Chapter 70
2nd Floor: Playing with Fire.
3rd Floor: The Door of Saros.
4th Floor: A Hundred Ambushes.
5th Floor: Natural Traps.
6th Floor: The Land of Knights.
And about a month later…
They had finally reached the sixth floor.
Kraush and the three others moved forward, having established the shortest paths through all the previous layers.
After quite a bit of battling and spending a considerable amount of time in the Demon Bastion, Kraush and the trio were all looking quite tattered in their attire.
But it was just a surface issue.
Kraush and Lakradiyon were at the forefront, weapons in hand, facing an onslaught of massive ant swarms.
“Is it just me, or are those two monsters? Their stamina just doesn’t run out,” Derrick remarked in a bewildered tone.
That’s understandable, considering the two had fought almost continuously, hardly stopping for a breather since reaching the sixth floor.
What exactly was chasing them that they were so obsessed with fighting?
They seemed to treat even a moment’s rest as a waste.
“It’s quite impressive, isn’t it? I haven’t seen Lak so motivated in ages,” Derrick commented, nodding in agreement.
He wasn’t wrong. In the past, Lakradiyon had wielded her sword daily, but her enthusiasm had waned.
Though she typically didn’t express her feelings, Derrick could tell she had been stuck in a rut.
But things were different now.
Having pushed through to the sixth floor alongside Kraush, she was gradually regaining her former vigor.
And among the moments that bolstered her spirit most were the sparring sessions she had with Kraush during breaks.
“Lakradiyon, let’s have a spar!”
When he first suggested that, Derrick and Penichelri thought he must have gone mad.
They were in the midst of tackling the Demon Bastion, and sparring during their break sounded utterly absurd.
Yet, for some reason, Lakradiyon accepted the challenge.
Both of them were taken aback, but with Lak wanting to do it, they couldn’t exactly protest.
Ultimately, they silently watched the two.
“Don’t exert too much energy; shall we use our swords without aura?”
“Sure, let’s do that.”
Fortunately, both had the sense not to use their aura.
And when the battle commenced, the result was a complete defeat for Kraush.
Honestly, it was disappointing to see such an outcome.
After all, Derrick and Penichelri had heard he had absolutely crushed Pendal.
They expected him to at least match up, but to lose so easily was unexpected.
As the two stared at him in confusion, Lakradiyon’s eyes widened in shock.
Kraush’s sword was, to be blunt, quite ordinary.
To put it accurately, it was closer to that of an amateur.
His prior success against Pendal was due to a plethora of variables, magic techniques, and situational predictions mixed in.
The truth was, Kraush had not honed his skills with the sword to a high level.
Lakradiyon realized something.
He had fought tooth and nail to get here, with barely any talent, while she herself had a different caliber of skill.
The next day, and the day after that, Kraush continued to challenge her to spar.
Lakradiyon accepted each time.
The results? Well, they were the same: Kraush ended up on the floor each time, defeated.
However, Lakradiyon gradually felt something change.
As if copying her movements, Kraush began to internalize her fundamentals.
‘Lakradiyon is renowned for her foundational skills.’
Though her sword was sometimes too straightforward and could be countered, she had diligently trained that honesty and had reached the entry level of mastery.
Kraush had seen many geniuses.
Each one was extraordinary and brilliant.
But their growth was based on their talents.
This was starkly different from the basics laid before him at the threshold of mastery.
Kraush was no genius.
Therefore, ironically, the one best suited to provide foundational knowledge was Lakradiyon.
No matter how much a genius tried to study it, they would inherently lag behind due to their differences.
That’s why Kraush decided to emulate her swordsmanship.
Fully aware of his shortcomings in the basics, he was determined to grow by borrowing Lakradiyon’s fundamentals.
That relentless will could be felt during their sparring sessions, prompting a smile to play on Lakradiyon’s lips.
He was ambitious.
And, in a way, devoid of pride.
