Chapter 37: Battle for the Throne [1]

That was the power of Armament.

The spear ploughed through the Boulder Crab almost as easy as it would for butter. I spent the last couple of days of the week getting used to the new extent of my art and gauging my powers.

I already took down the strongest Bone Spike, and now I just took down the largest Boulder Crab as well.

"With this, I have nothing else to do."

Almost literally.

I was beginning to closely reach the cap of what the Dungeon could actually help me to do. It was a given, within time I would become too strong for this place.

Even my kill with the Boulder Crab didn't get me to level up.

Now that I had no more strings connected to this place any longer, the fire inside of me that demanded this be the last time I face off against the Boss of the dungeon and escape burned more brightly.

I've already done all I can to prepare, as far as how I was able to.

It was unfortunate that I couldn't enter and leave the Boss lair at will, or even drag out the Silver Knight. I would have been able to cook up some traps that would make clearing it slightly more easier at the very least.

In the end, all I could do was train my body and Aura.

After I was through with the Boulder Crabs den, I decided to return back to my cave. Since I wasn't going to be staying any longer, I left behind the corpses back at the Den and only took with me what I needed.

Monster Core fragments.

Since I ate the Fruit of Aurora, my Aura core has been fully saturated in the past month, but the cores could serve as back up from recovering some of my lost Aura during battle.

The Silver Sentinel was apparently, actually a Demon Slime which is impervious to physical attacks. The only way I could hope to damage it or slow it down is through Aura. And that was the main reason for rushing to create or perfect my Art.

I could now augment my weapons and make them even twice as strong as I was whenever I used Armament, and this meant two times the Aura consumption rate. So the Monster Cores might really help me out.

"Meta, just like before I need you to analyze the Silver — no, the Demon Slime for its core as soon as we enter."

Hopefully, she might not need to do that. I kept reminding myself that the throne was the goal.

I stared at a particular heap in the underground cave. The heap was made of crude white bone spears, broken thorns, and white spikes. There were a couple of makeshift weapons I made from Bone Spikes' bones, limbs and claws in my spare time.

I was not just going to walk in with a single spear this time. Even when using Armament on these weapons, I only have a couple of swings at most before they shatter on the force, it was only natural I would carry a few of them with me.

I took a particular terrifying looking bone spear in my hand, and a shorter 'pike' I made from the long claws of bone spike in my other hand. And using a strand piece of what used to be my clothes some time ago, I tied on a back up spear and a couple of other thorns and spikes to my back.

"Alright! Let's goo!"

[Isn't that too much?] Meta said.

I shook my head and looked down at the straight white sharp pike that was as long as a sword in my hand.

"No, not really. The materials of the weapons made out of the Bone Spike are actually pretty light." This level of weight wouldn't be enough to slow me down.

With all that said and done, I returned back to the Boss Lair for the third, and hopefully the last time.

Round three, motherfucker...

___ ___

"Brrr...no matter how many times I'm back here, this place never ceases to give me the creeps! "

The dark grandeur of the giant passage embraced my whole meager existence. It's smooth black obsidian walls glistened with the ghostly dim glow of the pale torches. It's dark ceiling stood as tall as the very first time I walked down it's floors.

The passage was immensely wide, enough to let at least two cars to drive next to each other.

Its stylish black floor that was seemingly carved of black obsidian, just like it's walls, had a mosaic of groves engrained on its surface. The giant Passageway, as I called it, was filled with dark mystique; each mysterious draft of wind that blew through its walls whispered suggestively into my ears and mind.

I stopped my advancing steps and looked back at the path I walked.

Just where exactly is the draft even coming from?

Deeply disturbed and curious about this, there actually was a time I ventured down the opposite direction of the passage way during some of the time I spent in the dungeon.

But no matter how far I walked, it was like the passage was infinitely endless from the opposite direction. The radiance of the torches didn't reach that far, and the darkness only felt more bolder.

So when I did, I just gave up and turned back.

I wonder how old this dungeon even is... I turned around and wistfully thought.

In a matter of minutes, the colossal stone doors came into sight up ahead. They looked as tall as small mountains and exuded and oppressive feeling as I craned my neck to stare up at them.

Ah~ how nostalgic.

Wait, why was I feeling nostalgic about dying again?

