Chapter 78 Gargoyles



Clank... 

My Aura Blade rebounded off the thick skin of the Lion Gargoyle's carcass skin, not even leaving a scratch mark.

It was as if the thick outer layer of the Lion Gargoyle's skin was impenetrable, which left me annoyed.

"Third in a row..."

Sneering, I glanced at the other statues that surrounded me. I've already killed around 25 Gargoyles but was only able to get 8 Cores.

It seems that not all statues possessed Cores, which was a bit disappointing, but I didn't expect anything less.

The universe would simply not allow me to have it easy, it's just not how it works. 

"..."

Kicking the grey sand under my feet, I approached the next Gargoyle, waiting for it to awaken before stabbing my Golden Dagger into its forehead.

Growl...

Watching as the creature slowly died down and turned back into a lifeless statue, I almost prayed it didn't become an impenetrable rock like the one before.

"Fuck!"

Observing black rock glistening in the sunlight, I cursed. Fourth in a row! Somebody has to be fucking with me!

I looked around, frantically searching for someone to blame for my streak of bad luck, but all I saw were grey dunes of sand, the spire decorated with a Dragon's skeleton and countless Gargoyles spread around me.

"..."

Gritting my teeth, I took a deep breath, while looking towards the spire. 

My rage was not normal, it seemed that the Dark Mana I was exposed to was affecting my emotions and causing me to act irrationally.

Sure, I might get mad at my luck, but not to this extent. 

"Relax..."

Feeling the wind caressing my face, I took a moment to relax before resuming my task of killing the Gargoyles and collecting their Cores.

***

"Done..."

Cutting down the last Rock Statue and collecting a white sphere from its rubbles, I smirked. Including this core, I was able to gather a total of 147 cores, which was not a bad haul considering the difficulty of obtaining them.

All of them were also F Rank, which should be able to give me a boost, I needed to Rank up quickly.

Although it would make my foundation somewhat unstable, since I just broke through, I had to take this risk.

I don't know how much longer I can stay sane on this Island.

Swish...

Darting through the wasteland, I moved towards the forest, searching for a place to stay for a night. 

Since the sun was already setting, it was time to hide. I didn't want to spend another night in a random crack in the ground, but rather in a more comfortable space.

Glancing around the forest, I tried to find a suitable spot, but all I saw were purple trees and bushes.

"Damn..."

I instantly knew what I needed to do. I needed to go back to the same Mole Tunnel I used to come here.

Whoosh...

Since I didn't quite have the time to search for any other shelter, I chose the tunnels as the safest and most convenient option to rest for the night, even though it meant traveling some distance.

"..."

By the time I was back near the collapsed tunnel, the sun had already hidden behind the mountain range, plunging the entire landscape into darkness.

Howl...

Hearing the first monster awakening I quickly dashed into the tunnels, diving as deep as possible to avoid any predators.

Moving through the dark paths I kept walking until I couldn't hear the sound of a single beast. 

Thud...

Taking a deep breath, I finally found a small alcove to rest in. As soon as I made myself comfortable, I took out the first core.

'Time to power up!'

I pushed the white sphere through my parted lips, feeling the Mana dancing within. 

***

Sweat was running down my neck and face, however, I persisted, placing the last core on my tongue.

"It's the last one..."

Muttering to myself, I felt a surge of  Mana coursing through my arteries and refining my body. 

Huff...

It was honestly an addicting feeling, but to reach it I had to exhaust all of my Mana before I could consume a core, which wasn't very pleasant, to say the least.

"..."

I closed my eyes for a second, stretching my sore back and arms. Although I hadn't ranked up, I was close to it. 

All I needed was around a dozen cores or a week of absorbing Mana and I'd be able to reach F+ Rank.

Swish...

Standing up, I looked at my wristwatch that had helped me track the time, throughout my trips through underground tunnels.

It was already morning!

Although normally, one would feel exhausted from staying all night without proper rest, I felt refreshed and energized.

This was probably due to the insane amount of Mana that had been absorbed and refined by my body throughout the night.

"Good..."

Emerging through the exit, I had to cover my eyes from the bright sunlight and breathed in the fresh air of a new day, feeling grateful for surviving another night in this dangerous shithole.

The use of underground tunnels as a resting place for the night, although requiring additional travel, proved to be a wise decision due to its safety and convenience.

Not only did it help me avoid the dangers of the surface, but it also provided a discreet spot to recharge and power up using Mana cores.

It seems that I've found a good spot to spend the nights during my stay on this island.

Swish...

Walking through the forest, I absentmindedly observed my surroundings, waiting for some beast to jump out and attack me.

I had set my mind to first rank up and only then go try to defeat the Demon.

There was no way I was going to face such a formidable opponent without being at my best.

If only I didn't need to go back to the Mage Academy, I'd stay here until I'm E Rank at least.

"..."

I'm lying to myself. Fuck this dungeon!

As far as I recall not a single time the boss of this Dungeon was a Demon, how come this time it is and why is it only when the game becomes a reality that this happens?

I wanted to rip my hair out in frustration, but I reminded myself to stay composed and focused.

"Keep calm..."

Whispering, I took in a deep breath, recalling the Yoga exercises I've seen women do to relieve stress.

Tap...

After making sure that my anger receded, I continued to journey forward, however, I noticed something amiss.

It felt like something was observing me and thankfully this creature couldn't hide its Mana, allowing me to quickly spot it hiding in the trees above.

Although now I knew its location, I didn't show it, feigned ignorance, only slightly clenching the hilt of my Katana, preparing to unsheathe it at a moment's notice if necessary.

Roar... Swish... Clank...

The monster leaped off the tree branches, falling straight onto me with a vicious roar, but I was ready for it, quickly unsheathing my Katana and blocking its attack with a loud clank.

Its nails collided with my Katana's blade creating a spark and causing the creature to recoil, as it was still in the air, while I had solid footing.

Thud...

The ball of fur landed on the ground and quickly spun around, baring its sharp fangs at me.

It was a monkey-like monster with grey fur, claws and teeth that looked like they could easily rip through my flesh.

Roar...

It let out a low roar, hitting the ground with its massive paws, preparing to attack me once again.

Since its first attack was unsuccessful, the monster was agitated and ready to take me on with full force.

This I didn't mind since agitation was often accompanied by recklessness, which is the mother of mistakes.

With this in mind, I waited for the monster to make its move before taking action.

Whoosh...

It didn't take long before the giant monkey charged toward me with incredible speed, but I was quick to react, dodging its attack and slicing my Katana across its arm.

A long slash appeared on its furry forearm, drawing blood, and causing the creature to howl in pain.

The monster seemed highly angered by its wound and charged at me once more, but I remained composed and focused on my next move.

"Come on..."

This time the monkey took a different approach, diving under me and attempting to strike from below.

Thud... 

It sank its claws into the ground, attempting to swipe at my feet, but I quickly jumped backward and avoided its attack.

The monkey was fast, but I had the advantage of agility and quick reflexes.

The creature also seemed to possess some kind of intelligence and strategy, which made it a hard opponent.

As far as I recall these monkeys were called 'Corrupted Primates', but, I didn't have time to think about that now, as the monkey was preparing to attack once again.

"Come on... lunge at me!"