"Ugh...!" ［Grey］

  A loud and pained grunt echoed, apanied by the ringing of explosions. A young man was bsted towards the walls, a crater f behind him and debris flying in all dires. The cloud of dust cleared up, but the battle was still far from over.

  Just as he regained sight, sharp and hasty cws greeted his face. A scarlet shine gleamed and bolted towards the wall, another massive crater f as Grey barely dodged the attack, his cheeks grazed and blood trig down his face.

  ??Judgement: Excalibur!?? ［Grey］

  Grey ched his hands and swung it towards the Bloodwing ius' fnks, but the tter dodged it with ease, dog downwards and soon waving its cws trey once again, four massive gashes creeping up the walls.

  However, the cws didn't reach Grey. He had already disappeared from sight, not a sirace of him behind. There were only dust and rocks, the walls crumbling down and massive ks of marble and gold falling towards the ground.

  It was just like any other day. With his mana reserves now low, Grey had once again escaped from the grasps of death. The Bloodwing ius walked away and headed back towards the terー or so it was going to.

  ??Northern Wind: Boreas!?? ［Grey］

  It hasn't even taken a siep and a familiar voice echoed in the air once again, winds whirling into tless spears as they darted towards the unsuspeg enemy. It was all too sudden, a couple dozen pierg its bad b through its wings.

  It turned around with and brandished its cws, destroying all the spears with a single wave of its hands. However, it was its biggest mistake. As soon as it turned around, it left its baguarded, Grey springing out of nowhere and grabbing the opportunity,

  ??Pinpoint Tempest: Deathpierce!?? ［Grey］

  The winds howled with his fist and his cold voice rang in the air. What followed after was a deafening crash, Grey's hands eg towards the Bloodwing ius and bsting its several meters away towards the wall, two echoed following suit.

  Grey didn't just stop there. The moment the enemy was still out of bance, he then pounced forward and coiled his fists with the bellowing winds, shockwaves ringing all over the pce as he activated his "Bellowing Heavens".

  ?? ??Pinpoint Tempest: Deathpierce!?? ?? ［Grey］

  Two fists ected oer another, four echoes following it soon after. Holes were bored through the Bloodwing ius and ks of scarlet light were shaved off its body, burying its body deeper into the Labyrinth

  WHOOONNNGGGGGGGG WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH

  Pained shrieks shocked the air and ground and the Bloodwing ius shed out with fury. It fpped its wings and tless feathers fell out, turning into scarlet arrows and bolting towards all dires at breakneck speed.

  Grey had no other choice but to retreat, his steps light as a father, using the grace of the wind to hasten his movements, and the blessing of fire and lighting to give him a tremendous boost whenever he .

  Yet despite how fast he was going, the Bloodwing ius was still faster. The very moment Grey let up from his attacks, it quickly chased after him and brandished its cws, deep gashes left on the ground from the sheer amount of pressure alone.

  It missed, but it didn't just end there. It then twisted its body and struck a kick trey's head, followed by a sharp blow towards the chest, and the arrows of radiant light ing from the back, leaving Grey with no time to think.

  If it weren't for the fact that Grey possessed the "Divine Eye", he would have already died multiple times over and ain. A single mistake and his whole body would be torn to pieces by the sharp cws of the enemy.

  "You persistent bastard...! ??Vein Breaker??!" ［Grey］

  Grey casted the curse, and the enemy quickly backed away after sensing the danger. Yet despite retreating, it still created tless scarlet orbs and rained down a storm of light, thousands of bolts and arrows p down on Grey.

  ?? ?? ?? ??Northern Wind: Boreas!?? ?? ?? ?? ［Grey］

  Of course, Grey didn't lose out either, creating spears of his own to bat the volley of the enemy, shockwaves ringilessly as the two destructive forces cshed time and time again, iing evei of dust particles.

  Explosions tio echo, and so did the csh between Grey and the Bloodwing ius. They didn't waste any more time, dodging all the spears and arrows and exging blows against one another, cws and fists creating endless shockwaves.

  ??Pinpoint Tempest: Deathpierce!?? ［Grey］

  The winds howled once more and answered Grey's call. They shed out and draped his fist with power, a pierg drill rotating faster and faster as it rushed towards the enemy, another wave of tremors and shockwaves eg soon after.

  Grey's punch ected and bore through the enemy's shoulder, two echoes striking after it and bsting the enemy away, its shoulders slightly shattered and a few of its feathers plucked off from the brute force of their csh.

  Cough Cough Cough Guuhkkk

  However, it wasn't just Grey's punch which ected perfectly. The enemy's cws also broke through his defenses and bsted him away towards the walls. His chest was marked with deep gashes and blood spurted out of his mouth.

