"So the aura around him… was actually cultivated through killing?"
"I didn't expect it. Fenric actually has that kind of nerve? He dares to kill?"
"Practicing aura through murder? That's insane!"
"Seriously. People in the dungeons are still living beings."
"Better stay away from him from now on. Don't provoke him either. I heard that if someone kills too much, they start accumulating a heavy evil aura... makes them bloodthirsty."
"Is it really that scary?"
Fenric chuckled faintly as he listened to the whispers around him.
He had said those things on purpose.
And the results were excellent.
These students were clearly afraid of him now.
Good.
The next few days should be... nice and quiet.
Just then, a familiar voice called out behind him.
"Ric, did you hear? Tazhan filed his withdrawal this morning. He's going to study at home for the next few days."
A plump student walked up, grinning smugly. "You must've scared the hell out of him yesterday. After losing face like that, the guy doesn't even dare come back to school!"
Fenric paused at the news, then laughed.
Not because he had frightened Tazhan—but because the effect of his Conqueror's Haki was simply too satisfying.
Dominance is dominance, after all. And it worked like a charm.
In the early stages, Conqueror's Haki was particularly effective at clearing out the small fry.
Back in his personal instance of "Mr. Vampire", Fenric had released zombies in Pyong and ended up surrounded by military forces.
But then—
He just stared.
And all those soldiers collapsed.
People were horrified on the spot.
Some even started calling him "Satan," the Demon Lord himself!
If he had enough points to upgrade his Conqueror Haki to the later stages—just like Red-Haired Shanks—even enemies on the same level as him would find themselves overwhelmed by its pressure. Their combat strength would plummet in his presence.
Ignoring the buzzing around him, Fenric took out his phone and opened the Samsara Forum.
He started browsing information related to the Fourth Stage of the Samsara Tower.
After his conversation with Aurora last night, Fenric had learned that, like the Second Stage, the Fourth Stage also had two dungeon options:
One was the "Easy" difficulty: Strange Forms.
The other was the "Hard" difficulty: Venom.
He pulled up the official guide and began reading.
[Guide: Samsara Tower – Fourth Stage Dungeons]
Just like the Second Stage, the Fourth Stage offers two dungeons for Samsara to choose from.
Easy-Level Dungeon: "Strange Forms"
This instance features a terrifying, highly contagious monster.
A single touch is enough to infect someone.
After being infected, the person can still blend into crowds like a normal human—making it incredibly hard to detect.
The mission objective is to eliminate at least one of these creatures.
But beware: These monsters can divide infinitely. Even if you slice one into a pulp, it can regenerate from the smallest scrap—creating countless smaller versions of itself.
The only truly effective method of eradication? Burn it. Monsters in this dungeon are terrified of fire.
Note from the editor:
Based on gathered intel, this dungeon is surprisingly dangerous despite being labeled "easy." Prepare accordingly—especially with protective gear to avoid infection.
Hard-Level Dungeon: "Venom: Deadly Guardian"
Set in a technologically advanced modern world, this instance's mission is to kill at least one symbiote within 30 days.
Be advised: There are only four symbiotes in total.
This means that if more than four people enter the instance at the same time, someone will fail their mission. Time your entry strategically!
After entering, you'll be allowed to customize your appearance and background, but the identity must be plausible within the instance's world. No making up fantasy roles like a fairy queen or divine guardian.
Ideally, players should create a persona that can get close to Carlton Drake—the head of the Life Foundation and lead scientist overseeing most of the symbiote experiments.
Additional intel:
Symbiotes are alien organisms resembling black slime.
They require a host to survive and grant immense power.
Carlton Drake will eventually become host to a powerful symbiote.
Symbiotes are weak to high-decibel sound and fire. Loud noise can force them to separate from their host, while fire can kill them outright.
Important tip:
Have at least one sound-based or fire-based item ready before entering!
The real challenge in this dungeon isn't completing the task—it's getting a high evaluation.
With only four symbiotes available, competing players will struggle to score high.
For example, killing just one symbiote will net a C-rank result.
One top-tier player once killed all four and received an A-rank reward.
How you approach this… is up to you!
After reading the entire guide, Fenric suddenly smiled.
Very soon…
He made up his mind:
Tonight, he would enter the "Venom" instance!
Even with all the details in the guide, one crucial piece was still missing—
The plot.
But Fenric had watched the original movie.
He knew every twist and turn, including the most critical events.
In his mind, a plan slowly began to take shape…
A bold plan. So bold, it could easily get him killed.
And yet—Fenric decided to go through with it!
For the rest of the day, Fenric was deep in thought, refining his strategy.
Even with his current strength, this plan was risky.
Very risky.
But if he wanted a high evaluation—and maybe more—he needed to be prepared…
And he would be.