Mask Off [Pt 1]

[Day 3: Seventh Floor]

~WHOOSH!~

One kick shot through the air like an overwhelming spear, instantly reaching the target within the blink of an eye.

"Kwii!"

~BOOOOOOM!~

One hit was enough to pulverize the monster of flesh and blood, instantly killing the massive thing in a flash.

Blood, coupled with pretty much all of the Monster's intestines, splashed out, drenching everything in the area with its guts .

—The kind that would drive one to vomit.

Snow, the blur of pure white, caused electricity to cackle around her as she pounced on her prey once step at a time.

They stood no chance against her speed and power as she easily evaded their attacks and returned the favor with her one-shot attacks.

The result…?

~BOOOOOOM!~

Ogre-like cyclops were the creatures who occupied the Seventh Floor. They bred like Goblins, but they were incredibly strong.

After evolving, their skin was as strong as metal, and yet Snow easily crushed them—one kick at a time.

They shot energy beams from their eyes, but the Grand Beast was much faster than their shots.

Her ricocheting attacks were especially deadly… especially when she used [Replicate] alongside it.

In the end, the one-eyed Ogres were fighting a losing battle.

They stood no chance at all.

The Otherworlders watched from within a manifestation of Ralyks' defensive Skill.

As long as they were inside the dome, they wouldn't be harmed in any way.

This Seventh Floor wasn't for them to grow or train. It was simply to let them experience firsthand what a Grand Beast could do.

They saw, with their very eyes, how Monsters fought among themselves.

No… there was no way what they were looking at could be defined as a fight.

It was a massacre!

*******

After Snow was done with the Seventh Floor, Ralyks informed everyone that they would be taking a break.

Of course, most of the Otherworlders weren't even tired since they didn't get to do anything, so they were allowed to take walks around.

They could even help in harvesting the Monster Cores if they wanted to do something productive.

Some of the Otherworlders gathered the new celebrity of the Class—Snow.

She had managed to Level Up two times, putting her at Level 3.

All her Stats rose by 30 with every Level, which meant she gained a total of 90 Stats per Level Up. That also meant she had obtained a total of 180 Stat Points thanks to the two Level-Ups.

It was too absurd to even believe.

Unfortunately, it would take quite a long while before Snow would be able to Level Up again.

Apparently, her EXP was already pretty close to Leveling Up the first time, so she was able to quickly reach Level 2 once they started their Seventh Floor expedition.

For the rest of the Seventh Floor, however, despite taking on every single Monster—who were much stronger and even greater in number—compared to the ones on the upper Floors, she could only advance one more Level.

When considering how long it'll take Snow to reach Level 4–probably an estimate of three Floors—Ralyks decided it was time for her to take the back seat once again.

And so, with Snow being a celebrity, and many of the Otherworlders engaged in one thing or the other, Ralyks sat in a corner and watched all their actions in solitude.

His enigmatic self seemed to be seated on the bare ground, but if one looked closely, they could see that he wasn't touching the ground at all.

He was subtly floating.

"Hmm…?" Ralyks raised his head as he noticed a presence approaching him.

The Otherworlders usually avoided him during their breaks—or rather, they were too occupied with other things, so it was strange for anyone to be near him.

Yet…

"… What is the matter, Belle?"

********

Belle felt her heart race as she stood in front of the Dark Adventurer.

It had taken a lot of resolve to come this far, and she still couldn't believe she was really doing it.

'Come on! Just do it!' She told herself, puffing her big chest up as she inhaled deeply.

"I… erm, would like to ask for advice from you."

Belle held her breath, looking cute while doing so, as she waited for Ralyks' response. Her heart pounded faster and she gulped while staring into his crimson eyes.

She didn't know who was truly behind the mask, but he intimidated her.

"Fine. You can ask me anything."

Thankfully, his response wasn't harsh in any way.

Belle nearly leaked out a tear of relief as she held her plump chest and finally exhaled.

"Could we talk somewhere private? It's actually something private."

"Don't worry. No one will be able to hear us."

Belle's nervousness slowly began to dissipate as she nodded and proceeded to sit opposite him.

She had a bright smile on her face, completely different from the shy and meek expression that she previously donned.

Confidence was now oozing from her.

"I want to become stronger. Stronger than everyone else. What do you think I should do to achieve that?" She asked.

"Is that your question?"

Confidence was now oozing from her.

"I want to become stronger. Stronger than everyone else. What "Not really. It's just part of it…"

For a moment, silence echoed among them. It seemed like Ralyks was mulling over the question, but he really wasn't.

Instead, he stared deeply into her eyes and his crimson eyes glowed brighter.

"Tell me what's really on your mind. What is bothering you…?"

A spark of crimson flashed in Belle's eyes, and before she realized it, her lips moved on their own.

"I hate Alicia. I know I shouldn't still hate her, especially after what she told me and Trisha yesterday. I should feel for her and forgive her for stealing my spotlight back then, but… I just can't stop hating her."

Belle's eyes widened in shock. She didn't realize it until she ended up blurting out exactly what was on her mind.

'H-how…?!' Her mind echoed out.

"Why do you hate her? Or why do you suspect you hate her?"

"I think… I am jealous. Jealous of how genuine she is. I used to think she was fake and simply putting on some front as Miss Perfect, but after yesterday, I can't deny her kind nature."

Belle's inner self was puzzled by her sudden openness to the man in front of her, but she didn't stop.

She couldn't stop!

"I hate that she's so free and genuine about herself. I know I can never have that, and it pisses me off so much."

The Belle that sat in front of Ralyks was no longer the sweet and cute girl that everyone knew.

She had a cruel frown on her face, and her eyes glowed with true envy. Hate consumed her tone, and all the darkness that she held within began to manifest before Ralyks.

'I-I didn't plan on going this far. I didn't want to say all of this…'

Yet, she naturally poured them out of her lips.

"I see…" Ralyks' tone was smooth and undisturbed.

It felt too calm for someone who had just seen her true identity was a truly vile person.

"I understand now. It all makes sense."

A slight chuckle echoed from within the mask as Ralyks pointed at Belle with two fingers.

"You're a sociopath."