Chapter 103
On the 11th floor within a certain area, Michalis nervously approached his assigned trial area.
Thump ! Thump !
His heart pounded with intense vigour, as he neared the designated room.
Draco had meticulously prepared the areas on each floor where each member of the Bahamut familia would confront their assigned monsters alone.
It was a daunting task, but Draco's mastery of his earth magic allowed him to carve out and isolate specific sections within the dungeon floor that he wanted.
There wasn’t much resistance from the dungeon itself as he wasn’t doing anything particularly destructive to it, so the mind cost for earth manipulation remained normal.
With his superior strength over most of the upper floors and some of the upper middle floor monsters, Draco had managed to lure the creatures he desired into the carefully crafted rooms.
Though it was not a foolproof plan, as the dungeon could still easily spawn unwanted entities within those confined spaces, it was the best he could do given the circumstances.
In the evening of the previous day, Draco had ensured that all the unnecessary monsters had been eliminated from the designated trial areas.
The other members of the Bahamut familia quietly stood before the entrance, waiting their turn to face their own challenge.
They were there solely to observe and lend moral support, each one acutely aware of the severity of the situation.
As Michalis passed through the threshold, he was greeted by the sight of two silver backs within the room, their intimidating frames separated by large chunks of earth to prevent them from interfering with one another.
Gulp !
Michalis couldn't help but gulp nervously at the sight of these towering, white-furred monsters.
‘Draco nii wasn't kidding,’ Michalis thought, his mind racing with the realization of the challenging task that lay before him.
Silver backs were no easy foes, possessing immense arm strength, decent speed and a thick, resilient hide.
Michalis had faced them in group battles with his familia members, but now he was expected to defeat two of them single-handedly.
As a dual dagger wielder, Michalis was well aware of the inherent weaknesses of his chosen weapons.
The short blades lacked the penetrating power necessary to efficiently breach the silverbacks' sturdy defences.
While his feline-like agility and assassin-like fighting style would provide him with speed and agility, the sheer might and ferocity of the silver backs would prove to be a challenge.
Michalis knew that using his magical skills would be virtually impossible, as the relentless onslaught of the silver backs would leave him with no opportunity to focus and chant his spell.
His options were limited, and he could feel the weight of the situation bearing down on him.
"Are you ready?" Draco asked, observing Michalis' hesitation at the entrance.
"Huh? Ah, yes," Michalis replied, startled out of his internal contemplation.
"Is onii-chan perhaps scared?" Vasiliki teased with a cute tone, her playful jab aimed at rattling Michalis' nerves.
"Bleh! Don't call me that," Michalis retorted, his face contorting in distaste at Vasiliki's unwelcome address.
Thwack!
"Ouch!" Vasiliki winced, clutching her head in pain as she turned to face her assailant.
"Why did you hit me?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing as she recognized the culprit.
"Shh, don't disturb his mind just before a battle of life and death," Nikolaos replied, his stern gaze fixed on Michalis.
Vasiliki's expression softened, and she muttered, "I was just trying to ease his nerves." She had noticed the tension radiating from Michalis, a natural consequence of being the first to face his assigned trial.
Michalis, with his keen senses, couldn't help but overhear the words that had softly escaped Vasiliki's lips.
A small, almost involuntary grin tugged at the corners of his mouth, a subtle reaction to her unexpected remark.
Vasiliki, ever vigilant, quickly took notice of Michalis' peculiar expression.
"Huh, why are you staring at me and grinning like an idiot?" she called out, her tone laced with a hint of amusement and mild annoyance.
"Focus on your fight. It would be quite the disappointment if you were the first to fail in this competition," she added, her words carrying a subtle challenge as she fixed him with a pointed stare.
Michalis felt a slight flush creep up his neck, momentarily caught off guard by Vasiliki's perceptiveness.
He cleared his throat, quickly regaining his composure, and offered her a small nod of acknowledgment.
With a light slap on his cheeks, Michalis regained his focus.
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, the multitude of strategies and contingency plans that he had made flashed through his mind.
He knew that this was a pivotal moment, a true test of his skills and resolve.
Failure was not an option, for the sake of his familia and his own personal growth.
With a determined glint in his eyes, Michalis stepped forward, his dual daggers firmly gripped in his hands.
He may have been outmatched in terms of raw power, but he was determined to utilize his agility and cunning to overcome the challenge that lay before him.
As the silver backs stirred, sensing the presence of their prey, Michalis braced himself, his pulse quickening with each passing moment.
This was his trial, his chance to prove his worth and a chance to become the vice captain of the Bahamut familia.
With a final deep breath, Michalis charged forward, his blades gleaming in the dim light of the dungeon.
The silver backs roared, their massive frames lunging towards the diminutive feline-eared warrior.
The stage was set, and the battle for Michalis' survival was about to commence.
……………………………………………………………………….
Across the cramped room, the two silverback monsters, akin to large, muscular primates, stomped and grunted as they were finally freed, their white fur bristled as they sensed the presence of their humanoid feline adversary.
Their thick, powerful arms swung with devastating force against their chest, as they instinctively tried to intimidate their rather smaller opponent.
Michalis' ignored their taunts as his mind raced, his sharp eyes scanning the environment for any advantage he could exploit.
The confined space would limit his maneuverability, but it also meant the silverbacks would have trouble using their full strength.
He knew that he needed to strike quickly and precisely, targeting their vulnerable joints to wear them down.
Seeing that he wasn’t backing away, the silverbacks took immediately took action.
With a low growl, one of the silverbacks charged, its massive fist swinging in a powerful arc.
Michalis waited, his muscles coiled like springs, until the last moment.
