CH. 376: The Creature

Asahi spent the day doing his usual activities—teaching Riveria, Ryuu, and Ais. They learned diligently, unaware of the upcoming chaos. Ryuu asked about last night, but Asahi decided to tell her later alongside everyone.

"It's so odd." Riveria scratched her chin with her pen. "I feel like I'm so close when you transfer your magic power. But when you stop the process, I become distant. It's a mystery I must solve."

"I think I learned it." Ais clenched her fist, coating it in a green radiance. She tossed the ball at Asahi's face. A gentle wind followed along and tickled his face.

Asahi rubbed her head. "That's pretty neat. You've got the gist of it."

Ais lowered her head and enjoyed his care. "It's easy, Onii-san."

Ryuu frowned, taking Ais' remark as offensive. She had tried so hard to learn the 'wind' element but to no avail.

'Will Asahi praise me if I'm successful in learning?'

The elf hyped herself up to work even harder.

After sending back his three students, Asahi returned home to find Saya waiting for him in his room. The pink-haired girl pouted when she saw him.

"I heard what you did… was making a big scene necessary? You won't be able to live peacefully after the fight."

"Well, it's better than being threatened by every other god here." Asahi sat down and pulled Saya to his lap. He slid up her jersey and caressed her belly. "You don't need to worry about that stuff."

"I can't help but worry as your wife… it's my duty, you know!"

She tried her best not to be embarrassed, but her best attempt failed miserably.

"You're just like your mom sometimes."

"I'm her daughter just in case you forgot."

"Speaking of Yuriko, how is she doing?"

He hadn't met Yuriko for two days, and he already missed her comforting presence.

"She is busy with her business."

"I guessed as much. I'll take her out today for a date in Orario. Need to stop her from becoming a total workaholic."

Everyone had a tour of Orario except for Yuriko. She was too engrossed in expanding her business.

"That would make her better."

Asahi spent some time with Saya, then headed to the 78th floor of the dungeon. Saeko and Aimi accompanied him on the expedition this time.

A red-haired woman was sitting near the teleportation mark, munching on a chunk of magic stone. Her presence was all so similar to Rini, who had become more monster than a human at this point.

"You're back," she greeted him with a sharp frown. "I didn't hear any footsteps. How did you appear suddenly?"

Aimi and Saeko wielded their respective weapons, ready to spring into action any given second. Asahi expanded his senses in search of someone but found no presence around.

'She is around level 5 or possibly level 6 and eats magic stones. Fits the bill for the 'Creature' Ishtar mentioned.'

"Are you a monster?" Saeko asked, squinting her eyes. "You don't seem like a human."

"I'm Revis." Revis raised her hand towards the ceiling as if trying to grasp something beyond her reach. "Does it really matter?"

"Not in the slightest." Saeko shook her head. "Humans can be as monstrous as the creatures in the dungeon if not more."

Revis looked at Saeko and grinned. "You don't come from Orario, do you? That's not the way people around here think."

"We are not," Asahi answered Revis' question. "Well, are you gonna speak about your motives now?"

Revis approached Asahi and observed him from head to toe with her emotionless eyes as if she was evaluating him. "I don't understand… Why are those demi spirits afraid of you? You don't look like some scary monster."

She couldn't find what the spirits saw in him. What terrified them so much that they had to abandon their original purpose and retreat back into the depths?

"The Spirits are afraid of me?" He recalled the tentacles that came to snatch Ais. He never ran into the owner of tentacles after that day. "I see. So you stalked me here to find out the reason for Demi Spirit's fears?"

Revis shook her head. "I'm here to stop you."

She unsheathed her sword from her back and stabbed Asahi's chest. The glowing red blade cut through the shirt, stopping short of slicing any further.

Asahi slapped away the sword and dusted his shirt. He wanted to see the limits of the apex of the monster-human hybrid of this world, but the results disappointed him. Well, she was still stronger than the strongest fighter of Xenos.

"I cut a demi spirit with this," Revis muttered in astonishment as she narrowed her eyes. "Are you immune to physical attacks?"

"Not really. You need to find a stronger blade."

Revis tossed the blade aside and threw her fist at Asahi's chest. Aimi appeared before Revis and kicked her in the gut. Revis staggered a couple of steps and held her stomach."Keep your dirty hands off of Asahi-sama," Aimi remarked with a cold face. Revis' first attack caught her off guard as it came without an ounce of killing intent. But she wasn't going to let it happen again.

Revis smiled and gave a rough swipe at her blood-covered lips. "Your companions are strong. Even stronger than me."

Revis could have taken on a valgang dragon without much of an injury. However, a single kick from Aimi fractured several bones.

'Demi spirits fear his strength.'

Revis clicked her tongue as her pain and discomfort grew. Her second life will undoubtedly end if she decides to take on Asahi. Even if she didn't retain any memories from her first life, her survival instincts carried over all the same. So she did what any individual would do when they face a life and death situation.

She turned around and fled.

"What the hell?" Asahi cursed with wide eyes.

The sudden retreat was so out of place for Revis' fearless approach until now. She hadn't shown much emotion besides curiosity and shock. For her to escape like this was... just strange.

"Shouldn't we chase her?" Saeko asked. "I can go."

"Let's not waste time on her."

They would run into her and comrades down the line.