Splurt!

"Haah... fuu... ugh..."

More than two hours later, Gray reached a point where he needed to rest for a few hours before continuing up the next part of the stairway.

Currently, the strongest monster he had faced was some kind of giant bull with green flames, and it was at the peak of the Grandmaster realm.

This was also his limit, as he had already sustained significant injuries.

The Combat Intuition was maxed out; however, the bull was now comparable to him in speed.

Of course, if he used one of the technique's steps, they wouldn't be able to catch him, but the technique consumes too much mana. Still, thanks to this deadly training, his skills had improved somewhat.

He also discovered he could use the Swap Skill inside the room, and raised its level to four.

And if that wasn't enough, he actually broke through into the Master Realm! Not to mention his Class evolved to the High Path level.

Additionally, he tried to use his Nullification Talent and found it took a full hour to recover just a single point.

If his points reach zero, his soul will die, allowing the other Gray to take over easily, which also means Jasmine would die.

"Status Panel."

[———✵ Status Panel ✵———]

Name: Gray Vireux D'Aurélion [2]

Titles: Vessel of Beauty & Destruction, Exiled Noble, Incubus In Human Form

Race: Human (?)

Class: [✧ Clown (High) ✧]

Rank: Early Master Realm

Unique Skill: [✧Swap✧]

Unique Talent: Nullification [200/200]

Active Skills: Puppet Strings (Class), Madman's Mirror (Class [Lv.2]), Nine Illusionary Dream Steps [0% (9th Step)], Dimensional Storage

Passive Skills: Blessing of Beauty (Vessel Skill [Lv.3]), Laughing Veil (Class), Combat Intuition

Ultimate Skills: Final Masquerade (Class)

——+——+——+——

[...Go, Gray. Even if you die, you won't really die, so it's better to simply go ahead.]

Hearing her words, Gray's eyes flashed with a hint of insanity as he gritted his teeth and stood up, feeling bones he had broken ache, causing him to grimace lightly.

His vision blurred at the edges, but his mind stayed frighteningly sharp—like pain was the only thing keeping him alive.

He barely had time to breathe before more shadows moved in the blowing white.

Treelings.

Thin, twisted bark-skinned creatures with glowing green fire pulsing in their chests.

Their branches rattled like bones shaking in the wind. Five of them rushed him at once, claws scraping, leaving streaks of green flame across the snow.

He flicked his fingers.

Fwip!

Invisible threads burst out, slicing through the air before instantly wrapping around the first treeling's limbs.

CRACK!

Branches snapped clean.

The creature shrieked in a high wooden screech before collapsing into splinters.

The second leapt forward. Gray swung his rapier upward in a smooth arc, flame reflecting off the steel.

The blade slid through bark as if it were wet paper.

The remaining three lunged together, claws slashing.

Gray gritted his teeth and let his body move with pure instinct.

He jumped back, flicked a set of threads into the snow at their feet, and pulled his threads back.

SHRRRIP!

Snow turned red as they were dragged under their own momentum, bodies torn apart by the tangled strings.

"...Now, the wolves..." he muttered.

"Growwlll!"

"Growwwwwwllllll!"

They spawned directly around him, forming a circle as they stared at Gray like he was a simple prey.

"Haah..."

Gray spun the rapier in his hand, breath fogging the air.

Fwoop!

The first wolf darted in from his right. He barely shifted his stance and drove his heel into its jaw.

Crack!

It yelped, and his rapier flash-stabbed through its skull before it even hit the ground.

But the others came faster.

His shoulder tore open as one scraped claws across him.

Another bite into his leg, teeth sinking deep through flesh.

"Grrr...!" Gray screamed through clenched teeth.

His threads coiled around them like barbed wire, squeezing until they burst apart, leaving chunks of burning fur steaming around him.

He limped, dragging his useless leg for a moment until muscle stitched itself back enough to move.

Then came more, rats the size of bulls, with flaming green veins glowing under sick skin, hissing like boiling water.

Their numbers swarmed the slope like a rolling storm.

Gray raised a shaking hand.

"...Huff, Madman's Mirror."

A phantom version of himself flickered into existence, then it instantly rushed forward first, stabbing and twisting, laughing silently as he tore through the creatures.

Gray followed right behind, rapier cutting arcs in the air.

Fwip, fwip!

Strings slashed through fur and flesh.

Rats exploded into wet chunks of burning meat.

Those were quite annoying to deal with, as they could move normally even if they suffered a killing blow.

When the last one fell, Gray collapsed to his knees, clutching his chest. Blood pumped between his fingers.

His hand shook so badly he could barely grip his weapon.

"Hahh… hahh… f-fuck…"

Thrum!

The ground suddenly started shaking a little, causing his eyes to widen as he felt the familiar presence.

But it was quite strange... as normally, there were still a few monsters left... like the flaming birds he had fought off before.

He looked forward and sucked a cold breath.

