As Vale stared at six warriors charging him, he couldn't help but fear for the worst. While it wasn't a staggering amount, it was still concerning how swiftly this group bypassed Ximena and Salome, as well as Stacy's squad, which was now half dead, fighting for their lives somewhere in the maze.

Vale dismissed his armor to conserve his Aether. Then, noticing he'd jumped right next to where he dropped his whip, he picked it up and sent a few lashes before throwing it back again and engaging head-on with his sword.

The warriors slashed their claws ferociously at Vale, who dodged with expert footwork and slashed the wrists, but was forced to disengage when the Champion, D2 (Dickless 2nd), whipped its tail, with a slight bulge on the end, at his head.

Vale somersaulted backward to dodge, but had to drop his sword in the maneuver to maintain balance. The moment Vale's feet touched the ground, he lunged and tried to grab his weapon, but D2 was having none of that.

"Never!"

The Champion stepped forward and slammed its foot down on the blade, trapping it while holding its own at the ready.

Vale was forced to jump away and was barely given any time to think as the warriors charged past D2 and toward Vale in pure, blistering fury.

This was a real shitty situation… But for some reason, Vale was smiling.

He wasn't necessarily ecstatic about fighting. At the same time, he was ready for some action… He'd been waiting to test his strength with a real threat. Not only that…

He simply enjoyed the thrill of a fight. While the idea of one wasn't all too enticing for Vale, once in action, it was.

In regard to his current state…

Oddly, the feeling coursing through his veins wasn't due to adrenaline…

As he understood it, Vale's body was no longer human per se, but his Aether Construct was still modeled after the human vessel, so it was able to produce the same chemicals and reactions, only with some minor differences in form and capability.

Vale took a deep, relaxing breath as the closest Chameleon Warrior slashed at his bare chest.

'Ah… I see.'

His current excited state was the result of one of two things: Ember of Lust or his Aspect. As for what exactly was happening…

Vale's body was secreting the same endorphins and dopamine as it did during sex. And it wasn't a small amount… It was a metric fuck ton! This would explain the pain-numbing and his odd, increasing desire to fight despite being a chill guy. The bottom line was…

Vale was in a situation that got his blood pumping!

As the group descended on Vale, a euphoric feeling surged through his body. With a dubious smile, Vale copied Salome and fashioned his nails into claws with Rudimentary Shapeshifting. Then, he activated the bracer armor to absorb the blow while returning his own punishment with double the force.

Vale swiped like a wild beast and easily rended the scaly flesh of one of the warriors, who stumbled back and coughed up blood before keeling over and sinking into the stone ground; Its natural resistance to slashes did nothing in the face of Vale's might. The moment it died, a transient rapture gripped his soul – a mass of oxytocin had been released upon his kill.

Running off this high, Vale disregarded defense, leaving it all up to his armor, while he danced around and sank his claws into the warriors' flesh, striking their hearts. Each new kill letting him feel the rush once again.

In no time, Vale dispatched the six and was once again alone with D2, who was watching a little ways away with an unamused look on its face.

Vale unsummoned his armor and stood still, locking eyes with the silent bastard as blood dripped from his hands. The staring contest continued for a couple of seconds until Vale confusedly asked the still chameleon:

"What?"

Yet in the next moment, the reason for its stillness was revealed.

Feeling an odd premonition, Vale tried to jump out of the way, but it was too late. He felt a dull pain in his gut and looked down to notice the tip of a sword poking through his abdomen.

'Shit!'

Lust fired up and quickly blocked the pain while Vale hurriedly shapeshifted his body to lock the blade in place to spare his organs. Then, Vale forced himself forward, sliding from the blade's edge, and jumped toward D2. As he did, he watched the visage of D2 shimmer and fade.

'So, it was a fake?!'

Vale looked back at the streamers to see D2 standing in front of them with an odd look on its scaly face, a bit of Vale's blood splattered on its hands.

