should take a look at
''Huh.''
A dark liquid started seeping out of that hand, and onto the changing spear, coating itpletely.
[You have acquired a new Magic Skill!]
[You have acquired the Magic Skill...]
Mark didn''t pay attention to those messages at all, as his Ice Maniption Magic Skill was still in use.
''The Ice that Krista brought here. I''ll...''
The numerous spears spun, and their sharp heads turned towards the Commander.
A sudden headache forced Mark to keep an eye half closed.
''Using them at once... Controlling multiple ones in different ways... This is way harder than the way I used Bone Maniption...''
Indeed, every spear needed to be moved in a specific direction and to be directed in a specific direction.
This required great focus and mental capacity.
It was something that Living Beings had great trouble with. Something that Spirits excelled at.
Lin moved his head from right to left, keeping an eye on each of the possible threats.
The strain from controlling multiple spears at once was a problem, but Mark bet on it perturbing the Commander''s vision enough for the thing left to prove useful.
A volley of crystal-clear spears flew in every direction as the two stopped once the distance had been closed.
''Not sending them all at once...?''
With both of his hands, Mark thrust his spear.
With one hand, Lin swung his Shortsword. With the other, he dealt with the ice spears.
''The one time he seemed truly confused and surprised was...''
The Shortsword struck the spear.
Crack-
The next second, countless pieces of ice took to the air.
Pieces of ice coated with the dark corrupting liquid.
Of course, they only seemed countless.
They didn''t seem that way to the Commander though while they hung in the air. His Eye studied each of them one by one as he stepped back.
The Shortsword was rapidly pulled closer to protect the body from the iing dark shards of ice.
The white-scaled Monster''s right hand let go of the Spear.
And as that hand was swung horizontally, the Commander felt shiver go down his spine.
''Fucker...! This...'' The Monster''s twitching hand turned into a long and curved de. ''Doesn''t use Mana??''
sh-
''The one thing that his eye can''t see...!''
A long and deep horizontal wound was drawn on the Commander''s chest.
Thetter''s mind started racing.
Step back?
Attack?
Can the Monster transform that limb solely?
No, it grew limbs after all.
Then...?
How many ways can his body-
All thoughts suddenly ceased.
His grip over the Shortsword became tighter.
Attack.
Thest exchange!
Both Mark and Lin stepped forward.
Both had no idea how to act, how to attack, or how to defend.
One was still feeling the strain from using and controlling so many decoys at once.
The other''s Eye was starting to burn. After all, he had only been using one of those Eyes for a while now.
''Swing my arm? Thurst? Turn it back? Keep it as a de? My tail...? Magic Skill...? No. He can see through all of these options!''
''Use the Shortsword as a decoy then go for his chin? The opposite? Tsk. When was thest time my Eyes burned this way?''
The two were one step away.
The two had no idea how to act.
And so, their minds shut off.
Their body moved instinctively.
They let their bodies do the thinking, for this exchange and this exchange only.
The way his body could change at a whim. The fact that he could heal himself so easily. The fact that he wasn''t bleeding. And above all, the fact that he was...
The was his Eyes could see through everything. The way they could follow everything. The way he moved mechanically and without waste. And above all, the fact that he was...
This final exchange, they feared it.
Truly.
The two Monsters smiled, as they took thest step.
Swush-
Suddenly, their smiles disappeared at once.
Their body twitched, as their fear grew much more intense.
Out of nowhere,
"You kept up..."
Their eyes widened, as Lin''s arm, shoulder, and neck werecerated in multiple spots.
"That was good, Mark."
After having beenpletely forgotten by both.
She reemerged from the shadows.
Chapter 251 Strategic Retreat And Predator Pursuit
?
''How...''
Both the white-scaled Monster and the Orcish Fiend winced as a long-forgotten ghost made its appearance.
''Didn''t I see her??''
Simply feeling her presence was enough to make their bodies twitch and freeze temporarily.
The two were facing one another.
Yet all their fear was directed towards the Spirit-like presence at their side.
''She made her Aura disappear...?''
It onlysted for a second.
And for that one second, both were keenly aware that they werepletely and utterly at her mercy.
Where would her des strike, was something both worried about instinctively.
When, wasn''t an issue. They knew iting. And they knew that they couldn''t do a thing about it.
''And her Mana-''
Her Timeworn Elven Daggers drew a dozen wounds on the Commander''s arm before thetter could register them.
Argh-
Meanwhile, the white-scaled Monster was left frozen.
''What... Did she do?''
Mark''s thoughts raced as he remained unmoving.
There was no doubt that both the white-scaled Monster and the Orcish Fiend feared the Spirit-like presence of Elisa.
Drops of blood left trails in the air as the Commander stepped back.
"You kept up..."
Elisa let go of her Daggers in mid-air to switch up her grip.
Lin hurriedly swung his Shortsword, and she deflected the swing with the reverse-gripped Dagger in her left hand.
"That was good, Mark."
Even thought she was on his side, he seemed to fear her de more than the Commander.
Or perhaps, it wasn''t exactly her de that he feared.
''Where was she... This whole time? The creepy feeling I got from her following me faded once I used the Freezing Mist Magic Skill. I didn''t see her. I didn''t sense her. Not once. Was she behind me this whole time? Even when this guy caught my arm? Even when I was forced to circle around him? When I was thrown to the ground? That''s... Impossible?!''
The Commander stepped back once more, and she stepped forward.
An exchange during which each moved much faster than the previous one started.
''Crafty Elf...'' Lin thought as his Shortsword cut the air and collided with her Timeworn Elven Daggers repeatedly. ''You''re the real Monster here, huh?''
With arge smile on her face, Elisa ducked under the Commander''s de and closed the distance.
''The Aura that seemed unwilling to answer her call, she cast it aside. Her Mana... Even now, it''s...'' Despite his eye shining powerfully, he could barely sense it. ''I see, that Ne. Your Mana right now...''
sh-
Block-
''Is all Wind.''
''How long has it been...'' Elisa took a sidestep, jumped up to dodge the de aiming for her leg, and stood on a stair of Condensed Wind. ''Since I''ve felt this light?''
The jumped off and back as the Commander swung his Shortsword vertically.
With a spin, her feetnded on her ground.
"Mark."
The white-scaled Monster twitched as its Name was called out.
Elisa rose her Timeworn Elven Daggers.
"You can still keep up, right?" She smirked.
Mark took a deep breath in.
His de-like arm turned back to normal.
''Ominous, ominous...'' She thought to herself.
The white-scaled Monster bent its knees.
''[A] Ranked...Yeah. It makes more sense now.'' Mark thought as leaped forward. ''Her Stats and Skills are not what they used to be yet but... It''s clear that she outsses us.''
''Tsk.'' The Commander clicked his tongue as Elisa let the Monster run past her. ''If she remains hidden behind him... I can''t read her Mana. It''s too simr to that of the Wind around. She was using the Wind to make my readings harder earlier but now... She''s doing the opposite. I can''t tell what she''s doing behind him. And worse...''
The white-scaled Monster, despite being two steps away, swung its fist.
The Monster''s arm turned into a sharp and long de that the Commander had to dodge by bending his neck.
''That doesn''t use Mana. If anything, it makes the Mana held in his arm more spread out. Less dense. Using Magic Skills condenses or amasses Mana together. This is...'' Two Monsters stood in front of the Commander. Only the one hidden behind the other''s back was smiling. ''Proving too troublesome.''
The Commander suddenly jumped back far and high.
''What now?'' Mark asked himself as he stared.
Elisa peeked beyond his shoulder, a slight smile on her face.
The Commander took a deep breath.
Mark''s leg twitched.
''Some kind of breath attack-''
"BORUUUS!!"
The ground shook from the Commander''s voice.
"What''s that about?" Elisa asked nonchntly.
Even though he was far from the area, his whole body trembled.
How could it not, when his Commander was calling his Name?
"Something ising." She whispered.
Thump-
Thump-
THUMP-
THUMP- THUMP- THUMP-
In the distance, a Boar-like Monster appeared.
It was quickly approaching. But strangely enough, didn''t seem running towards the area.
"That looks tasty."
Mark sighed at herment.
The next second, the Commander turned away.I think you should take a look at
"Running away?" Mark asked absent-mindedly.
"Call it a strategic retreat." Lin said as he started moving.
"Huh... Seriously?" Mark whispered to himself as he scratched his head.
Tap-
"Don''t let him get away." Elisa said as she tapped his back.
He turned his gaze around as she reached for her bow.
"Mm." He nodded as he bent his knees.
Mark felt it was strange that she didn''t want to let the Commander get away.
She usually reproached him for wanting to fight and kill unnecessarily after all.
Still, a strategic retreat. That meant trouble down the line.
Not that Mark minded trouble.
At least, that wasn''t his reason for chasing after the Commander, no.
After fighting him, after experiencing his strength, after noticing how strong Elisa was too, he was, once more, made aware of just how much more powerful he needed to be.
If he wanted his fangs to reach the Vampire Lord, Raven, then he needed much more strength.
He needed to Devour much more.
And the Commander certainly looked like a heavenly mealid out for him.
With his back turned towards him and blood dripping down his body, the Commander looked incredibly tasty.
Tasty enough for Mark''s mind to shut down.
Tasty enough for his stomach to growl.
Tasty enough for,
[Your Title "Devourer" urges you!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" begs you!]
It was the first time his Titles had expressed themselves with such turns of phrase.
It was the first time his Titles craved something this much.
And so, he ran.
As fast as he could, he run towards the bleeding Commander.
The more the scent of blood danced, the hungrier of it he became.
The more he stared, the more he lost himself.
Mark extended an arm to the side.
A Dark Corrupting Spear appeared in his hand.
As if on cue, the Commander turned around to peek behind him.
With no time to dodge, the Shortsword in his hand became a hindrance as he swung it to block the thrown Dark Corrupting Spear.
Thetter was shattered, and quickly turned back into the Dark Corrupting Liquid it was made of.
It hadn''t pierced the Commander''s body. But it didn''t need to.
He was already covered by bleeding wounds after.
His body was sshed by the liquid darkness.
It only took a couple more seconds before,
"You did good, Borus." The Commander said as he leaped forward and grabbed the Boar-like Monster''s coat.
Thetter hadn''t stopped or decreased its speed either.
The Commander hurriedly climbed onto Borus'' body and turned around.
"Still following, huh?" Lin whispered to himself.
The Monster''s movements were inelegant and rough as it ran.
Clumsy.
Animalistic.
The Commander stared for a bit longer, and only then did it notice the darkness that resided in the Monster''s eyes.
"Dark eyes, huh? That''s no good. You shouldn''t have those. After all, they''re..." The Commander pulled his arm back and prepared to throw his Shortsword as if it were a Javelin. "The same as my Lord''s."
The Shortsword was coated by the Commander''s deep and greenish Aura.
A secondter, it pierced the air and flew.
The Monster couldn''t do a thing, as the Shortsword pierced its body.
Right between its right shoulder and pectoral muscle.
"Huh..."
It didn''t slow down one bit.
Its prey was so close.
It just couldn''t let it get away.
[You have been charging for 30 seconds!]
[Your Passive Skill "Ferocious Charge[D]" is activating!]
[Charging Speed increases by 50%!]
"Tsk." The Commander clicked his tongue as the Monster reached the Borus'' behind.
GROWLL-
Just like a Lioness, it growled while its ws pierced the Boar-like Monster''s coat after taking a leap.
The white-scaled Monster did its best to hold onto it. And one the Commander moved his body towards it, the Monster roared powerfully.
"Don''t... Rush me." She whispered.
Instantly, both the Commander and the white-scaled Monster twitched.
An explosion.
A tornado.
A gigantic amount of Mana was Condensed.
The Heart Of The Storm had been turned into an Arrow.
And the Arrow was let go of.
Once again, both the Commander and the white-scaled Monster were filled with fear.
Chapter 252 Conditional
?
''Strange...'' Elisa thought as shey her fingertips on the bowstring.
Mana left her hands and turned into Wind.
The Wind was rapidly being Condensed.
''Minute control... That is affected by the Corruption. But on the other hand, it feels like...'' Elisa let more Mana flow out, and a storm of Win appeared around her. ''My output is higher than it used to be. I can''t control it as precisely, but I can let out much more at once!''
The storm grew more and more violent, while her hair fluttered erratically.
''At the same time, the bowstring feels easier to pull... That Vampiric Mutation. My Agility and Stealth are much lower than they used to be, but on the other hand...'' With ease, she pulled on the bowstring until it reached its maximum capacity. ''My strength is higher too.''
The violent storm suddenly grew smaller.
The next second, it disappeared.
Elisa smiled nervously as she nced at the ferocious arrow she held.
''It''s fightin'' back against me... I can''t hold much longer...! I''ll aim there. Any more power and it might end up touching him. Not that I''m scared. After all...'' Her fingers twitched. ''You said you''d keep up.''
Elisa let go of her arrow and,
"Shit-"
With an explosion, the arrow flew ahead. The shockwave was enough tounch Elisa backwards.
Thump-
Her back slid on the ground for a bit.
"That was a bit too much..." She whispered.
Elisa stared at the bright sky above without moving.
''Good for you...'' She thought.
Both the white-scaled Monster and the Commander''s eyes widened as they felt it approaching.
''Go get your meal.''
Both instinctively let go of the Boar-like Monster''s coat.
''Huh? Getting off now-''
Borus, who had been charging straight ahead for a while now, finally turned his head to the side.
"Ugwa?!"
The next second, the Boar-like Monster''s body was pierced and,
"Bam." Elisa whispered as she clicked her fingers.
An explosion Wind from within tore the Boar-like Monster''s body apart and blew away the two that had jumped off.
The violent explosion and winds tore the field for a couple of seconds before fading.
"Must be nice... Being able to heal that fast. To have..." The Commander''s whispers were cut by a bloody cough. "A strong body."
"Is that because you''re so slim?" The approaching white-scaled Monster asked. "Don''t worry, I understand..." Mark cracked his neck, a wicked smile on his face. The kind of smile one has while staring down a wellid meal. "I used to be pretty skinny too."
"Well, shit." The Commander cursed. His back was against the ground. His body was covered by wounds, and his left leg was missing. "I just wanted to take it easy for a while." He sighed.
The white-scaled Monster''s nose twitched.
The blood that covered Lin''s body, Borus'' blood. It smelled sweet.
The blood that was exiting the Commander''s wounds. The Commander''s blood. Its smell was enough to drive him crazy, especially when it was so close.
The white-scaled Monster couldn''t control itself as it jumped onto the Commander''s body.
The former tried pushing him away and hitting him, but the white-scaled was persistent.
It truly wanted to Devour him. And it wouldn''t take no for an answer.
Its fangs reached the Commander''s thigh and,
"You''re starting to eat me..." Stupefied and horrified, Lin stared. "Before even killing me?"
The white-scaled Monster raised his head and roared.
The Beast Devoured its Prey.
''In a way... I''ll be able to take it easy this way too. Death, huh?''
***
Minutes passed and he entered her field of vision.
"Ever had boar meat?"
"It''s the best." Elisa answered, a slight smile on her face. She remained on the ground.
"Got a leg." Mark said as he raised the Boar-like Monster''s cutoff thigh.
"What about the rest of it?" Elisa asked jokingly before noticing that Mark was about to copse.
She quickly stood up to assist him.
"What''s up with your eye?"
"It stings." Mark answered.
"Mm. Need to rest?"
"Yeah. Just for a bit."
"Alright." Elisa rotated her body. "Get on."
"Huh?"
"What?"
"I''m not getting on your back."
"Sure you are. I''m paying you back for-"
Thump-
''Tsk. Again?'' Elisa asked herself as she lowered her gaze towards the passed-out white-scaled Monster. She crouched down and stared at the unconscious Mark for a bit. ''Not so scary when you''re out of it. Mmm... I guess there''s a reason why I didn''t stand up while you were eating him...''
Elisa reached and her hand took hold of the Monster''s wrist.
"One... Two... Pull...! Damn you''re heavy!" She groaned as she tried her best to lift Mark''s body off the ground.
It was not without struggle, but Elisa managed to lift him up enough to ce his arm over her shoulder.
"Your feet are getting dragged on the ground. Nothing I can do about that." She whispered as she took a step forward.
"I''m... Up..." The Monster muttered.
"Shut up."
Elisa took another step and the Monster''s arm around her shoulders twitched.I think you should take a look at
She turned her gaze to the side and,
"Close your eyes."
"Huh?"
"Seeing that eye on that Fiend was one thing. Seeing it on you... Ew."
"I''m not closing my eye... For such a reason."
The Monster stared at the ground during the conversation.
"Why don''t you look at Krista?"
"Mm?" Mark raised his gaze and searched for the Moonlit Feline.
It only took a second for his Eye to find it.
"ARGHH!!" He groaned as soon as that Eye found Krista.
"Well? How is it?"
"It hurts... Like hell!!" Mark uttered as he clenched his teeth.
It hurt like hell, yet he didn''t close his eyes.
"What can you see..." Elisa stared into his right pupil. "With that Eye?"
"It feels like..." Mark could see beyond Krista''s physical appearance. They resembled veins and arteries, and they were all over the Moonlit Feline''s body. Parts of her body were richer in them than others. Mark wasn''t sure how to call or refer to them. He thought of them as some kind of -Mana Circuits- but of course, he had no idea what they truly were. The Moonlit Feline''s whole body was filled with them. "I can see everything."
There was even a thin colorful line linking the Moonlit Feline to-
"ARGHH!" Mark groaned and brought a hand to cover his eye.
"Must hurt, huh? Those Eyes have a pretty long history, you know?"
"Do... They?" Mark struggled to ask through the pain.
"Mm." Elisa slowly nodded. "They''re Elven."
"Is that so...?" The white-scaled Monster asked absent-mindedly as it turned its gaze towards the floating words in front of it, one eye open.
[You have acquired a "High Elven Pupil[S]"!]
''High Elven... [S], huh?''
[Your "High Elven Pupil[S]" is influenced by your "Devourer" Title.]
''Tsk. And it begins...''
[Your "High Elven Pupil[S]" Devours your "Combative Eyes[D]" Passive Skill!]
''Oh, great-''
"So yeah. You won''t be able to use them perfectly or pull everything out of them but-"
"I only got one." Mark interrupted.
"Huh? One?"
"Yeah... Maybe because his second Eye was injured."
Elisa slowly nodded.
For some reason, she felt kind of relieved.
"Well, anyways. You''ll be able to use them better with time, so..."
"You seem... Uncharacteristically enthusiastic about it."
"I do? Uncharacteristically?"
"Yeah... Mm... I think so."
Elisa shrugged.
"Rude, but okay."
"I''ll take a nap."
"Sure. I''ll be dragging you."
Elisa lowered her body, and Mark''s, losing his assistance, fell to the ground.
Thump-
"Sorry about that."
"Tsk." The Monster clicked its tongue as it pushed itself off the ground.
Tear-
"Here, let''s go with this for now. Having a barrier in front of it might help."
Mark''s body froze, as Elisa ced and tied a piece of cloth around his right eye.
"There you go."
"I doubt that''ll help." Mark muttered as he brought a hand to that eye.
"It will..." Elisa said as she ced his arm around her shoulder. "Probably."
The Monster closed his eyes and Elisa started walking.
A couple of stepster, she turned her gaze towards him.
A slight smile was on his face.
''Mm... He-''
PUURRRR-
A wild Moonlit Feline ran as fast as it could towards them.
The white-furred cat jumped into the air with its paws extended.
And just when it was about tond on Elisa''s chest,
"Stop right there." She said coldly as a straight palm was extended, halting the Moonlit Feline aerial approach.
Meow-
"What?"
Meo-
"Oh, now that I took hits for him, you want to be friends again?"
The Moonlit Feline nodded enthusiastically.
"Tsk. You won''t even deny it?" Elisa chuckled. "That''s conditional love if I''ve ever seen it."
Chapter 253 Refreshing
?
''You seriously need to lose some weight. Tsk...''
With Mark''s arm over her shoulders, Elisa walked silently.
''Wonder if he''s so heavy because he just ate the whole-''
She stopped suddenly for a bit.
''Since when did that be normal?''
Elisa shook her head and continued walking.
''Trapped in that same Dungeon, but for a different reason... Test to exit... The Demon Lord sensed him entering his Territory and sent a Commander... Huh.''
With her hand around his wrist and an arm assisting the rest of his body, she walked while staring at the ground.
''A friend of Pride and an enemy of Sloth? Why would that be...? Mm. I guess the easier thing would be to ask. Don''t think he''ll want to tell though. Tsk, he sure is heavy though.''
Her gaze turned towards the Moonlit Feline walking by her side.
"Wanna switch?"
Nod- Nod-
Krista took on her Lioness Form and Elisa roughly put the white-scaled Monster over the Lioness'' back.
She pushed Mark''s body around until it settled on Krista as if arge bag of rice.
"This is bing toomon an urrence..." Elisa whispered to herself as she stepped back.
The two continued walking.
''Alright. Where were we... Mm. Protected by Pride from Sloth. Hidden away from Sloth...? Or hidden away in general? He was supposed to make it out since that Vampire let him. But... They did seem close to... Or rather, they wouldn''t have minded killing him. Hm...''
Elisa let out a sigh
''I really have trouble focusing on him. All I can think of is...''
The gaze moved towards the floating words in front of her.
[Your Title "Elven Princess" is looking at you.]
Elisa scratched the back of her neck as she blushed lightly.
''I''m getting it back. My Title as Princess... My ce in this world... And my people.''
She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath.
''I''ll get them back. Even if that means forgetting about my revenge. That''s...'' Elisa nced at the passed-out white-scaled Monster. ''What I''ll focus on. What I want.''
Half an hour passed as they walked.
From time to time, Elisa would talk to Krista, but she was silent most of the way.
It seemed she had a lot to think about. Until,
"Is that...?" Elisa whispered as she stopped.
Krista came to a stop too and turned to look at her.
She followed Elisa''s gaze, and found, in the distance, a swarm of Beasts.
They seemed to stand in a circle around something, but Krista couldn''t be sure.
Elisa immediately took out her bow and aimed a Wind Arrow at the sky.
It rose and rose before diving. And once it hit the lowest point of its trajectory,
Boom-
Thump- Thump- Thump-
The Beasts immediately scattered away.
Krista''s eyes widened with surprise as a dozen tiny rainbows appeared in the distance.
"Let''s go... Let''s go...!" Elisa''s voice was muffled by the excitement.
Mark slowly woke up.
"Tsk. Seriously?" He muttered after yawning and pushing himself off Krista.
"Scared?" Elisa asked yfully as she turned around.
"Another damn Forest...?"
"It''s not as dense as Yarnha''s Forest."
"Yeah but... Still-"
"Scared?" Elisa repeated.
Mark stared at the trees in the distance.
They weren''t as tall, and seemed to be the tropical kind unlike those in Yarnha.
"You''re damn right I''m scared."
"Pfahaha! Good. You should be."
"How do you know it won''t have another Spirit? Or maybe the same? If the forests are connected, then we might actually end up finding Yarnha in there."
"True... I never said there wouldn''t be a Spirit in there. But we can check now."
"We can?"
Elisa stared silently for a bit, a mischievous smile on her face.
"Oh, right." Mark realized. "I''m guessing if there is a Spirit, this is going to sting."
"Yeah, probably."
The white-scaled Monster stood up and stopped relying on the Moonlit Feline for bnce.
He tapped the Lioness'' head gently a couple of times, thanking her for carrying him.
"Alright..." Mark whispered as he brought a hand towards the piece of cloth hiding his right eye. "Let''s try it."
The Eye had remained closed even after waking up.
He pulled the piece of cloth away, and only opened that Eye a handful of secondster.
His eyelids moved, and a peculiar Eye was revealed.
The iris was of a deep green. Motifs that he couldn''t know were Elven Motifs were drawn on that iris and his pupil.
First, he stared at the ground for a bit.
It stung, but the pain was bearable.
''Even on the ground, I can see... Footsteps? That''s what they look like. Residue... Or traces of Mana, huh?'' Mark moved his gaze towards the ground behind Elisa. ''Her footsteps... I can see them clearly. That''s the color of her Mana then?'' He moved his gaze again. ''And that''s Krista''s? They''repletely different in color and... Something else. I can''t tell exactly what it is.''
The thought of looking at his own footsteps passed through his mind, but he decided not to do it. Mark wasn''t sure why, but the idea didn''t seem pleasant to him.
He sole rose his gaze into the distance and towards the forest.
''Looking with this Eye...'' Mark stared with his left eye shut. ''It doesn''t seem that far. The Mana doesn''t look much different from the one on the ground, except for its color. They''re simr though. The Mana contained in the tall grass covering the ground and the one contained in those trees.''I think you should take a look at
"So? What do you see?" Elisa asked expectantly.
"I''m guessing that if there was a Spirit of the Forest in there, everything would have looked different."
"How so?"
"Tsk." Mark clicked his tongue. "You know how so."
"I know. But do you know?"
"What are you, my teacher or something?"
"Well," Elisa sighed. "Someone has to be."
"Ugh..." Mark rolled his eyes and she chuckled.
"So, tell me. What would you have seen in there?"
"Much more Mana for one."
"Mhm." Elisa nodded.
"And also... Those vein-like things through which Mana passes."
"Those can only be seen in living organisms."
"Trees are living organisms." Mark said as he shrugged.
"Well, yes but... Mm. Flora doesn''t count. Alright?"
"Are you sure?"
"I am."
"Can you see them too?"
Elisa scratched her cheek for a bit.
"No. But I used to know people who could."
"I see..." Mark muttered.
The two remained silent for a couple of seconds.
"Continue."
"Even if those can''t be seen in... Flora, you can probably see them if there''s a Spirit."
"Why is that?"
"Because they''re... Like Links? And the Spirit is what keeps the Forest together, I guess. Keeps it as one organism, in a way."
"Aha." Elisa nodded. "Looks like your encounter with Yarnha wasn''t a waste."
"Meh... I guess I learned some things. Nothing you didn''t know though."
"You didn''t know enough to even ask about those things."
"True enough... Anyways, with those Links, the trees, ground, and bushes would be Linked together. Maybe even... Linked to the Spirit."
"That would make Yarnha much easier to find. It would make it harder on her to hide." Elisa noted.
Mark slowly brought a hand to his cheek as she talked.
Scratch- Scratch-
"That it would..." He whispered to himself.
"Mm?"
"Nothing. So, no Spirit in there." Mark said as he lowered the piece of cloth to cover his right eye.
"No Spirit. And now that you''re awake..." Elisa smirked mischievously.
"What?"
The next second, she started running away.
"Huh?"
Both Krista and Mark stared at each other for a bit, before turning towards the running Princess.
Without really knowing why, they started running too.
They followed the Princess, as she seemingly ran towards the tropical forest.
But just as she was about to enter it, the Princess took a sharp turn to the left.
The two followed and Mark nced at whaty beyond Elisa''s path.
"Oh... Is that-"
His thoughts and brain shut down as the Princess jumped into the air.
It didn''t take a second.
She didn''t need a second.
That''s how fast she was.
Or perhaps, how motivated she was.
With one swift motion-
Or was it? Was it really one motion?
It looked that way, but how could that be the case?
Mark wasn''t sure.
Still, he stared as Elisa''s hands took hold of her clothing.
It took less than a second for all her clothes to be removed and thrown aside.
With her arms extended to her sides and the clothes she was previously wearing floating in the air,
Ssh-
It was cold, but clear.
Clean as it could be.
Elisa spent a couple of seconds submerged, before rising.
Her wet hair drew a half circle as she emerged, creating a dozen rainbows under the sunlight.
"So refreshing...!" Elisa whispered as she held some of the clear water between her hands.
Ssh- Ssh-
''A pond?'' Mark asked himself.
She nced at him, and he looked away.
Chapter 254 Pure Thoughts Only!
?
''I bet I could keep up with Zephyr''s movements more easily with this Eye. It hurts less than it first did, so that''s good. Still, I''ll be able to use them better with time she said... Mm. That''s interesting, and exactly what it feels like. I might have the High Elven Pupil, but I use all of it. It''s something like that. Getting stronger would help use it better right? Probably. Stronger... Status, huh? Getting more Status would help use it. Status, Authority, Titles... They''re all Linked. I know that much, but it''s not nearly enough. Plus-''
Ssh-
Ssh-
''Ugh...'' Mark sighed. ''Okay. If the thing I felt from that Commander and Raven is Status, then... Wait, I felt it from Zephyr too. Right. When the Monster Hunter Title started... Yeah. Statuses from Titles. Titles give Status. Now that I think about it, it''s so obvious. The two in turn give Authority? Authority over... What? I guess that depends on the Title. Yeah. The Growing Yeti could control the snow better once the Abominable Snowman Title showed itself. The Title gave it Authority over the snow...? A Monster Hunter Title gives a degree of Authority over Monsters. Yeah, it makes sense now. If Yarnha has a Spirit Of The Forest type of Title, then that would exin her Authority over the Forest...''
Mark raised his gaze towards the bright sky above.
''Authority... Devourer... Evolving Monster...''
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
The white-scaled Monster''s heart started beating faster as it pressed its lips together lightly.
Excitement?
''I have Authority over-''
Ssh-
Ssh-
''Tsk. I can''t focus with-''
"Krista! Come here! Come here! The water is so clean. It''s sooo refreshing under the sun! Come here!"
Mark sighed again.
He was seated with his back against arge rock next to the pond.
Behind him was therge rock, and beyond it, the pond in which Elisa was swimming.
"Ahhh this feels so good. Can finally clean my hair and skin... Oh. Gotta check for Beasts at the bottom." She whispered to herself before diving.
The white-scaled Monster stared at the field of tall grass in front of it before turning its gaze to the side.
''Authority... That''s what I need to use this High Elven Pupil. It''s basically fighting against me. That''s no wonder. Even an Elven Ne didn''t want me using it so an Eye...''
Mark scratched his neck.
''It''s like I need to force it to listen to me. Subdue it in a way. Mm.'' He nodded. ''Status... I Leveled Up a couple of times after defeating that Commander. Orcish Fiend, the Status called him. Orcish Fiend...''
Elisa resurfaced, looked around for a bit, and started swimming towards the pond''s edge.
''I''m definitely bringing her in!''
Shey her hands on the ground, easily and gracefully pushed herself out of the water and,
"COME HERE!" Elisa suddenly shouted as she grabbed the Moonlit Feline, startling it. "You wanna take a plunge? You want to, don''t you? You want to, huh?"
The words seemed like threats to the horrified Krista.
The Moonlit Feline fought back, but Elisa didn''t let go. She started walking back towards the pond of clear water.
''It''s just like how I learned Earth Maniption. Something like that. This Eye... The ability to use it well will change everything. But... Right now...''
Mark''s eyebrow twitched repeatedly.
The sound of her steps and of the drops of water hitting the ground as she walked was pretty distracting.
''Why am I even hiding like this? Is there a need? Of course, there''s a need, she''s naked. Completely naked.'' Mark thought.
He tapped his forehead with a finger.
''But that doesn''t matter... It doesn''t. I''m a Monster after all. And she''s... She''s... Well, she''s as close to Human as you get without actually being Human. Yeah. Therefore, there would be no harm in seeing her naked. Tsk... It''s not even that I want to. I just hate having to look away or sit like this for such a dumb reason. She didn''t even tell me to. I just turned around for no reason. That''s it. I''m-''
Ssh-
"So? How is it? How is it?" Elisa asked as she jumped into the clear water, the Moonlit Feline between her arms. "Hey stop fighting. It''s nice, why are you so scared? No! Krista, no! Don''t freeze the water!"
Mark chuckled as he imagined a wet Moonlit Feline doing its best to run away from Elisa''s embrace.
Hiss-
"Ugh. Fine, have it your way. Tsk..."
Mark massaged his forehead for a bit.
''Okay. Why would she mind? I''m a Monster so... What the fuck am I doing thinking about stuff like this?'' The white-scaled Monster suddenlyy its hands against the ground. ''I''m going to stand up, walk around the rock, and sit facing the pond. Yeah. Facing where they are. Yeah. That just makes sense. Okay.''
The Monster stood up.
Took a step to the side and,
''Oh, who am I kidding? I''m A mOnSteR... Of course, I want to see her naked. But that''s exactly the reason why... Ugh. Why do I even want to see her naked? Because I used to be Human? What''s that about? I''m no Human. That''s right. That''s the reason why it''s not a big deal. The same way it''s not a big deal for Krista to see her. Yeah. I shouldn''t feel this way. Nakeddy, same as a tree. I''m a Monster now. Nakedness doesn''t mean anything to me. I''ve been naked all this time after all. Though... There is a slight difference.'' Mark shook his head. ''I''m casting away those remains of humanity again. Yeah. This childish and human shame...'' Mark clenched his fist. ''I don''t need it.''
The Monster stepped forward.
It walked around the rock,y its back against it, and took a seat with its arms crossed.
The Monster opened its left eye and shamelessly stared ahead.I think you should take a look at
''Wasn''t so hard.''
His gaze connected with hers and,
"Wha... Wha... What are you doing?"
"Sitting." Mark answered loudly and brazenly.
Her shaking arms slowly rose to cover her bare chest.
"Why are you sitting there?" She asked, her voice shaking.
Gulp-
"The two of you are here. So I''m sitting here."
"No... But...?"
"I don''t want to stare at the grass."
Elisa''s eyebrow started twitching.
"Go back there."
"No."
"I don''t want you here."
"Well, I''m not moving."
"Are you some kind of pervert?"
"No. Just a Monster."
"Will you at least look away?"
"No."
Elisa''s arms pressed harder against her chest.
"You''re sucking the fun out of this, you know?"
"I''m not."
"Yes, you are."
"No, I''m not."
"Yes, you are!" Elisa shouted as she quickly extended her arms.
Realizing that she had done so, she brought them back just as quickly.
A dripping Moonlit Feline walked towards the white-scaled Monster before shaking its body.
Ssh-
Ssh-
Drops of water fell on the Monster''s face, and it did its best not to react.
"I''m a Monster. Act as if I wasn''t here. Same as Krista."
"Same as...?" Elisa whispered to herself. Her eyes narrowed as she turned around. She extended an arm towards him and,
Fwooosh-
A gentle breeze passed by Mark as part of the water making up the pond rose as if a huge wave about to crash.
''Yeah. That''s how it should be. You hide if you want to. I don''t have to look away. Yeah. Yeah.'' Mark thought to himself, feeling somewhat triumphant but also silly. ''Using the Wind to mimic Water Magic, that''s pretty cool.''
Only once the thick barrier of water rose, did Elisa let her arms fall to her side.
She slowly lowered her body until half of her face was underwater and exhaled from the mouth.
Bubble- Bubble-
''What''s that about? Does he not understand? Yes... Perhaps he doesn''t get it. He is a Monster after all... No, wait. He did sit on the opposite end of that rock at the beginning. And he did turn around when I wanted to put the Armor on after leaving the Dungeon... Then... Is he... Just some kind of... No. He couldn''t be, right? Then what is it?'' Elisa shook her head. ''This is stupid. Him staring at the grass is stupid. Yeah. If anything, he''s right. Just like Krista... Yeah. But then why do I not want him to look...?''
Elisa let herself float as she stared at the bright sky.
''Being embarrassed by nakedness isn''t very Elf-like. Forest-dwellers, that Commander called us. Yeah. Forest-dwellers don''t feel embarrassed by nakedness. It''s natural. Right, right.'' She thought as she nodded and filled her mouth with water. ''But then... Why do I not want him... I did get changed in front of Levi that one time...''
Elisa let a stream of water exit her mouth as she thought.
''If anything, he''s being more... Pure than me. By not feeling embarrassed. Just like Krista... But she''s different. He''s a Monster. And Monsters are known to prey upon...'' Elisa''s eyes widened. ''To prey upon Elves.''
She dove under and blushed lightly.
''Maybe he doesn''t know that. How widespread it is for Monsters and... Ew. Stopping thinking about that.'' Elisa thought to herself as she tapped her cheeks lightly and repeatedly. ''Pure thoughts. Pure thoughts only! Be like Krista.''
The Moonlit Feline shook off its body more water before it started licking and cleaning itself.
''Oh, who am I kidding?'' Mark thought to himself as he stared at the pond. ''I don''t want to see her naked. Yeah right... How can I not...'' His right pupil shone under the wrapped piece of cloth. ''When she''s this beautiful?''
Chapter 255 The Look Away
?
''I can see through the water. I can probably see through matter if I focus on my vision enough, but that''s when it''ll start to sting. Let''s just try getting used to it slowly. I am curious as to how the Forest Of Yarnha would look, seen from this Eye.'' Mark thought to himself as his right Eye continued shining behind the piece of cloth. ''Mm. If I can think about stuff like this while looking at her, then I have no reason to worry.''
Ssh-
Elisa emerged from underwater.
Her ashen hair, her bright eyes, her tender skin, Mark watched it all as his Eye saw through the spinning wave-like barrier of water supposed to hide her.
''I don''t want fighting or killing something beautiful to ever cause a problem. Now that I think about it, Yarnha was rather beautiful too. That Commander was on the uglier side though, so that''s good.''
"Can''t you turn away?"
"Don''t want to."
"Please?" The blushing Elisa asked with her gaze locked on the water below and her arms around her breasts.
Mark sighed and scratched the back of his head.
After quiet deliberation, his lips parted.
"I can see you."
"Huh?"
"I can see through the water."
"W... What? Are you serious?" Elisa asked as she kicked with her legs, widening the distance between her and the white-scaled Monster.
Thetter nodded before scratching its neck a secondter.
"Yeah." Mark answered.
He could see her, but she couldn''t see him.
It was unfair, and made him feel slight disgust.
"How long... Have you been watching?"
Mark didn''t really want to answer the question.
But he didn''t want to lie either.
"A while now."
Lying about catching a peek? No.
That would be too ''Human''.
"So what? You''ve just been silently watching? Are you serious? That''s disgusting. Is that seriously what you were doing??" While Elisa did stutter a bit, her outrage manage to reach him.
"Yeah." He answered after shrugging his shoulders.
"Th... Th... THEN STOP IT RIGHT NOW."
"Fine."
Mark''s right eye stopped shining. He closed it behind the piece of cloth.
"Did you stop? Did you?"
"I did."
"Are you lying?"
It was a strange thing to ask.
Mark found it somewhat endearing.
"No."
Unsure what to do or where to look, the blushing Elisa''s eyes moved in every direction while her hands fiddled with strands of hair nervously.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you do that?" She asked.
Elisa thought she would be more angry about it. In a way, she was even disappointed at the fact that she wasn''t angrier.
"I need to get used to using this Eye."
"Yeah right. Is that your excuse? Perv-"
"I don''t need an excuse. I haven''t done anything wrong. That''s why I told you about it too." Mark argued. He did feel a little something in his stomach, but that could have been his imagination.
Elisa let a hand hang on her nape as she stared at the water for a bit.
''Why do I even care? It''s not like... Yeah. It''s not like that at all. Like Krista... Like Krista...?''
Her eyes narrowed as she thought for a bit longer.
''Beautiful and feminine-looking Monsters are probably moremon in the Monster Realm or other areas of the Rift. I can''t let petty-''
The spinning wave came crashing, and he could see her once more. Only her head was out of the water though, so that''s all he could see.
"You said I should think of you the same way I think of Krista, right?"
"Y... Yeah." Mark answered, slightly taken aback.
"Mm." Elisa nodded.
She started swimming closer to the edge of the pond.
Mark was about seven steps away from that edge.
''Is she mad? She''s mad, isn''t she? Damn... Seeing a Princess naked has a price, doesn''t it? Hope it doesn''t make the Corruption go-''
"Like Krista, huh?" Elisa pulled her arms out of the water andy her hands on the ground once she arrived a the edge. "Let''s test it."
"Huh-"
Suddenly, Elisa jumped out of the water.
She stood facing him.
The Elf blushed slightly, but the brazen smile on her face was more than enough to make one forget about the blushing.
Proudly and shamelessly, she stood.
"So? Just like Krista?"
Refusing to react, Mark kept staring.
Gulp-
Her ashen hair.
Her bright eyes.
Her bold smile.
Her tender neck down which drops of water were sliding.
Her narrow yet athletic shoulders.
A small mole under the right side of her corbone. Something that Mark hadn''t noticed before. How could he have noticed it, when he hadn''t been given the opportunity until now?
Under her corbone...
Her-
Mark looked away.
"HA! SEE! SEE! LIKE KRISTA, YEAH RIGHT!"
"What?" The white-scaled Monster didn''t move its gaze as it asked. Its tone seemed to imply confusion.
"YOU LOOKED AWAY THAT''S WHAT! HA! Making it seem like you''re pure. Like Krista, he says..." Elisa shook her head as she clicked her tongue repeatedly.
"Isn''t looking away supposed to be the nice thing to do? I don''t see why you''reining."
"You don''t get it, huh? Huh?" Elisa questioned as she brought her hands to her sides.
Mark was rather impressed. Both by how quickly her shame had disappeared, but also by how interested in the grass he had be after being forced to stare at it.
"Do you want me to look instead?"
"No."
"Then?"
"Then this proves that you''re the kind who would look away. "
"So you don''t want me to look away?"
"No."
"No... You don''t want me to?" Mark asked as he started turning his gaze towards her.
"LOOK AWAY!" Elisa shouted as she tried her best to hide herself. Mark did as he was told. "You''re not like Krista. You looked away. She wouldn''t have looked away. But you were embarrassed. And that''s why you should look away! I was right."
"Yeah... I don''t know."
"I can prove it. Krista, look at me."
Mark lowered his gaze and found a seated Moonlit Feline cleaning its white fur.
"Look at me, Krista." Elisa repeated.
The Moonlit Feline, not enjoying being disturbed while taking care of its fur, rolled its eyes before directing its gaze towards Elisa.
Krista stared for a bit before,
"She looked away." Markmented while pointing at the Moonlit Feline.
"THAT WAS A BOREDOM-RELATED LOOK AWAY! TOTALLY DIFFERENT."
"Right, right..." Mark muttered as he nodded. "So, are you getting dressed or...?"
Elisa lowered her gaze towards her naked body, blushed brightly, and leaped towards the clothes she had taken off earlier.
''She really is beauti-''
"No peeping." Elisa said as she crouched towards her clothes.
"I have no interest in that." Mark argued while continuing to look away from her.
Elisa brought a finger to her chin and thought a bit.
"Yeah, I can see that."
"See what?"
"You having no interest."
"Well, obviously. I am a Monster."
"Haha. Yeah. Okay." Mark''s eyebrow twitched. "Oh, sorry. Guess it''s a sensitive topic."
"What are you talking about?" He asked.
"Do I have to spell it out for you?" Elisa asked as she made the Wind dance around her, ridding her of the droplets of water.
"Isn''t it about being a Monster?"
"Who knows...?" Elisa chuckled cheekily as the Wind made her hair flow wildly.
"Well, I don''t for one."
"You don''t?" She turned away from him after putting on her hunter''s pants.
Only then did Mark''s gaze move towards Elisa.
Her long ashen hair.
Her bare back and shoulders.
Knowing that on the other side,y exposed her-
"No." Mark answered after a bit.
Only her head turned towards him.
She stared.
"Well..." He looked at her, and Elisa lowered her gaze. "You''re not the kind who cares about such things... Usually."
Mark followed her gaze and,
"Seriously?" His eyes narrowed. Or rather, the one eye that wasn''t covered narrowed.
"Yeah, I mean... There''s a reason why I don''t mind you being naked."
Mark lowered his gaze.
He stared silently for a bit.
''...''
It didn''t take long before he felt something welling up inside him.
"Pfthahahahah!"
"What''s so funny?" She asked as she pulled her hair out from her clothes grasp with a graceful motion, letting it fall down in an ashen cascade.
"A sexless Monster."
"Huh?"
"Don''t you think that sounds funny?"
"Not really."
Mark pressed his lips. He really found it funny.
''That''s the way Monsters were inside the Dungeon... So it makes sense.'' The white-scaled Monster thought to itself.
The next second, Elisa turned around.
"Sexless? Do you mean you''re... Does it mean you''re... It does, doesn''t it? Of course, it does. Why did I... How could I just assume that you were a guy??"
"Huh?"
Chapter 256 A Blueish Pearl
?
Elisa turned around.
"Sexless? Do you mean you''re... Does it mean you''re... It does, doesn''t it? Of course, it does. Why did I... How could I just assume that you were a guy??"
"Huh? What the hell are you talking about?"
With a shocked expression and a hand covering her mouth, Elisa remained silent for a couple of seconds.
"Joking around." She said as she lowered her hand. "Anyways, do we have to move away so soon? This is kind of a nice ce."
"It''s in front of the forest. Right in the open. Horrible spot."
"But there''s... Water. Fresh... Refreshing..."
"Mm..." Mark turned his gaze towards the pond. "That''s a good point." He said before pushing himself off the ground.
"Right? Huh... What are you doing? Going for a swim too?" Elisa asked as the white-scaled Monster walked towards the water.
Mark lowered his body in front of the pond.
"It''s been a while since I drank water."
"Pfahaha. Get some. It''s good for you."
"Do you not need to drink water?"
"Well... It does help recover Endurance faster."
''Must be the same for me then. So they don''t need food or water for survival, but for Endurance?'' Mark thought to himself as he nodded. ''Well, with no Endurance surviving will be tough so I guess there is a resemnce.''
The white-scaled Monster stared at the pond for a bit.
At its own reflection.
It lowered its head closer to the water, brought a hand to its face, and pulled on its upper lip.
''I should get used to seeing myself. Really don''t get the opportunity to see my reflection often.'' Mark thought as he stared at his fangs, face, and body.
"Do you have to look like that?"
"Huh?"
"What? You''re getting lost looking at your reflection?"
Mark turned his gaze towards her, before turning back towards the water.
"Something like that." He muttered, and Elisa chuckled.
''I wonder if I could see something with my right eye. I''d have to focus on my vision which would hurt but... I gotta get used to that. Paines and goes anyways. If there''s something at the bottom... Mm. I guess Elisa must have checked for that earlier. But I could still-''
Mark suddenly felt somethinge into contact with his back.
"Revenge for peeking." Elisa sneered as she extended her leg, pushing the white-scaled Monster.
Ssh-
''Huh... That is kind of childish.'' The Monster thought to itself as its body fell into the pond.
The water was clear and clean.
Mark let his body slowly sink.
Minutes passed.
"He''s noting up. Hey, Krista. Krista! I didn''t drown him, did I? He can swim, right? Right? Kris-"
Ssh-
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?"
"What?"
Elisa shook her head.
"What kind of lungs do you have??"
"I can breathe underwater."
"Oh, okay. Wait... What?"
Mark left the water and unclenched his right hand.
Pupupupuru-
"What''s that?" Elisa asked as she walked closer, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"Not sure..." Mark muttered as he stared at the blueish pearl on his palm.
"Oh. A Lesser Water Spirit."
"Lesser? Spirit have Grades like that?"
"Yeah." Elisa nodded as she stared at the blueish pearl. She liked its color. "Lesser Spirits, Spirits, and Greater Spirits. Though some have other Names for them. This is how us, Elves, refer to them."
"I see. The Fire Spirit would be... Just a Spirit."
"Yes." Her eyes didn''t leave the pearl. She liked its color a lot.
"What about Yarnha?"
"I like the color."
"Me too." Mark muttered before raising his hand.
Elisa''s eyebrow twitched repeatedly as she stared at him in disbelief.
Crack- Crack- Crack-
Crunch- Crunch- Crunch-
Gulp-
"This tastes-"
"Yeah, whatever..." Elisa flipped her hair dismissively and walked away.
"What?"
"Nothing." She answered without turning around.
''I''m guessing she wanted it? Better to act like I don''t understand.'' Mark thought to himself as he stared at the floating words in front of him.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
[Your Title "Devourer" chuckles.]
[Affinity with Water Magic has very slightly increased.]
''Mmm...'' Mark brought a hand to his mouth. ''Devouring Spirits might be the way to increase Magic Affinity...'' He thought while pressing his thumb against one of his fangs.
A, finally dry, Moonlit Feline brushed against his shin.
''Being underwater felt good after all this time. It was quite the challenge in the Dungeon, especially against Levi.'' Mark chuckled as he remembered the fight against the Third Floor''s Guardian, the Leviathan. ''Had to get to the bottom to find the Boss Room. Had to get to the bottom to find the Lesser Water Spirit... Why would there be a Spirit here?''
The white-scaled Monster turned its gaze towards Elisa who had taken a seat by the pond, her feet under the water.
"This is the only spot with water that we''ve found so far. I''m guessing a lot of Monsters and Beasts use it to... Get their Endurance back?"
"Probably." Elisa answered while kicking her feet nonchntly, creating small waves on the pond.
"Is that why there''s a Spirit? Because it''s an important ce?"
"Probably."
"Huh..." Mark scratched his head. "You wanted it that badly?"
Elisa frowned as she turned her gaze towards him.
She stared for a bit before turning back to the water.
"I''m taking the next... Thing I want."
"If you can find it." Mark teased.
Bleugh-
Elisa stuck out her tongue at him.
''The childish Princess is sulking...'' Mark thought as he sighed.
Kick- Kick-
"How do Spirits even work? Think there is another one down there?"
Elisa''s eyebrows rose slightly. She tried to hide her surprise.
"Maybe." She wanted to say more, but that would make it too easy, wouldn''t it?
"I doubt it. It''s not thatrge a pond and I looked around pretty carefully after finding that one-"
"Then..." Elisa pressed her lips. "We could... We could wait for another one to be born."
''So that''s how it works. Then... It would have been the same for Yarnha.''
"How long would that take?"
"Since it''s a Lesser Water Spirit, it shouldn''t take too long."
"Which means?"
"A couple of hours. Max." Elisa said as she nodded with her lips pressed tightly.
Almost apologetically.
''I''m not sure I have it in me to give her one though... They taste pretty good.''
Chapter 257 Disgusting Goblins
?
A couple of hours passed since Mark''s dive.
"Ohh, good job!" Elisa shouted as the white-scaled Monster emerged from the water once again. "Got another one?"
"Yeah." Mark ansewered, a blueish pearl in hand. "It''s a bit smaller than the first one though."
Elisa nodded, silent but filled with anticipation.
The pearl was thrown, she grabbed it with great enthusiasm and held it as she blushed lightly.
Mark turned towards the napping Moonlit Feline.
''It grows over time it seems... But probably time spent inside the water.''
Unlike what Elisa thought, the Lesser Water Spirit she had been gifted was the third found by Mark. Unable to give away the second one, he Devoured it while remaining underwater. He was disappointed by the fact that it didn''t raise his Water Magic Affinity. The taste didn''t disappoint though.
''It takes about 2 hours for another one to... Appear? Be born? In any case, it''s good to know. I''ll have to remember to check locations that might seem important to the ecosystem.'' Mark scratched in front of the napping Lioness and pet its head. ''Spirits get more and more interesting everytime Ie into contact with one...''
Krista turned her body over, asking for more.
''Now that I think about it, I wonder if that Aura... Or Status would work on the Fire Spirit. The Manifestation of Status...'' Mark nodded before standing back up. ''I should think of a Name for him. For when I see him again.... Hope Raven is taking care of them. Or I guess... I hope he''s letting them be at least.''
***
Thousands of miles away,
"Ahh... That was a good fuck." A yawning red-eyes young man said as he left a pretty famous establishment.
"Make sure youe back to see us!"
"We''ll be waiting for you!"
"We''ll miss you!"
The feminine voices filled with lust and craving truly didn''t want to let him go.
With his chest exposed and his cloak over his shoulder, the Vampire Lord walked away.
"Whorehouses in the Human Realm really are the best." He muttered as he made a certain Ne spin around his index finger. "Did you all enjoy the show? Your white Monster can''t give such performances, huh?"
"Disgusting. And filthy." The reproaching voice seemed toe out of nowhere.
"Well don''t you have a foul mouth, nameless Spirit. You''re saying you didn''t enjoy that? There was plenty of fire. Heat. Explosions."
"You really are incredibly foul."
"And they love me for it. Anyways, you miss your Master?"
"He''s no Master of mine."
"Isn''t he though?"
"We''re partners is all."
"You''re more talkative that the usual. The show really did touch you, huh? I tried to put on the best performance possible."
"Well, it wasn''t impressive."
"Didn''t you hear them moan?"
"Sounded disingenuous."
"You''re funny, Lesser Spirit."
"I''m no Lesser Spirit."
"Right. Partners, huh? What-"
"I see you''re taking your time." An Armoured Man interrupted.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. I need quite a bit of time to fulfill-"
"I''ve veen waiting. Now let''s go."
"To the Vampire City, huh?"
"I can''t make General Draconia wait much longer than this."
"You think she''ll still take you in as a Commander after this?"
"I''l not sure but... I''ll be pinning the me on you."
"Bahahaha! Well, looks like everyone is getting funnier and more talkative. Aren''t we a cheerful group ofds?"
***
"Where do you think he is now?"
"Who are you talking about?"
Elisa stayed silent for a bit as she fiddled with the pearl in her hand.
"Raven."
"How would I know? And why are you asking?"
"You were thinking about them, weren''t you?"
Mark looked away, and Elisa knew she was right.
"You seem anxious." Shemented.
"I''m scared."
"Of?"
"Of moving on. Of forgetting about them. Of finding it easier to live without going back to..."
''Mm. I see what you mean. I don''t want to lose this rage inside of me. Feels like owe it to my people. To my father. To myself. But...''
"What if you were to?"
"Move on?"
"Yeah."
"I don''t want to."
"What if there''s something more important?"
"There isn''t."
"I have my people, I guess..."
"Didn''t know we were talking about you." Mark said after letting out a dry chuckle.
"No, we weren''t... Just aparison, I guess. Our situations are rather simr, no matter how different you want to make them sound."
"How different I want to make them sound?"
"Yeah. ThE rEaSoN yOu WeRe BrOuGhT-"
"Oh. That one time before the Guardian?"
"That one time before the Guardian."
Mark scratched his head.
The reason I am here-
And the reason you were brought here-
Arepletely different-
He winced.
''That was unnecessary. Shouldn''t have said that...''
"Well?"
"Yeah. Simr, I guess."
"Then, I have my people. What do you have? What did you have, before finding yourself in that Dun-"
Kekekekek-
Kekekekek-
Kekekekek-
That chuckling.
The perversion in their voices.
Both Elisa and Mark recognized them.
The first felt a chill go down her spine and disgust fill her stomach.
The other smiled as he was reminded of old times.
"Goblins?" He asked as he looked around.
"They''re hiding well somehow."
"Mm." Mark nodded.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Or do you use that Eye solely for perverted activities."
Mark opened his right Eye.
"It can be used for both."
Immediately, Mark could see through the tall grass, through the tropical trees, and therge rocks around.
"Seven of them. They have... Spears?"
"Ugh... Let''s finish this quickly."
"Don''t you want to wait for them to attack first?"
"Hell no." Elisa unsheathed her daggers. "They''re disgusting Goblins."
Mark pointed at their locations, and the the three attacked.
''A bit stronger than inside the Dungeon. A bit taller too but...'' The Goblin''s head was crushed. ''Yeah.''
Due to the Goblins inability to use Mana, looking at them through the Hugh Elven Pupil didn''t cause much pain.
Mark stealthily positioned himself behind thest Goblin.
His body froze as the dustance separating him from it decreased.
He could see it clearly and,
''What... They have... They have...''
Mark''s eyes widened.
''He''s...?''
Stroke- Stroke- Stroke-
''While looking at...?''
The white-scaled Monster was stupefied by the scene unfolding.
Kek- Keeeeek-
The Goblin moaned as it-
''Makes me not want to eat them.'' Mark thought to himsekf as the Goblin''s decapitated head hit the ground. ''Still...'' He lowered his gaze to his crotch. ''Ugh...''
Chapter 258 Cant Let Go Of Her?
?
"Did you see them? Before killing them?" Mark asked as he walked back towards the pond of clear water.
"No. Shot them before that. Why would I want to see those disgusting... Ugh."
"Hate Goblins that much?"
"Are you serious? Of course, I do. They''re... Everyone should hate them."
"Those inside the Dungeon weren''t too bad."
"These would do despicable things upon catching-"
"You?"
"Anyone." Elisa said as her eyes narrowed.
Mark took that as an affirmative to his question.
''So that''s where the horny goblin phrasees from...'' He thought as he scratched his head. ''Despicable things, huh?'' The white-scaled Monster shook its head before its thoughts could continue down the path they were heading. ''We couldn''t hear them approaching because they were being silent. Still. They weren''t approaching actually. They were silently... Ugh. Okay.''
He turned around and,
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"Even those disgusting...?"
"Yeah."
"Gross."
"I''ll keep you updated on how they taste."
"Please, don''t."
Guided by the scent of blood, the white-scaled Monster wandered through the tall grass.
''So even Monsters have sexual urges. Guess it shouldn''t be surprising. Kind of is because of the Dungeon but... Yeah.'' He lowered his body towards an unmoving Goblin whose neck was pierced by an arrow. Mark pulled it out of its neck. ''If they have... Tsk. Don''t want to eat them normally.''
[Your Title "Devourer" says you should stop being so picky.]
[Your Title "Devourer" argues that anything to Devour is better than nothing!]
[Your Title "Devourer" says that you should aim to Devour everything!]
''Right... Yeah... No.''
The Goblin''s body was turned into a green sphere of energy.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is dissatisfied with the quality.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" says that you should find better things to Devour.]
''Right? Can''t Evolve eating weaklings.''
[Your Title "Devourer" shakes its head.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" shakes its head.]
Even the white-scaled Monster shook its head, but it Devoured the Goblins one by one nheless.
''Guess I''ll go for a swim again.'' Elisa thought to herself as she undressed.
She looked around carefully before doing so though.
"Alright..." The white-scaled Monster whispered after looking around carefully.
Hidden by the tall grass, ity on the ground.
"Do it."
[Your Title "Devourer" raises an eyebrow.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
"Come on. Do it."
[Your Title "Devourer" suppresses itsughter.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is confused.]
"Just do it already."
[Your Title "Devourer" has trouble suppressing itsughter.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" says that it doesn''t understand.]
"You know what I want."
[Your Title "Devourer" wheezes!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" stares at you with wide eyes.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is incredibly embarrassed by your words!]
"Well, so am I so do it already!"
[Your Title "Devourer"ughs out loud!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" looks away.]
''Seriously?''
[Your Title "Devourer" calls you a fool!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" refuses.]
"What do you mean refuse??" Mark shouted suddenly as he sat up. "I told you to do it, so do it!"
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" shakes its head.]
"What? Am I supposed to stay a sexless Monster??" The white-scaled Monster whispered as it looked around.
[Your Title "Devourer" wheezes at the Sexless Monster.]
"Yeah. How about you go take a nap? Your presence isn''t necessary here."
[Your Title "Devourer" presses its lips together, hiding its fangs.]
[Your Title "Devourer" falls into a slumber.]
"Good. Alright. You."
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" hides its eyes.]
"Do. It."
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" refuses.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" argues that it, in no way, would further your Evolution.]
"I still want it!"
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" rolls its eyes.]
"Don''t roll your eyes at me-"
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" falls into a slumber.]
"Seriously?" Mark asked in a low voice before clicking his tongue.
As he expected, no answer followed.
He remained on the ground, surrounded by the tall grass.
''I feel a bit stupid right now...''
Mark pushed himself off the ground and walked back towards the pond.
"I trust you won''t be using that Eye."
"I won''t." He answered.
''Especially not after seeing those Goblins... Ugh. They left a foul taste in my mouth too.''
[Your Title "Devourer" chuckles in its slumber.]
"Shut up, will you?" Mark''s eyebrow twitched repeatedly.
"I didn''t say anything."
"I was... Nevermind."
"Your Titles?"
"Yeah. That happens to you too?" Mark asked as hey on the ground.
''Staring at the sky? Isn''t that nice?'' Elisa thought to herself.
She let her body float horizontally and stared at the blue sky too.
"Talking to your Titles is normal. It''s natural to argue with them."
Mark listened silently.
"You have to prove to them that you are worthy of bearing them. Like that Fiend. Commander Of Sloth. He had to continually act ordingly to what you would expect from a Commander Of Sloth. If he hadn''t or had stopped doing so for a while, he would have lost that Title."
"Then how should you act when it''s a Title you were born with? Is it possible to lose it then?"
The question caught the Princess off guard.
She remained silent for a bit.
"It''s possible to lose it... No. I guess it''s more like... Losing it temporarily."
"As in it won''t show itself?"
"Yes, I guess so. But it''s still there. You just have to... Make it show itself again."
''So no matter how I act, I''ll always keep it. Mmm... Zephyr did say something about my Titles having something to do with my past life. With my life before I was Reborn ... Then it''s not as simple as what she makes it seem to be. I guess the situations are just a bit too different for....''
"Why? Afraid to be a lowly Titleless Monster?" Elisa''s voice was filled with sarcasm and derision.
"It would be a shame," Mark said, matching her tone.
''I guess those Goblins don''t have Titles. In the first ce, that must be the norm, not having Titles...''
"We should probably get going before the sun starts to set." Elisa said as she left the pond.
Mark felt like sitting up to catch a glimpse, but didn''t.
"Yeah. We didn''t make much progress today."
"We did have to fight a Commander." She started getting dressed.
Mark''s eyes widened as a slight smile appeared on his face.
"And we won."
"That, we did."
''We won... Against a Commander. Against someone on the level of Zephyr. This is... That''s-''
"Aren''t you going to apologize?" Elisa asked as she nced behind her.
"What for?"
"Nevermind." She rolled her eyes.
Mark remained silent for a bit.
"What was it you did then?"
"What was it, I wonder." She answered cheekily.
"Tailing me doesn''t even begin to describe it."
"Try to describe it then."
"It was amazing really." Elisa scratched her cheek at his words. "So amazing that it felt creepy at first. And then..." Mark''s eyes widened.
"You got it?"
"Stop saying that."
"Why?"
"Because it''s what he used to say."
"Who?"
"That Commander."
"True. Anyways, continue describing it." What Elisa wanted to say was ''Praise me more,'' but she stopped herself.
Mark suddenly sat up and stared at the ground as he remembered the fight.
As he remembered what he thought during the fight. What he felt.
"You..." He started as he raised his gaze towards her.
She smiled cheekily.
"You hid from him, but also from me..." Mark lowered his gaze again. "You made me forget about you, and so... I moved as if you weren''t there. The fact that Ipletely forgot about you... Made it easier for him to forget-"
"You got it."
Mark rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the ground.
"How did you do that?" He asked as a Moonlit Feline walked towards the pond and started sipping some of its clear water.
"Well, I-"
"Actually, no. That''s not even half of it. At one point, it seemed... It felt like you had really disappeared. Your presence even felt simr to Yarnha''s."
"Oh, don''t make me blush." She said sarcastically.
"It was amazing, Elisa."
"It''s not a big deal." She looked away. "You should have seen me before... Well, I''ll get it back though."
"At some point, you really... You''d really be... Mmm... How to exin it...?" Mark''s excitement seemed to be surging.
"Mm?"
"You really became one with the Wind there!"
With a hand, she fiddled with a strand of hair.
The ashen strand server well to hide her blushing cheeks.
"Is that so?"
"Yeah!" Mark answered as he nodded enthusiastically.
"That''s good to hear." She turned away.
She turned away, and Mark kept staring at her.
''I can''t...''
For the first time, a different shade of darkness loomed over his face.
''Let go of her anytime soon.''
Chapter 259 Setting Up Camp?
?
''I can''t... Let go of her anytime soon.''
Mark absent-mindedly brought a hand to his mouth.
''A Commander... I''ve Devoured. No matter how I think about it, I wouldn''t have been able to beat him alone. But even though I couldn''t have beat him alone, I Devoured him...'' He tapped his cheek repeatedly with his index finger. ''I wanted to get them to the Elven Forest as fast as possible so that I could focus on... Fighting and Devouring but...'' He turned around.
"Here, here." A crouched Elisa yed around with a tall piece of grass she had cut and a Moonlit Feline tried its best to catch the extremity with its fangs.
''Having her with me, I managed to Devour a Commander. The Commander''s strongest... No.'' He brought a hand to his right eye. ''I Devoured what made him a Commander.''
The white-scaled Monster cratched its forehead for a bit.
''But that''s not what I wanted, is it? I wanted to defeat them... By myself...'' Its eyes narrowed. ''Then why do I not feel frustrated by needing and getting her help? Because I couldn''t win alone? Because he was just that strong? Yeah, maybe. But also...'' The Monster thought back to the encounter with the Commander. ''I fought well back there, I think. The fact that he could stop and notice most of my moves. Fighting someone capable of that...'' The Monster felt a shiver travel through its body. ''Was so damn fun!''
The shivering continued for a couple of seconds as Mark thought about his time since leaving the Dungeon.
''No, it started even before that... When was thest time I had this much fun fighting? Purely from fighting, not from trying out newly obtained Skills or... Yeah. It had been a while.''
The white-scaled Monster turned to face Elisa.
''I hate fighting the weak. I hate farming. I want to fight stronger and stronger enemies. And with her by my side...''
Elisa suddenly felt a shiver down her spine.
''I can fight stronger ones than I could alone.''
"Don''t look at me like that."
"Like how?"
"Nevermind. Let''s get going."
"Let''s." The Monster nodded, a smile on its face.
After calling out and studying the map for a bit, they adjusted their route and entered the tropical forest.
Elisa walked in the front while,
''Mm. On the way to the Elven Forest, we''ll be fighting a lot more. I can''t let you go before I develop the strength to-''
Shiver-
Elisa turned around suddenly.
"Was that you?"
"What was me?"
"Mmm..." Elisa looked around the tropical forest. "I''ve spent so much time with you that I''ve developed a Sixth Sense for the creepy."
"You''re wee."
"It''s not a good thing."
Mark opened his right eye and looked around.
In the distance,
"Goblins again."
"Ugh... Can you deal with them-"
Before she could finish her sentence, Mark had alreadyunched himself forward.
"Destroy my enemies, Guard Dog." Elisa muttered as she extended an arm in his direction and chuckled.
Peek-
"Oh,e on. Just a joke."
The Moonlit Feline looked away.
''Even weaklings might have some Skill to take but...'' The white-scaled Monster''s tail beheaded an unsuspecting Goblin. ''This is a bit too easy for it to feel good. Still, I''m not doing it for me.'' It thought as it ran towards the next Goblin. ''I''ll need to bnce this carefully. Protecting Krista and Elisa... But also having her help me fight stronger enemies.'' His ws shed a Goblin''s throat. ''She doesn''t really need me protecting her but... She did against Yarnha. Then it depends on the enemy. Yarnha... And the Final Guardian?'' It asked itself upon arriving in front of another green Monster. ''I wonder if the two of us could have beaten Zephyr... Definitely not. That Armor was just too...''
"Should we wait for him?" Elisa asked the Lioness at her side.
Thetter continued looking away.
"I have the right to bezy sometimes, you know? He took a nap. I didn''t."
The Lioness rolled her eyes.
''If there are more Commanders with special abilities like that one instead of those like Zephyr... Bfahaha!'' The white-scaled Monster chuckled as its leg kick crushed a Goblin''s skull. ''An Eye from that one, an arm from the next, another Eye maybe after that?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" awakens from its slumber.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods at your words.]
''Wouldn''t it be fun, right?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods enthusiastically.]
''Haha!''
[Your Title "Devourer" says that it doesn''t care as long as more Devouring gets done.]
The Monster''s fangs approached a Goblin''s nape.
''You won''t have to worry about that.''
Elisa and Krista, who had been following Mark as he made his way through the tropical forest, stopped abruptly.
"Think he even noticed there?" Elisa asked as she pointed at the wooden shacks to her left.
The Moonlit Feline let out a sigh.
"Right? Of course, he wouldn''t. Want to stop here for the night? Might be nice not to sleep on the ground for once."
Krista stared ahead.
"Gotta ask him, huh?"
Dozens of steps away from them,
Sting-
''Huh... That one is different.'' Mark thought to himself while keeping his right eye half closed.
The space opened up into an area devoid of trees.
''This is...'' One mass of Mana stood while a dozen Links spread from it. ''Pretty cool.''
Mark stopped for a bit and observed.
Upon taking a step forward,
[You have entered the Dungeon "Goblin Encampment[F]".]
''An [F] Rank Dungeon?'' Mark studied the area more carefully. ''This?''
There were fewer than thirty individuals, and the shacks were much smaller than those he had seen inside the Dungeon.
At the middle of the encampment seemed to be a throne made of wood logs piled up one on the other.
Seated on it, seemed to be...
''A Hobgoblin? That sure brings me back... So the Evolved Version is the Dungeon''s Boss Monster, huh?''
At the Hobgoblin''s feety a wooden staff.
''Just like the one Kal¨¨s had...''
Mark scratched his head.
''Well then...'' He extended his arms in front of him.
And just when his hands wereing together,
"Stop, dumbass." Elisa tapped his shoulder.
"Why?" Mark asked as he lowered his arms. "Poor Goblins?"
"Of course not. Let''s keep the shacks intact."
The white-scaled Monster pressed its lips together.
"I guess we can do that. The sun is starting to set."
The two stood for a couple of seconds.
"Well? What are you waiting for?"
Mark shrugged.
"More Experience Points for me." Heunched himself forward.
"Doubt you''ll get any from those." Elisa muttered.
[Dungeon Clear Requirement: Destroy the Goblin Encampment.]
[Reward: The Items in the Goblins'' possession.]
''That''s it, huh? Well, I don''t need much anyways.''
...
"Do you even not feel hungry?" Elisa asked as she walked towards the center of the encampment.
Mark brought the green sphere made from the Boss Monster''s body to his mouth.
"Nope."
Gulp-
"I''m guessing [F] Rank Dungeons don''t give out special Rewards."
"That''s right. You get what you find. Goblins are disgusting thieves anyways, so we might still find some things."
Mark lowered his body and reached for the wooden staff that the Hobgoblin had dropped.
''Huh. Looks like the wood is...''
[Burning Wooden Staff: [F+] Ranked Weapon.
Wielding the Weapon while casting an Elemental Magic Skill decreases the Magic Skill''s Mana Consumption by 5%. A Burning Insignia has been set on the Woodden Staff which will make its wood burn continually. Fire Magic Affinity while wielding the Weapon increases by 5%.]
''That''s pretty low but... I guess it could be used. Or should I just devour it?''
[Your Title "Devourer" reminds you that it doesn''t like the taste of wood, especially not burnt wood.]
''Remind me? Oh, I guess I did taste wood that one time.'' The white-scaled Monster chuckled.
"I''ll go check the shacks." Elisa said as she walked towards the closest one.
Mark turned around.
He pointed.
"That one is mine."
It was the biggest shack of the bunch and used to be the Boss Monster''s. The Hobgoblin''s shack.
"Huh?"
"I''m sleeping in that one."
"Sure, whatever."
...
The white-scaled Monster bent its body and entered thergest shack in the encampment.
''A bed made of leaves? Didn''t even think Goblins could make shacks. Or did they find this and move in?'' Mark asked himself as he looked around.
It was cramped, and the difference in height between the Hobgoblin or Goblins and himself did not make itfortable.
Still,
''When was thest time that I...'' Hey his back on the bed of leaves. ''Oh. Feelsfortable.''
The sun was setting, and Mark closed his eyes.
He remained on the bed of leaves for a while, thinking.
As no Monsters except the Goblins had been found, feeling at ease wasn''t a challenge.
The white-scaled Monster was starting to fall asleep when, someone entered the shack.
Chapter 260 Changing Myself, I
?
"Can Ie in?" A voice suddenly asked and the Monster opened its eyes. "I don''t... I don''t feelfortable in there."
Mark sat up.
Elisa was slightly blushing and her gaze seemed to be running away from his.
"So?"
"Well... It''s just... After all this time, I don''t feelfortable sleeping alone-"
"I''m not sharing my bed."
"Huh? Why-"
The next second, a Lioness raced from behind Elisa and leaped onto the white-scaled Monster.
"UGG...!"
Mark struggled to keep his back from sliding off the bed of leaves as Krista jumped on him and licked his face repeatedly.
"Mm!" Elisa nodded. "Guess we''re all sleeping here."
"No..." Mark struggled against the Lioness, pushing her head away. "We''re not."
"I can''t sleep in a Goblin''s hut a lot. It''s disgusting. Plus, it would be safer with everyone in here."
"As I said," He finally managed to push Krista away. "I''m not sharing my bed."
"Of course not."
"Then?"
"Then..." Elisa rotated her hands, expecting him to finish her sentence.
"What?"
"A gentleman would sleep on the floor."
"Ha! Well, I''m no gentleman. I''m a-"
"A Monster, yeah. I''m a Monster, h, h, h. Now, can I get the bed?"
"No." Mark answered sternly as hey back down and turned to face the hut''s wall. "I said no." He added when the Lioness'' mouth took hold of his hand.
"Thanks, Krista." Elisa chuckled as the Monster was slowly pulled off the bed.
"I said no." The white-scaled Monster repeated, without showing a sign of resistance as it was dragged away.
It didn''t take long before Mark found himself on the ground and on the other side of the hut.
"It was toofortable anyways."
"Yey." Elisa finally stepped into the hut and towards the bed.
"That..."
"That?"
"What you''re wearing, it''s what you first had on inside the Dungeon."
"Yeah, it is." Elisa pulled her white robe from the sides. "Looks nice, doesn''t it?"
"I guess... Why... How do you have it?"
"I hid it at first. Then stored it in my Inventory upon leaving the Dungeon. Why, huh? Mmm..." She brought a finger to her lips. "To feel cozy? I''m not sleeping outside, so no reason to sleep in attire that isn''t... Sleep... Uh... Anyways, it''s morefortable."
"Right..." Mark rubbed his eyes with a hand. "So I''m supposed to sleep on the floor with Krista when there are other beds?"
"Yes."
"That makes no sense."
"Princess'' Decree."
"Capricious and self-centered Princess."
"Mm!" She nodded as she took a seat on the bed. "As all Princesses are."
"Not as they should be."
"Perhaps not." Elisa chuckled. "Still, you''re there with Krista, so that''s nice."
"Got to look at the bright side?" The Lioness that had been pulling on his hand was now licking it affectionately.
"You''ve got to."
Mark stared at the ceiling silently.
''Being on the bed did feel strange. Sleeping on it could induce some kind of weird dream...'' Mark tapped the ground with a finger. ''This might be better for me anyways.''
Elisa yawned before turning to face the hut''s wall with her eyes closed.
The white-scaled Monster''s finger periodically tapped the ground.
''I still have a lot to think about but I should probably try to get some sleep...''
Sigh-
''How the hell can I sleep after seeing that? Those Goblins... Well, that Commander and, now that I think about it, the Dark Elves must have been the same.''
Mark clicked his tongue.
''Feels like even a Monster can-''
His mind shut off before that thought could bepleted.
Mark shook his head and brought a hand to his forehead.
Was it fear? Perhaps.
The culmination of all his time inside the Dungeon, of all his experience as a Monsters, as he stared beyond the Lioness, as he stared at the Princess, it felt like everything could copse.
''Would have been much easier without Elves in there... But I guess that''s part of the Trial too, huh?''
Light was suddenly exuded by the Lioness, and she turned back into a white-furred cat.
Krista turned around.
''Seriously...?'' The Moonlit Feline took a couple of steps before jumping. ''The roles were reversed? That fast? How am I the only one on the ground now?''
Kristay by Elisa''s side, and thetter stretched her arms.
Mark couldn''t help but stare at the Princess'' figure, beautifully and tastefully drawn by her robe.
He shook his head and turned around to face the wall.
The white-scaled Monster stared dead ahead at the wooden logs stacked on one another and kept together by numerous bands.
''And with my Title too, I... Tsk.''
The Monster forced its eyes shut and tried to fall asleep.
Elisa turned around and opened her eyes slightly.
''Feigning sleep... Why do I do that every time?'' She asked herself.
A Moonlit Feline was found by her side.
''You left him for me? Aren''t you cute?'' Shey a hand on Krista''s fur. ''Or, I guess you left him for a spot on the bed.''
Elisa gazed at whaty beyond the bed of leaves.
''Didn''t expect him to give the bed that easily. I did expect him to try and get me into his bed though-'' Realizing her thought, the blushing Elisa shook her head.
She wrapped her arms around the Moonlit Feline and pressed it against her chest.
Krista didn''t seem to mind.
''I wonder how different things would be if he wasn''t this ugly. Or if he wasn''t a Monster, I guess. I would probably feel more... At ease. And I could trust him more easily.''
Elisa stared at the wide back covered by white scales.
''He said that he could control his body more easily now. Then, does that mean he can change his-''
The Princess hid her reddened face in Krista''s pelt.
Her eyes suddenly widened as she raised her head.
''But if that''s the case, then... He''s choosing to be this way?''
Elisa let her head fall back.
''Why would he want to be this way? Scary, ugly, ominous... Well, I get the appeal of those for a Monster. But if he can change... He probably can''t change his Species or Race altogether, right? But what if he could? Then... He would only be a Monster because he wants to be one, right? No, no, no! That''s just called... Uhh... Body... How is that called again? Shapeshifting, right? Still a Monster thing. Even if you hide as a Beast or... As an Elf then... You''re still a Monster.'' She thought as she nced at him.
With her lips pressed together, Elisa stared at him for a bit.
Without meaning to let them do so, her lips suddenly parted.
"You said you control your body better now-" Elisa''s body shivered as she uttered those words.
Mark raised his head off the ground slightly before turning around.
"Yeah." He answered.
Elisa wanted to scratch her head, but it seemed to her like an obvious sign that would betray her embarrassment.
"What did you mean by that?"
"Mmm... Like what I did against the Commander." Mark bent his arm and stared at his hand for a bit.
"Ew. I forgot about that. You turned your arm into... A de?"
"Something like that."
"So what, you can change turn into anything you want?" Elisa asked as she looked away.
"Mm... No, not exactly. That one... It felt special."
"Special? Turning your arm into a de?"
"Yeah. I guess I''ve already seen something do that."
"So you can do it as long as you''ve seen something do it?"
"No, more like... It would be easier if I''ve Devoured that thing."
Elisa shivered slightly at those words.
"So it''s like a copy thing?"
"I guess."
"That''s handy. And incredibly creepy."
"You''ve already said that a lot."
"Doesn''t it feel weird?"
"Well, my hand is twitching right now. I''m trying to make it change but it won''t listen."
"Huh." Elisa turned on her stomach and stared at the Monster, her bent arms on the bed. "I''m d you feel that way."
"Why... Is that?" The white-scaled Monster asked as it tried to ignore the beautifully exposed cleavage that the robe was revealing.
"It should feel weird. Changing yourself like that."
Mark''s eyes widened.
Elisa expected him to say something, but he remained silent.
''Changing myself, huh?'' The white-scaled Monster asked itself.
Ity on its back and stared at the ceiling.
''I guess I never minded that much. Change... When it came to me, at least.''
Chapter 261 A Demon King Candidates Status, Quietly Oppressive
?
''I don''t mind changing. Changing myself. But that''s probably because I didn''t get to do much in my past life.'' The Monster thought to itself as it stared at the ceiling.
The ground wasn''t as rough and ufortable as it was outside.
The shack allowed the area to remain at a pleasant temperature.
''My past life... I still don''t remember the details, but maybe that''s because they''re unimportant. I spent most of my life in that hospital. Did I ever get out...? I''m not sure. Ha. It''s funny when I think about it...''
The Monster closed its eyes.
''I used to be filled with anger whenever I thought aboit the fact that I couldn''t remember. Now, it''s the opposite. I have no idea why, but remembering my past...'' The Monster winced and clenched its left fist. ''It fills me with wrath.''
Mark brought his hands to his face and massaged his forehead before trying to fall asleep.
It took a bit longer for Elisa than it did for Mark to fall asleep.
''Sleeping this close to a Monster... It''s stressful. I''m not much closer than the usual, but the fact that we''re under the same roof...''
Elisa shook her head before tapping Krista''s body.
"Can you...?" She whispered.
The white-furred cat turned into a Lioness, yawned, and went back to sleep.
''Natural barrier, Krista!''
....
The Monster opened its eyes.
It peeked at the outside through the shack''s entry.
''Still dark outside...''
With no reason to wait for morning or urge to sleep in, Mark pushed himself on the ground.
He walked towards the outside while making as little sound as he could.
Yawn-
''Wonder if I can find something to Devour. Nothing entered the camp while we were asleep, so that''s good. Would be nice for them toe now...''
The Monster took a couple of steps away from the shack before stopping.
''Mmm...''
Two hourster, Elisa opened her eyes.
"Dawn..." She whispered. "Wake up. Krista, wake up." The Lioness turned her body away from her. "Come on, time to go. Can''t let him wait too long. He''s already out."
Despite struggling to keep her eyes open, Krista stood and followed Elisa outside.
''Huh. That''s surprising...'' Thetter thought as her eyes found the white-scaled Monster.
It was seated on the ground with its legs crossed.
Above its left palm, a spinning sphere of mes around which a burning trail danced.
Above its left palm, a spinning cube of ice around which a frozen circle was rotating.
''That can''t be easy to do. Manipting two different... Or even opposite Elements at once...'' Elisa thought.
''Oh. I''m getting the hang of it.''
"Morning."
The cube and circle of ice cracked and the zing sphere stopped spinning.
Mark''s shoulders dropped slightly.
"Morning..." His tone wasn''t as enthusiastic as hers.
"If you can''t keep it up while talking, it''ll be tough to use anything like that in a fight."
"Yeah." Mark answered as the Lioness slowly burrowed her head into him.
"Training the ability to control two Elements at once is still a good idea. I''m guessing the fight against that Commander made you think about it."
"Mm." He nodded. "It was the first time I tried using different things at once. It was tough, but still not enough."
"It was enough to keep his mind upied. It''s the whole reason why I was able to hit him that hard."
Mark shrugged.
"You slept well?"
"What kind of question is that?" Elisa chuckled. "Yes, I slept well. Thank you very much for your concern."
"Well, I did have to sleep on the ground."
"As any gentleman would."
"I''m no gentleman." Mark muttered as he pushed himself off the ground.
"How about bing one then?"
The white-scaled Monster walked away without answering.
"Status."
[
Name: Mark
Titles:
-Devourer: [Unique Title].
-Evolving Monster: [Unique Title].
-Potential Demon King Candidate: [Epic Title].
-Gaavah''s Follower: [Umun Title]
-System Holder: [Common Title]
Species: (Unknown)
Level: Lv7 (200/7000EXP)
Health Points: 1380/1380
Endurance Points: 1050/1050
Mana Points: 1320/1760
Stats:
-Strength: 105 (+7)
-Agility: 78 (+3)
-Sense: 96 (+41)
-Vigor: 138 (+23)
-Endurance: 105 (+15)
-Mana: 176 (+21)
]
''Titles, second only to Name... Devouring that Olga upped my Vigor, Endurance, and Mana. Devouring the Commander made my Sense Stat shoot up. Of course, it would, that Eye is incredibly useful. Still, I have the same problem as I did inside the Dungeon.'' Mark thought as he studied his Status Window. ''My Sense Stat is all Vision... I need to find Monsters Skills rted to the other senses...''
He stared for a bit more before,
"Rank?"
[You are currently a [C] Ranked Monster.]
''From [C-] to [C]... That''s it? I''m guessing most of thates from the Eye I obtained.'' Mark thought as he brought a hand to his face. ''Still, the problem is that my Rank takes into ount my Underlings, even if they''re not with me...''
Mark''s moved back to the Title List.
''Unique doesn''t necessarily mean stronger. They''re just Ranked based on Rarity. If that''s the case then... Huh. Why are you always so silent?''
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" refuses to wake up from its slumber.]
The white-scaled Monster stared at the floating words for a couple of seconds.
''Well that''s a first. Answeting me this way... Is there a reason for it? Mm... Maybe because I got stronger. Demon King Candidate... But I''m only a Potential Candidate. Is it about strength, Status, or the way I act? Any of the three could be the reason why I''m obly a Potential Candidate. The way I act... A Demon King Candidate is expected to act... The same way a Demon King would act. And that would be...''
Destruction-
Destruction-
Murder-
Destruction-
Mark imagined.
''This is the third vige or camp I''ve destroyed...'' He thought as he looked around. ''To be Demon King would be having more Status than the Demon Lords. That much is for sure. Are the Demok Lords Demon King Candidated then? I''m sure some of them must have that ambition. Commander, General, Lord, King... Commander. The Status that makes you feel insignificant in front of the one higher Ranked. In a way, Status is the value that the world gives you, huh? Your worth. And that worth can be used on those under you. It''s the same as what I felt in fronc of Rav-''
Mark''s mind went nk.
He absent-mindedly brought a hand to his chin.
''Raven... A Demon King Candidate?''
His thoughts raced.
''The quiet pressure... The feeling that made me keep my head down in front of him. That made me... Let him take them without...'' Mark clenched his teeth. ''The pressure felt closer than the one exerted by that Commander. It must be true then. A Demon King Candidate...''
The white-dcaled Monster turned around to find the Princess seated above a wooden shack with Krista on her legs.
"What do you hink he''s thinking about?" She whispered. Something that the Monster couldn''t hear.
''The one who destroyed where Elisa is from... Who brought her into the Dungeon and all the others... Who messed with their minds... Is that something Raven is capable of? No, that white-haired fuvker Elisa used to talk about. Still, Raven was there. So that''s what is expected from a Demon King Candidate...? Destroying a vige of elves and corrupting there...''
Mark sighed.
''Check, I guess. Now if she knows that he is a Demon King Candate, then I can''t tell her about my Title. Being with a Monster this ominous as she says is already enough. Judging from her reaction upon finding out that the Demon Lord Of Sloth was looking for me... She came back, but still.''
"Thinking long and hard there. What about?" Elisa asked.
''Potential Demon King Candidate. That Lich... What did it see in me? Something I said? No, I couldn''t talk back then. Then why would it... Give me such a Title?''
"Oh, he''s not listenning."
''Bing a Demon King Candidate would, in part, bing more like Raven perhaps? Mm... Bing a Demon King.''
"Hey! I''m talking to you!"
"Sorry, I was thinking."
"Yeah, okay. Time to get going?" Elisa hopped off the shack with the Moonlit Feline between her arms.
She started walking once more.
Towards the border between Sloth and Lust.
"Sure." He followed.
Mark scratched his thigh with a w.
''Bing a Demon King...''
He raised his gaze at the dark sky that was slowly bing clearer.
''Do I even care about that?'' Mark asked himsekf as his gaze fell back onto the Princess.
Unfortunately, the Title of Potential Demon King Candidate can''t be so easily abandoned.
Casting away the ambitions of bing King in a new world isplicated, no matter how shallow the reasons for such ambitions are.
''Well, I obviously want to Devour and fight stronger Monsters but... Bing King seems like it would involve politics. Or not... Since it would be a Demon King. Still, bing a Demon King would mean having to fight the Demon King Candidates, and perhaps even the Demon Lords-''
"Thanks for sleeping on the floor, Mark." She said after turning around, a cheerful smile on her face.
Sigh-
''I want to fight those I want to fight, without being obligated to do anything I don''t want. Mm. Let''s go with that.''
"Aren''t you going to say that I''m wee or something?"
"You''re sleeping on the floor next time."
"Deal!"
Chapter 262 Second
Chapter 262 Second
Where is he-
The enemy-
It hid again-
It doesn''t make any sense-
Every time I strike, my ws go through his body-
Every time he appears, I''m struck from behind-
How is this possible-
How is this-
The Boss Monster stopped turning around, and blood started dripping down its neck.
"Finally. Twelve hits... You sure have tough neck muscles."
The sword was swung, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.
"Or had tough neck muscles, I should say."
[You have defeated the Dungeon''s Final Boss Monster!]
[You have...]
A series of messages appeared in front of the frail Beastman.
Due to his height and skinny appearance, he didn''t look like a Beastman.
If it weren''t for the tail and ears resembling those of a Tiger, he could have passed for a Human.
Crack-
Part of the wall to his right fell to the ground, and the Beastman stared for a bit.
"Let''s recover for a bit before leaving."
The wall had given way torge doors.
Doors that would lead to the outside world and, perhaps, to freedom.
The Beastman walked away from the Boss Monster''s corpse. He might have had a Tiger''s ears and tail, but he definitely did not have a Tiger''s appetite.
''Hope it doesn''t start to stink while I''m resting.'' The Beastman thought. He wasn''t really injured or tired, but still felt that recovering was necessary.
This particr Beastman was a rather careful Monster.
''Wonder how much time passed since that guy-"
Just when he was about to take a seat on the ground, the doors suddenly opened.
An enemy from the outside?
Adventurers who had randomly found the Dungeon?
Attack? Hide? Try to talk it out?
All of these questions and more passed through the Beastman''s mind as he tightened his grip around his sword and watched the doors move.
"Kati, hey! Kati!"
A confused frown appeared on the Beastman''s face.
She was slightly taller than the Skeleton Monster that he had encountered.
Her blueish hair reached her waist.
"General Zerha?"
The General''s blue eyes immediately lit up.
''He called me... General!''
With an appearance no different than that of a teenager, Zerha ran towards... The wall?
"Huh..."
"Did you really think your Illusions would work on me? Hehe!"
What, to outsiders, would have seemed as another part of the wall faded and Kati appeared.
He was standing and seemed rather rxed.
The Beastman didn''t let go of his sword though.
The General kept approaching closer and closer until the distance separating the two was less than two steps.
With speed that the Candidate couldn''t sleep with, not even visually, the General raised her arms.
Kati stared at those palms for a bit.
"High five!" The cheerful Generalmanded. Perhaps it was only the power in her voice that made it seem like amand. In any case, Kati chuckled before reaching forward.
p-
"Congrats, on making it out."
"Thanks."
The General took a step back.
"Mm." The Candidate nodded, somewhat timidly.
"Want to talk? Or see the outside first?"
"Casting an Illusion upon someone intruding was a good idea."
"Mm." The Candidate nodded, somewhat timidly.
"Want to talk? Or see the outside first?"
Kati took a second before answering.
Her voice didn''t seem to hold a shred of hidden intentions.
"I''ll... See the outside then."
"Right on!" The General shouted before turning around and walking towards the doors.
Kati followed, but couldn''t help but notice how peculiar the way she walked was.
Her arms remained straight at all times, and seemed to be swung more than was necessary or evenfortable.
She took long, long strides.
In one word, the General was-
"Not what you expected?" Zerha asked suddenly.
"Huh? No... You''re exactly what I-"
"Hahaha! No need to lie, Kati. Most have trouble believing that I am a Demon Lord''s General." She stopped and turned slightly. With half an eye, the General nced at him. "Appearances, right?"
Kati nodded, not too sure what to say.
"So tell me, what did you expect?"
The Candidate remained silent.
"C''moon, say it! You know, I get bullied because of my appearance. So make sure you make yourments positive."
"You get bullied?" Kati muttered without meaning to.
Sheughed out loud.
The power she projected, he could feel it. How could someone like that get bullied?
He really didn''t want toment.
But the way that the corners of her smiling lips were starting to get lower,
"You''re cuter than I expected you to be."
The lips remained a smile, and Kati sighed internally.
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, A Demon Lord''s General..."
"So you agree with them?"
"I like this better."
"Pfffhahaha!" The General reached forward. "You''re funny. You''re funny, Kati!" Every time her hand tapped his arm, he feared that it would break. His arm, of course. "Well, nice to see you. I''ve been looking at you for a while, so... It''s nice that this isn''t a one-way thing anymore."
Kati nodded.
"My Name is Zerha, and I used to be... A Nymph, let''s say. I''m now the Demon Lord Of Pride''s General, and the one who has been watching over you since your Rebirth."
"A Nymph? As in... A Spirit Of Nature?
"Something like that. I''m not one anymore though because of... Reasons. Anyways, nice to finally meet you, Kati. To formally meet you?"
"Thank you... For watching over me." He wasn''t sure whether there was a reason to thank her or not. Still, he felt that it couldn''t hurt. Kati sighed internally once again. It was a rather warm wee, he thought.
"Alright." She turned around. "Let''s show you the world, huh? Mmm..." She started walking, and he followed her. "There isn''t much here though, but we can look around. There are a bunch of things I want to show you on the way to Pride!"
''On the way to Pride, huh? Not a prisoner, but not free either. I wonder how the others-''
"You''re thinking about you, aren''t you?"
"Can you... Read my mind?"
"Nope. I can read your heart."
"Is that so?"
"Want me to exin what that means? Haha!"
"No, I think I get it."
"I''ll answer your every question, so you just need to ask!" The General said as she nodded cheerfully.
Secondster, the Candidate could finally peek outside.
"A desert... And a sandstorm..."
"Yeah... That''s not the best wee, is it?" The General scratched her head, almost apologetically. "Still, we had to keep you hidden, so spots like this are the best."
The two stepped onto the burning sand.
The General called out her Inventory.
"Here."
"Boots?"
"Mm." Zerha nodded. "I didn''t put the kind of ecosystems that would allow you to develop Heat Resistance inside the Dungeon, so..." She handed him the boots, and he took them.
"Thanks. I''m guessing I''ll have to develop Heat Resistance here before we get going, right?"
"Of course. Gotta take every opportunity you get."
No wasn''t an answer.
It wasn''t a possibility.
Kati understood that well. Or at least, he assumed that to be the case.
He put the boots on.
"I expected Monsters to be naked..."
"Huh? No reason for that though?" Kati shrugged. "I mean..." Her gaze moved onto his lower body.
"Yeah." Kati nodded.
He was already wearing pants after all.
Unlike a certain white-scaled Monster, Kati wasn''t a Sexless Monster.
The Candidate raised a hand to his forehead.
''Despite being so close, the sandstorm is still-''
Suddenly, someone tore through the storm.
Kati''s first instinct was to step back, reach for his sheathed sword, and-
Before he could do anything else, the Monster had be visible and Kati''s body froze.
Itnded a couple of steps away from the two.
"Griphy, good boy!" Zerha shouted as she tapped the Monster''s head repeatedly.
"A Gryphon...?" The Candidate muttered.
It was a ferocious Beast, nothing like the peaceful and majestic ones usually depicted.
''She gets bullied for being short... So she gets a Pet like this?'' Kati thought to himself.
"Hop on. Next stop, your first [D] Ranked Dungeon!"
No wasn''t an answer, so the Candidate stepped closer.
The Gryphon''s gaze was deadly, so Kati did his best to escape from it.
"Come." She extended him a hand, and he grabbed it. "Getfortable." Zerha added once Kati, too, was seated on the Gryphon''s back.
The Beast took a step, and the Candidate shook.
''I don''t think she would get mad if I grab onto her... But I''ll go for its pelt still.''
A hellish ride through the sandstorm was about to begin.
"Aren''t you going to ask?"
"What about?" Kati knew exactly what she was talking about.
Her eyebrows rose, and he understood that she knew.
She stared at him expectantly.
"I am Last to make it out?"
"Second ce. Congrats once more. The Protagonist Title might still be up for grabs."
"Title?" The Mind Bender chuckled. "That''s funny."
"That''s what you wanted, right? Finishing Second."
Kati shrugged.
"Just happy to have made it out."
"You''re curious. About the First one to have made it out?"
Lying just couldn''t be done sessfully with her, Kati thought. So he nodded.
"You''ll meet him soon enough. He should be on his way to Pride now. We''ll be taking our time though."
Boots and a warm wee.
Kari stared at the sandstorm surrounding him as the Gryphon spread its wings.
''Not free... But not a prisoner. More like... A pet? That''s-''
"Grab my shoulders if you don''t want to fall off."
"Huh-"
The Gryphon took off with incredible speed.
''ARGHHHH!''
Kati felt like his arms muscles were about to burst as he grabbed onto and squeezed the General''s shoulders with all his strength.
She didn''t seem to mind, or, perhaps, even feel it.
''Wonder if that guy got the same treatment! It''s all smiles and boots before-''
The Gryphon suddenly took a dive, and Kati couldn''t help but let out a shout.
Chapter 263 Expectations For The Candidate, I
Chapter 263 Expectations For The Candidate, I
"Two ny-six... Two ny-seven... Two ny-eight..."
''Come on... I''m dying here!''
"Three hundred." General Zerha counted and Kati dropped to the floor. "Didn''t expect you to get there. Good job!" She pped her hands whilefortably seated with her legs crossed on the lying Gryphon.
The Beastman was panting for air.
"I can''t... Believe... I got... Three hundred."
"Mm!" She nodded. "You''re getting there. Might develop Heat Resistance on the next set."
Despite being exhausted, Kati pushed himself off the ground.
''The sand burning... It''s not as bad as it was earlier. Still-''
"Asking yourself if this is necessary?"
"Yes."
"It is."
Kati stared for a bit before nodding and looking away.
''Wonder if the first guy is made to train like a ve too...''
"Anything on your mind?"
"Yeah."
"What is it?"
"Why was I chosen?" Kati lied.
"Mmm..." She brought a finger to her chin. "Are you asking what you are a Candidate for?"
The Beastman nodded.
"Huh. I was wondering when you were finally going to ask. Why now? You didn''t ask once inside the Dungeon."
Kati stared into the distance for a bit.
There wasn''t much that could be seen inside the sandstorm though.
The sand wasn''t blinding him anymore. He hadn''t developed a Passive Skill for it, but it was still nice to notice.
''Resistance is strange. Your body starts doing so that a very slow rate. At one point, when you can Resist maybe... Twenty percent of it, a Passive Skill is developed and Resistance shoots up-''
"I asked you a question."
Kati had been conversing with Zerha for a while now. And even though most of that time was spent blind her, he still knew what kind of conversation she entertained and what kind she disliked.
"I''ve heard of stories like these, in my past life."
"Have you now?"
"Yeah. We''re what those stories refer to as... Reincarnators? We died once upon a time, and got Reborn as Monsters. The usual story is about people getting Summoned in another world as Heroes or something. Is that something that happens? In the Human Realm?"
"Who knows." Zerha answered honestly as she shrugged her shoulders. "There are Heroes, but whether they are from this world or not, I do not know."
"And we''re the Heroes'' enemies? Makes it hard to be a Protagonist then, haha." Kati really wanted to put the Protagonist word in there, since it usually made the conversation more entertaining for Zerha.
As he had expected, she smiled at the mention.
"Different Protagonists for different kinds of stories, right? Your words."
"Very true." Kati nodded.
"So why are you only asking now?"
Because I feared the answer?
Because there was an answer I longed for, and one I dreaded?
No. Kati couldn''t say that, right?
Now wasn''t the time for honesty.
"Because it didn''t matter. Now that I''m not in the Dungeon anymore, it does."
"Aha. Well, you were Reborn inside the Monster Realm by the Demon Lord Of Pride. Can you guess what happens next?"
"Be Demon King?"
"Yes! Well, you wouldn''t be able to do it as you are. It would take a long time too, but that''s the goal."
"Is that what Gaavah wants?"
"You''ll refer to him as Lord Gaavah."
"Is that what Lord Gaavah wants?"
"Yes. For one of you to rise and be the next Demon King. What else?"
"What else...?" Kati muttered as he raised his gaze towards the hidden sky. "Guess I expected something different."
"What did you expect? It''s obvious that that''s what he wants, isn''t it? Why would he go through all that trouble otherwise? Haha!"
''Mm... She doesn''t know either? She''s convinced that that''s the answer, but she didn''t get it from him. Which means...'' A slight smile appeared on the Beastman''s face. ''It might be something different. Something... More interesting andplex.''
"Anyways, get back to it now. I''ll need you to Develop Heat Resistance in the next hour."
"Not much I can do about that..." Kati muttered as he scratched his head.
"Don''t think you can?"
"I don''t know."
"You definitely won''t make it with that attitude."
"Hm?"
"As my Candidate, it''s my job to raise you into someone worthy of bing the next Demon King." Zerha hopped off the Gryphon. "Get it?" She walked closer, and the sand below Kati started trembling. "You''ll have to rise above all the Monsters in this Realm. Above all of them. Above the Dragons and the Elves. Above the Fiends and the Beasts. Above me." Zerha suddenly grabbed Kati''s wrist once the distance had been closed and pulled down. The Beastman immediately fell to its knees. "Above my Lord." With him on his knees, Zerha could stare from above. Well, just barely. "Get it? No cking, Kati."
The Beastman slowly nodded as he stared into her deep blue eyes.
"Good." She smiled. "Chop chop then." She turned around and started walking away.
"How about I train my swordsmanship instead?"
"That works too."
Kati took out his sword from his Inventory and started training.
''His movements aren''t too bad. Of course, hecks the Stats to actually hit targets with significant strength but... This isn''t bad.'' General Zerha thought to herself.
''Trippy... Thinking that someone else went through this same thing, and that eight others will go through it again. Much worse, thinking that there are others in the Human Realm who could be going through it too. I wonder if we''re from the same era? We must be, right-''
"Focus. Your movements are getting sloppier."
"Mm." Kati nodded as he took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the sword.
''Demon King... Does that mean that we''re fated to lose? Since we''re on the side of Evil and Monsters?'' The Beastman thought as it swung its sword repeatedly. ''There''s no way, right? Mm... I guess the Viin does win from time to time, but it''s rather. Even I never wrote a story where the Viin wins. But it''s not impossible, right?''
"I SAID FOCUS!"
Chapter 264 [Bonus chapter]Expectations For The Candidate, II
Chapter 264 [Bonus chapter]Expectations For The Candidate, II
"Is there a current Demon King?" Kati asked once his breath grew shallow. He needed a short break, and Zerha could tell.
"None. There hasn''t been one in a while."
"What about Heroes?"
"Mm... Heroes appear rarely too. They start out as Saints, but then rise to Heroes."
"Those are Titles, I assume."
"They are."
''She doesn''t want to say more than necessary? Or does she just not think these are important things?''
"When did thest Heroes appear?" Kati asked after catching his breath for a bit.
"At the time of thest Demon King, apparently."
"How long has it been since thest Demon King?"
"About a thousand years."
"Huh? So it''s that rare?" Kati muttered. "Was thest Demon King-"
"Not much is known about that era. Only thing we know for sure is that the Demon Lords have lived through it."
''So they''re more than a thousand years old... Do they need new Candidates? Is that what it is? If the Demon Lords wanted to be Demon King, it would be strange for none of them to achieve that in a thousand years, right? They can''t expect us to spend that much time trying...''
"We''re with G... Lord Gaavah, right?"
"Correct."
"Do the other Demon Lords have Candidates of their own?"
A slight smile appeared on the General''s face.
"Not that we know of."
"Then... Do they know of us?"
"Who knows." General Zerha chuckled. "Lord Caavah has been rather secretive about all this. That''s the reason why us, Generals, are the ones tasked with raising and protecting you. All of you. Back to swinging that sword now."
Kati did as he was told.
''With that in mind, it might be the case that the Heroes appear after the Demon King rises. Humans are usually slow to react to things, aren''t they? The Demon King and the Heroes are Fated to fight one another. You would expect the Heroes to be Fated to win then... Just the fact that they''re Heroes and he''s Demon King. A group versus a Tyrant. Sounds like a bad bet for our side. Now, I wonder...''
The Beastman suddenly stopped swinging his sword.
"General Zerha."
"Mm?"
"What happens if..." He tightened his grip on the sword. "I don''t want to be Demon King?"
The General''s eyes widened for an instant as her eyelids rose.
''Is that Aura? Just barely any but...'' Her eyes lit up. ''This is good.''
"That''s how strongly you feel about it, huh?" Zerha chuckled.
"Huh?"
Shey on the Gryphon''s backzily.
"I''m not sure what Lord Gaavah will do with you if you refuse to walk the path presented to you. It very well might be death. Are you willing to die in order to avoid bing King?"
"No."
"There you go. In first ce," She smiled cheekily. "This is the Monster Realm. Bing Demon King doesn''t mean bing a Leader of some sort."
"It''s being a Tyrant, right?"
"Exactly. A selfish and cruel Tyrant. In the first ce, what is needed, more than anything, to be Demon King is strength. You''ll need the strength to oppose Commanders, Generals, and, eventually, the Demon Lords."
"Lord Gaavah included?"
"Not necessarily. But it could be possible. If the so-called Demon King cannot defeat a Demon Lord, then how can you expect thetter or his followers to kneel?"
"That makes sense." Kati said in a low voice as his thoughts were racing internally.
"I don''t understand something though. How can you not want to be King?"
"I didn''t say that I didn''t want to."
"Going against that path means going against Lord Gaavah. Do you think you can do that?"
"I don''t. Not as I am now, I guess."
"Mm!" Zerha nodded. "If you don''t want to be Demon King, you''ll need the strength to oppose the Demon Lord that wants you to be King."
"So I need strength anyways."
"Correct."
''Still, having one Demon Lord as an enemy sounds a lot better than having at least six of them plus Heroes and Saints and... Who knows what else. Still seems like the best bet is-''
"And by the way..."
"Mm?"
"Lord Gaavah is, by far, the strongest Demon Lord."
Kati nodded slowly.
"I see."
The Candidate and the General remained silent for a bit.
"Would you go against him? Against me? If it turns out you don''t want to be Demon King?"
Kati didn''t want to answer.
Was it time for honesty?
"Yes."
General Zerha stared for a while at the Candidate''s eyes.
The darkness that resided inside of them. Deep, and dormant.
"Perfect." She pushed herself off the Gryphon''s back and hopped onto the burning sand. "That''s the kind of egoism, arrogance, and ''So she doesn''t mind me going against them? Mm... I guess if the Title is Demon King, a Tyrant, then that-''
pride I want in a Demon King."
Kati couldn''t help but sigh.
''So she doesn''t mind me going against them? Mm... I guess if the Title is Demon King, a Tyrant, then that-''
"Make sure you don''t say stuff like that to those you''ll find in Pride though."
"Mm."
"They''re not as... Open-minded, let''s say."
''Don''t you mean twisted?''
"I''m on rtively good terms with all the Generals, so you shouldn''t have issues there."
"Is that not a normal thing? For Generals of the same Army to get along?"
"Bahaha! This is the Monster Realm, Kati. Generals do not get along. And they''ll use anything they can to get back at one another."
"You mean they would go as far as touching the Candidates? Even though they''re part of Lord Gaavah''s...?"
The General nodded, a smile on her face.
''Mmm...'' Kati thought for a bit. ''I think I have a better grasp on things now.''
He started swinging his sword again.
"Oh. Before I forget."
"Mm?"
"You might run into a pale man with dark hair in Pride. Red eyes. A charming but creepy smile."
"Okay?"
"Raven. Above all else, stay out of his way."
"You mean I should run away upon seeing him?" Kati chuckled.
"This is noughing matter. Stay out of his way, no matter what. Don''t walk next to him, don''t look at him, and don''t talk to him. No one screams trouble more than him. If he talks to you, stay silent. But if you don''t answer and he smiles, answer. Alright?"
"So he''s a bully? You mean he would be picking on me if I-"
"Exactly. Best thing would be for him not to even know you exist."
"Is he a General too?"
"No, a Follower."
"A Follower? Like us? Then-"
"He''s a lowly Follower of Gaavah... But he is also the one to have stood alongside the Lord for the longest."
"Nepotism?"
"Of sorts."
"Well, that''s worrying..." Kati muttered as he made his sword draw lines on the sand below.
Zerha pressed her lips together silently for a bit.
"Anyways, Mind Bender."
"Please don''t call me that."
[Your Title "Mind Bender" cannot believe that you are ashamed of...]
"Let''s move. There is a Dungeon nearby."
Kati was surprised, but he nodded silently.
"What is needed for your Titles to show their true Potential is Status. So let''s get you some of that."
"Status?"
"Ugh. Guess I have a lot more exining to do..."
Chapter 265 No Time For This Type Of Thing
Chapter 265 No Time For This Type Of Thing
''I thought I would have to change the way I fight for you but...'' Mark dodged the punch thrown his way by the Beast whose appearance resembled an overgrown gori. ''I couldn''t have been more wrong!''
The white-scaled Monster fist connected with the Gilis'' side.
[Gilis: [D+] Ranked Monster.]
The Gilis''s pelt was dark as nighr, and its Gori-like appearance made Mark think of the Growing Yeti he had fought against in the cold Tundra.
''That barely made it budge. Its Strength and Vigor must be higher than mine. But its Rank is still [D+] which means...'' The white-scaled Monster jumped back and extendid its arms towards the target. ''It can''t use Mana.''
me Of Chaos, Great Fire Ball-
The Beast was covered by smoke, but it didn''t stop moving.
Taking advantage of that smokescreen, the Gillis-
The white-scaled Monster had moved perfectly to avoid the Gillis''s extended arms and to counterattack.
''Since it can''t use Mana...'' Mark''s right eye shone below the piece of cloth hiding it. ''I don''t have to worry about the sting.''
His ws approached the Gillis''s chest but it managed to grab hold of his arm at thest secind.
Ready to counterattack, it clenched its fist but,
Shiver-
Both the white-scaled Monster and the Gillis felt cold sweat do ''Don''t be scared. Even when she appears. Trust her... And be ready to...!'' Suddenly feeling another enemy''s presence, the Gillis'' focus down their back.
''Don''t be scared. Even when she appears. Trust her... And be ready to...!'' Suddenly feeling another enemy''s presence, the Gillis'' focus broke, and Mark''s ws found their way to its throat.
"Would you look at that..." Elisa jumped back, not keen on letting blood stain her body. "I didn''t have to do anything."
Heaps of blood squirted out of the Gillis''s neck, and it fell to the ground.
"You did plenty." Mark said as he finished the Beast.
"Did I now?"
[You have defeated a Gillis!]
[You have earned 75 Experience Points!]
"You did."
The Beast''s body was turned into a sphere of green energy.
"Hope it tastes good." Elisa said she waved and walked away.
Gulp-
Mark shrugged.
''Decent...''
The two walked through the tropical forest for a but before finding a Moonlit Feline napping on a tree''s branches.
"We''ll be at the border soon." Elisa muttered.
"Fighting with you is fun." Mark said suddenly.
"d you like it." She chuckled.
"I can really focus on fighting." Elisa nodded. "On... My own fight so to say." She nodded again. "You never get in my way too."
"Huh. Of course I don''t. I''m no amateur."
"It''s weird. Fighting with my Underlings wasn''t the same..." Elisa smiled. "Being with them made me stronger since we were a group. With you, it''s like... Your style of fighting makes me stronger somehow."
"Bet you could get used to that."
"I am getting used to it." Mark admitted.
Elisa remained silent for a bit.
"Should we get going?" She asked as she tapped Krista''s head lightly.
The white-scaled Monster nodded and started walking in the direction they were heading.
The border between Sloth and Lust.
A border they, perhaps, would have been better off never crossing.
''Mmmm...!'' Elisa stretched her arms upwards. ''One we cross the border, it''ll be...What, a third of the way done? Cross Sloth, Lust, and Pride. Well, we only had about half of Sloth to cross.''
She sighed.
''He''s getting used to fighting with me. Wonder if he''s getting used to me in general. Must be the case, right? He doesn''t freeze as much when I appear. He also passes out in front of me, he doesn''t fight it, I think.'' Elisa stared at the white-scaled back. ''He trusts me with his life. I wonder if that would be an exaggeration?''
She scratched the back of her head.
''I can''t wait to be back. I can''t wait to get my people back. But at the same time...'' The blushing Elisa lowered her gaze to the ground. ''I kind of want this tost a bit longer.'' She shook her head. ''There is a long time left. Yeah. Plenty of time to get tired of him. Yeah. Yeah...''
"Think we''ll find another camp?"
"Mmm..." Elisa let her shoulders drop as she blew her cheeks. "That would be nice."
"You''d be on the floor, right?"
"Only right for a gentleman to sleep on the ground."
"Looks like sleeping on a bed for once really changed you." Mark said as he chuckled.
Elisa stopped walking suddenly and white''s scaled Monster turned around.
"Do you trust me?" She asked.
Mark immediately diverted his gaze, seemingly in need of a second to think.
"N... Yeah." He shrugged. "As much as I try to deny it." He turned back around and started walking.
"Mm!" Despire the slight blushing, she smiled. "I trust you too. Even though you''re a Monster." Elisa whispered.
"I heard that. Can''t really argue though."
With quick and short strides, Elisa caught up to him.
"Why?" She asked once she arrive by his side, her eyes glittering.
"Why... " Elisa was standing pretty close to him, and Mark debated internally whether or not to widen the distance. "What?" He decided not to.
"Why do you never argue against it? Against being called a Monster?"
Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
"I''m not being called a Monster. I am a Monster."
"You don''t act like one."
"Yes I do."
"No you don''t."
"Yes, I do."
"No, you don''t!"
"Well maybe not with you but..." Words stopped leaving his mouth as he noticed the Princess''s blushing.
"Yeah... Not with me." She whispered as she threw strands of her hair back and looked away.
Secondster, she walked away, and Mark stared.
''That took a turn... I didn''t want it to.''
He couldn''t help but sigh.
The Princess crouched and yed around with the Moonit Feline, her back turned to him.
''This is... Pretty bad.''
What made it even worse was the ball of a certain something fluttering inside his stomach.
It had to do with his stomach.
It wasn''t hunger, which perplexed him.
''Tsk. I don''t have time for this type of thing. Maybe I''m reading too much into it in the first ce. I don''t have time for it...'' The Monster scratched its head. And as it stared at the Princess and the Moonlit Feline together, ''Why do I think that I don''t have time for it?
...
"They sure are taking their time. Should be another week." A red-haired woman whispered.
Seated with her legs crossed on arge tree''s branch, she waited.
"Giving him to Raven might not have been a bad idea. Seems like they''re taking their time together. I''m d that they''re..." Draconia sighed.
''At least with Raven, I''m sure nothing will go wrong-''
Flowers fluttered, and her slit pupils dted.
The next instant,
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"Zephyr? What are you..."
Her eyes immediately narrowed.
The Armoured Man kneeled, and Draconia stepped forward.
Once the distance separating the two was about one step,
"What happened to Mark? Where s Raven? He''s the only one who''s supposed to know about this-"
"I apologize, General Draco-"
Crack- Crack- Crack-
Zephyr''s gaze was glued to the ground as the weight supported by his body increased tenfold.
The ground below him cracked and his knees started sinking.
"What... Did you just say?"
"I will exin... Everything." Zephyr could barely breathe.
That''s how suffocating the General''s Aura was.
"Yes. You... Do... That" Her voice was shaking, as she did her best to control both herself and her Aura.
It didn''t take long for Zephyr to start sweating due to the pressure and heat exerted.
The grass below, the trees, and the leaves around, all started burning due to the heat.
''A Dragon''s Aura... It''s nothing like I''ve ever-''
"Quickly."
Throughout the encounter, there had been no change to Nia''s facial expression.
This only made Zephyr''s respect for her deepen. But it also made fear awaken.
Anger that her face wouldn''t betray. That kind of anger turned into this intense an Aura?
What would happen the day wrath takes over her? The day her anger grows so powerful that her face winces or frowns? Zephyr didn''t want to imagine it any further, so he exined.
Nia listened, and she slowly calmed down.
"So Raven used the fact that you were about to kill him as an excuse to leave him in the wilderness? And you didn''te to me directly? What were you doing all this time?"
Her eyes turned cold.
A gaze so cold that it burnt.
"I was... With Raven."
Her eyes turned cold.
A gaze so cold that it burnt.
"Tsk." She clicked her tongue. "What kind of Commander do you n on bing if you listen to a Follower''s orders?"
"Him? A Demon King Candidate... And a Follower?"
"Tsk. I see he still unts his Titles at every opportunity he gets." Draconia turned away. "Change of ns." She started walking, and Zephyr followed.
"Yes, General."
"Shut up. From now on, you don''t talk. Only nod. Until you fix this, which won''t be easy."
Nod-
"Good. He''s a Follower, so the Connector should be able to locate him. Unfortunately, it''s a one-way thing so I''ll have to go back to Pride before going to Mark. In the meantime, you go to the vige from which that Dark Elfes from."
"The one that was with him?"
Nia red, but ended up letting out a sigh.
"Yes, that one. He might not look like the kind, but he is. Go look for that so-called Princess'' vige."
"Yes, General. Where... Where can I find the vige?"
"Only Raven and the Connector know exactly where. I didn''t ask for details since I didn''t think it would matter. If I remember right..." She clicked her tongue. "Greed. West of Greed.
Chapter 266 Like A Cat
?
Three dayster.
Mark, Elisa, and Krista made their way through the tropical forest without too much trouble.
''Reminds me of the Ninth Floor...''
As they were approaching the border between Lust and Sloth, they decided to take an early break at dusk and try to get some sleep.
Unfortunately, the white-scaled Monster had trouble falling asleep.
It was something Mark was used to, so being unable to sleep rarely annoyed him.
It did this time.
Why?
Because the reason as to why he couldn''t sleep waspletely different from the usual.
''She...'' The white-scaled Monster did its best to keep its body from shaking. ''She''s too close!''
Upon deciding to go to sleep a couple of minutes earlier, Mark had let his body fall to the ground.
He had turned onto his right side when,
Crouch-
Sit-
Lie down-
''Huh?'' The Monster''s eye widened as it stared dead ahead. ''Did she justy down next to me?''
"Alright. Good night." Elisa said before turning around and lying on her side too.
''You''re going to ignore the fact that you''re... What is this?''
Mark shook his head internally and closed his eyes.
The twoy with their backs towards one another.
Minutester, he wanted to stretch his shoulders when,
''Kuh... She''s that close?''
Finding no better answer than acting as if he had moved in his sleep, Mark remained unmoving, his back less than an inch away from hers.
The two were so close that simply taking a breath made their backs kiss.
Mark suddenly was able to hear his own heartbeat. He tried convincing himself that it was simply in his head. That he was thinking too much.
He pressed his eyelids and tried to sleep once more.
Tap-
''Did... Did she just move back?''
Their backs came into contact, and Mark, feigning sleep, decided not to move away.
Running away from physical touch wasn''t bing for a Monster in the first ce.
Their backs were touching, so what?
They did shake hands many times in the past.
He had evenid a hand on her waist to take out the Corruption.
He had also carried her. And even though he could feel her chest against his back that time, it hadn''t troubled or fazed him at all.
''So then... Why do I feel like my body is going to start trembling if I don''t keep my muscles tensed up??''
What was different now?
''I don''t have time for this. I''m a Monster. I don''t have time for... Fucking trembling because a woman''s back is-''
These would do despicable things upon catching-
Mark wanted to scratch his head, but he thought that it would betray the sleeplessness that he was so eager to keep a secret.
''Ugh. And this thing in my stomach... No... NO! Don''t tell me they''re... Not fucking butterflies or something?'' With its eyes closed, the Monster winced and frowned. ''That''s absolutely pathetic! I don''t want this!''
Yawn-
A Moonlit Feline, lying on a branch, watched the scene unfold from above.
It wasn''t that interesting or action-packed scene. Still, Krista watched with wide eyes.
The white-scaled Monster let out a sigh.
It pushed its body away from Elisa''s, which, unknown to him, did make her shake slightly.
She, too, was trying to hide her sleeplessness it seems.
With his body now a bit further from Elisa, Marky on his back and stared at the night sky above.
''I can''t... Remember details. But I can remember things in general. I couldn''t do much in my past life. I needed help with the simplest things at times. Running was practically impossible for me. That''s why I want to run as much as I can. I want to move, with my own body, as much as I can. But... That''s not the only thing I couldn''t do. Being stuck in that hospital for most of my life... Well, I did die pretty young too. Both of those things contributed to me not having...'' Mark slowly let his face turn to the side, and there she was, lying on her side next to him. ''Many experiences.'' His gaze went back to the night sky above. ''Lying next to a woman, that''s probably a first, isn''t it? Feels like it at least.''
Sigh-
''It is pathetic, but it can''t be helped.''
Mark stared at the night sky for a bit longer, before reaching for the piece of cloth that covered his right eye.
He moved it out of the way, and the way the world appeared changed thanks to the High Elven Pupil residing in his right eye.
The colorful Mana that hung in the air, the thin and barely visible Links between the branches above, the Mana coursing through them, the colorful Mana that hung in their air...
The colorful Mana that hung in the air?
His eyebrow twitched as he moved his gaze towards her.
"Spying on me?" Mark asked suddenly.
She winced, and he noticed.
"Yawn..." Elisa slowly turned around with sleepy eyes. "What do you mean? I was-"
"I can see it." Mark said as he pointed at the air above the two. In truth, he was pointing at the Wind around them.
''Shit.'' Elisa cursed internally.
The Mana held by that Wind had a different color than that of the air to his right.
"Weeell..." Elisa slowly turned away. "I am sleeping with my back turned to a Monster."
''So she was feigning sleep too? That''s weird...''
''Now he uses it? NOW?? When he wouldn''t use it when fighting? What is...''
The Moonlit Feline, seemingly bored by how the scene yed out, yawned and closed its eyes.
A handful of minutester,
''She''s still doing it. Even though I caught her? Mmm... The quantity did decrease but-''
Sting-
Mark closed his right eye.
''Huh... That''s my limit. I''ll need to use this the same way I used the Berserker Skill. Short outbursts... Or something. Getting the sting at the wrong time in the middle of a fight might turn out worse than not using that Eye at all.''
The white-scaled Monster stared at the sky for a bit longer.
The anxiety from being so close to her had fully faded by now.
Why do you never argue against it-
Against being called a Monster-
I am sleeping with my back turned to a Monster-
You don''t act like one-
''Why are you using the Wind to read my movements then?''
The white-scaled Monster turned and gazed at her back.
I trust you too-
Even though you''re a Monster-
A shaking hand left the ground.
''Let''s test it then.'' The side of her neck uncovered by her ashen hair, Mark reached for it. ''Do you really trust me?''
The white-scaled Monster''s shaking hand moved closer and closer.
Until,
"What are you doing?" Elisa asked suddenly.
His hand froze and his body shook. She, of course, did notice.
''Now, pull your hand back. Prove that I can trust you. Mm... You would be proving it for the 100th time but-''
A shiver went down Elisa''s whole body.
Swoosh-
''Oh. She disappeared. Like a cat... Touch it when it doesn''t want you to and it''ll...''
A panting Elisa appeared behind the tree on which Krista was sleeping.
With her back against the tree''s trunk and out of the white-scaled Monster''s field of vision,
''What the hell was that??'' Elisa asked herself with a hand on the right side of her neck.
With a gentle touch, he had pushed the ashen hair hiding her skin away.
''What the hell was that?'' She crouched and hid her blushing face with her hands.
The next second,
Kekekekek-
With an annoyed expression on her face, Elisa raised her gaze.
"Yeah, yeah. Laugh all you want." She whispered.
The snickering Moonlit Feline was panting for air. Krista seemed to think that staying awake to watch this scene was more than worth it.
"HaHaHa." Elisa mocked as she stuck her tongue out.
It took less than a second for her to quietly climb up the tree and join Krista''s side.
The Moonlit Feline was startled, but just like its Master, it did its best to hide that.
"Has he..." Elisa pointed at the white-scaled Monster thaty on the ground a dozen steps away. "Always looked like that?"
The Moonlit Feline started at its sleeping Master for a bit.
Krista didn''t know what answer to give.
The answer she wanted to give, or the one her Master would have wanted her to give?
It was obvious that the two weren''t the same.
After all, were both answers the same, he would have told Elisa already.
A bit of quiet deliberationter, Krista decided on the answer she was going to give.
The Moonlit Feline selfishly and foolishly shook its head.
"So when you met him, he looked different?"
Krista nodded.
"Huh..."
Elisa took a seat on the branch, pressed her lips together, and...
"This would be a lot easier if he looked differently-"
She shook her head.
''Pure thoughts. Pure thoughts only...''
Chapter 267 Your Words, Not Mine
Chapter 267 Your Words, Not Mine
''She''s quiet. Didn''t talk at all...'' Mark thought as he stretched his back. ''Did she sleep on the branches with Krista?''
It was still dark, but dawn was approaching.
"Ready to get going?" The white-scaled Monster asked.
Elisa hopped off the branch she was seated on and nodded silently.
She started walking.
Mark scratched his head.
''At least she trusted me enough not to sh my hand. She definitely has the speed for that... Still, now that I think about it,'' An image of the night before popped into his mind. ''Why did I do that for? In the first ce, it wasn''t that big a deal. It''s not like I tried to...'' Mark shook his head. ''Anyways, we''re on our way. I''ll give her space if that''s what she wants. Though I do think I give her plenty of that...''
The white-scaled Monster''s mind kept racing as he followed Elisa who took the lead and walked in front.
A Moonlit Feline ran by his side, caught up to Elisa, and jumped into her arms.
"What?" Her eyes narrowed. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Krista raised and lowered her eyebrows repeatedly.
The Princess suddenly and dismissively opened her arms, letting the Moonlit Feline fall to the ground.
Thetter, feeling obstinate, kept walking by Elisa''s side while keeping the same facial expression.
"You can be real annoying sometimes, you know that?"
''I wonder if all Monsters have trust issues...'' Mark wondered as he stared at the two walking side by side.
...
Hours of walking and fighting what stood in their way passed, and it was night again.
''We''ll probably arrive at the border in two days. Maybe three. Wonder what that will look like. Mm... Still, what''s really upying my mind is the fact that...''
Mark took a seat under a tree and let his back rest against its trunk.
''She didn''t speak all day. Well, she practically didn''t.''
He moved his gaze to his left, towards her, and found her staring at him.
Mark maintained that gaze for a bit before looking away.
Elisa was, once again, seated on a tree''s branch, away from the ground where he was.
''The border... The border...'' The white-scaled Monster tried thinking about something else but, ''She''s really staring hard. Usually she just... She just...'' Mark scratched his cheek. ''She doesn''t usually look at me much. I guess that makes sense with the way I look.'' He chuckled. ''Even when we''re talking, she would only look for a bit before looking at the ground or just... Looking away.''
Badump- Badump- Badump-
''Ugh...''
Once more, Mark became suddenly aware of his heart beating.
''Why is she looking now then? Tsk. It''s making me-''
"Those dark wings..."
"Mm?" Mark turned his gaze towards her.
Her face winced slightly as he turned, but Elisa took back control of her facial expression before he could notice.
"Where did they go?"
"Where? I just... They''re just... Temporarily gone, I guess?"
"So you can... Make them sprout again?"
"I think so."
"You think?"
"More like..." Mark looked away, unwilling to maintain eye contact for too long. "I feel like I can."
"So you can just... Make things sprout? Feel like you can make something else sprout?"
"Huh?" He turned back towards her, a puzzled expression on his face.
Mark was confused by the question.
After all, there was something he wanted to make sprout. Too bad his Titles didn''t agree.
"I-" Her eyelids suddenly rose, and Elisa finally looked away. "Nevermind. That''s not what I meant."
"What''s that?"
"Shut up."
Mark chuckled. She didn''t.
He stared at her for a bit before lowering his gaze towards his palms without having a real reason for doing so.
"Now that I think about it, I did the same with the... Spider legs? Yeah, let''s call them that."
"Spider legs?" She turned back towards him. "I don''t think I''ve seen those."
"Oh, yeah." He pushed himself off the tree. "They''re pretty useful. Let me show-"
"No thanks." Elisa answered coldly. "Sounds gross."
Mark let his back fall back against the tree trunk.
"I guess it is."
"Why do you do it then? If you think it''s gross too?"
Mark raised an eyebrow.
"I was just agreeing." He clicked his tongue. "I don''t actually think it''s that gross."
"Oh, really? Then how gross do you think it is?"
Mark felt both disbelief and confusion, though his facial muscles couldn''t trante those feelings properly.
"Mm?" Elisa''s tone seemed to demand an answer.
The white-scaled Monster felt a drop of anger.
"I know we''ve grown close and all, but I''m not about to ept getting lectured by you."
"Why not?"
Mark sighed as he brought a hand to his tired eyes.
"Because I''ll do what I want."
Elisa hopped off the branch and, before Mark could even move his hand away from his eyes or notice her,
"What about what I want?"
The white-scaled Monster opened its eyes, and there she was.
Closer than ever.
Her knees were on the ground and on either side of his legs.
With her hands on his shoulders,
"What about what I want, Mark?" Elisa repeated as she stared into the Monster''s eyes.
She was closer than ever, yet he didn''t shiver or flinch.
"What do you want?" He asked as he stared.
"You''re..." Elisa looked down for a second as she ced a lock of hair back behind her ear. "You''re all I have, Mark." She continued and her gaze went back to him. "I spent... So much time alone. So much time that I could have gone crazy. I might have, if you hadn''t found me..." Mark suddenly felt as if a hand had grasped his beating heart. "You saved me, Mark. I couldn''t have... Made it out, or survived, or even..." Elisa let out a chuckle as she hid her face with a hand. "At the worst point of my life, you came and... You made meugh. And you made me smile." A tear went gently went down her face and the Monster, somewhat instinctively, wiped that tear away with a finger. "Despite... Everything that I had gone through. And god knows I wanted to smile. I wanted to smile. Desperately. You even..." She chuckled again before cing her hand back on Mark''s shoulder, revealing a smile and teary eyes. "Made me y tag with Krista and the others. Ridiculous. How ridiculous was that? So ridiculous but..." She let her shoulders drop. "I really needed that. And I never thanked you for it."
At a loss for words, the Monster didn''t interrupt.
"I saw them, Mark. My people. I saw them, their suffering, the effect that the Corruption had on them." The Monster felt the pressure around his beating heart increase. "For who knows how long, I saw them change, slowly but surely, they changed. Until I couldn''t recognize them. Until they couldn''t recognize me."
Mark wanted to look away.
But the instant his head moved to the side, Elisa took hold of his chin and didn''t allow him to look away.
"How much can you change? Why do you do it? How... How can I trust you if, from one day to the next, you''repletely different? What if I wake up tomorrow and find a Monster with red scaled instead of white? What if I find a Monster with a white pelt instead of white scales? How can I... How can I trust that? How can I trust you? Really trust you? If you can... Change that easily?"
Mark''s lips parted, but an answer, he couldn''t find easily.
"How will I know, if it''s you or another?"
"I''ll call your name."
Elisa pressed her lips together and curled up the hands thaty on his shoulders.
"Is that supposed to be a smartass'' answer?"
"What are you asking me, Elisa?"
"I''m asking... If you''re willing not to change."
"Not to change...?" Mark muttered as he thought for a bit. "I am sorry but," He looked away. "I''m not willing to do that."
Despite the refusal, Elisa smiled.
"How about changing?"
His eyebrow twitched at the question.
"Why are you asking?"
"Because..." Elisa moved her pressed lips around, looking for the right words. "You saved me and... I want to express..." Her gaze ran away from his. "My gratitude. My... Feelings, I guess? But don''t get the wrong idea, it''s mostly gratitude. It''s just... Hard when-"
"When I look like this?"
"Right."
Mark looked away for a moment.
"I-"
"How about..." Elisa interrupted, guessing the answer he was about to give. "How about these horns? You don''t really need them, do you?"
"My horns...?" Mark brought a hand to those horns. It was true, they were rarely useful. Still, he felt something. Something inside of him was against losing them.
"Yes..."
"If I looked differently, this would have been a lot easier, huh?"
The question caught her off guard, and she couldn''t hide it.
The blushing Princess scratched her head and looked away.
"Your words, not mine."
Chapter 268 I Can Allow Myself, Right?
Chapter 268 I Can Allow Myself, Right?
"If I looked differently, this would have been a lot easier, huh?"
The question caught Elisa off guard, and she couldn''t hide it.
The blushing Princess scratched her head and looked away.
"Your words, not mine."
"Mm." Mark nodded.
"So? How about it? Huh?"
The white-scaled Monster''s gaze ran away, but hers followed persistently.
"Fine, I guess."
With a touch, the horns seemed to start aging incredibly rapidly. They turned to dust, and disappeared.
Elisa''s eyes glittered.
"Happy?"
She pushed herself off Mark.
"Well, it''s a start," Elisa said as she stood up. "You don''t like a Devil anymore. Just a Monster, so yes... It''s a start."
The white-scaled Monster rolled its eyes.
Elisa circled around him and took a seat on the opposite side of the tree trunk.
"So how does it work anyways?"
"How does what work?"
"The... Thing you do."
"The thing?"
"Yes. The thing. You can change... Grow wings, make them disappear, just your arm, all that. How does it work?"
"I''m not too sure myself."
"Does it use Mana?"
"No. That''s probably the only reason it caught that Commander off guard."
"Mm." Elisa nodded. "Then Endurance Points?"
"I didn''t notice it doing so."
"Then?"
"Then... What?"
"Well, what does it use?"
"What does it use... The stuff I''ve eaten, I guess."
"Mm. That makes sense... In a way. Should be the effect of a Title, right?"
"It is. Any reason why you assumed it was?"
"The effects of Titles don''t use up Mana or Endurance. Like Aura. You saw it yourself. That Commander''s." Elisa said before yawning.
"The manifestation of Status... Right?" Mark muttered.
"Yes. That''s a good way of thinking about it." Elisa slowly crawled to the side. "There is something that bothers me though."
"What is..." She suddenly let her head fall on his shoulder. "It?" Mark continued staring ahead.
"You were inside that Commander''s Aura, but you could still move."
that, but Krista also stood up at some point."
"And? You could move too."
"Yeah, so?"
"Howe? You should have quite a bit of Status to do it. Not only that, but Krista also stood up at some point."
"And? You could move too."
"Well, I am an Elven Princess. That''s Status right there."
"unting the fact that you''re Royalty?"
"Sure am. Status is one of the most important things in the world. You know that, right?" Elisa asked as she stared at his face.
Mark sighed.
"I guess. I don''t see why it should have an impact on how fights go."
''He''s not as ugly from this angle... It''s the fangs, definitely.'' Elisa thought silently. ''And the... The dark lines that go down his eyes. Corruption, huh? First time I''ve seen something like that. Even... That white-haired fucker didn''t have traces of Corruption on his body. Tsk. It''s the reason why he fooled us in the first ce, I bet.''
"Right." Elisa said as she raised her head off his shoulder and circled back around the tree. "Well... Actually not right. Being King confers power. Just because you''re not inside your Kingdom or that you''re alone doesn''t mean you should lose that power."
"That''s a strange concept."
"Why were you inside that Dungeon?" Elisa asked suddenly.
"Because they put me in there."
"Why?"
"I wasn''t told."
"Why do you think?"
"I''d rather not say."
"What''s your rtionship with them?"
"I''d rather not say."
"What about with Raven?"
"It''s as you''ve seen. He took away my Underlings. That''s all there is to it."
"What about that white-haired... Guy?"
"Not fucker?"
"Well, I have to act like a Princess from time to time."
"Oh, do you now?"
"Of course. If I want to remain worthy of my Title."
Mark sighed and raised his gaze to the sky after reading the floating words in front of him.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
''I know...''
"Alright. That was a good talk." Elisa let her body fall to the side. "Good night."
"Yeah. Good night..."
Mark remained seated against the tree trunk for a while.
Staring at the sky, and feeling somewhat defeated.
A yawning Moonlit Feline walked towards him.
He held Krista in his hands and raised her so as to be at eye level with him.
"What do you think? No horns, better or...?" Mark whispered as he slouched.
The Moonlit Feline could barely keep its sleepy eyes open.
Still, despite its eyes closing, it did its best to keep its eyebrows moving.
''What''s that supposed to mean?'' Mark asked himself as he lowered Krista onto his stomach.
The Moonlit Feline curled itself up, yawned, and lowered its head to sleepfortably as its Master caressed its fur.
''Mm...''
No horns.
Not a big deal, right?
They weren''t useful that often.
If anything, they had only been used once or twice.
No horns.
Not a problem.
''I can make them grow back too, so...''
No horns.
No horns...
''I''ve never had a problem with adding stuff. Might be the first time I''ve taken something off though. No... I did take away my wings. Can grow them back too, so it''s not an issue.''
Not an issue...
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
''Yeah, I know. But taking away stuff is also part of Evolution, isn''t it?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods hesitantly.]
''Yeah. Taking stuff away is also Evolution. But...''
Mark turned around slightly.
She was there, with her back turned to him.
Her ashen hair.
Gorgeous, she was.
''I didn''t do it... With Evolution in mind.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
''But it does open up the possibility for... Something else, right?''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" shrugs.]
''You don''t agree?''
[Your Title "Devourer" agrees.]
''That''s surprising.''
[Your Title "Devourer" chuckles.]
''Huh.''
Mark scratched his head and lowered his gaze to the sleeping Moonlit Feline on his stomach.
You''ve mellowed out-
''I guess I really did... I still love fighting and Devouring. Obviously. More than anything really. It''s just...'' He turned around and stared at her for a bit. ''I wonder how other things would... You know?''
[Your Title "Devourer" nods enthusiastically.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" shrugs.]
''This is fine, right?'' Mark asked himself as he stared at Elisa. ''I can do this. I can do this... Even though I am a Monster. I can allow myself to... Right?''
Right?
Chapter 269 Back-To-Back
Chapter 269 Back-To-Back
''This is fine, right?'' Mark asked himself as he stared at Elisa. ''I can do this. I can do this... Even though I am a Monster. I can allow myself to... Right?''
The white-scaled Monster turned back around, stared ahead for a bit, raised the Moonlit Feline off his stomach, and let his body fall to the side and onto the ground.
''Things were easier when there was just fighting and Evolving on my mind.''
