......

Oh damn.

I muttered in awe as I witness the demon ape's punch literally sent one of the pale monsters flying. It had attacked the demon ape with a lunge but that proved to be unsuccessful.

The demon ape is currently up against a total of six pale monsters with me being held by my right leg, in its left hand.

No, it is not protecting me out of kindness. It is just merely protecting its food. I doubt the concept of kindness even exist in its heart.

I wasn't struggling. I couldn't even struggle if I wanted to. After being slammed into the ground a few times by the buff monkey here, I could barely feel a connection to my body. My whole body is just numb.

Moving my fingers without the feeling of having fingers proves to be difficult.

A screech pierces into my ears.

Another pale monster had lunge from the side and just like before, it also gets swatted away by the demon ape like a fly.

One of them seized this opening and pounce. Its claws grasping tightly on to the demon ape's right arm. It sink its teeth into the demon ape's arm but reality has not been kind to the pale monster. The demon ape's armor is tougher than its fangs. The demon ape bites down on the back of the pale monster's neck. It shrieked. Sinking its fangs further into its neck, the demon ape then tosses the pale monster into another who came attacking. The two then both went tumbling and crashing into the dense vegetation.

Fucking hell. This gorilla is good.

To think that I was having a hard time against one of those pale monsters. This gorilla handles them like it was just an afternoon stroll. I guess my chances of winning against this monkey is non-existent from the beginning eh.

Maybe making it out from this place is just a convenient lie I told to myself to calm my fragile heart. What a joke.

As I'm pondering on my grim future, a pale monster attacked from the back. It latches itself onto the demon ape's back. The demon ape growls at it like it's only a mere nuisance and execute a reverse headbutt. When the claws loosened from the concussion, the demon ape swing the pale monster to the front, throwing it on the ground.

Before my very eyes, the pale monster's head is completely pulverized by the demon ape who brought its fist down like a hammer.

Blood, bones, organs, and brain matter splattered everywhere. I felt some of it even got on to my face. Although that is the least of my problems, currently.

When the other pale monsters saw how its own brethren is killed just like that, they begin taking caution against the demon ape. They were not rushing in carelessly like few moments ago.

Hmm. They learned. That's terrifyingly impressive. Albeit a little late.

This time, three of the pale monsters leaped at the demon ape together. The demon ape managed to punch at least one away but the other two crashed into it.

I felt that the demon ape almost went tumbling but it held its ground. It peels one off and throws it away like nothing.

By the way, the two were trying to bite the demon's ape head. Yeah, good luck with that. I didn't.

The demon ape grabs the last one still latching on him and slams it into the ground. The demon ape stomp onto the pale monster, pinning it on the ground. As it was doing this, a pale monster came for me. Me, who is still numb with pain, I can only widened my eyes at that.

The demon ape noticed it. It let the pale monster have a bite of its elbow instead. Although my vision was a bit of a blur at that time, I saw blood dripping from the demon ape's elbow.

What? Is this the demon ape's blood or is it from the pale monster's broken teeth?

The demon ape roared in anger and sent its elbow to dislocate the pale monster's jaw. I swear I could have heard a whimper from the pale monster. Of course, the pale monster who had its jaw broken was flailing on the ground.

Then I notice the blood belongs to the ape. The fang had sunk into the gap between its armor plates.

Not forgetting the one under its feet, the demon ape slowly applied its weight on its feet. I squinted my eyes and ears as I could hear the sound of the pale monster's bones cracking and the organs squeezing noise from being compressed.

Finally, the pale monster's torso burst outwards from the compression and I end up with more gory bits on me. I don't even want to know which part these bits and pieces came from.

Fuck, this is disgusting. Front row seats aren't that great after all.

Admiring its handiwork, the demon ape is pounced from its blind spot by two pale monsters. We all went tumbling into a field of flowers.

I saw some strange looking flowers. It has no petals but only something like a bud. When it was destroy by us tumbling into it, the bud bursts and become millions of tiny specks of spores.

Huh? What kind of plant does that?

I have terrible experiences with spores. I don't trust them. I was instantly reminded of a certain alien who seeks out the host through the ear in a spore-like form and then burst out from the host's back.