Then, in a blur of motion, he darted to the side, his daggers flashing as he slashed at the creature's exposed elbow.
The blade scraped across the tough fur and skin, drawing a thin line of blood, but the silverback's momentum carried it forward, forcing Michalis to retreat.
"Tch!" he grunted as he noticed that his blades failed to do any significant damage to it.
The other silverback roared and immediately did a follow up attack, its muscles rippling as it lumbered towards Michalis.
Michalis immediately backpedaled, his keen eyes watching for an opening.
As the silverback's fist came crashing down, Michalis twisted to the side, the blow slamming into the stone floor and sending up a shower of dust and debris.
Seizing the moment, Michalis darted forward, his daggers slicing at the silverback's exposed armpit.
The creature howled in pain, its arm going limp, but it swung its other fist in a desperate counterattack.
Michalis ducked under the blow, his agility saving him from a potentially devastating strike.
He didn’t have time to deal any more damage as the first silver back was upon him in an instant, but Michalis was once again ready.
He rolled to the side, feeling the wind of the creature's massive fist as it narrowly missed him.
Springing to his feet, he danced around the silver backs, probing for the next openings.
"Gah!" Michalis hissed as the second monster's uninjured fist suddenly swung backwards, its claws grazing against his light armour and leaving a deep gash on it that reached his flesh underneath.
He quickly backed away, his breath coming in ragged gasps.
The injury to his flesh wasn't deep, but it stung a lot, and he could feel his stamina beginning to wane.
As the two silverbacks regrouped, Michalis took a short few seconds to catch his breath and adjust to the pain, his mind racing.
He knew he couldn't keep up this frantic pace forever – his limited stamina would eventually betray him.
The silver backs, obviously immediately sensed his vulnerability, so they pressed their attacks.
Michalis darted and weaved, his cat-like agility the only thing keeping him ahead of their relentless onslaught.
He needed to quickly find another opening, another weakness to exploit.
The silverbacks quickly charged again, their movements surprisingly agile for creatures of their size.
Michalis darted between them, his daggers flashing as he scored shallow cuts on their legs and torsos.
The creatures roared in anger, their focus narrowing.
As the first silverback swung its massive fist, Michalis ducked low, then darted forward, driving his daggers into the creature's knee.
The silverback howled in pain, its leg giving way, and it crashed to the ground.
The second silverback, seeing its companion's vulnerability, lunged forward, its powerful jaws snapping towards Michalis' head.
He managed to twist away, but the silverback's teeth grazed his shoulder, drawing blood and eliciting a hiss of pain.
Michalis stumbled back, he could feel the fatigue setting in, and he knew he couldn't afford to take a third hit like that.
Gritting his teeth, he steeled himself and charged the first silverback wounded on its knees, his daggers flashing in a blur.
The second silverback, sensing Michalis' intention, swung its uninjured arm in a sweeping blow.
Michalis saw his chance and, with a burst of speed, leaped onto the outstretched limb, using it as a springboard to launch himself into the air.
With the knee of one of the silverbacks injured, he knew that he only needed to worry about the second one that he was currently facing.
As he reached the apex of his jump, he brought his daggers down, burying them deep into the joint of second silverback's uninjured shoulder.
The creature roared in agony, its two arms now laying limp.
Michalis landed lightly on the floor, his eyes narrowed at his next target.
The first silverback, one of its leg still crippled, lurched forward, as if it had been waiting on his descent.
Michalis expecting this, immediately darted to the side, then dove forward, his daggers slicing towards the creature's vulnerable neck.
The first silverback, sensing the danger, tried to block with its arms, but Michalis' blades found their mark, slicing deeply into the gaps on its neck.
The silverback staggered on the ground, its movements growing more sluggish.
Michalis pressed his advantage, his daggers a blur as he struck again and again, targeting the same spot.
Finally, with a gurgling roar, the first silverback collapsed, its life ebbing away.
The battle wasn’t done yet as he still needed to deal with the second Silverback.
The second silverback let out a thunderous roar upon seeing its dead companion and charged, it’s arms were limp but it wildly swung them regardless.
Michalis dodged and weaved, his movements becoming more erratic as his stamina waned.
He knew he couldn't keep this up much longer.
Deciding to put an end to things, Michalis feinted a dash to the left, then quickly reversed direction, slashing at one of the second silverback's  knee.
His daggers found their mark, and the creature stumbled, its movements slowed.
Michalis pressed his advantage, darting in and out, targeting any part that his dagger could safely penetrate.
But the monster's hide felt a bit tougher than before, and his blades struggled to find purchase.
‘Did my attack grow weaker or did this one get stronger’ Michalis pondered, briefly glancing his bleeding shoulder.
The second Silverback was indeed the only one to injure him not once but twice, so due to these injuries, Michalis continued bleeding as the battle prolonged, weakening his attacks as time went on.
Each strike after that was met with resistance, and Michalis could feel his strength beginning to fail.
As the silver back lashed out in a last, desperate attempt, Michalis saw his chance.
Timing his movements perfectly, he ducked under the creature's wild swing and drove both his daggers into its exposed throat.
The silver back gurgled, its eyes wide with shock, and then collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
Michalis stood panting, his body aching, but the triumph in his eyes was undeniable.
He had faced the daunting challenge and emerged victorious, his skills honed and his spirit unbroken.
Outside the room, Draco, Clair, Eleni, Nikolaos, Dimitra, Vasileios, and Vasiliki watched with bated breath, their expressions a mix of awe and relief.
Michalis had safely accomplished his feat, and had now fulfilled all the requirements for him to move to the next level.