After spending a few minutes discussing how to beat the storm wolf. Soma turns his attention to Hina as she keeps her gaze down staring at an empty air.
Hina with her new appearance was wearing the cloak they got after defeating the valiant wolf for her protection and the katana she had strapped on her waist ready for battle. The two were arguing at first about the cloak, but after Soma convinced her. She backed down and took the cloak under her hands.
"So Hina, are you ready?".
[Stats raised
- Intelligence +37
- Strength +1
- Vitality +1
- Agility +1]
[MP: 910]
[Remaining EP: 0]
"Yeah, I am ready".
With the Extra point she gets after leveling up eight times, sweeping every mob monster in the maze for the past two weeks, now is the time for that stats to be used for she would face a great enemy.
It was a bit different for Soma who still didn't know the way for him to break the bottleneck he was facing. He somehow knows the reason why, but he couldn't help it because he still didn't find the piece he wanted inside here.
"Good, let's move out".
At present both of them stand in between the contrast of the bright world and the dark world showing the distinctive two different situations that are visible to the naked eye.
"Soma?".
"Hm?".
Soma turned his attention to his side and found Hina had lifted her right hand and presented it before him. He tilted his head to the side not knowing what she meant by that.
"Let's form a party, do you know how?".
A moment of silence passes as they stare at each other.
"..Oh, right. I forgot about that method".
Hina's words brought back Soma's memories he read from the novel. The act of forming a party in this world was so simple, that the party involved only needed to shake each other's hands. But it also needs the consent from both parties for that to happen.
Soma extended his right hand and grabbed Hina's soft and smooth hand then shook it vertically.
[Party formed]
- Akabane Hina
- Soma
[The experience points received will be divided into the parties evenly. Current member of the party: 2]
The translucent window appeared in front of their eyes signaling the success of creating the group.
"With this, the Exp points will be divided equally".
"Why are you so fixated on the Exp points now?".
"I am not. You are the one who did".
"..Ah, right. I forgot".
Soma chuckled, then turned his gaze beside him, and exchanged looks with Hina before nodding simultaneously. With a slight hesitation, they face the dark world that casts a huge shadow upon the land, overwhelming them. They put their first step toward the dark world and a gust of violent wind struck their body as if trying to expel the foreign figure that trespassed its territory.
However, it still didn't stop the fire that blazed in the two teenagers' eyes. Their eyes were set in stone to defeat the monster that was blocking their way to get their ticket home.
The dark clouds gather above bringing a dark and gloomy atmosphere toward the land, enveloping everything to black. The light-brown wall that stretched across the flat ground lost its cluster and was stepped on by a huge shadow that enveloped the whole place giving it a rather gloomy feeling.
Soma and Hina keep their advance slowly. The scenery of the huge Arena and the Wolf began to enter their sight. As they know the wolf keeps standing still in its place while observing its surroundings with its sharp eyes glowing yellow.
They stopped their advance before the maw of the arena. Soma took a slice of fruit he collected from the maze before wolfing it down and a translucent window appeared once more.
[You ingested a mutated fruit that grew inside the Gate constitution raised: Mana raised+10 for 1 minute]
The raised constitution can be different depending on a person's luck. The first time Soma ingested the fruit. He received a ten-stats bonus for his physical strength, and now he receives the increased stats in mana. This was good news for him, who needed mana for his plan to work.
"Hina".
"Yes, Soma. I understand".
They both simultaneously turn their attention toward the wolf and the two parties' eyes meet. Time stood still as both parties neither made any move, just observing each other.
The gust of wind that blows intensely slammed into Soma's front body changes its course, and it starts to blow toward the opposite side as if to encourage him.
[Oni wrath Activated]
Soma's body began to change, a crimson aura began to leak from his body. The crimson aura boiling like magma evaporated the surrounding air that touched his skin, and the aura began to compress itself. It began to coil on his skin as he felt that his senses were heightened to the sky and the sleeping dragon inside him began to awaken and send a huge flood of power that filled his body to the brim.
[Your reasoning began to corrode]
[Mental enhancement 7 Activated]
[Succeed in negating the corruption of the mind user]
"..Soma".
Hina, who witnessed the change in Soma's body, knitted her brows in worry. But, she knew that the skill didn't do anything harm to him like she had been told, and also it was the plan they already discussed. But, she couldn't help to be worried for his beings.
"I am fine. Let's proceed with the plan".
[Require Mana for activation 100 Mana per second]
[Remaining time: 7 Seconds]
Soma who witness the countdown start before his eyes. He kicked the ground so hard sent an alarm that made the wolf also react at the same time. The wolf raised its battle aura and created a small tornado around it as the center.
The wind that surrounded the wolf was stronger compared to what the Valiant wolf had, it gave a strong force that rejected his attempt to advance forward. He halted his step for a moment before he lowered his stance letting his hands face straight behind and shot forward like a missile, cutting the wind that stood in its path.
[6]
The wolf looked at the incoming human missile calmly, as it began to howl to the sky showing its might.
"Awoooo".
The wolf's body began to glow in green light, it prepared its stance by crouching down in four legs. Then the wolf appeared beside Soma. Soma, is still not aware of what is happening, as he still keeps focusing his attention forward, but the enemy is already within his range.
Soma's body jolted as pain seared through his nerves, a shockwave of agony tearing apart his flesh and bones. The time felt like slowing down as the world itself came to a halt. Pain, confusion, and disbelief mix with the suffering that assaults him creating a chaotic symphony of suffering.
He has been blown away without him noticing. He rolled on the hard ground a couple of times until he crashed into the wall creating a spider web crack, making his internal organ shake intensely making it bleed internally.
[5]
"..What?!".
It didn't even take a single moment for the wolf to move. Soma, who already buffed himself with the Oni wrath skill and upgraded stats, still couldn't follow its movement. His body felt a chill as in front of him a huge shadow began to blacken the place he was standing.
The wolf swung its right paw and Soma barely reacted, lifted his hands to guard for the incoming attack but it was useless as he was being blown away once again to the side.
"Gahak".
The shock felt even greater than before, because of the injury he sustained upon receiving the first attack.
[4]
The ticking time that informed him of the remaining time of the skill, feels like the ticking time for him to meet his ends. Soma grits his teeth as he tenses all of the muscle fiber in his body while rolling on the hard ground. He did a couple of plips to fix his stance and managed to crawl himself back.
Once he stabilized his foothold he prepared his stance but soon crumbled, because his feet turned soft and in that moment his mouth was clogged, filled with the smelly taste of an iron as he coughed it out.
"Blarggh".
However, the wolf didn't want him to take a single breath, as it already arrived behind Soma's unguarded back. The looming shadow of death began to envelop his being, sending a chill all over his body.
Soma's body was trembling in fury for refusing his command to move from the place. He grits his teeth trying to bring his two legs stand up but to no avail. "Hurry up, stand!". He muttered.
[3]
"Firewall".
A torrent of bright flame erupted from the ground and it created a boundary that separated the space between the wolf and Soma who was not in good shape.
The wolf halted its attack, by leaping back as it began to scan its surroundings and found the figure of the lone girl who raised her hands, creating the wall that prevented the wolf from killing Soma.
Hina who received the wolf gaze head on stiffened her body, as her body instinctively took a step back. But, she bit her lips as it sent a pain that assaulted her brain clearing her clouded mind. She received the wolf gaze head-on while knitting her brows then raised her warcry.
"I won't let you".