I like… pain?

The layout of the 12th Floor was far harder than the previous one. Not only the monsters were stronger, but they started to spawn at a higher rate, not to talk about Infant Dragons that were considered the floor bosses and were categorized as level 2.

It was Alec's target and he had yet to encounter one.

He was now at a clearing on the 12th floor and was about to do something very dangerous and quite stupid, but he was confident in his power and ability to escape if necessary. He took a deep breath and took off his armor.

He was almost completely naked, wearing just his underwear.

He was about to fight monsters like that, he didn't have the patience to gradually raise his Endurance stat. He much preferred to take more hits at once, so he could later evade them, and not worry that the stat would lag behind.

'Everything for the grind' Alec steeled his resolve.

He was about to move to search for monsters to beat him when suddenly an awful stench hit his nose like a kick in the nuts. He scrunched his face in disgust, as he looked around, trying to locate the source of the rotting smell.

After a few moments, he noticed a hunk of bloody, raw meat, at the base of one of the trees not far from him.

'Monster lure' his mind helpfully supplied.

As the name implied, it was an item that adventurers used to attract monsters and increase their gain. They weren't even illegal, as they were quite common and even sold in item shops.

Alec started to wonder why there was an item like that here. He didn't notice anyone shady or suspicious, and he was in Orario for just a couple of days, so he didn't have the time to make enemies.

'Unless it wasn't a trap set up for me' Alec came to the conclusion that he wasn't the target and possibly just collateral damage.

'Then who?' he asked himself, but he had no real elements to draw believable conclusions, nor to make theories.

He didn't know enough.

His musing was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps. They were approaching, so Alec readied himself for battle.

His wait didn't last long as he was surrounded by tens of monsters. In the first line were the dozens of imps, while in the same number in the air there were Bad Bats, Huge pig-headed monsters three meters high and Big monkeys with white fur and a silver streak down the middle were in the rear.

Alec took a deep breath and charged forward and started to battle the imps. They were little and fast, so he had to be careful. He crushed the skull of the first one without trouble and went for the second. Once he kicked the second down the other started to react and the imps started to fight back. An imp made its way behind Alec, he did notice but decided to let it slide, and the little monster slashed at his back, leaving a not too deep wound behind. At the same moment, the bats used their sound wave attack to stun him. Alec screamed and tried to use his hands to shield his ears from the sound but was unsuccessful.

Suddenly Alec felt something hit him square in the chest and was thrown back a few meters. Looking up he saw a Hard Armored landing a few meters from him. The hit hurt, but it wasn't enough to knock him out, so he quickly stood up and dodge. An orc tried to smash him with a tree that was used like a club.

Alec run towards the Orc and used him as a platform to jump high in the sky. He took out one shuriken and shoot it, it multiplied in mid-air, and with just one draw dozens of imps died.

While he was descending, he used the opportunity to fire a few more shurikens, completely killing the bats. Once he landed, he used the force to propel himself forwards and pierce a Silverback in the chest with a kunai, killing him.

Alec charge a nearby Orc and was too fast for the big monster to follow, and he used the opening to jump on his back and cut his throat with the same kunai. There were still over a dozen imps, so he moved faster through the battlefield, cutting them down, trying his best to dodge the incoming attack, nonetheless, he was hit a few times.

They died in a few minutes.

The only monsters reaming were about a dozen Orcs and a dozen Silverbacks.

Alec was determined to not run away, so he faced them.

He attacked the closer Silverback, and he dodged the big monster arm that tried to hit him. He jumped and hit it in the head with a round kick. Its head twisted at a weird angle.

The monster turned to ash and while he was falling he was hit by the punch of another Silverback. He landed hitting the ground hard, luckily he didn't break anything, but he was in pain, but he endured and pressed on.

'They seem to be stronger than they should be' Alec already faced those monsters, but he was never hit without his armor, and he was unused to the pain they cause.

He gritted his teeth and charged them once again.

He fought without wasting any movement, his strikes were precise and on point. Despite him not using any weapons, his punches and kicks packed enough strength to kill them just with just one hit if he hit the right place.

He make a conscious effort to dodge less, and as result, his body was aching. Black and purple bruised were already forming on his body by the end of the fight.

He slew all the monsters, but he had a distinct feeling that things were far from over.

Alec took a breath and sat on the ground. It was a hard fight, but it was worth it. His body ached, but he was smiling like crazy, happy that he was able to partially reach his goal.

"[Healing]" Alec cast a five tier magic to heal the damage he suffered from the previous fight. The effects were instantaneous, the bruised completely disappeared, and the ache on his body went away like it wasn't there, to begin with.

He sighed in relief.

He had only a couple of minutes to rest before even more monsters appeared. Some of them were born from the Dungeon's wall, while others come running from the depth of the Floor. The ones who come running were dirty with blood and were holding weapons.

Alec noted that the weapons were fairly new, and well kept, and it took it as a sign that they took them from the adventurers they killed.

Alec felt sorry for them, and while there was still something that he could do for them, he wouldn't. He didn't know them after all, and it wouldn't bring him any gain, so it wasn't his business.

