Just like the time I fought against Orc Boss my goal with magic wasn't to damage using magic. My goal was to create opening. As he dodged and blocked magic missiles I created a javelin and thrusted it. Despite my efforts he still were able to block it. As I was in close range he opened his mouth. Flames spewed from his mouth. Using my arm as a shield I backed away. Those guys! They could have warned me about this. If I didn't had my innate fire resistance by being a demon I would have been in trouble.
"Are you also a descendant of dragons?"
He looked me in wonderment.
"No. I just came from a place famous for its flames!"
Feeling pissed off I attacked him. Sticking him close I tried to negate his reach advantage of his halberd and his size.
(Skill Battle Sense became level 2.)
Battle Sense allowed me to read the battlefield and my opponent. It was natural that it would level up when I was using my brain in a battle.
"Hah! I see. Earth Spike!"
I jumped. A spike rose from ground. I managed to dodge it. So earth magic and fire breath alongside his halberd were his weapons. He had more variety than any opponent I faced before. As I backed away I threw my javelin to him.
"Earth wall!"
A wall rose up to block my attack. It also caused me to lose my sights on him. I looked at the wall. He didn't came out. What he were trying to do?
"If you don't came out I'll make you come out."
I created a ball. That's right, I was going to use magic cannon again. But this time it would be smaller. If I put less magic power its recoil also would be lower. I fired it.
(Skill Arcane Magic became level 6.)
A red beam was fired from my palm. It reached to stone wall in an instant and destroyed it. It even continue further but Draco weren't there.
"What?" I looked around frantically. Where did he go? My question was answered when I felt a sharp pain in my mid section. A sharp spike pierced my stomach. I jumped back. Earth crumbled and revealed Draco.
"Smart bastard." He looked me smugly. He dug a hole using earth magic while I didn't had vision of him to sneak attack me. Thanks to my scales and tough muscles damage wasn't fatal. But it was deep enough to hinder me.
"Wrath." I called out. Red blackish aura came out of my body. I felt my muscles getting bigger and pain fading. 3 minutes. 180 seconds. I started to run to him.
"Earth wall!" He created several walls between us. With the strength boost from Wrath I jumped and cleared them.
"Earth shard!" Walls were spilt to little sharp shards and flew towards me who was still in air.
"Magic shield." I created several layer of shields. While they were enough to block shards I saw Draco readying his halberd to strike me. Since I was still in air I couldn't change directions and would fell straight to his attack. Or so he thought! I created a shield under my feet. Using it to launch myself I attacked him. My use of magic seemed to suprise him and I was able to sever one of his arms.
"We are equal now." I looked at my own missing arm.
"You bastard!" He leaped towards me swinging his halberd. Just as our weapons clashed…
"Crumble!" Earth under me crumbled and caused me to lose my balance. As his weapons got closer to my throat I felt time slow down. How could I dodge this when I didn't had my balance! How! How! Wait. I gathered magic power in my hand which already held the magic javelin. It caused an explosion and I was pushed by it. My hand would hurt like a bitch when Wrath ends but I dodged it. Now he were in open. I created another magic javelin. But I felt like it wasn't enough so I put more and more magic energy to it. As I pushed myself to put more magic power I felt something else flowing to it. I didn't looked and pierced Draco's throat. The damage caused by javelin was even enough to sever his head fully.
(You defeated all three bosses of floor 10. You can now choose to go into floor 9.)
(Clear 10th floor. Difficulty B is finished.)
(Active skill Devourer of Beasts was given as reward.)
(Get 3 more skills. Difficulty A. 2\3)
I felt a rain of relief wash over me. 6 days. I was able to clear the floor in 6 days. I could do it. I could actually clear this dungeon and save Minerva! I looked around me. There were monsters cheering. There were monsters grieving. I looked at the spear I was holding. Unlike black energy roughly shaped as a javelin it looked like it was solid. Around 180 centimetres it was black in outside parts and blood red in inside parts. It looked like it was made out of same material as my arm. I felt a connection to it. A lizardman came forward.
"My name is Reptalen my lord. I am totemwizard of this tribe."
"I will talk with you later. Now go to your village."
(Skill duration of skill Wrath ended.)
Argh. Pushing my body while wounded had its own problems.
"I see. I wish you a rapid recovery my lord." He turned around and started walking.
"Wait, what about him? He was you leader after all. You are not even going to take his body?"
He looked at me with a hint of sadness.
"We eat our dead my lord. Since it is your kill you should be one do to it."
"I see." It was natural that different races would have different customs. I got closer to Draco's corspe.
(Skill Devourer of Beasts can be used. Do you want to?)
New skill I haven't checked.
"Yes." At the same time Draco's corpse disappeared. No, it was like something bit… no, devoured it. Several system messages popped but I was to busy losing my consciousness.
Hero, now called Grey Wolf looked at the paladin. More accurately he looked at the woman paladin were holding. She were bleeding and unconscious.
"What are you doing Aldar?"
Paladin looked at thim with cold eyes.
"I am doing my job of course. This woman is a witch."
"What?"
"I am a witness."
Wolf looked at the man talking.
"Are you really believing him after what he done? He lied once. Him being witness isn't credible!"
"I was also there and saw her cooperate with a demon. She even broke her contract to save it from my sword."
He turned around. While he felt bitter he couldn't do anything about it.
"So, what is going to happen to her?"
"She will be burned at stake according to laws of the church."
"I see."
"But first I have to ask your relationship with her. According to Brown Ox you were close."
Wolf raised his eyebrows.
"I only talked to her once. Ox is trying to make me look bad."
Paladin looked at both him and Ox.
"Don't try to use church for your own benefits."
He left while dragging her.
"So, it is a shame isn't it?" Ox slimely talked. Wolf left without saying anything.
"Hey, come on! Let's talk a little bit." Ox chased after him.
"Do you want to die?" Wolf growled to him. Ox raised his hand in a defensive manner.
"I am a important witness in this case. You wouln't want to prevent justice from taking its course would you?" Wolf were disgusted by his behaviour. "One day." He thought. One day he would kill him. But not now. He still needed to become A rank. Despite his fast climb he still needed time. He couldn't just go and hunt strong monsters and brought their bodies back. To rank up in the guild you also needed to finish missions. Guild prefered people who obeyed rules. They didn't necessarily wanted strong people. Can this person follow orders and can be used? That's how guild worked. If he showed that he were uncontrollable his ranking would be affected. If he couldn't get to A ranking in time given to him nobody would accept him as Hero of Goddess. If he couldn't get support and approval from church and nobles he wouldn't have power to change things. So even though he had a lot of things he didn't liked and hated he just had to shut up. He looked at the sky.
"Is this how I am supposed to save the world? Is this why you sent me here?"
His question wasn't answered. Not that he expected answers. But to his suprise his sword and shield started to shine. He looked around. The light coming from his weapons felt the same as Athena he saw back when he were summoned.
"Kill… Witch… Dangerous… She… Coming… Other… One…"
He listened, confused. Did Goddess wanted Minerva dead? Who was coming?