Sharingan

As Alex engaged with the war shadows, he gradually noticed that something had immediately changed.

'Is it just me or they have became slower?'

While staring intently at the war shadows, he became confused for a moment as they should have been fast that made him barely able to react yet right now, they were moving so slow.

'What is happening?'

Alex wondered as he gave a hard kick at the war shadow in his front sending it crashing to the wall. The war shadow let out a strange screech and began sprinting towards. Seeing it clearly, Alex struck out with his dagger, stabbing the war shadow.

He also took noticed that the consumption of Mind became faster than it should be. The strange consumption was noticeable as he wasn't using any of his magic at the moment.

'It has become so slow than before.'

Unlike before that he could barely react in time and receive some wound that struck Alex and pierced directly into his shoulder. Now, Alex could land many of his attacks in succession without any difficulty in dodging them at the same time by using [Flying Thunder God].

'No, it's more like the world around me have become slower than usual.'

After experiencing the change for over 30 seconds, Alex found this wasn't a fluke or a coincidence. There's truly something else that is happening right now not knowing the change in his eyes as he couldn't see it to pinpoint the reason.

Before, simultaneously dealing with a two war shadows was his limit. Any more than that, and he had a very low chance of winning. However, with them being slower than they should be, everything had changed.

Alex leapt forward. With a single strike on a war shadow's vital, the war shadow that had been surviving on low health was killed. As the war shadow fell, a single War Shadow's Finger Blade dropped from its corpse.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire."

Alex immediately sent a volley of flames to the remaining war shadows causing them to burn to death. As Alex was about to breathe in relief of dealing with them, he suddenly felt a chill in his neck.

Following his instinct, Alex made a step back barely avoiding an attack from a lone war shadow that appeared out of nowhere. Seeing that Alex had avoided, the war shadow immediately followed up by simultaneously slashing its sharp claws.

Parrying and avoiding its attacks, Alex noticed that this war shadow was way faster and stronger than the rest. Alex knew that if one of its attack landed into him, he would immediately be gravely injured.

'Why does it feel this one seems different?'

Alex wondered as this war shadow gave a different sensation than the rest. Aside from its attack was stronger and heavier every time he parried it, it also has more overwhelming presence.

'Did the dungeon send a strengthened specie to me?'

Alex couldn't think of anything else aside from this. Based on the dungeon's previous actions towards him, he was sure that it wanted him dead. Not just dead, but really dead.

Strengthened Species, certain monsters that have grown stronger than normal due to eating magic stones. If the war shadow in front of him fell into this category, it would explain why it was stronger than the other.

Apparently, even it was faster, because of the strange phenomenon that Alex was experiencing, it was only a little faster than the others. Not fast enough to completely escape his sight.

Raising his dagger, he swiftly stabbed towards the war shadow. Dark red blood gushed forth as Alex's dagger entered the war shadow's neck. The war shadow struggled violently, wanting to break free from its attacker.

The war shadow swung its claws and a powerful shock bombarded Alex's body even he deflected it with his short sword. When the attack strucked, it felt as if ten thousand ants were stinging him all at once. He was unable to move as he felt his whole body go numb.

Even it was moving slower than himself in his vision, it's physical strength was still higher than his own. If a normal war shadow had already exceeded his strength, a strengthened one greatly surpassed his own. It felt as if, the war shadow's attack had a paralysis effect.

In his absentmindedness, Alex noticed that the war shadow was trying to escape. Once again—with the dagger in hand—he stabbed into it's body. The dagger was imbedded near the war shadow's spine. He tenaciously held onto his dagger.

With his eyes, Alex could see that the war shadow's claw was about to land on his abdomen. Activating [Flying Thunder God], Alex instantly appeared behind it as he decided not to parry or deflect anymore as it would only paralyze him due to the difference in strength.

Feeling himself almost loosing consciousness as he was nearing to enter Mind Zero, Alex forcefully shook himself awake.

Strengthened Species were a special class of monsters. They were even stronger than the monsters of the same kind. If the war shadow's strength had been just a little higher, then Alex would have already lost his life a long time ago.

