Battle Against the Boss of the First Floor (28)

[You have just acquired a new skill - the Dark Threads of the Abyss. Would you like to commence training?

Yes or No.]

[How long will the training last?] I asked.

[No more than 2 seconds, all knowledge will be integrated into your memory through Knowledge channels.]

I selected [Start training].

A firework of incomprehensible symbols exploded in my mind. Circles of signs and spells appeared, accompanied by a familiar feeling. The sensation quickly faded as a sharp tail blow hit me, sending me flying.

I collided with the side of a hybrid horse and felt my fangs fly out of my mouth.

Dazed, I looked up to see the creature's face, and to my surprise, it spoke to me:

"Are you able to stand up? Please don't give up."

I clung to its brown hooves and managed to get up, muttering words of gratitude. Just as I stood up, the crescent-shaped tail came rushing towards me. I closed my eyes and whispered the words of the spell I had just learned:

"Et fores aperiam in abyssum irent, ego vadam qui in tenebris."

(When the doors to the abyss open, I will go to those who are in darkness.)

There was a loud crash. When I opened my eyes, all the creatures were already immobilized by Dark Threads. Wasn't it these threads that had supported the eggs in the cave where I was born?

I couldn't believe I had just learned a skill that was part of my heritage.

As I hooked onto one thread, I heard the painful howls of a wounded creature with golden skin. It was a chimera, a hybrid creature made of a lion, goat, and serpent. I hesitated for a moment, feeling a pang of guilt, but I reminded myself that I needed to survive in this cruel world.

After cutting the thread, I let go of the chimera and it, pressed against the corner, whined.

I then let go of the hybrid horse, no longer interested in tormenting it. Approaching the crescent-shaped tail, I couldn't help but smile mischievously.

As I pulled the thread, the iron tail severed and the limb fell to the floor with a wet sound, causing the creature to howl in agony.

I learned that with more use, skills become stronger and rise through levels.

[System, take the tail to the inventory, I have an idea.] I said.

[As you wish.] the System replied.

I noticed that no one had noticed how some parts of the creatures disappeared from the purple lake. I was slowly killing the creature, biting into the painful screams. Unfortunately, soon, it died from copious blood loss and dried up like a mummy.

Blurry images floated through my head, making it difficult to concentrate. This was the second time this had happened.

I tortured everyone who, in my opinion, deserved punishment, but I didn't finish them off. When it came to the fat man, he was already covered in sweat and drowned in slimy folds of skin. Mountains of arms, legs, dead creatures, and many wounded were lying on the floor.

"Do you know why you're the last one?" I asked him.

He shook his head, bending his limbs with pleading movements, but they hung on Dark Threads and did not get free in any way.

"Don't torture me, just kill me. But if you want more Spiritual Stones, then you'll have to let me live," he said, flashing a trick.

I swung my claws and ripped open the fat man's belly. Another scream rang out in the walls of the cell.

"Do you not understand the language of the critters, or is my question too complicated?" I asked, surprised that he had not answered my question. The creature regenerated, the torn guts were overgrown with new cells. "And you recover quickly. The torture will be long."

"NOOOOOO," he screamed.

After a few hours of torture, I was exhausted. The skill was slowly eating away at my endurance.

The skill of the Dark Threads of the Abyss had risen several levels and did not want to rise any more.

I grew tired of toying with my prey and responded to the creature's plea with a simple statement, "You're the last one because I wanted you to be." I deftly sliced off its head with a swift movement of my fingers, and it landed on the pile of intestines with a thud. Turning away from the scene, I noticed that the other creatures were looking at me with fear and apprehension.

I quickly reassured them, "Don't be afraid, I'm not crazy. I just don't like being hurt." I gathered a handful of Spiritual Stones, counting the spoils of my victory. "I lost one battle, but won two with the death of my opponents. I received four Spiritual Stones from the Arena and dozens more after coming to the Survival Crossroads." I kicked the dead carcasses for emphasis, then collected 56 more Spiritual Stones and sat down in a free corner, ignoring the other creatures around me.

We would be teleported to the First Floor in a day and a half, and then we would face the boss. I had no time for further disassembly. Suddenly, the hybrid creature's voice was heard, "Everyone will speak the truth and nothing but the truth, for your own good."

I transferred half of the Spiritual Stones to the pocket dimension to ensure that the infant Nebula also received the benefits and increased in level. I absorbed the rest through my veins, feeling the mana course through my body and penetrate deep into my bones.

