Once again, we all had to hold hands as we entered the exit door.
This time I was fully prepared for the space warp as we all chose to proceed onto the second floor.
The difference was immediate.
The air on the second floor felt more… pure.
The air was infused with mana, whose density became higher the further we went.
Thus, it also made it impossible for the weaker people to go to a floor that was way out of their level.
The air itself would be a poison for them and will make their life a hell.
Even if they had max levelled protectors.
This time Claire and Eva didn't immediately disappear.
"The layout and monster composition of this floor is the same as the first one. They are just higher levelled. Best of luck." Claire smiled.
"Don't get hurt." Eva added while using the status armor on me again, defending me with the warm, golden glow.
I smiled back, turning around and facing the dark, gloomy pathway.
Moving forward, I encountered the first monster.
A… red anthro?
I thought they were strictly boss monsters, but I guess not.
However, this one appeared much different than the boss I had fought.
It was 2 feet tall, with a stinger that wasn't as big as the boss's. The metallic shine on its chitin was dimmer as well.
It managed to trigger my PTSD slightly, but I was more careful when approaching it this time.
I remember that it's slow and sturdy, focused mostly on stamina.
And luckily, I have a perfect counter for something that can feel pain and is sturdy.
"Reverse Senses." I smirk, running at the anthro. I kept my speed low enough to outspeed it, but still be in perfect control to change the direction or dodge.
It shrieked at me, using the forelegs to swipe at me, and chittering the mandibles, threatening to take a bite.
I couldn't believe that it was the case, but this time, the short height of Anthro was actually more troublesome for me.
My falcata was short, which made targeting the ant take many awkward attempts, and even those weren't that good.
It was difficult to use my full strength to target an enemy that was barely 1/3rd of my height.
And if that wasn't enough, the anthro's strength was fearsome, and the defence was high.
Which meant I couldn't just crush it under my foot like an insect it is.
My timer for the reverse senses was also running out, only 15 seconds left, and yet, I was unable to land any meaningful strike.
Most of the time I hit the chitin, which made the ant shriek but caused no major issue for it.
"Fuck–" I dodged another bite that was aimed at my right foot.
This was getting nowhere, and if my skill time ran out, the fight would become much harder.
Thus, I poured out 3 more stats into my strength.
5 of them need to be preserved, since in Claire's eyes I was just level 6.
When the ant scurried closer to me once again, I kicked its rock hard head.
It caused a minor issue for it as it just spread open its mandibles and tried to take a bite out of my leg.
Though, that was my aim.
I spun on my left heel, barely keeping up the balance before slashing my sword in a downwards slash.
"CHIIIIIIIIII!"
For the first time, the ant released a cry that felt satisfying to hear.
I was getting tired of the same rageful shrieks. This painful, torturing and mindnumbing cry of pain suited it more.
After which, it was simple to slice off the ant's body from the middle joint, as it was in no condition to resist.
[ You have slain a Red Anthro – Lv 7 ]
[ Exp +239 ]
A level 7 right off the bat?
I knew that there were some monsters at level 7 on the second floor, but the majority were still level 6.
This fight went well thanks to my reversed senses skill, but now that I have used it, it was on cooldown for the next 10 minutes.
I could either head deeper into the labyrinth, risking myself, or…
"Claire."
I called, and I immediately felt a presence from the darkness.
"Good job, Aaron." She praised simply.
"Not a good job." I shook my head, "It was very hard to target it. Can you teach me the sword techniques a bit till my skill comes off cooldown?"
Claire nodded, her lips turning into a slight smile. A small dimple formed on her cheek when she smiled, making her look even prettier.
Eva walked out of the darkness with the same calm, playful smile on her face.
I grinned, maybe Claire's techniques would be better than Ruby's, which could give me a huge boost in my strength.
I felt excited about the prospect…
***
"AGH-" I nearly screamed when I felt the flat edge of a sword slap against my skin with force.
It didn't injure me or leave any wound, but the pure pain was something I didn't even wish on my enemies!
Without even looking, I knew that the slap must have left a red mark on my skin.
Claire's skills were indeed top notch. Whatever I have seen on some internet videos, and watching Ruby, didn't even come close to the pure fluidness of her sword.
It was gentle, almost serene, slashing and moving in the arcs that felt like a professional ballet performance.
And just like the ballet, it was flexible.
Casually sliding through my blocks, targeting me from angles I didn't even consider possible.
Claire was awesome. Strong. Overbearingly so.
BUT! She sucked as a teacher!
Her teaching strategy was to do a mock duel with me while making sure not to wound me and to reduce her stat to a level that was similar to mine.
It was a very practical and effective strategy as I was growing a lot more comfortable with my sword the more I fought.
Yet, it hurt!
Claire mercilessly slapped my bare skin with the flat part of her sword, shooting a stinging pain up my body.
And it didn't help that I was fighting her without using my skill.
At least that could've reduced the impact.
Though our strategy was that Claire and Eva no longer hidden from me, they just trailed behind me as I hunted the monsters one by one.
I used my skill while hunting most of them, and then used the cooldown time to practice against Claire.
It took a long time, as nearly an hour passed by in a similar way.
Training, hunting, training, hunting, on repeat.
And after the gruesome hour, filled with reddened skin, we reached the queue for the second floor's boss.
—------------------------------------
A/N: Any comments or questions regarding the story yet?