Fighting, losing.

Voice wasn't lying when it told me that surviving would take all of my time. One day passed yet only thing I did was killing smaller monsters and running away from stronger ones. I looked at my status:

Name: Nocturnis Regius(Nox) Race: Demon(Bloodline can't be measured)

Strength: 26 Vitality:27

Intelligence:31 Magic:36

Agility:26 Charisma:19

Active Skills: Wrath Lv1, Contract LvMax, Arcane Magic Lv3.

Passive Skills: Magic Circulation Lv4, Mental Barrier Lv2.

Titles: None

My title was gone. I took a good look on where my title was. I tightened my fist. My magic increased more than my other stats. Probably because of Magic Circulation leveling up. On other hand Wrath…

(When used all of your physical capabilities will be increased by 50 percent for 3 minutes. Your sense of pain will also decrease for duration of this skill. Once duration of this skill ends you cannot use it for 30 minutes.)

My Fury skill transformed to another skill. Wrath was a stronger skill than Fury. Boost I got was bigger and I didn't had to worry about starving myself while using it. But it having a duration and cooldown hurt.

"Everything must come with a cost."

That was the thing I learned the moment I opened my eyes. When I killed others I lived in cost of their lifes. When Minerva saved me she did while risking her life. Time to hunt. I had 70 days total. 10 floors. I had to clear a floor in at most 7 days.

"I should stop running away from strong monsters."

I already knew the cost of getting stronger. I looked at the monster front of me. Green skin, full of bulging muscles. Over 190 centimetres it towered over me. An orc. It hold a thick log in his hand. With one strike of it he could easily broke my bones.

"So I am not going to get hit."

Due me being one armed I was already disadvantage in close quarter fight. To make up for it I had to use magic. But using magic like I did back at forest would cost me my remaining arm. I needed something sharper.

"Yes, sharper."

Even if I put less power in that if I focused it in a small area it would be as effective as magic cannon. I started to shape my magic power. It was red before but it slowly started to turn black. I inhaled and exhaled as slowly as possible. Shaping my magic power it became a shape similar to a javelin. At the same time orc spotted me. It started to run towards me. It swung the log he had. I also grabbed javelin I created from magic power. When our weapons clashed log was destroyed but at the same time my javelin faded. Orc didn't stopped and tried to punch me. I jumped back.

"I must have lost my focus the moment we clashed."

I needed to focus more. I created a more solid javelin. I thrusted it to orch rushing to me. I dodged his wild swing and stabbed him in the head. It tore through his head.

(Skill Arcane Magic became Level 4.)

Good. With that notification I knew that I was in the correct path.

"Now let's go!"

As a demon I didn't need to sleep as often as other creatures. I usually only slept due not having anything other to do. But since my time was limited I would stop sleeping all together. Orcs usually roamed in groups. If one were here others also were close. Considering orc I just killed roared while attacking me others probably would just be here…

"Speaking of devil."

I looked over my shoulder. Two of them. But this time it is different. I threw javelin at one while I rushed to other. The one I threw javelin got hit in chest and fell to ground. He weren't dead due my horrible aim but I had enough time to finish other one. I predicted huge swing he did with his club and stabbed my claws to his chin. I fired magic missiles and blew his head. I hit other one with my tail. He were trying to get up. I quickly also put my claws to his chin and fired. I looked at the carnage around me.

"Orcs are similar to apex creatures in this floor. If I can fight against them like this…"

Floor boss also should be an orc. While I wasn't sure most dungeons I read about while I was with Minerva supported my theory. Of course I could be wrong.

"Let's say it is an educated guess."

If that's the case I should get used to fighting against them. Point blank magic seemed to super effective against them but getting them closer also posed a huge threat to me.

"Don't be a pussy."

So what if they are a threat at close range? Just don't get caught.

"Kill them before they can react."

Was it a simple plan? Yes. But I didn't had time to hatch complicated plans. For next 3 days I kept hunting whatever I could find and explore floor as much as possible. 4 days were enough form e to get used to increased gravity. I killed quite bit orcs in that time. I got used to how they hunt. How they cooperate. How they attack. What I didn't got used to it was how smart they were actually.

"They surrounded me."

I should have seen it coming. Orcs were social creatures. It was only natural that they would react like this. Since a number of them were killed by something they got together and tried to get rid of the problem. But to my defense according to what I learned from books normal dungeon monster didn't behaved like this.

"But this is a dungeon Voice put together."

It was only natural that it would be anormal. I looked at possible escape routes.

"None."

Around 20 orcs, which were more muscular and more well equiped than others I killed before surrounded me completely. Unlike other orcs this ones had metal weapons and some armor. Their bodies were also covered by scars and tattoos.

"Warrior orcs?"

I scanned to find weakest looking one. I couldn't defeat 20 of them. My best bet was broke the cycle where it was weakest and run. I used Wrath and leaped. Forcing my body to run faster than it could be possible I rushed towards weakest looking orc. Their reaction were quick. But I was one breath faster. I jumped and clashed with orc. Using him as a jumping board I leaped and broke through them. Just as I finally escaped something hit my back. Due Wrath I didn't felt so muc pain but impact was strong enough to make me slow down. In my momentary slowness orcs reached to me. When I looked at where impact came from I saw an orc with bow. He looked bigger and stronger than others.

"An orc chief!"

While I was trying to fend of other orcs attacks I saw him pulling his bow again. While I couldn't feel the pain to its fullest I could feel that damage caused by that arrow was huge. Getting hit wasn't an option. I created several magical shields. But doing so I lost my focus on javelin I use to fend of other orcs attacks. So I shielded the arrow but got hit by their weapons. I cringed at feeling of my scales getting ripped from my body. While worrying about them I got hit my another arrow and flew back.

"He fired another arrow in that short of time?"

I looked as orcs slowly filled all of my vision. They didn't attacked me. Orc chief slowly came towards me. He held a huge greatsword.

"I see. An execution."

They didn't hunted me. They wanted to execute me. They were smart enough to do this kind of thing, huh? I looked at the Orc Chief. He were just in front of me, talking. I didn't understood him. He lifted his greatsword.

"No."

I said. If I was going to get kille… No, that's unacceptable. I am not going to die. I rose up. Other orcs seemed to be agitated but Orc Chief didn't made any moves.

"Don't think that I will go down easily. If you wanted to kill me be ready to lose your balls!"

I created a javelin and attacked Orc Chief. Other orcs created a cycle. A place we could fight freely. Did they wanted me to fight? Perhaps a part of their culture? I didn't cared. If I could fight one to one I had a very slim chance. My strike was countered and I barely dodged it. Orcs started to chant. It seemed like a war chant or some kind. Orc Chief's sword burned with a red energy. Sword aura, is what I thought. My javelin and his greatsword clashed many times. In every clash I got pushed a little back.

(Duration of skill Wrath ended.)

"Arghh!"

I clenched my teeth due pain returning. At the same time I was thrown back by a strong strike. It seems like without bonus stats from Wrath I couldn't fought him directly. I threw my javelin. He blocked it. I fired missiles. Same result. With every attack he blocked he came closer to me. He swung his sword and I created magic shields around my body. Despite shields a huge gash appeared n my chest. I was on my knees, looking down. From his shadow I could see him raising his sword high. He were getting ready to sever my head. As his sword started to fall black mud started to gush out from my left arm.