.
.
.
—
/A few minutes later…/
"Hm…"
'I thought this place would be… A little worse on the feet. But so far, it doesn't look that different from a walk to a mart.'
'I knew the underground of this Academy had some infrastructure, but I underestimated this place. It now makes sense how the Dungeon from before is considered abandoned.'
'If anywhere around here is even a third of this, then yeah, that'd be true.'
'Be it the magical lights faintly illuminating this place or the paved roads showing us the way, it's hard to see anywhere untouched by Human hands. Hell, this place even smells of grass!'
"It's quite cozy…"
"That's only for you… I can't really get relaxed in this place." Viera replied as she gazed around, keeping her guard up
'At any moment, a powerful underground creature could pounce on us, being relaxed is okay, but so much…'
She turned to him, only to see his attention on a lamp on the wall, and for a moment, she wondered if he was the right call to have brought with her.
Philip understood her worries, but unlike how he looked, his guard was always up, ready to strike. All it took was a step forward for him to get into a stance and a command for him to draw his weapon from his inventory, although that would expose some of his secrets.
Under any circumstance, he'd always be the last person to drop their guard.
"I wouldn't say I am relaxed, more like… Bored?"
'We'll probably only meet with a monster deeper, but it doesn't help that we're just walking…'
"Bored? It hasn't even been ten minutes…"
"... You're right. Still, I thought we'd at least meet some level of resistance, but perhaps I expected too much from somewhere so close to the entrance."
Philip looked at the end of the hallway, far in the distance; he could see people running past them and diving further into the dark. This caused his feet to itch, but he reigned in the thought as he listened to Viera:
"Even if we were among the first to descend, we didn't rush forward like the others, so most of the frontliners must have already taken care of the creatures…"
"Maybe, but if that were the case, there would've been some trace left behind… I guess the starting area is simply that safe." He replied as he sighed faintly
He looked at a nearby mound of rocks, his attention drawn to a tiny lizard basking in the magical light of a lamp, waiting for a small insect to fly near its hunting zone.
Viera rolled her eyes at the sight. She couldn't understand how someone could be so carefree despite being in such a potentially dangerous area.
"It's true there are probably no monsters so close to the entrance, but I recommend keeping your eyes open, as they could appear at any moment."
"... That you can count me in, I came here to work and not play around after all."
"I wonder... I think we should seek an Outpost."
"Your reason?"
"As I said before, an Outpost has many facilities and uses, and one of them is information acquisition. If we can get into one, it would be simple for us to get an idea of the monster's territories and increase the efficiency of our hunt."
"Better than walking around the place in the hopes of finding a monster that matches our contracts, besides, we'll have to go into one regardless to hand in the monster's corpses. We should scout one ahead of time just in case."
Philip thought for a moment before agreeing. He had studied a little in the library in the past few days, but he came here utterly unprepared. He didn't know anything about the monsters and the environment. And with someone to protect, it was too dangerous to speed things up.
Didn't stop him from feeling frustrated.
"Makes sense, the problem is finding one though…"
But she cut him mid-phrase:
"That can be easily solved."
Viera raised her hands as she stopped in place. Her left hand grabbed the staff while her right hand started to move in the air, glowing purple…
/Shuaa…/
Everywhere her right hand passed, it left behind a trail of small glowing drawings, shining brilliantly in the air like stars in the sky. After making five lines, she let out a small sigh and said:
"It's done."
In the meantime, Philip approached her with a confused expression, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.
He knew it was a spell but couldn't make heads or tails about its structure.
"This is?"
"This… Huff… Is a tracking spel. A-and please… Take a step back… You're a bit too close."
"Oh? I apologize." He replied as he took a step back, still gazing at the floating symbols
Focusing once more, she raised her right hand high above her head, and as if this was a trigger, the lines of runes started to circle her hand, making five magical circles around her wrists like halos on one's head.
Finally, she placed her right hand above the tip of her staff, causing a flash of light to illuminate the cavern as all five rings burst into light fragments.
