Aster and Argus had been walking and fighting almost nonstop. Given the situation, they couldn't help it, but he was slowly reaching his limit physically.
"Argus, buddy... I need to rest for a bit."
Although he was uninjured, moving around and testing his skills here and there completely sapped him of both Mana and stamina. If not for his strong will, then he might've called down way earlier than this.
*Arf!*
The little husky sat before Aster, who was leaning against a large tree and taking a rest. Its tail was wagging, with his tongue peeking out as he panted.
Even the overpowered pup was starting to get tired. It was no wonder Aster felt like he'd black out at any moment!
'Still, if not for me increasing my CON, I would've been downed much earlier.'
He sighed, thinking that his decision was correct.
"Come here," Aster called to Argus, allowing the dog to stand on top of his stomach.
"I'll be sleeping now. You can rest too, but please keep guard of the surroundings. Sorry about this..."
Leaving a small dog to watch out for monsters while he rested—the sense of guilt for doing such was overwhelming. However, thinking about how Argus was not a normal dog in the first place, the guilt was slightly alleviated.
*Lick!*
As if telling him to cheer up and not mind it, Argus licked his cheeks in a show of affection. A thin smile appeared on Aster's lips before his eyelids started to feel heavier than lead, closing shut uncontrollably.
His physical and mental fatigue reached the limits.
*Whine...*
Argus looked worried as if he wanted to do something for his master. However, he already received the command of guarding Aster's sleep.
The little pup curled up on his stomach, closing its eyes to take a short nap. However, its ears were perked up, a sign that he wasn't lowering his vigilance even while resting.
Just like that, time passed.
"M... Mmmh?"
"And with Boost active, my stats would be equivalent to a level 45 already."
After cleaning up, the two started on their way to the entrance once more. Still, they didn't rush. Walking slowly, careful of monsters around them, and not letting a single one escape. Aster was gradually increasing his strength!
Soon, they got out of the forest and entered a new region.
"This... a ruined city?"
All over the place, destroyed buildings could be seen. At a glance, it reminded him of the laboratory and its surroundings, but he quickly noticed that the building materials were different.
It was mostly stone instead of concrete, telling him that whatever civilization the ruins came from didn't have advanced construction technology yet.
"..."
But Aster stopped in his tracks, causing Argus to also stop, and tilt its little head in confusion. For some reason, Aster was getting the idea that stepping into the ruins area would be dangerous. However, seeing how Argus wasn't reacting, he was losing confidence in his gut feeling.
'Was it my imagination? Or am I just being paranoid?'
Anyway, better safe than sorry. "Argus, let's turn around," he commanded, taking the dog on a wide detour through the forest.
However, his steps stopped right after, as a large presence started to approach them at a rapid pace.
*GRRRRRR!*
Argus, of course, didn't miss this one, as it was too powerful to ignore. The sound of trees falling, branches breaking, and something jiggly moving, echoed loud enough that it was deafening!
It was a familiar presence, one that Aster could never forget. After all, he was chased by it right after arriving on this floor.
"Fuck my luck...!"
Aster cursed as a large red blob jumped out of the forest, and stopped a few dozen meters away from him.
It was none other than the Field Boss... No, the Field Boss of the 30th floor is the variant of the Herculean Horn Rabbit. Instead, it was an irregular—a Rogue Boss! The Mega Ruby Slime!
Aster wanted to curse. After all, even though he got stronger, his power was still far from being able to face a Boss by himself!
"Argus..." Thankfully, he wasn't alone. "I choose you!"