"Good, with this, the escape route has be cleared. Next is…".


    Soma stood in front of a rectangr hole connecting the ruins with the outside world. He observed his surings, where he couldn''t find any living being except them. In front of them stretched out a lined tree that swayed because of the strong breeze that happed to be bypassed, and the orange canvas that hung above them indicated the sun would soon go to its slumber.


    "Hina, Xiao Lian, are you ready?".


    The girls nodded their heads with solemn expressions on their faces. Th, after getting the approval from them. Soma began to ter deeper inside the passageway, followed by Hina and Xiao Lian using their respective weapons to make a mark for the route to escape, in case the ce structure was a maze.


    Soma walked with a tse atmosphere a him. From what he recalled, the orc who brought a broadsword in his back was probably an orc-guard. As far as he knew, orc guard was a Rank-D monster, also ssified as an intermediate monster whose proficicy in battle was slightly better than a regr orc and had a somewhat good head. Also, if there is one or multiple Orcs guard a their settlemt.


    Th, there is no mistaking that in their group, there will be one leader that stands above others, an Orc Chief, or ev worse.


    They walked with silt steps, and after more than a minute had passed, they were weed by the spectacles that were horrible to look at. There is a spiral stair that leads down toward the ce where the orc gathers in the op space. Soma observed all of the orcs inside and counted there were more than thirty regr orcs, with four higher species of orcs, Orcs Guard.


    As for the studts, they were sured in the corner like trapped mice by regr orcs, which had an ted expression on their faces.


    In the innermost room stood an erected stone chair that had be gnawed by the passage of time, and some of its clusters had disappeared. However, it still managed to hold itself while being used by an Orc wearing a leather coat and broadsword with a ne made from multiple human bones and another monster he hunted.


    He stood tall from the other orcs, with his gre skin protruding tusk and bulky appearance.


    Soma knitted his brows because his prediction seemed right. "Orc Chiefs". The monster was a Rank-C monster that was categorized as an advanced-ss monster.


    The Orc Chief slowly raised his body into a standing position before shifting his gaze into the corner room toward the studt while licking his lips. He spread his hands wide before speaking.


    "Gaa, Gaa, noff!".


    Using Oguage, the leader began to talk iprehsibly to his subordinates before the room shook upon the loud, ted cry that escaped their mouth, making all the studts drown in the pit of despair.


    "This is bad. Hina Xiao Lian proceeded with the n".


    "Soma, are you fine alone?".


    "...".


    "Don''t worry about me. Save the other first, th I will deal with all of them at once".


    "Hm, Okay. Let''s go, Silver-hair".


    "...Okay, woah".


    Hina took Xiao Lian''s left hand on her before dragging Xiao Lian from the ce. After seeing the girl slowly descding the spiral stair, Soma inhaled a deep breath before his calm eyes turned sharp and elerated, th he kicked the wall, jumping from his ce, making all of the atttion of the orcs gather on him.


    With a dry thud, Soma safelynded in the middle of the room where the base of the orcs was. He immediately dashed forward and tried to attack the chief head-on.


    The other four orcs'' guards were rmed, and they hurriedly drew their broadswords and stood in Soma''s way, but Soma, with his agile movemt zig-zagging to the sides, slipped past the wall that was created by the orcs'' guard easily until he arrived at the Orc chief range.


    Orc chief, who saw the impding danger, took the mace that was resting behind his throne. The ck mace was so macing, with many spikes on its blunt side. He swung it to the side, creating a wind gust that scattered the dust suring him. Soma dodged the attack by bding his feet and taking a lower stance, targeting the orc chief''s lower point.


    Like a ferocious tiger, Soma began reltlessly to attack the orc chief. The two fight had be shifted toward another ce as the other orcs'' guard, and more than dozs of regr orcs'' came toward him, putting him at a disadvantage, sured.


    Soma noticed a huge shadow came at his side and he shifted his gaze up and saw a broadsword travel in a straight line, almost splitting his skull into two. Soma, with his lower stance, rolled to the side while dodging the attack. The sword struck the floor and raised a speck of dust that obstructed Soma''s vision.


    Soma straighted his stance, but another sh came from his right and left. The orc guard used a pincer move where they stood in front and behind Soma while swinging their sword horizontally, cutting his escapes.


    With the impding sword that will dissect his body, Soma jumps into mid-air while another attackes from thest orc guard. He throws his weapon straight at Soma.


    "Shit!".


    As the weapon was leaving his hand, it started to spin in mid-air, cutting the wind with a ferocious humming, trying to finish Soma once and for all. Soma was in mid-air and didn''t have time to activate his Martial Saint technique, grit his teeth and hands as he believed in the legdary weapon he obtained from the trial gate.


    Soma heighted his battle sse, and without his knowing, his red eyes gleamed in an ominous light, and he could see the iing sword trace clearly. The sword that spun perfectly aligned itself with Soma, ready to stab his chest.


    He crossed his hands and received the sharp edge of the de head-on. The impact from the force behind the throw seeped through his skin, th with gritted teeth and slow motion in his vision. Soma slid the de trajectory to his right and used that as a chance for him to spin a in mid-air and safelynd on the g, facing five high-ranking monsters.


    "Fuu, Let''s not waste any more time".


    Inhaling a deep breath, Soma closed his eyes before throwing away the air in his lungs all at once and activating his skill.


    [Oni strgthing Technique]


    [Mana used 50]


    [Remaining time 8 seconds]


    A crimson aura began to leak from Soma''s tire body, bathed his body in ominous blood color. At first, he didn''t think ough about the mana color he had. But after being reminded by Serafina and Martial Saint about the growth of the devil inside him. He began to take notice that his Aura indeed looked ominous in other people''s eyes. But should he care about that?


    Soma clched both hands and redirected his gaze forward, facing the stunned Orcs, focusing his atttion on the higher species before him. His eyes manage to catch the situation that unfolds in Hina and Xiao Lian''s ces, and they are doing great.


    Th, after making sure that the n was advanced smoothly. He turned forward, putting more strgth in his feet before reappearing in front of the Orc Guard, who lost his weapon. The orc, who was caught unaware, retracted his fist back, trying to deliver a straight punch, but he was too slow in Soma''s eyes.


    With a thundering boom, the orc guard''s body was sted away from his ce before being rolled on the g multiple times before stopping and going limp.


    [You gained Exp!]


    "That''s first. Second!".