The winds cried and howled, fierce gusts waltzing over a land of flames and darkness. Loud rumbles shook the ground in regular intervals, fountains of lava creating a rain of fire each and every single time. It was a land of nightmares.
And in such a hellish landscape, a ferocious battle unfolds between three figures. One was a Red-eyed Cyclops equipped with six arms, skin tougher than any steel and darker than obsidian. The other two were a platinum dragon and a young man, trading blows time after time.
It was a deadly fury. The Blackheart Cyclops which stood more than a dozen meters tall was clobbered with the endless torrent of the young man's fist. Each hit, the sound of bones breaking and blood spurting echoed clearly in the air.
Not only did the Blackheart Cyclops need to deal with the young man, it also needed to keep an eye on the platinum dragon. The moment it takes its eye off him, a large and powerful jaw lunges on it, leaving a deep bite mark, splattering dark blood all over the place.
"Polaris, now!" ［Grey］
At Grey's behest, Polaris quickly strengthened his bite on the enemy's shoulder and with all his might, ripped it apart from its body. A loud shriek full of pain and agony soon after as blood gushed out along the fountains of lava.
Rage fueling its heart, the Blackheart Cyclops faced Polaris, clenching its first to land a counterattack. But rather than getting revenge, what it committed was the biggest mistake of its short life.
As if a vortex was sucking them, winds streamed aggressively towards a single point. The vortex continued, forming a single mass taking the shape of a spear, raging more aggressively the more winds it sucked in. Such a raging mass gathered and hovered atop Grey's hands.
The raging gales conituned to gather, ripping appart the Labyrinth walls and ceiling and colidying the scorching floor of lava in just a couple fractions of a second. In that moment, Polaris unsummoned himself, knowing what was about to come.
⟨⟨Southern Wind: Notus!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
His voice booming along the roaring winds, Grey threw the spear with all its might. The Labyrinth which could even withstand the strongest of storms and quakes was now being ripped apart as the spear darted through them.
It was like a high-powered hydraulic drill boring through the ground. It didn't matter what it met. All were destroyed and torn to pieces until none was left, sent to oblivion as if they never existed in the first place.
The Blackheart Cyclops tried to resist it, but all its efforts were for naught. There weren't even any signs of resistance. The moment the spear touched it, its whole body was swallowed whole and disintegrated. Not even a drop of blood left behind.
Even after the spear destroyed the enemy, its continued darting through the Labyrinth, ripping through several hundreds meters of distance and annihilating everything there is to be annihilated. Such a destructive scene continued until the spear was no more.
"Whew... That was a tough one..." ［Grey］
Said Grey as he released the auras he had on himself, a light aching pain following afterwards. But compared to the pain he felt before, such pain was nothing. It was just a little bit of soreness.
It has been several days since Grey and Polaris started training on the 10th floor, and so far, everything was going smoothly. Though Grey's combat power had remained constant, he had gained invaluable experience.
In fact, Grey could now constantly use a double-boost aura without much trouble just as he did recently. A triple and quadruple boost was still far from his grasp but it was still a pretty good progress.
Now, with consideration of his current equipment, Grey could fight fairly against those with a combat power of 15 thousand. Well, he is still a little ways away from beating the Skeleton Tyrant from before. Even then, he was satisfied.
Well, it's not like they were always training. Whilst Grey is resting himself, he often heads inside the treasure rooms and collects some treasures, costing tens of millions of kiels each, the quality was incomparable with the 9th floor. Money could literally be found everywhere.
"Polaris, you can come back now." ［Grey］
"Very well, Master." ［Polaris］
A loud resonant voice soon echoed in the air as a large figure appeared. Polaris then opened his mouth shortly after, absorbing the lingering corruption from the Blackheart Cyclops, getting his fair share for the day.
Polaris had also gotten stronger from devouring the corruption from the defeated monsters. He could now go against many of the monsters in the lower ranges of Calamity-Class with relative ease.
Not only that, he had also adapted many battle styles by using the different forms he could take, targeting the enemy's weakness. Be it speed, power, or defense, Polaris can tune his form to dispose of them in the easiest way possible.
"Oh, right, Polaris, what about Liz? Is she fine by herself?" ［Grey］
"There's no need to worry, Master. She could take care of herself now. She's no longer the helpless child you once rescued." ［Polaris］
"Hm? Am I being over-protective again?" ［Grey］
"Very much so, Master." ［Polaris］
The fierce atmosphere from before is now gone. Grey and Polaris simply chatted about one another as they prepared themselves for the upcoming battles, healing their wounds and replenishing the supplies they needed to.
