Dum! Dum! Dum!

Every footstep caused an earthquake.

It had a face similar to the bulldog but much fiercer. Its eyes were gleaming in a reddish color. Its teeth were razor-sharp; sticky, muddy, and dirty saliva was dripping from it. His hairless skin was so eerie. Nails that were longer than their height were protruding at 3 fingers of its four limbs.

It's so gigantic! Well, a little bigger than the lizards awhile ago. And the dark red aura was oozing from its body.

"Damn it! It's a [Nightmare] class monster!" Yman uttered.

It passed by a big chunk of rock where ashen blue heads are peeking from it. All of them had similar countenance. Their mouths were wide-open while holding their breaths. And sweats dripping from all over their faces.

Yman was no exception.

"What that beautiful — looks innocent — mad lass artist put in this world! Is she perhaps a psycho?" He muttered with his eye fixed staring at the monster that he did not wish to see even in his dreams.

Beside him, Aegor who had a similar blue ashen face was muttering, "What in the world are these gigantic beasts doing here!?"

"Does Miss Ella have a hidden agenda?" Taflas also whispered to himself.

"My idol baby love Miss Ella… is actually a silent sadist," said a fangirl Tiafel.

"I'm wondering if I'm going to unsubscribe to her YT channel and unfollow her on Facepalm.com, TweetTweet, and in Instakillogram account or IKG for short," Cinder who had a similar blue ashen face muttered to herself.

Their heads went 'poof' with a background sound of 'WOINK!' when they noticed the monster glanced at their direction.

They simultaneously lowered their heads.

Right at this moment, the girl they were talking to was calmly sipping a newly served tea beside the empire's empress.

The scenery on the balcony was so beautiful. It was surrounded by fresh-smelling flowers with different colors. Beautiful tiny birds and some playful sprites would fly from now and then. Together with butterflies with glowing wings that scattering particles of lights that look like silver dust.

In the sky, the blue sky was like a calm sea, devoid of storm and calamities. Every now and then, some birds and transport birds could be seen flying in the distance. They were hovering over the clouds and sometimes below.

The aunt and her niece were currently watching the holographic screen on the table in front of them. While also enjoying the peaceful moment.

"Fufu." A chuckle from the gorgeous empress of the empire came in to oust the solemn atmosphere.

"Looks like most of the participants have already entered the first barrier. I can't imagine what face they will make when they see the surprise. Even the experts of the great noble families will probably have headaches dealing with those beasts," said the empress cheekily.

'I-It's not my fault…' Ella in silence said her sorry in advance to all the participants.

"D-Do we really need those things, aunt?" She asked. Though it was too late since the competition had long since started.

"Fufu, don't worry about it, Rea honey. It will be a good challenge to test their strength and adaptability.

An empire's warrior must be the bearer of both strength and adaptability in any battlefield," assuaged the empress.

Ella nodded her head. Her aunt was truly a talented person. She was written in the Book of World Record as the youngest person to become the queen of a kingdom. And in just a few years she was once again recorded as the youngest person to become an Empress in the Empire.

However, the late emperor's siblings were not on good terms with her.

Ella didn't know why her aunt on a whim sponsored a competition.

In any case, she noticed that most of the participants that displayed on the monitor were already engaged in a bloodbath battle with the High-Rank Spirit Beasts she created in that world. Although they were not the real beasts, in that world, they were real for the people who entered there. Even their strength was the same, but their power was limited only to what she knew about the monster.

All in all, they were an impossible opponent.

Yman and the others were crawling towards the bigger chunk of rocks. It was a little closer to their current position.

They were crawling in line while trying not to create any noises even a little.

Thanks to Sistela's appraisal ability. He learned that the beast was still in its half-sleep and only relying on its hearing ability.

And before it could smell them, he took a piece of stone on the ground and threw it away towards the distance.

It hit a distance piece of rock and created a dull sound.

Dum! Dum! Dum! The ground shakes terribly when the monster dashed towards it.

The place they were currently at, was full of scattered chunks of rocks, and it was a little misty.

Yman sighed in relief.

Regardless he could not linger here for long. This place wasn't a safe place to stay.

"Hey, hey, how did you recklessly do it?"

While crawling quietly, the disaster-bringer girl behind him asked.

"Don't worry, if it failed, I'll use you to feed it while I'm escaping."

"...heartless! Unsympathetic! How could you say that to a beauty like me!"

She lashed out such words with teary eyes.

Yman brow twitched, "Shuddap, isn't that thing your kin?" He pointed.

