Chapter 108: Chapter 94 Bell, Training with Beowulf.
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I'm back, sorry about the one week break. I'll be returning to the usual update schedule now.
-TheManCandy
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-Two and a half months later
A boy gasped for breath while running for his life on the fifth floor of the dungeon. His usual prey of Kabolbs and Goblins had been replaced by a terrifying Minotaur. Lost in a three-way intersection, he screamed, "WHY IS THERE A MINOTAUR ON THE 5TH FLOOR!!!" as he desperately tried to escape.
Panting heavily, he made a right turn, only to find himself in a dead end. He quickly turned around, but the monstrous Minotaur blocked his way, causing him to recoil in shock. In his panic, he stepped on a protruding rock, losing his balance. It turned out to be a stroke of luck, as the Minotaur's fist flew harmlessly above him due to his clumsy action.
Crouched in a fetal position, he covered his head with his hands, listening to the Minotaur's triumphant roars. Accepting his fate, he closed his eyes, silently praying to Lady Hestia for forgiveness.
*Splach!*
The sound of cutting flesh reached his ears, and a splash of blood splattered on his face. The sensation was sticky and vile, with a putrid smell of an animal. Opening his eyes, he saw a girl in white armor and blonde hair fighting the Minotaur. He was mesmerized by her graceful movements, unable to follow the slashes of the female adventurer.
The boy can only think of one thing right now, the fear he felt was replaced by something else entirely. His heart beated non-stop, his jaw slightly opened. "Beautiful..." he muttered as he stared absentmindedly at the females adventurer who is gracefully killing the Minotaur with ease and precision.
With one last immaculate slash, the girl killed the Minotaur, splashing blood all over the boy. He was awestruck, unable to take his eyes off the girl, who was now cleaning her sword without flinching at the foul smell of the Minotaur's blood clinging to her skin.
The girl had a statuesque presence, with eyes as radiant as the sun and hair swaying gently as she tucked a strand behind her ear. Her eyes seemed to sparkle, at least that's how he perceived it.
"...uhmm..." The girl softly extended her left hand to help the boy up. "...are you... Okay?..." she asked with a blank expression.
"I-I-I-... I'M OKAY!!!!" The boy scrambled to his feet and ran, his destination being outside of the dungeon. His face was flushed, not just from the blood splattered on him, but also from the adrenaline rushing through his veins.
The girl watched as the boy sprinted away, his steps uneven, and let out a yelp as he went.
"...Weird..." The girl tilted her head in confusion. 'Perhaps I might have scared him?' she thought, sheathing her rapier to her side.
"AIS?!" A panting voice reached the girl's ears. She turned to see an elf, sweat-soaked and disheveled from running and chasing Ais. Her hair, a light shade of orange, was supposed to be tied in a neat ponytail.
"Lefiya," Ais called back as the young elf caught her breath.
"Why are you running so fast?!" Lefiya pouted, placing her hands on her knees. "Can you slow down a bit?... Oh, you already killed it."
"Yes..." Ais nodded and walked past the young elf, glancing back slightly to wait for her. "Let's go..."
The two female adventurers moved briskly, dispatching any monsters unfortunate enough to spawn in their vicinity as they searched for the rest of their party members.
Not far from their location, they spotted the members of the Loki familia and some people Ais and Lefiya recognized: the adventurers of the Heracles familia, who had grown into a mid-sized familia with 10 new members over the past two and a half months.
Finn was talking to them, wearing a rare smile inside the dungeon. He heard a pair of footsteps and turned, waving at Ais and Lefiya.
"Well... It was good running into you guys," Denki bowed at Finn and bid his farewell. He now exuded a maturity in his voice, a result of being thrust into a leadership role over the past two months. They had reached as far as the 27th floor during their daily dungeon dives but were stuck due to only having two level 3.
Finn nodded and smiled. "Likewise... Don't be a stranger now."
As Denki, along with the members of the Heracles familia, started to make their way up, Bete's voice cut in, making them halt in their tracks.
