[40] Dragon?

As the last small orc struck Aiden's leg armor, propelled by inertia, it continued its relentless charge towards Aiden's rear, only to be mercilessly crushed under his foot, transforming into a small magic stone.

All the small orcs lay defeated.

"Rahhhhhhh...."

Meanwhile, the two pig-headed orcs wasted no time. With heavy footsteps, they advanced towards Aiden, their hefty clubs whistling through the air with dull roars.

Aiden effortlessly dodged the swings of both pig-headed orcs' clubs, seizing the moment when they lost balance after swinging their clubs. With his leg muscles tensed, Aiden leaped into the air, both feet striking fiercely at the soft, fat belly of the pig-headed orc.

"Eat my makeover kick!" Aiden exclaimed inwardly, mimicking the moves of Nero from Devil May Cry 4 and 5.

The off-balance pig-headed orc had no way, nor the ability, to evade. It was sent crashing to the ground by Aiden's kick, rolling several times upon impact.

As Aiden landed, propelled back a few steps by the rebound of the pig-headed orc's soft belly, he couldn't help but smirk at the trampoline-like sensation.

"Could this be the legendary skill?" Sensing the bounce, Aiden's lips curled slightly.

With steady footing, Aiden took a bold step forward, then launched himself towards the pig-headed orc lying on the ground.

Still dazed from its tumble, the pig-headed orc barely had time to sit up before Aiden was upon it. A gleaming golden sword flashed towards its head, the golden blade whistling through the air like a gale. Before it could react, the sword pierced its massive skull.

After dispatching the fallen pig-headed orc with a headshot, Aiden swiftly turned towards the other pig-headed orc, ready to counter its ambush.

"Bam!" The scabbard slammed fiercely onto the pig-headed orc's right paw, forcing it to release its grip on the club.

Seeing the swelling in the orc's paw and its bare claws, Aiden also released the scabbard and Durandal in his hands, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Such enthusiasm? Could it be that you're eager to become my punching bag? Well, since you do not say anyting; I'll take that as a yes."

Aiden threw a punch with his arm outstretched, followed by a rapid flurry of punches. The flurry of fists was like a burst of flash floods, completely engulfing the hapless pig-headed orc. A series of relentless blows rang out, drowning out any other sound.

"Star Platinum - Zawarudo! Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora Ora..."

It's a pity this pig-headed orc isn't a man of culture for not following suit to say the iconic muda muda muda muda.

It attempted to counterattack several times, but its slow movements rendered its efforts futile. It seemed as if time had truly stood still, leaving it only able to passively endure Aiden's relentless barrage of punches.

"Five seconds have passed; time resumes. No wonder you're so enthusiastic. You make a fine punching bag. Five-star rating for you, no need to thank me."

Now nearly unconscious, the pig-headed orc, afflicted with the unshakeable stiffness debuff, was utterly powerless to resist.

In a surge of excitement, Aiden leaped into the air, raising his right leg high and viciously kicking the misshapen chest of the pig-headed orc. This final blow, akin to a battle axe cleaving down, reduced the creature, already unable to withstand the onslaught typical of its type, to mere dust. Aiden's right leg sank directly into the ground.

And then, the entrance to the tenth level reverberated with Aiden's agonized cry.

"Ah... damn, damn, damn, that hurts!"

Taking a deep breath, Aiden paid no heed to the remaining magic stones on the ground. He hopped up, swearing under his breath.

When he just executed a profoundly righteous battle-axe chop and killed the last pig-headed orc, it seemed that the orc's dying grudge had taken effect. The magic stone it dropped happened to be right where Aiden put his force.

Disregarding his appearance, Aiden took off his boots, his heel already swollen.

"Could my luck get any better?" Aiden couldn't help but marvel at his fortune once again.

"This swelling... Thankfully, I've got all the medicine I need. This kind of injury should be treated externally." Aiden took out a bottle of ointment from Blue Pharmacy, poured some onto his heel after uncorking it, and then gently massaged it in. Under the ointment's miraculous effects, the redness and pain visibly subsided at an astonishing rate.

"Just one bottle of ordinary bruise ointment, and it works wonders like this. I wonder what kind of effect the Panacea will have?" Aiden instantly thought of the panacea in Orario, which could heal most injuries.

"Thank you, Miach-sama. Truly grateful for your care." Aiden sincerely thanked Miach for his concern.

Once tidied up, Aiden, filled with an infinite longing for the magnetic back, slung Durandal diagonally across his back.

Once again, Aiden keenly felt that items produced by the system were top quality and not an empty boast.

For the sake of increasing the difficulty of his game, for better exercise, for more experience points, and also for the thrill of combat, Aiden chose to stow away Durandal and fight bare-handed against the orcs.

"Let's start the party!"

...

A month later, on the tenth floor. Aiden was playfully engaging with a group of orcs while making his way towards the eleventh floor.

On the path to the eleventh floor, a group of adventurers, their bodies adorned with almost every color imaginable, shouted loudly as they dashed towards the ninth floor.

"Ahhhhh..."

"Run quickly!"

"The Infant Dragon is coming, run!"

"The Infant Dragon is coming, run away if you hear it!"

Leading them was a team of five, with a middle-aged man wearing tattered silver armor at the forefront. He carried a slender man in mage robes on his back, the mage's eyes tightly shut and blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, indicating he was severely injured.

A leather-clad archer and several sword-wielding adventurers followed closely behind the middle-aged man.

Spotting Aiden standing alone in the distance, the leader urgently shouted, "Hey, white-haired lad over there! The Infant Dragon is coming, hurry and run!"

In the thick fog, a massive figure loomed menacingly, refusing to release its grip on them.

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