The sunlight stung my eyes as I opened them. Morning. A new day. A day to grow stronger.
I pushed myself up from my bed, the faint scent of last night's dust and sweat still clinging to my coat. A grin tugged at my lips. Today wasn't just another day in this cursed life—it was another step toward the destruction of the nation that betrayed me.
I ate a simple breakfast I'd prepared myself—bread, salted meat, and water. My mother was gone, as usual. Just like in my previous life. She had disappeared when I was seven and never returned until I was eleven… by then, she already belonged to another man. I had no reason to care for her now. She was simply another name on the list of traitors.
Once I finished eating, I summoned the Ring of Hell's inventory with a thought. The crimson shimmer revealed my dagger and adventurer's clothes. I reached for them, only to pause. If I walked out of the village dressed like this, suspicion would rise instantly. Best to keep a low profile.
I returned the items to the ring—except for one thing: the coat.
Its black fabric wrapped around me like a living shadow, and as it settled over my shoulders, the magic triggered. My body shimmered, then vanished completely.
Perfect.
With the coat's camouflage, I slipped through the village unnoticed. The guards at the gate stood lazily, chatting as I strolled right past them.
> "What a good day," one of them said, leaning on his spear.
"Yeah," the other replied, "quiet for once."
If only they knew the predator they had just let slip through their fingers.
Once I was in the forest, I dropped my invisibility and changed into my adventurer gear. The crimson coat with its black stripes clung to me like a battle-hardened second skin. My dagger was cool in my hand, its edge whispering promises of blood.
Hours of walking brought me to something interesting. My necklace—an appraisal tool unlike any other—reacted. This wasn't an ordinary trinket. Most appraisal items could only read the status of a human or monster. This one could gauge the rank of a dungeon. The reading told me it was a D-rank.
A small smile tugged at my lips. "Easy prey."
But fate had a different plan. From the bushes, the ground sloped away sharply. I stepped forward without looking—then the earth was gone beneath me.
I fell, air rushing past my ears.
"Wind Magic: Float!"
The magic caught me, slowing my descent until my boots touched the earth without a scratch. I lifted my head—and froze. The dungeon before me didn't glow with a D-rank's pale green light. It burned with A-rank's crimson hue.
So be it. I tightened my grip on my dagger. This would be my proving ground.
---
The moment I crossed the threshold, movement burst from the shadows. Twelve venomous spiders dropped from the ceiling, hissing and clacking their fangs. Their purple abdomens pulsed with toxin.
I could have summoned my goblin and demon bear, but I stopped myself. This was my chance to sharpen my own skills.
I dodged the first spray of venom, my boots barely touching the stone. Threads of web shot toward me, but I twisted away, the strands cutting into the wall instead. I lunged forward.
"Dark Magic: Wicked Blow!"
Black energy swirled around my dagger. I slashed in an arc—three spiders crumpled instantly, twitching as their life drained away.
A grin spread across my face. "Is that all?"
The remaining spiders hissed, their mouths opening to spew poison gas. I waited, timing it perfectly.
"Fire Magic: Fireball!"
The fire ignited the gas in an instant, exploding into a wave of heat. Four more spiders collapsed, charred husks.
Five left.
I surged forward, wind magic coursing through my veins.
"Wind Magic: Boost!"
My speed tripled. My dagger flared as I layered fire enchantment over the blade. The last spiders tried the gas trick again, but the result was the same—an inferno swallowing them whole.
Four remained. I fired off a volley of wind bullets, one set striking a spider's cluster of eyes. As it writhed, I finished it with a quick slash.
The others clung to the wall, spitting venom. I rolled aside, my blade cleaving through another.
"Wind Magic: Wind Cutter!"
Two sharp arcs of air sliced into one spider's leg, sending it crashing down. My fire dagger split it open before it could recover.
The last tried to ensnare me with webbing. I slipped past and unleashed, "Fire Magic: Fire Slash!"
Flames carved through its body, leaving nothing but smoldering remains.
When the final spider fell, I knelt and pressed the Ring of Hell to its corpse. Just like my goblin and bear, the body vanished. Moments later, it reformed—only now it bore blazing legs, blue eyes, and a fiery sigil across its abdomen. It bowed to me.
I dismissed it with a thought. My army was growing.
---
A door materialized in the wall, pulsing with magic. I stepped through into the next stage.
The air here was heavier, the walls dark purple and slick with moisture. I moved cautiously until shapes emerged ahead—sleek, silver-scaled lizards, each the size of a wolf.
"Appraisal," I whispered.
Silver Lizard — scales harder than stone, weak to fire.
I smirked. "Perfect."
I looked up and saw jagged rocks overhead. An idea sparked.
The coat cloaked me in invisibility once more. I crept closer, then unleashed a flurry.
"Wind Magic: Wind Cutter!"
The repeated slashes shattered the rock, sending it crashing down on the lizards. Smoke and dust filled the air.
From above, I leapt, shouting: "Fire Magic: Flame Arrow Barrage!"
Dozens of flaming arrows rained down, striking scales, legs, and exposed throats. The lizards screamed.
When the dust settled, a few survivors still writhed on the ground. Time to finish this.
From my left hand: "Wind Magic: Wind Hurricane!"
From my right: "Fire Magic: Fire Storm!"
The spells merged into a roaring fire hurricane, engulfing the battlefield. Their screams were music to my ears.
When silence returned, I claimed the corpses with my ring. They reappeared, transformed—black scales with crimson spikes, yellow eyes blazing, and flames leaking from their jaws. They bowed before me before vanishing into the ring.
---
I sat on the cold stone, catching my breath. Only three more stages before the boss. My army now consisted of a goblin, a demon bear, twenty fire spiders, and my new fire lizards—thirty-four in total.
Not enough. Not yet.
I summoned them all, just to see their number filling the chamber. They knelt in perfect obedience.
Soon, I would take this nation.
Soon, Shinro Akagage and all the traitors would suffer.
The thought made my blood warm.
A sudden wave of fatigue hit me. I summoned a tent and a magical barrier from the ring, sealing myself away from the dungeon's dangers. My army kept silent watch outside as I lay down inside.
The last thing I thought before sleep claimed me was simple and absolute:
They all deserve worse than death.