The monsters were already upon him and he quickly cast [Fly] and sored up in the air.

An unprecedented sense of euphoria enveloped his very being. Alec always loved swimming, but if he had to be honest, he already preferred being able to freely fly. There wasn't any real competition.

He looked down at the monster with a smirk on his face.

He then used [Triple Maximize Widen Magic: GreatFireball]. Three massive fireballs landed on the monsters, instantly killing the Imps, the Bad Bats, and the Hard Armored, while the explosion damaged the Silverback and the Orcs.

Alec made quick work of the remaining monsters.

He chose [Triplet Maximize Magic: Thunderlance], [Triplet Maximize Magic: Electroshpere] and [Triple Maximized Magic: Thunderball].

The battlefield was enveloped in lightning, and the monsters didn't stand a chance.

The battle barely last a few minutes.

'Magic is really something else.' Alec was amazed by the sheer power he hold at the tip of his fingers.

Alec returned to the ground and started to walk, but he was startled by a roar. He was about to turn and see what the source of the sound was when he was hit in the head by something heavy. He flew across the floor and landed head first, further injuring his head.

Alec passed out for a brief moment, but when he woke up, he screamed at the top of his lungs.

A large paw was crushing him and an unbearable pain spread in his very being. He never felt so much pain in his short life. He was surprised that he didn't pass out from shock.

When he managed to be focused enough to look up, he saw the monster that was above him and felt the urge to run as far as he could.

This four-legged beast was a species of dragon, said to be the most powerful type of all the monsters on the Upper Floor of the Dungeon. While it didn't have wings, its muscular body was covered in thick black scales. It had the potential to easily overpower an Orc. His eyes locked with Alec, before stomping his paw once again.

Alec screamed in pain and cringe at the sound of his bone breaking.

It was an Infant dragon, but not a normal one, judging by its abnormal color he was a variant. A stronger version of the same monster, and if a normal Infant Dragon could be considered as a Level 2, this one was definitely a Level 3.

'Something must have happened for the Dungeon to spawn a variant' Alec knew that someone can train a monster and make it stronger, or the God and Goddess Divinity could force the Dungeon to spawn variants.

Alec wonder who was the culprit for this, and he even thought that the monster lures must be connected somehow.

Alec was crushed once again under the heavy weight of the monster.

Alec let out a weird noise, it was half a laugh and half a cry of agonizing pain.

"More!" Alec said out loud after casting [Regeneration].

It was five tier magic that allow the user to continually heal the body.

The Infant Dragon roared once again, and Alec could feel the ground beneath him shaking.

Four other Infant Dragons were quickly approaching.

"YES, MORE!" Alec was ecstatic and he wasn't sure that the blow he just took in the head didn't screw his brain and his ability to think properly.

Alec needed to do something quickly.

The Black Infant Dragon started to relentlessly stomp his foot over Alec's already damaged body, and Alec couldn't do anything besides scream. Nonetheless, it was what he wanted.

His goal for the day was to grind his Endurance stat as much as possible, and this perfectly fit his plan, but it didn't mean he wanted to die.

After the others Infant Dragons joined him, the variant finally stopped.

Alec wasn't looking good.

Not only he was quite disoriented but he was covered in his own blood, his limbs were bent in normally impossible angles, his internal organs were crushed as well, he had trouble breathing and it was very painful inhaling and exhaling. It was a miracle that he wasn't already dead.

'Not a miracle, just magic' Alec noted.

Alec was about to use his magic when suddenly the variant Infant Dragon looked down on him and spit a column of fire.

Alec's body was enveloped by bright scarlet flames and this time he couldn't even scream. His flash started to burn and an awful smell started to spread. He couldn't breathe, he felt like the very air was set on fire.

He wasn't sure how long he was engulfed in the flames, but when they died out, he was unrecognizable. His head was bald, there wasn't even the faint trace of his beautiful long white hair. He couldn't feel any of his limbs, he could barely breathe, his skin was gone and his muscles were burned to a crisp.

The Black Infant Dragon looked down at him and the only way Alec could describe the smile on its face was 'mocking'.

The flames were already out, but Alec awaken a rage that burned through his body even hotter than the Dragon's fire, and the only thing he was thinking was to kill the Infant Dragon that reduced him to such a poor state and that dare to mock him after.

He cast a silent [Teleportation], and Alec suddenly found himself falling from the high ceiling of the Floor, and he quickly cast [Healing] and [Fly]. He stopped in the air above the Infant Dragons, and he started to visibly recover.

His hair started to grow back, his skin was regrowing at a pace visible to the naked eye, his limbs were set straight and the feeling was returning to them, and breathing wasn't painful anymore.

After a few more moments he was fully healed and he breathed a sigh of relief.

The relief turned quickly into rage once again, at himself for lower his guard just after promising himself to be more careful, and at the variant Infant Dragon for almost killing him.

'Thankfully I have my magic' Alec knew how lucky he was.

