Daichi looked at the two imposing enemies guarding the ninth floor of the castle.
'It doesn't matter how much power one has if you can't hit your opponent it's no use. So I'll go for the one who's the speed type first. I need to distract the black one while I deal with the white general.'
All these thoughts passed through Daichi's mind in a second. After quick careful thinking he decided to fight the white armored general first.
Daichi tensed and the moment he made the first seal to create the shadow clone, a sword was coming straight for his head.
Daichi's eyes widened and from his perspective everything slowed down. He saw the sharp gleaming edges of the sword about to bisect him in half.
'If I don't dodge it, I'll die!'
Daichi flooded his body with chakra and used the sprint skill in combination with his body flicker.
The white general brought his sword down and cut through Daichi. But the next instant the cut Daichi vanished like a mirage.
Daichi was on the other side of the room. His heart was pounding in his chest. Sweat was dripping down his forehead as he looked at the white armored ninja.
'Fuck! Holy fuck! If I had been even a moment late I'd be dead… I haven't felt like this since my battle in the first and second dungeons.'
At that moment Daichi's senses alerted him to another enemy coming near him. Daichi jumped to the side and evaded the fist. The spot Daichi stood on cracked and slightly caved.
Daichi skidded a few feet back and looked at the second enemy. 'If the other one's speed is anything to go by then this guy's power must also be insanely high.'
Daichi kept both his enemies in his field of view. 'I need to decrease the white ninja's mobility... I have an idea but I can't do it alone. And I can't fight both of them at the same time. I need to create a few shadow clones.'
Daichi slightly narrowed his eyes and discreetly took several smoke bombs from his inventory. The moment he dropped them on the floor he saw the white speedster ninja coming for him. Daichi was ready for him this time.
He evaded the sword strikes and at that moment the the smoke bomb went off around them. Daichi retreated and created 4 shadow clones.
"You guys know what to do!" Daichi spoke as he kept his senses on his enemies.
"Yup. Leave it to us." The clones replied and disappeared.
The smoke was blown away and the white general rushed towards Daichi. The boy took a dagger and a short sword and readied himself. Both of them began their fast paced battle.
Even though the enemy had a higher level, due to Daichi's many passive skills he was able to match the general's speed. Both Daichi and the armored ninja evaded strikes from the other and tried to cut their opponent.
Daichi was completely focused on the ninja in front of him. He trusted his clones to keep the black armored ninja busy and to enact the plan. Daichi looked at the blue embers burning in the enemy's eye holes.
'It feels like I'm fighting death itself. What a frightening presence…'
Daichi evaded the sword swings and parried the next couple that came after. Half dozen strikes were sent each second. Each swing and sword strike the pair unleashed was precise and deadly. It also was a precursor to the next strike and so on.
A chain combination attacks. But if a strike is sent that the enemy can get through completely or leaves the person exposed it would be the end.
'Both of us are mostly dodging the attacks but sooner or later one of us will make a mistake and the other will capitalize on it. The one who makes the first wrong move gets destroyed.'
A precise, deadly fierce and fast battle. This was Daichi's fight with the white general.
On the other side of the room several small explosions could be heard. The clones were keeping the other general occupied.
Daichi had something else up his sleeve. He was slowly leading the enemy to the middle of the room. As the fight continued, suddenly for a second the white general seemed as if his limbs were petrified and he struggled.
Daichi smiled as he saw the general restrained by numerous chakra threads. Daichi used his speed and vanished from the enemy's view.
The general coated his sword with chakra and cut through the strings. At that moment he sensed an attack coming from behind. The general quickly turned around and parried the sword strike. And sent a fierce counter.
The white general twisted Daichi's sword away from his body and rushed at him. Once he got close the general stabbed his sword through Daichi's chest all the way to the back.
Daichi looked shocked and dropped his sword but the next instant he exploded in a sticky substance and completely covered the general. The general struggled to get free but the adhesive properties were too strong.
The real Daichi rose out of the ground a few meters away from him. He went through several hand seals and fired several earth dragon bombs at the retrained ninja. The clone joined Daichi and started using fire style jutsu.
