Chapter 262 Second
Where is he-
The enemy-
It hid again-
It doesn't make any sense-
Every time I strike, my claws go through his body-
Every time he appears, I'm struck from behind-
How is this possible-
How is this-
The Boss Monster stopped turning around, and blood started dripping down its neck.
"Finally. Twelve hits... You sure have tough neck muscles."
The sword was swung, leaving a trail of blood on the ground.
"Or had tough neck muscles, I should say."
[You have defeated the Dungeon's Final Boss Monster!]
[You have...]
A series of messages appeared in front of the frail Beastman.
Due to his height and skinny appearance, he didn't look like a Beastman.
If it weren't for the tail and ears resembling those of a Tiger, he could have passed for a Human.
Crack-
Part of the wall to his right fell to the ground, and the Beastman stared for a bit.
"Let's recover for a bit before leaving."
The wall had given way to large doors.
Doors that would lead to the outside world and, perhaps, to freedom.
The Beastman walked away from the Boss Monster's corpse. He might have had a Tiger's ears and tail, but he definitely did not have a Tiger's appetite.
'Hope it doesn't start to stink while I'm resting.' The Beastman thought. He wasn't really injured or tired, but still felt that recovering was necessary.
This particilar Beastman was a rather careful Monster.
'Wonder how much time passed since that guy-"
Just when he was about to take a seat on the ground, the doors suddenly opened.
An enemy from the outside?
Adventurers who had randomly found the Dungeon?
Attack? Hide? Try to talk it out?
All of these questions and more passed through the Beastman's mind as he tightened his grip around his sword and watched the doors move.
"Kati, hey! Kati!"
A confused frown appeared on the Beastman's face.
She was slightly taller than the Skeleton Monster that he had encountered.
Her blueish hair reached her waist.
"General Zerha?"
The General's blue eyes immediately lit up.
'He called me... General!'
With an appearance no different than that of a teenager, Zerha ran towards... The wall?
"Huh..."
"Did you really think your Illusions would work on me? Hehe!"
What, to outsiders, would have seemed as another part of the wall faded and Kati appeared.
He was standing and seemed rather relaxed.
The Beastman didn't let go of his sword though.
The General kept approaching closer and closer until the distance separating the two was less than two steps.
With speed that the Candidate couldn't sleep with, not even visually, the General raised her arms.
Kati stared at those palms for a bit.
"High five!" The cheerful General commanded. Perhaps it was only the power in her voice that made it seem like a command. In any case, Kati chuckled before reaching forward. ????????????????????????????????.????????????
Clap-
"Congrats, on making it out."
"Thanks."
The General took a step back.
"Mm." The Candidate nodded, somewhat timidly.
"Want to talk? Or see the outside first?"
"Casting an Illusion upon someone intruding was a good idea."
"Mm." The Candidate nodded, somewhat timidly.
"Want to talk? Or see the outside first?"
Kati took a second before answering.
Her voice didn't seem to hold a shred of hidden intentions.
"I'll... See the outside then."
"Right on!" The General shouted before turning around and walking towards the doors.
Kati followed, but couldn't help but notice how peculiar the way she walked was.
Her arms remained straight at all times, and seemed to be swung more than was necessary or even comfortable.
She took long, long strides.
In one word, the General was-
"Not what you expected?" Zerha asked suddenly.
"Huh? No... You're exactly what I-"
"Hahaha! No need to lie, Kati. Most have trouble believing that I am a Demon Lord's General." She stopped and turned slightly. With half an eye, the General glanced at him. "Appearances, right?"
Kati nodded, not too sure what to say.
"So tell me, what did you expect?"
The Candidate remained silent.
"C'moon, say it! You know, I get bullied because of my appearance. So make sure you make your comments positive."
"You get bullied?" Kati muttered without meaning to.
She laughed out loud.
The power she projected, he could feel it. How could someone like that get bullied?
He really didn't want to comment.
But the way that the corners of her smiling lips were starting to get lower,
"You're cuter than I expected you to be."
The lips remained a smile, and Kati sighed internally.
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, A Demon Lord's General..."
"So you agree with them?"
"I like this better."
"Pfffhahaha!" The General reached forward. "You're funny. You're funny, Kati!" Every time her hand tapped his arm, he feared that it would break. His arm, of course. "Well, nice to see you. I've been looking at you for a while, so... It's nice that this isn't a one-way thing anymore."
Kati nodded.
