Vengeance of the Returner

Chapter 169: Rank

The first floor's ecosystem was far beyond what Nix expected.  As soon as he entered through the tunnel that led to a bright facade the Pleasant smell of the flowers entered through his nostrils. The Terrain was filled with exotic flowers and shrubs. Beasts were roaming without care and the space was so extravagant that he couldn't help but assume the place as a forest rather than a floor of the Labyrinth.

Both Jerina and Ferdinand were far behind him in distance. They both did not possess the same stamina level that Nix had. More than anything they were not talking to each other and a foul mood between them. 

Though Jerina tried to talk it out Ferdinand did not utter a word. He might not be strong for a man. Still, he was a man by heart and body. His pride as a man was hurt and moreover, he couldn't open up to her as she was the one who acted masculine in that relationship.

Since the beginning, the couple had feelings for each other. Ferdinand certainly wanted her and she wanted him to. But, Jerina was quite extremely obsessed with him. Nevertheless, Ferdinand did not open up in fear of rejection. In any case, Never in his dreams, he actually dreamt things would turn out like that.

The incident was an eye-opener for him. He was the only son of a rich household when he lived on Earth. He was kind-hearted and everything was fine. Since he was handsome and rich things flowed quite great. He didn't get bullied nor had a fight with people. He was satisfied with what he had and never suffered.

Now, Jerina can be described in the same way. When they first met in the forest of scrutiny she fell in love with his kindness and overall qualities. In fact, she was the one that helped him survive and as soon as they transmigrated they both had high compatibilities to become priests.

The main problem here is that they did not face any life or death situation in any instances as they stayed in the temple and did social reforms until Heredia, The goddess of wisdom commanded them to enter Babel near Theemai. In search of the beast of light.

"Why don't you both heal each other? Aren't you both Priests? You are fuckin slowing me down."

Nix said, turning back coldly.

Both of them flinched in fear. It was ironic that they began to fear him after witnessing his battle prowess and his beastly nature. They'd have never witnessed such a thing since they barely ever saw a real fight.

"Yess... Sir"

Jerina nodded her head and began to heal Ferdinand with a slight blush looking at Ferdinand's blue eyes as he healed her back.

"No, start moving."

Nix said and began to once again walk, cutting the leaves in the way. 

"Hisss!"

Suddenly a two-snake hissed and flew towards the trio and Nix abruptly slew its head.

Ba-dump! Ba-dump!

Both of them grabbed their hearts as they pounded faster than ever. Nix turned towards Ferdinand and pulled the leather from him.

"What are you doing?"

Jerina asked in a loud voice with an angry gaze.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand cowered himself and hid his crotch with his hands.

"Come on man? I don't have armor now. And you know what?... At least stand up for yourself. We are in a messed-up place and you still care about nudity? The woman had already seen it."

Nix uttered and removed his own worn-out pants without care and went behind a tree and changed into the cloak-like leather and gave him the fur of Cerberus. He certainly had a spare in his clan house with which he wanted to create some cool attire well, that was that.

In defense, the red Intor leather had a higher chance of resisting blows than the fur so exchanged it. For the couple, he seemed like nothing but a caveman. 

"Alright, now listen carefully. We are going to enter the nests of the beasts. Before that, I need an elaborate explanation of when you arrived inside the Labyrinth and what exactly a Beast of light is."

As he asked Jerina opened her mouth and closed hesitantly since he asked the question directed towards Ferdinand.

"We..."

As Ferdinand stopped hesitantly Nix began talking.

"Can we talk alone now?"

He asked Jerina and she nodded her head and walked away to a distance hesitantly.

"Man, listen up. I don't want to hear things from her. From what I can see. You are the leader who led them into the Labyrinth. I can understand that you cannot cope up with it. But I kind of believe you'll be back again. So, I need an explanation. Did the goddess send you here? What was her instruction?"

"She... said to procure the holy light and give it to the lord of Transgressors in Theemai as the token of faith between them. I don't know anything other than that... We did not know that the beasts here are far beyond any other Labyrinth... "

He said looking up at Nix.

'I see... Then it's a gift huh?'

He uttered inwardly and said.

"Which floor is the beast of light on?"

"Twenty..."

'What's her motive behind this I wonder... Perhaps this meeting was her plan?'

Nix thought inwardly and said.

"I see. That's far from what I can handle right now. We will just explore these two floors and leave."

Nix shrugged and began walking.

After a few minutes, they entered a cave that seemed to be infested by scalates.

"I am warning you. If you get stung by even one of the scalate you'll die within a few hours assuming healing doesn't work on poisons."

He warned them as they entered the wretched cave which smelled foul which was filled with feces and bones scattered around.

He shapeshifted his chain and lit it up to enter the deep with his dimly burning sword while both Jerina and Ferdinand clung to each other.

{You've made a great choice by driving them with you. The difficulty has tripled; you'll have to protect them and simultaneously fight the monsters. This will lead to immense usage of the ability. Good luck.}

Astaroth said, floating beside him.

Suddenly he collided with something in an instant a slight chill ran up his spine since he felt his instincts screaming, intimating him of attacks coming from over fifty different directions surrounding him.

"Fuck!"

He cursed and released flame from his sword to gain the vision to perceive what's in front of him.

"Start running."

He said as a swarm of over a hundred scalates entered his vision. All their red eyes opened in unison as the light caught their eyes. His prediction showed him the future of getting stung over a thousand times.

[Reawakened ability- Latent instinct activated]

[Private ability - Doom Prediction vision activated]

[Class ability- Berserk havoc activated]

[Class ability - Shadow merge activated]

He abruptly slid into the shadow and appeared before the duo and pushed them with immense force out of the cave and injected all his mana into the sword and began rushing into the swarm and swung the flaming sword which drove the scalates from approaching him.

He stood in the center and ran towards the scalates that approached him and continuously swung his sword and kept on dodging the stings that tried to pierce him.

Before he could notice he was deep inside the cave surrounded by over two hundred scalates. He did not possess a bomb to decimate them in an instant. All he had was a sword, a dagger two hidden gauntlets. There was no way for him to escape. 

His faintly burning sword portrayed a magnificent scene. He stood placing the sword before his face.

"Kraakk! Kraakk"

All the scalates faintly growled while their stings rattled. They had their eyes locked on him and continuously circled him. Even the one that was stuck with the roof looked down on him waiting for an opportunity to destroy him.

{This is where you'll grow.}

Astaroth declared with his eyes locked on Nix. Who stood unposed placing his life on the line.

The couple couldn't dare approach the cave and were chased out of the cave by a few of the Scalates. In any case, they'll be safe.

'I have to find my true purpose...'

He uttered inwardly gritting his teeth and jumped on one of the scalates and began slashed a fiery swing on the nearby Scalates. His dagger expelled darkness as he swung and deteriorated few near him.

In a mere microsecond, his ankle slipped and fell amidst the group and was stung by one of the scalate.

"Argghhh!"

His sound echoed through the cave and even entered the ears of the couple.

Enduring the immense he rotated his body from the other stings and slashed his dagger tearing their guts. Before long he dropped his dagger as he got stung on his hand.

Though he unraveled his hidden blade gauntlet and smashed through the scalates' heads. How long has it been? He did not know those things all he did was focus on that very moment to survive the next second.

His brain flashed the vision similar to that of the battle he made in the Warfield in the war of Chaosmainland. 

[Doom Prediction vision rank as been risen]

[Latent instinct Rank as been risen]

Upon looking at the message he was fueled by the lust for power to fight.