Crasshhhh
A loud crash echoed throughout the labyrinth as a large monster was blasted towards the walls of the labyrinth. It was a Minotaur General who was currently being subjected to Polaris' breath attack.
Relentlessly, Polaris' beam pinned the Minotaur General motionless on the walls, making it scream in anger and pain as it watched itself being burnt to cinders by the second. There was nothing it could do as Polaris was simply too powerful for it.
"Amazing..." ［Yuna］
Soon after, with its flames of life ceasing to stay alight, the body of the Minotaur General vanished intoー or so, that's what normally would have happened. But rather than dissipating, the corrupted mana from the Minotaur was sucked in into Polaris' mouth as if he was feeding on it.
"Was my performance to your satisfaction, Master, Mistress?" ［Polaris］
"A-Ah, yeah..." ［Grey］
"You're amazing, Polaris! You defeated it in an instant!" ［Yuna］
"I'm not deserving of such kind words..." ［Polaris］
While Grey was still left in shock with Polaris' power, Yuna on the other hand, found nothing peculiar about it and started complimenting Polaris, making the latter happy for her appreciation.
Currently, along with the other familiars, Polaris has shrunk himself to a size comparable to the size of a large horse so that he could easily traverse the labyrinth, but even when he looked smaller, he still emanated a domineering aura.
"Master, Mistress, I also want to fight." ［Sirius］
"I feel the same. I also want to showcase my strength!" ［Canopus］
Of course, Polaris' wasn't the only one who wanted to be of use to Grey and Yuna. To Sirius and Canopus' words, Kentaurus and Arcturus also nodded their heads to show their agreement.
While they may not be as strong as Polaris, it is embedded in a familiar's heart to be useful to their masters. Even if they had to risk their lives, they would still do their best to make sure they can be of use.
"Alright, then apart from Polaris, everyone will fight alongside Yuna. Make sure to stay vigilant as the monsters here are all S-rank." ［Grey］
"As you wish." ""Understood."" ""Yes!""
The familiars' voices echoed in unison as they heeded Grey's orders. Especially when the three of them were still at B-rank. It would only take a single mistake for them to receive a fatal wound.
With vigilance on the high, the party continued their way inside the labyrinth, and after half an hour of traveling, Grey has finally detected not just one but three S-rank monsters. They were in a black zone just right next to a blue zone.
"There are three monsters a few hundred meters away. Me and Polaris will take one each, while Yuna and the others will take on the remaining one. Is that alright with everyone?" ［Grey］
"Un, leave it to us." ［Yuna］
"You can rest assured, Master." ［Polaris］
"Alright, then... ⟨⟨Illuminate⟩⟩!" ［Grey］
As soon as Grey chanted those words, an orb of light shone brightly inside the labyrinth, clearing away the darkness looming over the black zone, and revealing the monsters sheltered behind the curtain of darkness.
The monsters were a Four-Armed Cyclops, a Demetreid Treant, and a Golem King. All of which have focused their attention on the party. waiting to attack as soon as they set foot in the black zone.
"Are you guys ready?" ［Grey］
"Ready when you are." ［Yuna］
"Alright, then... start!" ［Grey］
With Grey's signal, everyone burst forth towards the enemies, and in response, the enemies also did the same with their large bodies barely fitting in the labyrinth's hallways.
As soon as Yuna entered the blackzone, she instantly used Nihility on herself and the other familiars. Sirius also used Illusion magic, creating splitting images of themselves rushing towards the Four-Armed Cyclops.
It didn't just end there. Canopus used curse magic to weaken the enemy, while Kentarus and Arcturus boosted their allies' defense and strength, turning the tides to their favor.
Urraaaakkkk
The Four-Armed Cyclops immediately swung its earthen clubs towards Yuna and company as soon as they were within its range, turning their bodies into paste with the sheer amount of brute force contained in its attack.
Unfortunately for it, the ones it attacked were the illusion created by Sirius. There was none to be seen when the cloud of dust cleared up as none of them were ever there to begin with.
⟨⟨Dice!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
A stream of slashes came raining down upon its back as Yuna brandished her daggers relentlessly, causing the Four-Armed Cyclops to feel extreme agony as it screamed on the top of its lungs.
