Floor 125
The monsters had slowly stopped appearing, in its place human-like figures had appeared and just like the reports had said, their appearance, System, weapons, smell and how they walked reminded me exactly of how others were.
Level 100 Puer
Ascended Human
Advanced Bowman
Looking at the sky, I could see those that walked in the air, as if patrolling. Some stayed in groups of five to six and some were by themselves, but they would all respond to attackers if you entered their sight. Right now, we were behind a rock observing them. They seemed to patrol around the corpses that laid on the ground which consisted of monsters and humans.
I didn’t want to fight these humans, not only are they strong but they will quickly reinforce each other, overwhelming us. Walking in the air isn’t possible, while walking along the ground isn’t viable either. My large-scale magic may be able to kill most of them, but it would take all of my mana. While I’m thinking, Alice tugs on my shirt.
“Mum, can Alice help?”
Smiling, I told her about our problem and she tilted her head before nodding. “Alice can help!”
“How can you help, Alice?” Interested, I sat down as she fidgeted, likely trying to figure out how to explain how.
“The Darkness surrounds Alice and Mum and takes us over there.” Alice points into the distance, towards the source of the Darkness.
“So far?”
“Alice can’t do it in one go, but many goes!”
Is she referring to her ability to teleport? She’s never shown that being used as something she can do with another.
“Alright, if we can do it, let's do it.”
Alice grins happily and hugs me. As she is hugging me, I felt a surge of mana as Darkness wrapped around the both of us before releasing us.
Floor 127
So far? We were in the shadows of a tree, thankfully nothing turned towards us as we sank into the shadows even more. As of now, we were further in than anyone ever had gone, though it felt like this was nearing the end. Mana once again surged from Alice as the Darkness surrounded us and we reappeared near another rock.
Floor 129
Looking past the boulder, I saw a large humanoid figure standing in front of a large graveyard, with a building in the middle. I immediately recognised the building, it was a tomb. Looking at the humanoid, I could sense no darkness from it, but it was very obviously a boss.
Level 100 Grand Marshal of Lilith’s Army, Boxlah.
Flame Swordsman of Darkness
Breathing out, I looked at the giant sword it held in its hands and from the way the humanoid stood, I knew this would be a relatively tough fight.
“Alice, are you ready?”
“Alice is ready!”
Smiling at her, I turned to look at the boss and flash stepped forward, putting the full strength of my body behind my opening punch. I caught Boxlah completely off guard as my fist slammed into his stomach and before he could react I threw another punch at his stomach as a talon raised into the air. Boxlah’s eyes flared open as he stared down at me, surprise in his eyes. Backing off, I dodged a sword strike but he had thrown a fist at my blind spot, catching me off guard.
Throwing up a Water and Wind Shield next to me, it absorbed some of the blow as I raised my arms. Feeling myself blown away as my arms screamed in pain, I smashed into the boulder next to Alice, who had just come out of it. For a moment my mind threatened to lose consciousness but I kept my focus.
“Mum!”
“I’m fine, don’t lose focus!”
Boxlah charged towards us as his sword lit up with black flames. Sensing that this was bad news, I freed myself from the boulder with a kick and flash stepped in front of him, throwing out a Lashing Fire Kick to his stomach. Feeling the blow hit hard, a flame appeared as it started burning. Rolling under the fist that attempted to grab me, I saw a talon rise from his shadow as his eyes were covered in darkness.
“Talons! Blind!”
Bouncing back, I used Primordial Darkness as I dodged another attack. This boss was fast, really fast. He had already broken free of the talons and the blindness had disappeared. He had incredible resistance to magic as I sensed my magic already fading. The black flames on his sword grew in intensity as he started to weave sword slashes extremely quickly, forcing me onto the backfoot, with no chance to counter attack or get close.
“Orb of Ruination!” A new spell Alice had learnt, I saw a dark ball shoot out from her and strike Boxlah but he simply shrugged it off.
“Alice, stay out of this.” Yelling, I started to get frustrated as I found myself only able to barely dodge his attacks. Any time I tried to make distance he would move fast, even flash step wouldn’t work, and catch up to me in less than a second. I knew I had no choice but to use a dangerous technique that I had learnt, which is why I couldn’t afford to have Alice participate anymore.
