In a distant location that was unknown to many, two people were discussing in a serious tone.
They both were clad in white robes with hoods that obscured their facial features, and the aura they exuded was overbearing.'' Are you sure of what you just said? '' One of the figures resting on the wall of the dark cave they were currently in questioned.'' Being sure of myself is an understatement. '' the other figure who was opposite to the figure that questioned him replied.'' Although it was brief, I definitely felt that Mana. '' he added, his voice a bit shaky.'' Is it happening again then… '' The first figure murmured, but the other one could still hear him.'' Just the thought alone is giving me nightmares, I think it's time we let others know of my findings. '''' No, not now, we can't throw the balance into shambles because of what we are not even sure of yet. '''' But… '''' No but. '' The first figure reprimanded. '' For now, you should widen the search. '''' And remember… '''' It stays between us. '' Commanded the first figure, who turned his back and headed for the cave entrance.***Jerouch's face darkened when he heard the way he was called, but he chose to let that pass.He walked closer to the group and stopped a few meters away from them.The two parties checked each other out until the middle-aged man decided to break the unmoving silence.'' I've never seen your face before around here. '' he asked in a deep voice and his breaths screamed alcohol.'' I live far in the south… my master came to find a rare herb in this forest. '''' Hmph! He's just a mere slave. '' The one that called him earlier retorted, not trying to hide his mockery.They were also warlocks of the lowest rang who were barely clinging to live, but they were acting brazenly.'' What is a slave doing inside a dungeon without his master nearby? '' The lady with short red hair asked with scepticism while looking around, albeit to see if there was someone else.Jerouch cursed inwardly as they kept asking questions. These people had numerical advantage, moreover, he wasn't used to the way of warlocks, so he wanted to avoid creating unnecessary trouble.That does not mean that he would allow himself to be a pushover as he had always been though.'' I owe you not an answer, '' Jerouch replied, sending cold stares at the lady.'' What, you… '' she raised her bows about to pull her arrows, but she was stopped midway.'' Enough! '' The middle-aged man ordered, and one could feel his tone crisp.Clearly, he was also displeased with Jerouch's manner, but the boy's demeanour made him a bit wary.No slave should have such an upright aura and tone except for two reasons.One, he wasn't lying about being a slave, but his master was someone they couldn't afford to offend.Secondly, he was no slave, rather a fairly strong warlock who was hiding his identity.None of these was a good option, but it could also be a facade, which was why he didn't want to create trouble either until he was sure.' Hmph! It seems like it's working, hehe, arrogant empty heads. ' Jerouch laughed inwardly.' They look down on commoners like them, but can't dare to offend someone above them. '' Jerouch chuckled in his mind while keeping his straight face.He might be an ant in this world, but he had led a whole multinational criminal organization before. This little bluff was nothing.'' We are from one of the guilds in the nearby city. ''' Well, young man, if you don't mind, you can join our party and clear the second floor with us. '' The man offered.Surprise gazes landed on him, includingJerouch, but the man didn't back off.''Of course, rewards will be shared relative to each person's effort. '' He smiled at Jerouch extending his right hand as an invitation.'' Trying to test me out haha. '' Jerouch was rolling inside as he saw their little cheap tricks.What had the lord of the underworld not seen before…Humans are shrewd creatures and if one wasn't careful when relating with them, they might end up being doomed by their cunningness.'' Sure no problem. '' Jerouch extended his right hand too. '' I'm Jerouch. '''' Enoch. ''' Jackpot! ' Jerouch said excitedly in his head.As to why he agreed to join these guys, it was to get know their names for him to test the grimoire that the system talked about.Others too introduced their name a bit with hesitations, and they all soon proceeded forward.They kept meeting spiders, which Jerouch took the honour to squash before others could.They were first amazed before their moods darkened.'' This idiot is