CHAPTER 37: THE BREAKTHROUGH LEVEL
[Welcome to Level 20]....
The system chimed..
The heavy air of level 20 pressed down on them like a mountain. The faint blue fog that covered the entire dungeon twisted around like it was alive, humming with dangerous energy. Kelvin stood at the front with his arms folded, watching Mia, Kora, and Lyra slowly take deep breaths.
No one said a word for a few seconds.
Even the system notifications floating in front of them flickered slowly, almost as if warning them not to go any further.
[Dungeon Level: 20 – Breakthrough Test]
[Warning‼️: Entry to this level locks exit for 6 hours]
[Recommended Team Rank: E+]
Kelvin sighed. "So… this is it. The real test."
Kora tightened her grip on her sword. "Six hours? That means… if we don't clear it—"
"We die," Lyra finished, her voice calm but her eyes slightly trembling.
Mia smiled faintly, trying to ease the tension. "Hey, don't look so scared. We beat the level 10 breakthrough too, remember? That was rougher than this one will be. At least now, we've got Kelvin."
Kelvin turned his eyes toward her and nodded approvingly. "Good. Keep that confidence. Because this level won't just test your strength… it will test your will."
The moment he finished speaking, the safe zone around them flickered and vanished. A blinding flash erupted around them.
Then came the roar.
It was deafening.
Thousands of beasts surged out from the mist. Wolves with metal fangs, serpents made of blue flame, and armored boars stomped through the ground, shaking the entire floor like an earthquake. Their numbers stretched into the horizon.
Lyra gasped. "There's too many!"
Even Kelvin had to narrow his eyes. " This is the wave of levels 11 through 19… they're all here."
Mia stepped back slightly, her hands trembling as she summoned her bow. "What do we do? There's no way we can fight them all!"
Kelvin didn't answer immediately. He just watched the endless tide of beasts drawing closer. His expression didn't change, calm, almost calculating.
Finally, he turned to them. "There's a shortcut at the far west corner. A place where the monsters thin out, and you can cross to the boss room safely."
Kora's eyes lit up. "Then let's go there! We can save time.."
Kelvin shook his head. "No. We don't run from fights..."
"..... Except it involves those alien bastards."
All three girls looked at him in disbelief.
Lyra stammered, "You… you can't be serious! That's suicide!"
Kelvin's gaze hardened. "No. It's training. We're going to clear every single beast before we reach the boss. That's how you grow."
Kora's mouth fell open. "You're insane."
Kelvin smiled faintly. "Maybe. But I've got this."
He raised his hand, and a golden chain materialized around his neck, glowing with bright scale.
[Artifact Activated: Scales of the weak.]
Golden light rippled across the ground like waves.
Instantly, every monster froze. Then their power began to sink, as if something was draining it away. The glowing light spread from Kelvin to his teammates, coating their bodies in shimmering golden energy.
"What… what's happening?" Kora gasped.
Kelvin grinned. "This Artifact balances power. It weakens the enemies and strengthens us equally. Perfect for group fights."
The ground trembled again as the beasts howled, this time in confusion. Angry.
Kelvin's eyes flashed. "Now, fight with everything you have!"
The battle began.
Kora was the first to charge forward. Her silver sword sliced through the air like lightning. She moved faster than any normal human could track, her sword shimmering with faint red light as she sliced through beasts in a blur. Her strikes were sharp, smooth, and elegant.
She didn't hesitate even once.
Every time a monster tried to flank her, she spun, letting her blade slice through their bodies like butter. Her swordsmanship had evolved her control was now perfect. The cursed sword that once thirsted for her blood obeyed her.
Kelvin watched from afar and smiled proudly.
"She finally learned to control it without losing herself. That's the spirit, Kora. I never doubted you."
On the left, Lyra's eyes glowed purple. Her hands trembled slightly as she extended her fingers toward a group of wolves.
"Emotion inversion… activate."
The wolves suddenly began attacking each other, their minds collapsing under her psychological manipulation. Lyra's voice echoed through their heads like a whisper of madness. She moved closer, surrounding herself with purple fire as she sent waves of emotional energy across the battlefield.
Every creature caught in her mental field screamed in confusion and agony. Blood dripped from their noses and eyes as their minds broke apart.
Kelvin felt the pulse of her power.