'The plan worked. 3 clones distracted the other general while the fourth created a Sticky Syrup Clone and then waited for an opportunity. The moment it restricted the general's movements I rushed to his blind spot and substituted with the clone. And when the clone was destroyed the syrup completely covered him, immobilizing him.'
Both Daichi and the clone unleashed powerful ninjutsu and before long a notification appeared.
[Enemy Killed.]
+2300 Exp.
+345 Exp.
[Enemies killed: 53/55]
'Time to finish the other one.'
Daichi didn't waste anymore time and joined the other fight that was going on. Due to the enemy's strength the clones had to fight from a distance. They used genjutsu and ninjutsu but were unable to do serious damage to the black armored ninja.
Daichi put the sword and dagger back in his inventory and equipped his knuckle dusters. He rushed at the ninja and attacked the joints and weak spots of the enemy.
'Man, this guy is powerful. Even with my strong blows his health is only getting reduced a bit.'
Daichi increased his speed and attacked from several directions while the clones tried to keep the general tied up.
The black armored ninja stomped the floor and sent a shockwave but Daichi successfully evaded.
'You think you can get me with my own trick.'
This was something Daichi tried when he fought several enemies in the previous dungeons. The battle lasted a while but due to his speed Daichi was slowly able to chip away at the general's health points and at last he reduced the ninja to smoke.
[Enemy Killed.]
+2300 Exp.
+345 Exp.
[Enemies killed: 54/55]
Daichi's knuckles were bleeding and he was breathing hard as his stamina and chakra were almost depleted.
'It took everything I had to take him down.'
His legs shook and Daichi dropped to his knees. Daichi took several large gulps of air. His body was sore all over. He took his bed and went to sleep.
—-
[You have slept in a bed. HP, CP, SP and MP have been fully restored.]
Daichi opened his eyes and let out a small yawn. He slowly got up from his bed and looked at the several notifications piled up. Daichi went through each blue system message and his smile widened.
"Wow! That's a lot of skill and stat increase…"
Daichi closed all the boxes. At that moment a thought entered his mind. 'I've killed 54 ninjas in this dungeon and yet my Plunderer skill hasn't been activated once… It seems the skill acquisition rate is even rarer than I thought.'
He then looked at the passage that opened when the fight ended.
'The last one. The boss of this dungeon.'
Daichi took a deep breath and then slowly let it out. He created 2 clones and then started climbing the stairs. They were surprised when they reached the top. There was no door blocking the entrance to the last floor.
Daichi stepped inside and looked at the majestic interior. The room was decorated in gems, rubies, gold and diamonds. The floor was made of white marble.
At the opposite end of the room was a throne. And an imposing figure wearing a red and black colored armor was residing in the throne. Two red glowing eyes looked directly at Daichi. The king had a black cloak and a red long Mohawk on his head.
Daichi didn't look away from the gaze.
'Observe'
[70] King Egrien
HP: 8000 CP: 8000
[The strongest ninja of the dungeon and the ruler of the Kikyo castle. Proficient in combat and capable of using all 3 forms of ninja arts. He wants to kill the intruder that barged into his domain.]
[You have sensed killing intent.]
At that moment Daichi sensed a pressure descending on his body as if trying to make him submit. Daichi raised his chakra to show his defiance.
The king stood from his throne and slowly descended the steps. His black cloak smoothly flowing behind him and his Mohawk gently waving in the air.
Daichi narrowed his eyes and looked at the ruler coming down the steps. He could sense that there was someone different about this enemy.
'This guy is different from the others. His presence itself is imposing and formidable. One wrong move and my journey till now would be for nothing.'
Daichi readied himself. The moment the king touched the marbled floor he disappeared.
'Fast!' But due to his powerful senses Daichi was able to follow the movement. He swiftly leaned back and avoided a lethal slash.
[-69 HP]
The next instant a thin line of cut appeared in Daichi's chest.
'I thought I avoided that attack. So how did he get me?'
Daichi looked at the sword and saw a faint blue chakra hue coating it. 'This bastard. He used chakra to increase the range of his attack but kept it minimized so I couldn't pick up on it.'
Daichi didn't waste any more time. He took his sword and dagger and rushed towards his final enemy.
