Chapter Twenty Eight, Duel! Gluttonous Flame!

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  "Get ready..." Ana spoke.

  Eltaras and Joriah stood facing one another, thirty feet apart.

  They were in a clearing, just near the oasis. The terrain had been altered, and four huts had been built facing inwards.

  In the center of these huts, the small village square, is where Eltaras and Joriah were stood.

  Jora sat atop the hut of Eltaras, Ana'fae accompanying him.

  Across the way was Anaflandus, joined by Kuta.

  "Begin!" Jora shouted, bringing his arm downwards.

  He smiled, watching as the two kids dashed towards one another.

  In an instant, they struck, fists sliding past forearms, kicks being blocked by lifted legs.

  Jora's eyes widened with no further thought.

  He didn't even have skill like this.

  He analyzed the two, conjuring their Statuses.

  He nodded.

  Eltaras was stronger, with more Health, but a lower level.

  Joriah was quicker, and more Sensitive...

  That showed in their battle.

  Eltaras threw strong kicks, and powerful punches. Air vibrated past his fists, and the winds howled with each swing. Yet, Joriah slipped every single one of them.

  She was just faster... And her enhanced sensitivity allowed for her to simply sense his attacks. Quicker reaction time, more in tune with her body.

  Eltaras couldn't land a hit, but his demeanor didn't falter.

  His punch flew past Joriah's face, the girl snickering.

  Then, his body twisted. He grappled her head, lifting off of the ground and drilling her skull downwards into the dirt.

  "Dodge that one!" Eltaras laughed, getting up.

  Joriah scrambled to her feet, frustration in her face.

  "Ugh!" She exclaimed.

  Both of her hands extended.

  Out of warped spatial passages, steel threads spewed into the surroundings.

  Eltaras dodged, rolling away from their sticky grasp, and leaping over all the tethers that threatened to grab him.

  And then, he swiped towards Joriah. A claw mark of fire flung towards her, ceasing her [Thread Production] and causing her to side step out of the way.

  Eltaras leapt forward, aiming to tackle her.

  But she rolled away, Eltaras meeting nothing but dirt floor.

  He swiveled around, throwing another claw of fire, but it was blocked by a shield of thread.

  Joriah shot out a web, clinging to one of the houses.

  She shot another, clinging to another.

  Eltaras moved to his feet, readying himself.

  Like a slingshot, she launched herself towards her brother both of the children smiling.

  "Eat this!" Joriah yelled. Eltaras only chuckled, flames erupting around his hands.

  He lifted them, sending out two Flame Claws as Joriah neared, and he equipped himself with more fire, preparing to send more.

  But Joriah flew right past the claws, and he.

  Confusion filled his face, but quickly, he was grappled by webs. He was lifted off of his feet, his body following Joriah's momentum as he was dragged into the air.

  "UWAH!" He screamed, loosing all of his balance.

  And then!

  Boom!

  He was slammed into the dirt, right on his back.

  The air was knocked right out of his body, and he could no longer breathe.

  He struggled to find his wind, grasping at his back, but Joriah didn't care. She strode over to him, looking down upon his writhing figure.

  "Looks like I win this one!" She laughed.

  Clap! Clap!

  Another figure landed on the dirt, some dust being kicked up.

  Jora stood up, Ana silently appeared behind him, Kuta and Ana'fae running up from their spots on the houses.

  "Good fight young ones!" Jora clapped.

  "Great hand to hand combat, and you both are pretty strong..." He smiled.

  "You all match the power of a pretty gifted C-rank.." Ana added.

  "Far stronger than I imagined..." Jora nodded.

  "Thank you!" Joriah happily exclaimed.

  "Y-Yeah!" Eltaras gave a thumbs up from the ground.

  They could only chuckle.

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  He blinked awake. Like it had been on multiple occasions, his face was kissing the floor, drool stuck to it. So he pushed himself upwards, rising to his feet.

  He was deep within Flamehold, near the end of the fourth floor. Or maybe in the middle still, he hadn't taken much note before he fell asleep.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  He had eliminated a plethora of C-rank Fire Ursa, the few stray Great Ursa succumbing to his might as well.

  He looked down the corridor in front of his vision, rolling his neck around, as if it would crack.