wasting the monster material. '' They thought.'' So what if he's strong… the fact remained that he's a slave with no common knowledge. '' Those still soak in their superiority complex muttered to themselves.'' It's nice hunting with you guys. However, I'll be taking my leave. '' Jerouch suddenly stopped.'' Eh? But we just got to the second floor. '' The middle-aged man spoke in a displeased tone.'' Yes I understand, however, my master will soon need me, I need to explore the deeper floor quickly before we leave to our city. '' Jerouch once again lied.'' But… '''' Enough oldie, just let the shrimp go. '' The other lady who had not spoken much glanced at Jerouch's distant figure as he ran ahead.'' Pfft! '' Unsatisfied grunts left others' mouths as they also watched his distant figure.'' Isn't it nice that we have a free fish swimming in our pond? '' The lady spoke in a low voice that was only audible to her party members.'' You mean…'' The man turned his head in her direction.'' Umm. '' she nodded.***' Phew! It's easier to breathe now,' Jerouch uttered as he opened the system.' Let's get to business. ''' Grimoire! '' Jerouch called out, his eyes shimmering with excitement.A thick, dark book with no extraordinary features appeared in thin air. A white page opened, and Jerouch picked up the jet-black pen he found on the Grimoire. Enoch. Ding![Target analysis in progress…]It wasn't even up to a few seconds when he saw the results. Target- EnochRank- FClass- Tank[Passive skills]Hammer- Lvl 5Hand to hand combat- Lvl 6[Abilities]TremorEarth spikeEarth wall. [Copy ability] Yes/No' Who in their right mind says no? ' Jerouch laughed as he said yes in his mind. The next thing, he felt as though he was connected to something. Opening the status page, he went straight to the grimoire tab, and there he saw it. [Grimoire. ][Copied abilities.] Tremor. Earth spike. Earth wall.Focusing on each skill, he soon got their description. Tremor- an earth related ability that made the ground two meters around the host vibrate, making his foes lose their balance while being unaffected. Rank- FEarth spike- the power to summon a couple of spikes made
Jerouch stepped inside the new floor and just from the interiors, he could tell that this place was far different from the previous floors. The wall here was smoother, and the flame torches were bigger too. The ground was covered in cobwebs and so was the roof. There were also rusty weapons scattered all around the place, and Jerouch could smell something familiar in the air. He focused his eyes on the distance, and he couldn't help but frown. He saw fresh corpses at the centre of the room and, counting them, they were four that lay on the floor. Krack!Jerouch subconsciously turned his head backwards, and he found the door to have locked by itself. He could feel that something ominous was brewing, which made him clench his fists and blood rushed to his face. '' Ggrrhh! ''At the end of the room, what seemed like an elevated platform suddenly shook. '' Fuck. '' Jerouch swallowed hard as he saw the three-meter-tall spider. Just looking from the distance, one could tell that i
Jerouch shielded his eyes as a white light enveloped his figure, leaving him no room for retreat. The eyes of the supposed-to-be dead spider were wide open, which made him gulp. The eyes were no longer glowing red, instead, they were radiating powerful white radiance. The rest of the spider's body was also radiating this white light of unknown origin. The figure of the spider slowly began to rise in the air, and it looked down at Jerouch as though he were nothing of importance. Jerouch could feel the change in the demeanour. The aura that the spider exuded was nothing like before. It felt majestic, terrifying and as well calming. All those mixed feelings wanted to make Jerouch go crazy, and he grabbed his head tightly. A massive pressure soon mounted on him, and he felt as if his heart would rip apart. His bone started cracking and blood oozed out from his orifices. '' W-what is t-this…'' His mouth clattered as he struggled to stand properly. Jerouch kept falling to the grou