Mark sighed and,
Tap-
Tap-
''Feels like I''m petting a snake or something. Duh. Of course, it would. Due to the scales and all. Still, so weird...'' Elisa thought to herself as her hand moved up and down Mark''s skull.
"Uh, do you mind?"
"Not at all." She whispered, and her hand continued moving upon and down his skull. "So your body is... Made by you."
Mark winced every time her hand moved.
He didn''t dislike it though. Just wasn''t used to it.
"You could say that."
"Isn''t that weird?"
"No, it''s great. I get to control my body however I want. Only reason I made it out of the Dungeon. Only reason I made it till here really."
"Yes but... I don''t know. Your body is supposed to be... Something you''re born with. Something you can''t really change."
"Says who?"
"Uh... The world?"
"Seems like the world disagrees." Mark said as he tapped the spot on his skull where the horns used to be.
"Seems like it. Mmm... Pretty corrupt, if you ask me."
"I didn''t ask." Elisa tapped his skull, which made his eyebrow twitch. "Think it has to do with Corruption?"
"Of course it does." Her tone made it clear that she thought she was answering the simplest question ever posed.
"I could... Do this way before I could use Corruption Magic."
"So?"
"So it''s all circumstantial."
"Wow. Big word from the Monster." Elisa whispered as she chuckled.
"If I hadn''t... Devoured certain things, or made certain choices, I wouldn''t look this way. And I wouldn''t be able to use Corruption Magic."
"You really think that?"
"Of course. Why wouldn''t I?"
"I don''t know. I''m just... Talking."
"Seems like you think differently."
"I do."
"Feel free to share."
"Well..." Elisa pulled her hand off his head, pushed herself up, and sat with her legs to the side. "Corruption Magic is the one you can "Define use best."
use best, right?"
"Define use best."
"You''re obviously just trying to argue the contrary." She sighed, before continuing. "It''s the one you can use... The most freely."
"Just as freely as I can use Fire Magic." Mark remained lying on his side.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Don''t you use a different Skill before Manipting the Fire? The Fire produced by that Skill?"
Mark clicked his tongue.
"Yeah, but that doesn''t mean-"
"Corruption Magic is probably the Magic Type with which you have the highest Affinity."
The white-scaled Monster did try to argue the contrary. It really couldn''t find a good way to counter though.
"Maybe."
"So it''s more like once you were able to actually use Magic properly, you developed Corruption Magic."
"No, it''s not."
"They say Magic Affinity has more to do with the Soul than the Body. Now... You are kind of an exception to that but... Okay. Are there Magic Types that you can use more freely than others?"
"Yeah. Fire and... Corruption Magic."
"There you go. Any you can''t use? Or... That you can barely use?"
"Yeah. Water Magic and... I guess Wind Magic too."
"Wow."
"What?"
"We''re total opposites then. I also thought I could learn Water Magic."
"Mm. Why didn''t you then?"
Elisa scratched her head for a bit as she pressed her lips together.
"Never got around to it, I guess."
"Cause there was so much to do, right?" The sarcastic tone did make one of Elisa''s eyebrows rise.
"Right." She let her body fall back to the ground. "After being trapped in a Dungeon with my people, I should''ve taken the time to learn Water Magic."
Mark could tell that she had turned back around to face the other way.
"I was trapped in a Dungeon and I still took the time to learn stuff."
"You''re lucky I don''t get angry easily."
The white-scaled Monster scratched its head.
"And I''m d you don''t."
"You should be."
"I am."
"Good."
Mark couldn''t help but let out a chuckle, and so did she.
"So I''m trying to have a conversation that could help you and you just want to... I don''t know what you want."
"It does help."
Elisa smirked as she stared at the tree ahead.
"So you admit that you need a teacher."
"I admit that I need information sometimes."
"So I am your teacher."
"I wouldn''t go that far."
"I don''t see a reason why you wouldn''t go that far. An Elven Princess is teaching you things. You should be grateful.
"A capricious Princess."
"A Princess nheless."
-That''s what you say- is what Mark wanted to say sarcastically, but didn''t.
"It does help, thanks." He said seriously.
Elisa remained silent for a bit.
"Sooo..." She stretched her arms forward. "Can you grow arms?"
"I... Haven''t tried doing that."
"A third eye?"
"Haven''t... Tried that either."
"Your face looks scary, you know?"
Mark rolled his eyes.
''Of course, that''s where she''s going...''
"I know."
"And... You made it this way?"
"I did."
"Why?"
"I''d rather not talk about-"
"I want to talk about it."
"Good night."
"No, not good night."
"You''re being capricious again, Princess."
"And that''s my right, as a Princess."
Mark winced.
"I..." Elisa sighed. "I just want to talk is all."
The white-scaled Monster remained silent for a bit.
"My face does look scary."
"So you agree."
"Of course I do."
"And you can change it."
"I can."
"So why don''t you?"
"Because..." Mark''s gaze went to the ground. He stared silently for a bit, at a loss for words. "I''m a Monster. My face has to look scary. That''s the whole point."
Elisa suddenly turned around, and, with a perplexed expression on her face, she stared at the Monster''s back.
"Is that what you think?"
"It is."
A secondter,
"I told you already, I''ve had bad experiences with women creeping up on me." Mark muttered as Elisa stared at him from above.
On her hands and knees, she extended her neck forward to get a good look at his face.
I''m a Monster-
It has to look scary-
That''s the whole point-
And for a second, he didn''t seem scary at all.
"You''re just deciding to be ugly for no reason." Elisa teased with a smile.
"And that''s my right, as a Monster."
Chapter 270 Changing Myself, II
Chapter 270 Changing Myself, II
"Suuure. Because Monsters have rights?"
"I have rights."
"But not the others?"
"Obviously not." Mark answered with his back to her. His hand stroked the curled-up Moonlit Feline''s fur.
"Bfahaha! How convenient for you." Elisa whispered as she stared at the side of his face.
Stareee-
Mark''s eyes narrowed despite his trying to keep them from doing so.
A hand was gently ced on his shoulder.
"The scales... You wanted them, huh?"
"I did."
"Did you choose them? Like... Which scales you wanted exactly?"
"Yeah." Mark''s tone didn''t hide his slight annoyance.
"Why white scales then?"
"That..." He stared at Krista for a bit. "Wasn''t me."
"Your Titles?"
"Mm... You could say that."
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is appalled!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" refuses to take the me!]
[Your Title "Devourer" chuckles.]
Pull-
Her hand slid all the way from his right shoulder to his wrist.
Elisa bent Mark''s elbow and stared at his hand. The motion did remind him of his fight against the Commander.
She stared curiously while turning his hand around.
"You should cut your nails."
"They''re not nails, they''re ws."
"What''s the difference?"
"They''re ws." Mark repeated, not too sure what the answer to the question was.
"I can make my nails sharp. Doesn''t make them ws."
The white-scaled Monster remained silent for a second as Elisa continued to stare at its hand.
Suddenly, Mark extended his ws which did startle her.
"That''s the difference between ws and nails."
"Very funny." Elisa said dryly as she let go of his hand. "What about the dark-"
A Moonlit Feline''s silently climbed on Mark''s body before jumping towards Elisa.
Even though Krista''s eyes were only half-open, the soothing strokes had stopped, and she was determined to fight for her Master''s attention.
The battle didn''tst long though. Needless to say, the Moonlit Feline''s sleepiness won.
"She sure needs a lot of sleep."
"That''s normal for cats, isn''t it?"
''Cats. Krista should be described as a Moonlit Feline by the System...'' Elisa noted to herself. ''Which means that he knows things. Things from outside the Dungeon? Pride and Sloth... They both wanted me, but they both wouldn''t have minded killing him. What could it be...?'' She asked herself with sparkling eyes, while her hands caressed the asleep on her legs Moonlit Feline. ''I''m so curious-'' Elisa cleared her throat and shook her head internally. ''Can''t get too curious. Can''t get too curious. We''re talking about Demon Lords here.'' She let her shoulders drop after a bit. ''And both Demon Lords are after him...?'' Elisa let out a sigh. I guess it makes more sense now. Especially after you were able to take that Eye from the Commander. That''s what they''re after...''
"You''re trouble, Mark."
"What does that have to do with cats sleeping a lot?"
"Everything." Elisa answered as she chuckled.
"Huh..." Mark readjusted his position. He remained on his side and with his back towards her. He stared at the ground for a bit. "Let''s sleep. We still have a long way to go."
"Mm." Elsa nodded, but she didn''t really want to sleep.
The white-scaled Monster yawned.
"And since I am trouble, let''s get you to the Elven Forest as fast as possible."
"In a rush to get rid of me?"
"Aren''t you in a rush to get there?"
"I am."
"Then?"
"Then... Nothing. Good night." Elisay on her ground once more, with her back turned to him.
Mark sighed internally before closing his eyes.
"Say..." His eyebrow twitched. He wasn''t really sleepy, but catering to her every whim and thought was a bit much. "What are you doing once we get there?"
This, wasn''t something Mark wanted to discuss. Especially not with her.
"I''ll need time after that... Before I can go take my Underlings back."
"So you''re not giving up on them."
"Of course not."
"That''s good."
Mark winced internally.
But of course she would think so. A Monster not giving up on those on his side.
Appearing righteous is rather easy when you look this scary and ugly, isn''t it?
"What about after that? After you took them back?"
Continue fighting, Devouring, and Evolving?
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
Rise in the world as a Probably Demon King Candidate?
The two options presented came to his mind quickly.
Of course, there was no reason to think that the two couldn''t coincide.
''It is as Demon King after all...''
Mark thought silently for a bit.
"I didn''t... Think that far yet."
"So you don''t know."
"I guess."
"What uh..." Elisa fiddled with a lock of hair with her lips pressed together. "What about staying then?"
A slight frown appeared on the white-scaled Monster''s face.
"Staying?"
"Yes... I mean if... If you don''t have anywhere to go from there, maybe..."
"Ha!" Mark chuckled. "That''s funny."
He hadn''t expected the short silence that followed.
"What''s funny?" She asked with a tone serious, but not cold.
"Ha. You want me to stay in the Elven Forest? Really? Hahaha!"
One thought of it as a joke, while the other was serious.
In a way, it was an invitation, wasn''t it?
And for an invitation to beughed at this way...
Still, Elisa didn''t take offense.
"If you have nowhere else to go then... Yes, why not?"
"Wait..." The white-scaled Monster turned around, somewhat I''m a Monster-
That''s the whole point-
"If you have nowhere else to go then... Yes, why not?"
"Wait..." The white-scaled Monster turned around, somewhat shocked. He stared at her back. "You''re serious?"
"Sure am."
"I can''t do that."
"Yes, you can. I am Royalty there."
"So what? It still wouldn''t-"
"You saved their Princess. And more times than one."
"That still wouldn''t-"
"It would." Elisa turned around and stared into his eyes. "You could."
With a stupefied expression on its face, the white-scaled Monster lowered its gaze, deep in thought, before raising it towards her once more.
Mark''s lips parted and, before he could utter a word,
"Pretty huge favor I would be doing you though."
"Why... Would you do me such a favor?"
Elisa didn''t need to think for more than a second to find a suitable answer.
Making full use of the half-asleep Moonlit Feline stumbling towards its Master, Elisa slowly moved her gaze towards Krista.
"I found a lost dog in the wilderness. A lost dog with no ce to go. Only right that I would provide it shelter, don''t you think?"
Mark, who had followed her gaze, clicked his tongue internally.
"That''s what I am? A lost dog? Mm. Now that I think about it, you did call me a Guard Dog-"
"Don''t change the subject, Mark. I''m serious."
"No, you''re not. You have no idea how it''ll turn out."
"So what? Doesn''t mean it can''t be an option."
"Oh, really? Their vige was destroyed by someone who could use Corruption Magic, and now with your body still holding traces of Corruption, you want to bring a Monster in? Sounds like... Some kind of... Mind Control or something."
"Mmm... I guess it could look that way."
"That''s the only way it can look. It''s-"
"Still, I''m d." Elisa interrupted. "I''m d that that''s what you''re focusing on."
Mark looked away.
"It has to be an option before I can think about it."
"Why don''t you think about it and then make it an option? How does it sound? Living in the Elven Forest?"
"I don''t know anything about that ce." Mark, wanting to lighten to mood, continued. "Plus, I would totally look out of ce there. Can you imagine it? Me, in the middle of the other Elves? Ha!" He chuckled, but she didn''tugh.
"Out of ce?"
"Yeah. I mean... Look at me. It wouldn''t-"
"But it doesn''t have to be that way, does it?" Mark''s eyebrow twitched. Elisa turned back around and stared at the ground to her side for a bit. "You don''t have to... Look... Out of ce." With an index finger, she scratched the ground for a bit. "Anyways, it was just a thought. We can talk about it tomorrow, okay? Good night."
It took a lot longer for Mark to fall asleep than it did for Elisa.
In a world where he didn''t know anyone and didn''t know anything, perhaps this was also his best bet at getting his Underlings back. Surely, Elisa wasn''t the only one who wanted revenge, right? What if they could rally all of the Dark Elves? Surely, that would be enough to take down Raven, the Vampire Lord and Descendant Of Drac?
Mark''s thoughts kept racing for a while.
Meanwhile, Elisa slept peacefully.
I''m a Monster-
It has to look scary-
That''s the whole point-
''I see how it is now. For a Monster... For you, ugliness isn''t something you like. It''s not something you love. You don''t... Find it beautiful, in a way. Yes. Ugliness for you... For Monsters... Is a weapon. And if you see it as a weapon, not as something you value, then I can ept it. Yes... Knowing that... Makes it easier to look at you, despite the ugliness.''
Elisa.
A ce where he could belong.
A ce away from Raven, Gaavah, and their ns for him.
That wouldn''t be such a bad deal.
In the first ce, Dark Elves were ced inside the Dungeon for him to turn into one, right?
Then, why was such a feeling of dread upying his heart and stomach?
The same way he felt after getting rid of his horns.
Why did he feel that way?
''Could I do that...? If that''s what she wants too, then...''
The white-scaled Monster''s thoughts continued for a while.
It fell asleep after some time, but couldn''t find a suitable answer.
Mark starting to learn, or rather feel, the difference.
The difference between Changing and Changing for another.
Chapter 271 Them And Us
271 Them And Us
The white-scaled Monster extended its arms forward and brought its palms closer until its fingers kissed.
A beam of condensed Fire was shot at the gigantic enemy.
''When... I didn''t even notice it appear!!''
The attack came into contact with the enemy''s body and,
''Nothing??''
Upon touching it, the beam of Condensed Fire seemed to get nullified. Swallowed.
Erased.
The gigantic mass of darkness stared the white-scaled Monster down without moving.
It raised a hand, and the Monster started running to the side while keeping an eye on it.
"What the hell is that thing? When did this-''
The white-scaled Monster''s eyes widened as it noticed.
''That thing is...!''
A blob of the dark liquid that the Monster had grown used to seeing.
It suddenly grew in size, but the white-scaled Monster wasn''t sure whether it had grown or simply gotten much closer.
''If Fire Magic won''t work, let''s try this!''
The white-scaled Monster extended its right arm upwards and three Ice Spikes appeared above it.
At the same time, a portion of the dark blob seemed to rise above too.
''An arm?''
The darkness solidified, and turned into an incredibly long and sharp de. There was no doubt in the white-scaled Monster''s mind that the de could reach him.
The de was lowered and,
''I''ll shoot the Ice Spikes, dodge, then get closer...!''
The Monster''s arm refused to move.
''What is-''
But there was no time. To think, as the gigantic de was approaching.
The Monster''s right eye shone green as it turned toward its unmoving arm.
It couldn''t see it, whatever was keeping that arm from moving.
The Ice Spikes flew towards the blob of darkness nevertheless.
Moving one''s arms when using Maniption does help a lot, but it isn''t necessary.
Only once the Ice Spikes were shot, did the white-scaled Monster''s arm fall back to its side.
Limp and lifeless, its arm hung as it ran to avoid the descending de.
The white-scaled Monster ran as fast as it could before ncing above.
''...!''
It had run as fast as it could. It should be out of the attack''s range. And yet...
The Monster felt cold sweat go down its back.
No matter how much it ran, that dark de was there.
The closer it got to the ground, the more space it seemed to take up.
A dark de sorge it couldn''t be dodged.
A dark de that would follow until-
Lacking the speed to run further, the de was about toe into contact with its body.
The white-scaled Monster raised its arms to protect itself, but only one armplied with the demand.
Just as the de was about toe into contact with its body, the blob of darkness opened up, revealing-
"Wake up! Hey, wake up! Mark, wake up!"
The white-scaled Monster''s eyes opened, and the hands that had been pushing its body were pulled off.
As fast as his body would allow him to, Mark rose to his feet.
His right eye shone brightly as he scanned the surroundings.
"Did you sense something?" He asked.
"Ah? No... Not really." Elisa answered as she scratched her head.
"Then...? Why were you pushing me?"
"Mmm... Well, I woke up. So I woke you up."
"Huh?"
"Mm." She nodded.
"It''s still dark. Too dark. Wait... Are you serious? Waking me up for no reason?"
Elisa''s gaze ran away.
"I was bored."
"Then be bored alone." Mark said before lowering his body back onto the ground.
"Bet you''re not going to sleep anyways."
"Goodnight. Wake me up at dawn."
Mark closed his eyes, but Elisa ended up winning that bet.
"Ugh..." He groaned a couple of minutester.
"See? You were shaking in your sleep anyways. Wait... Do Monsters have nightmares? Or even dreams for that matter?"
"Where''s Krista?"
"Sleeping there." Elisa pointed at the curled-up Moonlit Feline behind her.
The white-scaled Monster rubbed its eyes for a bit.
"Don''t wake me up like that again."
"Okay." Elisa pressed her lips together. "But I called out to you, didn''t seem to do anything. Didn''t mean to scare you though. Sorry about that."
"It''s fine." Mark yawned.
"Get going?"
"Yeah. Krista."
The Moonlit Feline''s eyes opened slowly.
"Wow. That fast?"
The stumbling Krista walked towards her Master, climbed up his body, and took a seat on his shoulder.
The two walked silently for a bit while the Moonlit Feline was nodding off, leaning against the white-scaled Monster''s neck from time to time.
"Think we''ll make it to the border tomorrow?"
"Probably the day after. Except if we run."
"Mm." Elisa nodded. "Don''t feel like running."
To conserve their energy in case an enemy showed up on the way, they walked.
Mark scratched his neck.
We can talk about it tomorrow-
''Hope she won''t talk about it.'' The thought entered his mind multiple times.
She didn''t.
Before long, it was dawn.
Half a dozen Beasts stood in their way.
"The usual?" He asked.
"The usual." Elisa nodded.
It was a style of fighting both werefortable with.
Simply, it consisted of the white-scaled Monster doing whatever it wanted.
Mark focused on fighting alone, while Elisa focused on making her presence disappear.
Thetter part was rather easy. She had done so against a Commander after all, so doing it to the random Beasts that inhabited thend was no big deal.
There was no need to fight this way either against such enemies.
If anything, this made the fights longer unnecessarily.
Still, both thought it would be a good thing to better get used to it in case a tougher enemy stood in their wayter on.
Also, this allowed Elisa to take it easy while Mark dealt with most of the enemies. She didn''t dislike that part.
Meow-
Moonlit Feline''s fur as thetter purred.
21:29
''Seeing them like this... It is tough to let go.'' The white-scaled Monster thought as it stared, a dozen "That was good, wasn''t it? Faster than before. You could notice?" Elisa crouched and stroked the Moonlit Feline''s fur as thetter purred.
''Seeing them like this... It is tough to let go.'' The white-scaled Monster thought as it stared, a dozen steps away from the two. ''We have a long way left, so no need to think about it.''
Mark told himself that, but his mind seemed to disagree.
The fact that there was much of the way left meant that he could ponder the question for longer, and find the right answer.
''Could it... Stay this way? The three of us?''
The white-scaled Monster wasn''t sure why, but that question scared it.
Mark shook his head.
"What do you think he''s thinking about?" Elisa whispered.
She turned back towards the Moonlit Feline, and found it raising and lowering its eyebrows repeatedly.
"Ugh... Seriously?" Elisa gently pushed the Moonlit Feline''s head away.
Krista didn''t fight back.
She walked away for a bit, before lowering herself to the ground.
"You should try to be quicker on your feet."
"How do I do that?"
"I don''t know, just be quicker. It''s an instinct thing."
"You''re a terrible teacher."
"Okay, watch..."
The Moonlit Feline watched the two talk and argue.
Unexpectantly, something started welling up inside its stomach.
Krista was immediately reminded of the Forest Of Yarnha.
It was a strangebination of feelings.
She felt a certain way the first time she had seen Elisa.
She stood in her Master''s way that time.
And looking at the two, she couldn''t help but feel that she was right to have done so.
Krista let her head hand to the side.
She hadn''t protected her Master, but it, somehow, still felt like she had.
She was right to have stood in her Master''s way that time, right?
It wasn''t wrong, was it?
Even Levi said that he would stand in Master''s way if need be. So if the result is this,
"I don''t get it."
"Quicker. On. Your. Feet. You''re not making full use of your Agility!"
"But I don''t know how to do that!"
"Just do it! It''s not that hard!"
Then, despite disobeying, she was a good Underling, right?
But at the same time, Krista couldn''t be sure.
That feeling she got from Elisa, she did get from Yarnha too.
And yet, Yarnha turned out to be...
How to decide?
How to trust that feeling then?
How to know when Master is making a mistake and when he isn''t?
How to help him?
The Moonlit Feline''s eyes widened, as it watched the two argue.
Their facial expressions, the sounds they made, their tone, their movements.
Who can be trusted, and who can''t?
If Master isn''t sure, then I will help.
Develop that feeling.
Hone that instinct.
Find it.
Understand it.
The difference between Them and Us.
Chapter 272 Movement
272 Movement
The Moonlit Feline, with slit pupils, studied the scene.
"What the hell does quick on my feet even mean?"
"It means you go... BAM! Get it?" Elisa exined.
"No." The white-scaled Monster scratched its head. "I don''t get it."
''That''s supposed to be an exnation?'' Mark asked himself.
"What isn''t there to get?" Elisa positioned herself a couple of steps away from him. "Look closely this time, alright?"
The white-scaled Monster focused as much as it could on its vision.
Since Elisa wasn''t using Mana, the High Elven Pupil wasn''t necessary and so Mark''s right eye remained closed.
He waited.
Waited some more.
And just when,
"So what am I supposed to-"
"See?" Elisa already stood behind him.
"No," Mark straightened up. "I didn''t see."
She slowly let her back rest against his.
"Howe?"
"If it''s about waiting for when my focus breaks, then-"
"Tsk, tsk. That''s not it. Well, it was now but... Not generally." Elisa lightly pushed herself off his back. "It''s about initial movement." She turned around, and so did he.
"Initial movement?"
"Right. Want me to teach you?"
"Sure."
"That fast? Not going to try alone a bit longer?"
"No."
"Giving up?"
"You could say that."
"Huh. Where''s your pride? I expected you to want to try alone until you got it."
The white-scaled Monster shrugged.
"I guess I don''t mind asking for help from time to time."
"Mm!" Elisa nodded. "That''s good. Let the lesson begin then. Though... I have to tell you, you won''t be able to go as fast as me. But I guess that goes without saying, right?" She turned around and made her hair dance, waiting for an answer.
"Right." Mark answered as he sighed.
"Hahaa! Alright." She chuckled. "Mmm... How to teach this simply...?" Elisa wondered for a bit.
She snapped her fingers a couple of secondster.
"Let''s try this. See that tree?" Elisa asked as she pointed.
"Yeah."
"When I say ''go'', get to it fast as you can, alright?"
Mark''s gaze went from her to the tree in question and back repeatedly.
"Don''t want to do it?"
"I''ll do it."
"Alright. Three, two, one, WRONG!"
Mark, who had been preparing to run as fast as he could, was startled by the sudden shout.
"What''s wrong?"
"Your movement, it''s all wrong."
"What movement? I didn''t even move yet."
"Tsk, tsk. You really don''t get it?" Mark remained silent. "Alright, alright. Tsk. Can''t have fun at all."
"So are you going to help now?"
Elisa rolled her eyes.
"Kay..."
"Then? What''s wrong?"
"You take too long to start moving. You shift your center of gravity forward, bend your knees, and move one foot back slightly... Get it? Plus, it''s very... Mmm... I''m not sure how to describe it. Oh. Mechanical. That''s the word. Your movements are very mechanical."
"Mechanical?"
"Yes. You move well when ites to... Huh."
"You''re a horrible teacher."
"Shut it! As I was saying, your movements... Don''t flow. There''s no flow. It''s mechanical. What you do is pretty good, but the way you do it ispletely wrong."
"You mean I don''t know how to run?"
"Pfahaha! Something like that."
"Mm..." The white-scaled Monster raised its gaze to the sky above for a bit.
"Need time to think?"
"No..." Mark lowered his gaze back to her. "Teach me."
"Mmm..." Elisa scratched her head. "The best way to learn how to make your movements flow better is just... Trying to. So being aware of the w is already a step forward. Let''s go back to the race towards the tree, okay?" Mark nodded. "Three, two, one... Go!"
He crossed the distance but,
"You werete to start. I guess you expect me to stop you again. Your muscles tense up too much. And too often."
The white-scaled Monster thought for a bit, before it started taking repetitive small hops.
"Mm! That works. Get rid of the unnecessary tension. And once it feels right, take the downward momentum and shifted forward. Three, two, one... Go!"
Mark could tell that the ''Go'' was given at the perfect time to allow his feet to absorb and redirect the momentum.
"Huh. That was faster." He noted.
"It was. Now, let''s try this."
Mark walked back to the starting position, and Elisa walked towards him.
She stood slightly behind him.
"Make sure you''re ready."
Elisa remained with a hand slightly raised.
A breeze went through the numerous trees and,
Tap-
"Oho." Mark was surprised at how he got to the goal.
"See? You get pretty fast when you get hit, or when you don''t want to get hit. Slower when it''s your time to hit though."
"Mmm..."
"The mechanical part, you don''t have to worry about for now. That''ll get fixed with time."
"Why do you think that?"
"It just makes sense."
"It does?"
"Yeah. If you can change your body freely, then it''s normal that your movements would be... Unnatural? No, unnatural is going too far."
Mark scratched his head.
He couldn''t help but chuckle.
"I guess there was a time when my body couldn''t move this freely."
Both during his past life, and the beginning of this new one.
"Want to tell me about it?"
"Not really."
"The more I know, the easier it is for me to help."
"Yeah... Seems to me like you''re fishing for information."
"I am." Elisa admitted with a smile. "Anyways, as you can see, the initial movement is the problem. You take too long before you actually start moving."
"Mm... Is that the difference? The secret behind what you did?"
"Pfahahaha!" Elisaughed as she scratched her head. "Not exactly."
The white-scaled Monster rolled its eyes
''Oooof course.'' Mark thought.
"There are some things that can''t be taught. Well, not easily anyways."
"Then?"
"Then there''s only one thing to do." Elisa dered as she pointed at him. "Watch me, and learn!"
"I can do that but..." Mark looked away. "The way we''ve been fighting is more you watching me."
"Want to switch?"
"Mmm... No. I wouldn''t be able to do what you do."
"How humble, haha!"
"By the way, can you help?"
"Mm?"
"The... Knot is getting looser." Mark pointed at his right eye.
"Oh."
With a wide smile, Elisa walked closer.
"Sure."
She circled around him, and he lowered his body.
"Too tight."
"Kay..." Elisa adjusted the piece of cloth knotted around Mark''s right eye.
"Mm. That''s good."
''This eye is a pretty good weapon. I''m sure this piece of cloth started as a joke, but it''s better to keep it hidden. Even I went for the Commander''s eyes, so someone with more experience would definitely do the same...''
***
"General."
The Orcish Fiend Ani kneeled.
"Since you''re from the same tribe as him, I thought I would let you know."
"Let me know...?"
"Commander Lin has died..."
Immediately, the Orcish Fiend''s eyes widened. Her muscles tensed up as veins appeared all over her neck.
"Do with that what you will." The General added before walking away.
The Commander Ani took a deep breath in, and breathed out a steaming fog.
"Was it done by another Demon Lords'' General?" She asked, trying her best to calm herself.
Her General stopped without turning around.
"He was following the Lord''s orders. Intruders that had to be captured for some reason."
"For some reason?"
The General yawned. It was clear that he did not know, or simply did not care enough to try and find out.
Shrug-
"Then..." Ani pushed herself off the ground. "Can I take over that mission?"
"Want to avenge your fellow Commander?" The General asked as he turned around halfway.
"I want to fulfill the mission handed by our Demon Lord." Ani answered as she continued to stare at the ground.
The General let out a dry chuckle.
"Are you going there as a Commander... Or as an Orcish Fiend?"
"Us, Orcish Fiends, used to be simple Orcs. Thanks to our Lord''s blood, we''ve risen from Orcs to Fiends. As a female, I was destined to be weaker than the rest. Still, the Lord bestowed upon me his blood. The same was true for Lin, whocked the strength and stature topete with the other the other Fiends..."
"Aha."
"Despite that... We''ve never lost to the others from our tribe. Despite the fact... That we were both destined to be weak." Ani pressed her lips together. "The fact that someone killed him..." She clenched her fists to keep her frustration to herself, and the ground below cracked. "Before I could beat him. Even once..."
Ani raised her gaze, and finally met the General''s.
"I''ll be going as Ani..."
The cracks on the ground deepened and multiplied as deep greenish Aura covered her body.
"Orcish Fiend, and Commander of Sloth."
''How very not slothful, dear Ani...''
"Report to me when you''re back."
"Yes, General!"
The General started walking away.
He stopped after having taken a couple of steps.
''That''ll be the death of you, ignoring your Slothfulness.''
Ani turned around and started walking.
A Soldier kneeled in front of her
"Commander."
"Everyone ising. All the Soldiers below me. Make sure they''re all at our camp in an hour."
A drop of sweat nerveously went down the Soldier''s face.
''All of them?? And I''m supposed to find them all in less than an hour??''
"Get it done."
"Yes, Commander!"
Chapter 273 Rigid & Mechanical?
?
"Think about it long and hard, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah." Mark nodded.
He scratched his head.
''After all this time, I can''t believe that fact that I couldn''t... Move too much would be something that could be picked up on...''
"Mmm. Walk while you think?"
"Sure. Krista." Mark called out.
The two started walking, and the Moonlit Feline followed them.
"You need to be more explosive. More dynamic. Like BAM! Get it? Get it?"
"Uh..."
Krista stared with wide eyes as they argued and talked.
She loved watching them together. Watching them talk, smile, andugh.
Don''t stand in my way-
Move-
If Krista had moved out of the way as she had been ordered to, none of this would have happened, right?
It''s all thanks to her, right?
It''s thanks to her that Master isughing this way, isn''t it?
That thought only made the Moonlit Feline feel happier and more proud.
Krista couldn''t protect her Master the same way the others could. But this counts too, doesn''t it?
The Moonlit Feline was really proud of that.
Which made the feeling rising feel worse than it, perhaps, should have.
She had brought them together.
But now that they were standing side by side, that they were walking together in the front, that they walking towards...
Towards what?
Krista wasn''t sure, but fear did start rising within her.
The Moonlit Feline shook its head.
No, it wouldn''t happen. It won''t.
I am special after all.
I am!
That''s why Master chose me back in that ce, why he took me with him, why he took care of me even when I challenged him.
I can trust Master. And Master can trust me.
But what if...
The Moonlit Feline shook its head.
Master wouldn''t leave me.
But he did leave the others.
No. He didn''t leave them. They were taken away.
But he didn''t fight for them.
Still, he would have fought for me.
Master would fight for me.
He has done it multiple times already.
Master would fight for me.
Master wouldn''t leave me.
Master wouldn''t forget about me-
A floating bit of dirt fell onto the Moonlit Feline''s body.
It brought its head towards it.
Gotta keep that fur clean.
''If it''s eleration that I need then... Which Monster I Devoured had the highest rate of eleration? The Corrupted Dark Elves were the fastest, but it''s not Agility we''re talking about here. Mmm...'' Mark thought as he walked silently.
"Think long and hard-"
"Can you stop?"
"Fine." Elisa rolled her eyes.
''The higher up the Dungeon I got, the faster they got. But that''s just a difference in Stats, isn''t it? The Berserker had the greatest eleration, but that was during its final moments. From no motion to top speed. That''s what Elisa does. That''s...''
"Oh."
"Found something?"
Mark didn''t answer. Perhaps his mind hadn''t even registered the question.
''What the Seventh... No. Sixth Floor''s Guardian could do. Take a slow step, then elerate with insane speed. But it wasn''t just that. There definitely was a Skill used by the Guardian. That''s why it couldn''t move that fast continually. Aha. If I think about that Guardian, it bes a bit clearer. Flowing movements and eleration. Mechanical... Whose movements seemed mechanical inside the Dungeon?''
''Oh. Looks like it might actually lead somewhere. Hehehe!'' Elisa chuckled internally. ''Who knew I was such a good teacher!''
The white-scaled Monster rubbed its chin as it stared at the ground and walked.
''Mechanical... What does mechanical mean? Which ones looked mechanical? If the opposite of it is the Sixth Floor''s Guardian and the Dark Elves then... The Fourth Floor''s Guardian? That snake covered by stones, huh? Yeah, that works. But the epitome of Mechanical Movement has to be Golems, right? Golems... Slow? No, that''s not it. Awkward... And uncoordinated. So tense that losing their bnce is a death sentence for them. Golems... Anything else? Awkward and uncoordinated...''
"Huh."
"Mm?"
"That Guardian. The... Harpie?"
"Yes?" Elisa nodded.
"Its movements were... Mechanical, right?"
"Oh, yeah. Definitely. But that''s to be expected. Since it was made by mashing together a bunch of different Beings that had nothing to do with one another, you know? That''s why there was no synergy, no... Ah." Elisa suddenly looked away. "Sorry."
"For what? That made perfect sense. Synergy. Yeah, its movements were... Rigid? That''s what you mean, right?"
"Mm." Elisa nodded as she pressed her lips together. "Rigid, yes. That works..."
''Synergy, huh? That''s something I should think about too. Synergy...''
Elisa peeked at him repeatedly while trying her best not to get caught.
She sighed internally.
That''s to be expected-
Since it was made by mashing together a bunch of different Beings that had nothing to do with one another-
''Thought he would get mad by thinking was trying topare the two. d he didn''t think that. Or maybe he just doesn''t care...?''
Elisa simply shrugged it off.
''Rigid... That''s certainly how it was in the past.'' Mark thought. ''Couldn''t move my body, as if my muscles had turned into rocks at some point. Truly like a Golem, haha!'' He couldn''t keep the chuckle internal. ''Make better use of my Agility. Somehow, I feel like this should make me mad or something. But it''s theplete opposite.'' Mark noticed his right hand shiver. ''It feels so good... Being told that I am weak this way.''
It didn''t take long for the shivering to get stronger and spread to the rest of the white-scaled Monster''s body.
''Ew... What the hell did I do?'' Elisa asked herself. Mark wasn''t doing a good job hiding his shivering and excitement. Well, he really wasn''t trying to hide it anyways. He was too busy being excited over the possibilities in front of him.
"Mechanical... Rigid... eleration... Full use of my Agility..." The white-scaled Monster muttered. "You..."
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
"You''re the best."
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" smiles widely!]
[Your Title "Devourer" scoffs.]
"That''s right, the two of you..."
Elisa looked away as the white-scaled Monster''s whispering continued.
She did her best not to eavesdrop.
Chapter 274 A Discussion With The World?
?
"Ha... Hahaha!" The white-scaled Monster''s chuckling turned into all-outughter.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" looks at you with shining eyes!]
[Your Title "Devourer" scoffs at your foolishness.]
''I can''t move my body. I haven''t grown used to moving it perfectly, even though it feels like I did. I can''t move it... The way I want.''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods enthusiastically.]
''That''s my Skills Evolved that way. Advanced Kic Vision, was it? That extra time... Allowed me to connect better with my body. My eyes... And that was you, wasn''t it? That''s the reason why it Evolved into this, and not something else, right? You''re amazing!''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" looks away.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" feels slightly embarrassed by the praise.]
''Amazing... I didn''t know it but... That was exactly what I needed. Well, it was also to keep up with that thing''s speed but... Amazing!''
[Your Title "Devourer" is embarrassed by the bootlicking.]
"Oh, shut up." Mark muttered as he chuckled.
''Would you look at that, he''s having so much fun alone...'' Elisa thought to herself as she looked away.
The white-scaled Monster bent its elbows and stared at its hands as it closed and opened them repeatedly.
''I know how I want my body to move, but it doesn''t quite match the image I have in my mind. Mmm... I wonder if that''s normal. Ha. Reminds me of that time on the Ninth Floor when I was supposed to jump across ake. That sure takes me back...'' Mark scratched his nape. ''I didn''t have a good grasp on how far I could jump, or how... That has to be Linked with the rigid nature of my movement somehow, right? Mmm...''
He stared at his hand for a bit.
''When ites to eleration... Sudden eleration, Insect Monsters win. No doubt about that. Like that... Beetle? Yeah, it was a Beetle. The first Insect Monster I encountered on the Sixth Floor. Insect Monsters, huh? With the number of them that I Devoured, I''m sure I could Evolve into a pretty strong version of them. Spiders and Ants are what I Devoured mostly. Problem is...''
UGHH-
A HUGE BUG-
SQUISH IT-
KRISTA, A GIANT SPIDER, FIGHT IT-
Mark could already picture the scene.
Seeing that reaction would have been pretty fun to him, but he shook his head.
''The picture in my head matching... No. My movement matching the picture in my head. It''s not just about thinking faster. It''s more about... Yeah. Like when I was using the Berserker Skill. Tsk.'' Mark clicked his tongue, and his annoyance was obvious by the expression on his face. ''Back when I could still use it onmand. Nia really did give me some huge advantages in there... As a Follower Of Gaavah, I could use it onmand because I was in a Territory that was Gaavah''s. That was the exnation, wasn''t it? Then, the world is against me using it onmand. Whatever that means...''
The white-scaled Monster suddenly frowned.
''The world... Fairness... The world...? The world against me using the Berserker Skill, or Reviving Monsters without unknown Conditions attached to it. The world...'' Mark brought a hand to the piece of cloth hiding his right eye. ''Is the world against me using this Eye too much then? Huh. If that''s the case then... It bes simple. A bit too simple, actually-''
Mark was suddenly reminded of words he had been told some time ago.
Words that had appeared in front of him.
You''ve said it yourself-
It is all about sacrifice-
What are you willing to sacrifice-
What will you sacrifice it for-
Your Intelligence for Strength-
Your Strength for Agility-
Your Agility for Mana?-
''With each example that Nia had given, I thought about a different enemy but... It''s more general than that, isn''t it?''
The shivering coursing through his body grew more intense as his pupils dted.
''The world against me using the Elven Ne... The System, the world, same thing. Against me using this Eye. Against me...'' Mark extended an arm towards the nearest tree.
''Mm?'' Elisa nced at him.
''Pulling that tree to me... Using only my thoughts.''
Realizing the ridiculousness of its own thoughts, the white-scaled Monsterughed out loud.
''Should I ask? I won''t.'' Elisa thought.
"Everything is give and take, huh?"
The Princess was thrown off by the question.
"Yes. Of course it is." She answered, bluntly expressing how obvious an observation that was.
"Everything... Costs something. Everything... Is a discussion with the world."
"Huh. You''re thinking a bit too deeply about it. That''s my job, as teacher."
"And forest-dweller?" Mark chuckled.
"Ugh..."
A silent second passed.
"I think..."
"Mm?"
"I think I quite like it..."
''How this world works.''
"Good? Or... Congrats? I''m not too sure what to say." She truly felt confused.
''Give and take... It''s so obvious. Against Yarnha, there were restrictions on her control over the Forest. Zephyr, I''m not sure what that was, but it kept Elisa and Krista out. In exchange, I was Healed. I... Have restrictions too. Not even those newly imposed on me by leaving the Dungeon.''
The white-scaled Monster stopped walking and focused on its thoughts.
''Nothing is free. Everything costs something. To Control the whole Forest, Yarnha takes on the burden of protecting it. Failing to do so leads to a Penalty. Overusing this Eye leads to pain. It''s never a one-way thing. Why? Because the world decides... Because the System decides that it would be this way? Imposing it on everyone... Fairly...''
Mark extended his right arm upwards and opened his palm to the sky.
Great Fire Ball-
''Huh... What''s that about? Maybe it''s time to ask...''
''Magic Skills. In exchange for Mana Points, I conjure up a Great Fire Ball. Exchange... Even moving. To move around, I use up Endurance Points. Huh. It''s a bit abstract but, now that I think about it...''
"Elisa."
"Mm?"
"That Great Fire Ball I just shot..." Mark directed his gaze towards the sky above.
"I saw."
"It cost Mana Points, doing that."
"Well, yes. Of course it did. That''s how it works."
"Who decides..."
The white-scaled Monster''s sole visible pupil was incredibly wide as it stared above.
Elisa also noticed the slight and peaceful smile on its face.
"How many Mana Points shooting a Great Fire Ball costs?"
"Ha!" Elisa chuckled. "Isn''t it obvious?"
Chapter 275 Restrictions, Part I: The World
?
''But that''s such a whacky way of seeing the world...'' The white-scaled Monster thought as it scratched its head.
Elisa walked a couple of steps in front of it.
''The world''s will... Fairness... The world''s will... Give and take... Mmm.''
It all seemed rather strange, abstract, and incoherent.
''Pain from using the Eye, Restrictions on how the Forest is used and drawbacks... Give and take. In a sense, nothing can be created out of nothing. As true in that world, as it is this one.'' The white-scaled Monster brought a hand to its chin. ''Nothinges from nothing. It''s so obvious, why didn''t I think of it before?''
The force called Magic made it seem possible but,
''That''s just the job of Mana. It''s like... An Element that can be changed into anything. Magic Skills make it seem like the Fire and Ice are made to appear out of thin air, but that''s not the case. This Eye,'' Mark''s High Elven Pupil shone brightly. ''Only makes it more obvious. Then if Mana isn''t seen as something foreign or supernatural, but rather as something with properties that can be grasped... Mm.'' He nodded. ''The world bes a bit lessplex.''
"What is Mana?" Mark asked suddenly.
"What''s air?" Elisa''s tone seemed sarcastic.
''Yeah, that makes sense. Forest-dwellers... Would it be okay to call them primitive?'' Mark asked himself. ''If so, then seeing air and Mana as simr would make sense. Both have their uses, but they can''t exin them. They can''t say much about Mana, just like they can''t say what makes up the air we breathe. Maybe that''s why there''s so much "Understand it with your gut". Because that''s the only way you can understand it without knowing about it. By feeling it.''
The white-scaled Monster nodded continually as it muttered words that Elisa couldn''t hear.
''Then Mana, Magic, and this... World thing aren''tplicated at all. Saying that the System is the world''s will basically equates it to aw of this world. Just like the world wills that things will be brought down by gravity, it wills how much Magic Skills cost or what Restrictions will be imposed. Just like gravity, there must be a constant... An equation for it.''
Mark was reminded of Nia''s words.
Realistically, obtaining the kind of Power that would allow one to Revive any dead Being, without extreme Conditions being attached to it, is impossible-
It would go against the Laws of this very World-
''The Law probably doesn''t refer to "The Dead remains Dead", as is the case in the other world. Rather, it refers to this... Fairness thing. Law... Equation... Fairness... Huh. Thinking about it as "Fairness" could simply be a forest-dweller thing.'' Mark couldn''t help but chuckle as he thought that. ''Right, there''s no reason to call it Fairness. It''s Bnce, I guess. Bnce is what''s important... If Casting a Great Fire Ball uses up 30 Mana Points, how much would Reviving a Dead Monster cost? That''s the idea of Bnce that I need to understand. The exact answer or equation, I don''t need. I just have to... Just like Elisa get a good grasp on that Bnce. Of rough estimate of what costs how much.''
Mark clenched his fists.
''If I get a good grasp on that, I might be able to deduct the Conditions imposed on my Skills.''
The white-scaled Monster took a deep breath in to contain its excitement.
The ability to Revive Monsters had been taken away. For a while now, the only thing that remained was "What if I could...?"
The thought of being able to Revive Monsters from the Outside.
Monsters like Olgas, Growing Yetis, and...
''That Commander, could I have Revived him? Well, getting his Eye is much better in the long run but... What would it take to Revive a Commander?''
The white-scaled Monster chuckled.
How could it not, when it was thinking about Reviving a Commander when it couldn''t even Revive something like a Goblin?
''Marking the Monster before it is attacked. Fighting and defeating it alone. Making sure its body isn''t too damaged? Those are the Conditions I can remember. They all make the fight tougher. That''s interesting. To Revive it, the way you kill it matters. Sounds like some kind of Satanic Ritual or something...''
Mark''s eyes widened.
"Do Dark Mages perform Rituals?"
"You''re asking the weirdest questions today. Did you have a bad dream?"
"Just answer the question."
"Tsk." She clicked her tongue. "I don''t know. Maybe? Rituals have different uses, so it would make sense for them to perform them. Though I would rather not talk and discuss what Dark Mages do."
"Why not?"
"Because it''s vile and gross."
Mark pressed his lips together.
He debated internally whether or not to say it.
"I wouldn''t mind performing a Ritual to Revive something like a Commander." He said it.
"Are you serious, or are you dumb?" Elisa''s tone hid her anger well as she turned around. "You''re already a Demon Lord''s Target, understand?? Messing with a Commander by performing a Ritual would-"
"Okay, okay. It was just a thought."
"Don''t think about that. In the first ce, what made you think about Rituals?? Or Dark Mages??"
"Well, Corruption is the Magic Type with which I have the highest-"
"DON''T USE MY WORDS AGAINST ME!"
Mark chuckled, and Elisa turned back around.
They continued walking.
''Why doesn''t he want to learn something beautiful like Water Magic instead?'' Elisa thought, exasperated by what she would describe as Perversions.
''Having to perform a Ritual might count as a Restriction, right? Reviving it just after its death too. Huh. Guess I can get inspired by using the ult stuff I heard about in the past. Can''t remember much of my life, but I could always remember facts...''
The white-scaled Monster frowned suddenly.
"Did you ever perform Rituals?"
"Oh yeah, all the time. But they''re good Rituals, you know?"
"I... Don''t know."
"Like, uh... Praying for the Forest, that kind of thing."
"Why did you pray for the Forest?"
"Why? Because..." Elisa brought a hand to her forehead. "Why...?"
''Great. My only source of information is an amnesiac... Still, not all Rituals are on the deviant side. Wait... Pray? Don''t tell me I''m supposed to pray to Death or some bullshit like that? Sacrifice amb? It''s-''
Mark was reminded of words he had quickly forgotten.
The Magic Skill had changed quickly, and so the words didn''t seem relevant after all.
You must use your Skill on the Monster''s body-
Its Skeleton will rise-
What? WHAT? What happens to the rest of its body-
Only the Skeleton lives-
The rest is an offering to the dead-
It is therefore lost-
''Huh...''
"I can''t remember."
"Yeah, I got that."
"I really... Can''t remember. Those Rituals were... Important. About something. Something we lost..."
Mark could tell this meant a lot to her.
But he couldn''t really help, so he wasn''t sure what to say.
"I''m sure you''ll remember by the time to get there."
"Mm." She nodded. "I hope so."
''What could Forest-dwellers lose anyway? Their way through the Forest?'' Mark wanted to ask that question out loud, but he was sure that the joke wouldn''t havended the right way. It was a dumb joke in the first ce. The fact that the Dark Elves had impressive weapons, clothes, and more made the joke seem all the more foolish and dull.
He shook his head.
''For some things, using Mana Points is enough. For others, it isn''t. I can see why using Mana Points wouldn''t be enough to Revive a Monster. The Monster is Revived, Healed, and brought back to life. It isn''t simply healed once. The injury it gets after the Revival Heal with time. Endurance and Mana Points also regenerate. It keeps its Stats and Skills. A One-time payment of Mana Points that would bnce it out... How many Mana Points would bnce out Levi or Light''s life after I revived them...?''
Mark winced. It wasn''t a pleasant subject, but a necessary one to think about.
''I can''t think of a number. The same is true for Fiery... Maybe even more so due to all the Offspring she could produce.'' He sighed. ''I really do miss having them. Would make my life a lot easier. And...''
The white-scaled Monster suddenly turned around.
Feeling something was amiss, Elisa did too.
Mark''s eyes darted all over the ce.
"Krista... Where''s Krista?"
"Wasn''t she just behind us??"
Instantly, both felt a shiver go down their spine.
"Kristaaa!" Elisa called out as the two walked back for a bit.
"Do you think she got lost? How would she...?"
"She must be hiding, right? ying a game?"
"Krista?" The Moonlit Feline''s Master called out.
Silent seconds passed.
For the Underling not to the answer its Master''s call, it could only mean-
Elisa immediately extended an arm forward, and the Wind started moving.
Mark tore away the piece of cloth from his face, and the High Elven Pupil started shining.
Chapter 276 Youll Be Left Behind
?
It''s dark.
So dark I can''t see anything.
Where am I?
How... Do I get out of here?
I want to scream, but what if something hears me? Something other than them?
What should I do?
I hate it here.
I''m alone.
It''s dark.
Just like it was in there.
I don''t want to go back.
I don''t want to remain here.
I don''t want to be forgotten.
Will they find me?
But how will they find me if I remain silent?
I want them to find me regardless.
I don''t want to stay here.
It''s dark all around.
I can''t tell where I am.
Will they find me?
Or will I-
A ray of light suddenly pierced the surrounding darkness.
The hole through that darkness expanded and expanded.
They were her light.
And thew had found her.
"Poor you... How did you end up here?" Elisa muttered as she reached towards Krista.
Mark cast away the plot ofnd that had entrapped thetter.
"We could barely hear you in there. How did that happen?"
The Moonlit Feline thought it had remained entirely quiet, but it seemed that a certain degree of whimpering couldn''t be avoided.
"Found her first." Mark remarked as Elisa held and pulled Krista out of the hole she had found herself trapped in.
"And?"
The white-scaled Monster didn''t answer, but its facial expression did scream of victory.
"You''re stupid. Here, hold her."
"Huh, why?" Mark was perplexed.
Holding Krista, he didn''t mind of course.
Being told to do so, on the other hand, did feel strange.
"She''s shaking. Has been for a while I would bet. What kind of Master are you?" Elisa questioned as she forced the Moonlit Feline into the white-scaled Monster''s hands. "I told you already, if you won''t take care of her, I will. So take care of her."
"Fine..." Mark grumbled as he held Krista between his arms. She was shaking, and much more than he had expected. "What are you scared for? You''re strong enough to fend off for youself out here, you know?" The white-scaled Monster''s hand stroke the Moonlit Feline white fur. Its hairs were standing on end, and it took a while for them to stop doing so.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Elisa clicked her tongue repeatedly. "You''re quite the dum dum, aren''t you?" She walked away, and Mark was left perplexed for a bit.
"I don''t really get it. Do you?" The white-scaled Monster muttered before lowering its gaze towards the Moonlit Feline.
Despite its shaking, thetter did its best to raise and lower its eyebrows repeatedly.
"Mm..." Mark looked away from Krista for a bit. "You weren''t scared that we would forget about you or something, were you?"
A shiver went through the Moonlit Feline''s body.
"Huh... Really? You''re quite the dum dum too then. Like Master, like Underling, I guess." The words did make one of Krista''s eyebrows twitch. "I''m never forgetting about you, Krista. I''ll be there when you need me. And so will Elisa, alright? You can trust her. She likes you a lot."
The first part did make the Moonlit Feline''s previously shaking body freeze, but the second didn''t fail to make her snicker.
"What''s so funny? Oh... Me telling you about trusting Elisa?" He chuckled. "Yeah. I get that..."
The Moonlit Feline''s snickering continued as its hairs starting calming down and Markughed for a bit.
Suddenly, a hand was ced on the Moonlit Feline''s head, and the other on the white-scaled Monster''s.
"Would you look at that!! Kitty cat and guard dog are having a moment!!" Elisa teased as she stroke both of their heads aggressively, almost pushing them down.
The white-scaled Monster beared with it for a bit but,
"Fuck off me." Mark cursed as both he and Krista brushed off the hand on their heads.
"No need for such foulnguage." Elisa grinned brightly.
"I feel like you curse more often than I do."
"Absolutely not." Elisa turned around quickly. "A Princess wouldn''t curse that much. I, as a Princess, therefore, do not."
"Whatever you say." Mark chuckled as he turned towards the Moonlit Feline who had started snickering once more and whose stopped shaking had subsided.
***
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Realm Of Humans,
"C''mon. Out you go little guys." A dark-haired man said with a yfull voice and arge smile on his face.
A smile that hit many secrets, and even more suppressed feelings and urges.
"C''mon. Doggos. Fish guy. The bug too. Everyone out. C''mon." The Vampire Lord said as he made the Nes in his hands spin around his index fingers.
"How dare you..." With the voice resonating, mes started stemming from one of the nes. It caught fire, but didn''t seem to cause one bit of pain or worry to the Vampire Lord. If anything, he found that the spinning ne looked better and more approriate now. "Turn my Core into a damn Ne?!"
"Don''t be mad, Nameless Spirit." Raven chuckled but his eyes narrowed. "I know your type. You like it rough, don''t you?"
"Huh?" The Fire Sprit that had just appeared in front of the Vampire Lord was left bewildered and confused by thetter''s words. So confused that he forgot to act on his anger.
"You like it rough, I said. It''s obvious. Only reason a Spirit would want to hang around that so-called Monster."
"I... What?"
During the demonstration that Raven had showcased a couple of days ago, the Fire Spirit learned a lot.
Somz things he wished he hadn''t learned.
Many he wished to have never seen
And even more he wished to forget.
During that showcase, Raven had gone to great length to show what it meant to "do it rough" or to "like it rough".
It''s not like the Fire Spirit had been told these things or that he even wanted to hear them. He, as a Spirit, was forced to hear, if not see, everything that happened around the Core''s detainer.
Raven being the Core''s detainer did not make it an easy ride for the proud, and once innocent, Fire Spirit.
"Shut the fuck up."
"That''s all you coulde up with? After thinking for so long? Didn''t you learn anything from me and the girls while we were-"
"Don''t say another word."
"Make me." Raven challenged with a daring smile.
"I can''t." The Fire Spirit looked away. It had already tried three times after all.
"Then beg me." Raven''s smile widened.
"Fuck you."
"Well, anyways. Tell the others to get out and I''ll let you be, alright? How about that?"
"There are no others."
"You think you''re that different from them?" Raven mocked.
"I am."
The Fire Spirit looked around for a bit.
''A dark cave? Looks familiar..." He thought
"Well... Nothing I can do about it if they won''t leave."
The Vampire Lord shrugged before taking a step forward.
The next second, both the Fire Spirits mes and the Underling Ne started shaking violently.
[You have entered the Dungeon "Holy Knights'' Graveyard".]
[Dungeon Rank: C.]
In front of this message, the Underlings, even inside the Underling Ne couldn''t help but shake.
A [C] Ranked Dungeon was nothing to sneeze at.
They instinctively knew that.
The Dungeon being [C] Ranked meant that the Monsters would probably have that Rank and the Boss Monster, probably a Rank above.
"Are you trying to get them killed?" The Fire Spirit asked. It tried its best to hide its nervousness, but when targeted by Raven''s sharp gaze, this was no easy task.
"Killed? Are you serious?"
"What then-"
"If I wanted them killed, I would crush the Ne, smart guy." Raven mocked as he walked forward and waved a hand.
"Then...?"
The spinning Ne was thrown into the air before it was grabbed.
Pressure-
"Stop-"
"I''ll break it if they don''t leave it."
"They won''t. They won''t cooperate with-"
"Cooperate?" The Vampire Lord''s eyebrow twitched, and the temperature inside the dark cave seemed to drop significantly. It seemed to drop so rapidly that the Fire Spirit felt its mes could be extinguished simply by that drop. Simply by that pressure. By the Vampire Lord''s Aura.
Raven stared at the silent Fire Spirit for a bit.
The way its mes were moving... Mm.
He was pleased.
And so, the tension and pressure disappeared.
''What the hell was that??''
"C''mon now, I''m offering you an easy path to the top."
"Huh?"
"Well, your diligent, benevolent, and loving Master did ask me to take care of you all, didn''t he? From the moment he stepped outside that Dungeon, he''s been getting stronger. If you all don''t do the same, you''ll be left behind."
A heavy silence filled the cave after those words.
The Ne shook after a while.
An offer to Level Up and Evolve by using the seemingly invincible Vampire Lord?
All of the Underlings couldn''t simply trust that man''s words.
Still, there was an undeniable fact that the Vampire Lord had stated.
If you all don''t do the same, you''ll be left behind-
The first one to take up Raven on his offer was...
Chapter 277 Paths Cross, Soon
?
"Finally." The Vampire Lord muttered as one of the Devourer''s Underlings left the Ne. "Didn''t expect it to be you, but at the same time... It makes sense, doesn''t it?"
He was the one to have been my the Master''s side for the longest time. Perhaps that was why he was the first to take Raven''s offer.
Letting go of those whose strengthcks was a normal thing for the Devourer.
He had seen it happen many times.
He could feel it, deep inside of him.
He was different from Krista or Elisa. As a matter of fact, Light thought that all the Underlings held inside the Ne were different from those two.
For those held inside the Underling Ne, strength was necessary to remain by the Lord''s side.
"You''re even dumber than your Master." The Fire Spirit muttered, which didn''t fail to make the Vampire Lord chuckle.
Thetter stared at the Demonic Dark Wolf for a bit.
"Those eyes... I don''t dislike that color."
Light''s snout twitched menacingly.
Of course, Raven wouldn''t dislike the color. The Demonic Dark Wolf''s eyes simply shone a different shade of red than his.
"Now-"
The next second, the rest of the Devourer''s Underlings appeared.
Levi, Grey, and Fiery.
They immediately positioned themselves between Light and Raven.
"Oho..." Thetter muttered.
The Fire Spirit chuckled internally.
The Underlings'' gazes were cold as ice.
Light let out a heavy exhale and blinked.
The Demonic Dark Wolf''s eyes did not run away from those of his brethren.
A time when all Underlings agreed, acted, and thought the same.
A time when Light, Cer, and Sin, had rushed to ce themselves in front of their Lord. As if one. As if the three shared one Soul.
Simpler times.
***
Mark, Elisa, and Krista continued their way towards the border between Sloth and Lust.
"Oh. More than the usual."
"Looks like there will be more Beasts from now on." Elisa said as she made her Timeworn Elven Daggers spin.
Mark stepped forward, but she extended an arm to the side, stopping him.
"Mm?"
"It''s been a while since I showed off."
"Guess I''ll be taking notes then."
"You do that."
Mark chuckled.
She was already gone.
He couldn''t tell whether she had spoken those three words beforeunching herself forward or after.
In any case, Mark extended a hand to the Moonlit Feline, and thetter climbed up his body.
Drops of a dark liquid appeared on his back.
The drops grewrger andrger, until they turned into tworge and distinct masses.
It didn''t take long for those masses to turn into wings.
''Some things are easier to control than others...'' Mark noted internally as he spread those dark wings.
The white-scaled Monster took to the air.
It opened its right Eye slightly, and keeping up with Elisa''s position through the tree became a bit easier.
From above, Mark watched and studied Elisa''s movements.
It wasn''t the first time he was doing so.
Mark was reminded of the Fire Spirit''s words.
Is she calcting or simplyzy and can''t be bothered to move until thest moment-
"Definitely calcting..." He whispered to himself.
The head movements of a Terrified Monster that''s been driven to a corner-
"That''s not it either." Mark chuckled.
He could tell now.
''After fighting that Commander, it''s obvious. She always moves her head around to keep up with her surroundings. Something I don''t do enough. Something the Commander was doing too. But now...'' Mark reached for the piece of cloth. ''With the same Eye as he had, I''ll have to start doing the same...''
The white-scaled Monster found itself getting lost in its own thoughts when it was supposed to be studying.
Its "Teacher" was going out of her way to make a demonstration after all.
But,
You''re arrogant and insecure. I''ll say it bluntly because no one else will-
''I can''t wait to get all of you back.'' The Devourer thought, a wide smile on its face.
The next second, the Moonlit Feline hissed and Mark''s body shivered.
An arrow pierced the air a couple of meters away from them.
His gaze moved towards her.
''Keeping an eye on me too, huh? What...''
Mark chuckled, but Elisa stared with a serious expression on her face.
A diligent Teacher-
***
"Shaamah." Draconia called out as she knocked on a door.
She was back in Pride.
It doesn''t take long for someone with Stats such as hers to cover the distance.
"Don''te in." The Connector''s voice was cold.
A tone filled with boredom.
Nia''s eyebrow twitched.
"Where is he?" She asked, not letting one drop of anger or annoyance transpire through her tone.
The Connector stared at the door.
They could be seen.
Her anger, annoyance, contempt, and shame.
Perhaps Shaamah''s eyes had something to do with that.
"So he made a fool out of you. Trusting Raven is always a gamble, isn''t it?"
"Where is he?" Nia repeated as shey a palm on the doors separating her from the Connector.
"Raven? He''s-" The Connector''s words stopped suddenly. Shaamah could tell what was about to happen. "Last time a Follower Of Gaavah let its presence be known was in the Forest Of Yarnha. South East of Sloth. I can''t be sure whether that is your Candidate or not."
"That''ll do." Nia sighed and walked away.
She walked about two dozen steps before she started running at top speed.
Two dozen steps seemed to be enough to be out of the Connector''s range, but it wasn''t.
''Nia, Nia, Nia... You''re the only General that I''m interested in.'' Shaamah thought while yawning. ''I want to see more of your Soul, but this won''t do... This just won''t do.''
***
"Katiii! You gotta work harder if you want to beat the Demon Lord Of Pride!" General Zerha shouted.
"Shut... Shut... Shut up!" The Candidate shouted, clearly out of breath.
"Oh,e on. You didn''t even move that much."
"You know that... It''s not about... Moving..." The Beastman let his body copse onto the burning sand.
"Yeah..." General Zerha pressed her lips together.
-Get up and keep going, you weakling-, is what she wanted to say.
"Keeping these Illusions up... Is already hard enough. Doing so while moving makes it... Extra hard."
"Inside the Dungeon... Well, that Dungeon. You could get by since your Titles were strengthened. Now, it''s all you."
"All me, huh?"
"Pretty exciting, isn''t it?"
The Beastman pushed himself off the ground.
"I need to study this ce better, if I want my Illusions to work better. Status is something that builds up with time, right?"
"Well... You can''t get notoriety overnight. Usually?" General Zerha shrugged.
"Mm." Kati nodded. "My Illusions only work on those with equal to or lower Status than mine. I get why Status is important for me now but..."
[Your Title "Mind Bender" looks at you with shining eyes.]
''Making these Illusions in and of itself... Is pretty damn fun. If I make a good one, I wonder if I could fool Zerha...?'' Kati scratched his head. ''It''d have to be a pretty damn good one. An amazing one. An Illusion that could make her forget about reality.'' He thought as he raised his gaze towards the sky. ''How do I do that?'' Kati asked himself, a wide smile on his face.
***
A dozen explosions scorched the Boss Monster''s body.
It jumped away to the side, only to find more of the scary and tiny weapons on the ground. The same weapons that had hit it over and over again earlier. Weapons that were filled with the power of thunder.
They were so numerous that its feet couldn''tnd on anything but them.
Immediately, an electric shock went through the Boss Monster''s body, temporarily keeping its body from moving.
And while the Boss Monster''s muscles were twitching uncontrobly,
"I kept this one hidden, so let me show you what it can do!" The Candidate shouted as he appeared behind the Final Floor''s Boss Monster.
In his hands, a ming Spear.
The Boss Monster''s heart was pierced and scorched.
But that wasn''t enough to bring it down. Not right away anyway.
The Boss Monster''s hands reached for the Weapon''s tip and,
"Did you see it yet? Left a little surprise for you there."
The Boss Monster''s eyes widened as it noticed.
The Weapon Master pulled its Weapon back and a powerful explosion scorched the front side of the Boss Monster.
Smoke filled the area and the Candidate jumped back.
Secondster,
[You have defeated the Final Floor''s...]
"LET''S FUCKING GOOOO!" The Weapon Master shouted as he swung his arms, letting go of a dozen red marbles which exploded uponing into contact with the walls, ceiling, or ground.
Someone suddenly came into the Boss Room from a door that he, previously, hadn''t noticed appearing.
The Weapon Master''s nose twitched.
"What''s my Rank?" He asked, immediately noticing who the person in front of him was.
"Rank?" The General had already described himself, so it wasn''t hard to recognize him. "Oh... That''s what you mean? You''re Third. Congrats."
"FUUUUUCK!!!" The Candidate shouted at the top of his lungs. "WHO MADE IT BEFORE ME? I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ME AND THAT FIRST GUY! WHAT THE HELL? WHAT THE FUCK?"
The General sighed and turned around.
"Stop worrying about useless things. Come..." He waved a hand. "We have a long way to go."
''Not even humoring me for a bit?'' The Candidate thought as he let out a dry chuckle.
"Yes, boss."
Chapter 278 Whos Dying First?
?
''Mmm...''
The white-scaled Monster straightened and curled its back repeatedly.
''It''s interesting, no matter how many times I look at her fight...'' Mark thought to himself as he stared from above. ''She fightspletely differently, but she can''t exin it well...''
With great interest, he studied her movements.
''I can''t quite do that right...'' Mark scratched his head. ''Elisa always flows into her next move. I try to, but I usually have to stop before going to the next thing. She incorporates every move into the next one... She doesn''t stop moving. Even when the enemy is defeated, she doesn''t simply stop and turn around. Her upper body is always swaying. If not her entire upper body, then her arms carry the momentum.''
The white-scaled Monster sighed.
''It''s almost hypnotic, the way she moves. No doubt that has to do with how she makes us forget about her presence. That''s not -at all- how I do it...''
Mark thought about the different encounters he had gone through.
''She''s a Natural, that''s why she can''t exin it. In this world, I imagine fighting is... Well, of course, it is. With Monsters and all. They must learn about fighting and moving well at a young age, probably?'' He directed his gaze towards his hands as he bent his elbows. ''I''m as far as it gets in terms of being a Natural. Not only did I never fight before being Reborn here, but even before that, moving was...''
Mark shook his head.
''I just need to learn. Mm. The same way I learned by watching and copying the Monsters inside the Dungeon. Their movements, and their fighting...''
The white-scaled Monster suddenly felt its heart rate increase.
"So that''s what it was..." Mark whispered as he brought a hand to his chin.
***
Raven, the Vampire Lord, could barely contain hisughter.
"Having trouble deciding who calls the shot now that he isn''t here?" He sneered.
Levi''s eyebrow twitched at the remark, but didn''t let it show further.
"What are you doing? The Lord wouldn''t want us to cooperate with him."
Light stared for a bit, before looking away.
"Don''t ignore me. I won''t let you go against-"
Levi''s words were interrupted as the sound of unexpected footsteps resounded.
"You too...?" He muttered.
The Typhoon Wolf walked to the Demonic Dark Wolf''s side and took a seat.
"Another one with nice eyes, huh?" Raven whispered.
The two Wolves, one with a dark pelt and the other with a white one, stared silently.
Grey broke that silence with a Woof and,
"Tsk." Levi clicked his tongue as he crossed his arms.
The Insect Monster, Fiery, lowered its body onto the ground after arriving at the Wolves'' side.
"Three-to-one. Tough, tough." Raven chuckled.
"Four-to-one." The Fire Spirit corrected as he appeared to face Levi. "Want to talk about it?" He suggested.
The Devourer''s Shield couldn''t believe his eyes or ears.
"You want... To take his side??" Levi pointed at the Vampire Lord behind him.
Thetter shrugged.
"We''re not taking his side."
"Then what are you doing? How would you call this? It''s treason-"
"Shut up for a second, will you?"
Levi immediately clenched his fists.
He was usuallyposed and collected no matter the situation.
But when the safety of his Lord was the topic... No.
When his loyalty to the Lord was being tested, there was no way for him to contain himself.
"I-"
"What''s the goal here? In this Dungeon?" The Fire Spirit asked the one standing a couple of steps behind Levi before thetter could object.
Raven let his back slowly rest on the cave''s wall.
"I''ve told you already. Getting you all stronger."
"Nothing beyond that?" The Fire Spirit questioned, suspicious.
"Beyond that? What ulterior motive would I have?" Raven chuckled. "The instant you left the Underling Ne, your lives became mine. You know that, right?"
Levi''s fists shook with anger as he stared at the ground below.
"Don''t worry about it too much though. Crushing the Ne itself would have done the job. Now, everyone on the same page?"
The Underlings'' eyes and those of the Fire Spirit stared at the one standing between them and Raven.
Levi''s shaking ceased after a bit. He raised his gaze off the ground and,
"I need to get stronger..." He turned around to face Raven. "For the Lord."
"That''s the n." Raven said before gently pushing himself off the wall, turning to the side, and taking a couple of steps deeper into the cave.
The Underlings took a couple of seconds and stared at his back without moving.
Just when they were about to follow, Raven raised a finger.
"One. If you do something stupid, I won''t help you. You might be Underlings, but I''m not about to babysit mindless Monsters. Got it?"
The Vampire Lord didn''t wait for an answer.
"Two. The Dungeon is Ranked [C]. Every Monster here will be strong enough to kill you. Team up to take them down one by one. I''ll make it so that you won''t have to worry about the others. Except if your level turns out to be better than I expect."
Once again, Raven didn''t wait.
"Three. If I feel like it, I''ll ignore everything I just said. Think for yourself. Protect yourself, or one another, I don''t care. Got it?"
This time, he waited for a bit.
"You mean-"
The Fire Spirit''s words were interrupted as Raven raised his hands to the side and,
CLAP-
The sound produced by his handsing together was enough to force the Underlings'' eyes half shut.
A secondter, the ground started shaking intensely.
"They''reing. Holy Knights'' Graveyard is the Dungeon''s Name. What do you think is approaching?"
"Holy Knights?" The Fire Spirit muttered. "Whatever those are...?"
"Dead ones. This is an underground Graveyard."
Raven turned around it and looked at the Underlings, his eyes filled with derision and mischief.
"Appropriate, isn''t it?"
The Underlings positioned themselves in front of the Vampire Lord.
"Motivated, huh? Good. They''re stronger than anything you''ve faced thus far."
The Vampire Lord took a couple of steps in the opposite direction.
"Make sure you survive." He chuckled and waved a hand. "I''ll be watching here for a bit."
Raven nonchntly took a seat on the ground and let his back rest against the wall.
''Who''s dying first, I wonder?''
Chapter 279 Copying And Learning
?
''The more I fight... The more I move... The better I get... From the beginning, I was always copying how other Monsters moved and fought. That''s why fighting that Berserker was so fun. It was like... The culmination of everything I had learned against a stronger opponent. That''s why I didn''t want to use Magic Skills. I wanted to test myself... Test what I''ve learned.''
Mark felt a shiver go down his spine.
''Even when Monsters had different Skills or morphologies, I could still learn from them. It was the same against the Fire Spirit. An easy victory brings me something to Devour but... That''s not enough. I want...''
[Your Title "Devourer" is looking at you.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is looking at you.]
''To Devour more than their bodies. More than their Skills. Their fighting style, their experience, their techniques...'' The white-scaled Monster''s eyes brimmed. ''I want to Devour all of it. I want...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" wants you to delve further into your Greed!]
Mark''s shining eyes went back to Elisa who was fighting below.
His lips slowly curled upwards.
''To learn more.''
***
Whoo-
Raven whistled as he watched Mark''s Underlings fight.
''They''re doing better than I expected.''
In front of the group of Underlings stood a handful of enemies.
They looked just like the Skeletons on the Dungeon''s Seventh Floor, but taller, tougher, and faster.
Their bodies or rather bones were covered by Armour on which golden patterns were drawn.
The same patterns that were over the Skeletons'' Shields and Spears.
''The crystal guy is standing at the front. He''s got the most Strength and blunt force, so that makes sense. The Nameless Spirit continually appears in the middle of the enemies, confusing them. Not bad...'' Raven thought as he moved his gaze to the back of the group. ''They''re focusing on buying time for the Insect to produce enough Offspring. The Wolves aren''t bad either. Their ws and fangs won''t work against that kind of Armor, but they didn''t even try using them. Guess they must have guessed as much after seeing Zephyr. They weren''t in the fight, but they were watching, huh? Focusing on bothering the enemies and using the full weight of their bodies to collide with their legs, making them lose their bnce. It''s not bad but...''
Raven slowly pushed himself off the ground.
''Incredibly boring.''
The Vampire Lord brought a hand to his chin.
''How do I make it more interesting without making it my fault if one dies?''
***
"Do you get it now?"
Mark stared for a bit before looking away.
"I think I do." He answered. "Fixing might be harder though."
"Really? I''m surprised you could even tell." Elisa admitted.
"Why do you say that?"
"Mmm... I don''t know." Elisa took a seat on a fallen tree trunk opposite him. It''s tough to find what''s wrong with one''s own movements. Since you can''t see yourself moving."
"Huh." Mark suddenly brought his center of gravity forward. "Since I can''t see myself moving..." He muttered.
"Yes..." Elisa was slightly surprised by the reaction. "That''s usually how it works. Especially when coordination is involved. You think your limbs move in sync, but they actually don''t. I can tell you about it, but it''s..."
"It''s not an easy fix. If my right leg is the problem and I start focusing on it, it might lead to other problems. Might not even solve the issue at hand in the first ce."
"Yes, something like that."
The sound of a thin branch breaking made Elisa''s pointy ears twitch.
She stood up and stared in that direction.
"Krista, wannae with me?"
The Moonlit Feline immediately took Elisa up on her offer and followed.
''I can''t see my movements, but they can''t be much different from those of the Monsters I fought. The Berserker, the Royal Minotaurs, and Levi... Their bodies resemble mine the most. What''s wrong with their movements... What did I learn that was wrong... What can I fix...?''
The white-scaled Monster wondered for a while.
***
"Oh. Already?" The Vampire Lord clicked his tongue.
The handful of enemies fell, and the sound of their bones hitting the ground resonated.
"That wasn''t so hard." The Fire Spirit noted proudly.
"Those were just Soldiers. The Knights will be found a bit deeper into the Graveyard." Raven muttered as he walked through the group of Underlings with his hands resting in his pockets. "I''ll let you handle the next ones too."
''While I think of something-''
"We''re not going yet." Levi dered, with the Wolves at his sides.
"Aha. So you want to let the Insects do the work? Out of the question. Let''s go."
"I''m not asking-"
"Let''s go." Raven repeated as he turned around.
It was definitely a threat.
The Underlings could tell. They could all feel it.
And so, they followed the Vampire Lord.
This time, a dozen Undead Holy Soldiers appeared in front of the ground.
Behind that dozen, three Undead Holy Knights.
''They''re definitely dying here.'' Raven sighed as the Underlings positioned themselves in front of him.
Lightning permeated through Levi''s arms as the crystals covering part of his body lit up.
Reddish Fire Balls spun and hovered above the Fire Spirit''s palms.
The Wolves bared their fangs as they growled.
Fiery curled her body up, preparing to shoot her spiderwebs to entrap the group of enemies.
"You''re Master is an all-rounded, isn''t he?"
"Huh?"
"Moving from the front to the back, from attacking to defending, from assisting to being assisted..." The Vampire Lord took off his dark cloak. "Usually each has a clear duty and role. But sometimes, you get selfish guys who want to do everything." Raven said as he threw the cloak behind him. "I''ll get you used to that kind of thing better."
He, of course, was part of those selfish guys.
"I''ll do whatever I feel like doing."
Raven positioned himself in front of the Underlings.
"You guys react to that. That''s how it is with him, isn''t it?"
Chapter 280 Commander & Soldiers
?
Sniff- Sniff-
"Smell anything?"
Sniff- Sniff-
"Yes, Commander." The Soldier, whose head resembled that of a dog or a Kobold''s, brought its snout closer to the ground. "It smells... It smells..."
"Hurry it up." Ani, the Orcish Fiend cracked her knuckles. "All of you, stay sharp." She ordered as she turned around.
"YES, COMMANDER!" The nine other standing Soldiers shouted.
Each was from a different Race, and each held different Weapons.
Swords, Daggers, Axes, Hammers, Spears, and more.
"We''re hunting this fucker, no matter what."
"It smells... It smells..." The kneeling Soldier muttered as he sniffed around.
Ani''s eyebrow twitched.
"What''s taking you so long, HUH?" The Orcish Fiend groaned as she roughly stepped on the Soldier''s head, sticking it to the ground.
Despite his best efforts to keep it in, a faint and soft moan escaped the Soldier''s mouth.
The Commander''s eyebrow twitched again and she exerted even more pressure than before.
The Soldier immediately started apologizing frantically as it felt like his skull was about to burst.
''Lucky...''
''Lucky...''
''Wish that was me...''
"Get to work youzy fucks." Ani ordered as she threw a deadly re at the Soldiers who had been watching the scene.
"Yes, Commander!" The Soldiers shouted as they scattered.
The Kobold-like Monster struggled to extend its index finger towards a certain direction.
"That way?"
The Soldier did his best to nod despite the pressure exerted against his skull.
"Looks like you can do it when forced." The Commander muttered before stepping off and walking away.
''Forced...''
''Forced...''
''Forced...''
"Get moving."
The Soldiers immediately straightened up.
Woof-
While the sound it emitted might seem on the cuter side, it was rather deceiving.
The Orcish Fiend walked towards its Mount.
Aniy her hands on each side of its head.
"Let''s go get''em." The Commander whispered as her forehead gently came into contact with the Great Golden Jackal''s forehead.
Woof-
"Let''s do it, Commander!"
"We''ll make them pay!"
"We''ll teach them what it means to mess with..."
The Soldiers shouted as they got on their Mounts. All Great ck-backed Jackals.
"Fuck teaching them a lesson. The one who beat Lin..." Ani muttered as she got on her Mount''s back. "I need to see it for myself."
The Soldiers turned silent for a couple of seconds, before erupting in cheers.
The cheers didn''t fail to make the Commander chuckle.
The Great Golden Jackal was the only female Mount. Just like Ani was the only female in the group.
"Shut up, idiots."
Mounted, it didn''t take long for them to reach the Goblin Vige where Mark, Elisa, and Krista had stayed a handful of days prior.
"Should uh..." A Soldier muttered as he rubbed his chin after catching up to the Commander who had been leading the group. "Should we make a stop?"
''The son of a bitch...''
''He dared...''
''Passing us like that...''
Ani gently tapped her Mounts side.
"Are you the one doing the running?"
"I, uh... No but-"
"Then shut the fuck up before I knock you out." The Commander tapped the Mount again, and the Great Golden Jackal continued its march.
Gulp-
''Knock me out...''
''Lucky son of a bitch...''
''When was thest time I got knocked out by...''
''I''d like to get knocked by the Commander''s-''
The Great Golden Jackal increased its pace, and so did the Great ck-backed Jackals that the former was leading.
A handful of seconds passed before,
"Tsk."
The Commander clicked her tongue after a bit, sighed, and tapped her Mount, which made thettere to a stop.
''Why are we stopping?''
''This the Commander is about to...?''
''I''d like the Commander to...''
Ani crossed her arms and remained seated on the Great Golden Jackal for a bit.
''I''ve been thinking about them as a group, but that''s because I don''t believe Lin could lose in a 1-on-1... Winning against him was impossible for me, not even once. Then is the thing he was after General-Grade? I doubt it. Lin wouldn''t have been sent then. The General is toozy to find out anything. The fact that he told me about Lin''s death is already out of character... If one person beat him, then it must have been using some kind of dirty trick. Argh, no... I''ve tried plenty of tricks against him, but he sees through them all with those creepy eyes of his. Let''s think about this a bit more...''
"Boa." Ani called out.
"Commander?"
"Sniff around the vige. In the huts. Find out whatever you can."
"Yes, Commander." The Kobold-like Monster dismounted and got to work.
''Wish I had that kind of sense of smell...''
''Getting on all fours in front of the Commander...!''
''Lucky he gets talked to often-''
"All of you jerkoffs go look around for clues too."
The Soldiers dismounted as fast as they could and rushed into the different huts, obeying their Commander''s order.
''She called us...''
''She said...''
Ani sighed and scratched her head. Her annoyance was obvious on her face.
''I''m guessing the mission was given by the Lord. The Lord sensed something entering Sloth and sent Lin. Why...? Was it sensed due to its strength, or something else...? In first ce, sending Lin is weird. His strength isn''t anything incredible. His weapon use isn''t bad, but with his strength, it''s... Oh. Getting Lin to do it... It wasn''t a mission to kill, was it?''
The Commander thought for a bit longer, and her lips curled up.
"Getting me involved changes things though." She whispered as she pumped her fists.
"Commander!" Boa suddenly shouted.
"What is it?" Ani asked as the Soldier came running.
"That hut, I can tell. They stayed in there. A couple of hours at least, perhaps at night."
"They...? Are you sure?"
"Without a doubt, Commander. I can smell... Corruption, but also some kind of... Feline smell. I could find hairs too. White, or ashen. Probably from a Feline with a white fur-"
The Soldier''s words were interrupted as the Commandery a hand on his head and brought him closer.
Chapter 281 Beauty In The Ferocious
?
The Soldier''s words were interrupted as the Commandery a hand on his head and brought him closer.
"Good job, youzy fuck."
The Kobold-like Monster froze as he was buried between the Commander''s breasts.
Since Ani was, as was her habit, wearing a revealing bikini top.
His face, currently in contact with her bare skin, felt like it was melting.
"Thaak you... Comma... Der" The Soldier''s voice was low and muffled.
He couldn''t breathe. But he still didn''t want to move.
To Boa, it was a worthy sacrifice. A fair exchange.
''Lucky son of a bitch...'' The rest of the Soldiers cursed as they stared at the scene.
"Two of them then?" Ani asked, a smile on her face as she wrapped her fingers around the Kobolt-like Monster''s hair.
Boa''s head was pulled away from her breasts, revealing closed eyes and heavy blushing. A rather perverted facial expression too, but Ani didn''t think much of it.
Perhaps she was used to it.
Perhaps she didn''t mind it.
They were her Soldiers after all.
They risk their lives for her.
A bit of perversion between Monsters could be forgiven, couldn''t it?
"Ye... Yes. I believe so, Commander."
"What about the other one? Corruption, you''re sure that''s what it smelled like?" Ani asked as she let go of the Soldier''s head.
"Yes, Commander. That smell cannot be confused with any other." Boa answered as he stared at the breasts he had been in contact with just seconds earlier. The thought of taking a dive wouldn''t leave his mind. "Uh... It was... The one that smells of Corruption probably slept on the ground. I found traces on the ground. Pretty deep, so it must have slept on the ground."
"Uhu. Anything else?"
"The traces drawn resembled... Scales? I believe its body to be covered by scales."
"A Feline and a Reptile together? Don''t see that often."
"Indeed, Commander." Boa''s heart rate rapidly increased.
He had done more than had been asked for him, hadn''t he? His breathing turned heavier and heavier as he stared at the heavenly breasts in front of him.
He wanted to feel them again.
He wanted to be rewarded again.
What if the reward this time was-
"Good. You can go."
The Soldier froze at the Commander''s words.
"I said you can go." Ani repeated.
Boa turned around and walked away.
The chuckles of the other Soldiers didn''t even bother him.
He walked and circled around one of the huts.
Once Boa was hidden by that hut, his knees dropped to the floor.
''I was too greedy! Closing my eyes... Why did I close my eyes? But it felt so good I couldn''t... It was... No, no.''
Boa closed his eyes and took a deep breath in.
''What''s done is done.''
He opened his eyes and raised his gaze to the sky above.
''I''ll cherish this feeling. That sensation...'' Boa pushed himself off the ground. ''And work harder for the Commander.''
A tear went down his face as he pumped his fist, determined more than ever to serve the Commander.
''I could smell them better because they spent more time here than there. Lin''s blood... I''m surprised he could be defeated, but this is the end for you.'' Boa''s eyes brimmed as he walked back to join the group. ''Our Commander is the strongest.''
"Who was thezy fucker that rmended taking a break earlier?" Ani suddenly asked.
All eyes directly moved towards the Soldier that had done so.
"We passed a pond or something earlier. Go bring us water." The Commander ordered while taking a seat against one of the huts.
"Of course, Commander-"
"I can do it, Commander."
"No, I''ll bring water to the Commander-"
"Shut up, it should be me-"
"I can bring water better than you-"
"I can bring better water-"
"No one brings water better than me..."
The rambling of the Soldiers trying to one-up one another continued for a bit.
''Pathetic...'' Ani thought as she watched the scene.
In truth, their infighting for the Commander''s attention was rather pathetic. Ani could tell that was the case. But the look in her eyes seemed to imply that she didn''t really believe or mean that.
They were her Soldiers.
And she was their Commander.
They had remained together through thick and thin.
She trusted them, and they trusted her.
And in the first ce, isn''t it natural for Soldiers to look up to their Commander?
"How about this..." Ani started, and every Soldier''s gaze moved towards her immediately. "Whoever grabs this first before it touches the ground..." The Commander pulled a Gold Coin out from under her bikini top. From in between her breasts. "Goes to bring water."
Every Soldier took a deep breath and a ferocious Aura started emanating from each of them.
"Ready?" Ani asked as she prepared to flip the coin. "Go!"
The Gold Coin spun in the air and it didn''t take long before.
''Wow...''
Swears, insults of the worst kind, shouts, growls, and groans.
It didn''t take long for those to be reced by punches, kicks, and elbow strikes.
''They want it that much?''
The Soldiers used everything they could to fight for that Gold Coin. Everything short of their Weapons.
Stealing from one another, they only stopped when,
"Pfahahahaha!"
The loudughter resonated, and every Soldier froze.
Even thest to have grabbed the Gold Coinpletely forgot about it.
"You idiottic fools! Pfahahaha!"
As if on a trance, the Soldiers'' minds came to a halt.
''The Commander...''
''We made the Commander...''
''Laugh...''
A ferocious beast.
Powerful and unforgiving.
None they hade was as powerful as her.
It didn''t happen often, so whenever it did, the Soldiers did their best to ingrain the image inside their minds.
For the Soldiers, there was nothing more pleasant to see.
The symbol of both ferocity and strength...
"Pfahahaha!"
Was incredibly beautiful when sheughed.
***
Meanwhile,
"I don''t think you should." Mark warned.
"Why not? I''m hungryyy!!" Elisained. "It looks fine, doesn''t it?"
"No, it doesn''t..." The white-scaled Monster answered as it moved its gaze towards the fluorescent mushroom in Elisa''s hand. "It''s a bad idea."
Chapter 282 Capricious Monster
?
"Why not? I''m hungryyy!! t looks fine, doesn''t it?"
"No, it doesn''t... It''s a bad idea."
"You eat it then. There are plenty around here."
"I don''t want to-"
"But I''m starving!!"
"Ugh, fine." Mark took the mushroom from Elisa''s hand and swallowed it immediately. "Happy?"
She remained silent for a bit and stared expectantly.
With her hands on her knees and her arms straight, Elisa let her body sway slightly from right to left.
"You''re not really the patient kind."
"Sure I am! Anyways, feel anything?"
"No." Mark shrugged. "Tastes good too."
Elisa''s eyes immediately glittered.
She turned around and started feasting on the numerous mushrooms.
"Make sure you leave some for us." Mark muttered as he moved his gaze towards Krista.
"Haha. Very funny." The sheer quantity made the sarcasm hard to miss. The next mushroom that Elisa ate nearly made her choke.
"Is it that-"
"Hu... HUM!" Elisa coughed as her fist tapped her chest multiple times. "Yes, it''s that good. And I''m hungry, alright? I don''t judge you for eating all those Beasts, do I? Then leave me be." She grabbed another handful.
Mark reached for one too.
"See? Of course, you would want another. Nice than eating bloody Beasts, isn''t it?"
"Whatever." The white-scaled Monster muttered as it stared at the mushroom intently, its right pupil shining under the piece of cloth hiding it. "It''s not bad."
Elisa nodded as she put another mushroom in her mouth.
The Moonlit Feline''s eyebrow was left twitching at the Princess'' barbaric way of eating.
''I can''t see anything even using this Eye... Should be safe, right? But then... The Eye can mostly detect Mana and that''s it, I think?''
The white-scaled Monster shrugged and swallowed the fluorescent mushroom.
It didn''t take long before he started downing them just as ferociously as Elisa was.
Not because he was particrly hungry, but simply because... Well, he was the Devourer. And he couldn''t let someone show him up in his area of expertise.
Unfortunately, it also didn''t take long before...
[Your Passive Skill "Poison Resistance[F]" has Evolved into "Poison Resistance[D]".]
''Huh?''
[Your Title "Devourer" nods.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" winks.]
"Um..." Mark took his eyes off those floating words. "You should probably sto-"
"Whay?"
The white-scaled Monster couldn''t stop itself fromughing out loud at the Princess'' puffed-up cheeks due to the numerous mushrooms she was trying to eat at once.
***
''Fuck, fuck... FUCK!!''
"General!"
"Out of the way!" The red-haired Draconia shouted as she ran through the Capital of Pride.
The Soldiers that were about to kneel hurriedly moved.
''Shit... SHIT!'' She cursed internally as she kept going at top speed. ''Damn you... Damn you Raven!''
The General took a deep breath in and focused.
Think logically, and practically.
''Zerha is out to find her Candidate. Whose Mount can I borrow instead? Tsk. There''s nothing I can use that could get me faster there than I can myself. Yarnha... The Forest Of Yarnha... I''ve never been there, but I assume the Forest''s Spirit will only appear at night. It''s been a couple of days since he was there. Where...''
Nia clicked her tongue.
''Where would he be now? If the Elf is still with him, then... Her vige seems to be the obvious choice. But that''s West. The Forest Of Yarnha isrge. But if they got there from the Dungeon, then they''re swaying East... East. To the ce I was supposed to meet him? Zephyr did say that Raven marked the meeting spot for him but... Tsk. They might have delved into the Forest temporarily and then headed East. In that case, Zephyr will probably find them in the Elf''s vige. Otherwise... I''ll head towards Yarnha. Find him there, or on the way. It''s unlikely. The Monster Realm is vast. But as a General Of Gaavah, I should be able to sense his presence if we''re close enough. That''s the most I can do for now.''
Draconia let out a tired sigh.
''You did a good job surviving out there. You made it out of Yarnha alive, so that''s good too. That Elf... I wonder how much she helped.'' She chuckled. ''Capricious brat.''
With the left side of her lips curled up, the General continue moving.
''The whole goal was getting you stronger. Devouring weak Monsters on every Floor until thest one. Getting Dark Elves at a discount... Weakened by Corruption, which also turned out to be your specialty. Tsk. It was a good idea. The Monster we wanted you to Devour the most, you let go... Damn Capricious Monster. Only one inside you didn''t kill too. Well, close enough.''
Draconia''s lips curled up further.
''Make sure you survive. And make sure you''re much stronger when I see you. Wonder if I''ll have to beat you up to get you to listen to him. Or if you''ll attack me right away. I can''t wait...''
The ground cracked as sheunched herself forward with even more power and speed.
''To meet you.''
For a long time, she had been watching over him.
Checking how he was doing.
Acting like a middle-man between him and his Titles.
Acting like the System.
Draconia had ended up enjoying the job quite a bit. Even though she hated the thought of it at first.
Unexpectedly, she enjoyed the job. And just as unexpectedly, she grew attached to the Devourer.
Even if asked, she wouldn''t have been able to tell why that was the case exactly. But that doesn''t matter. Nobody will ask that. And she certainly wouldn''t ask herself that.
Why would she?
Overthinking abstract and mostly inexplicable things such as feelings wasn''t for her.
If it can''t be quantified, properly exined, or properly described, then there''s no use in thinking about it.
Rationally and logically.
Coldly.
Mechanically.
''I wonder how much you will have changed when I see you. I''m sure you''ll be different, right? Now that you have the freedom to decide.'' Draconia chuckle. ''Now that I''m not the one suggesting options anymore.''
The shortest route from Nia''s position to the Forest Of Yarnha.
That imaginary line linking the two.
Presently, Mark is positioned perfectly on that route.
Gaavah''s n.
The one who had trapped him inside the Dungeon.
If Mark, Krista, and Elisa were to keep following their current path, they will, without a doubt, be found by the General.
***
"I TOLD YOU TO STOP EATING THOSE!"
"BUT I''M TOO HUNGRY TO!"
Chapter 283 Ill Take It As A Compliment
?
The sun was starting to set.
Mark was walking in front, with the Moonlit Feline seated on his right shoulder.
''Not as many Monsters and Beasts now. The Border, it''s...'' The white-scaled monster thought as its right eyebrow twitched continually.
The eyebrow didn''t stop twitching, no matter how many times Mark tried to keep it from doing so.
The reason for the twitching was... Something else that couldn''t be stopped.
"BFAHAHAHA!!" Elisa uncontroblyughed out loud, a couple of steps behind him. "PFFFF!! LOOK AT YOU! LOOK AT YOU!" She shouted while pointing at Mark with one hand and holding her stomach with the other. "AHH, IT HURTS!! BUT THAT''S TOO FUNNY!!"
The white-scaled Monster sighed before turning around.
"What now?"
"CAN''T YOU SEE IT?? YOU LOOK RIDICULOUS!! YOUR... YOUR BODY! IT''S COVERED WITH FEATHERS! WHITE FEATHERS! YOU LOOK LIKE A... Like a... You look horrible."
"Those are the mushrooms."
"No. Pfff! They''re feathers."
Mark sighed again. He turned his gaze slightly to the side.
The Moonlit Feline was shaking its head sideways repeatedly while staring at Elisa.
"Could you?"
Krista turned towards him, raised her gaze above for a bit, then jumped off.
"Kristaaa! I''ve missed you!!" Elisa shouted as the Moonlit Feline walked towards her. "Huh? Why do you have feathers too? No way... You can change like him? You should''ve told me that!!"
"Okay, that''s it. Krista,e." The Moonlit Feline waved its tail at Elisa as it turned around and walked back to its Master. "We''re leaving her behind."
"What? You don''t get to leave me behind!"
"Bye Elisa, hope we''ll find you... Whenever it wears out." Mark said as he started walking once Krista had climbed up his body.
Elisa crossed her arms and watched them walk away.
"Those two really are... Two peas in a pod... I just can''t...They really are..." She grumbled in a low voice.
Mark walked for a bit.
"Think she will follow us?" He whispered as he turned slightly towards the Moonlit Feline on his shoulder.
Krista''s eyes narrowed.
And so did the white-scaled Monster''s eyes.
The Moonlit Feline''s seemed to tense up as it showed its upper teeth.
Mark did the same.
She growled, and he growled back.
Krista rolled her eyes, and Mark stuck his tongue.
"You can''t talk but you called me stupid, didn''t you? I would know. There was a time I couldn''t talk." The Moonlit Feline kept looking away. "I know she''s going to follow us. It''s just... Ugh... What is it?" Krista turned back towards him and stared with confused eyes. "It''splicated." The Moonlit Feline let its head hang to the side. "You wouldn''t get it." Krista feigned losing bnce and falling as if her head had gotten too heavy, which didn''t fail to make the white-scaled Monster chuckle.
Mark took a couple of additional steps before,
"You''re not..." Elisa''s whispering was so low that he couldn''t hear the whole sentence.
"Mm?" The white-scaled Monster started turning around when,
"YOU''RE NOT GETTING RID OF ME THAT EASILY!" Elisa shouted as she leaped onto his back. The startled Moonlit Feline immediately jumped away while Mark stumbled. "I''m not letting you go yet."
The white-scaled Monster regained its bnce, but didn''t move.
"Get off me."
"Don''t wanna." With her chest to his back, her arms around his neck, and her legs around his waist, "Don''t wanna walk either. I''ll stay stuck like this instead. Bfahahaha!"
"Just... Get off, alright?"
"No! I don''t wanna!"
Mark''s distressed eyes moved to look for backup.
All they found was a Moonlit Feline rolling on the ground as it snickered.
"Why... Don''t you want to?" The white-scaled Monster''s face winced.
Trying to reason with her? When she''s in this state?
"Cause."
"Because... What?"
"Because..." Elisa''s were quickly unwrapped from around Mark''s neck and wereid on his shoulders. The additional weight on his shoulders made him bend his body forward slightly to keep his bnce. As soon as Mark''s upper body started bending forward, Elisa unwrapped her legs from around his waist andy one foot on the back end of his lower back and the other on the base of his tail. "Just because." Elisa said as she stuck her head up, truly using his body like some kind ofdder.
''That was so fast...! She pushed my shoulders lightly and... Wait this isn''t the time to think about that!''
The white-scaled Monster shook its body energetically, but that didn''t seem to disturb her at all.
''She''s moving the same way I am...? How the hell is she remaining that stable? Her bnce is just...''
"You resemble Krista a lot right now." Mark noted as Elisa, unbothered by the shaking in the least, kept looking from right to left.
"Huh? I''ll take it as apliment."
"Good. Now, get off me."
"I can''t."
"What do you mean you can''t?"
"Everything is moving... In weird ways."
"Uhu. No, that''s me moving-"
"Like that branch." Elisa pointed. "I mean, it was a branch a second ago. But now, it looks like it''s about to spit poison in my face."
"Like a snake?"
"Exactly! And the ground, it''s... It''s... Ugh!" Elisa couldn''t stare down for more than a couple of seconds. "I don''t know how you do it, but I am not walking on that."
"Fine." Mark answered absent-mindedly as he was busy wondering.
I am not walking on that-
Wondering what could be so horrible and disgusting that she wouldn''t walk on it.
They had walked on and around some pretty gross things thus far after all.
"So I''ll stay here. And I''m not taking no for an answer."
"Mm." Mark nodded.
His lips curled up slightly.
"Say..." He slowly raised his head. "What do I look like now?"
Elisa''s face twisted with disgust.
"There''s a flower growing out of your right eye. A green flower, which is weird. The petals are green. That''s very weird."
"Pf...! PFHAHAHAHA!"
"Don''tugh I''m being serious!"
"Okay, okay. And that doesn''t scare you? A flower growing out of my eye?"
"Well, no." Elisa reced a strand of hair behind her ear. "I expect weird things from you, so it''s different."
"I''ll take that as apliment. Still, get off me."
"Make me."
And a not-so-epic duel took ce.
Chapter 284 Let Her Movements Guide You
Chapter 284 Let Her Movements Guide You
On the other side of the border between Sloth and Lust.
The tears that had been hanging by a thread started flowing down the Dark Elven Princess'' face as she tightened her grip around the bow in her hands.
The expression on her face, torn between anger, anguish, and hatred.
The Wind around her spun violently, blowing the descending tears away.
The ground cracked and groaned while the air screeched as an immense quantity of Mana turned into an arrow.
The Dark Elven Princess pressed her lips, closed her left eye, and took aim.
She clenched her teeth as the tip of the arrow was pointed at it.
At the white-scaled Monster''s back that was getting further and further.
At the white-scaled Monster that was running away from her.
...
Less than seventy-two hours earlier,
"You little...!"
"Pfahahaha!" The Dark Elven Princessughed out loud as she escaped from the Monster''s hand that was reaching for her. "You''ll need more than that to catch me! I''m not getting off, I told you already!"
For a couple of minutes, Mark had catered to Elisa''s whimsical and intoxicated foolery.
But the constant poking on his head and cheeks did end up turning too irritating.
The white-scaled Monster reached towards the Princess that was, with feline grace and agility, standing and bncing herself on his back.
"Get off me."
"Don''t wanna!"
"Oh, fuck this!" Mark groaned before quickly turning his body around and reaching.
His left eyebrow was left twitching a secondter.
"Pfahahaha!" Elisaughed even louder.
Her hands were wrapped around his wrist while her legs were wrapped around his arm.
The white-scaled Monster had expected to feel some weight pulling his arm down. After all, her whole body was being lifted by his arm.
''No, that''s not it...''
"Pfahahah!"
''There''s no way she would be this light.''
"Giving up already?"
"Huh."
"Huh, what?"
''I can''t get rid of her. She moves like a snake wrapping itself around my arm, or a spider on my back... Thoughparing her to those feels wrong somehow.''
The white-scaled Monster raised its arm slightly and its suspicions were confirmed.
''She''s keeping her heels on my shoulders at all times, distributing the weight properly so that I can barely feel it on my arm...''
Mark''s gaze moved away from Elisa and towards the way ahead, a slight frown was on his face.
''I doubt I could incorporate something like that into my fighting but... I''d like the ability to do that.'' The white-scaled Monster other hand reached for the chuckling Elisa. ''Mighte in handy againstrger Monsters.''
And so, the yful Princess continued fighting and escaping to im her spot on him while Mark did his best to get her off him.
Running, jumping, arms, legs, tail, he used everything he had at his disposal.
Studying the Princess'' movements was a rather difficult task for the white-scaled Monster.
Understanding what it meant to move ''naturally'', ''effortlessly'', and ''gracefully''.
What it meant to let one''s movements flow from one to the other.
But this way, it was a bit easier to understand and study.
Looking at it isn''t enough.
Feel it.
With every square inch of your body, feel it.
The way her arms move.
The way her legs move.
The way they wrap and unwrap themselves.
The way her hips rotate.
The way her core and back arch and curl themselves, smoothly, as if a wave was guiding them.
Your muscles aren''t starving.
Your bones aren''t weak and decrepit.
Your body isn''t tense as a boulder anymore.
Look at it.
Feel it.
Let her movements guide you.
Light and uninhibited.
Her hands are wrapped around your wrist, yet you can barely feel them.
Her heels are resting on your shoulder, with just the right amount of weight and force.
Quick on your feet.
Let her movements guide you. Let her touch teach it to you.
What it means to move freely.
Purrr-
With wide eyes, the Moonlit Feline stared at the yful Monster and Princess.
Once again, Krista was reminded of the Forest Of Yarnha.
Of what she had seen.
Of the visions brought forth by Yarnha''s Mist.
The cat should be in the same state as the Elf-
By now, it should be all sweet dreams, or a sweet part of their past-
The sweet dream that Krista had seen wasn''t past.
But a possible future.
A possible future she wanted to see materialize more than anything.
The Moonlit Feline couldn''t help but stare with wide eyes.
"SO ANNOYING!!"
"PFAHAHAHA!"
The sweet dream it wanted to see be reality was oh so close.
And so Krista watched, with her tail swaying from side to side, as the possible future became a probable one.
''It''s getting dark.''
"Ahahaha... Ah! Cold." The Princess whispered as she hopped off the Monster''s back. "Unfair. Dirty y."
"Is it?"
The thinyer of ice that had appeared over Mark''s shoulders and upper back quickly evaporated.
He took a couple of steps forward, leaving Elisa behind him.
"Huh? Night already?"
"Mm." Mark nodded as he lowered his body towards the ground. "Time to sleep. We''re making it to the border tomorrow."
"But I don''t want to sleep."
"You''d better get some. I''m not carrying you if you don''t. And neither will Krista."
"Huh?" Elisa''s gaze quickly moved towards the Moonlit Feline. "You won''t?"
Yawn-
Acting as if it hadn''t heard anything, the Moonlit Feline continued cleaning its fur.
"Get some sleep." Mark repeated as hey his back against the ground. "The border between two... Demon... Realms? It''ll probably be more dangerous than the border between Sloth and the Rift." He closed his eyes. "We need you at your best, okay?"
"But... But..." Elisa whispered repeatedly as she let her shoulders drop.
The white-scaled Monster had only remained with its eyes closed for a couple of seconds before,
Drop-
"Agh...!"
It didn''t hurt, but the sudden drop did make him groan.
"I''m not sleepy." Elisa whispered after she let her body fall t on his, with her right cheek against his right shoulder.
Chapter 285 Shaking Hand
?
"I''m not sleepy."
"I heard you the first time."
"Then?"
"Sounds like a you problem."
"It''s an -us- problem. You just said it, didn''t you? You need me at my best."
"So?"
"So help me sleep."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"That''s a you problem."
"..."
Elisa took a deep breath in and sighed.
"What do you do when you''re not sleepy?"
"I don''t sleep."
"But what if it''s time to sleep?"
"I still don''t, if I''m not sleepy."
"So you''re encouraging me?"
"You need sleep more than I do."
"Mm... True, I guess." Elisa grumbled.
The two remained silent for a bit.
"Fighting to stay on my back wasn''t enough?"
"I''m sick of sleeping on the ground. It''s cold, and ufortable."
"Huh... Surprised my scales would befortable to lie on."
"They''re not. But... But... At least they''re not cold."
"Demoted from Horse to Bed?" Mark chuckled.
With her cheek against his shoulder, he could feel that the corners of her lips had risen.
Elisay silently, with her eyes closed and a smile on her face.
"I like being with you. The two of you. I really do."
Mark''s hand moved, but quickly came to a halt.
She disappeared-
Like a cat-
Touch it when it doesn''t want you to and-
"I like being with you too." Mark admitted. He felt her cheek move, but wasn''t sure what it meant. A frown? A wider smile? Mark couldn''t tell. Therefore, "Krista likes being with you too. She loves you, really."
The cheek against his shoulder moved again. Mark stopped trying to read into it.
"Mmmm..."
The Princess'' arms, which previously stuck to her body andy straight, started moving.
Elisa slowly bent her elbows and rested her hands against the ground, on both sides of Mark''s shoulders.
Her cheek slowly rose off the white-scaled Monster''s shoulder.
Her ear connected with the space between its shoulder and chest a secondter.
"Is that a heart I''m hearing?"
"I''ve been hearing it too these days."
"It''s beating fast."
"As it should."
Elisa remained silent for a couple of seconds.
Badump-
Badump-
"Where is it anyways?"
"Huh?"
"On the right side?" She softly dragged her ear across his chest. "Or the left?"
Mark chuckled.
"Or maybe at the center. Or hidden in your stomach. Or-"
"Yes, yes. I get it. I''m not sure if I can move my heart around."
"Move it around... You probably can, right?"
"Probably."
Elisa slowly spread her legs so that her knees connected with the ground on either side of Mark''s hips.
She slowly pushed herself off.
"Can you stop it from beating?"
"I can. By dying, that is."
She lowered her hips until shey on him and slowly moved her hand towards his sternum.
"It''s beating fast." Elisa repeated. "You can''t stop it from beating fast, can you?"
Mark blinked despite not wanting.
Her beauty shone brightly under the moonlight.
"Can you?"
"I can''t."
Elisa stared silently. She brought a hand halfway to her lips, perhaps feeling the urge to bite down on her thumb nerveously, before setting back down.
"You said that Krista loved me."
"She does."
"Mm..." Elisa nodded quietly. "Since when do Monsters know about matters of the heart?"
A slight smile appeared on the white-scaled Monster''s face.
A smile that revealed countless sharp fangs.
"Since their heart started beating properly, I suppose."
"So there''s a proper and an improper way?"
Mark awkwardly pulled his hand closer to his face. Awkwardly, as he was trying not to move her arms whichy on either side of his shoulders.
He scratched the side of his forehead.
"There always is a proper and improper-"
"I like that." Elisa interrupted suddenly.
"Like... What?"
"You scratched your face."
"And?"
"You''re nervous?"
"Am I?"
"A bit?"
"Maybe."
"That''s good."
"Didn''t you want me to be like Krista?"
"I''m... Not sure what I want."
"Capricious as always."
"Capricious as always..." She whispered. "Monsters aren''t usually nervous."
Mark wanted to roll his eyes but didn''t.
"I''ve heard that before."
"You have?"
"From Zephyr."
"Zephyr..." Elisa scratched her head. The subject was changing. She didn''t want it to. "Your heart is beating fast." Elisa said as she moved the hand that rested on Mark''s chest. "Why?"
The white-scaled Monster chuckled.
"You want me to say it?"
The brazenness in his tone caught her off-guard, which made the hand on his chest freeze.
"I''m... Not sure what I want." Elisa whispered as she pulled back. Both her hand and upper body.
"Mm." Mark nodded. With the hands that had kept his trapped gone, he bent his elbows, and pushed himself off the ground.
Just enough for the back of his head and his upper back to leave the ground.
Cautiously.
Slowly.
Slowly, and without looking away.
He was a Monster.
So slowly was the only way for Mark to go.
Bncing himself on the thin rope.
Go too quickly, and she''ll run away.
Go too suddenly, and you''ll scare her off.
Slowly, Mark rose and his face got closer to hers.
"What about your heart?"
"What about it?" Elisa asked. Just like him, she refused to look away.
Mark lowered his gaze towards her lips, then towards her chest, before going back to her face.
His right hand rose off the ground.
He could feel her breath, and did his best to keep his to himself.
The hand slowly moved towards her chest.
Slowly, giving himself as much time as possible to notice any change in her facial expression that would indicate that she was about to run away.
There was none.
His hand stopped an inch away from her chest.
He wanted to feel her heartbeat.
And perhaps, she wanted him to feel it too.
Elisa was shaking slightly.
His hand, an inch away from her chest.
An inch away from her heart.
She was shaking, and so was his hand.
He was a Monster.
A Monster''s hand was closing in on her heart. But Elisa wasn''t scared. She trusted him with her life.
Her shaking ceased.
The hand''s didn''t.
Chapter 286 At A Crossroads, Part II?
286 At A Crossroads, Part II?
"It''s beating fast."
"Hmph!" Elisa immediately looked away. "Of course it would, when a Monster is this close."
"Yeah." Mark chuckled, his handying t on her chest. Rested carefully so as not to graze the breasts veiled by her white robe.
She gulped, and he felt something poke his hip.
''Huh?'' His hand slowly descended towards her hips, but it was stopped rather quickly.
"What are you doing?" Elisa asked sternly as she held his wrist.
The white-scaled Monster sighed and she let go.
Mark pulled his hand back and let his back rest on the ground once more.
"Always keeping them close, huh?"
"Well..." Elisa pressed her lips. "Yes. Even when sleeping." She answered as she revealed the Timeworn Elven Dagger hidden under her robe. "I''d feel... Naked without them, I guess."
"Mm. Well..." Mark bent his elbows, brought both his hands behind his head, and rested the back of his skull on them. "I quite like you naked."
"Feeling adventurous, huh? Now of all times? When I have a Weapon in hand?"
Mark simply chuckled.
Elisa sighed and stared at the moonlight reflected by her de.
"Time to sleep."
"Yes, yes. The border tomorrow. You''ve said that already."
"Oh. I have?"
"You have-"
"Good night then." Mark interrupted as he closed his eyes.
Elisa stared at the slight grin on his face, before letting her body copse on his. It wasn''t totally unexpected, but still made him grunt.
"The border... Finally, huh?" She whispered as her right cheeky on his chest.
"Yeah. Finally."
"Ever been?"
"To Lust? No."
"It''s a horrible ce apparently. Unlike how it has been for Sloth, we''ll have to cut Lust through the middle."
"Yeah."
Elisay her hands t, one over the other, before resting her chin on them.
"Not scared?" She asked, her face slightly tilted to the side as she looked at the white-scaled Monster''s face.
"We''ll be okay."
"Mm." She nodded. "Yes... We''ll be okay." Elisa repeated as shey the side of her face on her hands.
We-
It feels nice, thinking that way.
Thinking as a ''we''.
Both thought so.
A dozen silent seconds passed, and Mark peeked with a half-closed eye.
"You''re not sleeping."
"No."
"Even though I''m acting as a bed?"
"Mmm... Even though you''re acting as a bed."
Mark sighed and looked at the dark sky above.
"Need a story or something?"
"I''d like that."
"Huh, well... We talked about Drac before. I could tell you about his story. What I know anyways. Or... About Heracles. Yeah, let''s go with that. Apparently, he was-"
Elisay her chin on her hands once more.
"I want to hear that story."
"What story?"
"The one that you told us before."
"That one?"
"Mm." Elisa nodded. "About that boy. Did he get to run like he wanted?"
"Huh. You were listening more carefully than I thought."
"I was. So? Will you indulge me?"
"I''m afraid I can''t."
"Why not?"
"I can''t... Remember how the rest of the story goes, so... Heracles? We could even go for-"
"Then tell it again."
"Why? You seem to remember it fine."
"So? Stories are meant to be told again and again."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Plus, telling it might lead to you remembering how the rest of it goes."
"Ugh... Sure. Why not, I guess."
And so, Mark told the story as he stared at the dark sky above.
The story of the boy who loved running but couldn''t.
With wide eyes, Elisa listened carefully.
So carefully that she noticed everything.
Certain details which had been givenst time had, now, been forgotten. Or perhaps, omitted. Left out purposefully.
Some details were added.
Elisa noticed everything and listened very carefully.
Which is why she could tell that the story had changed.
The added and left-out details didn''t really change much to the story.
No.
It was more the teller''s tone. The points and events that he entuated. Certain passages.
This, overall, painted the story in apletely different shade.
A brighter one, in a way. A more hopeful one.
But that''s just how stories are.
They might be written and set in stone. But they, nevertheless, remain subject to the teller''s whims.
Just like real-life events can be seen from different perspectives. Just like a dozen people can have a dozen different outlooks on the same event. Different takeaways.
Elisa knew that well.
She listened carefully, and closed her eyes.
A bitter, Mark arrived at the end of his story.
He peeked, and she seemed to be asleep.
Peaceful and beautiful.
His palm stopped halfway for a bit. But eventually, ity on Elisa''s head.
"What are you doing?" She asked suddenly.
Mark didn''t answer. He closed his eyes as his hand stroke her hair.
"Huh. You''re..." She yawned. "Actually good at this."
"Yeah, well..." Mark turned his head to the side. The smirking Moonlit Feline seemed proud. "I''ve had some practice."
"Is that..." Elisa yawned again. "So?"
"Time to sleep, Princess."
"If..." A third yawn. "If you insist... I guess..."
Elisa started falling asleep rather quickly.
''Who knew a Monster''s touch...'' Shefortably spread her hands andy her left cheek on his chest. ''Could be so soothing...''
It took a bit longer for Mark to fall asleep.
His hand gently stroke her hair for a while as he thought.
Mark thought about many things. But mainly about,
''What to do...?''
What to do?
10:04
Go to the Elven Forest?
You''ve been invited.
It''s your turn now. Your move, Mark
To ept, or decline the invitation?
What to do?
Go to the Elven Forest?
Stay with Elisa and Krista?
Why are you hesitant? Why haven''t you decided yet?
Will you ept or reject the offer?
You care about them, don''t you?
Why not stay with them? What else is there for you anyways? There''s nothing else out there. You know that.
No?
Well, let''s see. There are...
Commanders.
Commanders, Generals, and Demon Lords?
You''d give this up for Commanders and Generals?
Surely you wouldn''t, would you?
Then choose, Mark.
Decide.
You like being with them.
You really do.
Choose.
Quickly.
Choose!
Choose before she gets irritated.
Before she forces your hand.
Before she decides for you.
Lady Fate.
Chapter 287 How It Would Feel Like To...
287 How It Would Feel Like To...
''The map doesn''t indicate anything about the Border between Sloth and Lust. Troublesome.''
His hand, almost absent-mindedly, continued stroking her hair as he stared at the sky above.
''Once we enter Lust, it''s highly likely that the Demon Lord Of Lust will feel my presence, just like the Demon Lord Of Sloth did. If that''s the case then... Should I cross first? Or should I leave them to cross and then join them? No, that wouldn''t work. That Commander was sent for me, so unless there ismunication between the Demon Lords, they shouldn''t expect me. Would theymunicate? I doubt it. Even Raven and Nia who are on the same side weren''tmunicating properly. And we''re talking about Demon Lords here. Enemies. Or at least rivals, I guess. Two Lords whose Territories neighbor one another...''
The white-scaled Monster sighed.
''The Demon Lord Of Sloth expressed interest in me pretty quickly. It''s possible that, unlike him, the Demon Lord Of Lust won''t care about me. That would be for the best. Still, the Demon Lord Of Lust might send Underlings to get me. If they''re not waiting for me right away, then crossing after or before Elisa and Krista wouldn''t change a thing. In the first ce, it must be thanks to his eyes that the Commander could find me. Maybe the Demon Lord Of Lust won''t be as lucky. Lucky to have someone with a simr ability. But in any case...'' Mark lowered his gaze towards the Princess peacefully sleeping on top of him. ''I''m more likely to survive, more likely to win, with them on my side.''
Even though it meant putting them in danger.
''I''ll win and Devour stronger Monsters. That''s what I should be doing with Elisa. That''s... What I should be using her for. The three of us fight, and I Devour. Devour... Until I have the strength to fight alone.''
Mark felt a sudden tingle.
The sleeping Princess moved her head, and he could feel her breath on his chest.
Each breath. In and out. In and out.
He immediately became acutely aware of her.
Of her body pressed against his.
Of her breathing.
Of her hands whichy on his chest.
Of her heart beating inside her chest as it rested on his.
Of her breasts pressed against him.
Mark''s left hand stopped stroking her hair.
Ity instead on her head, unmoving.
His right hand slowly moved. Slowly, towards her hand.
Under the gentle moonlight, hey his hand on hers.
The sleeping Princess softly grasped his index finger.
Softly and lightly.
Mark could tell that he could escape from her grasp. That he could move his hand away with ease.
She held his index finger so lightly that, despite the finger being grasped, it wasn''t trapped.
He could pull it back freely were the urge to do so arise.
Because -that- is how Elisa was.
Light and free.
Soft and gentle.
Carefree and uplifting.
Compassionate and loving.
The kind of love that doesn''t turn into a prison.
The kind of love that doesn''t aim to catch and trap with its webs.
The kind of love that doesn''t expect.
The kind of love which wouldn''t turn to hatred were it to be disappointed.
Light andpassionate.
Forever hopeful, despite everything she had gone through.
Despite-
Mark held her hand as he gazed at her slender fingers.
His gaze moved from her fingers to her wrist. From her wrist to her arm. From her arm to her shoulder. From her shoulder to her face. From her face to her back. From her back to her hips. From her hips to her legs.
He held her hand a bit more firmly and, through her sleep, she smiled slightly.
Mark wanted to be there for her.
Despite everything she had-
He wanted to be with her.
Despite everything she had-
He wanted to make her smile more.
Despite everything she had-
He wanted to make her smile more widely.
Despite everything she had-
He wanted to make herugh more often.
Despite everything she had-
He wanted her tough even more whole-heartedly than was already the case.
You even made me y tag with Krista and the others-
Ridiculous-
How ridiculous was that-
So ridiculous but... I really needed that-
He wanted her tough more.
He wanted her to smile more brightly.
He wanted her to have more light-hearted fun.
He wanted her to be happy.
Despite everything, he wanted her to be happy.
Despite everything, he wanted her to smile.
So what if it meant staying in the Elven Forest?
So what if it meant changing myself for her?
So what if it meant answering her when I wasn''t sure?
So what... If it helps her smile? If it means her happiness?
Mark, of course, wasn''t sure that these things were true.
He wasn''t sure whether they were, or if his feeling were exaggerating the picture.
But it didn''t matter.
If it meant protecting the smile that hides countless past atrocities-
No.
Not the smile which hides them. The smile which triumphs over them.
If it meant protecting that smile then-
Mark''s heart started beating faster.
He wanted to be with her.
He wanted to know more about her.
He wanted to see more of her.
He wanted to spend more time with her. To talk to her more.
Mark wondered how it would feel to be more truthful with her.
How it would feel to talk more openly.
How touching her body would feel.
How telling her these things would feel.
How kissing her neck would feel.
How being with her in the Elven Forest would feel.
How her flesh would taste.
How it would feel to-
STOMP-
Mark''s body froze.
He pulled his left hand away from her head, and his other hand away from hers. He tilted his head to the side, and the Moonlit Feline pulled its paws away from his cheek.
"Thanks... For being here..." Mark whispered.
He brought a hand to Krista''s neck and stroke the side of the neck with a curled index finger.
"You always know when my mind goes to a bad ce, huh?"
Purrr-
"Thanks... For protecting me." The white-scaled Monster''s gaze went back to the sky above. "And for standing between me and Elisa that day."
Purrr-
Chapter 288 Arriving At The Border
?
"Since one of them made you Evolve that time... Mm. ording to Nia, these won''t be enough but..."
Mark called out his Inventory. The Moonlit Feline stared with glittering eyes at the three Underling Evolution Pills that appeared on its Master''s palm.
''I''m still unsure how Evolving will go for my Underlings now that I''m outside the Dungeon. Also unsure about how I''ll be able to make more of these...''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" shrugs.]
"Right." Mark chuckled in a low voice.
The Moonlit Feline walked closer to the Underling Evolution Pills.
''For now, I''d better use them. They might help... Fill the gauge necessary to fill before Evolution, or something.''
The Moonlit Feline reached forward with its front paws while keeping its backside up and its tail swaying.
"Ready..." Mark closed his hand around the Underling Evolution Pills and prepared to shoot them one by one like marbles. "Go!"
The feline predator jumped towards each Underling Evolution Pill and caught them with its mouth before any of them could reach the ground.
The white-scaled Monstery on the ground with its arms spread to the sides while Krista cracked the Underling Evolution Pills with her teeth.
"Time to get some sleep-"
Mark''s whispering was cut short.
Every muscle on his face and neck twitched.
The sleeping Princess on his body had turned around.
And as she did, her right arm was extended up.
The Monster''s eyes were wide open.
It had clenched its fists and contracted every muscle that covered its body.
It kept its mouth wide open. And in doing so, fought back against its every instinct.
The Monster''s heart beat so powerfully that it felt like it could explode at any second, as the Princess''s handy between its jaws.
Its arms and legs trembled to fight back the urge it had developed.
The urge to snap its jaws shut.
The urge to close its mouth andcerate with its fangs.
Siiiigh-
The sleeping Princess stretched both her arms up, and the Monster remained frozen with its mouth wide open.
The next second, the back of her limp left hand fell on the Monster''s nose.
With her back on his stomach, the Princess stretched some more, kicking his legs with hers.
Mark remained unmoving for a minute.
With his mouth wide open, he didn''t dare move a muscle.
''Capricious...''
Mark let his neck twist to the side.
Hey his right cheek against the ground and brought his right hand to his face.
With a push of his thumb, he slowly pushed his chin up, shutting his jaws.
''Even in her sleep.''
Mark closed his eyes.
Its right palm covering its shut mouth, the Monster went to sleep.
...
Mark''s eyelids twitched.
It was dawn.
Elisa had moved around quite a bit in her sleep, but he could feel her arms and head on his body.
Shey on her side, with her arms crossed over his stomach and her head on her left arm.
Mark could also tell that the Moonlit Feline was close, as its white pelt tickled the side of his head from time to time.
Assuming that Elisa getting this close to him at night was mostly due to the toxic mushrooms she had consumed the day before, he wasn''t sure what to do.
Go back to sleep? Feign sleep?
Why?
So that she could wake up and move away before he could wake up.
Mark thought that it was a childish thing to do. That it was a childish thing to even think about.
But he didn''t dislike it.
In Elisa''s presence, he felt that he could allow himself these kind of thoughts.
He could allow himself to be-
''Huh?''
It happened again.
Tap-
Mark''s left eyelid rose ever so slightly.
She was awake.
And she knew that he was too.
"Morning." She said suddenly before tapping his stomach with the tip of her index finger for a third time.
"Morning."
"Care to exin this?" Elisa asked as the tip of her index fingery on his stomach.
"Exin... What?"
"Did you sneak up on me while I was asleep?"
"That''d be difficult." Mark chuckled. "Since... You''re on top and everything."
"Mm. So you took advantage of the fact that I was under the influence to get closer?"
Mark raised his eyebrows dismissively.
"You know that''s not what happened."
"Yes..." Elisa bent her left elbow and raised her head off her arm, letting it rest against her palm instead. "I know."
Their gaze moved towards Krista, whose mouth was wide open as she let out a long yawn.
Feeling refreshed, the Moonlit Feline stretched its limbs and back. It felt so good that its body shook at the peak of each stretch.
They remained silent for a bit, and Elisa''s gaze moved towards the tip of her index finger whichy on Mark''s stomach.
The tip of her index finger drew a small circle in one continuous motion.
"Should we get going?"
The Princess raised the tip of her finger slightly off him.
"Yes." She answered before tapping the center of the circle she had drawn.
It was only a couple of secondster that Elisa pushed herself off, stood up, and stretched her arms upwards as she yawned.
The white-scaled Monster scratched its cheek before pushing itself off the ground.
"The border, huh?" Elisa whispered after calling out her Inventory.
The Elven Light Armor Set she had grown ustomed to appeared and covered her body.
She took the Timeworn Elven Daggers out from their sheathes and swung them a couple of times.
"Nervous?"
"Does I look nervous?"
Mark shrugged in response.
Elisa swung her Timeworn Elven Daggers for a bit longer before putting them back into their sheathes and extending an arm forward.
The Wind immediately started moving ording to her will.
"Can''t sense anything. But don''t let your guard down." She warned as she turned towards him.
"Yeah. The border..." Mark cracked his neck. "Some kind of Boss Room, right?"
"You can see it that way."
The Moonlit Feline climbed up the white-scaled Monster''s body, and the three were on their way.
The trees around them grew scarcer and scarcer.
Once the border could nearly be seen, what alerted them was,
"Huh?" Elisa stopped. "Sounds like..."
"Women?"
Chapter 289 Honey Trap
?
Coming from beyond the trees, their voices could be heard.
Pleasant and feminine.
Cheerful and inviting.
The sshing of the water they bathed in.
Theirughs and giggles.
Half a dozen women swam in the water.
Naked and carefree.
They sshed each other and ran away from one another yfully.
The sun was shining.
And they were beautiful.
"Hmph! You don''t have to stare that hard." Elisa whispered as she rolled her eyes.
"I''m not staring." Mark denied.
"Sure you are. So that''s your type, huh? With you having white scales, it makes sense."
"They''re too pale for me."
"Oh, is that so? But with them being naked, you can''t keep yourself from staring, huh?"
"I guess so..." Mark whispered as he scratched his chin while staring at the women in the distance. "Still, it''s weird."
"It''s weird that you''re staring. Let''s go see-"
"No..." Mark raised an arm to the side barring her route.
"What? Oh..." She noticed his right eye shining under the bandage hiding it. "Anything?"
"Their Mana is really simr."
"That''s to be expected."
"They also look alike."
"So?"
Mark thought silently for a bit.
"Can you shoot one of them? With an arrow?"
"HUH? Why would I do that?"
"Just to make sure-"
"I''m not doing that."
"Fine." Mark said as he suddenly extended an arm towards the faraway group of women chuckling and giggling in the water.
The Fire Ball which appeared in front of his palm quickly turned red, before being condensed to a smaller size.
"Are you serious?? Stop that-"
The attack was fired.
''They have a slight blueish hue. It''s hard to notice but... Surely-''
Mark started doubting himself as the attack remained unnoticed even though it was getting closer and closer to the group.
The Fire Ball eventually came into contact with the closest woman, and the group immediately froze.
The attack, having been Condensed to a great degree, went through the woman''s arm and only exploded after it was underwater.
"See? Now we have to apologize!"
The frozen group of women immediately turned their gazes in Mark''s direction.
Their anger was more than obvious due to their facial expression.
The same facial expression.
"What are they?" Mark asked.
"How should I know? Nymphs, Water Spirits, anything is possible!"
"Mmm... They''re not moving. Not hiding or getting out of the water."
"That''s because you attacked them while they were in their house! Maybe!"
"Huh..."
"Anyways, let''s get closer and-"
"No." Mark grabbed Elisa''s wrist as she started walking forward. "Let''s wait a bit."
"Wait for what?"
It only took a couple of seconds for bubbles to start rising all over the area on which the women stood, submerged to their waists.
The next second, they were pulled down underwater.
"See?"
"See what? They''re hiding-"
The next second, something raised arge amount of water as it emerged.
"Uhu." Mark nodded as he stared at the rising Monster.
"Ugh... A honey trap, really?"
"Well, this is the Border between Lust and Sloth. Lust, Elisa."
"Yes, yes... I guess it''s in the name."
"I''m more worried about the water."
"Mm. Doesn''t look like ake."
"More like a sea."
"The sea, huh? I''ve heard about that."
The emerging Monster seemed to wait for something as the two stared and talked.
"Think it can''t go onnd?"
"Maybe. Can''t count on that though."
"With the... Sea... Being that wide, there might be a lot of them."
Only the top portion of the Monster''s body had left the water, the rest remained submerged.
As only part of it could be seen, it was assumed to be a toad-like Monster.
Its pinkish eyes stared as it remained unmoving.
The way its eyelids moved seemed awkward.
"Doesn''t do well in the sun."
"Then Fire Magic?"
"Probably. I don''t like the fact that it''s just staring though."
On top of the gigantic toad-like Monster''s head, six long and limp tentacle-like body parts were hanging to the side of its head and remained under the water.
"So you want to wait for it to throw the first move?"
"Well... I''m not waiting for it. I''m hoping that it won''t."
Mark rolled his eyes.
"This is the Monster Realm."
"So?"
The toad-like Monster''s head rose a bit more.
It moved in a way that made it rather obvious to guess that it was,
"Drinking the water?"
"You mean sucking it in? I''m pretty sure I''ve seen this one before." Mark said as he ced a hand on the Moonlit Feline on his shoulder and started moving to the right.
Elisa nodded as she started moving to the left.
Just as both had expected, a stream ofpressed water was shot their way.
The stream easily cut the trees on its way in half as the Monster rotated its head towards Elisa.
Crash-
Cut-
Crash-
Trees were cut one by one as the stream got closer to her.
And suddenly, the stream stopped moving.
The Dark Elf had disappeared out of nowhere.
Left confused, the toad-like Monster could only stare in bewilderment.
"It threw the first move. Okay to fight now?" The white-scaled Monster teased.
Elisa, who had just rejoined his side, rolled her eyes as she remained crouched on a tree''s branch.
"Sure."
The white-scaled Monster took a couple of steps forward before swaying its arms as if warming up.
''Let''s try that one again. I think it might turn into a Skill with enough practice. I can feel myself getting better at using it every time too.'' Mark thought to himself as he extended his arms forward.
Elisa stared expectantly.
''Just like the Fire Spirit... Just like the Fire Spirit... Explosive, but controlled... Explosive, but controlled... Wild, untamed, but directed... Wild, untamed, but...'' He repeated to himself internally.
The gigantic toad-like Monster, unable to find the enemy that had disappeared, turned towards him.
Mark held his palms vertical to the ground, and about forty centimeters apart from one another.
''Get as much Fire in as possible... Straight away.''
Immediately, the red mes that had appeared between his palms grew wilder and wilder.
''A bit more...''
The pressure was enough to make Mark''s arms tremble.
Nevertheless, his fingers connected.
Thumb with thumb.
Index finger with index finger.
Only his middle fingers remained apart, leaving the only space for the condensed fire to go wild.
''Even stronger...'' He smiled nerveously. ''Than it was before!''
Chapter 290 A Challenge From The Princess
?
Mark let out a low grunt as he realized that the attack couldn''t be strengthened any further without risking it exploding in his face.
Not only that, but he couldn''t even keep it controlled for much longer.
Mark directed his extended arms towards the center of the toad-like Monster''s head.
It couldn''t be controlled.
It was time to release-
His focus on the point he wanted to hit suddenly broke.
Mark''s eyes widened and his shaking grew more intense as the point he was aiming for was suddenly hidden.
What took its ce was,
"MOVE-"
He could only afford to shout that one word.
Anything more than that, and his focus would have been hindered to a point where the violent and unstable energy between his palms would go wild, aimed right at Elisa''s back.
''Wha...?'' Stunned, Mark''s mind went nk for a fraction of a second.
The two had been fighting side by side for a while.
Both had gotten used to the style of fighting they had developed.
It worked. So why change it, right?
They had even managed to defeat a Commander. A Commander which they, individually, couldn''t have defeated.
Mark taking the front.
Krista attacking from a wider distance.
Elisa stealthily and nimbly hiding from the opponent in its own blind spots while waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.
Why change now?
Why?
Change was something that Mark hated.
No. It was something he loved.
In truth, it was, perhaps, a bit moreplex than that.
''Can I redirect it...? Can I Manipte the same way I can manipte my Fire Balls or could manipte the Fire Spirit''s attacks?''
Mark knew he couldn''t do so.
While he had grown more ustomed to using Fire Magic, such a feat wasn''t feasible at his level.
Or perhaps, it was because he had reached this level that he couldn''t do it.
Because the attack had been pumped full of Mana.
Because it had been so efficiently and extremely Condensed.
''Should I... Try to-''
At the thought, a mild headache surfaced.
Absorbing the mes the same way he had absorbed the mes that were taking over the Forest Of Yarnha wasn''t feasible either.
The attack had to be let go of. There was no other choice.
The mes he had conjured up refused for there to be any other oue possible.
''I should...''
Why change it?
I take the front, while she...
I take the front, while she...
Why change it?
Why now, at the worst possible moment?
What is this supposed to aplish?
No matter how Mark tried to wrap his mind around it, he couldn''t find a logical reason. He couldn''t find a reason why doing it this way would give them any sort of edge or advantage.
Why change it?
''Aim at the sky? Or to the side? But then...?''
Mark''s mind raced.
His thought process elerated further.
Partly thanks to the High Elven Pupil, no doubt.
Why change it?
The table had reversed. The bnce, broken.
Am I supposed to assist her?
How do I do that?
With Magic Skills?
Then why did she position herself in front of me?
Not with Magic Skills?
Then how?
The same way she has?
The same way she has been assisting me?
How do I do that?
I can''t do that.
I can''t move the same way she can.
I can''t hide the same way she can.
''Grrr...!''
Mark gritted his teeth. He did his best to hold fire.
And suddenly, her back which was getting further and further didn''t seem like a liability.
Her positioning wasn''t a mistake, a blunder, or an oversight.
No.
It was a challenge.
The way Levi and Light understood him perfectly when fighting.
The way she understood him perfectly.
The way she was always in tune with his next move.
A challenge to guess her next move.
No. To find her next move.
Her next move.
Her next move.
What is Elisa''s next move?
She was running straight ahead.
Top speed? Approximately, yes.
The toad-like Monster''s tentacles were approaching her.
Mark''s own attack was about to go wild, in a straight line towards her.
How can I tell what she''s about to do?
The tentacles. I can see them.
I can aim for them. The angle is narrow enough that I can move my palms towards them.
That''s where I should aim. Away from her.
''Ha...'' Elisa smiled nervously as she ran forward. ''He still hasn''t fired it.'' Her heart was beating faster and faster. A drop of sweat went down her cheek. ''I trust you, Mark. With my life, I trust you. The same way you''ve trusted me every time we fought side by side. Now it''s my turn...'' The toad-like Monster''s thick tentacles scratched the ground as they approached, and the ground shattered as if it were as thin and fragile as a piece of ss. ''To put my life in your hands!''
Mark''s breathing grew heavier as he stared at the Princess who was unsheathing her Timeowrn Elven Daggers.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" processes the situation!]
[Your "High Elven Pupil[S]" spits out part of the "Combative Eyes[D]" Passive Skill!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" works harder!]
[Your Passive Skill "Combative Eyes[D]" is embedded inside your Left Eye!]
[Your Passive Skill "Combative Eyes[D]" bes "Combat-Focused Pupil[C]"!]
The next second, the world seemed to slow down further.
It was truly a strange phenomenon.
Mark had no time to think about it, but, of course, he could tell.
His field of vision seemed to have been split.
One Eye, capable of detecting Mana and Links, showcased a bright and colorful world.
The other, a world devoid of colors, as if that Eye rejected anything that didn''t have to do with movement, withbat.
On the right, a colorful World. On the left, a slowed-down World.
This did mean that there was a huge difference between how each Eye perceived the World.
But that huge difference didn''t phase Mark one bit.
Even though two versions of the World were being shown to him at once.
Why?
Because only one thing mattered to him at the present.
The focal point.
The sweet spot.
The ce where both Worlds met and ovepped.
''I''ll take this challenge head-on!''
Mark''s headache grew more intense.
''What...''
But even that, he couldn''t notice.
''Would Elisa do? What...''
A nervous smile appeared on his face.
''WILL Elisa do?''
Chapter 291 Krishren
?
Elisa. Elisa. Elisa.
What would Elisa do?
Would she bet on me moving my aim towards the tentacles at the sides? If so, which tentacle? Right, or left? How should I know?
Inside the Forest Of Yarnha.
We had to choose.
I chose ''Right''.
She let me choose.
But I think... She would have gone ''Left''?
Then does this mean she will go ''Left''?
Me choosing ''Right'' again would make sense.
No, that''s not enough to bet on!
How does she do it?
How does she always know my next move?
How does she always act ordingly?
Is it her speed? Her Agility Stat? Her Sense Stat?
Does she react once I start moving?
That won''t work! There''s no time for that!
Think! Think!
What would Elisa do?
Click-
Mark contracted his arm muscles, and the amount of Mana between his palms increased even further.
''Trust my decision. Trust myself... Trust... The image of Elisa that''s inside my mind!''
How does Elisa fight?
How does Elisa move?
How does she act?
I''ve seen it over and over again.
