Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

Hitori bent down and picked the drops. He acquired two healing potions, two mana recovery potions, a few bladesmith gems which he used on his katana once again, and used half of the gems on Kamiya's level nineteen magic dagger.

Hitori collected the money and handed all of it to Kamiya who accepted the money without any hesitation. Then Hitori picked up Kazon's armor.

This set of armor was damaged too, it was no good. It was a pity because Hitori wanted to wear the vice boss armor set.

Hitori got up from the ground, "head off in that direction, Yagi." He lifted his finger behind Kamiya.

Yagi did not waste another second, he took one of the potions handed to him by Hitori and jumped in the direction Hitori ordered it to go.

"Kamiya, let us move," Hitori turned to Kamiya. They both nodded to each other and started chasing Yagi, "Reon-san is in danger,"

Kamiya glared at Hitori, "oh, of course, she is." He focused on the path in front of him.

Kamiya had swapped Hohn's hammer with his magic dagger. He told Hitori that he had trouble moving the hammer. Although it deals a lot of damage compared to the dagger, Kamiya complained about sucking too much stamina.

They both reached a spot, the trees were cleared and an unshaped arena was formed in the middle of the forest.

It was, no doubt, Reon's battle arena. But she was nowhere to be seen.

Hitori and Kamiya spotted Yagi as he sparred against Razon the Duergar and pretty much had the upper hand against him.

"Come on, Kamiya, he is nothing for us." Hitori ran towards Razon. A bright light glowed around his hands and his hands were filled with the war hammer from hell.

Kamiya equipped him with the magic dagger. The trio attacked Razon at the same time and so quickly that they did not give Razon even a second to freak out after spotting the half-giant minotaur's former hammer.

Yagi blocked his hammer, Hitori took the chance to damage his armor while Kamiya landed the final blow and stabbed his dagger through Razon's jaw– up to his tongue.

Kamiya pulled his dagger out, blood sprung together with it. Hitori crushed his head while Yagi bent down, stood on his hands, and landed a tight kick under Razon's chin.

That was enough to kill the Duergar. Multiple shiny objects called 'drops' appeared and Hitori rushed to pick them up.

Again, as before, the armor was destroyed and of no use. Such a pity. They acquired the lowest loot from killing this Duergar.

A potion, a few bladesmith gems, and a few hundred yen. Kamiya let Hitori have the money as it was not much. So now they were even– or so Kamiya thought. It was nowhere near to be called even.

While Hitori and Kamiya were busy getting the drops, Yagi had started his search for Reon on Hitori's orders. He had the nose of a goat and the dark vision ability to see in the dark, of course, it would require Yagi less effort than Hitori.

The duo got up from the ground and joined the search, "Reon-san!" Hitori shouted.

"Reon!" Kamiya, yes Kamiya, shouted, "Oi~ Reon!"

Even after these shouts, Reon did not come out. She was surely somewhere in the arena, maybe behind a bush or a few bushes.

Hitori sent her a few messages but it looked like she was getting back at Hitori for not replying to her because she saw the messages.

"Ryu!" Yagi's voice came from the deep woods, "she is here! Leonine is here!"

To make the path clear for them, Yagi cut down a few trees with his parang. Now Reon's position was clear to them.

Hitori rushed to her. Kamiya pulled out the potions and hurried behind Hitori.

Reon was lying on the ground with her mouth open in pain, her face covered in sweat, and her hair spreading all over her face. She was in a total mess.

Hitori saw her red health bar, she was only three points away from her death. On seeing that sight, Kamiya ran past Hitori and bent down in front of Reon.

He quickly uncocked the flasks, pulled Reon in his arms, and forced the potion down her throat. She almost choked.

Hitori, at first, thought Kamiya had developed a thing for Reon when he quickly rushed to her and acted before Hitori could but then… Kamiya smirked at her, "Revenge…" and Hitori lost his interest.

He was convinced that Reon would be safe now after he received the notification of Razon's defeat and clearing of the last-second floor.

Hitori took a deep breath and then sighed, "It all happened within a few hours… time flies." Hitori glanced around to spot Yagi.

Yagi was standing behind everyone. Hitori walked up to him and called, "Thanks, Yagi." Hitori looked at his menu tab, "you may take some rest, you have to help me tomorrow too."

