-Grey Elaris Point of View.
"Haa... Haa... Haa..."
Normally, Wraiths walk in groups of up to 10 members. However, the number of Wraiths in this group exceeded 20, making it difficult to fight them.
Mana reserves were running low, and that was a problem. If the mana was stirred up, they would be left vulnerable. It was enough for a Wraith's hands to brush the skin for a single second for a paralyzing poison to run through the entire body. If you are poisoned, you will be paralyzed, and the Wraith will devour you alive.
That's something no one would want to experience.
Being eaten while conscious is too great a trauma for anyone. Suffering something like that is unbearable, no matter how hard you try.
Wraith corpses lay all over the ground. Dozens of them. The change in the labyrinth meant that more and more Wraiths were being encountered, and the situation was becoming more difficult to handle. They were arriving en masse, like herds.
Grey, who had fought them, knew that Wraiths were easy to kill, but they were also difficult at the same time.
Easy and difficult. Difficult and easy. Two words that sound similar, but have opposite meanings.
Even if you killed them, they always came back with every change of the maze, which happened every hour. They hadn't even managed to find the exit, but now the plan had changed.
"The Wraith king must be nearby," Grey said.
"But a Wraith king is at least grade 8, or maybe grade 7," Julian replied, hesitant to go ahead with the plan.
Fighting a Wraith king entails risking everything. A grade 7 monster would be the end for someone from the first circle. Not even someone from the second circle could defeat a monster of that level.
Even though there were two of them, it was still overwhelming power. They both knew that it wouldn't be simple to kill the Wraith King.
At a certain point, even Grey thought the same thing. But what if the king was really grade 8? They might stand a chance. If they faced him together, victory would be possible.
"We must go on," Grey insisted.
"Yes," Julian nodded.
"In case of danger, we will use the return stone."
Julian looked at Grey, whose confident look made him think that perhaps the king was not grade 7. That confidence allowed him to press on.
However, they both knew that the chances of the Wraith king being grade 7 were high, because of the number of Wraiths in the labyrinth. The strangest thing was that they found no other monsters, only Wraiths everywhere.
The change in the structure of the maze was annoying. Each modification led them to more Wraiths, forcing them to fight more than 20 at a time. The mana would soon run out, and they would not be able to continue.
The only way to end it all was to root out the root of the Wraith: the Wraith king. That monster ruled the others, who followed him as servants. If the king died, so would they.
It was like killing two birds with one stone.
"The plan is simple," Grey exclaimed.
Everything was calculated, although there were variables.
Suddenly, a dull sound echoed in the environment, and the surroundings changed. This time, they were in a cave, but as they looked back, they saw stairs leading to the surface. Grey knew they were still in the labyrinth, because that cave was also part of it.
Soon he felt a large amount of mana in the distance. It was King Wraith. A stronger mana than the other Wraiths. It was right in front of them.
They both stood on guard.
"It's a grade semi 7," Grey said as he felt the streams of mana.
Julian's eyes widened in surprise.
"We have a chance," he said with conviction.
Grey nodded silently. It wasn't impossible to kill it, but the problem was that they would be severely injured after facing it. A semi grade 7 monster was one step away from reaching the next level of power.
King Wraith was close to becoming a full grade 7.
In simple words, he is still a grade 8.
But he is at the top of grade 8, which puts him, at least in the rank of mages, in a second incomplete circle.
"Brace yourself."
Grey then materialized his mana all over his body, creating a cloak that covered him completely.
Julian watched patiently and did the same; however, his mana cloak was filled with electricity, which ran uncontrolled through his body as sparks fluttered around him.
"Stay close, it's possible that the wraiths protecting the king will be stronger."
"Don't forget to have the return stone ready in any case, Grey."
Julian also reminded him, because if they didn't use it in time, it would be dangerous.
Soon, the roars of the wraiths resounded.
Grey and Julian were immediately detected with their sudden appearance.
They heard rapid and loud footsteps on the ground, which was shaking intensely, which meant that there were many wraiths.
However, they were not the ones protecting the wraith king, as their mana was weaker, just like the other wraiths they had fought previously in different places in the labyrinth.
***
-Scene change.
-Emilia Merwin's point of view.
"You're so adorable, hehe."
In the end, I had managed to get the mana beast to be very friendly with Emilia.
It took a long time.
However, the result was quite good.
Emilia, who had been trying to calm the beast, finally had it before her.
But that moment of calm was soon interrupted.
Raaaawr-rrrrrRRRRRREEEEGGHH!!!!