Though Authority was powerful, it really did do a number on Grey's "Mana Bank". The amount he saved for years was now starting to deplete. It was because of such that Grey now needed to drink mana potions until his stomach was full.
While he was almost certain he could last the whole month without doing so, there was nothing wrong in being cautious. Complacency is dangerous, after all. He is not going to risk anything if there was a way to prevent it. It was better to be paranoid and cautious than regret things later.
"I see... Yuna does say that all the time... Alright! That's enough resting and chatting for now! Let's get going, Polaris." ［Grey］
"Master, there's no need to rush yourself. Take as long as you need." ［Polaris］
"No, it's alright. Besides... Another friend of ours has spawned, you see..." ［Grey］
It hasn't even been five minutes since Grey and Polaris defeated the Blackheart Cyclops yet another Calamity-Class monster had spawned just a couple hundred meters away from them, ready for battle.
There was no time to waste. As soon as they relieved themselves of the pain and fatigue, Grey and Polaris quickly bolted towards the enemy, delivering the first hit. Yet another loud and fierce clash unfolded in the Labyrinth.
Deathless Dullahans... Ogres of Massacre... Minotaur Overlords...
Grey and Polaris fought monster after monster as they traversed the fiery Labyrinth. Sometimes they fought two at once and very rarely, even three. Their bodies were ingrained with pain and valuable experiences with each and every passing second.
Of course, the two of them didn't just charge recklessly and greedily. When the enemy's combat power surpassed 15 thousand, they opted to avoid confrontation and hid if necessary. Especially when they encounter those at Disaster-Class. The moment they spot one, they immediately retreat.
After all, what Grey and Polaris are doing is not a simple game. A simple mistake could lead to them losing their lives. There was no need to engage in a battle which is more trouble than it is worth. Retreat is still a part of training, after all.
Just like that, the day passed and it was already afternoon. Grey and Polaris had defeated several monsters and collected a number of excellent drops. They are now fighting against a much weaker Skeleton Tyrant, making it their twelfth monster.
"Polaris, handle the front!" ［Grey］
"Understood!" ［Polaris］
There was no need for any elaboration. As soon as Grey issued his commands, Polaris immediately launched a barrage towards the enemy and peppered it with explosion after explosion, leaving it occupied and unable to pay attention to Grey.
⟨⟨Northern Wind: Boreas!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
As soon as Polaris released his fury, Grey quickly bolted towards the back, and with a little bit of magic, struck another barrage of wind spears towards it. It was a pincer attack, destroying the enemy from both fronts.
It could have been avoided if the Skeleton Tyrant could still summon subordinates, but with most of its mana wasted from their drawn-out fight, all it could do was parry and endure the torrent of attacks, minimizing the damage as much as it could.
Whooosshhh
Burning with desperation, the Skeleton Tyrant brandished its sword as fast as it could, launching blades of mana as much as it could do was destroy the barrage, loud explosions echoing all over the place as the spears and missiles were destroyed.
The moment it saw the smallest opening, it quickly ditched defense and charged towards Polaris without any hesitation, leaving behind the relentless torrent and leaping in the air, ready to strike the latter down with its sword.
"You fool!" ［Polaris］
Before it could even notice, missiles of light and spears of wind appeared before it, manifesting out of nowhere. Loud booms thundered all throughout the Labyrinth as it was blasted several dozen meters away towards the walls, a loud crash resounding soon after.
Everything was a trap. Polaris purposefully made gaps for the Skeleton Tyrant to get through and as soon as it leaped to the air, Polaris immediately utilized law magic to teleport the torrent beside him, peppering the Skeleton Tyrant's defenseless body with a merciless cascade.
"This is the end! ⟨⟨Pinpoint Tempest: Deathpierce⟩⟩ !" ［Grey］
There was no way to dodge nor parry. As soon as the clouds of dust cleared out, Grey's howling fist appeared before it. The next thing it knew, its whole body was ripped to pieces, turned into fine powder in a matter of seconds.
Fragments of light shone in the corridors soon after, corruption devoured by Polaris completely. What was left behind was a beautiful black sword which was once in the hands of the Skeleton Tyrant. Grey quickly stored it inside his "Inventory".
"Argh... Should we take a break, Polaris?" ［Grey］
"If Master wills it then I'll gladly be your company." ［Polaris］
"Alright! Ten minutes should be enough then." ［Grey］
Said Grey as he stretched his hands toward the air, stretching his body. Though he has used holy magic to heal himself and Polaris, it was still the best to rest. He felt very refreshed the moment he sat down on the dungeon floor.
Well, he wasn't just tired physically but mentally as well. It has been a little over a week since he last saw Yuna and now, he just wants to hold her tightly. Still, he always made sure to control his desires to see her again, thinking of other things to shift his attention away from her.
