Chapter 61: A not so subtle intrusion
*Axel's POV*
"Miss Taylor, is that you?"
I looked over to see an extremely handsome Centaur man walking towards us with a large smile on his face.
Taylor, who had been walking at my side having a low conversation with Silvara, looked up upon hearing her name being called out. When she saw the man Centaur walking towards us, she tensed and subconsciously grabbed my arm, pulling herself closer to me.
"Miss Taylor, it is you! I am so happy to see you out here. But tell me who these lovely ladies are."
"Leave now!" I growled out my displeasure at his comment and attitude evident.
Taylor's grip on my arm became tighter as he started talking. I looked closer and took in his features for the first time. He was tall in his Centaur form. He had black hair on his head, face, and horse body that all matched perfectly. He was neatly trimmed and wore an expensive set of armor. The great sword on his back was finely crafted with intricate formations inlaid into the blade's center. His coal-black eyes roamed over my women until he heard my words.
"And who the fuck do you think you are? I am talking to the beauties and Miss Taylor, not their luggage porter."
"Don't you dare fucking talk to our mate like that!" Taylor shouted at the man, hearing his words. She had also transformed into her centaur form and was actually slightly taller than the man in front of us.
"Pfft, your mate? Him? Ahahaha that is the funniest joke I have heard in a long time!"
My temper rose to the occasion quickly, and I felt my power and bloodline start to pulse through my body. I clenched my fist as my body became taller and stood almost eye-to-eye with him.
"You know, I don't even know your name. I don't care to know, but you are taking things a bit too far for someone who knows nothing. You remind me of that dumb shithead Garth. He thought he could talk to me however he wanted and tried to take Taylor forcefully. Do you want to know what happened to him?"
Hearing my disrespectful tone, the man went red in the face; but so what? I couldn't care less. My muscles were bulging, and I was ready to start fighting. At this time, his party began making their way over to us. Taylor also leaned in and told me the identity of the man in front of me, making me sneer in contempt.
"My name, you fucking peasant, is Bryant Darkhorse, heir to the Darkhorse Viscounty!"
He spoke it with such pride and gusto. Honestly, I felt bad listening to him because just hearing it was so cringy. I could only imagine if I had to be the one to say something like that. I ran a clawed hand across my face in exasperation.
"Bryant, is everything ok over here, honey?"
As his group approached us, a woman who could only be called lovely stepped forward, drawing my attention with her melodious voice. She was tall, about 6 foot even; she had a lithe and muscular body that did not detract from her curves. Her burgundy dress robes were elegant and beautiful, adding to her exquisite facial features. Her button nose and plump lips were perfectly symmetrical. She had beautiful lilac hair that fell in waves around her shoulders. Her eyes captured my attention because of their shape and color. They have a bestial shape about them. The color was a perfect mixture of purple with golden flakes that seemed to float in them.
It was like Bryant flipped a switch as she walked up.
"Ah, Analise, it is great you are here. This is Miss Taylor, the one I told you about."
I watched as the woman, Analise, turned towards my mate and scanned her body. She seemed to have seen everything that she needed.
"So she is the one you said you wanted to be a sister wife for me?"
"Yes, th-"
"Excuse me, but that is never going to fucking happen!" Taylor said forcefully as she stepped up just behind me to the right.
Bryant and Analise both stared at her in different ways. Bryant's was filled with contempt and greed. I could also make out the cunning and lustful looks in his eyes, which were masked by contempt and greed. Analise's face was perplexed, and we learned part of the reason why.
"Oh? From what Bryant told me, you were waiting for him to come and pick you up after getting to the fifteenth floor of the Dungeon. He said Mff Uff Mff."
Bryant quickly placed his hand over Analise's mouth, muffling the last of her words.
"I hope to see you all in the Dungeon," Bryant said quickly before pulling Analise with him and ushering his group back towards the Dungeon.
I watched as Analise kept throwing glances back at us while listening to Bryant speak into her ear quietly as they walked back to the Dungeon's entrance before disappearing inside.
***
*Analise's POV*
"He was stopping me from helping those poor women."
Bryant spoke softly and concernedly as he told me what had been happening.
"That doesn't make sense, Bryant; why would they all look at you angrily if you were trying to save them from that guy?"
"Hey, sweet Analise, you shouldn't doubt the boss's words. He will only tell you the truth."
"Yeah, he loves you so much and would never lie about such a thing."
"Too true, Bryant is the best man out there."
"It has to be his immaculate pedigree that makes him so amazing. Just look at him."
"Oh, you guys, I am not that great..."
Bryant's friends started reminding me that Bryant loved me and would never lie to me. The whole reason I joined this group is because of his constant confessions of love. To be honest with myself, I have never had feelings for the man, which is why I have never let him close to me.
If I had looked at Bryant's face as his friends were talking him up, I would have seen his chilling smile.
"Ok, guys. There's no need to keep talking about me like this. We have to set up quickly on the second floor to ambush them and help those poor girls." Bryant spoke with a heroic pose and tone.
"Yeah, let's do this!"
"Captain Bryant is so amazing!"
After hearing his words, I once again felt something was off with the whole scenario, but I once again placed my trust in Bryant, who has never done me wrong.
***
*Axel's POV*
We made it through the entrance of the dungeon with ease, passing through the checkpoint easily with our new pass, which set us in the Silver Rank due to our stronger-than-average group. Most of the girls had been working extremely hard on their cultivation and training, and it was showing at times like this.
As they say, whoever has the biggest fist is the one who lives the best life...
As we entered the cathedral-like entrance to the Dungeon, I felt an abnormal power course over my body as we descended the stairs to the first Dungeon Floor.
I was surprised when I suddenly got a system prompt.
[DING]
[Due to the host traveling through a dimensional rift for the first time, the host has begun to understand the void and space elements.]
I smiled softly when I read the notification. It sounded like it was going to be really hard to train, but it made me happy. If trained properly, I will be able to travel to any place I have been instantly.
"What is it, Axel?"
Seeing my soft smile, Silvara drew the other's attention towards me. Shaking my head I laughed.
"Haha, it is nothing, really; I just found that while traveling down the stairs, we seemed to have passed through a dimensional rift. I gleaned some insights into the Void and Space elements as we passed."
I explained to my ladies because, at this point, I hid nothing from them. I have chosen to spend my life with them, and I refuse to have secrets they don't know, even if it hurts me in the long run.
{It won't, don't worry.}
"Oh yeah did we not explain that?"
Leah jumped in right here; the other girls smiled as our resident bookworm started showing off again.
"No, I do not believe you did, honey," I said to her, prompting her to smile as she adjusted an imaginary pair of glasses on her face before she started explaining.
"The Dungeons are something we actually know very little about. We have been able to glean, though, that each floor seems to be its own environment, and there is no way for the floors to cross over each other except when a dungeon break is getting closer to happening."
"Yeah, but that doesn't barely happen, Leah. The ADA has always taken it upon themselves to set up the Culling Days, where they commission adventurers to clear the first 15 levels completely and try to make it further in than ever before, " Silvara said with a frown on her face.
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