The clash between the king of the castle and the gamer ninja began.
Daichi's clones used genjutsu, telekinesis and attacks from the blind spots to limit the king's movements.
Daichi coated his dagger with fire chakra and slashed downwards aiming at his enemy's legs. The king quickly escaped and shot several fire bullets at Daichi.
Daichi used body flicker and evaded to the side. Daichi looked at his enemy and came up with a plan. 'I need to limit his movements.'
He looked at the clones and they immediately understood what Daichi wanted. Daichi engaged the king while his clones got to work. The 2 clones went through several hand seals and placed them on the ground as Daichi fought the enemy the entire floor suddenly ruptured.
Daichi and the king leaped away as the floor got destroyed.
'Now with this wrecked floor he won't be able to move as fast as he did.'
Due to the Light steps skill Daichi was able to adapt to the terrain quickly and he used this to his advantage. Daichi's clone sent a fireball which was overpowered by a water wall jutsu by the enemy.
King Egrien sent several quick flying sword slashes from where he stood. One of the clones dodged but the other got dispelled.
'This guy is no joke. He quickly gets out of genjutsu and he's able to fight me and my clones without much problem. I can see now why this guy is the king of this place.'
Daichi created 2 new clones and ran at the enemy. Both the king and Daichi engaged in a fierce battle. Both were evenly matched in strength and speed but due to Daichi's clones he had the upper hand.
As the battle continued both of them slowly chipped away at the other's health. During the fight Daichi deliberately left an opening for the king to strike and when just before Egrien struck Daichi, he substituted with a syrup clone.
The strong adhesive covered the king from head to toe.
'Now's my chance.'
As Daichi moved in for the kill, he suddenly felt uneasy. He immediately substituted himself with a shadow clone. The next second a long sword pierced right through him.
Daichi looked at the king that emerged from the ground. And the one coated in sticky syrup vanished in a puff of smoke.
'This guy… He used the same strategy as mine. He lured me into a false sense of security to finish me off… That was too close. If it weren't for my senses I'd be a goner.'
Daichi and his 2 clones surrounded the King. Daichi used the swift skill to increase his speed and the battle resumed.
'I just need another shot.'
Daichi parried and slashed at the enemy's strikes. He made sure the king's attention was on him. At that moment several chakra threads and ninja wire immobilized the king. Before he could escape lightning flew through the wires paralyzing him.
Daichi jumped back and went through several seals. 'This will drain most of my chakra but I have no other choice. Since he's not a shadow clone I have to go all out.'
'Water style - Water Dragon jutsu.'
The water dragons emerged and swallowed the king. With the water pressure and lightning coursing through, King Egrien was petrified. His health slowly depleted.
The chakra of Daichi and his clones were also quickly being drained. It was a matter of what would give out first. Daichi's chakra or the king's health.
Daichi concentrated and compressed the water dragons around his enemy to increase the pressure several folds.
'If he survives this, then I won't have any choice but to use my stat points.'
'Come on… Come on…!'
At last the battle came to an end. Daichi was the first to have his chakra be depleted. He fell to his knees and took several breaths of air. Daichi looked at the standing king.
'Damn it.' Just as Daichi was about to increase his chakra points something happened to the king.
The king stood still even after the lightning water dragon disappeared. It was only several seconds later that the king slowly took a step forward. But that step was his last. He fell down and was reduced to smoke. The compressed water dragon completely crushed every portion of his armor and drained away the king's heath.
[Enemy Killed.]
+3000 Exp.
+450 Exp.
[Enemies killed: 55/55]
[You have defeated King Egrien.]
[Reward:] Night Gaze Armor - blueprint (01/01)
[Quest 'Conquer the Castle' Completed.]
[Rewards:]
55000 Exp.
Red Potion.
[You have leveled up.]
[You have successfully defeated every enemy in this dungeon. You have been granted access to the return key.]
Daichi was on his hands and knees taking large gulps of air as he heard the blue system messages pop up. He didn't care about any of them at the moment.
Due to the level up his stamina was half restored. Daichi took another breath of deep air and took out his comfy small bed.
'Time to get some shut eye.'
He went to sleep completing the Kikyo Castle dungeon.