Grey sat cross-legged on a smooth stone; he wore shorts and exposed his pale nicked body, deep within the tranquil expanse of the Safe Grounds. His body was still bruised and sore from the Oceanic Abyss, the battle against the Kraken lingering in his mind like a haunting echo. Horrors flushed his mind, the dark scalp of the sea, runes on the ocean.
He exhaled slowly. "Fuuuuu…"
The sound of his breath merged with the whisper of the wind. He closed his eyes, letting the rhythm of his breathing steady his thoughts. Images of the Kraken's tendrils, its monstrous roars, and the suffocating pressure of the deep replayed behind his eyelids as he saw the bottom of the sea with towering tentacles.
He grunted, fists tightening. The memory crushed his mind in macabre fashion. It wasn't easy surviving such an encounter; even when he had triumphed, he still felt multiple ways in which he could have died. He groaned.
"No… not now! Argh! I thought it only happens when I'm sleeping."
Grey activated his Mental Plane Aura, and the storm inside his mind began to subside. Calmness returned, washing away the anxiety and fatigue. Opening his eyes, as he looked up, with a unique expression edged on his face. Stifling…
"I need more control over my skills and forms." 'For a moment in that battle, Black Knight couldn't even do anything.'
'Not only that, I couldn't tap into Cosmos.' Probably because I used it a lot before; it probably was still in cool down, I think.'
"Ummh, Argh."
Griping pathetically,
"I could actually die in the next labyrinth. I've just been fighting recklessly, and what's up with this difficulty?"
He beat his thumb. A training maniac, he had now become fairly was upset with strength having tested it. But he knew he couldn't continue like this; he had to find a more effective way to fight. He was weak, yet somehow he had also survived this long. He summoned his system window. A familiar dark blue screen appeared; lines of shimmering blue text hovered before him.
[SYSTEM STATUS: HIBERNATION NOT COMPLETE]
Grey frowned. "Ha… still not done?"
He leaned back near a ruined castle in the frame of runes and debris, frustrated. "Law, what's taking you so long!?" he yelled at the system voice that had long since fallen silent. After a few seconds of waiting, he sighed, expression softening.
"I'm bored," he muttered.
'It's hard being alone in a place like this, but in reality, I've been alone from day one working in the labyrinth, trying to survive, fighting my weakness by myself. I don't even know what it would feel like,' as he thought back to when he was in Brook's party.
"Law, you! Are you trying to leave me here forever? I have lots of questions!"
Trying to get his mind out of that comrade nonsense, as he thought?
'Oh… well.'
A small grin appeared on his face. "… I know how to cure my boredom."
He stood, grabbing the towel beside him and tossing it over his shoulder. His eyes burned with a ambition.
"Let's clear the next labyrinth."
The Beast Labyrinth
Some time had passed and Grey, fully recovered, his body brimming with excitement; he had been preparing for the raid. He was also well dressed for it; he wore a black robe jacket that had button studs, with a golden horizontal line stretching down to the black pants edged in white. His hair had also become longer.
All bruise had vanished like faded contusions and his mind was no longer so harrowed; he was still having monolithic dreams most nights. Most nights he wouldn't even sleep at all. Though where he slept was not much of what you actually would call shelter, but he felt free knowing he was alone. But alas, the time had come for him to clear the next labyrinth. Paying no mind to whether he had slept well or not, the only thing the machine-minded boy could think of was how well he had trained, waiting for his body to finally fairly escape his nightmarish experiences.
Since the time scale of the safe haven and the other labyrinth were the same, he made sure to always go during the day.
'Uaaggh,' his hair stood on end. 'Imagine seeing those things in the dark. Good thing I planned today well; in case the battle escalates, it would have a dusk-like setting but at least day light might still linger.' He thought.
Well, there were still exceptions like the Oceanic Abyss that had left him with sinister thoughts. The familiar interface appeared, showing the three cleared labyrinths and two un-cleared ones. He selected Beast Canyons. The void opened spirally, with blue and black twisting in and out. He stepped in, looking serious, curiosity displayed in his gleaming eyes.
The gate glowed, Grey stood at the other end what he saw… Imagine two massive cliffs splitting the earth open like a scar thatnnever healed. The rock isn't clean or smooth—it's jagged. Layered with bone-like ridges and veins glowing like runes on the ridged bones, sculpture of something that had died a long time ago; it screamed horror, as the veins like stream or grass-like materials pulsed through it. The corpse laid in the scar-like crater, with trees twisting sideways like they're trying to escape the cliffs. 'I know mom churned about cursing but, Shit!'
He pushed his thumb towards his lips; the labyrinth air was thick. The ground trembled beneath the weight of colossal creatures—human-shaped beasts. Their forms were covered in thick fur, claws like blades, and jaws wide with primal hunger.
Wolves, kobolds, and towering man-shaped beasts glared at him. Each was larger than a Hulk, their shadows stretching across the ruined stone floor like moving mountains.
Grey smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what Greyson Lucas is capable of, shall we?"
In a flash, he dashed forward. The beasts roared and charged. The air shook from their collective might. Grey's fist gleamed with condensed aura—he slammed it downward, striking the ground with such power that a shockwave erupted, whipping the monsters that had already lunged into the air.
He seized one midair, overpowering it in raw strength. He whispered,
"Art's Work."
His aura flared violently, enveloping the beast before slamming it into the earth. Dust and blood splattered in every direction. Grey leapt upward, spinning midair acrobatically, and kicked a wolf monster into the sky, sending it crashing into the others like a living wrecking ball. He fought smartly, using his wits against the primitive creatures. 'They seem to only be within the tenth classes, so they shouldn't be that intelligent, Right?' But they could be considered as cunning… but their grotesque hunger drove them mad.