/Fwush!/
After the flash, a bolt of light similar to a flare was shot into the cavern from the air above her, rapidly making its way somewhere.
"Now we follow it."
Philip was very surprised, but he still followed her without a word. Still, curiosity getting the better of him, he eventually asked:
"How does that work?"
Viera had to think for a while before she replied:
"... Hard to say without a lesson but simply put, a lot of things in here need a power source to work, and this is done through an intricate and delicate circuit that is spread all around the underground."
"Normally, these circuits are impossible for the students to damage or tamper with due to how they were made and installed, but we can at least feel their presence due to how strong the energy passing through them is. And if you were to take a look at this circuit from an outsider perspective, you would see that there are junction areas where many pathways intersect; these areas are where the Outposts… Most of them at least."
"So this spell is nothing but a tracking mechanism? It follows the circuits to an area of higher energy density?"
Viera nodded, a bit proud.
"I see, how far can you track?"
"Not very far, I'm afraid, but I can easily tell the circuit system goes quite far… Further than the Academy's grounds. The problem is differentiating what I can sense, and it can get quite imprecise after that much distance."
"Can you also track monsters?"
"Not directly. The most I can do is cast spells to protect us, sound, light, smell detection, and many others. I made this type of tracking spell to work in tandem with the unique circumstances we find ourselves in."
"Even then, putting those spells together is quite a waste of effort, as it takes significant effort to keep them running. Doing would strain my power in the long run."
"I'll keep that in mind. At the very least, my senses are pretty sharp. So we shouldn't get ambushed anytime soon."
"How much so?" Asked Viera
This made Philip stop for a moment and think.
"Interesting question... Never tried to compare myself with others. So it's hard to say for certain…"
"How about we give it a try?" She asked as a sly smile propped at the corner of her lips
"Oh?"
Viera opened her left hand and created another light sphere using a much simpler spell. Her mastery over this process was so great that he didn't even see the method. From his perspective, she brutally manipulated the raw energy within and around her, shaping it onto her desired effect.
/Shine…/
The sphere released faint light, it had a simple yet distinguishable smell, it produce a weak sound and it made the air move a bit as it moved.
"Close your eyes and see how far you can feel it with each of your senses, it won't be very precise but it will help a little."
"Interesting! Fine, I'll play along."
"We aren't playing though..."
/Swoosh!/
She moved her hands as soon as Philip closed his eyes, making the light ball move across the cave father and farther away.
Time passed, and a minute soon passed, then two, and then three...
"Eh... Philip, you there?"
Viera's eyes were full of suspicion. She had begun to believe he was pranking her. Having slept halway through their little experiment.
"Wait, I can still hear it."
"Really?!"
'I don't believe it!'
As a way to test him, she shook the ball, trying to see if he could still sense it…
"Yeah, it's rather faint though... I could've sensed it for a little longer, but something seems to have happened to it…"
"..."
"Well… I can't hear it anymore. Too much background noise. So? How did I do?"
"The sound was already pretty far... And what do you mean by background noise? It's completely silent. I can hear my own heartbeat if I focus enough."
"I told you that my senses are better than normal. I can even hear water running through the walls."
"This is far from normal! The ball was at least over twenty minutes on foot ahead! And its noise was already pretty weak!"
'I didn't only move it further away but also weakened it… Not on purpose though, I just can't control it that well from so far away…'
It was safe to say Viera was completely and utterly surprised by how strong his senses were. They were likely equal to or even stronger than those of an ordinary Knight and other physically focused professors.
At least without them employing some secret technique or method to strengthen themselves…
"There are a lot of sounds around us. Far more so than you think… That said I can still smell it fairly easily. Tracking it down won't be a problem at all."
"It's a flowery smell… Smooth."
"Heh, isn't that just me?" She asked with a smug expression as she shook her hair
"No… Sniff… You have a fresh, fruity smell. Like that of an orange… What? Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked with a corner of his lips raised
"Stop smelling me!"