  Grey could still keep on going with just a little bit of healing, but his mind was already struck with fatigue, his focus going hazy and his whole body starting to tremble. It has been more than half a day since he started battling, his mind slowly slipping away.

  "Dammit... Looks like this is how far I'll go..." ［Grey］

  Lamented Grey as he looked at the Bloodwing ius one final time. It tried to bolt towards it with its cws reag out, but it was just a step behind. All it sshed was a mirage left behind by Grey, a gate closing soon after.

  Silence reigned over the room, the csh of spears and arrows soon ing to an end. The Bloodwing ius was full of wariness as it scoured the room, however, no gates opened up once more. The battle was over.

  Oher side of the doors, the exit of the gate appeared. What came out was a young man with cw marks on his body, blood gushing down and his eyes turning white. Despite all that, he still had the strength to move, bearing with all the pain.

  "Ugh... Dammit... I should have escaped earlier..." ［Grey］

  He headed he wall and slipped down towards the ground, resting his back against the wall. He panted and grunted, his hands trembling in pain. It wasn't the first time he was in such a dition, but it was never pretty.

  ??Perfect Heal?? ［Grey］

  A pained voice echoed in the air and golden light swallowed the hall. It was warm ale, feeling like a mother's loving embrace as it enveloped Grey's body, a sense of peace returning to his mind and his heart slowly calming down.

  The golden light melded into his body and his wounds started to disappear, paiing away as if they were but fleeting dreams. Soon, Grey's body was back to its peak, his hands no lorembling.

  "Haah... That's much better..." ［Grey］

  It has been a week since Grey and Yuna came down the Labyrinth, and things have progressed quite smoothly, both them and the familiars growing at tremendous rates in the face of danger ah.

  It was so well, in fact, that many of the familiars have crossed over to Camity-Css, sending tremors all over the Labyrinth just a few days ago. To top it all off, Grey was now also at the pinnacle of Camity-Css, only a step away from breaking through.

  "That tough angel bastard... Looks like I'll have to make rategies again... So annoying." ［Grey］

  Still, with all such progress, Grey couldn't equal the Bloodwing ius. They had e up with various ideas in order to defeat it, but it was futile. It will just work once or twice, the enemy learning of it again and creating termeasures soon enough.

  They eveertaihe idea of attag from outside and using gates to slowly whittle away its health. The only problem was that it was a tortal. The event the Bloodwing ius crosses over, it would be over for them,

  Though Labyrinth monsters are known uo escape their respective zones, Grey is not crazy enough to try such a theainst a Boss monster. Not only him, Yuna, the familiars, and the others in the Labyrinth would be in danger.

  Even now, Grey ehe "Sanctuary" first before using "Gate" to exit, making sure the Bloodwing ius wasn't on his tail and it wouldn't spell disaster on a was simply too troublesome once all hell breaks loose.

  'Should I use that potion again... No, it's too risky. Ah! Then how abー' ［Grey］

  GRUUMMMBBBBLLLLLEEEEEEEE

  And just as he was thinking of ways to defeat the insurmountable enemy behind the Boos doors, a loud rumble echoed in the air. And no, it wasn't from the ground, but from his stomach, grumbling like an old man

  "Well, there's always tomorrow... I should probably head back first. One 't think on ay stomach, after all." ［Grey］

  There was no use thinking too hard about such a stressful topic. Grey simply stood back up and stretched his arms towards the Labyrinth's ceiling. He hasen since breakfast, so he was looking forward to dinner very much.

  Grey stretched out his hand before him and created anate. He soon stepped foot inside of it and light swallowed his field of sight. The moment he exited the gate, the tempting smell of dinner aroused his nose and stomach.

  Fizzle Fizzle Sizzle Sizzle

  Yuna was in the middle fish and the familiars were preparing the ptes. He arrived just on time, a serene sight greeting him. If oo see such a sight, they wouldn't be able to believe they were in a Labyrinth. It was far too peaceful.

  "Oh, Grey! Wele back～! e have a seat." ［Yuna］

  "I'm back... Sorry I always rely on you for dinner." ［Grey］

  "Fufufu! What are you talking about, silly? I'm your fiahis much is only natural, and... I know you've been w hard all day." ［Yuna］

  They have yet to marry, but Grey already felt like a husband being weled home by his lovely wife. The aromatic smell of dinner greeting his nose and the warmth of home giving him a tight embrace. It made his heart flutter ever so happily.

  He soon took a seat, and anht greeted him. It was her than Poris who was now looking at him with eyes full of gloom and guilt, uo even look at him straight in the eyes, clearly crestfallen like a scolded puppy.

  Poris was fighting with Grey against the Boss, but had been wounded early on and had to be summoned out by Grey, leaving the former to fight all by his lonesome self. As a familiar, he couldn't be anymore ashamed of himself.