Hearing it, "Ngh!" She whimpered. "Is that how you tell someone after your naked eyes feast on her naked body!" She yelled in teary eyes. Like a girl having a break up with her boyfriend.

"What the—!" He forgot what he should say and can't believe that this girl could say such things openly. And, "Hey, stop saying weird things that may cause a misunderstanding. Besides it's your fault for undressing in front of me—-" He said, but, 'Damn it, I made it worse.' He regretted saying it. He noticed his words were inappropriate as well.

"Just be grateful that I did not kill you just yet," he added.

"Wha—-!" She could not believe this guy. 'How could he not care for a lady's heart?' She thought, "Hmph… meanie!" She muttered.

"....."

'Such indecent things to voice out. What are these two talking about? Are they not satisfied and that's why they were quarreling about it?' Taflas thought with envy.

"Hey, you lovers please stop your quarrel at times like this, otherwise that thing will notice us you know," said Tiafel. An Encan lady who was wearing an Encantasia Academy uniform at the moment.

"We are not! And over my dead body!" Cinder denies.

"Well, you almost died a while ago….. fufu—-!!" Yman chuckled a bit and froze when the person who was supposed to be at the back of their line passed by in a silent walk that looks like a run.

Actually, they were crawling and Yman was at the front, followed by Cinder, Tiafel, Taflas, and lastly was Aegor - the beardy plump man.

"?!"

"!?"

"??"

"?"

The four of them had question marks floating above their heads when out of a sudden the person named Aegor suddenly stood and walked in a hurry ahead of them!

They slowly glanced at the... and froze.

A large open mouth, full of fangs and dripping sticky liquids were seemingly inviting them inside.

No need for talk….. they stood sooner….. then sprint away from it without looking back!

The Nightmare Class monster squinted its eyes then followed after them. While thinking, 'Foolish insects!'

Although tired, their adrenaline rush did its duty, pretty well.

"Damn beardy I will skim your face!" Taflas shouted while rapidly kicking the ground.

"OMG Fatsu! You're the worst!" Cinder followed.

"Aegor you're a traitor!!!" Tiafel yelled.

Yman forced a voiceless laugh while sprinting. Well, if it was him, he too would do what that plump guy did. But at this moment, he would rather not waste any more strength.

Dum! Dum! Dum!

They heard a familiar sound at their tail. No need to glance behind as they knew what it was.

Cinder noticed the guy beside him slowly advancing.

Huff! Huff! Huff! "Hey!" Suddenly, from his back, Yman felt someone leaped on it. He felt the sensation of something grabbing him at the back!

"Hey what are you doing! Get off!" He tried to wag her, but the person did not let him go. "Idiot! Use your Artefacts or we will die!"

When Tiafel and Taflas heard it, a bulb lit up in their heads and shouted "GRACE!" At the same time.

Taflas wristband and Tiafel's ring glowed but even so, they did not stop their running.

Two-spirit beasts materialized beside them. Both were speed type — an ostrich and dino type. But they look fiercer than the original.

"Hey you bringer of disaster woman, get off of me! And summoned your Artefact too!" Yman shouted at the person clinging to his back like a leech.

".....I-I don't have a speed type spirit beast!" Cinder shouted in his ears while strengthened her gripped to his back.

"....."

He thought talking to this girl was a waste of time. He used [Rapid Leap] as he could feel the monster's fangs at a few centimeters before they became a good chicken dinner.

GWAARRRR! GOOAAARR! Rawr! The monster was so annoyed chasing them.

Tiafel and Taflas already went ahead of them.

"So this is what you did when you fought me huh!" Cinder shouted.

"Hey, don't be a leech and shoot flame at it!"

"Oh, right!"

Ahead of them, Yman noticed the three people. They were waving their hands. Looks like they found a cave.

He once again used [Rapid Leap].

"Woah, what a nice mount!" She shouted with a laugh.

Something bothering him….. after she said 'mount'. Because, since this woman leaped and cling on his back, he felt something that keeps poking his back!

"Fireball!"

'So she could also use a fireball huh,' he thought.

"!!"

"Hey, this guy is weirdly dodging my fireball. I think I'm strong!"

"Wha—?"

'Dodge the Fireball? The heck, this woman said.' But when Yman took a quick glance at the back, he saw the Nightmare class beast dodging her Fireball which was clearly weaker than her [Shapeless Flame].

"Keep firing at it!" He urged her.

"No need to tell me!"

"Geez, such noisy woman…"