Chapter 49: The Dungeon's Hatred
Whoosh—!
A violent crash.
Then, a chorus of tearing flesh and splintered bones.
Massacre. Chaos. Relentless combat. The stench of blood. Mountains of corpses.
The entire battlefield had become a vision of hell. Oppressive. Brutal. Enough to make any seasoned adventurer recoil.
Dark silhouettes darted between the monsters, claws glinting under the flickering magic lights, while aerial units rained destruction from above. This wasn't just a battle—it was a complete slaughter.
"Hmm... So this is what it feels like to have absolute control? Not bad~"
Standing atop a high cliff of jagged stone, Shin Akira looked down at the devastation below.
For reasons even he couldn't fully explain, the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet had partially released its seals. The power of the Red Dragon's blood surged within him, pushing him into a berserker-like frenzy deep within the dungeon.
At one point, he had obliterated a Black Variant-type monster in a single blow. When he returned to Orario afterward, he instantly leveled up—something even he hadn't expected.
Now, his Template Inheritance had reached 30%, and his third Shadowkhan legion—The Night Bat Corps—was under full command. Their numbers had nearly reached a hundred.
And so, he returned to the dungeon once again, to put their strength to the test.
The true terror of the Shadow Legion did not lie in the individual strength of its members—but in overwhelming numbers that could drown any enemy. They were virtually unkillable. Even if one fell, it would return moments later.
With such regeneration and persistence, they were a literal Immortal Army. Unstoppable. Capable of pushing past level-based boundaries through sheer relentless force.
Today, Akira stood on Floor 29 of the Dungeon. Monsters on this floor were no joke—most were at least Level 2, and some even Level 3.
But before the unrelenting fury of the Shadow Legion, they didn't stand a chance.
Claw Shadow units tore through the frontlines. Ninja Shadows launched precise strikes from the rear. Overhead, Flying Shadows dominated the skies, neutralizing airborne threats before they could blink.
Every area they passed through was reduced to silence. Any resistance was only a matter of time.
With a formation of 32 Ninja Shadows, 32 Claw Shadows, and 32 Flying Shadows—a total of 96 respawning Shadowkhan—this was what real power looked like.
As for Akira? He didn't even need to lift a finger.
Unbeknownst to him, something had begun to glow faintly on the back of his right hand—a dark green gemstone-shaped shadow, barely visible. It quietly absorbed a thin, strange mist rising from the battlefield below.
The source of the mist?
The dying monsters.
Suddenly—
ROOAAARRR—!!
A monstrous scream pierced the air as a Bloodsaurus charged out from the shadows, its massive body thundering across the stone ground.
Akira's head snapped around. That thing was huge. Its eyes locked onto him, seething with primal bloodlust.
Before it could get close—
FWOOSH—!
From the palm of Akira's hand, a blazing torrent of fire shot forward, illuminating the dim cavern like a second sun.
The flames consumed the Bloodsaurus whole, melting its scales, its muscles, and even the magic stone inside its chest.
Crimson Flame of the Dragon.
It was a spell born from the Red Dragon's bloodline—a powerful legacy of the dragons who once reigned over flame. Akira believed it was an early form of the legendary Blazing Flame of Ddraig.
Somewhere, out of sight, wisps of ash and residual mist from the burning corpse were absorbed by the shadowy gem on his hand—completely unnoticed.
ROARRR—!
THUDDD—!
SSSKKRRR—!
ZZZHHHH—!
Suddenly, the dungeon began to tremble.
Monsters poured in from all directions—cracks in the walls, holes in the ground, even from the once-silent corners of the floor.
It was like a dam had broken.
But this… this wasn't normal. It wasn't just a Monster Parade—this was a full-on Monster Apocalypse.
Yes, monsters on lower floors did respawn faster—but this was insane. Even before the last wave had been fully wiped out, new ones arrived in droves.
Barbarians. Elite Lizardmen. Black Venom Spiders. Underground Stone Golems. A flood of terrifying enemies with no clear pattern.
[Boost!]
The red gauntlet on Akira's arm glowed fiercely. Its ominous aura was enough to silence even the boldest adventurer.
Not that anyone was around to witness it.
[Boost!]
The green gem shimmered again, and Akira's magic power doubled instantly.
Without a word, the Shadowkhan Legion vanished into the surroundings.
Fwoosh! Fwoosh! Fwoosh!
In a blink, they melted into the shadows. The battlefield fell silent once more.
But not for long.
[Boost!]
Another power surge, and Akira's lips curled into a slight grin.
"Crimson Flame of the Dragon!"
RRRAAAAAWWWRR—!
A crimson blaze erupted from his body, forming the shape of a massive red dragon that roared through the air.
Dozens—no, hundreds—of monsters were incinerated in an instant. Level 2, Level 3—it didn't matter. Not a single one survived.
Crackle... crackle...!
As the flames died down, magic stones rained down like falling gems, scattering across the battlefield.
One attack. Just one.
And the entire army of monsters was gone.
Swoosh!
The Ninja Shadows returned, sweeping through the area to retrieve every stone and dropped item with flawless efficiency.
The more of them appeared, the faster the cleanup.
TAP—
Akira leapt down from his vantage point, landing softly on the scorched earth.
Once again, the faint mist rose, quietly drawn into the shadow-gem hidden on his hand.
He still hadn't noticed it.
His eyes narrowed as he glanced around, a serious expression settling on his face. Just now... he felt something.
A faint aura of hostility.
It wasn't coming from any monster.
It was from the Dungeon itself.
He frowned.
Sure, he had slaughtered monsters using his shadows, but that wasn't anything new. People killed monsters here all the time. The Dungeon never reacted like this before.
But this…
This wasn't a hunch. He could feel it. Something deep, ancient, and powerful was watching him with contempt. No—hatred.
Why?
Even in a place as deadly as this, monsters didn't attack in such impossible numbers. And they certainly didn't flood a floor like an army with a grudge.
And this was Floor 29, not some starter level. The monsters here were tough, smart, and typically solitary. But now… they acted like they were part of a massive coordinated force.
Something was off.
Something big.
And Shin Akira was starting to realize—
He might have just caught the attention of something far beyond what he was ready to face.
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