Vengeance of the Returner

Chapter 165: About labyrinths

"How many times have I tried to move my limbs?...AHhh!"

He screamed trying to raise his body from the ground pushing his body using his palms.

His hands made him scream in agony and once again pushed him back to the ground.

{I said rest for an hour to let your body cope up with the venom.}

'I was suppressed of my growth and I cannot return to earth... and I cannot believe those visions she showed.'

'I do not know how I will ascend to Ether since those visions showed something impossible... As far as I know, there are several probabilities for the future to change. In this fucking possibility. I am nothing but a pawn of their play.'

He contemplated inwardly and groaning in pain while gazing at the dark ceiling.

He never believed the visions the goddess of wisdom showed in the first place. It was rather an impossible vision. Mayhap they can happen but, as of now he didn't have the confidence nor could come up to trust her words. It seemed like nothing but plain sorcery from his point of view. Why would a god accept the fact he could defeat them. Even though he had attained divinity which was in the lowest of the lowest. He did not believe the fact of him waging a war against Ether.

His stats should reach beyond five hundred to even think about doing it. And to fight demigods he'll need to stat points more than two-fifty. It was just his mere speculation so, they might be having higher stats since he was not able to see through both Feroz khan's and Fraser's information.

Apart from all those things, He had no choice but to accept her proposal. Making enemies from two sides would lead him to nothing but destruction. He'd have been crushed. His mind came to a single conclusion and it was to protect his members. So that he can use them to fight back if anything might befall.

This was one of the reasons he went against Zerast and Feroz khan before they could destroy his town and the members. And he wanted to protect the women that loved him. It was his responsibility. They never dragged him down and supported him, unlike some useless women who play the damsel in distress. He also loved them.

If he wants to cherish the life he has. He doesn't have any other choice but to become stronger than ever.

"Ahh fuck!!"

He groaned and raised his body again and slowly dragged his foot, and began to wander in the darkness with cautiousness. Will he be able to fight? It can be answered with a simple, No. His body was filled with toxins and several wounds that had opened up. 

{How are you going to fight now?}

As Astaroth questioned.

Nix inserted his mana into the chains of suffering and moved it like a snake upon the air.

{Hmm, so you are going to practice stealth and increase your mana efficiency until you recover your energy?}

[Class ability: Shadow merge]

(Description: The ability to merge your entirety into the shadows for a certain period of time.)

He was already masking his presence using Mana control as he walked into the Labyrinth but, the monsters possess higher sensitivity.

It was hard for him to control the mana from leaking out of his vessel moreover, he was not skilled enough to entirely mask his presence like Reegan who taught him how to hide his mana. 

He also mentioned once he was skilled enough he could merge his presence onto his environment. In that sense, it was trivial for him to understand why he gained an ability similar to that.

[Class ability: Shadow merge activated]

As soon as he activated his ability rousing his mana. His body slowly slid into the ground smoothly and covered his body with darkness. 

His entire vessel seemed one with the shadow and masked his presence and totally engulfed him into it like a pool filled with water. The more mana he used the deeper he entered into the darkness.

{Hmm, Interesting...}

Astaroth commented.

Nix slowly moved through the shadows merging in the walls and went through the tunnel-like pathways that kept on going like a maze.

"Isn't it strange to not see a single human nor Draconian inside the Labyrinth?"

{Well, you are exploring it in the middle of the night. So this should be expected.}

"Indeed"

He replied and gazed at a group of Intors that was eating some dead draconian blocking the way.

Nix peered at his hidden blade gauntlet which slowly protruded out of the hollow and ready to slay monsters.

He slowly went underneath the monster and abruptly pierced its lower belly with his chains of resentment that shape-shifted like the scorpion sting and dragged speedily it stretched towards the upper belly tearing open its flesh.

As soon as the next one noticed him he swiftly hid inside the shadow again. 

'They surely cannot sense me now huh?'