Use all those things to predict her next move.
Elisa likes running. She likes moving. She likes fighting.
No, she likes sparring. She likes ying tag.
She dislikes killing.
No matter the enemy, she dislikes killing it.
Aiming for their limbs, limiting their ability to move and attack, that''s how Elisa fights.
To give me the opportunity to... No. To give them the opportunity to run away until thest moment.
''That''s why I know you won''t continue running in a straight line. At the speed you''re going, at the speed those tentacles are approaching... I just need to hold it one second more. And then!''
Theser-like beam of intenselypressed mes was shot, aimed at Elisa''s back as she got further and further away.
''The point where my attack, you, and the Monster''s limbs meet. An instant before the three cross, you''ll...''
The Princess swung her Timeworn Elven Daggers twice at the approaching tentacles before hopping off the ground with a cartwheel, allowing her to take footing on the tentacle on her left.
Mark''s attack, now visible, the toad-like Monster moved its other tentacle to block. A hole was easily made through that tentacle.
''You''ll run to get closer. Closer to its eyes...'' The white-scaled Monster thought as it continued firing the beam. ''But we still don''t know how many of these are around here. We don''t know what it''s hiding under the water either, so you''ll stop and-''
After crossing little over half the distance separating her from the toad-like Monster, the Princess, with great dexterity, sheathed her Timeworn Elven Daggers and, without turning around, jumped back to dodge the tentacle''s end that was approaching her back.
In less than a second and while remaining in the air after performing a graceful somersault, she aimed her Wind Arrow and pulled on the bowstring between her fingers.
''Tsk.'' Mark clicked his tongue as the toad-like Monster opened its mouth.
The stream ofpressed water collided with the beam of condensed mes.
Pshhhh-
A cloud of evaporated water immediately hid the area where both attacks met.
Mark could feel it though.
''Evenly matched...? No. The water is being evaporated. The meeting point is getting closer to it. Still...'' His headache grew more intense as he tried to add more Mana into the attack while keeping it rtively stable and controble. ''Will it run out of water before-''
The white-scaled Monster''s eyelids rose slightly as it realized that the endurance match wasn''t truly one.
Instantaneously, Elisa''s feetnded and slid on the ground while the Wind Arrow she had shot collided with the side of the toad-like Monster''s head.
The explosion due to the high quantity of wind beingpressed didn''t deal much damage to the Monster, as its body was covered by sturdy scales of a light sand color.
It didn''t deal much damage to those scales, but the explosion forced the toad-like Monster to move its head.
And as its head moved, so did the stream of water, leaving Mark''s attack free to close the distance.
Realizing the threat, the toad-like Monster tried to flee underwater, but the beam was too quick to allow that.
It collided with the upper portion of the Monster''s mouth.
Thepressed mes gnawed at and scorched the sturdy scales, leaving a vertical line of carved and charred flesh on the toad-like Monster''s head as it lowered itself underwater.
But before it could hidepletely,
Ice Spike-
Ice Spike-
Ice Spike-
Ice Spike-
The toad-like Monster''s escape was stopped as the water around it started solidifying.
The Moonlit Feline raised its head up, and the Mana materialized.
The Freezing Spear above it rapidly cut through the air and moved towards the Monster''s left eye.
Unable to escape underwater, the Monster raised its tentacles defensively.
The Freezing Spear collided and pierced its tentacle, and thetter started freezing rapidly.
The Frost moved up the tentacle until it reached both the water and the rest of the Monster''s body.
Eventually, the beam ofpressed mes pierced through the Monster''s skull.
CROAK-
CROAK-
The Monster''s anglerfish-like feelers started rising out of the water.
Elisa immediately jumped back as the ''women'' at the extremities of those feelers appeared.
Now being able to see them more closely, their bodies seemed slimy andcking in detail. It was as if they were being consumed, or had be part of the Monster''s body.
Noticing that did make Elisa click her tongue.
She did not know whether that Monster was born that way or not, but the thought of those women having, once, been separate from it made her feel sick.
Luring them closer, consuming the males, keeping the females to lure the next victims...
Elisa wasn''t sure that it was this way. Still, this was the border leading to Lust.
The women''s voices cried out and screamed.
Elisa watched, feeling both sick and disgusted.
Eventually, the beam of Compressed mes made its way through the Monster''s head.
[You have defeated a Krishren!]
[You have earned 400 Experience Points!]
Mark stopped pumping Mana into the attack and let out a sigh.
The next second, both ground and water shook violently as a dozen Krishrens emerged, the women at the extremity of their feelers shouting in anger.
Chapter 292 Three-Way Fight At The Border I
?
"MOVE!" Elisa shouted.
"I''M TRYING!!" Mark shouted back as he jumped to the side, leaving space for the huge tentacle to descend upon the ground powerfully. "Tsk. Twelve of them at once... And more are rising from the-"
The white-scaled Monster let its body fall t on the ground and another tentacle wiped the area just above it.
"HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO CROSS THIS PLACE?? THERE''S NO END TO THEM OR TO THE WATER!!"
Elisa clicked her tongue.
Dodging wasn''t an issue for her, but damaging the gigantic and numerous enemies wasn''t as simple a matter.
"I don''t know. Let''s focus on buying time for now." With a side flip, Elisa moved out of the way. Her Timeworn Elven Daggers drew six wounds instantaneously on the tentacle that had approached, but theck of damage incurred by the toad-like Monster made her click her tongue again.
The Monsters were about ten to fifteen times their size, and that was simply counting the main body and not the long tentacles that seemed able to cross endless distances.
''Too big. Too many Health Points. We''ll run out of Mana or Endurance Points before we can finish them. Who knows what else might be lurking under the water. If we decide to cross, we''ll need plenty of energy to do that. Should we run along the border? Find when the water ends? What if it doesn''t? What if we need to go back to the Rift to get around...?''
Mark jumped up to dodge the vertical swipe but,
BAM-
His body was thrown to the ground with great strength. The force was enough to make his body bounce against the ground, but Mark took that bounce as an opportunity to get back on his feet.
''Fucking blindspot... With so many of them around-''
"MARK! KRISTA!" Elisa shouted.
The two which had been struggling to dodge and fight back turned towards her without taking focus off the enemies.
"Aim for their mouths!"
"Oh..." Mark and Krista exchanged a look before they were forced to dodge the attacks.
It was a sound assumption.
The Krishren kept their bodies underwater. Anything below their upper jaw remained under at all times. At all times except when it was time to shoot the stream ofpressed water. Assuming their mouth or the inside of it to be a weak point was reasonable.
"Heh..."
In the first ce, attackingrge enemies from the inside was a tactic Mark had learned and started using long ago.
Against the Chimera Boss Monster on the Dungeon''s Ninth Floor for the first time. A fight he remembered sourly.
But this was different.
It wasn''t a wound he could enter, but the Monster''s mouth. Still, being inside there would be the quickest and simplest way to deal with the enemy.
Except there are 12 of thoserge enemies in front of him currently.
"Ke... Ke... Kek..." Muffled chuckles escaped Mark''s mouth.
Aim for the mouth.
Don''t get hit.
Aim for the mouth.
Don''t get hit.
Keep an eye on the tentacles. Every single one of them.
Turn around to make sure you don''t get hit from a blind spot.
Keep an eye on their heads. Notice when any of them opens its mouth to take in the water.
On the left, the right, behind you.
A tentacle being mmed from above.
Mark took a deep breath in.
''Do it... Just like Elisa ying tag...''
His feet started moving.
''Naturally... And casually...''
But what moved more than his feet was,
''Keep an eye... On everything!''
Notice the attack approaching.
No time to waste. Gauge how much time the attack needs to reach you. Turn around. Find the next threat. Dodge the first while ncing at the Krishren''s heads. None opened its mouth. Turn left. Turn right. Oh... By moving towards the one approaching on the left, I can dodge both at once.
''Now!''
''Now!''
A fraction of a second apart, both Mark and Elisa aimed at the Krishren that had just opened its mouth.
There were eleven Krishrens by its side, so it really wasn''t worried about being attacked.
A grave mistake, as a Wind Arrow and a Great Fire Ball embued with the mes Of Chaos entered its mouth at once.
Elisa''s eyes widened and the corner of her lips curled up as she noticed his attack.
''He got it-''
But just as she turned towards him, a tentacle mmed him against the ground.
''Still got some work to do...'' She thought to herself.
The Krishren, having felt something enter its mouth, immediately and instinctively closed its jaws shut.
Another grave mistake that only added to the pressure, making the explosion even more violent.
''Up fast... Up fast...!'' Mark repeated to himself internally as he used the momentum of his rolling body to rise on all fours and start running again. ''Those two are... Toote. I won''t have the time to reach them. Keep the streams they''re about to shoot in mind. Twoing from above, one from the left. This is...!''
[Your Passive Skill "Wind Burst[C+]" activates to the fullest extent!]
''The more I move, the lighter my body bes...!'' Mark felt incessant shivers go down his spine.
The smile on his face kept gettingrger andrger.
The boy whose body was born with chains could run freely.
More than freely.
[Your Passive Skill "Wind Burst[C+]" is Evolving!]
Anything that dares attempt to move has to fight.
Whether to run, walk, jump, or even fall.
Anything moving fights to do so.
But only the blessed few do not need to do so.
Only those blessed by the Wind do not need to fight it.
Only those blessed by it, do not run against the Wind, but with it.
Your every movement, facilitated by the Wind.
Your every move, encouraged by it.
''This is...'' With wide eyes and a light heart, the white-scaled Monster moved faster and faster, with ever-growing efficacy and efficiency. ''So much fun!''
Five secondster, Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
The movements, the rhythm, the tempo.
It had all changed.
Why so suddenly?"
"Found you." She whispered, her clenched fist pulled back.
Her speed was such that Mark couldn''t dodge at all.
Turning around and raising his arms defensively was as much as he could do.
BAM-
His feet drifted on the ground about a dozen meters away.
He was still standing.
That strength.
Looking down at his broken wrists wasn''t necessary for him to know how powerful she was.
Excluding Raven, she was the strongest he had everid eyes upon.
"Time to die, little snake." Ani dered as she mmed her fists together.
Krishrens behind him.
A Commander in front of him.
The Monster''s smile grew wider.
Chapter 293 Three-Way Fight At The Border II
Chapter 293 Three-Way Fight At The Border II
"Time to die, little snake."
Ani, the Orcish Fiend and Commander Of Sloth, mmed her fists together.
''I was just getting used to it... And now this gets added to the mix?'' The white-scaled Monster thought as it smiled nerveously.
The Commander waited a handful of seconds for an answer. There was no real reason to expect the Monster to be intelligent or capable of speech. But the fact that her punch has pushed it this far despite not putting one hundred percent of what she had into it did seem to point towards the Monster being intelligent when coupled with the fact that Lin was the one it had fought.
''Krista is doing a good job dodging their attacks. I can focus on this. Problem is...''
Ani stared silently for a bit before raising an eyebrow.
She let out a grunt before roughly scratching the side of her head.
"Are you really the one who fought him?"
Before the white-scaled Monster''s lips could part, the ground below the Commander cracked as sheunched herself closer.
''Faster than them... As fast as Elisa...?'' Mark asked himself as the world around him started slowing down. Sensing little Mana from the approaching enemy, he closed his right eye and focused on his left. ''The Monsters stopped attacking once she got here. Must be a Commander too...? Did they recognize her as such and stop attacking?''
Ani''s fist was dodged, but the air pressure could be felt.
Mark quickly jumped back.
This wasn''t the kind of enemy he could afford to mess around with. Not that the thought had even crossed his mind.
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
"Mm." Ani nodded, seemingly unimpressed. "Guess you would have needed at least this much to go against him."
''If she''s a Commander of Sloth, then Monsters in Sloth won''t attack her... Maybe. They''ll recognize her Authority as Commander and step back, run away, or, perhaps, even follow her orders. But this isn''t Sloth. It''s the Border. So... What will happen?''
With a frown on her face, Ani stared at the white-scaled Monster in front of her.
The one she had chased for killing Lin, a fellow Commander and Orcish Fiend.
She was slightly confused.
Spending all this time to find... This?
''A Feline and a Monster covered by scales. What Boa said checks out. Still, this doesn''t make sense. The Feline moves well, but it''s nothing special. This Monster... Is nothing special either. I dominate him in both Agility and Strength. I dominate him in both of those... Just like I dominated Lin in both of those. Then...''
A thick vein appeared on Ani''s neck. Something that the white-scaled Monster did not miss.
Her frustration and anger, Mark noticed them on her face.
He knew she wasing.
"How could you lose to them...?" The Commander whispered, before moving forward with great speed.
Mark''s eyebrow rose questioningly as he dodged the first punch.
''How could you lose to them?''
And the second punch.
''How could you lose to them?''
And the third punch.
"How could you lose to such weaklings?" Ani whispered as she stopped.
Mark stepped back.
''Her speed is... She''s-''
Before he could move a muscle, her fist collided with his stomach.
UGH-
"HOW THE FUCK COULD BE WEAK ENOUGH TO LOSE AGAINST THIS??" Ani shouted as the white-scaled Monster wasunched away rolling on the ground.
Cough-
Ugh-
With wide eyes, Mark stared at the sky above.
Blood went down the side of his mouth as he coughed.
One hit. Just one hit.
One hit was all it took, for his stomach to be crushed.
Despite his tough body and muscles, one hit.
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
Marky his gaze on the unmoving Commander, and slowly rose to his feet without looking away for even a second.
''I can dodge if I focus on her and her only. All my focus... Just to dodge. Hitting back would be difficult. I''ll have to switch targets. Right now, it feels like-''
Mark jumped back. Just as he thought it would, a huge tentacle was mmed powerfully right on the spot he had been upying less than a second earlier.
Ani immediately clicked her tongue. Her annoyance grew.
''...''
Mark jumped back.
''From this distance, I should be able to dodge her. Mmh. The way she''s staring at them... She''s notmanding them. If anything, she sees them as a hindrance. If that''s the case, then her focus will be split too? Yarnha didn''t want anything to do with the Demon Lord Of Sloth... It might be the same for the Monsters upying the Border.''
"Are you thinking in there, or did you beat him with pure luck or something?"
her palm.
"This..." Ani whispered as her hair flew back from the air pressure. "This is the worst."
The white-scaled Monster scratched its head.
A tentacle swiped the area, and Mark jumped up to dodge.
This was an important moment for him, so he stared with great interest.
Will the tentacle stop before getting to the Commander, or will it stay on its way?
Ani let out a sigh.
Traveling all this way?
Traveling all this way to see those who had killed Lin? Those who defeated the one she had never managed to beat?
All this way for this?
It felt a bit...
A tentacle was mmed against Mark''s back,unching him to the ground right away.
His body bounced and cracked that ground, but his eyes remained open.
With her right hand, Ani scratched her left.
Her left arm was extended forward.
With full force, the approaching tentacle that Mark had dodged was mmed against her palm.
"This..." Ani whispered as her hair flew back from the air pressure. "This is the worst."
The white-scaled Monster''s eyes widened, and a slight smile appeared on its face.
''Those... Could blow me away. She stopped it... Just like that?''
The Krishren quickly pulled its tentacle back, surprised that the heavy andrge limb had been stopped.
Unlike what Mark had expected at first, the Krishrens didn''t obey or fear the Commander.
As Monsters of the Border, they only had one goal.
Keep those from one side of the Border, on that side of the Border.
Chapter 294 Feels A Bit Lacking
Chapter 294 Feels A Bit Lacking
As Monsters of the Border, they only had one goal.
Keep those from one side of the Border, on that side of the Border.
The Krishrens immediately turned their gazes towards Ani.
The others might have defeated a couple of Krishrens, but that wasn''t enough to pull their attentionpletely.
A bigger threat had appeared.
A threat that couldn''t be left to roam freely.
A threat that couldn''t be allowed to cross the Border.
''But that doesn''t mean they''ll forget about me. But if she is their main target then...''
At the same time, four tentacles were swung towards the Commander, eaching from a different direction.
Mark, immediately seeing that as an opportunity, jumped up into the air so as to hide from the Commander behind one of those approaching tentacles.
"So you can think at least."
With the tentacle hiding its actions, the white-scaled Monster brought its hands together.
[You have developed a new Magic Skill!]
[You have developed the Magic Skill "Scorching Ray[B]"!]
''Ah!'' Mark chuckled internally as he prepared to fire the attack. ''That took a while. Controlling it is a lot easier now!''
The ray ofpressed mes was shot and flew in a straight line.
Just an instant before the tentacle could collide with the Commander''s body, it was pierced by the attack.
''Fast. She managed to dodge after it pierced it... Could she sense iting or...?'' The white-scaled Monster asked itself as itnded back on the ground. ''Let''s try this then.''
Mark spread his arms to the side, and half a dozen Ice Spikes were formed in the air around him.
They weren''t shot instantly though.
He waited for the Krishren which seemed to have eyes only for the Commander to start shooting its stream ofpressed water.
Another important moment for Mark.
If even that she could stop with her bare hands then...
Ani moved.
''Between the tentacles'' strength and the stream...'' Markunched the Ice Spikes towards the Commander. ''She can stop one but not the other? Too early to assume that.''
Ani had clenched her fist, ready to turn those Ice Spikes into ice dust. But before those Ice Spikes could into range, they stopped and instantly exploded.
Surprised, but not worried, she stood as small particles of Frost deposited themselves on her body.
Coming all this way for this? It feels a bit...
''Not aiming to get closer to an enemy...'' The white-scaled Monster thought as it circled around, aiming to hide behind another tentacle aimed at the Commander. ''It''s been a while since I fought like this.''
Ani silently stared at the palm of her hand for a bit.
At the slight particles of Frost.
"Mm." She nodded.
Her body barely moved, but that was enough to shake off the deposited Frost.
The Orcish Fiend clenched its fist.
"Mm!"
Coming all this way for this? It feels a bit...
''I''ll wait for the first tentacle to hit. Whether it''s stopped or dodged, I''ll emerge right after and-''
The tentacle was a meter away from the Commander.
But it wasn''t stopped nor dodged.
With one hit from her fist,
BAMM-
The tentacle was blown off.
The whole limb had been torn by a blunt attack.
Coming all this way for this? It feels a bit...
Even Mark, who was still more than a dozen meters away, could feel the pressure exerted.
Coming all this way for this? It feels a bit...
"MM!"
A bitcking.
"That''ll do." The Commander asserted as she cracked her knuckles.
''What kind of Beast is that...?'' The white-scaled Monster asked itself as it stared nerveously.
"Fire Magic, Ice Magic... A pretty high degree of expertise in both. Rare. Very rare. Your movements... Wind Magic?"
Mark''s eyebrow rose instinctively.
"Yeah... Felt that way. You can understand me too. Huh. Don''t want to talk? Or is it that you want me to think of you as a wild beast?"
The white-scaled Monster started looking away when,
"No need to worry about them. They''re shitting themselves after one of them lost a limb. Disgusting creatures anyways. But, oh well..." Ani cracked her neck. "Who am I to talk?"
Mark noticed that her words were true.
None of the Krishrens dared move or attack.
He couldn''t me them.
A show of force like that would put off most.
''If they''re not attacking her then...''
"Is this how you beat him? No." Ani brought a hand to her chin and tapped her lower lip with her index finger. "It can''t be. Hiding and running away wouldn''t work. Ugh..." She raised her gaze to the sky, pensive. "How, how, how...? Mm. Well," Suddenly, her index finger stopped tapping her lip. And just as suddenly, she directed her gaze towards Mark, whose whole body shivered. "No use thinking about it." Ani lowered her body. "How you defeated him..."
Just from her gaze. Simply from the way his body reacted to her gaze, Mark knew.
"Show me." She whispered as a dozen rifts were drawn on the ground below and behind her.
Keeping up with her speed was impossible.
A battle of strength was a lost cause.
In a split second, Mark decided on what to rely on.
A split second was all he had after all. She was already so close.
The white-scaled Monster raised its arms up.
A circle of Frost was drawn on the ground, with Mark standing at its center.
A Dome of Ice quickly materialized.
But that wouldn''t be enough to stop her.
Not even close.
the face.
The Ice Dome broke as Mark''s body wasunched into it with about five times more The white-scaled Monster swung its left arm, and dark particles were left in the air.
The particles grew and turned into dark knives which formed and floated in a circle.
In Mark''s right hand, a whip of mes appeared.
His left hand was left free.
Ice, Corruption, and Fire.
All could be manipted at will.
The only thing that mattered now was the timing.
Thanks to his High Elven Pupil, Mark could easily see through the Ice Dome surrounding him.
Her movements were unbelievably fast.
Mark''s use of the different Magic Skills had practically been instantaneous. But so had her movements.
The instant she was about to punch the Ice Dome,
Ice Maniption-
The smooth surface of the Ice Dome was turned into a sharp spear.
At the same time, Mark prepared to send the knives made from Corruption Magic and the mes-
BAM-
CRACK-
"MM!"
The white-scaled Monster barely had the time to turn around.
"Not bad!"
As it turned around, it was weed by a smile and a ridiculously powerful punch to the face.
The Ice Dome broke as Mark''s body wasunched into it with about five times more momentum and force than it could handle.
"Show me more." Ani mmed her fists together.
It was made painfully obvious.
Who was Prey, and who was Predator.
Chapter 295 Nonsensical Strength
295 Nonsensical Strength
Geh-
Dd-
Ugh-
The white-scaled Monster groaned and grunted as it defended against the Orcish Fiend''s attack.
"Come on! Is that it?? That all you got??" Ani provoked as her fistnded on Mark''s defensively risen fist.
Each hit was enough to blow his arms away and leave his body defenseless. Yet, he still had the time to bring those arms back in front of his body. Even if just barely.
''Fuck...'' Mark cursed internally. ''This is so infuriating!!'' The white-scaled Monster''s right foot stepped back and its upper body spun.
Destructive Tail Flick-
"Mm." Ani nodded as the hitnded on the side of her arm. "This one isn''t bad."
''Barely made her move. This freaking Monster!!''
Mark tried widening the distance, but Ani didn''t let that happen.
Ice Maniption-
Frost covered the ground below the white-scaled Monster''s feet and started spreading towards the Commander when,
"You''ll have to try harder..." Ani raised her left foot off the ground. "Than that!"
Both Frost and ground were cracked. The Ice had beenpletely blown away.
Still, this movement allowed Mark to jump back.
''So infuriating!'' He thought as Ani''s words resonated inside his head again and again.
Show me-
You''ll have to try harder-
Words that reminded him of another''s words.
''Feels just like it did against that fucker!! Annoying... Infuriating...! Aghh, I''m sick of it.''
Mark shook his head.
Now wasn''t the time to think about useless things.
''Me having shards of two Deadly Sins... Is it that interesting to you all?''
"Let''s keep this going! Show me what you can do!!" Ani shouted as she ran forward.
''Just fight me!! Why...'' Markunched himself forward, holding a Fire Ball in each palm. ''Why do they all feel the need to test me??''
With the Commander''s speed being superior, it took no time to cross the distance.
Instead of focusing on speed, Mark focused on timing.
''It''s tough enough that I don''t know anything about thise World...''
As she pulled her fist back, he brought both his palms and the Fire Balls resting above them together.
''And they just keep swarming and testing me one by one...''
The two Fire Balls were stable apart, but by bringing them together and pumping them with Mana at a critical time,
BOOM-
A cloud of smoke filled the area.
''Just let me go about my fucking business. Just doing that is confusing enough!''
The High Elven Pupil made it so the smokescreen hid him but didn''t hinder his vision.
"Tsk."
The Commander clenched her fist, but the instant she was about to swing her arm, a tentacle was mmed.
The smoke dissipated, revealing Ani''s body barely bent down due to the pressure and weight.
"You should seriously..." Her hands reached above, taking hold of the tentacle that was about twice her height in width. Despite the tentacle''s slimy aspect, her grip was strong enough to grab. The Krishren tried pulling it back, but she refused to let that happen.
With her arms raised above and her hands full, Mark immediately decided to go on the attack.
"Stop butting in and..."
Still, closing the distance against the Commander didn''t seem like a good idea.
Mark prepared to use the Scorching Ray Magic Skill, but before it could be shot, Ani''s body moved.
"READ THE FUCKING ROOM!"
The Mana that was being Condensed dissipated.
Mark could only stare in disbelief.
BAMM-
Fightingrge enemies was something he had grown ustomed to. The fact that "bigger" didn''t always mean "stronger" something he had learned long ago. The Eighth Floor''s Guardian was smaller, yet stronger than all the other Minotaurs that inhabited the Floor.
But it was Mark''s first time witnessing something so nonsensical.
"Phew..." Ani wiped her forehead. "Now I''m mad."
Grabbing it from its tentacle, the Krishren had been pulled out of the water.
A Monster many times bigger than the Commander.
Its body, not only had been pulled out, but lifted into the air and mmed on the ground.
It hadn''t been dragged or pulled, but lifted.
The strength to punch through a bigger enemy and the strength to lift that enemy arepletely different things.
"Now..." Ani cracked her knuckles. "Let''s continue."
The white-scaled Monster could only chuckle nerveously.
''Good thing she''s taking her time though...'' Mark thought to himself as he took a step back. ''If she had been going at it seriously from the beginning...''
The Commander took a step forward, before abruptlying to a stop.
"Shit..." Ani cursed. "Thought I had a bit more time."
Mark raised an eyebrow.
The next second, all the remaining Krishrens dove under and disappeared.
He didn''t want to take his eyes off the Commander, but she was standing so nonchntly as she stared at the body of water that he felt he could afford to do so.
''Huh...''
The instant Mark''s High Elven Pupil was directed at the water,
''What is...?!''
A gigantic and chaotic mass of purple Mana was traveling under the surface, getting closer and closer.
"Agh..." Ani sighed. "Tshukah''s Pet is already here, huh? Should have taken it a while longer to sense me and cross the border though..." She whispered. "Anyways. We can either finish this a bit further or continue here."
A slight frown appeared on the white-scaled Monster''s face.
"You seem confused, so I''ll exin. We move away and I''ll take my time killing you. We stay here, and I''ll have to do it quicker. What do you think?"
The white-scaled Monster''s nostril rose, and so did its cheeks.
"Huh... That''s an interesting expression. Suit yourself." Ani cracked her neck.
Ani smiled as she mmed her fists together.
"Let''s make this a good one. And thest one."
''She doesn''t want to fight whatever ising. Frankly, I''d rather not fight both at the same time. Actually... If whatever ising can get in her way from time to time, that would raise my chances.''
Mark let out a sigh.
''Realistically, there are zero chances of me winning against her. So what I have to do is...''
Chapter 296 Zero Chances Of Winning?
296 Zero Chances Of Winning?
''She doesn''t want to fight whatever ising. Frankly, I''d rather not fight both at the same time. Actually... If whatever ising can get in her way from time to time, that would raise my chances.''
Mark let out a sigh.
''Realistically, there are zero chances of me winning against her. Even though she doesn''t use Magic, I can''t conjure up an image of me winning against her. Zephyr was somewhat of an all-rounder even though he didn''t use Magic against me. The holes in the Boss Room being filled using Wind Magic prove that he is capable of using Magic. All-rounder... That Commander relied heavily on his Senses. This Eye... Maybe it''s not so simple. Having one of them should be enough but... Maybe the High Elven Pupil''s full potential can only be reached when having two of them? Doesn''t matter now. She... She''s all brute strength.''
Ani smiled as she mmed her fists together.
"Let''s make this a good one. And thest one."
''Zephyr... Imagine Zephyr if he had discarded his ability to use Magic and put that... Energy? Into brute strength.''
The white-scaled Monster sighed again.
''Only one way for me to do this now.''
Mark raised his right arm to the side.
mes immediately started rising from that arm.
He raised his left arm to the side.
Ice crystals started covering that arm and bits of Frost fell to the ground.
"Phwee..." Ani whistled. "If it''s more of the same," Sheunched herself forward. "That won''t do."
''Only thing I can do now...'' Mark thought with a smile on his face as he directed his palms towards the approaching Commander. ''Is be as shy as I can.''
The Frost thaty on the ground turned into an Ice Spike and pierced the air on its way towards Ani.
Part of the mes that rose from Mark''s right arm turned into Burning Spears, something that he had seen the Fire Spirit do too.
Both attacks were dodged, but neither was lost.
The Spike and the Spears turned around in mid-air and moved towards the Commander''s back.
With a backswing, the Ice was shattered and the mes blown off.
Mark spread the dark wings on his back.
Venomous Wings-
The purple drops hanging on his wings turned into a cloud of purple particles as he pped his wings and jumped up.
The Commander''s backswing had allowed him just enough time to do so.
Mark called out his Inventory as a punch blew the cloud of purple particles away. They had been blown away, but hadn''t disappeared.
"Full of tricks, huh?" Ani whispered as a dozen spikes made of bones hit the floor, right out of the white-scaled Monster''s Inventory.
''The way her fists blow everything in their way...'' Mark''s eyes glittered as his feetnded on the ground. ''I''ll try it!''
He jumped back to dodge Ani''s hit and sent the bone spikes towards her at the same time.
''Not yet...''
As Mark ran forward, mes appeared all over his arms.
Ani''s fists destroyed the bone spikes one by one.
She was about to move towards the white-scaled Monster, when she noticed the shattered bones floating in the air in a strange way.
A low chuckle escaped her mouth and Mark clicked his tongue.
Bone Maniption.
The further the Manipted Bone is, the more Mana is Consumed.
The tougher the Manipted Bone journey is, the more Mana is Consumed.
For example, moving it through water would consume more water than moving it through the air.
Moving it through something like a living enemy was something that Mark was used to doing. But to lower the Mana Consumption, the Manipted Bone must umte momentum before reaching the "surface" it''s supposed to travel through or tear.
The bones presently used couldn''t do much though. They couldn''t do anything really.
Her skin and muscles were the sturdiest surface they had faced until now.
Still, that fraction of a second bought allowed Mark''s fist to reach her.
A fist covered by mes. By Compressed mes painted red by the mes Of Chaos.
Upon contact, the mes would cause an explosion.
But that wasn''t enough.
As that fist approached her side,
Fire Maniption x me Of Chaos x Wind st
BOOM-
Secondster,
"Crafty, little snake." Ani whispered as she stood a dozen meters away from the white-scaled Monster.
It was a rather pathetic and disheartening view, as from the dozen meters separating them, Mark had traveled 8 of them.
His own attack had pushed him away and dislocated his shoulder.
It did make him chuckle though.
"The Pet is getting closer. Time-"
"Time to finish this." Mark interrupted as he extended his left arm forward.
''So he CAN talk!''
''I haven''t really used it this whole time. Inside the Ice Dome, she might have missed it. So this is a good time.''
Dark Corrupting Spear-
Ani''s eyes widened as she stared, her face turning into something that wasn''t quite a smile but resembled one.
Mark passed the Dark Corrupting Spear to his right hand, and raised his left arm above.
Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon-
Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon-
Dark Corruption, Colossal Harpoon-
"There we go. Your specialty, isn''t it?" Ani raised her arms to the side before bending her elbows. "Could be smelled from miles away."
''Smelled? Mm. Elisa said that she could smell the Corruption but...'' Mark lowered his arm andunched himself forward, Dark Corrupting Spear in hand, as the Colossal Harpoons started moving towards their target. ''She doesn''t strike me like the kind that can smell.''
Unlike for the rest, Corruption Magic can''t be blown off.
The weapons might appear as solids presently, but blowing them off would only make them turn back into the dark liquid that constitutes them. To risk getting sshed by Corruption Magic was a bit too much even for Ani, even though she didn''t know exactly how deadly or potent the white-scaled Monster''s Level of Corruption was.
''Dodge? Or grab them?'' The Commander asked herself.
A chuckle escaped her mouth as she started moving even faster.
"Thinking is Lin''s thing, not mine."
Chapter 297 Get Angrier
297 Get Angrier
''Not yet...''
The first Colossal Harpoon made with Corruption Magic was dodged.
''Not yet...''
The two remaining were immediately rotated so that their trajectories converged on the Commander.
At the same time, Mark upped his speed.
Noticing that the three would arrive at the same time, Ani''s mind went nk.
Thinking was more Lin''s thing after all.
When things get a bit tough or slightly dangerous, her mind would shut off.
''Geh!'' Mark groaned as a punch blew one of the Colossal Harpoons away.
Not only was it blown away by her strength, but the wind pressure made it so that even the dark liquid the weapon had been made of was sshed away from her.
''Still...!''
With a backswing, the remaining Colossal Harpoon was blown away. This time however, the fact that it was a swing and not a straight punch tore the Colossal Harpoon. Ani''s left arm was sshed by the dark liquid.
But that wasn''t Mark''s goal.
At this distance, with this timing, the Commander only had two choices.
Defend against the Colossal Harpoon, or against the Dark Corrupting Spear in Mark''s hands.
The fact that Ani chose the former made the corners of his lips curl.
The tip of the spear kissed her stomach when,
''Ha!''
Mark''s smile turned nervous as the Commander''s left hand took hold of the Dark Corrupting Spear.
Even though he was holding it in both hands and using all of his strength to push it forward, one hand while standing upright was more than enough for her to counter himpletely.
Mark''s left hand moved away from the Dark Corrupting Spear as mes rose.
With a snap of her wrist, Ani broke the Dark Corrupting Spear''s de off.
Fire Maniption-
With his palm to her face and mes rising, Mark''s goal was,
sh-
Five secondster,
"Well... That''s embarrassing."
"You don''t have to say that twice." The white-scaled Monster groaned as it scratched its nape.
"Ugh..." Elisa sighed and scratched the side of her head with her Timeworn Elven Dagger''s hilt. "Didn''t strike me as the kind to have sharp senses."
"More like a wild beast... If that even makes sense?"
"It does. Could be a Passive Skill. Or just pure instinct."
"Pure instinct?"
Isn''t instinct just the body moving by relying on the senses?
''Huh... They''re talking? Just when I was getting in the zone too.'' Ani thought to herself.
"What do you think?" Elisa asked.
"Same as before?"
"Not sure that would work against her. I attacked when she was most focused on you. Barely grazed her neck when the goal was to... Anyways. Her Senses aren''t that sharp. But her reaction speed is as fast as it gets."
"So?"
"So... What do you think?"
"You have no idea or n?"
"Nope." Elisa shrugged. "I can keep up with her speed. It''s a Strength Versus Win Magic battle. At least until... Whatevering gets here."
"You can see it too?"
"Sense it, yes. I''ll fight, you assist me."
"Fine..." Mark grumbled, unable to find a better way of fighting.
But the next second,
"Commander!"
"Commander!"
"Shit..." Elisa cursed.
"Took you a while,zy bums." Ani turned towards Elisa who was walking closer. "So it''s you, huh? The one who killed him. You have a light step. And don''t leave traces behind you." She cracked her knuckles. "Makes more sense."
"Not sure who you''re talking about." Elisa stretched her arms up. "Anything I killed, he could have killed alone."
"I doubt that would be the case with Lin. Remember him? Orcish Fiend just like me. Green skin. Green eyes."
"Doesn''t ring a bell..." Elisa lied before letting out a long yawn. "Maybe he died too quickly to make an impression."
A vein popped on the Orcish Fiend''s neck.
"That''s how you want to y it?"
Despite the smile on Ani''s face, Elisa could notice her anger.
"Mark, you take care of those with Krista."
"Huh?"
"I''m taking her." Elisa suddenly turned around after taking a step forward. "I noticed you''ve been staring at her a lot too. That your type?"
"My type?"
Ani let out a chuckle. Even though she was preparing to kill the two of them.
"Well..."
Mark''s gaze lingered on Ani''s body.
Thetter felt a chill go down her spine.
A familiar feeling.
"I''ve always had a thing for muscles, I guess." Mark added before turning away. The Commander''s Soldiers were approaching Krista after all.
"Muscles, huh?" Elisa turned back to face Ani. "I wish I could say Speed Versus Muscles. Let''s call it Muscles Versus Brains."
"Don''t you two get along well. An Elf and a-"
"Stop right there." Elisa interrupted and made her Timeworn Elven Daggers spin. "I''ve heard that one before."
Ani let out a chuckle.
"I can imagine." She said before clenching her fists and moving forward.
A couple dozen meters away, the Lioness roared and the ground below its front paws started freezing.
The Ice quickly started spreading towards the enemies approaching, which forced them to jump back.
Out of the ten Soldiers serving under the Commander, three were Archers.
They hurriedly took aim and shot their arrows.
But before they could hit target,
Wind st-
With a swing of his right arm, Mark blew the iing arrows away.
"This might be more my level." The white-scaled Monster whispered while the Lioness behind it roared.
Each group stared and studied the other for a bit.
"Oh, a dog."
"I''M A KOBOLT!!"
"Right... Been a long time since I''ve seen one."
"One?"
"Yeah." Mark smiled slightly. "One of your kind."
Boa, one of the Commander''s Soldiers, couldn''t believe his ears.
"Coming from a Monster? Racism? Really?" He let his arms hand in front of him. "If it came from a Human I would understand but... No. I''m used to it from Humans. But from a Monster? That''s just... THAT''S JUST-"
"That would be Speciesism."
"Huh?"
"Speciesism, not racism."
Boa''s eyebrow was left twitching.
The next second, his gaze moved all the way to the right, before moving all the way to the left.
He locked eyes with each of the Soldiers by on side before,
"We''re..."
They tightened their grips over their Swords, Spears, Maces, and Chains.
"We''re killing him."
Punch-
Elisa dodged by bringing her center of gravity back.
This allowed her to retaliate with a leg kick whichnded on Ani''s side.
"Aiming for where he punched earlier?"
"How about no talking?" Elisa jumped back.
"I couldn''t sense you at all. It''s like you weren''t even there."
"Thank you." Elisa rushed forward while keeping her body low.
"You hid all that time using the tentacles, huh? Almost gross how good you are at doing that." Ani said as she repeatedly dodged the Timeworn Elven Dagger''s des.
"Makes it all the more annoying that you''re still standing after that."
The tip of Elisa''s de pierced Ani''s shoulder.
No. She let it pierce that shoulder.
''Shit-''
Elisa crossed her Timeworn Elven Daggers in front of her chest before the hit couldnd on her body.
"Muscles beat Brains it seems." Ani sneered as Elisa''s body was lifted into the air by the hit.
Thetter used the force to spin in the air beforending gracefully.
"Mmm... Not how it went with that guy. Two of you are kin, right?" Elisa asked confidently.
She did her best to hide the shaking of her arms. The sting from the impact of Ani''s punch wasn''t negligible.
Still, this wasn''t a Mindless Monster she was fighting. Different rules for different kinds of Monsters.
Ani''s eyebrow twitched.
"That Commander. Oh, right. That''s who you were talking about. Green skin, yeah. Passed by a bunch of Goblins on the way here, so I got confused."
The Commander''s hands opened and closed repeatedly.
"What was his name again?"
"Lin."
"That one was Brains, wasn''t he? Mmm... Didn''t turn out so well for him."
"How did it happen?"
Elisa made her Daggers spin.
"Who knows."
The ground broke below the Commander.
''Breaking without her moving... No Aura either...'' The corner of Elisa''s lips started rising. ''I''m getting better and better ideas about ways to rile you up further!!''
The iron chain was spun faster and faster.
At its end, a spiked ball of iron.
"Haven''t seen of these ever." Mark whispered to himself. He raised his left arm, and a dark liquid started seeping out of the dark circles on that arm. "Let''s try it."
Two Soldiers swung their Swords horizontally and in unison. The white-scaled Monster jumped up to dodge their tips and spun, aiming tond a Tail Flick. But before its tail could move, two Spears were extended towards its side.
Wind st-
While the st threw the Spears out of their trajectories, it also moved the white-scaled Monster as it was airborne.
As hended on the ground, Mark spun the chain in his hand. The dark and spiked ball at the chain''s end collided with the one made of iron used by the Soldier.
''I need to keep an eye on Elisa. Tsk. This could be fun, but I have to finish it quickly. If the three of us move against that Commander, then we might stand a chance.''
A thin and shallow wound was drawn on Ani''s arm.
''Get more annoyed. Get angrier. Show me... More openings!''
''The traces of Corruption... They weren''t onlying from him...''
The quietly enraged Ani cracked her neck.
"One as crazy as the other, huh?"
I think this is the first time that I have written two battles taking ce at the same time while being somewhat separate.
Hope it wasn''t confusing Adam_K47xx
Chapter 298 Ani, Orcish Fiend
298 Ani, Orcish Fiend
Elisa swung her Timerworn Elven Dagger, aiming for the Commander''s side.
She stepped back before the de coulde into contact with anything.
''Tsk. Not even worried about it. Just trying to grab whatever she can. Sooo annoying.'' Elisa thought as she jumped back.
"Running where?" The Commander sneered.
In front of Elisa was Ani.
Behind her was the body of water that constituted the border between Sloth and Lust.
"Running, huh? I guess that''s something you don''t do anymore, huh?"
Noticing the Commander''s reaction, Elisa knew she was on the right track and tried her best to keep the corner of her lips from curling.
"Rin told me all about it. Weaklings being blessed by the Demon Lord. Must be nice, eh?"
"Lin."
"Huh?"
"The name is Lin." Ani''s expression had turned serious.
"Mm." Elisa nodded before running forward.
The Commander did the same.
But before they could reach one another,
Burning Ray-
The attack blocked Ani''s way.
''Oh... He''s keeping an eye on me.'' Elisa thought to herself, a slight smile on her face.
The Commander turned towards the white-scaled Monster, currently fighting the ten Soldiers alongside the Lioness.
"Stay out of it!" The Princess shouted, which didn''t fail to surprise Mark. Ani turned back towards Elisa. "Let''s settle this as women. What do you think?"
Overhearing those words, Mark couldn''t help but frown.
''As women? What''s that supposed to mean?''
"Your muscles. You like them, don''t you? Must''ve been nice, bing strong when you were so weak."
Ani''s irritation was palpable.
"How much did he tell you exactly?"
"Oh, nothing much. Just about how tough it is to be born in an Orc Tribe as a woman. Or female, I should say?"
The ground below the Commander broke, but she didn''t attack.
"It''s not like your muscles give you too much of a masculine figure. They look nice. And you like showing them off, don''t you?"
"Shut up." The Commander shook her head, finding Elisa''s words rather amusing.
Or perhaps, feigning amusement.
Elisa assumed thetter.
"But you still like being a woman, don''t you? That cost you a lot of pain and suffering, didn''t it? I can imagine. Just seeing Goblins is enough to make my blood boil and my body recoil. Being in a Tribe of Orcs... Must have been the same. Only worse."
"Elves wouldn''t know anything about that."
"Who knows? Elves are often targeted by Monsters, aren''t they? By your kind too."
Tired of the meaningless chatter, the Commander closed the distance.
Elisa, on the other hand, wanted to chat some more.
She dodged the attacks repeatedly while waiting for the right moment to strike.
"You like your body, don''t you? You like showing off your assets. Must be nice, havingrge breasts." Elisa sneered as she tapped the chestte covering her upper body. "But those caused you problems in your tribe, huh? la... Can''t imagine how tough that must''ve been."
"Shut up." Ani didn''t feign amusement anymore.
"But here you are. Showing them off now that you have the strength to do so. No one can dare say a thing about it. No one can dare stare. But in a way, you wanted them to, right? That''s why you''re putting on revealing clothing? Don''t worry, I understand. You''re beautiful, no reason to hide it now that you can protect yourself."
"Shut up!"
Elisa remained silent for a bit as she dodged the attack.
''Coming to avenge your kin... And the past that I can clearly envision. Tsk... I could empathize. I really could, were you not the enemy. Had Lin not attacked us out of nowhere. Had he been attacked by the Monster for no reason, I would understand. But Mark didn''t attack. You''re at fault here. Therefore...''
The corners of Elisa''s lips curled.
"I saw it earlier. You didn''t like the way he was looking at you, did you? You hate that, don''t you??"
Elisa made her Timeworn Elven Daggers spin.
"How did he look at you? Where did he look?"
The time to strike was approaching.
"You''re leaving them there for eeeveryone to see. But I bet he didn''t even look, did he?"
"Shut up!"
"Always had a thing for muscles. Ah! Now that I think about it, Lin was rather scrawny too! Did it feel the same? Having my Monster look at you?"
The time to strike.
For less than a second, the Commander had stopped moving.
Exactly what Elisa had been aiming for.
The tip of the Timeworn Elven Dagger in her left hand pierced Ani''s shoulder.
Thetter''s mind went nk.
Her beastly instincts took over.
Elisa tried pulling back as fast as she could, but the Commander managed to reach her wrist.
She bent that wrist and let go of the Timeworn Elven Dagger.
As Elisa jumped back, she kicked the Dagger''s hilt with all she had. Using the Wind to fine-tune the dagger''s trajectory, it was sent in a straight line towards and into the Commander''s arm.
''Shitt... That was stressful.'' She thought to herself as she jumped back repeatedly.
The seething Commander remained unmoving.
Eventually, Elisa''s back hit Mark''s.
"What do you think?" He whispered.
"Chances of winning..."
"Zero."
"I riled her up pretty good though. But her muscles and skin are sooo tough it''s infuriating."
"So... What now?"
"Only one thing to do."
Mark immediately raised his gaze as his face scrunched up.
"It''s the only thing to do." Elisa added.
"Yeah. We''ll do it at the right time. Keep an eye on me." Mark said before moving forward and back into the fight.
The ten Soldiers could hold their own against him, and their teamwork made the battle tougher than what Mark was used to, especially when fighting a group of enemies.
''Not even going to discuss what the right time is?'' Elisa thought to herself as she slightly turned around. ''Guess we both know, so that works.''
The Timeworn Elven Daggers spun.
"Good thing I took of those I could get." Elisa whispered as she grinned at the Daggers in her hands.
Meanwhile, the Commander''s body was still unmoving.
"You came all this way to avenge him, right? You''re a hard worker, in a way. Totally unfit to be a Commander Of Sloth."
No, it was shaking with anger.
"Is that why you can''t use Aura? Why your Title of Commander has remained silent? Don''t tell me..."
A sadistic smile was on Elisa''s face as she stepped forward.
"You can''t pull any power from it ?"
Chapter 299 The Tastiest Meal
299 The Tastiest Meal
"Tsk. Tsk. Not slothful enough for your Title to recognize you as a legitimate Commander Of Sloth, huh? How sad. Looks like being strong isn''t always a good thing."
Keep an eye on me-
It was obvious that Mark didn''t like it.
Running away. Even when the chances of victory were zero.
A bad habit, perhaps stemming from his time inside the Dungeon.
Clear the Floor, move to the next one, and look ahead, at all times.
Keep going. No matter the enemy, it can be defeated.
The Dungeon''s Floors were made in a way that ensured they could be Cleared. At least, if the previous Floor has been properly utilized.
But the outside is different.
There is no more chain.
No more rtions of power between the different enemies encountered.
Unlike the Dungeon, the outside world isn''t adder, but a chaotic mass, making dying all the more easier.
''Geh... I hate this.'' Mark thought to himself as he dodged the des aiming for his life. ''I really really want to Devour her too. But there''s no way. That strength she showed... It was enough for my appetite to circle back to zero.''
Elisa scratched her head with her Dagger''s hilt.
''If I go in now, she''ll definitely get me. Her instincts are astonishing. She''s much, much stronger than... Lin, was it? Even with those eyes, it would have been practically impossible for him to win against her. Pure camaraderie? Is that why she''s here? Strange...'' She inverted her grip over one of the Daggers. ''Monsters sure are strange sometimes.''
"How much... Did he tell you?" The trembling Commander asked with a voice shaking just as much as her body was.
"To be honest," Elisa took a stance, prepared for battle. "You told me more than he did."
"Did you kill him?"
Elisa stared silently for a bit.
Pity and empathy for the enemy.
''If we had met under different circumstances, I''m sure...''
Terrible feelings.
"Yes." Elisa answered after much contemtion.
"I see. Then..."
The Princess thought it must be that way with the Monster too.
He had killed and Devoured everyone she knew.
And yet,
And yet...
Here they were. The two of them on the same side. Together.
Were things different, then that Monster probably... Definitely, wouldn''t have done such things.
The Monster and the Elves.
Elisa thought the sentence had a certain ring to it.
Were things different, had things gone differently, had they all met under different circumstances...
But of course, Elisa wasn''t naive enough to believe that this was the case for all.
She was hopeful, but certainly not naive. At least, not in general.
Raven for example.
That one... No.
No matter the circumstances, there was no way.
But for this Commander, then perhaps...
"Did you defeat him?"
Ani''s tone had changed, which surprised Elisa.
The difference between defeating and killing was obvious.
And the tone made it seem like this, was more important than that.
A trap? Underhanded tactics? A sneak attack while he was journeying through the Forest Of Yarnha''s outskirts?
Killing.
But had he been defeated?
Had they been stronger?
Had they overpowered him?
"Yes."
At the response, Ani''s gaze moved up and down repeatedly. From Elisa to the ground, and back.
''...''
Elisa thought silently.
Perhaps there was more than revenge.
More than the camaraderie between Commanders serving the same Demon Lord.
More than washing away the shame of having one of their Commanders killed.
A reason deeper than that.
Something personal.
Something which had to do with defeating him.
The Commander let out a sigh.
"The two of you?"
"The three of us."
"I see..." Ani scratched her head and looked around aimlessly.
Elisa didn''t let her guard down.
But,
''Uh... What now? Do we have to fight still? Well, we were going to run anyways but...''
The next second, the ground below the Commander broke and Elisa instinctively jumped back.
"What is-" The startled Elisa whispered before following Ani''s gaze.
The Commander was staring intently. The intensity of her gaze was such that it made its object shiver.
"Why..." The Commander couldn''t finish her sentence.
Such was her wrath, as the piece of cloth covering Mark''s right eye was cut by a Soldier''s de.
"That Eye..." Ani whispered as she pointed.
Elisa immediately felt chills moving all over her body.
The cracks on the ground below the Commander spread further and further. They grew deeper and deeper, as if a gigantic ball of steel had crashed against it after being dropped dozens and dozens of meters above ground level.
The air was growing thicker.
Even though no Aura was visible, the effects were very much the same.
"Why do you have... Lin''s..."
The Commander, unable to finish her sentence, moved her head from left to right.
Extreme confusion.
She seemed almost disoriented.
And just when Elisa thought things were about to take a turn for the worse, the Commander seemed to pass out.
She was still very much standing.
But her presence had seemed to suddenly disappear.
Mark''s eyes suddenly widened.
A familiar feeling.
Something he had encountered.
It scared him, and made his heart beat faster.
It excited him, and made his heart beat faster.
But more than his heart, what was influenced most was,
[Your Title "Devourer" notices the familiar scent!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" notices the familiar scent!]
[Your Title "Devourer" show its fangs!]
[Your Title "Devourer" roars!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" screeches!]
The Soldiers, having felt the shift in the air, had stopped attacking.
This allowed Mark to fully process and find what was so familiar.
He didn''t need to turn around.
He didn''t need to look.
The answer was within him.
Within him.
Something he had encountered.
Something he had gone through.
Something he had tasted, in more ways than one.
His stomach growled powerfully as he found the answer.
The scent he remembered most.
In a way, the achievement he was most proud of.
The tastiest meal he had ever had.
A shiver went down his spine.
"Berserker?"
Chapter 300 A Battle Of Berserkers?
300 A Battle Of Berserkers?
"Haha! You''re dead! Fucking dead! Hear me? You''re done. All of you! You''re all dead! The Commander will definitely-"
"Shut up, Boa! Time to leave,e on!!" Another Soldier shouted as he pulled hisrade away.
"Dead! The three of you! For messing with Sloth''s strongest..."
The white-scaled Monster stared at the Soldiers moving away.
''Running away... From her?''
The corners of its lips curled.
Mark did not exactly know why, but he didn''t like the fact that such events had brought a smile to his face, no matter how slight that smile was.
The Commander, who had remained silent and trembling, let her shoulders drop as her eyes rolled back.
A Beast''s roar exited her mouth, tearing through the air and sending reverberation to travel through the bodies of all those present.
"Mark!" Elisa shouted.
But before he could even realize what had happened, the Commander was right in front of him. Fist pulled back, and feet off the ground.
No need to circle around. No need for deviation.
The Commander had moved in a straight line towards its target. The shortest route.
Because she had the strength to move and fight this way.
No detours. No feints. No tricks. No tactics.
She had the strength to make all those things be absolutely useless and obsolete.
Mana Barrier-
Ice Maniption-
Earth Maniption-
No matter how manyyers separated her from the target,
BAM-
She had the strength to break through every single one of them.
At once.
With one hit. Using her right fist and her right fist only.
The strength to blow through any barrier. Any obstacle.
Using her fist only.
The strength to need nothing more than her body.
The strength that allowed her to break through the chains of her past.
The strength that allows her to use her body. To showcase her body.
Strength that allowed her freedom.
As a fist fueled by such strength moved towards the white-scaled Monster''s stomach, it smiled.
Chances of winning-
Zero-
Still, Mark smiled.
Realistically, there are zero chances of me winning against her-
Still, he smiled.
The Devourer was feeling rather gluttonous.
Crack-
The ground split as her feetnded on it.
The Commander breathed in, and punched the Monster''s stomach.
It was a strange emotion that Mark felt as he was blown into the air.
It didn''t really hurt.
He had never taken a hit that carried such strength. And yet, it didn''t hurt.
His body was blown about ten meters off the ground.
But it felt as if he had remained hanging in the air for a long, long time.
The instant her fist hade into contact with his stomach, everything had gone dark for a second.
Fist?
Was it really a fist that hit him?
Mark himself wasn''t sure.
It didn''t feel like a fist, no. Too different.
What did it feel like then?
An explosion.
Like the Fire Spirit explosions? Those he had made to rain the viges of Elves inside the Dungeon?
Something like that. Only much concentrated and potent.
Then... What?
Lightning. It felt like being hit by lightning. But not the feeble kind of Lightning Magic certain Monster could use, no. True lightning.
Even though his stomach was the targeted body part, it felt like the attack had traveled and reached every corner of his body. Like lightning.
But now, it was gone.
No pain. Had he used his "Advanced Body Reconstruction" right after being hit? Mark did not know. He did not remember doing so at least.
Had the hit simply blown him away? Or had it sted a hole through his stomach? Mark wasn''t sure.
He didn''t care either.
As it hung in the air for what felt like an eternity, the white-scaled Monster did not care.
It smiled.
The strongest fist he had ever been hit with previously.
Zephyr''s fist.
An explosion.
Lightning.
Zephyr''s fist.
An explosion. Lightning. Zephyr''s fist.
All of thembined.
It had felt like being hit by all of them at once.
All of them at once.
For a fleeting instant. A fleeting moment.
Hit by the strongest.
Mark had just been hit by the strongest.
What a great feeling it was.
The way she roared.
The way she moved.
It waspletely different.
Completelycking in grace and elegance.
The total opposite of Elisa.
Rough and beastly. Hurriedly and almost impatiently.
As if time was running out.
No time to waste hiding, aiming for limbs, or anything of the sort.
Aim for their stomachs. Their heads. Their hearts.
Mark didn''t dislike this approach either.
Elisa, Ani. Elisa, Ani.
Zephyr''s fist, an explosion, lightning.
The three at once.
Getting hit by thebination of the three felt...
How would it feel to Devour it?
To Devour the three at once? Combined?
How would it taste? Would it taste familiar? Would thebination give rise to a new, foreign, and unknown taste? Mark did not know.
As his body slowly spun 145 degrees, he did not know.
As hended on his feet and hands, he did not know.
One thing was certain.
The white-scaled Monster was very curious about it.
The backwards momentum made the ws at the tips of his fingers and toes sink into the ground as he drifted.
Mark remained unmoving for a bit and stared at the Commander.
A purple Aura started oozing out of his body.
He remained on all fours, as he stared down the enemy.
Despite a body covered by scales, his tail, which swayed from right to leftzily, gave the impression that he was more Feline than Reptile.
And the smile on his face... Well, is there even a need to describe it?
That smile was enough to make Elisa wince internally.
The ugliness, the gluttony, the madness.
They could all be read on the Monster''s face. It was the kind of smile that said too much. The kind of smile that one would normally try to hide or fight against.
The two faced one another, but neither moved.
Elisa thought about interfering.
She didn''t.
The white-scaled Monster opened its mouth, and drool started dripping on the ground.
Elisa thought she would definitely tease him about itter.
But for now,
[Your Skill "Berserker[A] is activating!]
With both Monsters fueled by rage, whose wrath will prove stronger?
--
Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Ps: Tried something different for the chapter''syout. Thoughts?
Adam_K47xx
Chapter 301 Crossing The Border, I
301 Crossing The Border, I
''Ahhh... This feeling. She''s... I can feel it!'' The white-scaled Monster thought to itself.
Non-stop chills ran up and down its body.
The Commander stepped forward.
The next instant, her fist cracked the ground.
''He kept up... With that kind of speed?'' Elisa asked herself internally, a nervous smile on her face.
The Commander turned to the right without raising her body or pulling the fist out of the ground.
The Evolving Monster was still on all fours.
A strident screech exited its mouth, which didn''t fail to surprise both Elisa and Krista.
''If he can keep up, then...'' The Princess took aim.
The Commander stepped forward once more.
But just when the Devourer was about to do the same, a Wind Arrow was shot.
A groan exited the Commander''s mouth as that Wind Arrow exploded uponing into contact with her palm.
A frown took over Elisa''s face.
The timing was right.
It had forced the Commander to raise an arm towards...
Then why...?
''Why didn''t he-''
"STAY OUT OF IT!" The white-scaled Monster shouted suddenly.
The Commander turned back towards it.
"We''re settling this..." The Devourer continued, a wide smile on his face. "As Berserkers!"
Both Monsters stared at one another.
''Geh! Using my words against...'' Elisa shrugged, but didn''t lower her bow.
With wide pupils, the Moonlit Feline stared. The Master didn''t want it to interfere, but if the need arose then...
Both were Berserkers.
Both were fueled by their emotions in a way.
But they were different kinds of Berserkers.
After all, only one of the two Monsters was smiling.
''I can feel it. The way she''s looking at me. The air around her... She doesn''t want to fight me. She doesn''t want to kill me. She wants to...'' The chills going up and down the white-scaled Monster''s body truly felt like bursts of electricity.
The Commander''s steps cracked the ground.
The Devourer advanced while keeping its body low.
One punched up. The other punched down.
BAM-
BAM-
Three consecutive hits.
Their fists collided each time.
''He could handle it? The strength from...?'' It only took a fraction of a second for Elisa to realize. ''No. With each hit, he''s using Wind Magic. Wind Magic and that purple Aura make it possible for his body to produce that kind of Strength. It can produce it, but not handle it. His muscles tear themselves. His bones crack. With each hit... He has to heal them.''
Elisa quickly started feeling nervous as the white-scaled Monster threw and took more and more hits.
Her grip around the bow tightened.
Even though he could heal, watching the scene left a bad taste in her mouth.
With each hit, with each collision, the Evolving Monster broke itself down.
Broke itself and reconstructed.
Tore and rebuilt.
But even though he could heal, seeing him break himself over and over,
''She doesn''t just want to kill me. She wants... To make me disappear!'' The Devourer''s excitement surged.
As the Berserker Skill made the pain slowly fade away, as it made everything seem more and more distant,
''I love it!''
The Commander''s fist reached the Monster''s left side, while the Monster''s fist reached the Commander''s left side.
Their feet drifted on the floor for a couple of meters.
The Devourer lowered its upper body and ran, arms apart and slightly forward.
The Commander braced for the uing tackle.
A secondter, while she expected to feel the full weight and force of the Monster''s shoulder collide with her stomach,
''...!'' Elisa''s eyes suddenly widened. ''Now?'' A smile crept onto her face.
Mark feigned tackling the Commander before slipping through the space between her side and left arm.
While it seemed that the Berserker Skill had forced him to fight mindlessly, the position he and the Commander had arrived at was no coincidence.
The white-scaled Monster slipped through that space, took a couple of steps, lowered its body, and scooped the Moonlit Feline off the ground with a hand.
Elisa immediately jumped up and started using Wind Magic, allowing her to create footing above ground.
Mark spread his wings and took off as Krista climbed onto his shoulder.
The two had moved in unison and without wasting a second.
They had moved so suddenly that themander was left confused.
The two were rising in the air.
What for? To go where?
The Commander lowered her gaze.
The Border?
She raised her gaze again.
From above and it got further and further, the white-scaled Monster peeked at her. That Eye peeked at her.
Ani''s body immediately started shaking.
"Fuck... I really thought you were going in." Elisa sighed.
"Going in?"
"Yes. As in... Fully in, you know? Like trying your luck kind of thing."
"No... No. Can''t. My arms are still hurting. And my Mana is pretty much gone."
"Mm." Elisa nodded as she jumped from one tform of solidified air to another. "I hated doing that."
"Doing...?"
"Didn''t you hear me talk to her?"
"I did. I heard part of it."
"Yes, well... What did you think of her?"
"What I thought? I..." The flying white-scaled Monster turned its gaze back slightly.
Only to find an airborne Commander a couple of meters away with her fist pulled back.
"Shit-"
The fact that the Commander had managed to jump this high was nonsensical enough to make Mark doubt his eyes but... He had grown used to such things.
Mana Barrier-
A Barrierrge enough to envelop both he and Elisa was cast. But making the Barrier''s size increase did mean decreasing its protective abilities. At least, if the Mana output remains the same.
But before the Commander could reach the Mana Barrier, it rose.
From the water below, it rose.
A creature covered by a pinkish-dark Aura.
Tentacles and ws reached towards them.
One of those tentacles swatted the Commander down to the ground with one sweep.
The strident screams of a dozen maidens resonated from below.
Screams so sharp and piercing that the air shook, and Elisa''s footing grew unstable.
The white-scaled Monster managed to grab her before she could fall.
With the Moonlit Feline on his shoulder and Elisa between his arms, Mark flew away.
From the Cmity that had risen from the depths of the Border, and from the Commander.
"No..." Ani whispered as a feeling of dread took over her heart. "No..." She repeated, as she watched them get further and further.
The hit had mmed her against the ground, creating a crater.
"I can''t..." She pushed herself off the ground, despite her shaking knees. "I can''t let them..."
Separating them from her, was the Demon Lord Of Lust''s Pet.
Tavashed.
Once more, the white-scaled Monster''s gaze moved towards the area they were standing on moments earlier.
He watched the Commander run towards the gigantic Sea Monster that was Tavashed.
Losing control the way Ani had.
Letting go of all restraints and restrictions.
Going wild, freely.
It had been a while.
The invitation that the Commander had brought to the table wasn''t a bad one at all.
A Battle Of Berserkers.
Exciting. Exhrating. Electrifying.
Not bad at all.
But there were more important things.
"So you liked her too, huh?" Elisa whispered.
Mark didn''t answer.
Chapter 302 Crossing The Border, II
Chapter 302 Crossing The Border, II
"Can''t see the end of it."
"The Border... Might be asrge as Yarnha''s Forest. If so, we''ll have to keep going for a while."
"So I''ll have to keep burning Mana like this?" Elisa whispered as she lowered her gaze.
Both were about one hundred meters above the surface of the body of water constituting the Border.
"That thing seemed scary."
"Yeah. It''ll probablye for us after it''s done with her."
"You think she''ll lose?" Elisa asked.
"She might just leave. Since she has no way of crossing."
"Except if they team up."
"Why would they?"
"Yes... It''s supposed to keep intruders from crossing. A Commander crossing is a big deal, I guess? Maybe there''s a different spot they''re supposed to cross from."
"Maybe." Mark shrugged as his wings were folded and spread continually.
"So we won, huh?"
The white-scaled Monster''s face, as if it had a mind of its own, wanted to twist itself into a frown. Mark didn''t let it.
"I guess. We''re on our way, as we were supposed to be."
"Yep." Elisa nodded as she skipped from one tform of solidified wind to another. "We''re making progress."
"Slowly but surely."
She pressed her lips and nodded with her head silently for a bit.
"What did you think about her?"
"She was strong."
"Way stronger than Lin, right?"
"Who''s Lin?"
"Haha! Oh... You''re serious? I thought you were doing what I was... Nevermind. The Commander we fought before."
"Oh. Yeah. Definitely stronger."
"Think Lin could have won against her?"
"No chance."
"Huh... That''s what I think too. But then... It doesn''t make sense..." Elisa brought a hand to her chin.
"What doesn''t?"
"The reason she came for us."
"Isn''t it to avenge him or something?"
"Yes... No. I think there is something else."
Mark shrugged.
"Does it matter? We''re done with them anyways."
"Well yes, but..."
"But?"
"I kind of like her."
Mark shook his head.
"Whatev-"
Shoot-
"Ugh... Seriously?" Elisa whispered as she gazed below.
"That''s annoying." Mark chuckled.
Below them, dozens of Krishrens with their heads barely above the surface.
The white-scaled Monster thought about free falling to them.
The Dungeon''s Third Floor.
A rather annoying one it was.
''Bet I could fight better underwater now. But they''re way stronger than what I fought underwater there.''
"Think we can dodge those streams without any issues." Elisa argued.
"Yea..." Mark answered absentmindedly.
The water streams weren''t a problem.
But the fact that the body of water below seemed to be without end was.
Elisa was using Wind Magic. Turning the Wind into solid matter that could handle her weight, even for a sharppse of time, didn''t have a cheat Mana cost.
Mark was flying using his wings while Krista bnced herself on his nape and upper back. The wind felt rather pleasant to the Moonlit Feline. Still, flying used up more Endurance Points than running. And after the encounter with the Krishrens and the Commander, Endurance wasn''t at afortable level. Or at least, it won''t remainfortable for a while.
Stopping on the way to Devour Monsters would be the only way to recuperate those Endurance Points while crossing, but that would leave them vulnerable to the Monsters hiding in the depths of the Border.
The endless sea below wasn''t kind to those intruding.
About fifteen minutes passed before it was time to take a break.
Mark and Elisa decided to stop now before Endurance or Mana Points could sink any further. Stopping while they still had enough to fight was a necessity.
As they started descending towards the water, the Moonlit Feline shot a series of Ice Spikes.
The surface quickly started freezing, and an area on which they could stand was created.
They descended upon that area.
Attract Monsters somehow to Devour? Or take the rest you can get?
Mark seemed to sway towards the first option.
Still, there was no way of knowing what waited for them down there.
After a short discussion, they decided not to make a ruckus.
They already couldn''t help themselves from imagining a gigantic Monster underwater whose jaws were wide open. Whose jaws could engulf the whole body of ice they were standing on.
The anxiety proved to be too much. They remained focused on their Senses and couldn''t get any real rest.
Mark started walking towards one edge of the body of ice while Elisa and Krista walked to the other edge.
Being separated, even by a dozen meters, didn''t feelfortable in such a situation.
Still, it was necessary to keep the body of ice from tipping.
''Just like I did then. Should be able to get them from here if they''re weak enough. Their bodies will float. Just gotta find weak ones.'' Mark thought to himself as he peeked beyond the edge.
It was evening, but the sun hadn''t run away yet.
Still, the water was dark and not much could be seen.
Not much apart from the white-scaled Monster''s reflection.
He stared for a while, waiting for something to change.
Ripples, movement, anything.
''Fishing sure is a boring activity...'' Mark thought as he scratched his head.
After a couple of seconds, something seemed to change.
There was no effect on the surface, nothing seemed to move, nothing had appeared out of nowhere.
The white-scaled Monster stared at its reflection more intently.
Its hand moved towards its face.
It rotated its neck slightly from right to left. From left to right.
Mark hadn''t seen his reflection or face often.
Still, something seemed strange.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is perplexed.]
''You too, huh?''
The white-scaled Monster opened its mouth.
''Huh... This is...?''
The Devourer''s Fangs didn''t seem as frightening as they usually do.
[Your Title "Devourer" is appalled by the quality of those Fangs!]
The white-scaled Monster... Didn''t look like a white-scaled Monster.
The next second, it didn''t look like a Monster either.
"Mark!" Elisa, who had been staring at the water on her side too, shouted.
Immediately, the three stepped back until their back met at the center of the body of ice.
Ssh-
Ssh-
Ssh-
Their upper bodies left the waters.
Theyy their arms on the body of ice and stared at the intruders.
Their eyes filled with fascination, frenzy, and lust.
Chapter 303 Sirens Singing
Chapter 303 Sirens Singing
With eyes filled with fascination, frenzy, and lust, they stared at the group.
The three felt nervous, but they couldn''t sense killing intent from those surrounding them.
It changed however once they slowly and nonchntly opened their mouths.
They were creatures that Mark had heard of. That he had read about.
Hence he knew that them opening their mouths would be a terrible thing for Elisa, Krista, and himself.
"CAREFUL!" Mark shouted.
The creatures resembled those carried by the Krishrens and Tavashed. Only these were autonomous.
With their mouths opening, there was one thing to expect.
Strident and ear-piercing screams that had been enough to make the three dizzy earlier despite therger distance.
With them being much closer now, there was no doubt in their minds that the sheer intensity of the sound produced could make them pass out.
Mark, Elisa, and Krista braced as well as they could for the uing sounds.
They were surrounded too, which made them assume that the effect of the screams would be amplified.
The creatures'' throats shook.
There were no screams, no shouts.
The sounds produced weren''t strident or ear-piercing.
They didn''t make the group''s heads ache or their ears bleed.
No. The produced sounds weren''t like that.
They were much, much worse.
''Huh?''
The group only caught up once their knees hit the body of ice they were on.
It was a strange sensation.
Had they lost consciousness for a second?
No, but it felt simr.
As if for a couple of seconds, the flow of time had been elerated.
Mark shook his head.
He didn''t feel sleepy.
But it was a simr feeling.
Elisa''s lips parted.
The same as Yarnha''s Forest-
This is-
But no words exited her mouth.
Three slowly and sensuously crawled closer, while the rest of the Sirens continued their Singing.
Attempting to describe their voices would be doing them a disservice.
Their song was, as one might expect, other-worldly.
Thebination of both created a, truly, supernatural artistic masterpiece.
Music has the strange power to make one forget about things. About one''s worries, one''s problems, or even the situation in which the person is in presently.
The closer to a masterpiece the music is, the easier and faster it will make one forget. The easier and faster it will take over one''s mind.
No.
The easier and faster it takes over one''s mind, the better the music and the closer it is to a masterpiece.
Presently, the Siren''s Singing could only be evaluated by such a standard.
Hearing them didn''t simply induce a "high" simr to intoxication. It didn''t make them forget about the danger or the situation.
It made them forget about everything.
About where they were and who they were.
About the Sirens and about themselves.
As if transported into another world.
The effect it had on their brain made it seem like time was flowing faster.
Like time was being skipped three seconds at a time.
What''s worse is, the Singing made them forget about so much, that even the Singing itself was forgotten.
Each instant, each note, had a profound effect on their brain, before disappearing and being forgotten forever.
The Sirens Singing is theirs, and theirs alone.
Never to be replicated, hummed, stolen, or remembered.
Slide-
Thepses of consciousness were scarce and far in between.
The white-scaled Monster had been brought to its knees, but no force had been used.
Its body had, in a way, willingly given itself up.
It didn''t take long before the most fair maiden appeared in front of Mark.
Naked and beautiful.
Her skin was incredibly pale despite the shining sun above.
Perhaps she didn''te from here.
Her breasts were shapely and voluptuous.
Her narrow shoulders contrasted nicely with her thinner waist and wider hips.
Her arms seemed to shine under the sun. As if part of her skin was covered by diamonds. Crystals? Or perhaps, her arms were simply covered by shiny pieces of jewelry.
She got closer and closer.
The white-scaled Monster''s head swayed from right to left slightly.
It was d that the fair maiden was approaching.
Despite being a Monster.
Despite his ugliness.
The ugliness within and without.
Despite those, she approached.
And of course she did. The maiden truly looked like an angel under the sun. In thisnd of Monsters, death, and blood, only she seemed out of ce.
Only an angel would approach him the way she was.
Only an angel would ept him.
Before the white-scaled Monster knew it, the fair maiden stood inches away from him.
Her vibrant green eyes, inviting. Her red fiery hair, dancing.
Shey her palms on his cheeks.
And before the white-scaled Monster knew, its arm had gone through the maiden''s stomach.
Worry and dread immediately overtook that Monster.
How could it do such a thing? To her? To the maiden that had-
The Sirens'' Singing had stopped.
The maiden, down whose mouth drops of blood went, stepped back.
The white-scaled Monster couldn''t believe its eyes. It shook its head.
The fair maiden wasn''t as fair as it seemed earlier.
Her arms covered by scales. Her teeth resembled a shark''s fangs. Her nails were long ws. Alongside her elbow bones, sharp fins resembling pikes.
And her face...
Was the creature even a "she"?
Were breasts enough of a reason to refer to it as "she"?
Krista and Elisa shook it off an instant after Mark.
"Ugh..." The Princess winced as the Sirens'' showed their true faces.
The illusion could only be kept up for so long.
As a matter of fact, the illusion only stems from the Singing.
Beautiful faces and fair maidens are only a product of the mind and brain.
Still, all see the same vision under the Sirens'' Singing.
Whether Monsters or not, it seems that all love beauty.
Of course, loving it doesn''t mean much.
Some cherish and protect what they love.
Others destroy and hurt what they love.
Monsters can perceive beauty. And that it was they target it.
''He really wasn''t kidding...''
Elisa turned around slightly.
''About what happens when women creep up on him!''
Chapter 304 Needing Reassurance?
Chapter 304 Needing Reassurance?
Elisa nimbly took out her Timeworn Elven Daggers with which she deflected the closest Siren''s ws.
She leaped forward while keeping her body low and once her body was beyond the Siren''s, a leg kick strengthened by Wind Magicunched the sea creature away.
Its body slid on the ice the group was standing on and kept sliding until the white-scaled Monster took hold of its head.
Crush-
Mark looked up. Elisa was already moving towards the next Siren.
As quickly as he could, he Devoured the two unmoving Sirens.
[Your Title "Devourer" focuses on recovering your Endurance Points.]
''That''s the move.''
Approached by one of the Sirens, a blinding light was exhuded by the Moonlit Feline as it took its Lioness Form.
The Siren''s swinging of its ws forced the Lioness to step back.
Suddenly,
''It''s tipping over??'' Both Elisa and Mark asked themselves internally at the same time.
The next second, with both perfect timing and uracy,
Ice Spike-
Ice Spike-
Ice Spike-
The body of ice grewrger and thicker.
Krista had aimed for the spot that had been rising from the water. The additional mass allowed the body of ice to regain its bnce.
Mark and Elisa fought while the Lioness focused on keeping them from going under.
The Sirens, with their initial n foiled, lost confidence in their singing. Or perhaps, seeing one of their own die made the will to sing die. Maybe it had spoiled the mood.
In any case, the Sirens didn''t sing again.
Mark Devoured all of those that had stepped onto the body of ice, which was enough to recover a good amount of Endurance Points.
Elisa, who had barely used Magic Skills during the fight, had also recovered some Mana Points.
Once all the Sirens were gone, the Lioness turned back into a white-furred cat.
The white-scaled Monster offered a hand, and Krista leaped onto it.
"Switching between your Forms..." The Moonlit Feline shivered. "It costs Mana, doesn''t it?"
Krista looked away.
"Ha. Your secrets are no longer secrets. I''m not sure how it was for Levi, but it should have been the same. Your mass increases. You get heavier. Nothing is created out of nothing. So if you get heavier, something must have been consumed to bnce it out. Huh? Huh? I''m right, aren''t I?" Mark whispered while Krista twisted her neck to look further and further away.
Secrets were important for the Moonlit Feline.
From day one, they were a must. A priority.
They only way to be special. Different from the rest. Different from the other Underlings.
It was also a precaution, not showing all of the cards one holds.
But keeping secrets became even more of a priority once Underlings such as Levi or the Fire Spirit joined the group.
Underlings with whom the Master could converse with.
Remaining special became tougher.
But presently, Krista didn''t feel that way anymore.
The Moonlit Feline truly and deeply believed that it was special.
Secrets or not, it was special.
Krista climbed onto the white-scaled Monster''s shoulder, and thetter spread its wings.
Elisa leaped onto a tform of Solidified Wind, and the three were on their way.
Many, many Monsters crossed their path.
Krishrens, Sirens, Lizardmen. Others resembling sharks or crocodiles were also encountered.
Taking breaks was done the same way it had been done the first time.
This did leave them vulnerable in a way, but it was worth it.
Traveling by air was the fastest way to cross the Border.
Plus the sun was starting to set, and the three definitely wanted to reachnd before night arrived.
"Think we''ll find an ind or something?"
"Why?"
"Not sure... Feels like a typical thing to find when there''s so much water." Mark answered as he shrugged.
Elisa chuckled as she found the thought rather ridiculous.
They continued for a couple of hours.
Eventually,
"I SEE LAND!" Elisa shouted as she pointed forward.
"Finally-" Mark let out a sigh. "Hey, you, calm down!"
The Moonlit Feline on his nape had suddenly risen to its feet upon hearing Elisa''s shout. It stood tall with its back paws on Mark''s lower back and its front paws on his skull. With glittering eyes, Krista stared at the horizon.
Land, finally.
Sick of flying or jumping, both Mark and Elisa were more excited about getting a decent break than actually arriving at their destination.
"Shit..." They whispered at the same as they looked down.
Below them, waves of water were moving towards the Land.
The waves of water were, in truth, waves of Monsters that continually remained underwater.
Their goal was probably to fight and get rid of the intruders the instant theynded on the ground and let their guard down.
"More fighting, huh..." Elisa whispered as she massaged her right shoulder muscles which were feeling very tight.
"Final stretch." Mark said as he nodded.
"Yes... How about we run?"
"Do we need to?"
"Not really... But I do want to rest. They''re underwater now, so I doubt they''ll follow us for long."
"Won''t we find other Monsters then?"
"We might."
"We will."
"Yes... You do the fighting then."
"What? I''m just as tired as you are."
"No, you''re not. Look at you, basically lying down."
"That''s not how it works. Just because my body is horizontal and that I''m flying doesn''t mean-"
", , . You want us to fight? You fight. I''m too tired for this." Elisa yawned.
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"Weren''t we... In this together? Or something?"
"I''ve never said anything of the sort. Especially when you''re the one hellbent on fighting."
"I''m not hellbent on it."
"Sure you are."
"I''m not."
"You are."
"Yeah, I guess I am."
"So you fight?"
"Sure. You got my back?"
"Yes... For as long as it takes me to fall asleep."
"Reassuring."
"Since when do you need reassurance?" Elisa chuckled.
The Moonlit Feline chuckled as its eyes glittered.
Seeing them like this was always nice.
Especially when they were tired.
Since when do you need reassurance-
To Elisa, it was a simple joke.
But it did make Mark wonder.
Chapter 305 Silent Demon Lord?
Chapter 305 Silent Demon Lord?
An exhausted white-scaled Monster folded its wings andnded on the ground.
A couple of meters above him, an Elven Princess leaped on tforms of solidified air, onlynding a couple dozen meters further.
Yawn-
Between Elisa''s arms, a sleepy Moonlit Feline.
''...''
A slight frown appeared on Mark''s face as they passed him.
"Good luck." Elisa chuckled.
Ssh-
Ssh-
Ssh-
Mark turned around as the wave of Monsters started exiting the waters.
Lizardmen, Sirens, Ludroths, and other Monsters which could survive both underwater and onnd appeared.
The white-scaled Monster extended its arms forward.
''Let''s try this again...''
Having flown all the way across the Border, Mark had exclusively used Endurance Points to do so.
His Mana reserves were filled to the brim.
Scorching Ray-
The beam of condensed red mes pierced the air.
While the Monsters could survive onnd, they were morefortable underwater.
Their skin and bodies were meant to spend a limited amount of time out of the water and under the sun.
Thetter was setting, which gave them the confidence to venture forth onto thend.
They didn''t fear their bodies and skin getting dehydrated as much.
The condensed red mes, of course, changed that.
Their bodies already weak to heat, couldn''t handle the mes.
The beam moved in a straight line and, with great speed, burned holes through the bodies of a dozen Monsters.
"Ah!" Mark chuckled. "That''s more like it." He muttered to himself.
Dozens of meters away,
"Well, isn''t this nice?" Elisa whispered.
She had taken a seat on the lone and smooth rock visible on the ground.
On her knees kept together, a Moonlit Feline was lying.
It was lying, but did keep its eyes open and focused on its Master.
"Agh... So tired. So sleepy..." Elisa massaged her shoulders as she looked around. "No forest, no jungle, nothing... I guess that''s good. Just an open in. There isn''t even grass on the ground... Strange when we''re this close to water. Still, good for us, right?" The Moonlit Feline raised its gaze, nodded, and then directed its gaze back towards its Master. "Sleeping in the open is pretty stressful but... Yes, this is pretty good."
Elisa pressed her lips together.
''We''re making good progress, though it is taking some time. Just have to cross Lust now then follow the Border between Lust and Pride to the Rift. Ugh... It''s still a long way from here. Why do I feel so stressed about it?''
The Moonlit Feline was gently pushed by Elisa who made space for her elbow toy on her thigh.
Shey her chin on her palm and lightly tapped her cheek with her index finger.
''It''s good. Everything''s good. We''re going at a good pace. We escaped from that Commander. We escaped from that disgusting Cmity the instant it appeared. The fact that both held one another back saved us back there. Yes... Yes. We barely made it out. That''s what I''m stressed about. That''s what it is.''
The tapping on her cheek grew more rough and the intervals between each tap grew shorter.
''Ugh...'' Elisa sighed as she curled her index finger, letting her nail scratch her cheek with just enough intensity for it to sting a bit. ''I feel so anxious.''
She directed her gaze towards someone else she thought would be feeling anxious.
''If I try to use the Skill... I wonder if I can do it without condensing the mes between my hands. Oh. Like that one Boss Monster on the Skeleton Floor...''
Elisa sighed again.
''He''s having fun fighting while I''m over here stressing out. Ughh... So annoying!''
She shook her head a brought a hand to her chest.
''We''re getting closer... To the goal. He still hasn''t answered. There isn''t much way left... No. There''s a lot left. But still, he hasn''t answered. Should I ask?''
Elisa let her head drop forward.
''No, still not it. Fuck, this is annoying. This ball in my stomach, I can''t figure out what''s causing it.''
Meanwhile,
''I can''t do it that way. Still need to condense the mes using both hands. It''s easier to use and control now that I developed the Magic Skill though. Interesting. I''d really like to fire the beams off like that Guardian did. Though that was Dark Magic...'' Mark thought to himself as he jumped back.
Frost spread on the ground below and a wall of ice appeared in front of him, blocking the Monsters'' way.
A secondter, the wall broke into dozens of sharp chunks which were manipted to pierce the enemies.
''Next...''
Mark moved on quickly.
His nerves were calm and his mind collected.
Despite the fact that a hundred Monsters were approaching him, and more were exiting the waters.
There was no need to worry or stress about it.
A hundred, no.
A thousand enemies could be dealt with.
No matter the number, he could defeat them or get out of the situation.
One singr enemy, now that''s a problem.
The Commander, or the Cmity.
These ants on the other hand?
A walk in the park.
Of course, that can only be true for so long.
Using Magic Skills to fight them means remaining a safe distance away.
And since the waves of Monsters do not wait for anyone or anything, Mana Points were depleting rapidly.
The initial distance and the continual advance of the swarm made it more difficult for Mark to reach the dead Monsters and, in turn, made it more difficult to Devour them.
Using Bone Maniption allowed him to move the dead closer. But by then, Monsters would be standing on their bodies or blocking the way, further increasing the Mana Cost of moving their bodies.
Moving their bodies using Bone Maniption was already tough and expensive in Mana Points since the whole body is moved but only the bones are manipted. Minute control is necessary for the bones not to exit the flesh as Devouring bones wouldn''t produce the same result.
Once Mark''s Mana Points started reaching critical levels,
Tap-
Mark turned around.
"Tag out." Elisa said as she walked past him. "I''ll deal with them while you rest for a bit. We''re running right after, ''kay?"
"Yeah." The white-scaled Monster started walking away while keeping an eye on the swarm. "Thanks."
Elisa made her Timeworn Elven Daggers spin.
"I might not have as much raw power as him but..." Suddenly, an explosion urred in the middle of the swarm, blowing away two dozen Monsters at once. The Wind Arrow that Elisa had shot towards the sky had finally descended upon them. "Mm. I guess that''s not entirely true."
Elisa fought while Krista and Mark watched from afar.
Things seemed to be going well.
Only the three had forgotten something.
Upon entering Sloth, System Notifications had appeared.
Notifications about the interest the Demon Lord Of Sloth took for the Potential Demon King Candidation.
None had appeared for now.
Did the Demon Lord Of Lust not care about a being bearing such a Title, or...?
Chapter 306 A Demon Lord’s Pet, I
Chapter 306 A Demon Lord''s Pet, I
While Elisa danced through the swarm made the enemies, a chill went down Mark''s spine.
"Elisa!" He shouted.
She noticed right away.
It was still pretty far, but it was approaching.
''What...''
A gigantic wave was traveling through the body of water they had just crossed.
''Just how many of those...?''
Elisa immediately imaged hundreds of Krishrens crossing moving just slightly below the surface at once, causing the enormous wave.
"It''s that thing. Did it win against..?"
As soon as she heard those words, Elisa exited the swarm skillfully and started running away from it.
Meanwhile,
''It couldn''t have won against that Commander easily. It must be injured. If so, then maybe-''
"RUN! NOW!" Elisa shouted.
Mark and the Lioness by his side did as they were told.
"Don''t you think we could beat it now? After it''s-" He asked after running for a couple of seconds.
"Are you serious?" Elisa interrupted. "You want to fight that thing AND all of those we''ve been barely keeping at by?? At once??"
"They''ll probably run back into the water once that thing arrives-"
"What if they don''t? They have the same objective after all, don''t they? If anything, they''ll encircle us. And we''ll end up dead. Dead! And for what?"
"..." Mark grumbled something, but Elisa couldn''t hear it.
"There''s no way we can beat that thing anyways."
"But what if that Commander tired it out?"
"She didn''t. At the speed that it''s going, it doesn''t seem that way. Their fight mustn''t have gone on for too long if it''s already that close to us."
"..." Mark grumbled something again.
Elisa sighed, guessing that it was something about being hungry.
"What makes you think we can beat it anyways?"
"Why would I think otherwise?"
"Because we saw it! And because it''s... It''s..."
"It''s what?"
"I can''t remember what the Commander said exactly. She told you anyways, so you should know! She said that it was-"
"The Pet."
"That''s right. Something''s Pet. Only thing we can assume is-"
"The Demon Lord?"
"Exactly. And we can''t fight that."
"Huh? Why not?"
Elisa sighed. She wanted to massage her forehead, but focused on running instead.
"Because it''s Demon Lord''s Pet."
"So?"
"So... So that''s a pretty scary Title, don''t you think?"
"Oh. You mean in that way... Is it though? If it''s just a Pet."
"Ugh! Listen here! Pets are nothing tough at, okay? Plus, this is a Demon Lord''s Pet. You can''t trust Pet to mean Pet in that instance."
"Why not?"
"Because anything could be a Demon Lord''s Pet!! If anything, you could have twin Demons. One a tiny bit stronger than the other. One bes Demon Lord, the other its Pet. Get it?"
"Uh... You sure?"
"Yes! They''re Demons, okay?? They''re freaking Demons, Mark!"
The white-scaled Monster grumbled something.
The Demons it had seen were those inside the Dungeon.
On the outside, everything is different, so even the definition of what a Demon is might change.
''Those inside were just like any other Monsters... Or Beasts.''
One bes Demon Lord-
The other its Pet-
Twin Demons. Siblings then.
''Yeah...'' Mark nodded silently. ''That does sound demonic, I guess.''
"Get it?"
"Yes. But Pet can also just be Pet."
"Well, we''re not betting on that."
"I''d like to."
"We''re not."
"Well, I''m not sure." Mark grumbled in a voice barely audible.
"Just... I don''t know. Just think of anything with a Pet."
"Anything?"
"Yes. Anything with a Title. A scary one. Then think of its Pet."
"Mmm..." Mark wondered for a bit.
It didn''t take long for him to find a suitable example.
"Okay." He nodded in agreement.
The example wasn''t hard to find.
Mark had used the Pet''s Name once after all.
"Let''s stay away from that thing."
"Finally." Elisa whispered, and the three continued running.
The next second, another chill went down Mark''s spine.
By this time, they had crossed quite a distance.
Still, a Demon Lord''s Pet''s presence wasn''t easy to miss.
It was hundreds and hundreds of meters away.
Its body hadn''t let the waters separating Sloth and Lust.
Still, Mark knew something wasing.
And he knew that that sensation came from the High Elven Pupil in his right eye.
That eye widened as he quickly roughly pushed away Elisa, who was running to his left.
As he pushed her, Mark had lowered his body, which allowed him to the Lioness away with his lower back after jumping away.
With a confused expression on her face, Elisa started falling as she lost her bnce.
Before her behind could reach the ground, her eyes widened too. She could feel it approaching.
Elisa immediately folded her legs closer to her body.
This allowed it to pass through.
It left away for the thin and dark beam covered by a pinkish Aura to pass between them.
The attack hadn''t been shot like an arrow.
Its trajectory wasn''t a line, but a ne.
A vertical one.
The Cmity had shot its attack at the the water right in front of it at first, then rapidly raised its aim, as if to cut the white-scaled Monster who had been standing at the center of the group in two.
The dark beam with a pinkish hue hit the ground between them, and continued further.
After pushing Krista with his lower back, Mark was now facing in the beam''s direction.
The same was true for Elisa.
The two were facing one another.
The white-scaled Monster suddenly spread its wings.
There was no need for words.
The dark beam had drawn a line on the ground. It had both dug into the ground and burnt it.
The burning, too, had a slight pinkish hue.
Wind st-
And the entire path drawn was covered by clouds of pinkish smoke as terrible explosions followed the straight line with great speed.
By using the Magic Skill "Wind st" without having stable footing, as Mark had jumped back to push Krista, he managed to increase the distance.
This did mean shooting the "Wind st" Magic Skill in Elisa''s direction, but he wasn''t worried about that one bit.
He trusted her to deal with it, and she did.
"No need to be so rough." Elisa teased as she wiped the dust off her body after pushing herself off the ground.
Mark didn''t hear those words.
He was too focused on the Cmity far in the distance.
It was getting dark, so the Monster''s full body couldn''t be seen clearly.
Still, its silhouette was enough.
Tentacles?
No. They resembled snakes.
Six gigantic snakes protruded from its body.
Chapter 307 A Demon Lord’s Pet, II
Chapter 307 A Demon Lord''s Pet, II
The six gigantic snakes protruding from the Pet''s body moved through the air for a bit, before stopping.
A pinkish light started emanating from what could only be guessed to be their mouths.
Six of those beams were about to be shot their way.
''So it can do stuff like that easily, huh? No chance then. No chance...''
The scale of destruction produced by the beam it had shot was unlike anything Mark had ever experienced.
Not only that, but the beam showed its effect on thend for much longer than needed.
Theparison was so meaningless it made Mark chuckle.
''With my Burning Ray, I focus on a single point. I get to the enemy as fast as possible. And even when doing that, the Consumption of Mana is too high for me to use itfortably. This thing... Wasted as much Mana as it could doing the total opposite. Its destructive ability is way, way higher too. The Mana Cost is higher, but it''s still using it this way. What''s more...''
The High Elven Pupil shone brightly under the piece of cloth hiding Mark''s right eye.
''Its Mana hasn''t decreased one bit. Or at least, it feels that way.''
A Demon Lord''s Pet.
Demon Lord. General. Commander. Soldier.
Where does "Pet" fall on that scale?
Lower than Soldier? Could be.
Between Demon Lord and Soldier? Could be.
Presently, Mark would put himself between Soldier and Commander in terms of strength.
Both Commanders were much stronger than he was. And so was Zephyr.
Still, the Soldiers he had encountered weren''t too impressive.
Just think of anything-
Anything with a scary Title-
Then think of its Pet-
The first example that Mark came up with, was the Underworld''s King.
More than a King, the one he thought of was a God.
God of the Dead.
Hades, one of Olympus'' Big Three. The Gods who stand above all others.
In terms of strength well, there isn''t much which can be ced above a God.
God of the Dead, a scary Title.
Its Pet.
The Underling Mark had named after was, of course, Cer.
The Three-headed Dog guarding the Underworld. Cerberus.
Could it be referred to as Hades'' Pet?
Mark wasn''t sure, but it definitely seemed like a possibility.
Guardian Of The Underworld.
Its purpose, to keep the Dead from leaving the Underworld.
A heavy and difficult burden.
Keeping the Dead from leaving. The strength to do so would need to be extraordinary.
Hades'' Pet.
A God''s Pet.
That didn''t mean that Mark needed Hercules'' strength to fight and triumph against the Pet standing on the horizon.
A God''s Pet is bound to be stronger than a Demon Lord''s Pet of course.
What mattered was the difference between the God and its Pet.
The difference in strength.
Out of all those residing in the Underworld, the King chose its Pet as Gatekeeper.
Or perhaps, its Gatekeeper as Pet.
Mark didn''t believe theparison to be all that rational or logical, hence why it had made him chuckle.
Still, if Cerberus, the Pet, is tasked with being the Underworld''s Gatekeeper, then, perhaps, it wouldn''t be preposterous to think of it as one of Hades'' Generals or, at least, holding a General''s strength.
Mark thought the same about the Cmity in the distance.
He wanted to know what the difference between the Demon Lord and the Pet was.
Howrge the distance between them was.
The Demon Lord''s strength could be estimated.
The difference between a Soldier and a Commander. That Multiplier.
Soldier''s Power x? Multiplier = Commander''s Power.
Use that same Multiplier to estimate a General''s Power.
Commander''s Power x Multiplier = General''s Power.
Do it again, and estimate a Demon Lord''s Power.
Estimating it this way made the gap between Mark and the Demon Lords seem too vast to even picture.
Which only increased his desire to put it to the test.
''Is the gap really thatrge?'' Mark asked himself as he extended his arms forward.
"Mark?"
How strong are they?
How strong am I?
Mark wanted to test both.
And so he selfishly and foolishly condensed mes between his palms.
Driven by Greed and Gluttony, he wanted to know.
Seeing the Commander''s nonsensical strength was amazing.
Eye-opening.
The one that had triumphed against it.
A Demon Lord''s Pet.
How much stronger do things get in this world?
How much strength can one individual hold in this world?
Of course, the fact that one Titled Drac''s Descendant existed, opened up countless opportunities. The excitement from thinking about the possibility of other Beings existing might have carried over to the question.
The scale. How high does it go?
Mark wanted to know.
And so, he used two-thirds of the Mana Points he currently held.
The journey was still long, and plenty of Monsters were running behind them. That remaining third must be kept and conserved.
Still, as his "Burning Ray" Magic Skill activated, as the beam of condensed mes was shot, as the dark beams were shot by the Demon Lord''s Pet, Mark wished he could have used everything.
He had to move quickly to make sure he didn''t get hit by those dark beams.
What Mark had failed to realize, or rather didn''t want to think about, was that there was no reason for the dark beams to be shot the same way they had earlier.
The gigantic snakes'' heads moved erratically, and so did the dark beams they were shooting.
Explosions and pinkish smoke covered the area.
The Demon Lord''s Pet''s attack used up so much Mana that even the smoke was filled was Mana.
Mana that the High Elven Pupil couldn''t ignore.
Mark couldn''t see through the smoke.
He clicked his tongue as he dodged.
He clicked his tongue, as he was made unable to see for himself whether his attack had had any effect on the Cmity.
The three were covered by bruises due to the explosions, but none had been touched by the dark beams.
Covered by bruises, the three ran.
Mark ran, as he cursed internally.
Chapter 308 Great Judge Of Character, I
Chapter 308 Great Judge Of Character, I
Due to the sun setting, the Monsters that used to reside under the water had no problem stepping onto thend and following the group.
Huff-
Huff-
Tiredness and sleepiness were starting to weigh on them as they continued running.
It was nowpletely dark. Still, they could see.
But that was no reason to stop or slow down.
The three would keep going until they lost the Monsters following them.
"Isn''t it fine now?" A sighing Elisa whined.
"No. We keep going."
"But we''ve looost them! Probably..."
"We''re running."
"But why??"
"We decided to run." Mark said coldly. "So we''re running."
"Seriously? What''s that about?" Elisa grumbled to herself.
The Moonlit Feline was pretty tired too, but it continued running.
It seemed pretty important to the white-scaled Monster, so the Lioness kept her sighs and yawns to herself.
An hour passed, and none of them could run any further.
Still, Mark kept walking.
"Are you serious? We can take a break now." Elisained.
The white-scaled Monster didn''t answer.
The Moonlit Feline tripped, but stood back up right away.
Only then did Mark take a stop.
''Finally...''
Elisa let her body copse to the ground, and so did Krista.
Mark, on the other hand, remained standing.
''Huh... Feels like something has got him down. Is it just a feeling or...?''
''Can''t see the sky, or the moon...'' Mark thought it was a bad omen somehow. He didn''t really believe in such things, but it was night yet the dark sky was hidden by countless clouds.
''He''s just standing there... Staring at the sky... Did that Commander hit his head one too many times?'' Elisa stared, a slight frown on her face. ''I can''t tell...''
The Moonlit Feline had closed its eyes, resting as much as possible for as long as possible.
The Princess wondered.
And the Monster remained standing.
Fifteen minutes passed.
"Let''s go-"
"ALREADY?"
"We can rest once we lose thempletely."
"You mean when the sun is up."
"That too. They won''t sneak up on us then."
"But sleeping during the day is so... Counterproductive."
The white-scaled Monster shrugged.
"Sleep isn''t as deep when the sun is out. Especially if we''re out in the open."
"Exactly!" Elisa shouted as she pointed at him.
"Which is why we''ll wake up right away if something gets closer."
"Geh! Can''t... Can''t argue with that."
Elisa sighed before approaching Krista. She, ever so gently, pushed thetter awake, but the Moonlit Feline still woke up startled.
''Something... Something is going on...'' Elisa thought to herself as the three started walking deeper into Lust''s Territory.
She silently stared at the white-scaled Monster who walked while staring ahead.
''Anger? Frustration? Fear? All of them? We did just closely dodge that Cmity... I guess mixed feelings are to be expected.''
Elisa crossed her arms behind her back and grabbed her left wrist with her right hand as she walked.
Sigh-
''We''ve been together for a long time. And yet...'' She raised her gaze towards the sky for a bit. ''Feels like I barely know him.''
Elisa suddenly came to a stop.
"Anything wrong?"
"No... No, nothing." Elisa answered as she shook her head.
Mark continued walking.
So did Krista, though her eyes were closed.
Elisa remained unmoving for a couple of seconds more, before she started walking again.
''Barely know him? That''s not true. I know him. I know him... A lot! Yes. I know... I know that... He has a Name, for one. He cares for Krista. For Levi, Light, and the others. Yes, I know that. He... Likes looking at the sky. Nature? Is that something he likes? Mmm... With how it went with Yarnha...''
She shook her head.
''Wonder if he likes flowers. I''m sure he does. I think he does? Okay. Focus. What do I know, not what I think. Uh... He likes eating stuff. Yes...'' Elisa thought, a helpless expression on her face. ''He''s funny. He makes meugh. And I make himugh. Ugh... When I think about this way...'' Her gaze moved towards the white-scaled Monster walking a couple of steps in front. ''He''s pretty normal. Why do I feel like I know so little then? I''m a good judge of character... No. I''m a great judge of character. Yes! I could tell from a nce when it came to that Commander. Then... Why not him?''
Elisa pondered for a bit.
''No grass, trees, or anything else. This is a weird ce...'' Mark thought to himself. ''You won''t have Monsters like Alris or other herbivores. And if you don''t have those, you won''t have Wolves and the like. No grass... No herbivores... No Wolves...''
While Elisa was thinking silently,
"Hey, Elisa."
"Yes?"
"Since there''s no grass here..." Mark more or less shared his thought out loud.
"I guess so."
"Which one do you think left first?"
"Huh?"
"The Alris eat the grass. The Wolves eat the Alris. Once the Wolves die, they feed the grass. Which do you think disappeared first, causing this ce to be like this?"
Elisa stared with a twitching eyebrow for a bit.
"Huh?"
It was enough to make her doubt her -judge of character- abilities.
"Well, one had to be the first to disappear. I''d bet on the grass."
"Right..." Elisa scratched her head and followed along, not really knowing why or what the point was. "The Wolves disappearing wouldn''t change much, so it would have to be the other ones."
"No. The Wolves disappearing would be the cause of the grass disappearing. Since the Alris would be too numerous to feed on the limitednd, you know?"
"Bnce, huh?"
"Yeah. Guess you can call it that."
"Do you like Nature?" Elisa asked suddenly.
"Nature as in...?"
"Nature. In general."
"I guess...?"
They started walking silently again.
''I can''t read him at all...!'' A desperate voice inside Elisa resonated. ''When we''re fighting, I can totally see what he''s trying to do. But now... When he''s in this kind of mood. Huh? This kind of mood...?''
She brought a hand to her chin.
''If I want to understand him better, I can''t keep reasoning from my point of view. I have to see it... As a Monster? Yes! The part of him that is a Monster! The part of him... Part...''
Elisa looked the white-scaled Monster up and down.
''Which part is that?''
Chapter 309 Great Judge Of Character, II
Chapter 309 Great Judge Of Character, II
''He doesn''t like losing. Even when we were just sparring, I could see that.''
Sparring.
It had been a long time.
The first time they had done so was not long after leaving the Dungeon.
That dreadful Dungeon.
''He likes winning. He loves winning. But... Not always. It depends on how he won. Depends on it too much actually. He doesn''t like running away. Losing... Running away... That''s what got him in this mood, isn''t it? Not much we could have done against THAT anyways. Runnings away... Losing... How would a Monster feel about that? Most prefer dying to running away. He doesn''t. But he still... Oh. It''s like...''
"A long hunt... With no kill..." Elisa whispered without meaning to.
"Mm?"
"Nothing!" Elisa waved her hands apologetically. She had shouted the word. Once again, without meaning to. "Just... Thinking."
"Okay."
''Okay? That''s it? Just okay? Ugh... Okay. Stay focused. Alright. A long hunt with no kill? If I think about him as a wolf then... But this wasn''t really a hunt. They came at us suddenly. It was nothing like a hunt. If anything, we were prey. Actually... We''ve been prey this whole time?''
"Huh. That''s funny."
"What''s funny?"
"Will you stop bothering me? I''m thinking here."
Mark was about tough out loud, but he held it in.
This did make Elisa smile.
''Yarnha, those Commanders, that Cmity... Trouble finds us. Wait. If troublees to us, then no pointing to it. So it would be a hunt still, wouldn''t it? Maybe he''s used to troubleing to him? Why would he be used to that? Ugh. That''s not the question. Troublees. He wees trouble. He doesn''t want to run away from it. But he has no control over what troublees, so expecting the ability to defeat whatever crosses his way is idiotic...''
With doubtful eyes, she stared for a bit.
"Are you idiotic, Mark?"
"You''re asking... What exactly? Is there a hidden meaning or?"
"I''m asking if you are idiotic."
"Well," He chuckled. "I wouldn''t exactly call myself smart but I wouldn''t call myself stupid either, I guess."
"You guess?"
"Yeah. Only thing I can do."
"Why is that?"
"I don''t know how smart things get... On this side of the Realm."
"Ha. That''s actually a good point."
''Not smart, but not dumb. Yes, I can see that. He doesn''t make the same mistakes twice... Usually. He learns pretty fast. Or I guess he adapts fast. He fights better every time. Our coordination gets better every time. But that''s not... I keep getting further from what I''m looking for. I want...''
With glittering eyes, she stared.
''To know more about you.''
Elisa pressed her lips together.
She debated internally.
Getting to know more about him. There was a simple way of doing so, and a difficult one.
The simple way didn''t seem essible though.
''I still feel like he wouldn''t answer a bunch of questions. I know things about him. He likes Wolves. He likes them a lot. He likes fighting. He likes... Laughing? Ugh. This feels so weird to think. Still, he IS a Monster. So it''s important to point out. Yes, it''s important. He likes tough. He likes looking at the sky. Both when it''s bright and when it''s dark. He liked... Looking at those lights in the sky. He likes... Beautiful things. That''s good. Ughh, the point isn''t to judge it but just to figure out...''
From the corner of his eye, Mark peeked at Elisa.
She seemed pretty focused on something. And slightly irritated.
He shrugged it off.
''Point is, I know a lot. But I don''t know... Where he was before that Dungeon. Who he was. What he was? Feels like dragging it out of him would be possible. Actually, it feels like... He might leave if I try to force it out of him. But it just feels that way. It just feels that way...''
Elisa let out a long sigh.
She skipped to the white-scaled Monster''s side.
"You like fighting?"
"Uh..." He was puzzled, and didn''t try to hide it. "Yeah. I do."
Elisa walked with her arms crossed behind her back.
Long strides.
She stared at the ground.
"What do you like about it?"
"Everything really." Mark shrugged. "Though I guess... I liked it a lot earlier."
"Earlier? Against the Commander?"
"No, before that."
"Against those... Disgusting Monsters with tentacles?"
"Yeah."
"Anything in particr made it different?"
"Mm... It wasn''t the first time that I fought multiple opponents at once, but this felt different."
"It did?"
"Yeah. Probably because... I had to see and keep up with many things at once."
Elisa''s gaze immediately rose from the ground.
"You liked that?"
"Mm." He nodded. "It was challenging. And fun. Felt like-"
"Like ying tag?"
"Ha!" Mark chuckled. "No, but it did feel like a fun game."
The slightly blushing Elisa moved her gaze back to the ground.
"I see what you mean. We used to y a lot back then. When I was younger, I mean."
"Tag and... Other games?"
"Yes. They''re fun. And good training. You had anything like that when you were younger?"
"I uh..." The white-scaled Monster scratched its nape. "I mostly watched others y."
"Where were you, before the Dungeon?"
"I''m not telling."
"Not ever?"
"Not yet."
Elisa shrugged.
Not yet-
She thought she could settle on that.
"You said you liked fighting." Elisa said a dozen silent secondster.
"Mm." Mark nodded.
"What about the killing?"
"The killing?"
"Yes. Do you like fighting, or killing?"
"I don''t like this question."
"That might be why I''m asking it."
Mark thought silently for a bit.
Sigh-
"I like the fighting and I don''t mind the killing. Plus, I need them dead to Devour them so-"
"So you like Devouring, not killing?"
"It''s the same thing."
"It''s not."
"I don''t particrly enjoy killing things, if that''s what you''re asking."
"That''s what I''m asking."
"Then there''s your answer."
"You don''t like letting them down easy though, do you?"
Mark shrugged. He didn''t want to answer, and Elisa could tell.
"What about music? You like music? Songs? Singing? How about dancin-"
"Why are you asking these things?"
Elisa looked away.
"Why shouldn''t I? We''re travelling together aren''t we?" She looked further and further away to keep him from noticing the blushing. "It''s normal for... Travelingpanions to talk about these things. Singing and dancing around a bonefire, you know? Normal... Traveler... Things to do."
"Uhuh." Mark nodded.
He scratched his head.
''She''s pretty confusing.'' The white-scaled Monster thought, a slight smile on its face.
Chapter 310 Watching Others Play
Chapter 310 Watching Others y
I mostly watched others y-
***
An unquantifiable amount of time earlier,
"Alright. Looks like everyone is here." An adult whispered as he stared at the notepad in his hands.
The man was inly dressed. Sneakers, a baggy sweatshirt, and greenish sweatpants.
He was rather old, so it was strange for him to be a PE teacher.
At least, that''s what the twenty-four children seated on the ground in front of him thought.
Think we''ll be able to-
You know I''m the fastest in the school right-
I really don''t feel like-
"Quiet, kids." The teacher pped his hands together, bringing back the students'' attention to himself. "We only have about an hour today so... We''ll y matches right away."
YESSS-
PERFECT, WE''LL DEFINITELY WIN THIS TIME-
Ughh-
"Umm..." Feeling a tinge of awkwardness, the teacher stared at the piece of paper he had pulled out as he talked. "Mark?"
Immediately, all eyes turned towards that particr student.
Mark.
He was taller than his ssmates, but particrly scrawny. Pale too.
Very pale.
"Yes... Sir?"
Not again-
No way-
I really wanted to y with him-
The whispers made it rather obvious. He was well-liked by those around him.
The teachers liked him too. He didn''t cause trouble, and was usually quiet when he was supposed to be.
"I umm... I have a note from your doctor, so-"
"Again?"
"Yes..." The teacher scratched his head. "I''m sure you''ll be able to y next time though."
Mark pressed his lips together.
He couldn''t really go against his teacher, could he?
Next time then-
Make sure you watch me, I''m going to be amazing today-
They tried cheering him up, which was nice and actually worked.
Mark walked away from the center of the gymnasium.
It was a huge gymnasium.
This was the children''s first year in elementary school. Their first year in a school with a gymnasium, so that might have had something to do with their disproportionate sense of size.
Fourth week of ss.
Fourth PE ss.
Fourth time Mark had to walk away from his ssmates and sit on the benches.
They waved at him as he walked, and he waved back.
"Now... Football is the game for this trimester. Since there are 23 of you, we''ll be doing two teams of..."
"Um. Teacher?"
"Mm?" The teacher directed his gaze towards the student.
Ley was her name.
She timidly scratched her cheek.
"What is it, Ley?"
"Um... Can I... I''ll... Football is yed in teams of 11, right? So..."
"You don''t want to y?"
"I... Um... Maybe..." She fidgeted around, not sure what to answer.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." Ley answered so fast that it surprised her teacher.
"Okay then. Teams of 11. You can sub someone out whenever you want, okay Ley? Or I''ll put a timer for someone to step out every ten minutes-"
"I''LL... I''d rather... I''m feeling a bit tired."
"I see. That''s fine."
Ley walked away from the ssmates surrounding her.
She didn''t turn around. And they didn''t wave at her.
"Okay. I''ll leave you to make the teams. Then we''ll..."
The ssmates started warming up shortly after.
They were very excited, as all children are when ites to ying games andpeting.
Competing.
Most of them were about six years old.
Yet, they all wanted to win.
And why wouldn''t they?
Winning the game at the weekly PE ss was a great achievement.
Something they would brag and boast about for the whoole following week.
The ss took ce on Mondays too, so the whole week remained for their bragging.
"We''re not losing this time." Team A''s rowdy leader eximed as he made his left shoulder rotate.
"We''re ying football..." Team B''s leader took off his sses. "Why are you warming up your shoulders."
"Geh! Because uhh... Yes! Because you use your arms when running too! Aha!"
Team B''s leader took his time cleaning his sses with his shirt. It didn''t seem like it, but he was buying time to find a good retort.
Dozens of steps away, both Mark and Ley were seated on the same bench.
She didn''t sit on a different one, since that would have been rude.
Still, she sat on the other side of the bench.
''Mmm... She doesn''t like ying with the others. Only when ites to sports though. The rest of the time, I don''t think she has a problem with them...'' The teacher thought to himself. ''Wonder if I should... No. I''ll let her be. Forcing her to y isn''t good.'' His gaze moved to the other kid, Mark. ''I really want to let him y... But if something happens, it''ll be my fault. Can''t do that. Can''t do that. Gotta keep my job. Doctor''s orders reign supreme.''
Secondster, the whistle blew and the match began.
"So your team starts with the ball, huh? As expected, teacher''s pet!''
"Growl, growl. You''re just like a dog!"
With a bored expression on her face, Ley watched the match from afar.
The dreadful PE ss.
Sigh-
She had managed to escape this time too. But the anxiety couldn''t be held back. What about the next PE ss?
Her gaze moved to her right and, as always,
Shine-
''What... Again...?'' Ley was truly stupefied.
His eyes shone so brightly she could almost see sparks flying.
Stareee-
His eyelids opened so widely Ley thought it was unnatural.
"PIEERE! TO YOUR RIGHT!" Mark shouted suddenly, startling Ley. "AGHH!! RIN, YOU SUCK! YOU COULD HAVE TOTALLY TAKEN IT THERE!! MIA, GO TO..."
Ley''s gaze moved back to the ball which was quickly moving around, up and down the field.
"WHICH SIDE ARE YOU ON??" Both teams'' leaders yelled at once.
"BFAHAHAHA! THAT WAS PERFECT SHIN! DON''T LET HIM TAKE IT BACK!!" Mark shouted as heughed out loud hysterically.
...
Ten minutes had passed.
A short break for the yers was due. The match was an intense one.
Only once the break started, did Mark let his back fall on the bench''s backrest.
"Wa... I''m exhausted." He whispered, still chuckling.
''BUT YOU DIDN''T DO ANYTHING??'' Ley shouted internally.
She noticed the teacher peeking at her.
Ley looked away.
''She really doesn''t want to, huh?'' The teacher thought to himself.
Whistle-
The match continued.
This time, three goals were scored. One of them was an own goal.
An incident that wouldn''t be forgotten for the whole year, and would be brought up many, many times.
No matter how many times the teams talked about it, they could never agree on whether it was an -own goal- or not.
The person to bring up the -own goal issue- the most that year was Mark.
Chapter 311 Dreadful PE Class
Chapter 311 Dreadful PE ss
Mark''s eyes shone brightly as he watched his ssmates y.
"DID YOU SEE THAT, MARK?"
"YEAH! THAT WAS SUPER COOL!" He answered with brimming eyes.
"Aha!" Team A''s leader turned towards the other team''s leader, sneering. "Super cool, huh?"
"Don''t get too proud. It''s a draw for now. Since you scored on your own team before. Ah!"
"DID NOT!"
"DID TOO!"
The two, full of rage stared at one another for a bit, before towards,
"MARK! WHAT DO YOU THINK?" They shouted in unison.
The startled Mark remained silent for a couple of seconds, before breaking out inughter.
"I think it was-"
The whistle blew, and the match continued.
Mark pressed his lips, unable to say his part.
He turned to his left.
"What do you think?"
"About what?"
"About... Did he score on his own team, or-"
"Don''t know. Wasn''t looking."
Mark frowned and turned away.
''She so WAS looking though?!''
''Why is he asking me?!''
The irritation one felt for the other had only kept growing with every past week.
With every past PE ss.
Turning away was the right thing to do.
After all, it only took a second for Mark to move.
The match was just too interesting!
Watching them y was just too interesting!
Watching them y is so much fun!
Imagine...
How fun would it be to actually be there with them?
Unfortunately, Mark''s mood had taken an irreversible turn for the worse.
But it was a gradual change. Or rather, a feeling that was always there and that he couldn''t really get rid of.
They were ying. And he was watching.
Still, his eyes glittered.
Win or lose, he didn''t care.
Which side scored 7 seven goals and which one only scored 4, he didn''t care.
"Nooo... We''re behind!"
"We need to do something!"
"How do wee back from this??"
Since he wasn''t in the game, since he didn''t care about the result, all he was left with was...
"THAT WAS SO COOL MIA!"
"BUT I LOST THE BALL!!" The young girl had stopped running. She felt so sad and embarrassed she could cry.
"BUT IF IT HAD WORKED, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUPER EXTRA COOL!! TO YOUR LEFT!"
The young Mia turned to her left, and took back the ball that had been stolen.
''Yes!!'' Mark cheered internally.
He didn''t care about the result, so all that was left were these little moments.
The bigger picture was thrown right out of his head.
The small, short, and intense one-on-one battles.
They were so much fun to see!
''What is he so excited about?'' Ley asked herself as she rolled her eyes.
Truth be told, what Mia was trying to do wouldn''t have been that cool.
The match wasn''t as interesting as it seemed, hence why the PE teacher could frequently be found snoring.
But of course, that is to be expected.
Mia couldn''t have or show extraordinary feats or skills. She was only six years old.
And so was Mark.
"RUN FASTER ELIOTT!!"
"I''M TRYINNNG!!"
Whistle-
The break started. And instead of copsing on the ground as they usually did,
"MARK, WHAT DO YOU THINK..." They swarmed around him.
And Mark chuckled while doing his best not to upset anyone.
But eventually, the break was over. And they walked away.
Oh, how he felt as he stared at their backs moving further and further. How he felt as they walked away from him.
His gaze moved to his left.
And Ley became the subject of his frustration and irritation.
''ying with them must be so much fun!! Getting to go in there, and y, and run... It looks so cool too! Mia was super cool this match. So was Elliott, he ran sooo fast at the end. And then Rin. Ha! He kept running and running but he never managed to take the ball back from Mia. It looks so fun. It is fun! It is fun... But mom won''t let me y. Dad too. And the teacher listens to them. How can I y if they won''t let me? I can''t. I can''t...''
The boy''s mood had truly turned sour.
''I know I can''t. But that makes it sooo annoying! So annoying!'' His eyes shot dagger at the young girl seated to his left. ''How can she always refuse to y? She says she''s tired but she always runs around. ALWAYS RUNNING EXCEPT NOW!! EXCEPT WHEN RUNNING WOULD BE THE MOST FUN!! How can she throw that away every time...? Ugh! I hate that! I hate her!!''
And as Mark was fuming, the whispers Ley had heard earlier were still haunting her.
I hope she leaves again-
Yeah, she can''t even y-
It''s so much better without her-
Did you see herst time-
Hahahaha-
She stepped on the ball and fell-
Hahahaha-
I seriously-
I seriously-
Don''t want her on my team-
No matter how much she argued with her parents,
It''s important that you y with them-
Getting along with other kids is important-
BUT I GET ALONG WITH THEM FINE, IT''S WHEN WE''RE PLAYING THAT-
Every week, no.
Every day, she started dreading that ss.
The PE ss during which all her friends turn against her.
IT''S NOT MY FAULT THAT I HAVEN''T LEARNED TO PLAY FOOTBALL-
IT''S NOT MY FAULT THAT I GET SCARED WHENEVER SOMEONES KICKS THE BALL-
WHY-
WHY ARE THEY LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT-
It''s better without her-
Hope the teacher doesn''t put her in the same team as me-
I KNOW HOW TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL-
I''M GREAT AT VOLLEYBALL-
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL-
YOU DON''T-
I''M BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU AT VOLLEYBALL-
SO WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE THIS STUPID GAME-
The young girl felt so lonely she could die.
And there he was, at her right.
Every time, he is excused by the teacher.
Every time, they cheer, wave, and feel sad about him leaving.
And right after that,
Football is the game for this trimester-
They all turn towards me.
All of them at once.
And I can feel it.
They all want me gone.
So I leave.
And when I don''t, it''s even worse.
We''re supposed to be a team.
But even when I''m there, it''s as if I''m not.
They won''t listen to me.
They won''t pass to me.
As if I''m not there.
WHY WON''T THEY PASS TO ME-
I''M ON THEIR TEAM TOO-
Ley turned to her right, frowning.
The young Mark stared, frowning.
''Tsk. I hate you!''
"Ley," The teacher called out suddenly. "You''re subbing in for Pedra."
''You have no idea how lucky you are...''
The two looked away at once, and Ley stood up. Because she had no other choice.
''That you don''t have to y.''
''That you get to y.''
Chapter 312 The Devil’s Hour
Chapter 312 The Devil''s Hour
"..."
Distant whispers.
"HEY! Can you hear me??" Elisa shouted as she waved a hand in the white-scaled Monster''s face.
"Huh? Yeah, sure. Why?"
"Why? Because I''ve been talking for thest five minutes and waving my hand for thest two."
"I was... Just thinking."
"Seem like you went pretty far too." Elisa took a sidestep and stood next to him. "You were walking, but not hearing anything."
"Sorry, I guess."
"Sorry isn''t going to cut it. What were you thinking about?"
"I just... Remembered something."
"What is it?"
"I don''t know."
"You don''t know? Then you didn''t remember anything? Was it just an empty excuse?"
"No." Mark chuckled. "More like..." He brought a hand closer to the side of his skull. "I remembered a feeling."
"Huh. I see. Yes, that does happen." Elisa shrugged as she walked.
The Moonlit Feline jumped off Mark''s shoulder, which startled him as he hadn''t felt it climb earlier at all.
After having zoned out, he felt the need to say something.
But that feeling, Mark wanted to think about it a bit longer.
To connect with it, while it was still freshly imprinted in his mind and body.
He sighed.
"What about you?"
"Me?"
"Remembered anything new? After..."
"Mmm... I still have gaps. But I remember pretty much everything." Elisa answered confidently. "Thanks for asking."
"What about the Corruption? Can you still feel it?"
"Mmm... It''s definitely still there, but I don''t feel its effects anymore. Last time, you extracted everything, didn''t you?"
"I was pretty much out of it then, so I don''t remember much."
"Well, it was..." Elisa fiddled with a strand of hair as she was reminded of the episode. "That might partly be why you can''t remember. Or why you passed out after it."
"Yeah, I guess so." Mark''s gaze moved towards his tingling left arm and the dark circles drawn on the otherwise snow-white scales. "I can feel it on you, but I can''t... Pull from it?"
"Ha! Pull from it is a funny way of thinking about it. Mm. I think I understand." Elisa''s tone seemed to lose energy with each sentence. "You can take the Corruption, but you can''t purge it. Like nest you-"
"Like a virus."
"Huh?"
"I can take away everything it produced, but not what started it."
"Mm." Elisa nodded. "I think that''s it. The initial Corruption remains." She added as she tapped the side of her stomach. "That can only be taken away using Holy Magic or something?"
"Think you could learn that?"
"What? It''s not that simple."
"I''m just asking if you think you could."
"Hpmh!" Elisa looked away. "You underestimate Magic too much."
Mark walked silently for a bit.
"I guess I do..."
He scratched his cheek.
''Wonder if my understanding would be better if I...'' Mark shook his head.
"This ce really is strange." Elisamented as she yawned. "Barrennd all over. Though I can''t see too far since it''s dark."
"Mm."
"They''re still following us."
"You can tell?"
"Yes. Pretty cool, isn''t it?"
"How?"
"By listening to the Wind."
"I know but... They should be pretty far now."
"Yep. Really far. Think I shouldn''t be able to cover that distance, huh? Since I haven''t previously?"
Mark brought a hand to his chin as he walked.
"I guess you could if you..."
"If I?" Elisa asked, a smile on her face.
"If you decrease the area over which you... Not the area, the width of it?"
"Aha?"
"By decreasing the width or... Instead of reading all around us, you focus on one angle. That would allow you to look further?"
"Yep. Just like the... Thing you do with the mes-"
"Burning Ra-"
"Lower the range, increase the intensity, you could say."
"Volume and intensity, huh?"
"Mm." Elisa nodded. "You''ll be able to do that with that Eye too at one point."
"How would that look like?" Mark asked, slightly perplexed.
"I don''t know." She shrugged. "I don''t have those Eyes."
"Mm... Right now they affect everything in my field of vision-"
"And that''s too much for you to handle." Elisa teased.
"It''s too much when I''m fighting at the same time."
"Oho! So you can be like... An eagle for us. Or a guard dog! Just watch and tell us what happens."
"Geh... I''ll leave that job to you." The retort made Elisa shut her mouth right away. "If I can focus its effects on a single target, that could lessen the burden."
"Or increase the efficacy."
"Theoretically."
"Theoretically, yes. But it''s your Eye, isn''t it?"
"So?"
"So you control it. Tell it to focus on one thing. It wouldn''t go against you. It''s your Eye after all."
"Yeah..."
The Monsters following them weren''t letting up.
The distance separating them was arge one, but crossing that distance would take less time than is needed to sleep and rest properly.
They kept walking through the dark night.
Deeper into the barrennd that Lust seemed to be.
No vegetation, no Beasts, no Monsters. Except those that had left the Border of course.
They walked until the dark night grew darker.
Until their heavy eyelids fought back against their desire to keep open eyes.
Until they couldn''t tell whether they had kept walking in a straight line since crossing the Border or had taken an angle.
"Got... A story to tell?"
"Did they... Stop following?"
"No... I can''t still feel... Something. Now, tell me a story... About something... Need to keep talking... Otherwise..."
"Fine... Let''s see..."
***
The concept of time was something that Mark had somewhat be ignorant of. Or rather, indifferent.
Inside the Dungeon, some Floors werepletely dark, while others were bright.
There were no days inside the Dungeon. No day and night.
It was different outside. It was "normal".
Mark couldn''t tell exactly whether the days wereposed of twenty-four hours or not, but it felt close to that at least.
Elisa''s sense of time, too, had been impacted.
Days didn''t matter to them.
Hours didn''t matter to them.
A grave mistake.
Days do matter, even in the Higher World.
They had entered The Forest Of Yarnha at night. Thankfully, it wasn''t under a full moon.
Days matter.
Unbeknownst to them, the clock was ticking.
It was 3:00 am.
The Devil''s Hour.
Chapter 313 Barren Land, What A Waste
Chapter 313 Barren Land, What A Waste
Due, perhaps, to the darkness surrounding them and their tiredness, they hadn''t noticed it seep from the ground. Although it was often referred to as something that seeps from the ground, this wasn''t a known fact, but a theory. It might have been brought by the wind,? produced by the air around them, or have descended from the clouds above.
In any case, it was starting to take effect.
And the first one to feel its effects, was Krista, The Moonlit Feline.
The white-furred cat had suddenly stopped walking.
Its hair stood on end.
A slight feeling of difort.
Shake it off, shake it off.
The difort remained.
Krista''s gaze moved towards Mark and Elisa who had continued walking.
The Moonlit Feline meowed. The two stopped and turned around.
Krista skipped towards them.
As if all tiredness and sleepiness had left her, she jumped and climbed up Mark''s body before affectionately licking his face.
He patted her head gently.
That wasn''t it.
Krista turned around and jumped into Elisa''s arms.
The Moonlit Feline licked Elisa''s chin and cheek while thetter held its body tenderly.
Krista stopped, and Elisa''s sleepy eyes stared, both amused and puzzled.
That wasn''t it either.
The Moonlit hopped off and walked beyond them.
It stared at the darkness surrounding them in the dead of night.
Krista arched her back, stretching every muscle fiber in her body.
A tingle.
Purrrr-
The Moonlit Feline walked forward, leading the group.
Both Mark and Elisa looked at one another before shrugging and following Krista.
...
The three walked.
In the quiet night, all that could be heard was Mark''s mumbling, Elisa''s nodding, and Krista''s purring.
"So that''s... That''s it went with the... With the..."
"The Guardian...?"
"Yeah... Yeah... The Sixth Floor''s Guardian... And then... There was the Seventh-"
"The Fifth! We already... Talked about the previous... Ones..."
"Oh... Right... The Fifth... Was special... Had no..."
On the other hand, the Moonlit Feline leading the group seemed more energetic than usual.
It would leap forward while staring at the darkness beyond, and sometimes turn its head from right to left as if looking for something.
What was it looking for?
All Mark and Elisa could do was shrug.
"Oh. I think... It''s fine now."
"Let''s keep going... Till sunrise."
"Easy... For you to say."
"Why is that?"
"You used to not even sleep."
"Mm." The white-scaled nodded before letting out a long yawn. "I like sleeping now."
"Let''s at least take a break." Elisa muttered as she copsed on the ground.
Mark did the same.
The Moonlit Feline turned back, seemingly annoyed by the forced stop.
Still, it walked closer to them and climbed onto Elisa''s thighs.
"Well, aren''t you energetic?"
"This might be easier than Sloth." Markmented as hey on his back, staring at the cloudy sky above. "Nothing standing in our way for now." He clicked his tongue. "Though I have a feeling fewer enemies only means stronger ones."
"This isn''t a Dungeon. If there are no Monsters, then there are no Monsters." Elisa, seated on folded knees, stroked the Moonlit Feline''s fur. "I do hate this ce still."
"Why?" He yawned. "It''s peaceful. For now, at least."
"Mm..." Elisa ced a hand on the ground. It was dry and dusty. "There''s no Nature here."
"So? There isn''t much of that in deserts either."
"Thend is dead. Empty... Almost like things aren''t supposed to survive here."
"No chances for anything to grow or survive, huh?"
"Yes. Maybe that''s why the Monsters in the Border want to stop us that much. We disturbed the peace of this ce. A ce where the living is-"
Yawn-
"Did you just yawn while I was-"
"A ce where the living isn''t wee. Is there anything peaceful about that?"
"It''s quiet and still."
"I would have expected that from Sloth, not Lust."
Elisa agreed. Unable to find an exnation for it, she shrugged.
Krista''s tail swayed.
"Think it has something to do with the clouds?"
"The clouds?"
"Mm." Mark nodded. "Maybe the sun doesn''t reach?"
"The ground is dry. It''s not cold either, so I don''t think that''s it."
Mark stared at the cloudy sky before closing his eyes.
''Since when do I care about what the ground looks like?'' His eyebrow twitched.
Elisa seemed to care though.
Maybe one caring about something was enough for the two.
"Do you think it could change?"
"The ground?"
"Yes. Do you think it could... Get better?"
"Why do you care?"
"Don''t know..." Elisa wiped the dry ground to the side with a hand. "It''s sad, isn''t it? Seeing it like this."
"I don''t think so."
"Of course it is! It''s all... Sad and dead! When it could be beautiful and full of life! Of course, it''s sad."
Mark shrugged without answering.
"And we''ve been walking and running for a while now. Aaaall thisnd. Wasted."
"Well," He chuckled. "It is a wastnd."
"But it could be so much more!"
It could be so much more-
Mark nodded silently, before slowly crawling closer to Elisa.
Without saying a word, hey the back of his head on her thigh. Kritsa begrudgingly moved a bit to leave him enough space.
Elisa was looking straight ahead.
Mark turned toy on his side, his left cheek on her left thigh.
"It''s a nice thought." He finally said as he stared at the darkness in front of them.
"Right? Haha!" Elisa brought a hand closer to his face before stopping. With her index finger, she gently poked his cheek repeatedly. "It''s true too. I mean, there''s so muchnd. It has everything to bear life, but it doesn''t. Mmm. It''s pretty sad."
"It is sad... I guess."
"You guess, huh?"
Elisa liked having him so close.
She thought it was the first time he had approached her this way, which also felt quite nice.
"Oh. Now that I think about it..." Elisay her hand on his head. Mark flinched at her words. He turned his head further, as if to bury his face in her thigh, or perhaps hide it. "It''s like that story you told me about, isn''t it?"
"What story?" Mark asked. He would have rathered her not make the link but, she had.
"Well, thend has everything it needs to... Do its thing. It''s sad. Like the story about that boy told me. The boy who loved running, but couldn''t."
Chapter 314 Demon Lord Influence?
Chapter 314 Demon Lord Influence?
"How is it the same?"
"Well, he had legs. And a heart. And lungs. As far as you told me..."
"Yeah."
"Wonder if he got to run after all..." Elisa whispered as she stroked Mark''s head. She was surprised at how pleasant to the touch scales could be.
"It''s just a story. You''re thinking about it too deeply."
"Still, I hope he got to run. Just like I hope thisnd will be covered by beautiful grass and flowers one day."
Her words didn''t leave him indifferent, but he did his best to make it seem that way.
"Why do you even care about that?"
"I don''t know, haha! It just... It''d be nice, I guess? I hope he got to run as much as he wanted, to get as far as he wanted, until his legs and heart gave out!" Elisa dered with arge grin on her face.
"Wasn''t uh..." Mark chuckled. "Wasn''t his legs and heart giving out the problem?"
"Oh. Yes, I guess so. Haha!" Elisa scratched her head. "Still, I''m talking about a different kind of -giving out-, you know? A different kind of fatigue. The kind that makes you smile despite you falling to the ground. The kind-"
"That makes youugh out loud, uncontrobly... Despite how tired you feel?"
"Mm! You know what I mean?"
"Yeah..." Mark nodded before closing his eyes. "It''s a nice feeling."
About a minuteter, Elisa brought her hands to her face, massaging her tired eyes.
''If they''re sleeping, then I guess I should-''
Mark slowly pushed himself off the ground.
"You''re up?"
"I''m up." He chuckled. "Let''s keep going for a bit, then the two of you can sleep."
Elisa stared with her lips pressed for a bit before nodding.
Mark extended a hand.
It took a bit of work, but Elisa managed to wake the Moonlit Feline up.
Thetter hopped onto the extended hand and climbed up Mark''s body before curling up on his shoulder.
Unlike what Elisa had expected, or was used to, the extended hand wasn''t retracted.
She took his hand and stood up.
The two walked through the darkness, hand in hand.
"..."
"..."
Neither talked.
And both had trouble looking at the other.
"It''s pretty cold here. Colder than in Sloth."
"Better than how it was outside the Dungeon though."
"True, haha."
The more they walked, the clearer it became how they appreciated each other''s presence.
Even if though weren''t talking. Even though they were silent.
A lot of time had passed since their meeting, and both found themselves reminiscing.
As much as he disliked that fact about himself, Mark hated being alone.
Grip-
Elisa thought it felt nice to hold someone''s hand.
When was thest time she had walked with someone''s hand holding hers?
She couldn''t tell.
Whose hand was it?
Her mother? Her father''s? Had she ever held a hand that wasn''t theirs? She couldn''t tell.
Slowly but surely, Elisa found herself getting closer and closer to him. Shaving off the distance that separated them inch by inch.
Being with someone was nice.
Being close to someone was nice.
Having a hand holding yours when surrounded by darkness was nice.
Even when that hand was a Monster''s? Even when that hand was a Monster''s.
Elisa hade to dislike thinking about Mark as a Monster.
But as much as she tried not to, it was impossible. Because that''s what he was.
epting him without thinking about him as a Monster? She couldn''t do so.
epting him as a Monster, she still had trouble doing.
Why?
Because he''s a Monster.
But what does that mean? What does that entail?
He is one, looks like one, and acts like one.
Does he act like a Monster?
Only at times.
Have you seen others act like Monsters despite not looking like Monsters?
Yes, those are the worst.
If those are the worst, then how he -acts- is more important than how he -looks-, isn''t it?
It is. But how they look indicates what they are. How they are.
Is that true all the time?
Grip-
The sudden increase in pressure Mark felt around his hand startled him slightly.
''Not all the time, I guess...'' Elisa thought to herself. She was about half a step behind him.
Mark had tried matching her pace, but every time he slowed down, she would slow down even further.
He figured that she simply wanted to stay half a step behind.
''Not all the time... But I''m still scared. Scared or nervous? I can''t tell anymore... He''s not a Monster with me. Perhaps that should be enough. It should be enough. In the first ce, I''m an Elf. Appearances... We learn to doubt them. Appearances aren''t everything. Appearances... Do matter though. But he said he might be willing to change. Isn''t that enough? He got rid of those horns for me. Isn''t that enough?''
The pressure around Mark''s hand increased further.
''Why do I have trouble...? Why? Why? WHY? I want to be with him. I want him to stay with me. I don''t want him to leave me. I don''t want to be alone. I want him with me. Close to me. So why...''
Elisa stopped walking, and Mark turned around.
''Why do I still get startled when I see his face suddenly? Why do I still... Why do I have so much trouble epting him? epting him as he is??''
"Elisa? Are you-"
Before Mark could finish his sentence, she buried her weeping face in his chest.
He held her tightly.
And she held him even more tightly.
"Are you okay?" Mark asked as he chuckled.
He bent his neck from right to left, trying to get a look at the face she was hiding.
A couple of seconds passed. Elisa raised her head, her chin remained on his chest.
"I''m okay." She answered.
With a finger, he wiped a tear away and she chuckled.
A couple of steps away, the Moonlit Feline was stretching its back on the ground.
The next second, it started rolling on the ground.
The twoughed as they turned towards Krista for a bit, without widening the distance between them by an inch.
The Moonlit Feline was the first to feel its influence.
For Krista, it was a much simpler process after all.
The constant purring, moving around, and rolling on the ground.
The two didn''t know that, but the Moonlit Feline was in heat.
And it wouldn''t take much longer for the Demon Lord Of Lust''s influence to be more apparent.
Chapter 315 A Monster With A Name, III
Chapter 315 A Monster With A Name, III
The Dungeon.
Throughout the Land, there were hundreds if not thousands of different Dungeons.
Yet, when they talked to one another, the word Dungeon could only refer to -that- one.
The one where they had met.
Elisa.
A Dark Elven Princess. Joyous, full of hope, and love for the world.
Through no fault of her own, she was captured, subjected to the curse that is Corruption Magic, and isted.
While her people were going mad, she was forced to watch. When she didn''t watch, their cries would reach her.
How long had she spent in that room? Alone and quivering?
How long had she fought against the Corruption she had been subjected to?
How many times did the pain, sadness, and loneliness feel too heavy to bear?
How many times had the thought of taking her own life crossed her mind?
Too many to count.
But everything changed when...
Mark.
A Human Reborn as a Monster in a different world.
Information about said world was kept from him for a long time.
Were there Humans in this World? It could a long time for that answer to be given.
Held prisoner by the Dungeon''s walls, all he could do was fight and climb.
But it wasn''t all bad. Thankfully, a passion for fighting was quickly developed.
Still, fighting and killing. Fighting and killing. Is that all this world had to offer?
If that was the case, Mark wouldn''t have minded.
In fact, it would have been much simpler if that were the case.
-Try to kill me, and I''ll try to kill you-
Such a life, while crude andcking in meaning, wouldn''t have been so bad.
Have fun fighting until you die.