Her face had grown slightly red as she stomped her feet on the ground, tilting her staff in his direction in a somewhat threatening manner.
"Why put on perfume if not to be smelled?"
"I-It's not about that! It's about decency! T-This isn't even an expensive perfume!"
"It's quite good, though."
"I know, right?... HUH?! Stop changing the subject!"
"I like the perfume. What's there to be embarrassed about?"
"You know! You could've put it in a more… Friendly manner!"
"What's unfriendly about saying you smell good? I'd say…"
"L-Light Beam!"
"??!!"
/FLASH!/
A magic cascade flew past him, hitting the wall with its full power!
"..."
Philip looked back at the wall as he regained his footing, seeing a large, red hole with rock slowly melting away behind him.
'... That was close.'
He looked back at Viera's back. And while he couldn't see her face, he knew she was extremely embarrassed.
"It seems your reflexes are as good as your indecent nose."
"I think…"
Philip was ready to reply, a faint smile at the edge of his lips… But he was brutally cut by Viera:
"I think you should learn how to think before speaking!"
She turned around with a serious expression. No words were spoken, but he knew she was ready to cast another spell if he teased her any further.
"Should we continue our little 'exercise'?"
"... I think we learned enough... I only have one set of blouses, and if this one gets a hole, I'll end up leaving this place on my trunks…"
Philip stretched his neck as he looked at the wall, with a faint sigh, he started walking, leaving Viera behind him.
Viera looked at him before shaking her head, putting this matter behind her.
"At least we won't need to worry about someone surprising us."
'I know people who train their bodies can develop stronger senses, but how much did he train?'
"I've been telling you that from the beginning. But I uh… "Liked" the experiment nonetheless." He replied with an awkward smile as he readjusted his senses
Focusing on a single item in the distance was different from listening to his immediate surroundings; it was done quickly, but something could always happen in the meantime.
'My senses must easily dwarf that of a wolf by now, not much to brag about, but it's something to base around.'
"If things get tough, I can still push myself a little harder. If our enemies see us, it'll be in the form of a blade through their eyes, nothing else."
"Right… Hm?"
While Viera first took his words as a lighthearted way to ease the mood, she ended up getting caught up in them as she considered their meaning.
"Push yourself? What do you mean by that?"
"Well… We've tested how well my physical senses are. If I infuse energy into them and…"
"Wait a minute! You haven't used mana at all?!"
"No? I thought those were the rules. Did I do something wrong?"
"... Are you a dog? A werewolf in disguise?"
But as soon as she asked that, she regretted it as she saw his serious expression morph into a twisted smile:
"Depends on who you ask and where you look! I heard that werewolves are quite "popular" with girls..."
"I… I don't read those kinds of books! I… Wait… Why am I… Urg! That's it! You've crossed the ultimatum!"
"So you know about them… As expected, it's always the quiet type…"
"LIGHT BEAM!"
/FLASH!/
…
The two eventually stepped inside a large cavern whose ceiling was well over twenty meters tall.
In front of them lay a large circular metal tower, connecting the ground with the ceiling like a mighty pillar. It flashed with faint lights across its surface, like a motherboard on a PC.
It seemed out of place for him, although that was an opinion he alone likely held…
"I imagine that is the Outpost?"
"Yes."
"It's pretty ugly. Just a blank cylinder with some lights. Where's the creativity?"
"...Ugliness is the least of our problems... It seems things aren't going to be that simple."
"Humph..."
She didn't even need to finish her words. Philip already knew, for his eyesight was much better than hers.
In the distance, he saw two students standing before the tower like guards. And for sure didn't seem weak. He could see traces of battle everywhere. Yet, in the end, only the two of them remained.
'I heard the echoes of combat as we got here. It seems things got settled already… They might have support hidden inside the tower. Too much trouble and they'll come running out. Still, there's no way to tell how many are inside.'
