Boom!
The fortunate roasted goblin quickly faded away, turning into a puff of smoke, and then dissipated.
Only a few small magic stones and some sharp nails remained on the ground, as the reward for Aiden's cooking this time.
"Talk about beginner's luck, this is a great start. With the Golden Rule, I'm practically blessed by Lady Luck herself. No, scratch that, I'm Lady Luck now, haha..." Despite witnessing the flaming storm tearing through and scorching the goblins, Aiden's heart remained unperturbed. It was only seeing the nails scattered all over that stirred some excitement in Aiden, who had long endured the torment of scarcity.
After all, while magic stones were bound to drop, it was entirely a matter of luck whether materials would drop. On unlucky days, you might not even get a single drop of material.
After calming his emotions, Aiden stepped over the magic stones and materials, heading directly towards the direction of the second floor.
For the currently inflated Aiden, the valis that could be exchanged for the magic stones and materials dropped by goblins were no longer enticing to him, so he couldn't be bothered to bend down to pick them up.
And so, Aiden headed towards the deeper levels, familiar with the path.
Along the way, he engaged in heated battles with the monsters of the dungeon.
"Awoo-rua awoo-rua!" Goblins.
"Firestorm."
"Awoo~~" Kobolds.
"Firestorm."
"Quack! Quack! Quack!" Frog Shooters.
"Firestorm."
"Snap snap!" Purple Moths and Killer Ants.
"Firestorm."
"Chirp chirp chirp chirp." Needle Rabbits.
"Firestorm."
Firestorm! Firestorm! Firestorm! Firestorm! Firestorm! Firestorm! Firestorm! Firestorm! Firestorm!
Even by the ninth floor, Aiden hadn't drawn his sword. Aside from picking up more valuable magic stones and drop materials, he maintained the posture of folding his arms, using Firestorm to deal with any monsters he encountered.
Originally, Aiden wanted to use a more casual stance, but with the two big guys hanging on his magnetic back, he had to settle for this.
If anyone saw Aiden pretending to be cool with his arms folded, and then without chanting a single spell, conjuring a flaming storm out of thin air to incinerate monsters as they approached, they would surely be left dumbfounded.
Crossing through the corridor, the vista suddenly opened up.
The endless expanse of white grassland shrouded in gray mist stretched out, with a few barren trees sporadically dotting the landscape. In the distance, the thick fog emitted the occasional roar of monsters.
Aiden once again arrived at the tenth floor, the place where he shed his first drop of blood.
*Thud* *Thud* *Thud* *Thud*
A massive figure steadily approached through the dense fog, its continuous footsteps reverberating through Aiden's entire body.
"Raaaahhhhhl!"
Accompanied by a deep growl, an orc standing three meters tall with a pig's head emerged.
"Hey, long time no see, Orc-san." Aiden chatted as if meeting an old acquaintance.
The orc fixed its dull eyes on Aiden, slowly reaching out to uproot a dead tree, its crimson eyes gleaming with malice.
"Raaaahhhhhl!" The orc charged forward.
"Until next time." Aiden waved with a smile.
The next moment, the Firestorm engulfed the orc.
Perhaps due to its ample fat reserves and robust vitality, the orc endured longer than most.
The raging wind tore at its skin, the flames searing its thick fat.
The air carried the scent of burning pork and grease.
"Aghhhhh!"
The orc, engulfed in the Firestorm, continued to emit agonizing roars.
"What's that? Sorry, can't hear you over the wind. Oh, you want to cool down? My apologies, my third magic isn't ice, otherwise, I could've given you a taste of both fire and ice." Aiden chuckled as he gripped the hilt of Durandal.
"Looks like I'll have to end your suffering quickly. No need to thank me~" Aiden gripped Durandal's hilt with both hands, and like a shooting star, a golden streak flashed by.
"Oh, and one more thing, remember to leave a five-star review in Hell~"
Then, the orc signaled its defeat.
Returning Durandal to his magnetic back, Aiden picked up the materials and magic stones dropped by the orc before stepping directly into the thick fog, heading towards the eleventh floor.
...
As Aiden stepped into the chamber of the eleventh floor, he was greeted by a resounding roar that he would never forget.
"An infant dragon? Well, what a coincidence. Tonight, let's make Dragon Slayer live up to its name." Aiden strode forward eagerly toward the direction of the infant dragon.
The eleventh floor retained the same structure as the tenth, with fog permeating the area, except for the passage connecting the tenth and twelfth floors.
As far as the eye could see, there stretched an endless expanse of white grassland, dotted with the occasional barren tree that monsters could wield as weapons.
To the side, the walls of the dungeon began to crack and fracture.
Emerging from within the fractured walls was an unusually greasy, green, muscular arm.
The sound of the crumbling walls did not cease, as similar sounds echoed from ahead. Numerous monsters burst forth from the shattered walls.
From the tenth floor onwards, it was common for people to witness the sudden emergence of a large number of monsters in the same area.
When this phenomenon occurred, the once-empty space would be instantly filled with monsters. Adventurers sometimes referred to this as Monsterphilia.
It was a highly dangerous occurrence.
But danger was relative. Right now, it wasn't Aiden who was in danger, but the monsters.
"Oh? You're Approaching Me? How delightful. Hey, Orc-san, let's start the party!" Aiden taunted, spreading his arms wide.
"Tempest." Invisible winds enveloped Aiden's body.
Leaning forward, Aiden kicked with his right leg.
In the next moment, a black spear streaked across the ground, interlaced with golden hues.
The black spear arrived in an instant, appearing before the orc. Taking advantage of the momentary surprise caused by the sudden appearance of the enemy, Aiden, who had grown accustomed to this speed, swung his sword.
A satisfying 'squelch' resounded.
The orc fell to the ground with a thud, becoming Aiden's spoils.
The sudden turn of events left the already sluggish orc stunned, while Aiden continued to move at a speed akin to the wind, attacking the orc.
Unparalleled.
Like a feather dancing in the wind, Aiden moved like a black meteor through the sluggish orcs. Every time he brushed past them, their stout bodies were cut and torn by Durandal, collapsing to the ground with a thud.
With each sword strike, accompanied by the lightning-like golden flash of the blade, the orcs's bodies lit up, and they lost their lives instantly.
Aiden leaped into the air, and Durandal swung violently.
The final orc's head soared into the air.
___
If you're interested in reading more, feel free to visit my pat reon:
https : // www .pat reon. com /XElenea