For someone who, for the majority of his past life, was stuck in a hospital room, unable to move freely, it would have been enough.
And if fighting, if living freely that way could bring status, if it could have made him King Of All Monsters, then all the better.
In a world of Monsters, he wouldn''t have minded living as one.
But if the world has more to offer then...
More to offer? Does it?
Perhaps it does.
At least, that is what his gut told him every time heid eyes on her.
Elisa.
Attacked, captured, corrupted, trapped.
What for? To be food for the Devourer.
That was the n.
The n of those who made the Dungeon.
The n of those who, in doing so, brought them together.
But Mark found more than food in Elisa. More than something to Devour.
Through their shared struggles, they had formed an alliance. They had signed a Contract.
Both had been trapped inside the Dungeon. Both couldn''t remember their past. Both didn''t know the Outside.
Mark only knew the Dungeon, while Elisa only knew the Elven Forest. Indeed, she had never stepped outside that Forest. Until...
In Elisa, Mark had found an excellent fighter.
An excellent warrior to have by his side.
He had found a teacher. She knew a lot of Magic and the World after all.
He had found apanion, with whom to travel the hostile Outside.
He had found someone who shared his struggles.
And more than anything, Mark had found someone he could talk to. Someone he could joke around with. Someone he couldugh with.
Someone he could let his guard down around.
The same could have been said about Levi or the Fire Spirit. But it was different. Perhaps because she was a woman?
A woman. That''s right. She was.
But what about him?
He was a man.
Human? Monster?
In a peculiar way, those seemed less important. Not as defining.
Mark stared down and into her eyes. Elisa''s chest and chin were connected to him. He could feel them. Her softness. Her warmth.
And as a man, he wanted to move closer to her. To decrease the distance even further. Who wouldn''t after all with such a beauty so close?
But he couldn''t do so quickly. He couldn''t rush it. For the longest time, he had let her approach him. The opposite was ratherplicated to do.
Why? Because he was a Monster.
Mark was acutely aware of how ugly he was. How monstrous he looked. How scary his face was.
In a world of Monsters, ugliness is both a weapon and a shield.
It is a tool. The uglier something looks, the less likely one is to approach it.
The Unique Evolution that had taken ce on the Dungeon''s 5th Floor.
At the time, Mark was quite pleased with the result. He -did- look intimidating after all.
In a world of Monsters, not many things are more important than that.
But that ugliness, what about now?
From very early on, Mark could notice it. How startled Elisa would be every time he turned around suddenly. Every time she saw his face suddenly.
The world has more to offer than fighting and killing.
That ugliness isn''t necessary, Mark.
But then, why haven''t you...
Elisa looked up.
His fangs, his bone structure, his nose, the scales covering his face.
Scary and off-putting.
She thought about the earlier scene. He hadid his head on her thigh, before turning away. Was he hiding his face? Perhaps. Was he hiding it... For me? Perhaps.
The more she thought, the more she remembered. Other moments during which he had acted in a simr fashion.
''Always catering to me, huh?'' Elisa asked internally.
His face was frightening. It was ugly.
And it was scary.
Therefore, she didn''t look at his face, but focused on his eye instead.
His face was that of a Monster.
But his eye, his pupil, the look in his eye, Elisa didn''t dislike those.
Is ignoring the rest of his face truly a solution?
Perhaps not.
But the eyes are the window to the soul, aren''t they?
Elisa liked what she saw beyond that window.
And so, ever so gently, she pulled down on his arms.
Mark lowered his head, and Elisa rose to the tip of her toes.
He kissed her, and she kissed him back.
Chapter 316 Eyes, Window To The Soul?
Chapter 316 Eyes, Window To The Soul?
Unlike the Demon Lord of Sloth, the Demon Lord of Lust had chosen a more subtle way of dealing with the intruders.
It was a very different approach, but it couldn''t be said whether Lust''s interest was higher or lower than that of Sloth had been.
As the Lord ruling over the Territory, the Demon Lord of Lust had certain privileges. And it had decided on the indirect approach. Soft influence.
Its presence couldn''t be noticed, but it was there. Watching, silently.
Oblivious to that fact,
Quiver-
Quiver-
The instant his lips came into contact with hers, Elisa felt electricity coursing through her body.
The blushing Elisa immediately closed her eyes shut.
Their tongues met timidly, and Elisa pulled hers back.
His tongue didn''t pursue hers. But instead, waited.
Slowly but surely, she reemerged.
''What am I doing??'' Elisa asked herself, incredibly nervous. ''What am I doing?? Am I doing this right? Is this...''
Her inexperience was obvious. Both by the quivering of her body, but also by hesitation that could be noticed in every one of her actions.
Mark, if one were to tell the truth, was also inexperienced. But he would have rathered die than show it.
Kissing was something that he had only done a couple of times.
Stuck in a hospital from the time he was eight years old, experience was a hard thing to acquire, despite him spending little over ten years in that hospital.
Still, there were girls he met in there. Girls he liked. And even more that liked him.
Unfortunately, he could never go beyond the -kissing- stage.
This wasn''t a regret of his.
His regret, was having to see them go after a couple of weeks.
Week by week, one by one, they got better, and left the hospital to live a long and healthy life. Leaving him in there, alone.
This was probably the reason why Mark had grown to be indifferent when it came to rtionships in his past life.
But now, it was different.
She was with him. He was with her.
She wasn''t going anywhere.
And even if she were to go somewhere, he, now, could follow her.
Their tongues danced awkwardly for a bit, before Elisa lightly pushed him off.
Saying that she had pushed him off was a great exaggeration. Mark had only felt the slightest pressure from her hands on his arms.
But that was enough for him to pull back.
He pulled back, and Elisa remained with her lips apart for a second.
She lowered her gaze, and Mark caressed her shoulder and neck.
Elisa raised her gaze towards him again.
Her yellowish pupils.
His purplish pupil.
The blushing Elisa closed her eyes and rose to the tip of her toes once more while gently pulling him closer.
She wanted more. And so did he.
The dancing''s awkwardness slowly subsided as they found their rhythm.
Marky a hand on her cheek, and another on her side.
Elisa''s hand caressed the side of his head before descending to his neck and shoulder.
She lightly arched her back, pulling away. A smile on her blushing face.
Elisa brought her hands back to her sides before tightly wrapping them around him.
Marky a hand on her lower back, while the other moved up her body, until it split the ashen cascade that was her hair, and gently brought her head to his chest.
Badump-
Badump-
His heart was beating quickly and powerfully.
Elisa, with her ear against his chest, was pleased to notice that.
This was a big deal to her. So she was d to know that it was to him too. d to know she wasn''t the only one nervous.
Elisa listened closely.
Badump-
Badump-
She wondered if their heartbeats matched.
His right hand caressing both her upper and lower back made her quiver.
His left hand circled around her neck and pulled her hair away, revealing her supple skin and neck.
With her cheek and ear against his chest, Elisa stared at the darkness surrounding them.
It truly felt like only they existed.
A world of their own.
A world only for them.
''Huh...''
Elisa herself was surprised.
She thought such a world wouldn''t be so bad-
Her body immediately froze.
Mark''s gaze looked for her face, but she buried it deeply into his chest.
Tomato red, she hid.
''Wha... What was that??''
The kiss to the neck had been too sudden. Probably because she had been preupied by her thoughts. It was sudden enough that a gasp exited her mouth just as suddenly.
Instinctively, as she had no time to fight back against it or even register it.
Elisa felt more embarrassed than ever in her life.
Mark chuckled andy a hand on the side of her neck.
With his thumb, he gently raised her chin.
Despite her embarrassment and intense blushing, she raised her gaze towards him.
At first, she focused on his eye only. But slowly, her gaze wandered.
Fangs. Scales...
Is that what I was afraid of?
Elisa pulled back, and Mark let her.
She grabbed his hand as she moved back.
Her bottom touched the ground.
Mark was unsure what to do.
She was seated, but was pulling him closer.
Lay on her? But she isn''t lying down.
Sit on her? No way, that would be-
Noticing the hesitation, Elisa smirked.
She brought her free hand to his wrist and twisted that wrist.
The position he had been in was awkward and unstable, which is why he fell easily to the ground by her side.
But before he could even touch the ground, she had positioned herself above him.
By the time his bottom was on the ground, Elisa was already seated on his hips, her legs wrapped around his waist.
Now a bit higher than he was, she stared into his eyes with a victorious smile.
She moved closer to his lips. He moved his face up and forward.
But just before their lips could meet, Elisa pulled back slightly.
Mark wrapped his arms around her, closing the distance, but she pulled her head back further.
He stared with a raised eyebrow and a smile.
She chuckled, and kissed him.
Chapter 317 Why Him?
Chapter 317 Why Him?
Kiss?
Am I... I am?
Kissing? Kissing him?
Have I? No, I''ve never done that.
I''ve never kissed someone before.
What am I doing?
Why? Because I want to.
I don''t want to be alone. I want to be close to someone. I want to...
With him?
Why am I kissing him?
Because I''m lonely.
Why am I kissing him?
Because I want to be kissed.
By him?
Yes.
Why him? Why am I kissing him?
Because... There''s no one else.
Is that why?
Well who else would I kiss?
Is that why?
No. I want to kiss him.
Why him?
Because he wants to kiss me.
So anyone else with that desire would have been fine?
No.
Why him?
Because he is with me.
Why him?
Because he stayed with me.
Why him?
Because he saved me.
From that Dungeon?
From that tower.
Is that why?
Yes.
So had it been anyone else saving you, you would feel the same?
No... I don''t think so. It could have gone differently. It could have gone badly.
So anyone with whom it hadn''t gone badly?
No. He''s different.
So it''s not really about saving you?
Maybe not.
It felt lonely in there, didn''t it?
It did.
Anyone would have been fine, right?
No... It''s-
The loneliness decreased your standards, didn''t it?
No. Even before, I never-
Why are you kissing him?
Because I want to.
What do you want?
I want to stay with him.
What do you want?
I want him to stay with me.
What don''t you want?
I don''t want to be alone.
Why are you kissing a Monster?
He isn''t a monster.
What is he then?
He isn''t a monster... He is a Monster...
You''re not making sense.
I want him closer to me.
Why do you want him closer to you?
Because I like him.
What do you like about him?
He''s strange.
Is that what you like about him?
No.
What do you like about him?
Everything.
Everything?
No.
You''ve never felt this way towards others?
Never.
Not even towards other Elves?
No.
Why is that?
I like him.
Why is that?
Because he is a Monster.
Because he is a Monster?
No. No... It''s... I like him.
Elisa felt waves of electricity travel through her body every time her tongue came into contact with his.
Every time his hand stroked her neck, every time he touched her, shivers traveled up and down her body.
It feels good. Better than anything I''ve felt for a long time. And I like him a lot.
Mark''s hand moved up Elisa''s back.
I like him a lot. Isn''t that enough?
He gently pushed her body upwards as lifted his pelvis. She raised her hips, wrapping her legs around his stomach a bit higher than earlier.
With his hand assisting her back, Mark slowly brought his knees to the ground.
Elisay on the ground in front of him, her legs spread to each side of him, her arms extended towards him.
He got closer.
Her palms hung inches away from his cheeks, before moving to his neck instead.
A light touch. Gentle and faint strokes that left you craving for more.
Her left hand moved up from his neck to the back of his head.
Her right one, down from his neck to his shoulder.
His left handy on the ground, inches away from her hair.
His right one, caressed her cheek tenderly.
No words were necessary between the two. They had talked plenty. And would talk plenty in the future. Right now, all they wanted was...
Elisa timidly let her head sway to the side as she brought her hands to her chest.
She was blushing, and she knew it.
Her whole body was feeling incredibly hot after all.
It was a first for her.
The fluttering of her eyelids, the reddish hue that was increasingly coloring her cheeks, her every gulp, and her every nervous twitch. Mark devoured them all with his gaze.
Her delicate profile as shey on the ground with her ashen hair scattered. She was beautiful.
And that blushing, those nervous reactions, only made her appear even more beautiful.
More appealing. More desirable. More a...
Peek-
Having lost himself in her beauty, Mark didn''t daree closer. Not until she gave him some sort of signal that it was okay.
He waited as she looked away.
He waited, but he didn''t mind.
She was worth waiting for.
Mark knew that more than anyone.
For those who brought him to this world, he was a Potential Demon King Candidate.
For those who brought him to this world, she was nothing more than a tool.
Demon King Candidate? Demon Lord Of Pride? Vampire Lord?
To hell with them all. None of them mattered right now.
Only she did.
Floor after Floor. Boss Monster after Boss Monster.
He had found her, and that mattered more than anything else.
The highlight. The central piece.
She reigned supreme over all else.
Because why wouldn''t she?
What else would be his priority? What else would be on his mind?
Nothing came close to her. To the attention he held for her reactions.
Was he applying too much pressure on her neck? Was he squeezing her too tightly? Were his fangs in the way of her tongue? Nothing was more important than answering those questions. Constantly. By watching her reactions.
Elisa peeked at him from the corner of her eye.
He wasn''t getting closer.
She turned to face him, leaving the back of her head against the ground.
A brazen smile.
Only after seeing that smile, did Mark move closer.
But before their lips could meet once more, Elisa''s ears twitched.
Her ears twitched, and Mark knew something was wrong.
The darkness surrounding them had ever so slightly dwindled.
The High Elven Pupil shone under the piece of cloth hiding it. A secondter, Mark found what had disrupted Elisa.
He pushed himself off slightly.
A Monster only the High Elven Pupil could spot through the darkness was walking closer.
Once Mark was on his knees, Elisa sat up.
Just as she was about to push herself off the ground, heid a hand on her head, stroked her hair, and stood up.
No words were necessary.
He wanted her to wait for him. She could tell.
And so, Elisa remained seated.
With wide eyes, she stared as he walked away.
Elisa was strong. She knew that, and so did he. Fighting side-by-side, they could have handled it faster. More efficiently.
But that wasn''t what Mark wanted.
And Elisa realized that, right now, it wasn''t what she wanted either.
He trusted himself to handle it.
And she trusted him to handle it.
Elisa wanted him to fight. She wanted to see him fight. To see him fight for her.
She wanted him to protect her.
And that''s what he was doing.
Elisa felt safe with him.
Safer than she had in a long time. Perhaps, safer than she had ever felt.
And that made her happy.
So happy she could cry.
The ground behind Mark shook.
Earth Magic.
A wall was erected.
Elisa extended her head as much as she could. But eventually, the wall hid Mark as well.
Why? She did not know.
But she trusted him with it.
Chapter 318 Mine.
Chapter 318 Mine.
Mark stared into Elisa''s eyes for a bit, before turning away.
He walked towards the darkness.
The High Elven Pupil shone as he focused on his sense of sight, and his eyebrow twitched.
A moist cloud exited his mouth as he breathed out.
The interruption hade at the worst time possible, and Mark wasn''t about to let that slide.
Despite his best efforts to suppress them, the shivers going up and down his body didn''t stop. Her touch was maic, and he couldn''t wait to go back to her.
''Let''s deal with this quickly.'' Mark thought to himself as he cracked his neck.
The High Elven Pupil shone brighter, and he stopped momentarily.
Mark''s eyes widened as his frustration and annoyance turned into...
''Mmm?'' Elisa tilted her head to a side as a wall was erected using Earth Magic.
Mark took a step forward.
"I''ll be back in a second."
"Kay..."
Elisa thought his voice cold as she ced a strand of hair behind her ear, but she didn''t think about it too much.
She was prepared to help if need be, but she remained seated, with her arms hugging her folded knees.
''Huh...'' Elisa turned around, looking for the Moonlit Feline.
She scratched her head as she found Krista lying and rolling around on the ground.
''Would''ve been embarrassing if you had been staring...'' Elisa felt her face redden at the thought. ''If you had been staring at...'' Her hands slowly made their way down her shins.
Shey her cheek against her left knee, and waited.
Mark clenched his fists.
His blood was boiling.
Neighhh-
Pant-
Pant-
Neighhh-
The Monster''s appearance resembled others Mark had seen.
It resembled the Minotaurs that inhabited the Dungeon''s Eighth Floor.
Its body and hooves were the same.
It strongly resembled the Eight Floor''s Boss Monster, the Royal Minotaur.
Although it stood at about four meters tall.
Its head, too, was different, as it resembled that of a horse.
But those differences didn''t matter to Mark.
What made Mark''s blood boil was,
Neighhh-
Pant-
Pant-
Neighhh-
The Monster was frantically shaking.
The expression it bore, was that of a mad horse.
Clouds of fog exited its nostrils as its breathing grew heavier and heavier.
Mark''s face twisted.
Pulsing-
Throbbing-
Stroking-
It seemed like Mark had interrupted as much as he had been interrupted.
The Monster wasn''t moving.
Mark extended his arms forward.
Let''s deal with this quickly-
His eyebrow twitched as the Monster took a step forward.
It had been standing about eighty meters away which made it invisible in the darkness.
But it seemed like they hadn''t been made invisible by that darkness.
Horses and, therefore, Monsters resembling them aren''t known for their vision for eyesight. Still, Passive Skills can be developed over time.
Mark lowered his chin, perhaps instinctively, before lowering his arms.
The Monster''s panting grew more intense, just like its anger. Having been left unsatisfied when so close to...
There was only one thing to do.
From the instant Mark hadid eyes on the Monster in the distance, he could tell.
The Monster didn''t see him at all.
Or rather, he didn''t exist in its eyes.
What it cared about, what it had been looking at, what it wanted was...
Neighh-
Neighh-
NEIGHH-
The Monster''s neighing grew frantic as it started moving forward with its arms extended in front of it.
The ground cracked below Mark as heunched himself forward.
Closing the distance, partly thanks to the "Wind Burst" Skill, only took an instant.
Even when he was standing in front of it, the Monster didn''t look his way.
All it saw, was the wall of dirt hiding her. Hiding it. The object of its desire.
Mark''s anger grew.
He was so close to it, yet the Monster didn''t care at all.
Proof of its strength and confidence? Nay.
Had that been the case, Mark wouldn''t have felt such rage. Feeling angry and belittled by an enemy ignoring his presence was a thing of the past.
It was proof of one thing.
The Monster''s lust.
mes suddenly oozed from Mark''s arm as he clenched his left fist.
Wind Burst-
Wind st-
BAM-
The attack connected with the Monster''s stomach.
The explosion caused a cloud of smoke.
But despite the damage incurred, an elbow connected with Mark''s skull, sending him out of the way.
Pant-
Pant-
Neighh-
Its stomach had been heavily damaged. The skin covering it had been burnt and blown away.
But that didn''t matter.
Life itself didn''t matter in the face of...
[Your Skill "Berserker[A]" is activating!]
As soon as he had been thrown out of the way, Mark used his four limbs and tail to stop the momentum.
Using those same four limbs, heunched himself forward, refusing to give even an inch.
Refusing to let it get closer by one additional step.
Forbidding it from looking at her.
Forbidding her from looking at it.
Disgust and anger fueled him as a dark puplish Aura started oozing from his body.
A tail flick swept the Monster''s legs off the ground.
It copsed without closing its eyes, without looking away from that wall.
From the hand that Mark had ced on the ground to bnce himself as he spun to attack with his tail, Frost spread.
The ice moved up the Monster''s arms.
It fought against it, but each time a crack was made, theyer of ice covering those arms thickened.
Still, the Monster didn''t look away and, instead, moved forwards and backwards slowly, rubbing against the ground its throbbing-
NEIGHHHH-
A Spear made from Corruption Magic impalled the Monster.
Mark let go of that Spear, but, unlike how it usually went, the Spear didn''t turn back into the dark liquid it was made of.
It remained there, keeping the Monster in ce.
But despite the pain, the Monster-
The crouching Mark grabbed the Monster''s head before knocking it against the ground.
The Monster''s body started moving frantically right away as it couldn''t see the target anymore. The target of its lust.
Only then, did the Monster''s cries express the pain it was going being subjected to, as if it had been in a trance all along.
It slowly moved its head to the side, only to find a white-scaled Monster''s frightening face inches away.
"Mine."
The Monster''s head was knocked against the ground once more, before it was let go of.
The ice was still keeping it from moving. It couldn''t run or stand.
All it could do was listen to the white-scaled Monster''s steps.
Three steps.
Marky a foot on the Monster''s shin.
"Mine." He repeated, before the Monster''s shin broke under the weight.
Chapter 319 Mine. (Part II)
Chapter 319 Mine. (Part II)
A chilling scream filled with pain resonated through the darkness.
But about three seconds after that scream had started resonating, it was cut short.
Gasp-
Gasp-
Mark brought his bloody index and middle fingers to his mouth and passed the ws at their ends over his lips.
He was crouching next to the Monster''s head once again.
Mark had tried not to dig too deep into the Monster''s throat. Anatomy wasn''t something he had much knowledge on, even less so when it came to random Monsters.
Still, he was pleased to see the Monster''s scream cut short and reced by short and weak gasps.
Luckily enough, the Monster''s vocal cords had, as he wanted, been damaged.
Muffled growling exited both the Monster''s mouth, and the hole in its neck.
The pain and anger allowed it to produce enough force to break the ice covering its arm, not without leaving the skin covering its palm.
The Monster quickly reached towards the white-scaled Monster. And thetter did the same just as quickly.
Mark''s right hand intertwined with the Monster''s left hand.
The Monster squeezed and pulled as it tried to free itself from the ice, the grip, and the Spear impaling it.
With a detached look in his eyes, Mark started curling his fingers and wrist.
Through the Monster''s resistance, he curled his fingers and wrist.
Through the joints'' resistance, he curled his fingers and wrist.
Until one by one, the Monster''s fingers cracked and broke.
Mark swiftly readjusted his grip and continued curling through.
The Monster''s wrist broke, turning its growls into weak whimpers.
It freed its second arm suddenly!
But it was stopped by Mark''s hand before it could reach him.
The broken wrist was slowly lowered to the ground, before ice covered its once more, freezing it to the ground.
Mark then, methodically, grabbed the Monster''s right wrist with both hands.
He stood up, before twisting the Monster''s thumb inwards, and its pinkie outwards.
Due to the bleeding, the Monster couldn''t resist as much as it had earlier.
But that made no difference.
The hand and elbow spun.
Block-
Mark spun them further.
Crack-
The shoulder joint had rotated further than it was capable of.
Crack.
The sound usually wasn''t pleasing to the ear. This time, it surprisingly was.
Crack.
The joint had been taken further than it could handle.
Crack.
Did this mean that the shoulder had been broken? Or had it simply been dislocated? Mark wasn''t sure.
Stepping on its shin earlier had definitely broken a bone, if not multiple ones.
Crack.
The sound that had resonated was simr, but that still wasn''t enough to tell.
Even after the -crack- Mark hadn''t let go of the Monster''s arm. He pulled it upwards until the ice cracked.
The Monster''s stomach moved up the Spear''s de impaling it.
Its upper body was off the ground.
The Monster''s -member- wasn''t as excited as it had been previously.
Mark quickly let go of the Monster''s wrist and roughly grabbed the top of its head with a hand before its body could even start falling to the ground.
"Mine." He repeated, as his thumb dug into the Monster''s left eye.
A final act of struggle.
The Monster extended its left arm.
Mark grabbed it at the elbow and lightly jumped off the ground.
With his body and that arm parallel to the ground, they spun.
Joints were dislocated. Bones were broken. And the flesh gave out.
SPLASH-
Massive amounts of steaming blood poured out of both the shoulder and the torn-off arm.
Mark looked down on the bleeding Monster, holding its arm in his hand.
His eyes were wide, but the rest of his face screamed indifference. Detachment.
He crouched once more and grabbed the Monster''s head from the inside of its mouth with his thump.
"Mine."
The Monster''s resistance had long stopped.
"Anyone who tries to take them from me... To take from me..."
With one swift motion, Mark pulled his hand to the side. And with it, the Monster''s cheek.
"No one... Is taking them from me. No one... Is taking from me."
He stared for a bit before standing up.
He walked over the Monster''s body before,
"They won''t... Be taken away. Mine. I won''t... Let anyone take them. Mine. I won''t... Lose them. Mine. I won''t..."
A thick and moist fog exited his mouth as breathed out.
"Let go of them."
The Monster''s second shin was broken.
With his left hand, Mark pulled the Dark Corrupting Spear out of the Monster''s stomach.
He walked away as the weapon dissolved back into his left arm.
After having taken six steps away, he turned back towards the Monster and sat on the ground.
With one arm over his knee and the back of his fist against his lips, he stared.
The Monster was bleeding out from two wounds.
It wasn''t shaking. Perhaps because it couldn''t spare the energy necessary to do so.
Both legs broken.
It couldn''t stand or walk.
Both arms incapacitated.
It couldn''t crawl or push itself off the ground.
All it could do wasy there, waiting for death to arrive.
Mark stared profoundly at what seemed more like a corpse than anything else.
A cold darkness hung on his face.
Mine.
Mine.
I''m not letting anyone take them.
Mine.
I''m not losing them.
Everyonees and goes.
I''m not losing them.
Everyone stays for a bit then leaves.
I''m not losing them.
Mine.
I won''t be left again.
Mark! Come y with us-
Oh, you can''t? Well, watch us, okay? Watch us-
They''re leaving. I won''t be left again.
Huh? You''re noting to school anymore? Lucky-
We''lle see you from time to time-
Sorry, we can''te anymore-
They''re leaving. I won''t be left again.
We''re in this together, aren''t we? I love you, Mark-
The two of us will get better, and we''ll leave this ce together-
I''m all better now so-
They''re leaving. I won''t be left again.
Everyonees and goes.
Everyone is leaving.
Everyone leaves.
Everyone leaves me eventually.
No! Not now. Not anymore. I won''t be left alone-
[You have defeated...]
The sudden message sent a chill up Mark''s spine.
With a touch, the Monster was turned into a blue sphere of energy, and Devoured.
Mark started at the wall he had made in the distance. He looked away for a bit, before walking towards Elisa once more.
Chapter 320 Why Do They Leave?
Chapter 320 Why Do They Leave?
Everyone leaves eventually.
They won''t.
What if they do?
I won''t let that happen.
What if they do?
I''ll chase after them.
What if they want to you leave you?
They don''t.
What if they want to leave you?
I don''t want them to leave me.
What if they want to?
I don''t want them to leave me.
What if they want to?
I won''t leave them.
What if they want to?
I won''t...
***
Elisa had done her best to -not- focus on her sense of hearing.
She was both curious and worried of course, but chose not to check. Not even using the Wind.
She fiddled with her hair as she waited.
Tsk-
Elisa wanted to touch him more. To kiss him more.
And she wanted him to touch her.
But soon, he woulde back covered by blood.
Would she be able to...?
In the first ce, would he try to kiss her when covered by blood?
Elisa wasn''t sure.
''Even then... He looked. He checked, before... Eating that Monster.''
Indeed, Mark had looked in her direction before Devouring the Siren.
Was he really checking for her? Or was Elisa trying to convince herself? Trying to further prove to herself the existence of a certain sense of shame and restraint?
''But at the same time...'' She bit down on her thumb.
Was she really in a ce to say anything about that?
He had gone into the darkness to fight whatever was lurking there.
And he had gone alone, saving her the trouble of doing so.
She didn''t like killing, and Mark knew that.
Whatever blood he spilled,
''He spilled it for me...''
Had Elisa gone there with him, she, too, would have spilled that blood.
Any blood that covers his body, covers it because he kept it from reaching her.
In that way,
''What right do I have to say anything?'' Elisa let out a sigh.
***
One by one, they leave.
One by one, they go away.
If they don''t go out of their own volition, they''re taken away.
Light, Levi, Gray, Fiery, the Fire Spirit.
If they don''t go out of their own volition, they''re taken away.
They all leave.
Sin, Cer, Kira, Kal¨¨s.
If they don''t go out of their own volition, they''re taken away.
They all leave.
ssmates, Underlings, friends.
If they don''t go out of their own volition, they''re taken away.
They all leave.
Will they leave me too?
They won''t.
What if they do?
Then they should do it now.
Huh?
Leave now.
But you don''t want them to leave?
If they''re leaving anyway, I''d rather them leave now.
Wouldn''t you be sad about that?
If they''re leaving anyway, I''d rather them leave now.
So you want them to leave?
If they''re leaving... If they''re going away... I''d rather have never known them.
Then what now?
What now...?
***
The sound of his feet smacking the ground resonated through the darkness, sending a chill down Elisa''s spine.
She immediately turned around and stood up.
There he was, covered by blood.
There she was, beautiful as ever.
Mark walked closer.
"Hey, sorry about that..." Elisa apologized as she lowered her gaze, blushing slightly from embarrassment. "Shouldn''t have left you to-"
Hm-
Her words were interrupted as hey a hand on her neck and cheek, slightly raising her chin.
His lips met hers before she could say a word.
Elisa felt the need to say something.
They had fought together for so long that, leaving him to fight alone now, felt strange and odd.
Still, it did feel good. Not having to fight. Not having to kill.
More so than that, it felt good that he allowed her not to. That he could allow her that luxury.
The luxury to not participate in the -kill or be killed- exchange that Monsters are so fond of.
It felt good that he had fought for her. It felt good... That he had killed for her. Because it was the only way.
It felt good that he had protected her.
It felt good that he had kissed her.
Still, Elisa pulled back.
She stared into his eyes for a bit.
"I''m sorry for... Leaving you alone to fight there."
He didn''t say a word.
She ced a strand of her behind her ear.
"And..."
***
Why do they all leave?
Is there something wrong with me?
Duh! I''m stuck in a hospital. I can''t run, I can barely walk, and there are days when my legs can barely handle my weight.
Of course, there''s something wrong with me.
That''s not the question.
Being sick. Being stuck in the hospital. That''s what''s wrong with me. That''s why they leave me. Whether it''s the ssmates I used to have, the friends I used to have, or the people I met inside the hospital. They leave me because I''m still there. Because I''m still sick. Because they get better and I don''t.
If I wasn''t sick, they wouldn''t leave me!
Is that true?
It is!
But howe not one of them remained?
Because they had ces to go to! ces... I couldn''t go to!
Is that so?
It is!
But then... Why did mom and dad leave us too?
Huh?
Mom and dad. Why did they leave us?
They didn''t.
They stoppeding to see us. They left us.
They didn''t!
If even mom and dad left us, then there really is something wrong with us.
There isn''t!! We''re sick, that''s all!!
So it''s just because I was sick?
It is!
Why did mom and dad give up on me then?
Because you were sick.
They gave up on me... Because I was sick?
Yes!
That''s the only reason? What type of parents would give up on their child just because he was sick?
Your parents! They did! But that''s the only reason!
Nothing else is wrong with me?
Nothing else!
Nothing else...
***
"I''m sorry for... Leaving you alone to fight there. And..."
Ovee by a mix of different and, sometimes, conflicting emotions, Mark remained silent.
"Thanks. Thank you for doing that. For doing it for me. Thanks for... Doing it in my ce."
After staring down for a bit, Elisa raised her gaze.
He was smiling, and she immediately felt the urge to kiss him.
His face wasn''t scary. His smile wasn''t ugly.
She held him tightly and kissed him.
His purple pupil shone brightly.
On his usually unreadable face, a smile filled with sadness.
Chapter 321 An Itch That Cannot Be Scratched
Chapter 321 An Itch That Cannot Be Scratched
The more their tongues brushed against one another, the more their hands touched each other''s bodies, the hotter the heat inside of them burnt.
At first, it was barely noticeable. But now, the burning in their stomach and every other part of their body could be felt.
Both were hyperaware of that heat.
And no "Heat Resistance" Passive Skill could deal with it or diminish it even by a bit.
Both were burning hot from the inside out, and each could feel the other''s heat.
Elisa pulled back slightly.
He followed.
She pulled back further.
He followed.
Elisa couldn''t help but smile as she kissed him.
He didn''t want it to stop. He wanted to continue. He wanted more. He wanted her. More of her. Elisa took it as a sign of his affection. Of his passion. Of his love for her.
''You like me that much, huh?'' The thought made her feel slightly embarrassed, but it was a strange kind of embarrassment. A strange kind of shame.
She kissed him even more passionately.
Mark hadn''t showcased his affection frequently in the past.
How many times had he looked away because of his face?
How many times had he checked, afraid to show her his face as ate?
How many times had he wanted to say something?
How many times had he wanted to hold her hand?
How many times had he wanted to hold her in his arms?
Elisa wasn''t sure.
For the first time, he was showing his affection for her freely.
She couldn''t reject it.
She couldn''t. She didn''t want to.
She wanted that affection. And at some point, without truly knowing when or why, had had started craving it.
The fact that he was touching her so intimately, that he was kissing her so passionately, was proof of how much passion and affection had built up inside of him. Passion and affection towards her.
And Elisa wanted to ept that passion and affection fully. She wanted to ept itpletely.
To wee it and receive it.
Even when the heat that reigned over her body flushed her face, even when her tongue grew weary, even when she felt light-headed, she didn''t pull back.
Light-headed? Why?
Because of the heat? Because of the pleasure? Because of the passion? Because she couldn''t breathe properly?
Elisa thought it was a mix of all those options.
Still, she kissed him, until he pulled back.
Mark pulled back, and was greeted by a face painted in red.
Her haggard breathing, the pleasured expression on her face, her dted pupils, her tongue hanging out a second longer than it should have, her weing thin lips. Everything made her more desirable. By the second, Elisa was growing more and more desirable.
They stared into each other''s eyes as they caught their breaths back.
Mark grabbed her by the waist and pulled her closer.
She let him pull her closer.
His left hand moved up her back, curled around her arm, andy on her cheek.
She tenderly leaned into that hand.
The hand of the one for whom she felt things she had never before.
The hand of the one that had kept her safe many times.
The hand that had ridden her of the crippling and ominous curse that was Corruption Magic.
She fondlyy her hand on his.
Elisa arched her back, and the hand thaty on her lower back assisted her.
She tilted her head back, and the ashen cascade of hair fell behind her.
Delicately, a gentle kiss wasid just above her shoulder.
Elisa pressed her lips and shut her eyes.
His left hand stilly on her cheek. A hand she had instinctively taken hold of and pressed against her cheek.
A second kiss wasid. Just as gentle as the first. This time, closer to her neck.
Only then, did Mark realize that Elisa had changed. The Elven Armor she was so proud of had been stored inside her Inventory. Only now, did he realize that she was wearing her radiant white gown.
Simple, yet beautiful. Perhaps because she was the one wearing it.
The white gown she adorned on the day where they met. On the day when a Monster with a Name stood in front of him. Turned out she wasn''t a Monster, but that didn''t matter much. She did, however, have a Name.
As his kisses moved up from her shoulder to her neck, Elisa couldn''t help but turn her head away. Hiding her mouth with the hand that, previously,y on her cheek. Hiding her mouth, or, perhaps, using that hand as a barrier to keep the sudden and impulsive gasps from making their presence known.
They could be heard though. He was close enough to hear them, no matter how much she fought them back. Close enough to hear everything.
The higher he got, the more she squirmed around.
The higher he got, the less control she had over her gasps.
The higher he got, the more she quivered.
And once he arrived at the perfect spot, Mark kept his lips lightly apart, and softly blew on her neck.
Her face was ovee by confusion, as a moan she couldn''t fight back against at all exited her mouth.
The puzzled eyes on her face, now colored by a slight pinkish hue, were wide as if looking for an exnation.
Mark smiled cheekily before moving towards her neck once more.
But before he could reach, she took hold of him, her handsying on the back of his head, and spun around.
He lowered his hands to her waist.
She gently pulled on his head, and his hands descended to her thighs.
Not without a slight amount of squirming around, she ced her hands on his neck.
Athletic, powerful, yet soft to the touch.
Slender and delicate legs, that flowed perfectly with the rest of her figure.
Mark pulled on her thighs, and her knees bent.
A secondter, her feet were kissing the ground, before leaving it.
She was light. As light as could be. Unbelievably light.
Just like Elisa had previously, she was adjusting her weight perfectly so as not to put too much pressure on his arms, and not too much on his neck.
He didn''t need to him to do that. And she knew that.
Still, a Princess had the right to choose, freely, when to act spoiled and selfish, and when not to.
Her legs wrapped themselves around his waist.
He looked up, as her face was a couple of centimeters above his.
Her hands stroke his neck on their way down to his broad shoulders. The sensation of caressing scales never left her indifferent. It was strange, yet pleasing to the touch. Perhaps thebination of the two was the reason why she did it so often.
Her hands moved back up his neck, letting only her thumbs stroke the lower portion of his jaw.
Elisa slowly let her body sway to the right, and he moved ordingly.
She smiled.
Their lips approached, but before they could meet, Elisa swiftly evaded and moved towards his neck instead.
Shey her cheek against his shoulder, before blowing on his neck.
She wouldn''t like to get the same reaction out of him as he had out of her, but he barely reacted.
''Ugh! Stupid scales!''
With a defeated expression on her face, she stared at his neck for a bit.
A malicious smile.
She slowly moved closer towards than neck before,
Bite-
A Wolf. A Wyvern. A Werewolf. A Drake. A Snake. A Spider.
A shiver went up and down Mark''s body.
The right side of his neck.
Attacked suddenly.
He trusted her with his life.
Fear.
Trust.
Intertwined and, strangely, turned into an incredibly pleasant sensation.
He turned his gaze towards.
Her cheek was against his shoulder.
A victorious smile.
She raised her head off and stared into his eyes.
A Monster with a Name.
She wasn''t a Monster, but she did have a Name.
A beautiful Name, as if it was made only for her. A Name none could bear but her.
A Name.
All she had when he found her.
All she had inside that tower.
All she remembered.
Her Name.
And it was enough.
Fighting her would have been stupid.
Fighting him would have been stupid.
Forever indebted and grateful to the Moonlit Feline.
All she had was a Name.
Her Name.
"Elisa..." Mark spoke out.
He hadn''t said a word for a while, which surprised her.
She waited, but he didn''t say anything.
He simply wanted to say her Name.
"Mark." Elisa whispered. She slowly unwrapped her legs from around his waist without widening the distance between her and him. "Let''s walk for a bit."
Her feetnded on the ground.
His arms rested at his sides.
Still, her chest and stomach rested on his body.
"I want to walk for a bit... That''s okay with you?"
Mark slowly nodded, and Elisa turned away before she started walking.
Doubt?
Confusion?
Regret?
No. It was none of these things.
Then why did she need to walk?
Because somewhere along the way, her desire, her longing, her thirst, and her craving, had be something else.
It made her knees weak.
It made her breathe heavily.
She needed time. Space. Topose herself.
A craving for something.
Elisa brought a hand to her stomach. And as she slowly lowered that hand,
Gasp-
A strange feeling. Electrifying.
Lust.
Elisa turned back around to face Mark, who had been following her a handful of steps behind.
An itch she couldn''t scratch herself.
Chapter 322 Dance Of The Night
Chapter 322 Dance Of The Night
With eyes filled with malice and perverse interest, the Demon Lord of Lust watched over the scene.
As part of his Territory, the Demon Lord had every right to watch.
Interfering, on the other hand, was a different issue.
The Demon Lord of Sloth had used its right to pinpoint Mark''s location.
The Demon Lord of Lust did not need to do that.
After all, its Pet, the cmity known as Tavashed, hade across the intruders.
The Demon Lord, despite therge distance separating it from the intruders, only needed to check its Pet''s location, and follow from there.
***
Elisa turned around to face him.
A strange feeling.
An itch she couldn''t scratch.
It was there, somewhere.
She couldn''t tell where exactly.
She couldn''t tell when it had appeared either.
Had it just appeared? Just now? Had it appeared after kissing?
After kissing him the first time? Or was it the second?
Had it always been there? Was it new? Was this just the first time she had be aware of it?
Elisa, who was breathing somewhat heavily, couldn''t tell.
What was wrong with her? What was this sensation? What brought it? What awakened?
What was it for?
She wasn''t sure.
But as Mark walked closer to her, her skin shivered and the itch grew stronger.
It grew stronger. More persistent.
It grew insistent, and harder to ignore.
He walked closer, and she realized.
The itch that she couldn''t scratch herself, the itch she couldn''t pinpoint, perhaps he could?
He could scratch it. He could find it. He could reach it.
Her breathing grew heavier, and her legs shook slightly.
Why were her legs shaking? Why was her breathing this unstable? What...
''What''s... Happening to me?''
It was strange. Too strange.
It was the first time she felt this way.
She looked at him.
It was the first time someone made her feel this way.
And as he walked closer, she asked herself a question.
A question that made the itch even stronger but, at the same time, reassured her.
As she stared into his clear purple pupil, she asked herself.
''Perhaps he feels the same thing?''
She couldn''t tell.
His breathing was controlled. His legs weren''t shaking. He was walking towards her naturally.
Elisa''s ear twitched.
His heart was beating fast.
Incredibly fast.
Then...?
Inside her, an outburst of emotions and thoughts.
If he could rid her of that itch.
If he could help with that itch.
If he was feeling the same itch.
If he could rid her of that itch.
If he could help with that itch.
If he was feeling the same itch.
Elisa took a step forward, closing the distance.
If they could help each other with those itches.
Clear. Purple.
A beautiful shade.
Purple or violet?
A light and clear iris color.
His soul, she could almost see.
Elisay both her hands on his chest, to which she was eye-level.
Why had she done that?
Having her hands on him this way, looking up at him when she was breathing heavily, Elisa thought it wasn''t a good look.
It wasn''t a look worthy of a Princess.
Yet, she didn''t step away. She didn''t take her hands off of him.
His hands gently grabbing her waist made her shake.
This time however, she didn''t try to hide it.
She felt ashamed. She felt ashamed. She felt... Different.
But she didn''t hide it.
There was no need to hide it.
Not to him anyway.
If I want this itch taken care of, if I want this itch taken care of by him, then why should I hide it?
She rose to the tip of her toes and kissed him passionately, her eyes closed.
Elisa noticed she was more aware of her tongue. Definitely more than the usual, but also more than earlier. As if all she focused on was her tongue. She was more in control. More in touch with it.
She swayed her head, and so did he.
She moved forward, and so did he.
No, perhaps he had moved backwards?
Had he kissed her, or had she?
Was she kissing him, or was he?
Elisa arched her back, and his hand was there to support it.
Had he put his hand there after she had arched her back, or had she arched her back because his hand was pulling her from there?
She straightened her back and his hand moved up that back.
Which one hade first? Which one had led to the other?
Mark? Elisa?
Which one was leading and which one was following?
Who was acting and who was reacting?
In this dance where the window to react was low, they didn''t need to react.
They didn''t need to lead or follow.
They were in tune.
Each one understood the other perfectly.
Each one understood what the other was doing. How the other was moving. How the other was touching and how the other wanted to be touched.
Just like in a fight.
Elisa had grown used to assising Mark. To tailing him. To reacting to his movements.
She had grown ustomed to how he fought, how he moved. To how he wanted to fight and how he wanted to move.
Mark, in his own right, could do so too, although not as well. The encounter with the first Krishren proved that.
The slightest movement is proof of an intent. Inferring the thought behind slight movement is no easy feat. It requires, of course, quick thinking, a flexible mind, and a good memory. Truthfully, it probably requires a dozen other things. The ability to put one''s self in another''s ce, to judge while taking into ount the fact that -They- are not -You-.
Inferring thought behind slight movement. Foresight? Not quite. As Mark wouldter learn, this was something that Kati, the second Candidate to escape the Dungeons, exelled at.
What is necessary for it? Kati would have dozens of possible answers, as he is not a man of a few words when asked a question and whenfortable with the person asking.
From those dozens of answers, the simplest way to predict a person''s actions, the simplest, most effective, and truest way, was knowing the person.
Knowing facts about the person doesn''t help.
It has to be more than that.
A deeper understanding.
A feel for who they are.
Something that only your gut can detect.
Just like in a fight... No.
Just like in a dance.
So in tune, so harmonious, that it couldn''t be told who led and who followed.
With their bodies and tongues, they danced and kissed.
But the heat wasn''t decreasing.
With their bodies and tongues, they danced and kissed.
But the heat was only growing stronger.
Elisa pulled back, out of breath.
His right hand, which used to be on her waist just like his left, made its way down her body.
She gasped, her heart shook, and her eyes widened, as his handy on her round and firm bottom.
Every muscle on her body tightened up out of surprise as he gently squeezed and pulled her closer.
No one had touched her that way before. No one had attempted doing so. And anyone who had would have walked away with a hand missing.
No one had ever.
Chapter 323 Marked By Blood
Chapter 323 Marked By Blood
She gasped, her heart shook, and her eyes widened, as his handy on her round and firm bottom.
Every muscle on her body tightened up out of surprise as he gently squeezed and pulled her closer.
Sudden.
Surprising.
Unexpected.
Her puzzled eyes stared at him.
No one had touched her that way before. No one had attempted doing so. And anyone who had would have walked away with a hand missing.
No one had ever.
It was dirty. Undignified.
Why did it feel so good?
She kissed him as she raised her leg.
She wanted to be touched more. She wanted him to touch her more.
Her legs were wrapped around him as he supported her weight by holding her bottom. She kissed him fervently. Intensely, and breathlessly, she kissed him.
More.
Undignified. Dirty.
More!
Dirty. Unbing.
More! She wanted more!
He slowly lowered a knee to the ground as he kissed her.
Before gentlyying her on the ground where, only then, she caught her breath.
His hands moved in the space between her thighs and ves, grabbed her by the hips, and slowly pulled her closer.
Unbing. Filthy.
More!
Forbidden desire.
More!
A Princess shouldn''t...
He stroked her ankles with the back of his hands, going up her legs, and bringing the white gown with those hands.
She blushed and felt lightheaded.
I want to.
I can''t.
I want to.
I can''t.
I can''t?
I shouldn''t.
A Princess shouldn''t.
A Princess wouldn''t.
Gulp-
The white gown made its way to her stomach, revealing both her stomach and underwear.
His hands stopped moving the gown and instead, moved down her stomach, making her legs and arms quiver.
His touch was cold and pleasant.
She felt the heat inside her increase.
With one hand on the ground and the other on the side of her leg, he moved closer to kiss her stomach.
A Princess shouldn''t.
She stopped with a hand to his shoulder.
He seemed confused, but he did stop.
"Mark, I-"
"Elisa."
She quivered.
Her name sounded gooding from his mouth. From the mouth she had been kissing.
"I''ve been thinking..."
She didn''t look away. He didn''t either.
She wanted to hear him.
She wanted him to talk.
She wanted...
"I''ll go with you."
Her breathing was unstable.
The itch wasn''t getting better.
"I don''t want to leave you."
The heat increased.
"I''ll go with you. To the Elven Forest."
Huh?
Why had he just...?
He didn''t say that, did he?
He didn''t.
He did?
He will?
He doesn''t want to leave me?
Then he''ll stay with me?
I won''t be alone?
Even if I don''t find my people? Even if... He''ll be with me?
Despite the darkness surrounding them, her smile was bright.
Brighter than the stars that paint the sky.
As bright as the moonlight.
I won''t be alone. No matter what, I won''t be alone. He doesn''t want to leave me. He''ll stay with me. I''ll always have someone. I''ll always...
Suddenly, her worries seemed to fade.
A Princess shouldn''t? Says who?
Princesses do grow up to be Queens, don''t they?
In the first ce, what does it mean to be a Princess? It''s a Title, isn''t it?
A Title I was born with. Mine.
Acting as a Princess is only natural for a Princess though, right?
That''s right.
But... I didn''t act like a Princess with mom. I acted as a daughter.
I didn''t act like a Princess with dad. I acted as a daughter.
Mom didn''t act as a Queen with me.
Dad didn''t act as a King with me.
Then... It''s fine, right?
Titles are for the outsiders, aren''t they?
Then it''s fine for me to not act like a Princess with him, isn''t it?
I can allow myself that, right?
To act as a woman instead?
It''s what I want. It''s what my body wants. I can feel it. Then... It''s fine, right?
Right?
Elisa moved her hand up from his shoulder to the back of his head, pulling him closer.
His lipsnded on her stomach, and she could feel it.
She could feel him approaching the mysterious itch.
But before his lips could kiss any longer, she raised his chin with a finger.
With her other hand, she slowly moved towards his left elbow.
A ce she had been ignoring.
A ce she had been running away from.
She was kissing a Monster.
It was dirty.
Tantalizing. Unbing. Exciting. Filthy. Arousing.
Her hand moved towards that elbow. Shey it on the elbow, before bringing it closer.
It was hot.
The blood that soiled her palm was.
Still hot.
Blood he had spilled.
Blood he had kept her from spilling.
Blood he had spilled for her.
Elisa stared at that blood for a bit.
And for no real reason, she moved her bloody palm towards him.
Right where her ear had been earlier. Right where she had been listening. Right where his heart was, shey that blood-stained hand.
She pulled back her hand, before moving it towards his face.
A horizontal line was drawn on his forehead.
She pulled back her hand.
Mark didn''t really understand.
And, was Elisa asked, she wouldn''t have had an answer.
Still, he moved his right hand towards his left elbow.
Passed between her stomach and gown, not without making her quiver at the cold touch,y his bloody hand between her breasts, slightly to the left.
He pulled his hand out from under the gown.
Stared into her eyes, and drew the same horizontal line on her forehead.
Was it an Elven tradition?
Probably not. It was difficult to conceive of something Elven involving blood.
It was more of a... Feeling in the gut? An instinctive ritual, perhaps?
In any case, one thing was clear.
One thing that was obvious enough by the action.
The two were the same.
The same ''symbol''.
Their palms engraved on one another''s body.
Only the two shared that symbol.
No one else had his palm on the chest.
No one else had hers on the chest.
Them, and them alone.
Marked, by one another.
Marked by blood.
Chapter 324 Shut Window
?
In the dark night, they were two.
Brought together by bad fortune, they remained together.
Bonded by multiple links, a new one was made.
A link they made themselves. A link they decided on themselves.
Marked by blood.
***
Elisa let out a moan as his lipsnded on her stomach once more.
She was breathing heavily, but in apletely different way than earlier.
Her breath was heavy and controlled. It was the only way she found to keep herself from gasping at his touch.
With her legs bent and her hands on the back of his head, the waves of pleasure traveled more freely through her body.
She breathed heavily, struggling to contain and control the wild vibrations spreading further and further. Spreading more and more deeply.
Her eyes closed, she bit her lip, curled her toes.
From just below her ribcage, he had been kissing. Her thin waist, her t and athletic stomach, her tender skin. From just below her ribcage, he had been kissing down her stomach.
Down. Down. Down.
With each kiss, the fire burning inside her shone brighter, wilder, and more freely.
She straightened and bent her arms, shook her legs, curled her toes. Again and again.
With every kiss.
Lower. Lower. Lower.
Closer. Closer. Closer.
The itch. The ce she wanted him to reach.
Her fit and athletic, yet undoubtedly feminine figure.
Her beautiful and harmonious curves.
Being kissed this way. Her body being kissed this way. Her body being given such attention.
Is this what it meant to be worshipped? Is this what it meant to be loved? Cherished? Adored?
His lipsnded just beyond her underwear.
The next one would be-
Just when she was about to interrupt, he moved towards the inside of her left knee, kissing it just as passionately.
Elisa moaned and arched her back as one leg was kissed and the other stroked.
The shivering, the vibrations, the heat.
Had she been missing out on so much all this time?
As Elisa looked at him, she knew. She hadn''t missed out on anything. It was only him that could make her feel this way. Only him that could bring this part of her outside and into the open.
His kisses moved once again.
Up. Up. Up her leg.
Closer. Closer. Closer.
He moved up her leg, with a slight curvature in his trajectory.
He kissed while moving outwardly, before going back towards the inside.
The itch was bing more.
It burned. It hurt. It shouted inside of her, as his lips kissed her inner thigh.
Cold sweat suddenly.
Elisa shook. Worry? Stress? Fear?
All of them at once.
Quivering. Blood was rushing towards it. Tingling.
She suddenly sat up to kiss him.
She kissed him as passionately as she could, diverting his attention away.
One hand stroked his shoulder and neck, while another moved down her body.
Uncertainty. Doubt. Anxiety.
Her underwear wasn''t dry.
What was it? What had? When? Why?
He kissed her with a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her so that her back could regain the ground.
His fingertipsnded on her inner thigh, adding to her anxiety.
Repeatedly, he curled his hand that was parallel to her leg, leaving his fingertips to stroke her sensitive inner thigh.
His other hand stroked down her arm.
She moved her hand away, fearing that he would find out.
Their fingers met, and their hands intertwined.
One stroke too much.
Too much to handle.
She instinctively moved her free hand to take ahold of his.
Her control over her own breathing was diminishing. Still, she wanted to take it all in. All the affection. All the pleasure.
It was dark. Dark and quiet. All she could see was him. All she could hear was him. All she could feel was him. Just as she desired.
One stroke too much.
He didn''t fight against her sensitivity.
Their hands intertwined once more.
He gently moved his hands forward without letting hers go, pinning those hands to the ground.
Her hands pinned to the ground, one to each side of her head.
She was anxious. She was nervous. But she wasn''t scared.
He moved forward and their lips met.
Burning. Softening. Steaming. Melting. Dampening.
Her eyes suddenly opened as she arched her back. The sudden sensation made herpletely lose control of her body, leading to her mouth suddenly closing.
A tear of blood at the tip of his tongue.
Her anxiety worsened.
What to say? How to apologize?
She opened her mouth, but before she could a word, his lips met hers.
Her body quivered and she moaned.
She didn''t need to apologize. Not to him. That''s what his kiss told her.
No need to apologize. He will always be on your side. He will always be with you.
That''s what the blood inside her mouth told her.
She moaned as she kissed him.
His knee, which had gentlye into contact with her most sensitive spot, did not move away.
But it did move slightly. Slowly. Forward and downwards, applying various levels of pressure.
Elisa threw her head back as she felt her underwear grow more and more humid.
He slowly pulled back, letting go of her hands and stroking down her arms and body until he arrived to her hips.
She remained with her hands on each side of her head. Haggard and moist breathes. Her fingertips quivered.
His hands moved up her body, circling around her chest.
She moaned, bringing a half-clenched hand to her mouth.
He slowly moved his hands across her breasts, veiled by a light and thin gown that wasn''t enough to hide her excitement. It followed and even highlighted the pointy form of her-
Elisa moaned suddenly.
She realized then. There was more than one spot burning up.
He slipped his left hand into hers which remained next to her hand and kissed her, keeping his other hand on her breast.
He gently pressed against that breast, while stroking its central piece with his thumb repeatedly.
Burning. Steaming.
His tongue. His hand. His knee.
Steaming. Melting.
His tongue. His hand. His knee.
Melting. Drenching.
He pulled his tongue and face back, leaving her out of breath and longing for more.
Blushing, but not bashful.
He looked deep into her eyes as he pressed his knee further against her crotch and pinched it with his hand.
A gasp escaped her mouth as she shut her eyes.
His lips moved towards her neck as he pressed further, as he pinched harder.
Her gasps grew louder.
The feeling was so different, the sensation so foreign, Elisa feared she would go mad from it.
His hand let go of hers.
Hers moved to the back of his head, as if encouraging him to kiss her neck more. More and more passionately.
The hand that let go of hers moved down.
From below her gown, it stroked her inner thigh, and slowly moved upwards.
Will he stop like he did earlier?
Will he keep going?
Will he...?
What is he going to do?
Elisa couldn''t tell.
Did she want him to stop? Did she want him to continue going up unlike earlier? Did she want him to touch her there?
Through the intense waves of pleasure, she couldn''t tell.
She couldn''t think straight.
His lips left her neck.
They moved up.
She moved her lips closer, but he dodged them.
Confusion.
What then?
A peck on the cheek?
Amidst her short-lived confusion,
"Aaaahh!!" She moaned louder than ever.
At the same time, his hand had been pressed against her crotch and his lips took hold of her long pointy ear.
She immediately felt herself grow more damp. From sweat, and more.
Elisa pulled her head away slightly.
She realized that another spot of hers was a sensitive weak point.
She had pulled away, but the expression on her face betrayed how she felt.
It was surprise that had made her pull away.
His hand moved away from her breast as he kissed her, and moved towards her ear instead.
He stroked and rubbed the pointy ear while doing the same with his other hand.
Moving up and down the underwear-covered crotch, it could felt.
The shaking. The drenching. The intent to receive.
His index finger moved up and down her timid lower lips, as his thumb stroked her quivering sensitive spot.
Her moaning grew uncontrolled, and so did his breathing.
His finger pushed lightly against the closed flower, as if trying to make way.
She instinctively moved a hand andy on top of his own.
Encouraging him to continue? Telling him to stop? Neither could tell.
He let go of her ear and brought that hand to her hips, dragging her closer.
His hand pressed further and with a moan,
"Wait... I... It''s... Ahh... It''s too m... Too... Too much... Wait a second..." Elisa could only muster a couple of words between her moans which also forced her eyes to remain shut. "It''s too much... I can''t... Stop... I... I''m not-"
Her nipple was pinched one more, making her arch her back and pull away as she let out a loud gasp.
He grabbed her arm, dragging her closer once more.
"Stop... I said... Aaah... Listen to me... I said... Wait... You''re being too... You''re being too rough... Are you listening to me...?"
Every muscle in her body tightened right away.
Fighting against the intoxicating pleasure her body was going through, she finally managed to open her eyes.
"Are you listening to me... Mark?"
A dark eye stared.
The clear and shining purple pupil gone.
On that dark eye, she could see her reflection.
"Mark?"
A shut window.
Chapter 325 Shut Window II
?
A dark eye.
Iris, pupil, and sclera were indistinguishable from one another.
The darkness filling them seemed to stretch infinitely deep.
A distance that couldn''t be crossed.
A window that had been closed shut, on which she could see her own reflection perfectly.
"Mark?"
She wanted him to talk.
She wanted him to say something.
Elisa realized that he had been quiet all this time. That would have preferred him talking.
She wanted him to appease her worries.
He didn''t.
His finger pushed further against her lower lips.
She immediately moved to get his hand off, fighting against the bodily pleasure.
But before she could reach, he roughly grabbed her wrist with his other hand, pinning it next to her head.
She reached with her other hand.
"Mark! I said-"
He kissed her before she could say another word.
His hand had moved away from her crotch, and both her hands were pinned next to her head.
''What... What is-''
Burning. Melting.
She could tell that her body was reacting the same way. She was still craving something.
But it was different.
Squeeze-
The pressure against and around her wrists, the way her tongue was looked for and chased, it waspletely different from how it was earlier.
Rough.
She pushed her hands against his grip, but couldn''t free herself. Or rather, unlike earlier, he didn''t let her.
Animalistic.
She pulled her head away, tried closing her mouth, tried moving away. He chased.
The fact that he was acting differently, the fact that he was so frantically kissing her.
The fact that she couldn''t free herself, the fact that he wouldn''t let her move away.
It was scary.
Why was it so arousing too?
She shut her eyes as he kissed her, unable to fight his ardor off.
Unable, or unwilling?
She moved her legs to push herself away, to push him away at least momentarily, and he used his to pin those legs too.
He finally pulled his head back, not without leaving her feeling lightheaded from theck of oxygen.
She breathed heavily and reopened her eyes.
Elisa looked at his face.
And he looked at hers.
Or did he?
Was he looking at her?
With iris, pupil, scelera indistinguishable from ont another, Elisa couldn''t tell.
What was he looking at?
Where was he looking?
Could he even see her right now?
"You''re being... Too rough... Mark... Stop-"
His knee pressed against her drenched crotch once more as his lips moved to her neck.
"Stop... Stop it... I don''t... Want..."
He kissed her neck as she squirmed around. He licked her skin, his tongue leaving a wet imprant as it moved up her neck.
Eventually, she felt theme into contact with her. Between her shoulder and neck.
His fangs.
Cold and sharp.
"Mark-"
A moan escaped her mouth as the fear and slight pain mixed with the pleasure.
He pulled back and remained unmoving as if hypnotized by it.
The mark of his bite. The imprint of each of his front fangs. A small drop of blood went down her shoulder.
His breathing grew heavier. Clouds of moist fog exited his mouth as his arms and face started twitching.
Her body was going crazy. Different from earlier. Better. Worse.
She was at his mercy. Or she let herself be at his mercy.
Her crotch was burning. Her mind was reigned by a violent and undecisive storm, unsure of which way to go.
She was at his mercy. Why did that feel so arousing? Because she trusted him?
His hands let go of her wrists. He pulled back, and she sighed.
"You really had me worried there for a second-"
Suddenly, his hands took hold of the gown she was dressing.
Elisa instinctively pushed herself away with her feet.
He grabbed her at the knee with a hand, refusing to let her get away, and tore the dress with his other hand.
"Mark. Mark!" She repeated. "Mark! Let go of me!"
Uncaring.
Heartlessly, coldly, and roughly, he pulled her back closer, her back dragged against the floor, her stomach and thighs exposed by the torn gown.
He pulled her closer with one hand, and tore the gown further with the other.
"Stop!" She shouted as she pped him. He tore the dress further. "I said I don''t want to-"
He roughly pressed his hand against her breast, pinning her to the ground.
She pushed him away, but he was stronger.
His cold tongue descended upon her stomach.
She quivered and winced.
His tongue moved sideways, up and down.
"Mark... Stop..." Elisa whispered as she shut her eyes.
She wanted it.
She didn''t.
She wanted it.
She didn''t.
Her body wanted it.
She didn''t.
Why did her body want it?
Simple arousal and lust?
Was it because she was currently in the Demon Lord of Lust''s territory?
Was it an effect of the Corruption that linguered in her body? An effect she hadn''t been aware of until now?
Elisa didn''t know. And more than that, she didn''t care. She didn''t think about it.
"Stop..."
Her body wanted it. She didn''t.
How annoying it is when the body won''t listen.
She pushed him away, but she could barely muster any strength as his tongue made its away up her body.
Each time his tongue moved, she shook and trembled.
The moans that left her mouth uncontrobly didn''t make her feel ashamed anymore. They made her feel weak. They made her feel like she wasn''t in control. In control of her own body.
"Stop..." She whispered, as her closed eyes started tearing up.
Control. Not being in control. Control. Not being in control. Weak.
His tongue circled around her breast.
She bit on her lip.
"I SAID STOP!" Elisa shouted suddenly.
And just as suddenly,
ROAAAR-
It made her heart sink.
His open jaws. His fangs. Just inches away from her face. Saliva dripping down his fangs.
The loud roar made her whole body shake. She could feel the vibrations travel through her body.
Anxiety and fear. Fear of what?
The waves produced by that roar traveled far and wide. Deep.
The Moonlit Feline that had been rolling around on the ground raised its gaze. It shook its head.
Krista was the first to snap out of the Demon Lord of Lust''s influence. The first to free itself.
Meanwhile, drips of saliva fell down from his fangs and open mouth onto Elisa''s stomach.
Monster. White-scaled Monster. Monster.
It made her heart sink.
Monster. White-scaled Monster. Monster.
She didn''t want to. She didn''t want to ept it.
But it was clear.
The Monster wanted to Devour her.
In more ways than one.
Chapter 326 Don’t Let It Go Wrong
Chapter 326 Don''t Let It Go Wrong
The Monster wanted to Devour her.
In more ways than one.
And it wouldn''t take no for an answer.
The Monster''s mouth brutally and ferociously descended upon her exposed breast.
She pushed the Monster''s head away but it refused to give in.
Its lips kissed her nipple, and she moaned.
Elisa moaned. And she hated the fact that her body had done so.
She quickly moved her hands under, pushing it away by pushing up against its forehead.
Without taking its focus off of her breast, the Monster took hold of her wrists.
She fought against it. She really did. With all the strength she could muster, she fought against the Monster''s grip.
And the Monster, unfairly, unjustly, brought her wrists together.
With one hand, it took hold of both her thin wrists, and roughly pinned them on the ground above her head.
The white gown had been torn. The only thing she had left from her time before the Dungeon.
Her underwear, exposed. Her breasts, exposed. She tried to free herself but couldn''t.
Exposed. Weak. At his mercy.
At his mercy. No control.
What used to be a dance wasn''t one anymore.
What used to be a celebration of love wasn''t anymore.
Exposed. Weak. Without control.
The Monster''s tongue pressed against her nipple.
Trapped. At their mercy.
Captured. Stolen. Stuck in a Dungeon.
Alone.
Stuck in a tower.
Weak.
Unable to exit.
At their mercy.
Unable to fight against her captors.
Weak. Without control.
***
"Who is that one?"
"Oh, morning Princess!"
"Who is he?"
"A Human who was passing by. Found him just outside-"
"Why did you bring him?"
"Why? He needed directions. He''s very kind though. He offered to hunt and make us food in exchange for staying the night, hehe!"
"He''s leaving right after, right? It is my first time seeing a Human though."
"Want to meet him, Princess? He said he had never seen real Royalty before so..."
"Why not, I suppose..."
"Also, he said he was interested in learning about..."
The Princess walked for a bit before stopping.
''He does have a kind smile. And a kind face.'' She thought while peeking from a good distance away. ''First time I''ve seen hair that white...''
***
Stuck in Dungeon. Stuck in a tower. Stuck.
Trapped. Weak. Captured. Corrupted.
Exposed. At their mercy. Alone.
Betrayed.
Why is it going this way?
Why is it going wrong?
When did it go wrong?
Since when?
Why?
Every time.
Why?
Again.
Why?
Every time.Every time.Every time.
Why does it always go wrong?
Don''t let it.
Please, don''t let it.
Don''t let it go wrong, Mark.
Everything is going wrong and I''m tired of it.
Mark.
Don''t let this go wrong too.
Please, Mark.
You''re all I have now! You''re all I have left!
Look at me! Listen to me!
Please Mark.
You''re all I have.
My people. My father. Everything.
Everything is gone.
I''ve lost everything.
You''re all I have.
Please look at me.
Mark.
Do something.
Do something?
What can I do?
Yield to it.
Yield to what?
My body. My impulses.
I don''t want to.
Yield to it. And I might even enjoy it.
No! No! No! NO!
I DON''T WANT TO!
Why not?
You can feel it, don''t you? The shivers, the vibrations, the pleasure...
No! No! No! NO!
Yield to it. Your body wants it.
I don''t!
Yield to it.
No!
Your body craves it.
Not like this!
Then?
Then...
Elisa had stopped fighting against his grip.
"Mark..."
Her eyes remained shut, as she cried.
"Please don''t let this go wrong too."
The Monster nibbled on her nipple.
Its jaws opened wide, as if about to swallow that breast.
She winced, as a bite mark was left around her breast.
The Monster stared at the mark it had left as if in a trance.
In its trance, Elisa''s left hand managed to escape from its grip.
Her index finger moved with great speed.
There was only one thing she could do.
Plus, he could heal. So this wouldn''t be a problem, would it?
Her finger moved towards the Monster''s dark eye, determined to pierce it.
But just before she could reach, her arm stopped suddenly.
The Monster hadn''t done a thing.
Perhaps, it hadn''t even realized that she had moved.
Still, her finger was stopped.
And she could feel the cold and heavy weight of chains around her arm.
"Fuck..." She whispered, as the Monster slowly took hold of her free wrist, pinning it over her head once more.
The weight of chains.
The two had signed a Contract.
While they might have forgotten it, the World didn''t.
A Contract to not harm one another.
Was this not considered harm? What the Monster was doing?
It was.
Then?
One of the two had breached that Contract.
Elisa, against the Final Floor''s Boss Monster, had shot an arrow through the Contractee''s stomach.
Against Lin, the Commander of Sloth, one of her Timeworn Elven Daggers had pierced his calf. Something that she had done to wake him up.
In any case, the Contract had been breached twice by her.
Having not been decided by the two, the punishment in case of breaching was left to the World to decide.
And the simplest way of doing so was,
-An eye of an eye. A tooth for a tooth-
An arrow through the stomach. A dagger through the calf.
Until the damage incurred bes equal to that produced by those two breaches, she would remain at the Monster''s mercy.
Her wrist was slowly and emotionlessly brought back above her head.
"Please... Don''t let this go wrong... Please. You''re-"
Her underwear was suddenly taken hold of, and torn.
Elisa tried to squirm her way out.
The Monster didn''t let her.
Stupidly, it stared at her crotch.
Its hand moved towards it.
Elisa closed her legs, and the Monster forced them open with its hand and knees.
It breathed heavily, before bringing a hand to its own crotch.
The Monster''s body started changing.
Chapter 327 Reborn As A Monster III (part 1)
Chapter 327 Reborn As A Monster III (part 1)
They always leave.
They always leave too soon.
Before I can tell them anything. Before I can tell them what I think. Before I can tell them how I feel. Before I can tell them the truth.
They leave too soon.
Before I can y with them. Before I can get closer to them. Before...
They all leave.
I don''t want them to leave. I want them to stay.
To stay with me.
But they won''t. Once they cross those doors, once they leave the building, once they''re gone, I can''t do anything.
They''re already gone by then.
What can I do?
I can''t do anything.
A child stuck in a hospital room ncing at the world outside from the window to his left.
They''re there. Outside. They''re there. I can''t reach them. They''re there. I can''t reach them.
The whole world is outside this room. I can''t reach them.
Why can''t I reach them?
Why did they leave? Why did they stoping to see me? Why did Mom and Dad stoping too?
I thought they wouldn''t.
Even though I was stuck here, I made them smile. I made themugh.
Because I couldn''t move, because I couldn''t leave with them, I tried so hard.
I was nice to them. I put smiles on their faces. I made themugh.
It wasn''t enough.
It wasn''t?
But I tried so hard to...
Even when I felt tired, even when I felt sick, even when I didn''t want to smile, even when I didn''t want tough, I tried my best.
I tried to so hard to make them like me.
I tried so hard to keep them by my side.
And it wasn''t enough? It was all for nothing?
It was all for nothing.
Then... It wasn''t my fault. It wasn''t my fault that they left me. It wasn''t my fault that they left.
It was.
Because I was sick? It was my fault?
It wasn''t. It wasn''t. It wasn''t. It wasn''t. It wasn''t. It wasn''t. It wasn''t.
It was.
If I wasn''t sick, if my heart was stronger, if my legs hadn''t-
No! It... It was my fault.
What could I have done then? Stuck in that room, what could I have done to keep them with me? To keep them there with me?
Making them smile andugh wasn''t enough.
Then...? What could I-
...
That''s right.
...
A crippled hospitalized boy couldn''t do anything. There is nothing that boy could have done to keep them.
But now... Now... I can.
I can?
Yes! I''m not like I used to! I got better!
I did?
I Evolved! I''m not the same anymore!
I''m not?
No! I''m not... I''m not... I''m not a boy anymore. I''m not... I''m not a cripple anymore.
I can move! I can run! I can... Do so many things!
I''m not the same as before! I''m way better than I used to be!
Way better... Than I used to be...
Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
Way better than I used to be?
Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!
That''s right... I am better, aren''t I?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I did get better. I''m better than I used to be. I Evolved!
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Then... They won''t leave me now! I won''t be alone again!
Never again!
But what if...
No! No! No! No!
What if they...
No! No! No! No!
I can go with them! I won''t lose them! Wherever they go, I can go with them!
Yes!
I have... The means to be with them now! But what if I still...
No! No! No! No!
What if I still lose them?
I won''t.
What if they go to a y I can''t go to?
I can! I can go anywhere now!
But...
I can go anywhere now!
But. But. But. But. But. But. But.
No!
What if I end up alone despite that? What if Evolving didn''t change anything? What if they still end up leaving me? What if... Being a Monster didn''t change anything?
No! No! No! It changed everything!
It did? It did! Everything has changed!
I won''t be alone again.
What if I lose them?
I won''t.
What if they''re taken away?
I won''t let that happen.
That''s right! I have strength now! I can... Do things now! I don''t have to helplessly watched them go!
But what about Light? What about Levi? Fiery and Gray?
No! No! No! That was different!
They were taken away.
I won''t let that happen again.
Why did I let him take them?
I didn''t!
I did! Why didn''t I fight?! Why didn''t I...
Because I couldn''t afford to.
I couldn''t... Lose them.
I couldn''t afford to let him see them!
To let him meet them!
He would have taken THEM away!
In the first ce, it''s totally different now.
It is?
It is! I fought an Olga. I beat an Olga. It was soooo big! Bigger than that room. The size of the whole hospital maybe! And I beat it!
I killed it?
I killed it! And... The Forest! Yarnha! I beat a whoole Forest. The Spirit of a whole Forest, I beat it!
And a Commander.
And a Commander!
I''m way different.
I''m... I''m... I''m strong now.
I can make things happen! I can keep things from happening! I''m not weak anymore! Ia control my life now! I can control my body!
But is that enough?
It is!
But isn''t controling your body a given?
It is! To others!
Others can control their bodies, but they still struggle with...
I won''t! I won''t struggle! I don''t have any issues! I don''t have any problems! My only problem was my body! And now that it''s fixed... Now that it''s fixed...
Now that it''s fixed?
And Now that it''s fixed...
Now that it''s fixed, they won''t leave?
They won''t leave.
What if they want to leave?
They don''t.
What if they do?
They don''t!
What if they want to leave me? What if they don''t want to be with me? What if I''m the problem? What if it was never about my body in the first ce?
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
It was about my body and nothing else!
How can I be sure?
Because I spent so long thinking about!
I did?
I did. So long.
Then... I have nothing to worry about?
Nothing to worry about!
But what if I''m wrong? What if I am the problem?
Then I''ll stop being the problem.
What if I can''t?
I can! I can do anything! I can be anything! Anything necessary! Anything necessary to keep them with me!
So I''ll change? I''ll change to keep them with me?
I''ll Evolve! I never liked myself much in the first ce. So if it means keeping them with me, I''ll do it!
Anything?
Anything!
What if it''s not enough? What if they still don''t want me? What if...
What if they still want to leave me?
What if they still want to leave me?
I won''t let them.
I won''t let them... What?
I won''t let them.
I won''t let them?
I won''t let them leave.
Huh?
They''re wrong to want to leave me in the first ce.
Chapter 328 Reborn As A Monster III (Part 2)
?
They''re wrong to want to leave me in the first ce.
Wrong...? Oh. That''s true. I''m amazing now. They call me the Devourer! The Evolving Monster!
That''s right! I am amazing! They have no reason to leave me! They''re making a mistake! So I won''t let them make that mistake!
That''s true! That''s true! They even say that I''m a Potential Demon King Candidate!
That sounds so cool!
I''m so cool!
Anyone would want to be with me now!
Nobody would want to leave me now!
"Helloooo! Miss me, Mark?"
Nobody would leave me now!
Anyone doing so would be making a mistake.
"Helloooo! Can you hear me, Mark?"
What about those making that mistake?
Like my ssmates who stoppeding to see me? Like my friends who left me? Like my parents who stoppeding to see me?
What about those making that mistake?
I hate them.
I hate them all.
They never should have left me.
They were wrong to.
I''m a Potential Demon King now!
Yes! They left someone who became a Potential Demon King! What a mistake!
"Haloooo!"
Potential Demon King...
Demon King...
King...
I won''t let them go.
I won''t let them leave.
I won''t?
I won''t. They''re mine.
Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine! MINE!
Mine?
What does that mean?
It means that I won''t let them go!
They''re mine!
I brought them back!
I made them stronger!
I got them out!
Mine! Mine! No one gets to touch what is mine!
What about Raven?
I''ll kill him when the timees!
What about Levi? Mine!
What about Light? Mine!
Fiery? Mine!
Gray? Mine!
What about Elisa?
What about Elisa?
What about Elisa?
What if she doesn''t want you anymore? What if she leaves you? What if she wants you away?
No. No. No. No. No! NO!
Mine!
She''s mine!
She is?
She is!
Mine!
I could have killed her that day!
I saved her many times!
I...
Does that make her mine?
I''m a Demon King Candidate!
Does that make her mine?
It does! She''s mine!
In the first ce... She was given to me!
She was?
That''s right! She was given to me! I could have killed her! I could have Devoured her! But I didn''t! I kept her! But she was mine from the beginning! She was kidnapped! She was hurt!
She was hurt...
She was hurt for me!
Those who brought me here... Made her mine! So she''s mine!
What about them?
They brought me here! From another world! From after I died! So they''re like... They''re like gods. So if they gave her to me, then she''s mine!
No... I don''t...
It''s true!
No... I don''t agree with that...
It''s true! She''s mine! She was offered to me! Offered to the Devourer! To the Evolving Monster! Offered to me! Mine!
Then...?
Then I can do what I want!
What do I want?
Embrace. Hold Touch.
Yes!
Stroke. Kiss. Lick.
Yes!
Bite. Nibble. Pinch!
Yes!
Fuck! Devour! Kill!
I...? I don''t-
"You hate them? Do you, Mark?" The boy finally turned around at the familiar voice.
Mina.
Mina?
Red hair. Green eyes. That voice...
Mina.
"Your ssmates, your parents, everyone, huh?"
The only one who didn''t leave me.
The only one who took care of me.
Everyday?
Everyday.
"Don''t want to answer? What are you doing here in the first ce? It''s bright, but everything is white. Though there is a dark shell all around. Weird, isn''t it?"
Mina.
Mina.
How long did she take care of me?
Too long.
Day in...
And day out.
From the first day...
To myst.
"Tell me, Mark..." She walked closer before stopping and bending her back forward, bing eye-level with the child who had his back turned to her. "Tell me, Mark..."
What should I tell her?
What do I tell her?
Make her smile. Make herugh. Even if it hurts, tell her that it doesn''t. Even if you''re tired, tell her that you''re feeling better. Make her smile. Lie. Lie! Don''tin. Don''tin! Keep it in! Don''t let her leave too!
No. No! NO! That''s over. I don''t need that anymore. I don''t need to do that anymore!
I''m a Demon King Candidate... I don''t need... To do that?
"Tell me, Mark..."
I don''t need to lie anymore?
"Do you hate me too?"
Hate Mina?
No. Impossible.
Yes. I hate Mina.
I don''t.
I do.
Do I hate Mina?
She took care of me.
She looked down on me.
She brought me my meals.
Because I couldn''t get them myself.
I couldn''t do anything without her.
Now I can!
She was there... That whole time... She was there...
She was! She saw me!
She saw me...?
Exposed. Exposed!
She saw me... When I was weak?
Weak! Fragile! Incapable of doing anything!
I can''t... Let that be...
I''m a Demon King Candidate! She saw me when I was weak! I hate her! I hate her! She was looking down on me! She was making fun of me! I hate her!
She didn''t... Make fun of me.
She did! She always said I would get better! She always said she would be with me! She''s not anymore! I didn''t get better! It''s her fault! She lied to me!
She lied... To me?
I don''t need her anymore! I''ve never needed her! It''s all her fault! I hate her! She left me!
No... No I... I left h-
She left! She lied! Sheughed! She wasn''t like me! Every day she was there but she wasn''t like me!
That''s true. She wasn''t like me...
She could never understand! She was fine! I''m sure it made her feel great to see me weak! To see me that way! To see me unable to do anything! How did it feel to help poor weak me? How did it feel seeing me then going to your home where everything was fine and great? I''m sure it felt good, didn''t it? I''m sure you felt great about your life after seeing poor cripple me!
She was... No... Yes... She... I... What was...
Before he could realize it, the boy had his hands wrapped around her neck.
Strangling her until she fell to the ground.
"So you did hate me, huh?"
Chapter 329 Reborn As A Monster III (Part 3)
?
"So you hated me in the end, huh?"
Die. Die. Die.
"You want me to go away?"
Disappear. Disappear. Disappear!
"Then make me."
The child''s grip around Mina''s neck tightened.
"It''s simple enough. Kill me, and I''ll disappear."
Die! Die! Die!
"Kill me. Go for it. You''re not weak anymore. You don''t need me."
I''m a Demon King Candidate!
Mine.
I can do whatever I want! With whatever I want! Mine!
"What''s yours?"
Everything!
"Is it?"
I''ll make it! I''ll make everything mine!
"That''s the way. Take. Take from others. Take from the world. You who had nothing..."
Die! Die! Die! So I can have a new beginning!
"Make the whole world yours. Make everything bend to your will. Make everything kneel in front of you. Forget about who you are. Forget about everything. Focus on your will. Your hunger. Your greed."
Die!
"Let them carry you. Your greed. Your hunger. Your lust. Your pride. Your wrath. Your sloth. Don''t think. Don''t worry about doing things the right way. There is no right way in this new world. Don''t let the past drag you."
I won''t!
"You said it already, didn''t you? That you would be King. That you wouldn''t care about your past. About your past misconceptions about right and wrong. Then prove it. Prove it now."
Die! Die! Die!
"Kill me. And kill your past self with me."
The child''s arms shook and it pulled away.
The suffocating woman could finally breathe.
"What are you doing? Kill me. Me, the one who took care of you every day. The only one whose face you remember. Kill me. You hated me, didn''t you? Just like you hated all those doctors. Remember them? Every few months, a new one. A new doctor, a new room. Same hospital, same me. And same old you. Now, do it!"
Mina.
Mina.
"Oh. This is what you want to? It''s no wonder, after all this time. Do it. You can reach me now. You can walk by yourself. You''re not weak and pathetic anymore. Reach me. Pin me to the ground. Kiss me. Fuck me. Kill me. Your lust. Your wrath. Your greed. Your hunger. Let them guide you. Freely."
Mina.
***
The white-scaled Monster pulled back slightly, and Elisa could finally breathe.
"Mark! Mark! Listen to me!" She shouted between her haggard breaths.
***
That''s right.
Your lust. Your hunger. Let them guide you.
Don''t listen to anything else. Only you matter. Only what you want matters!
I am a Monster...
That''s right! You have the perfect excuse!
Excuse?
It''s not an excuse, it''s your right! Your birthright as a Monster! Do what you want!
What I want?
What do you want?
I want... Her.
Then take her!
I don''t... Want her to reject me.
She won''t! Don''t let her!
I...
***
The white-scaled Monster pressed its hand against her breast, making her gasp as she was pinned to the ground.
"Mark! Don''t let this...!"
***
You''re not Mark anymore, are you?
I''m not?
Mark is a cripple. A crippled Human who couldn''t do anything. That''s not you anymore, is it?
It isn''t.
Who are you now?
I... I am...
You''re a Monster.
I''m a Monster.
***
The white-scaled Monster breathed heavily as it brought a hand to its crotch.
The next second, the scales and skin that covered that crotch started twitching.
It filled Elisa with disgust and horror, as something the white-scaled Monster didn''t have previously, started taking shape.
Completely covered by white scales except its tip.
Big. Too big.
Disgusting. Ugly.
Quivering. Pulsating. Throbbing.
The white-scaled Monster''s breathing grew heavier.
With each passing second, ''He''ll stop now. He''ll stop. He''ll fight back. He''lle back. He won''t take it further. Not without my...'' Elisa thought to herself, again and again.
The Moonlit Feline, Krista, was a couple of steps away.
Its body was shaking violently.
Its gaze moved from her to him.
Who to choose?
Who to protect?
Which side?
Krista couldn''t decide.
This was wrong. The situation had gone wrong. The Moonlit Feline could feel it.
The look in her eyes. The look in his eyes. He was at fault.
He... Why did his eye look that way?
Krista had studied eyes for a while.
It was the one way she had to determine whether someone was on the side of -Them- or on the side of -Us-.
Right now, the look in her Master''s eye was different.
Right now, her Master wasn''t part of -Us-.
But then, what did that mean? What to do? How to act??
''He''ll definitely...!''
He''ll fight back-
Fight back against what?
His past? His Titles? His Lust? The Demon Lord''s Influence? The Shard of the Deadly Sins inside him? What was he supposed to fight back against?
The Monster''s quivering tip stood in front of her lower lips. Inches away.
Its whole body was shaking.
It was about to-
"MARK! LISTEN TO ME!"
Elisa shouted as she reached for the Monster''s head.
Her shouting. Her moving. Her squirming around.
It was a bother.
The Monster grabbed her left wrist.
It wanted to Devour her.
In more ways than one.
It wouldn''t take no for an answer.
And it wouldn''t ept being interrupted.
Elisa''s wrist broke under the pressure sending a strident scream through the darkness that was slowly fading away.
That''s right.
Take. Break. Destroy!
Do anything you want!
She''s yours! She was given to you! Everything is yours!
Fuck! Kill! Destroy! Devour!
Hit! sh! Pierce! Prate!
Take her! Force her! Break her!
Destroy her! Make her yours! Force her to be yours! If the wrist isn''t enough, break the legs! Make her unable to leave you!
I... No! I...
Break her! Tear her apart! Don''t let her say -no-! Never take -no- for an answer again!
I don''t want to hurt her-
Don''t want to hurt her? Who cares about that? She''s yours! Even if she breaks, even if she dies, even if she doesn''t want you anymore...
The white-scaled Monster''s body shook violently.
You can bring her back anyways, can''t you? Bring her back. She''s yours. You would be doing her a service. Bring her back. A new version of her. A better version of her. A version that would never leave you. A version that would stay with you forever. A version that would remain by your side. A version that wouldn''t be scared. That wouldn''t reject. That wouldn''t wince upon seeing your ugly face! A version that would be unable to do any of that! A version that would live for you! For you! For you only! Break her! Tear her apart!
No!
Do it! Do it again! You''ve already done it many times, haven''t you? Tear her apart! Have your fun with her! Then bring her back as a docile Underling. Do it again! Just like you did to Levi! Just like you did to Light! Fiery and Gray! Force them to be by your side! Break them, and build them back better! That''s the only way they''ll remain with you!
No! That''s not true-
Death is always with you! It has been by your side your whole life! You''ve waited for it a looong time, but it took you in the end. How unfair, right? But now, it''s different! Now, Death is on your side! Death is your ally! Death is your friend! So give it to others! Let them know Death! You have nothing to worry about! Even if you hurt them, they''ll remain by your side! Even if you break them, build them up again! They''ll stay with you forever! Kill her! Force her! Pierce her! Prate her! Tear her apart! Devour her!
The whimpering Elisa shut her eyes.
In a second, she could see all her time by the Monster''s side pass by.
It was all going wrong. It was all fading away. Her trust, her feelings, everything.
How long did it take for her to trust the Monster? How long did it take for the Monster to trust her?
It was all going up in mes.
That trust she had spent so long cultivating, was the one thing that had kept her enduring and resisting.
All that faded away, as a tear went down her face.
The World isn''t as kind as she had assumed it to be.
A Monster is a Monster.
And what he had been fighting against was himself.
A Monster will forever be a Monster. It only takes one moment of letting loose for that to be clear. A Monster is a Monster, no matter how much it tries to act like something else.
How difficult it is to build trust, and how easy it is to lose it.
All her fears about him were confirmed.
All her anxiety. Her instincts which, many times, screamed at her to get away.
Corruption. Berserker. Monster.
Cannot be trusted.
Elisa shed a tear, and her trust in the Monster.
Thetter''s shaking had ceased, as its tip was about to enter. About to pierce. About to prate. About to tear. About to-
Its tip pushed against her.
And with the first light of dawn, Elisa swiftly took hold of one of her Timeworn Elven Daggers, and pierced the white-scaled Monster''s right eye. The eye hidden by a wrapped piece of cloth.
The white-scaled Monster jumped back.
She rose to her feet.
With a dagger deeply embedded in his right eye, all the darkness that had filled his left eye faded.
Leaving him only with its result.
A result that the light of dawn made clear.
With the torn and ragged gown, she hid her naked body with a broken wrist.
With her other hand, she pointed a dagger at him.
Her facial expression, a mix of sorrow, hatred, and wrath.
What had happened? What had gone wrong?
What was she naked? Why was her wrist broken? Why does she look like she has been crying for a while?
Why is one of her daggers currently through his eye and skull?
He took a step forward.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Elisa shouted as she swung her dagger.
His body froze.
"Get away from me... Monster!"
Chapter 330 Running Away
The Demon Lord of Lust grimaced at the scene.
It wasn''t the desired oue. Or rather, the desired conclusion had failed to spurt forth.
Still, this wasn''t too bad, the Demon Lord of Lust thought, a grin on its face.
[The Unique Title "Devourer" looks at the Demon Lord Of Lust.]
[The Unique Title "Evolving Monster" looks at the Demon Lord Of Lust.]
The Demon Lord smiled wider as the messages appeared in front of him.
"Brothers. No... Nephews?"
The Unique Titles were peculiar existences.
They were made from Shards of the Deadly Sin of Greed and the Deadly Sin of Gluttony, each held by a Demon Lord.
The Shards were, after being extracted, mixed with the Candidates'' Souls.
Each Soul was mixed with abination of those Shards.
In this case, the Shards fed on the Soul''s Greed and Gluttony, before giving birth to the -Evolving Monster- and -Devourer- Unique Titles.
"That''s what''s happening, huh?"
It was no wonder that the Demon Lord of Sloth and the Demon Lord of Lust felt something peculiar and familiar inside the Devourer.
They, too, bore Deadly Sins after all.
Thebination of the Demon Lord of Lust''s Influence and that of the Shards of the Deadly Sins inside him was more than enough to overpower him. Partly because the Sins had the peculiar ability to strengthen one another.
The Titles that had remained silent for a while struck stealthily and quietly this time.
In truth, it wasn''t the Titles, but the Shards they were made out of. Of course, the distinction between the two isn''t clear and should, quite frankly, be ignored and not taken into consideration for now.
''What the hell... Happened?''
The white-scaled Monster took a step forward.
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She shouted, swinging her dagger.
Mark couldn''t hear her.
Perhaps because of the Influence of the Titles and Demon Lord hadn''t fadedpletely yet?
Perhaps because of the dagger embedded through his eye and skull?
It wasn''t clear.
What was clear however, was the fact that she didn''t want him anywhere near her.
Mark looked her up and down.
He studied every inch of her body, a dazed expression on his face.
Wounds.
No, bitemarks?
Broken wrist.
Swollen face and eyes.
Her neck seemed to have been-
Mark''s mind went nk, and he felt the urge to throw up suddenly.
He didn''t let it show, and pushed down whatever had been rising from the inside of his body.
The gluttonous Devourer throwing up? Impossible.
As he swallowed, images started filling his mind.
Confusion. Shock. Denial.
Confusion. Shock. Denial.
No. No. No! It didn''t...! He hadn''t...!
The urge to throw up arose once again, much stronger.
His body started shaking.
Mine-
I could have killed her that day-
I saved her many times-
No!
Take. Break. Destroy-
No!
Fuck. Kill. Destroy. Devour-
No!
Take her. Force her. Break her-
''What was I... About to do? What was I... Doing??''
The expression on the white-scaled Monster''s face changed as his heart filled with dread.
''I didn''t... It didn''t happen... I didn''t mean to... I-''
His throat was burning.
That''s when he realized that despite opening his mouth, no words wereing out.
''I didn''t mean to! It wasn''t me! It was-''
No words wereing out.
Why were no wordsing out?
Perhaps because there was nothing to say.
Mark started to remember.
Those bite marks, he hadid them. That neck, he had strangled. That wrist, he had broken.
That gown, he had torn.
It wasn''t me!
It was!
It wasn''t me!
It was!
"Get away from me... Monster!"
The torrent of thoughts and emotions. The unease. The confusion. What he had seen, what he had lived. What was real and what wasn''t? Was he strangling Mina? Was he strangling Elisa? Which one had he tried to kill? The world started spinning. Confusion. Confusion. The one strangling Mina. The one strangling Elisa. The one strangling Mina. The one strangling Elisa.
Which one was he?
"GET AWAY!"
What to say? How to exin?
Exin what? Even he could barely...
The white-scaled Monster''s brain shut down. The only suitable answer was...
The tears that had been hanging by a thread started flowing down the Dark Elven Princess'' face as she tightened her grip around the bow in her hands.
The expression on her face, torn between anger, anguish, and hatred.
The Wind around her spun violently, blowing the descending tears away.
The ground cracked and groaned while the air screeched as an immense quantity of Mana turned into an arrow.
The Dark Elven Princess pressed her lips, closed her left eye, and took aim.
She clenched her teeth as the tip of the arrow was pointed at it.
At the white-scaled Monster''s back that was getting further and further.
At the white-scaled Monster that was running away from her.
More Mana than ever before.
More power than ever before.
More anger than ever before.
More hatred than ever before.
The white-scaled Monster ran further and further.
She pulled on the bowstring.
Her wrist was in no condition to be used optimally. But by Manipting the Wind around, she managed to hold the bow in ce.
The white-scaled Monster ran faster and faster. Further further.
It was dawn.
Its body was starting to disappear into the horizon.
Elisa slowly lowered her bow.
She copsed to her knees, and cried like she had never before.
...
Mark ran.
As fast as he could, he ran.
With the Demon Lord''s Influence gone, all the tiredness hade back to him.
His legs were heavy, his heart was burning, his lungs were on fire. Good!
He ran.
Away from her.
Away from Elisa.
Away from what he had done. From what he had been about to do. From what he could have done.
Why was he running?
Mark stopped.
Just when he was about to turn around, he found himself unable to do so.
He was scared to look in that direction.
Scared to look in her direction.
Even though she had disappeared into the horizon, he was scared of looking.
Dread. Dread. Dread.
His fingers and ws twitched.
He held his stomach until his ws left marks on his sides.
BLEUGHHH-
A dark puddle was thrown up.
The puddle grewrger andrger.
He suffocated as more and more of the dark liquid exited his mouth.
Dazed and lightheaded, Mark stared at that puddle.
At his reflection.
At the dark liquid slowly descending from his lips to his mouth.
Ugly. Disgusting.
He stared at his eye.
At the dark lines going down his eyes.
His hand reached for those lines.
He expected it. He wanted it. But that wasn''t the case.
Those lines were the same as ever.
He wasn''t crying.
He was a Monster.
Mark started running again.
As fast as he could.
As much as he could.
The tiredness from not sleeping. The drowsiness from being under the influence. The dread.
He fell to the ground, stood up, and kept going.
Running. Running.
Retracing his steps. The steps he had taken with her. With them.
Run. Run. Get away from them.
He ran until his heart was about to give out.
Until his lungs were about to explode.
Until his feet were about to tear.
Run. Run!
Run, lest it catches up to you.
Your past. Your darkness. Your sins. Your greed. Your gluttony. Your lust. Elisa. Krista.
Run, lest it catches up to you.
Leave it all behind. Run. Run! Keep running!
Look at you! Running all this distance!
That''s right, keep going!
You''re running!
Finally, you''re running freely!
Finally, the boy who loved running can run!
Amazing! A miracle! He can finally run!
Why are you making such a face, Mark?
Why are you feeling this way?
You can finally do what you have always wanted!
Why do you feel so bad?
You''re running!
Why do you feel so bad running now? When it was what you had always dreamed of?
What''s wrong with you Mark? Why aren''t you happy?
You''re running! Isn''t that what the story you told Elisa was about?
You''re running! Keep running!
It''s all you can do! Run! Run! Run!
Oh, I see.
It doesn''t feel as good as you thought it would?
Were you mistaken to dream about running?
Is running not all that great after all?
No, that''s not the case, is it?
You feel horrible about what you''ve done. About what you were about to do. About what you could have done.
But it should have been expected, Mark.
In any case, why do you hate running too?
The boy you used to be, the boy who loved running, wouldn''t have felt this way.
Running would have been enough for him.
THIS would have been enough for him.
You changed. Did you change?
Why did you change? How did you change?
You can''t tell, huh?
"Well..." Shrouded in darkness, an onlooker whispered. "I''ll have to teach you some things."
The white-scaled Monster fell to its palms and knees.
It raised its gaze.
It was back.
Back at the Border between Sloth and Lust.
How terrible it feels to retrace one''s steps.
How terrible it feels to run this way.
You get it, don''t you?
The difference between running towards something, and running away.
The body of water started suddenly moving.
An explosion ured under the water.
Or at least, that''s what the force made it seem like.
Dozens of Monsters exited the water with that explosion.
But they didn''t have their eyes on the white-scaled Monster.
Whaty at the center of the mass of Monsters was...
"ARGHHHH!!"
Chapter 331 Fight
Chapter 331 Fight
Why are you running?
''Shut up.''
What are you running from?
''Shut up.''
Where are you going?
''Shut up!''
You decided to leave them in the end?
Why?
Weren''t you going to stay with them? Weren''t you going to take them to the Elven Forest? Weren''t you going to stay with Elisa?
''Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!''
Weren''t you going to protect them? Weren''t you going to keep them safe until they got there?
''I was!''
Then why are you leaving them now?
''Because... Because...''
Oh.
You wanted to leave them all along, didn''t you?
''No! I didn''t!''
Wasn''t that the n? Leaving them once you get them to the Elven Forest?
Or did the n change?
What was your n, Mark?
''I... I don''t... I''m not sure...''
Not sure?
How can you not be sure?
You don''t have a n for your actions? For your future?
No ns?
''I had ns, I just-''
ns?
You had ideas. Not ns.
How did it turn out? How did they turn out, those ideas of yours?
''Shut up.''
You didn''t have a n.
''Shut up.''
You never had a n.
''Shut up.''
You don''t n anything. You don''t think about it. You just go with the flow, don''t you?
''I don''t!''
Did you want to stay with them, or did you want to leave them?
''I...''
Did you want to go wild and fight the Berserker, or run away with them?
''I...''
Did you want to kill and be killed, or live a peaceful life with them?
''I... It''s... It''s not that simple!''
It is, Mark. It is.
What did you want?
''I wanted...''
What do you want?
''I...'' Mark stared at the dark puddle he had just thrown up. ''I want...''
"WHAT DO YOU WANT?" A strident voice suddenly screamed at him, making him stand up straight away.
''I need to... I need to... I need to keep going. I can''t stop... I can''t stop...''
The white-scaled Monster started running once more.
You couldn''t choose.
You couldn''t choose, Mark.
The voice. Was iting from him, something else, inside his head? He couldn''t tell. What is due to the extreme fatigue? To the dagger piercing his skull?
Your love for them, or your love for fighting?
''What I want is...''
Your love for them keeps you from fighting.
Your love for fighting puts them in harm''s way.
Which one do you want?
Which one do you choose?
''I...''
WHY DIDN''T YOU CHOOSE? WHAT DO YOU WANT, MARK?
"I DON''T FUCKING KNOW!!" The white-scaled Monster shouted suddenly as it ran.
You don''t know?
How can you not know?
Didn''t you choose her?
The Monster''s eyebrow rose. It ran faster.
Didn''t you choose her?
Didn''t you tell her that you would stay with her? That you would be with her?
"I... I..."
Why did you tell her that, Mark?
"Because I wanted to stay with her."
Why did you lie to her, Mark?
"I didn''t! I didn''t lie to her! I..."
She had doubts.
She wasn''t sure.
But you wanted it. You wanted her.
So you lied. To alleviate her doubts.
"I didn''t! That''s not true!"
You know that is it, Mark.
You lied.
"I didn''t!"
Then why are leaving her now?
"I... Because... Because she... Because I..."
Because she wanted you to leave?
Because you hurt her?
"Because..." The Monster''s shaky voice broke. "I don''t want to hurt her."
But you did.
You did hurt her.
"But it wasn''t my fault. It wasn''t me. It-"
It wasn''t you?
Who was it then?
"It... It..."
You felt it, didn''t you?
You remember.
You wanted her.
You wanted her and didn''t want to be rejected.
You wanted to kiss her. You wanted to take her.
For a while, you''ve felt that way. You held it in all that time.
"Shut up."
But you could only hold it in for so long.
You wanted to take her.
Despite your appearance. Despite her doubts. Despite her refusal.
"No! I never would have!"
But you did.
"I didn''t..." The white-scaled Monster''s gaze moved down and was glued to the ground. "I didn''t mean to."
-Didn''t mean to- is right. Since you wanted it.
That''s how strongly you felt about her. That''s how strong your lust for her was.
"Lust? Lust... Nia. Nia said something about that." The white-scaled Monster brought a hand to his head as it tried to recall the words he had once been told. "Influence... Inside the Territory..."
Influence?
Influence, huh?
"Yes... Influenced. That''s why it-"
Influenced but... That lust was still yours, wasn''t it?
"No... Yes..."
It''s your fault.
"It... Is..."
You hurt her.
"I did..."
The Monster fell to its knees and palms, beyond exhausted, both physically and mentally.
It raised its gaze.
It was back.
Back at the Border between Sloth and Lust.
The mass of darkness in front of him pointed.
The body of water started suddenly moving.
An explosion urred under the water.
Or at least, that''s what the force made it seem like.
Dozens of Monsters exited the water with that explosion.
But they didn''t have their eyes on the white-scaled Monster.
Whaty at the center of the mass of Monsters was...
"ARGHHHH!!"
Her body was covered by wounds and blood.
Her muscles were not asrge than they were earlier.
"ARGHHH!!!" Ani shouted, her left arm imprisoned between a Krishen''s fangs.
Her eyes werepletely white.
From her heated muscles, steam was being let out.
Burning with rage.
"ARGHHHH!!!" The Commander pulled, leaving the mass of Monsters,nding on the ground leaving the body of water, but also her left arm in the process.
The being shrouded in darkness next to the white-scaled Monster pointed.
"How does it feel to be back? Your one decision was a lie. You couldn''t decide, so the world decided for you." The white-scaled Monster slowly pushed itself off the ground. "Kill and be killed. Devour and Evolve. Swallow everything. Everything youe across. Your enemies, your allies, your past, you sins... Swallow it all."
The white-scaled Monster stumbled, but it managed to stand.
It extended its arms towards the fallen Commander which was coughing up blood.
Ani''s severed arm was, of course, bleeding heavily. But so were all the other wounds over the body. The blood coursing through her body is elerated manyfold by her Berserker trait.
She was breathing heavily. A short break in her rage-filled hunt.
Suddenly, her head moved.
Her gaze connected with his.
And rage took over her body once more.
The white-scaled Monster lowered its arms and leaped forward, just like the Commander.
The lowering of its arms made the being shrouded in darkness click its tongue.
How had Ani survived?
How had he crossed the gigantic body of water that was Border?
Had she swam? Had she hopped from Monster to Monster, crossing the Border in its entirety this way?
Mark did not know. And he didn''t think about it.
Right now, all he wanted was to fight.
To punch and, perhaps even more, to get punched.
"Found you... Again!" Ani shouted as her fistnded on his cheek, sending his body spinning in the air.
That hit. That punch.
Mark realized something.
''I can... Think clearly.''
Getting hit, getting punched, Mark didn''t hate how those felt.
Her hit had calmed the storm that was residing inside his brain.
His body spun and hended on all fours.
The disruptive thoughts stopped.
The darkness had disappeared.
The storm had passed.
His mind was clear and calm.
He could think.
Only when fighting, is he this calm.
Only when fighting, can he think this clearly.
-Kill or be killed-
A dark purplish Aura started oozing out of his body.
[Your Title "Devourer" stares at the "Commander of Sloth".]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" stares at the "Commander of Sloth".]
Mark didn''t even read the messages.
''Bleeding... Wounds... Arm severed... Her speed... Her strength... Compared to before... Yeah...''
Forget about it.
Forget about everything.
Think about now.
The past doesn''t matter.
The future doesn''t matter.
What you did doesn''t matter.
What you could have done doesn''t matter.
What I should do, where I should go, why I am here.
Why was I brought to this world?
Nothing matters.
Forget about everything.
Focus on the fight.
The only thing that matters.
''I''ll fight. I''ll fight you. I''ll fight a Commander. A Commander stronger than other Commanders. Fight. Fight. Fight. Let''s fight.''
The ground cracked below his hands and feet as heunched himself forward.
Once the distance was closed, she swung her arm.
''Don''t talk to me. Don''t talk to me. Don''t make me think. I don''t want to think. Let''s fight!''
A simple swing that he had dodged by pulling back slightly.
The air pressure from her punch was extraordinary.
He could feel his body being pulled by the wind.
Nevertheless, his leg kick found its way to her injured side.
She rapidly circled around with her arm, holding his leg in ce.
He quickly jumped off the ground, straightening his whole body so as to be parallel to the ground. The leg she had taken hold of spun ny degrees and so did his whole body.
His foot kicked the side of her face, making her stumble.
She let go of his leg and he fell to the ground.
He spun further so as tond on his hands and feet.
Her leg kick missed his head, andnded on his cor bone instead.
His body rose into the air before it had even touched the ground.
Cor bone, shattered.
Hended about seven steps further.
Mark took a deep breath in, and raised his fists.
Fight.
Because why not?
Because what else is there?
Because I don''t want to think.
Fight. Kill. Destroy.
Chapter 332 Its Only Fair
Chapter 332 It''s Only Fair
Despite the wounds on her body, despite the bleeding, despite missing an arm from the elbow down, despite having crossed the gigantic body of water that was the Border without being able to fly, despite having fought countless Monsters on the way to get here, her movements were swift. Precise. And above all,
PUNCH-
ARGHH-
Powerful.
Mark had managed to keep her hits away from his head. But even when theynded on his stomach, he could feel his internal organs tear. When her kicksnded on his thighs, he could feel his muscles scream.
She only had one arm left. One fist.
And yet, she managed to both block his attacks and counterattack.
Mark wasn''t doing badly, but it certainly felt strange.
The Commander only had one arm. He, on the other hand, was capable of healing. Why was he struggling?
That''s just how powerful she was. How strong she was.
There was a time when this would have filled him with anger. With rage. With jealousy. His insecurity making him overly aware of his weakness. Of his body that couldn''t keep up.
But after everything that had transpired inside the Dungeon, everything that had transpired outside the Dungeon, there wasn''t a shred of insecurity, anger, or jealousy.
The jealous and crippled boy didn''t feel insecure in front of someone who could y better than him.
It filled him with excitement instead. With hope that he, too, could one day... With motivation. With respect. With admiration. With awe.
Strength is an incredible thing. A beautiful thing.
Despite losing an arm, she remains strong.
That''s how unshakable her strength was. It couldn''t be taken away from her, no matter what.
The strength he had always craved. Strength that couldn''t be taken away. No matter if he lost an arm, if his legs refused to obey, or if his heart couldn''t handle the pressure, he wanted to remain strong.
Respect. Admiration. Awe.
But why was his facial expression so sad as he exchanged blows with his ideal?
-Perhaps because he was weak.
Fighting like that with wounds? Impossible. That''s why he can heal!
Fighting like that with an arm missing? Unfeasible for him. Which is why he can reattach limbs!
Being strong by himself? Having strength thates from him? Unreasonable. That''s why he must Devour. Leech on to others.
Strength thates from him? What does that even mean?
-Perhaps because he was weak at heart.
Would he have followed an enemy the way the Commander had?
Would have crossed all this distance through the night to find that enemy?
Was his will strong enough to focus on one enemy that way?
Weak at heart.
His body disobeyed him. Incapable of controlling his own body. How pathetic. How weak.
Incapable of controlling his own Lust. Incapable. Weak. It only took a Demon Lord''s Influence for you to turn into a Beast. A mindless Monster just like the one you had gruesomely dealt with some time earlier.
Weak at heart.
You hurt her. The one you promised to protect. The one you wanted to protect. You hurt her, then you ran away.
Weak at heart.
You left her and Krista. You left them in and they are unfamiliar with. You left them to fend for themselves.
Weak at heart.
You''re fighting to forget about it. About them.
''You...''
Ani''s eyebrow was left twitching as her leg kick sent the white-scaled Monster rolling on the ground.
She cracked her knuckles by bringing her fist to her cheek.
"What are you doing?"
The white-scaled Monster pushed itself off the ground.
''What am I doing?'' Was he repeating the question internally or asking himself?
The Commander tore the lower portion of her outfit and wrapped it tightly around her wound.
The bleeding wasn''t as bad now.
Ani spat on the ground.
"That Elf hiding somewhere again?"
A weak chuckle exited the white-scaled Monster''s mouth.
''Guess not... Not with that piercing his eye...''
"I''ll deal with you, then with her."
"I can''t... Let you go that way."
"You think you can stop me?"
How long did it take before the words left Mark''s mouth? He wasn''t sure himself. A second? Ten? A minute? An eternity seemed to have passed.
"I''ll stop you..." A weak smile appeared on his face as he stared at the ground in front of him. "Or die trying."
"What is this the Heroic Monster?" Ani sneered as she cracked her index finger using her thumb.
Mark let out a weak chuckle once more.
Weak at heart.
You think this would mean anything? You think dying here would change anything? You think dying for them has any meaning? None of these change what you''ve done. What you are.
"I killed him. Lin. And I Devoured him. I ate him. His flesh, his muscles, his bones... I ate all of it." Mark exined as veins started appearing all over Ani''s body.
"How did that feel? How did he taste, you sick fuck?"
"Sick fuck, huh?" Mark whispered as he raised his gaze up to the sky. "It is sick, isn''t it? Ominous... Ominous... When was thest time I thought about that? Did I even really think about it at any time?"
"I don''t have time for this shit. Pull that out, now."
"Pull... What out?"
"Your eye. I stopped the bleeding. So it''s only fair."
Mark''s eyes widened for a bit.
He realized why he had fought the way he had. Why he had lowered his arms before she had noticed him. Why he hadn''t attacked right away. It made sense now.
"Right. Forgot about this." His hand wrapped around the Timeworn Elven Dagger. He slowly, slowly, pulled it out of his eye, which didn''t fail to make Ani wince.
"Can''t feel pain or something?"
"Pain... Is weakness leaving the body."
"Huh?"
The whole de was pulled out, but the current amount of Mana Points he held was not enough to heal a thing.
Mark stared at the Timeworn Elven Dagger for a bit.
The next second, the piece of cloth, now with a hole through it, slowly unwrapped itself and started falling off.
The instant he noticed it, he moved to grab it as fast as he could. Before it could touch the ground, before it could fall any further, as if his life depended on it.
"What the fuck...?" Ani whispered to herself.
Mark stared at the piece of cloth and at the Timeworn Elven Dagger for a bit.
"Store... In my Inventory."
The two disappeared from his hands.
"I''m not waiting for that to heal." The Commander proimed while pointing at his injured eye.
Mark smiled weakly and lowered his gaze to the ground.
I hated doing that-
What did you think of her-
So you liked her too, huh-
Even after telling her that he had Devoured Lin''s carcass.
Even after he had killed someone she cared about. Someone she had traveled for. Someone she had fought for. Someone she had fought to avenge.
Even after fighting her.
Even after losing an arm.
Even after crossing such a distance through the night.
Your eye. I stopped the bleeding. So it''s only fair-
"I''m not waiting any longer."
Mark raised his gaze to meet her.
Arge smile on his face.
"Let''s do it."
She was perfect.
The perfect Monster.
Kill or be killed.
If I lose Elisa and Krista, if I don''t see them again, if I don''t follow them, if I truly lost them...
If -kill or be killed- is all I have left, if I will end up killed by a Monster, then...
Don''t talk to me. Don''t make me think. Try to kill me. And I''ll do my best to kill you-
Kill because we are too Monsters. Fight because both of us refused to run away. No other reason is necessary between Monsters-
Because I hurt you, because I hurt someone you cared about, because I killed him and took even his corpse for myself...
Kill because we are too Monsters. Fight because both of us refused to run away. No other reason is necessary between Monsters-
The smile on his face surprised her. Nevertheless, the two leaped towards one another.
If a Monster will kill me, if I will die fighting anyways, if I can''t see them again,
Punch-
Block-
Kick-
Dodge-
I wouldn''t mind dying to you. Or rather, if a Monster is killing me, then I hope it''s you.
Punch-
"What the fuck are you doing?"
Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
"What... The fuck..." The veins covering Ani''s neck thickened. "Do you think I''m here to let you down easy or something? START FIGHTING SERIOUSLY! YOU''RE THE ONE WHO KILLED HIM, AREN''T YOU??"
The white-scaled Monster scratched its nape.
Revenge. Struggle. Suffering.
She didn''t want him to die.
She wanted him to struggle. To feel pain.
Perhaps to break his shins. Perhaps to break his fingers and his wrist. Perhaps to dislocate his shoulder on one side, and tear his arm on the other. To gouge his eye and pierce his vocal cords.
"Mm." Mark nodded. "It''s only fair, right?"
Chapter 333 Your Destiny, I
?
''Tsk. What is this...?'' Ani asked herself after her leg kicknded on the white-scaled Monster''s side, sending its body a dozen steps sliding away on the ground. ''It''s not like he''s not resisting. He is fighting but... How do I put this?''
The white-scaled Monster pushed itself off the ground, before spitting some blood.
''It''s almost like he doesn''t expect to win. No... More like...''
Ani shook her head.
"Do you think you can win against me?"
"Huh?"
"Do you think you can win?"
The white-scaled Monster''s gaze moved to the ground, before going to the left, then to the right.
"I don''t know."
She let out a sigh at the response.
"Are you even trying to win?"
Mark brought a hand to his neck.
Scratch- Scratch- Scratch-
"Yes?"
"YOU DON''T EVEN SOUND CONVINCED!!"
He frowned.
''Of course, I''m trying to win. Why else would I fight?''
Dying to her is better than dying to a random Monster. Dying to her because you hurt someone she cares about is a better death.
"I''m not letting you go to them. So I don''t n on losing."
"Is that so?" Ani whispered as she held her nape. She sighed and lowered her chin, stretching her neck. "Don''t n on losing, huh?" Ani suddenly raised her gaze, sending chills down the white-scaled Monster''s spine. "Prey that won''t struggle or flee is the worst." She cracked her neck. "Trying not to lose..." The ground below her broke as she disappeared.
''Shit-''
"Is different from trying to win."
Crack- Crack- Crack-
Mark barely had the time to protect himself.
Her fist connected with his elbow, which broke under the pressure, just like the ribs that that elbow was trying to protect.
"You managed to defeat Lin? Even with the help of that Elf, I can''t quite picture it."
"Aren''t you here... To avenge him?"
"I am." Ani answered, but the question seemed to anger her.
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
''Continually using my Mana Points to heal my internal injuries... They get consumed as soon as they''re recovered. Hah!''
The white-scaled Monster chuckled internally as it stood up.
''A Test that can''t be passed... A wall that can''t be brought down... Same as Zephyr. I was saved that time by Raven. Now, it''s different. All I can do...''
The Commander leaped forward, and so did the white-scaled Monster.
''Is crash against that wall, and see where it goes.''
After an intense exchange, each one''s fist connected with the other''s side.
Their feet drifted on the ground.
"You''re not putting your all into this, are you?"
"I am."
"Are you waiting for me to kill you?"
The white scaled Monster scratched its neck, before suddenly,
"What are you doing?" The confused Ani asked the Monster who had taken a seat on the ground.
"You''re obviously not here to kill me. So how about-"
The Commander''s eyes turned white, and a rage-filled kick to the sternum sent the white-scaled Monster high into the air.
GEH-
Sudden.
All powerful.
He couldn''t breathe.
He couldn''t move.
He couldn''t do a thing.
It felt as if his heart had stopped.
But his mind didn''t.
''Huh... Did I misunderstand the situation?'' Mark asked himself as his body flew higher and higher above the ground. ''She isn''t trying to kill me. Or is she? Is it the same as it was with Zephyr? The same as it was with that other Commander... Lin? I don''t get it.'' The sun was shining. The sky was clear. ''Confusing. Why does it all have to be so confusing? I don''t get it. Did I misunderstand her? Gaavah. The Candidates. The Deadly Sins. The hidden Dungeons... Even Nia and Raven don''t know why Gaavah orchestrated this. Isn''t the Demon Lord of Sloth curious about that? Isn''t that why she''s here? Why Lin was here? I don''t understand. I would''ve told her anything she wanted to know about it. About Gaavah''s n. At least, what I know about it. Would have told her everything about me. About... I don''t understand. I don''t understand her.'' The breeze was pleasant. ''How high off the ground did she kick me? Amazing.'' The next second, she appeared right above him. ''Right... She can jump very high...''
Her forearm and fist were brought down on his stomach,unching him back down with great speed.
BAM-
A hold enclosed him as he hit the ground.
''I don''t understand her. Vengeance? Demon Lord''s orders? What is it...? I don''t understand her. I don''t understand anything. Why was I brought here? Why was I brought to this World? Why did Gaavah choose me? What does he want from me? What does he expect from me? Why did Raven let me go? What did Zephyr want to see? What about Nia? What does Nia expect from me? What is expected from me? What''s the reason I was brought here. What am I here to do? What am I here to be? What do I want to do? What do I want to be? I don''t understand her. I don''t understand anything. I don''t even...''
A weak chuckle escaped the white-scaled Monster''s mouth.
''Understand myself.''
A being shrouded in darkness appeared a couple of steps away.
''What is that? Am I seeing things? Because I''m tired? Because I''m dying? Because... Magic? Because Titles? Because Deadly Sins?''
The being moved slowly, and so did the darkness surrounding it.
It pointed.
Pointed at him.
''I don''t understand a thing. I''m here to fulfill a role that I don''t know about. It''s not necessary for me to understand, for that role to be fulfilled. That''s what it feels like. But again, I don''t understand anything. I don''t know anything. Despite all this time... Why did I hurt Elisa? Did I hurt Elisa? Is it something in me? What is the -something- in me? My Titles? The thing that my Titles became that day after Devouring the Item I obtained from defeating the Fire Spirit? Something inside of me that I don''t understand... Berserker... Titles... Deadly Sins... Subconscious... Repressed memories... I can''t understand myself if I don''t remember. What don''t I remember? Is there something? Something in my past that would exin everything? That would exin why I love to fight? That would exin why... I hurt Elisa? That would exin why I ran away from them? Is there something like that? I doubt it. I doubt it. I doubt it. I don''t think so. I don''t understand anything. That''s exactly why...''
The white-scaled Monster pushed itself off the ground.
''That might be the case.''
A dark purplish Aura started oozing out of its body.
"Finally getting serious?"
''If there''s something in my past, something I can remember, something that would exin it all... Why I lose control... Why I can''t control my body at times... Where these urges to destroyes from... If I can understand that... If such a thing exists...''
The white-scaled Monster clenched its fists powerfully.
''If such a thing exists, then I can''t die yet. The answer...''
The being shrouded in darkness kept pointing at him.
''Is inside me? In that case... I can''t die yet. I have to find out. I want to find out. I want to remember. I want to understand. I want to know.''
The being shrouded in darkness talked, but its words couldn''t be heard by Mark.
Keep going.
Keep moving forward.
You''ll have all the answers. You will find everything as long as you look for it. Keep going. The n is already in motion. Everything will happen as it should.
Do not think too much. Do not try to understand. Do not worry. Everything will happen as it should. In due time, everything will be clear.
The World has already decided.
You had a choice.
You couldn''t choose.
The World chose for you.
You refused to choose.
In so, you let yourself be moved.
Like a leaf blown by the wind, you relinquished control.
Like a leaf, follow the wind.
The World will guide you.
I will guide you.
Follow the darkness in your heart.
The essence of who you are.
It is already clear.
Follow your destiny.
Your fate has already been chosen.
Now, keep going.
Find her.
Look for her.
The witch in the woods.
***
Hundreds of miles away, under a dark veil.
Yawn-
A small cabin made of wood.
It waspletely different than those the Dark Elves used to live in inside the Dungeon.
"Another day..."
On the dark veil, countless stars, and a gigantic moon.
The woman had hair darker than the night sky.
Eyes darker than shadows.
Skin paler than snow.
She wore a dark dress
On her back, inscriptions in an ancientnguage.
***
"Find it. Your destiny."
Only those words, Mark could hear.
And the being shrouded in darkness disappeared.
***
She took a random book from the pile next to her into her hands and started reading.
It was the twelfth time she had read that book. At least, that''s what it felt like.
She had about twenty different books.
Each had been read a dozen times.
That''s what it felt like.
In truth, she had been reading those same books for thest thousand years.
Chapter 334 Wrath & Grief, I
?
Ani''s face turned conflicted.
The Aura oozing out of the white-scaled Monster made it obvious that it wouldn''t be a pushover anymore. That it wouldn''t act as a punching bag anymore.
But the expression on its face was strange.
A Monster''s face rarely expresses emotions. Not only that, but the scope of emotions able to be expressed by that face is narrow.
Boredom? Sorrow? A quiet rage? Frustration?
The Commander couldn''t tell.
One thing was clear though.
-Let''s get this over with-
That''s what the expression on the white-scaled Monster''s face said. It reminded her of...
Mark extended his arm to the side.
He moved his shoulder, elbow, and wrist.
Crack- Crack- Crack-
He did the same for his right arm.
Crack- Crack- Crack-
Finally, he tilted his neck until it touched his shoulder.
Crack-
Mark took a deep breath in, lowered his gaze, and stared at his palm for a bit.
Aura.
A thinyer. Very thin.
Different than how it was inside the Dungeon.
A slight smile.
Mark took a step forward.
"Took a while." Ani spat on the ground before lowering her body, ready tounch herself forward at a moment''s notice.
"Mm." He nodded.
I want to see them-
I want to understand-
I want to see them-
I want to understand-
I don''t want to hurt them-
I don''t want to remain ignorant-
I don''t want to hurt them-
I want to see them-
I don''t want to die-
The palm of his left hand struck the side of his head.
"Sorry that took so long."
Mark took another step forward.
"Round three, okay?"
His eye hadn''t healed.
The High Elven Pupil couldn''t be seen.
Only a wound stood in its ce.
Then why...?
The Dark Elf had said something to that effect.
But it was a bluff.
The familiar and creepy feeling came from the hidden High Elven Pupil that was staring at her below the piece of cloth.
Then why?
[Skill Evolution has been Paused.]
[Your Skill "Wind Burst[C+]" activates to the fullest extent!]
''Why does he remind me of Lin?''
Dazed and disturbed, the Commander was a tiny bit slow to react.
His leg kick moved towards her thigh.
She lowered her hand to grab, but that leg was pulled back.
As it was pulled back, the white-scaled Monster spun around, and a Destructive Tail Flicknded on the Commander''s folded arm.
Ani''s feet left traces on the ground.
"Aiming for the arm I lost, huh? That''s-"
Before she could finish her sentence, the white-scaled Monster stood inches away, with its fist clenched and pulled back.
''Huh? Why...?'' A confused Ani was raised into the air by the punch thatnded on her stomach. ''Why...?'' Her confusion grew as her body moved through the air, as the distance separating her from the white-scaled Monster grew. ''Why am I talking to him?''
Her back was scraped against the ground.
''Why am I talking? Why am I...?'' She asked herself as she stared at the sky above, perplexed
"Finally got a good one in."
The Commander''s eyes widened.
Ani immediately sat up.
The speed with which she had done so and the look on her face sent a shiver down the white-scaled Monster.
Rage and disgust mixed within the Commander.
''You''re not him.''
Ani stood up, and the ground cracked.
An intense exchange ensued.
***
What have Ie to do?
Protect and defend my honor.
My honor as an Orcish Fiend.
My honor as a Commander of Sloth.
One of us has died.
A Commander of Sloth.
An Orcish Fiend.
I will defend my honor.
What have Ie to do?
Avenge a fellow Commander of Sloth.
Avenge a fellow Orcish Fiend.
What have Ie to do?
I don''t care for the other Commanders of Sloth. I don''t care for the Generals of Sloth. I don''t care for the Demon Lord of Sloth.
Avenge a Fellow Orcish Fiend.
What have Ie to do?
I don''t care for the other Orcish Fiends.
The two of us were Blessed by the Demon Lord of Sloth.
The two of us became stronger than all the others in our Tribe.
What have Ie to do?
Avenge Lin.
Lin.
Since when do I care for him?
What have Ie to do?
To defend my honor as Commander of Sloth and Orcish Fiend.
Then why didn''t I kill him right away?
Why am I talking to him?
Why am I...?
***
His clenched fist connected with her chin, something that Mark hadn''t expected.
Ani''s vision became blurry.
She fell to one knee, but quickly stood back up.
Mark could tell that she wasn''t focused. He could tell that her mind was in shambles.
He could tell, because it was something he had experienced a lot.
The white-scaled Monster let out a sigh.
"Do we really have to-"
A blood exited Mark''s mouth as he wasunched away by her punch.
"You''re not him!" The Commander shouted.
Mark tried to stand back up right away. But the force of the hit that hadnded on his stomach obliged him to remain on one knee and throw up heaps of blood.
"He''s not Lin..." Ani whispered to herself. He''s not... Lin is dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. He''s gone. He''s dead. You killed him. You killed him. Lin died... Before I could... Before I could..."
The white-scaled Monster stumbled, but managed to stand.
"You killed him... Before I managed to beat him."
The sentence confused Mark.
It made no sense.
Managed to beat him?
It was a tough fight. But Mark, Elisa, and Krista managed to bring the Commander down.
No. They even managed to make the Commander flee.
But against her, they were the ones who fled.
And they only seeded in doing so thanks to the intrusion of the Cmity known as Tavashed, the Demon Lord of Lust''s Pet.
"I couldn''t... Beat him... Not even once..." Ani whispered to herself, but Mark managed to overhear.
ying with others is fun.
ying with those stronger than yourself is fun.
ying with those as strong as you are is even more fun.
"Kill you... I''ll kill you!" Ani shouted as she clenched her fist.
Her facial expression. Her wrath.
The white-scaled Monster''s lips parted.
You''ve been limiting yourself against him, haven''t you-
Mark couldn''t bring himself to say those words.
He clenched his fists, as the Commander ran forward.
Her facial expression. Her wrath.
ying against someone much weaker is no fun.
Her facial expression. Her wrath. Her sorrow, and her grief.
They melted the Monster''s heart.
Chapter 335 Wrath & Grief, II
Chapter 335 Wrath & Grief, II
Her fist connected with his stomach.
Mark could feel his internal organs screaming and tearing.
Had she moved that fast? Had he not moved out of the way? Had he not blocked the attack on purpose?
He couldn''t tell.
"I''ll kill you... I''ll kill you... I''LL KILL YOU!!"
Cough-
A drop of blood made its way down his chin.
''When was thest time...''
Fighting an enemy he didn''t hate.
Fighting an enemy he didn''t necessarily want to kill.
Lin?
Yarnha?
''Mm... It''s been happening a lot on the outside. Then... What about...''
The Corrupted Dark Elves? No. He was happy killing those. The Warriors and the Berserker too.
''Then was thest time...?''
Looking back, there were only two answers he could think of right now.
The Typhoon Wolf that, in its death, craved revenge against the cowardly Leader of the Pack.
The Boss monster that, in its death, decided to continue fighting instead of remaining underwater and slowly dying to the Corruption Magic it had been inflicted with.
Both had, for different reasons, gained the white-scaled Monster''s respect.
Gray & Levi.
Shivers moved up and down the Monster''s body.
Gray & Levi.
Thest two Monsters he felt this way about inside the Dungeon.
Thest two Monsters he had been able to Revive.
''Then... Is that the key?''
She ran forward, and he jumped back.
The white-scaled Monster dodged as it wondered.
''If the Link to Revive them isn''t simply about killing them... If it''s about...''
Don''t let them leave-
I want them with me-
I WON''T LET THEM LEAVE-
Mark felt the sudden urge to throw up, but managed to keep it in check as he dodged.
"FIGHT BACK! FIGHT BACK, MONSTER!" Ani shouted as she threw more and more ferocious punches and leg kicks.
Kill her-
Her strength-
Take it for yourself-
Kill her-
Devour her-
Revive her-
''I want to see them again. All of them. I need to grow stronger. I need to...''
Three diagonal shes were drawn on the Commander''s bare stomach.
''Kill her.''
Her fist was about to collide with his stomach.
He grabbed her by the wrist.
Marknded three hits on her stomach, twisted her wrist, bringing her to ground, and punched.
His fistnded on the ground, cracking it.
She had moved her head in time, dodging the hit.
Only then did Mark notice.
Howe she hadn''t-
Her shin connected with his head,unching him away.
She pushed herself off the ground.
''Howe she didn''t free herself...?''
Her strength was much higher, so doing so shouldn''t have been an issue.
And yet, she had been brought to the ground.
[Your Health Points are dangerously low!]
[Your Endurance Points are practically depleted!]
"SHUT UP!" Both shouted at the same time.
Ani took a step forward, stumbled, and fell to one knee.
The white-scaled Monster, despite using all the Mana Points it had recovered, could barely stand too.
"You killed him... You killed him...!"
The exhausted Mark didn''t take a second to think.
"I did."
She clenched her teeth and ran forward.
He remained in ce.
A fist approached his face.
He grabbed her by the wrist and twisted it.
Her back hit the ground a secondter.
The way her wrist was grabbed, the amount of pressure, the technique... It was familiar.
It was practically the same.
It annoyed her. Angered her.
It filled him with disgust.
You''ve been limiting yourself against him, haven''t you-
''I''ll be using that...'' Mark thought to himself as his eyes narrowed.
He jumped back as her leg swept the ground below him.
"You killed him. Ha! Looks like you learned something in doing so, huh? That fucker''s techniques... That fucker''s techniques... I could never..."
''It''s not the technique that''s special, is it?''
"I could never... Get out of..."
''The instant I grabbed her wrist, her body became extremely light. Practically no resistance. Is that how it is? You wanted to beat him without using your strength? Fighting using technique only? If so... Then...''
Sheunched herself forward.
Her clenched fist moved towards him.
He grabbed her by the wrist again and threw her against the ground.
"I could never... Beat him..."
It was obvious. So obvious that Mark noticed.
Her punches were much slower than before. They held less power. Less animosity.
"I could... Never..." Ani''s voice started shaking as she pushed herself off the ground.
Azy leg kick that, by the looks of it, wouldn''t have damaged him was thrown.
Still, Mark jumped backwards. The Monster''s heart melted further.
"He was always... So far in front of me... You killed him... Before I got the chance to..."
The white-scaled Monster lowered its gaze slightly as the Commander''s eyes started tearing up.
"I bet... You had trouble killing him..."
"I did."
"I bet you struggled to beat him."
"I did."
"You even needed that Elf with you, huh? That''s how strong he was!"
"He was really strong."
"He was... And now... Now... I''ll never get the chance... To prove myself..."
She clenched her fist, and Mark knew she wasing.
He stared at her arm, her stomach, her body.
The expression on her face, the tears that had started going down her face, he didn''t want to see.
In strange way, he thought of those tears as hers. Her secret.
They were fighting.
They were about to kill one another.
He wanted to Devour her.
He wanted her strength.
Those tears were hers.
He respected her too much to look at her crying face.
''Fuck...''
Fighting the way the Commander had. The way Lin had.
Mark felt that it would give him an advantage.
Her body which was used to limiting itself against Lin, had done the same against Mark now.
He wanted to use that fully. Stealthily, and secretly.
Cowardly.
But she had noticed.
What he wanted to use as a cowardly tactic, became a way for her to grieve.
She was grieving, as if fighting herrade onest time.
Why did Mark go along with it? He wanted to Devour. He wanted to grow stronger. He needed to do so.
Why was Mark allowing her to grieve? Why was he going along with it? Why did it melt his heart?
Why allow her to grieve?
Perhaps because he needed some of that too.
Chapter 336 Orcish Fiends, I
Chapter 336 Orcish Fiends, I
Mark''s eyelids wavered as steam was produced by the Commander''s body.
Only then did he notice his mistake.
The exchanges were depleting his Endurance, Health, and Mana Points.
But what were such exchanges to a beast that fought him and Elisa, the Demon Lord''s Pet, and countless Krishrens and other Monsters while crossing the Border?
While Mark''s reserves had been decreasing, the Commander''s had been recovering.
''Shit-''
As a Berserker, her Strength was incredible. But her Endurance and Vigor were her strongest points. Her stamina was extraordinary. And so was her ability to recover.
Only a Berserker capable of healing and recovering in the midst of battle can jump in headfirst without a care in the world.
"You killed him..." Ani''s fist descended on her thigh. Perhaps a way to determine how well she had recovered. "Before I could rid his face of that smugness."
Mark instinctively stepped back.
Had it all been a bluff? A way to buy time and recover?
He didn''t think so. But with the way things were going, he couldn''t help but feel that way.
''Shit! I have to-''
No time to think. She was about to attack.
No time to heal.
mes oozed out of the white-scaled Monster''s right arm.
Frost was emitted by its left arm.
The time hade to use everything.
No need to heal now, or to think about the Mana Points necessary to healter.
Death, or victory.
If victorious, Devouring her will allow him to heal, and much more than that.
"I bet he wore that smug face until the end, huh?" The Commander took a step forward.
Mark focused on her, on his vision, and ignored her words.
Sheunched herself forward.
The hits from his right arm left superficial burn marks on her body.
The hits from his left deposited Frost on her body which quickly hardened.
''Shit!''
''He noticed?''
mes started oozing out of the left arm in ce of the Frost.
Frost and Ice Magic in general were great weapons.
They could damage the enemy but also increase that enemy''s Endurance Point Consumption by lowering the muscle''s temperature, making them tight and stiff.
But when facing an enemy whose muscles were overheating to the point of producing steam, it could only act as a "Buff" for that enemy.
Had Mark failed to notice that, the fight would have gonepletely differently.
With each hit, she cracked his bones.
With each hit, he burned her body.
He suddenly grabbed her wrist with both hands.
Her strength was still enough to free herself. But before she could, the white-scaled Monster opened its mouth.
And with a strident screech,
WIND BLAST-
Held in ce by his grip... No. The Magic Skill wouldn''t have been enough to move her from the spot she was standing on in the first ce.
But the sudden shockwave did leave her temporarily stunned.
His tail circled around to hit her unprotected side.
Unfortunately, keeping her wrist between his hands made him unable to spin his whole body to further increase his tail''s velocity.
The Commander freed her hand as soon as the tailnded on her side, as if the hit had freed her from the temporary dizziness.
An uppercut made Mark''s feet rise off the ground.
But as he rose into the air,
Wind st-
The Magic Skill Activation Point was his ankle.
The Wind blew behind him, but this elerated his foot manyfold, allowing it tond on the Commander''s chin with great speed and strength.
Three secondster, both fighters stood with a knee against the ground.
The world around them was moving quickly and erratically.
"I bet... He kept that bored expression on his face... Until the end. I bet... He didn''t give you the satisfaction... Of begging... Of screaming... For his life..."
Mark focused on stabilizing his breathing.
"I BET HE DIDN''T EVEN CARE! I BET HE SPIT ON YOU WHILE HE DIED! I BET... I BET HE WAS BORED BY THE WHOLE THING! AS HE ALWAYS WAS!" The Commander shouted as she stood back up.
Both fighters raised their knee off the ground.
Both stumbled.
"THAT BORED EXPRESSION HE ALWAYS HAD! EVEN BEFORE WE BECAME FIENDS! I BET! I BET HE REMAINED..."
Mark had decided not to talk.
"TILL THE END I BET..."
He had decided not to answer anymore.
"EVEN IN HIS DEATH HE..."
He had decided not to. And yet,
"I''m not sure about his death. But..." He clenched his fists and raised them. "He smiled a lot during our fight."
''Huh?''
The white-scaled Monsterunched itself forward.
''Lin... Smiled? While fighting?''
Its right fist connected with the Commander''s side.
''Lie. No. It''s not... No. He lied. Lin wouldn''t... He-''
A tail flicknded on the Commander''s cheek, making the world spin once more.
A fist hit the Commander''s chin, and everything disappeared.
***
No.
There''s no way.
Why would Lin smile?
At him? At her?
No.
I tried so hard.
I could never...
I could never...
Even before we became Orcish Fiends.
When we were simple Orcs living in a Random Tribe in Sloth.
The most beautiful female.
The weakest male.
The most beautiful female.
The weakest male.
Abused by all the others.
In different ways, but abused nevertheless.
We suffered so much, for so long.
Then came the Demon Lord. Our Tribe was blessed.
Everything changed with a drop of the Demon Lord''s blood.
My body, my muscles, everything.
I wasn''t a weak female anymore. I wasn''t weak anymore. Female, but stronger than all the others. Stronger than even the males who abused me.
I didn''t need to hide anymore. I didn''t have to bend. I didn''t have to let them have their way anymore. Finally, I could stand in the way instead. I could decide what to do, what not to do. I didn''t have to be scared anymore. I didn''t have to endure anymore.
I had strength now. And so did Lin.
And with that strength, the first thing I did was wipe out all those who abused me. All those who hurt me.
I made them scream.
I made them cry.
I made them beg, as I tore their limbs and crushed their bones.
Revenge.
It was sweet. It was pleasant.
It felt great.
Years of silent suffering were taken out on those who subjected me to that suffering.
It was good. It was fun. It was fair.
In the middle of the vige where I once lived, I sat surrounded by blood and corpses.
And it felt good.
But of course, I didn''t kill everyone.
I kept some for you, Lin.
Chapter 337 Orcish Fiends, II
Chapter 337 Orcish Fiends, II
In the middle of the vige where I once lived, I sat surrounded by blood and corpses.
But of course, I didn''t kill everyone.
I was faster than you, so I got there first.
Still, I kept them for you.
Those who hurt you. Those who beat you up half to death because of their boredom. Those for whom strength was everything. Those who said that a male''s worth is measured by his strength.
You''re now stronger! Way stronger than them! Way stronger than they could ever be! The tables have reversed!
Even I! Even I am stronger now! Stronger than the males! Ha! What does that say about them, huh? They''re now lower than the so-called trash they used to take out their boredom on!
Serves them right!
It felt so good killing those I hated! It felt so good taking revenge.
Now, you do it too!
You''ll see, how good it feels!
It''ll change everything!
For us, who only knew suffering. For us, who only knew abuse!
There''s more! There''s more for us than those two!
I, as the most beautiful, and you, as the weakest, were targeted for different reasons.