Damn, I wish I did not have to remember that.

In the ensuing struggle, finally I was release from the demon ape's grasp. I let out a few coughs from the impact and the damn spores in the air. Three pale monsters begin a strategic assault on the demon ape.

Hmm.... Some senses have returned to me. I can move my fingers now.

I took advantage of it and tried to slip away.

I failed to account for the forth one.

It appeared in front of me. I stare at it.

It pounces onto me.

With the little strength that I have left, I struggle to my limits from its fangs. Eventually, my strength gave out. It chomped down on my left fore arm which I use to defend my face, which is the pale monster's original intended target.

Needless to say, I scream. At least I recovered enough energy to not let out a wordless scream.

My scream seems to have reached the demon ape's ears. Before I knew it, the demon ape tossed one of the pale monsters to the one crunching on my arm. I see those two off.

Thanks to the demon ape. I was free but not for long.

In just a few moments, I am once again in the grasp of the demon ape. This time, I can feel its grasp tightened. Understandable but doesn't mean I sympathize with it.

I'm seething with anger at myself and at the demon ape.

I'm not your meal, you stupid overgrown monkey.

The demon ape is pissed, not at me.

It clearly didn't like having anyone else taking a bite of its prey.

It managed to grab one of the pale monster's face and smashed it against the wall. What happened to the pale monster? Its face became flatter than pancakes. I was spare of the gore this time as the demon ape itself was in the way.

Two pale monsters came attacking. One was socked in the abdomen while the other took the opportunity to slash its claw at the demon ape. To my shock, the demon ape is capable of dodging. The claws missed and met the wall behind the demon ape instead. The claws traced the wall, making a disturbing high pitch noise.

What's worse than that noise?

The sparks created from the claws slashing at the wall. The sparks itself weren't the problem. The problem is the presence of the spores. I only found out that the spore are highly combustive when it was ignited by the sparks that flew into it.

My vision was instantly dyed a dazzling, intense, and fierce color of red, yellow, and orange. I honestly thought that was really the end for me. The explosion resulted from the spores and the sparks coming into contact, threw us all away from the epicenter.

I didn't die. The demon ape acted as a shield because it was grabbing me. I was spare from the main shockwave of the explosion because of that.

But that didn't mean I came out unscathed. I still suffered some damage from the spontaneous combustion. My whole body is practically smoking red hot, literally. The fresh wound on my left arm is even slightly cauterized. I glimpse at such wound, it reminds me of roasted dairy products, like a failed melted quiche. I shudder from the sight of it and instantly averts my line of sight from it. Mortifying.

Pain assaults my body.

Due to the lack of air from the combustion, I could only gasp instead of scream.

From the smoke, the demon ape comes out unscathed while the pale monsters are charred. One of them survives but that could change quickly in a moment.

Yeap. Because it is severely weakened from the explosion, the pale monster could only lay there as the demon ape stomp its head. I think it would be needless for me to describe how it went with its head at this point.

With all its enemies dead, the demon ape finally converges its focus onto me.

Shit. I had wish you have forgotten about me.

No matter what. I refuse to be your food. Even if I don't have a noble reason to live, I have no reason to give up myself either. I refuse to submit here. If I were to die here, I want to go down fighting. You want to eat me? You will have to work hard for it.

I summon strength that I don't have and start crawling away from the demon ape. I was dangerously arrogant for some reasons. I'm surprised at myself too.

I remember it looked at me with its head tilted. It's probably wondering why am I still struggling.

Maybe it had not seen a prey struggling so desperately before. It's probably wondering why I won't just accept my fate as its food and be obedient to be eaten.

As if my will to live was an insult, it roared at me and trample the ground like a brat's tantrum.

Huh, funny. You looked just like the pale monster you elbowed. I guess monsters are just as pathetic as each other. I stared intently at the demon ape filled with anger and repugnance.

It roared again and this time, it moves. Only a few steps forward, it halts in its track. I can understand why it did that. Both the demon ape and I looked to the place where I came to this hallway from.

Pale monsters appeared one after another from the passage. By now, the sheer number of it had reach more than a dozen.

Holy shit. That's a lot.

