[99] Fat Sheep

The Hellhounds, of course, did not comprehend Aiden's words. The foremost beast charged directly at him.

"No response? Then I'll take that as consent." Aiden's right hand gripped Durandal.

With those words, Aiden's figure shot forward like a crimson meteor.

As both closed the distance, the fifty-meter gap vanished in an instant.

Rough and uneven, their entire bodies pitch black, the beasts' eyes glowed crimson, and their wide mouths were all clear before Aiden.

"Playing aerial combat together?" Aiden smiled faintly as the pair of dark claws enlarged in his sight. With a slight step of his left leg and a high lift of his right, his thick thigh swung with powerful force.

Boom!

The Hellhound couldn't react; it widened its crimson eyes as its bulky body was launched skyward by the terrifying strength, akin to a basketball thrown into the air.

Following the unpretentious high kick, Aiden seized the opportunity of the Hellhound being airborne, raising Durandal high with both hands. A fiercely sharp sword light surged towards the helpless Hellhound!

Descending from above, Durandal transformed into a golden streak, cleanly dividing the Hellhound's body into two.

Thud~

From the wound spewed a mixture of red and black foul-smelling blood. The Hellhound, evenly split by Aiden, plummeted to the ground and turned to ash, disappearing.

In the blink of an eye, from the initial approach between the lead Hellhound and Aiden to its cleaving in two, only seconds had passed.

The remaining Hellhound maintained its distance, lowering its upper body while lifting its lower, clearly accumulating flame.

Sparks about to ignite overflowed from the gaps between its exposed fangs.

"A certain man once said; use magic to counter magic. Today, I'll use flames to counter flames." Aiden stood quietly in place like an antagonist waiting for the protagonist's ultimate move to charge up, waiting for the Hellhound's flame buildup to complete.

Unlike the Basilisks created by Agnus in Devil May Cry 4, the dungeon's Hellhounds directly spewed flames from their mouths after accumulating power.

Finally, an orange-red flame gushed from the Hellhound's mouth.

Simultaneously, Aiden silently chanted his own flame magic.

A blaze storm instantly materialized in front of Aiden and shot out.

The whirlwind of flames did not collide with the Hellhound's fiery breath; it overwhelmed it with decisive force, directly smashing the Hellhound's breath.

Then, the Hellhound was enveloped in flames.

The Hellhound emitted a pained and agonizing howl as the flames, augmented by its fur, turned its entire body into charred remains.

"Sorry, my mistake for making you into sukiyaki…" Aiden's words trailed off as footsteps echoed from deep within the chamber.

Four creatures resembling rabbits emerged from the darkness.

Their ears swayed to and fro, their fur a mix of yellow and white, fluffy tails, sharp horns protruding from their foreheads, standing on their hind legs with an upright height of about one meter.

They were like rabbits that had learned to walk on two legs with horns... Almiraj.

Appearing docile but fiercely combative in reality, they were monsters first encountered on the 13th floor.

"Well, well, good morning, Bell." Seeing these creatures, Aiden immediately thought of Bell, who resembled a white rabbit.

Almirajs were agile with low combat abilities; even adventurers with higher Level 1 stats could barely defeat them.

Yet, Almirajs were classified as Level 2 monsters due to their pack mentality, which endowed them with formidable collective combat skills, potentially overwhelming Level 2 adventurers.

The Almirajs didn't roar; instead, with remarkable coordination, they shattered nearby boulders and retrieved appropriately sized small stone axes.

Similar to the dead trees on the 10th floor, many rocks on the 13th floor served as natural armories for dungeon monsters.

Fully armed, the four Almirajs' round eyes glowed with increasingly crimson light as they focused on Aiden, who stood with arms crossed over his chest.

Unlike the Hellhounds that arrived one by one.

The Almirajs emitted piercing screeches and, with exceptional coordination, charged forward.

"It is true that a good rabbit is a dead rabbit."

In the next moment, another blaze of flames erupted before Aiden.

Even the small, agile Almirajs couldn't evade the roaring inferno that descended upon them.

Squeak!

The flames roasted the four Almirajs, transforming their continuous wails into the shape of roasted rabbits.

"Seriously? There are so many of them? Is it safe to say they live up to their reputation as pack monsters?" The scent of roasted rabbit filled the air, mingling with the lingering cries of agony, leaving Aiden wide-eyed in astonishment.

Within his line of sight, a large expanse of snowy white rapidly filled the chamber.

...

Meanwhile, beneath the bustling Babel Tower, amidst the coming and going of people...

As the girl observed Bell, Bell also observed that petite girl which is Pallum race. 

The girl before him had a slender figure, her thin lips maintaining a smile beneath the hooded robe that hugged her frame. Delicate and cute features, with a gracefully curved nose and large watery eyes. Her appearance combined innocence with an impression of maturity, giving Bell the sense that she was both a young adult and someone to be pitied.

It was precisely this sense of pity that, after initially rejecting her, prompted Bell to inexplicably inquire about her circumstances... whether she lacked a familia and suffered disdain as a professional supporter.

The girl naturally seized this opportunity. Originally seeking a reason to accompany Bell, she introduced herself and then, fixating on the dual swords at Bell's side, took a step back.

"Forgive my rudeness. Lili hasn't even introduced herself yet. My name is Liliruca Arde." The girl introduced herself in a sweet, cloying voice.

"Oh, I'm Bell Cranel from the Hestia Familia." Bell responded, introducing himself in turn.

"Hestia Familia? I've never heard of this little familia, looks like he really a fat sheep." Lili thought and looked up into Bell's eyes, emitting a faintly eerie glint.

___

If you're interested in reading more, feel free to visit my pat reon: 

https : // www .pat reon. com /XElenea