Roy's expression softened, and he pulled her closer, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I need time to give you a proper answer. Can you wait for me?"
He had already made up his mind to disclose the truth to the Female Siren once the awakening ceremony was over. He was determined to express his love for Delilah and his desire to marry her, even though he was still married to the Female Siren, but he also didn't want the Female Siren to be hurt by the sudden inclusion of another woman in his life, and he had chosen to wait until after his awakening as he would then be considered a fully grown adult who could marry whomever he pleased, and as many women, as he liked. Moreover, he wished to give Delilah the honor of a proper wedding ceremony.
Delilah stood there on top of the flying sword and in his embrace, lost in thought, her mind consumed by the image of him. Her heart raced with the intensity of her emotions, and she felt a sense of overwhelming longing that made her cry out his name.
"Roy."
Despite the silence that filled the air after her word fell, her mind was anything but quiet. Thoughts raced through her head, each one a jumbled mess of conflicting emotions.
She knew that she would wait for him, no matter how long it took. She had never loved a man before, as she wasn't one to be swayed easily. He was her first love, and her heart was steadfast in its devotion to him. However, even as she held onto this unwavering commitment, she couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency creeping into her mind.
"Yes?" Roy asked.
Without uttering a word, she stared at him, complex emotions flashing in her eyes.
Her man was ridiculously capable, a true force to be reckoned with. He possessed a talent that was beyond compare, one that would surely be noticed by the empire in due time, and when that happened, she knew that he would be swarmed by ladies from all sides, each one desperate to win his heart. Would he not be seduced when pampered ladies from noble households lower themselves to serve him and fulfill his every need?
This thought filled her with an urgent need to tie him down and get together with him as soon as she could, but she didn't want to come out as too desperate.
She didn't want him to feel smug!
"You better hurry up," she finally spoke the rest of her sentence, a hint of teasing in her voice. "Otherwise, someone else might come along and steal me away."
The man blinded by love found her sassiness unrivaled!
"I won't let that happen," he said firmly.
The Goblin's Grotto was an immense and expansive dungeon that stretched out over hundreds of thousands of square miles. Yet, despite its colossal size, traversing the dungeon was a breeze for those who possessed the ability of aura masters and the like.
The Goblin's Grotto also had an underground area that was made up of seemingly endless tunnels that twisted and turned in a labyrinthine fashion.
The entrance to the underground area was located at the farthest reaches of the dungeon. It was a sinkhole of massive proportions, its depths plunging down like a bottomless chasm. It was as though the very earth itself had opened up to swallow anything that dared come too close.
Riding the sword, Roy and Delilah plunged into it.
The duo descended into the depths of the sinkhole until they reached the bottom.
The cavernous space was illuminated by a myriad of luminous stones embedded in the walls, casting an eerie and ethereal glow that illuminated the tunnels that sprawled out before them.
"Wow, it's huge!" Delilah gasped as she looked at the massive maze before them. "How long do you think it will take us to find the boss inside?"
Roy grinned, clearly amused by Delilah's reaction.
"Not long at all," he replied, his confidence shining through.
Roy activated his X-ray vision, seeing through the obstacle and gaining a better understanding of his surroundings. What he saw was a complex network of passageways that twisted and turned, leading deeper into the dungeon.
At the end of this labyrinthine network lay the dungeon boss.
With his powers of perception and mutated eyes, Roy was able to pinpoint the precise location of their foe.
However, there was a catch: the obstacles and walls that stood between them and the boss's chamber seemed impossible to overcome. The boss's lair was located a staggering 250 kilometers away, with countless traps and hurdles to overcome along the way. It would take them hours to traverse the treacherous terrain if they followed the conventional path.
Roy had no intention of following the rules of the game since he had the power to flip the table and force his win.
"I've found the dungeon boss, but we'll need to get a little rough if we want to reach it anytime soon," he told Delilah, his voice filled with determination. "Things are about to get messy. Stay a safe distance behind me."
Delilah nodded, moving behind him, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she couldn't help but ask, "What are you up to?"
"The boss room is pretty far from here. If we try to navigate the maze, it could take us hours to reach it. So, I'm thinking about making a shortcut!" Roy said with a confident grin, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Delilah's eyes widened in shock. "A shortcut? How are you going to create it?"
Roy chuckled. "With my fist, of course."
It was time to put his physical strength to use!
Without further ado, Roy began his assault on the walls that blocked their path. With his fists as his weapons, he tore down one wall after another, creating a straight path towards their target.
However, his actions were not without consequences.
His violent outburst triggered countless traps that lay in wait.
Swoosh!
Thousands of arrows and spikes flew towards him and Delilah as they charged towards the dungeon boss's chamber.
