Chapter 44 - Noah... unlike me... he is strong...
Riveria and Ais were both certain. Something had disappeared from Noah's blue eyes..the usual calmness tinged with laziness. But something else had emerged: a coldness similar to that of a wild animal locking onto its prey. Although no emotional fluctuations could be seen, both knew this was just a layer of ice over a swift undercurrent. It was like a magic sword containing immense power; even sheathed, it commanded attention.
Ais widened her eyes, looking at the silver-haired boy who seemed suddenly unfamiliar. She recalled the fear she felt entering the Dungeon a year ago and tried to find common ground. But she failed. Just that look made Ais realize there was an insurmountable gap between them.
Noah... unlike me... he is strong.
The trembling that surged through her body, even fear, made her realize this.
"Let's go." Without noticing their glances, Noah took the lead and walked deeper into the cave.
Not long after, the walls of the Dungeon automatically broke apart. Among the falling debris, monsters tumbled out, stretching to reveal their forms. They had dark grey fur, short, hunched bodies, but walked upright, their sharp claws and fangs emitting a cold glint. Malicious scarlet eyes explained their nature, completely different from any creature of the surface world.
Kobolds, like Goblins, are among the weakest monsters in the Dungeon, found from the 1st to 5th floors. Even an armed adult could defeat these cannon fodder. It was the kind of monster that made one lose the desire to fight.
Even so, Noah looked at the more than thirty Kobolds in front of him and slowly drew the long sword from his waist. With a clang, the silver blade was unsheathed. In the moment the silver light flashed in the dim cave, Noah turned into an afterimage and slashed forward!
Three hours later, 12th Floor.
The phosphorescent light had faded. In the dead woods filled with a gloomy mist, Riveria and Ais stared in astonishment. The silver sword swung down, the sword energy tearing through the mist, engulfing five Orcs over three meters tall. Before the Orcs could fall and turn to ash, the figure rushed forward with the violent sword energy, passing through like a ray of moonlight.
Unlike the upper floors composed of crisscrossing tunnels, this floor was made up of jungle areas with overgrown weeds and dead trees, shrouded in white mist. In this vast field, a figure moved across without dodging or turning. Slashing, piercing... countless attacks turned into a sharp barrier, crushing all monsters within reach. The blade left countless afterimages, its whistling sound turning monsters into dust.
Feeling threatened, monsters launched ferocious attacks, but their claws, clubs, and projectiles missed the boy's figure by a hair's breadth before their bodies were cut apart mid roar. Noah passed under a rolling log thrown by a Silverback without even looking, simply following his intuition and striking backward with his sword. Then, just before the frozen Silverback died, he pushed off the ground, landing with a kick that shattered the chest of a Hard Armored.
Although he chopped more than ten Imps to pieces with one sword stroke, Noah's target was a group of black figures in the distance. They had sharp claws, ferocious fangs, black scales, and wings. Black Wyverns, powerful dragon species typically found on the middle floors, though these seemed weaker than the Irregular he'd fought before.
There were about twenty Black Wyverns that appeared in front of Noah. Every time this number appeared, it basically meant the Guild would receive news that a Monster Party.
With a twist of his wrist, Noah deflected all attacks in a wide slash. Then he pushed hard against the ground, releasing an astonishing burst of speed. Noah became a violent wind, charging forward, passing the Wyverns a second before their tails lashed out like hammers. Reaching the edge of the cavern, he rushed towards the top of the rock wall without slowing. Racing up into mid-air, Noah flipped, stepped off the ceiling, and launched himself out! Moving faster than the eye could follow, Noah's body gradually faded, turning into silver light along with his sword.
The Wyverns shattered amidst roars and screams!
Leaving the ground during a fight is dangerous. If he didn't kill in one blow, it would give the enemy an opening. The reason Noah chose this fighting style, constantly changing his methods, was to adapt to his body. Whether it was the strengthening from the Falna or the seven days of healing from Airmid, Noah possessed a different kind of power now, decreasing his fine control.
A blow intended to cut the neck ended up shattering the head. He wanted to jump behind a monster but landed ten meters farther than expected. He misjudged the hardness of a rock and crushed it while trying to push off, almost falling.
To regain fine control, Noah abandoned the efficient techniques honed over long battles. Facing monster attacks, Noah didn't dodge or block but overwhelmed them head on with sheer speed and his sword.
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