Fuck me. That's a lot.

That's a lot. Shit.

Shit. Shit.

I unconsciously begin to crawl faster. I tried to get up but I was devoid of stamina. I fell again immediately after I got to my feet because of that.

Shit! Fuck me! Don't do this me now, body! Get the fuck up! Get up!

I screamed at myself in my mind for my body to get up.

I looked back and saw the demon ape already engaging in battle with the pale monsters.

Now's my chance. Now or never. I crawled desperately away from the carnage.

Eh?

My hand pressed on something. Something like a paper.

I look at it and sees the reagents that I have compounded, wrapped in paper leaves. I have dropped them when I was sent flying the first time by the demon ape. There are now a few right in front of my eyes and within my reach. Granted, they aren't in a perfect condition. Some are spilled but I don't care. I will still stuff it down my throat. I consumed two people's worth of the healing reagent. The effect is instantaneous. I immediately felt strength surging back to me and my wounds are already recovering.

I tried to get up again but my steps are still unsteady. Ah, I see. It can heal my wounds but not the fatigue. With my trembling feet, I forced myself to stand up. It wasn't an easy task even after consuming the healing reagents. It was only natural given what I've been through.

Just for emergency, I'll keep [Abyssal Edge] ready just in case.

Huh? I failed. The Mana that I gathered in my palms dissipated instantly. When I thought about the reasons for such thing to happen, I came to the conclusion that I might be out of Mana. I took out my status card and look at it.

HP: 100/150

MP: 20/320 (recovering)

Turns out, I was right. I'm out of Mana. Even if it said it's recovering, it won't be enough. I need to recover my Mana right away. Thankfully, the blue reagent was in sight. Although half of the content was already spilled, I didn't mind. Why would I? I need to recover my Mana as fast as possible. I poured the leftover straight down my throat.

Woah. I felt a kick when my Mana replenished in an instant. That didn't happen when I was taste-testing with the reagents earlier. Maybe the kick only happened when you recover from a near depleted state?

HP: 100/150

MP: 150/320

Not full but good enough. I think I can use [Abyssal Edge] with this much.

Hm....I never did quite figure the consumption of Mana for my abilities.

Oh? Some of the pale monsters ignored the demon ape. Coming at me. Maybe now's not the time to think about such things.

I wanted to run but the exit was blocked. From a certain point of view, I'm caved in. I can only fight but even that might be an exercise in futility and I also know I can't fight forever. I don't think I have a tremendous amount of stamina. I need to figure out a way to destroy the blockade.

Use your head, Hyx.

Then I discovered a part of me I never know of.

Due to the ferocity of the demon ape I have the "pleasure" of experiencing it first hand, the pale monsters' movement seemed much slower to me. They aren't actually slower than the demon ape by any means. In fact, they are actually faster and more agile than the demon ape.

Yet, I'm having an easier time than I had before.

The pale monsters didn't have the ferocity of the demon ape. I don''t feel pressured by them. Is it because they lack commitment?

Hm? What the hell am I saying?

Anyways, it was because of such reasons, I'm not as tense as I was when fighting the demon ape. Which makes the pale monster's attacks pale in comparison with the demon ape.

Heh, pale.

After witnessing their ways of attacks for a good amount of times, I figured out the best way to handle them. First, I cut off their means of attacks -- I sliced their arms off. Simply impaling their head won't do. Either pierced straight to its heart or beheading it, those ways work. Of course, completely pulverizing them is also an option but I do not possess such monstrous strength like the demon ape.

Before I knew it, I find myself quite adept at killing these pale monsters.

But why?

Why do I feel next to nothing from killing?

Is it because they're just mindless animals?

Was I always this good at wielding a blade? Am I always this observant?

I'll admit. I was kinda having fun while doing so.

Perhaps too much.

I have overlooked one important fact for a human.

Because of that, I missed its arm and my shoulder took the toll. I groaned loudly through my teeth. The reason for that blunder was because I forgot one important thing about living beings.

I haven't ate in a long time. My hunger had finally begin to show its effect from being left alone.

Nevertheless, I quickly regain my bearings and proceed to kill off the pale monster who seemed smug from wounding me.

Well not so funny now, is it.