"Oi!.. How is he?" Bete's voice carried a harsh tone, but those who knew the werewolf could discern a slight undercurrent of worry and concern.
Ais and the rest of the Loki familia also strained their ears to hear the young samurai's answer. They too were concerned about the savior of Orario.
Denki glanced back, wearing an exhausted smile on his face, a face filled with pressure and commitment. "...He's getting better," he replied as confidently as he could.
'The same answer as always, huh?' Ais thought as she clenched her fist. There was a pang in her heart when she heard Denki's tone.
Finn caught a glimpse of the emotion that flickered across Ais' face. 'Well... I can't say I understand how you feel, Ais... Losing a rival,' he thought, forcing himself to withhold his sigh to avoid offending the members of the Heracles familia.
"Tsk!" Bete, on the other hand, wasn't subtle. Like Ais, he considered August his rival as well. He turned around with an ugly scowl on his face and walked away.
Denki let out a restrained sigh. He wanted to convey the message that even without their captain and strongest member, the Heracles familia remained strong and that August was on the path to recovery.
"Well... We must go now. We wouldn't want Lord Heracles to scold us for being late again," Denki smiled and bowed politely once more as he and the members of the Heracles familia disappeared from Loki familia's view.
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In the streets of Orario, a young boy covered in red sprinted through the streets, leaving a trail of blood drops behind him. Onlookers couldn't help but laugh at his appearance. Some vendors scowled and yelled angrily as blood splashed onto their wares, while children pointed and giggled as he passed.
His image was undeniably amusing, a testament to his misfortune as an adventurer. His face beamed with a wide grin, even though his skin and clothes were stained with blood. One glance was enough to recognize him as an adventurer, albeit an unfortunate one due to his appearance. His destination? The adventurers guild.
Inside the guild, a young elf with a bob-cut was making her way in. She was one of the guild's employees.
"MISS EINA!!!" A jovial voice rang out, making the elf turn.
"Bell, how was y-" She paused when she saw the young adventurer, covered in blood, running toward her, hands flailing in the air. "BELL?!!" Her surprise was evident, her smile fading into a cringe.
"MISS EINA!!! TELL ME EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT AIS WALLENSTEIN!!!" Bell, seemingly oblivious to his appearance, continued running with a goofy smile on his face, his singular goal being to learn everything about his savior, Ais Wallenstein.
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*August's POV*
I stared blankly as a large stone pillar pierced my chest. I felt my heart being impaled as I coughed up blood.
"You're getting better, master," Beowulf's sarcastic voice echoed in my ears as I felt my body grow cold. "But alas... Not good enough."
I glared at the pair of large golden eyes in the darkness. "D-Don't you dare say it!" I spat, my voice a mix of sarcasm and contempt.
A huge grin appeared in the darkness, a set of large canine teeth visible as my broken body lay before it. Within moments, the words that had haunted me for years came, "Again!"
"You son of a BITCH!!!" I cursed, screaming, before darkness consumed my vision. In the blink of an eye, I stood there again, unscathed and undamaged, in the empty abyss.
I looked around, spotting the familiar faceless figures surrounding me, armed with a plethora of weapons, all aimed at me. "When you said you'd train me, this isn't what I had in mind, you fucking moronic asshole!" I growled as I quickly assumed my stance.
"I am a firm believer that combat is the most effective training," Beowulf's voice echoed around me. "And you've been improving a lot. You've survived for over a year this time."
"OH FUCK YOU!!!" I yelled as I willed my mana to surge, red lightning coiling around my body as I dashed forward.
I activated my mana dome, encompassing a large portion of the abyss within it, sensing every faceless figure inside. In a fraction of a second, I stood before the army of creatures. With another fraction, I mowed everything in my path, my spear blurring as a trail of red lightning followed my attacks. Six faceless figures fell, their deaths swift and efficient.
Beowulf's voice continued to echo. "Your fighting style relies heavily on speed and precision, a foundation drilled into you since a young age."