  "I apologize, Master... I have not been of ao you this day..." ［Poris］

  "Don't say that, Poris. You were plenty amazing today. We were just unlucky. That's all there is to it." ［Grey］

  "But, Masterー" ［Poris］

  "No buts! That's an order! Another word of self-depreciation and I'm ning you along with me tomorrow. I mean it." ［Grey］

  Poris tried to reason out, but Grey cut off any loose ends. All he could do was look at himself once more, feeling even more ashamed from the generosity of his master. He was happy, but flicted at the same time...

  "That's why, if you feel bad about today, then just do your best tomorrow. You do at least that muo?" ［Grey］

  "... Uood, Master. I will make sure to live to your expectations." ［Poris］

  ...flicted feelings which were soon washed away by the fort of Grey's words. He may not be the best familiar, but he had the will to strive and improve himself for the better, and that's what matters the most.

  Yuna and the other familiars could only watch the two with warm eyes, giggling to themselves as if there was no tomorrow, the other familiars cuddling trey and Poirs like little pups, ying down the former's p aing themselves.

  Dinner was soon served and they had a merry time together, enjoying the only hours of enjoyment they had and chatting their time away as night tio go deeper. They were all ughing all so merrily, not minding their problems a si.

  "We also hunted another Sequoia this afternoon, and it's super annoying! It scattered all sorts of flowers and spread poison everywhere." ［Yuna］

  "Well, that's nt-attribute monsters do, after all." ［Grey］

  "I know... But still! They're super duper annoying to deal with!" ［Yuna］

  Squealed Yuna as she pined about the ehey faced throughout the day. She uffing her cheeks and waving her hands recklessly, getting agitated just thinking about it, Grey chug by her side.

  And just as they spoke about such things, a sudden and random idea popped inside Yuna's mind. She suddenly stopped talking and looked at Grey with curious eyes, a bright smile blooming on her face as she gazed fervently at her fiancé.

  "Grey, do you remember those ice-attribute magits we got from the au? Those ones which looked like ice sculptures?" ［Yuna］

  "Yeah... Why? Do you want to make a potion with them?" ［Grey］

  "No, no, that's not it. I was just w if we could create more of those flowers using pnt and ice magic. What do you think?" ［Yuna］

  Grey eechless at the words of his beloved, looking at her straight in the eyes as he processed one of the most absurd things he ever heard. It was then that he once again realized how much of an alchemy maniaa was.

  "No, that's impossible. In the first pormal pnts would die if exposed to the ice element for too long. Their cells would freeze and burst." ［Grey］

  "Then how about we start with ice magid then modify them with pnt magic ter on? Would that work?" ［Yuna］

  "I don't know... Ice is even alive in the first pce. We could probably make them move and bloom using manipution, but... Hmm... I don't really know..." ［Grey］

  "The's try it! It shouldn't be too hard, right?" ［Yuna］

  She ositive as ever, grabbing Grey by the hand and rushing off towards the open with an expet smile on her face. She was doing all such things on a whim, the blood of the alchemist within her boiling iement.

  They soon stopped and found a nice pce to experiment on. There were a couple boulders and debris in the wind, but they were easily cleared out with all but a wave of the young dy's hand, clouds of dust swept along with them.

  "Yuna, it might be too te to ask, but... Why the snowfke flower?" ［Grey］

  "Because it's pretty? Why else?" ［Yuna］

  Short and simple, Yuna's answer was, Grey left speechless by how simple yet cute his beloved was. He reined in all the other questions he had, knowing he'll only receive ued answers from his ever so excited fiancée.

  "Then, I'm starting now～!" ［Yuna］

  A blue glint shone in Yuna's eyes and the nightly breeze turned cold in an instant. Id frost crept up on the Labyrinth of Stats, chilly whispers riding along the wind as the atmosphere turned colder and colder by the sed.

  Crystals of ice soon formed in Yuna's hands, a whirlpool sug in the cold and the ice densing tighter and tighter, mana holding them bad making sure that not a single speck escaped. A blue gem the size of apple seeds f on Yuna's hand.

  "Then, that's a seed done～!" ［Yuna］

  Yuna didn't just stop there, and tinued p in more and more mana on the "seed", making it glhter and bluer with the passing of time. It was a beautiful crystal, worthy enough to be given to kings and queens.

  As the seed was nourished by her mana, Yuna then opened up a small portion of the seed, and crystals of ice slowly formed from it, gushing forth slowly and brang out like snowfkes, water molecules tightly bound by mana.

  It was also made with "veins" running through it to supply every part with mana. The thicker veins turo stems and branches, whilst the thinner ones were only able to spread thin yers of ice, turning them into leaves.

  The "seedling" grew bigger and bigger with time, more and more leaves sprouting oem as it tio grow. Soon, a bud formed on top of it, and a flower clear as ice bloomed with beauty and mystery. A true masterpiece.

