Chapter 172: Are You Afraid?

"Wait for me, Ais!"

Running swiftly, both Tiona and Lefiya lost track of Ais, who dashed off the moment Yuki left them.

"Ha... Ha.. Ais-san!"

Breathing heavily, Lefiya's legs trembled; being a mage, her stamina and agility stats were low, preventing her from catching up.

"Ugh! I guess I have no choice."

Scratching her head, Tiona sighed, glancing at the breathless Lefiya, as well as Inori and Est walking without a care. Although Mana seemed hesitant, still tired from her long-range attacks and shield use, she let Yuki have his fun with the monsters. Tiona, on the other hand, shook her head; she couldn't leave them.

"Well, let's go to floor 17. Champion-sama must be waiting on that floor."

Although reaching that floor was a long journey, Tiona didn't see it that way. As a level 5, reaching that floor was very easy, not to mention Yuki was clearing the path by tearing through monsters.

"Alright..."

Nodding, both Inori and Est had no problem. As for Lefiya, her eyes teared up, cursing her weakness. Ais had abandoned her, running after the little one.

---

*(He's strong!)*

Running at high speed, Ais did not hesitate to catch up with Yuki.

*Bom

*Bommm

However, despite running, she couldn't reach him. Explosions and tremors were all Ais could hear and feel. This only increased her curiosity and excitement.

*Roar!

*Bom

"I can't catch up..."

Panic set in, and Ais' face changed. She wanted to witness the Champion's power, to see the difference between them and learn a thing or two.

But now she couldn't. No matter how much force she put into her steps, she couldn't catch Yuki, who was running and destroying monsters simultaneously.

This alone demonstrated the distance between them. No doubt, Yuki was in a completely different dimension of power.

"Ariel!"

Covering herself with her wind magic, Ais no longer hesitated. She was willing to see Yuki in action, even if it meant using the wind to amplify her physical abilities.

"I need to see it... I must see it."

---

"GAHH!"

"Trash."

*Creakk...

*Boom!

With one hand, Yuki grabbed a Minotaur's bone weapon, looking disdainfully at the surrounding pack.

He had reached floor 15. The ease and speed with which he descended through the floors set a record in this dungeon. After all, it hadn't been an hour since he started massacring monsters.

With his Sharingan active and the inorganic eye exposed, Yuki unleashed his physical power. No monster could stop him; even the packs were no match. Yuki was like a speeding train, annihilating everything in his path.

*(But... monsters are attacking in groups.)*

Since floor 5, monsters reacted differently, attacking in groups. This was the reason Inori ended up in such a worn-out state; she had been massacring these annoying creatures.

And since Yuki took the lead in attacking, monsters were spawning even faster.

This was abnormal, but with the speed at which monsters died, Tiona and Ais didn't notice. However, Yuki did. He knew the attack pattern had changed.

*(Fear, huh? Hahaha, how amusing.)*

Smirking, Yuki noticed the abnormal attack pattern.

And that was fear.

Something was afraid, and this amused Yuki.

"GAHH!"

"Shut up, crazy cow."

*Creakkk

Breaking his bone axe, Yuki merely swung his fist, hitting the Minotaur's vulnerable stomach, leaving a huge hole.

*Bam

*Puff

"This stinks."

Wiping off the blood splatters on his Anbu gear, Yuki watched as the Minotaur vanished in smoke, leaving only the magic stone.

"At last, you came, huh? Not bad."

Without turning his head, Yuki sensed a presence, and this presence belonged to Ais, covered with her wind magic.

"I... just... wanted to see it."

Breathing irregularly, Ais stared fixedly at Yuki surrounded by Minotaurs.

"Is that so? Well, it doesn't matter."

Shrugging, Yuki punched another Minotaur charging at him, turning it into smoke.

Yuki's physical strength had drastically increased since he was in the shinobi world, to the point where even using the first gate wouldn't strain his body. The Apocalypse virus was an enigma, capable of achieving this. Yuki once again praised the creator of this thing.

However, for Ais, she could see that Yuki's physical power surpassed that of a level 7. His punches were so powerful that no Minotaur could defend against one.

"I'm tired of you trash. It's better if I wipe you out once and for all."

Shaking his head, Yuki was disappointed. These level 2 monsters were no threat at all. Their attacks barely scratched him. It wasn't worth wasting more of his precious time. Clenching his fist while it glowed with a green light, his arm swelled as he struck the ground with force.

*Boom!

Creating a large crater, several Minotaurs lost stability, falling to the ground. Others were less fortunate, as the impact killed them instantly.

Ais, on the other hand, covered herself with her hands as the dust cloud enveloped her. The ground beneath her created several cracks.

Like Tsunade, Yuki could also use Ninjutsu, amplifying his strength through Byakugo no In, compressing chakra and releasing it suddenly.

"Huh? Wow, they're more resilient than they seem."

Watching some Minotaurs survive, Yuki brought a hand to his mask. He clearly underestimated these guys.

Ais, on the other hand, waited for the dust cloud to dissipate before opening her eyes in shock. There was a crater where Yuki stood, rocks flying, and several Minotaurs dead.

Seeing this, Ais was dumbfounded. This seemed more like a spell than a punch, given the amount of destructive power.

"Kenki... You."

Removing his mask, Yuki turned his head, revealing his monochromatic eyes.

"Are you scared?"

"That... Eyes...?!"

Looking into those eyes, Ais trembled. For the first time, she felt a deep thirst for blood through a gaze.

That red eye gave her chills, as if it could see through her, while the golden eye was a hungry beast ready to devour her.

Gripping her sword tightly, Ais' hand shook. She was very nervous right now, as if facing a terrible enemy.

"It's a joke~."

Easing his bloodlust, Yuki was satisfied with her expression. After all, if a person can feel fear, that means they are alive, that they have emotions.

Ais, like Inori, didn't display her emotions, and Est was the same. However, unlike them, Yuki could sense Inori's and Est's emotions. Ais was different, and that's why Yuki teased this stalker girl a bit, releasing a bit of his killing intent.

"..."

Watching Yuki grin from ear to ear, Ais was speechless. The speed at which this guy changed expressions was so rapid that it confused her.

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