As I dodge the sword strikes, I focused my mind purely onto Boxlah, watching every little detail about him, his muscles, sword, feet, eyes and body. I soaked in every detail about him as I kept dodging, my mind slowly entering a trance as my movements became more fluid, minimising the amount I moved. At that moment, I felt my mind fully enter a trance as I started to dodge everything effortlessly.
[Flowing Focus
For a limited amount of time, you will have complete focus on your target. Nothing else in this world matters, only the one you watch. If you are distracted during Flowing Focus, you will be dazed for a minute.
You will be extremely weakened for one day once this effect wears off.]
Preemptively moving between his strikes to dodge, I felt my nose bleeding as my mind processed every bit of information. This technique had been drilled into me by Tael and could only be used if I fought alone, since any distraction would cause me to lose focus. Moving fast, I started throwing counter attacks at Boxlah with my full strength as I used Lunar Blessing and my Domain wordlessly.
As I used Flowing Strikes on top of this, I felt my body straining itself as puncture wounds from my blows appeared all over Boxlah’s body. Increasing the speed of my attacks while also moving my eyes quickly to see every aspect of Boxlah, I continued my assault as my body screamed in protest. I wasn’t being injured, but this technique was not suitable for long fights, and knowing I had to end this now, I pushed myself more.
Slamming fist after fist into his chest, I aimed for his heart, his tough skin being punctured with each attack as I continued to dodge sword and fist. Soon, I plunged my hand into his chest, punching all the way through and hitting his heart hard, causing it to explode.
Not done, I released my monster form as I tore into the now open chest as my Domain collapsed and relentlessly attacked. I didn’t stop until I saw the message from the System come up.
You have killed Boxlah.
Closing my eyes and slowly exiting the trance, I stood completely still as my mind spun and my body weakened, becoming exhausted due to the high focus, full strength and energy I had used. Feeling myself stumble, I felt a shoulder wrap around my waist and opening my eyes I saw Alice there, smiling.
“Mum, you’re strong!”
“Thanks, Alice. I need to rest for some time.” Alice drags me along towards the boulder we had been at before helping me to the ground. I couldn’t move my body, which is why I did not want to use this skill unless it was absolutely needed. Alice brings over my bag and looks at me, tilting her head.
“The red drinks Alice.” Alice opens the bag and after a moment pulls out a dozen bottles of healing potions. She puts one on my lap and looks at me in concern, causing me to chuckle. Pain shot through my body as a result.
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“Alice, can you open it and feed it to me?”
“Alice will!” Alice opens the potion and puts it to my mouth, slowly tipping it in as I drink it. It wouldn’t help with the exhaustion, but it would alleviate the after effects. After feeding the potion to me, Alice crawled onto my lap, sat down and made a darkness cocoon while looking at me. I wanted to hug her but I wouldn’t be able to move my body for a while so I closed my eyes and fell asleep, trusting her to protect me.
***
Stirring awake, I open my eyes and see Alice hugging me while sleeping on my lap. Slowly raising my hand, I stroke her hair as I look around. The cocoon still stood and judging by my mana sense nothing was around here. Retrieving a cloth from my bag, I wiped the blood off my face from my nose bleeding and grabbed some food out. Perhaps smelling it, Alice stirred awake as she looked at me.
“Mum, are you okay?”
“Still a bit weak, but I’m okay. Thank you, Alice.”
Hugging her lightly, I gave her a ration square and watched as she ate. Checking over the condition of my body, it had been nearly a day, and while I wasn’t at my peak I would be soon. As we both finished eating, I got up while Alice watched me with some worry.
“I’m fine Alice, just a bit sore.” I walked over to Boxlah’s body and saw the mess that I had made. What was once a complete body about twice the height of a human now laid a body on the verge of becoming two halves with claw marks and puncture wounds from my fists covering its chest.
Flowing Focus was dangerous to use, and as I picked up the sword and threw it into a bag, I felt glad I hadn’t been distracted. According to Tael, even some rocks falling could be enough to throw one off. Moving towards the Tomb, Alice grabbed my hand as we walked towards a large building, shaped nearly like a church.