Hitori approached Yagi and he opened his magic screen, entered Yagi's point of view, and found Yagi staring at some woods, something… into the dark.

"Yagi, what are you looking at?" Hitori's voice did not startle Yagi a bit. He turned around calmly with a solemn expression.

"I think… I sense something from that direction–"

[you will be teleported to the last floor in twenty… nineteen…]

"Somethin from the dark…" Hitori removed the screen and looked in the same direction.

Hitori frowned for a different reason, "I do not. You must be exhausted."

"You are right, Ryu… please…" he requested Hitori.

Hitori gave him a nod and deactivated his conjuration skill. Yagi soon disappeared into pixels and Hitori was left alone.

After the screen had disappeared, Hitori stared in the direction Yagi said he sensed something from. It was strange, in simple words.

No matter what or how Hitori look at it, it was strange, and kind of weird too. Events like these had never occurred with Hitori in any game he has ever played.

The coded characters were gaining self-awareness of their surroundings. Other monsters were able to use their wisdom stat or the intelligence stat even more efficiently than Reon.

Hitori folded his arms in front of his chest, the time was ticking by. All these questions had occurred to Hitori and he had no answer. He had never experienced something like this.

[two… one…]

They disappeared and appeared in pixels. Reon was on her feet along with the two boys. They all glanced around in the darkness.

Click.

Suddenly, lights were lit– no torches but lights! LED tube lights, and the ceiling lights.

Reon stopped glancing around and looked straight, "Guys…" a large door had caught her attention, "we have something here."

Hitori and Kamiya stopped glancing around and looked straight at the massive door that stood in front of them like a defense wall.

"Do we need a password or something?" Reon stuttered, "It is an automatic door, I can tell." Reon touched the door with her slender fingers.

Hitori moved aside to let Kamiya have a look. They stood in a small compartment which looked like an office and the door in front of him looked like the door of their boss' office.

Reon moved her hands through the polished door till she touched the door's unevenness, "There is something encrypted on the door." Reon reported.

Kamiya had a good view of the door. His eyes went wide and his mouth dropped open when he read what the door's front face read– ONOGI.

Kamiya almost stumbled on the polished tiles, "O- o- Onogi…" He jerked his head to Hitori.

Hitori dropped his head down, "Emperor Onogi," he wanted to raise his head but he was hesitant, "It is not Kuzu's dungeon," Hitori confessed, "It is Emperor Onogi's dungeon."

Reon was the one confused about all of this, "Who is Onogi?" she glanced between Hitori and Kamiya, "wait, what Onogi are we talking about?" she asked. She was scared of hearing the truth.

Kamiya tightened his fist, "Kuzu's boss." Kamiya replied with great courage, "comparatively more powerful and intelligent than Kuzu."

That much information was too much from someone who said he does not how bad Onogi can get.

Hitori bit his lower lip and stayed calm.

Reon gasped, "M- Masao-san…?"

Kamiya jerked his head urgently, "you know him?!" he stared into Reon's eyes, "yes, Onogi Masao, y- y- you know him?"

Reon dropped her head, "He was one of the most successful science students. His father owns– rules almost half of the Scientist Community."

Hitori took a step forward with his fists tight.

Hitori was shocked, he was. Not because he had heard how powerful Onogi could be but because he heard about Onogi from Kamiya's mouth.

"I can not believe it…" Reon sighed and turned around, "we spent so many hours just for this? Just for turning around and retreat?"

Reon shook her head in disappointment, and Kamiya hesitated. He wanted the dungeon but he had no balls to face Onogi yet.

Reon turned around and opened her menu screen, "Let us leave the dungeon and prepare for tomorrow's battle." she was about to click on the 'Log-out' option.

She felt a blow of air past her face, that made her head instinctively.

Hitori raised his tight fists and walked near Kamiya from behind. Kamiya was shocked and surprised at the same time. 'This time… it will be different.'

Hitori walked past Kamiya, he let out a sigh. He raised his fist and opened it. Hitori firmly placed his hand on the door, "I am not going back without this dungeon, stand with me or you may start preparing for the battle at home.."

The door did not budge, Hitori applied even more force and it moved. Reon and Kamiya just knew his plan, it was obvious by now.

"Hitori-san…"

She gulped, Kamiya was scared to speak.

Hitori did not wait for them, he pushed the office door.