Chapter 699: The Strange Question
Northern took a very long sleep; he had been sleeping a lot for the past week, trying to regain as much of his stamina as he could for the sole purpose of the festival.
He had also started taking subtle exercises. He would jog in the Limitless Void for three hours straight, covering 18 miles.
And it was something he started doing as soon as his stamina training for the festival began. Being able to get the strength talent might solve his problem. But Northern did not want to think it would not come with a flaw.
And finally, his subordinates had managed to break through to floor ten. He had commanded them to retreat.
This would be the last serious battle in the dungeon before the festival starts. During the festival, they will be busy fighting their way down to the twentieth floor of the tower.
Northern was about to wear his usual white round-necked top but suddenly paused and looked the other way.
His pale skin, adorned with his acutely defined muscles, radiated softly beneath the white light of his room.
A pool of darkness formed beneath him, and a dark flowing fabric appeared before his face, flying eagerly around him.
"Hey, hey, stay in one place."
The fabric finally settled in front of him, its sleeve still flapping.
Northern, distracted by it, sternly commanded:
"Stop that."
The Spirit Linen finally came to a stop and stayed still.
'...I'm not sure how this works. But I will just command it to come on me.'
Northern was wearing only fitted trousers; he was bare-chested, the necklace adorning his thick neck with glamorous grace.
As Northern commanded it, the Spirit Linen flew on him, and a bluish light emanated as the fabric formed Northern's preferred wearing like streams of sentient water flowing around his body.
The glow dimmed and revealed a crisp white jacket, loose yet well-fitted, over a plain black high-collared shirt. Dark, straight-cut pants completed his minimalist look, the fabric falling neatly to his ankles.
The clean lines and muted tones gave him an air of quiet elegance.
Northern moved his hands and touched the fabric.
'It's like a real one. Not bad.'
He moved his legs too; the pants were free and permitted ample movement of the legs. He could even use them to fight if he wanted.
'Is it washable? How will I take blood stains off it?' he wondered.
He opened his wardrobe and looked into the mirror for a few seconds. The attire fitted him perfectly, ate and left no crumbs.
"Well then, to the dungeon, I guess."
As he said, he walked and sank into the shadows. The next place he came out of was the thick darkness that swirled within a certain cavern expanse.
Immediately Northern-casually-walked out of the darkness, the sinister air hit him like a wave of mountain crashing against his fragile body.
He almost took a step back, a terrified expression tearing his face.
'What horrible shit this is...'
Stakes rose from the ground, raising mangled flesh like flags of eerie death and destruction.
A pungent smell of decay and disease wafted along with the air, tightening his chest with a disgusted clench of creep.
Northern shook his head, his eyes still widened in pale shock at what he saw.
The stakes rose almost next to each other and were numerous in numbers. Monsters with transparent wings buzzed above the peak of the stakes like a cloud of mournful abominations.
"I told you, it's a death house down here." Bairan's smooth voice traveled through the dark air of the cave, meeting Northern as he walked towards him.
Earlier, Bairan had said something foreboding while they trained briefly in the Limitless Void, saying "...that place is a death house."
Northern, while he did consider the sword king's austere description, had also perhaps thought it was a little bit exaggerated.
Never was he expecting a literal death house.
He glanced up at the stakes.
"Those bodies have been there before you guys got here?"
"Yepp, we met them around," Bairan answered, looking up at the stakes too. "I think this place is filled with flight-type creatures. It'd be a bit difficult for ground fighters like us to deal with them."
Northern put his sleeve over his nose and spoke, his hoarse voice coming out muffled.
"And how'd they do?"
"The two humans?"
Bairan paused for a moment, his white hair flowing freely, and sky-blue eyes radiating with a soft elegance. The sword king was as though he was cut out of an Eastern fantasy novel.
"Yes."
Northern answered, cursing inwardly at the pristine grace he lacked despite both of them being born with white hair.
The sword king raised a brow.
"Is something wrong?"
"What? Wrong? What is wrong? Everything is totally fine."
Bairan studied his master for a couple more seconds before finally moving his eyes away, explaining as he did.
"Well, the lady, Jeci, her technique with the spear is flawless, and she is quite malleable. I felt her eyes on me half of the time we battled. She was always observing me and learning. I'm sure as her soul advances, she's bound to become a terrifying slaughterer..."
He paused and shivered.
"...the thought of it is already scaring me. There's a glee she exudes when she kills monsters. It's almost mentally defective."
"She is mentally defective when it comes to killing... I thought she had changed. What about
the boy?"
Bairan brushed the rough and almost unnoticeable gruff of beard on his jaw.
"Hmmm, that one is proud and arrogant. His technique is plunging, always angry, that guy. But the fact is, he is sufficient. Situations of defeat are bound to make him grow by leaps and bounds, and I don't see his arrogance leaving anytime soon. Although if he becomes a thornful bud, I can cut him down."
Northern waved a bit.
"I'm sure there will be no need for you to. Thank you for the insight."
"It is my honor to serve you, my master." Bairan bowed his head.
After a couple beats of silence, Northern's voice sounded again.
"I have a question for you, Bairan. A strange question."
Bairan's expression contorted interestingly, a playful smile appearing on his face.
"Oh-oh, interesting. A strange question from my master. Please ask."
"Who do you think is the strongest of you guys?"