Emilia raised an eyebrow and saw several wraiths running towards her; however, she looked where they came from and noticed an open surface on the ground.
"What's going on?"
She saw several wraiths come out of the ground, as if there was a gap.
As she approached along with the mana beast, Emilia saw a flight of stairs leading to a dark cave, where the mana was intense.
She sensed that the mana was so dense that it came from a stronger monster, the strongest she had felt so far.
However, he thought nothing of it.
If you go in, you will have to fight something very powerful.
Although the mana beast beside him seemed friendly, it showed no signs of helping him.
After all, it was a beast that wasn't tamed by her, so it wouldn't help her.
But.
Outburst.
She felt two very familiar manas.
"Julian and Grey are in there."
What were those two doing in there?
There was a pretty strong monster.
So strong that it was almost comparable to a grade 7; however, although it did not reach that level, it was close to that power.
Both of them are from the first circle, and although they are at their limit, they won't be able to fight the monster down there.
Because, if they try, they will die unless they use the return stone.
Emilia didn't hesitate to enter and soon looked around, however....
"Why are you following me?"
She looked at the mana beast accompanying her.
It had followed her down here without Emilia giving it a command or a gesture.
It was very strange for the beast to follow her like this.
Emilia watched curiously, thinking that unless the beast was tamed by her, it would not follow her. However, Emilia had done nothing of the sort.
Still, she pushed her thoughts aside when she felt the monster's strong mana, as well as Julian's and Grey's, who seemed to be fighting something up ahead, just on the other side of where the strong monster was.
"You're both in danger."
With quick steps, Emilia advanced deeper into the cave.
She mentally mapped the structure of the cave, coming to a conclusion.
The cave was a straight line, and in the center was an extremely strong monster, surrounded by several wraiths.
That meant only one thing.
"It's the wraith king."
However, he was so powerful that Emilia wasn't sure.
If it is him, it will be difficult to defeat him.
But if he helps Julian and Grey, they might have a better chance.
Soon she reached where the monster was.
Starburst.
Spells loomed in the distance, just across the center, and then she saw two figures emerging as they fought the wraiths, who fell dead in their wake.
Emilia surveyed the entire scene, visualizing her surroundings.
In the center, there was a larger wraith, with four arms and a muscular body like that of an ogre.
It was the wraith king.
A total of four stronger wraiths were guarding him in the center.
Two were on Emilia's side and two on Julian and Grey's side. They were formed in pairs on both sides of the cave, with the wraith king in the center, watching everything that was going on.
Despite this, the atmosphere around King Wraith was tense.
As Julian and Grey approached, they seemed determined to continue the fight and kill the Wraith King.
However, the figure of this monster was terrifying.
The Wraith King's abilities were different from those of other common wraiths, and the same was true of the wraiths around him.
Simply put, the king's four knights were protecting him.
"Eh..."
Emilia looked at the mana beast beside her.
The creature was fixing its gaze on the king wraith, as if this was its next prey.
Emilia smiled.
"So, will you help me kill that monster?"
Unbeknownst to her, the mana beast belonged to a race that usually devoured monsters of strong races.
That included King Wraith, who stood a few feet away from her and the beast.
He was her next prey, and Emilia understood that immediately.
She touched the beast's shoulder and they both looked at each other.
"Will you help me?"
Raaaawr-rrrrrRRRRRREEEEEEGGHH!!!!
"I guess that's a yes, right?"
The mana beast nodded, shaking his head as if to say "yes" in response to Emilia.
Explanations soon followed, and the ground began to shake.
Julian and Grey were closer now, preparing to face the two Wraith King's knights.
Those four wraiths surrounding the king were at least grade 8.
Emilia had two wraiths at her side, but she wasn't sure if the mana beast would kill any of them.
Her real prey was the wraith king, and nothing else.
However...
Crunch.
The mana beast moved in an instant, and Emilia lost sight of it. At that moment, one of the two wraiths was split in two, and its head was torn off and devoured by the creature.
It all happened in the blink of an eye, and soon, the wraith king disappeared from the scene.
Then...
Raaaawr-rrrrrRRRRRREEEEGGHH!!!!
The surviving wraith leapt towards Emilia, but she quickly dodged the long hands and huge mouth that grazed her shoulder.
In the blink of an eye, she took distance and assessed the situation.
Julian and Grey were busy fighting the two grade 8 wraiths, while the mana beast was battling the Wraith king, moving with speed.
"I am your opponent."
Emilia pointed at the wraith in front of her, as its mana emerged to the surface and began its attack....