I pressed on while enduring the fatigue and hunger. It was not an easy task. I made another blunder and this time, the claws gouged a little bit of flesh out from my waist. Of course, I immediately decapitate the pale monster. With more suffering factors to cope with, I fell down to one knee.

Come on. Get up. You can do this. You can do this. Pain is only temporary. Just treat this as all in a hard day's work.

When I recite those words in my mind, I decapitated two pale monsters at once. I whistled at my feat. It's frightening that I find myself gotten adapt to killing in a short span of time. Am I such a person?

While I'm having a mild existential crisis, one pale monster got smart.

It purposely let the blade pierced through its palm. It even plunges its hand deeper into the blade so it can caught my hand.

Fuck. This one's smart. With its free arm, it brings its claw at me.

Damn it!

[Abyss Magic: Lv. 1 increased to Lv. 2]

Purely acting on instinct as soon as the message popped in to my head, I conjured up another [Abyssal Edge] in my other hand. I don't think I can use two at once if it didn't level up.

Even the pale monster seemed surprised at the extra blade.

Before it could retreat, I grabbed onto its claws instead this time. I slashed up, severing its other arm from its shoulder. I then proceed to plunge the blade into its heart. Instead of pulling it out, I brought the blade downwards, cutting open its torso. The contents spilled out.

Glad I haven't eaten anything since forever. I can't believe I found an advantage for having an empty stomach.

[Abyss Magic: Energy Sphere - acquired]

Oh? That's nice.

As I was admiring and intrigue by the new ability, a pale monster lunged at me. Like always, I sliced its arms off and plunged my blade into its heart.

Another pale monster must have gotten inspired or something, it took advantage of my sight being obstructed by its dead kin. It impaled through its kin's body and the claws went straight at me.

It grazed my uninjured shoulder. Not uninjured anymore.

Fool. You should think twice about this.

I belittled the pale monster who hurt me as I sliced of its arm which it can't retract after plunging through the carcass. It screeches at the pain. I'm sure it is also screeching at its own idiocy.

Thanks to [Mana Overseer] which also seems to allow me to have a better understanding and control of Mana, I'm able to instantly use the newly acquired ability. An orb of purplish black energy formed in my palm. I thrust out that palm.

Eat this. I said those cliche words.

The sphere turns into something like a laser blast when it left my palm, blasting through the carcass and also through the smart-ass pale monster.

How you like that, asshole?

There was now a hole on its body. Awesome.

Eh?

Okay, I've done it now. This time, I really hit my limit. I fell onto one knee again. Of course, I made sure there was no pale monsters attacking before I allow myself the golden opportunity for a breather.

Good. At least now I have a means to destroy the obstructions.

I looked around for more reagents to ingest. I found one Mana reagent and that's it. All the others were spilled wastefully on the ground. Well, can't be help.

Thanking the arbitrary fortune, I consume that reagent and let it do the work. Again, I felt the kick.

HP: 30/150

MP: 180/320

Yikes, my health ain't looking good but nothing can be done. I'll just have to leave it up to fate.

Now, to destroy the boulders obstructing me.

Just when I prepared to destroy the obstructions, my instincts went off like an alarm. I evaded it just in time as a pale monster came flying through. The pale monster didn't attack me. Rather, it was thrown at me. It smashes against the heaps of boulders and rocks and cleared some away.

When I look back, I found the demon ape, staring at me. It ain't looking happy. Although, it did help me with some of the problem.

I ignore its death gaze and focus on the problem in front since it still looks busy with the overflowing pale monsters.

Mana energy in the color of purplish black gather in my palm. As I was about to blast the boulders away, I heard a roar that hurts my ear. I looked back again. The demon ape was in the air, falling towards me.

Oh fuck!

I dove to the side as it crash through the heaps of boulders and rocks, completely clearing the way. I'm glad it worked out but the shockwave from the harsh landing pushed me a few distance away.

It got back up quickly. It cleared away the smoke and dust as it looks for me. I was just right besides it but it did not notice me. It can't seem to see me. It scanned its surrounding and although I'm right in front of him, it didn't perceive me. That is only as expected.