  "See, Grey? I made it, didn't I?" ［Yuna］

  "Not quite. You are still assisting it, after all... And even if you weren't, a living thing gather energy for itself, you know?" ［Grey］

  "Hmm... Then how about this?" ［Yuna］

  The young dy still didn't give up, and imbued even more mana on the ice flower and expelled some in order areas, creating a whirlpool effe which mana is endlessly sucked in by the "roots", then utilized to grow the pnt even further.

  It was unstable at first, but with the use of something simir to the capilry ford vacuums, mana tio flow in and out of the pnt and it was able to sustain itself without relying on Yuna's mana any longer.

  "Grey, look, look, it's growing on its own! It's slow but it's growing!" ［Yuna］

  "Haah... Yuna, that's still not alive, you knowー !!!" ［Grey］

  RUUUMMBLLLEEEEE

  Grey has yet to finish his words, when the Labyrinth suddenly quaked, the ground and walls riddled with tremors. Everyone was alerted by such a sudden tremor, their guards prompted up, yet they still couldn't believe what happened .

  A golden beam of light suddenly shone and fell from above, rushing towards Yuna and enveloping her with warmth and fort. Power surged within her body, and seals brokeer another as the dams were finally opened.

  "Unbelievable..." ［Grey］

  For him, he o rely on the cepts of his past world and ged the way he moves the wind to achieve enlighte, yet all Yuna did y around and she also reached such a state, numbers rising up fast as lightning.

  Right in front of everyone, Yuna is breaking through S-rank to Camity-Css, her powers surging like never before and a new ability engraved oatus s, shockwaves resounding time and time again all over the pce.

  What was once beled "Advanced" was now "Superior", and what was once "S" was now "Camity". Yuna's bat power increased by leaps and bounds as the light faded away, feeling a little strah her newfound strength.

  "G... Grey... Did... Did I just..." ［Yuna］

  "Yeah. gratutions, Yuna. You've reached Camity-Css." ［Grey］

  "Waah～! Mistress, you did it! You really did it!" ［Vega］

  "M-M-Mistress, gratutions!" ［Capel］

  Smiles and appuse brewed in the air as the familiars greeted Yuna in her sudden, but very wele adva. She still couldn't believe it, but she could feel deep inside her that it was true. She was finally oep closer to Grey.

  And like anyone else who just got a new power, Yuna was itg to try out her new ability named "Winter Forest" as indicated oatus s. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as she g Grey's dire, her lips breaking into a smile.

  "Grey, I want to try out my new powers, I?" ［Yuna］

  "... Of course. I'm a little bit curious as well." ［Grey］

  "Un! Great! The's find a test subjectー I-I mean, an oppo!" ［Yuna］

  She was enthusiastic as be, pung her fist towards the air as they marched off to the distance, searg for an oppoo test things out with. It didn't take too long before they found a Bckheart Cyclops... Test subject #1.

  Yuna quickly activated "Winter Forest" and ice swallowed the ground in an instant. It crept up in all pces and buds soon bloomed all over the pce, its sprouting from the ground and creating aire forest in a matter of seds.

  There weren't just flowers, but grass as well as trees and vines. It was a full on forest with every flora imagihe only difference was that they were all made of ice, finely sculpted to look like the best masterpieces.

  GUURRAAAKKKKKKK

  The Bckheart Cyclops rushed towards Yuna, its steps sending heavy tremors on the ground. But the moment it entered Yuna's domain, it slowed down signifitly and its movements were restricted, the trees ag as a buffer to stop it.

  'Oh, so it's a defensive ability...' ［Grey］

  Was what Grey thought at first, but his mind was quickly ged when he saw what happened .

  The vines suddenly shed out and coiled all over the Bckheart Cyclop's body, and soon enough, bdes of grass and leaves drifted in the wind. The moment it touched the intruder's body, it slit up a wound and ice started swallowing it, creeping at rapid speeds.

  Moreiant, flytrap-looking pnts suddenly emerged from the ground and luowards the Bckheart Cyclops. Its frozen legs and arms were devoured whole and it was finished off by ieedles shooting out from all dires.

  A field to slow things down, massive trees to serve as walls, vio bind, leaves and bdes of grass to wound and freeze, flytraps and needles to kill, weeds to pierd hinder movement, and many more traps waiting to be discovered.

  No matter whigle one looked at it, it was a domain which covered all aspects of battle perfectly. It doesn't even e mana. As long as Yuna was inside of it, she trolled the battlefield. A deadly forest was what it was.... The forest of nightmares...

  "Umm... Grey... Isn't this… too overpowered…?" ［Yuna］

  "Haha... What the hell even is this..." ［Grey］

  CHAPTER 337 END