Flying took a lot of energy. I also haven't slept, ate or drank for around 7 days. While being demon allowed me to go beyond what my human body weren't capable, I still had limits. Because of that after clearing a place I ate and slept for several hours. Feeling much better, I got up and took off flying. Some vulture looking monsters tried to get into a dogfight with me in air before getting blasted to smithereens.
"I should look for mid-boss first."
While 10th floor was a exception other floors had mid-bosses. 9th floor had Jasper. 8th floor had Thunder Eagle. I hoped I could find it quickly and get its abilities.
"I am glad I am able to fly."
I looked at the monsters got stuck in mud beneath me. It was a shitty way to die. More they struggled more they sinked deeper. Since I could fly it wasn't a problem for me.
"What the fuck?"
I said as vines from a tree latched on my body. What's with plants and me? Everywhere I go there is a plant monster trying to attack me. I burned the vines using Fire Breath. Then I looked at the origin of vines. A big tree. I morphed my arm to be bigger and stronger. I compressed my aura at the tip of Basat and threw it. With a loud noise it was cut down and fell to ground.
"If anything fails I can be a pretty good woodcutter."
It was nice to have other options in life. I looked at the monsters coming towards the noise. They looked like oversized crocodiles. Or alligators. Can't say I know the difference. While all of them looked strong one caught my eyes directly. It was bigger than all of them. It also had white scales compered to green scales of others. Its eyes also carried a slight hint of intelligence.
"Well, not much since it came straight to me."
I again used the same technique I used to chop tree monster to two. But this time I also added Lightning Clad to increase my explosiveness. Aiming in its eyes, I threw my spear with all of my might. A black shooting star flew from my hand to white croc. While my aim seemed to be a little off it was wounded very badly. Its head was covered with blood and skull exposed.Basat was stuck in its skull. Rather than calling Basat back and throwing again I rushed towards it. I smacked other crocs in my way. I jumped and put all my weight in my spear. I felt it breaking its skull and piercing its brain. Despite the damage it sustained it trashed around, trying to get me off its back. But I hanged on and thrusted my spear even deeper. It finally stopped moving.
"Devourer."
(Pale Giant Crocodile is absorbed. Choose between passive skill Deadly Bite Force or Tough Scales.)
"Tough Scales."
(Passive skill Tough Scales is acquired. Deadly Bite Force is transformed to 0.1 skill points. You currently have 3.3 skill points.)
I wasn't going to put my face closer to attack my enemies. Biting required just that. Tough Scales seemed to do what it name means. After cleaning other crocs I felt my scales. While difference wasn't that much it was still there.
"It is level 1 after all."
Any skill was better than none. Now only job I had here were finding and killing the actual boss. I wondered what the boss could be.
"What lives in swamps?"
Witches was the first thing came to my mind. Even though Minerva didn't lived in a swamp.
"Ogres?"
I thought of a green cartoon character. I had a good chuckle imagining boss scream me "Get out of my swamp!". Whatever enough messing around. This floor also had goblins and lizardman. They looked a little bit different than their 10th floor counterparts.
"They look even more ugly."
I kinda felt bad about thinking like this about my underlings. But that was the sad truth. I tried to communicate with both goblins and lizardman here but they seemed to not understand me. They didn't even had metal weapons. Only rocks and branches.
"Maybe a less developed subspecies?"
I wasn't going to search into it. Just straight to the boss. Speaking of him I found him.
"Well, if only I wished for another thing."
Big. Green. Lives in a swamp. Is constantly angry. Yeah, this floors boss is an ogre. It lived in a rundown shack.
"You! Weird! Lizard!"
He pointed his plump fingers to me.
"I! Hungry! Eat! You!"
Well, he was dumber than Shrek. It started to run towards me. It was relatively fast for his size. In every step he left a deep footprint in the mud. I wondered how he didn't sunk into mud completely like many other monsters I saw. I jumped and took of flying.
"Firstly, rude. I am not a lizard." I pulled my arm back. I transformed my arm and compressed my aura. With Lightning Clad even a black spark runned in my spear. I threw it. While my aim was still bad I was able to hit him around right side of his chest. Impact opened a deep hole there while he fell straight down to his ass. Due his size ground shook. I saw Basat bouncing off after my aura was absorbed in the attack. I summoned it back. He put his hand to his wound. A dirty, thick blood runned along his chest before hole was closed in seconds.
"His durability is off charts and he has regeneration. Great."
Well, at least I can have his regeneration. I looked at my missing arm. I missed having two arms.
"Bad! Bird! Hurt! Monge!"
He hit his hands to ground like a child.
"Now I am a bird?"
"Brother! Help! Me! Bad! Bird!"
My eyes widened with mention of a brother. My eyes even more widened when I saw a bigger ogre coming out of rundown shack.
"How big is inside of that shack?"
Why everything were bigger inside? Was it new trend? Shit, I looked at new ogre. He looked hideous.
"Brother! Help!" He reached his hand to his brother. When their hand touched their flesh became entagled. It was so disgusting that I wanted to vomit. They fused?
"We! Kill! Bad! Bird!"
They were now twice as big. Two headed, one side Monge other side his brother. They roared to me before grabbing one of the nearby tree and pulling it out.
"That's some strength!"
I said as I flied higher and farther. They launched the tree to me. I barely dodged the trunk while branches hit me. I transformed my entire body. While I was mid transformation they picked boulders and threw to me. Reading the trajectory I dodged it. I was able to finish transforming before getting hit.
"Bad! Bird! Even! Better!"
Yeah, yeah just shut up.
"Wrath. Lightning Clad."
Black lightning jolted across my entire body.
"Let's see if their skin got thicker."
I threw my spear. My target was even bigger now. I hit them in chest again. My attack was able to dig deep just like before.
"Good."
Even though they healed in an instant that meant that their defense didn't get a huge boost. While I made observations they kept throwing things to me. Rocks, trees, other monsters. It didn't mattered. They threw what got into their hand.
(Skill Sonic Flight became level 4.)
Due manuevering in air my skill went up. Even though things they threw were bigger than met hey weren't as fast as Owl's attacks.
"But I can't keep dodging."
Wrath had a time limit and Lightning Clad used my magical energy. My aura also wasn't unlimited. If they kept healing I wasn't sure if I could win battle of attrition. I had to find a way to block their healing. I had one possible way but to try it I had to get close. I looked at a certain skill.
(Fire Breath Lv 4.)
There was a change that if I were to cauterize wounds I give to them I would block their healing. But even Magic Circulation boosted Fire Breath didn't had that much range. If I wanted it to be effective I had to be point range. I again morphed my body. My wings slowly returned to their original size. My body became leaner and taller.
(Skill Demonic Beast's Outrage became level 5.)
"Bird! Turned! To! Reptile!"
Thanks for commentary, dumbass. Seeing me in ground it rushed towards me. I put my aura into my weapon. I sharpened my senses to limit while predicting attacks. I couldn't block their attacks. I had to dodge them. First, I opened a small wound in their arms and burned it with my flames. While dodging I watched the condition of the wound.
"Good. It slowed down."
While it didn't stopped it completely, it slowed down. Perhaps if I used more intense flames I could stop the healing completely. Now that I had a solid strategy fight started for real!
"Bring it on!" I roared.