Yes, I have used [Presence Detachment]. It really does rid the sight of me from the others.

Slowly, I slipped away from the demon ape as it got overrun by the pale monsters which it had went through some length to escape from.

It screamed and roar at its own slip up as I let it to its own demise.

I didn't look back. I just kept running further into the newly opened passage.

Once in a while, I would pass through some open space or simply some spacious area but I didn't stop. Those places weren't safe. As if I have tread deeper into hell, I kept encountering monsters of all sorts.

With [Presence Detachment] up, I was able to slip past them unnoticed. Though some of the monsters' appearance are nightmare-inducing. I shall try my damnedest to forget the memory of such appearances.

Eventually my [Presence Detachment] worn off and I came to another open space with some elevated grounds and ramps. Spikes made of earth protruded few meters into the air. This place didn't have any glowing cyan vines but it isn't completely dark. In the corner of this space, there is a luminous light glowing in the distance.

It's a field of flowers.

They weren't glowing though.

What the hell? They're burning.

No, the fields aren't on fire. The flowers are. Just the flowers. The red flowers were burning like a torch. It doesn't seemed to be burning out anytime soon. Such magnificent and mysterious flower. I named those flowers Crimson Flowers in my mind when I laid my eyes upon them. I squatted down and tried to pluck one.

Hmm.... The flower still burns albeit being plucked. The stem is hot but not to the degree that it'll burn one's hand. I ended up plucking two. I can use this as a light source to navigate through this place.

Captivated by such flowers, I had let myself open to an ambush. Letting down one's guard in such a place for even a mere second is fatal. I learned this the hard way.

From the ceiling, a monster with quite a lot of limbs dropped down. Each limbs resembled a sickle's blade. My instincts which have been quite sensitive lately alerted this to me, it was far too late however.

The sickle-like claw slashed at my back. I almost fell into the burning flowers.

I was quick enough on my feet to avoid falling into the fire. I managed to stand on my feet from the ambush.

I turned back and saw a half humanoid, half scorpion. It resembles a centaur in the aspect of its upper half is humanoid and the lower half is scorpion. Totaling to ten limbs. Eight legs and two arms and all of them are in the form of a sickle blade. Or would a scythe be more appropriate?

What. the. fuckshit. is that?

It attacked with one of its arm but I put up [Plane Displacement] just in time to block it. Its next attack however, broke the barrier and I barely evaded that sickle blade-like claw.

My eyes caught a narrow passage in a distance. Without any more thinking, I ran straight for that. I judged that the passage might be too narrow for the centaur-scorpion.

With the Crimson Flowers still in hand, I leaped into passage as one of its claw almost took my head. I executed a roll into the passage. It's smooth if I do say so myself.

Okay. There might be a slight error in my judgement.

The abomination was forcing itself into the narrow passage. It was breaking off chunks of rocks to make way for its large body size. Even the ceiling was shaking and some fragments broke off and hit its head. Not that it give it any mind.

Why are all monsters so stuck up on preying on me?

In just a minute, it broke through.

I was cornered.

The passage which turns out to something akin to small cave, is a dead end.

It took its time approaching me like the pale monster back in the prison cell. Why do they do that?

Unbeknownst to the abomination, this passage has the weird flower that burst into spores upon being crushed. It stepped over some but it took no notice of it.

I did though. I'm sure my eyes even sparkled at little. Not that I would know.

Just a few seconds ago, I was trembling uncontrollably but my expression shifted to ones of a smirk and triumphant grin.

The sudden change in my expression even stunned the monster in its track. It looked at me, puzzled.

"Burn in hell, I guess?" I said to it, monotonously.

I threw the two crimson flowers at the centaur-scorpion. The sparks created from the burning flower flew into the spores that had spread into the air. The spores have yet to reach me but it already engulfed the monster. So when the spores were ignited, the monster was drowned in a sea of flames.

In just a time of not even an hour, I have witnessed two explosive moments. Needless to say, this time wasn't so different than the last but at least, I put up [Plane Displacement] with the remaining amount of Mana I have.

I was also thrown away by the force and I hit the wall. I fell to the ground like a doll cut of its strings. My conscious left me after that.

Ah~ Just let me be for now.