Vale had let his guard down because of the lack of a Dawn's Eye…

Either the Dawn's Eye had been a misdirection this whole time, or this bastard didn't need light to use its ability. Not to mention it could create a clone of itself…

Vale had no idea the bounds of the bastard's ability, but he wasn't going to let him get to the core.

Vale picked up his sword and then empowered his legs with Aether and dashed back at D2, who stood motionless.

Vale swiped at D2 only for his blade to cut through its body as if it were merely air. Spending no time in thought, Vale spun around and sent a wild strike behind him, expecting a flank attack, only for D2 to appear from behind its own fake body.

Vale rolled forward just in time to dodge the ability.

Yet D2 didn't waste a moment continuing its attack and pressed on before Vale could regain his footing. Vale spun around and fell on his back and held his blade flat side up above his head, barely fast enough to catch D2's blow.

As the screeching of metal on metal sounded, Vale couldn't help but question D2's choice to go after him instead of the core. It had the skill set to potentially assassinate it. So why opt to fight Vale?

Vale empowered his arms and sliced at D2, forcing it away and giving Vale enough space to rise to his feet once again, towering over his small foe.

Hearing some scratches and snarls, Vale looked back at the maze entrance to see a bloodied chameleon-frog hybrid limping toward him with a bloodthirsty look. When it spotted Vale, it screamed in a foreign language and began stumbling toward him.

'The hell?!'

Vale's attention was forcefully returned to D2, who was once again still.

Vale intently studied his surroundings, looking for any change in the air, but nothing except the metallic smell of the new sauntering enemy's blood.

In a quick decision, Vale decided to strike the motionless D2, only for its body to spring into action and block his blow while sending a counter of its own.

'Damned dickless loser faked it!'

Vale blocked D2's sideswipe, swinging his sword into it, and then swiftly picked up his left leg and kicked D2's kneecap.

D2 screamed in pain as it flailed back and crashed into the wall.

"Argh!"

Though Vale was quickly forced to change his attention to the chameleon-frog, which had closed in on him and was slowly swiping at him.

Vale easily dodged the pitiful attempt before crouching and sending his sword into the chest of the already half-dead beast.

[You have slain Nascent Mutant Brakal, Champion of Calumma]

[+2 Aether]

The relieving feeling of oxytocin filled Vale with glee and amped his lust for more battle, even his member below was starting to get excited at just the prospect of more fighting.

But… two Aether?

'Stingy…'

How did it give five for a warrior and two for a Champion?!

'But… Calumma.'

So that was the bastard's name — or at least the name of its dungeon.

Vale turned his attention back to D2, who was struggling to stand, using its tail as a splint for its leg. D2 looked at Vale with wide eyes and muttered:

"Shit…"

Then held its blade above its head and blocked Vale's blow; however, it wasn't able to dodge Vale's subsequent kick that shot into its already shattered knee.

D2 dropped its weapon and crumpled to the ground in pain.

Vale kicked away the sword and stood over the little chameleon.

"You seem pretty articulate… want to have a little chat while I wait for more of your friends?"

Instead of responding… the chameleon reached for its own throat and squeezed with insane pressure.

Vale reeled back and awkwardly watched as the beast gripped harder and harder into its own flesh.

'Wait… is this bastard trying to deny me the kill?!'

Vale lunged forward and thrust his sword, but it was too late. The bastard squeezed with so much force that it ripped out its own jugular. Though it wasn't like Vale was denied the reward…

[A challenger has been slain]

[+5 Aether]

But he didn't get to hear the identity of his kill…

'That bastard was a mere warrior?'

Or it was a Nascent Anethema class Champion…?

'But it wasn't even close to Ximena's level…'

While it didn't entirely matter… something was bothering Vale about that particular foe.

'Why did it communicate so… humanly?'

Was it simply because it was smart? Or was there something else at play?

Whatever it was, Vale could ponder it once his dungeon was safe.

A blood-soaked Vale tried his best to hold his wound back with shapeshifting as he leaned down, picked up his blade, and turned to face a Chameleon Warrior who'd just wandered in.

[Your Worker…]

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