The Black Infant Dragon roared in rage and looked up in the sky, but even with its three meters in height, it was too short to reach Alec.

Alec cast [Triplet Maximized Magic: Great Fireball], but when they reached their targets, it didn't do the damage Alec hoped for. The level 2 Infant Dragons were barely hurt, while the level 3 one wasn't even fazed.

'Note to self: Dragons are resistant to fire' Alec felt his frustration growing as he dodged the fire breath of the monsters.

[Widen Magic: Greater Waterball] a big ball of water shot out from Alec's outstretched arm and hit the black dragon, and the regular one, soaking them wet. He then quickly cast [Triplet Maximize Magic: Thunderball].

One after the other three big spheres made of lighting struck the infant dragons. The dragons screeched, and smoke was visible rising from their bodies. Alec noticed that the enemy seemed to be stunned, so he continued to cast.

[Penetrate Maximize Magic: Plague Arrow]

It was a spell that conjured arrows made of darkness and deal set damage, but it also poised the enemy with a toxin that caused hallucination and made the nerves in the body more sensible, making them feel more pain.

Once the black dragon was hit, it started to roar and stomp blindly around him, and Alec took the opportunity to buff himself.

[Lesser Strength], [Lesser Endurance], [Lesser Dexterity], [Lesser Agility], [Haste].

Different colored lights surrounded his body.

Alec was ready.

He drew the Executioner Blade and charged. In a few moments, he was in front of the monster. He swung his sword aiming to behead the dragon, but his sword was stopped by the thick black scales. The sword only menage to sink a few centimeters, leaving behind only a shallow cut.

Alec was a bit disappointed, but he was fighting a Level Three monster, so it was to be expected, after all, they are in a league of their own.

Alec acknowledge that but he wasn't done yet, so he used [Sharp] and used his mana to create a wind coating around his sword, the spell was used to improve the sharpness of the sword and the wind was used to improve the penetrative power of it.

The Executioner Blade glowed a faint silvery grey, and a blue aura surrounded it before Alec charged once again and slashed open the dragon's neck.

This time the sword menage to cut deeper, about a third way through the thick scales surrounding its neck. A fairly deep wound was left behind and the black dragon continued to thrash around, trying to kill something that wasn't there.

Alec was hit by it and flew across the room until he hit the wall, cracking it with the force of the impact.

"Son of a bitch," Alec spat a bit of blood, and stood up, ready to go back to battle.

"[Widen Maximize Magic: Gravity Field]"

The area where the Infant Dragons stood, started to cave in as a sudden force descended from above them.

They let out roars of pain as their bodies were slammed to the ground, but Alec didn't pay them any mind as he flew at them at top speed.

Thankfully he wasn't affected by his own spell.

When he reached the Black Infant Dragon, he used the strength of his speed and swung with everything he got, and he finally beheaded the bastard.

Alec took a second to admire the dragon vanishing, leaving behind only ashes, as a feeling of accomplishment spread in his chest.

Then he charged at the other four Infant Dragons, that during the black dragon rampage took their distance to avoid being hit, but still were in the range of his gravity spell. After battling the variant, it was somewhat easier to deal with the other dragons, one swing of his sword was enough to do the job.

Once there were no enemies around, Alec took a moment to take a breath, but he was in a foul mood. He did want to get hit, but he didn't expect a Level Three monster to be around. He did really want to know who was behind this mess.

Alec used his Byakugan to look around to find clues, but nothing stood out.

He looked around the Twelfth Floor, then he decided to investigate the floors above, but still nothing. That was when he considered the possibility that the culprit could have gone down and not up.

He focused his visual prowess on the floors below him and started to search. He didn't find anything until the 16th Floor.

A group of nine were making their way on the floor, but what caught his attention were two particular individuals.

One was oozing Divinity, the sign that they were a Deity.

'So, that's the bastard responsible uh' Alec concluded that it was them the reason the Dungeon spawn an irregular.

What he couldn't understand was why.

Why did they decide to create havoc? Was it on purpose? And who were they?

More questions than answers flooded Alec's brain.

The other individual who caught his attention was someone who apparently had nine tails.

'A kitsune' Alec concluded.

He just transmigrated to Orario, and he saw various Demi-Humans, but never a kitsune.

'Maybe they are rare or something' Alec knew that it was a possibility.

What was strange tho was the strange tattoo they had on their chest.

It felt absolutely wrong to Alec.

It was like a leach, feeding on the life force and mana of the kitsune.

Alec didn't know what it was, but he felt disgusted by it. The mere sight of it made him want to heave.

He committed the tattoo to memory and turned around to leave while deactivating his Byakugan.

With his mood sour further, he decided to make his way towards the surface, while determined to get more answers.

Something about it made him deeply uncomfortable and he didn't know why, of course, more than the obvious reason that it was feeding from the user's life force and mana.

He walked up a couple of floors when he heard a cry of despair coming not too far from where he was.

'Is this day ever going to end?' Alec sighed tiredly.

Nonetheless, he was curious he decided to check out what was going on, to at least take his mind off the kitsune and the tattoo.