On each door was a small grove, big enough for the eyes I had. Taking them out, I put one eye in each and stood back as a ringing sound came out. The doors slowly slide open to reveal a small basket, big enough for the heart. Placing the heart in, it crushed the heart as more grinding sounds rang out. The door soon opened completely as the darkness of the Tomb made it hard to see, even with my enhanced vision.
Not daring to casually try and empower my eyes again, I took a step in with Alice holding my arm. I decided to pick her up, regardless of her complaints and she didn’t complain. I felt the powerful darkness only a small walk from us and I even started to wonder if there wasn’t anything bad with it, even Alice seemed to be interested in it now that we were here. As we walk down the hall, a large room opens up to us with a large black orb sitting in the middle on a dais. It was the source of the darkness, and it gave me a very familiar feeling.
“Alice, don’t touch it.”
“Okay, Mum!”
Core of the Ancient Being, Lilith
Can be absorbed to improve one's Darkness magic and to empower them further…
I had expected some sort of big final boss, yet it was nothing but this core. We had been told to conquer this place, yet nothing was here except this. Did we truly have to absorb this core to conquer the dungeon? Something didn’t feel right, it reminded me of the Astral Ice dragon’s core from when I first saw it, there was a call from the core, but perhaps because we were both on guard it didn’t tempt us.
The power coming from the core was amazing, and I knew if we were to absorb it we would most likely gain strength, but I remembered Northern Hawk’s words that day. The core of the ancient Astral Ice Dragon had a soul within it that would fight to take over one's body…would that happen with this core?
Putting Alice down, I made a decision. Balling my hands into fists, I smiled at Alice.
“Don’t move or do anything, okay? Mum’s going to handle this.”
Alice meekly nodded and I turned my attention to the core. Flash stepping in front of the dais, I threw a punch with most of my strength and slammed it into the core. It cracked and at the same time the room trembled as a voice rang out, as if angry with the world.
“YOU DARE?!”
Throwing another punch, the core shattered as I flash stepped backwards and grabbed Alice, running from the room and Tomb as the ground started to shake. I could sense the darkness from the core rampaging and the ground continued to shake as a presence appeared where we had left. Powerful, far more powerful than Arabell, but not as powerful as Alexander, still completely out of reach for us.
Arriving outside of the Tomb, Alice and I turned around to see the building crumble, but the ground still shook as Darkness flooded out of it. I realised that the energy was not Delta-Class but Beta-Class, one above Delta. And unlike the Chimaera, this was the real deal. Whatever we had just woken up by attacking the core was far too powerful for us to handle, and I knew that but before we could even consider running away, a dome of darkness surrounded us as a giant half body emerged from the ruins of the building. Attempting to check the System left my mind with backlash.
Lilith. Unknown.
The half body wasn’t forming correctly, I could see where its heart would be at the core, mostly destroyed, in fact I hadn’t destroyed it completely. I was right, there was indeed a soul within it.
“Alice, are you ok?”
“Alice is okay Mum!”
Smiling as I put her down, I faced the half body and prepared myself. A Beta-Class opponent and I haven’t even stepped onto my Path.
“Insolent brats! It is your honour to become my vessel! Now die!”
Vessel? Before I could think any further, deep Darkness spread in my body, far more powerful than my own. It ate at my insides and my mind slowed down. I felt my life being sapped away when suddenly the corruption was sapped away and looking at Alice, she smiled at me. I knew she had absorbed it and giving her a nod, I looked at Lilith, or whatever it was.
I knew that it was likely the soul, or what remained of it, attacking us now. The Darkness we had felt had been her the entire time, but wasn’t Lilith a Goddess? Wouldn’t She be stronger than this, or had She become weakened?
Knowing full well Darkness wouldn’t work on Her, I dash forward but a large fist appeared, slamming down on me at a speed I couldn’t see. Flash stepping to the side, I couldn’t escape it completely and felt my body absorb most of the damage as bones broke. Crying out, I saw Lilith looking at Alice.
“You! You will be my vessel!”
Without hesitating, I ran towards Alice and stood in front of her as a hand moved towards us, intending to grab Alice. Without thinking, I raised a hand and pointed it at the giant.
“Night’s Fury!”
A massive magic circle appeared above Lilith as a moon of Celestial Eclipse energy dropped down onto Her, hitting the giant. Surprisingly it caused Lilith to scream in pain and anger.
