Chapter 27: Demons in the Dungeon [II]

Chapter 27: Demons in the Dungeon [II]

They started walking down the dungeon.

While Kashi and Ary were looking around to find some monsters to kill, Erica and others, on the contrary, just wanted to get out of the dungeon.

They didn't want to risk their lives in this training.

In the case of Erica, she didn't have to worry since she had the staff that safeguarded her in any situation.

While walking, Ary glanced at Kashi, and asked,

"Um, Senior, What's your ranking?"

He was curious since he realized that Kashi was an Ultimate Warrior.

Kashi didn't mind looking, but while moving forward, he replied,

"I'm an X-ranked Ultimate Warrior."

"X-ranked?!"

Ary was left stunned.

X ranked Ultimate Warrior means that Kashi was the only one ranked below a heavenly Warrior.

"It means you'll soon be a Heavenly Warrior, right, Senior?"

Ary asked with a sparkling eye expression.

With a sigh, Kashi replied,

"Nope, it's not what you think."

"Huh?"

Ary reacted in confinement.

With a blank expression, Kashi replied, still walking forward,

"The rank of an Ultimate Warrior doesn't level up like it did back when we were normal Warriors. In the faction of Ultimate Warrior, our ranking only increased when we faced the strongest demon higher than our rank. And as it goes for me, my rank will only increase when I face an X-ranked demon, in simple terms, a Demon General."

Kashi clarified.

"I see..."

Ary responded and began pondering,

'It's distinct from the way I thought.'

But he was curious, hence he continued,

"By the way, do you live in seclusion, Senior?"

"Yes,"

"Are you able to create a separate dimension as well?"

"Most likely, yes."

"But Senior, you're an Ultimate Warrior, right? Then, where's your Heavenly Beast?"

"I left in my realm."

"Oh, what's the category of your Heavenly Beast, Senior?"

"It's a Griffin."

"Wow...that's so cool."

Ary continued questioning, and Kashi continued answering with a plain expression on his face. He didn't seem to be pissed off by this.

While glimpsing them talking like this, Mike, who was walking behind with Emily and others, called out,

"Hey, I think Senior Kashi is tolerant, don't you think?"

He saw how Ary was continually questioning Kashi about the Ultimate Warrior and how Kashi, without a sign of anger, replied to his questions.

"Yeah, I think you're right."

Emily said that she noticed that as well.

While Erica and Mary just showed fake smiles to them.

"Also, Senior, I have a request," Ary called out.

"What is it?" Kashi asked, still walking.

"After we complete our training here, will you train us?"

Ary requested with a dedicated look on his face.

"Hmm? I won't mind. However, are you sure about it?"

Kashi said, then asked for Ary's confirmation.

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm, why did you ask that?"

Ary replied.

He didn't understand why Kashi asked whether Ary was certain about training or not.

A little smile formed on Kashi's face. He replied,

"It's because my training is not a child's play. If you're really determined to get trained only by me, then I won't mind. However, don't blame me for being lethal."

Gasp!

Mike, who had just heeded that, held his breath.

He remembered that Ary told him that they would train together, but what if Senior Kashi would train them?

Mike pondered,

'No way, I'm going to train under senior guidelines. I know my bro, Ary, will deny-'

"I agree."

"What?!"

Mike reacted in awe after seeing that Ary agreed with Kashi's terms.

"Hmm?"

Ary reacted as he heard Mike's voice. His gaze shifted to Mike.

Ary smiled as he remembered something.

Ary's attention shifted to Kashi, and he requested.

"Senior. My friend Mike also wanted to train. Will it be fine if he trains under you?"

"Huuuh?!"

Mike reacted in a terrified voice.

"No problem."

Kashi replied.

"Thank you, Senior."

Ary replied with a joyful expression and glanced at Mike while showing a triumphant expression.

He was happy because he would get proper guidelines for training, yet Mike, on the contrary,

'Is he even my friend? How could he do something this perilous to me?'

While lowering his head, Mike pondered with a miserable expression.

"Huh? What's that?"

Ary mumbled as he sensed something unpleasant.

Suddenly, Kashi stopped and grabbed the grip of his blade while standing on alert.

"Is there a demon, Senior?"

Ary asked as he held the grip of his black blade in the same hand.

"No, not a demon."

Kashi replied.

Unexpectedly, with a howling sound, a bat-like beast about half the height of Ary appeared from the darkness and darted toward Kashi and Ary.