I twisted my body, shifting my center of gravity to the left, stabbing forward with my spear. Red lightning trailed my attack as I killed six more faceless figures in rapid succession.
Beowulf's voice persisted. "Your way of fighting is very controlled, yet your emotions continue to dictate your approach."
"SHUT UP!!!" I roared as I grabbed the sword that had slashed my abdomen and pulled it toward me, impaling the faceless figure holding it. I sensed multiple enemies approaching my right flank, so I dug my feet into the ground, slashing my spear to dispatch them and sending their lifeless bodies flying.
A sudden surge of adrenaline made the hair on my neck stand. My mana dome detected a bear-like creature charging at me with incredible speed.
I swiftly turned to face the threat, narrowly dodging a set of large, razor-sharp claws. However, a massive boulder hurled by a giant faceless creature collided with me.
"ARGHH!!!" I grunted in pain, rolling on the ground to absorb some of the impact. I needed to move faster! My mind raced, calculating the best course of action as I sensed myself getting surrounded.
"See? You let your emotions cloud your judgment." Beowulf voice continues to annoy me, his voice is more distracting than it is helpful.
I jumped up trying to get out of the encirclement, only for me to be greeted by 5 faceless figures, all brandishing their respective weapons towards me. Their bloodlust and killing intent, clings to my skin.
My eyes narrowed as I calculate their attack trajectory, and withing a fraction of a second, I decided on how I should deal with these annoying pest.
"You focus way too much on what's in front of you!" I attempted to drown out Beowulf's voice as I channeled lightning onto my spear. Before I could attack, an ice pillar pierced my ankles, causing intense pain. "Tunnel vision is never good my master." Beowulf sounded amused while I grit my teeth in pain.
I looked down to see a faceless figure wielding a staff, residual cold air surrounding it as it aimed the rod at me. The momentary distraction allowed five airborne enemies to attack, sending me crashing back to the ground.
My body bounced as I spat blood, my vision blurring, and pain shot through every fiber of my being.
My senses flared up, and my body moved on its own, just in time to dodge a giant bear-like creature that lunged straight to where I had been moments before. The impact shook the very space around us. I gulped, imagining the disastrous outcome if I hadn't dodged in time.
An electrical shock made my body shift to the left, narrowly avoiding another blow. Almost instinctively, I slashed upward, cutting down the unseen assailant in half. My body seemed to move autonomously, guided by electrical currents and an innate instinct for survival.
"Well, what do we have here..." Beowulf sounded curious. "Looks like things are starting to get good."
I didn't move right away; this was the first time I ever felt like this. It was so natural, as if everything fell perfectly into place. That feeling... It was intoxicating.
I sensed five creatures entering my space. I chose not to move from where I stood, eager to experience that feeling once more.
I waited, unmoving, but things didn't unfold as I expected. This time, my body didn't move on its own. Instead, I was stabbed by the five faceless figures, causing me to yelp in pain. My eyes widened as I stared blankly at the five protruding swords that was embedded in my chest.
I cough blood, as my body started to get cold. I could feel the cold steel, ripping my flesh.
"What the fuck was that?!" I could hear Beowulf voice sounding confused. Well he wasn't alone, I was as well. My body didn't move on its own like it did earlier. "Are you an idiot? Why didn't you dodge?"
It must have been from the blood lost, or my imagination, but I swear I could see a vein popping out in the empty space just above its pair of golden eyes.
I could hear a sigh and the voice that haunted me for years, echoed once again in the endless abyss. "AGAIN!!! And don't do something stupid this time!"
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Chapter 94 is done now, how do you guys like the story so far?
First of all, I would like to thank you all for supporting the first part of my fanfic, your comments and feedback are really appreciated.
Now we move on to book 2, where canon would now be integrated. I hope that y'all continue to like what I have released for y'all.
Please leave a comment, a review and feedback so I can improve on writing this fanfic. every little thing helps as it allows me to see your preference on things and would help me write a better fanfic for you all to enjoy.
thanks for picking up this fanfic. hope you guys like it.
good day, love y'all.
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