With each wound the daggers opened up, the next wounds became bigger and bigger as more and more power accumulated inside Yuna's delicate-looking figure.
The Cyclops tried to swing whatever was attacking its back, but before it could even turn around, invisible fangs bit its neck, making it stop its movement and allowing Yuna to escape.
While the bite of a B-rank beast could not do much against an S-rank monster, the one who bit was Canopus. Along with his seemingly harmless bite was a corroding curse which slowly eats the body from the inside.
Just as it was to strike down what invisible figure was biting its neck, two more invisible fangs came lunging towards its legs, allowing Canopus to escape. It was the same pattern they had utilized to let Yuna get away safely.
Guraaaakkk
As it shouted in annoyance, the figure of a platinum dragon appeared on one of its left arms. Without missing a beat, the Four-Armed Cyclops struck it down without hesitation.
Uraaakkkkkk
But rather than the dragon, the scream which echoed throughout the labyrinth was its own. There wasn't a dragon there. There was only an illusion that Sirius had made to appear. Because of it, the monster ended up striking its own arm.
⟨⟨Swift Guillotine!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
Its agony didn't end there either. With the power she accumulated from all the wounds she created, Yuna hacked away one of the Four-Armed Cyclops' arms, making it scream even louder than before.
Once again, before it even had the chance, Yuna had gotten away and all that was left was its own blood gushing like a fountain and showering towards the labyrinth's cold, hard ground.
Like a fool, the Four-Armed Cyclops danced around the palms of Yuna and company as its life was slowly being eaten away by Canopus' curse. The more time passed, the more wounds and injuries it suffered from the hands of Yuna and the familiars.
Even when it was their first time fighting with one another, they didn't need to be instructed on what has to be done. The hearts of the master and the familiar are bound by a supernatural force which allows them to understand one another. There were no words needed to be said.
As Yuna's target danced around covered in wounds, Polaris was also faring easily against the Demetreid Treant. He had returned to his original size and was battling things out with raw physical strength.
Polaris' powerful jaws crushed the tree monster's limbs one after another. He was like a large dog tearing apart the couch. The only difference was that the dog and the couch were even more terrifying than the likes of Orc Kings and Ogre Warlords.
The Demetreid Treant tried to whip Polaris as it lashed out its vines towards him, but they were easily deflected with the use of Polaris' large pairs of wings which acted like impenetrable shields towards the enemies' attacks.
There was also no regeneration to be seen as with the use of Law magic, Polaris stopped the time on the Demetreid Treants' regeneration, rendering its insane regenerative useless. It was a bad match for the monster.
"Begone!" ［Polaris］
With a similar breath attack it had used earlier, Polaris blasted the limbless Demetreid Treant towards the wall. If treants had vocal cords, it would have already screamed in pain as it burnt into charcoal.
Grey, on the other hand, was fighting against the Golem King whose body was made up of materials which could even withstand a nuclear bomb. It was a monster which specialized in defense and raw strength.
Rummblleee
The ground shook every time the Golem King's large fist hit the ground and walls, but no matter how it tried, it has yet to succeed in hitting Grey. With its slow speed, it was only a pipe dream.
⟨⟨Twin Spiral!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
Another one of Grey's attacks hit the flank of the Golem King, shaving away a portion of its body. There was no resistance whatsoever. There was just too much gap in power even when they were both at S-rank.
Seeing the Golem's pitiful state, Grey landed on the ground and closed his eyes. When he opened them a few seconds later, strong bursts of wind started to be drawn towards him like an unstoppable vortex.
⟨⟨Northern Wind: Boreas!⟩⟩ ［Grey］
Countless spears formed in the air as Grey's calm voice resounded throughout the labyrinth, and with a flick of his finger, the spears came raining down upon the Golem King's body like a cascading storm.
One by one, the gigantic spears pierced the Golem King's body. The Golem King tried to defend against it by erecting a solid wall but it was all for naught. The spears still pierced through it and then its body.
By the time Grey's attack ended, the once domineering Golem King had turned into a pile of rubble, its body pieces scattered throughout the large halls as if a merciless storm had just passed by.