Someone sat next to me, watching as I finished the first stone and placed the empty, faded stone on the ground. I looked up and saw another handful of shimmering blue stones.

It seemed like it had something to say.

The hybrid horse was sitting nearby, looking at me with a grateful expression.

"You helped us, therefore, we return gratitude with material goods," he said.

"I appreciate the gesture, but it's not necessary. I did what I had to do," I replied.

"Nevertheless, we insist. Consider it a token of our appreciation," he said, his brown muzzle revealing sharp fangs.

I nodded, realizing that it would be rude to refuse their kindness. I took the stones and thanked them before going back to cultivating my strength.

As I extracted mana from 30 Spiritual Stones, I felt my body becoming stronger and my skills improving. After checking my characteristics, I exhaled a dense fog and smiled. I was ready for the fight against the Boss of the First Floor.

[Name: Participant 137.

Race: Humanoid.

Grade: 4.

Strength: 115.

Dexterity: 230.

Endurance: 90.

Magic Resistance: 60.

Luck: 2.

Experience points: 180.

Mana Perception: 17.

Intelligence: 12.

Mental Strength: 17.

Regeneration: 80.

Skills:

Melee (initial-green), Exoskeleton Cultivation (initial-green), Iron Stomach (initial-yellow), Bone Arrows (initial-red). Dark Threads of the Abyss (initial-red).]

----

* Level of proficiency in skills:

The initial-yellow. The initial-green. The initial-red. (Each level jump is equal to 5 spiritual stones)

The middle-yellow. Medium-green. The middle one is red (Each level jump is equal to 200 spiritual stones)

Full-yellow. Full-green. Full-red. (Each level jump is equal to 500 spiritual stones)

----

When I opened my eyes, I saw that many creatures had already been healed and had begun to look more powerful. They sat with searching glances, bidding farewell to the remnants of their free time.

A beam of light appeared and surrounded one creature. After a flash, the place was empty, except for rotting body parts. Creatures began to disappear from the chamber one by one, and I knew it was time to face the Boss.

The hybrid Horse was absorbing mana next to me. It opened its mouth and warned:

"Do not use your skill with threads. The Boss of the Second Floor can replicate your skill and use it against you. Try to use basic strikes instead."

As I was about to ask about the source of the horse's knowledge, it disappeared.

[System, why are the critters teleporting so fast or are there multiple Bosses that can fight at the same time?]

[No, that's not possible. It's likely that the Boss are weak and can be quickly defeated, or...]

As the system continued to speculate, I suddenly found myself on the First-Floor Battlefield.

In front of me stood a duplicate of myself.

It was a tall humanoid with red eyes, a pale body, and a menacingly sharp tail that ended in gleaming bones.

As I moved, it mirrored my every action, making it difficult to gain any kind of advantage.

I recalled the advice of the hybrid horse and tried to stick to basic strikes.

"Support your favorite fighter and place your bets now!' shouted the announcer, whipping the audience into a frenzy.

With a heavy sigh, I reluctantly shifted my attention back to the Boss.

I unclenched my fingers, preparing to strike, but before I could even make a move, the Boss hit me with the same attack even faster.

As he turned his head to survey the audience, I took the opportunity to catch my breath.

[Participant 137 is attacked by an enemy, the damage is 10 points out of 170.]

My frustration grew as I realized that the Boss was able to read my thoughts.

That damn Boss!

I glared at my opponent and cursed him under my breath.

How am I supposed to fight now? Just randomly guessing?

I tried to distract myself by thinking of something positive, like the memory of a beautiful nymph swimming in an icy lake. I gathered my strength and sent a barrage of needle-bones from my tail, but they were easily blocked by the Boss.

I continued to circle the field, trying to find an opening in the Boss's defenses.

He taunted me with a grin, as if daring me to come closer. I bristled at his arrogance.

I pushed off with my feet, launching into another attack. I fought with the Boss for 5 minutes and quickly realized that I was outmatched.

He was faster and stronger than me in every way.

He had dealt me several blows, and my health had dwindled to only 129 points out of 170.

"The White Crow doesn't know what to do next? The answer is right in front of him."

I heard the noise of conversations in the audience and tried to listen for any helpful tips, but the Boss interrupted with a barrage of needles.

"You're not the boss, you're just a pathetic imitation of me," I spat, unleashing another barrage of bone needles and finally unclenching my fingers.

"I don't care," the Boss replied in my own voice. "Because you're going to lose."

We both dodged and weaved to avoid each other's attacks, and eventually we both fell to our knees, exhausted from the fight.