"Right, Polaris, I've always wondered about it, but... How does law magic work? The teleportation part, I mean." ［Grey］
"Hmm... I might not be the most knowledgeable about it, but I shall try my best to answer Master's question." ［Polaris］
"Great! Let's hear it then!" ［Grey］
Burying his longing for Yuna with the use of curiosity, Grey attentively listened to Polaris' explanations as the latter tried his best to explain how law magic works.
It was just like one of the theories Grey read of back when he was on Earth. Rather than warping from one place or another, teleported as a whole, teleportation works by deconstructing an object, preserving the information, and then reconstructing it in another place.
In simpler terms, the object would be ripped to shreds with the use of mana, only to be put together afterwards in another place. A phenomenon only possible with the many strange properties of mana.
"I see... So it's teleported piece by piece rather than a whole..." ［Grey］
"That is correct, Master." ［Polaris］
"Piece by piece, huh... I see... Hm?" ［Grey］
It was as if a lightning bolt struck him. Hearing Polaris' explanation, a sudden thought appeared on Grey's mind, his heart pumping like crazy as he finally got ahold of the key he had been looking for.
The "Mastery Level", the level which encompasses how proficient one is in their class of attribute. Each level from "Basic" to "Ultimate" has a certain requirement to be met which is gained as one increases their understanding and ability to utilize it.
In regards to spell, "Basic" mastery is reached when one can control the element, "Low" when one can alter the element physically or chemically, "Intermediate" when can create and destroy it using mana, "High" when one truly understands the nature of the element, and "Advanced" when one can apply such a nature of one's body, or as many people know it, "Authority".
When performing a spell, like earth magic's "Rock Bullet", at "Basic" mastery, one simply gathers dust from the air and ground to create a rock to fire off. Meanwhile, at "Intermediate Mastery", mana itself creates a rock from thin air. Such is the difference between levels.
Of course, there are still the "Superior" and "Ultimate" levels. With "Ultimate", one only needs to know all that there is to know. But "Superior" is rather special. It is the only mastery where one needs to achieve enlightenment about the nature of their magic.
An example was Richter's "Coiling Dragon" in which his lightning is given "life" and turns to "dragons" which destroys the enemy on his behalf. But not everyone of the lightning-attribute awakens such. One's enlightenment is unique to them.
"Polaris, back away a little bit," ［Grey］
"Understood." ［Polaris］
His voice echoing clearly, Grey slowly stood up and exhaled calmly. The very next moment, he leaked out to the environment a large amount of mana, spreading it far and wide, grasping as much volume as he could.
'Piece by piece...' ［Grey］
Such a thought running inside his mind, Grey sharpened his focus as he controlled the windー No, it was not the wind, but the very air particles themselves, commanding them one by one, letting them dance freely.
The true nature of wind magic was the movement of gas particles. Though Grey easily understood such with the modern knowledge he possessed, he still used them as one being, moving them together. Such was the case until now,
RUUUMMBLLLEEEEE
As Grey deepened his focus, the particles danced wilder and wilder, vibrating faster and faster, and breaking the sonic barrier as chaos descended upon them. It was far too fast, the vibrations were.
The sounds which were meant to be produced had reached frequencies no being could hear, but it was there, producing implosions and shockwaves which tore apart any matter in their adjacent vicinity without mercy.
The dungeon walls which could even withstand nuclear missiles were now ripped to shreds without any effort. Neither lava nor flames were spared, disintegrated in a matter of seconds. Grey has unlocked the final door.
[Magic Proficiency]Advanced (89%) →Superior (90%)
The numbers have risen and letters have been changed. Along with such a subtle change in Grey's status screen, the whole Labyrinth trembled violently, the winds of chaos destroying everything before him.
Golden light shone the vicinity, brighter than any flames to be seen yet gentle as the warm and soft sunlight. Such brilliance continued to dazzle as the quakes became more violent. The birth of a new King.
...
CRASH CRASH CRASH
A series of booms and crashes thundered across the corridors as a large beast-like monster brandished its wildly claws in the air, leaving deep gashes in the walls and the ground like a wild madman.
But it wasn't just for show. It has been trying to hit a certain silver-haired girl with all it could, but to no avail. No matter how fast it was, the latter was even faster. It has been several minutes already yet it hasn't landed even a single one.
"Playtime's over... ⟨⟨Thousand Bleeding Streams⟩⟩ !" ［Yuna］
The enemy didn't even have time to react. Yuna only brandished her daggers once but a rain of cuts and slashes rained down upon the enemy, covering its whole body with wounds and severing its joints one after another.