A giant bull, bigger than the last, green flames surrounding its whole body like a raging inferno. Its hooves melted the snow beneath it as it charged, while its horns cut the air with a booming roar that shook bone.

Gray forced himself to stand as his vision continued to get worse.

Fwip!

Threads lashed out, trying to restrain its legs, but the bull ripped through them like wet hair.

It slammed into him.

CRUNCH.

Air blasted from his lungs. His back smashed into an icy wall that fractured from the impact. He coughed blood onto the ground as pain screamed down his spine.

The bull snorted and charged again.

"[✧Swap✧]"

He vanished.

The bull thundered through the wall instead, stone exploding outward.

Gray reappeared on its back, driving his rapier downward into its neck.

The bull screamed and burst into flames, thrashing. It threw him high, and he twisted mid-air, strings firing out to the ground.

Grip!

He landed hard on one knee but didn't fall. His side was cracked, his ribs grinding with every breath.

He staggered and then felt it.

An overwhelming killing intent.

"...Is this the next small boss?" he chuckled madly.

He turned to look, and he didn't seem surprised at what monster it was.

It was massive, armored in thick plates of charred bone. Two horns curved high like obsidian blades, dripping with emerald fire.

It was a fucking Minotaur, at the Early Great Grandmaster stage.

Its sheer aura choked the air, making Gray's knees shake.

It raised its battle-axe, an enormous slab of metal glowing with green flames, and stomped once.

BOOM.

Gray barely moved before the axe crashed down where he'd been, the shockwave blasting him backward.

He hit the snow, rolled, and came up slashing threads across the minotaur's arm.

Snap!

They snapped like nothing.

It backhanded him.

CRACK!

THUD!

Gray's world spun, and his teeth were scattered into the snow. Blood drenched his face as his arms shook, useless for a second.

But even with those injuries... he pulled himself up.

And smiled.

A shaky, bloody grin.

"…You're… strong…" he muttered, wiping his mouth.

"ROAAAAAAARRRRR!"

The minotaur ignored his words and madly roared before charging at him.

"Huff... Nine Illusionary Dream Steps!"

[✧ Dream Mist ✧]

The world blurred around him.

His body felt light as a snow mist swirled, and he vanished from the minotaur's sight, reappearing right behind it.

Fwip, fwip!

Splat!

Strings cut into the back of its knees.

The beast stumbled with a furious bellow, swinging its axe backwards. Gray ducked under it, but the blade unfortunately clipped his shoulder.

SPLURT!

"ARGHHH!"

His arm nearly flew off.

Only a thin strip of skin and muscle kept it attached. He screamed, staggering back, vision going white from pain.

[✧Swap✧]

He blinked, appearing above the minotaur, flipping upside-down and grabbing his rapier before plunging down into its eye.

The creature howled in agony, green fire blasting from the wound. Gray ripped the blade free, twisting as he fell, strings anchoring to the beast to swing him aside.

But the minotaur's fist slammed into him mid-air.

WHAM.

His ribs collapsed inward.

"BLURGHHH!"

He vomited blood across the snow.

His legs went numb, buckling as he rolled across the ground.

"U-ugh..."

He tried to stand but fell either way.

"D-dammit... legs..."

He stood up... and then laughed through the pain, as if trying to unfeel it.

"HAHGAHAHAA!!! You can't… beat me… fucker!"

His voice cracked, but his eyes blazed with madness.

BAAM!

The minotaur stomped toward him, killing intent sharp as knives.

Gray raised his trembling hand.

His mirror self appeared, sprinting forward, stabbing, forcing the minotaur to block and swing wildly.

Gray dragged strings across the ground, wrapping around the creature's legs again and again, layer upon layer.

The minotaur tore through them each time, but slower.

"Cough, agh... pfft!"

Gray coughed up more blood, spat out a tooth, and triggered:

"[✧Swap✧]"

Mirror Gray appeared where he stood, taking the axe.

The original Gray materialized behind the beast, both hands on his rapier, last strength burning through his veins.

He stabbed upward, deep into the exposed wound in its eye socket.

"FUCKING DIE, YOU BITCH ASS MOTHERFUCKER!"

"GRAGGHHHHHHHH!"

The minotaur screamed.

And the strings pulled the weapon deeper.

SPLAAAAASH!

Brain matter erupted as the green fire burst from the inside of its skull, eyes exploding in a flash of light.

Thud!

The beast fell forward, and Gray fell with it, crushed under the weight of the collapsing corpse.

"......"

There was complete silence for a few moments...

"Huff... a-argh..."

Except Gray's heavy breathing...

He shoved the corpse off him inch by inch, vision flickering like a dying candle.

His bones were shattered, his right arm was useless, one of his legs was barely working, and his heart was beating too fast, like it wanted to break free from his chest.

But he smiled anyway.

Drip...

Blood dripped from his teeth.

"I c-can't die, right?"

He shakily crawled towards the next stage of the stairway.

"...O-one more..."

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