Demon Tamer's Ascension-Chapter 19: Ironridge Territory 2

"Whoa, whoa, hold on-"

One of the miners grabbed Alex’s sleeve.

"You’re not seriously going into that tunnel, are you?"

Another worker turned around immediately.

"Kid, don’t."

"That one’s bad news."

"Three hunters died there last week."

A thick silence followed.

The wind blew through the valley again, carrying ash and dust through the crooked wooden structures.

Alex gently pulled his sleeve free.

"Thanks for the warnings, but I don’t need it." Then he started walking toward the mine entrance, "You have to understand, I’m a Demon Tamer."

They didn’t catch his final phrase, but the miners exchanged looks.

One scratched his beard.

"Well, that’s another one dead, can’t say I didn’t warn him."

The woman with the ore sack shook her head slowly.

"No." She watched Alex’s calm stride. "That one’s different."

Far above them, deep within the mountain tunnel, something massive shifted in the darkness.

A low, animalistic growl rolled through the iron tunnels like it was normal, and Alex’s grin widened.

"Perfect."

Although there was still one issue. Alex had no coins, meaning he couldn’t unlock any new abilities or purchase useful tools from the marketplace. And his only 2 skills were sharp claw and smell, both classified as [F-Rank] for their current period.

"Come out, Adoff."

With that calm, commanding voice, a faint ripple of dark energy appeared beside him as grey and pale white particles slowly reshaped into Adoff.

The small silvery-grey wolf stepped out of the ripple like royalty entering a throne room.

Adoff looked around Ironridge Territory slowly, then landed his gaze on Alex.

"So, this is where you’ve dragged me?" He paused, "What an absolutely dreadful location."

"You think?" Alex replied, questioning him. "Anyways, team up with me for this quest, I’m going to need you to help. They didn’t even specify its rank."

"The fuck you expect me to do?" Adoff asked, "I’m just a small, cute grey wolf, an F-Rank nonetheless."

"Well," Alex sneered, "What if I told you, you could be more than just an F, by simply defeating this quest?"

"Count me in," Adoff lowered his gaze, "What’s the mission?"

’That was quick,’ Alex thought before speaking.

"Well, we have to defeat some kind of evolutionary beast, so try to quickly spot anything in our way. I’ve read articles about your specialties. Sniffing around and senses to be more specific, so help with that at the very least."

"Got it."

Step. Step. Step.

...

A small while longer, they finally reached the darkened cave, trying to find the creature that growled, leaving every miner behind.

Inside, it was vast and dark. The creaking of stone echoed in their ears, but they kept moving until they spotted or sensed something dangerous.

There was a trail of tracks leading all the way forward, clearly deserted by the miners since the beasts residing within claimed it as their newfound territory.

The evolutionary Beast, more specifically.

"This is deeper than expected."

Alex stepped forward, the echo against the damp iron-streaked walls resounded once more, "Well, no shit, Adoff. We’re at the top of a cliff."

"No need to be rude," Adoff rolled his eyes around, "Just stating the obvious."

Drip.

Drip.

Water fell from the ceiling somewhere ahead. Adoff’s ears twitched sharply, then he came to a halt.

Alex looked behind him, "What is it?" He whispered.

The small silver wolf lowered his nose to the rocky ground, inhaling slowly. His eyes narrowed.

Blood.

Alex felt the tension in the tunnel suddenly grow heavier, and the air became thick with smoke.

"Fresh?"

"No," Adoff’s voice rang within Alex’s head naturally once more, "Old. Days old."

"Activate Smell," Alex whispered, squinting his eyes tightly before continuing to move forward.

---------------------------

[Skill Activated!]

└ Smell - F-Rank

└ Cost: 5 DE

[Duration]

└ 1 Minute

---------------------------

Alex snorted twice as the world of scent simply unfolded around him.

He smelt everything clearly now. Whether it was metal, rotting wood, dust, or disgusting rotting meat soaked in sulfur. He was able to perceive the odor of it all.

For just 1 minute.

"There," Alex whispered, while Adoff lifted his head slowly. "The smell is getting worse by the second."

"I can sniff it as well," Adoff replied, "I almost feel like puking."

After that slight pause, they both looked toward the deeper section of the mine. They just knew something had to have been living there. That fact was undeniable.

But, for whom it was. They didn’t know it exactly. What they did know, however, was the fact that it was an evolutionary beast, one that evolved from Adoff.

Step. Step. Step.

Alex checked his status mid-walk.

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[Current Level]

[Level 1]

[EXP: 0/100]

[Personal Rank]

└ F-Rank

[Tamer Rank]

└ Click Here To Open A New Tab!

[Hp: 100/100]

[DE: 15]

└ Demon Energy

[Fatigue: 0]

[State: Slightly Well]

[No System Points! Go On Quests To Earn Some!]

[Stats]

└ STR: F [●○○○○] → +

└ DEF: F [●○○○○] → +

└ AGI: F [●○○○○] → +

└ INT: F [●○○○○] → +

└ CHARM: F [●○○○○] → +

[DP: 0]

└ Demon Points

[Skills]

└ Sharp Claw

└ Smell

[Abilities]

└ None

[Marketplace!]

└ Click Here!

└ Uses The Same Currency For The Ability Shop!

---------------------------

"Fifteen DE left," Alex muttered, "Less than I would’ve wanted."

"Then, try not to die," Adoff replied dryly.

They continued to go in deeper, going back and forth for a while, sniffing ahead for more dangerous scents and odors that wafted within this cliff’s cave.

Crunch!

Alex’s boot crushed something. He looked down, and it was a helmet. The item was completely dented inward. And beside it...

Bones.

Human bones.

Adoff’s tail slowly lowered, and then he realized something. "They’re definitely hunters."

"I see," Alex tapped on his jaw, "That’s what those miners meant back there, where three had just died not too long ago."

And then, the cave trembled slightly.

Boom!

A massive thud echoed from deeper inside the tunnel. Dust rained from the ceiling while Alex’s grin slowly spread.

"Found it."

Two glowing yellow eyes opened within the darkness ahead, as a massive creature slowly emerged.

It was definitely it, one of the evolved versions of Adoff.