Paths of Creation

Two hours later, Akasha, Yara, and Bell had descended to the 9th floor.

Akasha inspected the floor with his indifferent gaze before sitting on a nearby rock. He looked at Yara and Bell, both bloodied from constant fighting.

"Rest for a bit and clear this floor. If you pass this final test, we'll return to the surface," he declared, leaving no room for refusal.

Bell was panting as he leaned against the wall, looking at Akasha like he was crazy. "Aka... Akasha, come on... haha... I can't take it anymore," he said, struggling to breathe.

Yara wasn't faring much better. The sword the guild had given her was worn out, and her magic reserves were almost empty, nearly pushing her into mind zero.

Akasha ignored Bell's words and snapped his fingers, causing both Yara and Bell to regain their composure.

"I've healed your minds, but I've kept your physical exhaustion. That will help you fight clearly even if your bones are broken," he declared with a slight smile, making Bell and Yara visibly shudder.

Amused, Akasha waved his hand dismissively. "Go. The longer you take, the later we'll return."

Yara and Bell sighed and exchanged glances. "Alright, let's go. I want to get home early," Yara declared, dragging Bell along.

As they ventured deeper into the floor, Yara stopped and raised her hand, flipping Akasha the middle finger, causing him to blink in confusion.

Without another word, Yara left with Bell covering her back.

Akasha, for his part, smiled as he understood Yara's antics. His eyes followed their every move, no matter where they were. As he watched them, he noticed something.

He fixed his gaze about two hundred meters away, where there was nothing—at least to the naked eye. Akasha could only sigh when he realized who it was.

Deciding to ignore it, Akasha interlaced his fingers in front of his chest and leaned back, closing his eyes.

---

On Yara and Bell's side, an hour had passed since they separated from Akasha. Along the way, they had dealt with dozens of War Shadows, Killer Ants, Kobolds, and Goblins.

The monster stone count had already surpassed Bell and Yara's expectations. Tired and mentally drained, they were collecting the last stones to finally head back.

Just then, they heard a roar that left them deaf for a few moments. Bell, in particular, was trembling, sweating profusely, and frozen in fear.

Yara noticed this and hurried to his side while scanning their surroundings. She looked at Bell with worried eyes when she realized he had fainted from fear.

"Bell, come on. We need to go back before it's too late. We can't take on that monster," Yara said urgently, pushing him.

Unfortunately, her words fell on deaf ears, and soon they began to hear heavy footsteps, shaking the floor as Yara's heart raced.

Running out of patience, Yara grabbed Bell like a sack of potatoes and took off, leaving behind the weapons Akasha had given them.

As she ran along the walls, the footsteps grew louder and faster. Yara felt like she was going to die and couldn't run any faster with Bell on her shoulder.

Yara knew she wasn't a good runner. In her village, they had mocked her for her physical condition, and carrying Bell only made things worse. If they didn't reach Akasha first, there wouldn't even be bones left.

Yara snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a tingling in her neck. Following her instincts, she threw Bell to the ground and ducked. Just as she did, a sword spun past at incredible speed.

Yara stared in shock as the sword embedded itself in the wall, sending rocks and dust flying. Thankfully, the noise woke Bell. Yara saw him confused and slapped him to snap him out of it.

"Bell! We need to get out of here! That thing will tear us apart!" Yara shouted at Bell while reaching for her sword, only to find it missing.

Yara's face paled as she looked back to where they had been. About 80 meters away were her sword and the dagger Akasha had given Bell. Yara sighed in resignation. They wouldn't make it out alive, and Akasha wouldn't arrive in time.

Bell, on the other hand, recovered quickly. He looked at the Minotaur that had nearly killed him on the 5th floor. His heart pounded furiously as he thought about what to do. He couldn't let Yara die. Akasha wouldn't forgive him, and he wouldn't forgive himself if someone died in his presence.

With those thoughts, he stood up and drew his dagger—the one the guild had given him and which he had saved for emergencies. He looked at Yara with a somewhat childish and naive smile.

"Go, Yara. Return to Mr. Akasha. I'll hold it off as long as I can," he said with a smile as he advanced toward the Minotaur, his trembling hand gripping the dagger tightly.

