Chapter 262 (2/2)
“I know”
“And don’t you even think about using whatever it was you used on that last platfor!”
“I told you I need to risk ainst asuras,” I stated Despite my injury and close call, I had succeeded I could feel the change in my body and the possibilities of what I would be able to do once I was strong enough to handle it “But you have to admit, the result orth it”
“If it wasn’t for on’s fart technique!” he yelled before letting out a breath “Fine It was pretty cool Just don’t do it again until we’re someplace safe, yeah?”
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“It was a calculated risk…but I agree,” I answered before stepping onto the orange platform As soon asbrighter and started pulsating softly while the stairs leading to the next platform retracted
“That didn’t happen on the last platfor at the stairs
However, even as Regis was talking, I sensed soly I spun onthe space in front of ht prickle on e completely but what surprised me more was the fact that I was able to react to the humanoid beast that had attacked me at all
Aside from the fact that it was deadly fast, it seemed to be invisible Even with the fact that I was able to see aether with my eyes, the beast simply looked like a faint blur of purple with two bladed arrip around the bladed beast’s arled to pry free “Be careful”
My companion’s eyes widened at what he saw and hid behind ht hand out of co the beast off of the platfor aether into er and struck the humanoid beast underneath its chin and severed its head
The entire platform shook froround without a trace of blood leaking from its wound
As soon as the beast died, details for shroud of aether
“How’d you even see this thing?” Regis asked as he hovered over what could only be described as some sort of reptilian centaur
I toucheda bead of blood from the wound that had already healed “I didn’t…I just sort of knew and reacted to it”
“I wonder if it’s because of your new body,” Regis pondered
“I’m not sure I didn’t feel this hen I first woke up to this body Even while fighting the chimeras and the millipede—I don’t think I would’ve been able to react this fast back then”
My ed Maybe by forgingtomy nerves to enhance ht of the reptilian centaur fading into nothingness snapped me back to reality Soon after, the platform dimmed to its usual color and the stairs returned to its usual state, connecting this platforuess…that’s it?”
We crossed the platfor sure there weren’t any more invisible threats, but after I had deemed it safe, the two of us took some more time to heal
After a few hours of concentrated absorption of aether, I was back to full health and was even able to give Regis some aether His body and horns were still half their previous size but he was at least able to use Gauntlet Forthe end of the platforht of stairs, much more confident than last tiht and when I carefully touched the floor withlike the previous platfor the entire area into smaller squares, each the span of is said sarcastically, looking at the squares “Too bad you can’t just float over them like me”
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“You make it sound like your life isn’t tied to is’s expression fell as he muttered weakly, “We don’t know that for sure…”
“Let’s not find out,” I chuckled before focusing on the task at hand
I got low and tapped lightly on the square just ahead while watching out for anyhappened, but when I placed both feet on the same square, the entire platforrees Suddenly, I was on the left side of the square rather than the front side
“Woah,” Regis muttered
I carefully stepped on the square toup to the next platform However, as soon as both feet were planted, the entire platform rotated once more, this time, counterclockwise
“It’s a…puzzle,” I said, stepping on another square “Like some sort of two dimensional Rubik’s Cube”
The platforet closer toward the stairs, the farther away I was led
Minutes easily bled into hours as we stepped, failed, and retraced our steps before starting again
“Forward, left, left, forward, right—no I think it was left?” Registhis harder,” I snapped as I hopped through the memorized path until ere just three squares away from the staircase
I stepped on the square adjacent to the one I was on this ti me clockwise, but the move after that led to a dead route
“da back my path a few steps to hopefully find a different route
“Can’t you just ju from me to the stairs
I stared blankly at et to the stairs easily froenerally, the stairs have always been safe”
I thought for a moment and realized we could be stuck here for hours if not days on this giant spinning chessboard
Is, I jumped
The distance was easy to clear but as I descended toward the flight of stairs, suddenly, a shadow loomed over me
It was the entire platform
My eyes widened as the entire blue platfor over my head
No… it can’t end just like this
“Arthur!” Regis cried, falling alongside me despite his ability to fly
I flailed rab ahold of soather aether once h to launch an attack like earlier
There was nothing either of us could do as we continued plurew farther and farther away, until it faded out of sight