Facing a strengthened species, Alex couldn't allow himself to enter Mind Zero. Unfortunately, Alex didn't have the time to drink a mind potion as the war shadow send its attack towards him.

With the strange sensation that leads to a continuous consumption of his mental strength, Alex couldn't cast a [Flying Thunder God] again or else he would definitely enter mind zero.

Instead of relying at this moment on the [Flying Thunder God], Alex focused on his senses which he easily dodged the war shadow's attack. Not letting the chance to escape, he slashed with his blade, taking its health away. Unable to undure the bombardment of Alex, the war shadow distanced itself from him.

Seeing it taking a distance, Alex took this chance and hurriedly drunk a mind potion to regain the magic he had lost. Seeing that Alex's complexion became better, the war shadow immediately rushed and unceasingly attacking him about for five or six minutes not wanting him to recover like earlier.

The war shadow had noticed in the previous exchange that Alex was superior in the aspect of speed, however in terms of strength and stamina, it was superior than Alex which made it to decide to enter a battle of attrition with Alex.

With its nonstop barrage, Alex couldn't help but curse that this war shadow had the intelligence to push him into a battle of attrition. Monsters should have low intelligence and often repeat assaults on instinct.

Dealing with an intelligent one, Alex found it very troublesome. With every attack, he subconsciously deflected its attack.

The repeated shocks from the difference in strength had paralyzed his whole body. Even making the slightest of movements was incredibly difficult. Also with the continuous consumption of his Mind, Alex decided against in spamming the [Flying Thunder God] unless necessary.

Even his mental strength was being drained, Alex was not complaining at all. If not for this phenomenon that increased his perception, he might have been defeated already by the war shadow.

After a while, his eyes caught a glimpse of opening from the war shadow. Alex quickly seized this opportunity. Using the short sword in his hand, he stabbed into its neck. He quickened his attacks. The dagger in his other hand unceasingly stabbed at the war shadow's neck.

"Damn, just die already!"

Alex shouted as he continue to stabbed it. After continuously attacking its neck, the war shadow finally vanished, dropping its loot which allows Alex to catch his breath. Now that the war shadow is dead, Alex immediately drank a healing potion and a mind potion at the same time.

He also didn't noticed that his eyes had returned to his usual eyes after he became relaxed but he took a notice that the strange consumption had stopped and felt that his perception had returned to normal.

Even Alex had already drunk the potions, he was still mentally tired after that fighting.

"In the first place, why I am always encountering a monster party! ?"

Alex shouted loudly as his complain echoed throughout the sixth floor of the dungeon. "Monster Party" refers to a phenomenon, usually forming into the tenth floor, where many monsters in a specific space in a short period of time.

Once this happened, the aforementioned place will be filled with many monsters in a short time. This is the usual way for the dungeon to deal fatal damage to tired and exhausted adventurers.

After venting out a bit of his frustration, Alex felt a bit better.

"Yosh, let's continue the hunt!"

Alex said as he moved forward gripping the short sword and the dagger in his hands.

•~~~•

Somewhere in Orario, not really far from Babel, a blond haired man was drinking a tea. Feeling something, he suddenly stopped drinking and looked at the window. The window lead directly towards Babel, or towards the dungeon.

"Hummm."

"What is it Hermes-sama?"

Asked by a blue-haired woman who was with him.

"I suddenly felt a very strange feeling. I don't know how to express it."

Hermes has blonde hair and orange eyes. He wears a feathered hat. He is slender and of medium height with skinny arms and legs sticking out of his clothes, with orange hair with flowing locks. He also has effeminate looks and an overwhelming charm.

"Are you going to cause trouble again? Every time you say this you causes trouble."

"What?... Is that how you see me Asfi~chan?"

"Unfortunately yes. Every time you cause trouble the one who has to clean everything is me."

Asfi has aqua blue hair and cyan colored eyes. She also wears glasses.

"Oh-come on. Don't be like that."

"It just felt like something big is about to happen just sooner or later."

Hermes muttered while looking back at the window with an amused expression without anyone knowing what's on his mind.