In a tide of devastation, Darien's spell expanded across the shrine, consuming the gargoyles within seconds.

The stone wings of the monsters melted like cheese, and their claws disintegrated in the scorching rug of heat.

The enclosed hall amplified <Solar Purge>'s destruction. Even the statues along the walls cracked before shattering under the pressure.

One after another, the pillars began to crumble, and the shrine itself trembled.

-1150!x8

-475!x3

Narrowing his eyes, Darien spotted three unseemly gargoyles that had survived the full damage of his discharge by ascending higher into the shadows with their flapping wings.

They looked like disfigured bats with wings forged from hell.

With ugly gurgles, their bellies swelled before they vomited streams of fireballs toward him.

Six projectiles, two each, hissed through the destroyed atmosphere of the lair with a single warrior as their target.

Despite the shower of fireballs, Darien didn't move a foot.

His confidence could only be described as assured, his silver hair swaying, and his eyes fixed on the cascading spells.

But the monsters took him for a fool, and his hesitation for fear. They growled louder, believing they had the warrior covered.

However, the moment the first fireball neared, his blade birthed three molten appendages that lashed out into the smoky air agitatedly.

The tendrils intercepted the incoming fire spells midair, two to each, shattering them into showers of harmless embers.

The instant the bright clashes of interception cleared, a mortal chain of fire burst forth, startling the airborne monsters.

It struck the middle gargoyle, piercing through its torso and gripping its spine.

Pulling his spell back, Darien went gory once more in this trial.

The creature's spine tore free in a grisly display once he savagely yanked the chain.

But before the monster's body could even crash from the force of <Mythic Pyrolash>, Darien used his Cosmic skill to go airborne, meeting it mid-flight with Hellheart burning like a red comet in his grip.

~SWISH!

He halved the monster, and it was devoured in an instant.

Using the momentum, Darien launched forward and met the next gargoyle before it could retreat.

His next swing severed its head. The damage from that alone was enough to slay two Demonic Sentinel Gargoyles!

"Growl!"

The third gargoyle tried to ready an attack, but Darien's sword cut through the fireball in an arc. The slash was so intense that the monster was indirectly slain by it as it vaporized.

[You killed a Rank 1 Monster]x11

By the time Darien dropped back to the floor, Vynsera was already waiting for him with her sword at her side.

"You fought nicely," she commented, though her eyes were on his loot rather than his face.

Vynsera wondered if Darien would share a few of his drops. After all, they were partners in this trial.

Even though she was a noble with access to abundant resources, Vynsera knew that some items found in special cursed areas like these were irreplaceable, and something within all these piles might soon become essential along the way.

Meanwhile, Darien stole a glance at her.

He appreciated her slim, buccaneer-like appearance. It wasn't the most curvaceous body, but it was elegant and promising.

'I'm not admiring, I'm only observing,' he spat at himself.

Since he had given her healing potions, Darien needed to take a proper look at his partner to assess her condition.

From what he could see, her vitality had returned, and she was ready to keep going.

"My lady, apart from the ritual and unlocking this lair, I daresay your usefulness here has ended," Darien said with a simple smile.

The two warriors seemed to have an inverse relationship, because whenever Darien smiled, Vynsera frowned, and when she smiled, he would be the one frowning.

"Don't flatter yourself," the girl shot back sharply.

Quickly, she brushed past him to take the lead, fearing the power dynamic might be shifting.

"And we've only faced Rank 1 monsters," she added.

But Darien had stated the truth.

He could easily handle the rest of this trial on his own; in fact, he could have from the beginning. He didn't exactly need Vynsera anymore—not for her strength, at least.

The only reason she'd been indispensable was for her Ritual of Vincent and her retrieval of the orb key that unlocked this lair.

And that was the very reason she felt important because Darien wouldn't have gained access to any of this in the first place without her!

"From my predictions, the Forsaken Magus is only a tier away. That means we might be facing the strongest wave next."

Vynsera said, leading the way, eager to make up for her lack of display while Darien had singlehandedly slain eleven monstrous Demonic Sentinel Gargoyles.

She intended to become his partner, not a subordinate.

How else could she request him to mentor her swordsmanship without appearing inferior?

On the other hand, Darien's mind had wandered to what he now held in his palm.

He had casually inspected one of the drops from his kills while absorbing a life core to replenish himself.

(Item Name: Winged Ring)

(Type: Accessory/ Ring)

(Rank: Rare)

(LV. 2)

(Description: A boosting item. 20% Cooldown Reduction. 100% Agility Increase. 30% Soul Increase.)

(Skills: nil)

While equipping the item, it reminded him of the Legendary-ranked Ring of a Thousand Faces he had yet to test.

Darien knew he couldn't let his excitement for that die, so he promised he'd try it out as soon as possible.

As for his full inventory, the plan was to carefully sort and replace the nonessential with the essential drops once the trial was completed.

As great as his talent was, the downside was his inability to upgrade his existing skills directly.

The skill points, by his system, were exclusively for creation, not enhancement or learning.

Hence, Darien could regularly find himself at a crossroads, where he could either make a duplicate but improved version of a skill, overcrowding his arsenal, or settle for the current ones, improving them through conventional means within the world.

For now, he could manage the scale of his inventory, but Darien knew something had to be done soon.

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