'There are only so many fifth-year students, and they're divided within the factions, and that's not counting those that go solo, so the amount they can spare to the Outposts is likely not that high. Either way, dropping our guard won't do us much.'
"There we have it… No wonder everyone just ran past us as we arrived."
As they made their way across the caverns, many students passed by them. A few stared at them, a few observed them before continuing, but most ignored them. And they did the same and ignored everyone who passed by; they weren't in a rush.
There was no point in fighting anyway. Everyone knew that.
"Do you think they'll let us use it if we ask nicely?" He asked with a faint smile as he turned to her
"Sigh, I can't see what you find funny about this." She replied as her eyes flashed with magic
Philip understood that she was checking their Levels, so he did the same…
[Level 28]
[Level 32]
"You didn't answer my question."
"I know what you're trying to say… Quit it."
"Why not? I'm not trying to be arrogant or anything…"
"I know exactly what you're thinking, and yes. You are being arrogant."
"..."
"Look at their clothes, those colors, and design... They are part of the Colibrand Lions."
That wasn't a foreign name for Philip. As he frowned, staring at their clothes, it was a mix of blue and black and it had a militaristic feel. They also had a blue cap with a badge on it displaying their ranks.
They looked like Marines.
(Image?)
"Who? Was that supposed to ring any bells?" He asked as he shrugged
"It's a minor group… I think they were ranked 11th last time I checked."
Philip looked at her with a questioning glare.
"11th… The bottom of the barrel… Isn't it simpler than? We just need to get inside."
'How many students can they even have? The bigger factions can have dozens, but there aren't hundreds of students left to be spread around. I'd be surprised if they had more than a dozen supporting them.'
Viera frowned at his laid-back response, saying:
"Look, even if they are a minor group, they are still Nobles and pretty influential."
"Yeah?"
Viera frowned harder and said:
"This means we can't simply look at this situation from a matter of whether we can defeat them or not! Why do you think the other students give so much leeway to the factions? It's not just because of numbers and strength. It's because of their influence inside and outside the Academy!"
"Some groups only have a handful of members but can make waves in the Academy!"
"I can understand that. Powerful families and whatnot… But we can't simply walk past them, we have things to do."
"We could ignore them now and seek another Outpost, but then another group would control it, and we'll have to repeat this process again."
"How many times will we need to experience that before it's enough for you?"
"It's Easy for you to say; you are already in your fifth year, but I am in my second, and the last thing I want is to be pestered and cast out further than I already am."
Philip looked at her for a moment, understanding her frustration and pain.
He knew that he'd be troubling her severely. Actually, he could be on the way to destroying her life.
As a Hero, Philip didn't have much to worry about as long as he showed results, he could always resort to the Royal house for support. But she had no one aside from an unreliable background; he still had no clue what it could be.
He wouldn't be there to protect her. If the plan went as it was supposed to, after acquiring the item in her possession, he'd move on to the next one before leaving the Academy soon after.
That was why he didn't want to leave things unfinished. Just thinking about it left a bad taste in his mouth. He knew that acting passively would help, but he also knew one thing… It wouldn't suffice.
He had to break this bad habit before it was too late.
"Naive of you to think like that. Do you think you'll be left alone by the others just by remaining neutral, and away from these troublesome matters? No matter where you go, you'll end up stepping on someone's foot around here. You can't keep walking on eggshells… Someone will stomp you sooner or later."
"All clues point to the possibility of these conflicts intensifying over time, and you'll be among the first they'll cross out. Either with you willingly… Or not… And I won't bother to explain why."
"I have no idea how you've managed to go under their radar for this long. But once they realize what you are capable of, they'll start putting pressure on you. And this is a pot that will burst quite soon. No offense."
"... So it's best if we make the most of our situation before the worst comes to worst."
'I already saw what some of these kids are willing to do and are capable of… Shit can get pretty dark pretty fast if you let yourself get in their hands. This was born from their living conditions. They were taught and given the means to be like that. Nothing else.'