"Oh, looks like everyone's also finished." ［Grey］
"Un! It was much easier with everyone's help." ［Yuna］
"The Mistress' words are too kind. We only did what we're supposed to do." ［Sirius］
"No! That's not true. If it weren't for all of you, I would have received a wound or two from it! Stop being so reserved and receive my gratitude!" ［Yuna］
"... Yes... As you wish..." ［Sirius］
While it was a little out of character of Yuna, upon hearing her words, the familiars' hearts were filled with happiness as they received praise for the first time. Grey also gave his gratitude to them in keeping Yuna safe.
After that fight, Grey collected the drops and they proceeded to explore the labyrinth, resting from time to time and eating whenever they needed to eat. It was a monotonous routine yet it never got boring.
Just like that, a month has passed as they spent their lives in the Labyrinth of Death. Everyday, they would fight monsters and everyday they got stronger and stronger than before.
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Guraaakkkk
The Minotaur General's gigantic battleaxe was swung towards the wall, causing a short quake to emanate throughout the labyrinth. The Minotaur General was currently battling against Yuna, but it has yet to land a single hit.
Its previous attack was aimed accurately towards Yuna, but rather than hitting her, it just passed through her body, hitting the walls next to her. No matter how hard the Minotaur General tried, its attacks would always go through Yuna.
⟨⟨Execution!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
But it wasn't the same for Yuna. Every time she attacked, her hits would always land, leaving large wounds on the Minotaurs General's body. Its body was already full of wounds and it was struggling to barely stand.
When Yuna's final attack landed on its behemoth of a body, its flames of life which were once flickering had finally been extinguished. It fell helplessly towards the ground as it greeted death.
In the span of one month, as they lived throughout the dangers of the labyrinth, Grey and Yuna's strength had improved by leaps and bounds. It was even faster than when they had trained in the special dungeon. To say the least...
-----------------------------------
[Salferine]
[Name] Grey Silverdrake
[Race] Human
[Sex] Male
[Age] 18
[Status] Healthy
[Mana Capacity] 4,812 [Mana Quality] A
[Combat Power] 9,999 [Threat Level] S
[Attribute] Wind [Magic Proficiency] Advanced (86%)
[Class] Brawler [Weapon Proficiency] Advanced (85%)
[Physical Enhancement] 86%
[Ability] 『Divine Eyes (Divine)』
『Divine Mind (Divine)』
『Subspace (Divine)』
-----------------------------------
[Salferine]
[Name] Yuna
[Race] Elf
[Sex] Female
[Age] 16
[Status] Healthy
[Mana Capacity] 3,202 [Mana Quality] A
[Combat Power] 6,704 [Threat Level] S
[Attribute] Ice [Magic Proficiency] Advanced (80%)
[Class] Assassin [Weapon Proficiency] Advanced (77%)
[Physical Enhancement] 79%
[Ability] 『Nihility (5☆)』
-----------------------------------
... their strength was overwhelming. Especially Grey, he only needed to have one of his proficiencies reach Superior Mastery and he would break through the S-rank barrier and reach Calamity Class.
Upon reaching S-rank, Yuna had awakened the final effect of her "Nihility". It was called "Phaseless" which allows her to pass through all things as if she was a ghost. It was also the reason why the Minotaur General was not able to land a hit on her.
Of course, when she's using "Phaseless", she also wouldn't be able to touch things. She needs to undo it before she could attack. That is the only moment Yuna would be vulnerable to attacks.
Along with Grey and Yuna, their familiars have also grown stronger. Polaris' combat power is now about 9,500, only a little less than Grey's. Sirius' is about 4,500, and the other three had reached A-rank just a couple of days ago.
Well their strength wasn't the only thing that had changed. There were also... other things...
"Grey～, I want some pudding... Plea～se!" ［Yuna］
An example of that would be Yuna who was currently hugging Grey from behind. She has become more clingy and needy now that the two of them had become boyfriend and girlfriend.
They are currently exploring the labyrinth a few hours after Yuna had defeated the Minitaur General, and yet even in the dangerous labyrinth, Yuna was acting clingy.
Although Grey knew she didn't intend it, he couldn't help but be conscious of the two soft lumps pressing gently against his back. Luckily, the familiars weren't around as they were resting in their shadows.