"A bat?"

Ary reacted, but before he could react any further, with a blink of his eyes, the bat had been cut in half with a blue-colored fluid coming out of its torso.

"Huh?"

Ary reacted after seeing the torso of the bat beast fall to the ground.

"Huh?!"

Mike and others were left in a daze after glimpsing this.

Ary glanced at Kashi and asked,

"Senior, did you just-"

"Don't let your guard down."

While interrupting Ary's words, Kashi replied.

"Ah, yes."

Ary replied, then stood on alert again.

With an ear-hurting noise, some more bat-like beasts appeared from the darkness.

"What the hell?! How many?"

Mike freaked out as he noticed that about twenty or so bats had arrived there.

Swish!

"Ha?"

Mike reacted as an arrow from his left was fired toward the bat beast.

"Idiot, don't just stand. Attack!"

Emily, who had just fired the arrow, commanded in a slightly irritated voice.

"Ah, right!"

Mike responded as he realised that he had a weapon too.

He opened his right hand and his scythe appeared on his palm again. Then, while holding tight to its grip, Mike commented,

"Let's have some fun."

"Hiyaaaah!"

Meanwhile, Ary screamed as he slashed at a bat beast with his cutter blade of death.

Whoosh!

The bat beast was killed by Kashi's blade in the blink of an eye.

"Wow...senior is amazing."

Ary said as he glimpsed the attacks of Kashi.

"Krrr...krrr..."

Unexpectedly, a bat beast darted toward Ary.

"Hm?"

Kashi reacted as he thought of killing that beast.

Nonetheless,

"Life Force Assimilation!"

Ary yelled as his black blade collected the energy and, with a swing of his blade, launched a slice attack at that beast.

"Ding!"

<Skill Upgrade:-Water Blade LVL 2>

Almita reported as Ary killed the bat.

"Was that..."

Kashi called out as he glimpsed Ary's Life Force Assimilation skill.

A smile formed on his face, and he mumbled.

"It seemed like what Father said was right."

There was something that Father Albert told Kashi about Ary.

***

(30 minutes before)

"Hmmm...it might be a problem if something bad happens to him."

Father Albert said while looking at the fight between Ary and Shikalah.

Snap!

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers, and like a shadow, a Warrior in black with fair skin, blue shining eyes, and black hair appeared behind him.

"Kashi. I want you to do me a favour."

Father Albert said.

"I'll do anything you wish, Father."

Kashi replied while kneeling.

With a gentle smile on his face, Father Albert commented,

"I want you to take care of a person..."

"...His name is Ary Inochi, a Cosmic Warrior."

***

'I wonder when he will awaken his actual strength.'

While gazing at Ary, Kashi pondered.

"Phew~ it looks like all is gone now."

Ary said to himself while wiping the sweat from his forehead.

With a sigh, Mike knelt, saying, "Finally, they are gone. I'm so tired."

"Hah? Are you kidding me?"

Emily ranted, then while putting both hands on her waist, she commented,

"You only killed one bat beast and it took about ten minutes. And I killed over five of them. I'm the one supposed to be tired. How could you be tired, huh?"

Mike diverted his gaze, saying,

"Ehm...well, my one was bigger than yours."

"Shut up!"

Emily roared, since she was really tired.

She asked for help from Mike while fighting, but Mike denied it with an excuse, saying,

"Look at this bat. Let me handle that one."

And he took about ten minutes to kill a bat, while Emily, on the other hand, killed more than five of them within the same ten minutes.

With a fake laugh, Mary stepped forward and said, noVe-LB.In

"It's fine, Emily. No need to get angry."

She tried to calm Emily.

"Hmph. Right. Getting angry only made my blood boil."

Emily replied while folding her arms and replying in a Tsundere style. Erica, after glimpsing this, showed a fake smile, pondering,

'I don't know why, but I'm feeling a little relatable to this reaction. Strange.'

"Well, Senior, shall we go forward now?"

Ary asked as he stepped toward Ary.

"Yes," Kashi replied.

Ary glanced at Mike and the others and signalled for them to get moving.

And soon, they started going forward.

While walking forward, Kashi pondered,

'I can still sense the presence of some demons within the deeper end. It's strange to think how they got here in this Astral Realm.'

Then, his attention shifted to Ary. He pondered again,

'I just have to take care of him and his colleagues. As long as they are safe, everything will be fine.'