When the merciless cascade stopped, all that there was left was a corpse riddled with wounds and holes, bathed in blood. A loud thud then resounded in the air as the lifeless body fell towards the ground without any resistance.
"Really... It's ridiculous no matter how many times I see it..." ［Julius］
"Fufufu! Yuna's amazing, after all!" ［Amelia］
Watching such a scene unfold were Julius and Amelia who were currently resting after their own battle. Yuna had told them to watch carefully and learn, but in all honesty, they haven't learnt a single bit. Yuna was just too fast for their eyes to follow.
The only ones who could see her swift movements were the familiars who were on standby in case another enemy suddenly appeared. They looked at their Mistress with pride in their eyes as she finished the enemy off brilliantly.
"Sorry, did I take too long?" ［Yuna］
"This girl... Are you seriously asking us that...?" ［Julius］
"Hm? Why? Is something wrー" ［Yuna］
RUUUMMBLLLEEEEE
Yuna couldn't even finish her words when the Labyrinth suddenly started to rumble violently, heavy quakes running through the ground without any warning.
"O-Oi! What's happening?!" ［Julius］
"K-Kyaaa!" ［Amelia］
Panic struck Julius and Amelia's heart as they tried to stand their ground. If it wasn't for the fact that the familiars were there to cling on, they would have already fallen butt-first towards the ground. But strangely enough, they were the only ones.
Rather than panic, there were only soft expressions and smiles of satisfaction to be seen in Yuna and the familiars' faces. In the deepest depths of their hearts, they could feel something amazing happening.
"Mistress, it seems that Master has done it. He has broken through." ［Sirius］
"Un... That's great..." ［Yuna］
A soft and gentle smile was afloat Yuna's face as she replied to Sirius' words. But Julius couldn't be any more different. Though it took him a little while to understand, the moment he did, shock and disbelief swallowed his heart whole.
Amelia was also in the same state, her eyes widened in shock, unable to say a single word as a cold chill ran down her spine. She couldn't believe it, but she could only accept the truth... The fact that Grey had reached Calamity-Class.
"Yuna, just asking... How old is Grey again?" ［Julius］
"Hmm... He's still 18. Why?" ［Yuna］
"No, nothing... Just curious..." ［Julius］
Or so he said, but Julius couldn't hide the dry smile on his face. Well, who would be? After all, even Richter, who is often called a great prodigy, had only reached it when he was in his mid-thirties. Yet Grey beat his record when he was just half his age. Everyone would be shocked.
'Honestly... What an unbelievable guy...' ［Julius］
Nevertheless, Julius was still very happy. Even when the gap between them had only widened, he couldn't control the excitement shaking his heart. An even fiercer flame of determination had started to burn.
...
The brilliant golden light has faded and the quakes have finally calmed. Everything had returned to normal and all that was to be seen in the fiery landscape was a platinum dragon and a young man.
"I bid you congratulations for your ascension, Master." ［Polaris］
There was no response, only silence filled the air as Grey closed and opened his hands again and again. Though it was his own body, he felt a little strange. He felt much lighter and more comfortable.
The reason was simple. It was because the limits in his body had finally been lifted, a great burst of strength flooding his body as if the gates of a dam had just been broken, letting all the water out.
[Combat Power]9,999 →14,889
[Threat Level]S →Calamity
In just a single moment, Grey's strength leaped to more than three times than it was. Now, even without the use of Authority and only relying on his equipment, he was confident he could go toe to toe with the Skeleton Tyrant from before.
If he were to use Authority like he had been doing, he was confident he could defeat even the monsters at the bottom of Disaster-Class. He felt like a bird who had regained his wings, ready to soar even much higher.
"Polaris..." ［Grey］
"Yes, Master?" ［Polaris］
"I'm feeling a little daring today... What should I do?" ［Grey］
"The Master should do whatever he wants. I am all but a mere servant. I will gladly follow the Master's wishes." ［Polaris］
"I see..." ［Grey］
It was subtle, but a smile formed on Grey's face as soon as he heard Polaris' answer. Well, his decision was already set in stone before he even asked. It was time to test out his newfound strengths.
"Now then, let's clean this place up, shall we?!" ［Grey］
A bright smile on his face, Grey's voice resonated clearly throughout the Labyrinth corridors. A rapid surge of emotion flooded his heart whole, filling each and every side and corner. That emotion was excitement.
Soon, shrieks and squeals echoed all over the tenth floor as Grey and Polairs laid waste towards all and any monsters they saw. It was not a battle but a one-sided massacre, dozens of Calamity-Class and a couple Disaster-Class monsters slain mercilessly one after another.
Oh, what an eventful day.
CHAPTER 193 END