“I didn’t get anything though. Well aside from Fluffy and getting out of that dungeon.”

“The dungeon was broken because of us, so getting you out wasn’t much of a gift. Since you are Mezu’s source of food, and he is your companion, he isn’t the blessing either. I can’t tell you what you’re getting, but if you think a bit, you should be able to figure it out on your own though.”

If he said I’d be able to figure it out, then it’s gotta be something easy since he usually considers me stupid. It was probably monarch specific, so something to do with why I was picked.

I ran out of roof tops now, so I jumped down and headed for the group of enemies. They charged towards me. The group was relatively small, but the mages threw some rubble at me.

As I closed the distance between us, I dodged a few. I thought I’d have a hard time running around with Mezu on my shoulders, but I honestly barely felt him there.

Sure, he was gripping my hair pretty hard and I heard him giggle and cheer every once in a while so I was aware of him. And I’d probably want him off for when I fought with the commander, but as I got close to the footmen and easily punched them out of my way when they got close enough, it was clear I could do a decent amount of fighting with him on me.

Three came at me at about the same time, I grabbed the closest one and swung it into the other two. There were only three more footmen at this point so I threw the one in my hand as hard as I could knocking the group of three back.

“Alright, Fluffy time to just watch okay.”

I went to take him off but he held on tight and let out a whine.

“I’m sorry bud but I can’t fight as cool if you’re on me.”

I felt his whole-body twist on my shoulders like he shook ‘no’.

“What if I go to duck, but you get hit instead?”

I wasn’t aware of how much taller I now was with him on top of me. I was sure to miscalculate things.

He shook again.

“Young Master, its best if you watch from a distance. You can stay attached to him all you want once he’s done.”

He whimpered a bit but let go of my hair. I lifted him off of me and set him down on his feet.

“I’ll be right back, okay?”

I patted his head and turned to face the enemies.

The commander stood in front of the line of mages, and they all held their staffs pointed at him.

I watched as mana swarmed towards him and surrounded him in a green and white glow. The commander was armed with a short sword and small round shield, but only stood watching me.

I should get them first.

I reinforced my legs and pushed off of the ground, leaping the distance in a second. I made it past the commander and slammed a fist into the nearest mage.

The commander was on me just as quickly and its sword landed on my back. It went through my aura and into my shoulder.

Stolen story; please report.

I reached up and over to grab it. My hands, covered with more aura than my shoulder, weren’t cut but I felt the need to reinforce the barrier even more as my fingers wrapped around the blade.

I tried crushing it, but the commander pulled it from my grip and back. I turned to face it. It made a weird clicking noise and I saw a slightly familiar glow to the blade. It was mithril, the only material that could compete well against aura. It seemed that with enough aura though, I’d be able to avoid getting hit by it.

That was reassuring.

I swung my right fist and was blocked by his shield. The outer shell of metal crumbled but there was an inner lining of mithril.

I blocked his sword with my left and started parrying his moves. My punches would land in his shield, but I hadn’t yet put enough in each punch to get through it. It must have been thicker than the last one I’d used, or the mana being put in it was stronger.

Either way, getting a solid grip on this shield and taking it away from the commander was probably the best option.

I mean I’m sure if I just let my aura run rampant I could do it, but then that’d defeat the point of learning to control it properly.

I was thrown into the air by a large gust of wind and flew a short distance away before landing back on the ground.

Right, the mages I should go for the mages first.

As long as I covered myself with enough aura, I could block his attacks. I should just ignore him and focus on them.

I set my feet in the ground, bent my knees a bit and faced the nearest mage.

I launched myself towards them. I was a bit more in the air than I wanted to be, but I landed on top of them and gripped their head crushing it.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the commander dash close and bring its sword down on me.

I blocked with my left arm and threw the sword away with some force before dashing for the next mage.

I managed to smash its head in and get to the next one before the commander got to me.

This time though, not only was its swing heavier, but I couldn’t throw it away with the same force.

I killed three mages already, why was he getting stronger?

I heard a rhythm of clicks and creaks and some other brush like noises and saw dark mana swelling away from the body of the mage next to me and into the commander.

I didn’t have any experience with dark mana, but it was really annoying.

I felt the blade inch past my aura an into my skin. I shouldn’t reinforce just my arm. I could feel my shoulder and my back working whenever I defended like this.

I activated the pathways in my back and opened up a hole near the sword. I tried throwing him away again.

This time I was successful, but it was just its arm.

It threw its shield arm towards me, which connected with my chest, but I didn’t mind.

Sure, I coughed up some air from the impact, but now the shield was close enough for me to grab.

I wrapped my arms around it and grabbed the edges of the shield. I broke through the cover layer easily and gripped the mithril core.

The commander pulled back, not releasing his grip.

That’d make things easier. I pulled my hands back, turning the shield straight, and with it snapping the commander’s arm. I almost pulled it free from its shoulder.

The commander stumbled back, I dropped the shield and went for the next mage.

Even if the commander was healed or strengthened, or whatever the aura that surged to him had done, killing the mages was probably the right choice.

I grabbed its head, not crushing it but pulling the dweller with me as I dashed to the next. I slammed its head into its comrade’s crushing both of them.

I turned at the screech from the commander and it charged towards me, it’s broken arm flapping in the air beside him.

The dark mana was no longer swelling towards it. The spell must not have been automatic.

It jabbed it sword towards me. I side stepped it and turned slightly. I lifted my leg up and swung my leg to trip it but felt my leg swing cleanly without much interference.

I heard a splat and looked down to see the legless commander lying flat on its face, on the ground. I looked to my right and saw what remained of its legs a couple paces away.

There was a resounding ding even though the commander’s chest was still rising and falling with what was probably its last few breaths.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Congratulations on clearing the 31st floor!

Rewards being calculated.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I turned to where I thought Mezu was and saw him charging towards me a smile on his face.

A smile suited his face much more than the frown he wore earlier. I don’t think I’d ever heard him whimper before. I held out my arms and let him run into them.

I picked him up as I heard another ding and felt us be teleported.