CHAPTER 33: SPECIAL TRAINING

The rest of the day passed without incident... well, there were many incidents — just... the good, passionate kind.

For the rest of the day, the Workers tirelessly mined and built, Crow, a Worker, even leveling up its mining.

The primary objective was to make the initial labyrinth and alcove more challenging for potential attackers to navigate, while also having traps.

Unfortunately, just like Vale, the imps were unable to dig down. So no pitfalls could be built. Instead, Vale had to improvise. And improvise he did.

In his grand design for the entrance room, he was going to make a fake ceiling, and a ramp up to that level. From the ceiling, he was going to place natural-looking stalagmites that a Worker could drop on unsuspecting trespassers from above.

Of course, this floor and the continuation of the maze required a metric fuck ton of stone, as well as time. They hadn’t particularly accomplished much relative to the size of the room, but they were making steady progress.

As for where they were mining to get the stone...

Extending from the current core room was the beginning of a long, open pathway. The workers were instructed to continue mining in that direction for approximately 30 meters. Then, they’d start construction on the grand logistical hub and temporary Core room.

Once the skeleton of the design was in place, sub-rooms as well as the actual Core room would be built.

At that point, who knows how large and advanced Vale’s operation would become... or if they’d even get to that point.

As for Larry and Sizzy’s tasks of artisanry, they’d been overwhelmed by the new materials at the start, but after a little inspiration and ’perfect’ (terrible) explanations by Vale, they made some interesting crafts...

Including a fake stalagmite, a couple of weak fiber twine, Larry’s crown made of flowers, and a rotten wooden spoon that barely fit the classification in form.

The imp’s abilities were definitely advancing... just how much was being called into question...

In any case, by the time night fell, the trio had amassed 17 Satisfaction and returned to their cycling of guards, excluding Vale, while waiting for the morning sun to rise once again.

In a somewhat ironic twist, Salome had tried to train Toy and Vale in combat, but they’d been too tired from their war in the metaphorical sheets. So, that training would have to wait for the next day.

Speaking of that, the next day... it was definitely promising to be eventful. Not only would Salome be training them in actual combat... but it was also highly likely that they’d reach the Satisfaction requirement for the next Champion summoning.

***

Vale awoke to the imps already staggering around on an order from Salome to resume the construction of the labyrinth. Vale walked out of the sleeping quarters and found Salome was standing nearby, but Toy was off somewhere, probably hiding in the dungeon from the Workers, who Vale had to admit were at least a little...

’Absolutely fucking terrifying.’

The way they tore those beasts’ carcasses apart was amazingly gruesome and not a sight he wished to see ever again, even if the mental block protected him from the true repugnance.

Salome’s face upon spotting the awakened Vale filled with devilish glee.

"Are you ready?"

Vale reached into the Nexus of Beginnings and pulled out the razor-tipped whip.

"Nope..."

’Does she really expect me to swing this at her?’

They’d already discussed it, but Vale was to have a bout with her so she could assess his current and potential ability.

"Well then, get ready!"

With a minor shout, Salome grounded her feet and bent her knees, then launched herself toward Vale with her torso twisted and her right hand wound back and hidden behind her wing.

’Damn...’

Ever since Vale had started to tell Salome about himself, his views and his past, she’d begun treating him less like a traditional master and more like an equal — as Vale had wanted. While her current behavior to an outsider might appear to be disrespectful, it was entirely in line with Vale’s wish. So in a way, her callous remarks and actions toward him were done out of respect. Still...

’Who treats their leader like this! She looks like she’s gonna kill me!’

When Salome reached him, she leaned back while simultaneously letting her wing flutter back, exposing her clenched fist; however, she was also posturing for a jab teep.

With barely any time to assess the information and determine which attack was real or fake, Vale decided his best course of action was to jump back to create some distance while raising his leg to absorb the potential kick with his shin.

Vale wasn’t a trained fighter, but he did have some experience with back-alley thugs. While most of those fights turned into grapples, he’d learned from experience that if someone tried to kick him and he blocked it with his shin, their ankle seemed to hurt worse than whatever pain they inflicted on him.

Salome, before Vale’s foot had even left the ground, flapped her right wing forward to kill her momentum and ground herself, then performed a switch kick.

Vale was already unsteady, and his right leg hovered in the air, so he barely had time to drop his hand and absorb the blow aimed at his abdomen.

The powerful kick slammed into Vale’s forearm, and a dull pain radiated from the impact point. But, all in all, he’d avoided the worst possible outcome.

Salome smiled and jumped, flapping her wings forward, pushing herself back, putting some distance between them.

"I’m impressed... I’ve been on the battlefield longer than you’ve been alive, and yet you managed to stay standing from one of my attacks."

Vale grimaced as he slumped a little, holding his arm.

"Thanks... but that hurt like hell."

Before he could even adjust his stance, Salome flapped her wings once again and propelled herself toward Vale.

This time, she did not attempt to hide her dreadful attack. No, that didn’t seem to be necessary.

As if gravity were a non-factor to the demoness, Salome flipped upside down and used her wings to propel herself, sending the gainer flash kick of doom and despair aimed at Vale’s head.

If a regular human performed such an attack, its speed would be pitiful and easy to dodge... but Salome was no human. Her wings allowed her to kill or increase her momentum and pace with astonishing speed.

Vale, despite his best efforts, failed to dodge and was forced to block the crescent kick with his forearms.

At the moment of impact, he expected to hear a deafening crunch of his arms shattering, but Salome used her wings to slow herself to soften the blow. Yet, even though she weakened the attack, the pain was anything but negligible.

Though it wasn’t like pain was a foreign concept to Vale. In fact, he’d spent most of his life in a twisted parasitic relationship with it.

As Salome rebounded off of him after the attack, Vale brandished the whip and sent a strike at Salome.

Salome frowned, then screamed:

"Half-assed!"

A moment later, a quill shot from a fold in her wing and intercepted the tip of the whip, causing the whip to coil around it and the razors to get stuck on the thin spike. Then, Salome used her ability to control the quill telekinetically and yanked the whip with incredible force, forcing Vale to either release the weapon or be dragged helplessly around.

In the end, Vale chose the former... thought it’s not like that choice was going to change the inevitable outcome.

Salome yanked away the whip and once again charged at Vale. This time, she did not attempt to form an attack. Instead, she just increased her momentum and crashed straight into Vale, grappling with him.

Vale thought maybe he’d have a chance to win the exchange this time. He was bigger and physically stronger... but that was a fruitless hope.

Salome slithered around his body like a sneak until she was behind him, then slammed him to the ground while holding him in a choke hold.

Vale struggled and managed to slip his head out of Salome’s thigh imprisonment before launching himself off the ground and rolling away from his attacker.

Salome grinned slyly as she got to her feet.

"I’m impressed."

Vale staggered around as he tried to stand, but repeatedly failed, falling back to the ground. He eventually succumbed to a supine trance and began breathing heavily. Finally, he managed a curt reply:

"Thanks..."