Shinobi From Hell

"Ha ha," Steve laughter didn't cease to exist. 

His kidneys were no longer filtering his blood. His stomach was no longer churning the monster blood he had just drank. His heart rate increased leading to more blood being pumped to his muscles. His pupils dilated to see better. Hormones rushed through his blood diminishing his pain and exhaustion. Adrenaline levels shot through the roof!

All sorts of weird things began happening to him as he felt that his strength was coming back. Indeed, he was not done, he had a little bit of strength left.

The human body is strange… it couldn't be judged by stats and numbers alone. When driven to a corner it could show abilities that had been considered impossible before!

Monsters started popping out of thin air. The second wave had started. Unlike the previous wave, they came far less in numbers. What's more? They didn't move in packs. They had a lion's body with devil wings on its back and a giant scorpion tail coming out from their lower abdomen.

"Tch, more stupid monsters," Steve couldn't help but roll his eyes in annoyance. His body was definitely not in a state to fight.

Steve stood his ground. He had decided beforehand that he wouldn't fight anyone unless they attacked him first! It was at this point that he was following the steps Klautz had followed till now.

His exhausted body had led him to change his ways and follow Klautz's instead. the path of preservance. But no matter how much one tries to stay out of trouble, trouble always finds you. And soon enough the age old proverb was proved right.

"Grrr," one of the manticores grunted its teeth like a lion. The manticore had got Steve's smell in the air. The smell of humans made it drool. It walked closer and closer on its four legs as it glared at Steve as if he were food.

Steve cracked his knuckles.

*crack*

"Come, Come to your daddy," he smirked. His punches have not yet lost their glory.

***

"Ha!"

*Swish*

Klautz leapt in the air and pierced his sword into the manticore's head, his whole body weight aiding him in the attack.

"These are weaker than the real thing. For a moment I was worried about fighting these monstrosities here." Klautz whispered.

The manticores that had spawned here were just a cheap replica of the original one found in hell. Those found in hell's wilderness were like the king of their area but these? These were just about twice as strong as an average newbie.

But even if he found that these beasts were weaker than he had predicted before, the odds were still not completely in Klautz's favour.

'It's time to finally send them away,' Klautz thought.

At this point, Verona and Selena were just coming in his way. When fighting the giant armadillos it was a different scenario. They had aided him then in distracting the beasts. But these manticores hunted alone, not in packs. They were much stronger than the armadillos that needed to rely on packs to protect themselves.

If the girls tried they could have probably cleared out at least one pack. They might have to bet on their lives to do that though. But against the manticores they were helpless. From the very start, these aren't the type of monsters newbies should mess with.

That is why Klautz had decided to send them away through the escape portal. But, there was another reason.

The bonus stage was coming to its end. Soon there would be a victor and it would be just one man. There was only one prize and it wasn't meant to be shared amongst three. Hence, having them around was utterly pointless for Klautz.

"Follow me," Klautz instructed.

Selena nodded.

But Verona had other plans in mind. She rubbed her forefingers together as he walked close to him.

"Emm, Klautz," she called out to him with a squeak. Her pupils were moving left and right not able to meet Klautz's gaze. [1]

'What is she so nervous for?'

"Yes?" Klautz however didn't ask the question in his mind and replied with a nonchalant tone.

"I want to apologize," she squeaked looking down feeling genuinely guilty.

'So that was it.'

Klautz nodded.

"Although there are a lot of things you need to apologize for, which one is this for?"

Verona had caused a lot of trouble for Klautz. Klautz had never been so magnanimous in his life to anyone as he was to Verona. It was just that her innocent and caring nature made Klautz refrain from being too harsh on her. it was hard to find people like Verona in hell.

Verona looked at Klautz as she blinked. The question marks on her face were visible.

'He still doesn't understand?'

Klautz is usually smart at other times but she wondered what had happened today? Klautz couldn't understand her intentions at all!

But Verona began to explain anyway.

"Sorry for disobeying your words. I should have not tried to save him," Verona said, pointing to Byron's dead body lying on the floor as she ducked her head in shame. Her head was sinking more and more into her large chest as her lips pursed.

Saying sorry was okay but actually wording out what wrong she had done was much darn embarrassing. Her face had grown to a tinge of red with shame.

She had realized everything. Byron's plan, his intentions to kill her, his little ploy. Somehow seeing him coming to attack her made it all clear of what he was and what his intentions were.

"I am sorry, I am really sorry. I won't do it again..." Her voice lost power as it trailed. With a bent posture she apologized to Klautz for the trouble she had caused for the team.

***

[1] Don't ask how she got to know. Selena knew his name, so ofc she would notice after spending two days with their PDA.

Author:

Creation is hard for us authors. Cheer me up with your power stones!

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