He landed gracefully, the ground cracking beneath him, and drove another creature's skull into a jagged rock. 'Got another.'
Another came for him—a mad-dog hybrid snarling, it had dark skin, clustered in shining resonance of crimson. His maw widened; it brought down it's massive claw in a flash . He seemed like the strongest one there. Grey caught its grave claw midair, muscles flexing. The floor beneath them gave way; rock chads shattered into the sky along with dust. Something swung out of the debris.
The rest charged at the human-shaped object covered in dust. They flew further. Drifting towards one of the ground-splitting cliffs. One of the monstrous kobolds pounced upwards to the object, but to its surprise… he combusted and burst into flames. As if it had willingly touched a fireball, the rest of them stopped, took a step back, and instantly turned. What they saw… shook them to the very core of their existence. Grey Lucas stood tall, waving the blood and essence from his hand, while holding a dangling ravaged corpse. The mad hybrid had fallen.
A temporary lapse they would have wished could last forever—not that it made much of a difference; it would have very little to no effect on the battle. Grey had prepared vigorously for this labyrinth in both his might and wickedness. You can teach a child many things, but not wickedness.
The world teaches wickedness, and it's left alone for them to learn it, how ever they can and at their own pace. Grey had only experienced little of the world, and yet he already knows too much; to him it was his burden alone to carry. The monsters felt bleak, even the dreadful beasts who struck fear into the hearts of men, stepped further backwards, broken, knowing the fate that awaited each and every one of them. Grey said, cunning honestly,
"You're all so slow."
He had become a formidable demon in their eyes, in both mind games and raw power. Lifting the monster into the air, he swung it with thunderous force towards the rest. The sound of shattering bones echoed.
He waited, ready for any motion, so as to know what he would do next. 'What's this?' He observed, rubbing his hand on his chin. 'Huh, why aren't they attacking'
He looked at them curiously, so as to understand, for they couldn't communicate. He could not tell what was traveling through their minds. "Whats wrong?" He rolled his hair.
'W… wait.' "Wait, no way; don't tell me…" He chuckled; small laughs escaped his finger-covered mouth, and the beasts grew more wary. "Are you guys afraid of me?" :In that one, have I become that scary?' He burst into more laughter, not able to hold himself back anymore. "I think I've finally become cool," sounding cheeky.
He laughed continuously. "Because I was surprised you guys ran far." The aura around the air shifted, his face darkened, from laughter into something serious, he stared at the distance between him and them. "I wondered when you are coming back." Cold shivered their spines. "Are you coming, or do I have to come get you?" manically stepping forward, and slowly closing the distance.
'After all the trashing I had received from that mad emperor, the abominable black sea, and that maniac,' referring to the Black Knight. "I wonder what it would feel like to bully the weak."
Step. Step.
The remaining monsters, not wanting to wait and find out… ran, seeking to regroup or survive—they scattered in different directions. But Grey raised a hand with intent in his eyes; an authority-based power activated: Emperor's Chain. They stopped in their tracks. He drew his hand backwards, and they got seized together.
"Nowhere to run."
GREY LUCAS
My turn.
I raised my other free hand; flames consolidated. They became blood frenzy; trying to survive, tearing away, I sent the charged fire bolt towards the pack of monsters clustered together. The air cracked with loud howls.
They tried rolling on the ground, but they couldn't; besides, it wasn't a sandy floor. The fire burned brighter, smoke rising. I think I got my answer. Bullying the weak isn't all that great. I didn't know what to feel; in fact, it felt wrong.
'So is this the part where I feel great, because I'm still waiting?' Rather than enjoying the happiness of survival, I felt rather bored. No, not bored—bleak. contemplated edged on mind like a forge. 'Was I supposed to enjoy this?'
'So… why?! Why would people in Alestria always try to usurp each other? Especially the nobles, the way they behaved!' 'Treating common folks like trash?' The thoughts of how I got bullied by nobles at Mom's restaurant, and when I tried to go on raids with hunters. 'It doesn't make you feel great, so why? I mean, you are only bullying the weak.' His mind felt scattered, from just trying to solve that problem. Of course, I was a loner, so I couldn't understand them.
That was why I wanted to become a hunter, I was inspired by them; fearless warriors who traveled the labyrinth fighting horrific monsters. They were scared of no one; they couldn't be bullied or pushed around easily unless they were weak. If you lose, it basically means death. That is the mindset I have when raiding the labyrinths.
With death always hanging around the corner, so I want to climb higher, I want to become a hunter, the strongest hunter! to stop the cruelty of this world! To protect my family! So no one can tell me what to do or step over me. I'm going to become the strongest hunter. I will walk alone as a temple.
In a sense Grey was right, but not quite—most people bully because they are unsure of themselves and take it out on the little guy. Some grew up in a violent place, so it was most likely already drilled into them. Some got forced into bullying others, while most of them think they are actually showing pity on others, trying to make them give up on something impossible, making them wake up to reality, and with unknowing it they had already succumbed to bullying.
But Grey didn't know this; it wasn't accustomed to him, and he hadn't seen it all.
He stared at the burnt corpse as the chains that can chain all things grew tighter with a strange glow. "You have leveled up," the system repeated like ringing bells falling over Grey's ears, as he couldn't even blink or shake his glance from what he had done. The gate to the next stage appeared beside him, he reacted strangely pivoting his head, his demeanor changed from bad to sunny.
'Phew.' "From now on, I will only bully the strong."