"So she can put her enemies under pressure making them fight each other… impressive."
Then came Mia.
She took a deep breath, drew her bowstring, and fired three glowing arrows at once. The arrows split midair, multiplying into a dozen.
"Shadow Cat — assist!"
A black mist exploded beside her, forming into the shape of a large panther with glowing white eyes. It dashed into the fray, slashing and tearing through beasts twice its size. Every time Mia fired an arrow, the cat's shadow followed the projectile, creating devastating aftershocks.
Her accuracy was sharp. Her confidence even sharper.
Kelvin's grin widened.
Then it was his turn.
He leapt forward into the storm of monsters, his body glowing faintly as he activated two more skills.
[Skill: Star Swap]
[Skill: Mind Action]
His stats shifted like spinning dials strength, speed, perception, durability. Every second, he swapped them, enhancing whatever he needed at the moment.
He moved like a blur.
One second, he punched through the chest of a flame serpent. The next, he spun through the air and kicked an armored boar into another monster's jaws. His punches cracked the ground; his movement shattered the wind.
And he wasn't even using his full strength.
Every time he moved, his body followed his thoughts perfectly. A result of his Mind Action ability. He didn't need to command his body; it simply acted according to his intent.
He weaved through thousands of monsters like a phantom.
Invisible afterimages followed him as he struck down beast after beast, the golden glow of the Chain of Justice amplifying every strike.
[💐 SYSTEM has awarded +500💎 for one-shoting opponents]
Explosions of energy lit up the battlefield.
The entire dungeon shook violently.
Minutes turned to hours.
The first wave fell. Then the second. Then the third.
Now, only the semi-boss monsters remained. Powerful creatures from levels 11 to 19.
The ground cracked open as they appeared.
A Frostfang Dragon from level 18.
A Shadow Bear from level 15.
A Steel Viper from level 16.
And several others, each exuding killing intent that made the air heavy.
Kora stepped forward, gripping her sword. "I'll take the dragon!"
Lyra smiled faintly. "I'll handle the bear's mind."
Mia nodded. "I've got the viper!"
Kelvin cracked his knuckles. "Then I'll take whoever's left."
The dragon roared, breathing frost fire at Kora. She dashed forward, her sword glowing with red light as she sliced through the flames. Her blade met the dragon's claws, sending sparks flying.
Each of her slashes cut deeper, faster. Her movement was like a dance... deadly and beautiful. The cursed sword hummed with satisfaction as she finally mastered its hunger.
"Not this time," Kora whispered, deflecting a claw strike and leaping onto the dragon's back. She stabbed down with both hands, piercing its scales, and in a burst of white light, the Frostfang Dragon collapsed.
Nearby, Lyra faced the Shadow Bear.
The bear charged, its shadowy form shifting like smoke.
Lyra closed her eyes, releasing a pulse of purple light.
Her power dug into its mind, twisting its emotions pain, fear, rage, confusion. The beast roared and struck itself repeatedly, unable to separate illusion from reality. She lifted her hand slowly, her fire flaring brighter until the bear's own fear consumed it entirely.
It burned into ashes.
Mia ducked as the Steel Viper lunged at her, its metallic body reflecting her arrows harmlessly.
She took a deep breath.
"Shadow Cat, link mode."
Her shadow cat merged with her own body, dark markings spreading along her skin. Her eyes glowed. She fired again — this time, her arrows moved faster than sound, coated with shadow energy that pierced even steel.
The viper screamed, coiling violently before collapsing.
Kelvin faced the last two beasts — a Fire Titan and a Chaos Lizard.
The titan swung its burning hammer. Kelvin dodged easily, using Star Swap to boost his speed, then appeared behind the titan and punched straight through its back. Before the Chaos Lizard could strike, he spun midair, channeling Mind Action into a full-body twist that shattered its skull instantly.
The entire dungeon fell silent.
Then, the ground started shaking again.
A gate appeared in front of them. Amassive black gate with glowing blue veins.
Kelvin's expression turned serious. "The boss room."
The others gathered around him, exhausted but smiling.
Mia panted. "We actually did it…"
Kora smirked. "I still can't believe it... Am I this strong, am I even dreaming ."
Lyra grinned, her eyes shining. "If you want to wake up I can help you.."
Kelvin looked at them one by one. His teammates, his responsibility.