But we were still the same!
The two of us!
You were the only one with as many bruises as me!
The only one who suffered as much as me!
The only one who knows how it feels to be the prime target!
There''s only us! The two of us!
Now, here they are.
I kept three of them for you.
The worst ones.
Those who would beat you half to death then drag me by the hair.
Here they are.
I want you to do it too.
We''re the same.
Tear them apart!
Kill them!
Take your revenge on them!
I kept them for you!
Huh?
Lin?
Why are you looking at them like that?
Lin?
Aren''t you angry at them? Don''t you want to kill them? Don''t you want to hurt them?
Lin?
Why do you look so bored?
Lin?
Why...
Why are you looking at me like that?
Lin?
Lin!
LIN!
Don''t walk away from them...
Don''t walk away...
DON''T WALK AWAY FROM ME!
HURT THEM JUST LIKE THEY HURT YOU! JUST LIKE THEY HURT ME! JUST LIKE I HURT THEM!
Lin... Why aren''t you saying anything?
WHY AREN''T YOU HURTING THEM?
I noticed it, you know.
I remember.
The snarky remarks you would give them when they would look my way, when they would start walking my way.
How many times did you get beat up after giving those remarks?
How many times did they leave you, convinced that they had killed you, after those remarks?
How many times did they forget about me because of your remarks?
Lin. LIN!
You did it for me, didn''t you?
How much more would I have suffered without you?
How lonely would it have been without you?
Without you suffering by my side.
LIN!
DON''T WALK AWAY FROM ME!
LIN!
DON''T LEAVE ME!
You''re the only one I trust. The only one I have. The only one that understands me.
And it''s the same for you. It is, isn''t it? I''m the only one you have, right?
Right?
Lin.
Why are you walking away?
Why are you leaving me?
Where are you going?
Say something!
I TOLD YOU TO SAY SOMETHING!
I''M STRONG NOW! DON''T THINK I CAN''T-
Huh?
A fight to decide it? What do you mean?
If I win, you''ll stay with me?
Okay. Alright. That sounds good! What do you want if you win?
Huh? I asked what you wanted, Lin.
Nothing?
What do you mean nothing?
You know what, it''s fine. If you win, you can decide then.
You''re the only one I have. You can have anything you want if you win. Hahaha!
If you win...
You want me to let you go?
Huh? What''s that supposed to mean?
I''m strong now.
I''m not letting you go.
I don''t have to suffer anymore. I''ll do anything I want.
I want you with me. I''ll... Force you to...
Huh?
I don''t feel any power in my arms.
What''s happening?
My body isn''t listening to me.
No! Dodge! No! Hit him!
I can''t...
I lost?
I can''t...
I lost.
I can''t hurt you.
I want you to stay with me. I don''t want to hurt you.
I''m stronger now. I''m stronger than you.
I want to force you to stay with me.
I don''t want to be like them.
I can''t feel any strength in my arms.
Why did you look so bored when looking at them?
Now that I think about it, you always had that expression on your face.
You were always bored by them.
Even when they beat you up for it. Even while they were beating you up.
You were always bored by them.
I don''t want you to look at me like that.
I don''t want to be like them.
I don''t want you to be bored by me.
Lin! You won! You don''t have to stay with me.
But I''ll stay with you!
That''s right. I''ll follow you wherever you go!
Be a Soldier for the Demon Lord?
Why? What are you looking for, Lin? Where are you going?
Lin... What do you see with those eyes?
Lin! We''re Commanders now!
Why do you still look so bored?
I hate... Seeing you like that...
But you don''t need to worry about it!
I''ll definitely...
One day, I''ll definitely...
I''ll definitely rid you of that boredom!
The strength I have now doesn''t mean anything. Using it against you would bore you, wouldn''t it?
See! I knew I understood you better than anyone!
Why are you still bored?
Why are your smiles so apologetic?
How can I get you to really smile?
I want to rid you of the boredom!
I want to be the one to rid you of it!
Only I can do it! Because only I understand you!
***
With full force, the white-scaled Monster''s fist connected with the Commander''s cheek.
It seemed to have no effect.
No effect other than bringing the Berserker''s pupils back.
"So he smiled in the end? After all this time... Finally... He smiled, huh?"
It did leave a sour taste in Ani''s mouth. Nevertheless,
"You made him smile..."
The white-scaled Monster stepped back.
"I''m d." The Commander whispered as a tear went down her face.
Monster.
Orcish Fiend.
Monster.
Commander of a Demon Lord''s Army.
Mark stepped back.
His gaze glued to her face.
With only one thought filling his mind,
''Unfair...''
He clenched his fists.
''It''s unfair...''
He clenched his teeth.
''That even Monsters can look like that.''
Chapter 338 Simpler World
338 Simpler World
Fight Monsters.
Kill Monsters.
Devour Monsters.
Evolve.
Grow stronger.
---
Born with a weak heart.
What''s wrong with me? I don''t know.
Is there something wrong with me? I don''t know.
Why are they leaving one by one? I don''t know.
What can I do to change things? I don''t know.
Can I change my circumstances? I don''t know.
My life. The world. Myself.
Can I impact any of those? Can I change anything? Is there anything I can do?
I do not know.
What''s wrong with my body? I can''t tell. Half of the time, no one can tell.
Complicated.
Why does it have to be soplicated?
---
Fight. Kill. Devour. Evolve.
Is there something wrong with my body? I''ll check my Status Window.
I''m weak. I''ll fight and grow stronger.
I''ll live as a Monster and kill other Monsters.
Simple.
This world. This life. Much simpler than my past one.
I like it.
Everything is exined through the System.
Everything is clear.
Death won''te suddenly. I''ll be aware of it through my Health Points.
How tired am I? I can check my Endurance Points.
Is there something wrong with my heart? Was I poisoned? My Status Window will tell me everything that''s needed.
Simple. Clear. Everything is well-defined.
Be a Monster and kill other Monsters.
Why did it have to change?
Why did it have to beplicated again?
I don''t like it.
It scares me.
It feels like I''m going back to that time. That time when I didn''t understand anything.
I thought I had a good grasp on it inside the Dungeon.
But now, everything changed.
Krista, Elisa.
I love them. I hate that the world has be moreplicated.
Who is on my side?
Was Yarnha against me?
What was Lin after?
What is she after?
Why?
Why did it change?
Why do I feel this way?
Do I want to kill her?
Why doesn''t she act like a Monster?
It would be so much simpler then.
I am a Monster.
I can''t act like one.
Not in front of one who doesn''t act like a Monster.
That''s why I didn''t kill Krista. That''s why I didn''t kill Elisa.
I don''t want to kill her either.
I hate the fact that I feel this way.
I want to kill her.
I''ve been afraid of this all this time...
Afraid that it would change.
Looking back, that''s probably why I wanted to kill Elisa early on.
That part of me, I didn''t want her to wake up. I didn''t want it to grow.
I wanted to remain a Monster. I wanted to forget about my morals.
I wanted to shut down the Soul.
To shut down -Mark-.
I wanted the Devourer and the Evolving Monster to win.
But I am both Mark and the Devourer.
Mark is weak.
Mark likes beautiful things.
Mark likes women and cats.
Mark grows to respect certain opponents.
Mark gets emotional.
Mark gets confused.
The Devourer doesn''t.
The Devourer and the Evolving Monster does its job.
One purpose.
Devour and Evolve.
Much simpler. I like it more. It''s easier that way.
I wanted the Devourer to win.
But Elisa tipped the scale. A scale that had already been messed with by Krista.
In front of her, who do I want to be?
Who do I want to act as?
The Devour & the Evolving Monster?
Mark?
The Devour & the Evolving Monster?
Mark?
I wanted to leave them in the Elven Forest because I wanted to Devour and Evolve. Because I wanted to fight and kill Monsters.
But if I''m not fighting Monsters...
If the one standing in front of me isn''t a Monster then...
Then what?
Why couldn''t this World remain a simpler one?
***
The Commander''s body shook with anger.
The white-scaled Monster quickly jumped.
"You made him... Smile..." Ani whispered.
The twitching of her face, Mark recognized it.
"You were the one... Who made it smile... And then... And then..."
The torrent of thoughts and emotions raging inside her, Mark could imagine it. He had gone through simr experiences multiple times.
"You killed him... Before I could... You did it... You made him smile... You... You...!"
Ani clenched her fists powerfully, and the wind around her fled as fast as it could.
"I WAS THE ONE SUPPOSED TO DO IT! YOU... YOU...! YOU TOOK IT FROM ME!"
Mark took a deep breath in, and raised his fists.
She wanted him to smile.
She wanted to rid of him of his boredom.
But someone had beat her to it.
Truthfully, she had decided on this quest long ago.
Yet, no progress had been made.
11:35
She knew he understood her.
But she doubted that she understood him.
He made her smile after all.
But she rarely managed to make him smile. To make him truly smile.
Perhaps she didn''t understand him at all.
Perhaps he wasn''t just bored by his abusers, but by her too.
Perhaps he didn''t do anything for her. Perhaps he simply found it even more boring when they walked towards her.
Perhaps... Perhaps...
Perhaps it was for the best that he died.
Perhaps it was for the best that someone else made him smile.
The weight of his boredom weighed heavily on him.
Even more heavily on Ani, it seems.
Still, he had died.
Still, she had to do something.
Still...
What else is there for Ani?
She followed him wherever he went.
She rose up the Ranks inside the Demon Lord of Sloth''s Army alongside him.
Now... Where to go?
There''s nothing left.
No one left.
That confusion, that fear, that anxiety, turned into anger.
And the white-scaled Monster seemed like the perfect recipient for that anger.
''No Mana... My Endurance Points... Feels like I might pass out anytime. I can''t run away from her. I don''t have the Endurance or the speed for that. In the first ce... Why would I run away? Where would I run away to-''
Mark hit the side of his head with a palm.
He took a deep breath in, and calmed his mind.
''Bet everything...''
[Your Skill "Combat-Focused Pupil[C]" activates to the fullest extent!]
''On this exchange.''
With his left hand extended forward, and his right one slightly behind, Mark waited for her to move.
''Aim...''
He extended the ws on his right hand, making sure to keep them hidden from the Commander.
''For the heart.''
As time started flowing much slower inside Mark''s mind, the same was happening to the Commander.
Except that for Ani, it wasn''t the effect of a Skill.
Her brain was going into overdrive.
Life review.
Ani seemed to see her whole life.
She wasn''t as close to death as one would expect. She wasn''t closer to it than she had been in other circumstances.
She was closer to death than she had ever been after bing an Orcish Fiend and a Commander.
But that wasn''t the issue.
Her whole life seemed to have crumbled with Lin''s death.
Her life as an Orcish Fiend, her life as a Commander, everything seemed to have gone up in smoke.
What happens after killing the white-scaled Monster?
Living as a Commander?
But what''s the point without Lin? He''s the reason she had be a Commander in the first ce.
Every aspect of her life had been molded around him.
Everything had been decided with Lin in mind.
Now that he was gone... Now that he was gone...
The Commanderunched herself forward.
''Screw thinking... Let''s fight!''
It was the toughest decision Ani ever had to take.
-What to do now? What to do without Lin?-
Let the fight decide it.
-Nothing matters without him. What''s the point?-
Let the fight decide it.
-I''m scared. How am I supposed to decide? I have no idea what to do.-
Let the fight decide it.
-Oh. Right... If I die, then I won''t have to decide.-
Let Fate decide for you.
Her fist approached his sternum.
His ws approached her heart.
Suddenly, an explosion.
SPLASHHH-
Immediately, a wave of sudden anxiety traveled the two.
That wave didn''t leave Mark.
The explosion wasing from the Border.
From the body of water.
Because of the way the fight had gone, his back was currently turned to it.
Both of them had frozen upon hearing that explosion.
Only Ani could see what was beyond.
He noticed her eyes widening.
He didn''t dare turn around with such an enemy in front of him.
The next second, he could hear rapid footsteps.
"COMMANDER!!"
"COMMANDER! WE''RE HERE!"
"COMMANDER! WE MADE IT!"
Shivers started running up and down his spine.
The Soldiers that had been with her earlier.
The fight was a close one.
But with Soldiers on her side, the only way it could was-
''Why didn''t I think about them?? Why did I assume... How many...''
Mark''s mind raced.
And while his mind was racing, the Commander moved.
He had let down his guard.
His body froze.
Mark expected death.
He only realized that she had moved once she was standing by his side.
She was standing by his side, staring at the Border.
The Commander let her guard down.
Confusion overtook the white-scaled Monster.
In that instant, she definitely could have killed him.
That momentaryps during which he thought about the Soldiers.
What was she doing?
What had he let her guard down?
Mark was convinced. He could feel it.
His ws could definitely reach her neck right now.
That''s how low her guard was currently.
But she hadn''t attacked when she could have.
Was she trying to bait him into attacking?
Were her Soldiers signaling something?
The Commander extended her arms up. Only one hand could reach towards the sky.
"Ahhh..." Ani yawned as she stretched her arms. "I''m tired."
Chapter 339 Total Defeat
339 Total Defeat
The white-scaled Monster''s body froze.
''When... So fast! Dead... I just...'' Its mind raced.
For a second, it had taken its focus off of the Commander.
The white-scaled Monster had been careful.
The arrival of the Commander''s Soldiers, despite the fact that they had arrived from behind him, only made Mark wonder for a second.
But in front of someone as powerful and ferocious as Ani, the Orcish Fiend and Commander of Sloth, a second given is a second too much.
He could feel his stomach tear. His heart burst. His sternum being crushed. His arm being torn away.
All of these would have been possible in that second.
The sound of her foot hitting the ground by his side resonated.
"Ahhh..." Ani stretched her arms up. "I''m tired."
He hadpletely let his guard down.
Now, she was doing the same?
Attack!
Kill her!
Right now, your ws can definitely-
"Boa."
"Yes, Commander!"
"How many? How many did we lose?"
"Commander we..." The Soldier''s eyes moved from the Commander to the white-scaled Monster''s back repeatedly. "We lost Kar, Lor, Mado, Trol, Pow, and Sha."
"While crossing?"
"Yes... Commander."
Ani took a deep breath in.
Mark''s eyelid wavered.
How did those Soldiers cross the Border? There was no way they could do so with their level of strength. Then... Is that the reason why it took so long for the Commander?
''Did she cross the Border while taking care of every Monster in the way so that her Soldiers could...?''
The Commander thought silently.
Mark didn''t dare turn around.
Why didn''t he dare turn around?
Turn around! Attack! Kill her!
''I''ll attack. I''ll-''
The Orcish Fiend''s lips parted.
At the same time, a green Aura started oozing out of her only arm which remainedplete arm.
"So tired..."
''The Commander?''
''Tired''
''That''s a first, isn''t it?''
''Was this Monster that strong?''
''Idiot! It''s because the Commander protected us...''
The Soldiers exchanged looks and whispers.
"Six men lost... And for what?"
"Huh?"
"Six of my Soldiers are dead. What was it for? What did wee to do? Why... Did I bring them here?" The Commander whispered in a voice that only the white-scaled Monster by her side could hear.
"To... Kill me."
"Yeah... That''s why." Ani let out a long yawn. "I''m so tired..."
Her words confused him.
Still, he didn''t dare turn around.
"The General told me about it. About... Lin''s death. It would have been simpler, were you different. Had he not... Smiled at you."
Mark was surprised by his own heart as he felt an unexpected emotion.
Guilt.
Why?
"Now, my Soldiers are here. I wouldn''t have to do much to take you down. Yes, me and my Soldiers..."
Mark could imagine it.
He could imagine his chances of winning against that. Zero.
"Commander!"
"Just tell us when!"
"We''ll bring his head to Sloth!"
"The Demon Lord will surely..."
Ani lowered her gaze to the ground.
Her body started shaking.
The Soldiers immediately feared that they had offended or angered their ferocious Commander.
Only Mark was close enough to realize what was really happening. And it filled him with sadness.
The Commander suddenly raised her gaze off the ground and.
"HAHAHAHA! The Demon Lord? Sloth? Hahahaha! That''s so funny! I can''t! I...! HAHAHHAHA!"
The Soldiers grew silent as they stared at their Commander.
The personification of strength and ferociousness smiled and struggled to stop theughter welling from inside of it.
Sheughed so hard tears started going down her face.
"Youzyfucks! I can''t believe this! HAHAHAH!"
''We made...''
11:36
''We made...''
''The Commanderugh...''
''How did we...?''
''We did a good job.''
The Soldiers thought that there was nothing more beautiful than their Commanderughing out loud under rays of sunlight.
"That''s right." Ani said as she wiped her tears with a hand. "A Commander of Sloth would bring his head. A Commander of Sloth would definitely punish such an offense. It''s disrespectful after all. Insulting a Commander of the Army is the same ascking respect for the Demon Lord."
"That''s right..."
"We can''t ept that..."
"Insulting the Commander can''t be tolerated..."
"Let''s kill him...!"
"Killing a Commander is even worse." Ani continued, a greenish Aura covering her arm. "It makes the whole Army and the Demon Lord look weak after all."
"Such disrespect..."
"We won''t let anyone..."
"Think that we''re weak."
"We''ll kill him for the Command-"
"But I''m sooo tired."
"Huh?"
"Huh?
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
Mark felt he still couldn''t move.
His life had been hers during that second. She could have killed him, but didn''t.
And so, he decided not to interfere. To let the scene y out as she wanted it to. Because she had spared his life.
He clicked his tongue. This resemnce of respect, of honor, he hated it.
"A good Commander would kill him. A good Commander would cut his head off and take it. A good Commander would show that severed head to all. This, is what happens when you mess with Sloth. Something like that, right?"
The hesitant Soldiers remained silent.
"I''m..." She raised her gaze to the bright sky above. "Too tired for that. I lost sight... Of what I came to do." She whispered.
Ani slightly turned her neck to gaze at the white-scaled Monster.
"Staying with your back turned. I''m d... I''m d you were the one that fought him. The one that made him smile."
"What''s-"
A yawn interrupted Mark''s words.
Ani took a step forward. A step closer to her Soldiers, a step away from the white-scaled Monster.
Only then did Mark slowly and carefully turn around.
The next second, Ani turned to face him. Hurriedly as if she had forgotten something important.
Perhaps she had.
"How was your fight with him?" She asked. Ani wasn''t shouting, but she wasn''t talking in a low voice either.
"He was strong. Too strong for me to beat alone."
"Mm!" She nodded. "Somehow you got his eye, didn''t you? How does it feel? Having the same eye as him?"
Mark felt a shiver go down his spine.
"I can''t... Use it like he did. I can''t use it at all, to be honest."
"Ah! That''s because you''re a weakfuck!"
"Huh?"
"Listen here!" Ani shouted. She raised her arm and extended her index finger. "His Name was Lin! Lin! You better remember it! He was an Orcish Fiend. He decided to enter the Demon Lord of Sloth''s Army where he rose to the Rank of Commander! He was strong! Really really strong! He never gave in! He never screamed! He never begged for anything! He was strong! Stronger than you! Wayyy stronger than you! No matter how beat up he got, he never bent to them. He never apologized to them for his snarky remarks! Do you understand? Even when they beat him up, he never apologized! Even when he was getting beat up, he looked at them with disdain and boredom! He was strong! He always knew where he was going! He was never confused! He always knew where he was going! He knew who he was, and he never bent to those who abused him! He was strong! Stronger than you! He was... Way stronger than me..." The Commander shouted in a voice that broke at certain points. "His Name was Lin. Remember it. And use that Eye well."
Ani turned around and walked away, leaving the white-scaled Monster behind her.
Mark remained silent. He did his best to stop the shaking of his hands.
Ani stopped once she was about seven steps away from her Soldiers.
"We lost six men today. And it''s my fault. I won''t be able to p Kar for staring at me too long. I won''t be able to choke Lor and Mado for encouraging Trol to try something. I won''t be able to punch Pow and Sha for beingzy fucks making lewd jokes on the sideline. At first, I hated you all. But now..."
The Soldiers, confused, listened with all their intent.
"A good Commander would make sure their deaths weren''t in vain. A good Commander would kill that white-scaled Monster in their name. Problem is..."
[Your Title "Commander of Sloth" is shaking!]
"I never liked being a Commander that much. Didn''t really want to be one to begin with. I''m sorry for being a bad Commander, for dragging you all here, and for letting yourrades'' death go unpunished. I won''t be able to show my face in Sloth anymore. I''ll bebeled a traitor, that''s probable. It''s fine though. The four of you are fine Soldiers. You might hate me, but I will help you get back to Sloth. After that, I''ll-"
"HAHAHAHHA!"
"BAHAHAHA! HATE THE COMMANDER?"
"HAHAHAHAHHAHA!"
"DID YOU HEAR THAT? HAHAHAHA!"
Ani''s eyebrow twitched, obviously annoyed by their outburst.
"As I was saying, you-"
The Soldiers interrupted.
They talked.
They exined.
"Are you sure?"
The Soldiersughed.
"I can''t ask that of you."
The Soldiersughed even harder.
Mark watched silently from afar.
Commander and Soldiersughed.
Ani thought they were as stupid as the next.
She raised her arm, and the green Aura around it disappeared with the wind.
[You have Relinquished your Title "Commander of Sloth".]
[You have Relinquished your Title "Soldier of Sloth".]
[You have Relinquished your Title "Soldier of Sloth".]
[You have Relinquished your Title "Soldier of Sloth".]
[You have Relinquished your Title "Soldier of Sloth".]
"Umm, before we uhh..."
"What is it?"
"Can we, uhhh..." Boa whispered as he pointed.
Ani chuckled and nodded.
A secondter,
"HEY, MONSTER!"
Mark was startled by the sudden shout.
The Kobold pulled something out of its Inventory and threw it his way.
It slowly fell onto the white-scaled Monster''s hands.
"PUT SOME PANTS ON! NO ONE WANTS TO SEE YOUR D..."
Mark lowered his gaze towards the dark pants he had been handed.
He could''ve been killed.
He wasn''t.
The expression on her face.
Her peaceful smile.
Theirughter.
Mark tightened his grip around the pants he had been given.
He wasn''t angry. He wasn''t mad.
He couldn''t exactly tell the reason.
Still, Mark had never felt more defeated.
Chapter 340 Echoing Darkness
340 Echoing Darkness, I
"Kill them."
''Huh?''
"Kill them." The Darkness next to the white-scaled Monster whispered as it pointed.
''I can''t.''
"Kill them."
''I don''t have the strength.''
"Kill them."
''I don''t have the endurance.''
"Kill them."
''I don''t have any Mana left either.''
"Kill them."
''I don''t have the means.''
"Kill them. With a bang."
''With a bang?''
The white-scaled Monster''s face twisted.
Puzzled.
Its right hand let go of the pants it had been given.
''With a bang...''
The white-scaled Monster extended an arm towards the group. Towards the leader, Ani.
It folded its pinkie and ring finger.
Its hand took the shape of a gun as it pointed at them.
"Kill them. With a bang."
The white-scaled Monster pulled its hand back and stared at its palm.
''With a bang...'' What did it mean? Why did the sentence make such an intense feeling sprout in its stomach?
"Kill them."
''I...''
"Kill them."
The white-scaled Monster''s gaze moved back towards the group.
Towards Ani.
She had lost an arm. She was bleeding from countless wounds. She had lost someone important.
Yet, she managed to smile in front of her Soldiers.
''I don''t... Want to.''
"Don''t you want to grow stronger?"
''I do.''
"Don''t you covet her strength?"
''I do.''
"Don''t you want to Devour her?"
''I...''
The fight with Ani, theck of Endurance Points, the events that had taken ce earlier, theck of sleep.
They all contributed to Mark''s current state of mind.
Was he dreaming? Was he awake? He couldn''t tell.
Was the Darkness something he was hallucinating? Was it the manifestation of something else? He couldn''t tell.
And he didn''t think about it.
Mark didn''t want to think at the moment.
Were he to let his mind wander, were he to try thinking about something, he knew that his mind would inadvertently revert back to Eli-
"Were you stronger, that wouldn''t have happened. Kill them. Grow stronger."
''I don''t have the means.''
"Search for those means within you. You have the strength."
''I don''t. I don''t want to.''
"Why don''t you want to get stronger?"
The white-scaled Monster stared silently.
The one we follow is you, Commander! Not Sloth-
That''s right! The one we respect is you, Commander-
The one we want to be with is you, Commander-
The one we''re in love with is you, Commander-
Ani''s clenched fist descended upon Boa''s head.
Just shut up you idiots. And I''m no Commander anymore. Call me...-
Mark could barely hear them. Still, he stared.
"You killed someone that was important to her. She lost Soldiers hunting you down."
''She did.''
"Yet, theyugh."
''They do.''
"Yet, they smile."
''They do.''
"Despite those things, they look at peace. Her smile especially. Serene and peaceful."
''It is.''
"Smiling that peacefully, that truthfully... You didn''t think this was possible for someone like you, did you?"
''Huh?''
"You didn''t think you could be like that, did you? At peace and serene. Those things aren''t for you. You''ll never be able to smile like that. You''ll never be able to feel like that."
''What''s-''
"You strive on the chaos. The destruction. You crave. No matter how far you run away from it, no matter how much you''re pulled away from it-"
''Shut up.''
"You want to destroy. You want to break things. You want to hurt."
''Shut up. I don''t want that. I just...''
"You''ll never be like them, Mark."
"Shut up."
"No matter how much time you spend with them, your darkness won''t fade away."
"I said shut up."
"Your ugliness won''t leave. It is part... No. It is who you are. It is what makes you, you. Having your scales painted white won''t make you any purer. In the first ce, the dark scales stand out too much."
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
Why is that guy shouting-
What''s wrong with him-
Want us to teach him a lesson, Commander? Cause we will-
"I SAID PUT SOME PANTS ON!!" Boa shouted.
The sudden shout made the white-scaled Monster shudder.
It grabbed the dark pants with both hands and raised a leg.
"Covering up, really?" The Darkness asked. "A Monster wearing clothes. Isn''t that ridiculous? Oh... These guys and Lin wore clothes, didn''t they? So did the Corrupted Dark Elves you killed and Devoured. But you''re not like them, are you? You''re a real Monster. You''re worse than them."
"GET A MOVE ON! I ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT NO ONE WANTS TO SEE YOUR D-" Boa''s shout was interrupted as Ani''s fist descended upon his head again.
"Do you think that covering up changes anything? You think that if you cover it up, you''ll forget about it? Oh... You asked for it some time ago, didn''t you? Good thing your wish was only granted now. Getting separated while having this Commander looking for you would have been troublesome."
"Stop talking." The white-scaled Monster ordered as it put on the pants it had been given.
"You look ridiculous. What are you getting dressed for? Do you think something as simple as putting pants on makes you any less of a Monster?"
"I don''t."
"Then what are you getting dressed for?"
"I just remembered... Nia told me about it. About the fact that those inside a Demon Lord''s Territory can be affected by the Deadly Sin that the Demon Lord holds."
"So?"
"So I will go back. And exin."
"Exin? What is there to exin?"
"I''ll exin... That it wasn''t me. That it wasn''t my fault."
"But it was you. And it was your fault."
"It wasn''t." The white-scaled Monster would have shouted, had it any energy to spare. "The Demon Lord of Lust... Its influence is what-"
"That''s your excuse?"
The white-scaled Monster''s brow twitched.
"It''s not an excuse. It''s an exnation."
"So you''ll go back to them?"
"I will."
"You''ll go back to their side?"
"I will." The white-scaled Monster answered before rotating its body and taking a resolute step forward.
"So you''ll put them at risk again?"
Mark shuddered at the question.
"They finally got away from you, and you want to go back? You hurt Elisa. Hurt her badly. And you want to go back? You think an excuse would change anything?"
"It''s not an excuse! It''s-"
"If it''s the Demon Lord''s fault, then why didn''t the same thing happen to Elisa?"
"It''s..."
"It''s what? Can''t find the words? Then let me exin it to you. The Demon Lord isn''t at fault. You are. Going back to them? When you can''t control your body? When you can''t control your Lust? Going back to them when you can''t even control yourself?"
Chapter 341 A Funeral & A Celebration
341 A Funeral & A Celebration
"I can. It wasn''t my lust. It was-"
"Liar liar, pants on fire. You wanted her. You wanted to touch her. To kiss her. You wanted to take her."
"No. I didn''t."
"You didn''t."
"Not... Like that."
"Like what?"
"I never would have forced myself on her. I never would have... Done anything to hurt her. I didn''t mean to-"
"You didn''t mean to, but you wanted to."
"No, I-"
"Your Lust is just that strong. You wanted to take her. You feared that she would reject you. You''ve feared it all this time. Still, you wanted her."
"No!"
"Even if you don''t force yourself on her, even if she rejects you, you''ll still crave for her."
"I never would have-"
"But you did."
"It wasn''t me."
"But it was."
"It wasn''t!"
"Then who was it?"
"It was... It was..." The white-scaled Monster finally turned its gaze towards the hovering Darkness. "It was you."
"You''ll put the me on anyone other than yourself, huh?"
"It wasn''t me. I never... I never would have-"
"Excuses and more excuses. Well, Elisa is kind, isn''t she? She''s understanding. She''s naive. Perhaps she''ll believe your words."
"She''ll believe my words... Because it''s true."
"Is that so?"
"It is."
"Then you''re telling me... You''re telling me that there isn''t even a tiny part of you that wanted her badly enough to hurt her? To force her?"
The white-scaled Monster shuddered.
"Have you learned nothing?" The Darkness continued. "You can''t keep that part of you out. You can''t get rid of it. You can''t do that. All you''re doing is starving it. And a starving beast is not a pleasant thing toe across."
"It wasn''t... My fault."
"Then? Will you go back? Closer to the center of Lust? If this -Influence- that you talk aboutes from the Demon Lord, then it''ll grow stronger the closer to the Demon Lord you get, don''t you think? Will you endanger her again? Will you risk hurting them?"
Before Mark could answer,
BOOOM-
SPLASHHH-
Strident screeches resonated, and the white-scaled Monster nearly passed out.
Mark quickly turned around.
''What the... Why didn''t I sense it getting closer? Why didn''t I-''
A dozen heads resembling gigantic snakes.
A humongous body that was between that of a toad and that of an octopus.
Countless tentacles.
A dark and pinkish Aura filled the area.
"Perfect." Ani whispered as she cracked her neck. "We''ve got a score to settle after all."
Thanks to his Advanced Body Reconstruction Magic Skill, Mark had managed to heal his wounds. There was no bleeding whether external or internal.
All that was left was for his Health Points to recover. The wounds were gone, but he was just as close to death as he had been before healing those wounds.
"YOU! FUCK OFF!" The Orcish Fiend shouted. "GET OUT OF HERE!"
"Uhh, Commander. I know we like to go wild but... Isn''t the Demon Lord''s Pet a bit...?"
"Huh? Turning into a coward now? We''re going wild. Wilder than ever. This fucker knocked me down then took six of my Soldiers. It''s not getting away."
At their Commander''s words, the Soldiers took out their Weapons.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU STANDING OUR FOR? GO!!"
The white-scaled Monster''s body froze.
''Should I... Leave them?''
"Stay." The Darkness whispered. "Stay." It repeated.
Mark shuddered.
He understood right away.
"Stay and Devour whoever loses. Devour whoever dies. Devour, as a Hyena would."
Mark took hold of his shaking left wrist.
"I don''t have the strength... To fight."
"Don''t fight. Devour, as a Scavenger would. Feed on whoever dies."
"I won''t... Devour that way."
"Do it. Like an ant would. Like a maggot would."
"I SAID FUCK OFF!!" Ani shouted once more as the Cmity approached.
Mark turned away.
"I won''t. Because I... Wouldn''t deserve it."
Behind him, the Border.
To his right, the hovering Darkness.
He stared ahead.
-Will you endanger her again? Will you risk hurting them?-
Filled with dread, Mark instinctively started moving.
Left.
"RUN YOU FUCKER!" The Orcish Fiend shouted.
And, for no other reason than because he had been told to do so, Mark started running.
"Holy shit... Holy shit..."
"Let''s do this... We can do this... Can we do this?"
"We barely managed to escape earlier. This is..."
"We have to buy time for the-"
"Buy time? Don''t tell me the fish living under the water took your balls while I was away?" Ani sneered. "We''re not buying time for anyone. We''re fucking it up. That''s what we''re doing!"
The Commander''s words immediately lit fires inside the Soldiers'' hearts.
"We''re taking it on, right here, right now. I''ll be your Commander onest time."
"What happens after that?"
"Yeah, what are we doing after that?"
"Where will we go?"
"Can''t go back to Sloth now."
"Fuck Sloth. Fuck the Demon Lord. And fuck that white-scaled Monster. We''re taking..." Ani cracked her knuckles against her cheek. "One of its heads for each Soldier we lost."
"YEAH!"
"LET''S DO IT!"
"THAT''S A TROPHY WORTH GETTING!"
"FOR THOSE WE LOST!"
With a slight smile on her face, Ani watched as the Cmity was about to exit the waters fully.
''I''m sorry, Lin. I''m sorry that I couldn''t make you smile. I''m sorry I couldn''t rid you of that boredom. I''m sorry... That I bored you. Even this. Trying to avenge you... Ah! I''m sure you would have found that extraordinarily boring. I followed you for so long. But now... Now...''
"The four of you are all I have left. All I care about."
Ani''s words surprised each of the Soldiers standing by her side.
"What was it that Mado was always talking about? The thing he always threatened he would do if I didn''t p him in the face for too long?"
"Oh, that dumbass..."
"Not much of a loss... Fuck that guy..."
"Was it retiring and starting a restaurant? Something stupid like that."
"Wasn''t it a bar?"
"Pretty sure it was an inn."
"Ah!" The Orcish Fiend chuckled. "That doesn''t sound half bad right now."
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
"Huh?"
''I''m sorry, Lin. I won''t be following you anymore. I''ll be with these dumbasses instead. They make me smile. They make meugh. Half the time it''s because they''re incredibly stupid but... Still. I''ll figure out the future while staying by their side.''
"I never thought of myself as a Commander of Sloth. Maybe that''s why the Title never lent me any power or Aura."
"Uhh, Commander? Is it the time for this?"
"I''m not a Commander of Sloth. I''ve never been." Ani''s gaze fixated on one of the Soldiers, then on the next. One by one, she stared into their eyes. "I''m Commander of my Soldiers. The ten of you are my Soldiers. I don''t need more than that."
The Soldiers, despite doing, at all times, their best to act masculine in the presence of the ferocious Commander, couldn''t help but look away.
"Now, enough sentimental shit."
The Cmity''s body rose above the water, and the Commander stepped in front of her Soldiers.
"This is a funeral for the dead. And a celebration for those alive." Ani''s palm pped her shoulder. "Let''s fuck things up."
The Soldiers shouted and roared at their Commander''s words.
''A Cmity? Ah! That''s nothing. As long as...''
''We''re with our Commander...''
''We don''t fear...
''Anything!''
Chapter 342 Coward
Chapter 342 Coward
Coward. Coward. Coward.
Coward.
Over and over again,
Coward. Coward. Coward.
The word repeated incessantly.
Coward!
How many times had the word been repeated?
Coward! Coward! Coward!
The white-scaled Monster ran and ran and ran.
Coward! Coward! Coward!
Mark couldn''t tell anymore.
Coward! Coward! Coward!
Was the word resonating inside his head? Was he thinking it himself?
Coward! Coward! Coward!
Or was it shouted by the Darkness that relentlessly followed him?
Coward! Coward! Coward!
"SHUT UP! LEAVE ME!"
"COWARD! WHY ARE YOU RUNNING? WHERE ARE YOU RUNNING TO??"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
"FIGHTING MONSTERS FEARLESSLY! KILLING! DEVOURING! AND NOW YOU''RE RUNNING AWAY? WHEN DID YOU BECOME SUCH A COWARD?!"
The white-scaled Monster clenched its teeth, and continued running.
"ALL YOU DO IS RUN AWAY! COWARD! RUNNING AWAY FROM THE COMMANDER! RUNNING AWAY FROM ELISA! AND NOW YOU''RE RUNNING AWAY AGAIN!"
Its foot was trapped by a shallow hole in the ground. The white-scaled Monster stumbled, and fell to its knees.
"I''m not..." It clenched the fists thaty on the ground. "Running away. I need to... I need to..."
The white-scaled Monster stood, and ran once more.
"WHAT ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY FROM? THE COMMANDER''S SMILE? ELISA? YOUR ACTIONS? WHAT ARE YOU RUNNING AWAY FROM??" The Darkness shouted.
All of them.
None of them.
All of them.
"Where are you going?"
The white-scaled Monster''s running slowly grew slower, until it came to a stop.
"Weren''t you going back to Elisa? Weren''t you going to exin yourself?"
"I... I was. I am! I''ll go back and-" The white-scaled Monster started turning around when,
"Go back and take her. Go back and do what it is your body wants. Yield to your impulses. Make her yield to your impulses. Force her. Go back, and take what is yours."
"No... No, I-"
"Do it. What are you afraid of?"
"I don''t want it... To happen again. I don''t want... To lose control..."
"Didn''t you want to go wild with the Commander earlier? Deep down, weren''t you mad at Elisa for keeping you from doing that?"
"That was different!"
"So you only want to lose control in certain situations?"
"I didn''t lose control against the Commander! I was fighting! It just-"
"What does it mean to go wild, Mark? It means not having to think. It means doing what you want without thinking about it. Without thinking about how or whys. Without thinking about consequences-"
"NO! THAT''S NOT WHAT I WANT!"
"Isn''t it? You think too much. That''s why it feels so good to let go."
"NO! NO! NO! IT WASN''T ME! IT WASN''T WHAT I WANTED!"
The tiredness, the fatigue, the dizziness, and its own shouting brought the Monster to its knees.
"You liked her."
"I did! I do!"
"You wanted to kiss her."
"I did!"
"You wanted fuck her."
"I... Did."
"What if she rejected you?"
"Then... I would have backed off."
"But would that desire have disappeared?"
"I would have made it disappear!"
"Why?"
"Why...? Obviously because I... Because I..."
"Since when do you back off? Since when do you bend a knee in front of your enemies? You fight them how you want. You kill them how you want. You do what you want."
"She''s not my enemy."
"Who''s your enemy then?"
"My enemy...? The Monsters! The Monsters that stand in my way!"
"You''re not in the Dungeon anymore. Who are your enemies?"
"Those who try to kill me."
"Lin and the other Commander? Yarnha?"
"Those are... Those are..."
"Hahahaha!" The suddenughter resonating made Mark shudder. "Laughable. How utterlyughable. You don''t need a reason. Fight and kill for no other reason than the fact that neither backed off. Isn''t that right? Yarnha backed off, but you didn''t let her. Lin backed off, but you didn''t let him. You''re forgetting what you are. Did your time with Elisa make you forget about it? How many times did you think it? How many times did you tell her? What are you, Mark?"
"A... I''m a... Monster."
"What''s with your tone? You told her that so many times. You tried convincing her so many times. Why did you do that?"
"Because..." Mark slowly raised his arms to the side, as if presenting himself. "I am one."
"You said it so many times, but you don''t seem to mean it now. If you do mean it, then there''s nothing strange going on. Nothing to worry about. You''re a Monster, and you acted like one. Killing someone that another values, hurting those around you, forcing yourself on a beautiful woman. It''s what one would expect from a Monster, is it not?"
"It''s..."
"You said it so many times. Don''t tell me... Don''t tell me you''ve simply been trying to convince yourself all this time?"
"I am a Monster."
"Then? Go back and take her. It''s your right, as a Monster."
"That''s not..." Mark, still on his knees, curled his back slightly as he stared at the ground. "That''s not the kind of Monster I am. The kind of Monster..."
"The kind of Monster you want to be? Ah! Foolish ANDughable. Did all that thinking get you confused? Did all that Evolving make you forget? Did you get lost in the fantasy after spending time with Elisa? You can''t choose what you are. You''re a Monster. And all Monsters are the same."
"They''re not... Lin and..."
Mark''s heart shook.
He quickly turned around but,
"She stayed behind. She''s fighting right now. But you ran away. You ran so much that you can''t even see them anymore. She''s fighting THAT Monster for you. To allow you to run away. And you didn''t even get her Name. You didn''t even care to ask."
The white-scaled Monster''s gaze slowly moved back to the ground in front of it.
"You''re scared that you''ll fall prey to this -Influence- you talk about. Don''t be. If anything, see it as encouragement. Do what you want. Take what you desire. Go back. Take her. Finish what you started. You can fight it, but it''s a fact. A fact you have acknowledged long ago."
Mark pushed himself off the ground.
"You''re a Monster."
He ran.
"Act like one. Continue acting like one."
Away from it all, he ran.
"A Monster will remain a Monster no matter what."
Chapter 343 Strong & Beautiful
Chapter 343 Strong & Beautiful
How long had he run?
How far had he gotten?
Mark did not know.
Was he still running?
Had he copsed?
Was he sleeping? Resting?
He couldn''t tell.
He didn''t want to rest.
He couldn''t rest.
"She got you good, huh?" The darkness uttered.
It couldn''t be seen.
Mark moved his head.
''Huh?''
"She really got you good."
The white-scaled Monster''s right eye hadn''t healed. The one Elisa had...
A shaking hand hovered in front of the Eye Mark couldn''t see from.
Hey his hand on it.
The wound was still there.
It wasn''t surprising. While fighting the Commander, he needed to heal many wounds, broken bones, and internal organs. Using the "Advanced Body Reconstruction" Magic Skill wherever he felt pain was the obvious way of healing without losing time or focus.
Still,
"That Commander was amazing, huh?" The Darkness noted.
Only then did Mark realize.
"She fought me... Without..."
"Without entering your obvious blind spot. How gross. Were the roles reversed, that''s exactly where you would have aimed, right?"
The white-scaled Monster lowered its gaze to the ground.
The world was spinning.
The ground was wobbly.
He couldn''t feel it against the sole of his feet.
He needed to sleep.
He couldn''t sleep.
He needed to rest.
He couldn''t rest.
"Coward."
He couldn''t allow himself to rest. He couldn''t allow himself to stop moving.
So he ran.
It hurt, everywhere.
His feet, his muscles, his lungs, his heart.
The white-scaled Monster ran through the pain.
It hurt.
And deep down, Mark was d that it did.
Perhaps that was, partly, why he kept running.
"Spending time with Elisa really confused you, huh?"
"Shut up. Don''t talk about her."
"Why not? You like Elisa, don''t you? Why not-"
"Keep her name out of your mouth."
"She''s beautiful, isn''t she?"
The white-scaled Monster stopped running. Or did it?
"She is."
"What makes her beautiful?" The Darkness questioned.
Mark didn''t answer.
"Come on. Say it."
"Everything. Everything... About her. Yet I... I..."
"You gained her trust. You put yourself on the line for her. Why?"
"Because..."
"Because she was beautiful?"
"Because she''s beautiful."
"Wasn''t Yarnha beautiful?"
"It''s... Different."
"It is, huh? How so? How is it different."
"I... I can''t tell. I... Don''t know."
"You do know."
"I don''t. I just like her-"
"You do know. She was beautiful. She was from the day you met her."
"She was."
"Let''s talk about her."
"I don''t want to."
"What are you going to do instead?"
"I''ll keep running."
"Why?"
"I have to keep running."
"Are you running now?"
"I am."
"Even though you can''t feel the ground?"
"I am running."
"Let''s talk about Elisa."
"No."
"She''s beautiful."
"Stop."
"She was honest. She waspassionate. She was understanding. She was... Light. Both on her feet, and in her soul. She was beautiful. She was pure, wasn''t she?"
"She was."
"Animals love her, don''t they?"
Animals? This isn''t Earth. They''re known as Beasts, not Animals.
"They do love her. Like That Elk... It didn''t like me one bit. Animals... Do love her. Just like Kris-"
"She was gentle. And beautiful. But also fragile in a way, wasn''t she? Like a-"
"Like... A flower."
"Like a flower. Delicate and beautiful. You can look at it. You can watch it. You can even touch it. But apply too much force and-"
"I don''t... I didn''t want to... I..."
"She was hurt. By those who brought you to his World. They killed her people. They enved her. They trapped her. They put her in a cage."
"By Raven... By Gaavah... By Nia... I''ll definitely..."
"If you don''t water a flower for a while, it''ll eventually wither. It''ll die. You know that, right?"
"I do..."
"But you found her before it was toote! You got there in time! Remember? That day?"
"She... Cursed more than I thought she would..."
"She did curse a lot that day, didn''t she?"
"That day she said... She said that if I hadn''t shown her Corruption Magic... She would have let me kill her... Can you believe that? Ha..."
"She did."
"Because of the Corruption, she said... Ha... She said... Haha... She said she would do anything... To keep me alive..."
"She did say that."
"She did..."
"She talked a lot, didn''t she?"
"At times..."
"Nia was using the System to allow you to converse with Elisa."
"That''s... True... I... Forgot about that..."
"She taught you a lot."
"A lot...? Now that I think about it... Maybe. Maybe it was a lot... That she taught me."
"You watched those northern lights together."
"We... Did. It was... Beautiful... I don''t think..."
"You don''t think... What?"
"I don''t think..." His breathing growing unstable, his heart aching, and Mark noticed neither of them. "I don''t think..." His throat fought back. "I don''t think..." No, the words themselves fought back. Still, he wanted nothing more than to say them. "I don''t think... I would have stopped to watch, were she not there..."
Silence.
Seconds? Minutes? More? How long had the Darkness remained quiet?
"She was hurt a lot. But she wanted to watch those nothern lights. She was hurt a lot, but she wanted to pet that Elk. She was enved, Corrupted, and trapped. Can you remember? Even on the day you met her, she smiled. How long had she remained trapped? How long had suffered? Even after all that, sheughed. Even though the World was against her. Even though others much stronger hurt her and destroyed her life, she kept looking forward to the future. She kept going. She kept smiling."
"She... She was... She''s... Strong."
"She smiled despite all that. Sheughed despite all that. She had the strength to look past those things. She had the strength to look at the future despite those things."
"She''s..."
"She was...?"
"She was... Beautiful."
-Was-?
Why -was- and not -is-?
The Darkness talked about Elisa using the past tense.
And, at some point, Mark had been, unknowingly, dragged into doing the same.
"Strong and beautiful. Did you think you could be like that by staying with her?"
"I... I..."
"You..?"
"I... Don''t know."
Chapter 344 Shaking Hand, II
Chapter 344 Shaking Hand, II
Strong and beautiful?
Sure, I want to be strong.
I want to be stronger.
Beautiful? Why would I want that?
Why would I want to be beautiful like Elisa or Krista?
Beautiful...
What does being beautiful even mean?
Beauty.
Elisa and Krista.
Different from the ugliness inside the Dungeon.
Beautiful.
Like those northern lights? Like a forest?
Beautiful in that way?
Is it the same beauty? Or are there different types of beauty?
I''m not sure.
Beautiful and strong.
I want to be strong.
I want to be stronger.
What for?
So that I can run!
But you can run now.
I want to run faster then! For longer!
How fast is fast enough? How long is long enough?
I''m not sure.
I want to be stronger.
What for?
So that I can fight the enemies standing in my way.
So that I don''t need to be scared. So that I can stop worrying.
So that I can live freely.
Live freely? What does that mean?
It means being free.
Being free to do... What?
"Why are you running away?" The Darkness asked.
The white-scaled Monster ran and ran, and the Darkness kept appearing behind it no matter how far the Monster ran.
"Are you scared of me? Why?"
Mark clenched his teeth and continued running.
"Did you love Elisa?"
The question pierced his heart quicker and deeper than any dagger could have.
"Remember the time when shey on your body? When she listened to your heart as it beat? How did that feel?"
"I was... Nervous."
"Nervous? It didn''t look that way."
"Of course it wouldn''t... I''m a Monster after all."
"Is that so? Doesn''t seem like that has anything to do with being a Monster."
"Mm?"
"You were nervous. Why didn''t you show it? Why didn''t you let her know?"
"Because..."
"Because you have to keep up appearances? Because you have to act strong? Because you have to act like a man? Because a Monster looking nervous would have looked ridiculous?"
"I... Guess so..."
"A Monster looking nervous. That would look... Endearing in a way, don''t you think?"
"Maybe."
"You preferred to hide it."
"I did."
"You told her that you would stay with her. To the Elven Forest. You told her that despite not nning on doing it."
"I was nning to! I-"
"You''re such a liar, Mark. An ugly liar. A good liar. It''s ugly, isn''t it, how good you are at lying?"
"I''m not... A Liar."
"Let''s go back to that time. Shey on you. She listened to your heart beating. It felt nice, didn''t it, having her so close?"
"It did."
"Then you felt her heart. With your hand. Remember?"
"..."
"Your hand was shaking. Remember? Why was your hand shaking?"
"Shut up."
"Why was your hand shaking?"
"Shut up!"
"You''re a liar, Mark. An ugly, ugly liar. Did you think staying with Elisa would change that too? Staying with her... Getting hit for her... You wanted to be beautiful too, didn''t you?"
"What the hell does that even mean?"
"There was only one way for you to be beautiful. Only way you knew how to be beautiful."
"Ha! And what would that be?"
"Dying for her."
The white-scaled Monster clenched its fists.
"But instead of dying for her, you hurt her. How ugly... And pathetic."
"Shut up."
"Earlier, you would have let her kill you. That Commander. You would have let her. You would have let yourself die."
"I was fighting."
"Were you? But at one point, you wished for it, didn''t you? You thought it would be easier, didn''t you? You deluded yourself into thinking it would be a good thing. You killed someone she held dear. So you thought dying by her hand wouldn''t be so bad? You always fuck things up, Mark. It''s in your nature. But you thought that dying that way would, at least, constitute one good thing you''ve done, huh? Allowing her to grieve by taking your life... Something you wouldn''t have the ability to fuck up afterwards. Is that how little you trust yourself?"
"I don''t... I don''t trust myself... But I didn''t-"
"You lied to Elisa. Over and over again."
"I didn''t!"
"What did you tell her then? When weren''t you lying?"
"I didn''t lie to her!"
"Why didn''t you tell her the truth?"
"WHAT TRUTH??"
"That eeeverything was your fault. That the reason she suffered was you. The reason she was captured was you. The reason she was Corrupted was you. The reason why her father and her people were killed and tortured. All of it, is your fault."
"I didn''t... I didn''t ask for any of that!"
"But it was still to your benefit."
"I''m not to me for that!"
"Then why didn''t you tell her? In the first ce, she was pretty smart, so she might have figured it out anyways. Still, you should have told her, don''t you think?"
"I..."
"She trusted you with her life. You know that, right?"
"I do."
"Did you trust her with yours?"
"I... I did."
"Did you? Really?"
"Yes! I did! I trusted her! More than anyone!!"
"More than anyone...? How can you say that, when she''s the only one?"
"...?"
"You didn''t start counting the others as real, did you? Levi, the Fire Spirit... None of them really count. The only one was Elisa. The only one you knew. You fell in love with the first one you met. Isn''t that pathetic?"
"It isn''t!"
"So you loved her?"
"I did!"
"But she wasn''t special."
"She was!"
"How would you know? You haven''t known anyone else."
"..."
"You trusted her with your life. And she trusted you with hers."
"Yes."
"She trusted you with her life."
"She did. And I trusted her with mine."
"THEN WHY WAS YOUR HAND SHAKING??"
Thump-
The Darkness'' sudden shouting made the white-scaled Monster stumble.
It fell to the ground, shuddering.
"WHY WAS YOUR HAND SHAKING, MARK? WHY??"
The white-scaled Monster hurriedly stood back up and ran away.
The Darkness remained unmoving for a bit.
"Why was your hand shaking?"
Soon, it would disappear, and reappear next to the white-scaled Monster.
"She trusted you with her life..."
Behind the Monster. Slightly to the right at times, slightly to the left at times.
"You trusted her with your life..."
As if guiding that Monster somewhere. Towards something.
"But you couldn''t trust yourself with hers."
Chapter 345 You Can Never Be Like Them
Chapter 345 You Can Never Be Like Them
"You were going to let her kill you. How is that strong? How is that beautiful? Dying and losing can never be strength. You letting her... Are you really that weak? How would that have been beautiful? Beauty can''t be made artificially, you know? It would still have been ugly, even if the world hadn''t realized it, it still would have been ugly, and weak."
"I am..."
"You are... What?"
"I am... Weak."
"If you were to let someone kill you, why her? Oh... It started earlier, didn''t it? Elisa pierced your eye with that dagger. And then you ran away once she told you to go away. Had she tried to kill you, you would have let her, right?"
"I... Don''t know."
"Yes, you do. You would have. Because you''re weak. Why are you so weak, Mark? Why can''t you do anything right? Why wait for that Commander to die? Lin was here under the Demon Lord''s orders, wasn''t he? Maybe you should have let him kill you. Or Yarnha. She would have used you to fuel the Forest. Maybe you would have been turned into a tree, or flowers. Why didn''t you let them kill you?"
"I... Don''t want to die."
"You don''t, huh? But maybe it would be for the best, don''t you think? The world would be a better ce without you. But that''s obvious, since you''re a Monster. You should have died earlier. Before you could hurt Elisa. You should have died against Lin. You should have died against Yarnha. You should have died against Zephyr."
"Lin... Was strong..."
Mark hadn''t thought about that Commander much after their fight, but Ani''s words kept repeating inside his head.
He never gave in! He never screamed! He never begged for anything! He was strong! Stronger than you! Wayyy stronger than you-
"Can you remember him screaming?" The Darkness asked.
"I... Can''t..."
He always knew where he was going! He was never confused! He always knew where he was going-
"Do you know where you''re going?"
"I don''t..."
He knew who he was-
"Do you know who you are?"
"I..."
"Why didn''t you Devour that Commander? Or that Cmity? Why didn''t you stay to Devour the loser?"
"Because I wouldn''t... Deserve it."
"Did you deserve to Devour Lin?"
"..."
"Would you have been able to beat him without Elisa?"
"No... I don''t think so..."
"What about the Guardians that you defeated thanks to your Underlings?"
"That... Was different."
"Was it?"
"They''re... Part of..."
"Part of your strength, huh? Do you really believe that? In that case, why didn''t you spend more time strengthening them?"
"Because I... Can''t keep relying... On others..."
"What about Elisa? You relied on her a lot. You couldn''t have beaten Lin without her. Fighting that Commander would have been much tougher without Elisa rousing her up."
"It''s... Different."
"Right. You even justified staying with her that way. Isn''t that illogical? You don''t want your Underlings help, but you want Elisa''s?"
"I... Don''t know what I want."
"Ha! That much is clear." The Darkness chuckled. "You can never be like them. You''re wicked. You''re corrupted. To your core."
"I don''t... Think so..."
"Huh? Wouldn''t that exin your affinity with Corruption Magic? With Dark Magic?"
"I can''t... use Dark Magic."
"Sure you can! You have, can''t you remember?"
"It wasn''t... Me..."
"It was. You were half asleep, but it was you!"
"What are you... Trying to say?"
"It''s the reason why you didn''t die against Zephyr. The reason why you didn''t die against Yarnha."
"What... Is?"
"Isn''t it obvious?"
"...?"
"You mistake it for something that it''s not."
"What is it then?"
"INSTINCT!"
"IT''S NOT!"
"IT IS! AND IT''S TIME FOR YOU TO ACCEPT IT! INSTINCT IS WHAT KEPT YOU ALIVE ALL THIS TIME!"
"I can''t... I can''t... ept that!"
"Why not?"
"Because then... Because if it''s instinct then..."
"Well, yes. A Monster''s instincts shouldn''t be underestimated. Those instincts cannot be tamed. They can''t be subdued."
"No... No! That''s not true! There''s something inside of me! It wasn''t me!"
"You don''t like it? That part of you?"
"It''s not a part of me! And I hate it!"
"You see what happens when you go wild. When you-"
"That''s it! It''s the Corruption! It''s the Titles! It''s..."
"The Corruption? You know that''s not a justification. Just like the -Influence- you were talking about earlier."
"What... Yes, it is!"
"How so?"
"Because even Elisa...! Even Elisa..."
"Elisa... What?"
"Even she... Lost control."
"But you''re not like her. You''re just not, Mark. You have to ept it."
"HOW DO YOU KNOW??"
"Because look at the difference between what happens when she loses control and when you do."
"..."
"You get it, don''t you? You''re different. You''re wicked. When she lost herself, when the Corruption got the best of her, what''s the worst thing she did?"
"She... Shot me..."
"That''s right. It''s the difference between the pure and the wicked. The worst thing she did... Was attack a Monster. And looking at you well, can you me her?"
"..."
"You can''t. And that''s why you didn''t me her for it. If anything, that''s when you should have died, don''t you think? Zephyr wouldn''t have cared about her. Neither would have Raven. Yarnha wouldn''t have attacked her. The Demon Lord of Sloth wouldn''t have noticed her. And you wouldn''t have hurt her. Eeeeverything is your fault. Everything that went wrong in her life, is your fault. From beginning to end. And you say you want to exin yourself?"
Too much.
It was way too much for Mark to retort or say anything back.
"Can you remember the first time you shook hands? The time when you agreed to fight together?"
"I... Think I do."
"Can you remember what she said?"
"I... Can''t."
"Huh? You loved her, but you can''t remember? Let me jog your memory then. She said you better not let her down, since you got her hopes up."
"..."
"Can you remember what you answered?"
"I CAN''T! I FUCKING CAN''T! IT WAS LONG AGO! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO-"
"You said that you would try." Mark immediately felt his stomach burn as if it were on fire. "You didn''t promise more than that. Just that you would try. Now, tell me. Did you? Try?"
"I did! I tried! I tried to protect them! I-"
BLEUGH-
Heaps of dark blood left the white-scaled Monster''s mouth as it fell to its knees.
"You did try, huh? Then you did as promised."
It stared at its reflection. The liquid was dark. Why was its reflection visible.
"I tried. I did. I really did. I tried... But..."
"Oh. There''s a -but-?"
"I should have... I SHOULD HAVE TRIED HARDER DAMNIT!" Mark shouted as his fist descended upon the dark puddle.
"How so?"
"I DON''T KNOW! I SHOULD HAVE... I SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE! I SHOULD HAVE TRIED HARDER! I... I...!"
"You tried, but it still wasn''t enough. Not nearly enough. You let her down. You couldn''t live up to her expectations. All the hope you gave her... Was crushed. And it''s aaall your fault."
How long did Mark stare at his reflection?
How long did he stare into that dark puddle?
How long did he stare at the ugly face covered by white scales in front of him?
"Oh..." He started. "I get it now..."
Chapter 346 The Monster & The Child
Chapter 346 The Monster & The Child
Sometime earlier,
Her arm was reaching forward.
Her lips had parted, but the words refused to be uttered.
''Don''t...''
Elisa grabbed her extended arm by the wrist and brought it closer to her heart as she trembled.
''Leave me alone...''
***
"Oh... I get it now. You''re-"
BLEUGH-
The white-scaled Monster threw up.
And what exited its mouth, was a dark mass of,
Krch- Krch- Krch
Scamper- Scamper- Scamper-
"Ha... Haha... What the hell..." Mark chuckled weakly. "What the hell is that?"
What had exited his mouth was dozens, no, hundreds of dark insects.
They flowed out of his mouth andnded on the ground as if heaps of liquid.
Spiders, centipedes, cockroaches.
Hundreds had exited his mouth as he threw up.
''What the hell...''
Mark thought it was strange. He had fought Monsters simr to those insects. Gigantic Spider Monsters, huge Centipede Monsters. It truly was strange. Why did seeing these insects scare him more than their -muchrger- versions?
The sound of hundreds of legs. The insects walked on one another.
Krch- Krch- Krch-
The dark insects scattered.
Was it a hallucination? Was it the dark liquid he had grown used to seeing hallucinated as a mass of insects? Mark assumed that was the case.
Still, a thought he couldn''t keep back.
"I... Had all this inside me?"
A surprising thought. After all, hadn''t he Devoured many Spider and Centipede Monsters inside the Dungeon? Why was there a need for a Floor full of Insects? Why choose such a Floor, especially when the Candidate was the Devourer? Mark hadn''t thought anything of it all this time.
The way that the spiders'' legs mixed up, making it difficult for the knots to be undone. The way the cockroaches pped their wings without flying, the sound they made. The way the centipedes contorted their bodies to climb up or crawl below the others'' bodies.
''All this... Inside me?''
The white-scaled Monster''s puzzled eyes stared at the dark and moving mass for a while.
Between theyers of insects,
''Grass?''
Mark pulled his gaze away.
He was in a forest.
The sun had set long ago.
Had he spent hours running? Days?
It didn''t really matter. So his gaze went back to the scampering mass on the ground in front of him.
The way that the centipedes had to twist themselves into a ball because their legs were caught by something. The way that the cockroaches at the top of the pile sank to the bottom from time to time. The way that the spiders at the bottom, despite being pushed down repeatedly, continued trying to climb.
Was it the dark liquid he had grown used to seeing hallucinated as a mass of insects? Mark assumed that was the case... At first.
"Oh... I had all this inside of me..." He whispered. "Then it makes sense..."
The white-scaled Monster''s eyes widened.
Krch- Krch- Krch-
The sound didn''te from the insects on the ground.
Krch- Krch- Krch-
''There''s... Something. Something... Stuck.''
Mark stared at his open palms for a bit.
''Need to...''
The next second, a dark Aura covered the tips of his index fingers.
''Get it out.''
He passed the lower portion of his hands over his head.
''Yeah... I always thought it was weird...''
His index fingers and the dark Aura came into contact with the sides of his head.
Twitch- Twitch-
Mark passed his hands and fingers over the ears he had just grown.
''Good. Good...''
Krch- Krch- Krch
He tilted his head to the left, and, with an open palm, pped his right ear.
Krch-
Again.
Krch- Krch-
And again.
Krch- Krch- Krch-
A fourth p made his eyes widen as he realized.
His fingers moved towards his left ear.
Pull-
''What was that doing there?'' He asked himself as he stared at the red centipede held between his index finger and thumb that squirmed and contorted its body in an attempt to free itself. Mark brought it closer to his face. ''How long have you been in there?''
He stared at the centipede, and it wrapped itself around his index finger.
"Oh. Did Nia put that in there? During that Unique Evolution? Oh... It was around that time that my mind became... That was sneaky Nia! All this time it''s been messing with my head. No wonder my thoughts felt scrambled. No wonder I couldn''t think clearly. Mm." Mark nodded. "I should have known there was something wrong. It''s red. Is there something special about it? I bet there is. Even though just having any centipede messing with one''s brain perpetually would-"
"What are you doing?" The Darkness that suddenly appeared asked.
"Why... Why are you still...?"
"Stop trying to make excuses. Stop trying to put the me on-"
"What... Where did it go?" Mark asked as his gaze went back to his hand. His index finger was covered by blood. "Where did it...?" He lowered his gaze. "Oh. Must have slipped away and joined the others."
"Are you done?"
The white-scaled Monster''s face twisted.
"Why are you still here?"
"You can''t keep deluding yourself-"
"I took it out. Why... Why are you still...?"
The Darkness remained silent for a couple of seconds.
"I won''t let you."
"You won''t let me... What?" Mark asked.
"I won''t let you."
"YOU WON''T LET ME WHAT? YOU WON''T LET ME BE IN CONTROL OF MY OWN BODY? YOU WON''T LET ME LIVE AS I WANT? YOU WON''T LET ME STAY WITH ELISA? WHY? WHY DIDN''T YOU LET ME STAY WITH HER? WHY? WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT FROM ME??"
"I don''t want anything. I just won''t-"
"OH! I GET IT! I UNDERSTAND NOW! FUUCK!!!!" Mark shouted as his fists descended upon the ground. The swarm of insects seemed to have scurried away. "THE REASON WHY YOU KEEP DOING THIS! THE REASON WHY YOU WON''T LET ME BE WITH ELISA! IT''S ALL CLEAR NOW!"
"What is?" The being shrouded in darkness asked as it tilted its head.
"YOU WANT TO GO WILD!"
"No, that''s-"
"YOU WANT TO BREAK THINGS! YOU WANT TO DESTROY! YOU WANT TO KILL AND BREAK! YOU WANT TO MAKE OTHERS SUFFER! YOU WANT ME TO SUFFER! YOU WANT EVERYTHING TO BE DESTROYED!"
"THAT''S NOT TRUE! IT''S NOT TRUE!"
"THEN WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"
"I won''t..." The Darkness started. Mark remained on his knees, and moved towards that Darkness. "I won''t... Let you..."
"Because of you, I can''t be with Elisa. Because of you, I was constantly scared of hurting them. Because of you, I can''t trust anything fully. Not my vision, not the world around me, not my body, AND NOT MYSELF! BECAUSE OF YOU!"
"I WON''T LET YOU-" The being''s words were interrupted, as both of Mark''s hands were plunged into the darkness shrouding that being, and took hold of its neck.
"Die. Die. Die. Without you, I''ll finally... You should just die. I want you to die. Die. Die! DIE!"
"I WON''T! I WON''T!" The being shouted as it choked for air.
"Die. Die. Die!"
"I won''t! I won''t let you kill me! I won''t let you get rid of me!"
"I''m better without you!"
"SO WHAT? I WON''T LET YOU!"
"YOU WON''T LET ME WHAT?"
Part of the Darkness faded, revealing the right side of the being''s face.
It was obvious from the start, Mark thought. Size, voice, everything made it clear from the beginning.
"Die. Die. Just die!"
A teary eye. Dark hair. Bony cheeks.
Enraged by everything around him. Hateful because of his uselessness and helplessness.
Enraged, but unable to fight back against the white-scaled Monster''s grip.
"I WON''T LET YOU..."
The white-scaled Monster squeezed with all its strength, wishing for nothing more than to break the child''s neck.
"Die. Die. Die! Why won''t you die? Why won''t you disappear? LEAVE!"
"...FORGET ABOUT ME!"
The child it used to be.
"Just die!"
The white-scaled Monster''s tone made it unclear.
Was it giving an order, or begging?
"I SAID I WON''T LET YOU FORGET ABOUT ME!!" The child shouted, its face revealing a mix of wrath and fright.
"I DON''T WANT TO REMEMBER! JUST GO AWAY!"
"I''M NOT LETTING YOU DO THAT! I''M NOT LETTING YOU THROW IT ALL AWAY! I''M NOT LETTING YOU THROW ME AWAY!"
"I DON''T NEED YOU! I DON''T WANT YOU!!"
"I DON''T CARE! I''M NOT LETTING YOU FORGET ABOUT ME!"
The white-scaled Monster had shouted and squeezed with such intensity that it was left feeling dizzy.
Its bottom fell back onto its heels.
The white-scaled Monster used its hands to crawl back.
"DON''T RUN AWAY FROM ME!"
"I''M DONE RUNNING AWAY!"
Both stared at one another.
Both felt enraged.
Both hated the other.
For different reasons, they hated one another.
The white-scaled Monster rose to its feet.
Neither moved forward.
Neither looked away.
Neither stepped back.
The white-scaled Monster and the child stared at one another, their hands shaking.
The white-scaled Monster.
The crippled boy.
The white-scaled Monster.
The crippled boy.
Which one feared the other more?
Chapter 347 The Child & The Monster
Chapter 347 The Child & The Monster
Who is he?
I can''t help but ask myself that as I stare at him.
Small. Thin. Young. A child.
Big. Muscr. Powerful. A Monster.
I''m the Monster.
Seeing the difference between us... Is he the interior? And I the exterior? Something like that?
No.
No, he can''t be.
Because I am both.
Then?
Tsk. Why do I ask myself that? It''s been clear from the beginning.
Even before, it wasn''t Mina. It was him.
It was always him.
My past self.
But why would my past self look at me this way?
I thought you would be happy.
Look. My heart beats powerfully. My legs work. I can run. I can do so many things.
Why aren''t you happy?
You couldn''t do any of those things. Is that why you''re mad at me? No, that can''t be the case. Because I am both.
Why aren''t you happy?
It started with my heart, then spread to my legs, then continued spreading. That''s how it went, right, my past self?
Look at me now.
I can grow more arms or legs if needed. I have a tail that''s stronger than my other limbs! I have wings! I have spider legs that grow from my lower back!
Why aren''t you happy?
I made sure to have so many limbs, so that I would always have something to fall back on.
Why aren''t you happy?
Oh. The heart was the main issue. But you have nothing to worry about!
It''s not my heart that''s beating, but a Monster''s!
I stole a Monster''s heart so that I wouldn''t have the same issues!
Still, one heart is a bit... Do you think I should get more? More hearts? More limbs? More lungs? More... More. More!
Why aren''t you happy?
I thought I was doing a good job.
Don''t you think so?
You wanted to run.
I ran.
I ran a lot. I ran to so many ces! I ran towards so many things and...
I also ran away.
But that''s just how running is, right? Like ying tag! You can''t always be chasing...
I don''t understand.
I''ve fought so many.
Ani, Lin, Yarnha, Floor Guardians, and countless other Monsters.
Why are you looking at me like that?
Why do you look angrier than all of them?
What''s wrong with you?
What''s wrong with me?
What did I do wrong?
Why do you hate me so much?
Why are you so angry?
I want to know.
I don''t want to know.
I''m scared of learning about it.
I''m scared that learning about it will change me.
I''m scared of epting you.
I don''t want to!
I want you to stay this way! As a story that I told Elisa!
You''re -The boy who loved running-. I don''t want you to be any more than that!
In the first ce, you''re weak! You''re just a child! You can''t do anything! You died without aplishing anything! You''re useless and helpless to the world around you! You''re... You''re...
You''re not me!
You''re not me...
I don''t want to remember...
Why are you so persistent?
I want to know...
These emotions that I feel, but that aren''t mine... You can make them mine...
If I remember, then those emotions will make sense.
But-
"Coward." The child pointed at the white-scaled Monster, whose body was covered by darkness, just like half of his face.
"Do you hate me?" The white-scaled Monster asked.
The child shook his head.
"Then...?"
"I don''t want you to forget me. You have to remember me!"
The white-scaled Monster remained unmoving for a while as countless thoughts passed through its mind.
"Do you hate me?" The child asked.
The white-scaled Monster was surprised. It took some time before answering,
"I... I think I do."
"Why?"
"I can feel it... Your hatred. But also... My hatred towards you. But I... I don''t understand it."
"Then understand it!" The child shouted enthusiastically.
"Why do you hate so much? Why do you hate me?"
"Because you won''t stop running away! Because you won''t remember! But you have to!"
"Why do I have to?"
"Because... If you don''t remember then... You''ll continue hating me."
"...!" The white-scaled Monster''s eyes widened. "Oh... That makes sense."
"It does?"
"Mm." The white-scaled Monster nodded. "Reborn... I was Reborn... But I kept my memories. The Rebirth creates a clear cleavage between... Both lives. Between the me I used to be, and the me that I, currently, am..." The white-scaled Monster whispered.
"Is that so...?"
"Even if I want to forget about, I can''t. Because you''re part of me..."
"That''s what I''ve been saying!!"
"I can''t get rid of you. If I try to shut you out, you''ll shackle me..."
"Well, if you don''t leave me a choice..."
"Kind of like repressed memories when ites to trauma... Except that this was caused by the Rebirth?"
"Repr... What are those?"
"But... I have been running away from you. Suppressing you. Repressing you. You and... Certain thoughts."
"You shouldn''t do that!" The child shouted as he spread his arms wide. "Why repress anything, if ites from you? Why put chains around your own wrists?"
"Why...? Well, because... Because I didn''t want to disappoint you?"
"Really? You did it for me?" The child asked, his eyes shining.
"I''m... Not sure."
"Oh..."
"You''re not... As scary as I thought."
"Huh? But you''re the Monster here."
"I am. I guess I was scared of..."
"Disappointing me? You did. Countless times."
"Huh... Is that why I''ve been feeling... Weird?"
"Maybe." The child shrugged. "I don''t really know much about these things."
"You''re not so scary now... Why do you hate so much? Who? Why are you so angry?"
"I''ve been trying to tell you. If you would just-"
The white-scaled Monster let out a heavy sigh.
It raised its gaze towards the dark sky above.
Night had fallen. Who knows when?
"I''m done running away from you."
"Really?" The child''s eyes glittered.
The white-scaled Monster rolled its eyes.
"Tell me about it."
It started walking, and the child walked by its side.
"So one day I was watching Tv, and it was this race that-"
"I know that part already."
"Oh. Then... Where should I start-"
The child''s words were interrupted by the white-scaled Monster''sughter.
"What''s so funny?" The child asked as he stopped walking.
The white-scaled Monster turned back.
''There it is...''
Cold lifeless eyes. A hatred deeper than any he had ever witnessed, not even on the face of those staring death in the eyes.
The white-scaled Monster stared into those eyes and,
Are youughing at me?
Because I''m a child you think you canugh?
What''s so funny?
Is it because my heart is weak?
Are youughing because I can''t run?
Don''tugh at me! If I could do those things, I would be better than you! I''D BE BETTER!
Are youughing because I''m sick? Because I''m weak? IF I COULD I WOULD BE...
I''m not a cripple! Don''t call me that! Don''t look at me as if I was one!
WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING AT ME?
You think it''s funny?
You think you can look at me from above andugh? You think you can pity me? I don''t need your pity! Fuck you! Don''tugh at me! Don''t look at me! I hope you slip and hit your head. I hope you hit your head and crack your skull! I hope you cross the road and car runs you over! I hope you burn and-
''What''s wrong with you...?'' The white-scaled Monster let out a dry chuckle.
"Sorry. I''ll listen."
The child stared for a bit, before nodding.
The two took a step forward, and the scenery around them changed.
They walked through the dark forest, but neither talked.
''The Rebirth caused a cleavage... That''s why I can''t remember. That''s why there''s -Me- and -Him-. The separation shouldn''t be there. But then...'' The white-scaled Monster brought a hand to its stomach. ''Here it is... Dread. And intense anxiety. How many times have I run away from them? How many times have I run away from that thought? I can''t...'' The white-scaled Monster stopped walking suddenly. ''Run away from that thought anymore.''
Its hands shook. Its body trembled.
The white-scaled Monster took a deep breath in.
''The Rebirth caused a cleavage. In a way... In a way... My soul is shattered. I need to... Assemble the pieces together. Once they''re assembled, once I remember, once... The different shards put together. Those... Make up... Mark.'' The white-scaled Monster''s breathing grew heavier and heavier with each thought. ''If those make up Mark, then who am I? Am I just a shard? No! I''m Mark. Then who is he? My imagination! A shard. I''m scared... The two of us are standing here... What if I remember? What if everything is put together? What will happen to the -Me- that I am now? Will I disappear? No! He''s the one who will disappear! But we''re both standing here... What I''m the one... What if I''m the one who will-''
Suddenly, the white-scaled Monster''s shaking ceased.
The white-scaled Monster''s breathing stabilized, as its hand was held.
The child was looking away, but his hand had been wrapped around the Monster''s.
The Monster stared at the child for a bit, before raising his gaze and staring ahead.
"Ha..." The white-scaled Monster chuckled dryly. A child grabbing its shaking hand. "You''re strong." The Monster whispered.
"No... I''m weak."
"Mm." The white-scaled Monster nodded as it noticed that the hand holding its own was shaking. "We''re both pretty weak, huh?"
"Maybe..."
The Monster raised its gaze towards the dark sky.
Scales. ws. Numerous limbs. Magic. Yet, still weak.
"That must be disappointing for you... And frustrating."
Chapter 348 Not My Room!
Chapter 348 Not My Room!
The more I think about it, the clearer it bes.
I''m nothing but weak.
I fought for so long. Fighting is practically all I''ve done in this life.
I killed so many. Hundreds? No... Thousands. How many thousands? More than I can count.
And I Devoured them all.
I swallowed all of them.
But I''m still weak.
What was it for?
***
"Why didn''t you kill her? That Commander?" The child asked.
"I didn''t have the strength to do it." The white-scaled Monster answered.
"Don''t lie to me. There were times when shepletely dropped her guard."
"Yeah..."
"Don''t you want to be stronger?"
"I do."
"Then why didn''t you do it?"
"Because... It would have also made me... Weaker." The white-scaled Monster admitted.
"Weaker? How would killing her have made you weaker? Everything you kill makes you stronger. Everything you eat makes you stronger."
"It would have made me weaker... On the inside."
The child nodded.
***
Whether it is on the inside or on the outside, I am weak.
I''m not strong like that Commander. I''m not strong like Zephyr. I''m not strong like Raven...
Compared to them, I am weak.
I''m not strong like Elisa, like Yarnha...
Compared to them, I am weak.
I want to have both those strengths.
And so, I have neither.
I can''t decide.
I can''t choose one.
Act cowardly and Devour the Commander? Act somewhat honorably and remain weak?
Which should I sacrifice?
I chose one this time, but... I don''t know which I''ll choose next time. Which side will win? Which side is more important to me?
I don''t know.
I can''t decide.
I can''t decide because I don''t know. I don''t know because I don''t remember.
But what if I remember and decide to be weak? What if I remember and start feeling disgusted by this life as a Monster?
What if I remember and... One side disappears?
Maybe I should remain this way. Maybe it''s only this way that both sides can remain. In having both sides, I have more! I am more!
But then... I can''t decide.
Because both sides fight, because they sh, because they''re conflicted, because both sides win and lose against one another, nothing seems set in stone.
The future is unpredictable.
Countless ways things could unfold... The pr opposite of how it was in that hospital room.
There''s chaos inside me.
That chaos offers limitless possibilities.
That chaos keeps me from choosing.
To focus on something is to forget about the rest.
To choose an option is to reject the others.
I don''t want to reject certain options. But that''s what it means to decide on something.
I''m too weak to decide. I''m too weak to have both.
If I was stronger, I could have both.
If I was stronger, I wouldn''t lose.
If I was stronger, I wouldn''t have lost to the Demon Lord of Lust.
If I was stronger, I wouldn''t have lost to my own lust.
If I was stronger, I could fight and have them by my side.
If I was stronger, I could fight AND protect them.
But I''m weak. I can''t do both.
I have to decide.
Do I reject my past, or embrace it?
Which option will make me stronger?
***
The child''s hand exerted a bit more pressure, and the white-scaled Monster, which had been deep in thought, raised its gaze.
"Remember it?"
"Yeah... I do."
In front of the two, a room with three walls had appeared.
They stood at the room''s entry.
"Want to go inside?" The child asked, an eye peeking at the white-scaled Monster by his side.
"I don''t want..."
Constricting. Scary. Cage. Trapped. A wingless bird. Dread. What if I won''t be able to leave again? Terrifying. Boring. The room where I lived. The room where I died. What if once again... The doors close and...
"To run away from it anymore." The white-scaled Monster continued as it stepped forward.
The child nodded, and followed.
Across from the two, was a window.
Perpendicr to the wall on the left, was a bed.
Next to the wall on the right, was a small table with two seats.
The white-scaled Monster was surprised. The room was exactly what it thought of as a -hospital room-. It was a copy of the mental image that the Monster had in mind.
The white-scaled Monster chuckled at how ridiculous the thought was.
''Of course, that''s the case... This room...'' It walked into the room, and passed its hand over the walls, table, chairs, and curtains which hid the window.
In doing so, the white-scaled Monster realized why the thought hade to mind earlier.
It turned around. Its eye studied every corner of the room.
The room reminded the Monster of Elisa''s inside the Dungeon.
"What do you think?" The child asked.
The Monster stared profoundly. Or perhaps, absent-mindedly.
A sadness started rising from within.
There was only one way to describe the room. To describe what the Monster thought of the room.
"It''s..."
The room in which years and years had been spent.
The room in which Mark had remained for more than ten years.
"in." The white-scaled Monster sighed. "Is it... It feels like..."
"Like?"
"It feels like it remained the same. Like... This is how it was when I found it. And this is how was when I left it."
"Is that so?"
"The room... Didn''t change. It didn''t change at all. How many years...? How many years did I spend here? And why... Didn''t I have any impact on the room? I could have... Changed it at least."
"Mmm... Well, Mina used to bring flowers to put in the vase that Dad and Mom bought me."
"That''s it...? This was my room... Why didn''t I change anything about it? Why didn''t I make it look... Different? Or nice?"
"Is it that important to you?" The child asked.
The white-scaled Monster walked towards the room''s sole table.
At its center, a vase filled with roses that had long withered.
"Why... Didn''t I make this room mine?" The white scaled Monster whispered, its back to the window and bed.
The sound of curtains being slowly moved resonated.
The white-scaled Monster turned around before raising an arm.
The lighting in was blinding.
"Geh! Too much light..." The childined.
The sun shone brightly.
Faint shouts could be heard from the outside.
The white-scaled Monster walked closer to the window, and so did the child.
"...!"
"Remember them?"
Across from the hospital was a small parking lot. On a wall, a rectangle had been drawn with chalk.
"I think I do..."
The white-scaled Monster stood in front of the window, and watched as the running teenagers in the parking lot dribbled, passed, and shot the ball at their feet, aiming for it to hit the inside of the drawn rectangle.
The white-scaled Monster stood silently.
The teenagers had no faces.
Their clothes changed. The ball they yed with changed.
Even the parking lot went through certain changes.
The rectangle drawn with chalk remained unchanging. No matter how much time passed, that rectangle remained. The same exact rectangle.
The white-scaled Monster slowly raised its hand, beforeying it against the cold window''s ss.
How long had he remained in front of that window, staring at that rectangle?
How many times did he dream about entering that parking lot?
How many times did he dream about reaching that rectangle?
The only thing that remained consistent alongside him. The only thing that never left him. The only that, just like him, never changed.
Squirm-
Squirm-
The white-scaled Monster turned around.
The one area it had refused to approach or touch.
Squirm-
A body so thin it had disappeared under the nket.
A presence so weak it couldn''t be felt.
He struggled to sit up, but eventually did.
His gaze was glued to the nket covering his straightened legs.
He looked to his left.
The white-scaled Monster felt a shiver.
He must have been about 17 or 18 years old.
The despair and hatred were nothing like anything the white-scaled Monster had ever experienced.
"You-"
The child grabbed the Monster''s hand before it could utter a sentence.
Both exchanged a look, before following his gaze.
Unsurprisingly, it led to that rectangle.
The white-scaled Monster stared for a bit, before letting out a sigh.
''That rectangle... Hope, huh?''
It looked around the room, and scratched its head.
''The same room. The same way I found it. The same way I left it. I never... Made this room mine. From the beginning to the end, it was never -My room-. Ha!'' The white-scaled Monster let out a dry chuckle. ''I never gave it that Title. Or rather, I never epted it. This... Was never Home to me. This room was never MY room, so why would I decorate it?''
The white-scaled Monster turned towards the window once more.
The three watched.
''Why would I put effort into it...''
The rectangle, the teenagers ying, the parking lot, the outside world.
''When I''m leaving soon?''
Slowly, they started fading away.
The walls, the outside world, the room...
"Ready? To learn about me?" The child asked.
"Yeah..." The window had disappeared, but the white-scaled Monster''s gaze remained locked in its direction. "I''m ready."
"You called me -The boy who loved running- many times but... That''s not really true."
"It''s not?"
"Mm." The child shook his head. "It''s a bit..." His gaze moved to the ground, and the expression on his face darkened.
"A bit moreplicated than that?"
"Yea..." The child answered without looking up.
"It''s time for me to understand. To understand myself. To understand you. Therefore..."
The scenery started changing once more.
"Show me."
Chapter 349 Leys Fault?
Chapter 349 Ley''s Fault?
As the scenery changed, a thought knocked inside the white-scaled Monster''s mind incessantly.
''Why didn''t he... I expected him to say something...''
With time, people change.
It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that the thirty-year-old -You- and the ten-year-old -You- arepletely different people.
The same person. The same name. And yet...
With the appearance of the seventeen-year-old Mark, the white-scaled Monster had expected him to say his piece. But he had remained silent.
Was his despair just that heavy? So much so that even a few words were too much to ask?
The white-scaled Monster wasn''t sure. But the thought did lead to a question.
''Why am I talking to the younger version of me? Or rather... Why am I seeing a child?''
The older Mark should have more to say. The older Mark should know more. Since he lived longer.
''Is it because I forgot... Even in my past life? No. I don''t think that''s it. Then...''
A puzzling idea.
''I''m... The present me.'' The white-scaled Monster thought. ''Then my past self... My past life is childhood? That life... Is this life''s childhood?''
It made sense.
That childhood cannot be remembered in its entirety. Only bits and pieces remain.
Still, childhood(The past) is what dictates adulthood(The present).
It isn''t rare for unknown emotions and feelings to suddenly rise, and for them to lead to undesirable actions and confusion. The past, if it is remembered, can be the ce where the answers hide. A hatred for authority stemming from hatred for a teacher. A penchant for drinking stemming from hatred for a parent''s penchant. Antisocial behavior stemming from a shyness during childhood.
It isn''t rare nor umon for the past to turn into invisible shackles.
Childhood is a beautiful ce in which fond memories of a carefree time reside.
But perhaps it is because that time is "carefree" that bad memories will stealthily hide in the shadows. They''ll hide and, with time, turn into knots.
''I see you as a child because my past life has be a childhood of sorts. Or maybe because... Because I was just Reborn. How much time has passed? How long have I lived in this World? I do not know. All I know is that... I don''t know anything about this World for now. I don''t understand anything about it. I have only seen tiny pieces of it. In the first ce... It wasn''t that long ago that I...'' The white-scaled Monster scratched its nape and sighed. ''It wasn''t that long ago that I left the ce where I was (Re)born.''
"Remember this ce?"
"A... Gymnasium? Not really but... I can envision it."
"Remember that?" The child asked as he pointed.
"No. I assume that''s where I used to sit."
"That''s right." The child walked and took a seat on the bench. "I stayed here every time. Want to sit too?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"I just... Don''t want to."
"You don''t want to sit on the bench anymore?"
"I don''t."
"You don''t want to watch them y anymore?"
"I don''t."
"It''s fun though."
"Only when you can''t y."
"That''s true..." The child muttered. "But I did have a good time watching them."
"You did?"
"Yeah. It was fun! They were ying. They were having fun. I couldn''t y but... Ugh... I was far from them but... At least I was..."
"At least you were with them?"
"Yes! I couldn''t y, but I shouted a lot! And they answered me too, so that was fun."
"You didn''t hate it? Being unable to y with them?"
"Of course I did!" The child shouted. "They were so close! Having so much fun! Of course, I hated not being able to y. But I didn''t hate watching them."
"Huh? That..."
"Not what you expected?" He asked.
The white-scaled Monster turned towards the center of the gymnasium.
"Come. Sit! It''s starting soon!" The child said as his palm hit the bench repeatedly.
"What''s starting?"
"The match!"
"Don''t you... Want to y?"
"I do."
"Then why do you watch them? Doesn''t it hurt? Seeing them have fun while you''re..."
"Mmm..." The child pondered the question, a hand on his chin. "It does."
"Why... Do you do that to yourself then?"
"Am I supposed to go away once the match starts?"
"Doesn''t it hurt? Having what you want shoved in your face?"
"I want it. So why wouldn''t I want it shoved in my face? Give me more! Haha!"
"Huh? Because... You''re not going to get it-"
The child''s gaze suddenly turned colder than ice.
"Why do you say that?" The child asked, wearing a face showing no signs of emotion which sent a shiver down the white-scaled Monster''s spine.
"Why...? Because-"
A whistle was blown suddenly.
"Come! Sit! It''s starting!"
The white-scaled Monster''s eyes widened.
The expression on Mark''s face inside the gymnasium is too different from the one inside the hospital.
It clicked.
''It doesn''t hurt seeing them. Of course it wouldn''t.'' The white-scaled Monster started walking towards the bench. ''Seeing them gives you hope. It''s like... A dream, isn''t it? There''s nothing more fun for a child than getting to y with other children. You''re not part of the game, so you watch. You''re not part of either of the two teams, so you shout at both. You shout andugh, because maybe next week... You''ll get to y. Just like inside the hospital. Keeping the room the same way it was. Because maybe next week... I''ll be better, and I''ll get to leave.''
With its knees inches away from the bench, the white-scaled Monster remained standing while staring at the child.
The child''s eyes were brimming with excitement.
If it''s this fun to watch, imagine how fun it will be to y!
With a heavy heart, the white-scaled Monster sat on the bench.
"What are you doing?" The child asked candidly.
The white-scaled Monster had its elbows on its knees, its palms covered its face.
"Don''t you want to watch?"
The Monster sighed.
"Let''s watch... Onest time."
"Mm!" The child nodded enthusiastically.
How did the child lose his enthusiasm?
How did he lose his joy? His passion?
''Let''s watch...''
The death of hope.
"Oh, by the way..." The child started, and the white-scaled Monster turned its gaze towards him.
"Mm?"
"I hate Elisa."
"You do?"
"Yeah..."
"I love her."
"I know."
"Why do you hate her?"
"I''m not sure. Why do you love her?"
"I''m not sure. Love is moreplex than hatred."
"It is?"
Nod-
"Then I think... I hate her for the same reason that you love her."
"What''s that supposed to mean?"
"I''m not sure..."
"Let''s just watch."
"So you like watching others y!"
"Now that I can y... Yes."
"There was this girl. Ley."
"I don''t remember her."
"She was funny. I hated her. At first."
"Why?"
"Because she didn''t like ying."
"That''s why you hated her?"
"Yes. Because she could y with the others. But she still decided to sit on this bench. Every time."
"Didn''t that make you feel less lonely?" The white-scaled Monster asked.
"It did... But I still hated her."
"Did she leave the bench at one point?"
"She did. She started ying more. She started having more fun."
"That''s when you hated her?"
"No. I stopped hating her before that."
"She was on the bench just like you... But now she gets to y."
"Yes."
"She got exactly what you wanted."
"She did."
"You thought the two of you were in the same boat. But it turned out that you were alone? That this was your bench and yours alone?"
"No. I was happy to see her y. I even started liking her... I think."
"She gave you hope then?"
"She did."
"You thought that just like her, you would get to y after some time?"
"Yes, but not just because she got to y."
"Then?"
"She gave me... Hope. And a n. A n that would allow me to yter on."
"A n?"
"Yes. After she followed that n, she started ying more and more. She started having more fun."
"That sounds weird."
"Does it? Haha."
"What was the n?"
"Can you see her?" The child asked suddenly while pointing.
"That''s Ley?"
"Yes."
"She''s that important?"
"Ley is... She''s..."
"She''s?"
"The one with whom it began. It''s all... Her fault."
"What did she do? Why is it her fault?"
"It''s her fault that... It''s her fault that..." The child''s hands shook. "It''s her fault... That I got my hopes up."
The white-scaled Monster''s eyes narrowed.
"She let you down?"
"No... She didn''t do anything wrong. We were just... Different."
"What''s that supposed to mean?"
"It was just... Childish hope... I was just... I just wanted to... Get better... I just wanted to... Be stronger..."
"Because of your weak heart?" The white-scaled Monster questioned, ignoring the child''s shuddering.
"She gave me hope. I thought I could do it too... I thought I could do it too... But then... It didn''t work for me... I just wanted to..."
The white-scaled Monster didn''t really understand. But the child''s shuddering made it obvious that it was important. The child''s shuddering, and the emotion of dread that had started rising suddenly.
"Mom and Dad stoppeding to see me. I lost all my friends. No one came to see me. I was alone in that room. I had no one. I couldn''t run. I couldn''t walk. I couldn''t move. My heart wasn''t beating enough. I was trapped. I was slowly... Slowly dying. I couldn''t do anything. I just wanted to y with them!" The child shouted, tears going down his face.
"What happened?"
"It was my fault. I... I..."
"Being born that way doesn''t make it your f-"
"IT WAS MY FAULT!"
"Fine then..." The white-scaled Monster''s scratched its neck multiple times. "Show me."
Chapter 350 Ley
Chapter 350 Ley
"Mark, I have a note from your doctor. Ley, I have a note from your mother."
The two children, six years of age, stared awkwardly at their PE teacher.
"Mm... Since the two of you aren''t participating today, maybe you would rather stay in the ssroom? It''s your choice of course. Just if you would rather do something else. Like homework or read a book?"
The two exchanged a look and turned towards the teacher at once.
The young Mark''s lips parted. But before he could say a thing,
"Yes! Let''s uh... Let''s do that." Ley said with glittering eyes.
"Is that okay with you, Mark?"
The hesitant Mark turned towards her and her shining eyes.
Nod-
...
"The first one is Bloom! She''s my favorite! She can control and use fire to attack her enemies. She''s super beautiful and can make fire balls and stuff! I love her hair!"
"Fire? That''s so cool!"
"This one can control the earth and make roots rise from the ground to stop the enemies. She''s really cute."
"So she can control nature? So cool!"
"Right?" Ley was excited to talk about her favorite cartoon show. She had taken the seat in front of Mark, and was seated with her arms on the chair''s back. "This one can control water..." She pointed at the different characters on her notebook''s cover. She liked that notebook a lot.
With unending enthusiasm and amazement, Mark listened to her as she told him about each character and the powers they could wield.
But from time to time, when the discussion wasn''t about powers anymore,
"And sometimes she turns evil, right? Which is actually one of the reasons she''s my favorite! Her hair bes messy and her clothes change. At first, I didn''t like her a lot, cause she was a bit scary. But then I realized that I loved her style a lot! Anyways, at one point she even turns against her friends and her boyfriend! Ughh! I liked him so much and it was so scary when she went against him. But then eventually the good Bloom came back and... Hey, are you listening to me?"
"Mm? Oh, yes, yes. The good one came back. Then?"
''Ughh! So annoying! He''s not listening but he is listening at the same time!'' Ley felt rather frustrated by that as it wasn''t the first time.
Once in a while, his gaze would wander and she would totally lose him!
"What are you looking at... Anyways..."
Ley winced.
It was the gymnasium.
"So? What happens after?"
With her lips pressed together, Ley turned her head repeatedly.
"Do you... Want to go see them?" She reluctantly asked.
Mark looked to the right, then to the left, then to the ceiling.
Nod-
"Let''s... Go..." Her eyebrow was twitching.
"REALLY?!"
...
"HIT THE BALL HARDER!"
"I''M TRYING!!"
"HAHAHAHA!"
''Howe? What''s so fun about watching them? Oh... It''s because they''re having fun. I''d like to have fun with them too.'' Ley thought to herself, seated on the bench next to the energetic Mark. ''I like seeing them y. I like seeing them have fun. No, I hate it. Because the more I see it, the more I want to be part of it. But every time I be part of it, they stop having as much fun. They stopughing as much. They don''t pass to me. They hate me-''
"Why don''t you y too?"
''You''re only asking now??''
"Uh... Because... They don''t like it. When I y with them."
"So?"
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SO?" Ley flinched as she noticed that her sudden shout had caught the teacher''s attention. "I don''t... Know how to y well."
"What? You just have to run and hit the ball."
"... It''s not that simple."
"It is!"
"It''s not! I get scared when they hit the ball towards me! Andst time... Last time..."
"When you stepped on the ball and fell?"
"Yes, it was-"
"Bahahhaha! That was so funny!"
"Don''tugh at me! They were so mad at me for... For messing it up."
"But it was funny. I wasughing so hard! Plus, the same happened to... I can''t remember who. But it did happen before."
"I know."
"If you know that, then why are you still mad about it?"
"Because it''s different!"
"How is it different?"
"When it happened to Eliott... Everyoneughed. When it happened to me... They all just..."
"I wasughing." Mark said, his index finger pointed to his face.
"They don''t like me being there. I can feel it every time. They won''t pass to me. I know I''m not a good yer but... I wish they wouldugh like you do when I mess up."
"Mmmm... You are a scaredy-cat, that''s true."
"Thanks for hitting me where it hurts." Her eyebrow twitched.
"I have fun watching you y. It''s really funny seeing you try and mess up. Plus... If you try and it works, that would totally be super cool. I think. I like seeing you y, so you should!"
"I... Don''t know..."
Ley ended up entering the ball about ten minutester. Mostly because Mark pestered her.
She touched the ball three times. She didn''t receive one pass. She hated being there.
Ley thought it would be better and easier with him watching, but it ended up being worse.
She wanted to show off in a way, but was unable to do that.
...
"Wee home, Ley! Are you hungry? I just-"
"I''m not... I''m not hungry mom..."
"You''re not? I just made-"
"I''m going to my room."
The young Ley walked up the stairs.
"What''s up with her?"
"Don''t pester her again. You were a handful when you were younger too."
"I was?" Frank, Ley''s older brother, chuckled. "I''ll go pester her still! After eating though."
...
''He said he wanted me to y... Tsk! I couldn''t do anything. I couldn''t even mess up! They would rather do anything than pass to me. I should just... I should just stop ying. But he... Ughh!''
"Hiyaaa!" Frank shouted as he entered the room without knocking. He found his younger sister on her bed, lying on her stomach and face, her school clothes and backpack still on. "What''s up with you?"
"Why do you care? Want me make fun of me? Want to bully me again? Leave me alone!"
"I would you assume that...?" He whispered to himself.
Stop pestering her again-
''Geh...''
"How was school?"
"What kind of question is that? What are you, grandpa?"
''Annoying... Brat...!'' His eyebrow twitched. It seemed to run in the family.
"ssmates? Or is it a teacher?"
"Why do you care?"
"Must be a teacher, since you''re always mad on Mondays. Though Mondays do have that effect on me too..."
"What do you want?"
"Oh. Don''t tell me... Is it still the football thing? Bahahah! Are you mad because you suck-"
She was mad, and on the verge of crying.
Frank was used to making fun of his younger sister. But her face as she turned around was enough for him to stop right away.
Ley was probably about to curse. Or, perhaps, about to scream -MOOOOM-. Before she could do either, Frank had disappeared.
''Stupid big brother... Always making fun of me, I hate you! I wish Mark was my brother! I wish-''
"Ley." He had reappeared.
"WHAT DO YOU W-"
He raised the ball in his hand.
"Want to y for a bit? Before dinner?"
Her eyes wandered left and right.
"Didn''t you eat dinner already?"
"Just cookies. It''s only 5pm. Want to y?"
"Why? So you can make fun of me?"
''Why does she have to be so difficult?!''
"You know, I can teach you some things. I used to be one of the best yers in my ss."
"Really?" She asked, doubtful. "I don''t think so. Only saw you y volleyball. And even in volleyball, you''re not all that."
''Cheeky... Brat...!!''
"I''m way better than you at volleyball."
"Only because she you''re older."
''...!''
"This is thest time I''m offering. Do you want me to help you get better or not?"
"..."
I like seeing you y, so you should-
"Okay... I guess..."
"Haha! You won''t regret that."
"Somehow, I doubt that..." Ley whispered as she pushed herself off the bed.
"Don''t worry. I''ll make sure you can score three times by next Monday. I won''t let anyone bully my sister. Only I can do that. Ha ha ha!"
''... Seriously?'' Dumbfounded.
Nevertheless, she followed him to the front yard.
...
"So? What... Do you think?" Ley asked. She was breathing heavily. Her face was covered with sweat.
Frank put a foot on the ball, taking a pose he liked, before,
"You suck."
"I KNOW THAT! YOU DON''T HAVE TO BE SO BLUNT! AND YOU''RE NOT HELPING! BYE!"
She started walking away when,
"You freeze up when I hit the ball towards you. Sometimes, I wasn''t even hitting hard. So it''s not that they don''t want to pass to you. Just me acting like I''m going to hit the ball makes you freeze."
"..."
"Even if they pass to you, you get scared of the ball."
"I can''t help it!"
"Your dribbling also sucks. Well, can''t even call that dribbling. You have no bnce. Just running with the ball is too much to ask from you."
"..."
"But you can hit the ball. You''re fast, and have good endurance. Therefore..."
"Therefore...?"
Ley hated her brother''s theatrical pauses.
A silent thumbs-up.
"THIS ISN''T ONE OF YOUR MANGAS! SPEAK! IN THE FIRST PLACE, READING FOOTBALL MANGAS DOESN''T MEAN YOU KNOW FOOTBALL-"
"Ha ha ha." He chuckled as he pushed his hair back. "There''s hope, Ley."
"I''m so... Annoyed... Right now...!"
"Every day after school!" He shouted as he pointed at her. "I''m turning you into a football hyena."
Ley fell to her knees, exasperated.
"Just... Because... You read Manga... Doesn''t mean..."
Still, he was willing to help. And he was the only one who could.
"Fine then. Let''s do it."
Handshake-
...
The next day, sses had just ended.
''She didn''t have much fun yesterday... Plus she didn''t finish telling me about...''
Mark walked towards her.
"Ley. Want to go get some chips? You can continue telling me about what happened when the good-"
"Sorry Mark, I can''t. I''m busy. I have to hurry home."
"Really? Okay..."
"My brother is helping me with something! It''s going to be super amazing! You''ll see!"
"I will?"
"Yeah! Want to hear about it? He even gave it a name."
"Tell me. Tell me!"
"I''m currently undergoing..." Ley took a dramatic pose, with her hand covering part of her face. "My Secret Training Arc." She blushed, slightly embarrassed to have been influenced by her brother. "Anyways! You''ll see! All of you!" She shouted, before running to her mother who hade pick her up from school.
''Secret... Training... Arc...'' The words repeated inside Mark''s mind many times.
He had no idea what it meant but,
"That sounds... So cool!"
Chapter 351 Hope Shrouded In Darkness
Chapter 351 Hope Shrouded In Darkness
Mom, Dad. Do you think I will be able to y next week?
It''ll depend on how it goes with the doctor?
I can never tell how it is. How the appointment went.
Maybe because they usually don''t go very well. That''s why I can''t y, right?
Since I haven''t yed with them once, I guess no appointment has gone well for now.
But maybe this one, right? Maybe the next one.
Mom. Why do you look so sad?
Dad. Why do you look so frustrated?
Did I do something wrong?
Should I stop asking about it? But I want to y with... Did I do something wrong?
Mom. Why are you apologizing?
***
It''s been ten weeks now.
There are only two weeks of football left. After that, we will switch to another sport. They... Will switch.
Mom said that the doctor told her that I won''t be able to y.
Apparently, my heart is weak or something. I don''t really understand what that means. They just won''t let me y. Mom looked really sad when telling me. I wonder if it''s my fault. I don''t think I''ve done anything wrong though...
Dad said the same thing. He apologized too. I can''t figure out what they''re apologizing for. Their words keep spinning in my head. I can''t figure it out.
Apparently, the doctor doesn''t expect that I will be ying next week. Or the week after that.
We were going to the doctor weekly. But, apparently, that''s not what we were supposed to do. We were going more often than we were supposed to.
I think that Dad and Mom wanted to check with the doctor more than he wanted to check. They were pestering him... Maybe? I don''t like going to the doctor anyways. It doesn''t help. I hate going there. I always get my hopes up for nothing. It would be better to just not go.
Anyways.
That''s not what I want to be thinking about now!
I was to watch the match!
But I won''t be able to... No, I will be. One day. How? If the doctor says... If Mom and Dad say... One day?
***
"23. We can y matches 12 versus 11?" The PE teacher asked once more.
Immediately, all eyes turned towards her but,
"What are you looking at?" Ley sneered.
Instantly, the eyes turned back towards the PE teacher, which surprised her a lot.
The worst yer had refused to leave. And so,
"I''ll... I don''t feel so well, I''ll go sit."
The second worst weakly stood up and walked away.
Whistle-
Whistle-
Whistle-
Amazing! They''re all ying so well! They''re all ying way better than at the beginning! They got so much better!
I wish I could get better too-
It''s so close! Everyone is running so fast! Everyone keeps moving up and down the... Not Ley? She never crossed the center line... Ley! Go back! You have to defend, or they''ll score! Huh... I don''t get it. Everyone defends and attacks. Everyone moves up and down. Why aren''t you? And why do you look more tired than them? Oh. It''s because you''ve been running more than them. Howe?
Each side scored three times. Amazing! They score way less than before, but they y way better. Interesting. Because they also get better at not letting the other score!
Whistle-
It''s about to end! It''s still 3-3! No way! Is it going to be the first draw? Ley, do something! I wish I could y next week... With me, it would definitely not end as a draw. Wait, Mia is running. Go! She''s going past all of them.
...
''I haven''t... Been able to do anything.'' An exhausted Ley thought as she fought to hold back her tears.
They had shouted at her a lot.
Go there-
Do this-
Do that-
Why can''t you do anything right-
She did her best not to listen to them. She did her best not to let it get to her. She had a game n, you see. She did her best to remember what her brother had helped her with over the course of the whooole week.
It''s either going to be super cool, or superme-
I don''t want it to be superme-
Don''t worry, it''ll go well. If you get lucky-
''Mia is running... There''s no one. Elliott! Should I follow Mia? Should I stay behind to stop Eliott from scoring? Should I...?''
As Mia approached the goal area, with Eliott standing in her way, Ley remembered her brother''s words.
Despite being exhausted, she ran as fast as she could.
From the sidelines, a young Mark thought she looked very cool. She hadn''t done much. She had barely touched the ball. Yet, there were times when he could get excited. Times when his eyes would suddenly move towards her, as if she was about to do something. What was she trying to do? He couldn''t tell. But he could feel something.
3-3
The time to score was now.
Mia was running. So was Eliott and Ley.
If Eliott takes the ball now, it''s over.
Ley suddenly appears that Mia''s right.
''If she passes to Ley, it''s over.'' Is what everything would have thought, had they even a bit of trust in Ley''s capacity.
3-3
3-3
The one who scores now...
The closest matchpared to any other counting from the beginning of the school year.
The one who scores now, the team that wins now, will get unlimited bragging rights!
Despite Eliott standing in her way, Mia prepares to shoot! The bragging rights will be hers!
Instantly, shivers made the hairs on Mark''s arms stand up.
''Why is Ley... Running faster now?''
Mia shoots!
Eliott blocks!
The ball rises in the air, and Mark can see it!
He can see it!
He can!
As the ball is rising in the air, he can see its trajectory!
He can see when it''s going to start falling!
He can see how high it will get before it starts falling!
He can see the speed at which it will fall!
He can see where it will fall!
Mark can see it all!
His back straightens!
His heart starts beating faster!
How long had she been running that way? How long had she been ying, waiting for such a moment?
A vision appears in Mark''s mind.
''Do it!''
His heart starts beating faster than ever.
The one who was always on the bench! The one who couldn''t y! The one who justst week wasining about it!
The one that''s just like me! The one who used to sit next to me! The same as me!
Do it!
The way the ball is falling, the way it''s going... I can see it! Do it! Show me that... I can-
It appeared in Mark''s mind. A vision of what was about to happen. What could happen.
His heart beat so fast!
He was so excited!
But when came to time to see it,
''What... What is...?''
Dark spots suddenly appeared.
Dark spots clouded his vision.
''No! I... I can''t see... I want to see it!''
The child clenched his teeth.
The child fought against it.
But eventually, the dark spots multiplied and grew in size so much that everything disappeared.
Everything had disappeared.
In front of the child, darkness.
His heart had never beat faster.
''No! I want to see it!''
The child shouted internally,cking the energy to do so externally.
Darkness.
The child couldn''t tell whether his eyes were open or closed.
The child didn''t care. All he cared about, was seeing her! Seeing her do it! Seeing her, who was just like him, do it!
Because maybe... Maybe if she could... If she could... Then maybe...
But it didn''t go back.
The darkness didn''t disappear.
The child screamed cried and shouted.
But none could hear his screams.
***
''Just like... Frank said.'' Ley thought to herself as she ran.
Mia shot the ball, it hit Eliot''s leg and wasunched upwards.
Now is the time, Ley!
Do it!
You''ve been training all week!
Do it!
Ley took a step to right, adjusting her position slightly.
''I get scared when the ball is shot. When it''s shot at me. I get scared when they raise their legs, about to shoot. I get scared when the balles towards me. But now, I''m not scared...'' Ley thought to herself as the ball started its descent. ''When the balles from above, I''m... not scared at all. The balling from above... That''s a real pass.''
Her eyes burned with determination.
Why?
Because her idiot brother had been pestering her all week. He had even forced her to start reading a certain manga about football. Ley hated Mangas. She, by far, would have rathered watching Cartoons. She hated Mangas. But this one was the first she ever tried reading.
''A ball from above... Like a set... In a volleyball. I think...''
She raised her leg.
''I think I can hit this one well.''
Kick-
Whistle- Whistle- Whistle-
Ley would grow to love both football and Manga.
"Huh? You actually pulled it off?" Her brother wouldter question, dumbfounded. "No way, I call cap."
She also grew closer to her brother who, nevertheless, wouldn''t stop pestering her.
Chapter 352 Research For Training!
Chapter 352 Research For Training!
Don''t think about it too much-
Wait patiently for when the ball is about to hit the floor-
And then-
The whole gymnasium had gone silent.
None even moved, as the ball rolled down the.
The ball hit the floor and,
Whistle-
"AHHHHH!!!!! LEY!!!"
"I CAN''T BELIEVE THIS!!"
"I CAN''T BELIEVE WE LOST!"
''I...'' Ley had remained frozen. ''I did it. I-'' Until,
"THAT WAS AMAZING!"
"YOU SHOULD''VE TOLD US YOU COULD SHOOT LIKE THAT!"
"PLAY ON OUR TEAM NEXT TIME!"
"NO WAY, WE''RE TAKING LEY!"
"NU-UH! SHE''S WITH US!"
In an instant, all her ssmates had swarmed around her.
"THAT WAS AMAZING!"
"YOU''RE SO GOOD! WHY DIDN''T YOU SAY SO?"
"I am...? Hahaha..." Leyughed awkwardly as they praised and asked her to join their team for the next PE ss.
"AMAZING!"
"WHY DID YOU HIDE THAT YOU WERE SO GOOD?!"
Their eyes were brimming.
So much so, that Ley forgot herself for a bit.
She celebrated with them, but quickly remembered.
This wasn''t what she wanted.
She didn''t want to celebrate with them!
The person she wanted to celebrate with was...
Ley quickly turned in his direction.
She had finally done it. She had scored! Now everyone wanted to y with her! Those who didn''t want her before! Those who ignored her before!
The only one she really cared about was...
''What...?!''
Taking a nap on the bench.
Her shock turned into anger but,
"PLAY WITH US NEXT TIME!"
"Um... Sure?"
"WHAT? WHAT ABOUT US..."
Mark was taking a nap. Heid awkwardly on the bench.
None had noticed. Not even him. None would ever know of it.
The day of his first heart attack.
...
"Why are you ignoring me? I said I-"
"You were sleeping! I can''t believe it! You missed my super special kick! It was amazing! I was amazing! I... Am amazing!"
"I''m telling you I didn''t miss it! I saw it!"
"No, you didn''t!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!!"
"I saw it!"
"Howe you were sleeping then?"
"I... Don''t know. It hurt, and then... I was asleep? Anyways, it was amazing!"
"Don''t act like you saw it!"
"But... I did!"
"Bahahaha! I''m amazing!"
"You are! You are!"
"Hehehe! Now I''ll get to... No! If I tell my brother that he actually helped then... I''ll never hear the end of it!"
"He did?"
"Yes! I told you about it. My secret training arc!"
''Secret... Training... Arc...!''
"What does that mean?"
"I''m not sure... My brother told me about it."
The young Mark pressed his lips together.
He raised his gaze to the ceiling.
''Wish I had a brother...''
...
"Please! Please, Mom!"
"Not now, Mark. I told you to wait for a bit."
"Please! While you''re cooking dinner! Please, Mom! Can I use theputer, please!"
"Fiiine! Only for a bit though!"
"Yes!"
Minutester, the young Mark was seated in front of the desk.
He stared at the search bar for a while.
His mother had opened a window with his favorite game, "Sonic RPG".
But that wasn''t what he was looking for now.
Mark''s fingers shyly moved to the keyboard and back a couple of times.
He was acutely aware of the beating of his own heart, and of what had happened earlier in the day.
The young boy typed the letters slowly.
Secret-
Training-
Arc-
The search engine focused on one of the three words.
Mark scrolled for a bit, and a video was rmended.
The child''s eyes widened.
The thumbnail was simple.
A man, about 25 years of age.
There was nothing else.
Just a man.
But a man like none the child had ever seen.
Mark''s eyebrows frowned slightly.
Everything was different. Yet, everything was the same.
He had two arms, like everybody else. But the child had never seen arms like that.
Shoulders unlike any he had seen.
Even the man''s smile was strange. The way he was standing.
His arms, his shoulders, chest, his posture, and his smile. Everything pointed towards it.
It all projected one thing.
Strength.
With a sense of awe and admiration, the child stared for a while.
He stood up and walked towards the mirror.
Smile-
It didn''t look the same.
Smile-
Not at all.
The child shook his head and went back to the desk.
Scratch- Scratch-
Mark''s hand slowly moved away from his cheek and towards theputer mouse.
The boy clicked on the video and,
CLAP-
Mark immediately pulled back, startled by the sound of the man hitting his palms together.
An intro for the video started.
Clips of the man pulling bars off the floor, one with more weight than the next.
Mark had no idea what could be considered heavy or not objectively. Still, those looked very heavy.
And the man looked very strong.
So you want to have a better body?-
You want to look better?-
You want to be stronger?-
The child looked to the right, and then to the left.
''What I want is...''
If you want bigger biceps, you have to curl some heavy weights! But don''t forget that the arm isn''t only made of the biceps! You also have to think about your triceps-
Absent-mindedly, the child watched.
If you want a bigger chest, you have to...
If you want a thicker back, you have to... If you want a wider back, you have to...
Mark turned towards the mirror before pulling up his shirt. He moved his right shoulder forward.
''Is that how a back is supposed to look like?''
Don''t forget about nutrition. This might make me sound like an old man, but you are what you eat! Muscle is built inside the kitchen! What you eat is...
Mark scratched his head.
''Maybe this isn''t...''
Consistency is key! You can''t stop or give up just because you don''t feel like it! You have to continue! You have to keep going!
The child had grown bored by the content, but the man''s passion and the strength projected kept him watching.
And don''t tell me about: Oh, it hurts. It''s good that it hurts! What do you do when you want to run for longer, huh? Do you run for a bit then stop? No! That''s not how you train your cardio! Your muscles are just like you''re heart! What do you do when you can''t run much? When running is painful? When your cardio is subpar? Having a weak bicep is the same as having a weak heart. And what do you do when you have a weak heart?
The boy''s body froze.
As fast as he could, he hit the spacebar on the keyboard.
A shiver went down his spine.
What do you do when you have a weak heart?-
The question he had been asking himself for so long.
The answer he had been looking for all this time.
A question that the adults couldn''t answer. Not his parents, not the doctors, not the teachers.
But maybe...
Could it be?
Does this man have the answer?
Rewind-
And what do you do when you have a weak heart?
''What do you do? Tell me!''
You run! It''s obvious, isn''t it? You have a weak heart, that''s why you can''t run for long. So you must run! Obviously! The same is true for any muscle! If it''s weak, that means you didn''t use it enough! That means you didn''t train it enough! Make your heart work, and it''ll grow stronger! Make your back work, and it''ll grow thicker and wider!
The child hurriedly hit the spacebar, a frown on his face.
His hands shook slightly.
''Really?''
Your body thinks of it this way. If you don''t use it, that means you don''t need it! And if you don''t need it, then you lose it! Why waste energy keeping it big and strong when you''re not even using it. See? That''s how your body thinks! If you don''t even use it now, then why would your body make it stronger! You need to show your body that it needs to grow stronger! You need to use your body for it to grow stronger! Whether it''s your heart, chest, deltoids, or quads. Get it?
Puzzling.
The child looked away.
It seemed to make sense.
It seemed to make sense...
I always see all of you yapping about it in thements. Do you think building a body like this is easy? It isn''t! It''s going to hurt! And you should be thankful that it hurts!
''I should...?''
If it hurts, that means that it''s working! If it hurts, then that means your body can barely handle it! That''s when your muscles are really working! So if it hurts, keep going! The reps you do, once it hurts, are worth dozens of those before the pain! If it hurts, then it''s working! It''s not easy looking this way! So, are you ready? Are you ready to take your body to the next level? It won''t be easy. It won''t be a walk in the park. It will be the hardest thing you have ever done! It will hurt like nothing else. Only those who keep going once it starts to hurt, will be able to change themselves and their body! No matter what, keep going! If it hurts, smile! Remember! Pain is...
''Pain is...''
Chapter 353 Remember, Pain Is...
Chapter 353 Remember, Pain Is...
Only those who keep going once it starts to hurt, will be able to change themselves and their body! No matter what, keep going! If it hurts, smile! Remember! Pain is...
''Pain is... We-''
"Mark, time for dinner."
The child shuddered as his name was uttered from behind him.
"Okay."
"What are you watching?" His father asked.
"Dad..."
"Mm?"
The child rewinded the video.
"Can you do that?" Mark asked as he pointed, having gone back to the video''s introduction clips.
"Hahaha! Did a friend send you a link to one of these muscleheads? Of course I can''t. These people spend their lives to be able to do that. It''s a bit stupid if you ask me. Spending so much time moving things around for no reason. What do you think?"
"I... Don''t know. He looks very strong."
"I think it''s better to be smart than strong in this world. Don''t you agree? Smart people are the ones who get ahead nowadays."
"Really?"
"Yes. Now, let''s go eat dinner with Mom, okay?"
"Kay..."
The child followed his father out of the room.
But he did turn back towards thatputer screen for a bit.
Towards that confidant man and his smile.
''I... Want to be strong.''
The child''s gaze went to his father.
I''m sorry, Mark-
The doctors say that you have a weak heart, so-
What? Why? Is there anything I can do? Why is my heart-
Let''s leave it to the doctors, okay? They will tell us when-
The child scratched his neck.
You have a weak heart-
So you must run-
Mark would cling to those words.
Why trust that man?
Because he had given an answer. And none else had given the boy a clear one.
A clear answer about what he could do.
Mark spent some more time in front of theputer after dinner.
''Maybe he knows better...''
None had an answer except him after all.
Don''t exert yourself
Be careful
You can y, but no sports for you. If you feel tired, you have to stop-
The young boy was tired of these ''answers''.
He was tired of being told what not to do. He wanted to be told what to do.
...
A couple of dayster,
"Mom! Can I go to the park?"
"Umm. You want us to go?"
"I''m going with Ley and Eliott!"
A white lie.
"Oh, friends from school?"
Nod-
"Sure. I''lle for you in an hour or so, okay?"
"Two hours!"
"What?"
"Please!"
"I''ll think about it."
"Yes!!"
About fifteen minutester, the young boy stood on grass-covered ground.
He took a deep breath, taking in the scenery and fresh air.
The young Mark raised his arms to the sides and,
''The beginning... Of my Super Secret Training Arc!''
He could feel goosebumps all over his body.
A way to change anything.
He had finally found it.
An answer.
THE answer.
''Okay...''
Countless birds were chirping.
Children and adults filled the parents. Some were ying, some were having pics on the grass.
All wereughing and having a good time.
But not the child standing away from them all.
He wasn''t here to have a good time.
He was here to change his future.
Here to fight against his condition.
To fight against the shackles he had been born with.
The young Mark tilted his center of gravity forward and ced his right foot forward.
''Next time... Just like Ley... I''ll be ying with them!''
He started running.
You can''t put too much weight at first. You have to slowly increase it, so that your body can adapt to it. But you can''t go too light either! You need to pace yourself-
''This feels-''
Mark, don''t exert yourself-
He stopped as he was suddenly reminded of his mother''s words.
It won''t be easy bing strong! People hate change in general, so you should expect some of your friends getting mad at you. Especially the fat ones, haha! For me, even my family members started distancing themselves from me. This is too much, they said. You spend too much time working on your body, theyined. But only YOU know what YOU want! So don''t listen to them! Trust yourself! Believe in yourself! Keep going-
The boy started running again.
Slight guilt knocked on the doors to his heart. The door remained shut.
Trust yourself!
The boy ran as he thought about the future.
About ying with his ssmates next week.
About ying with Ley.
About scoring a goal!
How amazing would that be?
Minutes passed.
Tiredness.
The boy thought about scoring many goals!
The boy thought about the events he had seen on Tv.
The Olympics! The World Cup!
Bing a sprinter! Bing a professional footballer!
Having so many cheering. So many looking at him! So many shouting his name! So many encouraging him!
THEN WHAT SHOULD I DO?-
Next week, we''ll ask the doctor again-
The boy shook his head and continued running.
His breathing grew heavier.
Until breathing became a difficult and arduous task to perform.
His legs had started burning.
His heart was beating.
The boy could hear his heart beating.
It was beating fast! Loudly!
Maybe it wasn''t true after all! Maybe they were mistaken! Maybe my heart isn''t weak! I can hear it after all! How could it be weak when I can hear it?
He continued running until there were none having pics anymore. Until people only appeared sporadically in his peripheral vision.
The park was vast. There was more than enough ce.
So he continued running.
Legs.
Lungs.
Throat.
They started hurting.
They burned.
The boy thought about stopping.
But something clicked.
And that something kept him going.
''I want to stop... Because my heart is weak! I need to keep going!''
Your body thinks of it this way. If you don''t use it, that means you don''t need it-
''I''ll use it!''
And if you don''t need it, then you lose it-
''I need it! I won''t lose it! I''ve never felt this way before! That must be why!''
It burned. It burned.
It hurt. It hurt. But he wasn''t scared of the pain!
''I haven''t been using it! That''s why it''s weak!''
The boy stumbled, fell to the ground, and stood back up as fast as he could.
No breaks. No pauses. No rest. You''ve had enough rest until now! It''s time to use your body now!
You need to show your body that it needs to grow stronger-
''I''ll show you! I''ll show you!''
The boy ran and ran.
''I''ll show you!''
He clenched his teeth and kept going.
''I''ll show you...''
He clenched his fists as he ran.
''It hurts...''
Do you think building a body like this is easy? It isn''t! It''s going to hurt! And you should be thankful that it hurts-
His lips slowly curled up as they twitched.
The boy smiled through the pain as he ran!
Nothing could stop him now!
If it hurts, that means that it''s working!
''Yes!''
The reps you do, once it hurts, are worth dozens of those before the pain! If it hurts, then it''s working!
''I''ll keep going! I won''t stop!''
It won''t be easy.
''It''s not!''
It will be the hardest thing you have ever done!
''It is!''
It will hurt like nothing else.
''It does!''
Only those who keep going once it starts to hurt, will be able to change themselves and their body!
''I''ll keep going!''
No matter what, keep going!
''It hurts so much!''
If it hurts, smile!
''It hurts so much... I''ll keep going!'' Tears started going down the boy''s face
Remember! Pain is...
''I''ll be strong! Super strong! My heart will be super strong! I''ll y with all of them next time! I won''t be on the bench anymore! I won''t be alone anymore! I''ll y with them! I''ll be the best! I''ll have them fighting to have me on their team! I won''t be alone anymore!''
The boy held on and held on and held on!
Until at one point, it didn''t hurt anymore.
His eyes widened as his face rxed.
It didn''t hurt anymore.
Why doesn''t it hurt?
Because it worked!
I kept going! Now I''m stronger!
Secondster, the boy suddenly copsed to his knees.
''Huh? What is... What...?''
Dark spots appeared. Out of nowhere, they covered his vision.
It was terrifying.
What the hell were those dark spots?
The boy wanted to shout! He wanted to scream!
He couldn''t.
When you can''t keep going, when you''ve reached your absolute limit, rest. Lie down, and rest-
The boy instinctively understood that he had reached his absolute limit.
And so, just like the man on theputer screen had said, the young Marky on the ground.
But as soon as he did,
ARGHHHH-
His throat refused to let him scream!
Panic!
His whole body trembled as more dark spots covered his field of vision!
What were those dark spots?? Was the world disappearing? Was he disappearing?? What were those dark spots?? The child had no idea!
The pain was greater than anything else the boy had ever gone through. It was just like that man had said! That mad was right!
It hurt more than anything! His throat, his lungs, his legs, his heart! Everything hurt!
Remember, pain is...
The boy tried breathing, but couldn''t!
He couldn''t move, shout, or breathe!
He couldn''t do a thing!
Everything hurt!
Remember, pain is...
The world around him disappeared. Everything disappeared. Only the pain remained!
As he suffocated, the words kept spinning and spinning inside his head.
Those words were his only sce. The only thing allowing himfort through this pain.
He couldn''t see a thing.
His lips curled up.
Andughter echoed inside his head.
Remember, pain is...
I had no idea I was this weak!
No, I have always known it!
It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!
I''m so d that it hurts!
Remember, pain is....
It hurts so much.
I have so much weakness inside me.
It hurts!
It hurts so much!
Can you imagine...
Can you imagine how much...
Remember, Pain is weakness leaving the body!
CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW MUCH WEAKNESS IS LEAVING RIGHT NOW?!
Chapter 354 Seeking Pain
Chapter 354 Seeking Pain
Pain is weakness leaving the body...?
I wonder if this is when it happened.
When it started.
I''ve gone through many fights by now.
Countless enemies I''ve crushed and killed.
I thought I was immature. I thought I was insecure. I thought that was the reason I fought the way I did.
Taking my time, letting my opponent show all of the cards it holds, waiting patiently for them... I was arrogant.
But maybe I wasn''t?
Maybe this is the reason.
Not fight the optimal way, letting it get worse over and over again...
It''s a part of me. Ingrained in my body and soul. Maybe that''s why I''ve been living that way without even knowing it.
Lying on the ground, unable to breathe or scream, pain like no other...
That wasn''t a special day or something. It was just the first.
No matter how many times I passed out, I kept training.
No matter how many times my whole body screamed at me to stop, I kept going.
It was the only way to get stronger, see?
The only way...
Because pain is weakness leaving the body.
I kept doing that, day after day.
It hurt. It hurt. It hurt.
I kept doing that. Because it was all I could do.
Without telling Dad, Mom, or the doctors, I kept doing that.
I couldn''t tell them. They would have told me to stop.
They didn''t understand how much this meant to me. How much I wanted it. They didn''t know how to help me.
I was tired of living that way.
I wanted to help myself.
Is that really so wrong?
I don''t think it is. I''m not sure.
While keeping it hidden from them, I ran.
Training.
I was introduced to training that way.
I wonder if that''s part of the reason why I didn''t train much inside the Dungeon. Part of the reason why I didn''t spend more time amassing Experience Points...
Training that way as a child.
Smiling through the pain. Smiling because of the pain. I hated the pain of course. But it gave me a sense of progress.
Something was happening. Something was changing. Weakness was leaving...
I wonder if this is when I started seeking pain.
I think that''s the case.
Maybe?
Probably.
The more it hurts, the more weakness is leaving my body. Yes, that''s when I got it ingrained in my mind.
That''s when it became part of me.
I wonder how long it is after this that I started thinking this way.
If it doesn''t hurt, then I''m not getting stronger.
If it doesn''t hurt... Then I must be doing something wrong.
Do I want it to hurt? No.
Why does it feel wrong when it doesn''t hurt? Why did I want to kill them myself to Devour them? Why did I think I didn''t deserve Devouring them just because I didn''t kill them myself?
Because a coward doesn''t deserve that.
Because it wouldn''t have hurt. No pain would have been felt that way. I don''t deserver to get stronger if I didn''t suffer. I need to suffer to grow stronger. More! Stronger! More! Suffer more!
Because I want to get my own meals now. I used to think about it inside the hospital. Every day, my food would be brought in by Mina. Cooked and everything. I never had to worry about that. I never had to worry about food. Ever. Then one day, I was introduced to this concept somehow. Some people don''t eat meat. They''re vegetarian. I thought it was weird. Meat tastes really good after all! But then... I started thinking about it more. About what it meant to eat meat. There isn''t much to it really. In the end, it''s prey and predator. The stronger ones eat the weaker ones. I felt sad about those animals, but I still had to eat. I still wanted to eat. One day, part of my lunch was rabbit meat. Weird, right? I had never eaten rabbit meat before. Rabbits are cute, so that felt strange too. What felt worse, was realizing my condition in the middle of that meal. Realizing that I could barely stand at that moment. Realizing I could barely walk. Realizing that I never would have been able to catch that rabbit myself. If I had been the one to find it, it would still be roaming the world. I would have beenpletely unable to do a thing. That''s how weak my body was. If the rabbit had malicious intentions, it might have been able to beat me! No, I don''t think so. Still, my hunger disappeared right away. I think I might have thrown up too. So weak that I wouldn''t be able to catch anything. So weak that I wouldn''t be able to hunt anything. To kill anything. So weak that I don''t deserve to eat. But I still need to. I still want to. I don''t deserve it, because I wouldn''t have been able to do it myself. I don''t deserve it, but I still eat it. It doesn''t taste good to me anymore.
I think there are many things I don''t deserve.
...
"Say..." The child pulled on the white-scaled Monster''s hand. "Why did I do that?" He pointed at the child dozens of meters away, whoy on the ground trembling from the pain.
"To get stronger." The white-scaled Monster answered without turning towards the child by its side.
"Say..." He pulled again. "Was it worth it? Did I get stronger?"
The white-scaled Monster flinched slightly before turning its gaze towards the child.
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Why are you looking at me this way? You look so angry. Did I do something wrong?"
The words made the white-scaled Monster tremble.
"You..." The Monster brought its right knee to the ground. Its throat fought back. It struggled to say the words. "You didn''t do anything wrong."
"I didn''t?"
"No, you didn''t."
"Then was it worth it? Did I get stronger? Was I able to y with them?" Clear brimming eyes. Shinning.
The white-scaled Monster didn''t like those kind of eyes. It hated them. It loved them. It had lost that shine long ago.
"I... Don''t think so."
The child pulled back at the Monster''s words.
"Then..." The boy stepped back, a horrified expression appeared on his face. "Why did I go through all that? Why did I go through all that pain?"
"..."
"Answer me!" The child demanded as he held back his tears. "WHY DID I GO THROUGH IT? IT HURT SO MUCH! EVERYTIME! DAY AFTER DAY, IT HURT! FOR WHAT?!"
"IT WAS FOR NOTHING!" The white-scaled Monster shouted back. "IT WAS FOR NOTHING! IT... It didn''t aplish anything..."
"For... Nothing?" The child''s gaze moved towards the passed out and trembling Mark. "No. No. No! NO! WHAT DO YOU MEAN FOR NOTHING? DAY AFTER DAY I RAN! DAY AFTER DAY I TRAINED! WHAT DO YOU MEAN FOR NOTHING? IT HURT SO MUCH! SO MUCH WEAKNESS SHOULD HAVE LEFT MY BODY! I SHOULD BE STRONG NOW! WHY AM I WEAK? WHY ARE YOU WEAK??"
The white-scaled Monster''s gaze remained locked on the grass below. It couldn''t find the words. It couldn''t find an answer.
Hopelessness. Despair. Helplessness.
The white-scaled Monster had felt and gone through these three.
Unable to decide where to go. Unable to do a thing as they''re taken away. Unable to fight back. Unable to control its body. Unable to...
The white-scaled Monster had felt them all.
But nothing hurt quite like seeing a child go through them.
Maybe it hurt more because the child was who the Monster used to be. Perhaps it would have hurt more if it was an unknown child.
"That was supposed to be... Supposed to be... My super secret... My secret... Training arc-"
Unable to find the words, the white-scaled Monster pulled the whimpering child closer and into its arms.
"You didn''t do... Anything wrong. You tried your best to get stronger. You trained and trained and trained. It hurt so much but you kept going. You''re... You were... You were... Courageous. And strong."
"I didn''t do anything wrong...?"
"No." The white-scaled Monster answered as it shook its head. "You did a lot. You did the best you could. I''m..." A crack appeared on the scales covering the Monster''s face. "Proud of you. Proud that I was-"
"Bahahaha! That''s funny!"
Only then did the white-scaled Monster notice that the child''s sobs had, at some point, turned into chuckles.
"What?"
"Proud of me? Aplished nothing? Bahahaha!" The child jumped back and away from the white-scaled Monster as heughed out loud. "Did you really think THAT would aplish nothing? Because it did! It did aplish something!" The childughed uncontrobly as his face, which was gripped by his hands, twisted.
"You...?" The white-scaled Monster''s confusion grew.
"BAHHAHAHA!" The child''sughter grew louder and wilder. "THAT''S SO FUNNY! PROUD OF ME HE SAYS! HAHAHAHA!"
Three secondster, the child''sughter ceased suddenly and his body froze.
"I tried really hard. What was it for?"
"To grow stronger." The white-scaled Monster answered as its eyes narrowed.
"It hurt so much. What was it for?"
"You... I was just a kid. That kind of despair isn''t-"
"I trained and trained and trained to grow stronger and stronger and stronger. I ran and ran and ran because I wanted my heart to get stronger and stronger and better and stronger!"
The child''s gaze which had been moving in every direction erratically was suddenly locked on the white-scaled Monster.
"How do you think it felt when I realized it?"
A smile filled with pain. Tears of despair. Helpless. Foolish. In pain.
"It was because..."
"That''s right." The child grinned through his tears. "My Super Secret Training Arc."
"It''s... It''s not-"
"It is." The child nodded. "It''s because of that that I ended up in that hospital." He chuckled as he raised his arms to his sides and took a deep breath in. "Mom and Dad stopped seeing me. I couldn''t do anything. I couldn''t see anyone. I was all alone. My whole life trapped in that room and..."
"It was..."
"All my fault."
Chapter 355 The One To Blame Is...
Chapter 355 The One To me Is...
"It was so hard... So hard being alive. I ran and ran until I spat blood for more than a year. Day after day... And then, I lived the rest of my life stuck in a hospital room. My dreams, my aspirations... All of them were taken from me. I couldn''t do anything. I hated that hospital. I hated... Everything. I was so mad..." The boy suddenly chuckled. "Just kidding! It really wasn''t hard at all. Can''tin, since it was my fault!" The child remained silent for a bit. His voice grew slightly weaker. "It did feel strange though. Going to the doctors, as I usually did. Suddenly, Momes running towards me. She hugs me suddenly. She cries as she holds me. ''I''m sorry, Mark! I''m so sorry!'' She shouted. What was she apologizing for? They said my condition had gotten worse. Strange, when I had been training to get stronger for more than a year. Guess that just shows how much weakness there was to purge. How much weakness in me... How much in me there was to eliminate, you know? After that, it''s all a blur. Visiting the doctors became more frequent. Eventually, I was admitted to the hospital indefinitely. How long did it take before I understood that the running and training were the cause of my condition getting worse? Maybe I''ve always known it. I didn''t want to ept it. I didn''t want... To ept it..."
"You-"
"So anyways! Mom and Dad kept apologizing for a while. It''s funny. I used to think ''What are you apologizing for? Are you apologizing for giving birth to me or something?''. I used to think this way a lot. It''s easier to make myself the victim, isn''t it? I never told them that I had been running and training until I spat blood, until I couldn''t breathe, until I couldn''t see a thing. I never told them about it. The doctors didn''t want me to do it. Mom and Dad didn''t want me to do it. I still ran. Because I thought I knew better. And now... They''re apologizing continually, thinking that it''s their fault. And I let them think that it was their fault. I kept the secret. The Super Secret Training Arc remained a secret forever. I wonder if they still me themselves for that... Just kidding! I don''t care about them. I never have. I never... Because if I did care... If I did... Then I wouldn''t have..."
"You can''t me yourself for-"
"Shut up. Are you making fun of me?"
"Huh?"
"Don''t talk to me like that. Don''t look at me like that. What the fuck are you doing? You think you can pity me?"
"No, I''m just saying that-"
"Don''t look at me like the rest of them. ''Oh, poor Mark is stuck in a hospital. The world is so unfair...'' Is that the type of bullshit you want to tell me?"
With narrow eyes, the white-scaled Monster stared at the boy in front of it. The centipede... It became clear now. The centipede inside the Monster''s head, the centipede that was cracking, contorting, and twisting itself. It wasn''t something that Nia had put in there. The boy in front of the Monster was that centipede.
"I do pity you."
"Then fucking don''t! It was my fault that it happened, so there''s nothing to pity."
"Still-"
"Just shut up! How dare you pity me when you''re worse than me?? You refuse to ept that anything is your fault! You refuse to see yourself for what you really are!"
"You don''t need anyone''s pity."
"I don''t! I don''t need it! I don''t want it! Don''t look at me like you''re better! Don''t look at me like you''re above me! I don''t want anyone''s pity! I don''t want anyone''s help!"
"Ha!" The white-scaled Monster chuckled. "Look who''s lying now."
The child''s eyebrow twitched.
"I''m not lying."
"You don''t need pity? You don''t need help? You don''t want them?"
"That''s right."
"You''re such a liar!"
"I''m not lying!"
"You are!"
"What''s the truth then??"
"It''s that you don''t deserve help! You don''t deserve pity!" The boy took a step back and stared. His clenched fists shook slightly. "You thought you knew better, and you fucked it up. Everything! You messed it all!"
"You... You..." The boy fought to hold his tears. "You think you''re better than me? AH! You don''t deserve those things either! You''re just like me! Just like how I didn''t tell them... How did it feel telling Elisa your version of the story? How did it feel thinking about your past self as a tragic hero suffering? Made to suffer due to the world''s unfairness? I bet you thought I didn''t hate everything. I bet you thought... I bet..."
"You think that you don''t... That you didn''t deserve those things. But you did."
"I didn''t! It was my fault! I never told them!"
"It wasn''t your fault."
