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Within the underground of the accursed shrine, a young man laid sleeping over an old and nasty cushion, there were a few used cups of instant ramen surrounding his 'bed' as he began to scratch his butt. ​​

He was a youthful man, nearing his late teens, with sort black hair, pale white skin, and black eyes, which began to glow eerily in a blazing red the moment he was woken up by the commotion above.

A small horn began to grow at the left side of his forehead, as his long and sharp ears were also revealed as he stood up from his bed.

"Who is making all of that fuss? Man, can't I sleep for once?"

"Ugh, I feel all limp, this happens when I eat too much junk food… I want some nice meat…"

"Fucking annoying idiots… If it is another gang of humans, I am eating them for breakfast… I'm tired of instant cup ramen anyways," he said, slowly and lazily walking up the stairs…

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Boom!

The Ogre's body suddenly exploded into flames and black smoke, as Matsuo at Frank's side glanced with a surprised expression.

"Phew… That was close, without Ruby and you, I wouldn't be able to pull out such a quick victory…" said Frank while releasing a sigh of relief.

"Didn't you said that you wanted to get stronger whenever you fought a Rank 3 Monster? You're already strong enough to beat one so easily…" said Matsuo as he crossed his arms.

"I already told you that if it wasn't for your help, it would have taken way more time," said Frank, as he felt the rush of Experience Points embrace his entire self.

Ding!

[You reached Level 11!]

[Ruby] reached Level 9!]

[Ginseng] reached Level 4!]

"Haah… I leveled up… And everyone else too!" thought Frank, as he petted Ruby.

"Well done, you two," he said, also communicating with Ginseng within his hand, who had put some help into the fight by slowly draining the Ogre's already low Mana reserves so it could not abuse its Magic while Frank restrained it.

"Grawr!" said Ruby as she waved her tail, she seemed a bit hungry, but because Earth's monsters often did not leave behind their physical bodies if they were not stronger or higher Ranked monsters, she did not have anything to snack on.

"You really have talent, I have to admit it~," said Matsuo as he stretched his arms a bit.

"Hm, let me pick up the dropped items and we can yeet out of here… Oh, another Rune? And a weapon… And a Book too!" said Frank.

"Hm? You got a few nice Items…" said Matsuo.

Frank and Matsuo glanced at the items left on the floor in detail.

There was a small jewel, a Rune, of yellow color, which was named 'Physical Resistance Rune' which granted the effect of the 'Physical Damage Resistance' Skill into any equipment it was infused into.

The weapon Frank finally found was green and black-colored dagger of no more than five to six centimeters long. It had razor-sharp fangs in the side of the edge, and was named 'Ogre's Dagger', it did not look quite refined, and it seemed roughly made, but it had a very nice grip on Frank's hand.

"I've never wielded a dagger though…" thought Frank.

Aside from the large D-Grade Magic Crystal, there was also another Skill Book, named 'Dark Magic Skill Book', which Frank could not help but feel excited to learn almost immediately.

"Dark Magic? Will you learn it? Now that I think about it, that is quite a big cheat, you can even get new magic affinities by simply learning magic books, don't you?" asked Matsuo with a smile, he was beginning to feel a bit envious but also proud of Frank's quick growth.

"Yeah, but let's save this for later," said Frank, saving the items inside of his Inventory.

"Alright, let's get going… Though, it's weird…" said Matsuo.

"Hm? What's weird?" asked Frank.

"The Domain… It is not disappearing…" said Matsuo.

"Does it disappear instantaneously?" asked Frank.

"Yeah, when the Youkai Boss is defeated, the Domain begins to immediately crack into pieces like glass, and dissipates not long afterward… But nothing has happened at all since the Ogre died," said Matsuo.

"Wait, does it mean that there might be another Youkai Boss?" asked Frank.

"Yeah, there might- Huh?!"

"Ungh…!"

"What the… Frank!"

Suddenly, as Frank and Matsuo had a relaxed discussion, a deadly, powerful presence that put in complete shame the Ogre that Frank had previously slain emerged from within the corridors.

The presence was so strong that the mere air began to feel heavy, Frank was suddenly hit by it, making him fall to his knees immediately, gasping for air.

