Chapter 168 Fighting The Guardians [1]

As I entered the chamber, the door behind me was firmly closed, sealing me inside the dark and eerie environment.

The room was cave-like and dimly lit, with glowing green moss growing on the walls and ceilings.

The air was thick with the musty scent of the old earth and the sound of dripping water echoed through the chamber.

The ground was littered with bones, some of them human, others belonging to beasts that must have been far larger than any I'd encountered in this gate.

The walls were adorned with intricate carvings and symbols, giving the impression that the room had once served as a ritual place for some ancient, forgotten demon.

And on the far end of the room, I could see the entrance to another chamber, guarded by a massive stone door.

After surveying the surroundings for a moment, I reached into my inventory, pulling out an advanced mana potion.

I quickly drank it, the sweet, tangy liquid ran down my throat, and I could feel my mana instantly recover to its original state.

'That was close,' I thought to myself. "If I didn't have advanced mana potions with me, I would have been in huge trouble," I muttered.

As in this dungeon, I had to fight continuously and if it were any low-level mana potions, it would have taken quite a bit of time for my mana to recover.

And according to the voice I had heard before entering this chamber, I was to face Demon Lord Pazuzu's guardians. So, I knew that I needed to be at the top of my game in order to make it through this dangerous dungeon.

As I was pondering, a sudden screech echoed through the chamber, and I turned to see a massive bird-like monster emerging from the shadows.

Its leathery black wings were spread wide, and its razor-sharp talons gleamed in the dim light. I didn't need to see the message that appeared in front of me to know what this beast was - a Vrock, one of Demon Lord Pazuzu's guardians.

Ding!—

A system notification appeared before me:

[You Have Encountered A Vrock, One Of Demon Lord Pazuzu's Guardians!]

"...So it is here huh, one of the guardians guarding the path to Pazuzu," I mumbled as I drew my dual katanas from my inventory, feeling the familiar weight of the weapons in my hands.

Without wasting a moment, the Vrock launched itself at me, beak open and ready to attack.

I dodged to the side, using my lightning-fast reflexes to avoid the beast's strike. I countered with a swift slice of my katanas, causing the Vrock to roar in anger, but I remained unfazed.

The Vrock began diving and clawing at me from the air. I used my telekinesis to launch shurikens at the beast, keeping it off-balance and preventing it from landing a deadly blow as I continued to press the attack with my katanas.

Suddenly, the Vrock launched a powerful dive-bomb attack from the air, trying to tear me apart with its claws.

But I was quick, using my "Location Swap" skill to switch places with one of my shurikens and avoid the beast's attacks. I then got in close for the kill.

With a roar of my own, I used my "Fell Crescent" skill to slice through one of the Vrock's wings, sending the beast tumbling to the ground.

I seized the opportunity to strike, plunging my katanas into the Vrock's neck and putting an end to the battle.

SHINK!—

I moved both katanas plunged into its neck to the sides at once, separating its head from its body.

Greeeee—

The blood from its body gushed like a waterfall, covering my katanas in red.

—You Have Killed A Vrock!

I heard an alert from my wristwatch.

However, as soon as I killed the Vrock, a cloud of black smoke appeared and this time I was faced with not one, but three Vrocks at once.

They cawed and screeched, spreading their leathery wings as they took flight.

"Tch, I don't think I should hold back here and end this as quickly as possible," I said as I controlled the shurikens using my telekinesis.

I immediately launched them at the Vrocks, watching as they flew through the air and struck the demons with deadly accuracy.

One of the Vrocks swooped down, its razor-sharp talons aimed at my face.

I jumped backward, then using my skill "Location Swap," I suddenly appeared behind it.

"Atomic Slash!" I yelled, slicing through the demon's body with rapid katana cuts, sending its body dismembered and plummeting to the ground, raining blood.

—You Have Killed A Vrock!

Another Vrock swooped in from my right, its beak open wide.

I used my skill "Static Electricity," encircling my katanas with a powerful electric aura and then used "Atomic Slash" again.

The katanas slashed through the air, cleaving through the demon's body with a shower of sparks before the pieces of its cut body came crashing down.

—You Have Killed A Vrock!

The final Vrock was the toughest of all. It swooped and swerved through the air, trying to dodge my attacks.

I launched shurikens with deadly precision, striking it in the eyes and forcing it to the ground.

I closed in, ready to deliver the final blow, but the Vrock was not yet defeated. It rose to its feet, screeching in rage, and launched a barrage of sharp feathers at me.

I quickly summoned my shurikens to act as a shield, the shurikens collided with the feathers making a ting sound upon impact, bringing the feathers down before they could reach me.

—Ting— Ting—Ting

At the same time, as I leaped forward, I brandished my katanas, their blades flashing as I activated my skill "Fell Crescent."

I formed an "X" pattern with the katanas, and the blue crescent sliced through the air, cleaving through the demon's flesh in a deadly cross.

SWASH!—

With a final piercing screech, the Vrock's body vanished without a trace, leaving nothing behind after being struck by the blue crescents.

—You Have Killed A Vrock!

I once again heard the alert from my wristwatch.

Breathing heavily, I pushed aside the alerts on my wristwatch and took a moment to survey the chamber.

The sound of a massive stone door grinding open caught my attention, and I saw the entrance to another chamber looming at the far end of the room.

'...This must be the end of the first set of guardians,' I thought to myself as I took a swig of a mana potion, preparing myself for the challenges that lay ahead.

I was aware that there could be more guardians waiting for me in the next room.