CHAPTER 410: CHASE

Orion helplessly shook his head seeing the scattered remains of his armor on the ground, "It lasted longer than I expected against such relentless battles. Grandma’s craftsmanship is really something else. I should also spend some time in the inheritance ground to improve my runesmithing skills. Maybe I can forge some armors of this quality."

[But do you need armor Master? Your dragon scales are better than any armor you can craft with mortal materials. It would only hinder you, after all the destruction and regeneration of your dragon scales will also improve them.]

Orion nodded his head, "Yes, that sounds about right. Even my current dragon scales have better defense than this. But that armor won’t be for myself. If I can craft some good high-level armor later, then I can sell it for a crazy price. The consumption of using the system’s features is too great and it will only grow higher. Magi might not be enough to provide me with enough mana crystals once I step above the Ninth Tier."

Lumi agreed with him as Orion also finished looting the place and pressed forward once more, moving deeper and deeper into the maze.

The oppressive corridors became narrower, the darkness thicker, the silence heavier, punctuated only by the occasional distant roars and howls of beasts lurking in unseen corners.

Nearly another week had passed since his armor was destroyed, leaving him to rely solely on his formidable draconic physique and martial prowess.

Each encounter had left him increasingly exhausted, yet simultaneously refined his techniques, sharpening him into an even more formidable warrior.

Still, despite meticulously searching each passageway, Orion had found no hint of the exit that Asteraxa had mentioned before. The maze felt endless, corridors looping back on themselves, constantly testing his patience.

Orion’s expression grew solemn, his mental state sharpened to a razor’s edge by constant vigilance. "Just how deep does this place go?" he murmured softly to himself, frustration briefly flickering through his gaze.

Suddenly, as Orion turned cautiously into another pathway, his entire body abruptly froze. An overpowering aura washed over him, suffocating and intense.

His heart skipped several beats, instantly recognizing that the sheer pressure far surpassed the might of a Tier 9 mana beast.

Ahead, in the dimly lit corridor, a monstrous figure loomed, dozens of meters tall, massive and menacing.

Its gigantic form resembled an alligator, yet it radiated an ancient, overwhelming force. Its scales were thick and jagged, pulsing faintly with an unsettling dark-green mana. Two colossal eyes locked onto Orion, gleaming with a malevolent, predatory hunger.

Orion’s mind raced instantly, slight panic surging briefly before his instincts took over. Without hesitation, he triggered his [Nine Steps Quake] ability, the explosive burst propelling him backward at tremendous speed.

Burning through nearly 10% of his mana reserves with every activation, Orion bolted frantically away from the terrifying beast.

Yet the colossal alligator creature had already noticed him, its massive jaws opening to unleash an earth-shaking roar.

The pressure surged, locking onto Orion, yet it didn’t seem to have any effect as he continued to run away. But the beast didn’t stop as it also began to pursue him relentlessly.

Its heavy steps shook the labyrinth walls, stone fragments raining down with each thunderous movement.

Gritting his teeth tightly, Orion pushed himself to his limits, mana surging chaotically through his body as he dashed forward, weaving randomly through the maze in hope of shaking off his monstrous pursuer.

Each second stretched agonizingly as Orion fled, deliberately rushing past other powerful mana beasts lurking within the maze.

These unfortunate creatures instantly became distractions, their roars of shock and rage quickly drowned by the pursuing predator’s ruthless power.

Orion’s breathing grew ragged, exhaustion creeping into his limbs as hours of relentless flight blurred into nearly a full day as he used high-grade mana crystals to restore his mana while running.

Eventually, after what felt like eternity, the oppressive aura slowly began fading, leaving Orion stumbling forward, utterly drained of mana and drenched in sweat.

Leaning heavily against the cold stone wall, his chest heaved.

Lumi, who had remained silent throughout the harrowing escape, finally spoke in a relieved voice,

[That was far too close, Master... It seems Asteraxa was right. There truly are beasts above the Ninth Tier here. We must be far more cautious from now on.]

Orion nodded slowly, steadying his breathing. His eyes were sharp despite his physical exhaustion, reflecting both lingering fear and burning determination.

"You’re right, Lumi," he responded quietly, his voice slightly rough from exhaustion. "I’ve underestimated this maze. This can’t continue, I need to break through soon. I missed too many valuable treasures protected by those Tier 9 beasts."

He straightened slowly, drawing deep, steadying breaths to recover his composure. As he scanned his surroundings carefully, he realized every passage still appeared identical, an endless maze with no distinct features to guide him.

However, he soon became aware of a subtle yet persistent pressure gently pressing upon him from one direction, almost intangible at first, but growing increasingly noticeable as he moved carefully forward.

Orion recognized it immediately: the oppressive aura emanating from the heart of the labyrinth, the place he instinctively understood to be the maze’s core.

"That’s the core of this place, huh?" Orion murmured thoughtfully, his gaze fixated on the unseen source of the immense pressure.

A subtle tension built within him, mingled with a strange sense of anticipation. The sheer intensity radiating from deeper within the maze left no doubt, whatever lay at its center held tremendous significance, likely guarded by something even more terrifying than the colossal beast he’d just escaped.

Lumi’s gentle voice echoed thoughtfully in Orion’s mind, breaking the oppressive silence around them,

[Master, this pressure... I don’t think it’s only due to a beast. There must be something else there that is emitting this presence. You’ll definitely need to be far stronger if you want to stand a chance against whatever that is.]

Orion nodded slowly, his breathing finally steadying after the long chase. "Yeah," he agreed quietly, rubbing his temples in mild frustration.

"We’ve already learned firsthand the difficulty of confronting those beyond Tier 9. Right now, confronting whatever is at the center directly would be suicidal, except if I use my single Uncommon Grade Offensive Runic Scroll. I might be able to defeat that thing then."

He took another deep breath, the cool air soothing his lungs as he considered his options. After a short silence, he spoke decisively, determination glittering sharply in his gaze, "First, I need to reunite with the others. I need to see them first and check if they are safe or not before making further plans. Hopefully, they haven’t encountered anything too dangerous yet."

Lumi immediately voiced her agreement, enthusiasm clear in her tone,

[Right! Your friends have grown stronger as well, Master! They should be able to deal with Tier 8 beasts by now if they attack together. We should look for them as well.]

With that decided, Orion adjusted his body, his focus shifting from exploration to actively searching for his companions using some of the strange treasures he had.

With sharpened senses, he began tracing back pathways through the labyrinth, occasionally pausing at intersections to sense any familiar traces of mana left behind by his team.

As Orion continued forward carefully, his heightened senses abruptly detected an overwhelming presence ahead.