He mumbled inwardly and appeared again out of the wall to confuse the Intor and dove back into the Darkness. As it kept on roaming and came out of its group he slew its lower belly with his hidden blade gauntlet and abruptly hid into the shadow repeatedly.

"Krtayk!!!'

As the intor screamed the other monsters in the tunnel cried out and began to circle it. Since they moved from the path of the tunnel he entered deep in and continuously slew monsters and ventured the floor for an hour.

He might be immortal because of the regeneration but, his stamina and strength were something he needed to build.

His stomach growled in hunger and he was fatigued.

{Let's stop for now. }

Astaroth said and pointed at the Intor he slew a few seconds ago.

"Are you telling me to eat that monster?"

{Yes, don't assume the monster is the disgusting creature. They possess more essential content to increase your physical prowess. Well, you do not have a choice either... You ate nothing for over nine hours. So do you have a choice?}

He shrugged.

Nix nodded at him in agreement and butchered the intor and segregated the fats.

{Are you going to create a fire inside this area now?}

"Indeed, I know it attracts monsters but, well... I can't eat it raw."

He shrugged and burned the meat to a crisp and began munching the soft meat sitting opposite the campfire he made.

"So, how did you know about Labyrinths? You've ventured them?"

As he was talking a message appeared before him.

[You have acquired Toxic resistance]

[Your blood has evolved to poison.]

'Hmm, Hardwork bears fruit'

He thought and smiled at Astaroth.

"So? How do you know about Labyrinths?"

{You could say labyrinths were towers that were made by beings that couldn't fight back the monsters that purged lives a long ago. In order to tackle them, Humans created towers which later evolved into something waste by the will of the monsters which longed for freedom. This resulted in the population rise in the Underworld and the Etherworld.}

"So, Consequently people who live in that age had no choice but to seal them in the Labyrinths?"

{Youe predicament is indeed right. Unlike this age where people are powerful enough to hunt and fight them back. People in that age were still evolving. It goes the same for every other race. This was alteration resulted in Labyrinths connecting with the other Labyrinths. One could say they were rifts between worlds.}

{Humans opposed nature followed by that Newmans of the Ether world did it and We Deomans did the same since Premeval cosmo drove all the sealed monsters into the Underworld.}

"Wait...Deomans and Newmans?"

{Well, I am a Deoman. We are similar to humans. To put it bluntly, we are people that are natives of the Underworld. The same goes for the Newmans. Selected Newmans evolve into Angels and the same goes for Deomans who evolved into Devils.}

"I see."

{Coming back...Later on, we began to build Labyrinths similar to Humans underneath the very tower humans made, in order to cover the rifts. This gave birth to a new world for monsters.}

"Ohh, This seems complicated but, sure I can quite understand it. But fucking hell... this world is messed up."

{Haha, Indeed!}

Astaroth laughed.

"I assume you evolved into a Devil?"

{Yes, But I am Demon actually.}

"Demon? What's the difference between a devil and Demon. I think the only difference is the word."

{Not at all. Devils are lower beings and there are several ranks in them. But, Demons are unrivaled. We are not ranked and we possess exceptional powers. You could say we are powerful enough to destroy demigods and rival gods. Sure we cannot defeat them as of our prowess.}

"So, You people are in the mid-tier."

{Yes, and for the record! I was the only Devil to ascend as a Demon from the bottom, unlike the other six supremes who were naturally born as a Demon.}

Astaroth boasted with his head raised high, proudly.

"Yeah, I can see you are a hard worker you don't need to boast."

Nix mocked him with a faint smile.

{Haha, look who is talking!}

"Anyway thanks for telling me about the Labyrinths."

{Anyday}

He shrugged.

"But I wonder why you only revealed about Deomans and Newmans now?"

{Well, You did not ask about that.}

"Yeah"

Nix said raising from the ground after stuffing the last piece of meat into his mouth.