"IT WAS! IT WAS MY FAULT! IF I HADN''T TRIED TO... IF I HAD LISTENED TO THEM... Then maybe I would have gotten better... Or at least, I wouldn''t have ended up in that hospital... No matter how I look at it, I''m the only one at fault. It was all-"
"You were a dumb kid. A dumb kid who thought he knew better. A dumb kid who made a mistake-"
"FOR MORE THAN A YEAR I-"
"YOU WERE STILL TO YOUNG!! TO YOUNG TO KNOW ANYTHING!! TOO YOUNG TO KNOW BETTER!! YOU WERE... You were trying your best."
The child stared at the ground silently.
"Then who''s at fault?"
"It''s-"
"Why did I have to suffer? Why did I go through all that pain? If I''m not at fault... If I wasn''t wrong... Then why was I punished for trying to get better?"
"I..."
"Why was I punished? Why did I have to be locked inside that hospital? If I was just a kid... If a kid can''t be med... Why was I? If it wasn''t my fault... Who am I supposed to me?"
"No one can be med for that."
"Liar! Someone has to be med!"
"No one can be med! Your actions had consequences!"
"Then I am to me!"
"You''re not!"
"Then who''s fault is it? Who''s fault is it that a child who only wanted to get better... Who only wanted to y with other children... Who only wanted to make his parents proud... Who''s fault is it that the child ends up punished?"
"It''s no one''s-"
"I SHOULD HAVE BEEN SMARTER! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER! I SHOULD HAVE... I SHOULD HAVE BEEN... I should have been stronger."
"You can''t think that everytime that..."
"Do you think I''m innocent?"
"You are."
"So I''m meless?"
"You are."
"Why do innocent people get punished?"
"Because... That''s just..."
"Remember? I had to me myself." The scenery started changing as the child talked. "The pain, the despair, the hatred... Were my intentions pure? I think they were. But I was still punished. I couldn''t ept it. My whole life... Messed up because of my childish hopes? I waspletely helpless. Completely powerless. My past actions and hopes had shaped my future. They had shaped it in a way that couldn''t be changed. I was always a ve... To my younger self. To the hopes and innocent impulses of that child..."
The scenery changed and scenes yed out faster and faster inside the white-scaled Monster''s head.
"Funny, isn''t it? That face?" The child asked as he pointed.
The two had been standing side by side as they watched years and years of Mark''s life pass.
Had it been sped up?
It must have, right? Because it looked so empty.
"A bad situation... A bad situation I wanted to fix..."
"And ended up only making it worse."
"I''ve been deluding myself, haven''t I?"
"You have. Who''s to me?"
"No one."
"Why was Elisa locked inside that Dungeon? Why were her people Corrupted and killed? Why were they kidnapped? Why did you have to fight Yarnha? Why did you have to fight Lin? Why did you hurt Elisa?"
"It''s... All my fault."
"Why did Raven take your Underlings from you? Why did Raven kill Elisa''s father? Why were so many hurt?"
"It was for my sake."
"It was so that you would grow stronger.
"It was my fault."
"Raven''s actions are your fault?"
"He did it for me. So that I would Devour them. If I hadn''t been here... They wouldn''t have been hurt. Elisa would... Elisa would still be..."
"It was all your fault."
"It was."
"It''s always been our fault."
"You''re different! You were just a kid! I caused so much... It''s my fault!"
"I''m not different, Monster. I''m You, remember?"
"So? What''s that supposed to mean?"
"You don''t have to lie. Don''t think of me as some random kid. I''m You. So it''s okay for you to hate me."
"I don''t hate you!"
The child''s gaze moved towards the person seated on the hospital bed.
"Remember this?"
The withering Mark stared at the window. At the outside world.
He raised a hand towards that window. It was out of reach, and so was the world.
The white-scaled Monster wanted to look away. It was a tragic image after all.
The Monster didn''t look away.
"I was angry. I was tired. I wanted to have... An impact on the world."
The bed-ridden Mark folded his pinky and ring finger.
His hand took the shape of a gun and,
Bam-
Bam-
Bam-
Three buildings started crashing down.
"I wanted to have an impact. Even if meant breaking things."
"I see..."
"There was only so long I could me my younger self. For punishing the innocent, for the unfairness, for everything that has gone wrong, for the possibility of it going wrong, what I med... What I hated... What I wanted to destory..."
The white-scaled Monster raised its gaze towards the dark sky above.
"Was the world itself."
Chapter 356 What Are You So Sad About?
Chapter 356 What Are You So Sad About?
"Come closer. Look at his face. What do you think?"
The white-scaled Monster slowly walked towards the edge of the hospital bed, joining the child''s side.
In front of the two, a dazed face on a skinny and withering Mark.
"Look at him. Look at him for real." The boy said as he pulled on the Monster''s arm, requesting it to kneel in front of the bed. "You need to remember. You need to understand. Look at that face. Look into those eyes. Don''t just remember the past and the facts. Remember the feelings. Remember how it felt like. This isn''t some stranger you should pity. It''s yourself."
"I''m trying." The white-scaled Monster stared into the empty eyes.
"I wanted to get better. It got worse. It was my fault."
Nod-
"I never told Mom and Dad. I wanted to. I never did. Time passed while I debated it internally. And then... I just kept the secret."
Nod-
"The hospital bills weren''t easy to cover. Dad had to work a lot more. Mom had to start working again. She had stopped after giving birth to me, see. Mom had to start working again, Dad had to work more. That was my fault too."
Nod-
"When they wouldn''te to see me even though they promised that they would, Mina would tell me that it was because they were working. I was still mad at them. They were working for me. I was mad at them. I started refusing to see them, giving the excuse that I was too tired. I wouldsh out at Mina."
Nod-
"All I had was that rectangle. The people ying outside, usually my age. I would watch them y whenever I could. I loved watching them. I kept hope that, one day, I would y with them. In a way, they saved me... Until I started hating them. Weeks passed by. The same people yed. Months passed by. The same people. I grew bored, but I kept watching. I hated them. Unlike me, they could run. Unlike me, they had a good heart. A strong heart. Howe they weren''t getting any better? Howe they remained the same? Even though they could y, even though they could train? I hated them. They sucked. It didn''t take long for me to start guessing their actions and whether or not they would seed in getting to the goal. I hated them. They never tried to get better. They never tried to Evolve. They just remained the same. It disgusted me. Still, I watched them. Because there was nothing else for me."
The white-scaled Monster felt a shiver.
"Are you going to be like them? You have so much potential. Will you let all of it die? I''m sure they werefortable ying that way, remaining the same. They probably had school, a family, friends... Many things other than ying football there. They werefortable. Are youfortable? Will you let it all go to waste? Will you stay with Elisa, cozy up in the Elven Forest, and let your potential rot? You want to. I know you do. But you can''t. You won''t let yourself do so. It was fun while itsted. A nice break. A pleasant dream. But it''s over now. You left her. It couldn''t have gone any other way. That''s what makes you the -Evolving Monster-. I just told you about meshing out at Mina. I remember one particr instance. I was watching Tv. The news covered a suicide attempt. A man was standing at the edge of a building''s roof. Can you remember that? For a second, you would have been fine letting Ani kill you. I can''t have that. I won''t ept it. It was just a man standing on a roof. A random person. But it hurt me. It pained me to see it. Tell me, Monster. Are you the same as that man? Will you do the same as him? Will you throw away everything that I''ve longed for? Everything that I''ve dreamed of having for so long? Mina entered the room, only to notice that I had already seen it. Lashing out or an argument? I can''t tell. She said it wasn''t that simple. I disagree. His heart was still beating. His legs could get him anywhere. His lungs were strong. Ending it that way is too pathetic. But... Maybe that''s just because I didn''t have those things. The things that most take for granted. When worstes to worst, you can always run away, right?"
"It''s not... That simple."
"You''ve be like Mina. You refuse to ept yourself. Look. Look at his face. That''s you. ept it. Mom and Dad didn''t leave me. But I wanted them to. They came to see me, but I wish they didn''t. I wanted them to leave me. I wanted them to go away... No, I wanted to go away. I wanted to leave them. Because of me, they had to work so much. Because of me, their health was deteriorating. Because of me... While I uselessly stayed in that hospital bed, they were fighting for me. I hated them having them fight for me. I''m not worth being fought for. It was my fault, but I never told them. I let them keep going. I hoped that they would forget about me. They didn''t. I hoped that they would give up on me. They didn''t. Mina was even more annoying in that way. I wanted to leave them. All of them. I was a dead weight. I was only making their lives worse... I wanted them to leave. I wanted to leave. No. I didn''t want to die. I wanted... I wanted them to forget about me."
Shudder-
"Look." The child pointed. "Oh, passed out. I really trained a lot, didn''t I?"
"You did..."
"Look! This one is important! Oh, fell to the ground again. But look, eyes are open! Sitting up! Huh?"
"Why...?"
"Can''t you guess? Sitting up but keeping the legs straight. Punching down on one''s thighs. What do you think?"
"Can''t... Stand up."
"That''s right! This was the first time my legs refused to listen to me. Funny, isn''t it? I''m whispering to them -Why won''t you listen to me?- Hahaha! I passed out and passed out. But I refused to listen to my parents, to the doctors, to my body. It''s been screaming at me this whole time -Stop! This is too much! This isn''t helping! You''re just...- But I didn''t care. I didn''t listen to my body. So it had to find a new way to get my attention, which was not listening to me in return! Haha!"
"That''s-"
"Look! He''s waking up!" The two turned back towards the hospital bed in front of them.
On it and hidden under the nkets...
"He''s awake?" The white-scaled Monster asked.
"Yeah. Look, he''s opening his eyes. Can you guess what he''s thinking?"
"This is... When I had trouble standing."
"Mm." The boy nodded. "Standing, walking, moving my legs, even moving my arms sometimes. Even sitting up was a challenge."
"Why... Did he close his eyes right away?"
"Going back to sleep."
"Why?"
"Why...? Mm... I guess you still don''t remember. Do you know what it''s like waking up, wondering whether you''ll be able to walk today? Wondering whether you''ll be able to stand today? Whether you''ll be able to move your legs? Whether you''ll be able to raise your arms? Whether or not you''ll have the strength to rub your sleepy eyes with your hands? Simple things. Impossible tasks depending on the day. Everyday. Everyday. Everyday! Waking up wondering whether or not I''ll have the strength to do such simple tasks! Things that most don''t even think about! Things they they take for granted! Do you know what that''s like, when what everyone takes for granted is a challenge for you? Or even worse, a highlight of the week. I was able to walk thirty steps on Saturday! Isn''t that great?! Progress, right?! The uncertainty, the fear, the anxiety... I went to sleep every night thinking about the next day. About whether it''ll be worse than today, the same, or a tiny bit better. And many times, I would be disappointed. Feeling paralyzed, unable to rub my tired eyes. Disappointed... Disappointed... At one point, I didn''t fear being unable to move as much. I started fearing the disappointment. I was scared of that feeling. The feeling I get when I''m unable to move my arm. When I think that I can move it, try, and learn that I actually can''t. I was scared of that more than anything. That''s why there were times when I simply didn''t try. I would wake up, ask myself that question, fear the answer, and go back to sleep. I feared the answer more than the consequence. I feared the disappointment more than the reality."
Shudder-
"I stopped looking for the answers. I would close my eyes instead, and go back to sleep. I didn''t want to die. But there were days when I wanted to simply be forgotten... And to disappear."
The child turned his gaze towards the shuddering white-scaled Monster.
"What do you think?"
The Monster kept staring at the sleeping Mark on the hospital bed.
The next second,
"I won''t let you."
"Let go." The white-scaled Monster ordered.
"I won''t let you look away." The child said with a sadistic smile on his face. He held the Monster''s head with his hands, keeping the Monster from turning its gaze away.
"I don''t want to look anymore!"
"Why not?"
"Because I... Because..."
The white-scaled Monster''s trembling hand slowly moved towards its face.
"Because what? What?? Say it!!"
"Because..." The Monster''s hand covered its mouth. "It''s so... It''s so..."
"Say it! It''s so what?" The boy pressed, the sadistic smile on his face bing wider.
The Monster fought back with all it had but,
"PFFT! Look at his face! It''s so... So pathetic!"
"HA! I know right??"
"Pfahahaha! What are you so sad about? It''s all your fault!"
"That''s what I''m sayiiing!!"
The white-scaled Monster and the boyughed out loud as they pointed at the one hiding below the nkets.
Chapter 357 A Fight Against A General?
Chapter 357 A Fight Against A General?
Beyond the longing, the pain, the sadness, the despair, and the sorrow, what the boy and the white-scaled Monster found was...
"Look! He''s running again! How long before he passes out do you think?"
"Pfhahahha! Stop! I can''t! It''s too funny!"
Laughter that wouldn''t stop.
"How foolish! And stupid!"
"Sooo stupid!"
The scenery changed and the two watched.
Mark''s fight against the pain, his fight against the despair that was slowly swallowing him up, his fight against his own heart, his fight against his own self.
Knowing how it all ended, knowing that the struggle proved pointless and meaningless, knowing that Mark would only make things worse...
Foolish. Useless. Absurd.
"Hey, hey!" The child shouted. "You''re not getting anywhere like that! You might as well stop!"
"You''re only going to make it worse fool! Just give up on this and do something else!"
Something resembling a bear approached in the distance.
"You can''t do anything right!"
"You always fuck things up!"
"The more you try to make it better, the worse it gets!"
"Bahahhaa! It''s so stupid! Why is he still running?"
"Because he believes that it will get better!"
"Hahaha! Can''t me him for that... Actually, I can! You should''ve known!"
"That''s right! You should have known! Maybe you''ve always known it. You just ran away from the truth!"
"You''re so weak! Refusing to look at the truth! Now get up, try to move your arms. Check if they can move or not?"
"Check? Are you crazy? Hahahha! He''s too cowardly to do that!"
"Bahahah, that''s true! Guess he prefers not knowing. Guess he''ll never know..." The bear grew closer and closer. Its growls were barely audible. "Whether or not he had control over his body during those days."
"He never will! Because he was too cowardly to try! Too cowardly to ask. Too cowardly to risk knowing the truth!"
"How much time did I spend in that hospital?"
"About 12 years... Maybe? Time is hard to keep track of. You know... When nothing happens." The child pointed with one hand and covered his mouth with the other. "Or when you look like that."
"BWAHAHHAHAA TRUE! I GUESS THAT''S TRUE! BUT ARE YOU GONNA DO WHEN THE WORLD IS AGAINST YOU?"
"Hahahaha... Haha... The world?"
"Yeah." The white-scaled Monster nodded. "Tragic and absurd. That''s what it feels like to me. That''s why it''s so funny!"
"So the world was against me?" The child whispered.
"Mm!" The white-scaled Monster nodded once more. "Definitely was."
"You mean... I really wasn''t to me?"
"You didn''t do anything wrong. You were just stupid and too young to understand. No matter how I look at it, you can''t be med. The world is wrong at times. Unfair at times. You hated the world of the circumstances that it handed you. You hated the world for spitting on your efforts. You tried doing something, but that only works if the world reciprocates."
"What are you talking about?" The child asked, puzzled.
"Hahahaha! It''s so stupid. All of it. This life of mine... Feels like a repeat of my past one."
"Don''t you mean a continuation?"
"Yes, it is... But-"
"Then what are you going to do? Who''s your enemy? What do you hate?" The child asked with sparkling eyes."
"I hate..."
A dark Aura oozed out of the white-scaled Monster''s right arm.
The dark Aura grew in density and quantity.
Soon the white-scaled Monster''s whole body was covered by it.
So was the scenery that had changed and the boy.
Everything around the white-scaled Monster disappeared.
It chuckled, and thought about the boy who tried his best running.
The boy who, too, couldn''t see a thing after a certain point. The boy whose field of vision used to get clouded by dark spots.
"I hate all of it."
"Why?" A voice questioned.
"The world... Was against me. A weak heart that only grew weaker the harder I tried. A body so weak it refused to listen to me. The world... One''s world is only asrge as one''s circumstances. Those doctors, that hospital, my heart... Those were my world then."
"What about now?"
"A Demon Lord influencing my body. A Demon Lord ordering Lin toe after me. A Demon Lord forcing me to kill Lin. A Demon Lord separating me from Elisa. A Demon Lord... Giving me a Monster''s body. Back then, I had no control over my world. I med it on everything. I hated it all. God, Fate, Destiny... Nothing helped ease my pain or despair. Either they didn''t exist, or they hated me. I''ve been... Deluding myself."
"How so?"
"Just like Mina used to make me pray with her. Just like she told me about ''God having a n for me''... I''ve been thinking about this world the same way. I''ve tried to look at it... Through her optimistic lens."
"Whose optimistic lens?"
"Mina''s? Elisa''s? Hahaha! Does it even matter? I had no control over my world. The same is true now. But it''s different."
"It is?"
"The world... Everything is a bnce of power. Rtions of power... Everything is decided by power. I had none back then. I couldn''t change my circumstances. All I could do... Was fantasize about it. But now..."
"Will you do it for real now?"
"Back then, I couldn''t think about the future clearly. I didn''t have the strength to think about the future. To project myself into the future. What if I don''t get better? What do I do then? How do I live then? I never asked myself that. I didn''t have the strength... To think about it."
"So?"
"That''s why I''ve been living this way now too. That way of thinking carried over to this life. Hahahaha! I can''t do that! I can''t live that way! I want to control it... With my own hands. To direct it."
"What will you do then?" The voice asked.
The white-scaled Monster was reminded of the withering Mark on his hospital bed whose trembling hand too the shape of a gun.
"I''ll do it properly now. I''ll do it... For real."
"You hate the world, don''t you?"
"I do. I hate it for making me hurt Elisa. I hate it for making me kill Lin. I hate it for putting Raven on my way. I hate it for... So many things."
"I see."
ROAAAAR-
A gigantic ck bear leaped forward!
With its jaws opened wide, its sharp fangs were aimed at the white-scaled Monster.
But, with an upward swing of its hand,
sh- sh- sh-
[You have defeated...]
With a swing of its hand, the dark Aura that engulfed the white-scaled Monster''s ws turned into three des of Aura.
The gigantic bear''s body was instantly cut in three.
It fell to the ground and slid until mere inches separated it from the white-scaled Monster it had tried to attack.
A forest.
In the dead of the night.
"I''ve been deluding myself..." Mark whispered to himself. "This World... I thought it was different. That it didn''t have favorites. That there weren''t some it hated. Some that the World hated for no real reason. I was wrong. Thinking about bnce in that way..."
"YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU...! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY PET?" Someone shouted.
The sound of a long and thick whip cracking resounded.
"I''m still not done... Thinking." The white-scaled Monster said with narrow eyes.
"YOU THINK I GIVE A FUCK? YOU KILLED... YOU KILLED MY PET!!"
"Guess it shouldn''t have attacked me. Now, fuck off."
"Fuck off...?? I''LL KILL YOU! I''LL KILL YOU, YOU SON OF A BITCH!!"
"No talking?" Mark asked as he tilted his head.
"I''LL KILL YOU! I''LL TAKE YOUR CORPSE AND-"
The white-scaled Monster smiled.
"Thanks..." It cracked its knuckles. "For making this simple."
Mark stepped forward.
"YOU''RE DEAD! I USED TO BE A GENERAL, I''LL HAVE YOU KNOW!"
"A General, huh?"
Mark brought a hand to his neck.
Scratch-
Scratch-
Scratch-
A dark Aura oozed out of his body.
Gulp-
The ''Ex-General'' thought about stepping back.
The amount of Aura covering the Monster''s body... It was enough to make his hands tremble.
The white-scaled Monster lowered its gaze towards its arms.
As much Aura covered its body as it used to inside the Dungeon.
Why? Why now?
The white-scaled Monster didn''t think about it, and took a step forward instead.
"YOU THINK I''M SCARED OF THAT PUNY AURA? I USED TO BE A GENERAL, I TELL YOU! A GENERAL!"
"That..." The white-scaled Monster took another step forward. "Doesn''t mean much to me."
With each of the Monster''s steps, the ground shook.
Aura. Status.
The power of Titles.
Unlike others, Unique Titles do not have inherent value when ites to Status.
A Title such as "Commander Of Sloth" or "General Of Gaavah" meant a lot more, as it directly pointed at the Title Holder''s strength.
Your strength has been recognized. You have been awarded the Title of "Commander Of Sloth". In return, the Title, through Aura and Status, increases your strength further!
Why? Because the World has deemed that Commanders and Generals should have a certain level of strength. The World''s inhabitants have deemed that Commanders and Generals HAVE a certain level of strength. Through Titles, the World reciprocates and adds to the Holder''s strength.
It is different for Unique Titles though.
"Let''s see about that."
The World does not know of the Evolving Monster or Devourer yet.
Chapter 358 Demon Kings Prophecy?
Chapter 358 Demon King''s Prophecy?
The World has deemed that Commanders and Generals should have a certain level of strength. The World''s inhabitants have deemed that Commanders and Generals HAVE a certain level of strength. Through Titles, the World reciprocates and adds to the Holder''s strength.
It is different for Unique Titles though.
''Doesn''t look all that strong. But the Monster''s Aura... A Commander''s? No. It almost seems like... A General''s Aura. But there''s no way. An unknown Monster being a General... I''ve never even heard of a white-scaled Monster.''
The World does not know of the Evolving Monster or the Devourer yet.
Since leaving the Dungeon, Mark hasn''t been able to use Aura properly. It would start oozing out his body at times, but that has changed.
The Evolving Monster has only Devoured a couple of note-worthy enemies since leaving the Dungeon.
The Olga. Due to its massive size and great reserves of Mana, Devouring it increased the Devourer''s Vigor, Endurance, and Mana Stats.
The Orcish Fiend known as Lin. Acquiring the High Elven Pupil made the Devourer''s Sense Stat increase by bounds and leaps.
There really wasn''t much else, which left the Devourer starving.
The Evolving Monster hadn''t Evolved either since leaving the Dungeon.
Yet, Mark had grown much, much stronger.
His fighting style and Skills had evolved.
But the most important thing that led to him beingpared to...
''A Commander? If that''s what it is, then I can take it. A General though...''
His Aura and Status were thought to be superior to those of a Commander! How could that be, when Mark couldn''t defeat Lin nor Ani by himself?
Status.
What Mark had acquired the most of since leaving the Dungeon was Status.
The World didn''t know of the Devourer yet.
But some already did.
Like a treasure searched for and coveted by pirates. Despite the treasure being unknown, the fact that it is "Searched for" gives that treasure value. And therefore, Status.
Currently, Mark was an existence coveted by three of the strongest beings inside the Monster Realm.
The Demon Lord of Pride, Gaavah, who had orchestrated his Rebirth.
The Demon Lord of Sloth, whose interest only grew after learning from one of his Generals that two Commanders had disappeared after pursuing the Devourer.
The Demon Lord of Lust, who was quite curious about the Devourer, since Sloth''s Commander was pursuing it.
Three of the strongest knew of his existence.
More than that, they were interested in him. Though interested with varying degrees.
The Titles of "Commander" or "General" give a certain amount of Status. They are, so to say, pre-determined roles.
Unique Titles, on the other hand, vary greatly in the amount of Status or Aura they hold or produce.
Of course, the Demon Lords weren''t the only ones interested in the Devourer.
The Spirit that ruled over the Forest Of Yarnha. A Spirit that has been around for centuries.
The General of Gaavah, Draconia. A Descendant of Dragons.
The Vampire Lord, Descendant of Drac, and Demon King Candidate, Raven.
Not many knew of the Devourer.
But those who do know of the Devourer hold such Status that even their interest alone is enough to give value to the treasure.
"You killed my pet." The ''Ex-General'' whispered as he cracked his whip.
He very much looked like a Human, if it wasn''t for the one horn on his head. His white beard was long and thick.
The white-scaled Monster looked to its left for a second.
"Fresh wounds, and scars... That''s no way to treat your pet, Used-To-Be-General." Mark cracked his neck.
A reddish Aura started oozing out of the "Ex-General''s" body.
"So this is a fight to the death?"
"OF COURSE IT IS!"
The white-scaled Monster smiled widely at the answer.
"Good. Let''s keep it simple." Mark whispered.
The Devourer leaped forward as its enemy''s whip was covered by Aura before being swung.
***
Sometime earlier, thousands of miles away.
The sun was shining up above the peaceful city.
The medieval buildings made of stone and wood that filled the city reached more imposing heights by the year.
On various buildings, different gs and banners showcased various Crests.
The streets that separated those buildings got narrower and scarier with time.
On the busiest of those streets, one filled by merchants and vendors conducting business,
"Can''t you hear me? Can''t you hear me, people?!" She shouted.
Eyes were rolled, and gazes were directed away at her arrival.
''This old hag again?''
''Ugh... Just when we were about to seal this deal!''
''The hag? Maybe it''s a sign that I shouldn''t buy this...''
With ragged clothes and dirt all over her face, the old woman wandered the city from dusk to dawn every day.
Despite their disgusted looks. Despite the numerous times they spat in her way. Despite the fact that most moved away or to another street upon seeing her approach.
Despite her aching bones and muscles.
Despite her old age.
Despite all those things, she walked the city every day.
What drove her to do such a thing so frequently? So religiously?
"Can you hear me people? Listen. Listen!"
The hope of being heard.
The old woman suddenly stopped at the sound of,
Catch-
"Oho. Good reflexes, old hag." A handsome young man noted after the old woman had managed to catch the golden coin he had tossed her way. "Preach, preach. I''ll listen."
She turned in his direction, and moved her head slightly from right to left, up and down.
"You''re a scary one. I can see it, the darkness surrounding you. Your fate won''t be a pleasant one. You''d better listen! Before everything changes! Before the world is destroyed! Before an endless night hides the sun and the stars!"
"Preach, preach! Hahaha!" The handsome young man shouted as he shook his fist in the air.
The old woman rang the bell in her hand.
On her grey and translucent eyes, the red light emanating from the young man''s eyes was reflected.
"Tsk. The blind old hag again. Get the fuck out of here! Go preach in front of the whorehouses instead! We''re trying to-"
The merchant''s heart dropped as an arm was wrapped around his neck. It was wrapped in a friendly way, but... The merchant couldn''t shake a feeling of-
"Come, now. Let''s hear an old woman''s ramblings. Why not?"
The busy street had suddenly turned silent.
"I... Uh... Sure?"
"Good!" The young man shouted as he pped his hands. "Let''s hear it, old hag."
But the ''old hag'' did not start talking.
"What is ittt? Want another coin? More? Dry throat? Need some water?"
"Ohh, I know your type. You think this is a joke, don''t you? All of you do! Inside your houses and cities, you believe yourselves to be in safety. You''re not! Every day, creatures from the Monster Realm enter ours. It''s been happening from frequently now, don''t you think?"
"We''re-"
"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, IMBECILE! We''re what? We''re away from the Border? You think that means we''re safe? It doesn''t! Oh, I can see it. To you all, the sky appears bright, but I can see the truth. A dark sky weeping tears of blood. It''ll be your fault. How many times must I preach before you listen? The Age Of The Monsters. The First Demon King. Ohh, I can feel it. If we do not rise, if we do not fight, a new Age Of Monsters wille! With the Demon King''s Return-"
"Pfff! Did she say fight? The old hag wants to fight? Pfahhahaah!"
"Imbeciles! Imbeciles, all of you!" The old woman started walking away as she rang her bell. "Hear, hear. A tale older than... Nay! A Prophecy! A future that must be avoided! It''s approaching! It''s..."
She walked away, her back hunched.
Only one of those listening followed.
"C''mon, tell me about it! Your Prophecy!"
"Ohh, child shrouded in darkness. What have you done to have such a smell?"
"Me?" The young man pointed at his face, smiling widely. "Nothing much."
"I''ve seen murderers, rapists, killers of men, women, and children. I''ve seen it all. But none like you."
"Is that so?"
"You''re worse than all of them! All of them!"
"Hahaaa..." The young man scratched his head shyly. "Can I me my father for that?"
"Hear!" The old woman shouted. She had decided to ignore the carefree young man. Those like him, she hated most. Those who listened out of boredom or curiosity, not concern. "I''m warning you! The end of times! An endless night! We must stand against the Monster Realm, before he rises again! The Heroes, the Saints, the Knights, send them! Exterminate! Demolish the Realm! Or else, the Demon King will walk the earth once more! The Demon King will rise again, and never will the sun rise again!"
She rang her bell frantically.
"The Demon King will swallow the Earth and the Sun! Everything will disappear, taken by the Demon King''s malice! Everything will be destroyed! Corrupted! The Demon King will rise, again. Soon. I can feel it. Remember! Remember! Once the Demon King takes back its Body, its Blood, and its Weapons. Remember! Its Body, its Blood, its Weapons! With three, the Demon King will be whole! And if the Demon King were to be whole... A millennium of peace will end! The world will be plunged in darkness-"
Toss-
"Hear, hear..."
Catch-
"I''d like to see that happen." Raven whispered with a smile.
Chapter 359 Choice
Chapter 359 Choice
A small me appeared on Raven''s shoulder as he walked through the city''s streets.
"Swallow the Earth and the Sun?"
"Huh? Partial Materialization? Good for you Nameless Fire Spirit. You learn fast."
"No thanks to you..." The small mes whispered.
"What was that?"
"Swallow the Earth and the Sun the old hag said."
"So?"
"What does that mean?"
"Means the destruction of the current world. The world as we know it. Something like that."
"Isn''t that... A big deal?"
"There are too many tales that the old hags and the old fuckers call Prophecies. They''ll hear a story or an old song or whatever the fuck then say it came to them in a dream. Though of course..."
"Of course...?"
"Tales of the Demon King''s Return are numerous. But the Demon King is bound to return."
"Isn''t he dead or something?"
"More like... Slumbering." Raven answered with a chuckle.
"Slumbering where?"
"For a Spirit, you really don''t understand a thing, do you?"
"Well, my dumb Master wasn''t a bundle of information. Doubt he would know anything about this."
"Pfffft! Master? Since when do you refer to him that way?"
"I don''t refer to him that way."
"You just did, stupid Spirit."
"Only when... Talking to others."
"You won''t tell it to his face, but you want others to know... Is it a respect thing? Or is it Pride? I remember you being pretty disrespectful to him."
"That and this are different things."
"Doesn''t mean anything, but I understand."
"Slumbering Demon King?"
"No one knows if the previous Demon King is dead, has disappeared, or whatever. It was a thousand years ago, so it''s assumed that he''s dead."
"Why did you say that he was slumbering then?"
"Not he, but it."
"It?"
"The Title. The Title of Demon King is slumbering. Whoever held that Title in the past doesn''t matter. All that matters is that the end of that Title''s slumber will be the return of the Demon King."
"I... Don''t think I understand."
"You don''t need to. I can feel it." Raven suddenly stopped, spread his arms slightly, and raised his gaze to the sky. "It''sing. Soon." He blushed slightly. "Everything is about to change." He took a deep breath in. "So much blood will be poured. Everything will burn and bleed. Doesn''t that get you excited, Fire Spirit?"
"I guess... How can you tell?"
"Asking too many questions. Don''t forget who you''re talking to."
"..."
"I can''t wait... I can''t wair for it all to burn!"
"..."
"Got something to say?"
"If what that old hag said is true... Swallow the Earth and the Sun..."
"What? Out with it."
"Swallow... Isn''t too far from Devour."
"Huh? You think...? Pffahahahhaha! You think you''re dumb Master has a shot? You think there''s a whole Prophecy about him?"
"... As you said, I don''t know much for a Spirit. But it doesn''t seem impossible. Coupled with the fact that -Return- doesn''t necessarily mean-"
"Your Master doesn''t have what it takes." Raven interrupted. "He doesn''t have the strength or the resolve..." The Vampire Lord continued to stare at the bright sky above. "The malice or the urge."
"The urge?"
"A Spirit wouldn''t understand."
"So you think you''re suited better?"
Raven''s eyes narrowed. His tone instantly became cold.
"I like you, little Spirit. But don''t push it too far."
"I understand..."
"Ugh... Can''t wait to get rid of you all. Though I doubt your Master will make it to Pride. Or even to Nia."
"Why is that?"
"I left him to roam freely. He''s too much of a bitch to go to the meeting ce where Nia waits for him. Though by now... She would have heard from Zephyr, so anything is possible."
"I... Don''t think he would give up on them."
"Maybe not. But he has others with him." Raven said with a chuckle. "Would he leave the kitty cat and the elf toe for you? I bet he''s already head over heels. Might have even forgotten about you all."
"I guess... I can see it."
"Right? They''re totally cooped up somewhere. Probably being all lovey-dovey. Think they''re fucking?"
"Gross."
"Oh,e one. Just when it was getting fun." Ravenined as the me dissipated.
He chuckled for a bit.
"A peaceful life with the woman and the cat, or a Monstrous life with the subordinates. You can''t hate me, can you?" Raven whispered, a wide smile on his face. "When I gave you the choice."
...
''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!''
She looked in every direction.
It was dark, but her eyes could see through anything.
They were a Dragon''s eyes after all.
''Fuck!'' She cursed internally.
A Forest.
It wasrge and dense but,
"A small portion was burnt. Additionally, it smells..." She whispered
Dozens of meters away, standing on a tree''s branch while hiding behind its trunk.
''He wasn''t lying...?'' Yarnha asked herself. ''That''s-''
"What are you hiding for, Spirit? Come here. I have some questions for you."
"Questions? You''re not here to burn the Forest to the ground... General Draconia?"
"What gave you that impression?"
"Your white-scaled Monster."
"So he was here."
"So was the Dark Elf and the Moonlit Feline. Though I guess that was bullshit, you looking for them and not him."
"Where is he?"
"I don''t know."
"Where is he headed?"
"I don''t know."
"What direction did he take?"
A root exited the ground.
"That way."
Crack-
Fwoosh-
''That was quick... Strange. General Draconia...'' Yarnha thought as she stared at the General who was rapidly getting further and further. ''She''s not scary at all... For a Dragon.''
...
"Aaaaand wee!"
"That''s... That''s it?"
"What do you mean that''s it??" Zerha shouted. "Did you see the size of the castle? It might be a bit old, but still!"
"No, I mean... I thought there would be more people-"
"More people waiting? Bahahhaa! Only the Generals and certain Followers know of your existence. Well, certain Commanders too, I suppose. Why do you want people waiting for you anyways?"
"I don''t know..." Kati scratched his head. "Where''s the First?"
"The First? Ugh... Don''t call him that."
"Why not? He''s the First. I''m the Second."
"Well... Yes but... There''s no reason to make it a Title, is there?"
"A Title... That''s interesting." Kati mumbled. "Okay, so? Where is he?"
"I don''t think he''s here just yet."
"Didn''t he make it out way before me?"
"He did but... Well, I don''t know the specifics of it. He might take a bit more time to get here."
"Okay." Kati shrugged. "So, what now-"
"Ah, sorry." Arge and tall being in armor looked down on Kati, who had fallen to the ground. "Didn''t see you there."
"Don''t mess with my Candidate, new Commander."
"I apologize, General Zerha."
Just when he started walking away,''
"A bit early to drop the ball, don''t you think?"
"I''m not sure I understand-"
"Don''t mess with my Candidate, Zephyr." His hand twitched. "Did you think a General wouldn''t remember a Commander''s Name? Well, new Commander... And a Commander under another General. But you know, same thing, right?"
"I apologize." The Commander said. He continued to walk away.
"You think he did that on purpose?" Kati asked as he took Zerha''s hand.
"I''m not sure..." The General continued staring at the Commander''s back. "A gold mine...?"
"Gold mine?"
"Zephyr. Of the Tyrs. Not exactly a Tribe but not exactly a n either... Well, nothing but history now."
"Why is that?" Kati asked, curious and eager to get any information he could on the World.
"They were ughtered. There shouldn''t be any left. Except if the one that ughtered them... Was one of them."
"You think he killed them? His Tribe? That would mean his family, wouldn''t it?"
"It would." General Zerha brought a hand to her chin. "If so, that would give him something inmon with Raven." She whispered to herself.
"Sorry, didn''t catch that."
"Stay away from that one. Just like Raven. Stay away from them both."
"Okay...?"
''They do feel different though. They don''t have the same tendencies, the same emotions-''
"How did you know?" Kati asked, interrupting the General''s thoughts.
"A bit of mind reading."
"Mind reading...?"
Zerha didn''t want to go into more detail, but she still felt the need to give the curious Candidate something.
"The Tyrs were once numerous. They''re powerful wielders of Wind Magic. There was a rumor that some of them could use Lightning Magic. Well, not exactly Lightning. A Red Lightning? Something like that. Different rumors give it different names. But it''s basically lightning that''s red in color. Apparently, they could split mountains with that."
"Is that something you can do?"
"Mm?"
"Split mountains."
"Depends on the day, depends on the mountain, I suppose." Zerha chuckled.
"That''s a lie, isn''t it?"
"You''re getting good, haha! Anyways, the Tyrs are Descendants of the Giants. An old old race that has disappeared long ago."
"Half Human Half Giant?"
"Well, no. Giants have been extinct for a long long time. All that''s left is their blood. It''s been diluted a lot though, I assume. But that''s also why they lived among themselves... Until they were ughtered that is. Mmm... That makes me think. I once heard of a fearsome Commander who could rival many Generals in Strength. Always wanted to meet her. Too bad she was a Commander of Sloth. Under me, she would have definitely risen to the level of General. Oh well,zy slothful people over there. Anyways, if this Zephyr can polish his Skills, I think he could..."
...
The Devourer and the ''Ex-General'' leaped towards one another.
Around the whip that had been engulfed in a red Aura,
Sksh- Sksh- Sksh-
The Devourer''s eyes widened.
''Red Lightning?''
"Come get a taste, you son of a bitch!"
With arge smile on its,
"Don''t mind if I do." The white-scaled Monster answered.
Chapter 360 Broken Or Dislocated?
Chapter 360 Broken Or Dislocated?
"That''s it?" The white-scaled Monster asked, its head slightly tilted to the right. "You interrupted me for this?"
''What the... What the... What the fuck?!''
"I''m talking to you." Mark crouched. "Answer when I talk." He said as his hand repeatedly pped his enemy''s head. "After all that talk too... You''re pretty pathetic, you know?"
''How did it get to this? How am I the one on the ground? Why did-''
"I said answer when I talk. Ex-General my ass. "
The white-scaled Monster grabbed the hand thaty at its feet.
Crack-
"What... What do you want?"
"You''re pretty weak..." The white-scaled Monster''s hand moved. "Lying on your stomach like this. Can you really not move?" The hand grabbed a ring finger.
Crack-
"You look Human, old man. Are you?" Mark asked, as the ''old man'' clenched his teeth, doing his best not to scream.
Two fingers had been broken. But the pain was somehow bearable.
"I''m... One of the Tyrs! I won''t let a random Monster look down on me from-"
p!
The white-scaled Monster''s hand pped the old man''s head down. His face hit the floor, causing a slight nosebleed.
"Doesn''t mean anything to me. That whip didn''t help in the end. It sure hurt though. That bear was your Pet... Its scars and wounds, all from you? It ran away from you, and found me. Funny, don''t you think?"
"There''s nothing funny..." The old man fought against the pain, while the white-scaled Monster''s hand moved forward. "About my Pet being killed by-"
Gouge-
"Open your eyes to it. It is funny. Huh... Still not screaming? I like you." The white-scaled Monster said as it pulled its finger out of the old man''s eye socket. It silently licked the blood off its finger for a couple of seconds. "Mmm..." Mark brought his hands together,id his chin on them, and raised his gaze slightly. "So weird. I remember so much now. I have some thinking to do. You wouldn''t mind, right? It''s easier to think when you have someone to talk to."
The old man lowered his gaze. His forehead hit the ground.
He hit the ground with his forehead repeatedly.
"Completely lost my train of thought. Had so much to think about too... But you fucked it all. Now all I can think about is which one it is if I rotate your shoulder too much. Which one is it, old man? Break or dislocation? I still can''t tell. Dislocation can be reversed, right? Like putting the bone back into ce? Let''s see."
Crack-
"Ah. It''s not going back into ce. Good thing I tried with a finger, huh?"
Crack-
"Still not right..." The white-scaled Monster whispered as it moved the limp finger in its hand. "Wonder if it''s the angle or-"
"What... Do you want?"
"You were a General, right? General of what? Can''t be a Demon Lord''s. General Of The Tyrs? Something like that? Mm... You don''t have to answer. Better think of you as that than as an old man. I might be a Monster, but I''m not all that. Not all that... Yet? I''m not sure..."
Crack-
"Being a Monster is both a Blessing and a Curse. It allows you to live freely. To pursue your desires however you please. If I looked Human, Devouring Monsters would look sooo wrong. In that sense, it makes it easier for me to do whatever I want. On the other, it makes me a ve to my desire... I guess? I did want Elisa. But I wouldn''t have hurt her. I wouldn''t have. Not for my lust, that would be a stupid reason. Even I can see that. But if I decide to live freely and pursue my desires however I want... Then shouldn''t I feel the opposite way? I hurt countless living beings to get what I want. But I didn''t want to hurt Elisa... Is that hypocritical? No, I can''t help what I want and what I don''t want? She was different than the rest? Mmm... Live freely. Restraint. I said it long ago, that I would throw away my misconceptions of right and wrong. I sort of did that, but not when it came to Elisa. Should I have done that? Should I have taken her, right then and there, even if she didn''t want to?"
The white-scaled Monster remained silent for a couple of seconds before,
Crack-
"Oh. I dislocated and put it back in ce-"
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?"
"Don''t scream at me, old man." The white-scaled Monster said calmly as it pped the Ex-General''s head down, causing a nosebleed once again. The nosebleed couldn''t be seen due to the blood going down his gouged eye. "What I want...? Why do you care?"
"Why do I...?"
"You came to kill me. I won. Now just listen to me silently, alright? It''s a death sentence. Your life is mine. ept it and shut the fuck up. Okay?"
The Ex-General of the Tyrs hit his forehead against the ground with his teeth clenched.
"Where was I...? Taking here, huh? True to my desires... True to my desires..." The white-scaled Monster repeated as its index finger tapped its chin. "No. No, that''s not a desire of mine. Weird."
Crack-
"Failed again. Tsk. That Influence... It probably works based on Status. Like Lin''s words, or the weight I felt inside his Aura. Or being in Raven''s presence. Or Zephyr''s ''Monster Hunter'' Title. Status... The one with the most Status wins. The one with the most Status... Is right."
The white-scaled Monster took a deep breath in and raised its gaze towards the dark sky above.
"With Elisa... With Levi, Light, and the others... It''s the same. It''s the exact same thing."
Mark stared at the faraway moon.
"The same thing... As always..."
His hands twitched.
"If I had been stronger, none of it would have..."
Crack-
"AAARGHHHH!!!" The Ex-General screamed, unable to bear the pain as another finger was broken.
"Aha! Finally! You know what you remind me of?"
The Ex-General slowly raised his gaze towards the white-scaled Monster.
"Haaa!" Mark sighed. "I can think really clearly now."
One was shaking, the other smiled widely.
"You remind me of those tes!"
''Crazy... Twisted... Fuck!''
Chapter 361 Breaking Plates
Chapter 361 Breaking tes
"Every day I would be brought my meals. Every day I would eat. Three times a day...? Maybe four sometimes. Anyways! The food woulde on tes, you see. I wasn''t always as barbaric as I am now. That reminds me, I should probably Devour the bear before it gets cold... Meh. Probably wouldn''t taste that good anyway. Died in one hit after all. Oh... Was that Aura that I used to kill him? Or was it Dark Magic? I can''t really tell... We''ll circle back to itter."
''Crazy... Twisted... Fuck!''
"Food time was always important inside the hospital. For the old people especially. I get it. It was kind of a highlight of the day. A highlight that would happen... Three or four times a day. Stupid, isn''t it? But that''s how it is when you''re desperate and have nothing to cling to. Anyways, I never was into food time much. At one point I used to skip the meals. Well, I used to only eat vegetables and fruits. Cause I could pick those myself, you know? Hunting though... With that body of mine, I couldn''t have done it. So I felt bad about eating stuff like meat. But then at one point... I thought fuck this. The food is here. Why do I need the ability to theoretically be able to hunt it? Ugh... It''s a whole thing. Let''s just leave it."
''What the fuck is he talking about?? Why... Why am I still here??''
"I remember reading something about endurance. Hunting horses but outrunning them. They can run much faster see, but theyck the endurance of Humans. Endurance. Running. That''s what put Humans at the top of the food chain. Well, intelligence mostly, I suppose. Oh, I used to be Human by the way. But then I got Reborn as a Monster. But not any Monster see, I was..."
''Used to be Human? Reborn? What is he on about??''
"Reborn as an Evolving Monster."
''My internal organs... I still can''t move...''
"That''s pretty funny when you think about it. I didn''t choose to be a Monster. But maybe I was fucked to begin with. I imagine only a fucked up soul could end up being inside a Monster''s body. Makes me curious... The other Candidates... Mmm..."
Crack-
"My thoughts used to be all jumbled up. Like a bunch of insects fighting and twisting themselves to fit in. But now I can think clearly. Problem is... There are too many things I want to think about! It''s nice having someone to talk to though. Really helps. Obliges me to organize my thoughts. Mmm... Oh, the tes! You really make me think of those tes."
The white-scaled Monster''s gaze sent shivers down the Ex-General''s spine.
"The food would be brought in on two or three tes. Funny... You should remind me of the food, not the tes. But you weren''t even strong enough to get me hungry at all. That red lightning thing was pretty cool though. You couldn''t use it much but... What can you do, right? Should still be a good appetizer or something. So, the tes! Mina would bring me the food, she would make me pray for a bit, whatever. Then she would leave and I would finally dig in. And I remember this feeling... More like a sensation maybe? Every time after I finished eating, I would stare at those tes. I''m not sure when it started but... Every time, I would stare at them for a while. And I would feel this urge. This urge to smash them against the ground or against the wall. Every. Single. Time. Three times a day for who knows how long. I always felt like breaking those tes. At one point it even became... Like a nagging thing. It would start annoying me. I would get pissed at the fact that I didn''t break those tes. So, imagine it. I''m pissed, right? Foodes. Hello Mina. Prayer. Whatever. Eat food. Time to break the tes. And then I would think..."
Crack-
"ARGHH!!!"
"Why break them? Why should I listen to that urge? Breaking them doesn''t solve anything. It doesn''t help. It doesn''t change a thing. There''s no real reason to break those tes. So suck it up. Don''t take it out on the tes. Years passed. I grew older. That urge didn''t disappear. I died. I was Reborn and... I don''t think that urge has disappeared now either. I should have smashed those damn tes when I felt like it, you know? Why didn''t I? Did I think that showing restraint meant that I was a better person for it? I just let things bubble up instead. If anything, Ished out at Mom, Dad, and Mina more BECAUSE I didn''t break those tes. I should''ve smashed them. At least once, you know? Just see how it feels. But no. Never. Don''t take it out on the tes, you''re a better person for it. Don''t be immature, deal with the issue at hand. Ha! Just... Great. In that hospital room, letting it bubble up."
Crack-
"Next is your wrist, I guess. After that, your forearm bone. I imagine I can break it multiple times since it''s a longer bone."
"..."
"Couldn''t hear you."
"..."
"Speak up."
"Just... Kill me."
"Huh? Already?"
The white-scaled Monster''s hand moved forward, making the Ex-General wince.
With its index finger couped around its thumb, the white-scaled Monster raised the Ex-General''s chin slightly.
"Don''t you want to live?"
"Live...?"
"Yeah. You can''t move, but you''re still alive. That''s good, isn''t it? Especially when you were counting on killing me right away. Just because you can''t stand up or move around, doesn''t mean that you should hate life, you know?"
"I... I... It hurts..."
"Yeah. I know. How much does it hurt?"
"So... Much. Too much-"
The Ex-General''s head suddenly started shaking. His gaze slowly moved towards his hand.
"ARGHHHH!!!" He screamed. A dark dagger had pierced his hand.
"Come on, don''t scream." The white-scaled Monstery a hand on the old man''s head, gently stroking it. "It hurts, but you''re stronger for it."
The dark dagger was forcefully spun around its axis, and the old man''s scream grew louder.
"Pain is weakness leaving the body. Remember that."
"KILL ME! WHY ARE YOU... WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS-"
The white-scaled Monster blocked the old man''s mouth with a palm.
"It hurts that much? You want to die? Already?"
Tears were about to start going down the Ex-General''s face when,
"It can''t hurt that much..." The white-scaled Monster pulled the dark dagger out of the old man''s hand.
The Ex-General''s eyes widened, as the white-scaled Monster pierced its own hand with that very same weapon.
Mark remained silent for a bit before,
"Mm. Hurts a bit, I guess. Not that much though." The dark dagger was pulled out and,
"ARGHHH!! PLEASE JUST KILL ME!!" The old man begged as the weapon pierced his other hand.
"You''re stronger for it. Don''t scream. Bear it. Pain is weakness leaving the body." The white-scaled brought its bleeding hand to the old man''s face. "Do you feel less weak? Do you feel stronger?"
"NO! NO, I DON''T! I JUST-"
"Yeah..."
Crack-
"Neither do I."
Chapter 362 Feeling Needed
Chapter 362 Feeling Needed
"I used to think that I only wanted to fight strong enemies. That I only wanted to kill enemies as strong or stronger than me. But that''s not exactly right. Inside the Dungeon... Man that was funny. The Boss Monsters were just too strong. I couldn''t have done it alone. No..."
The white-scaled Monster thought silently for a bit.
"I guess I decided not to do it alone. I was scared to do it alone. Scared... Of being alone. So scared that it gave birth to my Necromancy ability? Maybe. They say the Magic Types you can use say something about who you are. Ha. I can use all Magic Types. That''s... That''s just like me. There are some that I''m better at of course. But they''re mostly the fucked up ones, aren''t they? Fire, Corruption, Necromancy... I''m not sure about Ice Magic though. That Lich could use it, so I''m sure it''s pretty fucked up too. Freezing them in ce. Keeping them unable to move. Unable to do a thing... Until their bodies slowly... Stop working. Yeah, I guess I can see it. Dark. Hot and cold. Yeah..."
Mark nodded while scratching his neck.
Every time, I would beat a Guardian, I would grow stronger, only to get a beating against the next Guardian. Every time, I would get my hopes up. With each Evolution, each Body Modification, each newly acquired Skill, each Skill Point used... Then I would get disappointed against the Guardian. Good thinking, Nia. If there were 100 Floors... If I were to be disappointed for too long... Then surely at some point... I would have grown too scared of the disappointment. I would have stopped seeking the answer. Ten Floors... Was a good choice."
"Please, I just... I just want-"
The white-scaled Monster roughly grabbed the old man by the face, covering his mouth.
With an index finger in front of its mouth,
"Shhh. I said it was nice to have someone to talk to. Not to talk with. Stay silent, kay?"
The shaking Ex-General slowly nodded, his gaze glued to the ground.
The white-scaled Monster rubbed its face for a bit.
"All this insecurity bullshit... That Fire Spirit was right. Arrogant and insecure. Like a fucking kid. I''d get insecure after the Boss Monster, then arrogant after getting a bit stronger. It was fucking pathetic." Mark let out a long sigh. "Good times though... Good times. But you know, it''s not really about fighting someone stronger." He stood up and started walking, which immediately alerted the Ex-General. Thetter''s forehead went back to the ground when he noticed that the white-scaled Monster was walking in circles around him. "Fighting a strong one is fun. But that''s not what I like the most. What I like the most... Is those like you. You know? That''s fucking insecure too. But I''m done judging myself based on shit like that. It''s dumb. I''ll allow myself to, you know? I like putting others in their ce. You thought you were strong. Guess what? You fucking aren''t. And I''ll make you suffer for your arrogance. Reminds me of those doctors. Most were alright. But some looked down on me like I was trash. Or like an ATM. Know what that is? Probably not. A fucking... Golden goose or whatever. What was that one... About the... The fucking..."
Mark tapped his head with the tips of his fingers as he circled around the Ex-General who was still lying with his stomach against the ground.
"Yeah, it was a goose, right? The goose thatid golden eggs. Something like that. They knew I wouldn''t get better, those sons of bitches. They didn''t even hide it. Parents had to pay. I had to shut the fuck up. That''s power right there. I''ve fantasized about breaking their fingers, the way I broke yours. Could''ve settled with tes but... Nah. Toote now. Fantasized about pushing them down the stairs and... Whatever. Doesn''t matter. Yeah."
The white-scaled Monster stopped walking.
It was standing out of the Ex-General''s field of vision, which made thetter close his eyes out of fear.
"Putting them in their ce... Those who look at me like I''m a cripple. Yeah. That''s why I used to get so angry inside the Dungeon. Hot-headed and insecure..."
The white-scaled Monster walked closer. The Ex-General could tell thanks to the sound of its footsteps.
"Just like with those tes... Feels stupid to take it out on something else. But sometimes you have to. Gotta be able to think with a clear head."
Mark sighed and raised his gaze.
"Who''s my enemy? Raven? That Connector that Nia told me about? Gaavah? The Demon Lord of Sloth? That of Lust? All of them? Don''t even have the strength to stand up to them..."
He clenched his fists.
"But I''ll get there. No reason to be impatient. It''s clear now, more than ever..."
The white-scaled Monster brought its shaking right hand to its left elbow and held on to it.
"I can''t be with Elisa. I can''t... Not in that way. I was nning on leaving them. Getting them to the Elven Forest then leaving. How dumb is that? Why would I do that? Keep them safe? It''s my fault that the Demon Lords even looked in their direction. Same with Yarnha. I wanted to protect them. I thought I was helping. I thought it was the right thing to do but... I always fuck things up, don''t I? I just... I just can''t get ANY FUCKING THING RIGHT!"
Mark rubbed his face and clenched his teeth.
He winced, frowned, and felt it rising inside him.
Crack-
The need to break a te.
"GAAARHRHHHH!!"
"Oh, shut the fuck up. Argh..." Mark held his face with a palm for a bit. "Well, at least it''s done now. It''s done... We were separated. In a way that makes it certain she won''t look for me. That''s for the best, probably. If I''d lost control and attacked her or something, she would have forgiven me. I would have apologized in the first ce. But this..."
He chuckled, but his throat felt dry. He chuckled, but that''s not what he truly wanted to do.
"This! Giving a new shade to the Monster! Titles? Subconscious? Past me? Whichever the fuck it is, that was a fucking genius move! A new shade to the fucking white-scaled Monster. A shade she had no idea about. A shade she didn''t know existed. A shade... I didn''t know existed."
Mark took a step to his left.
"It''s for the best though. It''s for the best, right?"
He raised his foot and ced it on the Ex-General''s shin.
Thetter shut his eyes. "Please..." He mumbled.
"This way, I can''t hurt them. This way, they won''t be hurt. They''re safer this way. They don''t need me. They don''t need me... I wanted them to need me, didn''t I? Felt so useless in that hospital room. Unable to help anyone. It was nice..."
Clench-
"Feeling needed for once."
Crack-
"But that''s over now..." The white-scaled Monster walked, while the Ex-general whimpered. "They don''t need me now. They haven''t... For a while. Since leaving the Dungeon, probably. This sucks... It''s for the best."
The Ex-General''s elbow was grabbed.
"No...! Please...!"
"This is probably..."
Crack-
"The worst I''ve ever felt..."
Crack-
"It feels right."
Chapter 363 Like a Cockroach
Chapter 363 Like a Cockroach
Both shin bones, broken.
Every finger, broken.
Left elbow, broken.
Multiple internal organs, torn.
Three ribs, crushed.
Left eye, gouged.
Six dark daggers had been imnted into various spots over both his arms.
"Why... Why are you... Why are you doing this?" The Ex-General of the Tyrs struggled to even whisper the words through the pain.
"Why? Because your life is mine. You tried to kill me. Plus, that whip hurt a lot. You also used it on your own pet. As far as I''m concerned, I''m more than justified."
"But what... Why...? What is it you''re looking for? Do you want me to apologize? Do you want me to-"
"What I want? I don''t want anything."
"Then... Why...?"
"Why? Umm. I just feel like it, I guess." The white-scaled Monster answered as it shrugged.
"Just feel... Like it?"
"Yeah, you see..." Mark crouched in front of the old man who stilly with his stomach against the ground. "Thinking isn''t as easy as people make it out to be. Up to now, I''ve been... Repressing some thoughts. I won''t be doing that anymore. No matter how fucked up it is, I''ll allow myself to think it. I won''t run away from my thoughts or feelings... No matter how dark they get. Understand?"
By the look in the Ex-General''s eyes, it was clear that he didn''t get it.
"There''s resistance sometimes. Things I don''t want to think about. Things I don''t want to admit... Not even to myself. That''s when youe in. It''s easier to move past the resistance with you around."
"What... I don''t-"
"You''re like a pen that I push on with my thumb as I think. Or a te. Or... Anything really. So-"
"I understand..." The old man interrupted. "I understand that I was wrong."
"Mm?"
"I thought... I thought you were weak. I was mistaken. I thought I could... Do whatever I wanted. But you turned out to be strong. Too strong. You-"
"No, you''re wrong."
"Huh? But I-"
The old man''s heart dropped as his chin touched the ground.
"You didn''t think that I was weak." The white-scaled Monster said, its foot on the Ex-General''s head. "You thought that you were strong." Its lips curled. "There''s a difference."
"I THOUGHT THAT I WAS STRONG! I WAS WRONG! I''M SORRY! I AM! I..." The old man''s begging grew louder as he felt the pressure pushing down on his head increase. "I SHOULDN''T HAVE ATTACKED YOU! I SHOULDN''T HAVE BLAMED YOU FOR..."
The pressure increased further!
The Ex-General''s begging stopped. He was convinced that it was only a matter of seconds now. A matter of seconds before that harrowing sound resonated. Before that harrowing -Crack- resonated, this timeing from his skull being crushed.
But before there could be any pain, the foot was raised off.
The Ex-General was left panting for air as the white-scaled Monster took a step back.
"Please... You''re strong... I was wrong... Why are you... Toying with... A weakling like me...?"
"A weakling, huh? Yeah, I guess you did turn out to be pretty weak. But..." Mark crouched. "You didn''t think of yourself as weak. You''re just saying that to save yourself. Even if I let you go, you''ll that I was stronger than you, and not that you were weaker than me."
"What... Does that mean?? You''re strong! That''s all there-"
"Strong?"
"YOU ARE! THAT''S WHY I''M ON THE GROUND AND YOU''RE-"
The old man''s words were reced by screams, as a tooth of his had been swiftly and forcefully pulled out.
"Shh. Give me a second."
The old man shivered, and his throat froze. The screaming ceased instantly.
Its tone, its voice, the expression on its face, its eyes. For the Ex-General, everything about the white-scaled Monster pointed to a cold, cold emptiness.
The old man quietly waited.As the white-scaled Monster stared at him silently.
It was staring at him. But the Ex-General could tell that it wasn''t looking at him.
If only he had recovered more!
You''re strong-
Strong? Strong. Strong?
Strong. Strong. Strong. Strong. Strong. Strong.
"If I was strong, nothing would have gone wrong. If I was strong..." Mark talked absent-mindedly. "If I was strong, I wouldn''t have lost them. If I was strong, I wouldn''t have lost anyone. If I was strong, I wouldn''t have hurt them. If I was strong, I wouldn''t have let them down. If I was strong, I wouldn''t have needed to bluff with their name. If I was strong, I wouldn''t have needed help. If I was strong, I wouldn''t have lost control. If I was strong..."
The white-scaled Monster suddenly grabbed the old man by the mouth.
"I''m weak. I want to be strong. I''m weak. I want to be strong. I''m weak. How strong is strong enough? I''m weak. What do I want strength for? I''m weak. I''m-"
"FUCK YOU!"
STKSCHH-
Smoke and dust filled the space between the two, after a red sh shone for a split second.
Red Lightning.
"SERVES YOU RIGHT! YOU SON OF A BITCH!" The Ex-General shouted.
His attack had connected!
The smoke and dust settled, slowly revealing the white-scaled Monster that had beenunched a dozen meters away.
"HA! EAT THAT, DICKHEAD! HA-"
Cough-
The Ex-General shouted before a drop of blood went down his mouth as he coughed.
Its right arm and side had been charred.
"DID YOU THINK MY MANA WOULDN''T RECOVER, DUMBASS?"
Burnt to a crisp.
"DID YOU THINK I WAS LISTENING TO YOUR RAMBLINGS FOR NO REASON?"
The scales seemed to have been melted off, while the rest was scorched.
"DID YOU THINK-"
"I want... To be strong."
"You''re still...?"
"I- I- I- I Want to be strong."
"What is-"
"D-D-D-D-Did you know? Cockroaches..." The white-scaled Monster slowly pushed itself off the ground. "Can survive for weeks... Even after losing their heads."
"What the fuck is he on about-"
The Ex-General''s eye widened, as the burnt skin and muscles melted off the bones. As new tissue was formed rapidly. As new scales reced those that had been lost.
"I want... To be strong."
"FUCK YOU!"
A red light shone once more in the middle of the dark forest once more.
Chapter 364 Weak & Ugly
Chapter 364 Weak & Ugly
"No matter how I look at it, I''m weak. Physically, I''m no match for that Commander. When ites to Mana, Yarnha outsses me. Though she''s a whole Forest, so I don''t know if that counts. Lin had two of those High Elven Pupils, while I only have the one. In Status, Raven outsses me so much that I could barely move in his presence. Feels like if he had told me not to breathe, my body would have stopped doing so. There''s nothing where I can consider myself strong. It''s not that I was stronger. You were just weaker."
The white-scaled Monster shrugged.
"Get it? It''s a simple distinction really."
No answer came from the Ex-General, who clenched his teeth until they bled.
''Ice Magic... There was no way he could have reacted to my lightning in time! Hepletely read my timing and erected a barrier of Ice! Son of a bitch!''
Never had he been as humiliated.
Never did he think such humiliation was possible.
Hey there, silently.
He clenched his teeth, because that was all he could clench.
His arms were connected to his shoulders by the blood that dirtied the ground between them. The same was true for his legs and hips.
"Physically, I''m outssed. I''m weak. But that''s not all. In spirit... Yeah. In spirit too, I am outssed."
In other words, The Ex-General''s four limbs had been separated from the rest of his body.
"I ran away... But that''s for the best. But I love her. I do... But I can''t be with her. Too much I want to destroy. Too much I want to crack and crush and shatter. I can''t put them through that. I can''t pull them into it. I can''t... Corrupt them, any further. I love Elisa, but I can''t be with there-"
The white-scaled Monster''s hand twitched, and it clicked.
"The same reason... Why I love her... Why I hate her... The reason why I love her, would have made me hate her in the past? No. It''s... Something more childish than that."
The twitching hand moved to cover Mark''s face for a couple of seconds as he thought.
"I think... I think I get."
Silence-
"Ha... Haha... Hahahahaha!"
As the white-scaled Monster''sughter grew louder, so did the Ex-General''s whimpers.
"The guilt, the loneliness, the boredom... They brought me to despair. They made me doubt whether I deserved to live. I was so useless too. Deadweight. Useless, weak, stuck. Trapped. And that led to me... Hating everything. I fantasized about... Terrible things. Well," Mark chuckled dryly. "Terrible for that world, I suppose. I fantasized about bringing down buildings, haha! About breaking. About destroying things. I hated everyone. I hated the world for its unfairness. I hated the world... For not caring about me. I hated... I had no respect or attachment for life or the world. I had lost hope in everything. I wanted to watch the world burn, so to say... And it was the same for you."
Mark remained silent for a bit.
Gulp-
The urge to break a te.
The urge was strong. He didn''t give in to it.
"You were trapped too. It was lonely. It was hard. You had no idea whether or not you would make it out. Whether or not you would live. Whether or not you would leave. Whether or not you would die inside that room, inside that tower, inside that Dungeon. I clung to... Maybe you had something to do with it. I clung to who I was as a kid, didn''t I? With you, I didn''t want to look at who I became afterward. I only wanted to remember ''The boy who loved running'', didn''t I? I didn''t want to remember the time inside that hospital, what led me to that hospital, or what I grew into. That image of a child, enthusiastically watching from the bench... That''s... What I wanted to share with you."
The white-scaled Monster covered its eyes with a hand as it took a deep breath in.
"But that''s not who I was. It''s not all I was. I changed, inside that hospital. The despair... Changed me. I didn''t have the strength to look at the future. The strength to ept my condition. The strength to think about ''What''s next''. But you... You..." Mark''s voice shook. "You do. You have the strength that Ick. The time inside the Dungeon didn''t change you. Despite the world hurting you, you don''t want to hurt it. You even let go of getting payback. Your love for the world, your hope... You didn''t let them die. You didn''t let the despair or challenges change you. I love you, Elisa. You''re everything... That I wasn''t. That I wish I was. You suffered the same thing! No, my suffering was only a portion of what you went through! I might have spent longer in that hospital than you spent inside the Dungeon but... What you went through was... Iparably worse. I died before my parents. I have no idea what it''s like to lose a father. Much less for him to be murdered in front of you. To see your people be hurt. To be kidnapped. To be... Poisoned. You suffered so much more! And yet you still... You still... Held Krista in your arms as soon as you saw her. You still nagged me for making Monsters suffer. You still wanted to pat that Elk. You still... Love life. And the world. You didn''t let anything change you. You didn''t let anything kill your hope. You smiled and youughed even though... Even though it was a Monster talking to you. A Monster that killed your..."
Mark slowly fell to his knees.
"I''m not like you. I''m not strong like you. What went through was enough... For my hatred to carry over onto my next life. Even now, I want to break and crush and destroy and kill! Despite everything you went through, you don''t want to do these things. You don''t feel the urge to break. You''re... Beautiful, and strong. I''m not. I''m weak. Too weak... To shine the way you do."
The white-scaled Monster grew silent.
"Ha..." It chuckled dryly. "Objectively, you suffered much more. But I took it way worse than you did. That just shows how weak I am, huh? My tolerance to pain is way lower. Or is it because it hit me when I was younger? Who knows... It doesn''t matter... What matters is that... Right now..."
Mark scratched his neck.
"I''m d you''re not here."
His empty eyes stared at the ground below.
"Loving you... For being so strong. Hating you... For showing me how weak I am. Ha... Childish, and insecure..."
The white-scaled Monster clenched its fists.
"I''m sorry for getting your hopes up."
The people here will take care of you until you get better.
"I''m sorry for not being good enough."
My name is Minah, I''ll be in charge of you here!
"I''m sorry for not trying harder."
Don''t lose hope! You have to do it! If not for your sake, then do it for your parents! Hell, do it for me!
"I''m sorry for disappointing you."
Want to pray together? Mm! Let''s pray that you get better! That you get healthy and strong!
"But in the end... I can''t help but feel d... I''m d... That I''m not with you anymore. I won''t be able... To disappoint you anymore."
You can''t keep skipping your physical therapy. You have to get out of bed! I know it''s not easy... Fine, let''s pray for a bit! Let''s pray that you get better!
"No, that''s not it. I''m d not to be with you... With the two of you because... Deep down, I knew..."
Let''s pray that you get better, so that you can live freely!
"I knew that... I knew..." The white-scaled Monster whispered, its face showing no emotion. "That I didn''t deserve you."
The Monster whispered, as dark tears went down the dark lines drawn on its white scales, before fading away.
Chapter 365 An Old Item
Chapter 365 An Old Item
"I''m just as bad as them..." Mark whispered after a couple of silent minutes. "I''ll be killing you now, kay?" He said as he slowly stood up.
The Ex-General of the Tyrs had long epted his fate.
The amount of blood leaving his body had diminished. There wasn''t much blood left after all.
Barely conscious, he simplyy there.
A peculiar emotion filled his mind.
''I''m d...''
The white-scaled Monster took a step closer.
''That strength, that Aura, the Magic Types used... The emptiness in those eyes, the madness, the darkness...''
And another step closer.
''It let my whip and lightning hit. How perverse...The curiosity to know what it feels like... The curiosity and desire to experience the pain they inflict... Childish curiosity. Bottomless...''
The white-scaled Monster ced its foot on the Ex-General''s head.
''Theughter and shouting... The wrath and joy... One after the other... Madness... Twisted... I can tell. I''ve lived long enough to tell... And I''m d that I am dying now...''
Pressure-
''You''re still young. Still iplete. Immature. I''m d...''
"How does it feel? Being stepped on by someone who used to be a cripple?
''That I won''t have to witness the horrors...''
Crack-
''That you will bring to this world...''
Crack-
''I''m d to die before you grow, young Cmity-''
Crush-
[You have defeated a General of the Tyrs!]
[You have acquired 800 Experience Points!]
[You have Leveled Up!]
With the sound of a skull being crushed, the low whimpers stopped.
In the dead of the night, in the middle of the dark forest, it was quiet.
Not a bird, not a leaf, nothing. Nothing made any sound.
Mark remained standing for a bit, unmoving.
Quiet.
When was thest time it had been this quiet around him?
His gaze moved to the left.
A dozen meters away, a Monster resembling arge Bear.
Below his foot, another corpse.
All around him, trees and nothing else.
The moonlight reflected on the white scales.
The cold wind brought his way the scent of the Bear''s blood.
They were dead.
It was quiet.
What now?
''Wonder if cooking the meat has an effect on the Devouring.''
Mark walked towards the Bear-like Monster that had been cut in three.
He stood in front of it for a bit.
Its scars, its wounds.
It was obvious that the wounds came from the Ex-General''s whip.
The white-scaled Monster chuckled.
''Did you run away and find me? Or did you run towards me?''
Mark crouched, and Devoured.
He stood back up, opened his mouth wide, and brought a hand to his chin.
The white-scaled Monster''s fangs started, one by one, decaying and falling off.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is pleased.]
[Your Title "Devourer" is pleased.]
New ones grew and took their ce.
Sharper andrger fangs.
"Better to eat it raw. Maybe it''s also better to Devour a body that isn''t too damaged. Would be more... Nutritious?" Mark whispered to himself.
[Your Title "Devourer" nods.]
"Couldn''t you have told me about that a long time ago?" He chuckled dryly.
The white-scaled Monster turned towards the main course.
"He wasn''t that strong, so I don''t care much about the rest. But you better get me that." It whispered.
[Your Title "Devourer" rolls its eyes.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" says that it will try.]
The right arm, left arm, left leg, and right leg, which had been separated from the body, were swallowed one by one.
The crushed head didn''t look like an appetizing ce to start from, so the Devourer started from the left shoulder.
Gulp-
[Your Title "Devourer" is pleased.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" analyzes.]
"Take your time. Make sure you get it."
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
Mark stared at the message, before raising his gaze.
Where to go?
He thought about calling out the map, but that wouldn''t help much.
The white-scaled Monster chuckled, and spun around for a couple of seconds, before stopping and pointing forward.
"That way."
He chuckled some more, before walking forward.
Aimlessly, the white-scaled Monster walked with an expresionneless face.
A couple of minutester,
''Wonder where this will lead-''
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" sighs in relief.]
[You have acquired the Magic Skill "Sprite Discharge[B+]".]
''Sprite? Oh, red lightning, huh? Then this must be the one he used earlier. Good enough for me. Let''s see...''
The white-scaled Monster raised a hand, and sparks of red lightning moved up and down his elbow. But,
"Tsk. Not again..."
[The Magic Skill "Sprite Discharge[B+]" is Locked.]
"Feels the same as how Fire Maniption did at first..."
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is disappointed.]
The white-scaled Monster shrugged.
[Your Title "Devourer" sniffs around.]
[Your Title "Devourer" watches with sparkling eyes!]
"Mm?"
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is puzzled.]
[Your Title "Devourer" chuckles.]
[Your Title "Devourer" remembers a simr scent!]
"Simr...? Oh. Really? Now that you say that, it does remind me of it but-"
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" remembers!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" praises your "Devourer" Title!]
[Your Title "Devourer" chuckles.]
''Really...?''
Mark called out his Inventory.
A secondter,y in his hand,
"Huh. Nia told me to take it out then. The Monster didn''t seem that strong though... Does it mean that Nia put it in there? Huh... Could that be why I thought of the centi..." Mark shook his head. "I do remember feeling anxious about Devouring it..."
In dead quietness, the white-scaled Monsterughed out loud.
"I kept it hidden for so long that Ipletely forgot about it! You''re sure it''s rted somehow?"
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods enthusiastically!]
[Your Title "Devourer" argues that you should never doubt its sense of smell!]
"Fine. At the time, Nia said that I wasn''t strong enough to use it. Guess that has changed, since I don''t feel anxious at all. I just... Feel hungry. Very hungry looking at it."
On the white-scaled Monster''s handy an Item it had acquired long ago.
"Despite leaving the Dungeon... Its Rank didn''t change."
An Elixir.
[Fire Giant Core: [S] Ranked Item.]
Chapter 366 Fire Giant Core
Chapter 366 Fire Giant Core
[Fire Giant Core: [S] Ranked Item.]
"Shit... Ranks for Items are different than for Skills or Monsters, aren''t they?"
[Items are Ranked based on Rarity.]
"So like Titles?"
[Correct.]
"Mmm... Feels fucking weird talking to the System this way, when there isn''t someone behind it. Anyways, Fire Giant Core, huh? You really think it''s rted?"
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
"The Monster that had in inside was... A Lower Demon Giant, right? A Fire Giant Core shoulde from a Fire Giant... At least, that''s what you would expect. It was definitely put there by Nia then. Fire Giant... This guy used Red Lightning though. Barely, but still. He didn''t use Fire Magic. Then is it the Giant part that''s important? He was taller than me... And looked Human. Giants. Think they''re bigger than Olgas?"
[Your Title "Devourer" looks at you with shining eyes.]
"He wasn''t that strong, but he was also pretty old. Ex-General too... Of the Tyrs, whatever that is. Feels like I heard of that at some point. He was... What? Four meters tall? Don''t know how tall Humans get in this world. But Wolves are normal-sized for the most part, so I can assume it''s the same for Humans. Between Giant and Human then? The Skill is locked... Because Sprite is a weapon of Giants? The same thing as with the Elven Ne, except with a Skill? I suppose that''s possible."
[Your Title "Devourer" wants you to swallow it right away!]
[Your Title "Devourer" argues that you have been putting it off for too long.]
"Shut up. I just need to think a bit more. Consuming it before was dangerous... I''m stronger now. Plus, it''s a FIRE Giant Core, so my ability to use and control fire will make it easier to handle... I guess? Anyways, it looked Human. So did Yarnha, who''s a Spirit. So looking Human doesn''t mean much. Wait, now that I think about it... So did Zephyr? Oh. Oh! The thing he did before we fought... It healed me and filled the holes in the Boss Room. Some kind of Barrier... The Tyrs''... Something? Could they be rted? Zephyr and..."
The white-scaled Monster suddenly erupted inughter.
"I killed someone rted to Zephyr? Well... Hahaha! Rted might be a stretch, but still! If they''re of the same Race then that''s... That''s pretty fucking good. Especially with how easy it was! Hahaha!"
Mark''s gaze went back to the Fire Giant Core.
"System, any information on it?"
[Fire Giant Core, [S] Ranked Item:
The Fire Giant Core used to be a Fire Giant''s Heart. After centuries passed, the Heart solidified and crystallized into a Core. Within it, reside the blood and mes wielded by Fire Giants, an ancient Race that has long vanished.
The Fire Giant Core can be consumed as an Elixir.]
"The Heart solidified and crystallized... Guess it proves how powerful these Fire Giants were, for an organ to immortalize itself this way. Howe I''m getting the information? It''s not in those Hunter''s Notes or whatever that Raven gave me, is it?"
[The Information is recorded within your Title "Follower Of Gaavah".]
"Then it was definitely put in there. A Race that has long vanished... Rank?"
[A Fire Giant''s Rank cannot be determined as the Race has been extinct for centuries.]
[The Rank [S] would be a safe estimate.]
''A safe estimate? Raven as a Vampire Lord was about [A] Rank, right? Estimate... Anything beyond that is [S], huh? I''ve noticed that inside the Dungeon too. The higher the Rank, the wider the level of strength it covers. It''s the same for Skills, which is why a Skill Evolving didn''t always lead to a change in Rank despite the new Skill being stronger.''
The white-scaled Monster brought a hand to its chin.
"If Raven is [A] Ranked, it''s safe to assume that the Demon Lords are [S] Ranked. Fire Giants and perhaps Giants too are [S] Ranked, or used to be..." Mark whispered to himself. " Since they''re gone, I''ll consider them the lower bar of what it means to be [S] Ranked. If I do that, then anything stronger than them is [S] Ranked. No matter how much it''s stronger than them... Is the [SS] Rank a thing, or was it just inside the Dungeon?"
[Skills, Items, and Beings are Ranked [F] through [S].]
"So those were just something Nia added in... In that case, it''s surprising that she didn''t put the Fire Giant Core as [SS] or even [SSS] inside the Dungeon. Mmm..."
The white-scaled Monster stared at the Fire Giant Core, hesitant.
"What''s my Rank?"
[You are currently a [C+] Ranked Monster.]
"That''s it...?" Mark scratched his head. "That old man was stronger than me Stats wise. My Skills were more numerous and stronger but... Aura is what made the difference." He opened and closed his hand but, "Can''t use it at will yet. Still, at its peak it gave me... A 50% boost in Strength and Agility? Something like that. The defensive boost was also pretty good..."
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" looks at you.]
[Your Title "Devourer" looks at you.]
"A [C+] Ranked eating an [S] Ranked Item..."
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" looks at you.]
[Your Title "Devourer" looks at you.]
"Yeah. No use thinking about it too much."
The white-scaled Monster dangled the Fire Giant Core above its mouth for a second, before letting go.
Gulp-
Five secondster,
''Shit...''
***
"Arani." The General called out.
"What is it, Al?"
"How are you?"
"You can cut the pleasantries. I have to get moving. My Candidate is leaving the Dungeon soon."
"I see..."
"Well, what is it?"
"Any idea what happened to General Nia''s Candidate?"
"She''s running around trying to find him. Why?"
"Nothing... It''s just... I had a bit to do with certain Monsters inside his Dungeon."
"As you did for many Monsters inside most of the Dungeons that the Lord made."
"Yeah but... I kind of put something in there without her knowing..."
"Huh? Pfahhahaha! I didn''t know you were malicious like that! You should have told me earlier, would have made us better friends! Sabotaging her Candidate?"
"Not exactly... Apparently Raven worked with her quite a bit. I had this crazy idea for something I found long ago and-"
"You mean Raven gave you permission?"
"I assumed Raven would tell her but-"
"No, you didn''t! Pfahahha! You didn''t tell her about it at all?"
"I wouldn''t want to get in the middle of that..." General Al scratched his head.
"What was it?"
"I''m not sure it matters. The Candidate isn''t dead, so it must have gone well-"
"Tell me everything!"
"One of his Unique Titles is the Devourer, right?" Arani nodded. "So I wondered what would happen if the Devourer fed on an Elixir, something that is supposed to be consumed or... Well, Devoured."
"What kind of Elixir?" Arani asked with sparkling eyes.
Opposite to her eyes, a darkness filled Al''s.
"An [S] Ranked Elixir."
"WHICH ONE?"
"..."
"PFAHAHAHAHA! YOU AND YOUR PERVERSE CURIOSITY! THAT''S WHY I LIKE YOU!!"
General Al looked away. With a hand on his chin,
"Do you think that Unique Title would be enough to tame an [S] Ranked Elixir? Something that would, otherwise, be fatal?"
"Raven agreed on you doing it?"
"Mm? Yeah, yeah..." Al scratched his chin. "He was thrilled by the idea really."
Chapter 367 The Most Fun, II
Chapter 367 The Most Fun, II
In the middle of the dark forest,
''I swallowed it right away to keep it intact but... What the hell?''
From its mouth to its stomach, the white-scaled Monster could feel the Fire Giant Core make its descent.
It was hot, and felt Fire Ball going down his throat.
Mark''s breathing grew heavier. His breaths were deeper, as if to cool his throat down. The burning sensation didn''t decrease in intensity.
Suddenly, the white-scaled Monster stumbled.
Dizziness.
"Shit." It whispered with a chuckle. "Spicy food... Bad memories."
The heat increased.
And increased!
Mark lowered his gaze towards his stomach! It burned so much that he feared it had caught fire!
His shaking arms wrapped around his stomach.
[Your Passive Skill "Fire Resistance[B]" fights off the Fire Giant Core''s mes!]
[Your Passive Skill "Fire Hide[D-]" fights off the Fire Giant Core''s mes!]
Mark suddenly felt something rise up his throat!
He brought a hand to his mouth as he gagged.
Mark opened his mouth wide. The thought that he wasn''t strong enough to consume it popped inside his head. His body was rejecting the Fire Giant Core.
He thought he was about to throw it up, alongside some blood, perhaps dark blood.
''Wha-''
Instead, all that felt his wide open mouth, was smoke.
Smoke. Smoke. Smoke.
Incessantly, until a cloud covered his whole body.
Mark hurriedly took hold of his throat. That was all he could do, as more smoke left his mouth.
The heat increased further!
It burned more than the Fire Balls that had been shot at him all this time.
More than the Great Fire Balls.
More than the Fire Spirit''s mes.
The heat increased!
Worse than the "Spare Discharge" that the Ex-General had used.
Nothing burned as much!
Then, the burning sensation started moving.
The white-scaled Monster fell to its knees!
Throat, stomach, lungs, and heart.
It burned, burned, burned!
[Your Skill "me Of Chaos[B]" fights off the Fire Giant Core''s mes!]
[Your Skill "Fire Absorption[C]" attempts to Absorb the Fire Giant Core''s mes!]
[Your Skill "me Of Chaos[B]" attempts to tame the Fire Giant Core''s mes!]
The burning sensation moved more.
It expanded beyond the organs it had been incessantly attacking earlier, and moved towards the rest of the body.
It moved, without losing in intensity.
The mes weren''t being spread. On the contrary, more mes were being brought out by the Fire Giant Core!
The smoke continually exiting his mouth made it impossible to breathe.
His vision was clouded by both the smoke and dizziness.
"Aarg... AARGHHH!" The white-scaled Monster screamed despite being muffled by the smoke.
It clenched its fists and contracted every muscle that made up its body.
It burned!
Everything was burning!
From the inside, Mark''s body was being scorched!
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" stares at the "Fire Giant Core".]
[Your Title "Devourer" stares at the "Fire Giant Core".]
[Your Title "Devourer" gnaws at the "Fire Giant Core"!]
It hurt.
Throat, stomach, lungs, heart, everything!
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" opens an eye in its slumber.]
The heat decreased ever so slightly.
The Title that had been silent all this time.
Mark thought that-
[Your Title "Devourer" stares at your "Potential Demon King Candidate" Title!]
[Your Title "Devourer" bares its Fangs at your "Potential Demon King Candidate" Title!]
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
Not again!
Visions of what had happened inside the Dungeon, inside the 2nd Floor''s Boss Room flooded the white-scaled Monster''s mind.
But at the same time...
It burned! It burned! Everything was burning! Everything hurts!
Mark could exactly tell what the Title was shouting.
Mine! Mine! Mine!
More than anything,
Mine! I can handle it! Mine!
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" falls back into a slumber.]
His heart was burning! His heart hurt like it had never before! His heart!
Months and months of running.
Months and months of training.
Until he passed out, until he spat blood, until he destroyed his own heart!
The heat increased! And it kept on increasing!
His heart was burning! His heart hurt like it had never before! His heart!
That time he had spent running. That time he had spent training. The pain it had brought. The meaningless pain that didn''t lead to anything! The pain that didn''t rid him of any weakness! Those months that cursed him for the rest of his life!
It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!
It burns! It burns! It burns!
The child going through all that pain! Through all of that meaningless pain!
''I''m not... Losing!''
[The Fire Giant Core stares at your Royal Minotaur Heart!]
Heart Versus Heart.
''You think this is anything? Bring it on! My heart has handled worse! Worse pain! Much worse! If this pain will make me stronger... If this pain really will... Then I''ll..."
[The Fire Giant Core me''s attempt to scorch your Heart!]
''GO AHEAD! TRY TO! MY HEART... WON''T LOSE ANYMORE!''
[Your Title "Devourer" is moved by your resolve!]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is moved by your resolve!]
''Bring it on, Fire Giant! Let''s see whose heart...''
Burning daggers pierced his heart.
Breathing hadn''t been possible for what felt like an eternity now.
This is nothing!
Bring it on!
I''ll keep going!
I''m not scared of the pain! I''ve never been!
Wee the pain!
Pain is weakness living the body!
Strength is always hiding behind a wall of pain!
More than anything...
More than anything...
For the child that had continued running, for the child that had destroyed its own heart, for the child that kept going through the pain...
For the young adult that cursed that child, that cursed that child''s idiocy, that cursed that child''s greediness...
Those months of pain, those months of fighting against it, those months of tearing down its own body...
Looking back, the young adult hated those months.
But every now and again, in his uneventful life, the young adult would think about those months.
Painful months of foolishly fighting against the pain, of foolishly fighting against the world.
Those months...
''Let''s see whose Heart...''
Were the most fun he had ever had.
''Will Devour the other''s!'' The corner of the white-scaled Monster''s lips curled upwards, as its body was set on fire.
Chapter 368 Playing Tag With Monsters, II
Chapter 368 ying Tag With Monsters, II
As the white-scaled Monster''s organs and muscles were continually scorched,
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
Advanced Body Reconstruction-
The Magic Skill was used so much tobat the breaking down of Mark''s body that it, at one point, was used instinctively.
[Your Magic Skill "Advanced Body Reconstruction[B+]" is Evolving!]
[You have developed the Passive Skill "elerated Health Point Regeneration[B]".]
Messages that the white-scaled Monster couldn''t see.
Through the pain, it pushed itself off the ground.
Feet, legs, eyes, and organs it didn''t even know existed were continually burned.
How long had the white-scaled Monster''s body been burning for?
How long had it been since the mes burning it from both the inside and the outside had been sparked?
When exactly had the white-scaled Monster''s suffocating coughs turned into all-outughter?
A new pain slowly was born.
Heart? No, but close to it.
The mes wielded by an ancient Race.
Fire Giant Core.
A crystalized Fire Giant''s Heart.
The organ that pumped blood through its whole body.
A Being that was more than a hundred meters tall.
The white-scaled Monster''s scales twitched incessantly.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" processes the Fire Giant Core''s mes!]
[Your Title "Devourer" swallows the Fire Giant Core''s mes gluttonously!]
The burning Monster slowly curled its arm and stared at its palm.
It could see!
Despite the fire, the Monster could see its palm!
Or rather, the mes surrounding it.
The Monster''s whole body was covered by the mes. All of it was burning.
Everything, except its left eye.
The white-scaled Monster found that fascinating.
Its field was vision was covered by mes, and that eye was burned to a crisp.
But the Monster could feel it! Its index finger wasn''t burning.
The next second, mes engulfed that finger, and the Monster could see once more.
This is probably the worst I''ve ever felt-
Thoughts from a bit earlier.
The white-scaled Monster realized that it, truly, had no idea how much worse things could get.
And yet, the thought that followed the former remained true.
It feels right-
With the corners of its lips slightly curled upwards, the white-scaled Monster raised a foot.
Despite the mes, despite the pain, the Monster took a step forward.
Leaving burned traces behind it with each step, the burning Monster walked.
Where to?
Forward.
What for?
Forward.
Under the ck Sky, in the middle of the dark Sorest, two sources of Light.
The Moon. And the mes.
For thirty seconds or thirty minutes, the white-scaled Monster covered by ancient mes walked forward.
The pain was such that Mark couldn''t think about anything else.
And so, he decided not to think.
The white-scaled Monster walked, until it noticed.
Having only one eye made it difficult to notice after all.
It had been surrounded.
Mark scanned the area around him by slowly spinning 360 degrees.
Five or six of them? Except if more had hidden in his blind spots as he had spun.
Strange creatures.
Hyenas with no eyes.
Wolves with no lower jaws.
Bears with sharp ribs that pierced through their pelt instead of circling around their torso.
More appeared.
Eyeless Hawks that stood on two legs and measured about 2 meters tall.
Vultures that were simr to Hawks except with no feathers covering their bodies.
Tigers that stood upside down as if Spiders.
Spiders with Human-like arms for legs.
Orcs with mouths for eyes and an eye for their mouth.
More horrendous creatures assembled with time. Horrifying creatures.
Creatures of nightmares.
Creatures of the night, called by the one light shining inside the darkness that ruled the forest.
The Hyenas and Hawks were the first tounch themselves at that Light.
It was a ce without Light after all.
A ce in which Light wasn''t epted.
The Eyeless were the first to fight against the appearance of Light.
The Hawks jumped up while the Hyenas ran forward.
The white-scaled Monster stepped back swiftly, leaving ce for the talons belonging to the two attacking Hawks to pierce the ground.
It reached forward.
Each of the white-scaled Monster''s handsnded on one of the Hawks'' bodies.
And with a touch,
KIII-
KIII-
Their bodies caught Fire.
''Hurts... Doesn''t it?''
The Hyenas bared their fangs, and the white-scaled Monster plunged forward, leaving just enough space between its body and the ground for the attacking Hyenas to pass through.
Touch-
Touch-
Mark''s hadnded on the Hyena''s head.
A split second, was enough for the mes covering his body to run wild and cover the Hyena''s whole body.
Then came the Bears.
The Tigers and the Orcs.
One by one, their bodies burned.
The white-scaled Monster jumped, spun, and leaped.
More and more Lights were lit inside the dark Forest.
GROWL-
ROAR-
KIII-
KEKEKEK-
The number of Light grew, and so did the number of Creatures encircling the area.
More abominable and grotesque one from the next, they growled and roared.
While the white-scaled Monster chuckled.
It ran and ran, lighting Lights with its hands and legs.
Still, they kept going towards it!
Little by little, the white-scaled Monster started forgetting about the pain.
It was still there. The mes were still burning it from both the inside and the outside.
Still, it chuckled.
Beyond the swarm of Creatures surrounding him, Mark could see it.
A Creature different from the rest.
Some kind of Boss Monster?
Beyond the swarm, on a tree''s branch.
Its legs were too short and its arms too long.
Where did its head start and when did its torso end? It had no noticeable shoulders or neck.
Its five eyes stared greedily.
Its two mouthes, one above the other, showed human-like teeth.
The Creature was smiling.
Mark wasn''t worried.
Its time woulde to.
For now, let''s keep this going!
Let''s light more Fires!
Let''s keep this party going!
Just like that time...
Let''s keep it going!
With a touch, I win!
I love this game too, you know?
So let''s keep this party going!
Keep the game going!
For now, this is what I want!
It''s my turn now!
ying tag with Monsters.
Chapter 369 Little Giant
Chapter 369 Little Giant
[Your Magic Skill "me Of Chaos[B]" is Evolving!]
[Your Passive Skill "Fire Resistance[B]" is Evolving!]
[Your Passive Skill "Fire Hide [D-]" is Evolving!]
[Your Magic Skill "Fire Control[B]" is Evolving!]
[Your Magic Skill "Advanced Body Reconstruction[B+]" is Evolving!]
[You have defeated a Corrupted...]
[You have defeated a Corrupted...]
[You have defeated a Corrupted...]
One by one,
[You have defeated a Corrupted...]
[You have defeated a Corrupted...]
[You have defeated a Corrupted...]
With a touch of the white-scaled Monster''s hands, their bodies caught fire and burned.
[You have Leveled Up!]
[You have defeated a Corrupted...]
Suddenly, Mark stopped moving.
Through his eye, he saw the countless horrific Monsters leap toward him.
They leaped, and, uponing into contact with the mes that covered his body, started burning.
His field of vision was covered by the mes burning the Monsters, and nothing other than mes could be seen.
More and more jumped until a pile of Monsters covered his body.
A secondter, the mes had already spread, burning the pile.
The pile grew evenrger!
Then, with a roar,
ROARRR-
BOOM-
A massive explosion blew the pile of ashes away.
The mes spread and spread.
Everything within a fifty-meter diameter was turned to ash, from the Monsters to the grass or the trees. At the center of the ring of fire, a roaring Mark.
The mes continued spreading, lighting up the dark forest.
The next second, it disappeared.
All the light. All the fire. The mes disappeared at once.
No.
They had been pulled.
Mark''s scales twitched as his muscles ballooned up!
His muscles grewrger andrger, but his bones didn''t grow at all.
A body covered with oversized muscles.
Holding those mes... All of those mes...
The sheer quantity of Fire held within a Fire Giant''s Heart made the white-scaled Monster''s whole body balloon up.
It was truly as if the white-scaled Monster''s body was about to explode.
Kekekek-
The one Monster other than Mark chuckled.
Its long arms move.
p- p- p-
Kekekek-
Its two mouths smile widely, excited to witness another explosion.
Mark could feel his bones screaming.
His muscles tearing.
Everything was about to break.
The excessively bloated Monster''s lips curled upwards.
Too much Fire?
Too much?
There''s no such thing.
I''d rather have too much than not enough!
Give it to me!
More!
I can handle it!
MINE!
Something suddenly started rising.
Mark could feel it.
The mes. If he wanted to, he could get rid of them.
With one roar. One destructive stream ejecting all those mes.
MINE!
Refusing to throw that Fire out,
Gulp-
[Your Title "Devourer" is pleased.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" pleased.]
The white-scaled Monster let out a sigh.
And with it, a gigantic cloud of smoke.
At the same time, an incredible amount of steam started oozing out of its whole body.
A minute passed.
The could of smoke dissipated.
The white-scaled Monster''s muscles had gone back to their normal size.
But those muscles weren''t the same.
The world disappeared and the pain faded.
The white-scaled Monster started falling.
The pain, the fatigue, the burning. Finally...
p-
Mark ced a hand on his knee before he could reach the ground.
With a facial expression beyond exhausted,
[Your Passive Skill "Fire Hide[D-]" has Evolved into "Fire d[C+]"!]
[Your Passive Skill "Fire Resistance[B]" has Evolved into "Fire Resistance[A+]"!]
[Your Magic Skill "Fire Control[B]" has Evolved into "Fire Authority[A]"!]
[Your Magic Skill "Advanced Body Reconstruction[B+]" has Evolved into "Sublime Body Restoration[A]"!]
[Your Magic Skill "me Of Chaos[B]" has Evolved into "Spark Of The Primordial me[A+]"!]
[Your Skill "Fire Absorption[C]" is Evolving...]
[A series of New Titles are being Born!]
[You have acquired the Title "Fire Seeker[Rare]".]
[Your Skill "Fire Absorption[C]" immortalizes itself!]
[Your Title "Devourer" nods enthusiastically!]
[You have acquired the Title "me Devourer[Rare]".]
''Ha...''
[You have Consumed a "Fire Giant Core[S]"!]
[You have acquired the Title "Beating Fire Giant Heart[Epic]".]
[Your Magic Skill "me Of Chaos[B]" has Evolved into "Spark Of The Primordial me[A+]"!]
[You have acquired the Title "Holder of a Primordial me''s Spark[Epic]".]
[The Blood, mes, and Heart of a Fire Giant rush and beat within you!]
[Your size does not match that of a Fire Giant.]
[You have obtained an Ancient Skill from an Extinct Race.]
[You have obtained the Title "Last Vestiges Of The Fire Giants[Epic]"!]
[Your Affinity with the Primordial me increases greatly!]
[A number of Titles Resonate!]
[Your Title "Last Vestiges Of The Fire Giants[Epic]" Resonates!]
[Your Title "Holder of a Primordial me''s Spark[Epic]" Resonates!]
[Your Title "Beating Fire Giant Heart[Epic]" Resonates!]
[A New Title is being born!]
The next second, a blinding me appeared in front of the white-scaled Monster.
It disappeared after less than a second.
[The Primordial me judges your worthiness.]
''Here we go again...''
[The Primordial me judges your Consitution.]
[The Primordial me judges your Strength.]
[The Primordial me judges your Sins.]
[The Primordial me judges your Past.]
[The Primordial me judges your Present.]
[The Primordial me judges you.]
''How direct-''
[The Primordial me has deemed you worthy.]
''Huh?''
A second series of messages appeared, slightly to the right.
[You have acquired theTitle "Little Giant[Epic]".]
[Your Strength Stat increases!]
[Your Vigor Stat increases!]
[Your Endurance Stat increases!]
[Your Mana Stat increases!]
[Your Affinity with Fire Magic increases greatly!]
[You have developed the Skill "Gigantification[S]"!]
[Your Strength Stat is too low.]
[Your Vigor Stat is too low.]
[Your Endurance Stat is too low.]
[Your Mana Stat is too low.]
[The Skill "Gigantification[S]" has been Locked.]
[You have developed the Sub-Skill "Partial Gigantification[A+]"!]
''A real... [S] Ranked Skill-''
The next messages left the white-scaled Monster dumbfounded.
[You have acquired the Title "Potential Wielder of the Primordial me..."!]
Titles were strange things.
One thing was clear. The power they held.
Mark was only aware of three Title Ranks: Common, Umon, Epic...
The Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" was an Epic-grade Title, and the powers that it held was nothing to scoff at.
Which is why,
[You have acquired the Title "Potential Wielder of the Primordial me[Mythical]".]
Chapter 370 Primordial Flame?
Chapter 370 Primordial me?
"Worthy...? Of what-"
The white-scaled Monster''s whispers were suddenly stopped by a throbbing pain worse than anything it had ever felt.
Worse than losing a limb.
Worse than being torn apart.
Worse than being burned alive.
[The Primordial me starts purifying your Blood.]
"ARGHHHAAAAA!!" The white-scaled Monster screamed through its clenched teeth as it fell to the ground.
[The Primordial me starts purifying your Blood Vessels.]
Through half-opened eyes, the white-scaled Monster could barely read the messages.
Its very blood felt like it was being steamed.
Its blood vessels, veins, and arteries, felt like they were breaking and piercing its body from the inside as if made of ss.
[The Primordial me starts purifying your Heart.]
[The Primordial me starts purifying your Soul.]
"Stop... ARGHHH STOP THAT!"
[The Primordial me looks at you.]
"Don''t fuck... Don''t fuck with... ARGHHH!!"
[The Primordial me nods.]
The pain ceased, leaving a half-conscious Mark lying on the ground.
[Multiple Titles fuse into one!]
[You have acquired the Title of "Last Giant[EPIC]!]
[The blood of Giants courses through your body.]
[You have filled the Conditions.]
[The Magic Skill "Sprite Discharge[B+]" has been Unlocked.]
[The Magic Skill "Sprite Discharge[B+]" Evolves into "Sprite Maniption[A-]"!]
[Your Title "Devourer" praises you reluctantly.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" demands that you witness its creation!]
A dizzy white-scaled Monster slowly pushed itself off the ground.
[The Primordial me purges you of your fatigue.]
[The Primordial me fades.]
Instantly, all tiredness dissipated.
Still, the confusion remained.
The white-scaled Monster stood with wide eyes as it breathed heavily.
''Primordial mes... What the hell is that? An Effect of my Title, but-''
Grrrrr-
No explosion?
Grrrrr-
The strange Monster that had been watching from afar was more than disappointed.
It was disgusted.
Mark opened and closed his hand repeatedly.
His height didn''t change.
Maybe a bit?
The white-scales were still there.
His tail and wings were the same. His facial structure too, for the most part.
Other than that, everything had changed.
The Titles of "Little Giant" and "Last Giant" weren''t for nothing.
Devouring a Fire Giant''s Crystallized Heart and a Descendant of Giants had led everything under his scales to change.
The skin under those scales, the muscles, bones, joints, and organs.
Everything was different.
Everything was much, much more powerful.
The dark line going down Mark''s left eye had disappeared.
He slowly brought a hand to his chest.
Carved on the white scales, a Symbol he did not know.
His hand stroked that Symbol tenderly, as his lips curled upwards into a peaceful smile.
''Marked...''
The very same spot.
''Once more.''
A wild and strident screech resonated throughout the forest.
"Two mouths are louder than one, huh?"
Mark directed his gaze towards the Monster staring at him.
"Was it fun looking at me from up there? While I was in pain and unable to get up?"
He chuckled.
''Still things I have to think about-''
And the Monster screeched once more.
"You had your fun..."
Mark slightly raised his right arm to the side.
Spark-
Spark- Spark-
"Let''s switch now."
In the white-scaled Monster''s palm, resided Lightning.
A Red Lightning.
The sparks and bolts it produced moved erratically and randomly, burning and destroying the ground around the white-scaled Monster at various spots.
One Monster twitched, and the other raised its arm.
It took less than a second.
Despite the distance separating them being over seventy meters, it only took an instant for the Sprite to reach the Monster''s leg.
Whistle-
"Not bad." Mark whispered. "Drains Mana like crazy though." He nodded.
The lower portion of the Monster''s leg had been blown off.
''Aiming it is easier than I thought it would be. I don''t need to aim, just direct it.''
As the Monster started falling, arge smile was on Mark''s face.
"It was worth it... That pain-"
With its overly long arms, it reached for the branch.
Mark leaped forward as the Monster swayed itself from branch to branch.
''Running away? Was it simply part of the others? It acted way differently. Commanding them? Leading me to another Monster?''
The white-scaled Monster couldn''t stop smiling as it ran.
Its body felt incredibly light and powerful!
Additionally, the pain from the mes was finally gone.
''It''s pretty fast. Won''t be able to aim except if...''
The Monster jumped from tree to tree as it was pursued.
Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
''Why... Am I following it?''
Was it fun looking at me from up there?
While I was in pain and unable to get up?
"Insecurity... From my past." He whispered.
But he didn''t stop.
''It''s not strong enough to be a threat or to make me hungry. I have no reason to-''
The white-scaled Monster''s nose twitched.
"No, there''s something. There''s definitely something!"
Mark extended an arm forward while the Monster was in the air.
Before it could each the next branch,
Spar Discharge-
The branch was turned into ash right away!
Mark''s feet drifted on the ground as he stopped running and brought his hands together.
[Your Magic Skill "Scorching Ray[B]" evolves into "Purging Ray[B+]"!]
mes appeared between his palms as the Monster started falling.
''Per...'' The attack was shot. ''Fect.''
But just when it was about to hit,
p-
The Monster was suddenly engulfed by a darkness.
"Huh?"
His eyebrow twitched.
"Invisibility or something? A Skill simr to Light''s?"
Snif- Snif-
''No... It just disappeared. Teleportation?''
The white-scaled Monster sighed and,
"Just one after the other, huh?"
Crack- Crack- Crack-
Two dozen Skeletons started exiting the ground.
"What were you doing down there?" Mark chuckled. "Just like outside the Dungeon..." His eyes widened. "Just like that time!"
His gaze moved from right to left.
''They weren''t just there. They were summoned! It must be like that time, which means...''
Snif- Snif-
The white-scaled Monster smiled widely.
"There must be a Summoner. A Necromancer somewhere..."
It only took two additional minutes.
''Just followed where that thing was going...''
A couple of steps in front of the white-scaled Monster, a hole in the ground.
''Stairs... Hard to see in the dark. Were you leading me to your Master or something?''
Mark stepped forward.
[You have entered the Dungeon "Vestiges Of The Undead Dark Triad[B]".]
"Mm." He nodded. "What''s my Rank?"
[You are currently a [B] Ranked Monster.]
Excited, he stepped onto the stairs.
Where would the stairs lead to?
Why were there such stairs in the middle of a forest?
"Let''s fuck shit up." Mark said, and went down those stairs.
Badump- Badump-
Badump- Badump-
Badump- Badump-
His heart was beating fast. Excitement? Fear?
Neither.
His heart wasn''t beating fast after all.
Badump- Badump-
Badump- Badump-
Two heartbeats.
------------------
Mark''s current Status Window:
[Name: Mark
Titles:
-Potential Wielder of the Primordial me: [Mythical Title] (New!)
-Devourer: [Unique Title].
-Evolving Monster: [Unique Title].
-Potential Demon King Candidate: [Epic Title].
-Last Giant: [Epic Title] (New!)
-Little Giant: [Epic Title] (New!)
-me Devourer: [Rare Title] (New!)
-Fire Seeker: [Rare Title] (New!)
-Gaavah''s Follower: [Umun Title]
-System Holder: [Common Title]
Level: Lv17 (394/5000EXP)
Health Points: 2250/2250
Endurance Points: 1300/1300
Mana Points: 2300/2300
Stats:
-Strength: 141 (Fire Giant Core: UP 47!)
-Agility: 105 (UP 30!)
-Sense: 140 (High Elven Pupil: UP 85!)
-Vigor: 225 (Olga: UP 39!) (Fire Giant Core: UP 71!)
-Endurance: 130 (Olga: UP 13!) (Fire Giant Core: UP 27!)
-Mana: 230 (Olga: UP 22!) (Fire Giant Core: UP 53!)
]
Chapter 371 Get Lost, Once More
Chapter 371 Get Lost, Once More
''[B] Ranked...''
Step-
''[B]Ranked...''
Step-
''One Rank separates me...''
Step-
''From him.''
The white-scaled Monster came to a stop.
It had gone down the stairway just enough to be hidden from the moonlight.
''One Rank away...''
Mark''s right handy on the lower portion of his face, covering his mouth.
''Moving from [F] to [E] is easier than [C] to [B]. The distance separating the Ranks increases... Only one Rank away, but it won''t be easy closing that distance. I''ll have to grow... Twice? Thrice? Four times as strong? I still... Can''t picture it. If he had fought the Commander... I can''t picture, because I didn''t see him fight.''
The white-scaled Monster clenched its left hand.
''His presence and aura were enough. How strong is he? I can''t picture it. Him being [A] Ranked was only an assumption anyways. Still... Strength that doesn''t even need to be shown. I bent to his will without even thinking about it. Might as well have taken a knee. That kind of power...''
The white-scaled Monster''s hands moved to cover its face as the corners of its lips rose.
''I really want to break him.''
The smile on Mark''s face disappeared right away.
''That''s what it''s really about, isn''t it? Getting that angry... That hateful. It wasn''t on their behalf. It wasn''t because I lost Levi, Light, Grey, and Fiery. No. It''s because they were taken away. That Fire Spirit... He willingly left. Willingly, to make it easier on me. Ha! I definitely would have died had I tried something. That''s what I''m really angry about.''
The white-scaled Monster crouched.
Its fingers inteced and its index fingery between its nose and lip.
Mark''s thumbs pushed against one another and against his front fangs.
''I want the strength to break him.'' He thought to himself as he stared down the dark abyss to which the stairway leads. ''Not to defeat him. Not to fight him. Not to kill him. The kind of strength that would make someone like him break. I want him to bend, kneel, scream, plead, and flee. Breaking himpletely... In both mind and body.''
Mark tilted his head slightly to the right.
"Wonder if that''s immature?" He whispered to himself.
The corners of his lips rose.
The white-scaled Monster chuckled as it stood back up.
"Can''t wait to break him." It said with a smile. "But before that..."
Mark skipped down the stairs. The smile on his face remained.
"Gotta get strong."
[You have entered the Dungeon "Vestiges Of The Undead Dark Triad[B]".]
[Dungeon Clear Requirement: Defeat the Boss Monster known as "The First Undead Lich".]
[Reward: None.]
''No Reward...? I guess I get it.'' The white-scaled Monster shrugged. ''For a Dungeon in the middle of nowhere, why would a Reward be offered? Simr to that Goblin vige. A reward for Clearing the Dungeon other than what is found inside the Dungeon... What kind of Dungeon would have that?'' Mark wondered as he continued going down the stairway.
Before he knew it,
''Can barely see the ground, but that''s the end of the stairway.''
Mark''s eyes had adjusted to the darkness, but it was still difficult to see clearly.
''The First Undead Lich. Would be the second one I see though. Since it''s the First, it''ll either be old and decrepit, or incredibly strong. It''s an Undead in the first ce, so I probably shouldn''t take age into ount. The First... Vestiges of the Undead Triad. First of the Triad? In that case, age wouldn''t have anything to do with it. A Triad of Undead Liches? It wouldn''t make sense for it to hold the Title of "First Undead Lich" though. Just like-''
[Your Title "The Last Giant" snores in its slumber.]
"Right..." Mark whispered.
He stepped off thest stair and onto the ground.
The next second,
Woosh- Woosh- Woosh-
One by one, themps stuck to the wall were lit.
Mark focused on his vision but,
''Nothing further or on the ceiling.'' He approached the walls. ''Expected it to be some kind of cave but... The walls are smooth, and so is the ground. It''s not just the stairway. The whole underground structure was built. The presence of a stairway should''ve been enough but... You should have put more effort into making those Floors, Nia.'' He chuckled. ''A long and deep corridor, again.''
Mark showed his fangs, and started walking forward.
A lot had happened to the white-scaled Monster.
Too much, in fact.
Remembering anding to terms with its past took an indeterminable amount of time.
In a sh, days and days of memories had entered its mind.
And what led to that was...
The weight of its actions and past was nothing to scoff at.
The road hadn''t been an easy one, and it wouldn''t get easier.
That, is the path of a Potential Demon King Candidate.
The weight of being the Devourer and the Evolving Monster.
The weight of being Chosen by Gaavah.
Where to go? Where will this lead?
Mark did not know.
But after all his experiences and all he had gone through, a sole desire presently filled him.
Go back.
Get lost.
Go back.
Just like then, go back.
"Let''s find this Undead Lich then."
Get lost inside a Dungeon once more.
-----------------
Mark''s updated List of Skills:
-Passive Skills:
Water Resistance[F] - Poison Resistance[F]
Weightless Steps[E] - Water Pressure Resistance[E+]
Combative Eye[D] - Ferocious Charge[D]
Venom Regtion[C-] - elerated Endurance Regenaration[C] - elerated Mana Regenaration[C] - Fire d [C+]
Cold Resistance[B] - Destructive Tail Flick[B]- elerated Health Point Regeneration[B]
Heat Resistance[A+] - Fire Resistance[A+]
-Magic Skills:
Golem Armor[E] - Venomous Wings[E] - Blinding Sand[E] - Great Fire Ball[E+]
Corrupting Javelin[D] - Mana Barrier[D] - Earth Maniption[D+] - Freezing Mist[D+]
Dark Corrupting Spear[C] - Bone Maniption[C] - Ice Maniption[C] - Corruption Production[C] - Wind st[C+] - Corruption Control[C+] - Wind Burst[C+]
Purgatory''s Undead Troup[B+] - Purging Ray[B+]
Sprite Maniption[A-] - Fire Authority[A] - Berserker[A] - Sublime Body Restoration[A] - Partial Gigantification[A+] - Spark Of The Primordial me[A+]
-Locked Skills:
Gigantification[S].
Chapter 372 Just A Couple Of Bones, II
Chapter 372 Just A Couple Of Bones, II
Crack- Crack- Crack-
ng-
Crack- Crack- Crack-
"Interesting..." The white-scaled Monster whispered.
Surrounding it, dozens of Skeletonsy on the ground.
"There''s no light emitted from their eyes." Mark noted.
With his left hand, he held a Skeleton''s wrists.
With his right, he moved its head from left to right.
"Different from those inside the Dungeon..."
Mark stared intently.
He extended an index finger, filled with perverse curiosity.
"Nothing, huh? Should have tested that with those inside the Dungeon. Or... That Dungeon, I should say." Mark chuckled as he pulled his index finger out of the Skeleton''s empty eye socket. "They''re disorientedpared to the others. I suppose they can''t see. Can they hear? Mmmm..."
Unable to find an answer, the white-scaled Monster grabbed the Skeleton by the neck and separated its head from its spine.
"Crushing their bones is a sure way to stop them. What about this?"
Mark only let go of the Skeleton once its limbs and head were separated from its body.
nk-
He crouched, staring at the dismembered Skeleton that had just hit the ground.
"There really is no way to know whether they''re alive or not... Alive might not be the right term." Mark whispered, a hand on his chin. "They''re no different from objects now-"
His thoughts were interrupted as,
Crack- Crack- Crack-
"Healing?"
The shattered and dismembered Skeletons'' body parts started moving.
It didn''t take long before the Monsters were whole and standing once more.
"Healing bones is definitely possible but... For Skeletons? It''s not really impossible, but doesn''t really add up. It''s more likely that they''re being summoned. Or controlled? The Undead Lich or another Monster inside the Dungeon being the Necromancer, and it healing them or something."
Woosh-
CLAP-
"They don''t react to sound or light. Then they''re being controlled. Healing them all the time should be annoying though. Continually doing that..."
The Skeletons were crushed once more.
This time, even their arms, legs, ribs, spines, and skulls were crushed into tiny fragments.
"Wonder if they stick back together by interchanging limbs and bones or if they keep the same ones-"
Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
A familiar feeling.
"That''s..." He stared. "Bone Maniption?"
The white-scaled Monster extended an arm towards one of the moving bones.
Stop-
"I shouldn''t be able to control it if it''s alive. I can stop it, but there is a force I''m fighting against. Interesting. Is it using Bone Maniption to control all of them? Using bones to create puppets in a way? Soundsplicated. Especially when there are dozens of Skeletons, each broken into dozens of pieces."
Mark crouched once more, his gaze filled with curiosity.
"Remote control... Some kind of autopilot? They probably don''t have Health Points. They''ll keep rising again and again. That''s a pretty strong Skill, especially if used on strong Monsters... No. It''s because they''re weak Skeletons that something like this can be used. A stronger Monster would cost too much Mana."
The white-scaled was amused by the bones moving around, seemingly at random, trying to find where they fit.
"Perpetual healing puppets... They''re more like Items than Monsters. That''s a good way of looking at it. Skeletons turned into Items? Or Items turned into Skeletons? Where do Skeletons evene from...? Corruption Magic to raise the dead from their graves. To turn them into Items... First of all, you wouldn''t need their soul. They''re all the same, so they don''t keep their Skills either. Do theye from Humans? Something else entirely? Might be... What was it... A Ritual? Maybe a Ritual is necessary as a Condition for the activation of the Skill. The Skill that turns the Skeletons into Items. Yeah, let''s focus on this part. What the fuck are Rituals in this World anyways? Guess it can be anything. Filling the Requirements for my Purgatory''s Undead Troup could be seen as performing a Ritual... Though I''ve never seeded. Still don''t know all the Requirements I guess. The Dungeon is [B] Ranked, yet it chose Skeletons. It wouldn''t be surprising for the Ritual to change depending on the Monster that is being turned. If that''s the case, then there''s no Monster which would require a simpler Ritual than these..."
The Skeletons stood once more.
"A simple Ritual... Oh. I could see that working."
The white-scaled Monster immediately leaped forward.
It roughly grabbed a Skeleton''s body, before raising its arms, legs, rotating its body in every way it could be rotated before,
"Jackpot." Mark whispered.
The Skeleton''s skull was separated from the spine. With a thumb through the right eye socket and an index finger through the left eye socket,
Crack-
"There we go."
The white-scaled Monster stared at the inside of the Skeleton''s skull.
"A triangle... Drawn with blood?"
Snif- Snif-
A familiar stench.
"Blood imbued with Corruption Magic. A tiny triangle too..."
Mark chuckled.
"Then if I understand this right..." He extended his ws and brought his index finger to the drawn triangle. "Messing with the Sign will..."
Kriii-
A line was drawn against the bone, cutting the triangle of blood in two.
The next second,
Crumbles-
The white-scaled Monster''s smile widened.
"The smell of Corruption temporarily increases when it shatters. Nothing about Experience Points or defeating a Skeleton, so I was right. They should be seen as Items. Wonder if I could make some..."
Mark thought for a bit, before shaking his head.
"Hope that Undead Lich will be talkative. Now,st thing I want to try with these..."
The white-scaled Monster waited for one of the Skeletons to rise before grabbing its body.
While keeping the Skeleton''s arms firmly stuck to its body, it lifted it up and,
Chomp- Chomp-
"Easy to eat. Too easy, so they''re definitely not alive. Again... Probably not the right term."
[Your Title "Devourer" says that you should look for better meals!]
"Ha. Yeah, I''ll look for some."
[Your title "Devourer" nods begrudgingly.]
The Skeleton''s body hit the ground and,
"Yep. Can''t put itself together after I Devoured its head. Good to know."
One after the other,
Chomp- Chomp- Chomp-
[You have Consumed a small amount of Demonic Blood.]
[Affinity with Dark Magic increases very slightly.]
"Demonic Blood? A Demon''s blood, or just Corrupted blood? Both suit me."
Growl-
"If that Undead Lich is the one making these and, hopefully, other stuff then..."
The white-scaled Monster''s stomach grew louder.
"I bet it''ll have more Materials."
Chapter 373 Undying Flames
Chapter 373 Undying mes
"Depending on the Monster, the Sign is drawn at different locations. Inside the Skull for Skeletons, between the ribs for the Wolf Skeletons, back paw for the Bear-looking ones, and on the tail for those standing on two feet... The Sign gets bigger and gets more noticeable as the Monster''s strength increases. Bnce, huh?" The white-scaled Monster whispered, surrounded by small hills of shattered bones. "The Ritual involves Demonic Blood and drawing the Sign. Anything else? For my Skill... Does it have an Innate Ritual or do I have toe up with my own?"
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" peeks at you through its slumber.]
The white-scaled Monster tilted its head slightly.
"Well?"
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" mumbles that you should find your own answer.]
"My own answer? So I have toe up with a Ritual. Or is that just your way of telling me to look for the answer myself?"
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" grumbles in its slumber.]
"First time you''ve talked this much."
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" exins that an arrival disturbs its slumber.]
"An arrival? Oh... That one will probably be quiet."
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" grumbles.]
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" closes its eyes and falls back into a slumber.]
"Starting to talk more now that there are others?" The white-scaled Monster whispered with a chuckle.
Mark scratched his chin.
''The higher the Grade, the less they talk. And the less often they show their effects. Those effects also grow with the Grade. Mythical Grade... I''ll have to try using the Magic Skill to figure out whether it''ll react to it or not. The other Titles are also Epic-Grade, but they haven''t let their presence known yet. [A] Ranked Skills aren''t equal. The same must be true for Epic-Grade Titles... Or maybe I''m just more suited to being a "Potential Demon King Candidate" now. In any case...''
The white-scaled Monster looked around.
''Nothing too dangerous for now. If these are supposed to protect the Undead Lich or, at least, keep intruders at bay, then this is definitely strange. [B] Ranked Dungeon. Does this mean stronger Monsters will show up, or is the Boss Monster just that strong and able to carry the Dungeon''s Rank practically by itself?''
Mark walked deeper into the underground Dungeon and,
"Ah. Now that''s familiar."
Three paths.
''They''re different from those in that Dungeon in the sense that the ground, walls, and ceilings are polished. It''s not just three caves... I''d rather not find the Undead Lich yet.''
Mark stared into each of the three paths.
''No torches in there. Will they be lit once I step in, or-''
The white-scaled Monster suddenly turned around.
"Oh..." It walked towards the closest torch. "A different Sign... Pretty cool. Safe to assume they weren''t actively lit by something then. Good."
Mark walked back towards the paths and,
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" smells something through its slumber.]
''Do you now?''
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" says that the path in the middle leads to the Undead Lich.]
"Are you sure?"
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" forbids you from doubting it.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" peeks at your "Potential Demon King Candidate" Title.]
[Your Title "Devourer" brings its snout closer to your "Potential Demon King Candidate" Title.]
''You smelling him or something?''
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" winces.]
[Your Title "Devourer" sneers.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" chuckles.]
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" falls back into a slumber.]
''Bullied to sleep, huh?'' Mark chuckled.
He brought his hands together and stretched his arms forward as he walked towards the path on the right.
"Let''s start with this one-"
The instant Mark stepped in,
Woosh- Woosh- Woosh-
Dozens of torches were lit one by one.
His eyes widened and he walked towards the closest torch.
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" stares with sparkling eyes.]
"That... Looks pretty cool."
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" nods enthusiastically.]
[Your Title "Devourer" falls into a slumber.]
[Your Title "me Devourer" opens its eyes.]
"A switch, huh?"
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" stares at the peculiar mes.]
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" extracts information from the mes.]
[Undying mes: mes often associated with the ''Undead''. The Undying mes will continue burning until they are put out.]
"Associated with the Undead? Hence the blue color, huh? That''s good information but..."
The white-scaled Monster''s eye sparkled.
''Blue mes! How fucking cool is that?!''
Mark couldn''t fight against his tingling right hand anymore.
"Let''s try it." He whispered as he extended his right arm towards the torch and the burning blue mes.
[Your Title "me Devourer" attempts to Devour the Undying mes!]
''It''s fighting back? Feels just like it did when my Maniption Skill was-''
[Your Title "me Devourer" asks for help!]
''Huh? I can''t do much more than this-''
[Your Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" sighs.]
"Oho..."
The next second, a small me separated from the rest, and moved towards Mark''s palm beforeying on it.
He stared at the dancing blue me, before closing his palm.
"That all you could get me?"
The next second, the white-scaled Monster''s body froze as a torrent of blue mes approached its body rapidly.
Mark''s instincts made his body froze, despite his feeling that it was not an enemy attack.
The wave of blue mes stopped approaching once it was a meter away.
A great raging fire.
The next second, the blue mes started spinning around the white-scaled Monster''s body.
They got closer and closer to Mark''s body.
Just when they were about to enter it,
[Your Title "Potential Wielder of the Primordial me" peeks through its slumber.]
Instantly, Mark''s throat and body started burning slightly while the Undying mes shrank away.
"Tsk..." He clicked his tongue through the pain.
[Your Title "Potential Wielder of the Primordial me" looks at you through a half-open eye.]
"Saying I should only use your me?" The white-scaled Monster whispered with a muffled chuckle.
[Your Title "Potential Wielder of the Primordial me" falls back into a slumber.]
The Undying mes approached once more, passed through Mark''s scales, and were absorbed.
''Reminding me not to forget about you, huh?''
[Your Title "me Devourer" stands awkwardly.]
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" stands awkwardly.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" stands awkwardly.]
''Like children afraid of their teacher...''
Sigh-
"Well? Get on with it."
[You have acquired the Magic Skill...]
Chapter 374 Zombies!
Chapter 374 Zombies!
[You have acquired the Magic Skill "Undying Fire Ball[D]"!]
[Affinity with the "Undying mes" increases.]
''Primordial me... I''m guessing that means the me from which all other mes are derived. The Original me, so to speak. Are the Undying mes ipatible with that?''
Mark stared down the path.
"Taking a bit from each, huh? Yeah. That''s better than taking the light out. Though these don''t produce much light around them strangely enough..."
He walked forward.
''I''ll take the rest of the mes once I''ve dealt with whatever is inside this pathway-''
Mark turned around suddenly.
Ice Maniption-
In a second, a wall of ice was created, blocking off his exit.
"This isn''t that Dungeon. I''ll block the entry. This way, at least, I''ll know if something approaches from behind. Taking that down is bound to make some noise."
Mark stepped forward as he thought out loud.
"Burning Ray Evolved into Purging Ray. Purging... The me also tried to Purify my Blood, Heart, and Soul. Purify it from... Corruption Magic? The word Purify does lead to that conclusion. Then the Undying mes are like an unwanted child, huh?"
[Your Title "Potential Wielder of the Primordial me" huffs through its slumber.]
"So I''m right? Sorry to say, but I''m nning on using everything I can. Especially when my Affinity with it is high."
[Your Title "Potential Wielder of the Primordial me" shrugs indifferently.]
"Indifferently...? Oh. Cause you judged me already, huh? Well, works for me I guess."
The white-scaled Monster took three additional steps forward before stopping.
''Getting close.''
St-
St-
St-
"Ughhhh... Uhhhh... Wuuuu..."
The white-scaled Monster immediately crouched, trying its best not to be noticed by the approaching...
''Half torn skin, decaying body... It can barely walk. That''s...!''
"Wuuu... Wuuu..." It circled around while reaching forward with its decaying arms.
Its elbow and forearm bones were visible.
''A Zombie!''
Mark opened his left hand.
Ice Maniption-
A secondter, a small sphere of ice was thrown forward.
It hit the wall next to the Monster and,
"Wuuu!"
''They can hear sounds at least. Now, can they see?''
Ice Maniption-
The small sphere of ice was made to float towards the walking Zombie.
It hung in the air right in front of its eyes.
Five secondster,
"Wuuu!" The Zombie swung its arm at the sphere.
''They can see. Although... Just barely.''
Mark brought his hands together.
''With those movements, they get their strength from their numbers... Or perhaps their bites have special properties? Either way, this is a good test.''
mes started rising between the white-scaled Monster''s palms.
''Purging Ray. If what it Purges and Purifies is rted to Corruption, then it must be effective against the Undead too. Something that refuses to die is unnatural... And, therefore, Corrupted.''
The mes were concentrated into a single point.
The next second, they shot out with an arrow''s speed in a single line, piercing through the Zombie''s decaying stomach.
Mark had expected its body to fall to the ground.
Instead, the mes spread, and its body caught fire.
"Yeah... It''s Purging alright." He whispered with a chuckle as the Zombie fell to the ground burning while waving its arms helplessly.
[You have defeated 1 Lower Zombie.]
[You have acquired 50Experience Points.]
[You have defeated 1 Lower Zombie.]
[You have acquired 50Experience Points.]
[You have defeated 1 Lower Zombie.]
[You have acquired 50Experience Points.]
"Three in one hit, huh? Let''s purge this ce quickly."
...
About thirty Zombiester, the end of the path.
It didn''t lead to anything, and was simply a decoy for the Undead Lich, the Dungeon''s Master and Boss Monster.
A wall at the end of the path.
Separating Mark from that wall,
"Wuuu... Awuawuawu! Awu-"
BLEUGHH-
"Fucking gross." Mark chuckled.
In front of him, a gigantic mass with a huge bulging and decaying stomach.
It had multiple arms and legs, no doubt made by putting together numerous Zombies.
''I could end it like the rest... But I do want to find out if there''s something special about Zombies. Like if their bite can turn others into Zombies or something. Plus, there''s nothing to Devour because of those mes. They turn them to ash right away.''
Bleughh-
The ground surrounding the grotesque Monster was wet and covered by whatever was exiting its mouth.
''Body parts and...?''
Mark brought a hand to his mouth.
"Pfff! Don''t tell me you can''t digest them? Did you eat a bunch of Zombies and now have a tummy ache? Pfhahahaha! That''s too funny! Throwing up parts of their bodies and guts!"
"Meeeeeh!! Waaa!!"
The grotesque mass walked forward-
No, it didn''t walk.
"Rolling towards me? BFAHHAHAHA!! I CAN''T!! THIS IS TOO FUNNY!!"
The white-scaled Monsterughed andughed as the grotesque being tried closing the distance.
Its eyesight was just as bad as that of the Zombies, but its sense of hearing seemed to be more developed.
"Now, let''s get you on a training regimen, alright?" Mark took a step back. "Come on, let''s keep you moving."
The white-scaled Monster took six steps back before,
"Pfffft! Stopping already? Man, you really have to work on that Endurance. Skeletons usually have Higher Endurance. It''s the opposite for Zombies, huh?"
With an amused smile, Mark stared at the grotesque creature that was, due to its own mass, struggling to breathe.
"Hope you''re resistant to shes or something at least." Mark whispered as he walked forward. "Cause you don''t look appetizing at all right now."
The white-scaled Monster moved its right foot back.
The instant it touched the ground,
Crack-
Markunched himself forward as fast as he could.
His clench fistnded on the bulging stomach with full force!
Mark couldn''t help but chuckle internally.
''If I were as strong as that Commander, I''m sure the stomach would have exploded-''
His thoughts were interrupted.
No sound? No sign of pain?
The Monster was about six meters tall, despite its legs being very short.
Mark moved his gaze upwards.
''Oh, no.''
A facial expression that could only be described as "constipated".
It had done its best but,
BLEUGHH-
A tail flicknded on the Monster''s cheek, turning its mouth, and therefore what it was about to throw up, away.
Mark''s "Combative Eye" Passive Skill allowed him to notice it though.
A portion of a decaying stomach was falling.
So what? It''s just a decaying stomach.
It wasn''t.
And Mark''s every instinct told him what it truly was.
Poison.
A fearsome, fearsome poison.
It was toote to step back.
As the decaying matter was about to deposit itself on Mark''s arm, raging mes sprung forth, turning that matter to ash.
"Fuck..." Mark whispered as he jumped back.
"Wuuuu... Bleughhh!"
"Gave me a real scare there. Didn''t expect it. And despite you being so disgusting it..."
His lips curled up into a twisted smile.
"Makes me wanna eat ya!"
Chapter 375 Rigid & Mechanical, II
Chapter 375 Rigid & Mechanical, II
[You have acquired the Passive Skill "Acid Reflux[C]".]
''Ew, what the fuck?'' The white-scaled Monster asked itself while covering its mouth with a hand beforeughing out loud. ''That''s not what that Zombie used, is it? Maybe a mix of this and something else. The Skeletons were made so... Maybe the rest is too?''
Mark turned around and started walking his way back out of the path he had entered.
"If the rest of the Monsters were made by the Undead Lich too then... That''s a strange Dungeon. They''re not here to be defeated. This is just... The Undead Lich''s dwelling?" Mark asked himself. "Meh." He shrugged. "Doesn''t really change anything I guess."
Minutester,
Ice Maniption-
''The Monsters are here to dy the arrival to the Boss Room, where the Undead Lich is. To weaken, tire out, or kill... So it''s unlikely that the Undead Lich itself wille to me. Still, better safe than sorry.'' The white-scaled Monster thought as a wall of ice closed the path behind it.
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" looks at you.]
"I knew." He sighed and extended an arm.
[Your Title "me Devourer" is pleased.]
[Affinity with the "Undying mes" increases.]
''The Undead Lich''s dwelling... A nice way of thinking about it. Nicer than thinking about it as its home, I suppose. Well,'' Mark shrugged. ''Doesn''t change anything. In this dark forest, there are only disgusting beings. This Dungeon hasn''t proved any different...'' He stepped forward. ''And I doubt it will.''
"More than anything though..." Mark clenched his fists as he whispered, a slight smile on his face. "I don''t want it to-"
His ears twitched suddenly.
''Fast this time.''
The sound of their feet hitting the ground was barely audible.
But they were there, approaching.
They could already see him.
It took a couple of seconds more before he could see them.
They ran before jumping onto the walls and ceiling.
From the ceiling, they jumped onto the wall, before jumping onto the ground. From the wall, they jumped onto the ground before jumping onto the ceiling.
''High Agility. A High Sense Stat since they could hear me...''
Mark raised his arms, ready for anything.
Most Monsters stop before attacking. They stop, growl, roar, show their fangs, then attack.
These did not.
Their eyes and bodies were made to fight in the dark. To fight stealthily. Perhaps that is why they didn''t roar. Because their bodies weren''t made to produce such sounds, to use such tactics.
With small palms, long fingers, and even longer ws, they moved to eliminate the enemy.
Their feet had no ws or nails. Those could scrape the ground, make noise, and let their presence be known, so they had none.
Their bodies had no fur. Hair falls after all, and that would leave traces of their passing.
Their ears were long and sharp. So were their fangs.
Mark''s first thought as he saw their bodies,
''Hairless rats?''
They were Ghouls.
Their movements and bodies became clearer as they approached and left the shadows.
Their bodies became clearer, and their numbers grew.
The two Ghouls at the front were about to attack.
Mark thought about dodging and letting them pass by him. This would allow him to gauge their maximum speed.
He decided against it.
He couldn''t let him get surrounded. Not now.
Their movements were silent as they jumped towards him, their ws aimed at his chest.
Each had been standing on one of the corridor''s walls a second earlier.
Mark moved his center of gravity backward as he extended his arms forward.
He gently pulled his arms back after grabbing the attacking Ghouls by their wrists.
Since there were two of them, the timing needed to be just right. Still, he found that grabbing Monsters of such a level in such a way, was, despite the number doubling, much easier than doing so to a Commander.
Making full use of their speed, he directed their air-borne bodies and, adding his own strength,unched them each to a side, their faces crashing against the walls, and their necks cracking.
Four of them would arrive at once next.
One would jump from the ceiling, one from the ground, one from the wall on the right, and thest one from the wall on the left.
More were approaching.
Deal with the four as fast as possible.
Markunched himself forward, refusing to let the four approach him with their preferred timing.
Each of the five had senses sharp enough to judge the others'' speeds and determine when and where their paths would cross.
In 0.5 seconds, all five would cross.
How will the enemy react?
It was being attacked from practically every direction.
Which direction would it protect? Which direction would it choose to hit?
The white-scaled Monster did not stop.
The Ghouls were certainly surprised. But they were already airborne.
In the first ce, it not attacking or defending was a good thing.
They extended their ws.
Mark''s eye had already stopped looking at them.
His foot hit the ground.
Ice Maniption-
Four spikes of ice rose from the ground suddenly, impaling the helpless airborne Ghouls.
Before he had even activated his "Ice Maniption" Magic Skill, Mark was already watching the iing Ghouls beyond the four attacking.
''Eight at once. They''ve seen it now, so they won''t jump, at least not from the ceiling or walls. The one on the ground was the closest to me, but it was also the one that I barely hit. Had it been a tiny bit further, it would have managed to dodge.''
Mark''s "Combative Eye"y on each of the approaching Ghouls one by one.
Their speed, the direction from which they approach, the path they''re taking.
Gauge everything quickly.
Those on the sides will have to circle around before attacking.
Those at the center will attack sooner.
Use that dy to deal with those in the center.
How far can they jump?
How far were the previous ones before they jumped to attack?
Howrge will the dy be?
Don''t let their ws touch.
More of them areing.
With your Eye, see the gaps.
With your ws, pierce their hearts.
With your hands, crush their bones.
With your fangs, tear their necks.
It''s so much fun, ying tag with Monsters!
Chapter 376 Like a Cockroach, II
376 Like a Cockroach, II
Thirty-nine Ghouls approaching at once.
Too many of them. Too many to stand side by side in the narrow corridor.
The blue mes lighting up the area flickered.
Ten by ten, they''ll attack in waves.
Don''t leave one of them out of your field of vision.
No, looking away is fine.
Don''t forget about any of them.
Remember the one on the left, as you look to the right.
Keep their speed in mind. Keep the distance they can cross with a leap in mind. So that you can turn back left at the right time.
Stay light on your feet and aware of your surroundings.
Keep your eyes open, and your legs moving.
Don''t stop thinking.
Remember all of them.
The one on the left will jump in less than one second.
Turn, and deflect its attack with your left hand while moving closer to it. Moving closer will allow you to dodge the one on the right. Extend your right hand while pulling your left one back.
Reach towards the one on the left, while spinning slightly.
Pierce this one''s throat, whilending a tail flick on that one.
Step to the left.
With the hand that you kept hidden from them,
Corruption Production-
Corruption Control, Throwing Knife x 3-
Spin to the left, throw.
Two hits, one miss.
''It''s my first time knife-throwing, so that''s good enough for now.''
The white-scaled Monster''s back was left open.
They jumped forward.
Long and sharp spider legs pierced their way out of the white-scaled Monster''s lower back, and through their stomachs.
''Six dead. Two on the floor, Corruption spreading.''
A tail flick to the neck is enough.
Piercing their throat is enough.
Keep thinking.
The little gaps.
Find them.
[Your Passive Skill "Combative Eye[D]" is Evolving!]
[ Your Title "Evolving Monster" is...]
Ignore it.
Focus only on the fighting.
Distance. Speed. Reach. Power. Think of it all. All at once!
This is so much fun!
Is this how Lin felt when fighting?
He could really see everything!
Calcting. Analyzing. Anticipating.
This is so much fun!
Look to right. Look to the left.
Don''t stop moving!
Don''t stop thinking!
Keep your neck and eyes moving.
It feels totally different than when hopelessly looking for an escape!
Totally different than when scared!
I see it now. I waspletely wrong.
This is so much fun!
You were fighting this way all this time?
That''s so unfair! You should have told me!
My brain, my eyes, my limbs... Using everything this way feels...
Did you feel this way too, Elis-
''...''
A drop of blood escaped from the corner of the white-scaled Monster''s lips.
It slowly, slowly went down his chin.
"Sharp ws..." He noted.
He grabbed the Ghoul''s wrist, forcibly pulling its ws out of his stomach.
"I deserved that." Mark whispered, before mming the Ghoul''s body against the ground with such force that cracks were drawn.
The white-scaled Monster let go of the Ghoul''s wrist.
Mark stared as the Ghoul coughed blood.
Three ribs had been broken. Its spine had been damaged.
The white-scaled Monster was unmoving.
Chance!
No?
It''s a golden opportunity, isn''t it?
The white-scaled Monster has finally stopped moving.
Why did the Ghouls stop moving too?
The white-scaled Monster didn''t even straighten its body.
It was still slouching.
Now is the time!
Mark slowly straightened up.
The opportunity was gone.
The Ghouls'' breathing grew heavy.
Why had they stopped moving? Even they couldn''t tell.
But that confusion onlysted for a second.
The white-scaled Monster''s cold expressionless face. The dark Aura emanating from its left arm.
It was clear why they hadn''t moved.
They would have died.
A death faster than any of the deaths the other Ghouls had gone through by now.
Fog exited the white-scaled Monster''s mouth as it sighed.
It slightly raised its left arm, and the Ghouls shuddered.
Corruption Control, Corrupting Javelin-
Corruption Control, Corrupting Javelin-
Corruption Control, Corrupting Javelin-
.
.
Instantly, close to three dozen Corrupting Javelins were formed around the white-scaled Monster and floated in the air.
Mark''s left arm started moving, and the Ghouls turned around.
