307 Silva

Goddess of the wind Silva, aimed her majestic weapon, firing the first bolt that deliberately missed.

Shattering the stair case just under them, as fragments and powerful blades of wind shot at their backs. Asai Trichia, who was at the vanguard with his clones took on the brunt of the attack, even having to plunge his [Ruin] into the stairs itself, lodging himself to it as his clones were literally swiped off by the invisible force.

Having the opportunity to catch up to their living visitors. The young duke summoned his 50 undead, suffering from the sudden backlash as the skill required both HP and MP to cast.

The tank orientated undead immediately charged down, meeting the skeleton knights that were double their levels with great commitment. Fully aware of their inadequacy, they sought not to kill, but to slow. Grabbing at their legs, throwing their own bodies into them to impede their climb. 

"King Caronia!? How about now!?"

"Young Duke, have you not seen our beer bellies? We're not made for stair climbing. Why don't y- WATCH OUT!"

Another eruption of stone fragments and shards of wind blasted his backside.

Miku, Oliver and Olivia were already quite far ahead up, whilst Silva seemingly focus fired on bullying him. Miku who kept glancing back, feeling increasingly tempted to somehow help the man, but unsure of how.

Especially against an avatar of one of the heavenly beings.

"Don't worry about me I'm fine! Keep going!-" Asai urged them on, as another bolt flew past his position. Slamming further gusts of wind at him. His feet, barely remaining upon the stairs, as he continued to strain both muscle and mana.

Sweat fell from his brows, as his palms now bled from the constant scraping against stone. His legs trembled, both from the long endurance stair climb as well as the constant hammering of pressure upon his back.

His back itself was already open, his gears ripped, his skin shredded with a dozen clean cuts that stung at him.

Goddess of the wind Silva, wore the biggest smile he had seen since meeting her. Her weapon rose once more, as another bolt materialized upon its string. This time however, she aimed directly at the human. 

"Goddess Silva! Forgive me already! aaaaaaa-"

The goddess did not. Her bolt flew true, firing towards his body.

Asai funnelled what mana he could into [Ruin] attempting a hail-Mary parry the bolt that was as large as a plane.

[Þrúðr Level: 99]

Emerged out of the darkness, catching the bolt within her mighty red jaws, as red flames spewed from the gaps with every breath she took.

"Thrud! You don't know how happy I am to see you here!" 

Asai resumed his climb up, chugging both stamina and HP potions.

"WHAT!? You even have a dragon to help you!? This is injustice now! SEE, back in my-" King Caronia, feeling the unfair treatment, continued to boom within the back of Asai's mind.

Whilst the two colossal beings entered a stare down of their own. Engaging in telepathic dialogue. Asai finally had the time to focus on climbing, as the darkness below him was already catching up. Whilst the twins were at the forefront, Miku had sent her doppelganger down to help him.

"Return to her, save your mana." The girl had good intentions, but for whatever was about to come. They needed to reserve their energies as much as possible. As such, the doppelganger actually threw herself into the undead horde. Dropping a single [Psychic Phantom] upon them before getting eaten alive herself. All to slow them down, even if it wasn't much.

"Asai. Ignore Goddess Silva, that was simply her way of greeting you. You won't know this, but your name is quite popular up in the heavens. It was due to this curiosity that she decided to see you." Thrud the red dragon's voice entered his mind.

"Thrud! Where have you been? Why did the border dragons leave? And why are you here?"

"Our duty was done, we simply had to return. I'm only here because mother Roha ordered me to stop Silva from interfering."

"When will I get to see you again?" "Out of all the dragons within this world, you're the only one I have a good friendship with.. Oh wait, she can hear this-"

[Þrúðr Level: 99] Chuckled, helping herself to his thoughts and feelings.

"When you reach level 99. Perhaps you'll be strong enough to form a pact with me then. Just as Höðr once had a pact with your human king, Godfrey.

Oh and by the way, I understand you've let your guard down now that I'm here, supposedly protecting you. However, that isn't the case, Silva says she'll fire just one more bolt before leaving you to your trial. So, heads up!"

[Sealing Square] !

[Lingering Shadow] - [Sealing Square] !

The two rings amplified one and another, rather than just doubling, its efficiency tripled as Asai's thumping heart did its utmost to supply the skill with mana. Goddess Silva's bolt slammed into its border, which just barely halted the attack enough for Asai to comprehend its flight path. Dodging out of the projectile's way, yet still finding himself battered by stone and wind.

"Human, before you join your dwarven friend in complaints. Silva leaves her message. She says she'll bestow upon you a greater reward if you manage to finish the trial in your condition.

Asai, I too, must leave now. Good luck."

The red dragon gently flapped its massive wings, entering the dark void.

..

Since the Goddess of wind was leaving the dimension, the risk of a level 99 force was gone. As such, the young duke of war now glanced back down towards the numerous level 80 skeletons.

"Mother fuckers think I was running away because I was scared? Hell no! You're but experience points to me!"

Charing up [Ruin] timing its release the moment the [Skeleton Knight: Lvl 80] hordes made it to his step.

Asai easily sliced through their mid-sections, his skill brimming with golden radiance, the divinity that penetrated through undead elements like nothing.

Whilst the trio continued climbing, without the overbearing pressure of a Goddess peering down on them. They slowed down just slightly to check on the duke's condition once more. Only to find him fighting, fending off the skeleton army solo. Radiance after brilliance, his skills flashed, sliced, exploded and erupted upon the skeleton horde. The mad man even vaulted, on a stair case.

"He's fucking mad!"

"Orders us to climb, but personally stays behind to fight!?"

"Truly, a warmonger..."

"Do we go back down to help him!?" Olivia questioned. Although, before they could answer, they saw the duke immediately resume his climb. As much as the man enjoyed fighting, gaining experience points and levels. The fog of darkness that continued to swallow up the world, whilst simultaneously spawning the infinite undead was catching up to his position. Tendrils of darkness, like tentacles were trying to reach out, to root the human.

And, As much as he tried, even his skills and mana was seemingly consumed by it.

[Asai Trichia: Lvl 87->88]

[HP: 125 MP:115]

[Title: Monster]

Asai was running out of breath, chugging more restoration potions as he ascended the stairs once more.

"Fucking worth it! Fucking worth it for sure!"