How are you? What was that all about? Lasa shouted, tapping him lightly on the head. Then, suddenly, she kissed him.
Mike whispered, "Lasa, I thought we agreed to keep that a secret."
She blushed deeply.
Everyone stared in surprise.
"Uhm… Lasa is just really happy to see you again," Giel said, trying to break the awkward silence.
"Gieeelll," Mike groaned, embarrassed.
They all hugged him, except for Has and Glus, who stood quietly, too serious for such moments.
Glus finally spoke. "Hello, Mike. I hope you received my letter."
"Yeah… I did," Mike replied.
"And you actually fought a dragon?" Kad asked, wide eyed.
Internally Mike thought, Yeah actually two of them. Though Lion was much stronger.
Out loud he said, "Yes. I fought him."
Glus then spoke firmly. "I am inviting you all to dinner. We will talk about everything there. I have good news."
At the restaurant, once they had sat down, Glus began to speak.
"So… Lion is still alive. He is being interrogated by S Rank Sals right now. They are trying to find out who their leader is and how they found the base. And the second piece of good news is, if you are ready, training will resume next month. But this time at a different base. The largest ever built. There will be eight hundred members. Get ready. It is going to be intense."
"Hey Giel Kad Lasa Has, would you all mind moving in with me for now?" Glus asked.
"No," they replied.
"Five people in one apartment?" Glus asked.
"Yeah," Mike said. "Why not?"
They ate until the sun set, but then on the way home a portal appeared.
Reunited they shouted, "Miiikeee!" and all jumped on him at once, hugging him tightly.
"Mike, what were you thinking?" Lasa scolded, smacking him lightly on the head. "You could have died, idiot!"
Mike smiled weakly. "Yeah… it was close. But I made it."
Everyone hugged him again, warm and relieved.
Glus stepped forward. "Mike. I am glad you are okay."
Mike asked, "Glus… you made it too? How were you saved?"
"I was found under the rubble," Glus replied calmly. "It got pretty bad. I had a hole in my stomach. But I survived. Everything is all right now. I want to take you all out to eat. My treat."
They went to a nearby restaurant. Mike did not protest. Food sounded good after everything.
They sat and ate and then Glus spoke again. "I think it is time I answer your questions. Starting with this. Out of eighty one students only nineteen survived. Nineteen. And I was the only commander left."
Mike looked down. "So… this is it?"
Glus nodded silently.
"How did they find the base?" Kad asked.
"Lion," Glus said in a heavy tone. "He was once my student. But during a mission all of his teammates were killed. Only he and I survived. He blamed me for it. Ever since, he wanted me dead."
He paused, then added, "He is still alive." Everyone looked up in shock. "He is being held in a special SAL prison. I will take you there someday."
They rose and headed for the car. Just as they were about to enter, a portal opened.
"A PORTAL!" Giel screamed.
"It is… black?" Kad asked. "Not blue like the others."
Before anyone could react the portal pulled them in.
Mike. Lasa. Kad. Giel. Has. Glus. All gone. Vanished into the darkness.
Mike opened his eyes.
Could it be? Had he been here before? He could not remember, but something felt familiar.
The others were already standing behind him.
"Let us keep moving," Glus ordered.
The place was strange. The sky was pitch black. The trees were dead. The ground was burned. The air was thin.
"A horrible place," Giel muttered.
"We need to get out of here quickly," Has said sharply.
Then shadows came. Figures of pure darkness surrounded them, from head to toe, made of shadow magic.
Mike took a step back. "I… I can not fight. Not yet."
Before anything could touch him, Giel Has and Glus jumped in front of him.
"Do not worry, Mike," Giel said.
"We have got this," Has added.
"You will need your strength later," Glus said calmly.
The battle began. The dungeon had only just revealed its first threat.
But then the shadows began to shift.
One by one they stopped moving. Their forms twitched and convulsed, pulled inward toward the center of the battlefield.
"What the hell…" whispered Kad.
The shadows melted together like ink in water. A dark mass pulsed in the middle of the ruined ground, growing larger, denser, more alive.
And then it stood.
A giant. A towering shadow at least three times taller than a man. Its limbs were long and unnaturally thin, but radiated pure force. Its head twisted like smoke, but its eyes—glowing silver—burned through the dark.
It opened its mouth. A low, vibrating growl echoed across the land.
System Notification Warning
S Rank Dungeon Boss Detected
Name SHADOW
Type Darkness Void
HP 85,000
Weakness Light Adrenaline Mode
Status Highly Aggressive
Rank S Catastrophic Threat
Everyone froze.