Frank felt as if someone completely different to anything he had ever experienced, perhaps even fiercer than Harumi herself had appeared, its presence was so deadly that Frank felt as if the being was looking right into his soul, like two gigantic crimson eyes overlooking him from within the abyss.

Frank gnashed his teeth as he glanced in front of him, only to find a lazy-looking young man with black hair, pale white skin, crimson eyes, and a small horn on his forehead.

"Yo…" he said.

"This… This presence…! That's not a human!" said Matsuo.

"Human? No, sorry. Ah, so you two are the annoying idiots that came to molest my sleep… Sigh, you two look like- Hm? Oh! Monks! Are you Monks, right?" the man asked, as his eyes began to glow in redder light, the moment he noticed Frank and Matsuo's Monk Crest on their hands, he suddenly grew overly excited.

"Who are you?" asked Matsuo, his nature suddenly became serious, as he began to leak his overwhelming magical aura to fend off the being in front of him… although it looked human, it was clearly not a human.

"Haahhh…!"

Frank, meanwhile, was panting pathetically as his entire self-esteem was brought down in seconds, the presence that had suddenly emerged put his entire world perspective upside down. The slight cockiness that he was developing was suddenly crushed as he realized how dangerous this world truly was.

"Shit… Shit…! I need to… stand up!" he thought, infusing his mana into his entire body while combining it with all of his boosting Skills, he somehow, managed to stand up.

Meanwhile, Ruby lied on the ground in a similar state. Frank quickly grabbed her as she turned into a tiny lizard and hidden inside of Frank's clothes.

"Who am I? Ah, isn't it obvious?" asked the man, pointing his fingers into his little horn.

"You're… an Oni…" said Matsuo.

"Bingo! Haha…" laughed the man, he was completely carefree.

Frank could not help but instinctively try to Inspect the man in front of him and Matsuo.

Ding!

[Inspect] level insufficient, inspection failed…]

[Inspect] level insufficient, inspection failed…]

[Inspect] level insufficient, inspection failed…]

[Inspect] level insufficient, inspection failed…]

…

"I should have guessed as much…" thought Frank.

"Man, now that I am awake, what are you going to do to compensate? I should really just eat you up… Plus you are Monks, so I kind of want to tear you down even more now… Haahh… Alright, maybe I can grill you first? Raw meat is not my thing, to be honest…" said the man, as he pointed his finger towards Matsuo.

"Bye," he said.

"Frank! Light Barrier!"

Flash!

Darkness.

Frank's entire vision was filled with darkness as a power that he could barely muster emerged from within the pointed finger of the man in front of him.

But light quickly appeared.

A light so majestic that it fought against the darkness, both opposites of one another barely resisting against each other.

Matsuo's barrier barely managed to defend him and Frank from the perpetual darkness of Tartarus itself.

FLASH!

However, the darkness grew, bigger and stronger, engulfing the light.

Matsuo began to gnash his teeth as he screamed, infusing all of his Mana into the task!

"Unnnghh…! Light… Barrier!"

However, although the barrier of light resisted as much as it could, the darkness was way too much! Way too potent, way too sinister!

"Matsuo!"

Frank felt as Matsuo's Mana was quickly being drained from his soul, he touched Matsuo's shoulder instinctively.

"Mana Transfer!"

"Frank…?"

Flash!

Matsuo felt the serene and pure Mana of Frank envelop his entire body, as he used such powerful Mana, shaping it and infusing it into his Light Barrier!

Suddenly, the light grew big enough to resist the darkness, as a blinding light covered the shrine.

Flash!

The darkness dissipated, as the man in front of them stood there with a bit of a surprised look.

"Oh? You survived my Hell Gate?" asked the man, as his smile grew bigger and sinister, his crimson eyes flashing with a strong voracity as if Frank and Matsuo were mere prey for him.

"Frank, stand behind me!" said Matsuo, as his entire body was enveloped by a robe made out of light, giving him a mystical aura.

"I will!" said Frank while nodding, he did not stop infusing Mana into Matsuo as he knew how vital this energy was.

"Interesting… You want to struggle a bit more?" asked the man.

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