Whenever not needed, the masters could send their familiars inside their shadows. Well, that's what most people call it, but in reality, it was a separate space similar to Grey's "Sanctuary".
Well, Grey didn't hate that Yuna had become clingy, rather, he quite liked it that they shared skinship with one another. The only problem was when they head outside the labyrinth. It would be quite embarrassing in public, after all.
"Alright, I'll give you one, but please stop asking while we're wandering around the labyrinth. Monsters might come out at any moment." ［Grey］
"You say that but we haven't encountered a single monster since this morning, you know. Even the lights have started to dim." ［Yuna］
"Hm? Dim...?" ［Grey］
It was only then that Grey understood what was happening. He didn't really pay attention to the surroundings as he focused more on locating monsters, but after thinking about it, the timing was just perfect.
The labyrinth had gone dormant. After a month of operation, it was time for the Labyrinth of Death to stop spawning monsters and gather mana once again for the next opening.
The only reason why the dungeon torchstones were alight and shining, albeit dimly, was to give the remaining participants who were still inside. It will remain like that for a couple of days, getting dimmer and dimmer as time passes.
"Yuna, let's head back." ［Grey］
"Eh? We aren't continuing?" ［Yuna］
"It's useless, the labyrinth has already become inactive. We'll have to wait another couple of years for monsters to spawn again." ［Grey］
"Wait, then that means... I'll be able to eat pizza!!" ［Yuna］
For a completely different reason, Yuna was happily celebrating. She was so hapoynthat she completely forgot that she just asked Grey for a cup of pudding not too long ago.
Yuna had wanted to eat pizza long ago, but couldn't because Grey didn't have the right oven. Grey had promised to cook her some once they had gone back up, and thus the reason why she was celebrating without restraint.
Seeing his excited girlfriend, Grey took a mental note of the ingredients he needed to buy for the pizza. Flour, cheese, tomatoes, bell peppers... He made sure to not forget even a single thing.
"Grey, piggyback me!" ［Yuna］
"Huh?" ［Grey］
Just as Grey was taking note of the ingredients he needed to buy, a sudden request from Yuna came out of the blue. She was wearing a very innocent smile as if she didn't ask anything weird.
It was another one of her random whims which showed a few days after they started going out. She has become less reserved when it comes to requesting things from Grey, though almost all of them were simple things.
There were times when she would just suddenly request a hug, or times when she wanted to be patted, and of course, requests for what food she wanted to eat. She has become more and more spoiled as Grey didn't turn down a single one of her requests.
The only time Yuna's attitude switches back to her previous one was when the familiars were around. It seemed to Grey that she only wanted to act childish and spoiled when she was alone with him. Grey was a little happy that only he could see that side of Yuna.
"I want a piggyback ride back to our camp!" ［Yuna］
"Yeah, I get that part... but why...?" ［Grey］
"Just because!" ［Yuna］
Yuna declared boisterously and confidently. Her eyes were even sparkling with anticipation as she awaits Grey's response.
"Haah... Alright, here... Hop on." ［Grey］
"Yaay～! Thanks, Grey! You're the bestest of the best!" ［Yuna］
Just before Yuna hopped on Grey's back, she relayed her gratitude with words and with an accompanying kiss on Grey's left cheek. Even when Yuna has done it before, Grey couldn't help himself but be flustered each and every time.
Well, Grey wasn't the only one. From time to time, Yuna uses the tactic of acting spoiled to get back on Grey's morning kisses on her forehead. Though, she also takes self-inflicted damage every single time. Her face was even redder than Grey's.
Even after a month has passed, the two didn't get tired of one another and became sweeter and sweeter instead. Only time will tell how sweet and sappy these two may become in the future.
After their little moment together, they went back to their camp and packed their belongings and stored it inside Grey's "Inventory". It was time to say goodbye after a month of staying.
"Are you ready to go back, Yuna?" ［Grey］
"Un! I'm sure Liz is waiting for us." ［Yuna］
The two started their journey back towards the town of Moterno. While they weren't able to conquer the labyrinth, they were able to gain a lot of things from it. It was a special place where their hearts became one.
One day, when they have become strong enough, they will once again challenge this very same labyrinth and have their names be known throughout the land, but that's a story for another day.
CHAPTER 62 END