I shook those questionable thoughts out of my head and approached the door.

... I'm not really crazy yet, am I?

The ground rumbled and a low tremor ran through the passage. As the colossal doors slowly pushed open, stone grated against each other, and a loud cacaphony of heavy screeches filled the air.

I peered forward quietly, masking all of my thoughts and excitement.

I was as prepared as I possibly could be. There wasn't much I could do to raise my strength any longer. At most, I could maybe raise my level to 30, and if I wanted to dare it further, I could probably breakthrough to Eta Rank.

But all of that would take time.

I didn't have time.

The low grating stones echoed darkly in the giant passageway. I pulled out one of the pikes I had tied against my back, and fastened it in my mouth and jaws and gripped a second spear in my left hand.

I didn't wait entirely for the stone doors to open up, and as soon as the slightest path was opened, I armed myself with Armament and kicked off the ground.

My Aura twisted down my legs, constricted, and exploded like a string.

I felt my vision blur and space race by as I dashed through the doors and into the dark chamber.

This time around I didn't spend time to appreciate the dark and archaic grandeur of the audience chamber and instead made a beeline for the center.

The mighty throne sitting upon a raised platform overlooking the wide expanse of the chamber filled my sole vision. But when had it ever been that easy before?

-BANG!

A massive figure of blurred steel moved to intercept me from the side. I gripped the Bone spear in my left arm and threw it ahead, seemingly without target.

The next moment, the Silver Sentinel—

No, I guess I should call it the Demon Slime now?

— the Demon Slime's armored gauntlet flashed through the air for my face like and asteroid. It's figure exuded such immense presence that made it hard not to notice or look away.

Well, who would even think to look away on this instance?! Are they mad?!

Having my silent reservations to myself, i turned and took the spike out of my mouth. I saw the trajectory of the heavy fist draw a path for my face in slow motion and reinforced the Armament augmentation of my body.

I shifted slightly and moved my head backwards, evading the devastating blow. The fist banged the empty air at my face and I raised the bone spike in my left arm and channelled my Aura through it before throwing it through a crevice of the gauntlet around its wrist joint.

The white bone spike, augmented by Armament easily penetrated through the crevice and struck the space between the armor plate around the Knights shoulders.

Like that the pike held the silver sentinel armored arm suspended in place for a good moment. And I used the opportunity to bolt ahead.

Avoid confrontation as much as possible... avoid confrontation as much as possible...do not go directly against the monster or die...

Like a mantra, I recited those verses repeatedly in my mind.

Even now, my previous action of stabbing the pike through the silver knights' wrist and shoulder was a means to only slow it down a little. With its joints impeded, it would find it hard to move a little.

But the Bone pikes were fickle in comparison to the Demon Slime's strength. The next second it moved the same arm, and the pike shattered in a fluent motion.

That easily.

But it had done enough.

I was already a reasonable distance away from the Silver Sentinel by that time, and in my hands were a couple more pikes, thorns and spears.

I grinned as I stared at the Silver Sentinel.

"Here..." The next moment, I threw the pikes and spears successively at the targets.

The spears and pikes made out of the bones, limbs and claws of Bone Spikes shone with the radiance of my folded aura. They swiftly streaked through the air, and just as easily struck the targets; penetrating deeply into strategic joints of the knight to slow it down further.

The Knight became momentarily rigid with most of its main joints blocked. Then the next month, the polished steel body melted into molten silver, allowing the bone spikes and spears to easily bypass through its viscous body like water.

...I forgot it could do that.

The molten body of shiny viscous silver lounged forward like a spring. It contracted, convulsed, and quickly reformed into a fearsome mantle of silver armor as it sprung through the air at me.

There was only one large bone spear in my hand, the last of the multitude i brought with me.

I grinned as I watched my reflection against the polish silver helmet plate quickly approach, and rolled out of the way in an intentional tumble.

My vision shook, and my body rolled. A powerful bang resounded behind me, and when I regained my balance, I rose to find the area I previously stood turned to a myriad of deep cracks.

I didn't linger or wait, and continued my advancement for the throne. The platform was just right there, yet for some reason, no matter how far I ran, it never seemed to get closer.

The Silver Sentinel didn't just let me, and three seconds later, I felt my Danger Sense skill react vehemently.