Learning through imitation was a shameful act for a swordsman.
Especially for someone of Balheim’s direct line, the strongest.
Despite the countless individuals who were far greater than him, he wanted to copy her basics.
Just how ridiculous was that?
Yet the intensity of his determination was genuine.
A fierce aspiration to obtain everything.
She recognized how fierce that resolve was.
And by observing it, Lakradiyon had a revelation.
It was clear now how he could have easily beaten Pendal, even at his lower stage, and how he could grow even stronger in the future.
‘To think I’d realize how meaningless pride is like this.’
And having gazed into his eyes, she too let go of her pride.
If Kraush insisted on learning from her, then she would also learn from his irregularities.
Even though she was mainly imparting her fundamentals during their sparring sessions, in the conquest of the Demon Bastion, Lakradiyon began to learn from Kraush instead.
Kraush was utterly erratic.
He had learned a myriad of different skills, each one stored for use in battle based on the circumstances.
That was impressive enough to leave Derrick and Penichelri in awe.
With him leaping off walls and swinging black flames, he exhibited overwhelming power.
Hence, Lakradiyon found herself adjusting and no longer pursuing only that straightforwardness in her swordsmanship.
Strength could manifest in various forms.
Sometimes, a straight path might not be the answer.
It was a lesson she was just beginning to grasp.
And that realization was also a step for her to break through her barriers.
Thus, it was only natural that Lakradiyon felt happiness.
She had only taken a single step up a once-seemingly insurmountable wall, but the thrill was beyond measure.
For a swordsman, there was nothing more valuable than that single moment of realization.
“Kraush-nim, can I ask you something?”
Once they entered the threshold of the sixth floor, Lakradiyon turned to Kraush with a question.
“What’s your reason for pursuing strength so relentlessly?”
If she shared that same goal, could she advance even further?
Thus, when she asked, Kraush glanced at her and replied.
“To try and stop the destruction of the world, at least once.”
Lakradiyon blinked in astonishment.
It was such an absurd statement, yet she sensed his sincerity beneath it.
Destruction of the world, huh?
She wondered why a perfectly fine world would face destruction, but…
Perhaps it was that kind of grand dream that could drive someone to become this strong.
Sometimes, a great imagination in youth could serve as a significant goal for progress.
She thought that without realizing the entirety of his sentiment was genuine.
Regardless, thanks to that exchange, Kraush and Lakradiyon descended through the Demon Bastion without much rest.
Before long, they arrived at the sixth floor—the Guardian’s Chamber.
The plaza, where various statues merged seamlessly with the walls, stood there.
In the center, a guardian statue awaited them, mounted on a large horse, armed with a massive shield and halberd that guarded the sixth floor.
Grreeeeek—
Upon their arrival, the horse statue stirred as if it were alive.
If they could just get past this creature, they would be on to the seventh floor.
Kraush and the others were only one floor away from confronting Nakcheon.
“Kraush.”
As Kraush called out gently, Crimson Garden slowly flapped its wings, ascending above the plaza.
Observing this, Kraush surveyed his surroundings.
They had discovered traces that indicated someone had passed through before them.
And those traces belonged to none other than Pendal Road.
As Pendal had declared, Pendal Road was challenging the Demon Bastion ahead of Kraush.
It seemed the claim of knowing shortcuts wasn’t a lie, as he was charging through the Bastion with extraordinary speed.
After all, it was Pendal Road, someone who frequently passed through up until the eighth floor.
For them, it must have been like eating a piece of cake.
‘Did I overestimate his honesty about the traps?’
Pendal wasn’t the type to play fair, so he surely had some tricks up his sleeve, or so Kraush thought.
Surprisingly, however, he hadn’t deployed any traps on the path they had taken.
Could it be that he genuinely intended to face Nakcheon head-on?
‘If that’s the case, he should have achieved something in the Demon Bastion long ago.’
