Chapter 86: Chapter 86 - Labyrinth(Part 3)

Point-of-View: Argent Stryker

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"Okay, I think this is the, uh...seventh floor?" I frowned uncertainly, as I got down to another floor.

I’ve been at this for quite a while now, feel like I’m starting to get worn out, more mentally than physically. Oh, but I did encounter some Orcs...just two of them though, one each in the fourth and fifth floors. Or was it the fifth and sixth floors?

Yeah, losing track of time and progress is probably a bad thing. I’ve still go to find and kill eight more Orcs in order to complete the quest...I’ve never failed a quest so far, and I have no intention of breaking that perfect record.

"Why exactly are you hunting Orcs, anyway? They may look like pigs, but they taste absolutely foul," Frowned Izzozon in disgust.

"You might have noticed that I haven’t been eating the ones I killed. I’m hunting them for their tusks, it’s a valuable ingredient in medicines," I explained in response.

"Is that so? I do remember that humans can have very frail bodies that easily get diseased," She responded absent-mindedly, staring up at the ceiling.

"I take it that means that you don’t get sick?" I asked her curiously.

"Correct. I inherited the power of regeneration from my father, and a high level of durability from my mother," She informed me with a shrug.

That’s...kinda unfair, I’m sort of jealous.

"So, you can use all the powers that both of them could use?" I inquired in fascination, and a bit of envy.

"Pretty much, yes."

"I see. What exactly are your-...hm? I’m sensing a pretty large group of Monsters in that direction," I suddenly frowned, as I got them within the range of my radar.

"You’re pointing at a wall," She responded in bemusement.

"Mhm...so, I need to figure out which path will lead me to the spot that’s two kilometers straight in this direction. I’ll have to-...," I began thoughtfully, right before she walked over to the wall and punched it, busting a large opening through it.

"This method will be a lot faster," She remarked as I looked at her incredulously.

"I mean, you’re not wrong...okay, then lead the way, just keep going straight and clear a path," I replied with a wry smile.

Gotta say, while it was an impulsive decision on my part, I’m glad I asked her to join me. I definitely don’t want her as an enemy.

"Don’t tell me what to do, I’d prefer it if you requested instead. But I want that White Stag meat you mentioned, and since I don’t know how to get it, I’ll do as you asked. You can repay me with the meat."

"Sure, that’s fair. By the way, if you don’t mind me asking...why exactly did you agree to join me? I mean, all the Demons are either dead or sealed away because of humans, right?" I pointed out.

This would probably have come up eventually, so might as well get it out in the open right away.

"Huh? Why should that concern you? Humans live short lives, rarely much more than a hundred years, correct? You cannot be any more than three decades old, so you wouldn’t have been alive when that happened. So why would I associate you with or blame you for the actions of humans who are likely all long since dead now?" She inquired with a confused look on her face.

"Well, when you put it that way, it’s hard to argue against. Also, yes, I’m definitely less than three decades old...I’m about eighteen and a half years old, to be precise."

"Exactly, you’re practically an infant. There may be another factor as to why I agreed to join you," She added, as she broke down another wall, "I was told by my father that Demons are naturally inclined to dislike remaining indebted to others, as well as being averse to lying.

You did save me from those other humans, so I am indebted to you for that. I was unable to resist the collar they placed on me, so it was unlikely that I’d have been able to free myself without help. I agreed to join you, and I shall not break that agreement. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

I may only be a Half-Demon, but I can feel the desire and conviction to repay the debt I owe you and honor our agreement. Admittedly, I don’t fully understand myself or what kind of being I am, but everything I said, I said with confidence."

Uh...is it just me, or do Demons sound a lot better than humans? Also, did she call me an infant?

"Good to know, I’ll put my trust in you. Alright, the Monsters I sensed are just about five hundred meters up ahead, they haven’t moved much from the spot I first sensed them at," I informed her.

"Oh, okay," She replied indifferently, as she punched through another wall.

I suppose someone who’s Half-Demon and Half-Dragon has no reason to be concerned about Common Grade Monsters, huh?

