Eclipse | COTE x Danmachi

Chapter 16 (Hellish Training Begins)

The dimly lit floor seemed to stretch endlessly as Aleus took his first step onto the 7th Floor of the notorious dungeon. 

The air was heavy with an ominous presence, and a shiver ran down his spine. He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword—the one he had custom made for himself when he was roaming the city with Ais— ready for whatever awaited him in the shadows.

As he felt the jagged hilt of the sword, he remembered the amount he had to pay for it. "900 million. I think I will be in debt for a few lifetimes." He spoke to himself with a sigh, shrugging away the meaningless thoughts right now. 

After all, he did not have the luxury of thinking about financial matters. After all, he was inside the zone that was filled with the souls of countless newbie adventurers. And while last time he had survived relatively easily, it was purely because Bell—who was much stronger than him in stats—was accompanying him.

Before arriving in the dungeon, he had met Rose. And despite how much she had talked to him, he insisted on arriving at the dungeon. Giving up, instead of stopping him, she decided to fill his head with every kind of precautions and dangers, to maximise his survival rate.  

The rumours of the War Shadow and Killer Ant, the infamous "newbie killers," echoed in Aleus' mind. 

He was no stranger to danger, having faced various monsters on his journey, but the anticipation of confronting the strongest creatures on this floor sent a surge of adrenaline through his veins.

The flickering light from magic stones barely illuminated the surroundings, casting long, eerie shadows. Aleus moved cautiously, his eyes scanning the darkness for any sign of movement, looking like two suns darting in every direction inside the thin sheen of darkness. 

The silence was broken only by the echoing footsteps of the lone adventurer.

On his way to sixth floor, he had slaughtered countless monsters, and countless more awaited for him. Kobolds, Goblins, War Shadows and Dungeon Lizards. 

The bag clanged with item drops and magic crystals from the monsters, already filling the space. His mind was blank, as he maintained a single arcs ray spell at his side, slaughtering the weaker monster one by one. However, this floor was going to be different. 

Suddenly, the air became tense, and Aleus felt a chilling presence behind him. 

He swiftly turned, his hand already at the hilt but still undrawn. 

The monstrous creature emerged from the darkness, its dark humanoid figure sending a shiver down Aleus' spine as he saw its gnarly claws right in front of his face. The long arms with three razor-sharp claws glinted ominously in the dim light.

His thumb clicked the sword open from its sheath, as he drew it with his dominant hand, bringing it upwards, his blade meeting the War Shadow's claws in a clash of metal. The sword had two colours, one half composing of a lustrous silver and the other half was a dull shade of sapphire, in the shape of flames. 

Even though it was a single strike, he could feel the impact in his arm, his bones rattling. The monster's strength was overwhelming, and Aleus struggled to hold his ground. He could feel the sharp claws cutting through his defenses, leaving deep gashes on his robe and clanking against the armour that he wore inside.

Despite the searing pain, Aleus focused on the only emotion he allowed himself – the burning desire to get stronger. 

Pushing his sword and swooping in underneath him, he glided its claws in another direction, narrowly avoiding a swift attack to his chest. However, he did not have time to think much. Before he could even fully stabilise himself, the War Shadow was back, its claws aiming for his face this time.