'Some may be twisted, but others just play the game… Because here, it's either being a player or being played. Some just enjoy the process more than others, and some take a keen pleasure in doing certain things… Rough.'
'She won't survive out there acting like this. And I can't leave things like this. Besides, in two years, the war will bring everything to a halt, and the Academy will be destroyed, so it doesn't matter much anyway. I wonder if these kids would remember another random kid disregarding them in the face of total annihilation.'
'While it would be hard to convince her, she would be better off leaving the academy than staying here to be bullied… At least that way she'd be able to enjoy some peace and quiet before everything went up in flames.'
'Seeing her talent, it wouldn't be hard for her to find someone to back her up… All of this has nothing to do with me, but it won't stop me from showing her some gratitude… If she is the actual target that is.'
'Help her make up her mind… Perhaps joining a noble group is for the better, even if that means being enslaved. But then again, there is a big chance my actions will prolong this academic lifespan, and she may be able to graduate before the war starts… Too many possibilities.'
'It will all depend on Dae… Because if we go on my terms, I don't think the world will get off in one piece… Either way, this is a story of years in the future; hence, a problem for future me to care.'
His thoughts settling, he focused on Viera as her expression changed amidst a flurry of thoughts:
"..."
Viera stayed silent, thinking about his words; they weren't exactly foreign to her, as she already knew her desires wouldn't be met in this unjust world…
But still… Was there any harm in dreaming?
/Step step.../
"?! Where are you going?" Viera asked loudly as she saw Philip walking past her
"We'll get nothing by staying here, so I will get what we came here for. You stay over there and wait for me."
'This isn't just for her either. I need to reach the Outpost for an update on Ivea's location. That troublemaker ran off long ago and outside my map. I need to find where she went and go after her.'
"I don't want to drag you into the gutter… So stay in the backlines and wait for me to come back."
"..."
She did not reply. The only action she did was bite her lips in frustration as she clenched her hands…
…
"Stop right there!"
"Hello."
"What do you want? Do you know where you are right now?!"
Their tone was heavy and authoritative, full of warriness and self confidence, with a tint of arrogance too.
"... Is this an Outpost?"
The two guards looked at each other. As if questioning each other if they had heard it right.
"And how does that matter to you, punk?" Replied the rightmost guard as he began to dismiss Philip as a nutjob
"Can my group use it? It'll be very quick."
"..."
The two students looked at each other, and one of them even smiled.
"Yeah? In your fucking dreams!"
"Can we really not work things out?"
One of them spat in his direction. Their answer loud and clear.
"Well… Can't blame me for trying." He mumbled to himself as he took a deep breath
'If only I were a bit younger to qualify as a student… Then things wouldn't be so bothersome.'
'Technically speaking, faculty like me can't interfere or risk invalidating the efforts of the group I'm part of. And while I don't care much for the rewards, she does… Not that I can't make up for her after. I'm kind of rich… But that would break the point of approaching her like this.'
'The Nexus did give me an identity as a fifth-year, and given most of the older students are between the ages of 19-21, me being 22 isn't that far off the average. Let's hope the Nexus doesn't penalize us too much for what I'm about to do.'
"Since that's your answer…"
"You talk a lot, brat. Turn around and leave before we force you to." The other guard added as his body tensed
He took a step forward, ready to act.
"... I tried my best." Philip said with a sigh as he took a step forward
"Stop! Do you know that this is the private property of the Colibrand Lions?!"
Philip rolled his eyes with a yawn as he cleared his ears. He stopped before them and shrugged, finally snapping their patience in half as he added:
"Yeah?... When did I ask?"
"#! Whatever then! Burn this clueless idiot to cinders!"
The other student smiled as well, waiting for the show to happen.
/FWIOM!/
/BAM!/
Suddenly, the Outpost lit up, and a small protrusion appeared on its walls, akin to a cannon barrel.
"Well shit. I didn't think of that."
"Too late for regrets now! Fire it!"
"... Really?"