Even Glus narrowed his eyes. "This thing is not normal."
Lasa's hands trembled. "I can't even sense a core. It's like… it's alive and dead at the same time."
Shadow raised one arm, and the entire area grew colder. Wind swirled at its feet, pulling dust and energy from the ground. The air turned heavy.
"Everyone, scatter!" Glus shouted. "Now!"
The beast slammed its hand down.
BOOM.
The shockwave shattered dead trees. Cracks split the earth. Mike slid back, shielding his face from the force. His heart hammered. His system blinked a warning.
System Alert You are not prepared Activate Adrenaline Mode only under 10 percent HP
Tip Use Endurance Wisely
Mike clenched his fists. He was not ready yet. But soon he would have to be. This was not just any fight. This was a battle for survival. Shadow was watching.
The Shadow Giant attacked.
Has activated his Light Shield instantly. He dashed forward, ducked beneath the giant's swinging arm, and leapt high. The giant reacted faster than expected—its massive hand crashed into the shield.
CRACK. The Light Shield shattered into glowing fragments.
Has was already ready with his next move. "Light Orbs!" Four radiant spheres formed and hovered around him.
"Hold him now!" Has shouted.
Giel growled and forced both arms upward. A shimmering blue aura surged from his body. He grabbed the giant's leg and lifted it slightly off the ground. The creature froze, if only for a second.
All four Light Orbs shot forward. Zzzzt Zzzzt Zzzzt Zzzzt. Each orb blasted into the giant's chest, tearing holes through its dark mass. The monster roared and stumbled backward.
Glus stepped forward. "Final Sleep is mine to deliver!" he bellowed. He leapt, spun midair, and slammed his gauntleted fist into the giant's face. The impact echoed like thunder. The shadow cracked and split, then turned to black dust and scattered in the wind.
Silence followed.
"We did it," Glus said, exhaling. He rested his battle axe on his shoulder. "We move forward."
They pressed on toward the Tower, looming in the distance and surrounded by a withered forest. The Deadwood creaked around them. No birds. No life. Just silence.
A lone shadow appeared on the road and smiled. "I have been waiting for you…" Before anyone could act the figure dissolved into smoke.
"What was that?" Lasa asked.
No answer. The wind picked up and the group kept moving. A snapped branch made Giel jump, which made Kad laugh. Even Mike managed a small smile. Glus did not.
They reached the tower. A message glowed at the entrance: Meet me in the 10th room.
The staircases led upward. Each room housed about twenty shadow creatures. They fought through wave after wave. Kad ended up with a broken arm. Lasa had no magic left. Still they climbed.
When they reached the 10th room, a gate edged in gold opened on its own. A spear rushed past Mike's face heading for Giel.
"Giel!" Glus jumped in between. The spear pierced his chest. He fell to the ground, smiled once, and died.
Mike's fury erupted. "No! What have you done?" he screamed and rushed into the room. The door slammed shut behind him, leaving him alone inside.
The room held a throne. On it sat a black figure.
"Hello Mike," the figure said. "I am the General of the Shadow Land, the land your father created. I and many others are monsters that merged together. We all serve the King. Glory to Fireborn."
The black figure held a spear, wore a red cloak, and was otherwise completely dark. "I, General Shadow, will by the king's command destroy the son of the S Ranked Fal. Prepare yourself."
Mike saw his system was failing but hoped his attacks still worked. He called out. "Pack, Bite, Strike!"
His hounds appeared at his side. He felt a surge of confidence.
Shadow taunted him. "I have the strength of an S Ranked. Are you sure you can handle this?" It gripped the spear tightly.
Pack and Bite charged but in a single blink both were sliced down. The attack was so fast Mike could not see it.
Then Strike lunged from behind and clamped onto the general with his fangs. The general snarled. It was Mike's opening.
He dashed forward, faster than thought. "WOLF STRIKE!" His fist crashed into the general's chest. The figure slammed into the stone wall and cracks spidered outward.
Rage flared. The general hurled another spear.
Strike leapt in front of Mike and was impaled.
"…Thank you," Mike whispered.
He ripped the spear free and hurled it back. He followed it with a rush. The general caught the spear with his bare hand and kicked Mike with brutal force. Mike smashed into the wall. Pain exploded through his ribs, but he rose.
"I am not done yet!" he snarled.
He sprinted again. "WOLF STRIKE! WOLF STRIKE!" Two punches with everything he had. The general teleported right in front of him and struck four times to Mike's stomach, fast and precise. The final hit slammed into his face. Blood splattered. His vision blurred. He stumbled back, still standing.