AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

HEEEEELLLLLPPPPP MMMEEEEEE!!!!

"KYUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!"

Currently, Kyuki and I are going through hel— I mean, training.

What training is it now? One may ask...

The answer is Defense training. Physical Defense or Magic Defense? It doesn't matter. Because it's both types of Defense stats at the same time.

To simply put it, increasing our Speed stat in the Speed course required us to get chased around by killer tree monsters. As for increasing our Physical Defense and Magic Defense, what we need to do for this course is to simply embrace masochism.

Like hell we can do that!

IT HURTS!

"KYUUU!"

🍫🍫🍫

The next day after taking consecutive beatings from Eliza-san's attacks. Kyuki and I were given a ten minutes break to catch our breaths.

My body hurts.... Like, seriously hurts....

Kyuki is also in a similar state as I am.

But as Kyuki has its Healing Magic to heal itself, I have my Auto-Healing skill to heal me. Resulting in those skills, among many others, to improve greatly.

Then, it was time for the Offense training course. Fortunately, between the Speed course and the Defense course, the Offense course was the least dangerous out of the three courses. However, it was still exhausting nonetheless.

"Come on! Come on! Hit it like you mean it, you two!" Eliza-san yelled at us like an army drill sergeant. Making Kyuki and I to hit the wooden dummies she'd created without stopping at all.

That increased our Physical Offense stats. Whereas for our Magical Offense stats, we simply needed to do the same but with magic instead.

Over the long period as the training goes on, Kyuki and I have started getting somewhat high on our training as our restlessness has made us somewhat... insane.

Don't stop, Kyuki. Don't stop. This is for us to become stronger and leave this dungeon safely. So put your back into it!

Ki ki ki ki... KYUUUUU!

"Umm, you two? I believe it's time for some rest."

Huh? Rest...?

"What are you... talking about... Eliza-san? We can still keep going. Right... Kyuki?"

"Kyuu! Kyuu!"

"Oh, I see. Goodnight then."

Smack and wack!

While we were too focused on training, Eliza-san knocked the both of us out instantly.

"Mm... Mmmm... Huh...?"

"Kyuu...?"

When we woke up, it felt like what I had just experienced was one horrible dream. However, my incredible body aches suggested otherwise.

Ah. It's hurt...

"K-Kyuu..."

So after the first three days of this intense training, Kyuki and I ended up having to take a one day break before continuing with it. As such, it became a routine for us until the end of the promised month.

Ugh.... I was tested. I got trained somewhat. I then had a chat. And now I'm back to training again with a higher difficulty implemented into them.

It was a terrible experience. But a fruitful one, as shown by my status after a week and a half of constantly going through this hell's training.

All of my stats now have four digits. In addition to that, a majority of my skills have improved. Many of them even evolved as well. Starting from the top:

Super Speed became Extreme Speed.

Super Strength became Extreme Strength.

My Dark Magic has been maxed which resulted in me acquiring Spatial Magic, which was neat.

Iron Skin became Iron body now.

Magic Combat Mastery had became Advanced Magic Combat Mastery. The similar case with Unarmed Combat Mastery which evolved into Advanced Unarmed Combat Mastery.

Pain, Physical and Magical Resistances had all evolved to have "Greater" in their skill names now.

My Magic Vein also evolved into Magic Core.

And Intuition became Foresight now.

Basically, the training was worthwhile. Despite it's hellish nature.

And now, with only four days left until we leave this floor, Kyuki and I have once again started running in Eliza-san's Speed course.

However, unlike the first time when we experienced it, this time was a breeze for us.

At least until Eliza-san decided to hold back less and made the tree monsters even more terrifying as they shoot out acid from their mouths.

"Don't worry, my dear! I've made it so that the acid will only melt clothes!"

That's does not make it better!

"Oh. And it also melts fur. So be careful, little fox!"

"Kyuu!?"

🍫🍫🍫

Eliza-san's POV

Looks like they've improved greatly now.

Honestly, I'd figured it would be too hard for them and they would give up. But they proved me wrong.

I must say, my dear, you sure are tenacious for someone who doesn't seem to express her emotion much.

The little fox as well. Its devotion to its master is something in of itself. Although, compared to its master, the little fox itself still pretty weak. That being said, it could become an exceptional support for my dear, so I guess that's what it might very well be in the future.

The problem is, however, will they be able to defeat Dagon when he faces them?

I have no doubt in my mind that the confrontation between them is inevitable.

Well obviously, Dagon would destroy them if they meet now.

"Now," that is. As I have planned to make them fight at a later moment. When the both of them will fight on equal standing.

And to make sure that it happens, I will need to face Dagon myself first.

"Kyuu! Kyuu! Kyuu!"

The little fox was making a lot of noise while running, whereas my dear was silent as she evades every one of my familiar's attacks.

They have made great improvements over these two weeks. But they are still weak compared to me or Dagon.

Nonetheless, they are most likely my only hope of getting out of here, as another chance like this will probably never appear again.

I mean, sure... I have a name now, so I could just kill myself and let the System reincarnate me as another lifeform. However, there's a chance that I would became another monster in this dungeon. What's more, there's no guarantee that I would retain my memories from this life. Therefore, the choice of reincarnating will only be my last resort.

How ironic. I am powerful, yet powerless at the same time. I have to rely on someone else much weaker than me to get myself out of this predicament.

Perhaps it would have been better than I give up from the start. But each time I tried to do that, I couldn't help but wonder.

Nicolas... Are you still waiting for me?