'Did he just order the death of another student without as much as a single shred of hesitation?'
/FLASH!/
Like a laser beam, a flash of green light was shot from the cannon, approaching Philip in the blink of an eye as the air burned and turned around it!
""!!""
/ZAP!/
But despite it all, the two students were left agape as Philip… Simply grasped the green beam with his right hand!
His hand glowed with a faint red light, shrouding the beam within it and keeping it in place like a frozen thunderbolt.
"That took me by surprise... Oh well, have it back." He said as he moved his hand forward, releasing the green bolt
"W-WAIT!"
/BOOM!/
The bolt crashed into the outpost's walls, creating a large explosion that swept the two guards, making them fly a few meters away from their position before sliding a few more on the ground, unconscious.
At the end of it all, both the ground and the walls were left utterly untouched with only a few black marks on their surface.
But the same couldn't be said for the students as they were completely covered in smog, although they seemed fine for the most part.
"… I missed. Am I unlucky, or are the two of them lucky?"
'But I did have some fun hehehe…'
He looked at his hand. It was a little scorched, but it was healing quickly, the dead skin flaking off whenever he moved it.
Philip continued to walk forward, but he got confused when he arrived next to the tower.
"There's no door… How do I use this thing?"
"... You need to connect to it just like we did previously with the Nexus, for what we came here to do, there is no need for us to get inside." Viera replied from behind him
"Oh? You actually came?"
Viera seemed a bit embarrassed, but she eventually said:
"... I couldn't let my only teammate fight alone, but I guess that wasn't needed. Besides, I already put the two students to sleep so they won't remember a thing."
"Isn't that… Pretty dangerous? To leave someone hanging around just like that?"
"Yes, it is, but that is their problem. On another note, I'm sure they would be screwed regardless since they failed their mission pathetically."
"... At least they won't die, right?" Philip asked with an awkward smile as he looked around
"There are many things worse than death, and these petty nobles will make your life like that for the weakest reasons. Just like now. They deserve no mercy."
"Well, damn… Do you think there are others inside? They…"
"Don't make me regret this… Even if there were, hiding wouldn't have changed much. So let's move on before more arrive."
"Hum…"
Shaking his head, Philip connected with the Nexus. He quickly found out what he was looking for, the locations of the creatures from the contracts they accepted, and most importantly, the location of his target and the person he needed to protect.
And as he expected, she was already rather deep and going even lower as they spoke.
'She is just like he described... Way too rash.'
Phillip quickly formulated a plan, checked their missions, and exchanged some for others more appropriate to their path. Once he was done, he said:
"Okay… I think I know where we should go."
He turned around and gazed at Viera who had also connected with the Nexus, likely checking the same things as him. He projected a small map of the surrounding area with the help of the Nexus, pointing at the cavern:
"First, let's follow this road and make a few turns, going deeper. On the way, we can hunt these monsters until we reach this place right here…"
"We can then search for another Outpost and repeat this process until we are satisfied, what do you think?"
'This way I can keep track of that girl while also completing the other contracts.'
'On the other hand, I've yet to see any hint as to the special item I need to collect… The problem is that I have no idea what it looks like.'
"... I don't see any problem with that, as I said, you can be the captain if you want to."
'But why do I have this feeling… As if he is pressed for time?... Maybe I'm thinking too much…'
After disconnecting from the Nexus, Philip led the way deeper into the underground caverns…
…
/At the same time, deeper in the cavern…/
/SPLAT!/
A girl in tight black clothes and thin metal armor around her vital parts could be seen slashing the throat of a monster as she jumped around elegantly.
The monster looked like a massive slug, but it had four thin pairs of legs with suction pads similar to those of an octopus. It used them to stick to the ceiling and wait for prey to pass nearby before opening its mouth and grabbing it with its misshapen tongue.
It was a dangerous creature, not because of its strength or speed, but because of its toxin, which was strong enough to instantly put someone to sleep after a mere touch.