“A PUPPET OF CELESTIA?! THEN YOU MUST DIE!”
My mana now exhausted, I grabbed Alice and ran as the hand smashed down behind us, sending us flying. Protecting Alice with my injured body, I slam into the debris of the Tomb as I get up and look towards Lilith once more. I knew we wouldn’t survive this, it took my biggest spell just to distract Lilith and harm Her for all but a moment.
My body wasn’t fully recovered, my mana exhausted and now we faced this. I didn’t know how long I could go on for, but I prepared myself for death. I just didn’t want Alice to die, and looking at her I smiled.
“Alice, find a way to escape, I’ll distract Her.”
“No! Alice will sta-”
“Alice, please live. Tell everyone about this.”
Breathing out, I ignored Alice as I flash stepped further in, Lilith’s full attention on me now, no longer paying attention to Alice. I knew if I could reach the core and punch it once more it would kill it, but as I moved I once again felt that corruption within me built up. Biting my lip till it bled, I dodge another giant fist and went to step into the air, but suddenly tendrils of darkness grabbed onto me.
Failing to react, I watched in horror as a palm swept towards me as I tried to break free of the tendrils. Putting up a Wind wall and Water shield with a roar, I knew it would strike me and watching in slow motion as it broke through my spells with ease I raised my guard and shrunk into a ball as it hit me. For a moment, I felt nothing as I flew. Then, the pain of the strike hit me, most of my bones broken. I crashed into debris as I fell unconscious for a few seconds. My body was a mess, broken arms and legs, I was sure the rest of my body was also damaged.
I could only see the base of Lilith, my mind wanting to fall asleep, and I knew if that happened I would die. Just then, I saw Alice kneel in front of me, her face pale.
“Mum?”
I couldn’t speak. I wanted to yell at her to run, but I knew the truth, there was nowhere to run. I felt everything spill out, I didn’t want her to die, I didn’t want to die, I wanted to see her live. I could sense the same thing from Alice, she was desperate to try and help me as well. Those feelings grew stronger, quickly as the link between us grew.
Alice carefully picked me up as I heard Lilith laugh and shout. Hugging me tightly, I could feel Alice desperately trying to give me mana through our link, though that wasn’t the problem, my body wasn’t healing, or rather it couldn’t keep up with the demands. I wanted to hug her once more, desperately wanted to tell her one last time that I cared for her.
I felt something there, within our link, a way to join our power and grasping that, I felt Alice do the same. A warmth spread over me as a cocoon of darkness surrounded us, a message from the System telling me what happened as I felt my consciousness fade.
Your link with Alice has fully opened due to the feelings of desperation. You may now merge with each other for a short time.
***
???’s PoV
I don’t know who I am. A cocoon of darkness fell away from around me as I slowly stood. This body of mine, I didn’t understand it. Fox ears, fox tail, large black wings from my back and talons as feet. Maybe there were more features, but I didn’t have the luxury of time. I saw a giant figure, most of it a mist, a core where its heart was. I knew this was my enemy, I knew I had to kill it. I didn’t know how, but I just did.
It said something, but I didn’t listen. Unfurling the wings behind me, I breathed out as spells, skills and techniques rushed through my mind.
Warning! This form is unstable! You have 15 seconds!
Opening my eyes, I looked at only the core and stomped a talon down, a massive magic circle appearing above the mist.
“Talons.” A massive talon came crashing down, grabbing the mist as it roared. The magic was powerful, binding the mist easily.
My mind whirled as I held a hand in front of me. A white and black orb appeared in front of my hand, a mix of energies I only knew as Erebus’s Darkness and Celestial Eclipse. Holding up another hand, an orb of Astral Ice and Primordial Darkness appeared, moving my hands together as the two orbs merged. Feeling the overwhelming power, I threw it at the mist and watched as it exploded, a beautiful night sky rupturing out as it devoured the mist completely.
The core disappeared in that night sky, being eaten itself. I didn’t know what type of magic this was, I didn’t know anything. I only knew I had been born to kill this beast and now my body felt like it was splitting itself apart, my time had run out. Closing my eyes, I fell unconscious, satisfied I had done my job.