He closed his eyes, breathing unevenly. He took a deep breath for a few seconds before exhaling. Bell opened his eyes, and all that remained was calm, determination, and an unbreakable will.

"You won't kill in my presence, because I'll protect those who follow me with my life. Now, let's begin round two," Bell declared, staring directly at the Minotaur before charging at it.

The Minotaur understood the challenge and stomped the ground as it charged toward Bell, its hooves shattering the floor and sending dust flying.

In the blink of an eye, the Minotaur appeared in front of Bell and threw a punch. Bell felt a chill and sidestepped, barely avoiding the blow.

The shockwave from the punch sent him flying several meters, but he quickly recovered and ran behind the Minotaur, taking advantage of its lack of agility.

Bell approached and stabbed the dagger into its side, but he didn't stop. He dragged the dagger several centimeters, widening the wound. However, the Minotaur reacted and backhanded him, sending him flying and fracturing several ribs in the process.

Bell coughed up blood as he tried to stand, failing. He looked at the Minotaur, which glared at him furiously, steam exhaling from its nostrils.

The Minotaur noticed Bell couldn't move and got on all fours, preparing to activate its ability. Bell noticed this and remembered Eina's lesson about Minotaurs and their abilities.

Knowing it would use that ability, Bell tried to stand quickly, and with great difficulty, he succeeded. He looked at his dagger lying on the ground and bent down to pick it up, his face red with pain.

With his dagger in hand, he remembered one of the moves his grandfather had taught him. Deciding this was a life-or-death moment, he smiled.

He crouched and spread his feet, placing his right leg behind his left. His hands rose to neck level, and he held the dagger in a reverse grip. He sighed and looked at the Minotaur.

"I hope Yara managed to find Mr. Akasha," he thought before shaking off those thoughts and looking back at the Minotaur. "Alright. Today, either you die, or I do."

The Minotaur took that as a signal to begin the final phase of the battle. Its hind legs exerted devastating power on the ground, propelling it forward with speed.

The Minotaur closed in on Bell as he moved his right foot in front of his left, then shifted his left foot slightly forward and crouched even lower, spinning with the dagger ready.

The dagger was perfectly aligned with the Minotaur's neck. Bell knew he would die from the Minotaur's blow even if he managed to strike its neck.

But just as the Minotaur's fist was inches from Bell's chest and Bell's dagger was inches from the Minotaur's neck, the space between them fluctuated.

The space compressed rapidly, each part of it layering over itself, creating a fractal-like shield that protected Bell at the last moment.

What remained of Bell's dagger pierced the Minotaur's neck as the Minotaur's fist penetrated each layer of the shield, slowing the blow and reducing its power. In the end, the fist broke through all the layers and struck Bell, sending him flying several meters away.

The Minotaur, for its part, touched its neck in confusion and looked at the dark red blood. A grin-like expression appeared on its face before it turned to dark ashes.

At that moment, Yara emerged from the shadows, panting as she tried to manage her dizziness. She walked over to where Bell was and sat beside him, carefully checking him over before sighing in relief that he wasn't dead.

She lay down next to him and whispered as her eyes slowly closed. "Hehe, my magic saved a life... ha... haha," she said, laughing softly. "Did you see that... Mom?" she whispered before closing her eyes.

---

Akasha watched Yara and Bell sleeping. He had already healed most of Bell's injuries, leaving the less severe ones, and healed Yara's scratches and her mind.

A wide smile crossed Akasha's face, pleased to see such a soul shine for the first time.

"You're great entertainment, Bell Cranel. I'll make sure you reach your full potential," he whispered in his low, emotionless voice.

He hoisted both of them onto his shoulders and began ascending toward the dungeon's exit.

---

Inside Bell's consciousness.

«Notice. Physical attack resistance obtained.»

«Warning. It has been detected that the world of individual Bell Cranel operates under different laws. Initiating soul assimilation... successful. Abilities can now be used.»

«Notice. It has been detected that the individual's soul is very pure. As a result, the unique skill [Hero's Soul] has been obtained.»