Book 3: Chapter 82: A Goal

Book 3: Chapter 82: A Goal

Scarlet

Tar never answers my question, not even after the Raiden mother-daughter pair both create clouds filled with mostly orange and red lightning and have us get on them. In fact, he just falls asleep on my shoulder to avoid answering.

Stupid tanuki.

The cute thing has to do with me being short wait a second, now that I think about it, am I really that short? Compared to a lot of the demons here, to Leonidas, my grandfather, and to the Raidens, yes. But Im pretty sure five foot eight inches tall is actually above the average height on Earth for women by a few inches.

I think.

Doesnt change the fact that most of the demons are taller than humans, and youre not a human yourself, Tar comments, making my head jerk around to find him with an eye cracked open, the damned tanuki apparently having been awake after all. So as a blood lycan, you kind of are rather short.

Damnit, stupid tanuki.

But that has to be the reason.

He doesnt say anything again.

My eyes narrow, only for me to be distracted by the sight of a large cave in one of the Ashen Mountains were flying to. A cave surrounded by a small fortress with kitsune manning the walls. Kitsune who are all above level one thousand six hundred.

After examining the fortress for a few seconds, I hear Raiden Junior call out from the front of the large storm cloud she and I are on, leaving her mother to a storm cloud of her own, This cave is one of the Class II and III training grounds we have. It doesnt have any Class IV or above demons in it, nor does it have any intelligent demons in it beyond base instincts akin to a more intelligent animal.

Sounds a lot like the hunting grounds in the Bloody Duchy.

Youre probably comparing it to your familys hunting grounds, and while there are similarities, this hunting ground has demons that are more at home in the desert, caves, and the Ashen Mountains in general, the woman says, somehow knowing just what Im thinking without even turning around to look at me. Which is honestly kind of frightening. And dont worry about my mother, Your Highness. She will behave and will not go too far in her actions.

Thats nice to know but doesnt exactly comfort me much when shes already picked me up and spun me around like a child before smothering me. An incredibly unpleasant experience.

I dont say this out loud, of course. Because the devil of a woman is within earshot.

And I dont want a round two.

Without any hesitation, I grin while entering my Beast Form and rushing forwards, using all of my skills, and testing out Crimson Overdrive in the process. The very same Crimson Overdrive that I just got this dusk, when I woke up, and leveled to level ten on the flight over here using up all of my saved Skill Points.

And all of this ends up surprising the level 301 ashen scorpion so much that it barely even puts up any sort of defense, letting me kill it incredibly quickly.

After finishing it off, I cant help but let my grin grow even wider as I feel just how much power Crimson Overdrive gives me. How much stronger it actually is than Blood Sacrifice at the same level and for the same price in blood.

Absolutely worth being called a legendary skill.

I clench my fist before looking at the scorpions corpse, then at the entrance to find the head maid standing at the entrance looking out at the fortress as if watching the other kitsune and acting as a barrier to block them from entering. So I turn to look deeper into the caves again.

Alright. I think Ive decided.

What did you decide? Tar asks.

I glance at him, finding him flowing in the air above me, no longer lying on my shoulder due to not wanting to get in my way mid-battle.

On what my plan is.

I look deeper into the tunnel again.

First, Ill fight my way to Class IV here and in their other training grounds, hopefully getting the mythic Title-Bearing Skill along the way.

And then?

Then Ill take The Reaper up on his offer and head home.

Sounds like a plan, Tar says, sounding genuinely excited.

And I cant blame him. Because I feel the same.

I sprint forwards, deeper into the mine as the black, red, and blue electricity arcing along my armor and skin illuminates the cave around me with a faint glow.

Time to get to work, I mutter, my grin still ever present on my face.