'' Fire arrows '' Multiple arrows made of flames pierced her already crushed throat and fried everything to point black. Silence!Everywhere became eerily quiet. Jerouch's emotionless eyes glanced at the corpse, yet, he felt zero guilt, killing someone wasn't his first time after all, at least not on Earth. '' Amy! '' '' Bastard, what have you done! '' One of the boys with green hair roared in madness as his brain finally processed what just happened. It was too fast, and none of them expected such ruthlessness. Jerouch closed in the distance towards the boy, and he prepared to punch him. This time though, they were ready. '' Tremor! '' Enoch bellowed with a murderous gaze. The ground vibrated vehemently, which bought him time to intercept Jerouch. Swinging his hammer in an upward diagonal arc, he aimed at Jerouch. Jerouch saw the hammer heading his way, and he bent his legs down slightly. Kicking the ground, he used the recoil force to fly backwards like a feather. The wi
Karah stood in front of the monolith shimmering with one blue star above it. She breathed in slowly and allowed the wind to flap her large skirts together with her long hair, which danced vibrantly in the air. '' Tsk, Why am I even here? '' She clicked her tongue. '' The dungeon barrier is trying to shield the mana fluctuation. However, I can still perceive it… '' Her eyes beamed as she thought of watching the puny humans battle each. '' Damn you, karah, I'm not supposed to be here. '' She shook her head but eventually, she shrugged her shoulders and pressed forward, giving in to her curiosity. '' I'll just take a glance and leave. ''***'' Earth shower! ''A tired but loud scream ravelled Jerouch's ears. From the distance, he could see Enoch slump to the ground, but that wasn't his major concern. On the roofs were dozens of big boulders about to crash downward. '' Fuck this man. '' Jerouch gritted his teeth in exasperation. '' Hey oldie, what in the hell do you think you're
The warm morning sunlight made its way to Jerouch's eyes as he opened them with struggle. He eventually woke up from his long unconscious state, but he still squinted his eyes waiting for them to adjust to the new, bright environment. The chirping of birds and insects along with short, rapid movements of rodents flooded his ears and he breathed in the sizzling scents of flora. '' Come to think of it, flora…? '' He jumped from where he lay in an awkward position and looked around in confusion. The memories of his last battle rushed into his mind and he got even more perplexed. He knew he should be in the rumbles at best, but here he was enjoying the calming atmosphere of beautiful flowers and shrubs. '' Tsk, you're awake at last, I thought I might just finish you off. ''Jerouch abruptly turned when he heard an unfamiliar voice calling from behind. Immediately after he saw who the voice belonged to, his heart tied a knot and his whole body tensed up. His hair stood erect, and
' Is this lady possessed? ' Jerouch thought with perplexity as he followed the figure of Karah who was walking ahead. ' First, she unclothed me, then she wanted to kill me, and now training? Like really? 'Jerouch wasn't offended though, in fact, he was rather elated from the inside as he saw the system notification. [Quest- Learn from a veteran][Reward]All passive skills level up'' Hey! '' Karah clicked her fingers as Jerouch almost bumped into her. '' What's occupying your mind that much? '' She asked with furrowed eyebrows. '' Ah, nothing important, I'm only looking forward to the training. '' He lied with a cheeky face. If he saw how unreal his face was right now, he might burst out laughing blowing his cover. '' Um. '' Karah nodded and continued walking. They were now deep in the forest and Jerouch was a bit tense. However, whenever he remembered that he was together with this angel from hell, relief washed over him. '' At least that monster from back then should be ve
Jerouch's ears burned with anticipation as he watched Karah make some weird hand movements.'' Learning how to control your mana should be your priority. '' Karah muttered, waving her chain while twirling along with it in sync. '' Too much mana and you will drain yourself quickly, and too little mana and you will get an undesirable effect. '' She spoke at the top of her voice jumping into the air, making an upward slash. Space vibrated and Jerouch could feel his visceral trembling. Just her casual waves were causing so much disturbance. ' Is there something like that? '' Jerouch thought. ' All he knew was to activate a skill and the system would take over the rest. Some parts of him were telling him not to be overly reliant on the system but he shrugged. Who was he even kidding, the system gave him that power, without it, he was just a vegetable. Not that he felt great about it but duh, who cared? ' I can't imagine the pain of tracking and controlling the right amount of mana fo