As fast as they could, they turned around.
Run away. Run away, run away, run away, run away! Their instincts screamed.
But before their first step away could even be taken, the white-scaled Monster''s arm had already been extended.
A dozen Corrupting Javelins pierced through the air with great speed.
Mark took a step forward.
The Ghouls ran! Their backs were pierced.
The Ghouls used their arms to defend themselves. Their arms were pierced.
The lucky ones elerated.
Mark took a step forward.
Another dozen Corrupting Javelins moved forward.
Pierce- Pierce- Pierce-
They ran and ran!
Pierce- Pierce- Pierce-
They fell.
10:43
Holes through their legs, arms, stomachs, or chests.
On the ground, they squirmed and squirmed.
Agonizing and writhing.
The pain thates with their blood, organs, and minds being Corrupted.
They opened their mouths.
Their throats and vocal cords, so used to being quiet,mented, bled, and tore as they screamed.
The white-scaled Monster calmly and indifferently walked over and around the screaming Ghouls.
Through their screams and howls of agony, Mark kept walking forward.
He kept walking, until he arrived at the end of the path.
There, waited a Ghoul different than the rest.
Taller than the others. Stronger than the others.
Its body was more muscr. Its ws were sharper.
Mark walked forward. The Ghoul did not move.
He approached further. It did not move.
He kept walking until the distance separating the two was only a couple of centimeters.
The Ghoul stared him down. Literally, as it was about 20 centimeters taller than Mark.
Thetter stared upwards.
The Ghoul was just as ugly as the rest.
Three seconds passed.
The Ghoul, infuriated, clenched its fist.
Ghouls fight in the dead of the night. They fight stealthily. Being challenged this way wasn''t to its advantage. Yet, the enemy is letting it throw the first move? Insulting.
It pulled its arm back with great strength and speed.
The white-scaled Monster did not move to guard. It slightly shifted its center of gravity forward.
The clenched fist connected with the white-scaled Monster''s stomach with full force!
The Ghoul had expected to send the enemy flying.
But no, its stomach was still connected to its fist.
The white-scaled Monster''s feet had only been moved a couple of centimeters backwards.
Still, the Ghoul wasn''t worried.
It was a good hit after all. It must have done some good damage.
It had indeed.
Mark fought against it.
But why bother?
He felt it rise up.
His cheeks ballooned up!
He opened his mouth and,
BLEUGHHHH-
The Ghoul''s eyes were wider than ever.
Its hit had indeed done a lot of damage.
The Ghoul looked down.
Why were its bones visible? Huh? Where did it go?
Why is half its stomach missing? The Ghoul fell to the ground.
"Ha." Mark chuckled dryly.
He spat to the side.
"Acid Reflux..."
He brought a wrist to his face, wiping his mouth.
"Disgusting."
Mark had arrived at the end of the path.
"It''s perfect." He whispered, before crouching.
The white-scaled Monster tore the Ghoul''s arm off and started feeding on it.
The other Ghouls'' cries grew weaker.
Running through the whole area. Taking every possible path. Every corner, every hole.
Only the central path remains.
I want to be strong.
The Undead Lich awaits.
A cockroach can survive weeks after losing its head.
I want to be strong.
Chapter 377 Story In History
377 Story In History
One by one, they were Devoured.
Only by the end, once thest Ghoul was consumed,
[You have acquired the Passive Skill "Acute Night Vision[E]".]
Mark''s eye twitched as he blinked continuously.
Each time his eye closed, his vision changed.
Slowly but surely, he became able to see much more clearly and much further than he previously could.
The white-scaled Monster turned back and walked towards the final path. The central one, and the one that led to the Boss Monster.
Mark brought a hand to his neck as he took a deep breath in.
Sigh-
Crack-
"Let''s get it done." He whispered, before entering the central path.
It only took a couple of steps for Mark to notice things about this passageway.
Unlike the one filled with Zombies, this one wasn''t dirty.
Unlike the one filled with Ghouls, spiderwebs on the walls and ceiling weren''t umon.
''Mm.''
He stepped closer to the wall, Wipe-
''Dusty...'' Mark thought as he stared at the tip of his index finger. ''Unlike the others, no one goes up and down this path. Then you are waiting for me in a Boss Room.''
The white-scaled Monster opened its mouth and let its tongue hang.
"Turning things to dust, the same way those mes turned the Monsters into ash..." The tip of its index finger went down its tongue.
"Stale..."
Mark walked down the path.
Unlike the other ones, there were no torches lighting the way.
Thanks to the newly acquired "Acute Night Vision[E]" Passive Skill, there was no need for them.
Still, Mark felt it was strange.
''This isn''t a Dungeon designed by someone else. Those torches were made and ced by the Undead Lich... You''d expect torches that light up by themselves to be on the way to the Boss Monster, since they''re special and all. Mm... Lighting up theirs but not yours? If we''re fighting here, then I can understand. But I doubt that''s the case. The Boss Room will be the ce where the Undead Lich... Lives? Spends its time? Something like that, I guess. Then-''
The white-scaled Monster''s body froze.
It had noticed something.
On the dust-covered wall to its right, pretty high up, only a dozen centimeters below the ceiling,
''Red. Blood? Doesn''t smell like it. Doesn''t look fresh either.''
Mark got closer, and realized what it was.
He passed his hand on the wall, ridding of part of the dirt covering it.
''That''s...''
The white-scaled Monster stepped back.
It turned towards the entry of the path it had taken.
The more it focused on the wall, the more they stood out.
Not all were red.
Red, blue, some yellow, or even green.
With his hand against the wall, Mark walked about a dozen steps in the direction opposite to the supposed Boss Room.
More color appeared on the wall as dirt was taken away.
''It''s not just a wall...''
Mark rapidly ran back while staring at the wall.
Where did it start exactly?
A dozen steps into the path.
There were separations within the wall, that he could feel as he passed his hand.
Like giant blocks had been ced one next to the other. Mark stood in front of the first one, his dark wings spread.
It was a mural.
Something had been drawn on the wall.
And he wanted to see it.
Cleaning up the dirt with his palms felt like a drag.
Therefore,
''Tsk. I don''t have control over it. My Affinity is too low...''
Mark turned towards the opposite wall, where there was nothing to be found.
Then,
Wind st-
The empty wall had been cracked, and the violent wind had traveled down the path, unveiling part of the Mural.
Four blocks had been rid of the dust hiding them.
Mark thought of each block as a Painting.
To him, this was an interesting discovery. Not just a discovery about the Dungeon, but about the World as a whole.
The possible existence of Art.
''A person... Looks like a guy? Everything around him is golden, even the leaves on the trees.
10:45
''Looks ancient...''
By human and modern standards of course.
The fact that it "Looked ancient", made Mark not think about it as Art. But rather as,
''A person... Looks like a guy? Everything around him is golden, even the leaves on the trees.
That red thing on his palm... An Apple? Or is it a Heart? Not enough detail to tell. He''s not looking at the Apple or the golden leaves though... What''s he looking at? The second painting?''
Sidestep-
''Ugh. Though the two were one, but no. He''s in the same ce... No. The leaves and trees are further away now. So is the Apple. He''s going somewhere?'' Third Painting.
''They''re getting further and further. Running, huh? Good for you.''
The Fourth.
''He''s running towards something. But then... They stood in his way. The size difference is... Wait.''
Mark urgently wiped the dust off with his palms.
He probably didn''t notice the smile that had crept up on his face.
With his hands dirty more than they have ever been by anything other than blood, "Giants..." He whispered as he stepped back.
Mark could hear his heart beat faster and faster.
"They''re huge inparison to him. Are they actually Giants? If they are... And if this follows the real proportions then Giants must be at least... That would depend on how big he is but..."
A Story told by a series of Paintings.
Perhaps it is because it was found inside a Dungeon that Mark cared this much.
Perhaps he simply found it interesting.
The Vestiges Of the Undead Dark Triad.
''The Signs on the Undead Monsters... Triangles for the Triad? Then... This isn''t the Undead Lich before it became an Undead Lich, is it? The fact that it''s here... It can''t be just a bunch of random paintings. This Story... Could it be History? This World''s?''
With a wide and sparkling eye, Mark walked closer andy his palms against the wall, Devouring with his Eye the one whose story was told.
"Who are you?" He whispered absent-mindedly. "Where are you going? And what are you trying to do? Must have been important if..."
Wipe-
Wipe-
The Sixth Painting.
"You were willing to fight Giants for it."
Chapter 378 One Against The World, I
378 One Against The World, I
''Alone... Against dozens and dozens of Giants. Every single one of those Giants much, much bigger than you. If the Giants are extinct now, and this isn''t some random Story but History instead then... Mmm.''
Mark stared at the Mural, his right hand covering his mouth.
"They stood in your way. Were you looking for something beyond them? Were they trying to stop you?" He whispered, before walking to the left.
Sidestep-
''Dozens of them... No. The Giants are the end of the block. Since they''re getting cut... That''s supposed to show that there are more than that. Much more? But he can still hold his own somehow. Problem is, the Giants aren''t alone.'' Mark thought as he turned towards the next block and started wiping the dust off. ''Behind them, a swarm of... Archers? Those are bows, aren''t they? Swarms of them behind the Giants. They look minuscule. Some arrows being shot were even drawn. Yeah, the arrows are aimed at you. Tough luck, huh? Oh... Wait. This is...''
One painting over two blocks.
''All of these... Against you?''
Giants. Archers. Swordsmen. Beasts.
''Those look like Wolves... Everything, huh?''
Mark chuckled.
"The world against you." He whispered.
Two blocks had been utilized to show the sheer quantity and diversity of enemies that stood in "His" way.
''An arrow hit your arm. Bleeding... Then, they approached.''
The next block did a great job showcasing their arrival.
''Amazing... They''re still smallpared to the Giants but... Approaching from above, spitting fire from their mouths... You weren''t alone in the end, huh?''
Indeed, flying above "Him", dozens of gigantic Dragons.
"You and the Dragons against the World." Mark whispered as he passed his hand over the block. "Incredible... Their arrival was that much of a game-changer, huh? The colors and shades used arepletely different. The lines aren''t as detailed... Everything was shaking, huh? Everything... Except him."
Mark savored the moment for a bit longer.
All parties had now joined the battlefield.
He moved towards the next block, and it did not disappoint.
An epic battle was illustrated with so much detail and vividity that Mark couldn''t help but step closer to it, Devouring it with his eye.
Giants, Archers, and Beasts, had been burnt to a crisp.
Dragons and Wyverns had been brought down, shot down by arrows.
''Those mes... The Fire that covers the Giants'' arms is...''
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" stares.]
[Your Title "Potential Wielder of the Primordial me" whispers in its slumber.]
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" nods.]
"It is, huh? The Primordial me... It shes against the Dragons'' breathes, but eventually wins. And him..." The white-scaled Monster passed its hand over the blueish paint. "The Undying mes, right?"
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" says that it is something simr.]
"Simr? Like a stronger version of them or something?"
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" argues that it isn''t necessarily a question of strength.]
"But those are stronger, right?"
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" says that you are correct.]
"Yeah..."
He turned back towards the block.
''Both sides are taking heavy losses, but...'' Mark raised his gaze towards the top of the block. ''Clouds spiraling around. A red sky. It''s about to descend, huh?''
He quickly moved towards the next block.
His eyes widened at the sheer intensity of it descending.
''Red Lightning... Piercing through the sky. Gigantic. Violent. Wild. The lines are drawn so roughly. The center of it is white... Ha! Almost as if it''s so fast that color doesn''t have time to catch up. I like that. A gigantic hit like that fell right on you, huh? Let''s how it went...''
Sidestep-
"Barely hanging on..."
Half of his body had been painted ck. No doubt, burnt to a crisp.
''The Dragons... Not many of them left by now. But the same is true for the Giants and the rest. Let''s see how it-''
Mark''s body froze just as he was about to step away.
"That purple...?"
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" stares.]
[Your Title "Potential Wielder of the Primordial me" grumbles in its slumber.]
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" says that those are called the "Demonic mes".]
"Demonic mes?"
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" exins that the "Demonic mes" are fearsome mes that target the Soul.]
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" adds that those mes use Fear as fuel to burn at the Soul.]
"Huh... How do you know all that?"
[Your Title "Fire Seeker" turns towards a certain Title.]
[Your Title "Potential Wielder of the Primordial me" feigns ignorance.]
''Not going to warn me about those, huh? So he was hit by Red Lightning, and Demonic mes started rising from his arm. Then...''
An explosion.
An explosion of darkness.
It hit indiscriminately. Giants, Archers, Dragons... All were hit and targeted.
By joining his hands together and, therefore, those mes, something else was born.
The explosion made a dozen more Dragons fall to the ground, and two dozen Giants crumble.
The explosion and shockwave passed, leaving in their wake...
"Dark mes?"
Hellfire.
''Thebination of two types of Fire Magic? Dark Magic? Are the Undying mes even Fire Magic? They''re more abination of Fire Magic and... Dark Magic? Corruption Magic? Demonic mes attack the Soul... Corrupted mes? Or Corrupting mes? Can I mix the two? Corruption and Fire Magic?''
Mark shook his head.
"Using that meant attacking everyone at once. Was it worth it?" He whispered before moving to the next block.
This time, and for the first time, "He" wasn''t on the right side of the block.
''Just like he was on the first one, he''s at the center. This time, surrounded. Dragons, Giants, Arches... You had the Dragons on your side, but you lost them. Now it''s truly... You against the World.''
Mark stared and stared at the painting.
Profoundly, and with slight disgust.
"Why are you smiling?"
For the first time, he was smiling.
Being surrounded by golden leaves wasn''t enough.
Fighting those standing in his way wasn''t enough.
The Dragonsing to his aid wasn''t enough.
The only time he smiled, was when he was alone, against all of them.
Chapter 379 Behold, A Great...!
379 Behold, A Great...!
Mark felt a certain pull towards the next block.
Why was ''He'' smiling, when he was so small and alone against such gigantic and numerous enemies?
The white-scaled Monster pondered that question, but he could understand the feeling.
There''s a certain exquisite pleasure thates with toppling things bigger than itself. And when their side also has an advantage in numbers? Even better.
Still, Mark didn''t fully understand that feeling. Is it simply a meaningless pleasure thates with defeating those "Greater" than one''s self? With showing them that they weren''t truly "Greater"? With showing yourself that you weren''t truly "Lesser"? Or is there something more to it?
He moved to stand in front of the next block, and stared without wiping the dust off.
He stared and stared, Devouring with his eye anything that could be seen through the dust. There really wasn''t much he could see, but he could feel his excitement building up.
After a couple of seconds, he closed his eye!
Wipe- Wipe- Wipe-
Only once Mark had thoroughly passed his hand over the whole block twice, to make sure every inch of dust had been eliminated, did he take a step back.
There was something about this particr block.
The whole Mural, whilecking in detail, struck a cord. This block particrly important. In a way, it was the culmination of "His" journey.
Had "His" dark mes burned everything to the ground, or was "He" bleeding on the ground, defeated?
Did "He" manage to end the Giants before meeting "His" demise?
Mark thought that the answer to thisst question could add veracity to the assumption that the Mural represented History. Of course, even if it went along with the known fact that the Giants had been wiped out, this wouldn''t be enough to call it History. It could simply be a Myth or an exnation that was thought of after the fact. Still, there was something about it. Mark could sense it.
It wasn''t Mana. It wasn''t Magic. It almost felt like Aura. Almost as if Aura was emanating from the painting.
The Aura had been calling out to him.
Pulling him towards this particr block. Now, he was standing in front of it.
But as he was standing in front of it, he wasn''t so sure anymore.
Was the Aura pulling him closer or pushing him away?
With his eyes closed, he couldn''t tell.
There was only one answer.
To open his eye, and see it for himself.
Mark took a deep breath in.
He chuckled internally. But couldn''t bring himself to do so externally. ''I''m... Almost nervous.''
This feeling added to the thought that this wasn''t just any painting. That this Mural was more than a simple mural.
The fact that he felt nervous, made it feel more real. Which in turn, made him feel even more nervous.
Whether it was a Commander, a Forest''s Spirit, or a Boss Monster, Mark rarely shied away from a fight. Shying away from "experiencing" something, even a Demon Lord''s Pet, was practically impossible for him. Was a painting more fearsome than those things?
No. It wasn''t. It couldn''t be.
It can''t be. Right?
Mark opened his eye.
His breathing ceased. In a way, it truly took his breath away.
Completely different from the other blocks.
There was less color, but much more detail.
The previous paintings felt almost primitive. While this one was...
''Those ck mes... Weren''t enough.''
It was scarier than the ominous and disgusting creatures that roamed the dark forest.
Much, much scarier.
Scary enough for Mark to take a step back without even thinking about it.
By no means was it ugly though.
The uglier, the scarier. That usually holds true.
Not for this painting.
If anything, it was beautiful.
Beautiful, and horrible.
Horribly beautiful? Beautifully horrible? Mark couldn''t which of the two was the right way of describing it internally.
''To fight them all... He transformed... And became something... Something else...''
The whole block only depicted one being.
Mark instinctively understood that it was "Him".
"His" body had be... Different.
Calling it gigantic would be an understatement. In all the previous paintings, "He" had been depicted with the same size. While he upied about five centimeters, the Giants upied three hundred, the Dragons one hundred, and the Archers five centimeters.
Their respective sizes never varied, which is why Mark thought the proportions to be true.
But what about now?
The block wasn''trger or smaller than the previous ones.
And yet, the drawing only showed one entity.
Not only that, but its hands weren''t even part of the painting. The same was true for part of its wings.
Seven? Nine? Ten times bigger than the Giants? More?
If the Giants were one hundred meters tall, then that would make it...
Mark shook his head.
There''s no way, right?
The painting didn''t show anything else other than its new form. Not the Giants, not its enemies, not the impact the change had on the battlefield. But...
Did it even need to show anything else? Its Form said everything.
Horrible, and enchanting.
Mark couldn''t look away.
''Three pairs of wings... Seven heads... Ten horns... And seven crowns...''
A horrifying, terrible, and dreadful atrocity that, by all ounts, should be disgusting and ugly.
Was it drawn so as not to be that way? Or was it truly...
Mark raised his foot off the ground.
For the first time in his life, he feared the unthinkable. What if he stepped forward and it came to life? What if he took his eyes off the painting and it moved? What if...?
All rationality seemed meaningless in front of it. Illogical fears seemed logical.
In the first ce, remaining rational in a world of Magic is more easily said than done.
A Spirit born from the Forest. Is that really any less usible than a paintinging to life?
Mark hated asking himself those kinds of questions.
He stepped forward.
He got closer to the Beast, and extended his left arm forward.
"Behold..." Mark whispered.
His fear kept growing and growing.
Why?
Perhaps because he had already seen that painting.
Or at least, one extremely simr.
"A Great Red Dragon."
His shaking hand approached the painting.
The next second...
Chapter 380 Pieces Coming Together
380 Pieces Coming Together
''I''ve seen it. The same... But different...'' Mark thought as his shaking hand started moving towards the painting. ''The Great Red Dragon, that''s...!'' A dark Aura started oozing out of his own body suddenly.
There definitely was one.
A Link that Mark could feel. A Link with that painting. His palmy on it.
And just as it came into contact with his hand,
Swoosh-
The scenery around Mark changed.
It onlysted a handful of seconds.
But he was there.
For a handful of seconds, he could see it.
The cataclysmic battlefield.
mes burned. mes of all shades scorched the earth and those walking it. Beings of all sizes. Some reaching to the sky. The colossal Dragons and their fire breaths, the Giants and the destructive Red Lightning they wielded, the Fire Giants and the Primordial me that engulfed their bodies, and "Him".
Mark could only catch a glimpse.
The Cmity that it was, the fear and horrors that it embodied, the painting only told half of them. Not because it was an inurate representation, but because the nightmare couldn''t be perfectly encapsted. It wasn''t just its body. The earth around it, the sky above it, the air all around it. Its presence changed all of them. One Being could change everything. Starting from the area where it stood, the grass and earth turned dark. The darkness spread and spread, eating away at the Giants'' feet.
The air and skies were Corrupted, leaving not even the mighty Dragons out of reach.
For that one Being, everything was within reach.
A glimpse was enough to notice it all.
Sprite, the Primordial me, a gigantic Arrow with, no doubt, a Magical nature, and... Something else.
They all hit the God-like Being at once.
Something else. What was it?
Mark couldn''t tell.
It had hit the Being from behind.
Everything turned ck.
Nothing could be seen anymore.
An explosion of Darkness?
Mark blinked.
The Mural was in front of him.
Nothing had changed.
He hurriedly moved towards the next one.
The aftermath of that explosion.
What did the battle lead to? What happened afterward?
What was "He" trying to do? What was worth bing... That? What was worth betraying the Dragons? Or were the Dragons those who betrayed "Him"? The attack that came from behind, what was it? Who? Mark''s curiosity and interest led to him not even questioning what he had seen. He didn''t even think about the "Why" or the "How". Perhaps because of what he had already gone through. In an instant, he had instinctively recognized it as a Dream. Or rather, a Vision. Even when standing in the middle of that battlefield, he knew he wasn''t truly there. Perhaps that is why he had managed to catch everything happening inside of the Vision.
A Vision. Then it can''t simply be a Story. It must be History somehow. Otherwise, why would a Vision arise? A whimsical artist capable of using such Visions to give life to his creations would certainly use that. But Mark thought it unlikely for this to be a result of that. Or at least, it is unlikely for this to be the work of an artist who was not sharing History.
Mark moved as fast as he could to uncover the rest.
But before he could reach, mes rose!
A stream of blueish mes moved along the Mural with great speed.
Mark''s first instinct wasn''t to step back. But rather,
Ice Maniption-
His first instinct wasn''t even to look for where the mes originated from.
Protecting that Mural and keeping it from burning was his priority.
"Fuck..." He whispered.
He had used enough Mana to keep the Ice from burning right away.
But it couldn''t protect the Mural.
The Undying mes will continue burning until they are put out-
Putting them out using Ice wasn''t possible.
The blue mes had simply been trapped between the Mural and the Ice.
Secondster, the mes disappeared, and the Ice melted.
The blocks were intact.
The paint had dissipated.
Bare blocks of stoney where there once was a Story.
Mark clicked his tongue, noticing his mistake.
Instead of protecting the Mural using Ice Magic, or protecting it, his first move should have been to Absorb the mes before they could damage the Mural.
The white-scaled Monster turned to the left.
The Undead Lich was nowhere to be seen.
It wasn''t an attack. It truly was trying to keep the Mural from being seen.
This added to Mark''s certainty, and numerous pieces came together.
A battle involving Giants. Giants and Fire Giants, extinct Races.
An ancient battle.
The Great Red Dragon.
A millennium ago, the First Demon King was defeated.
Vestiges of the Undead Dark Triad. Vestiges.
Undead Dark Triad. Three Undead Liches.
Potential Demon King Candidate. Titles cannot be handed out. They can''t be obtained or given easily. Otherwise, Mark would have obtained countless Titles, such as the Title of "Knight". The Undead Lich inside the Dungeon referred to him as "King". The Title of "Knight" should be easier to obtain than the Title of "King". Yet, thetter had turned into the "Potential Demon King Candidate" Title. The Undead Lich must have had the Authority to give such a Title.
Then this Undead Lich, and that Undead Lich, are Linked.
The Undead Dark Triad Links them together.
Now, all that remains is,
"What''s the Link between the Undead Dark Triad... And the First Demon King." Mark whispered.
Did they support that Demon King? Did they fight against it? The former seemed more likely. The Triad was separated. Why? When? If that Undead Lich was truly part of the Triad, then it must have worked under Gaavah. Is it the same for this one? What about the Third one?
The answers could be found ahead.
The answers to what that Link is, and the continuation of the Mural.
The Boss Monster must know.
Would be willing to tell though?
Mark clenched his fists, and ran forward.
***
Come on, Mark! Let''s pray!
I don''t want to. I''m tired, Mina.
Don''t lose hope. I''m sure you will get better. Focus on that, on you being able to live freely! Come on, let''s pray.
I''ve done that countless times already... Does it even work?
You have to keep going!
Why?
Because God has a n for you!
He does? (It hurts. I''m not getting better. I don''t want to stay here.)
Scratch- Scratch-
But if God does a n, that means it''ll get better, right?
Yes! If you keep trying!
Then... I guess I can keep going. ***
''You seem awfully concerned by the reason you were brought to this world.'' Nia once told Mark inside the Dungeon.
And so, he continues running.
Chasing ghosts and meaning.
Or rather, Lichs and meaning.
Chapter 381 The Undead Lichs (Boss) Room
Chapter 381 The Undead Lich''s (Boss) Room
''A door? Did it attack and then go back in? Or was there some kind of Sign that I missed on the blocks, simr to those on the torches? That''s possible. It could have also attacked through the door. I can only shoot Magic Skills from my body. I can''t make an Ice Spike or a Corrupting Javelin appear dozens of meters away from me. I can only make them, then control them to move away. The Undead Lich inside the Dungeon could do it too. Remote... Activation? Or Remote Casting? I''m sure it has an actual name. I''ll try to figure that out too. Being able to Cast attacks, not from around my body, but from an enemy''s blindspot... That would have been trouble for Lin, who relied on his Eyes to detect attacks. Well, it would be trouble for anyone and anything really.''
Mark stood in front of the dark doors made of metal as he envisioned it.
''Not shooting a Great Fire Ball towards the enemy, but making it appear behind that enemy, making it explode right away. Sounds too good to be true, but that Undead Lich was capable of it. And I''m sure this one is too. Additionally, the Undying mes... For the Dungeon to be Ranked [B], it''ll summon Monsters like the one inside the Dungeon did. Or maybe, it''ll have hundreds of Zombies and Ghouls waiting inside. I can''t hear anything, so that''s unlikely. It''ll summon Monsterster.''
The white-scaled Monster thought about pushing those doors open.
It wasn''t used to waiting before fighting a Boss Monster after all.
But too many things filled its mind to fight right away, so it opted to think for a bit longer.
''Gaavah, a Demon Lord. Raven, a Demon King Candidate... Though that''s an assumption. The Undead Lich inside the Dungeon, part of the Dark Triad that served the First Demon King... That''s an assumption too. Zephyr, a Descendant of the Giants... Fuck! Too many assumptions! And Nia, a Dragon...? Did she tell me that, or was it Yarnha who let it slip when I used Nia as a bluff? Tsk. I can''t remember. But if I take all those assumptions together, then a Demon lord, a Demon King Candidate, a Lich from the Dark Triad, a Giant, and a Dragon. That''s... Practically all the parties from that war. This time... On one side. Not only that, but Gaavah is the one who orchestrated all of us Candidates being Reborn. Is he looking for a war like that again? The Giants are extinct now. Who would oppose it, if it happened again? Wait... That attack that came from behind. Did ite from a Human? They looked Human but I couldn''t see them clearly...''
Pieces wereing together.
But it still left a vague sense of distrust.
"Howe?"
After leaving the Dungeon, Mark had moved in a way that defied what Gaavah or Raven wanted.
He didn''t go find Draconia, or the spot marked on the map he had been handed.
Why does this ce, that he found and to which he arrived randomly, Link him to that world?
Are such ces amon thing? Mark couldn''t say that they weren''t, as there was much he hadn''t seen yet. Still, he was doubtful.
The fact that this Link existed might have been enough to make him turn around and leave once.
The white-scaled Monster pushed the doors open, hungry for answers.
He was slightly surprised by the Boss Room.
Mark half expected it to resemble the Boss Room inside that Dungeon. He half expected the Undead Lich to be seated on a throne, just like that one was.
The Boss Room wasn''t empty in the least.
It was a study.
Large bookcases covered the walls. Many desks, some covered by papers and books. On others, rested Urns, devices, and instruments.
In front of the wall opposite the doors Mark had pushed, a metallic structure across the room, from which unmoving or whispering Ghouls hung, their wrists tied, their feet off the ground, and their bodies mutted.
Some of their wounds had been filled with powders.
Others, had Urns below them. Mark thought it a way of collecting blood.
Countless Pots and Urns covered the ground, especially at the Boss Room''s corners.
Stones, Powders, Ghoul Ears, Eyes, and Gems, wereid on the desks haphazardly.
Mark found it all...
"The Intruder! Perfect timing. I am in dire need of new Materials."
Incredibly interesting.
"What are you working on?" Mark asked as he stepped into the study.
The Undead Lich stared for a bit, before turning back towards the Ghoul it had carefullyid on the desk in front of it.
"Ghouls have peculiar brains."
"Tasty too."
"Their brains are the closest to that of Creatures like Humans or Elves, but they don''t show the same level of intelligence."
"And why are you studying that?" Mark asked as he looked around the Boss Room.
On the ceiling and ground, countless Signs had been drawn. There was no doubt in his mind that they were drawn using blood.
"The brain is where the Soul resides, or so it is thought. Damage to the brain can make the Soul flee."
"Do Ghouls even have Souls?"
"Don''t you have one? You don''t look so different from a Ghoul."
"Just because I can talk you assume I have a Soul?"
The Undead Lich stared silently for a bit.
"You''re an interesting one."
"I''d like to think so. I think you''re interesting too."
"Interesting for a Monster."
"Interesting for a Lich."
Both stared at one another, before breaking out intoughter.
"Too bad I''ll be killing you soon. I need more Materials, for research purposes."
"Oh, don''t you worry, I totally get that. I..." The white-scaled Monster pointed at its mouth with a thumb. "Need Materials too. Not for research though. Let''s call it development."
"I can''t wait to study your brain. Monsters with Souls are rare. Most of those with one are only half Monster, and half something else."
"Mmmm... I don''t think my brain will tell you much."
"Which do you thinkes first, the Body or the Soul?"
"The Soul." Mark answered.
"Haaa..." The Undead Lich sighed. "The arrogance of those who haven''t lived long. The question is-"
"It''s the Soul." The white-scaled Monster interrupted sharply. The Undead Lich stared. "I know that for a fact."
"Why don''t you enlighten me?"
"Curious?"
"Very."
Mark stepped forward and stopped before the nearest desk.
"There''s something I need your help with. At least, I think you can help." He said as he dipped his finger into the blueish liquid that filled the Urn on the desk. "Think you can do that? Before we get to the killing?"
"Well, well... Why not, I suppose. Do tell."
Mark remained silent for a bit as he ced his index finger on his tongue.
"Ugh... It''s bitter."
"And toxic."
"Doesn''t seem to affect me. Anyways, I''ve seen your Zombies and Skeletons. You''re a Necromancer, right?"
"I am many things."
"Same." Mark took a seat on the stool next to the desk. "So I have this Skill, right..."
Chapter 382 Subjective Value, I
382 Subjective Value, I
''Is it seriously talking this openly in my presence? Thinking about him as an "It" might be a mistake though...'' The Undead Lich thought as the white-scaled Monster took a seat.
The distance separating the two was about two dozen meters.
"So I used to have this Skill, right..."
''Seriously?''
"I used to be able to bring back the dead right away. Their wounds would heal and they would stand up to fight for me-"
The Undead Lich broke out inughter, interrupting Mark.
Thetter stared silently for a bit before continuing.
"So it-"
"What do I get in exchange for helping you?"
"Huh? Didn''t we settle that already? I''ll tell which onees first, the Body or the Soul."
"That won''t do."
"Why not? Aren''t you curious?"
"I am. But it''s not a fair exchange."
"Of course it is. You''ve been alive for so long, yet you don''t know the answer. You''ve thought about it wayyy longer than I''ve thought about this Skill of mine. It means more to you than it means to me. Still, I''m willing to go through with this exchange."
"Just because my body is made of bones doesn''t mean I lived that long."
"Yeah, right." Mark said with a chuckle. "Anyways-"
"I might have thought about it for longer..." The Undead Lich interrupted once more. "But it''s still not a fair exchange. The value you ce is subjective in the first ce. Time isn''t something that can kill me, so you can''t add value based on how long I''ve thought about it."
Mark immediately put his elbows on the desk before him.
The Undead Lich''s words...
"Is that so? Tell me more about it."
Were very interesting.
"I have all the time in the world. You do not. Your body will decay one day."
"All the time in the world? That''s if I don''t-"
"Of course, of course." The Undead Lich''s tone made it obvious. Its eye sockets were empty, but it had definitely rolled its eyes. "In the position that I''m in, I can remain this way for centuries. What about you? Will you be alive in a couple of centuries?"
"Being all bones has its benefits, huh?"
"Will you be alive in a couple of centuries?"
"One can only hope." Mark said with a chuckle.
"It''s not a hope for me, but a fact. I have no urgency. Thus, information has more value to you. Not only that, but all you''re offering is a way to satiate part of my curiosity. While your survival might depend on-"
"Alright, I get it! I get it!"
"So my information is more valuable. Since it could save your life. A life that, all things considered, will either end in less than an hour, or, at most, in a couple of decencies."
"Fuck... Dealing with the devil is tough."
"Of course it is."
"So you''re not willing to help? Do we get straight into the killing?"
"Oh, no. I''ll help, of course. I''m curious about that too after all. But I''ll need you to exin things thoroughly and answer my every question."
"Your every question is too much. I''ll exin thoroughly though."
"Good. Then," The Undead Lich snapped its fingers. "Let''s go through with it."
[You have been offered a Contract by the Undead Lich.]
[Would you like to view said Contract?]
"Sure." Mark answered while doing his best to keep an eye on the Undead Lich. It turned back towards the Ghoul it had been working on.
[
believe that the Soules before the Body. Satiating the Undead Lich''s curiosity entails exining your reasoning and thought process thoroughly and answering the Undead Lich''s questions.]
"That''s funny."
"What is?" The Undead Lich asked.
"My part is way longer than yours. You''re being specific with what I have to do, but not with what you have to do."
"Well, my information is more valuable to you."
"I guess that''s true..."
"Your survival might depend on it."
"That''s true..."
"My survival might depend on it."
"True... Wait, what? Oh, right."
"Well we both agree that the killinges after that. So that Skill might help you-"
"I said I got it. Alright, fine. I''ll answer three of your questions after my exnation."
"Seven."
"Three. I''ll say more if I feel like it."
"If you feel like it?"
"Yes. So make sure you resolve the problem with my Skill."
"Hahaha!" The Undead Lichughed. "Not bad." It snapped its fingers again."
[
use 1: The Undead Lich vows to offer all the help it can offer to solve the problem you have mentioned.
use 2: In exchange, you vow to satiate the Undead Lich''s curiosity on why you believe that the Soules before the Body. Satiating the Undead Lich''s curiosity entails exining your reasoning and thought process thoroughly. use 3: Additionally, you will answer three of the Undead Lich''s questions.]
"Tsk. That means three questions in general."
"That''s right. How much does that Skill mean to you? How much are you willing to give for it? I believe that what I am asking isn''t too much."
"Whatever. What now?"
"We discuss what happens if either doesn''t respect the Contract."
"Too many variables. The uses are subjective, just like the ''value'' you keep talking about. How thorough is thorough enough? How much detail is enough to count a question as answered?"
"Fine, fine. If I break the Contract, I will forfeit the use of Mana temporarily. If I am unable to help with your Skill issue, you are freed from the Contract''s obligations. If you don''t go through with it after I''ve helped, how does a 50% temporary reduction in Stats sound?"
"Fuck no. And don''t call it a Skill issue."
"Fine. You will forfeit the use of Mana temporarily."
"What does temporarily mean."
"How does ten minutes sound?"
"As a Lich, Mana is what you rely on..." Mark brought a hand to his chin. "Ten minutes should be more than enough to deal with you."
"That''s right."
"You''re that confident in your ability to help?"
"I am."
''Ten minutes without Mana... If worsees to worst, I should still be able to run away.'' Mark thought silently for a bit.
"Alright. Also, no surprise attacks or fighting until we''ve resolved the whole thing."
"Of course."
"And add to the Contract, no Summons, Monsters, Skeletons, or Items under your control either. None of that while we work this out, or if and when your ten minutes without Manae."
"How thorough."
Chapter 383 Rituals & Sacrifices
383 Rituals & Sacrifices
[The Contract has been epted by both Parties.]
"How do Skeletons stay alive?" Mark asked suddenly.
"Mm?"
"They don''t eat or sleep. I thought at first that it was Mana, but some can''t use Mana. They can''t use Mana and don''t have any. If your Mana is lost, how can you stay alive? What is it that sustains you?"
"Haha! That''s an interesting question, Monster."
"So?"
"You''re the one supposed to answer my questions."
"Fine..." Mark rolled his eyes.
"What I would forfeit is ''The Use of Mana''. Not Mana itself. A Body such as this one serves only to hold my Soul. Mana is what keeps my Soul Linked to this Body. While I wouldn''t be able to use Mana, the act of keeping that Link has be... Let''s call it something simr to a Passive Skill."
"So you would be using Mana. Only without thinking about it?"
"I wouldn''t be using it, would I?"
"That depends on how you see it."
"How do you think the System would see it?"
Mark thought silently for a bit.
His eye widened secondster and heughed out loud.
"Is that why you''re telling me all this?"
"Mm?"
"The System holds the Contract together. Are you trying to suck up to it by telling me more than you need?"
"It''s a gesture of good will."
"Good will that might force me to exin things more thoroughlyter on."
"Exactly."
"So the more you answer and ''Give'' beyond what the Contract Obligations, the more likely the System is to force me to ''Give back'' more."
"Something like that."
"Is it precise science? This shouldn''t count, since I''m asking about THE Contract in question."
"It is not. And it does count, since the Contract has already been signed. Though truthfully, I can''t say for sure."
"STOP TELLING ME THINGS!"
"I am just being honest."
"STOP SHOWING GOOD WILL SELFISHLY!!"
"Hahahah! Fine, fine. So, this Skill?"
''This fucker...'' Mark thought as a vein popped on his forehead. ''Asking about it is also a gesture of good will!! There''s no reason to actually believe it has an impact... But I feel like it''s true. FUCK!''
"I''m waiting. You used to be able to bring back the dead, right?"
"Yes..." Mark sighed. "It allowed me to bring back the dead. It would heal their wounds and... They would stand up. Fight by my side."
"So basic Necromancy. Anything special about it?"
"They didn''t rise as Skeletons... Though they did at first. It-"
"At first? So the Skill Evolved."
"It did."
"Name?"
Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
Sharing information with an enemy sure felt strange. But the Skill was useless now. Therefore,
"Purgatory''s Undead Troup."
"Haven''t heard of it..."
"So you can''t help?"
"I can. Rank?"
"[B+], I think."
"That''s quite high for a Necromancy Skill..." The Undead Lich tapped its bony chin with its bony index finger.
The sound each tap made wasn''t unpleasant to Mark.
"Is it?"
"Any specifics about the Skill?"
"The System said the Underlings would be very slightly imbued with the Dark Magic Element. I''ve never seen that in action though. The System won''t answer my questions about it either. It used to Heal and Revive. Or... Just Revive, I guess. It didn''t cost Mana to use."
"What did it cost?"
"Nothing."
"Ha!"
"I know! I''ve tried activating the Magic Skill at the cost of Mana, but it doesn''t work. There used to be this Seal that strengthened... The Magic Skill among other things. The Seal has been lifted though, so I can''t use it anymore." "Were you always able to use it before the Seal was lifted?"
"Yes... No. Once, I think. There was one time that I couldn''t use it."
"Why not?"
"The System forbade me from doing so."
"That''s not how the System works. If you were forbidden from it, then it must be the one that ced the Seal in the first ce that forbade you."
''Perceptive fucker... Guess it serves to live for so long. That''s why I want his help in the first ce...''
"So it seems like I need to set up some kind of Ritual."
"Do you?"
"Yes?"
"So that''s the core of what you need help with. Coming up with a Ritual."
"I guess so."
"We can go that route, but I am still unsure. Rituals are simple anyways. Trial and error will help you determine that. Rituals are all about sacrifice, so that''s simple."
"Simple? In a ''Give and Take'' way, huh?"
"Precisely... Though that''s how those who don''t truly understand it refer to it. You''ll have to sacrifice or risk enough to justify the gain and sess of the Ritual."
"Give and Take seems like a good way of thinking about it."
"If you insist. What do you think you can sacrifice for such a Ritual? Let''s say... Bringing back a Horned Hare to life?"
"A Horned Hare?"
"Yes."
"Is that how you got into Necromancy? Bringing back a Horned Hare?"
"Answer the question."
Mark stared at the Undead Lich for a bit.
This conversation. This discussion. This ce.
He didn''t dislike it.
"Mana could be sacrificed. Ritual... My blood? Like piercing my hand with a dagger?"
"Pain and blood would be offered then."
"Pain counts?"
"It does. Pain is the most important thing when ites to sacrifice. If losing it doesn''t hurt-"
"Then it''s not truly a sacrifice." Mark interrupted
The Undead Lich nodded silently for a couple of seconds.
"That''s right." It whispered.
"Sacrificing Mana hurts in the sense that having less of it restricts one''s options."
"But your Magic Skill doesn''t require the use of Mana. It never did, huh? Even the weaker versions of it?"
"It never did."
"That''s off bnce. Did it use blood? Endurance? Your Vigor? Stats?"
"No. None of those. They simply... Stood back up."
"Interesting... But there must be something."
"There really isn''t."
Both brought a hand to their respective chins at the same time, wondering.
"What is it that you sacrificed...? Something that can''t be noticed..." The Undead Lich whispered. "Even these Ghouls around you are used as sacrifices."
"They are? I didn''t take you for the type to pity them?"
"Huh? I don''t."
"Then it doesn''t hurt you sacrificing them?"
"It does. Because they follow my orders."
"Oh... So it''s like a mary sacrifice. Or simr to sacrificing(using) Mana. They''re expendable, but you''re still one Ghoul short afterwards. The Ghoul is yours. It follows your orders, so you''re sacrificing a pawn."
"What is your pawn? The pawn you sacrificed?"
"I don''t think... Oh." Mark straightened his back as he realized. "My sacrifice... Is an opportunity."
"An opportunity? Which is?"
"Curious about it?"
The Undead Lich flinched at the question.
"How about we count it as one of those three questions?"
"... I am curious about it. Sure."
"The fact that I couldn''t Devour them."
"Devour?"
Mark nodded.
"I''ll need you to exin. Thoroughly."
Chapter 384 Necromancy
384 Necromancy
"I''ll need you to exin. Thoroughly."
"What is there to exin? By Reviving them, I can''t eat. I guess an Undead Lich wouldn''t get that. You don''t need to eat, do you? It''s a pretty big sacrifice, you know? Staying hungry."
"I see..."
''That''s not entirely true. I don''t forfeit Devouring them, since I can Devour themter on. No... It started with Abyssal Union or something, once I became an Abyssal Weretiger. That''s how I became able to Devour... Or merge myself with my Underlings. But once I got that, the sacrifice bes null though? Me Devouring my own Underlings... When did it happen? After fusing Kira with that Wyvern. Against Levi... Maybe the fact that it''s another Skill that allows that makes it different? The sacrifice is epted by one Skill, but offset by another...?''
The red light that shone through the Undead Lich''s eyes burned a bit more fiercely while the white-scaled Monster thought silently.
''I see... Its internal organs are fascinating. While it might have a butt, it has no orifice. Using the word Devour makes more sense now. It has no need for an orifice, as all it does is intake. There''s no output. Its internal organs deal with it all. In other words, anything that it Devours is digested perfectly. There''s absolutely no waste. Devour... The need for Materials... Development it said, huh? Since there''s no waste, everything is used. Not as sustenance. Development. Whatever it Devours is used to grow? If that''s the case then... The sacrifice makes more sense. And also...''
Both raised their gazes towards the other''s eyes at the same time.
''I definitely want to hear more from him!''
They stared at one another for a bit, and the Undead Lichy a hand on the desk by its side. Its index finger tapped the wooden desk for a couple of seconds.
"What kind of Ritual would I need to perform to Revive something as strong as I am?"
The Undead Lich stared silently.
"As I said, we can go that route. But..."
"But?"
"ying with the Dead isn''t a simple thing. Bending their Souls and wills to your own... How does it feel?"
Mark definitely did not expect such a question, and it showed.
"Uh... Feels okay, I suppose?"
"The Underlings you had before bing unable to use the Skill. They''re not with you."
The white-scaled Monster''s eyes narrowed.
"They''re not."
"They''re not waiting outside either."
"They''re not."
"Then?"
"They''re still alive."
"They are?"
"Yes, they are." Mark said dryly.
The Undead Lich could feel irritation inside the white-scaled Monster''s voice. The former''s uncertainty started to dissipate.
It raised its arm to the side, showcasing the metal bar from which hung...
"These Ghouls. How do you feel about them?"
"No particr way."
"How do you feel about me using them this way?"
"They follow your orders, don''t they? And they''re different from the Skeletons."
"They do. And they are."
"Then it''s vile, and disgusting."
"Do your Underlings follow your orders?"
"They do."
"Were you to ask them to die for you, would they?"
"They would."
"Has that ever happened? An Underling dying for you?"
"It has."
"Did you use it as a shield?"
"I did not."
"Then it died protecting you, of its own volition?"
"You could say that."
The Undead Lich''s bony fingers intertwined. It brought its hands closer to its mouth.
"Interesting..."
"Is it?"
"Do you value your Underlings?"
"I do."
"Why is that?"
"They''ve allowed me to survive many times. They allowed me to win many times. What does this, have to do with that?"
The Undead Lich slowly rose from its seat. Mark remained ready for anything, despite the Contract that they had signed which forbids violence.
It slowly walked towards the metal bar, before standing in front of a whimpering Ghoul.
Too much blood had flown out and down its body, filling the Urn below it. The Ghoul didn''t have much time left.
The Undead Lich pressed its finger against the Ghoul''s ribcage.
Slowly but surely, the finger ended up piercing through the skin.
"What are you doing?"
"A test, I suppose." The Undead Lich answered as it wiggled its finger inside the Ghoul''s body.
The Ghoul felt the pain, but it was unable to express it. Its whimpers didn''t grow louder. Itcked the energy.
The Undead Lich turned around.
Disgust was painted all over the white-scaled Monster''s face.
The Undead Lich nodded internally, and walked back towards its seat.
"The Soules before the Body, you say?"
"We''re not there yet."
"Do you believe your Underlings to have Souls?"
"They do."
"Is that so..."
The Undead Lich stared for a bit.
It wanted its words to illicit a reaction.
A reaction that would, hopefully, break the Contract that they had signed.
Not because it wanted to take away the white-scaled Monster''s use of Mana, but simply to have more leewayter on.
The Undead Lich thought it likely that, instead of enforcing the Punishment thates with breaking the Contract, the System would agree to increase the number of questions that the Undead Lich could ask to five or, perhaps, even ten.
"You killed your Underlings before Reviving them, right?"
Mark''s hand twitched.
The Undead Lich clicked its tongue internally.
"How does it feel, being served by one you killed? How does it feel, twisting their Souls after killing them? If they do have a Soul, then that Soul was altered significantly by you. At the best, it''s brainwashing, don''t you agree?"
The white-scaled Monster remained silent.
"You care for your Underlings, but you''ve inflicted incredible pain upon them. You''ve taken their will and pride. You made them bend. No, you forced them to, without them even realizing it. How did it feel? You wouldn''t use them as a shield, would you?"
"I''m... Not sure."
"I get the picture. Did you, at one point, lose sight of it? Did you, at one point, think of yourself as their protector? Their shield? Their Leader? You are none of those things. And had their mind not been altered, they wouldn''t side with you. It''s the very reason why you killed them after all."
The white-scaled Monster slowly lowered its wide eyes and gaze.
"You''ve grown used to those you have. But what about the next one? Are you willing to kill it, and then have it take a knee? Are you willing to break their mind and body? Necromancy isn''t child''s y. Are you willing to y God and give them life? Willing to bring them back and make them in your perverted image? Life and Death. How much respect do you have for both? Do you respect either? Neither? No... It''s Life and Death that disturbs you, but their Soul. You don''t want to mess with another''s Soul, huh? Are you scared of the same thing happening to you? Are you scared of your Soul being Manipted? Of losing who you are? Of being changed? Of no longer being the same?"
At the white-scaled Monster''s heavy silence, the Undead Lich sighed.
"It seems that you have already thought about this, huh? Clearly, not enough though."
The Undead Lich rose from its seat, walked towards the metal bar, and plunged its whole hand through the very same Ghoul''s chest.
It swiftly pulled its hand out. Very little blood squirted out. Most had been lost already after all.
The Undead Lich brought its bloody index finger to the unmoving Ghoul''s head.
A triangle was drawn.
A purplish Aura appeared at the tip of that index finger. Upon tapping it at the center of that triangle, the Ghoul''s eyes opened.
"Until you can answer these questions, that Skill of yours will remain as it is. Yours, but at the same time, not."
The Undead Lich took a seat once more.
"Necromancy is an endless pursuit, and a bottomless abyss. Don''t take it so lightly, child."
c71241599ffa2342522e9fa0e93245a9b77279a7b89d8342071b2e9f762bbb1ff2180dd580ca6dab993c1af18ebb0c499e88e74f5a6237419e52bd79260ec
Chapter 385 The Weight Of Information
385 The Weight Of Information
"Can you answer those questions?"
Seeing the white-scaled Monster''s silence, the Undead Lich pressed.
"You offer Souls and Bodies to Necromancy. You offer everything in its pursuit. You care about the lowly being born from that? It''s pathetic. You don''t understand Necromancy, or yourself. They just rise up you say? A Necromancer isn''t that simple. You offer up and use everything for the sake of your goal and pursuit. Friends, foes, allies, lovers... I''ve even seen some use family members. You take them all, and turn them into puppets. Their Soul is bent and broken to fit whatever it is you want. You care about them? Of course, you do. They were made for and by you after all. All of them-"
"Shut the fuck up." Mark interrupted, his eye wide with repressed anger. "Are you trying to get a reaction out of me? Cause that''s not happening."
The white-scaled Monster''s hand was twitching, but the Undead Lich could tell that it would take more than that to make him leap, fangs baring and ws extended.
Mark has gotten better at controlling his anger and frustration.
He has also gotten better at letting it out when the right opportunity presents itself.
"Well, does this mean you want to move on to-"
"I''m guessing that''ll take some of that goodwill away. Since you were purposefully trying to get me to break the Contract."
The Undead Lich chuckled, but its tone was on the severe side.
"It very well might."
"I think I get it then. You''ve done your job."
"I''m pleased to hear that. Now, onto yours. What makes you think that the Soules before the Body with such certainty?"
"You''re an Undead Lich. Isn''t that enough? You keep your Soul bound to those Bones, but they are not your Body."
"Souls are born when Bodies is born. These Bones might not be my original Body, but my Soul was born with my original Body." "So you had a Body before this one?" Mark inquired, keeping in mind the Mural he had seen outside.
"That has nothing to do with this."
"I want to renegotiate the Contract."
"Absolutely not. I''ve done my part."
"You''ve helped, I agree. You''ve helped define the problem, not solve it."
"Solving is your job."
"The Contract we signed entailed that you would help in solving the problem."
"That''s how you want to y this?"
"Plus, it came from you, didn''t it? You said that I had already thought about these things. In that case, you''ve only added rity, not given a solution."
"That problem of yours isn''t something that can be fixed easily."
"The fact that it came from you has to ount for something, right?"
"Tsk. Perhaps."
"You want me to solve your issue, while you only added rity to mine."
"Solve my issue? That question isn''t something that can be answered easily. If anything, you would only be adding rity..."
The Undead Lich stopped halfway through its sentence.
"Exactly." Mark smiled. "In that sense, getting to ask three questions after that is unfair, don''t you think? In the first ce, you said that I had less time, which makes your information more valuable. But I disagree. If I only have a few decades, you might have centuries of thinking about the answer, endlessly going in circles. What do you think?"
The Undead Lich sighed.
"My answer is also a secret, in a way. Secrets are more valuable than information. In the first ce, I didn''t get a precise piece of information. I only... Picked your brain?"
''Fuck. He''s only reaching for straws but... The System might listen to his arguments.''
"The answer. How much of a secret is it?"
"I haven''t told anyone, ever. Only a couple know of it."
"Weigh it then."
"Weigh it?"
The Undead Lich brought a hand to its chin.
''I thought he was familiar with Contracts after that but... Weighing it might be a bad move. The fact that he''s unfamiliar with Contracts could add to the System''s pity on him... Might as well have some more good will on my side.''
Sigh-
"Weighing the information. It happens often in Contracts involving exchanges of Information. You ask the System to weigh that Information, and it will assign it a value in Gold Coins. This way, we can both make sure that neither is taking the short end of the stick."
"And that Value is subjective, I assume."
"Of course. The information''s value depends massively on whose hands itnds in. What you can do with the information, how much it means to you, all that is taken into ount. There''s also an objective side to it, of course."
"Fine with me. I''m confident in the information I have to share."
"System, weigh the Information I have shared with him this far-"
"That''s cheating. Weigh only what was concerning the problem with my Skill."
"System, subtract the Value of Information that didn''t have to do with the Skill, Necromancy, or Rituals."
"That''s cheating."
"Is it? There''s value in bbering on, don''t you think? Is there anything I said about those three topics that you would have rathered me leave out?"
"... Nothinges to mind."
"Good."
[Calcting...]
"75.000 Gold Coins." The Undead Lich dered a secondter.
"Am I supposed to take your word for it?"
The Undead Lich snapped its fingers, and a screen showing that exact value appeared in front of Mark.
"How can I make sure this isn''t an Illusion or something?"
"You doubt your eyes that much?"
"I do."
"Well, I refuse to give out further Information before we deal with this issue."
"System, is there anything weird with this screen or value?"
[There is nothing wrong with it.]
"Satisfied?" The Undead Lich asked obnoxiously, guessing what had appeared in front of the white-scaled Monster.
"Yes." Mark asnwered.
He thought silently for a bit.
''I only have about 500 Gold Coins on me. If I had enough, I wonder if the System would have epted payment instead of an exchange of Information. It probably can''t enforce it though. Enforcing it could work... But would drive the value that I would need to pay higher. Probably? I can''t ask him much more for now. Not while this Contract is valid.''
"Well?"
"System. Weigh the Information I have in mind."
"That''s cheating."
"Is it?"
Chapter 386 Subjective Value, II
Chapter 386 Subjective Value, II
"How can you prove that the Value you''ll show is for the answer that I seek?"
"Just take my word for it."
"Ha! And why would I?"
"Oh..." A screen had appeared in front of Mark. "Didn''t expect that."
"How can you prove that-" The Undead Lich was interrupted before it could repeat its question.
"System, show him."
Its face was nothing more than bones. Lacking muscles, no expression could be seen or read.
But Mark could tell that the Undead Lich was stunned.
"That doesn''t mean anything."
"WHAT DO YOU IT DOESN''T MEAN ANYTHING??" Mark shouted as the Undead Lich nonchntly swayed its hand.
"I have no idea what kind of Information you thought about weighing. No idea how many pieces of information you grouped together."
"Ha." Mark chuckled. "Is there even a number that would justify a number like that?"
The Undead Lich remained silent for a couple of seconds.
"No... I can''t." It admitted.
"See? Worth a lot, huh?"
[The Information has been Valued at 4.750.000 Gold Coins.]
"Howe?"
"So that''s a high number in general, huh?"
"There are very little things that cost this much or more."
"Good to know. Guess we should work on that Contract again, huh? Your 25.000 don''t seem as-"
"The Contract has already been signed. Plus, I already fulfilled my part."
"The Value justifies it, I would say. The difference in Value. I didn''t realize that my Information was that much more valuable, since I thought that I would get more out of you."
"Fine... I get this Information, then we can have three questions each-"
"I refuse. I get a hundred questions. You get none."
"Hahahaha!" The Undead Lichughed out loud. The situation was ridiculous but, "What makes you think you can have it your way."
"The Value of the Information you gave is barely 1% of what I''m giving. Actually, about 0.5%. That''s 5 in a thousand. Would you prefer that? I get one thousand questions and you get five? We can take turns. You''ll have your chance to ask after my 200 questio-"
[The System has altered the Contract ording to both Contractors'' wishes and arguments.]
Additional messages were read and,
"What kind of bullshit is that? I tell you the Information then... Five questions for me and three for you? What the fuck is this?" Mark''s annoyance was tangible.
The Undead Lich let out a sigh of relief.
''Good thing I was quick to offer a Contract. The fact that we didn''t weigh the Information before that certainly saved me from having to give out a thousand answers. Phew... He''s not knowledgeable on how Contracts and Vows work, so the System gave him some leeway. He didn''t know how valuable the Information was... No, he knew. Otherwise, the Contract would have been made void, with reparations paid to me, of course. He knew it was valuable, but he didn''t know it was THAT valuable...''
''Tsk. I should have thought about it more! 4.750.00 Gold Coins, huh? Wonder if I could''ve taken the money instead. Don''t know where or how I would spend it though... Five questions to three. That''s fine with me. I didn''te here expecting anything in the first ce. While the Information might have Value, sharing it doesn''t hurt me in any way. Sharing it with too many might decrease its Value but... I am killing him afterward. Or ending him I should say? Undead Lich. Inside the Dungeon, I had to crush its head. What about this one? What if it can use Dark Magic in the same way? How would I approach that? Maybe...''
The Undead Lich suddenly felt growing animositying from the white-scaled Monster. It was still seated a good distance away. The white-scaled Monster wasn''t even looking the Undead Lich''s way. Still, the Lich could tell.
''Ha...'' It chuckled internally. ''To be young again.''
The Undead Lich tapped its finger against the desk, grabbing the white-scaled Monster''s attention.
"Done thinking?"
"Not quite."
"We don''t have all day."
"Don''t we?"
"I''d rather finish this quickly." Its hand pointed, and showcased the numerous Materials and Ghouls. "I have things to do."
"Isn''t it nice taking a break?"
"Is that one of your five questions?"
"Wait... Why do you still have three? Didn''t we use up one of them already?"
"Looks like the System didn''t ept your answer."
"The fuck does that mean...? So I have to exin the whole thing, huh? Alright-"
"No need." the Undead Lich interrupted as it raised a hand. "I''m not interested."
"That''s not fair. You asked already."
"The Contract changed. I''m not interested in it. I already have a good idea of how it works."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. I truly can''t wait..." The white-scaled Monster felt a shiver go down its spine as the Undead Lich talked. "To dissect you."
"Sure, whatever."
"You don''t mind it, do you?"
"I''ll be eating everything there is in here." Mark said as he looked around. "From the Ghouls to the Gems. Drinking everything too. Poisons, Blood... Everything you worked on will disappear and be swallowed."
"That would be a shame."
"Would it now?"
"I''d rather leave these for someone who would study them, perhaps build up on my research."
"Can''t do that. I''m not a very smart one, you see. I''m more of a glutton than an academic."
"Academic, huh? You certainly say interesting things. Devouring, huh? No waste... Devouring things can help you heal, right?"
Mark didn''t answer.
"No, it can even help you change your Form." The white-scaled Monster''s eye twitched, and the Undead Lich knew. "Huh? I was right? Interesting. Very interesting, white-scaled Monster. That''s definitely a sacrifice, if you don''t get to do that."
"Ahh..." Mark sighed.
"Let''s get to it then. The Information I want."
"Sure. It''s pretty simple really..."
Mark felt his throat dry up immediately.
It wasn''t an easy thing to say.
"I died, and I was Reborn inside this body." Especially because he hadn''t told anyone. "I was..." Because he hadn''t told her. "Reborn As An Evolving Monster."
"Born of Necromancy, huh? But that doesn''t justify it."
"Then it''s even simpler. I was born, lived and died..."
The words came easily. Perhaps because he wanted to share them. Because he felt he should have shared them long ago.
"In another World."
"Huh?"
"Ie from another World."
Chapter 387 Body & Soul
Chapter 387 Body & Soul
?
"Another... World?" The Undead Lich repeated, obviously doubtful, but also filled with curiosity.
Mark couldn''t help but feel like he had been beaten. Much more could have been extracted for the Information, had he not recklessly epted the Contract.
Just because the opportunity wasn''t expected, doesn''t mean one should settle for less.
He could tell that his Soul being born in another World, or the fact that he was an "Intruder" to this World didn''t matter.
Neither of these things gave the Information much Value.
What truly did, was the existence of such a World.
Knowing that there was a whole World other than this one is an incredible discovery.
Even more so for someone like the Undead Lich, who pursued many things, who had many interests, and who was on a quest for endless knowledge.
"Where is that World?"
"I have no idea."
"Beyond the sea?"
"Ha! That''s funny."
"It is?"
The Undead Lich was truly asking. It genuinely did not see anything funny with that.
"It would be more like... Beyond the stars?"
"BEYOND THE STARS?!"
The sudden shout made the white-scaled Monster straighten its back.
"Y... Yeah. Probably?"
"Where... How... What kind of World? If you really are from another, then how did you get here? Can you go back? What Links both Worlds together?"
Mark put up his hands.
"Don''t know." He answered as he shrugged. "I lived in another World, I died, and my Soul wandered for a long time. As you can see, I kept my Soul, not my Body."
"Going back to the original topic, huh? But your Soul was born in that other World, with another Body. The Soul and Body can be separated, but the Soul cannote into existence without a Body."
"You think having a Body is that important?"
"It is. That''s why Spirits showcase such Magical Prowess. They have forfeited the right to having a strong Body, or a Body in general. In exchange, they have great control over arger quantity of Mana."
"Like you? Except that with you... It was a Ritual that brought this. While they''re born that way."
"That''s right."
"What about a child born with a weak heart, a weak constitution? Do you think that the child''s Soul is Linked to that body? That the Soul is stronger or weaker because the Body is weaker? The Link between Body and Soul isn''t as strong as you make it out to be. Or perhaps, I am the exception. My Soul entered a random Monster''s body, the same way it could have entered a baby''s. I told you, didn''t I? My Soul wandered for a long time. If I had to describe it, the Worlds are like two nes. Two gxies standing parallel to one another... Or perhaps, floating? Between them, there is only darkness. A ck hole. You can''t move away from its center. If you go too far, you get pulled back. Unless... Something pulls you."
"Then that''s when the Souls rest. A Graveyard of Souls... But if they''re not born with the Born, when do they appear, where, how?"
"It''s not possible for it all to be recycling, right? Since the numbers increase."
"Well, it''s possible that..." The Undead Lich talked and talked, with enthusiasm that it hadn''t felt for so long.
An Undead Lich learning about another World, and part of what happens after Death. What could be more entertaining or valuable for it than that? It had even cast its Body away to remain alive, to escape Death and the great unknown thates with it.
Their conversation went on and on.
The rtion between the Soul and the Body.
Does the Soul leave the Body upon Death? Does it die with the Body? Mark''s experience seemed to point to one answer, while the Undead Lich''s experiments pointed to another.
Is the Soul located inside the brain?
What is the Soul?
What do those in the other World think about it?
"What kind of World is it anyways?"
"What kind of World...? A World without Monsters, without Werewolves, Vampires, or Undead Lichs. It only has Humans, animals, and vegetation as living beings... I think. It''s a World without Magic-"
"Without Magic??" The Undead Lich interrupted. "You mean without Mana? Are you sure?"
"I am."
It was a strange thing to hear. A surprising fact that the Undead Lich couldn''tpletely believe. After all, Mana could be found in all things and Beings, even in those who could not use Mana.
"What about the System?" The Undead Lich asked, doubtful.
"What is the System?"
"Mm?"
"I don''t... Know much for now. But if you exin it thoroughly, I might give you a more urate answer. About whether or not that World has something that acts as the System."
"Interesting. So the System does not reach that World, but there might be something else that fulfills that job."
"Perhaps. Care to talk about the job then?"
"Many roles are fulfilled by the System. Weighing Information is an interesting one, especially the way you have used it. The System read your thoughts right there and then."
"How does that work?"
"The System is... Well, no one knows really. But I see it as an omniscient and omnipresent Being. It knows all and is everywhere, see. It dictates too many things to count."
"Like the cost of using Magic Skills."
"For example, yes. It can be seen as the Thing that dictates, or simply as the Thing that represents."
"Like Health Points..." Mark whispered. "Does it dictate how many... Or does it simply represent them and showcase them...?"
"Can you see the Sacrifice there?"
"The Sacrifice?"
"Think of the System as a Being. Let''s say it was a living being before bing the existence known as the System."
"Mm... A Being that grew to know everything, and to be everywhere at the same time. Omnipresent and Omniscient... A God, basically."
"Exactly, expect-"
"Except that it''s not omnipotent. In fact, it can''t do anything on its own. It sacrificed the ability to do anything, in order to gain knowledge of everything and omnipresence...?"
"You understand quickly."
"Is that what happened?"
"Who knows?" The Undead Lich shrugged.
The conversation hadsted long enough that Mark could tell that the Undead Lich wasn''t withholding information. It truly did not know.
"Then? What about that other World?" It asked.
"No System. The existence of one or multiple Deities is debated. A God that is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent though... That''s what many believe in."
"I see. Then a Ruler?"
"Not exactly. Many believe in that God''s existence, but its presence is... Well, I don''t really know, I guess. Though the fact that I was Reborn in this World means that-"
"The existence of Gods is still possible. I have trouble believing it, but if that World has no Mana, then its rules could bepletely different."
"They are."
"For it to be omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent, it..."
"Different rules. I doubt this world''s logic could be applied."
"I think they can be. That God could be seen as... A Watcher. Or a Spectator."
"Wouldn''t be the same as the System then? Where''s the omnipotent aspect of it?"
"There''s a clear difference with the System, don''t you think?"
Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
The Undead Lich knew the answer to its question.
Mark brought a hand to his chin and thought for a couple of seconds.
"Not being able to act isn''t enough..." He whispered. "The System also knows about -Us-, and that''s the unfair part. Which is why we can use part of its knowledge."
"Precisely." The Undead Lich said as it snapped its fingers. "The System acts, but not for itself. Then what about that God?"
"Well... A Spectator is the only possibility, I guess. But there''s no... Well, ording to some, then it acted at times. But I haven''t seen it during my life."
"Just because you haven''t seen it, doesn''t mean it didn''t act."
"That''s a fair argument but it''s no reason to believe that it acted."
"An Omnipotent being is a scary thing to think about. Especially when mixed with the other two."
"I guess?"
"What if everything happening in that World was proof of its Omnipotency?"
"You mean the creation of that World?"
"Yes, but maybe even more than that."
"Its development too? God''s n, huh? In that case, yes. The three would be his. But..."
"It''s a cruel thought. Believing that everything is part of a Being''s n."
"It is cruel. And at times, reassuring."
"Hahaha!"
The conversation between the two went on and on.
They touched on many different subjects.
The Undead Lich tried to keep the conversation about Necromancy theoretical and superficial.
The two discussed Mark''s Rebirth and what Sacrifices would have been necessary for such Magic.
They did not know how it had been done, but they could still discuss the process.
The twopared it to Fire Magic.
Mana can be used to conjure up mes, butbustion can still be studied. There are ways other than Magic to light a fire.
Maybe there are other processes that lead to the movement of Souls?
The discussion was interesting. Questions that couldn''t be answered were asked.
They agreed and disagreed on many things.
A feeling of sorrow slowly started rising from within.
Chapter 388 Trap Room
Chapter 388 Trap Room
When was thest time that I enjoyed a discussion with another?
Has it been decades? No, it''s been centuries.
Located deep within the dark forest at the center of the Monster Realm, rare are the intruders.
The Invisibility Spell that I Cast on the entry makes it even more unlikely for any to find this ce.
But some do from time to time.
And usually, I''m the one to push the discussion on them.
It usually turns into a monologue while I dissect them. Sometimes, I take my time so that they can hear me talk for as long as possible.
But you''re different, white-scaled Monster.
I enjoy the conversation.
You make me think, which is something that, after so long, I force myself to do. I don''t need to force myself when talking to you. Your thoughts and conversation give me ideas. I''m sure that sparks of inspiration would start appearing again with you by my side.
Yes. Having an Assistant wouldn''t be bad.
But I can''t.
I have a job to do.
A job I must do alone.
***
I like this Lich.
It says interesting things, unlike the one inside the Dungeon.
That one had probably lost itself. I wonder if that Corruption user... The Connector? I think that''s what Nia called him. Wonder if he had anything to do with that.
That''s if that Lich was indeed part of this Dark Triad.
This ce... Is interesting.
The Lich... Is interesting.
I''m learning a lot just talking with it.
Apparently, Fire Magic cannot be used in spaces where there isn''t enough Oxygen. That''s funny. I wonder if Ice Magic cannot be used in ces with low moisture or humidity? I won''t ask though.
I think... I could learn a lot by staying here.
Plus, it wouldn''t be bad.
In this dark forest, away from those that I ran away from.
Elisa, Krista.
Nia, Gaavah.
I ran away from them all.
This might be a good spot for me.
Staying underground, hiding, like a cockroach.
I''m sure... I won''t be found here.
No.
I won''t let myself hide.
I''m having fun talking to the Lich.
I can''t let myself have fun.
Not after what happened. After what I did. After I ran away.
This is pleasant.
And that''s exactly why it needs to end.
"Ready for those questions?" The Undead Lich asked after it let out a long sigh.
In the first ce, it burnt that Mural but hasn''t talked about it at all since I entered the Room.
It''s sad but... I''m sure that talking about it will naturally lead to the end of this.
It''s sad... And that''s why I need to do it.
"I am. I''ll ask first, since I have five and you three. Your answers will dictate how thorough is thorough enough."
The Undead Lich remained silent for a couple of seconds.
Its facial expression couldn''t change, as it was all bones.
Mark imagined it smiling. And it was, internally.
"Ask away."
"What is the Undead Dark Triad?"
"A group of three Undead individuals with amon goal."
"This is how you want to y it?"
"We''ve talked enough, haven''t we? There''s no need to be as thorough now."
"What''s yourmon goal?"
"To bring back the Age of the Monsters. Who do you serve?"
"I don''t serve anyone. Why did you burn that Mural?"
"Secrets are meant to be kept. Who brought you to this World? You said it involved Magic."
"They call him the ''Connector''. Does that Mural depict the First Demon King''s journey?"
"It does not. It depicts a time before the Demon King. Who are you supposed to serve?"
"A time before the Demon King? You mean before he became Demon King. Before he acquired that Title."
"Who are you supposed to serve?"
"Who am I supposed to serve...? Mm. Those who brought me to this World, I suppose."
"A circr answer."
"It''ll have to do. A time before the Demon King is uneptable as an answer."
"Before bing Demon King, yes. It depicts the journey of the individual who would be hailed as such."
"Then I''m supposed to serve... Gaavah, I guess."
"Gaavah? I see..."
"Was the First Demon King..." Mark slowly stood up. After this question is answered, the Contract would have been fulfilled, and the fight would begin. "The Great Red Dragon?"
"How... Do you know that Title?"
"Am I to assume the positive?"
The Undead Lich extended an arm towards the white-scaled Monster.
"It is one of the King''s many Titles."
[The Contract has been...]
Before Mark could even read the floating words, a volley of Ice Spikes was formed around the Undead Lich.
They were shot right away.
The white-scaled Monster spread its wings.
Wind st-
The Spikes were turned into ice dust but... The Undead Lich was nowhere to be found.
Mark leaped across the room.
A stairway that wasn''t there earlier.
Mark went down the stairs.
"Just because we have to fight doesn''t mean you can run without saying a thing."
"You''ll have to excuse me..."
Arge room. The ceiling was way higher than before.
Once again, countless Signs were on the walls, the ceiling, and the ground.
"After so long, I forgot about manners.
Unlike in the room above, there was no light, except the one emanating from the Undead Lich''s eyes.
No, emitting a faint light were the circles drawn.
Magic Circles. It was Mark''s first time seeing them, so he could not know how they worked.
"Was that Spatial Magic?"
"It''s not my specialty, but with the right setting, I can use it."
"The right setting...? I''m guessing those Circles have something to do with that."
"Ha." The Undead Lich chuckled. "Come and find out."
The Magic Circle on Mark''s right started shining a bit brighter.
Yellow.
The next second, Thunderbolts were shot from that Magic Circle!
Ice Maniption-
''It''s fast, but I could''ve dodged it. Now that I know how it works, I''ll dodge the next one.'' Mark thought to himself, as the wave-like structure of Ice protected him from the Thunderbolts.
"Ice Magic, huh?"
"You Lichs are too greedy." Mark sneered as he leaped forward.
The Magic Circle he stepped on shined red. Its light grew brighter and,
"What happens if I cover them all with Ice?"
Ice Maniption-
Starting from Mark''s foot, the Ice spread further and further.
But before it could go beyond the Magic Circle,
Boom-
"A room filled with traps. Really?"
"Well, this is my Boss Room, isn''t it? Don''t worry, I''ll try not to mess your body up too badly."
"Means you''ll go easy on me? I''m thankful for that."
"I didn''t take you for the type to show such maturity."
"Well," Mark leaped forward. "I wasn''t always the type to."
Three purple Magic Circles shined on the ceiling.
As if they were portals, five Ghouls fell down and onto their feet from each Magic Circle.
Mark did not look their way.
Instead, he covered his clenched fist with mes.
"Let''s take some of them off!" Mark shouted as his fist descended upon the ground.
Wind st-
"Using Wind Magic at thest moment to increase the force of your hit. Not an umon thing, but not very creative either.
Mark slowly straightened his back.
His fist was bleeding.
Sublime Body Restoration-
The ground was cracked, and the Magic Circle stopped shining.
''Forty... No, fifty of them across the room. I can''t break all of them-''
From above, a palm made of rock pressed against his body, aiming to crush him.
Mark fought against it, but the weight was nothing to scoff at. The Ghouls and their sharp ws were approaching. Additionally, three Magic Circles shined at once.
"You must be asking yourself, so I''ll tell you. Some activate when sensing something in their targetted area. Some I activate myself."
Mark used all his strength to push up, before slipping away as fast as he could, leaving that palm to hit the ground, and disappear.
''Am I really going to have to use it? Now? It''s too dangerous. Being underground makes it-''
"You were much more interesting when we were conversing. Fighting isn''t your forte, I see." The Undead Lich said as Ice Spikes appeared around it.
"Oh, is that so?" Mark smirked as he jumped back. "Don''t me me if this whole ce gets thrashed."
With his palm facing the ceiling, Mark extended his right arm forward.
Could it defeat the Undead Lich with one hit?
He wasn''t sure.
But Mark was convinced that it would destroy all the Magic Circles.
He feared that the structure would copse right away, which is why he had jumped back.
Now that the staircase was to his left,
"Are you even capable of-"
The Undead Lich''s mouth remained open, but no words exited it.
Mana. A lot of it. It was all Condensed into a single point.
It wasn''t a fire.
It wasn''t even a me.
The Undead Lich recognized that Magic Type.
Fire Ball-
mes engulfed it.
Mark had instinctively guessed that it had to be covered by mes.
The mes covering it weren''t important. They aided only in transporting it.
More than 95% of Mark''s reserve in Mana had been consumed.
All for a...
Spark Of The Primordial me-
BOOOM-
Chapter 389 Bones That Won’t Break!
Chapter 389 Bones That Won''t Break!
Cracks appeared all over the walls and ground.
Half of the ceiling had made its way down to the ground, sending pieces of rubble in every direction and filling the room with dust.
The sheer force generated from a ''Spark'' was incredible.
But Mark had no time to be impressed or surprised.
His first move upon unleashing the attack had been to swallow the various Gems and Stones that he had taken earlier as he leaped through the room.
The Gems and Stones, as he had expected, were filled with Mana.
Instantly, his Mana Reserve was filled back to the brim.
[Your Affinity with Water Magic increases by a very slight margin.]
[Your Affinity with Thunder Magic increases slightly.]
[Your Affinity with ...]
The Undead Lich wouldn''t die from that.
Mark was convinced by that fact.
No notifications from the System added to his certainty.
The Undead Lich''s body is made up of bones. It was different than a Ghoul or an Orc.
Thetter could have been injured gravely and left bleeding out under the rubble.
The Undead Lich was different.
Shattering the skull.
A one-hit kill, or nothing.
"You''re going to keep hiding there? I don''t mind piling up the Sparks."
"Surprising. That me should have been extinguished with the death of the Giants."
The Undead Lich was indeed under the rubble.
Despite the two dozen meters separating them, the shockwave as the Undead Lich freed itself reached Mark.
"What can I say? I have diverse tastes." Mark said as,
Thump-
Thump-
Their bodies had been burned to a crisp. By using Bone Maniption, Mark had managed to bring the dead Ghouls'' bodies over to him. This requires delicate control, as the Bones have to be pulled with just enough force so as not to pierce through the Ghouls'' muscle tissue or skin.
Devoured.
The superficial wounds, grazes, and burns on Mark''s body were healed.
An attack so powerful that it could hurt its user.
Surrounded by huge pieces of rubble, both stood unmoving.
The Undead Lich''s curiosity kept rising and rising.
A Soul from another Reborn into this one with the ability to Evolve by swallowing other Beings and the ability to use a Magic Type that had disappeared centuries ago.
Could that me be the answer to the Lich''s Quest?
Mark felt a rush of exhration.
The explosion was stronger than those that the Fire Spirit had used on the Dungeon''s First Floor. Not only that, but this was only a Spark for now. Crack all over the room, the ceiling brought down... The force was incredible, as the structure itself was incredibly tough. Punching it had barely left a crack and had made his fist bleed.
The fact that the Undead Lich had been under the rubble meant that it had protected itself from the explosion, but not from the rubble.
Still, there was no sign of damage on its body.
The huge piece of rubble that had descended upon the Undead Lich had both toughness and weight going for it. Yet, no damage.
It was clear as day to Mark.
The Undead Lich''s had bones that wouldn''t break easily.
But there was another Skill that Mark had obtained.
One that he couldn''t use yet.
He felt that something was strange, but now he understood.
Devouring that Ex-General of the Tyr and the Fire Giant Core hadpletely changed the muscles that made up his body.
His muscles were those of a Giant. But he couldn''t fully showcase their strength.
Because hecked the bones that would allow that.
"Shall we continue?" The Undead Lich asked as it raised its arms.
Mark smirked.
The attack had done no damage.
But it had rid the room of most of the Magic Circles.
With the discussion that the two had earlier, he couldn''t help but chuckle internally.
''That was a good sacrifice. Though I got it all back.''
His Mana had been replenished after all.
A sphere was created above the Undead Lich.
Thunderbolts exited that sphere from multiple directions.
They weren''t shot simultaneously.
''Thunder Magic. The sphere was made by Condensing... Or bringing together a bunch of Thunderbolts. It''s unstable, which is why they shoot out. The Thunderbolts want to be let out. Which means that...''
The Undead Lich lowered its arms, and the sphere moved forward, the roar of thunder resonated!
''It''s slow enough for me to dodge,'' Mark thought as he jumped to his left. ''The explosion will send Thunderbolts in every direction randomly!''
The Thunderbolts came from the Undead Lich itself, not a Magic Circle! The destructive power will be different!
Mark jumped forward, before casting another wave-like protective structure made with Ice Magic.
The wave-like structure allowed him to defend and protect the direction from which the attack came.
A spherical barrier would be a shield spread too thin, an issue that he had encountered multiple times, especially when defending against the Corrupted Dark Elves'' arrows inside the Dungeon.
Additionally, and this was the most important aspect of the wave-like structure and the reason why he had jumped forward, this allowed him to keep an eye on the Undead Lich.
As Mark had expected, the Thunderbolts birthed from the explosion shot out at random.
Out of the many Thunderbolts, one was headed towards the Undead Lich.
A deep blueish Aura oozed out of its index finger.
Its finger moved, leaving a trail of Aura lingering.
A Sign was drawn on the air.
And arge Portal appeared.
The Thunderbolt was swallowed.
Mark''s eye widened. Where does the Portal lead to? What happens if he is swallowed by it?
His first instinct was to look above him.
The Thunderbolt hit his side, immediately scorching the white scales.
"You don''t mind piling up the Sparks, you said earlier."
Tsk-
"Are you capable of handling a hit from your own attack, I wonder?"
Mark did his best not to think.
He leaped forward.
The attack hade from his blindspot.
A blindspot that had been created. That, in a way, Mark himself had created.
Chapter 390 Famished Dog
Chapter 390 Famished Dog
"Resistance, huh?"
The Monster''s scales had been scorched, but not much damage was done in terms of Health Points.
Thunder or Lightning Magic are different than Fire Magic. Nevertheless, it is true that both Thunder and Lightning burn the target.
This is why, despitecking the Thunder Resistance or Lightning Resistance Passive Skills, Mark didn''t take much damage.
Heat Resistance[A+]
Fire Resistance[A+]
Mark''s Resistance when ites to both Fire and Heat is [A+], making it the closest thing to Immunity.
Still, the heat and burning are only byproducts of the Thunder Magic used.
"I can pile them on." The Undead Lich sneered.
The blindspot that had been created, Mark did his best not to think about it.
Close the distance. Break those bones.
Wait.
Is that really the only way?
"Pile them on, huh? Go for it."
''He''s... Bleeding?'' The Undead Lich realized a secondter.
From the dark disks drawn on the white-scaled Monster''s left arm, a dark liquid started flowing down.
Its quantity increased as it reached the white-scaled Monster palm.
"You keep your Soul connected to those Bones, right?"
"You... Wouldn''t dare...."
"Dare what?" Mark grinned as he swung the Corrupting Javelin in his hand. "Fuck with your Soul? I''m nning to do..." He tightened his grip around the Weapon. "Just that!"
The Corrupting Javelin was thrown, aimed at the Undead Lich''s skull.
Making full use of the momentum that came with throwing the Weapon forward, Mark approached rapidly!
With a right hand engulfed in mes, the Undead Lich swung its arm, burning the Corrupting Javelin away.
Corruption can ail both Body and Soul. But it is still thought of as a type of Poison, despite being a very strange one.
The mes lingered in the air, acting as a cover for Mark''s movements.
The Undead Lich assumed that the white-scaled Monster would hide behind those mes. And so, with a left hand imbued with electricity, the Undead Lich swung its arm. But... It missed!
While both had been seated for a while before the fight, they seemed to have the same height.
But there was arge difference.
The Undead Lich was over three meters all, while Mark was about two.
The white-scaled Monster had slid between the Undead Lich''s feet, and swiftly jumped up tond and hang onto thetter''s back!
The Undead Lich took a calcted step to the right, entering one of the few remaining Magic Circles'' area of effect!
Thunderbolts would soon rain on the white-scaled Monster''s back.
An attacking from a Magic Circle would be weaker than oneing from the Undead Lich. The reasoning is sound. The Thunderbolt that hit Mark''s side only burned his scales. Then what''s the point of doing the same with a weaker attack?
There is a massive difference. The strength of the attack from the Undead Lich came from therge area of effect that it covered. The explosion made Thunderbolts shoot out in every direction. This means that it''s probable that only one Thunderbolt will hit target, but it ensures that the target will be hit. The Thunderbolts shot by the Magic Circle are different. The Magic Circle shoot seven Thunderbolts at once. The trajectory for each of those Thunderbolts is parallel to that of the others. The area of effect is much more narrow, but it is likely that all seven Thunderbolts will hit the target.
The Undead Lich thought it likely that the white-scaled Monster would jump away and back off.
If it did, then the battle would clearly be to its advantage once more.
Mark had a different idea.
He held onto the Undead Lich by its right shoulder and a rib on its left.
The Undead Lich moved to ensure that all Thunderbolts would hit.
Mark shifted his weight appropriately. His goal wasn''t to simply hold on after all.
Hecked the mobility or agility to move around the Undead Lich''s body, unlike how she could-
NOW ISN''T THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT THAT!
Mark immediately activated his Ice Maniption Magic Skill.
He had grown used to utilizing his feet as the Activation Point, just like he utilized his palms as Activation Points for Fire Magic.
But just because he was used to doing so meant that it was the only way to do it.
With the Activation Point being his back, more and more Ice pilled up on that back!
Layers uponyers of Ice turned into a carapace as he shifted his weight to the right.
The idea and the presence of so many Thunderbolts reminded him of a Boss Battle, and of an Underling he had long lost. But now wasn''t the time to reminisce.
A dark Aura started oozing out of Mark''s right arm, and he could feel his strength increase.
Breaking those bones isn''t possible for now. The fact that not a crack appeared after the ceiling fell was enough for him to tell. Separating them on the other hand!
Mark pulled with all his strength!
He gritted his teeth as he used all his body to pull.
It still wasn''t enough!
The Thunderbolts hit, burning, blowing away, and melting the protective Ice!
''I can''t let go now! If the distance grows again then...!''
Mark used the Skill.
His hand, finger, forearm, and arm grew in size.
The muscles on those body parts ballooned up in size!
All theyers of Ice melted, and the Thunderbolts connected with his back.
With smoke covering his scorched back, Mark wasunched away.
He swiftly spun his body around,nding on his feet and left hand which drifted on the ground a couple of meters away.
"Do you think that did anything? Ha. You look just like a famished dog."
His right army at his limply.
From his shoulder all the way down to his fingers, every bone had been crushed.
The bones had crushed under the pressure exerted by the muscles strengthened by the "Partial Gigantification[A+]".
Mark did not heal those muscles.
The Undead Lich had miscalcted.
As between the white-scaled Monster''s jaws,y the right arm it had lost.
That arm did not mean much to the Undead Lich.
But to the white-scaled Monster...
The famished dog would soon bite into and swallow that bone.
Chapter 391 Ancient Commanders??
Chapter 391 Ancient Commanders??
Mark had grown used to being wounded, cut, andcerated.
But the pain of having his bones broken was different.
A snapping pain that he hadn''t grown used to yet.
Still, he didn''t scream. He didn''t shout, growl, or roar.
Perhaps because the pain hade from using a Skill that was his own.
Perhaps because he had used that Skill despite knowing what it would cause.
It wouldn''t be fair to shout when it was his fault, right? He did so willingly, and knowingly.
Or perhaps, it was because he had broken his fair share of bones.
Having some of his broken was only fair, right?
Mark''s left hand quickly moved towards the skeletal arm between his jaws.
He hadn''t used his "Sublime Body Restoration[A]" Magic Skill to restore his broken bones.
Because he wouldn''t need such bones anymore.
The skeletal arm was spun around, and swallowed.
The Undead Lich watched, as its index finger drew multiple Signs in the air.
It was interested, but not enough to forget about the situation.
Mark''s right arm started twitching.
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
[Your Title "Devourer" nods.]
[Your Title "Little Giant" opens its eyes.]
[Your Title "Little Giant" looks at you.]
''Yeah...'' Mark opened and closed his right fist multiple times. ''Let''s do this.''
He spun his right arm around.
A strange feeling.
A definite imbnce.
A blueish Aura started rising from the Undead Lich''s body.
Its attention was focused on that right arm.
That, could definitely hurt it.
"Let''s run it back."
"No, I don''t think so."
"...?!"
Seven Signs had been drawn in the air.
Five of them faded, and five Portals opened up.
From those five Portals-
Mark brought his hands together.
Purging Ray-
A sixth Sign disappeared, and a Portal opened up beyond the other five, swallowing Mark''s attack.
"Tsk."
This bought just enough time for the tombstones that had exited the five Portals to open.
Those held inside... Fell to the ground.
''You yourself have Necromancer Abilities, but you are also the worst enemy a Necromancer could get. Just like those Ghouls, any weaker Monster will only aid in your healing and recovery of Mana or Endurance. Swarming you won''t prove effective, especially when you have defeated so many Zombies and Ghouls. before getting to me. That limits my Necromancer Abilities considerably. Which is why I will have to...''
Mark jumped back to assess the situation.
Onest Sign hung in the air.
''Should I attack to consume it? Is it even the same as the previous one? I can''t tell!''
"Rise, Ancient Commanders."
Immediately, the bandages they had been wrapped in started unfurling and fading away.
"Ancient? You mean-"
"That''s right. Let''s see you deal with these." The Undead Lich scoffed. "Ancient Commanders of the Demon King Army, RISE!"
The Mummified Beings started moving.
Their fingers twitched.
Three secondster, they were standing.
At a nce, it was obvious that their bodies had been dried up and preserved away from any moisture.
Each was different from the next.
Some were burly, while others were skinny.
Some had tails, others had wings.
Some had tails, and some had three eyes.
They opened their mouths, but no sound exited their dry throats.
A shiver went down Mark''s spine as his left hand twitched.
A feeling that materialized in one thought.
Ominous.
Is this how she felt about me when I used-
Mark extended his left arm forward.
''I need to end them in one move!''
Spark of-
Before he could even activate the Skill, his wrist had been grabbed, and his arm was raised forcibly.
The enemy had already closed the distance.
Mark extended his ws, but before they could,
BAM-
An elbow hitnded on his sternum,unching him into the wall.
Cough- Cough-
Blood exited his mouth.
''I can''t... Breathe...!''
Mark ducked as fast as he could, and the clenched fist missed him by a hair''s breadth.
Sublime Body Restoration-
Dark Corrupting Spear-
In one swift movement, Mark rolled away from the enemy and pierced its heart with the Dark Corrupting Spear.
The Portal led to another room. A room where these tombstones had been kept. A hidden Inventory. They hadn''t been summoned, which means that they won''t disappear after a certain amount of time.
''He was hiding something like this??''
Mark jumped away, but a tail flicknded on the right side.
"Sons of bitches..." He gritted. "Targetting my right-"
Another enemy wasing. The one that,
"It had no effect...?"
"Haha! Of course it didn''t! Corruption ails both Body and Soul, but their bodies have long ceased working, and they have no Souls! Puppets of carnage and destruction is what they are! Commanders of the True King''s Army!!"
''Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!'' Mark cursed internally. ''Dodging the attacks of just one of them is already tough, but-'' A fistnded on his right side,unching Mark into the wall once more.
Opting on keeping his Mana to heal, Corruption Magic was all he could use, as it was stored inside his body, and, therefore, cost very little Mana to Cast. But if that is taken away, then...
No time to think!
Keep looking! Keep moving!
Fuck!
Their teamwork is-
From my blind spot again!
''The Corruption does weaken the Link between them and me. I won''t tell you that though...'' The Undead Lich thought, smiling internally.
A punchnded on Mark''s stomach, sending him upwards.
Their strength was extraordinary.
And of course, it would be.
Commanders of the Demon King.
They must be weaker than they were then, but still.
Presently, the order goes: Demon Lord, General, Commander, Soldier.
In the past, it was: Demon King, General, Commander, Soldier.
The Demon King rules above the Demon Lords. The Demon King is stronger!
Their ce in their hierarchy... Their strength...
It''s like jumping one level!
The Commanders of the past, are the Generals of today!
Mark''s body had been imnted into the ceiling.
The first ceiling had been brought down. His back was currently imnted in the ceiling of the room above!
''How the fuck... Do I do this?''
The room above. The room where he had discussed many things with the Undead Lich.
The exit is within Mark''s field of vision.
But it''s out of the question!
Chapter 392 Partial Gigantification!
Chapter 392 Partial Gigantification!
Running away? The Exit?
I could.
Why would I?
To go where? To do what?
There''s nothing for me out there. Nothing, no one!
All I have is this! All I have is now!
Notice it.
There must be something that I can do!
I won''t leave! I won''t stop!
The only way is forward.
Think about getting it done.
How do I win against them?
I can deal with one of them, maybe two. What about the rest of them?
"Ice Magic, Fire Magic, Corruption Magic, fast healing that resembles reconstruction, Ancient Magic, and the ability to wield the power of the Giants? Well, aren''t you a lucky one, child. Show me more."
"Listing out what I can do... And wanting to see everything that I can do? Too greedy, Lich. Though..." Mark pushed himself off the ceiling, and slowly started falling. "I''m guilty of doing the same in front of a meal."
He fell with his torso parallel to the floor. His limbs extended. Only his tail wavered, allowing him to keep his bnce.
The instant that Mark touched the ground, he propelled himself towards the closest enemy.
His ws were dodged.
An attack approached from behind.
Blood squirted out of Mark''s lower back, as four limbs resembling Insect legs made their way out of his body.
"Gruesome..." The Undead Lich noted as it extended an arm forward. Just because the Commanders could get the job done didn''t mean that the Undead Lich would stand around and do nothing.
The sharp tips of those limbs had pierced through the Commander''s stomach.
Uncaring about, or, perhaps, unable to feel pain, it grabbed those legs, hellbent on keeping the white-scaled Monster in ce.
The limbs were weak. Too weak to be pulled and freed from the Commander''s grip.
Which is why more blood squirted as those limbs were detached.
Mark had jumped away, dodging a strike aimed at his head.
''Good. Now...'' He stepped back, and his shoulders touched the wall. ''They''re all in front of me.''
"Taking the corner? Well, I suppose it''s fitting." The Undead Lich lowered its arm. "For a cornered insect."
''It''ll be harder for them to attack at once now. The Lich won''t be able to attack freely since they''ll stand between me and it. But now...'' The sensation of having the walls so close wasn''t a pleasant one. ''I have nowhere to run. Can''t even back away or dodge.''
The Commanders started moving!
''It''s all... Or nothing now.''
Which one will be the first to get here?
Which one will attack first?
How will it attack?
The white-scaled Monster''s eye changed as a dark Aura started oozing out of its body.
The answer to those questions presented itself half a secondter.
''Aiming to take it head-on? Ha! That could''ve worked, but that one boasts the highest Strength Stat of the five. How unlucky.''
An incredibly powerful and heavy front kick.
The Commander''s left foot moved with great speed, but Mark had managed to move to the side just enough for it to miss!
Small pieces of rubble fell as that wall was cracked.
Its left foot was against the wall, but that didn''t mean that it wouldn''t pile on the attacks!
Its right fist was clenched and moved towards Mark''s chin!
The white-scaled Monster raised its left palm in response.
''That arm...'' The Undead Lich watched over the scene from afar. ''Will break. Even if it doesn''t the force won''t be stopped. That fist... Is going to-''
Just as the fist was about to connect with the palm,
[The Magic Skill "Partial Gigantification[A+]" activates!]
[Part of your left arm is imbued with the Power of the Giants!]
[The Chosen Body Part temporarily grows... ]
The fist had been stopped.
Mark took hold of that fist, and squeezed.
Crack- Crack- Crack-
That''s not the sound of bones being dislocated.
The Commander tried to pull its fist away, but Mark wasn''t done.
[The Magic Skill "Partial Gigantification[A+]" activates!]
[Your right arm is imbued with the Power of the Giants!]
[The Chosen Body Part temporarily grows five times more powerful!]
A hit to the stomach.
BAM-
The Commander wasunched across the room, and imnted into the wall.
The Undead Lich turned around. It was more shock than surprise.
''The strength it showed earlier... Was nothing like... Ancient Commanders... They only have about 50% of the strength that they used to have but... That still is-''
The shock had taken over both the Undead Lich and the Commanders.
Mark did not miss the opportunity.
He ran towards the next enemy.
His left arm, limp from the elbow down, was swung backward like a whip, and the broken bones were Restored right away.
The "me Of Chaos[B]" Magic Skill imbued Fire with the me Of Chaos.
By itself, it couldn''t do much. mes were necessary to use that Magic Skill.
The "Spark Of The Primordial me[A+]" Magic Skill was an Evolved Version of the "me Of Chaos[B]" Magic Skill.
The distance separating Mark from the Commander he was running towards was four meters.
It was the first enemy to shake off its surprise and turn back towards the white-scaled Monster.
The Commander approached rapidly, aiming to throw the first hit before the "Partial Gigantification[A+]" could be used.
Mark lowered his body to dodge the attack, and moved forward.
With his cheek against the Commander''s stomach, it truly looked like thetter was giving him a hug.
Another set of Spider legs exited Mark''s lower back. Those Spider legs circled around the Commander''s stomach.
Using the same Activation Point is nothing but a habit.
A good habit that allows instinctive and quick movements.
A bad habit that can limit one''s freedom.
The Undead Lich only understood what was about to happen once it was toote.
The tips of those Spider legs collided, and sparks were created.
One of those Sparks, was different from the rest.
A great and blinding explosion took ce.
...
The rest of the ceiling had fallen.
Mark waspletely unharmed, unlike the Commander he had used as a shield.
Its body fell to the ground, scorched.
Through the smoke, what had happened?
Mark did not know.
But with no time to lose, he crouched and started Devouring the fallen Commander.
[You have defeated an "Ancient Mummy".]
[You have acquired 2000 Experience Points.]
[You have Leveled Up!]
''So the others aren''t dead-''
"GO!! DON''T LET HIM FEED ON IT!!" The Undead Lich shouted through the smoke.
The three remaining Commanders ran forward, and Mark was forced to jump back.
Not before Devouring half of the fallen Commander''s body.
''The burns on their bodies... Each lost a limb... The one I hit didn''t stand up, but it didn''t die either. The Undead Lich must have protected them from the explosion... Tsk. Dealt with two, as I thought. But if I can''t Devour more than this... The Cost in Mana is lowered by creating a Spark before imbuing it with... Whatever. Strange, but I expected it. Partial Gigantification uses up too much Mana. Added to that, the fact that I have to heal my Bones after using it... With my right arm, I can bring out all the power I have, but the Bones still get cracked. That''s not good, but at the same time...''
Mark cracked his neck.
''It means I, now, have the strength to crack its skull. One good hit is all I need. How... Do I do that?''
Don''t stop thinking!
The Sign that hovered earlier disappeared.
''So it used a Portal to protect itself from the force, mes, and explosion? Simply by opening one in front of it?''
CRACK-
The ground was fissured as their fistsnded on it.
Thunderbolts and Ice Spikes flew across the room.
I can''t just keep dodging!
"Your versatility is impressive, it truly is. There aren''t many who can wield so many Magic Types."
Keep bbering on!
Give me more time!
"But it''s strange. The same as with those Underlings of yours. Those you care for. Those because of whom you can''t use that Skill."
Trying to rile me up?
Ha!
That won''t work!
"A child born with a weak heart, you talked about that earlier, didn''t you? Is that the kind of existence you led in that other World?"
Stay focused.
Their teamwork is incredible, but I''m getting used to it!
I just need a bit more time to figure something out. Otherwise, I''ll need to buy enough time to recover enough Mana!
"Curious..." The Undead Lich whispered as ity its hand on its chin. "Those Magic Types... Necromancy... There''s something weird. The Magic Types he uses cannot simply be based on what he has Devoured, right? His Affinity to those Magic Types influences whether Devouring will allow him to use that Magic Type or not. Whether it will allow him to develop or acquire a Magic Skill or not. In that case..."
Tsk.
All I can do is dodge!
They''re not giving me any time to-
"Child."
Focus.
"You lie to yourself often, don''t you?"
A split second of hesitation was enough for a fist to find its way to Mark''s chin.
Launched into the wall, his vision had be blurry.
''Fuck... No...!'' He fought back, refusing to lose consciousness.
His eye closed for a second.
Mark would stand up a secondter, apletely different look on his face.
Chapter 393 Chameleon
Chapter 393 Chameleon
"Lying to myself often? Hahaha..." Mark pushed himself off the ground despite the shaking of his limbs. The world around him was still spinning. "It''s lying... That I do often."
"It''d be easier to just die. Too many things consume you. Die to me, and I''ll give you life once more."
"Oh, wow! A third life, doesn''t that sound nice! A third beginning. Another chance to start again... Failing twice would hurt a bit too much though, I''ll pass."
"You''ll pass?"
"Well, yeah. If I can''t use that Skill because of my Underlings... Then I definitely wouldn''t want something like that used on me."
"Still, I will use it on you."
"Mm..."
"Wouldn''t you rather go easily? I rather enjoyed our discussion. I would rather not have to bend your Soul too much. If you start hating me, it''ll be harder to make your my Underling while keeping your Soul-"
"Hate you? Me? Hahaha. There''s no way I would. After all..." Despite the white-scaled Monster''s words, the look in its eyes was definitely one filled with hatred. "You know me better than anyone."
"Do I now?" The Undead Lich wondered towards whom that hatred was directed.
"Yeah. You''re the only one to know my secret after all. No, that''s not actually true. Truth is... You''re the only one I told about it to."
"I''m honored?" The Undead Lich shrugged.
Why didn''t I tell them?
Why didn''t I tell her?
I should have told her the truth. I should have...
Instead, I insisted on her seeing me as a Monster.
So many times, I reminded her of it.
Why?
"I guess... It''s just easier being a Monster, you know?"
"No. I don''t know." The Undead Lich scratched its bony cheek.
"It is easier..." Mark whispered as he lowered his gaze to the ground for a couple of seconds. "There was a time... When I told myself I wouldn''t be shackled by my past. By my preconceptions of right and wrong."
"I suppose that is necessary to be... Or after bing a Monster."
"Whether I was a good or bad person, a doctor or a killer, I''ll forget about it all, and focus on this life. But I couldn''t do that."
"Leaving the past is no easy-"
"Because I was neither. I didn''t have the opportunity... Or the freedom to be either. They say that the more things you do or try to do, the more you learn about yourself. I truly... Didn''t get to do much. I died... Without knowing anything about myself. What would I do in this situation? How would I react was this to happen? All I could do was think about it."
''Maybe I can use this...'' The Undead Lich thought to itself. '' If his Soul and Body take a knee, it''ll be easier. I won''t have to bend and risk breaking either. The less damage I can inflict, the better for Necromancy...''
"I thought about so much... But did so little. Still, I did gain something from it."
Mark stared at his open palm.
"You started listing them earlier..." He closed and opened his hand multiple times. Each time, he showcased his ability to use different Magic Types. "But even that is a lie."
"It is?"
"My affinity for Fire and Ice Magic is high. But my affinity for Corruption Magic is even higher. To varying degrees, I can use them all." Mark stepped forward. "Because I''m a chameleon."
"So you''re deciding to fight?"
"I''m not sure when you got the idea that I wasn''t going to."
Remember that feeling.
From the depths of my being.
Multiple times, it came out.
Now, I have to make ite out of there.
From the depths of my Soul.
"Incapacitate him. Or kill him, if you must." The Undead Lich ordered, and the three Commanders started moving once more.
The white-scaled Monster raised its left arm up while keeping its hand open.
With no speed or strength.
Just like then.
Just like then.
It''s light and unstoppable.
Quiet and discreet.
An emptiness.
A darkness.
Mark lowered his arm.
sh-
"YOU...!"
''No Magic Skill... Will I have to use it multiple times for that to happen?''
Mark stared as the Commander fell to the ground centimeters away from his feet.
Its body had been cut vertically.
No, it hadn''t been cut. Not exactly, at least.
The middle was missing. It had been stolen.
Devoured by the Darkness.
"Dark Magic..." Mark turned towards the Undead Lich. "Is pretty scary."
''Was that even Dark Magic? Was it his Aura taking on the form of... It can''t be his Aura! Aura wouldn''t make it disappear! That''s undoubtedly something that only Dark Magic can do! But how? I didn''t sense it until... His Aura... His entire being is that close? That close to darkness?''
Mark immediately crouched and started eating.
The two Commanders ran forward!
A tail flick and a kick were approaching.
At thest second,
"That... That move...?"
The Commanders jumped away!
One of them had lost part of its tail. The other, its left foot.
''Using Dark Magic that way... Dying its use until thest moment to take away their... Turning a defensive move into an offensive one! That''s exactly what he used to do! No matter how many times we told him not to... He kept using it that way... Ha! That takes me back, truly!''
Two dozen meters away, hidden below a dark veil, the white-scaled Monster Devoured its meal.
Under the dark dome, a Commander''s unmoving body, the end of a tail, and a foot.
The white-scaled Monster wouldn''t leave that dome until all was Devoured.
The speed of that darkness, the quietness, the shade...
Ominous, ominous.
It was time.
The Chameleon had decided not to hide its true colors anymore.
''With the nature of his Aura, his Affinity with Dark Magic... His aptitude for it will definitely...''
The Undead Lich''s index finger moved.
The two remaining Commanders fell to the ground suddenly, like lifeless puppets.
A Sign much moreplicated than the previous ones was drawn.
"I call upon thee..."
Chapter 394 Summoning Magic, Gone Wrong!
Chapter 394 Summoning Magic, Gone Wrong!
Under the dark barrier, the white-scaled Monster Devoured as fast as it could to replenish its Mana, Endurance, and Health Points.
Suddenly,
Thump- Thump-
''They fell...? Was the Magic or-''
"I call upon thee, the Destroyer above all other Destroyers. The one whose name became synonymous with Destruction. The one whose Strength rivaled that of the Primordial Behemoth..."
An Incantation.
The white-scaled Monster had encountered neither foe nor ally who had used Incantations.
But his experiences and the discussion with the Undead Lich led to a shiver going down his spine.
Sacrifice. Give & Take.
The stronger a Magic Skill is, the harder it is to use. The simplest application of that thought is the cost of Mana. The stronger a Magic Skill is, the more Mana it consumes. But using more Mana isn''t the only way to sacrifice.
The Link between the Forest and Yarnha made the Spirit powerful, but it also made it vulnerable to attacks on the forest.
Incantations take time. They also reveal one''s intent and location.
Who would want to chant an Incantation before using a Magic Skill?
The vast majority don''t want to, which is why none have until now.
But that''s partly because most believe them to be unnecessary.
Most importantly, Incantations can be considered as a part of a Ritual, or even a Ritual in and of themselves.
For Summoning Magic, Incantations are, more often than not, necessary.
Mark brought down the barrier immediately
"The Destroyer, The Twelfth Of The Fallen, and The Fifth Cmity..."
Its Titles had been called.
A greenish-dark Aura started rising from the Undead Lich''s body.
Mark brought his hands together.
Purging Ray-
One of the Signs above the Undead Lich disappeared after opening a Portal which took away the attack.
"Answer my call, for the sake of our ambition..." The Aura started separating from the Undead Lich.
Mark leaped forward!
Too many Signs!
Attacking from afar won''t cut it.
But the Incantation was alreadying to an end.
"Destroy your Lord''s enemies, Abaddon."
Time seemed to stop as its Name was called.
A wave that was neither Mana nor Aura traveled across the room.
The floor, walls, and ceiling started shaking.
Before even appearing, it let its presence be known.
It waspletely different than before.
What was about to stand between Mark and the Undead Lich wasn''t the Mummified body of an Ancient Commander.
Summoning Magic.
The Being''s Titles and Name had been called.
Both Body and Soul had been called.
And the Being had answered the call.
From the greenish-dark Aura, its body emerged.
The whole structure shook violently as its feet hit the ground, and did not stop shaking.
Had the -Spark Of The Primordial me- not brought down the ceiling, the Being''s presence surely would have.
Its Name was something that Mark vaguely recognized.
Judging by the presence and Aura that oozed out of that Being, winning was impossible.
Mark had felt it even before it had appeared.
The feeling was simr to that of being in Raven''s presence.
Overwhelming strength projected by Aura.
This is why Mark hadn''t stopped moving.
As soon as the Being''s feet touched the ground, Mark thrust the Dark Corrupting Spear forward, aiming for the Cmity''s neck.
It had dodged so quickly, and so swiftly, that Mark thought it had disappeared.
He pulled the Weapon back, and aimed it at the creature''s chest.
It hit!
The Dark Corrupting Spear hit the Cmity''s chest!
But it couldn''t pierce through its skin.
The Cmity''s hand moved. Once again, with overwhelming speed.
It grabbed the Spear.
Mark knew that he couldn''t take that Spear back, so he immediately let go of it.
He ran beyond the Cmity, while keeping the Dark Corrupting Spear in mind.
Using Corruption Control, he could tell when the Weapon would move, and towards which direction.
''Abaddon? What is... What does this mean?'' The Undead Lich stared at the Cmity it had Summoned. At the Cmity, it used to know. ''Why... Is your knee against the ground? Did you... Kneel? To him?''
Mark moved as fast as he could!
There was only one thing to do.
If the Summoned cannot be defeated, defeat the Summoner!
It was only once the white-scaled Monster was one step away from the Undead Lich, that thetter''s gaze moved towards the former.
''What... Does it mean?''
Overwhelmed by shock and confusion, the Undead Lich could not even think about moving, dodging, or using Magic.
The white-scaled Monster''s right arm was imbued with the Power of the Giants, and its fistnded on the Undead Lich''s body.
BOOM-
CRACK- CRACK-
As the Boss Monster wasunched towards the wall, Mark''s whole body shivered.
Corruption Control-
The Dark Corrupting Spear had moved.
That Cmity was moving!
Mark turned around as fast as he could!
The Dark Corrupting Spear had been raised.
Drip- Drip-
Drops of blood fell to the ground, as the Cmity pierced its own heart using that very Spear.
''...?''
There was no time to be confused or surprised! The Undead Lich was still alive!
The white-scaled Monster quickly cut through the rising dust.
Partial Gigantification-
The Undead Lich''s remaining arm was stolen, and swallowed right away.
"No more Signs for you."
The dust settled, with the Undead Lich on the ground, its ribcage and spine cracked and its arms missing. Mark was standing over the Undead Lich, with his foot pressing the Undead Lich''s skull against the ground.
"Who... Are you?"
"What kind of question is that? Asking that now?"
[The Title "Potential Demon King Candidate" looks at the Undead Lich.]
''You didn''t have to answer.'' Mark thought.
Why did Abaddon kneel?
Why did the Cmity pierce its own heart?
Who are you?
Destroy your Lord''s enemies-
The Undead Lich''s eyes shone brighter for a second.
''Why... Didn''t I sense them before? He holds them. Parts of them. Shards of the Deadly Sins! I should have recognized them earlier!!''
Instantly, a torrent of thoughts took over the Undead Lich''s mind.
Reborn.
Potential Demon King Candidate.
Dark Magic.
Necromancy.
Abaddon kneeling.
"Did he recognize him... As a worthy Candidate...?" The Undead Lich whispered to itself.
"Huh?"
Gaavah.
The Demon Lord of Pride.
"So that was your answer..." The Undead Lich could feel the pressure on its skull increase. "Azael?"
Just when the skull was about to break,
"Ha! I''m not about to make the same mistake twice."
"...?"
Snap-
The foot had rapidly been moved, snapping the Undead Lich''s neck and spine instead.
The Skull was disconnected from the body, and held in Mark''s hand.
"I''m keeping you with me. Hope you don''t mind."
"What?"
"You can be pretty helpful."
Chapter 395 Ancient Lich’s Knowledge
Chapter 395 Ancient Lich''s Knowledge
"If those were Commanders, then that one was a General, right? I don''t really understand what happened though..." Mark muttered before taking a bite out of the Undead Lich''s ribcage. Or at least, what used to be its ribcage.
The white-scaled Monster was sitting cross-legged. Between its hands, the Undead Lich''s body.
On Mark''s leg, the Undead Lich''s detached Skull, oriented so as to look at him.
"The General of the Demon King''s Army didn''t attack me because I am a Potential Demon King Candidate. It''s something like that, right? You really fucked up, huh? Getting rid of those Commanders to bring out a General."
The white-scaled Monster talked and talked.
The Undead Lich''s head, on the other hand, remained silent.
''A Soul from another World, Reborn... Shards of the Deadly Sins...''
Dazed, it didn''t say a word.
''Azael... That''s the answer you decided on? Did you find the Demon Lord of Pride, or did it find you? Ha... Sick son of a bitch. Doing that must have cost a lot from the two of you. Even a Demon Lord... He talked about a certain "Connector", didn''t he? But that''s just a Title. It truly does not say much. While I remained here... How much did you give, Azael? We gave our bodies, and became the Undead Triad... How much did you have to give after that? A portion of your Soul...? Or maybe even... More than a portion. Enough for you... Not to be who you are anymore... I feel... I truly feel... Ashamed.''
Crack- Crack-
Gulp-
"Are you just going to stay silent?"
"You''re nning on keeping me this way?"
"Mm." The white-scaled Monster nodded before taking another bite.
"How cruel."
"Well, you can be pretty useful. You know a lot, don''t you? And even if you don''t know about something in particr, you can help paint therger picture."
"Is that so?"
"How do you talk? Is it something like Sound Magic? That''s pretty cool. Can you control where your voice is emitted from? Can you emit other Sounds? Oh, can you change the volume? Cause if so, then that can be pretty close to telepathy, right? Or I guess... Close to using headphones tomunicate. I wonder if..."
''He just keeps bbering on and on. It''s not just that I enjoyed his conversation... Those Shards, his curiosity, his Soul... They all remind me of... I feel so ashamed. With a wrong move, I could have... I could have... Had Abaddon not made me realize it... I truly...''
"Ha." The Undead Lich''s Skull chuckled suddenly. "It''s already..."
"Already what?"
"I could have done something... Unforgivable. I''ll happily be the bones that move your body forward."
"Okay? I don''t really need your consent though."
The white-scaled Monster finished Devouring the Undead Lich''s body and,
Crack- Crack-
Its whole body went limp for a second. Before,
"Doesn''t that hurt?"
"Yeah, it does."
"You don''t dislike pain?"
"This is the good kind of pain."
"The good kind?"
"The kind that leads to strength." Mark answered as he walked towards the closest Ancient Commander, the Undead Lich''s Skull in hand.
Bite- Chew- Gulp-
Bite- Chew- Gulp-
"The muscles you have now are weaker, but they''re malleable and flexible. They''re ideal to draw as much strength from the Skill that you used. The Power of the Giants needs such muscles."
"Figured as much... Maybe we''ll be able to find something better in the future, huh?"
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" nods.]
[Your Title "Devourer" scoffs.]
The Undead Lich remained silent for a bit.
"Incantations can be used to strengthen Skills."
"Incantations? Oh, you mean what you said earlier? Seemed like you were Casting a Magic Spell or something. I didn''t expect that to truly strengthen them. Though it does fit into the ritualistic or sacrificial idea."
"All sorts of Incantations can be used for the same Skill. Some can strengthen the Skill exponentially, while some can weaken it."
"Is that so? Got a list of Incantations somewhere? The bookcases were brought down with the ceiling... Or floor? Got a copy somewhere?"
"Incantations show stronger effects when found spontaneously."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"There''s a hidden room, beyond where I was seated earlier. Bring down the wall, and you''ll find it."
"Huh-"
"Do with that what you will."
"You''re talking as if-" Mark''s eye narrowed. "You wouldn''t-"
The next second, a greenish light started emanating from the Skull.
"I shouldn''t have interfered this much, but I am d to have found you. Or rather, that you have found me. How did you find this ce anyways, I wonder? It doesn''t matter much. This is goodbye-"
"What are you-"
"Remember this, child..."
The white-scaled Monster immediately let go of it, unsure of what was about to happen.
"The wheels of fate are already in motion."
A second after that sentence was uttered, a crack appeared on the Undead Lich''s Skull.
The greenish light emanating from the Skull remained, but the light emanating from its eyesockets faded.
"Fuck... No. No! You... You didn''t-"
His finger touched the Skull and,
[Ancient Lich''s Knowledge: [C] Ranked Item.]
Item.
Item.
The white-scaled Monster''s hands twitched.
"FUUUUCKKKKK!!!!"
The scream resonated and reverberated throughout the whole Dungeon.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?? WHY WOULD YOU..."
[You have defeated...]
"DO THAT? WHY? WHY? AFTER LIVING FOR SO LONG? WITHOUT..."
[You have acquired...]
"Without answering any of my questions..."
[You have Cleared...]
"You left your Body to stay alive." The white-scaled Monster stared at the Skull that rested on its shaking hands. "Why would you stop now?"
Mark squeezed that Skull, and was about to throw it against the ground with all his strength.
He decided against it.
No, he didn''t truly decide against it.
Mark found himself unable to break it.
[Ancient Lich''s Knowledge: [C] Ranked Item.]
[The Item holds part of the Ancient Lich''s Knowledge.]
"I don''t even know how to ess that Knowledge... Knowledge about what in the first ce..." Mark whispered as he stared. "Sick son of a bitch... Dying like this..."
All the Ancient Commanders had already been Devoured.
The Ancient General had been summoned, so its body had disappeared for some time now.
All that remained was Mark, and an item that used to be more.
The silence was heavy.
He spread his wings and flew to the floor above. His feetnded on the portion of the ground that hadn''t been destroyed, a small plot in front of the Boss Room''s wide open door.
In his hand, the Item he had just obtained. Putting it inside his Inventory... Didn''t feel right. Not yet.
"Beyond where he was seated..." Mark whispered.
After aiming,
Wind st-
The wall was brought down, revealing doors that were previously hidden.
Mark turned towards the entry he had taken some time ago.
''Didn''t even use the Undying mes that burned the paint off... What the fuck was wrong with him?''
The white-scaled Monster turned back, stared for a bit, tightened his hold on the Skull, and flew towards those doors.
A room much smaller than the Boss Room.
Strange.
Bookcases, Gems, Urns filled with Blood, Vials in which floated eyeballs and strange ears... That wasn''t the strange part.
The room had a bed. And a cab.
"The old man needed to take naps, huh?" Mark sneered with a whisper as he stepped into the room. "Leaving me with all this to Devour... Couldn''t you have left after I Devoured it? Tsk..."
He walked through the room, ncing at the numerous papers and the Magic Circles drawn on those papers.
''So you left me with the theory or something? Oh, clothes. Guess I''ve been naked since the mes...''
Mark stood in the middle of the room for a bit.
He ced the Skull on the desk, and rubbed his hands together.
It was cold.
Not as cold as it was outside of the Dungeon, inside the freezing Tundra.
It wasn''t cold.
It felt cold. Cold and quiet.
"Dying and leaving me with all this shit..."
The white-scaled Monster opened its mouth wide, letting out a long yawn.
"Dying, huh?" Mark took the Skull back into his hands and ced it on the ground. He sat in front of that Skull and stared. The crack that had appeared, the light emanating from it. An Ancient Lich''s Knowledge. "I died..." Mark yawned again. "And was Reborn into this World. The way you treated those Ghouls and... Everything else. You''re definitely not the type I would want to see on the other side." Hey his palms against the ground and rounded his back, stretching and yawning. "But I got to this side because I was pulled. Because someone used Magic to bring me here. There isn''t something like that on Earth... Right?"
Marky his shoulder against the ground.
"I wonder... What you would have had... To say about that. Probably some... Obnoxious... Counter..." Mark let out a low chuckle.
He yawned, as he slowly curled his body up.
"Sick... Son of a... Bitch..." Mark whispered as he closed his eyes.
Surrounded by detached body parts and blood that had been forcibly extracted from many,
"I miss you... Already..."
The white-scaled Monster went to sleep.
Chapter 396 Fresh Wound
Chapter 396 Fresh Wound
?The white-scaled Monster slept for a long time.
It opened its eye, and thought it had been a while sincest it had slept.
So it stretched its body, and closed its eye once more.
It, indeed, had been a while.
Thest time Mark had slept.
Before finding the "Vestiges of the Undead Dark Triad" Dungeon.
Before being scorched alive after Devouring the Fire Giant Core.
Before entering the dark forest.
Before fighting the Commander.
Before...
Mark slept until his Endurance, Mana, and Health Points were back to full.
Then he slept some more.
The white-scaled Monster shivered.
It feels so cold in here!
Every time Mark opened his eye, he would remember something.
His Name was Lin-
What''s my Name? No, that''s not it. I am Yarnha-
A Gentleman would sleep on the floor-
Quick on your feet-
Your body is supposed to be something you''re born with! Something you can''t really change-
After being trapped in a Dungeon with my people, I should''ve taken the time to learn Water Magic-
Each time, random bits and pieces.
You saved me and... I want to express...My gratitude. My... Feelings, I guess? But don''t get the wrong idea, it''s mostly gratitude. It''s just... Hard when-
When I look like this?-
If I looked differently, this would have been a lot easier, huh?-
You''ve mellowed out-
I guess I really did... I still love fighting and Devouring. Obviously. More than anything really. It''s just... I wonder how other things would... You know?-
This is fine, right? I can do this. I can do this... Even though I am a Monster. I can allow myself to... Right?-
Right?-
Let''s pray together so that you can live freely-
How are you feeling, Mark?-
Hurts... Doesn''t it? But it''s still nothing like her pain-
I''m not being called a Monster. I am a Monster-
You don''t act like one-
Yes I do-
No you don''t-
Yes, I do-
No, you don''t-
Well maybe not with you but-
"Kh..." The white-scaled Monster gritted its teeth, shutting its eye as forcefully as it could.
I''ll take them back-
You had a Request, right?-
Oh. Yes. Yes! That''s right, haha. Completely forgot about that-
I... Uh... I... Well... It''s not easy to ask like this but...There''s... Somewhere I want to go. Somewhere I need to go. And I wanted to ask if you-
The white-scaled Monster shivered in its sleep.
If you... Would... If you could... If you would ept to... Help me get there?-
I can''t... I can''t do that-
...
And what does that mean? Not over it? As in you hold a grudge?-
Means I might do something like that again-
So you''re sooo unstable that you need to warn me in advance. That''s what you''ve just admitted, right?-
You don''t need to worry about that.-
The moment you flip out, lose your shit, or go crazy, I''ll grab that Moonlit Feline and disappear-
I''ll steal her from you forever-
I can promise that I''ll take care of her properly. And more than that, I can bet that she will looove being with me-
Then I''ll be counting on you from now on-
The Monster''s scales and ws were scraped against the floor as they moved
Each time, the white-scaled Monster curled its shivering body up further.
It felt so cold in there.
Colder than when out in the night, colder than when in a freezing tundra.
So unbearably cold.
The name is Elisa. How do you do?-
How long did Mark remain asleep? How many times did he wake up only to go back to sleep?
He did not know. He couldn''t tell.
He didn''t care. It didn''t matter.
In this dark room below that dark forest, Mark thought he could sleep endlessly.
But he couldn''t escape his thoughts or his mind.
Ever since it had happened, this was the first time he had stopped moving.
Mark''s gaze moved across the room. The bed didn''t look veryfortable. But it also looked toofortable.
Stay inside, away from the outside.
Mark had already lived one life that way.
He pushed himself off the ground.
Had only hours passed? Had it been days?
It was time to start moving again.
Mark walked towards the closest bookcase in the room.
He let his hand decide on which book to pick.
"Beyond Magic Circles: Signs and Spells III"
Mark chuckled internally.
He thought this must have been written by the Undead Lich. It had a lot of time on its hands after all.
After reading three sentences, Mark noticed his hands pressing on the book, as if to rip it up.
His hands were shaking. Heid the book down.
It was time to start moving again.
There were multiple bookcases, but only about a dozen books.
Looks like the Undead Lich had ns to do more writing than that...
Mark walked around the room, storing everything inside his Inventory.
The Vials, the Urns, the Gems, everything that had been left.
Everything that had been left for him.
He turned towards the cab that still hadn''t been touched.
Marky his palms on the handles and pulled.
Punch-
Bam-
Crack-
Mark''s breathing grew unstable.
He had punched as soon as he had seen it.
A mirror, now cracked and broken, was within the cab.
It was just enough time for Mark to notice.
He had tried his best not to think about it, to forget about it.
But he couldn''t do it.
Especially if the time to start moving again hade, then Mark couldn''t afford not to think about it.
He had seen it anyways. It was impossible not to think about it now.
Mark crouched and grabbed a piece of the shattered mirror.
He brought a hand to the right side of his face.
Vertical.
It was still there.
Mark had tried using the Reconstruction and Restoration Magic Skills multiple times, but only it seemed to go unaffected.
It simply remained there.
It hadn''t turned into a scar. It wasn''t bleeding either.
As if frozen in time.
A fresh wound.
...
Start moving. Keep moving. Don''t stop.
Sublime Body Restoration-
Sublime Body Restoration-
Sublime Body Restoration-
No matter how many times Mark used the Magic Skill, it didn''t have an effect on his wounded right eye.
Mark took a deep breath in, stabilizing his breathing, before letting out a long sigh.
Below the cab where the mirror used to be,
''A drawer?''
Mark opened it without thinking about it much.
Resting on a small woolen and reddish pillow,
''A Bone...? No, that''s a Fang. And if I had to guess-''
Just as Marky a hand on that Fang, the light emanating from the Skull by his side shone brighter.
Thinking that the two were Linked somehow, Mark reached towards the Skull. The two were Bone after all, so it didn''t seem impossible.
Mark touched the Skull and,
''That was...'' Only a few seconds had passed. ''The same Vision I had when I touched the painting...''
Mark stared at the Skull silently for a bit.
"Leaving me with a puzzle? How irritating. But I guess this is what he wanted me to find..."
He took hold of that Skull.
Sigh-
"Inventory."
It disappeared.
Mark turned back towards the cab.
''That Vision proves it. This must be a Dragon''s Fang... Broken off though, so only part of a Fang. It''s also really old... Still, it should help.''
The Fang was swallowed.
After Devouring both the Undead Lich''s body, he had obtained bones that could handle pretty much anything.
He turned towards the room''s exit, and started walking.
Mark couldn''t escape those thoughts, and the feeling of guilt they bring with them.
Additionally, a strange feeling had arisen while Mark had been reading that book. A nostalgic feeling that shouted -This isn''t where I should be. This isn''t what I should be doing-.
Mark walked across the Dungeon and towards its exit.
A long time had passed.
It didn''t feel like it.
He went up the stairs that led to the forest in which the Dungeon was located.
It was still dark.
Had it only been a couple of hours? Is that why the sun isn''t up yet?
Had it been 24 hours? 48 hours? More? Did the sun rise and set multiple times in between?
Maybe there was just something strange about that forest.
The white-scaled Monster stared at the dark sky for a while.
It was time to choose a direction now.
The white-scaled Monster''s ears twitched suddenly.
A shiver went down its spine.
Its eye opened wide, alert.
A familiar presence.
It turned in that presence''s direction, and instinctively extended an arm forward.
The white-scaled Monster pointed, with its index and middle fingers, while its pinky and ring finger were folded. Its thumb pointed at the sky.
mes started to ooze out of that hand, and the white-scaled Monster could almost hear voices.
Do it-
Kill it-
Do it-
Kill it-
It was getting closer and closer.
The white-scaled Monster couldn''t see it yet.
Once it was visible through the darkness, the mes grew.
Kill it-
The only one you haven''t hurt yet-
Undeterred, its pupils pierced through the night.
Its judging blue eyes approached.
Chapter 397 Protect Master!
Chapter 397 Protect Master!
?Sometime earlier,
Her arm was reaching forward.
Her lips had parted, but the words refused to be uttered.
''Don''t...''
Elisa grabbed her extended arm by the wrist and brought it closer to her heart as she trembled.
''Leave me alone...''
The one that had remained shaking, unable to decide what to do, had finally started moving.
***
Elisa is in pain.
Elisa is hurting.
But I must go!
Master is running, but he''s in pain too!
I can tell...
Those eyes weren''t Master''s.
There are times when Master isn''t Master.
I have to go help Master!
Elisa is strong.
She will stand up.
She will keep going.
Elisa is really strong!
I have to help Master!
I''m not as strong as the others.
I''m not as fast as Grey, as stealthy as Light, or as strong as Levi.
I can''t help Master the way Fiery can.
But!
There is a way that I can protect Master!
I can protect him from the times when Master isn''t being himself!
Don''t worry, Elisa! I will help Master, I will try to... Bring him back.
I don''t want to be alone like I was in that Dungeon!
I don''t want either of you to be alone!
I can... Fix this!
I''ll stand between the two of you once more!
I''ll be like those ice tforms that Master made when we crossed theke!
I''ll be the bridge between the two of you!
I''m sure... I''m sure that I can...
***
The Moonlit Feline, now in its Lioness Form, ran and ran, but its Master had gotten quite the headstart.
Choosing between the two wasn''t easy. But it took a while for Krista to decide on choosing both! Though it may not look like that now. Krista was, after all, running towards one, and away from the other.
But after running for a while, what stood in the Moonlit Feline''s way...
"LET''S GO, YOU LAZY FUCKS! WE''RE CLAIMING ANOTHER HEAD!!"
Made every hair that covered its body stand up.
Krista had frozen in ce.
That Cmity, that Commander, those Soldiers.
***
Why are they fighting the Cmity?
Where did Master go?
Did he fight them?
Master isn''t dead, I can feel it!
Then... Where?
***
From the corner of her eye, Ani noticed the Lioness.
''Mm?'' She turned around slightly. ''Oh... The one that was with...''
Just as Krista was getting ready to fight,
With her thumb, the Commander pointed behind her.
The slight smile on the Commander''s face made the Moonlit Feline''s eyes narrow.
It was a sad smile.
''Looking for him... Running after him...'' The Commander chuckled internally, as she turned back towards the enormous Cmity. ''I wonder... If you will find him.''
The Lioness stared for a bit, before heading in the direction that had been shown.
Trusting the Commander was all Krista could do. No, she didn''t trust the Commander.
Krista trusted that smile, the one on the Commander''s face.
''Well, aren''t you lucky? It might be a Pet, but having someone follow you this way... Running after you wherever you go... It must be a nice feeling.'' Ani took a deep breath in. ''I couldn''t catch up to the one I was running after. Will you be able to, little cat? You have to. You must.'' The Commander caught herself chuckling internally. ''But man am I jealous. Having someone-''
"Commander! It''sing!"
"We took three heads! Only three left!"
"Let''s take everything we can get!"
The shouts made the Commander''s breathing shake for a second.
"Yeah! Let''s take everything!" Ani shouted.
She leaped forward.
''I''m so stupid! But it''s so easy to forget... When running towards something or someone, it''s too easy to forget those running after you! Those who will remain with you until the end! For those running after me... I won''t do it again!'' The Commander''s gaze moved from one Soldier to the next. ''I won''t look away from you ever again! I choose you! You''re more important... Than anything else!!''
The Commander''s feet drifted on the ground.
''I''m getting used to fighting with one arm.''
THUMP-
A huge head fell to the ground.
"Boa, get me the other one."
"Other one...? Oh! Huh? Are you sure?" What a foolish question.
The Soldier pulled it out of his Inventory. And using all of his strength, he sent it spinning in the air.
Itnded in the Commander''s hand.
"Hello... Old friend."
A gigantic Battle Axe.
The greenish hue of its de, Ani stared at it for a bit.
Orcish Battle Axe.
The heaviest Weapon Ani could get her hands on.
A Weapon that the Tribe she came from protected and worshipped.
A Weapon that none of them could use.
How had the tribee upon it? Ani did not know.
But on the day where she ughtered them, she made sure to use this Weapon.
"Right now... I think... No. I feel... Like I can do it."
It was a struggle, using it even while grabbing it with two hands.
But right now, with one hand...
''I chose... Those running after me. Lin chose... To keep running. I wonder what you, Monster chosen by Lin, will choose.''
With a slight smile, Ani directed her gaze away from the de and towards the Cmity.
''I''m retiring. But it''s only the beginning for you. No one knows anything for now. But I''m sure you''ll do a lot. And I can''t wait...''
The ground cracked below the Commander''s feet.
''To hear about you!''
***
The Lioness ran as fast as she was capable of.
She ran after her Master, with no assurance that this was the right direction.
Had he taken a left turn? A right turn? Where? Here? Earlier? Later?
Krista kept running.
She cursed herself for a second.
If I was like Levi... Like Gray, Light, or Fiery... I would be able to tell where Master is, I would be able to tell the direction. But now...!
The Moonlit Feline stopped suddenly.
A dozen meters in front of her, a pond.
She recognized the smell.
Krista was convinced that the dark pond hade from her Master.
The way that the darkness shook, trembled, and danced as if it had a mind of its own sent shivers down the Moonlit Feline''s spine.
I''ming.
Please be okay.
I''ming for you, Master!
Chapter 398 Why I Believe In Master!
Chapter 398 Why I Believe In Master!
?Following the dark and moving ponds left behind by its Master, the Moonlit Feline ran.
The ponds had gotten more and more frequent.
Each one made Krista''s heart tremble.
There were so many of them after all!
How? Why?
Who or what had Master fought for so many to form?
The Moonlit Feline stopped suddenly.
Fear like it had never felt before.
The entrance of a Forest.
A Forest like no other.
Krista felt immense resistance to step forward. Her body was warning her.
In front of her, a shadow.
A shadow that circled around the whole Forest.
The sun was shining.
It was behind Krista.
The trees are two dozen meters beyond her.
It couldn''t be the tree''s shadow then.
Then it was the shadow of... What?
Gulp-
Krista couldn''t tell.
The Forest was like no other.
It was a Forest where Light wasn''t permitted.
A Forest where the sun never shines.
A Forest Cursed to be forever shrouded in Darkness.
The Moonlit Feline braced itself, and leaped into that shadow.
Into the dark forest at the center of the Realm of Monsters.
A Forest that had appeared by feeding on the blood and bodies of countless victims.
Victims of an Ancient War about which very little is known.
...
As soon as Krista walked into the Forest, everything had changed.
The sun had suddenly disappeared.
The sky was darker than it had ever been.
The ground and trees were infested with worms, cockroaches, and other vermin.
Every step Krista took, every ''Krsh'' sound that resonated, every creature she saw, made her skin crawl.
***
I''ll keep going.
I will find Master!
We got separated once... In the middle of that Blizzard.
The Olga rose from the ground and took Master away.
But Master found me again. He found US again! Now, it''s my turn.
It''s my turn to find Master!
***
A dark shadow stretched on a tree.
The contours of that shadow could barely be seen, but Krista had noticed it.
It wasn''t the first time she had seen something like that after all. It felt simr to the way Light used to-
Suddenly, its dark wings were painted blue!
Both had noticed one another.
The Lioness took a step back.
The giant butterfly''s head was horrifying!
The next second, its wings shone red!
The hue, the way its head had turned, the way its wings fluttered, Krista could tell that it was about to attack!
But the Moonlit Feline wasn''t here to fight.
The Lioness quickly took three steps to the right, so that her body would be hidden by a thick tree''s trunk.
The next second, a bright light shone in the middle of the darkness!
The butterfly, blinded and surprised by the light, started shaking.
Its mouth opened, and a harrowing screech echoed far and deep throughout the forest.
The Moonlit Feline, now in its smaller and harder to notice Cat Form, felt vibrations traveling through the ground.
Krista quickly extended her ws and leaped onto the tree it had been hiding behind.
Ten seconds passed, and a swarm of Monsters surrounded the area!
The gigantic butterfly''s screech only ceased once its body had been cut into pieces.
The horrifying creatures then turned around, looking for the slightest source of Light.
The Moonlit Feline''s body shook through the spectacle.
Weren''t they on the same side? Didn''t it call for them? What is happening? What is this ce?
Krista had none of the answers.
The white-furred cat gulped, and continued moving through the Forest, guided only by the dark ponds that appeared sporadically.
The madness and absurdity that led to the Creatures'' actions left the Moonlit Feline shaken to her very core.
Why did Mastere here? Master ran away from us... Toe here? To this ce? To be surrounded by these...? Does this mean that he prefers these to us-
Krista shook her head.
Trying to understand Master this way won''t lead to anything.
I need to find Master.
I believe in Master!
The Moonlit Feline stopped running a bit further. Her Endurance Points had practically been depleted in their entirety.
It was Krista''s fifteenth break after she had started running after her Master.
***
Just how far is he?
It doesn''t matter. I will find Master!
Master pulled me out of that ce. That ce where everything was trying to kill me.
It''s my turn to pull Master out! Out of this dark ce!
But Master ran away... Master... Hurt Elisa...
I believe in Master!
Master never would have hurt Elisa.
But he did...
Master wasn''t being himself!
Master is hurting because of that!
I won''t leave Master when he''s in pain! I won''t leave Master! Just like he wouldn''t leave me!
I won''t let Master... Run away like this.
I stood between Master and Elisa.
It''s my fault.
That''s why...!
***
The Moonlit Feline''s body shivered.
How long had Krista run for? She couldn''t tell.
It didn''t matter!
A familiar presence.
***
Master would never leave me!
Master ran away without looking at me.
That''s why I''m sure that if he looks at me, if I look at him...!
Master would never leave me!
I am special!
Master loves Elisa, Levi, Light, Gray, and Fiery.
But I am special!
Master would never leave me. Master would never let anyone take me away!
I know that it''s true... Because you taught it to me!
I am special!
***
Krista''s Master enters her field of vision!
But... He''s pointing at...?
Those mes... Are they aimed at...?
***
Master would never leave me!
Master would never hurt me!
Even if Master aims them at me, I know that he won''t hurt me. Ever!
There are times when Master isn''t Master. Master''s eyes change, and he isn''t himself.
But Master would never hurt me!
Master has hurt Elisa.
I am special! Master would never hurt me!
On that Floor... Surrounded by that purple Aura... Master''s fists and ws found their was to Levi...
That doesn''t matter! Master wasn''t being himself!
I am special!
I know that it''s true!
Even if those mes rise, I know that it''s true!
Master would never hurt me, even if he isn''t himself!
I know that because...
***
Kill it.
Break away from that past for good.
Kill that past for good.
Kill it.
The only one you haven''t hurt yet.
***
Undeterred by those mes, its pupils pierced through the night.
Its judging blue eyes approached fearlessly.
***
I know that it''s true.
Because the first time that Master wasn''t being himself... The first time that confusion over his own actions overtook Master... The first time that Master didn''t understand his own actions... The first time that it happened...
Was inside that Dungeon!
On that desert, where Master put his body on the line to protect me!
That''s why...
I believe in Master!
Chapter 399 The Wheels Of Fate Are Already In Motion
Chapter 399 The Wheels Of Fate Are Already In Motion
?This ce is amazing.
Even inside the Dungeon where there was no light on certain Floors, it wasn''t as dark as it is here.