/Crunch!/
The girl swung her blade and bifurcated the creature's body with one swing before she pulled a bone from its flesh and crushed it in her hand.
From the crunched chunks, she grabbed several pieces of a long red cylinder. It was some kind of inner hard organ that ran inside the bones of this slug monster.
The red cylinders were much more resilient than the bone itself, as they didn't snap even when the bone around them crumbled into pieces.
"... Not enough." She said as she stored the items in a small bag around her waist
The items seemed to vanish completely, and it was, without a doubt, a pocket whose internal space had been expanded.
After checking her surroundings, she stopped, thinking about something as her eyes darted to the monster's lifeless body.
'How would he… That man… Deal with this monster?'
She started to remember her clash with a mysterious figure yesterday.
As always, when Classes ended, she went to the black market to get missions. She went to her usual place, and spotting it, a simple bodyguard mission, she easily accepted it and went to work soon after.
She had done it many times before, and although what happened during them was a bit too much for her morals, she kept quiet as she knew she couldn't do anything to help the victims of the people she was protecting.
Never had she needed to act… No, that is a lie. Many times, she needed to move to prevent the victims from escaping the ones she protected. The guilt dug deep into her heart, but she needed the credits because, in the end, it was all so she wouldn't find herself in their place.
She ran into danger once or twice, the rare moments when factions clashed interests and fought each other. And while she was caught in many tense situations, she had never been dragged into them.
Perhaps she was just lucky.
… It was good pay for an easy and quick mission. Or so it was supposed to be... As yesterday, she was reminded of what helplessness is…
"Speed, power, precision, even technique… I was beaten… No, it was never a fight; he just played with me from start to end."
'From the beginning, I was under his control. I didn't even notice him putting me under an illusion… And if it wasn't for father…'
She shook her head, focusing on the task at hand.
"I'll become stronger…"
'Like mother… I'll prove to him I dont need his help, I'm different from these gold spoons.'
The girl sheathed her sword and ran forward, leaving only dust behind…
…
/Around an hour later…/
/BAM!/
With one punch, Philip sent a creature resembling a large bat flying across the cavern and into the walls, making a small dent as its body splattered against the rock.
"Hum?"
/BAM!/
Another colossal bat flew to Philip, and he easily evaded it, pulling its wing and ripping it apart from its body with his bare hands as he threw it against the ground before crushing its head with his foot.
/Swoosh!/
Two more rushed towards him, but he easily evaded their big movements, grabbing one of them by the neeck and crushing it with his hand.
As for the last one, he grabbed a rock and threw it at its wing, making a hole in it.
/KICK!/
And when the bat fell on the ground, he just kicked its head, making the bat's head twist 540 degrees as it stopped in place, motionless…
"..."
Viera watched all of it with a helpless expression, and with a small sigh, she asked:
"Is that sword on your waist, decoration?"
She patted her shoulders, pulling a small piece of gore that had fallen on her. As disgusted as she was, she didn't feel anything at the sight, her emotions already torn apart under her companion's display of "combat".
"Hm? No?"
"Really? But you just punched your way through every monster… I'm not complaining, but I'm getting tired of evading the mess you're causing…"
"Haa..."
Philip looked at her with a helpless smile. It wasn't his fault these creatures were lacking substance.
'I'm not using my sword because I'm not interested in taking them out quickly. The more I experience, the more accurate their simulation will be. This event is a great opportunity to gather information so I can train from the comfort of my house.'
'Besides, I can show myself off a little more like this… Although it seems that it is already losing its effect on her. Let's hope the next few creatures will give me a reason to take my sword out.'
Philip then checked his connection with the Nexus and the map.
'She's going deeper and deeper… At this rate, we'll lose track of her and we'll have to reach another outpost… Maybe it's time to speed things up a notch.'
"Let's collect the spoils and move on. Let's try to reach the second layer within the hour."
"Okay."
/Splatter!/
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Notes
A light chapter. Nothing serious.
Thank you for reading!