As she continued to lead the way, knocking down any and all walls we came across, it wasn’t long before we came across the Monsters I’d sensed...and I felt an immediate sense of triumph as they came into sight...

"Yes! Finally! Wow, never thought I’d be so happy to see Monsters, but after searching, I think, seven floors, it’s about time we encountered some more Orcs!" I grinned, as I counted them...there’s eleven of them, more than enough.

I then chanted to bring out my Soul Weapon and activated Intangibility, before I shot towards the group of Monsters. One of them let out a deep bellow as I closed in on it, raising its fist up high and swinging it down towards the top of my head like a hammer.

But it was way too slow...I didn’t bother evading, letting the fist phase through my head before I sliced open the Monster’s throat, blood gushing out as it stumbled back with an agonized wheeze, writhing on the ground as it collapsed.

As two more Orcs sprang up on either side of me with angry snarls, I drove both my blades up and across in those directions, piercing through the bottom of their jaws and out through the top of their heads.

I pulled my blades out of their heads and shot towards another one, swinging both arms out and decapitating it as I sliced through its neck, before kicking its body towards another Orc that was a few meters behind it.

As the headless corpse crashed onto that one, I leapt forward and plunged my blade through the chest of the corpse, slicing through it and stabbing the one behind it through the heart, right as another Orc sprang at me from my left and tried to grab me.

I turned intangible to avoid getting caught, before splitting the top of its head open with a swift, downward swing of one of my blades, killing it instantly. Six down, five more to go.

And two more to complete the quest. Might as well kill them all though, get a little more of a bonus. Hm, three of them are starting to run away, and another one’s starting to follow them...I love it when my opponents turn their back to me, let’s try out a new Spell I’ve been working on...

"Elemental Lightning: Lightning Branch!" I exclaimed, firing out a sharp, powerful streak of lightning.

It struck the back of the last Orc that had begun to flee, before bursting out of its front and branching out into multiple, weaker steaks, which struck and electrocuted the other three, partially paralyzing them.

As the one Orc who hadn’t run away shot towards me and swung its fist at my neck, I let it pass through me before slashing its neck, blood gushing out before I rapidly sprinted towards the other four.

The first one I’d struck with my Spell was on the verge of death, I swiftly dealt the finishing blow as I shot past it, slicing off the top of its head. Just three more to go.

I raced across as I closed in on them, right as they were starting to try and get back on their feet, before I sliced off all three of their heads in a row, their heads hitting the ground with collective thuds, as blood poured out.

"Are you done here now?" Inquired Izzozon, as she strolled over, stepping over the Orc corpses.

"Yeah, that should do it. I just need to extract their tusks and I can start heading back," I remarked, before chanting to reactivate Radar as I knelt down and used my blades to pry out the tusks-...I then froze as I sensed something heading this way through my Radar, something that sent chills down my spine the instant I sensed it, "Something’s coming this way, and fast! I think it’s a powerful Monster, about eighty meters away and closing in quickly...!"

"Hm, is that so?" She responded, glancing in the direction I was staring at, to a path to our left.

I quickly got back onto my feet and took a few steps back warily...before my eyes widened in alarm as it came into sight...

"No way...that’s a Minataur, a Disastrous Grade!" I recognized, the grip around my blades tightening.

This is bad, I’ve never faced a Monster of this Threat Level before...at my rank, I should be able to handle it, but still...what’s a Monster like this doing in the upper floors!?

It was a towering, ten meter tall creature with a bull-like head, standing on two feet. It had large, powerful arms and crushing fists, and-...suddenly, Izzazon stepped forward, a hissing sound echoing out as she inhaled sharply...

She then arched back slightly, before snapping forward and blasting out a powerful, blindingly-bright burst of lightning from her mouth, striking the Minataur from below the neck and eradicating its entire body, disintegrating into dust.

Its head plummeted down and hit the ground with a thud, rolling away as the air shimmered and crackled electrically.

"You consider that creature to be dangerous?" She inquired with a raised eyebrow.

...holy crap, she’s powerful.

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