'An S- - Rank being, likely aning that she isn't even truly considered an S-Rank,' thought Cassius, his tone growing ever more serious. 'However, even though she isn't a true S-Rank, her danger rating is in the Black range… My first Black-rating existence…'
He should have been scared. Hell, he should have been terrified that such an opponent had appeared!
Yet he wasn't.
For so inexplicable reason, a large surge of excitent washed over him, causing his body to tremble. More than ever before, he was thrilled. He wanted to fight an existence that exceeded his ability to an insurmountable degree!
He needed to fight!
Since his original encounter with the Tyrant Kings and the Tyrant God in that enigmatic Gate, Cassius had undergone many subtle changes. With each life taken by his hands and with every increase in power, his personality had shifted, little by little.
Though he wouldn't necessarily throw his life away against an overwhelmingly powerful opponent, this ti felt different. He was willing to gamble; he was willing to risk his life for the sake of power and exhilaration!
Hellion noticed sothing change within the human's determined gaze.
"...Do you truly wish for death so badly? There is nothing to gain from progressing past this point. No lies have been spoken from my lips. I am far from the strongest in HELL, and you are incapable of defeating . What do you hope to accomplish from this foolishness? Is there sothing you are trying to achieve? I don't believe so… Your path seems aimless… scattered…"
Cassius, still caught in the thrill of facing such a powerful opponent, paused to think over her question.
After a mont, his straight lips curved into an excited smirk. "You are right. Under normal circumstances, I would have no need to risk my life in HELL, especially when I'm so weak. But…"
"But?" Hellion inquired, her gaze narrowing slightly.
"But I can beco stronger through fighting!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Like a cannonball of spasming red and black energy, Cassius launched forward at speeds far surpassing anything he had previously displayed.
Another chunk of AP had been dumped into Agility!
"You are kind; I can see that," he said as he blazed toward Hellion. "But I have to beco stronger. I want to survive, yes. Yet, to survive, I have to beco more powerful. This world is not for the weak; you know that."
Hellion's unyielding eyes tracked the quick movents of the reckless human as though attempting to understand his intent.
"To beco strong enough to survive in HELL from your current state would be impossible," she declared, her dainty hand lifting effortlessly. "You sohow beca faster just now, but that will not be enough. Leave this place; never co back."
Flick!
It began with a simple flick.
Yet that flick alone was enough to quell the violent, deadly energies rolling out in waves around Cassius's charging figure. Moreover, with that effortless motion ca a gust of golden wind that pushed against him with a force far exceeding his ability to resist.
His body rippled in slow motion as the imnse force hurled him backward at hundreds of thousands of tis the speed of sound. He nearly lost consciousness just from experiencing sothing close to the speed of light, yet the pain didn't end there.
Cassius struck the 5th Floor's backside wall with a deafening crack. However, the opposing force proved too great; he crashed through the wall and was sent sailing outside the Pyramid.
Ten seconds later.
As his battered body finally began its descent, Cassius regained consciousness. This was the second ti Hellion had knocked him out cold, and it hadn't beco any more pleasant.
'My bones are mostly shattered… And my internal injuries are not few,' Cassius thought as he assessed his condition. 'I seem to have already crashed into a building or sothing, but I can't see anything because of the blood covering my eyes, and I can't feel anything because of the extensive damage done to my body.'
It beca imdiately clear to him that this was a warning. Albeit a cruel one, it was Hellion's way of making him understand the danger that awaited him.
"Heh…" Cassius grinned through bloodied teeth. "That woman is truly sothing else. *Cough!* *Cough!*"
'If I were relying solely on my Endurance stat, I'd likely need several hours to fully recover from injuries like this,' he mused while activating the S-Rank |Rapid Regeneration| Skill. 'She knew just enough about my stat sheet to know I could survive sothing like this. Moreover, she also knew I had stealth skills capable of hiding from bloodthirsty demons while I recovered… Ha…'
The more Cassius thought about Hellion, the more his opinion of her improved. 'Benevolent yet cruel. Kind yet ruthless. Decisive yet careful and precise—my interest in her grows with each passing second.'
Slowly, Cassius rose from the crater he had created in a massive skyscraper located thousands of miles from the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid. He cracked his neck, his expectant grin evening out into a blank expression.
'I can't let my excitent get the better of . I need to focus.'
FWIP!
In an instant, he vanished, his destination as clear as day.
Monts later, he was already back on the 5th Floor of the Oracle Sphinx's Pyramid. The first thing he saw was the impossibly gorgeous Hellish Sphinx.
Without turning to face him, Hellion said, "So this is the choice you've made. Death awaits you beyond that Gate; you're aware. Yet you still relentlessly pursue your own demise…"
"Very well…"
Slowly, she shifted her frosty eyes toward the battered human standing defiantly before her. As she did, her aura grew ever more oppressive.
"The kind of death that awaits you beyond that Gate is not a pleasant one. And though I've always avoided unnecessary killing, I cannot allow soone with a soul as kind as yours to et such an end. Therefore…"
She raised her hand, golden wind gathering around her fingertips.
"I'll have to kill you myself."
WHOOOOOSH!!
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