  "[Safe to assume it has five floors... D-rank to B-rank progression is fitting of a B-rank dungeon... If it was A-rank things would've started at C-rank.]" She noted.

  Jora cleared his throat, disappearing down the hall while conjuring his Status.

  Smiling at the new additions, like the slight raise in level, the boost in Attributes, and the skills, Jora quickly appeared before more enemies.

  "Not really worth my time are you..." He muttered, stepping past a group of bears, consuming them as he traveled.

  He sent them straight into Aeternum.

  There likely weren't any other mobs left that were worth consumption on the fourth floor.

  So of course, he aimed for the floor Boss.

  He zipped down corridors, monsters disappearing in his wake, Great Ursa and Fire Ursa alike. Each of them were consumed, their bodies and souls being transferred to Aeternum.

  Honestly, he figured they would enjoy life more there anyway. His world was more dense in energy than this place. Their souls would be more nourished as they hunted. Effectively, Aeternum was an experience boosted land.

  He wished he could take advantage of those benefits, but unfortunately that wasn't very possible. It was all his energy of course...

  He blitzed forward, utilizing all of his skills to worst of his abilities.

  He was a little bit too lazy to go all out... Likely thanks to his slothful attributes...

  But he did take note of a skill evolution as he came to swift stop in front of the floor Boss Portal...

  "Heh, nice." He smiled.

  And then he stepped through the portal.

  Dashing through the watery film, he watched as a beast rose up from its slumber in the center of the rather massive and regal chamber.

  It was well lit, lined with bright torches, and a dome shaped ceiling.

  He looked upwards and all around, observing the room.

  Semi-impressed...

  And then he focused his eyes back onto his target.

  With his foe standing to its full height, he couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

  Flames erupted on the Ursa's back, coating itself in a rather intimidating fire.

  But Jora knew better.

  This Boss, at the peak of the low B-rank, was hardly stronger than the four young kids in Aeternum... Surely, it most definitely had far more skills than a kid like Eltaras, but its Attributes weren't that far beyond. If anything they were relatively equal, thanks to the boost the kids had in their hidden Attributes.

  "I bet Eltaras and Joriah could take you on their own." He chuckled, patting his stomach.

  "But I'll accept this meal! I'd rather get to the main prize down at the bottom of the Dungeon." He leaned forward, gripping at the pitch black hilt that stuck out of his spine.

  "[Sword Stance]." He murmured, the Ursa leaning over.

  "I'll make this a little bit fun..." Jora added, having fully drawn his weapon.

  His pitch black blade, darkness incarnate, in the shape of a katana, the first and only weapon he had the chance of devouring whole, to this date.

  His brows narrowed, and a small smirk rose up on his face.

  Both he and the Ursa showed no signs of movement.

  If a coin fell, it would have sounded like the world was crashing down.

  "[Flash Movement]."

  And with no further notice, Jora disappeared.

  He didn't become invisible, no, he simply moved faster than could be tracked.

  The Ursa hardly was able to see him.

  "[Blade Storm]."

  A reign of slashes came crashing down upon the Ursa's back, its flame wavered.

  "Arugh!" It groaned, stumbling around, attempting to block Jora's flurry of attacks.

  But it was useless.

  With Blade Storm each successful hit, increased in damage. Cut after cut, slash after slash.

  And before five seconds could pass.

  Thud...

  A corpse tumbled to the ground, headless, with arms severed, and a torso that was chopped into pieces of meat.

  "I make a decent swordsman..." He smiled, sheathing the sword back into his back.

  He aimed a hand at the bits of bear, going invisible, the bear following him as he disappeared.

  Jora let the power roll down into his stomach as he marched towards the passage to the fifth floor.

  His smile deepened, and he summoned a skill panel, to take real note of all the advancements he had made in it since its acquisition.

  He raised his brows in content, stepping down the stairwell.

  A flame erupted in his palm, one that glowed black with heat. As he stepped, he extended that palm, firing out a stream of black flame.

  Whatever it touched, disappeared into his stomach, and he could truly taste it.

  "Bland..." He scoffed, warping the stone into Aeternum for Ana to do whatever she wanted with it.

  "Let's test this out on the next floor!..."

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