It almost feels like the trees, the ground... Everything sucks the Light before it can even be seen.
The Monsters here aren''t used to seeing Light. Feels like they hate it.
I like this ce.
After everything that happened, it felt perfect.
The Dungeon with the Undead Lich...
I''m convinced that the Mural depicted the Demon King and the battle that took ce a thousand years ago, ending his reign.
The Triad, the Undead Lich that was inside that Dungeon, Gaavah, Dragons, Giants... I am getting so many clues.
Nothing conclusive, but it feels like I am starting to understand things.
Things I had no idea about.
It was also something I could focus on. I could focus on this, and forget about...
But you just had to go and die, huh? Just had to turn yourself into a goddamn Item.
If I could, I would have stayed there. In that room, in that Dungeon of yours.
But I couldn''t.
My mind wouldn''t let me. My thoughts wouldn''t let me.
I have to move. Otherwise, I start remembering...
I need something! The next thing! The next clue! The next fight!
Something to focus on, so that I...
I need to keep moving so that the past doesn''t catch up to me.
Funny, isn''t it?
I think it was the same about my Past Life.
But I remembered my Past Life. Memories that I had begun to fear... I remember them now.
Those memories... Allowed me to forget about it. About Elisa. About what happened.
Remembering one thing allowed me to forget about the other.
It''s cowardly. It''s selfish.
But I don''t mind forgetting about her for now. Because I want her to forget about me.
I''m scared.
I fear that I might have... Scarred her.
I''ll leave. So forget about me. Keep going, and forget about me.
I don''t want to be... A source of nightmares for you.
I don''t want to think about it.
I don''t want the past to catch up to me.
So then... Why are you here?
How did you get here?
Why... Did the Past catch up to me?
Because it''s not truly the Past? But I left it all behind... Did I?
What does it mean to break away? To leave it in the Past?
I see... I didn''t do it properly.
I remember something I heard in my Past Life.
They say you need to burn the memories to forget. Burn the things that remind you of the thing you''re trying to forget.
Is that why mes are rising from my hand?
Should I burn it... To leave it all behind?
I don''t want to forget about that Past though.
The memories hurt. They make my skin crawl and my heart ache.
But I don''t hate that Past.
I don''t want to forget about it. I want it to forget about me.
Why didn''t you forget about me?
Why did youe into this dark and disgusting ce?
Are you trying to bring me back to that side?
I won''t. I can''t.
That part is over. It was a clean break.
Why did you have to mess it up?
I can''t... Bring myself to ask you that.
I need to keep moving.
I can''t even look you in the eyes.
If I do... If I turn around... I''m not sure how I will act. How I will react.
Truthfully, those eyes have always made me feel uneasy.
I''ve always hated those eyes.
It''s like they''re screaming at me that I am not good enough. That I am a disappointment.
The same eyes... That my younger self looks at me with.
I could bear your eyes before.
But now, after what happened, I just... Can''t.
It took me a while, but I get it now.
You''re not really judging me or anything. Your eyes are simply too pure. You are. And I am not. That''s all there is to it. You don''t judge me with those eyes. I judge you, and then me.
I''m already having a hard time. If I have to look into your eyes in addition to that...
The instant that I left you, I was pulled back.
Ancient Commanders, an Ancient General, the Undead Dark Triad, the First Demon King...
I was pulled back into that World. The World that Gaavah wanted me to be a part of.
This is the World that I''m supposed to be in, not yours.
I don''t deserve to be in yours.
There was a time when all I could do was watch others y andpete from my window, while I was stuck in that room.
It was fun, but I started hating them at some point. Because all they did was y. I could tell that they never trained or tried to get better.
They simply remained the same.
Years before that, when I was much younger than them, I was training and trying to get better. The World punished me for trying to be better. But it''s different for you all.
Why aren''t you trying to be better?
That''s why... I won''t waste this potential.
I don''t deserve to be in your World. And I won''t let myself be in your World.
You deserve to live peacefully.
It''s different for me.
If trouble doesn''t find me, I will go find it.
I refuse to put you through that. One, because you deserve better. Two, because I wouldn''t be able to fight and protect you.
If you had been by my side against the Undead Lich...
It was perfect.
Why did you have to mess it up?
Why did you have toe find me?
Why? WHY?
Are you saying that I can make it right?
Is that how much you like me?
If you had followed me this way in the Past, I probably would have been moved.
But not now.
Right now... You''re just a bother.
I can''t be forgiven. I don''t want to be forgiven.
Because I can''t forgive myself.
If she hadn''t taken this eye of mine, if she hadn''t stopped me then...
The Demon Lord Of Lust is to me.
But I am also to me. For letting myself be influenced. For not being stronger.
These Shards of the Deadly Sins surely allowed the Deadly Sin of Lust''s Influence to be stronger. But those also make my strength. Sacrifice, huh?
You came alone.
Did you expect me to go back with you? Go back to her?
Go back into the Demon Lord of Lust''s Territory?
I can''t do that.
The Ancient General that the Undead Lich summoned...
We''re lucky that we survived.
The Demon Lord Of Sloth sent to Commanders.
I wouldn''t have survived had the two of you not been there.
But what if a Demon Lord decides to send a General my way?
I wouldn''t be able to defeat something like that... Not yet.
Having you by my side wouldn''t help. The difference in strength is toorge. What if I try to run away and the General goes after you? Then I will find myself running after you and the General.
It won''t work.
Even if... I were to bypass the rest, it just wouldn''t work.
If I''m dying anyway, then I might as well die alone.
I won''t drag either of you with me.
The two of you have somewhere you''re supposed to go to anyway.
Even if I could let myself, I wouldn''t.
I''ve already run away.
Don''t you see?
Even now, the instant that I saw your snow-white pelt, I turned away.
Before I could even see your clear eyes, I was already running.
Had I kept being my younger self, my younger self that wasn''t punished, that didn''t hate the world, that didn''t hate himself... Then maybe.
But not now.
I can''t choose you.
I don''t choose you.
The reasons don''t even matter. My body started moving before I even thought of those reasons.
I started running right away.
How long did I stand under that dark sky debating which direction to take?
Had I started moving right away, you wouldn''t have found me.
Had I taken more or less time against the Undead Lich or inside that room, you wouldn''t have found me.
I kept thinking about which direction to take, but I was unable to choose.
The Past(You) caught up to me.
But I am already running. I guess that is just what I do.
How did you find this ce?
How did I find this ce? After that long dream about my past life... Was it a Dream or a series of Visions? Both, I suppose.
You found me.
Now, I''m running.
Thanks to you, I am moving.
Thanks to you, I didn''t have to choose a direction. You chose for me.
You did enough.
Now, go back. Go back to her.
***
The inaudible echoes of Darkness once said,
"Keep going.
Keep moving forward.
You''ll have all the answers. You will find everything as long as you look for it. Keep going. The n is already in motion. Everything will happen as it should.
Do not think too much. Do not try to understand. Do not worry. Everything will happen as it should. In due time, everything will be clear.
The World has already decided.
You had a choice. But you couldn''t choose.
And so, the World chose for you.
You refused to choose.
And you let yourself be moved.
Like a leaf blown by the wind, you relinquished control.
Like the leaf that you are, follow the wind.
The World will guide you.
I will guide you.
Follow the darkness in your heart.
The essence of who you are.
It is already clear.
Your destiny.
Your fate has already been chosen.
Now, keep going.
Find her.
Look for her.
The Witch in the Woods."
Chapter 400 Wait For Me
Chapter 400 Wait For Me
?Sometime after the Moonlit Feline had gone away running...
How long had she remained seated, her knees against the hard and rough ground?
She wasn''t bleeding, but it felt like she was.
Her eyes dry and swollen, she had cried like never before.
Her throat burned. She had screamed at the top of her lungs ever since they had left.
***
One instant was all it took. Everything had gone wrong. Everything had disappeared.
Everything had been broken to pieces.
Whose fault was it?
His? The Demon Lord''s, whose Influence was stronger during the night?
Both?
Who was to me?
Does it even matter?
Everything is fucked now.
Everything... Went wrong.
He ran away. She chose him.
That''s all there is to it.
Once again... I''m alone.
What now? Alone. Where to go? Alone, again. Where am I? Alone. Both left. The only ones I had left. What am I supposed to do now? I''m angry. Angry. Angry. Angry. I''m sad.
So incredibly sad.
What do I do? What can I do?
Their steps... Are getting closer...
Stop thinking.
Alone.
Stop thinking.
I lost them inside that Dungeon.
Stop thinking.
Then found them.
Stop thinking.
I lost them too. Everything is disappearing. The Demon Lord of Pride, Raven, the Demon Lord of Lust... Him. Weak. Powerless. Pathetic. Small.
I always end up losing those around me.
Stop... Thinking...
Am I fated to be alone? Maybe I''m just cursed. Maybe the World is against-
I need to start moving.
***
Her cold, cold gaze remained stuck to the ground as she stood up.
She had been facing the direction they had taken.
"I need to go..."
She turned 180 degrees.
She finally let go of the torn gown that her hands had refused to abandon until now.
The gown fell to the ground, and Armor reced it, covering her naked body.
"To the Elven Forest." She whispered.
The Wind circled around her broken wrist countless times before Condensing itself giving her back free use of her hand.
"I need to go..."
The Wind around circled around the Daggers she held. It condensed itself, adding to the Daggers'' reach.
"To my people."
Thump- Thump- Thump- Thump- Thump-
With five swift shes, the five Monsters that had been approaching were beheaded.
Drops of bloodnded on her face.
An expressionless face.
Elisa walks forward.
The dark spot on her waist rejoiced.
...
"JUST FUCKING LEAVE ME!"
No-
"GO AWAY! I DON''T WANT YOU HERE!"
I''ll keep following you-
"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO STAY WITH HER."
We''ll both stay with her. We''ll both stay with you-
"WHY? WHY DID YOU HAVE TO COME HERE? GO AWAY!"
I won''t-
"YOU''RE NOT WANTED HERE! DON''T YOU GET IT? YOU DON''T BELONG HERE!"
Neither do you-
"KRISTA! LISTEN TO ME!!"
I won''t-
"IT''S BEEN THIS WAY SINCE THE FUCKING DAY I FOUND YOU!! WILL YOU FUCKING LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE?!"
Not this way! I won''t! Not while you''re running away from me-
The Lioness'' eyes suddenly widened.
From the shadows, creatures had leaped forward!
Purging Ray!
The white-scaled Monster clicked its tongue as the creatures'' bodies were turned to ash.
Mark''s speed and endurance had both increased a lot.
The Moonlit Feline couldn''t hope to catch up.
The white-scaled Monster had turned around, used the Magic Skill to protect Krista, and then turned away once more before their eyes could meet.
"GET OUT OF HERE!! I WANT TO BE HERE! TO STAY HERE!"
That''s not true! I know that it''s not-
"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO STAY WITH HER!!"
We will both stay with her-
The white-scaled Monster gritted its teeth.
"I WAS GOING TO LEAVE YOU ANYWAYS!"
That''s not true-
"I WAS GOING TO LEAVE YOU WITH HER!"
Master would never leave me! I know that for a fact-
"IT WAS THE PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING!"
I believe in Master-
"I WAS GOING TO GET YOU TO THE ELVEN FOREST!"
I don''t believe Master-
"THEN LEAVE YOU THERE WITH HER!"
I believe IN Master-
"SO JUST GO BACK TO HER!!"
Because Master is a liar! Master lies to Elisa, to me... And Master lies to himself! That''s why, I''ll-
The two ran and ran.
The difference in speed was obvious, but every time, before Mark could exit Krista''s field of vision, Creatures would leap towards her.
Creatures that abhorred the Moonlit Feline shining eyes.
Every time, Krista would simply continue running forward.
And every time, Mark turned around to protect the Moonlit Feline.
I''ll keep running-
If you truly don''t care about me, then don''t protect me-
I will simply keep running! I will keep running towards you! Until I can...-
Both were running low on endurance.
Mark''s Endurance Stat was higher, but he also had to deal with the Creatures that attacked him, attracted by the Light emitted by the use of the "Purging Ray" Magic Skill.
For the umpteenth time, the white-scaled Monster turned around, sensing that danger was approaching the Moonlit Feline.
For the umpteenth time, the Monster used the "Purging Ray" Magic Skill.
For the umpteenth time, it turned around to continue running.
But this time,
BAM-
Something stood in Mark''s way!
Fast as lightning, but also incredibly heavy. A hitnded on his chin,unching him backward!
The world turned blurry as his body hung in the air.
Anxiety overtook him.
A tail flick hadnded on his chin. The Creature was huge.
But that wasn''t the cause of his anxiety.
If the Moonlit Feline manages to catch up now... If it climbs up his body onto his shoulder... If it licks his cheek the same way it had the day he had found it... Mark had no idea how would react to that.
Wind st-
Mark got back onto his feet as fast as he could and ran forward!
The Creature was disgusting. Its head was truly horrifying. But that was nothingpared to the Moonlit Feline catching up to him.
In this instant, facing the atrocity felt much easier and simpler than facing Krista.
Mark closed the distance and clenched his right fist.
Partial Gigantification-
The hit cleanlynded on the Creature''s body, sending it aside!
Mark didn''t pull back the arm with which he had punched.
He used the momentum of the punch to face towards the left.
Mark extended his left arm, and his hands met.
Not one instant had been wasted.
Purging Ray-
The huge Creature was burned to ash as the mes spread.
Mark quickly turned back towards the direction he had been running in.
It wasn''t visible before. But now,
''An open field?''
Mark stepped into that open field, devoid of trees, and continued running.
The field seemed to stretch infinitely.
The next second, a harrowing cry echoed.
Mark''s heart shook.
The very same cry.
The same one that had resonated on the day he found the Moonlit Feline, when he had left it in the underground part of the Dungeon''s Fifth Floor.
The cry that had made hime back to the Moonlit Feline that day.
Mark clenched his teeth and pressed his eyelid shut as he winced for an instant.
He turned around.
The Moonlit Feline stood on its back legs.
Its front legs... Hovered in the air?
An invisible barrier.
His gaze met Krista''s.
His hands shook.
His lips parted.
His throat was too dry for words to leave.
The Moonlit Feline let out a cry once more.
Their eyes had met.
An invisible barrier separated them.
Would Master leave me now? Now that he''s looking at me? Would he really-
"W..." His voice was filled with fear. "Wait for me..."
Krista''s heart dropped.
"Just wait for me. I''ll... I''lle back! I''lle back for you! Just... Just wait!"
The Moonlit Feline''s whole body started shaking.
Master... Is leaving? Even after... Even after-
"Just wait for me!"
Wait...? Again? Like I was supposed to wait... While you were fighting? Like I was supposed to wait... Outside of those Boss Rooms? Inside of that Ne? I don''t... Is Master really-
Its cries continued. The Monster did not stop.
The Underling called out to its Master the only other way it knew how.
[Your Underling is...]
"SHUT UP" Mark shouted.
[Your Underling is...]
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
[Would you like to mute the...]
"YES! FUCKING MUTE IT!!" He shouted.
On the three asions, Mark had not read the messages in their entirety. He couldn''t bear to.
The Moonlit Feline halted its breathing for a second. It pressed its eyes shut, then turned around.
Leap- Jump- Climb-
The white-furred cat moved up a tree and settled on one of its numerous branches.
With its eyes locked on the white-scaled Monster''s back that was getting further further, it remained unmoving.
I will wait... For Master-
I will protect this ce for Master-
I won''t let anything... Enter this ce-
Master was once again out of sight.
Out of reach.
A cold icy Aura had started emanating from the Moonlit Feline''s eyes, as it watched over the surroundings.
Waiting.
Chapter 401 Your Destiny, II
Chapter 401 Your Destiny, II
?"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck..." Mark whispered as he fell to his knees.
Out of breath, but also dizzy.
The hit he had received to the chin still showed its effects.
The white-scaled Monster had no way of knowing, but the invisible barrier that had kept the Moonlit Feline outside hadn''t been crossed in centuries.
Mark also hadn''t taken the time to study where he was by checking the Map he had been given by Raven a while ago.
In any case, Raven had asserted that there wasn''t anything at the center of the Monster Realm.
That is because, at the center of the dark forest, was the barrier that kept all outside.
None could cross or break that barrier.
But Mark had managed to cross.
The answer as to why he had managed to was a simple one to find. The question, however, did not cross his mind.
In the first ce, the fact that none could pass through the barrier wasn''t something he could have known or guessed.
"I have to... I have to go back. I need to get Krista... To her. But what if I can''t find her? What if... I do find her? What if I were to see her after..." The white-scaled Monster clenched its teeth. "I can''t leave Krista like this. I can''t leave Krista alone there. I need to go back. But this... I-"
Out of nowhere, they had appeared.
No, it wasn''t out of nowhere.
It was like they had emerged from the shadows. From the darkness that the open field was submerged in.
Their presence was incredibly chilling.
Mark stood up and jumped back.
As soon as his feetnded on the ground, he realized.
They were behind him too.
A tail flick passed through them.
The way it felt...
''Spirits?''
They extended their pale blueish hands forward, the only part of their bodies that wasn''t shrouded by a cloak of darkness.
Their long purplish nails approached Mark''s back.
He wasn''t sure why. In truth, he wasn''t sure at all.
But those hands felt like Death.
Being touched by those hands would leave longsting damage.
No reasoning or thought process led to that. It was simply a feeling.
That''s why Mark fully trusted it.
The feeling of impending doom was something he had experienced multiple times. And not once did the feeling betray him.
The white-scaled Monster moved forward.
One by one, more appeared.
Their number increased, and it didn''t take long for Mark to start running.
They appeared on his right. They appeared on his left.
The way behind him was closed. No turning back allowed.
Mark''s heart started beating faster and faster.
''What the hell is happening??''
A nightmare? A vision? No. Mark could tell it was neither, but it was still incredibly disorienting and bizarre.
Creepy and eerie.
The ghostly Creatures pointed.
As Mark ran, more appeared.
It didn''t take long for them to stretch forward.
Mark spread his wings.
Just when he was about to jump up and take flight, Mark noticed an enormous and pitch-ck hand hovering above him, which immediately made him elerate.
His confusion had quickly turned into horrific fear.
In the distance, they shined. A pale blue, almost translucent.
The gigantic jellyfish swam in the air, propelled by their long and thin tentacles that movedzily.
The ghost-like Creatures surrounding him opened their mouths.
What the hell were they saying?
The same sounds were repeated again, again, and again.
A differentnguage? Random sounds?
Why did their words cause such a splitting headache?!
Mark continued running! Away from those Creatures! Away from that hand hovering above!
The headache made him feel like his skull would crack!
KrshKrshKrsh- KrshKrshKrsh- KrshKrshKrsh-
BzzzBzzzBzz- BzzzBzzzBzz- BzzzBzzzBzz-
The hand above wasn''t a hand, but a cloud of flies!
The words, the cracking, the buzzing, Krista, the words, the cracking, the buzzing, the running, Krista, the hand, the ghosts, what the hell is up with this ce, spirits, ghosts, beasts, monsters, demons, devils, insects, dark, cold, nightmare, dream, vision, reality, Krista!
Scared, scared, so scared, following, unrelenting, torment, ritual, pointing, a cloud of flies above, Partial Gigantification, Sprite Maniption, fuck, fuck, fuck! Nothing is working.
A punch was thrown. The ghostly beings moved their hands.
Pointing.
All of them. Every single one of them.
KrshKrshKrsh- KrshKrshKrsh- KrshKrshKrsh-
BzzzBzzzBzz- BzzzBzzzBzz- BzzzBzzzBzz-
It resonated and resonated.
Inside the Monster''s head, it filled his mind and chased his thoughts.
Will Mark wake up? He didn''t think he would. Still, one can only hope.
They pointed.
That left arm.
Are you willing to give it?
Mark kept running.
Suddenly they changed, transformed.
Those standing at the front morphed. Their hands moved to the ground. Their bones cracked and broke. The darkness surrounding them stretched.
They faced one another, two lines of darkness that stretched infinitely.
The words did not stop.
The crackling did not stop.
The buzzing did not stop.
A hundred wolves'' howls resonated.
They resonated, and the reverberations of those howls echoed, hammered, and knocked on the Monster''s skull from the inside!
Blurry. The darkness stretched. The separation between them started fading. Everything turned into paint. Their bodies randomly danced, tangled, and intertwined.
The Moonlight grew brighter!
His eye started stinging!
The Monster closed its eye momentarily.
A hundred wolves'' howls! The crackling of a thousand flies wings! Dark butterflies filled the air!
A static started growing louder and louder!
The bleating of ten goats! The wings of seven bats! The cries of threembs!
The hissing of a singr snake.
The Moonlight took everything away.
The Monster thought of the ashen-haired Elven princess...
Thump-
And copsed on the ground.
She approached, and they fled!
They retreated and vanished into the shadows whence they came.
"Mmm..." A finger against her lips.
The one Cursed to be alone. Cursed to be in the Dark.
"What did the Night bring, I wonder?"
She walked closer.
With dark, dark eyes, she stared.
The Witch in the Woods.
Find her.
Look for her.
Your destiny.
The Daughter of Darkness.
For the first time in centuries,
"A Guest?"
Chapter 402 Doubting Reality
Chapter 402 Doubting Reality
?Her long dark dress cushioned her knees as they kissed the ground.
''Looks weird...''
Her left arm, covered by the sheer sleeve of her dress, was extended forward.
''Wonder if he can talk...?''
The instant her fingertip came into contact with the Monster''s body, she pulled back.
"Ugh... So weird..." She passed that same fingertip over the back of her hand. "Scales feel so weird..." She whispered. "But also kind of... Nostalgic-"
The white-scaled Monster''s eye opened.
She froze.
Both moved at the same time.
She jumped back and it extended its ws.
The Monster''s expression made its confusion known. Still, its gaze didn''t leave the one standing before it.
She remained unmoving, her hands tightly grasping the dark dress.
Can it talk? Why is it here? Where did ite from? How? Why now, when I''ve been alone for so long? A Guest. Or a Visitor? Can it talk? It''s wearing pants, so that says something... Does it say enough though?
In the midst of the silence, her mind was racing.
The white-scaled Monster looked away, and she sighed internally.
"Who-"
"Fuck..." Mark interrupted before she could get a word out.
His gaze quickly went back to her.
Mark took three steps back, before rubbing his face with his left hand.
"So it was a nightmare..." He whispered.
"What was?" She asked suddenly, d that it could talk.
mes suddenly rose from the white-scaled Monster''s left arm.
Her eyes widened, her gaze rapidly moved from right to left. She jumped back and raised her arms.
An open field plunged in darkness. Nowhere to take cover and nothing to hide behind.
She was different than the rest.
Different from Elisa, from the Commander, from Yarnha...
The look in her eyes and the shaking of her legs proved it.
Different from Lin, Raven, Zephyr...
Different from all of them.
"Can uh... Can we..."
Mark clicked his tongue internally.
"Can we talk? Instead of..."
The white-scaled Monster didn''t bother listening to the rest.
Mark scratched his head.
She wasn''t like them.
She wasn''t like him.
Her stance, her shaking voice, the trembling of her body, the fearful look in her eyes she was trying to hide... She was incredibly...
"There''s nothing to talk about." Mark answered coldly before turning away.
Incredibly normal.
"Who are you?" She asked. "Are you Human?"
Mark''s eyebrow twitched.
"Why do you say that?" He asked indifferently and without turning back towards her.
"Well, you can talk so..."
Mark''s face grimaced, and he?started walking away.
"Well, are you?" She asked with her hands behind her back. Her left hand holding her right from the wrist.
Mark jumped away.
His gaze went to the ground for a moment, then back to her.
''I didn''t hear her move at all... Not even the grass she''s stepping on...''
Her presence somewhat reminded him of Light''s.
"You''re a Spirit?"
"A Spirit? I don''t think so...?"
Mark''s face twisted again. Her tone truly was that of a person filled with uncertainty.
"I guess it''s not easy to answer that..." She whispered as she scratched her head. "Oh. Is that why you''re not answering either?"
''Her presence... Is a mix of Light''s and Yarnha''s?'' Mark wondered silently. ''The Spirit of this ce? But... For a ce like this, I would have imagined the Spirit to be...''
"Mm?" Her dark eyes wide with curiosity. "Do youe from... Outside?"
''Infinitely uglier.''
Infinitely, as she was far, far from anything that could be considered ugly.
Physically, that is.
With every second''s passing, her presence was feeling creepier. More eerie.
She was there, standing. Or was she? Truly?
Mark stepped forward.
Her presence was simr to Yarnha''s, but there seemed to be no ill intent.
He stepped forward because, more so than theck of ill intent, there seemed to be ack of strength, of Mana.
Both coupled led to him walking towards her and extending his left hand.
Mark was ready to react to any move though, as he had learned long ago that a seemingck of either wasn''t proof of anything.
She stared for a bit.
Her hand moved timidly.
''So she is real.'' Mark thought as he sighed internally.
Pressure-
His right hand moved quickly, its ws aimed at her neck.
They stopped before they could reach her.
"What kind of reaction is that?"
Uponing into contact, she had wrapped her hand over his index finger.
Upon seeing his other hand move, she had shut her eyes and squeezed on his finger with all her strength.
Weak, and fearful.
Mark pulled his arms back.
Only a couple of seconds after the finger she had been holding escaped her grasp did she slowly open her eyes.
"Where... Where are you going?" She asked as the white-scaled Monster walked away.
"Away."
"Where to?" She ran to catch up to the Monster.
"Outside." Mark answered, disturbed by her unnoticeable movements. "Stay away from me." He added, his right palm extended towards her.
She stopped moving right away.
Her lips parted.
Gulp-
"Why?" She shouted.
He didn''t answer.
She pressed her lips together.
"They''lle for you again without me!"
The white-scaled Monster stopped.
"Who will?" He asked as he turned around, doubting the meaning behind her words.
"Those that came for you before!"
"Who... What are you talking about?"
"Those Spirits! Or Ghosts, or whatever!"
"How... Do you know about them?"
"Huh? Well, they live here so..."
For thirty full seconds, Mark stared without saying a word.
"So they were real?"
"Huh? Of course, they are. As real as I am. As real as you are!"
Mark turned away once more.
The open field wasrge.
The forest surrounding it had been lost to the horizon. Not like the darkness that ruled over the ce allowed for the horizon to be seen anyway.
"I''ll help you!"
"Mm?"
"I''ll help you go back."
"How?"
"They won''t leave you alone."
"So? How can you help?"
"They always run away from me. If I''m there... They won''te for you."
Mark wondered for a bit, before letting out a heavy sigh.
Spirits, Ghosts, Devils, strange entities...
He cursed his Nightmares, his Dreams, and his Visions.
''Doubting what''s real and what isn''t...''
"I''ll help you go back!" She shouted again.
With doubtful eyes, Mark shrugged.
"What''s in it for you?"
"Let''s talk on the way, okay?" She ran to catch up to him.
"Tell me what you want now. I don''t have time to negotiate. I need to go back."
"Huh? I just told you what I want." Mark stared into the bottomless abyss that resided within her eyes. "I want to talk."
Chapter 403 Whimsical Moonlight
Chapter 403 Whimsical Moonlight
?''Talk? Those things made me pass out earlier... But I got here before that. If they do the same thing, then I should be able to make it to the Barrier before then. It was bearable at first, but then got worse and worse until I passed out. A Skill that makes the enemy fall unconscious after a certain time? Now, that I''ve experienced it, perhaps I can fight it off for longer... But maybe it''s not about how long they''ve been at it though. Maybe it''s about my position. The more I ran, the worse it got. Then their strength increases the further to the Barrier we are? The closer...'' Mark wondered silently while staring at her. ''To the Barrier''s center?''
"So? What do you think?"
''In exchange, she wants to talk... Talk about what? If it''s the same as those before, then it''ll be about the Deadly Sins and my Unique Titles... But she seems oblivious to it. To... Everything actually. Asking if I''m Human, ha!''
Mark rubbed his chin.
"What is it you want to talk about?"
"Just... Stuff?"
"Stuff?"
"The Outside. Things... I suppose?"
"So nothing in particr?"
She shook her head.
''Fending off those... Things and in exchange getting nothing in particr? That''s too one-sided. But she isn''t offering a Contract either? Give and take... Sacrifices... The System thrives on those so... A Contract that isn''t like the others? One that can''t be seen or signed. A verbal contract that seems not to involve the System. It would be an unfair move since I''m not aware of it being a Contract. But in exchange, she doesn''t ask for much? There could be a sense of bnce there but most likely...''
She puffed out her cheeks, before concentrating the air to the right, then to the left.
''It''s just a promise? She does seem like an airhead...''
"You don''t believe me?" She asked, letting her head hang to the right. "Let me show you..."
''umting good will? Or am I overthinking it because of that Lich...? Fuck. Everything can be seen as a Contract now...'' Mark thought to himself as she looked around.
"Oh, there they are." She said suddenly before pointing.
The white-scaled Monster remained silent.
A pale blueish jellyfish floated in the air. Below it, Beings stood, their bodies shrouded in a shadow darker than the night''s.
Mark raised his gaze up.
A starless night.
The Moon was shining.
''Strange...''
When looking ahead, it didn''t seem like it was shining.
But it was.
The Moonlight simply couldn''t reach the area.
''The Barrier that blocked Krista... Is blocking the Moonlight? No, not exactly. If it was, then I wouldn''t be able to see the Moon. It''s more like the effects of that light cannot be seen?'' Mark stared at the Moon for a bit longer before extending a hand towards it.
"It''s beautiful, isn''t it?"
The white-scaled Monster didn''t answer.
''Light...'' Mark''s hand slowly moved. ''No light.'' He noted internally once his hand fully covered the Moon. ''I can only notice the Moon or its light when staring at it. Once my hand covers it, it''s total darkness again...''
"Light that only exists when seen..." The white-scaled Monster whispered without meaning to.
"That sounds nice... And kind of sad."
Mark''s gaze went back to her.
He had decided not to ask for proof. In the case that he was right about the Contract, asking for proof and her delivering that proof would shift the bnce. Mark felt he didn''t know enough about the System and Contracts, which is why he wasn''t going to take chances.
She puffed her cheeks again as the Monster stared silently.
''I won''t ask for proof... But I want to see it.'' Mark thought as he turned towards the strange Beings in the distance.
"Want me to show you?"
He didn''t answer.
"Should I go?"
Mark remained unresponsive.
"Do you want me to or...? Please talk, you''re making me nervous."
Shrug-
"Uh... Okay? I guess I''ll do it...? Don''t go anywhere though!" She said before running towards them.
Mark took the same direction, but walked.
"Hey! Heyyy!" She shouted while waving her hands in the air, trying to catch their attention.
''What...?'' Mark chuckled internally. ''She''s acting like a child-''
He clenched his fists suddenly.
''I don''t have time for this. I need to get to Krista quickly-''
She got closer, and they faded, dissipated into the darkness.
"...?"
"See? I..." She struggled to catch her breath. "I told you."
"How...? Why?"
"They''re mean! That''s why!"
"Huh?"
"They... Always leave when I get closer."
Mark could sense it in her eyes. It wasn''t present before, and it quickly disappeared. But for a second there,
Turn-
Overwhelming loneliness and sadness.
"Where... Where are you going?"
Mark had started walking away.
"I don''t have time for this."
"But you need my help! They''lle for you if I''m not there!"
"I don''t care."
"But I want to help!"
"I don''t care!"
"Please!"
Mark didn''t stop walking.
That kind of sadness... That kind of loneliness... I don''t want to be with someone who knows them. Not now. Not again.
"I''ll help you! Why don''t you want my help?!"
Mark turned around suddenly, which made her pull back. She had been walking right behind him.
"You''re the one who wants help, isn''t that right?"
"No, I''m offering to-"
"I won''t help you."
"I''m not asking you to-"
"I already have... Others I need to help." Mark''s eye turned cold as he looked down. She was about thirty centimeters shorter than he was after all. "I''m not helping you. I don''t have time for you."
Her gaze went to the ground.
The white-scaled Monster turned around once again and started walking away.
The distance increased and,
''Krista is waiting for me. I need to get her to-''
A ringing echoed inside the white-scaled Monster''s head.
It reverberated against its skull, growing stronger and stronger!
The ringing felt like it could crack that skull at any point.
''So much for having stronger bones...''
While the Undead Lich''s bones had been used to strengthen his, the Lich''s Skull hadn''t been Devoured.
''Not like... This has anything to do... With bones...'' They circled around him, and his knee touched the ground.
The next second,
Tsk-
"I''lle with you."
Sigh-
"Fine... Thanks, I guess."
"Mm!"
Chapter 404 Filtering Barrier
Chapter 404 Filtering Barrier
?"As I said, they''re mean. They see me and run away."
''Is she dodging or...?'' Mark scratched his head as he walked, unsure of whether she was refusing to answer the question or not.
"Where are you going?"
"Outside."
"You said you had others you help? That''s nice."
"I guess..."
"Tell me about them."
"Why should I?"
She shrugged.
"To pass the time as we walk, I suppose."
"How far are we from the Barrier?"
"Not too far." She answered. "You''ll be outside soon, probably." It wasn''t a lie, but it wasn''t entirely truthful either.
"I don''t want to talk about them... About her." Mark corrected himself.
"Her? So it''s just the one?"
"I don''t want to talk about it."
"What are you doing once you''re back outside?"
"I''ll help."
"That''s nice. Help with what?"
Mark stared from the corner of his eye before looking away.
''A Spirit like Yarnha. But different in that she doesn''t recognize that she''s a Spirit? That she''s this ce''s Spirit? It''s something like that, isn''t it?'' Mark thought. Still, it was strange. ''Just like Yarnha... No, even more than for Yarnha...''
"You''re not answering any question."
"Are you Human?"
"I think so? Aren''t you?"
"I''m not."
"But you can talk."
"Ha! So?"
"I... Uh... Don''t know? I read books about Humans, and I look like those drawn but... The Humans don''t all look the same. They can all talk though."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes...?" She looked around. "Why?"
"Never mind." Mark shook his head. "Just because they talk doesn''t mean that they''re human."
"Mm... So you''re not?"
"I''m not."
"What about me?"
"I don''t... Are you seriously asking that?"
"No, ha... Haha..." She scratched her head.
''Embarrassed? So she is serious?''
"What uh... What makes a Human human?"
"They look like you."
"That''s it?"
"That''s it."
"Then you could be one?"
"How do you arrived to that conclusion?"
"You look like me. Except for the scales... The wings... The tail... The nails-"
"ws."
"Mm?"
"ws. Not nails."
"What''s the difference?"
"ws are sharp."
"Nails can be sharp too."
"The edge is curvy. It''s t for nails."
"Oh..." She looked at her hand. "That is true."
Mark didn''t want to ask. Thest thing he needed was someone asking for help.
But it was a strange situation, and he was curious.
"What are you doing here?"
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I asked."
"I''m... Just here."
Mark clicked his tongue against his fangs repeatedly and silently.
Do I want to ask this? He thought to himself for a bit.
"How long have you been here?"
She turned towards him, lowered her gaze, raised it, and turned to face forward.
"A while."
"Did you get here somehow?"
"I... Don''t know."
"The Barrier doesn''t let you leave, is that it?"
"Yes, it is." She lied.
"Remember anything about what''s beyond the Barrier?"
"No, not really."
"Do you eat or sleep?"
"I sleep. A lot."
"You said you read books."
"I did! I mean... I do! Do you want to see them? I can show you."
"Where do you keep them?"
"At home."
"At home?"
"Yes."
"You have a home?"
"I do. All Humans have homes. Do you have one?"
"No, I don''t. Not all Humans have homes."
"I see..."
"Did..." Mark scratched his cheek. The answer to the question and her reaction would decide it, whether this was a well-
crafted plot or not. "Someone teach you how to read? How to talk?"
"I don''t think so, no. Is that something that''s taught?"
"For Humans, yes." Of course, this was a different World. Still, Mark assumed it would be the same. "Can you remember anyone who took care of you when you were little?"
"I don''t... I don''t like this. Can we talk about something else?" She was distressed, and it was obvious.
''Not Human. Or at least... Notpletely? It could be that she just doesn''t remember for some reason but...'' Mark shrugged as he thought. ''It''s probable that it just didn''t happen. The same way Levi and the Fire Spirit could talk naturally... It is weird though.''
"Can you tell me about them? Those you want to help."
"I-"
"Oh!" She interrupted suddenly. "There, my home! See?" She pointed, before running forward.
Two issues immediately arose.
One. The home. It could truly be called a home. Mark hadn''t expected that to be the case, but it was. A wooden cabin or shack. It was prettyrge, andcked one wall, probably where the door would be. Had Mark passed it earlier? It''s definitely a possibility. The ringing, the dizziness, and the crowd around him might have kept him from noticing it.
Two. A Spirit born from this ce. Where did the cabine from? Who built it?
''Same for the books... Where did she get them? The birth of a Spirit... Did she just wake up and find them there? Did she... How does a Spirit like Yarnha evene to life? It just appears out of nowhere in the middle of the forest? There''s too much that I don''t know... About Spirits... And about her.''
The white-scaled Monster walked closer.
"How did we get here?"
The cabin''s floor was about fifty centimeters thick, making its surface fifty centimeters off the ground. While keeping her bare feet on the cold grass, she took a seat on that floor.
"Mm?"
"I didn''t pass by this ce earlier."
"Huh? You chose the direction we took though."
"I did. I turned 180 degrees and started walking. Why are we here?"
"I don''t know. Are you sure you didn''t walk by and miss it?"
"When I woke up, you were in front of me, not behind me. Which direction did youe from?"
"The one you were heading towards before you fell."
Mark scratched his head and thought silently.
"Well, since we''re here, I''ll show you my books! There''s..."
He raised his gaze.
''Light that''s only there when seen... Once the Moon exits my field of vision, I can''t see any light thates from it. Even when it''s because my hand covers it. I don''t know how it works yet but... The Barrier messes with the light. To which degree, I can''t tell yet but... It''s possible that...''
Mark suddenly turned away.
"Can you see the forest?"
"Huh?"
Chapter 405 Loop
Chapter 405 Loop
?"Huh? The forest?"
"You''ve been here a long time, right? When you walk towards the edges of this ce, can you see the forest? I could see it when I turned around to... But if it''s like the Moon... It''s there, but I lose track of it once I look away, since I can''t see the light emanating from it anymore. If the Barrier acts as a filter somehow... Then it can make the forest disappear. Can you see it? From the inside?"
Gulp-
She shook her head.
"All I see is more of this grass-covered ground... Then does the Barrier reflect the light like a mirror? If it''s far enough, then we wouldn''t be able to see our reflection. Did something like that happen to you? Ever?"
"No. Not as far as I can remember."
"Then an illusion that makes it seem like this continues and stretches forever when it''s actually the forest? If that''s the case, then the Barrier might be closer than it seems. It could be... A couple of steps away. Who knows, right?"
"Right... Maybe?"
Mark scratched his neck, before turning towards her.
"Why are we here?"
"I told you we-"
"Have you ever seen the Barrier?"
"What?"
"You said that the Barrier doesn''t let you leave."
"Yes, that''s right."
"Then..." Mark stepped back. "Have you ever touched the Barrier?"
She scratched her head.
"No."
"Howe?"
"I can''t find it."
"You can''t...?"
"I can''t find the Barrier."
"Before you found me, where were you?"
"Here."
"You started walking in a certain direction, then you found me."
"Mm." She nodded.
"Then we kept going in that same direction... And got here again?"
"Yes."
"Why did you act surprised when we found it?"
"Because... I don''t know. It seemed right, I suppose."
"So you lied."
"Well, not really. I just... I didn''t want to lose your trust."
"Lying isn''t the way to not lose it. If you lie again, this won''t go well."
"Fine..." She whispered as she raised her feet off the ground and onto the elevated floor, before burying her chin into her knees.
"Is it just that one direction or-"
"All directions lead back to here." She said while staring at the ground.
Mark remained silent for a bit.
Her tone made it obvious that she had tried a lot, and for a long time.
"Are you sure this isn''t a mirror type of situation-"
"I''m sure."
"And you''re not lying."
"I''m not."
"No matter where you go, you end up here?"
"Yes! That''s how it is here."
"Don''t shout at me."
"Well, you said you weren''t helping me. You don''t have time for me. So... Just figure it out."
"It''s different now..." Mark crouched. "Helping myself is the same as helping you. If I can figure it out and leave then... I guess you can tag along."
"Really??"
"Tag along until we''re outside. After that... You''ll figure out what to do on your own."
"Yes! Okay! Yes! Let''s do that!"
Mark extended his right hand towards the ground.
A ring of fire was drawn, and the grass inside burned away.
"You tried every direction, right?"
"Yes, I did." She nodded.
"You always end up here."
"Yes."
"Does it take the same amount of time no matter the direction? Is the distance the same?"
"I think so? Yes, I think so."
"Then the Barrier is circr... Maybe? But how would that work? If you end up here, then that makes it a loop."
"A loop?"
Earth Maniption-
The circr plot ofnd rose off the ground.
"You start here." Mark pointed at the center. "You walk and walk. Then..." Using Earth Maniption, the edges were curved until, "You keep going, and end up here again. So it bes spherical once you''re inside?"
"Oh. That would make sense."
"What do you know about the Barrier?"
"Nothing."
"How did you know that there was a Barrier? How did you know that there was an ''outside''?"
"I could just... Feel it."
"How long have you been here?"
"I told you, for as long as I can-"
"We need to figure out specifics. Was the Barrier always there? Was there a time... How long first of all? Was this always here too?" He pointed at the cabin.
"Yes."
"What''s below it?"
"Below my home? I don''t know actually." She stepped inside. Though since itcked one of its four walls, it could barely be described as ''inside'', since practically all it offered was a roof.
It reminded Mark of a bus stop.
"Oh..."
"What?" Mark asked as he peeked.
"There''s a hole."
"And you just noticed now? If there''s a Barrier, then someone must have Cast it... Probably. Give and take... The exit being different from entry, the maniption of light and space... It bnces out by making the exit obvious? I think that guy would agree."
"That guy?"
"A Lich... Nevermind. So that''s the exit. Great-"
"No, it''s not."
"How do you know?"
She stepped outside while staring at her hands.
"I dug it." She showed him.
Mark reached for her hand without thinking about it.
Obvious signs of strains.
"You dug that?"
"Yes, but I forgot."
"How did you forget that?"
"I forget... A lot of things."
"I''m beyond the point of sympathizing with that."
"...?"
"If you forgot about it then you stopped digging at some point. Why?"
"It wasn''t leading anywhere."
"Yeah." Mark massaged his face. "If you dig enough... Then it''ll either lead to the edges, since it bes spherical-"
"Or it won''t lead anywhere, because the edges wouldn''t curve then." She continued.
"No reason to assume that though."
"Feels like it though."
Mark let out a sigh.
The fact that she ''Feels'' like it''s the case didn''t make for a very convincing argument, but he still thought of her as something between a Human and a Spirit. Plus, Mark wanted to get back to Krista as fast as possible.
"Then we need to go upwards."
"You mean fly? I can''t do that."
"I''ll carry you. I doubt those guys care about if it''s onnd on in the air. They''lle for me either way, so I need you with me."
"Okay." She nodded.
Chapter 406 Laylah
406 Lah
About fifteen minutester,
"Tricky."
"I know."
Mark scratched his head.
''After getting about... Eight hundred meters off the ground? Tough to tell in the dark. But it seemed like the distance separating us from the darkness had stopped increasing. It felt like I was flying upwards, but I actually... No, I was flying upwards, but I wasn''t moving upwards. Incredibly disorienting... And interesting. Going as fast as I could didn''t change anything either. Still, if there''s a maniption of space going on... But how would that be possible? Tsk... That Undead Lich did use Spatial Magic to teleport. This one... Did too? I''m not sure. In any case, since Spatial Magic exists then something like Space Maniption can''t be ruled out. Still, if fast enough, one should be able to break through. I''m just... Incapable of going that fast. Then what-''
"I lied to you." She said, seated with her back towards him. "Before."
"I know. We talked about it."
"No, there''s... Something else."
"Listening."
"You... Aren''t trapped by the Barrier. I''m the one it keeps inside. No matter where I go, I''ll remain here. And if you''re with me, finding the Barrier will be impossible."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
"Because you can feel it?"
"Yes."
Mark couldn''t help but look away as he scratched his neck.
He had kept entertaining the thought and possibility that the difficulty to leave was her doing but now... Trusting another''s words and intentions isn''t easy in a World of Monsters.
"You don''t seem surprised... Or mad."
"The thought did cross my mind."
"Really?"
"Yeah. But it doesn''t change anything. Earlier those... Things made my knee hit the ground. I need you to get out of here."
"No, you don''t." She said as she turned around.
Mark let out a heavy sigh before taking a seat on the cabin''s elevated floor. He sat away from her, but not too far.
"And you will."
"I will."
"So why didn''t you?" She asked before looking away.
"Because I came here... I ran away... Because I needed time to think."
"What''s there to think about?"
"I ran away from them... And now, I need to..."
She chuckled.
"Now that the opportunity to leave is there you don''t mind talking?"
"Yeah." He chuckled too. "I guess that''s part of it."
"No one... Ever crossed that Barrier. It''s just me and... Them. Even they don''t want to keep mepany."
"So?"
"So your secrets are safe with me, I suppose."
"It''s not about secrets." n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
"You seemed to want to keep it secret earlier though."
"Yeah, that''s true..."
"Stay with me." She said suddenly. "At least for a bit."
"I can''t."
"You can''t... Or you won''t?"
"I won''t. Some... Someone is waiting for me. Just outside the Barrier."
"Then what are you waiting for? If I had someone waiting for me, I''d be running."
Mark scratched his cheek.
"Don''t tell me you feel bad about leaving me here?"
"I don''t. As I said, I need time to think."
"Mm..." Shey on her back while keeping her feet on the ground. "Would''ve been nice if you felt a bit bad about it."
"I guess I do. If... They were still together, I might have stayed. At least for a bit."
"You don''t have to do that."
"Do what?"
"You''re leaving. It''s fine." She stared at the ceiling. "I''ve never had a visitor but... I''m sure that I''ll forget about you soon. Just like I forgot about digging that hole. Do you know what it''s like living the same day over and over again?"
"I do."
"So it''s something that happens on the outside too? Guess I won''t feel as bad now."
"The days turn into a blur. What was yesterday? What was the day before? What about a week before? A Month? It''s all the same."
"And I forget. Because otherwise..." She sighed. "Well, you know what it''s like."
"Yeah."
"Well," She swung her arms to sit upright. "I won''t keep you. Let''s get going."
"I can''t. Not yet."
"You have someone waiting for you."
"It''s not so simple."
"Sounds like it is to me." "You don''t know enough to-"
"They''re waiting for you. So you go to them. That''s all there is to it."
Mark sighed.
"I''m not ready to-"
"Then get ready on the way." She interrupted. "Let''s go."
"Don''t talk to me like that."
"Why not? You''re leaving this ce while I''m still stuck here. You spent way less time here... Yet you get to leave first." Her words made Mark''s eyebrow twitch. "It''s unfair, don''t you think?"
Mark raised his gaze towards the dark sky as he let out a heavy sigh.
"It is."
"So I think I have the right to be upset. And the right to not mince my words."
"Ha." Mark chuckled as he stood up. "Yeah, you do." She stared as he started walking. "I know what that''s like too." He added without turning around.
The two walked away from the wooden cabin.
Eventually, it appeared in front of them, in the distance.
"There it is. Now you turn around and ago. Run as fast as you can. They won''t approach as long as you''re not too far from me, so you have a headstart on them. I''ll keep looking at my home. If I turn around, you won''t be able to find the Barrier. I''ll hold on for as long as I can, but I will turn around at one point. Make sure you''ve exited this ce by then, okay?"
"You got here before me... But I''m still leaving first."
"No use rubbing it in."
"I''m not."
"This is my Curse. Mine to bear."
"If you could pass it on, would you? If it would free you?"
"I... Don''t know."
"I had... Something like a Curse of my own in the past."
"You got rid of it?"
"Then what''s your point?"
"I would have passed it on in a heartbeat. To anyone. I know that I would have."
"It''s not like I have the choice of passing it on now. Hypotheticals don''t mean anything."
"Yeah..." Mark rubbed his eye. "I would usually agree."
"What are you waiting for?"
"Turn around."
"Huh? The whole point is me not-"
"Just turn around. We can always cross again."
"You''re making this more difficult than it needs to be..."
He walked to position himself in front of her.
"My Name is Mark." The white-scaled Monster extended its right hand.
She took it.
"Nice to meet you, Mark. Now, go."
He took a seat on the ground.
"Not yet."
She puffed her cheeks out.
Staying here was hard. It hurt, being alone. Finding someone only made that pain clearer. For a short while, a break from the pain of loneliness.
Soon, that pain would be back. Soon, she would be alone.
None knew of her. None had ever seen her until now. She didn''t exist. Only he knew of her. Only he knew of her.
"Lay..."
"Lay?"
What''s the use? He''s leaving. People waiting for him. He isn''t alone. Still...
If only he is to know of her, if no one else is to step foot in this ce, then she at least...
"Lah." She extended a hand. "My Name is Lah."
She wanted to be his secret.
Chapter 407 The Dark Side Of The Moon
407 The Dark Side Of The Moon
"Weren''t you eager to leave?" Lah asked as she lowered her hands to the ground. Her knees followed.
"I am." Mark answered, seated on the ground in front of her. "But I need to think." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
"So? Want to use me to make up your mind? Even though you wouldn''t talk about them before?"
"Yes."
"Fine." She chuckled. "But they are waiting, aren''t they?"
"Krista is waiting for me, yes. Outside the Barrier."
"Krista couldn''t enter?" Lah asked, repeating the name to make sure she remembers it. "No."
"Mm... I thought for the longest time that no one had found this ce, or me."
"That makes sense, since you can''t find the Barrier either. It''s surprising that you didn''t think of it as your own."
"My own...?"
"Since it''s spherical, you know."
"Like I''m on the Moon?"
"Ha! Yeah, I guess."
Lah raised her gaze towards the solitary source of light peeking through the darkness of the night.
How many times had she looked at it? How much time had she spent looking at it? The same Moon, every time. A Full Moon. It didn''t move, rise, or set. Always there. Nothing changes in this ce anyways. She moves towards them, they run away. Only the Moon keeps herpany. After what seemed, and very well might have been, an eternity, Lah still never got tired of seeing the Moon.
It was shining brightly. All the time. Despite being alone in the sky. Climbing onto the roof of the cabin she called her home was a challenge, but staring at the Moon felt better from there. A bit closer to it.
Shining, unwavering Moon.
It didn''t move or spin. Always shining. What hides behind it? Darkness? Does the other side shine too?
There were times that Lah stared at the Moon for so long that she could feel it.
She was the dark side of the Moon.
"I will go to Krista." The sudden words made her flinch. Lah wasn''t used to having her attention taken away from the Moon by something, anything. "I''ll bring Krista to... Elisa. Then-"
"Elisa. She''s the problem?"
"She''s not."
"Then?"
"I am."
Lah stared silently for a bit. Her eyes lingered on the Monster''s shoulders. The way the moonlight reflected against those white scales, she didn''t dislike.
"Just go already." Lah said as she pushed herself off the ground.
But before she could stand,
"I''lle back for you."
The words made her freeze.
They had an even more profound effect on the white-scaled Monster.
Why...?
Because there was something about this ce. Something about her.
"Don''t."
"I will. I''m sure there''s-"
"I said don''t. You''ve already made up your mind. You''re leaving, so forget about me, just as I''ll forget about you."
"But I can-"
"I SAID DON''T, OKAY?" She shouted suddenly. "Just... Leave quietly. Time will pass, and I''ll forget"
"I don''t want that."
"I''m not asking for what you want." Her cold and dark pupils stared. "I''m the one that will remain here. You don''t get to say what you want. Drop it. Let this be... A sweet dream, that I will soon wake up from."
"I can help-"
"Mark." She interrupted. The look in her eyes, Mark recognized. "I can''t..." It was strange, being on this side. "I can''t... Entertain that kind of hope."
Stuck in her own World, Mark knew that pain. That solitude.
More than those, the pain of seeing others. The pain of seeing those that were not of this World.
Passersby, visitors, friends, family, parents... Lah had had the asion of seeing none of these.
Until now, a visitor.
The young Mark used to love having visitors, at least for a certain time. They were a nice break from the mundane and repetitive everyday life inside that hospital. Whether his parents or friends he used to have, it was nice having them. A nice break.
That was all they could be. After all, sometimeter, they would leave. He would be alone once more, and he would question whether they had even really been there. Their temporary presence had no effect. No real effect. Just a nice break.
And now, it was the same. Mark knew he was nothing but a break for her. A break from her solitude. Mark knew that, in time, she woulde to hate him. Just like he hade to hate the visitors. They always lowered their gaze in shame when leaving. They always excused themselves and gavepassionate smiles. Mark hated them. Though he, at the time, had trouble epting that fact. What could they have done but feel sorry for him? He did not know. In any case, Mark didn''t want to be like them. To leave like they did. He didn''t want to be a nice break.
A sweet dream.
But giving hope is a terrible thing. Empty promises are the worst, and he had gotten many. Letting down someone to whom a promise had been made... Is a terrible thing.
Mark had already let someone down. Which is why he couldn''t find the words.
"Fine. Forget about me, but I wille back."
Lah smiled.
"I won''t be counting on it. Now, what''s the issue that keeps you from going to those waiting for you?"
Mark''s gaze moved towards the ground.
Between a chuckle and a sigh.
The irony was obvious. Telling someone to wait for you while others are already waiting? "I hurt her. Elisa. And I..."
"Do you care about her?" Lah asked after the white-scaled Monster seemed unable to find the words.
"I do."
"Do you love her?"
"What would you know about love?" Mark asked. It was a question he had been asked a while ago.
"I have my books." Lah answered with a chuckle. "So, do you?"
"I think so."
"Does she love you?"
"I... I hurt her. That changes everything-"
"I''m not asking about you. Tsk, tsk. So self-centered. I''m asking if she loves you."
"I don''t know."
"You hurt her."
"I did."
"Did you mean to?"
"It''s not so simple."
"It is. Did you mean to or not?"
"That doesn''t change anything-"
"It changes everything!"
"It doesn''t. The result is what-"
"That''s so cowardly! I''m saying that whether you meant to or not is what matters!"
"And I''m saying that it''s not."
"It is! And you know it! You''re just scared to see her! To face her!"
"I''m not."
"You are! Did you mean to or not?" Lah pressed.
"I... There was Influence, I''m sure of that. I wasn''tpletely... But I can''t tell if it came from me or if it was... If she hadn''t... Then I... I don''t know what-"
"Then you didn''t mean to hurt her! That''s what matters!"
"No! What matters is whether it will happen again or not!"
"Then the two of you will make it so that it doesn''t happen!"
"It''s not so simple-"
"It is!"
"I''ve already-"
"If she loves you, then she will forgive you!"
"You don''t know what-"
"I don''t need to know! It''s obvious that-"
"Stop shouting!"
"I won''t! It''s painfully obvious and you''re mopping around when you have someone waiting for you!"
"No! If she loves you, she will understand! She will forgive you! The truth is, you don''t care about that! You don''t want her to forgive you! You''re just running away!"
11:48
"I''m not-"
"You are! You''re a coward is what it is!"
"You don''t know what-"
"I don''t need to know!" She shouted. "If I can exin it then-"
"Don''t! Exining it won''t change anything!"
"If you would let me get a sentence out then-"
"No! If she loves you, she will understand! She will forgive you! The truth is, you don''t care about that! You don''t want her to forgive you! You''re just running away!"
"Just shut up!" Mark shouted as he grabbed her shoulders and pinned her to the ground. "You don''t know what happened. You can''t-"
"Then do it to me."
"Huh?"
A bottomless and icy abyss for eyes. Empty and dark. The dark side of the Moon stared.
Her hands moved. Shey them on his cheeks.
"Do it to me. Whatever you did that hurt her. Whatever you were going to do."
It had only taken a second for the pieces toe together.
Those Creatures of the Night, the things that Mark had thought of as Visions or Dreams at first... Familiar.
And she was too.
Ever since Mark had met Lah, she had somewhat seemed like an airhead in her demeanor. But at times, she was different.
It was more obvious now than ever.
"Do it."
She reminded him of Mina. Not Mina, the nurse who had taken care of him for years,
"Do it to me."
But the Mina who haunts his dreams.
Chapter 408 Zino!
408 Zino!
How long did Mark stare into those dark eyes?
Darker than the Night. Darker than any shadow. Darker than the forest.
The forest he had entered to get lost... Getting lost in those eyes seemed a much easier task.
"It had to do with touching her, didn''t it? Why aren''t you doing anything?" She seemed disappointed. "Am I not to your taste?"
She was.
"You have no idea what you''re talking about." Mark whispered as he pulled back.
"If you''re unwilling, then doesn''t that tell you everything you need?"
His cheeks left her hands, and shey her arms on the ground, haphazardly above her head. Mark remained silent.
"Sorry for shouting."
"Whatever. I''ll take Krista back to Elisa."
"Then?"
"Then I''ll decide."
Lah shrugged silently.
He pushed himself off the ground and she sat up.
"Guess we have to walk across again." Lah said as she dusted off her ck dress.
"Yeah."
''He''s not sulking... Is he?'' Lah asked herself, pushing her cheeks out, before standing up.
They walked.
"Who are you?"
"You''re asking that again?"
"This ce... There''s something weird about it."
"There is?"
"The things I saw... And heard when they got to me. It felt familiar."
"They''re the ones you should be asking then, no?" Lah pointed at the Creatures in the distance.
"They talk?"
"Not to me. They run away when I approach, remember?"
"Why is that?"
Lah shrugged.
"I''ve seen a number of strange ces but... This one makes them all seem normal."
"Then it''s special, huh? I''m not sure how to feel about that."
Mark stopped walking, and so did Lah one stepter.
"Do you really not remember anything? Anything other than your name?"
She thought silently for a handful of seconds.
Her lips parted. But before she could say a word,
BAM-
It suddenly resonated, making them flinch!
Before their gaze could move in the direction from which the sound emanated,
BAM-
"What''s happening??" Lah shouted, her voice filled with worry, confusion, and surprise in equal parts.
BAM-
CRACK-
At the center of the Monster Realm, a Barrier that none could enter.
Some considered it an eighth Territory of the Realm of Monsters, but most considered it the area where the seven Territories, each ruled over by a Demon Lord, met.
It was an unsolved mystery, whaty within.
A Barrier that none can enter? Unbelievable.
The seven Demon Lords had, long ago, attempted to pass through. They had failed.
Since then, every General and every Commander has, at least once, attempted to pass through the Barrier.
But no matter how many times they attacked, how strong the Magic Skills thrown at it were, the Barrier couldn''t be damaged.
Until now.
In the distance, a crack had appeared in the dark sky.
From that crack,
"Human...?"
"No. Stay behind me."
Lah nodded silently, before taking three steps back.
From the crack in the sky, it descended, sparks of lightning covering most of its body.
An explosion sent lightning bolts in every direction as itnded.
"This... Is fucking crazy. I can''t believe this... I was passing by, felt something was weird, and... Fucking hell!" Neither Mark nor Lah moved as its gaze moved from left to right.
It stood on two legs, but it wasn''t Human.
Its body was covered by a blue-greenish pelt, as well as yellow scales that covered hands, shoulders, and legs.
Protruding from its skull, two horns that pointed forward.
Grayish long hair on its head.
Its gaze finallynded on them.
Lightning permeated through its body, and most of the distance was closed in an instant.
"Which one entered? Which one was here first?"
Neither said a word.
"Answer me."
Mark didn''t need those floating words to tell. The Aura, the demeanor, as well as the strength projected by both, were more than enough to tell.
Standing a dozen meters in front of him, a General.
A General of a Demon Lord''s Army. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
[The Title "3rd General Of Wrath''s Army" stares at you.]
Mark could tell that Lah had halted her breathing.
"I-"
"Run away." He interrupted before she could say a thing. "Run away!" Mark shouted as he raised his arms.
"She seems more cooperative. Should I take you out first, Monster?"
"What... What do you want?!" Lah shouted as her hands grasped at her dark dress.
"I told you to run away." Mark repeated.
"Haha! He gets it!" The General snapped his fingers before pointing at Mark. "I''m here to see what is up with ce. Well... I''m mostly here to have fun. Since this is a pleasant surprise."
He studied them with his greenish eyes for a bit, before curling his index finger and thumb. Their tips met, and he looked through the space created.
"There''s something special about both of you. I can''t tell which one originated from... Hmph. I suppose the one who entered has to be special too."
"Can''t we talk about this??"
Sparks of lightning covered the General''s hand.
"RUN!"
"He got that right." "I can''t just leave y-"
With an upward sh, three crescent sickles of lightning were emitted, burning and ravaging the ground in their way!
Ice Maniption-
The wall of ice was brought down right away.
She had closed her eyes and raised her arms defensively.
Shaking. Fearful. Unable to move.
I can only notice the Moon or its light when staring at it-
Once my hand covers it, it''s total darkness again-
"Lah!" Mark shouted.
Only then did she snap out of it.
It was the first time she had heard her name being called out.
Light that only exists when seen-
"I see you, alright? So run!"
The General tilted his head in slight confusion.
"The Barrier was weakened by me... And by him now! You can find the Barrier! Probably! So go!"
Her eyes widened and she grasped her dress tightly.
"I''lle find you! Go! Now!"
Lah hesitated, but she turned away.
"So she''s this ce''s secret. Interesting..."
"You said she was special. How so?" Mark asked as he extended his ws.
"What does it matter? You should ask my name instead. The name of the one about to kill you."
"Fuck off."
A vein popped on the General''s forehead.
"You better listen..." He cracked his knuckles. "Bad things happen when I get angry."
The General''s Aura red up right away.
"What''s your name?"
"Zino." The General answered with a smile, d to have his way. "Now, let''s y!"
Mark took a deep breath in.
''The Demon Lords pull power from their Deadly Sin... If he''s a General of Wrath...'' mes rose from Mark''s left arm. ''The goal is to kill him without getting him angry. How do I even do that...?''
The -How- doesn''t matter. Just get it done.
Why?
Because this is a test!
Chapter 409 On Both Sides Of The Barrier!
409 On Both Sides Of The Barrier!
"Come on, now. Let''s y for a bit! Let''s have some fun!" Zino shouted excitedly as sparks of blueish lightning moved up and down his arms.
The white-scaled Monster had remained unmoving for a bit, deep in thought.
''More my time inside the Dungeon, I know that Aura is somehow linked to one''s mind. Fighting spirit, anger, resolve... All of those influence the strength and quantity of Aura produced. That and Titles. As a General of Wrath, he might be something like a Berserker? But in a different way than that Commander. His Title will influence his strength the more his resembles a General Of Wrath, the more he acts like a General of Wrath, the angrier he gets. That''s why...''
"Come on!" Zino leaped forward, his ws imbued with lightning. ''He''s fast...!''
sh-
Mark jumped back.
"Ha! So you can at least dodge this. Good! Good!"
shes, leg kicks, punches.
"Huh... You''re pretty boring." Zino muttered after his clenched fistnded on the white-scaled Monster''s side. The power was enough to push Mark a handful of steps away, but not enough to make his feet leave the ground.
"All you''re doing is-"
The white-scaled Monster suddenly took a leap closer. The General Of Wrath''s lips curled upwards, just as they had started curling downwards.
Mark threw a punch, but it was blocked. The ws on his left hand moved, but his wrist was grabbed before those ws could reach. mes rose from his left arm. But he was pulled with such strength that his whole body was lifted into the air. BAM-
Mark''s back was mmed against the ground.
He quickly extended his right hand towards the enemy. But Zino was well aware. The General''s hand moved to block whatever was going toe from that right hand but...
Zino jumped back.
"Cheap trick." He snorted, obviously amused. It took no effort for his hand to form a fist, shattering the ice that had been formed around it.
''He''s not taking me seriously. You want to have fun, huh?'' Mark''s lips curled slightly. ''I''m d.''
He quickly got back onto his feet.
''There was a time when this would have made me so angry. Enraged by it... So insecure.''
The General''s fists collided, and gauntlets of lightning covered them.
"Let''s pick up the pace, okay? I really want to have fun!"
Zino''s movements were swift, but Mark''s eye did not leave him.
''Those eyes looking at me from above... Not seeing me like a threat... Just like the eyes those used to have, taking pity on me, feeling sorry for me... Oh, how angry it used to make me.''
The white-scaled Monster managed to dodge or block close to every hit.
''But I''ve shown to many that I shouldn''t be underestimated. Guardian upon Guardian... They underestimated me, and I showed them. It felt good proving them wrong, but it always enraged me. That''s why I''m d. I''m d that I''ve grown enough...''
Three Fire Balls were shot. They were cut in two by the General''s ws. The explosion they left in their wake felt even less threatening than the sparks born from the collision of their ws.
''To feel happy about being underestimated. I''m d that I''ve grown enough... That I can now see it as an opportunity.''
The white-scaled Monster spread its wings.
"Going to fly away?"
The next second, hundreds and hundreds of purple and venomous particles were emitted into the air.
Just when the General was about to step back, spikes exited the ground, aimed at his back.
"Ha!" Attacked from both front and back, Zino jumped into the air.
''Nothing more fun than seeing a variety of tricks and Magic Types, right? Since most can only use one or two Magic Types.''
The hairs covering the General''s body stood on end. ''That venomous cloud... It''s only there to hide his next move?!''
The next second, the purple cloud was pierced through!
A Dark Corrupting Spear moved with high speed, aimed at the General''s heart!
"Fun..." Zino whispered as he pointed with his index finger.
Mark''s eye stared through the hole in the cloud left by the Spear. The General pointed at that eye.
The white-scaled Monster''s body suddenly shuddered!
Quick. Fast. No, neither could describe the speed at which it moved.
There was only one way to describe it. Ironically, Mark had described things that way many times. He realized how wrong he had been topare those speeds to the real thing.
From the tip of the General''s index finger to the cloud of purple particles, moving through the Dark Corrupting Spear.
It was just as fast as Lightning. Because it was.
Before Mark could even register what had happened, the Dark Corrupting Spear had been pierced through, and so had the purple cloud hiding his body.
Corruption Magic was a great weapon. Magic Skills such as Mark''s Dark Corrupting Spear were deadly. After all, even if defended against, the Weapon would turn back into the liquid it had been made with, thereby possibly sshing the enemy with Corruption. But Corruption Magic had weaknesses, as all Magic Types and Magic Skills do. The first time Mark had noticed this was against the Lower Demonic Giant of the Dungeon''s Second Floor. Its burning body and the mes that resided within it made the Lower Demonic Giant resistant to Corruption Magic, if not immune.
The Dark Corrupting Spear and the Corruption it held had been burnt, evaporated.
By the time Mark noticed, arge portion of the ground, four steps behind him and slightly to his left, had been scorched and destroyed.
The white-scaled Monster''s hand twitched.
''He missed... On purpose...?''
Gulp-
"Phew! Almost got too excited there!" The General shouted as he tilted his, still airborne, body forward.
Missing him like that was both a show of strength and a show of confidence, Mark thought to himself.
''Better keep him entertained-''
Just when Mark was about to step forward, it resonated.
The bted and fearsome roar of thunder.
An attack that will kill before it is heard.
The white-scaled Monster couldn''t help but smile nerveously.
Two explosions at the soles of the General''s feetunched him towards that Monster.
A thick wall of ice rose and fell.
The shards of ice hung in the air momentarily.
Mark, who had disappeared from the General''s field of vision for a moment, appeared behind that General.
His arm pulled back, his fist clenched.
The sharp shards of ice moved simultaneously towards the General.
Zino, a wide smile on his face, turned towards the Monster.
Just as both were about to throw a punch, Mark opened his mouth.
WIND BLAST-
The recoil of the st pushed Mark about three steps back, which wasn''t an issue, as he jumped back right when his feet touched the ground.
''Tsk.''
"Not bad. Not bad! I like this!" Zino shouted.
The General of Wrath hadn''t been moved by the Magic Skill at all. It seemed to have had no effect.
Not only that but,
''The ice couldn''t even reach his skin. His speed, strength, and power I can try to deal with but...''
"Let''s keep this going!!"
''What''s up with that thick pelt?!''
The distance was quickly closed and a clenched fist collided with Mark''s cheek, sending him away.
The instant, his feet touched the ground, he leaped forward.
''I need him to underestimate me more! I need him to drop his guard but...!''
"That''s it! Light up that fire in you!! Let''s have some fun, Monster!!"
The white-scaled Monster suddenly stopped.
"Huh? What''s up with you?"
Mark momentarily scratched his nose.
''What am I doing? After this? Even if I beat him then... What am I doing about Lah? About Krista? What am I doing... About... Elisa?''
The white-scaled Monster opened its hands.
p- p-
''I need... To focus. I''ll deal with that... When I get to it. None of that matters if I don''t get past this. This... Is a test. And I''m nning on passing.'' n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Mark''s hands pped his cheeks a third time for good measure.
''Nothing matters... If I don''t get past this. Which means that while I''m here, nothing else matters.''
The General suddenly felt a shiver go up his spine, causing his lips to curl up further.
"Yeah..." Mark nodded. He raised his fists before shouting, "Let''s have some fun!"
Shivers went up and down the General''s spine at those words.
Zino stared with a wide smile.
''Electrifying!'' He could barely contain himself.
Both leaped towards one another.
With each exchange, Mark''s movements grew a bit faster.
With each exchange, he could block and deflect a bit better.
With each exchange, his focus grew sharper!
But the reason why he could focus, was because he did not know.
Messages that should have reached him didn''t, as he had muted the System earlier.
[Your Underling "Krista" is Evolving rapidly!]
[Your Underling "Krista" is Evolving rapidly!]
Unbeknowst to Mark, the fighting wasn''t restricted to within the Barrier.
"You''ll probably fetch a good price. Or maybe I''ll skin you instead?" A peculiar-looking being resembling an Ogre, though too short and skinny to be one, sneered as he tapped his palm with the rolled-up whip he held in his other hand.
The Lioness opened her mouth wide.
ROARR-
Krista faces off against a Commander of Wrath!!
Chapter 410 Krista Vs Commander!
410 Krista Vs Commander!
High up above the ground, still as could be, the Lioness waited.
With her body lying over a tall tree''s branch,none could notice her presence.
Even the natural shine that her eyes usually have had been dimmed.
Protect Master. Wait for Master.
Nothing else matters.
Krista waited, and waited.
She grew ustomed to the darkness she used to fear.
The Lioness waited in the dark.
From time to time, Monsters and horrific Creatures passed below. She did not care. She did not mind.
They couldn''t notice her. And she barely noticed them. Because they were inconsequential.
How long had Master been gone for? An hour? Two? The Lioness waited. Without moving, without looking away.
Step- Step- Step-
It walked closer.
Another inconsequential-
"Damn that Zino..."
It talks? Different from the others.
"Going on ahead after bringing me with him. I hate ces like these! Fuck! I should just leave... But if he finds me outsideter, I''ll definitely lose an arm. Why the hell did I have to choose these Generals to follow? If only Lord Charon was still here..."
It walked on two feet. A dark robe covered its whole body, but its face was undoubtedly that of an Ogre. An Ogre''s ugliness is hard to forget. Its skin was blue though.
"Please, please, please, don''t let me go inside. I''ve never wanted a Barrier to reject me more than now." The cloaked being whispered, before reaching forward.
Pierce-
"ARGHHHH!! WHAT THE FUCK??!! GAAAAA!!" He screamed and screamed as an Ice Spike had suddenly pierced his hand before it could reach the Barrier.
The Ogre-like Monster immediately turned around.
"WHO DARES ATTACK A COMMANDER OF WRATH?? SHOW YOURSELF!!"
The Commander pulled the Ice Spike out of his hand and vigntly looked around.
Whatever hadunched the attack had already moved.
The next second, a second Ice Spike approached.
This time, it came from above!
''Ice Maniption...? This one holds much more-''
The Ice Spike pierced the ground,nding exactly between the Commander and the Barrier.
Immediately, the Freezing Mana spread, creating a wall of ice along the Barrier.
The Commander of Wrath chuckled internally.
''Thank god... This should be good enough an excuse not to enter.''
Hidden a dozen meters away, Krista stared, slightly confused.
This Commander is different from the others.
The Moonlit Feline couldn''t help but instinctively think that he was weaker and more cowardly than the other two Commanders it had seen.
Protect Master. Don''t let him go inside and take Master by surprise.
With those objectives, Krista had no reason to attack further.
That was the case until the Commander gave her a reason.
His right hand moved towards his waist, while his left hand started quickly healing.
Just like Master...?
There weren''t many who could heal this way. But the Commander did resemble an Ogre, and Krista does remember her Master asking Underlings to bring him Ogres, exactly for their capacity to heal quickly.
"Let''s y, huh?" A phrase that the Commander had, no doubt, heard many times said by the General of Wrath Zino.
The Commander''s arm moved with great speed as he turned around.
Sensing an opening, Krista leaped forward!
The air screeched as the swung whip cut through it.
The Moonlit Feline''s eyes widened as the wall of ice was shattered in one hit.
How is that possible? Even with a lot of strength, using a thin whip shouldn''t...
Krista assumed that the whip wasn''t a normal weapon, but one capable of some kind of Magic Skill. A weapon imbued with a Magic Skill. Krista hadn''t seen many of those, but the Timeworn Elven Daggers that could be moved telekically had left an impression.
The same way that Mark had started using the "Wind st" Magic Skill whennding a hit to increase the force. Krista thought the whip was capable of something simr.
"Ouf-" The Commander yelped, turning back just in time for the Lioness'' ws to miss him. "Let''s take this slow." His left hand moved towards his waist.
Krista went beyond and, as shended on the ground, used Ice Magic to create a thin wall of ice behind her. Thin because its purpose wasn''t to protect, but to hide.
The Commander swung his whip once again. The Lioness had disappeared.
''If it''s guarding this ce, then I''ll have to act as if I''m nning to go inside. Otherwise, it had no reason to fight. I can handle this one though, right? Yeah. Yeah? I can. Alright. I just need to buy time for Zino to be done. Wonder what Krral is doing... In any case, I''m d to be alone now. It''s strange for this one to be guarding this ce when the other Monsters are-''
Four Ice Spikes approached from four different directions. They were destroyed by the Commander''s whips.
Krista immediately made a mental note.
The brown whip shattered the Ice Spikespletely, turning them into dust.
The green whip cut through them.
Thetter effect was closer to what Krista had expecteding from a whip.
''If they see me like this, I might seriously get punished... Need to at least appear like I''m fighting.''
The Commander raised his arms and,
Crack- Crack- Crack-
The whips were swung erratically, in every direction, towards nothing in particr.
An opening? The Moonlit Feline wasn''t sure. It watched.
With each swing, the whips picked up speed. Faster, and faster, and faster.
Once the speed was dimmed enough,
"Let''s get rid of all this shit!"
Both whips were swung in a circr motion with incredible speed!
Everything around the Commander, whether bush, tree, or boulder, was cut through and shattered.
The tree on which Krista had been standing was destroyed!
As she started her descent... Trouble. Trouble. Trouble. Trouble!
Run away? No, Master!
But fighting a Commander without being able to even hide is impossible!
So what? Master!
But how? If I had Levi''s strength, or Light''s ability to disappear in darkness and shadows-
The Moonlit Feline''s eyes widened.
The perfect move dawned on her.
Krista pulled her body back, and leaped into the air.
''Huh? Coming right to me? Tsk. I wanted to buy more time but...''
At the airborne Lioness, the Commander swung its whip!
Anxiety immediately rose. Why did he only swing one of them? Not only that, but the normal one, not the one that shattered the trees, boulders, and walls of ice? Krista''s n was perfect, but she hadn''t ounted for this. The Commander''s urge to kill wasn''t strong. She had failed to ount for the Commander''s extremely sadistic nature.
The whip approached the Lioness'' body and,
PHOOOO-
A blinding light! Krista''s move had three objectives.
''Shit-''
Having been plunged in total darkness for a while, the Commander''s eyes had more than limated to it. The sudden burst of light made him feel like his retinas were burning!
The whip has already been swung though, it simply takes longer toplete its trajectory than a sword would. Blinding the Commander has no effect on the iing hit!
But unbeknownst to the Commander, the Lioness wasn''t a Lioness anymore, but a Cat!
The target was much smaller now.
But that''s the issue with the Commander swinging only one of his whips! Had he swung both, one would have been aimed at the upper portion of the Lioness'' body, while the other would have been aimed at the lower portion. Krista thought this way of attacking would have been the most logical, as it decreased the chance of the attack being dodged by covering more distance! This would have allowed the smaller Cat to simply pass through the space left open between the two!
No time to think!
Ice Maniption-
Ayer of ice covered the white-furred cat.
The right timing is necessary!
Remember the way Elisa moves. Just when it''s about toe into contact... Spin with the attack!
''Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Shit. Shit. Shit.'' The Commander cursed internally. No matter the difference in Stats, if blinded and unable to see then-
Drops of bloodnded on the Commander''s shoulder.
He immediately turned around, a desperate smile on his face.
''Behind me! It hit!''
The whip had indeed hit.
The Commander thought that an unmoving and dying Moonlit Feline would fall beyond him, but that wasn''t the case.
With arge wound on her back, Krista''s paws approached the ground!
Levi wouldn''t have been hurt by this. Light could have let the whip pass through him. Elisa''s movement and timing would have been perfect, allowing her to-
None of that matters now.
The Moonlit Feline''s paws touched the ground and, immediately, a huge portion of its Mana was used.
The Ice quickly spread, closing the distance.
''Shit!''
A thickyer covered the ground, and the Commander''s legs!
"What the fuck is..." He shouted, covered in Ice up to his waist. The cold and the previous attacks that had beenunched at him allowed the blinded Commander to realize that it was Ice hindering his movement.
Krista''s move had three objectives.
She rapidly turned around, moved outside the area that had been made barren, and climbed up the closest tree.
Objective 1: Blind the Commander.
Objective 2: Dodge the Commander''s attack by decreasing her size.
The third objective quickly let itself be known.
"No, no, NO!" The Commander shouted, feeling the vibrations and the trembling of the earth. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Growl! Screech! Growl! Screech!
From above the tree, the Moonlit Feline watches, silently licking its wound, as the Creatures of the Night approach, rmed by the Light that had pierced through the forest''s darkness.
A paragraphment has been added to the chapter title "Lah" with a picture of the character in question!
Should I make a new discord server where I can share all the pictures at once? It would be nice to be able to discuss things too.
Also, happy new year. Sorry for beingte and away. Adam_K47xx
Chapter 411 Power Over Tricks
411 Power Over Tricks
From above the tree, the Moonlit Feline watches, silently licking its wound, as the Creatures of the Night approach, rmed by the Light that had pierced through the forest''s darkness.
The Master, just like his Underling, had tricks up his sleeve.
"Let''s pick up the pace!" Zino had shouted moments earlier.
His attacks had be heavier. His movements faster and deadlier. Thepse of time between each move shrunk.
Mark struggled to keep up.
Attacking wasn''t an option. He could barely block, most of the time reaching toote, which made each hit from the General of Wrath stagger him.
Even keeping his bnce when hit by such heavy attacks was difficult.
''Afraid that I''ll knock you out?'' The General thought to himself, noticing the Monster''s tendencies in blocking and defending.
Indeed, the white-scaled Monster focused primarily on protecting its head, which meant that more attacksnded on the rest of its body.
The Monster didn''t mind though. Protecting its head was the most important thing, as hitsnding on spots where there was more muscle and where there were stronger bones was preferable.
Fire Magic, Ice Magic, Corruption Magic, Earth Magic, Wind Magic.
The General of Wrath had seen it all.
It was entertaining, but the Monster didn''t seem to have much more than that.
Sacrificing Quality over Quantity was a bad move, Zino thought. And of course, he would think that, as one of, if not the most proficient user of Lightning Magic in the Realm of Monsters.
''Not yet...''
A fist covered by Lightningnded on the white-scaled Monster''s side.
''No yet...''
"Haha! Fire Resistance, huh?"
A leg kick swept the Monster off its feet.
''Not yet!'' As its hands reached for the ground, its tail moved towards the General''s head.
"Fun... But sloppy." Zino said as he grabbed the iing tail before it could reach his chin.
The white-scaled Monster was raised into the air by its tail and mmed against the ground.
''A test... I have to...''
"Mmm..." The General tapped his chin with his index finger. "You were fun. Let''s hope that one will be too."
An exhausted white-scaled Monster rose from the ground.
"I''ll go for your heart," Zino smiled. "Okay?"
Mark was breathing heavily. Nevertheless, his eye didn''t leave the General.
Thetter was kind enough not to use his blindspot, which is, no doubt, that brought this on.
With great speed, the General leaped forward, aiming for Mark''s neck!
''Huh...?''
Both his eyes and his smile widened at once!
''HUH??''
The white-scaled Monster moved way faster than was expected!
Its speed had increased by 50%. No. It had almost doubled!
To get the General to drop his guard further, Mark urged the former to underestimate him further. The simplest way of doing so was slowing down his movements and lowering the strength of his hits. Simple, but not easy. Not putting everything he had into each move could tip the opponent. But Mark had managed to y the part expertly. How so?
Because it hadn''t been that long since the time he was weaker. His muscles, strengthened by the Fire Giant Core, couldn''t show their true strength due to the weakness of his bones. Devouring the Undead Lich''s body solved that issue, but it was still fresh inside Mark''s mind. How strong he was at the time. How fast it was at the time. How tiring it was for his muscles to limit their output with his every move. The exhaustion quickly faded as his muscles were let free!
It was only a step forward, slightly to the side. But the speed of that step and the precision were of a totally different level than before. The General''s ws grazed Mark''s shoulder and,
Clench-
He used another trick.
Another thing he had kept secret from the General until now.
Instantly, they ballooned up in size!
His shoulder, his arm, his forearm!
Every muscle grewrger and stronger!
Partial Gigantification!
BAM-
***
The Lioness'' roar resonated throughout the dark forest as the Commander''s whip descended upon her back.
"You little shit. Did you really think those could fight me? Ha! Pathetic!"
Krista jumped back, but the Commander''s hits were faster!
Her front paw was hit, making her yelp.
The pain was so sharp. The area hit stung like nothing else.
The Creatures of the dark forest had been defeated, the ice trapping his body had been destroyed, the attackunched by the Moonlit Feline dodged, and a third whip had been pulled out.
One that didn''t cut through things. It didn''t shatter things either.
In terms of damage, it was much weaker than the other two.
Which made it all the more strange, unnerving, and disgusting.
If the other whips had shattering and cutting properties, this one had something very different.
Pain.
That''s all there was to it. Each hit made the one hit feel pain like no other.
A barrier of ice was raised. It was brought down by the Commander''s brown whip.
Ice Spikes were shot. They were shattered by that same whip.
The Commander, for the first time, leaped towards the Moonlit Feline.
The difference in strength was too obvious!
Krista needed to create more distance! Crack- n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Yelp-
She had consumed too much Mana Points earlier when the Commander was surrounded and trapped by the Ice. She hadunched an attack she was sure would hit... But it hadn''t.
Again and again, the whip descended upon the Moonlit Feline''s. Again and again, until the pain took over her mind.
The Lioness'' roars turned into yelps.
But... Master!!
***
"Not bad, little guy. But..." ''Tsk.'' Mark clicked his tongue internally.
His fist, imbued with the power of the Giants, hadnded cleanly on the General''s side.
Yet, aside from Zino''s feet drifting on the ground and stopping two steps away, there was no sign of any effect.
The General tilted his head slightly.
"Is that it?"
Before Mark could react, a kicknded on his side,unching him away.
With wide eyes, hey on the ground for half a second. Had he not Devoured the Undead Lich''s bones, both his elbow and ribs would have shattered. Mark quickly rose to his feet.
''That pelt... Took off most of the damage from my hit.''
If even Partial Gigantification doesn''t work then...?
Two wildcards remain for Mark.
Would the General of Wrath allow their use though?
Chapter 412 Deceit & Evolution!
412 Deceit & Evolution!
To Mark''s surprise, the General of Wrath didn''t increase the speed or force of his movements and attacks.
He could now fairly easily dodge the attacks.
But after a couple of seconds, Zino suddenly stopped moving.
"I can''t... Believe it." The General of Wrath whispered, his gaze stuck to the ground.
Before Mark could say a word, "You fucked me, Monster. You really did. I can''t believe this."
Adding to his surprise, ''...?''
Tears went down Zino''s face. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
The General is...??
"I can''t believe you would fuck me like that." Zino cried as the Lightning that was moving up and down his body slowly disappeared. "I thought you understood. But you''re actually like all the rest of them!"
''Shit...!''
Recing that Lightning, a violent red Aura started oozing out of the General''s body.
He took a step forward, and the ground cracked below the weight of his step and the pressure of his Aura.
"I THOUGHT YOU UNDERSTOOD!!" Zino shouted as he ran forward.
Mark immediately focused on the opponent.
His movements and the weight behind them made it clear.
''Dodge... At any cost.''
The General of Wrath''s strength was Lightning. He used it to both cast incredibly fast Lightning Magic Skills and to strengthen his own body. That strengthening, Mark thought, mostly increased the speed of his movements. Now, there was only Aura. Which made his movements heavier and more powerful.
''Almost like two different forms.''
One focusing on speed, the other on strength.
Mark thought the first one to be deadlier.
Of course, if both were to bebined...
''Tsk...!''
The white-scaled Monster dodged the attack, but the wind pressure produced by the punch thrown was strong enough to mess up his bnce!
13:51
"I THOUGHT WE WERE BOTH HAVING FUN!!" The General of Wrath shouted at the top of his lungs as his fist, enveloped with Aura,nded on the Monster''s side. "I THOUGHT WE WERE BOTH FIGHTING FREELY!! BOTH PUTTING OUR STRENGTH TO THE TEST!! BUT YOU FUCKED ME!! HOW COULD YOU CHEAT ME THIS WAY?? HOW?!" Zino''s sadness turned into pure anger as the white-scaled Monster wasunched away. Before the Monster could even hit the ground, the General was already running forward!
"YOU''RE JUST LIKE ALL OF THEM!! YOU AND YOUR CUNNING TRICKS!! DECEITFUL SONS OF BITCHES!! I KNEW YOU WERE WEAK! I KNEW YOU WERE A WEAKLING!! BUT I THOUGHT..." Standing over the white-scaled Monster lying on the ground, Zino pulled his arm back. "I THOUGHT YOU WERE AT LEAST HONEST!!"
With the General''s shout, the earth screamed as countless fissures were created around the point of impact.
The white-scaled Monster had barely managed to move its head in time.
It swiftly grabbed the General''s wrist with both hands, raised its hips, and crossed its legs around that General''s shoulder.
Aiming to break Zino''s elbow...
Partial Gigantification!
With his heels on the General''s shoulders and his hips strengthened by the Skill, he pushed against that elbow.
With his arms imbued with the Power of the Giants, he pulled that wrist!
The sequence of movements was perfect! Not one instant had been wasted.
The General didn''t care one bit.
His wrist is being pulled down? Fine!
"ARGHH...!!"
The General''s wrist and fist didn''t fight back. On the contrary, Zino pushed down against the white-scaled Monster''s sternum!
The weight and pressure made Mark feel like his heart would be crushed!
The fissures on the ground grew wider!
Would the elbow break, or would the heart burst? Which will give out first??
The wrist that Mark had been pulling on had be an unmovable weight on his chest!
***
It hurts.
It hurts!
I need to dodge!
I can''t! That whip is too fast!!
I need to run away!
No! I came for Master! I won''t leave without Master.
BUT IT HURTS!
If I was like Levi... Like Light...
I am not!
I need to find a way!
I need to move just like Elisa does!
But I can''t... Do that.
I can! I need to!
I need to find a way! The same way Master always does!
But I''m not like...
I am strong!
Against the Boss Monster of the Fourth Floor, against that Giants of the Second Floor... Master relied on me!
I am by Master''s side because I am strong!
I am not dead weight! I am not weak! I don''t need to be protected! I am strong!
I wanted to prove it every time... Every time that Master told me to wait. To enter that Ne.
But then... What now?
I need to be stronger! The same way Master does!
But I am not...
I am Master''s Underling! I will prove... That I am Master''s Underling!
I need to be more like Master! More like Elisa!
So that I won''t have to wait anymore. So that I won''t be dead weight.
So that when the three of us are back together...
"The same puny trick?" The Commander of Wrath whispered to himself as he stopped swinging his whip and jumped back thrice. From the Moonlit Feline chest, a blueish light shone! The light grew brighter and brighter until its body wasn''t visible anymore!
The ground started shaking.
The Creatures of the Night ran and leaped towards that Light. To suppress it. To suffocate it!
So that when the three of us are back together-
The Commander of Wrath suddenly felt a chill.
The night was getting cold.
Incredibly cold.
''I can fight by your side!''
...
The light faded.
The Commander of Wrath chuckled. The Creatures of the Night were still-
Why aren''t they moving? Wait... They''re hanging in the air??
Perhaps it was because of the darkness, because of theck of light but...
A small and delicate hand made its way out.
It grabbed onto... The air?
The hand pulled on it, and it cracked.
The Commander of Wrath felt a shiver.
The blocks fell as they broke. The Creatures of the Night, dead and part of those blocks, were fissured and shattered. That''s how cold it was. How quickly their body temperature had dropped. Ice so clear it was invisible.
"I will..."
Krista''s eyes shone brighter than ever.
"Protect Master."
The Commander''s eyes, too, shone.
A Moonlit Feline had just Evolved in front of him.
And as Krista''s body was revealed,
''Eleven... No, thirteen years old?''
The Commander smiled, his face contorted with wickedness.
''Those fetch a very good price... When sold to the right people.''
Chapter 413 Krista Evolves Against The Commander!
413 Krista Evolves Against The Commander!
''Shit! Shit! Shit!!'' The Commander of Wrath cursed internally. ''I can''t hit her! Why? How??''
Her pale blueish hair was short, barely reaching her chin.
Her eyshes were long and glittering.
Her body exuded steam continually, as if she was burning up.
Her steps were light and graceful, and her bare feet, each time they came into contact with the ground, left a thin trail for Ice.
It was only thanks to the Ice left behind by each step, that the Commander could tell that it wasn''t steam that was oozing out of her body, but a natural freezing mist.
Again and again, the Commander swung his whip! Not once did it hit.
''Light... On my feet.''
Dancing through the frantic onught of whip attacks, Krista hadpletely changed.
Her pointy nose shook. She lowered her body, letting the whip pass above.
From her lower back, a tail swayed from right to left.
The Commander took out a second whip, and both were swung at once.
''Quickly, and gracefully...''
With a back handspring, her right foot found its way to the rough surface of a tree''s trunk. In one continuous motion, she nted that foot on the trunk, and used it as a tform to perform a perfect side flip, leaving way for the second hit to miss and cut through the tree she had just jumped off of.
''Like Elisa.''
Krista leaped forward!
"You little shit!" The Commander shouted as he swung!
She gave her wrist to the approaching whip!
But before it could hit, Krista''s hand moved with that whip, before taking hold of it!
Did her body not continually exude the cold mist, the friction might have made her hand bleed!
Before the Commander could even make a move, Ice rapidly started spreading up the whip!
''Powerfully, and sturdily...''
Not only was the Ice spreading up, but ayer of it had also stuck Krista''s hand to that whip!
She pulled with all her strength!
''Like Master!''
***
Under the weight of the General of Wrath''s body, the weight of his strength, the pressure of his Aura, Mark couldn''t win in a a contest of strength!
Realizing that his ribcage would give out before the General''s wrist, he changed his objective.
Breathing was barely possible. But the moment he had inhaled enough, Mark unwrapped his legs from around the General''s shoulder.
The next instant, the white-scaled Monster puckered its lips!
Phew- n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
At the same time, it pushed against the General''s body with its legs, pushed the wrist away with its hands, and blew air towards the General''s face.
Or so Zino had expected.
What exited the white-scaled Monster''s mouth wasn''t air!
Blinding Sand-
The perfect weapon for the weak, targeted at the strong''s eyes.
Mark had managed to free himself. "You cunning... Scheming... Deceptive liar!!" Zino shouted as he brought his hands to his stinging eyes.
There was no time to lose. Mark immediately lowered his arms to the ground.
A trail of Ice moved towards the General''s position, and a Dome was created, trapping him in.
The next second, going down his right arm, a dark river!
The Corruption moved up the trail and seeped into the Dome.
The Corrupting liquid now made up the interioryer of that Dome and,
Corruption Control-
Dozens of spikes were extended towards the center of the Dome erratically and randomly.
Blinding Sand is only [E]-Ranked. In no way is it possible for it tost more than a couple of seconds when used against a General!
Mark brought his palms together and aimed!
The Purging Ray Magic Skill was shot, piercing through both ends of the Dome!
It wasn''t enough. Not nearly enough. But now that the Corruption-
In an instant, it was brought down.
The Ice Dome had fallen.
The spikes of Corruption were visible. The right side of the General''s thigh had been grazed.
''That... Fucking pelt...!'' Mark clenched his teeth, thinking about his next move when,
"I thought we were both having fun. I thought you were having fun facing death... But you were lying. You tricked me..." The General whispered.
The white-scaled Monster found that incredibly funny.
Had the two met a while ago...
''But right now, I''m not having fun at all. Even though I''m fighting. Even though I''m fighting with my body. Even though I''m facing a General. Even though my legs are working. Even though my heart is beating.''
I''m not having fun at all.
''I need to go to Krista.''
The ground under the General, as well as the Corrupting liquid that had failed to do a thing, were suddenly scorched.
The heat was the first sign.
Mark jumped back.
The General of Wrath pointed with his index finger. The second sign.
Earth Magic-
Ice Magic-
Golem Armor-
Mana Barrier-
Protective mes oozed out and covered the white-scaled Monster''s body as the newly obtained Fire d Passive Skill activated.
Two signs. That''s all you get.
Sound is usually a sign of somethinging. But not when ites to Lightning. Thunder would only follow secondster.
The tip of the General''s index finger shone.
The fastest attack Mark had ever witnessed. Nothing moved as fast or even close to it.
Ironically, the bolt of lightning did not even more in one straight line. No. It moved erratically, taking sudden turns and angles at times, though not many had the Eyes to notice that. Despite not moving in a straight line, it was the fastest.
The walls, barriers, domes... Nothing could stop it.
Everything was pierced through. Burnt through. None of the Magic Skilld that Mark had used could even offer an ounce of resistance.
Had it not been for hisst move, a desperate gamble at thest second, half of his body would have been blown to bits while the other half would have been scorched.
As the domes, walls, and barriers, were blown away, as the dust slowly settled, it was revealed.
And Zino felt more infuriated, more cheated than ever.
"Pathetic schemes and tactics weren''t enough...? You''re even..."
A panting white-scaled Monster with its arms extended forward. Parts of its fingers had disappeared.
"Resorting to Items?" Zino whispered with great disgust.
The panting Mark lowered his arms.
''That was scary...'' He thought, before stepping forward.
The white-scaled Monster clenched its fists.
Fists covered by Gauntlets. Gauntlets that used to belong to a certain...
You better remember his name!-
He was an Orcish Fiend!-
"Guess I owe you..." Mark whispered. "Lin."
Chapter 414 Ive Done All I Could
414 I''ve Done All I Could
"You''re the lowest of the low!!" Zino shouted as his clenched fist approached Mark''s stomach.
The white-scaled Monster was fast enough to react, cing both hands in the way.
The power was enough to raise Mark''s feet off the ground, but not enough for him to lose his bnce.
"Don''t think that those will save you. It''s Absorption, not Nullification. Once they reach their limits..." Lightning permeated and moved up and down the General''s arms. "They''ll break! But that''s only..." The distance was closed right away. The General feinted a kick, but ws wrapped in Lightningnded on the Gauntlet covering Mark''s right hand. "If I don''t break before that!"
A bone-chilling screech resonated as the ws tried to pierce through the Gauntlet!
As the General''s focus was directed in front of him, Mark decided to,
Partial Gigantification-
The General''s side was hit, and its body wasunched away! Though just like Mark earlier, Zino didn''t lose his bnce.
"That tail..." He whispered from a dozen meters away. "I''ll have to cut it, huh?"
Coupled with Partial Gigantification, the "Destructive Tail Flick[B]" Passive Skill shows its strength!
''But I can''tnd it on him while he''s on the move. In any case, since he closed the distance, that must mean that Skill is on a countdown? He''s using Mana and Lightning freely, so that must be it. My Mana on the other hand...''
After using Partial Gigantification repeatedly as well as other Magic Skills, Mark''s reserve of Mana was getting frighteningly low.
''He has used it twice now. About five minutes between each use? Is that how long the countdownsts...?''
There was no real way of figuring out the answer.
Three spheres of Lightning were shot by Zino as he ran forward.
Mark''s eyes widened as he was preparing to dodge.
''Remember... That feeling!''
BOOM- BOOM- BOOM-
The cloud of smoke was cut in two, and Mark steps forward!
''Ten, no... Twenty percent.''
The Title "Fire Devourer", born from the "Fire Absorption" Skill, aids in replenishing Mark''s Mana Points! Just like Heat and Fire Resistance helped when hit by Lightning, the Fire Devourer Title allowed him to Devour or Absorb some Mana from the attacks. This wouldn''t have helped without the Gauntlets, which absorbed Mana. The Gauntlets absorbed the Mana, which facilitated the Title''s effect!
As Mark stepped forward, the General of Wrath sighed.
"You''re really not letting this be a pleasant memory, huh?" Zino scratched his head. "Have it your way."
Immediately, Lightning covered the right side of his body. Aura oozed out of the left side.
''Shit-''
The downward punch made the white-scaled Monster''s body hit the ground and bounce back up.
A vertical kicknded on the Monster''s stomach, sending him high up into the air while drops of blood sttered against the ground below.
It only took an instant for the General of Wrath to reach that height, and send the white-scaled Monster straight down to the ground!
BAMM-
CRACKKK-
A huge crater was formed, with the white-scaled Monster at its center.
''Son of a bitch managed to defend, even if barely. Those Gauntlets aren''t as close to breaking as before. Could it be...?''
Zino''s feetnded on the ground.
He stared silently, deep in thought.
''I should still have a bit of time-''
Mark''s thoughts were interrupted, as the General of Wrath pointed forward.
"Let''s break them."
The earth below the General was scorched once more.
The white-scaled Monster tried raising his hands as fast as he could!
The attack is so fast that if the General were to aim for somewhere else... That doesn''t matter! Protect the head and the chest! That''s all I can-
In a sh, no. Even faster than that. By the sh hit, the Gauntlets around Mark''s hands were already cracking.
''Shit!''
It was only for a moment, but the Gauntlets had absorbed the power and Mana before breaking. For just a moment, Mark absorbed the excess. Although the absorption rate wasn''t enough to keep the Gauntlets from reaching way beyond capacity and breaking.
In an instant,
BAM-
A punch from the Generalnded. Mark had instinctively defended, which meant putting the already cracked Gauntlets in the way.
They shattered, and started falling off his hands.
A front kicknded on his stomach, making him cough up blood andunching him away, not before he could store the shattered Gauntlets in his Inventory.
"Let''s see how you will deal with it this time."
The white-scaled Monster clenched his teeth.
There was only one possibility.
Would it even work? What would be the result of it?
There was no way to know. No time to think about it!
As the General of Wrath started raising his hand,
A crimson electrical discharge suddenly appeared. It danced chaotically around the white-scaled Monster''s hand, scorching and obliterating sections of the ground around that very same Monster.
For the first time in a while, Zino''s lips started curling upwards.
"This is going to be amazing!" He shouted.
With his palm facing the ground, Mark extended his arm.
With his index finger pointing forward, Zino did the same! n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Lightning VS Red Lightning!
It only took an instant for both energies to sh!
A burst of light illuminated the area under the Barrier in its entirety!
The roar of thunder had never echoed so powerfully!
Both Bolts connected, fought, and intertwined, painting the area with a thousand different hues!
The sh of Lightning and Red Lightning sent dazzling sparks in every direction. Hundreds of fragments flew and fought, every charged particle refused to let down or disappear!
As if it had been swallowed by a sudden darkness, the shing energies suddenly and quietly disappeared, leaving only those sparks and fragments that had managed to escape lingering in the air.
"That..." The General of Wrath could barely believe his eyes.
The panting white-scaled Monster was just as much in disbelief. Death had been avoided thanks to that Magic Skill. It held less Mana than the General''s, but the opposing forces seemed to negate one another.
"THAT WAS FUCKING AMAZING! RED LIGHTNING? REALLY? I''VE ONLY SEEN THAT WHEN I SHOOT MY LIGHTNING AT THE CLOUDS ON A RAINY NIGHT! AND THEY ONLY GO UPWARDS! THAT''S AMAZING MONSTER!!"
The white-scaled Monster let out a chuckle.
He had somehow survived-
"LET''S DO IT AGAIN!" The General of Wrath shouted as he pointed once again.
Mark''s heart dropped.
Mana Points... Less than a fifth.
Not enough to use that Magic Skill.
Not enough to do anything.
It''sing! An attack so fast that it... Mark?
Why aren''t you moving? Dodging? A Magic Skill? Something?
''I hope Lah finds Krista. I bought enough time, right?''
Wait, wait, wait, WHAT?
What happened to getting rid of him? To not wasting your potential? To bing...? Didn''t you choose this? Commanders, Generals, and Demon Lords? ''There''s nothing I can do, is there?'' There must be something!
You''re... Letting yourself get killed? Like you did in front of that Commander? In front of Ani?
''This is different, isn''t it?''
But you can do it!
You''re stronger now, aren''t you?
''A General... Is too big a jump. This isn''t the Dungeon anymore... Not everything I meet has been put there for me to beat.''
So you''re just... Dying now?
''I''ve done all I could. Even the me of the past, of my past life... Can''t ask for more than that.''
Where''s your drive? Your Greed? Your-
''I am greedy. Greedy to do everything I can do. Greedy to get everything I can get. I won''t get mad about being unable to do the impossible though. I won''t... Not anymore.''
The General pointed.
"Let''s run it back, Monster!"
A deadly attack that can''t be dodged approaches!
Chapter 415 Imminent Death
415 Imminent Death
A sigh of resignation was all the white-scaled Monster could muster.
The only hope he had left was Dark Magic. He had managed to use it during his fight against the Undead Lich but... Not now.
Mark was unable to use it.
Unable to connect with that feeling. With that darkness. That emptiness.
Perhaps it was because he had seen Krista. Perhaps because Lah had made him think about Elisa. Perhaps because his death had allowed Lah to escape. Because his death served a purpose?
Never had Mark faced a more certain death than now.
Yet, he could feel that his instincts wouldn''t help. His Titles wouldn''t butt in. No Influence either... Nothing.
It was fun while itsted.
Fun, but also sad.
Perhaps this could have been avoided.
All of it could have been avoided. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Raven had given him freedom instead of acting as a guide. Freedom to wander. Freedom to face Commanders and Generals on his own. But Raven could hardly be med for that, right?
Even the Vampire Lord had handed Mark a map. A map with a sign. An -N- denoting Nia''s position.
Yes... Had they gone towards that -N-, all of it could have been avoided.
They wouldn''t have stepped into Sloth''s domain. No Orcish Fiends. No Commanders.
They wouldn''t have stepped into Lust''s domain. No Influence. No painful separation.
They wouldn''t have...
A General had found him.
But Draconia is a General too. If she were here, if they had gone to her instead...
It''s too easy to think this way now. With that sigh of resignation, Mark halted his breathing.
Death was approaching. This time, there truly was no way to avoid it.
Dying quietly? Again? Like you let yourself die in that hospital room? A quiet and silent death? Really?
This is different though.
Or maybe not. In any case, it feelspletely different.
Lah will leave this ce. Krista will be alerted of my death, just like I get alerted by the death of my Underlings. She will leave this ce, and join Elisa''s side again.
Why am I thinking about others when I''m about to die? I suppose it''s because I don''t have anything else, anything left. Deadly Sins, Demon Lords, Demon King. Those all sound fun but... I''m not really mad. Too bad is all I can say. Yeah. Too bad. Just like it''s too bad I didn''t get to y football. All sports seemed equally fun to me after all. It''s just... Too bad, I guess.
I don''t want to die.
But I don''t really have a choice, do I? I thought I could... Do something. Be something in this World. It''s too bad. It''s a familiar feeling. It''s fine.
It''s fine.
"Let''s see you deal with it now!!" Zino shouted as Mana was Condensed at the tip of his index finger.
The Dungeon was fun.
The outside started into a pleasant dream. But the dream turned into a nightmare.
This is fine.
''This is...''
As both parties held their breath, the Lightning Bolt started moving, aimed at the white-scaled Monster''s stomach.
Due to the impact that the Magic Skill has had, thetter knew. Half of its body would be turned to ash. The other half would be scorched. There''s no way toe back from that, is there?
''There isn''t... Because I am not strong.''
Both Zino and Mark remained unmoving, as the Lightning Bolt traveled the distance separating them.
Nothing could catch up to it, and it couldn''t be dodged.
Only one had been moving before the Lightning Bolt had even been shot.
Right before the Lightning Bolt was shot, she appeared, covering his field of vision.
For a split second, her raven-ck strands seemed to turn ashen.
The Lightning Bolt was shot, and the General of Wrath''s eyes widened.
With a sh, it was done.
A dazed Mark found himself unable to react, unable to move, unable to think.
KrshhKrack-
Her raven-ck hair as well as her dark dress were tainted by the crimson drops of blood.
A deafening thunderp echoed under the Barrier. And with the thunderp, she fell to the ground.
Her right side as well as half of her stomach had been utterly decimated. Where there once was skin, muscles, bones, and organs, there now was... Nothing. All had disappeared, swallowed by the roar of thunder.
For the dazed white-scaled Monster, who had epted that its time hade, that it was about to die, that its life hade to an end, how much time before it managed to lower its gaze?
"Lay... Lah?"
The white-scaled Monster found himself utterly unable to even think.
"So her presence was so unimpressive and non-threatening that I didn''t even notice her approach. Mmh... I suppose that''s better." The General of Wrath muttered.
The first one to get here, yet thest one to leave.
"You were supposed... To go..." A splitting headache. "What the fuck... Was the point of that?"
At his feet, the unmoving and bleeding-
"HAHA!" Zino''s elbow connected with Mark''s chin,unching thetter away. "Since she protected you, I''m guessing you''re the secret, huh? The important one is you!!" He shouted while running to catch up to the Monster.
Thetter rolled on the ground twice. Its body came to a stop with its back against the ground.
The General of Wrath stood over it with wide eyes.
The white-scaled Monster did not move.
"What are you doing?"
"Do it."
"Do what?"
"She... Sacrificed herself to protect me. To buy me... A couple of seconds? When she could''ve run away. When she should''ve..."
"So?"
The General of Wrath grabbed the white-scaled Monster''s ankle, lifting his whole body off the ground, before delivering a powerful punch to its stomach!
"Oh,e on. I''m not killing you now." Zino said, a wide smile on his face. "There were two of you, so I had to speed things up. Wouldn''t have wanted the other to leave after all."
''Huh...?'' The white-scaled Monster remained on the ground
"Now that there''s only you..." He cracked his knuckles. "I''ll take my time."
"Ahh... Ha..."
The way she had ced herself between... Without saying a word, without... I thought I was about to... I definitely thought this was... Unable to do a thing... Unable to-
"Ha... Hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahha!"
"What''s so funny?" Zino asked with sparkling eyes.
"HahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahaHahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahahahhahahahha!"
Chapter 416 Go Out With A Bang!
416 Go Out With A Bang!
It makes no sense. Absolutely no sense.
I was buying you time to leave from this ce. I was going to die... And you were going to see the world.
But instead, you put yourself between me and Death.
Why?
To buy me a couple more seconds? This guy is a General! There''s no way I can win. No way I can run away. No way I can...
What the hell was the point of that, Lah?
You who never saw the world, you who has been stuck on the ''inside'' for so long.
Why did you do that?
And why does it make meugh so loudly?
The General decided to take his time now that you''re bleeding out, dying.
It is kind of funny, isn''t it?
He''s toying with me. He''s strong enough to toy with me.
It makes meugh.
I wonder if it''s because he is that strong. It annoyed and angered me when the others did it. Zephyr, Lin, the other Commander...
But I''m not angry at all right now. Even though you sacrificed yourself for me, even though he''s underestimating me, even though he''s toying with me...
Maybe it''s because there''s absolutely no way for me to get out of this?
In the first ce, I shouldn''t get annoyed by another toying with me, with my life.
I''ve done it plenty of times, haven''t I?
Toying with Beasts, Monsters, Guardians...
I''m going to die.
He is toying with me.
I''m going to die.
He is toying with me.
Why do I not feel angry? Why can''t I conjure up that Darkness? Why don''t I feel bad at all?
Oh, I get it...
"BE MORE ELECTRIFYING! I WANT TO SEE MORE SPARKS, MONSTER!!"
It''s because he''s just like me.
He toys with others for the same reason.
I lived once. As a Human, as a boy, as a cripple, as a young man filled with despair.
I''m facing Death once more.
The same Death. But it feels different.
I was... About to make the same mistake, wasn''t I?
"Zino..." The white-scaled Monster whispered as it pushed itself off the ground.
I died on the same bed, in the same room, surrounded by the same walls that I had been surrounded by for so long.
I died in bed. Silently, quietly.
It''s a horrible Death.
That''s why I toy with them. That''s why I don''t want them to go easily. I want them to suffer! I want them to fight! I want them to...
"Thank you, Zino!" The white-scaled Monster shouted as a reddish Aura started oozing out of its body!
Electrifying! Sparkling!
I won''t die quietly! The instant before certain Death... Fight with all you have! Make as much noise as you can! "SO YOU DO GET IT, MONSTER!!"
I''ll shine as brightly as I can in the face of certain Death, then go out with a Bang!
"YOU''RE THE BEST!! WHITE-SCALED MONSTER!!" The General of Wrath shouted as a punchnded on his side!
Again and again... Against the Sixth Floor''s Guardian, against the Fire Spirit, against...
Show me all that you have! Use everything! Shine as brightly as you can before Death!
The instant your heart stops beating... There won''t be any Light anymore. You won''t be able to shout, to move, to hit, to shine! So do it now! This is yourst chance! Shine!
Do not die in your sleep, do not close your eyes, do not run away from it. You can''t run away from it! So fight! Shine, onest time! Just like he did! The most beautiful Monster inside that Dungeon! The one that shone the brightest in the face of Death! The one who impressed me the most! The one that would have made me cry if I wasn''t a Monster! The strongest who mistook me for another strong one! The one I want to be just like!
Faced with certain Death, I only realize it now! I want to be just like him! To go out just like him!
I am going to die. Against a General of Wrath, I am going to die.
But I don''t feel bad at all. I don''t feel angry... The only thing that matters is the way I go out!
That''s right! I don''t have to worry about anything! And because of that, I can ept everything! Everything that I couldn''t ept before!
In front of Death, I can ept how horrible I really am.
Abandoning Krista... She''s strong. She will be able to escape from that forest, from that ce.
Hurting Elisa... No, that''s not the real issue.
I hurt her, and I ran away. I ran away like a coward. I didn''t apologize, I didn''t exin myself. I... Simply ran away. After I got so angry on her behalf against Yarnha... How risible!
I hurt her and yet, what I was most worried about wasn''t her pain. It wasn''t what had happened, how she felt, how... No.
What I was most worried about was myself! I hurt her, and all I could think about was what it said about me! What it meant for me!
Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me. Me.
That''s what I was really worried about. About what it said about me as a person.
Howughable! How pathetic!
All I think about is me. All I worry about is me.
I was Reborn as a Monster, inside a Dungeon filled with Monsters.
Not once did I ask myself if the Monster in front of me was another Human just like me! A Human that had been Reborn as a Monster! I didn''t ask myself that once!
No, I refused to ask myself that. I refused to even think about it.
Because I didn''t care! How horrible!
But none of that matters now. How horrible I am, how nice I am, good and evil, ugly and beautiful...
None of it matters. Because I am going to die! All I have now is the way I''m going to die! All I have is these final moments!
Thank you Lah, for foolishly sacrificing yourself for me.
Thank you Zino, for giving me this chance.
I am going to die. Laughter wells up within me!
Shine!
Go out with a Bang!
It''s important to keep in mind what Mark means by "Toying with X" here. There were times when he inflicted pain on enemies unnecessarily, basically torturing them. This isn''t what Mark refers to, and goespletely against his ideal. Mark is strictly talking about fights that he had drawn out, giving the chance for those enemies to "Shine". Examples would be the Fire Spirit, the Sixth Floor''s Guardian as mentioned in the chapter(The Arachnae), the Corrupted Dark Elf Berserker, and others! n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Remember that Zephyr told Mark about Unique Titles. That there is a definite(But hidden) link between his personality(Who he is as a person) and his Unique Titles(The Devourer and The Evolving Monster).
Letting those enemies shine in their final moments also gives them the chance to show everything that they have, everything that they are capable of doing. Mark wants to see them shine in the face of Death, The Devourer''s hunger grows, and The Evolving Monster gets a better picture of what could be done with the enemies'' bodies!
------------------------------
I decided to expand on the idea here, instead of making the chapter longer(And therefore more expensive, Webnovel algorithm...) or having it be part of the next chapter.
I hope these thoughts were helpful in getting the full picture or/and interesting, if so please let me know. That way, I''ll keep it in mind and continue doing it in the future.
I''m also going to re-read and re-write all of the novel''s chapters. So far... Only three chapters have been re-edited... Finding the time is difficult...
Also, I''ve started a new novel! It might seem like that one is taking time away from "Reborn As An Evolving Monster", but it really isn''t. After more than 400 chapters of plot, character development, and set-ups, writing what I envision is getting harder and harder. Additionally, the (pseudo)psychological nature of the novel is and has been taking a toll on me. Anyways...
Chapter 417 This Darkness Belongs To...
417 This Darkness Belongs To...
"DON''T GO EASY ON ME NOW!" The white-scaled Monster shouted as it struggled to get its bnce back.
A punch from the General of Wrath hadnded on its stomach, yet the General hadn''t pursued.
"You really are the best!" Zino leaped forward.
The exchanges had gotten more and more intense, but as Mark''s Endurance Points were getting lower and lower, the General of Wrath had adjusted his speed.
Just fast enough for the white-scaled Monster to barely have the time to react.
The General was kindly and generously allowing that Monster to shine. To shine as much as possible before the end.
The white-scaled Monster extended the ws of its left hand.
"That won''t work on me!" The General of Wrath shouted as he pulled his arm back. An arm covered by Aura!
Zino''s pelt was too thick. There was no way for Mark''s ws to pierce, sh, or damage the General.
But that wasn''t the white-scaled Monster''s goal!
The General of Wrath''s clenched fist connected with the Monster''s cheek, immediately sending thetter''s body away as well as breaking its fangs.
But as that fist connected,
''He''s not going for my stomach...?''
The ws had suddenly started moving upwards.
They shed against the scales that covered the General of Wrath''s wrist!
And from that collision, sparks were born.
The hit hadunched the white-scaled Monster away and into the air. One of the sparks born from that collision was different.
Spark Of The Primordial me-
BOOM!
The distance and timing were perfect! The explosion had hit the General with full force, making the wind flee and the earth tremble! "That..." The white-scaled Monster''s words were cut short as a bucket of blood was thrown up. Its shattered teeth fell to the ground. "That wasn''t nearly enough, was it? Zino!"
With a chuckle, the General of Wrath cut the cloud of smoke in two, his eyes sparkling.
"You really are the best!" Zino shouted with arge smile. "I can feel an explosion approaching!"
''This isn''t enough. More. I need more. To shine brighter... I need that Darkness! Dark Magic!''
Tsk-
''But I can''t feel it! That connection, that feeling... Who knew fighting an insurmountable wall could be so fun? Who knew facing Certain Death could be so freeing! It''s so freeing that it feels like there''s no darkness in me. But I need it! Search for it, pull from it, bring it out! The same way that the Corruption inside my body flows outwards, bring out the darkness in me!''
Mark''s eye suddenly widened. Zino smiled. The explosion approached!
''Absorbing Mana from his hits... I can''t do it well without those Gauntlets. But this is different! Lightning, I do not know. But Darkness, I am familiar with!''
"EXPLODE BRIGHTER, MONSTER!" The General shouted as he started running forward, sparks of Lightning oozing out of his body erratically.
''What I need to pull Darkness from... Isn''t myself!'' The white-scaled Monster''s hand started moving. ''What I need to pull Darkness from...'' His palm touched the ground. ''Is this ce-''
Both noticed it at once.
Zino, from the corner of his right eye.
Mark, from the corner of his left eye. The General would have noticed first, was Mark not already aware of it.
The capriciousness of the Moon and its Light!
Whimsical vibrations moved through the air.
Both were facing one another. At the edges of their fields of vision, the Moon hung high.
Light that only exists when seen-
The Moonlight had suddenly grown weaker.
No, it was growing weaker!
They turned their gazes towards the Moon at once. And as they did, Mark and Zino noticed them.
Spirits? Ghosts? Creatures Of The Night? Devils?
Dozens, hundreds of them!
They all stood motionless, with their arms slightly raised, and their gazes fixated on the Moon.
The full Moon, up in the dark sky. Its light had grown... Weaker?
No, something was there!
Something was spreading!
It was as if the Darkness in which the Moon floated was starting was spread! As if the Moon, through its Light, had detached itself from the Darkness and that, with its shadow-like hands, the Darkness was holding onto the Moon, refusing to let it separate itself from the Darkness!
The shadow-like hands spread! The Darkness aimed to Devour the Moon!
''What is...?''
It was as if something was cing itself between them and the Moon. Something that exuded no light was moving to cover the Moon. To keep its Light from reaching the ground. To plunge the world into Darkness.
''A lunar eclipse...?''
But even more so than those, it seemed like the Moon was spinning. Like it was turning around. Its bright side disappearing. The Dark Side Of The Moon showing itself. Synonymous to the Darkness in which the Moon bathes in appearance.
The Ghost-like beings'' mouths opened. They stared, as if enchanted by the spectacle.
Soon, only a ray of Moonlight would remain.
The Ghost-like beings screeched! Suddenly, more of them appeared, as if pulled from their slumber by their brethren''s screeching.
Hundreds and hundreds filled the area. The General of Wrath imbued his body with Lightning!
Thest ray disappeared. A hundred wolves howled! The Ghost-like beings moved with great speed!
No, they didn''t move. They were pulled. Their bodies quickly formed a river. Mark and Zino were like unmovable rocks that the flow moved around!
The General turned around.
What they were moving towards was... n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
A piercing and bone-chilling screech resonated!
Lah''s body moved. There was no other way to say it. The movement was too bizarre for Lah to have moved by herself.
On each side of her body, her arms had remained limp. Her knees didn''t bend, nor did her hips or any other part of her body.
It was truly as if arge and invisible hand had wrapped its fingers around La''s body, and brought her to her feet.
The blood that stained her pale skin faded away. A weak light shone from her side and stomach. Magic! Something translucent... Filled the space that had been made by the General''s attack. Translucent skin, translucent organs. A very, very weak and faint light.
She was brought to her feet. Like a lifeless doll, her head hung forward.
With a sudden jerk of her neck, Lah raised her chin. Or was it raised by that invisible...?
Her eyelids opened wide as dark veins appeared around her eyes!
She stared at the Moon. The Moon that had been swallowed by Darkness. The Moon that had been hidden. Her eyes were dark. Her pupils, her irises, her sclerae.
She stared... At the Dark Side Of The Moon.
The General of Wrath, seeing Lah sacrifice herself for the Monster, assumed that thetter was the Treasure. That the Protected was the more valuable. That Lah was the Key that had opened the imprable Barrier.
But it turns out that...
Adam_K47xx
Chapter 418 The Witch Of The Moon
418 The Witch Of The Moon
He hated those eyes, as they brought back bad memories.
He hated the veins around those eyes. They reminded him of the Sixth Floor''s Guardian. Of the child-like Monster who had lost its smile, whose face twisted and contorted with anger. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om
She had both.
Yet, she looked exceedingly beautiful.
With the Moonlight gone, there was only Darkness.
Her hair, blown both backwards and upwards at once by the wind, seemed topletely disappear.
The same was true of her dress.
Both her dress and her hair blended perfectly with the Darkness surrounding her. With her eyes, dress, and hair bing one with that Darkness, all that remained was her pale skin.
She was the Moon, plunged in Darkness.
"Sweet...!" The General of Wrath muttered, in awe.
Her gaze moved.
When had it moved exactly? Mark couldn''t tell.
She was looking beyond the General, straight at him.
For an instant, Mark felt as if he was staring at a part of himself.
"So you''re the explosion, huh?!" The General of Wrath shouted as Lightning covered his body.
With a swift leap forward, he had closed the distance.
Zino swung his clenched fist and,
She deposited her palms on the white-scaled Monster''s cheeks.
"What...?" The General''s eyes widened as his fist caught nothing but air. Mark hadn''t moved since earlier. His palm was still against the ground, and so was his knee.
She raised his chin, and his gaze met hers.
Dark, dark empty eyes, the surface on which he could see his own reflection.
Without looking away, she moved her left hand.
With the back of her hand towards the ground, she extended her arm towards the Darkness that filled the sky above. Towards the Moon that had disappeared. Towards The Dark Side Of The Moon.
What she was, he did not know. Nevertheless, Mark wasn''t scared. He was going to die. He had epted it already.
From the tip of her middle finger, it slithered its way up her arm like a snake, circling and spinning.
A snake with no eyes?
She clenched her fist, and they red up around her arm.
It was no snake. They were mes.
ck mes.
Both Mark and Zino recognized those mes.
"The two of you..." The General of Wrath whispered with wide eyes, his whole body shivering. The hairs and Lightning that covered his body danced. "Are the best!"
For the General of Wrath, those ck mes were no more than a myth. Their existence wasn''t even worth debating, as they had died with...
For the white-scaled Monster, those ck mes were proof that it was true. The Mural painted outside the Undead Lich''s Boss Room. If it holds true then... What she is yielding is...
The General of Wrath, unable to contain himself leaped forward!
Her facial expression was cold, unchanging, and conveyed no emotions.
The swing of her arm was nonchnt, indifferent.
But with that swing, three daggers of Dark mes were shot!
The General dodged and,
''...!'' Her right hand left the white-scaled Monster''s cheek. Once again, Mark did not know when. He only realized it once she stepped away.
Dazed? Confused? Caught in a Spell? A Magic Skill?
She stepped forward as the General of Wrath ran with incredible speed! A speed much higher than the one he had previously shown!
Her foot touched the ground, and she disappeared.
Her hand reached for the General of Wrath.
His body wasunched away!
Mark could barely process what had happened.
She had disappeared, and reappeared at the General''s side.
Just when her hand was about toe into contact with his body, Zinounched himself away with as much speed as he could muster.
He was now a dozen meters in front of her.
The General of Wrath''s eyes were wide. He was breathing heavily.
Every instinct of his, had warned him. That woman. That hand. Those ck mes.
Do not let them touch you.
His lips curled up. A nervous smile.
He stared at her. At her side.
''The wound...'' Zino noticed. ''Some kind of healing magic. Translucent still, but more and more color is appearing. Given enough time, it will healpletely. Gotta strike now!''
Lightning covered the General''s legs. The speed he had shown upon passing through the Barrier.
Mark''s eyes could barely keep up.
Zino was suddenly in front of her... No, behind her?
The General of Wrath quickly turned around the strike!
A wall of Dark mes appeared suddenly, shielding her back.
Zino managed to pull back in time. Had his hand-
He circled around, she was at his side. He jumped up, she was behind him. He took a leap towards the right, she was there.
The confused Mark could only watch silently.
''The speed of Lightning against... Teleportation?''
Teleportation. Spatial Magic?
Or is it Dark Magic? Simr to Light''s Shadow Magic, which allowed the Underling to jump into a Shadow and exit from another?
The space inside the Barrier was her Territory.
The Darkness was her Territory.
Everything below the Moon was her Territory.
She was the Witch Of The Moon.
She was The Daughter Of Darkness.
The General''s speed increased and increased!
Their bodies weren''t visible anymore.
All that the white-scaled Monster''s eye could catch, were the sparks of Lightning and the Dark mes left in their wake.
The General''s face contorted. There was no change to hers. Mark couldn''t see either.
Fear started rising within Zino''s heart. Fear that someone could keep up with him. With his speed. With the speed of Lightning. He feared that, even at his maximum speed, she would be able to keep up. If that were to happen, the General...
Her hand grazed his shoulder.
A scream resonated.
A scream simr to thunder. By the time it had reached Mark, by the time he had turned in the direction from which that scream hade, they were already gone.
It was like nothing he had witnessed before.
A fight between a General using all of its strength and... Something else.
Zino''s eyes widened.
Were she to keep up with him at top speed... Zino wouldn''t be able to ept that.
Instead, he took a bet.
The General of Wrath pointed with his index finger.
He pointed... At the one she had protected once already.
Lightning, once more.
Shine!
A battle of apletely different level!
Adam_K47xx
Chapter 419 Angel Of Death
419 Angel Of Death
The exchanges grew shorter and shorter as their speed increased further and further.
Even keeping up with the trail of sparks and mes left behind them wasn''t easy, as they disappeared faster and faster.
The ground broke in multiple spots. The air screeched. Powerful gusts of wind with every exchange.
A worrying question passed through Mark''s mind. A frightening possibility.
''Am I... Going to survive this?''
Just as that question crossed his mind, the General of Wrath''s body became suddenly visible. Zino was two dozen meters above the ground.
And he was pointing.
Mark knew it wasing.
The next instant, she appeared in front of him.
The same was about to happen again, huh?
A sh of light.
The Lightning bolt was shot but,
''Seriously...?'' Both Zino and Mark couldn''t help but ask themselves.
The Lightningbolt had connected with her left palm.
Burnmarks immediately appeared on her wrist, then on her forearm.
The burn marks moved up her arm until her shoulder and,
''Stopping that attack... At the cost of burn marks only?'' Mark was truly dumbfounded.
But he was wrong.
Those burn marks weren''t the cost of stopping the attack, no.
As the burn marks had appeared on her shoulder, the Lightning bolt had been stopped. It had disappeared, and she had pulled her arm back.
The next instant, she extended that same arm, and pointed.
''No...!'' The eyes of the still airborne General widened as it was shot in his direction!
A dark Lightningbolt that was just as fast as the one he had shot a second ago!
A ck Lightningbolt!
It was different than the one used by Zino, not in speed though.
A handful of seconds passed.
In the ce of the thunderp, a thump resonated. The General''s decapitated arm had hit the ground.
Zino screamed! She turned towards the white-scaled Monster.
The ck mes wrapped around her left arm like a snake spread.
From her back, they emerged. Two wings simr to a bird''s. Wings made of those ck mes.
Aura and Lightning merged around the General''s body!
He stood up, and she extended her right arm towards him.
The General''s knees bent. His chin was lowered. The ground below him cracked!
Mark couldn''t tell, but was his right Eye not wounded, could he use his High Elven Pupil, he would have seen it. The mass of purple Mana above the General''s body that was pushing heavily on his shoulders.
"Gravity... Magic...!?" The General struggled to move under the sheer weight ced so suddenly. "You... Whore...!"
Her eyes went back towards the white-scaled Monster. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
Her dark and empty eyes.
A rebellious strand of hair ced itself on her nose, cutting through her pale face. The only part of her hair that wasn''t lost in the Darkness surrounding her.
Her hair was part of it. She was part of it.
Part of that Darkness.
Her right handy on the white-scaled Monster''s cheek.
The General screamed under the weight. The Lightning and Aura merged. His hands were brought to the ground. His whole body was covered by the mixture of Lightning and Aura!
The mixture changed shape. The General of Wrath''s scream turned into a roar! A cheetah!
Lightning struck!
She turned towards the General.
The ground broke below thetter as he moved forward on all fours!
All Mark could see was the General''s body tilting forward. Because the next instant, he was gone.
It was the fastest Zino could get. Mimicking close to perfection the speed of his Lightning. It was something that he could only do for a couple of seconds. But at that speed, a couple of seconds is all that is ever needed!
He was already in front of her! No, behind her!
The Magic simr to Teleportation had allowed her to keep up with the General. But now, it had backfired.
The General''s objective, what his ws aimed to pierce wasn''t her chest, but his!
A sudden sh of light!
Mark only realized what had happened when drops fell on his nape.
He quickly turned around, only to find her standing inches away.
"Yes... Yes! My speed... My Lightning!!" The General of Wrath shouted before pulling his arm out of her stomach!
The General stepped back, and she stepped forward.
The next second, heaps of blood exited her mouth.
Mark''s shoulder was sshed, and tears of blood went down his arm.
She had used her back to shield him, and that''s what Zino wanted!
"My Lighting... Haha!" A panting Zino shouted. "My speed... Wins-"
She had suddenly disappeared.
Mark''s eye couldn''t keep up with any of their movements. And yet now, he could see it clearly.
He could see her hands raised up high. He could the ck snake slither towards her hand. He could see that snake elongate itself and change forms.
Behind Zino didn''t stand a Human, a Spirit, a Monster, a Beast, or a Demon.
Her bird-like wings of ck mes red up.
Between her hands, a Scythe made of those mes. A Scythe made of Hellfire.
The Angel Of Death lowered its weapon swiftly, and Zino screamed.
His knees and palms went to the ground.
He screamed and screamed!
Mark knew about it. The mes born from the union between the Undying mes and the Demonic mes. The former, mes that won''t die unless put out. Thetter, mes that burned at the Soul, using fear for fuel.
He screamed, and the pain became worse!
He feared for his life, and the pain became worse!
She stepped away, dizzy and staggered. Drops of blood went down her body, staining her pale skin. Her chest had been pierced through. Her facial expression hadn''t changed.
She took four steps away. The ck mes around her body started fading.
The General screamed!
The Scythe had cut deep. From his right shoulder to his left hip, pelt, skin, muscle, bones, and organs. Everything had been shed. Everything was burning.
She fell. Her back hit the ground. The ck mes that covered her had faded.
The dark veins around her veins slowly disappeared.
Chapter 420 Promised Death
420 Promised Death
She closed her eyes, and the ck mes eating away at the General of Wrath disappeared.
"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! WHORE! I WON! I WON! I''LL DEFINITELY TEAR YOU APART! I''LL DEFINITELY...!"
A confused white-scaled Monster entered the General of Wrath''s field of vision.
"THE FUCK DO YOU WANT, LOSER? I''LL KILL YOU TOO, JUST WAIT! I''LL RECOVER IN NO TIME! IN NO TIME!!"
His spine and organs had been cut in two, but it was not enough for both parts to separate.
"I''LL FUCKING KILL YOU!!"
The white-scaled Monster''s confusion grew.
"Aren''t you d... That she shone this brightly before...?"
"HUH? SHUT THE FUCK UP. YOU''RE INCONSEQUENTIAL HERE! FUCK OFF!! YOU CAN''T DO A THING!! EVEN THOUGH I CAN''T MOVE, YOU DON''T EVEN HAVE THE STRENGTH TO FINISH ME OFF!! SO JUST WAIT YOUR TURN AND SHUT THE FUCK UP!!"
The white-scaled Monster''s eyes narrowed. He walked closer.
"You shone... Pretty brightly." Mark said as he stood over the General of Wrath. Thettery with his back against the ground, unable to move a muscle.
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! I''M THE ONE WHO SEES OTHERS SHINE! I''M THE ONE WHO TOYS WITH OTHERS! I''M THE ONE WHO...!"
The white-scaled Monster stopped listening.
"I thought... I was going to die. I thought... The two of us were the same. But you''re just like that Guardian..."
"HUH? SHUT THE..."
"You only smile... When you''re winning. Faced with death... You wanted me to shine brighter but..."
"I''M THE ONE WHO..."
The white-scaled Monster lowered his hands onto the General''s chest. The Monstery on top of that General''s body, and took hold of his chin with its left hand.
"You''re not... Dying beautifully." Mark said as he hid his mouth with his right hand.
"THE FUCK ARE YOU GOING TO DO? EVEN NOW YOU..."
A dark Aura appeared on the white-scaled Monster''s hand. No, beyond its hand. The Aura covered what the Monster was hiding with that hand.
"I''m disappointed," Mark said. He didn''t need though, as his tone conveyed that more than clearly. "Shine brighter... But only for others. Once you''re the one facing death-"
"I''LL KILL THE OF YOU AS SOON AS...!"
With his left hand, Mark moved the General''s chin, exposing his neck.
"YOU THINK ANYTHING YOU DO CAN-"
A kiss was deposited on the General''s neck.
A kiss that stole a third of that neck.
"YOU... YOU FUCKING...!!" The General''s voice was filled with fear.
Mark''s disappointment grew.
The once toothless white-scaled Monster could now bite.
"No reason to scream. You shone brightly..."
Its fangs had been reced. Reced with what had been found in the Undead Lich''s hideout.
"Don''t mess it up now."
His fangs were made using that Fang.
"That''s what you told many others, right?"
The Fang of a Dragon.
"NO! NO!! I''M THE ONE WHO...!"
The General of Wrath screamed and screamed.
Bite by bite. The white-scaled Monster chewed and swallowed.
Mark thought about many things. Perhaps to keep his mind from...
He thought about the insane speed at which the two had been moving. About the ck mes that not just swallowed the General''s Lightning, but Devoured. The ck mes had made that Lightning their own. About her dark eyes. About the Moon that had disappeared. About the Ghost-like beings...
At some point, the General''s screams had stopped. Mark hadn''t noticed.
The General''s breathing stopped soon after that. Mark didn''t notice it either.
It didn''t take long before the white-scaled Monster''s knees were against the ground. The mass below it had shrunk that much.
Seconds after that, thest chunk was Devoured and,
Ansgt.
The white-scaled Monster''s hands moved, looking for the next... There was none.
Mark''s clenched fists pushed against the ground. His trembling body bent. His forehead moved towards the ground.
He had survived.
''Why...?''
A voice made him open his eye suddenly.
"Ma... Rk." She whispered. It wasn''t meant to be a whisper. It was all she could muster in her present condition.
"Come... Closer."
For no real reason, he did as he was told.
She was dying. She had protected him from certain Death three times. From Promised Death. The white-scaled Monster crawled towards the bleeding woman. He thought it should''ve been him.
"That was... Quite something... Huh?" Lah whispered as he arrived by her side.
The kneeling white-scaled Monster remained silent.
Mark thought it was way more than ''something''.
"Can I... Hold... Your hand?"
He nodded.
"You can... Leave this ce... Now... I''m d..." She coughed.
A drop of blood went down her cheek. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om
She had a hole through her chest. A pool of blood had already formed itself below and around her. Her chin and mouth were covered by blood.
Mark thought she was beautiful.
"What happened?" He asked.
"I ran... I was going to... Get out... But then... I got scared. I didn''t know... Where to go or... What to do. I was... It''s stupid, isn''t it?"
This wasn''t what Mark was asking about. But,
"I get. I understand..."
She coughed up more blood.
"Are you... Going to... Go find them...?" Lah asked with great struggle.
The white-scaled Monster lowered its gaze.
"I... See..."
How many times had the cripple young man thought about it? Fantasized about it amid his despair? I''ll leave this room. I''ll leave this hospital. Then I''ll save someone and die. I''ll die and save someone. The perfect excuse to die. It''s way easier that way. It''s easier than seeing the world for myself. It''s way easier than changing, than fighting. I can''t even envision a future for myself after so long. I''ll die and... It should''ve been me.
"I remembered... Some things..."
The white-scaled Monster nodded silently.
"There was a woman... She brought me here. She... Left me... With those books..." Lah chuckled, and more blood exited her mouth.
The woman had dark hair just like hers. Her face was covered by a red piece of fabric. A strange emblem was drawn in ck on that piece of fabric. The wind had allowed Lah to catch a glimpse of the woman''s face. Her eyes had been gouged out. Lah thought there was no reason to mention that.
"What are you... Going to do... Now?"
The white-scaled Monster couldn''t answer. Mark couldn''t find an answer.
"Go... See more... Of the world... Okay?" Strength was leaving her. Mark could tell.
"There''s... Something... Something... You have...?"
Only at those words, did Mark notice. He pulled it out of his Inventory.
He had expected her to let go of his hand. She didn''t.
With her left and free hand, she took hold of it.
"It looks... Weird. But I like... The light... Emanating from it."
She ced the Item, the ''Ancient Lich''s Knowledge'' on her stomach.
"See... More of... The World... Okay?"
Because she had repeated it, Mark couldn''t bring himself to ignore it.
He nodded silently.
"Good..." She smiled.
Mark tightened his grip around her hand. Her hand which had been fidgeting and ying with his index finger was growing weaker.
Lah''s hand went limp. Mark clenched his teeth.
"Live... A long life... Okay?"
He took hold of her hand with both of his.
"Yeah... I will." Mark answered.
She smiled.
"Good. You still... Have a lot... To see. A lot... To do... "
He was angry.
She took herst breath.
Mark brought his forehead to her hand.
"Fuck..."
He couldn''t tell what it was exactly that caused that anger.
"FUUUCK!!"
The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and
continue reading tomorrow, everyone!