"My Name is Zerha, and I used to be... A Nymph, let's say. I'm now the Demon Lord Of Pride's General, and the one who has been watching over you since your Rebirth."
"A Nymph? As in... A Spirit Of Nature?
"Something like that. I'm not one anymore though because of... Reasons. Anyways, nice to finally meet you, Kati. To formally meet you?"
"Thank you... For watching over me." He wasn't sure whether there was a reason to thank her or not. Still, he felt that it couldn't hurt. Kati sighed internally once again. It was a rather warm welcome, he thought.
"Alright." She turned around. "Let's show you the world, huh? Mmm..." She started walking, and he followed her. "There isn't much here though, but we can look around. There are a bunch of things I want to show you on the way to Pride!"
'On the way to Pride, huh? Not a prisoner, but not free either. I wonder how the others-'
"You're thinking about you, aren't you?"
"Can you... Read my mind?"
"Nope. I can read your heart."
"Is that so?"
"Want me to explain what that means? Haha!"
"No, I think I get it."
"I'll answer your every question, so you just need to ask!" The General said as she nodded cheerfully.
Seconds later, the Candidate could finally peek outside.
"A desert... And a sandstorm..."
"Yeah... That's not the best welcome, is it?" The General scratched her head, almost apologetically. "Still, we had to keep you hidden, so spots like this are the best."
The two stepped onto the burning sand.
The General called out her Inventory.
"Here."
"Boots?"
"Mm." Zerha nodded. "I didn't put the kind of ecosystems that would allow you to develop Heat Resistance inside the Dungeon, so..." She handed him the boots, and he took them.
"Thanks. I'm guessing I'll have to develop Heat Resistance here before we get going, right?"
"Of course. Gotta take every opportunity you get."
No wasn't an answer.
It wasn't a possibility.
Kati understood that well. Or at least, he assumed that to be the case.
He put the boots on.
"I expected Monsters to be naked..."
"Huh? No reason for that though?" Kati shrugged. "I mean..." Her gaze moved onto his lower body.
"Yeah." Kati nodded.
He was already wearing pants after all.
Unlike a certain white-scaled Monster, Kati wasn't a Sexless Monster.
The Candidate raised a hand to his forehead.
'Despite being so close, the sandstorm is still-'
Suddenly, someone tore through the storm.
Kati's first instinct was to step back, reach for his sheathed sword, and-
Before he could do anything else, the Monster had become visible and Kati's body froze.
It landed a couple of steps away from the two.
"Griphy, good boy!" Zerha shouted as she tapped the Monster's head repeatedly.
"A Gryphon...?" The Candidate muttered.
It was a ferocious Beast, nothing like the peaceful and majestic ones usually depicted.
'She gets bullied for being short... So she gets a Pet like this?' Kati thought to himself.
"Hop on. Next stop, your first [D] Ranked Dungeon!"
No wasn't an answer, so the Candidate stepped closer.
The Gryphon's gaze was deadly, so Kati did his best to escape from it.
"Come." She extended him a hand, and he grabbed it. "Get comfortable." Zerha added once Kati, too, was seated on the Gryphon's back.
The Beast took a step, and the Candidate shook.
'I don't think she would get mad if I grab onto her... But I'll go for its pelt still.'
A hellish ride through the sandstorm was about to begin.
"Aren't you going to ask?"
"What about?" Kati knew exactly what she was talking about.
Her eyebrows rose, and he understood that she knew.
She stared at him expectantly.
"I am Last to make it out?"
"Second Place. Congrats once more. The Protagonist Title might still be up for grabs."
"Title?" The Mind Bender chuckled. "That's funny."
"That's what you wanted, right? Finishing Second."
Kati shrugged.
"Just happy to have made it out."
"You're curious. About the First one to have made it out?"
Lying just couldn't be done successfully with her, Kati thought. So he nodded.
"You'll meet him soon enough. He should be on his way to Pride now. We'll be taking our time though."
Boots and a warm welcome.
Kari stared at the sandstorm surrounding him as the Gryphon spread its wings.
'Not free... But not a prisoner. More like... A pet? That's-'
"Grab my shoulders if you don't want to fall off."
"Huh-"
The Gryphon took off with incredible speed.
'ARGHHHH!'
Kati felt like his arms muscles were about to burst as he grabbed onto and squeezed the General's shoulders with all his strength.
She didn't seem to mind, or, perhaps, even feel it.
'Wonder if that guy got the same treatment! It's all smiles and boots before-'
The Gryphon suddenly took a dive, and Kati couldn't help but let out a shout.
