Getting spoiled in a woman dominating world

Naevora got down from the disc and glanced at him ”It’s not very easy to master. You need to have precise control over your ether... too little, and the disc won’t form properly; too much, and it’ll become unstable and explode right under your feet.”

”First, you need to try to concentrate your ether and condense it into a single point.”

”I don’t want you to learn it outright... you can take it slow. It is quite hard after all.”

”Even among skilled ether users, mobility techniques like this take weeks or even months to get right.”

Brandon’s gaze squinted in thought ’If I could master this, this would really be helpful.’

Naevora reached for his wrist and turned his palm upward ”The first step is understanding how to condense ether into a single, stable point.”

With a slow movement, she traced a circle with her fingertip just above his palm.

Immediately, Brandon felt a change as ether began to swirl, responding to her guidance.

Brandon focused and inhaled deeply as he attempted to mimic her movements.

The ether stirred on his palm but then it dispersed before it could take shape.

He frowned slightly and she spoke ”Told you, it’s not easy. I just wanted to show you this small technique. And now, we don’t have the time to train you in that... I will train you later.”

Her gaze flickered to the swirling mass of purple energy far ahead ”The gate to the D-rank floor has already opened. I will train you in this later.”

”Come on.”

Brandon nodded his head and quickly followed her, reaching the D floor.

As Brandon stepped onto the D-rank floor, he immediately felt a change in the atmosphere.

Ruined structures stretched out before him... crumbling towers and remnants of castles.

The landscape is filled with shattered stone bridges hanging over deep chasms.

Thick fog rolled in patches over the ground, partially obscuring scattered debris.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

Brandon turned his head toward the source of the sound, and from the mist-covered wreckage ahead, multiple figures emerged.

Abberants...

Brandon instinctively tightened his grip on his dagger.

”D-rank Aberrants,” Naevora muttered with a slight frown on her face.

”You should be able to clear it.”

One of the creatures let out a screech and lunged as its clawed hand reached for Brandon’s throat.

Brandon sidestepped just in time and the Aberrant’s claws slashed past his shoulder, missing him by inches.

He countered immediately and twisted his body as he drove his dagger forward.

SHINK!

The blade plunged deep into the creature’s torso, right between its ribs.

But instead of crumpling, the Aberrant grabbed his arm with shocking speed.

Brandon’s eyes narrowed in shock ’It’s strong—’

Before it could do anything, he clenched his other fist and drove it into the Aberrant’s face.

BAM!

The force of the punch sent the creature staggering back, momentarily releasing its hold.

But before Brandon could press the attack, two more lunged at him from the sides.

’Damn it—’

Brandon ducked, narrowly avoiding the first one’s claws as it swiped past his head.

At the same time, he twisted his body mid-motion and kicked off the ground, using ether to enhance his speed.

His foot slammed into the second Aberrant’s chest, sending it skidding backward.

He landed smoothly and turned just in time to see the first one recovering.

Without hesitation, he dashed forward, channeling ether into his legs.

He closed the distance in an instant and his dagger flashed, cutting a deep gash across the Aberrant’s throat.

SLASH!

Blackened, foul-smelling blood sprayed from the wound, but the creature still moved.

Brandon anticipated it this time and ducked under the strike as he drove his elbow into the Aberrant’s chin with bone-crunching force.

CRACK!

The creature’s head snapped back and its body stumbled before it finally collapsed in a twitching heap.

Suddenly another one lunged from the side and Brandon moved his head to the side, dodging its claw.

With that motion, he grabbed its wrist and pulled it forward before slamming his knee into its gut.

”Guaarghh!”

It staggered back and he twisted the dagger in his hand before driving it straight through its skull.

Looking at this, Naevora smiled faintly ’He is doing good...’

Brandon wiped the blood off his dagger and glanced at the remaining Aberrants that were approaching him.

Taking a soft breath, he dashed forward...

---

*swoosh*

His dagger plunged into the aberrant’s ribs and its chest exploded into the next instant as its body crashed down on the floor.

Another aberrant lunged at him from behind the debris of a shattered archway as it pounced toward him with its gnashing teeth.

With a swift pivot, he spun on his heel and swirled with his dagger.

Schlk!

The blade slashed across the aberrant’s throat, severing the black tendrils pulsing beneath its skin.

The creature choked and its glowing red eyes flickered before it fell lifeless to the ground.

Brandon straightened up ’There are still many...’

And just as the thought crossed his mind—

BZZZT!

A sharp hum filled the air.

Brandon barely had time to react before something shot toward him.

A streak of crackling violet energy ripped through the air at terrifying speed and he twisted to the side, narrowly dodging as the blast tore past his shoulder.

The energy blast seared the fabric of his jacket, leaving a faint burning sensation against his skin.

His gaze turned toward the source.

Standing atop a ruined pillar, this aberrant looked a bit larger than others.

Unlike the smaller, more mindless ones, this one had a distinctly humanoid shape.

Its elongated fingers twitched, still sparking with the residual energy of the attack it had just fired.

Then, without warning—

BOOM!

It shot forward.

’What the-’

Brandon barely raised his arms and the aberrant moved with terrifying speed, dashing across the crumbling battlefield in an instant.

A clawed hand slashed at his torso and he managed to twist out of the way, but the razor-sharp talons grazed his side, slicing through his jacket and skin beneath.

”Urgh...”

He gritted his teeth against the sting and countered with a rapid thrust of his dagger.

But the aberrant was fast and twisted its body mid-motion, dodging the strike easily before lashing out with a powerful kick to his ribs.

THWACK!

The impact sent Brandon flying.

THOOM!

He crashed against the ruined stone wall of a collapsed building.

The force of the hit sent a jolt of pain through his body, and dust and debris scattered around him as he hit the ground with a harsh grunt.

Coughing, he pushed himself up, wiping the blood from the corner of his lips.

’That fucking hurts...’

His ribs ached... maybe even cracked.

His arms trembled slightly from the force of the impact, but his grip on his dagger never loosened.

The aberrant wasted no time.

With another flick of its wrist, another energy blast shot forward.

Brandon’s pupils shrank in shock...

As the blast surged toward him, he kicked off the ground, dodging just as it exploded against the spot he had been standing.

The force of the blast sent rubble flying, and Brandon used the debris as cover, dodging through the broken landscape.

The aberrant dashed at him again.

This time, he was ready.

He ducked under its wild claw swipe and countered with a precise slash aimed at its torso.

*clang* The blade couldn’t quite land a solid hit... tough skin, reinforced with ether.

But he didn’t stop.

He twisted and clenched his other hand into a fist as he drove a sharp punch into the aberrant’s ribs.

CRACK!

The force of the blow sent a ripple through the creature’s body, momentarily staggering it.

Not letting up, he dashed to the side, pivoting on his heel, and slammed his knee into its gut before spinning and bringing his dagger in a downward arc toward its shoulder.

SHIIIK!

The blade cut through flesh and black blood sprayed out as the aberrant let out a guttural snarl.

But it quickly counterattacked.

It grabbed him by the arm and threw him like a ragdoll.

THOOM! Brandon crashed through a ruined pillar and coughed up blood.

His vision blurred for a moment, but he clenched his jaw and forced himself to stand.

With a soft exhale, he again took his stance.

He could hear his own heartbeat echoing in his head and the pure adrenaline rush along with the ether coursing through his body

”Round two...?” He muttered, blood dripping from his lip.