BXBX NOVEL Chapter 468 467: Mashing The Monster
When we were able to see once more, the first thing we noticed was that we were no longer inside the training grounds of the Palace, but instead...
Elsewhere.
The sand was replaced with a thin, fine black gravel, whilst the air was thick with heat haze as streams of magma slowly crept around the plains.
"Was a teleport scroll really needed here, Empress? Could we have not just... walked?"
The Empress chuckled, raising her hands slightly in defense as she said "We could have, but that scroll was just lying around, waiting to be used~ Besides, it was something that Tess drew up real quick for an occasion like this, so... It\'s fine."
We all stared at the Empress blankly, wondering how it was just \'fine\' for us to waste such a valuable scroll like that on a whim, which made the entirety of our group just short circuit for a moment.
Sensing that, the Empress just scratched her cheek before turning around, gesturing towards the giant cages that had been constructed, inside of which monsters growled and lunged at the thick metal bars, slobbering and snarling at our sudden appearance.
"Look! The various monsters we requisitioned from the Zhu\'Rong Caverns! Dracogriffs, Drakes, Salamanders, Spartoi... All kinds of interesting things brought up from the mountains depth!"
We gave her a dry gaze, letting her know that none of us were so young as to fall for her diversionary tactic, which made her chuckle again, giving Chordeva a smile as the Demoness stepped forwards and asked "So then, how are we doing this? Volunteers? If so, let me get this out of the way..."
Lady Fenryas grinned, nodding as she waved everyone off to the side and walking beside the Marquess as she led her towards one of the larger cages, where a scaled monster glared silently at the two women.
"Is that a..?"
The Demon Wolf\'s grin widened further, her silver eye flashing with amusement as she announced "This is indeed a rare monster that we luckily found~! One obsidian scaled, magma bellied, extremely volatile and dangerous Volcanis Drake! Something that has scales harder than some of the strongest metals, a near impervious carapace to fire, sharp claws, fangs ready to rend flesh, and speed that shouldn\'t be possible with its weight! What do you think, Chordeva~? Do you like my gift to you~?"
Draping her arm around the Marquess\' shoulder, Lady Fenryas chuckled as the blue skinned Demoness replied in a dry voice, her ruby eyes narrowed as she said "Just lovely, Lady Fenryas. Absolutely perfect."
Whilst they were speaking, the Empress guided us aside and waited for Lady Fenryas to return to us, after she told the Marquess "This is your arena, you insufferable brat~ Maybe a quality opponent that wants to kill you will drill some respect into that thick, horned skull of yours?"
As she said that, the black skinned woman raised har hand and lifted the stone ground that we stood on, a large plateau of black rock elevating us above the Marquess, who briefly glanced towards us when she heard the noise.
Shaking her head, she unsheathed her claymore and stared at the cage, which began to melt away as the Demon Wolf waved her hand.
"This is NOT how I wanted to spend these days..."
Everyone heard the woman\'s exasperated tone, and I couldn\'t help but smile wryly as I nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly with her; I never thought that there would come a day where my \'teachers\' and trainers would raise monsters specifically meant to counter my every advantage and kill me - all while telling me that, should I be \'killed\', I would just be brought back to life with all the memories of having been killed still in my mind.
In other words, mentally scarred and traumatized for the rest of my third lease on life if I messed up.
Shaking me from my thoughts was the deep, echoing roar of the Volcanis Drake, the black scaled monster stomping out of its now melted cage and glaring at the Marquess.
Four legged, the monster was low to the ground and covered in sharp scales and spikes, whilst its every breath caused heat to radiate from its razor fanged maw and from between each plate of scales, which gleamed in the orange light of this cavern.
Without waiting for it to figure everything out, the Marquess shot forwards far faster than an arrow from a bow and slammed her claymore into its skull, shutting its maw and silencing its roar.
The monster only grunted as the blow forced its head to bounce off the ground, its red eyes glaring at the Marquess as it prepared to spring up.
Before it could, she raised her booted foot and stamped on its head, before stabbing her claymore down.
The tip swirled with red mana as she imbued her weapon with her arcane powers, only for that too to ricochet off the monsters hardened carapace.
Clicking her tongue, she jumped back as a burst of flames erupted from the Volcanis Drake\'s body, the flames spilling from between the scales and dripping onto the black grain below, melting it together.
"Fucking resilient... hate these things..."
Resting her blade on her shoulder, the Marquess sighed before watching as the Volcanis Drake began to rush forwards, roaring at her once more.
"Shut UP!"
Once more, her booted foot left the ground as she kicked the monsters jaw, cracking some of its teeth as she redirected its hungry charge.
Before the Volcanis Drake could reorient itself, she slashed her claymore straight towards the monsters maw, the sharp edge tearing through the flesh and cutting deep into its head.
Growling, the Marquess wrenched the blade forwards some more, cleaving her claymore through the monsters neck and snapping its spin with a quick flick of her wrist, killing it.
Without even glancing at the quiet platform, she knelt beside the beast and began to wrench off its scales, piling them beside her as she shouted "I needed some new armor anyways, Lady Fenryas! Thanks for the gift!"
"Oh you insolent little..!"
"Fen, come now~! You should know better..."
The Demon Wolf was glaring at the kneeling Demoness, who was harvesting what she could from the rapidly decaying Volcanis Drake\'s corpse, straining against the Empress arms and trying to lunge at her.
"Chordeva is too... qualified for a test like this. We both know that. Whatever you placed in front of her on such short notice would NOT fare well against her... Though, I imagine the others will still struggle."
She doused the hopes of everyone with a smile, which made the Demon Wolf grin as she turned towards the rest of us, noticing our slumped shoulders instantly.
"Oh, you..! Haha~! I might not have been able to get Chordeva, but the rest of you~? Oh, I look forwards~ to this... Give me my show, my \'competent\' little Knights... Who\'s next~?"