I breathed deeply. Entire castle was crumbled into pieces and I could see the sky. Without realizing I already turned back to my normal form. I weakly walked. I tried not to stumble into pieces of rubble. My head was filled with that annoying noise. You know that voice when you hear in the silence? My vision also was blurry. Using my spear as support I navigated around all the destroyed furniture. I stopped until I met with him. He was lying in the rubble. Right side of his body was gone.
"That was a complete attack." He praised me.
"I just copied you and put everything I had to it." I replied to him. He shook his head.
"That wasn't copying. You created your own technique. You took your first steps into a long road."
As he complimented some of his body turned to dust.
"When I lost to him and he trapped me in this body I was afraid. I was afraid that I would meet a dogs death." His voice carried a deep meaning. So deep that I wasn't sure I could understand it fully.
"Fighting in this body for years… For his entertainment for thousands of years drove me insane. But I am glad. I am glad that I met a warrior like you. A warrior to free me. Thank you."
As he finished his words he fully turned into dust.
(You cleared 9th floor.)
(Clear 9th floor. Difficulty B. Completed. 5 skill points and 10 stat points were given.)
(You can now go to 8th floor. Do you want to proceed?)
No, not now. I feel down to my knees. This time I didn't passed out but I wanted to stay like this for some time. This battle took a lot of things from me. Not just physically but also mentally. Armor seemed like a respectable warrior. But for some reason red-haired Goddess punished him. He put him into another body and drove him to madness. Could I trust someone like her? From shards of memory I had from my human life I knew that human "me" trusted her with her life. But "Nox" me didn't know if he should trust her. Even though she said she cares about my well being all the other things happening like me borning in a demons body without my memories made me feel suspicious. Without knowing my own name. Without knowing her name. Without knowing my family. Did she took away them from me? Or did I lost them myself? Why didn't she just contacted and appeared in front of me like she did back when I was human? Same feeling of patheticness as I was fighting washed over me. Still too weak, ignorant and inexperienced. I clenched my fist. I looked up to sky and shouted my lungs out in frustration.
"Boss! Are you okay?" Jasper asked to me. I didn't realize him getting close to me. Without looking at him I snapped my fingers. As he convulsed in pain he screamed to me.
"Why? I haven't done anything!"
Truth to be told I was just embarassed that someone saw me while I was screaming to air and doing something like was my first action without thinking. I snapped my fingers again. Jasper sighed in relief.
"But why? I didn't do anything." Shit, he is asking it again. I can't say him I just did without thinking. I have to find some logical excuse.
"Punishment. You nearly died there. As my underling your life is mine. So I other you: Always survive!" I shouted with the most charismatic voice I could let out.
"I understand Boss!"
He seemed to actually believe me.
"What will you do now, Boss?" He asked me.
"I will leave this floor. What about you? Castle is in pieces now."
He looked around.
"Magic in here will repair it. It probably will take several weeks. I will stay in the rooms that survived your clash."
"I see." I said. As I heard my own voice I realized how exhausted I really was. I lied down in the ruble.
"Boss! You don't need to lie here." Jasper told me.
"I don't need anything else. Just let me sleep for several hours and I will be return to perfect." I said as I gestured with my hand for him to go.
"Do you need anything?"
"Just don't disturb me." I closed my eyes.
"Dear Grey Wolf, I hope that you are in good shape. As I am in capital, bards are bringing us your stories of bravery and strength. While all of my maids are always impressed with your deeds and praise you I can't help but to think about hardships you suffered during your adventures. I just hope that this separation ends quickly. If you ask me how I am, my answer always will be "I am in my perfect shape!" since where I am can't be even compered to where you are. Please be safe. Your secret admirer."
Grey Wolf chuckled to himself as he read the last part. Princess couldn't openly write to him due secrecy problems. Due this all of her letters were from different names. He carefully folded the letter before storing it in his pocket.
"I see that you are in good spirits."
Aldar Plin said to him while he wiped the blood from his hands. Wolf looked disturbed while Aldar seemed unbothered.
"It is just the blood of wicked. You don't worry about me being wounded."
Wolf didn't worried about the paladin. He just was disgusted by him.
"Were you interrogating Minerva… the Witch?" Wolf added the Witch when he saw Aldan frown.
He threw the bloodied towel to one of young priests.
"Unfortunately, no. She seemed to be in a coma. We couldn't find a way to wake up her."
"Maybe that's the better for her." Thought Wolf, while trying to keep a poker face.
"Doesn't that means she cannot defend herself in court? How will you able to judge her?"
Wolf asked even though he knew the answer.
"We don't need to judge her. I saw her defending a demon. Of course she will be burned in the stake."
"Where is she now?" Aldar frowned again to this question.
"You seemed to be awfully curios about her." Aldar looked down on Wolf. With his tall stature combined with his rank and power would have scared everyone away. Everyone except Wolf.
"I am the Hero Goddess sent here. Do you think I don't have the right to know about this kind of thing?" Aldar, as a high ranking member knew Wolf's true identity.
Aldar carefully observed him from head to toe. Wolf felt like Aldar's eyes looked into his soul.
"While you claim that, you are not approved by the Church, am I wrong?"
"No, you are no wrong. But does that make me a nobody?"
Wolf shouldn't be doing this kind of thing. Arguing with a higher ranking member belonging to Church of Athena would only go bad. But he seriously didn't liked them. To save and protect the world my ass. Those guys were nothing but corrupt power that tortured people.
"I don't really understand where you are going with this."
Wolf sighed. Could he change those people? He believed that answer was "no".
"I also don't understand where I am going with this."
He turned around. He knew that those people wouldn't change. He met with with Aldar several years ago, when he were started out as an adventurer. Even though Wolf his methods and cruelty countless times he never stepped back.
"Witches must be burned. Demons must be cleansed. Enemies of Church must be killed."
Not bad people. Not corrupt people. Not criminal people. "Enemies of Church" must be killed. He clicked his tongue. Church didn't give a shit about people. Wolf started to believe that the reason church saw demons as evil were because if people believed and prayed to them it would weaken the church. While he still didn't saw the demons or witches as good he also didn't saw church as good. Stepping out of church he was in Wolf took a deep breath while looking at the sky.
"Is this what Goddess would want?
Of course that what she wanted. She even told him to kill Minerva. He didn't told what Goddess told him to Church. While he wasn't sure if they would have believed in him he still kept his mouth shut. He started to walk. Air was cold. He preferred cold. He walked alone for long time, alone just with his thoughts.
"Dangerous and other one."
Minerva was already going to be burned in the stake around 5 days. Even if he didn't wanted this kind of thing he had no power to stop it. But other one and dangerous? This all seemed to mysterious. What would even make a Goddess say dangerous?
"Another Goddess… Or God?"
But if that was the case why would she even told him that? Wouldn't she be one to take care of a divine problem. Wolf looked at the sky with a clenched fist. Feeling frustrated he opened his mouth and loudly shouted.
"AGghhhh!"
"Go and scream in another place you drunkard!"
Some disgruntled man yelled at him. He bowed his head to ground and started to run.
"Upps."