Chapter 179

Chapter 179

I run past the pile of scrap metal on the floor that happened to be my last opponent and get ready to face off against the 3 suits of armor running my way.

With my All-Seeing Eye still active and burning MP like a furnace, the thin strands of mana above their heads look like glowing targets begging to be hit.

Using my wind magic to propel each footstep forward, I make cracks in the stone tiles below my feet as I rocket at the approaching Knights.

They swing their blades, but I jump in the air and dodge the slow-moving silver swords with ease.

My weapon is covered in mana, seeping out from its already MP-saturated core. Dark red trails of mana-imbued fire magic leave my sword as it glides through the air hitting each strand one by one as I fly over the Knights below.

There's a light buzzing sound on impact, followed by a click as each strand breaks, then the clang of metal armor on the stone courtyard floor.

All 3 of them fall to the ground before I even land myself.

I smirk, looking up at the long line of Knights that all turn their heads to me in synchronicity. All of them lift their swords and charge in a predictable formation.

I let out a laugh as fire surrounds me and I jump back into battle while drinking another MP potion and Dungeon Walking into the middle of a sea of Knights.

With a combination of Air Steps and Dungeon Walks, I zip around the courtyard as the Knights pointlessly swing their swords. My speed and agility outmatch them, and all it takes is a single precise strike to their power source to defeat them completely.

Just 30 seconds and 4 MP potions later, I'm standing on a pile of swords and armor without a trace of mana in sight.

The strands of thin energy fade away into the dungeon air.

I raise my sword up at the iron gate of the castle.

"Is that all you got!?"

I chuckle, letting my flames die down and deactivating my stat-boosting skills to take a look at the scene before me.

Letting out a sigh, my link with Ember opens and the Dragon speaks up before I can get a word in.

"Very good work Master, you've improved a lot since our last battle. I can tell you're still holding back."

I bend down to examine the armor on the ground with a smirk before replying.

"Yeah, I can't wait to go all out..."

Aside from the first Knight I faced, all of these new armor pieces and swords are basically untouched. There isn't a scratch on them.

I walk around the courtyard examining each item, waiting for them to dissolve into the dungeon floor. This is how regular mobs act once defeated... but I guess these aren't regular mobs.

Come to think of it, I didn't even gain a single level form defeating any of these Knights. They're all level 430 right?

"What's going on here...?"

I scratch my chin, continuing to walk around the abandoned courtyard waiting for something to happen.

Nothing does...

Ember speaks up through our link.

"This armor won't dissolve if that's what you're waiting for. It's non-native dungeon armor, most likely from outside this Labyrinth."

I look up, slightly puzzled.

"Non-native dungeon armor? Like hunter's armor?"

Ember nods.

"It looks like it. It could be from an armed guard unit or a Noble family's private army. There are fewer Knights here than last time. The two we damaged in our previous fight aren't here."

My eyes dart back and forth, then I kneel down to feel the cold hard metal of one of the fallen Knights curiously.

I use Appraisal.

[Enchanted Armor Set] +1750 Defense

[Enchanted Long Sword] +1750 Strength

The more I concentrate, the more the humming and fine grid-like patterns of the mana-shielded walls become the main focus in my head.

It's almost like the presence of whatever is here is just watching me from afar and hiding behind the comfort of its maze-like castle.

I grit my teeth and point at the surrounding walls.

"Take them out, everything. I need to focus on something other than these walls...."

Ember Nods.

"As you wish."

The Black Dragon glows red, shielding my head with his wings and taking out the surrounding walls and ceiling while I continue to let my perception skill map out my surroundings.

The immediate fall of these skill-dampening stones finally gives me a target to lock onto. I sense that dense mana presence again, and won't let it get away from me this time around.

I grin, turning to my right side and peering through a fiery hole in the wall that Ember just created.

Dust, fire, rubble, and smoke fill the air, but my All-Seeing Eye locks onto dense mana readings with 4 paper-thin strands leading to the back side of the castle.

"This way."

I dive through the fiery mess and order Ember to continue breaking through walls as I concentrate on the mana-dense beings that show up on my radar.

We make our way further and further into the castle, paying no mind to its original layout and busting through wall after wall.

"Almost... there..."

A full minute of wall demolition and following the faint sense of mana strands pass before I get close to finding what I'm looking for.

The sound of metal footsteps clanging on the stone-tiled floor nearby sounds like music to my ears.

"Found you..."

Ember blasts through a final wall, revealing a wide open entrance hall along with the enemies I've been tracking...

Orange and yellow stained glass windows cover the arching ceiling, letting light in from above to reveal 4 suits of silver armor pointing their shields and swords at us ready for a fight.

I use Inspect and Appraisal along with my All-Seeing Eye.

____________

[Lv. 440]

Active Items:

[Enchanted Armor Set] +1750 Defense

[Enchanted Heavy Shield] +1750 Defense

[Enchanted Long Sword] +1750 Strength

Active Skills:

[NONE]

____________

"What a surprise..."

Their gear is almost exactly the same as the Knights I faced before, plus the shields of course. The differentiating factor is the density of the mana threads coming off of their helmets.

It hardly takes any concentration to see the dense strands that connect these guards to the looming presence just a single room away.

Less than 30 meters back, at the end of this final hallway, another large Iron door is shut keeping what can only be the Behemoth trapped behind it.

All 4 of the strands connect to a pool of mana with a dark red murderous aura putting out an intensity, unlike anything I've ever sensed before.

It's the exact same presence I felt when I entered this castle. It's time for me to finally see this beast face to face.The inaugural upload of this chapter took place via N0v3l-B1n.