Unfortunately, Kraush didn’t think highly of Pendal.
“Kraush-nim.”
Just then, he heard Lakradiyon calling his name, prompting him to turn.
She appeared to be ever-prepared for battle, regaining her brilliance with each passing moment.
As if this was the path she had always meant to tread.
Her light shone bright like a beacon.
“Alright, we’re off to the seventh floor now.”
Kraush stated, drawing up Melhwa Eclipse slowly.
As he did, a warm surge coursed through him, rapidly enhancing his physical capabilities.
Clang!
In that moment, the guardian and its horse statue lunged into action.
The ground shook beneath their feet, as the horse was several times larger than any human.
Kraush and Lakradiyon kicked off the ground, launching themselves upward.
For the past month, they had synchronized their movements descending through the sixth floor.
The two arrived at the front of the galloping statue before the horse’s rider could strike.
The startled guardian attempted to lash out at them with its shield and halberd, but they dodged as fluidly as water.
Swish, Whoosh!*
The sounds of slashes and roaring flames resonated as Kraush’s sword, wreathed in black flame, and Lakradiyon’s sword, encased in an aura blade, cleaved through the guardian horse’s front leg.
Crash!
With the sudden loss of its front leg, the horse statue toppled forward, sending the guardian crashing down as well.
However, unlike an ordinary human, the guardian wouldn’t die from a fall.
It only shook off some stone debris and stood back up immediately, swinging its halberd toward them.
The stone halberd was indeed intimidating.
It possessed the power befitting a weapon’s fortress, yet they were two against one: Kraush and Lakradiyon.
Their swords crossed perfectly, with both of them simultaneously blocking the halberd.
Boom!
The statue’s strength surpassed that of a normal person, causing the ground beneath Kraush and Lakradiyon to crack and tremble beneath the pressure.
However, neither of them stepped back; rather, they called upon their aura.
Whoosh!
The moment their swords shot upward into the air, the statue could no longer withstand their strength, and the halberd was flung aside with a whoosh.
In that small opening, the guardian hastily raised its shield in defense, but Lakradiyon was already darting through the gap.
Her honest blade met the shield head-on.
“Kraush-nim!”
At her call, Kraush swiftly moved, propelled by heat as he advanced into the guardian’s interior.
With the halberd lifted high and Lakradiyon blocking the shield, there was no one left to protect its hollow core.
With all his might, Kraush drove his sword towards the power source maintaining the guardian.
Crackcrackcrack!
As the stone statue split apart, the guardian was severed from its power source entirely.
The guardian fell apart, deprived of its strength, and both Lakradiyon and Kraush quickly distanced themselves from it.
All in all, it could be said their teamwork was of the highest caliber.
“Once again, I feel like I’m not really needed aside from guidance,” Derrick chuckled, slapping his belly in laughter.
Originally, Lakradiyon could have easily conquered the sixth floor alone.
With Kraush added to the mix, there was no need for him to step in at all.
“I don’t have much to do either,” Penichelri added, having used some holy magic to patch up any slight injuries.
But they both understood one thing.
They wouldn’t have such an easy fight against Nakcheon, whom they’d face shortly.
[Oh my.]
As Kraush powered down Melhwa Eclipse with a gentle flick, Crimson Garden landed on his shoulder.
In that instant, Kraush noticed her gaze fixated on something.
It was none other than the door to the seventh floor, now ajar after the guardian’s fall.
“Kraush?”
Kraush responded in curiosity, raising an eyebrow as Crimson Garden’s displeasure became apparent.
[There’s a strong hint of a trap here.]
At that, Kraush turned his gaze toward the entrance, moving toward the seventh floor without hesitation.
Naturally, he felt nothing amiss.
Only that with how long Crimson Garden had existed, she would definitely feel it.
A sinister smile crept onto Kraush’s face.
He knew precisely who had set that trap.
‘So it begins.’
It was Pendal’s doing.
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