31 Chapter 31: Alligators (1/1)

Wilhelm appreciated his new and improved status for a few moments before laying down and closing his eyes. He formed a simple training regiment to follow whilst resting, opting to commence his grueling practice tomorrow, at the break of dawn. He hadn't completed any military drills or even combat practice for that matter, in years, so he was looking forward to the next morning.

As such, without much more thought on the subject, he peacefully drifted off to sleep. The immense fatigue was harder to handle than he had initially thought, resulting in his exhaustion. Steadily creeping along the hollows and coming across strange creatures at every turn was soul siphoning. Insects, minotaurs, spiders, ants, eggs, you name it, Wilhelm had practically seen everything.

Thankfully, he could sleep on an elevated platform, away from most of the animals which ran amok down below. Their wails and growls irritated Wilhelm's sleeping figure, but he had slept through much worse in the past. The sun that peered into the cave gradually faded and was replaced by the moonlight, to which a different set of monsters entered.

As if there were some sort of tactful agreement amongst the monsters, the wolves and bears departed, while a group of giant alligator-like monsters entered. Their large limbs treaded across the ground as they slowly made it to the lake, drinking large gulps of flame-water when they arrived. At the other sides, the insects squirmed fearfully as they too backed off, presenting the alligators' free reign over the extensive body of water.

Wilhelm wasn't aware of all these events occurring and didn't wake up until the sun finally gleamed once again, illuminating the dark grotto. He stood up from the ground and stretched his limbs, admiring the cool breeze that fluttered his obsidian, black hair. His muscles were being more and more defined the longer he tallied inside of the dungeon. Unbeknowest to even him, he was slowly becoming a deathly handsome middle-aged man.

He walked over toward the edge of the plateau and observed the lake for a few moments, not even bothering to question the absurd number of alligators. He had long gotten used to the obscureness of the dungeon. Instead, he decided to start his morning exercises, which he assumed could also increase his stats.

First, he started with a round of basic pushups, training his upper body and isolating his triceps. Then, he went on to sit-ups, planks, squats, and finally, finishing off with mountain-climbers. Sweat rained down his body as he finally finished the first set of the exercise; taking a short break before continuing.

His black hair greasily stuck to his forehead as he pulled out both of his daggers. The last time he had practiced with them, he gained an extremely overpowered ability. So, it would be silly if he didn't continue. He slashed at the air and tried his hardest to recollect the memories of the past when he had trained in the military.

Like this, another hour or so went by, and the blazing afternoon glow replaced the morning sun. The physical exertion caused both Wilhelms' stomach and dry mouth to grumble in irritation. He used his forearm to wipe the beads of sweat on his forehead, peering back down at the lake.

The alligators still swarmed the insides, but they didn't appear to be too strong. With these thoughts in mind, Wilhelm scaled down the side of the protruding rocks and landed softly on the ground. He didn't feel much of a threat from the opposing party, so he withdrew his daggers, and stealthily approached the back of one of the alligators. The stupid creatures didn't even notice his presence as he crept onto one of them.

It was lazing by the edge of the water, a fair distance away from its kind, basking in the sun. Even a smile formed on the reptiles face, completely unaware of the incoming danger. It wasn't until Wilhelm thrust his dagger downward and pierced the skull of the alligator, did its expression finally warped.

Alas, it was far too late. The alligator wasn't even given enough time to react before it died, its brain pierced. With Wilhelms dagger proficiency, it wasn't challenging to slay an unsuspecting creature. He smiled leisurely while grabbing the alligator by the tail. 'It would appear that I worried for nothing' he thought smugly, not noticing the hundreds of eyes that were gazing upon his back.

It was only an instant, but Wilhelm could feel an enormous amount of danger from behind him, causing him to turn around. The mana within both the air and water was pooled into one area, the center of the alligators. A huge ball of energy was forming, and the dozens of alligators gazed upon Wilhelm with an incalculable quantity of killing intent.

”Calm the hell down, it was just one damned alligator, cool your jets,” Wilhelm said without much thought, dropping the carcass and running away from the ominous ball of mana. The creatures themselves weren't overpowering, but they appeared to be capable of using some form of magic.

Wilhelm ran as quickly as he could, only looking over his shoulder when the sound of hurling wind rang in his ears. A gigantic, blue, swirling ball of pure energy was headed straight for him at an appalling rate. His eye dilated in shock as he jumped to the side, just barely avoiding a head-on collision.

The powerful magic attack hit the position Wilhelm was in just a few moments ago, forming a vast crater, and creating a huge gale of wind. Wilhelm was blown a few meters away, receiving a few minor injuries. The sheer magnitude of the blast caused Wilhelm to look at the crater in disbelief, droplets of sweat falling down his forehead.

Unfortunately, Wilhelm was not the only one shocked. The group of alligators were surprised that Wilhelm was able to dodge their attack, so they charged up another one. Much to Wilhelms dismay, this is one was a tad bit larger than the other.

A hum escaped from Wilhelm's lips as he ran toward the entrance of the cave—Tactical retreat!