We walked in silence, our footsteps echoing off the staircase as we made our way toward the old, decrepit building that housed the dungeon. Sevrin Nightshade led the way, his back straight and casual in his movements.
Behind him, Solara, Calista, Lucan, and Elias trailed along, with me bringing up the rear. My eyes flickered around, taking in the details and the atmosphere. There was something off about this place.
As we walked down the oddly long stairs, I felt it—the faint hum of magic in the air, thick and oppressive, as if reality itself was bending here. Of course, dungeons were the nexus of mana, and that was why they pulsed with energy, the kind of energy that warped space and made everything feel slightly... wrong. I knew what we were walking into, but it didn’t make the sensation any less unsettling.
“Feels like the dungeon’s… calling out to us,” Elias muttered, trembling a little as the distortion in the air intensified.
“W-what the hell do you mean? Don’t say stuff like that!” Lucan said, and hearing their bickering, Sevrin burst out laughing.
Solara, walking beside me, glanced over. She didn’t ask anything and just observed my tight expression in silence. “...I’ll protect you,” she ended up saying in the end. Did she think I was scared?
I shook my head slightly, not bothering to explain. She wouldn’t understand it the way I did. Dungeons in Arcane Crown were never simple; they were alive in their own twisted way, designed to challenge, to break the unprepared. But this wasn't my first run-through. I’d been here before, in the game at least. I knew what to expect.
To begin with, it wasn’t the dungeon that kept me on my toes.
A shimmering something came into view, a relic of a time long past, a translucent wall at the end of the staircase. Compared to the pristine architecture of the academy, the blurry area beyond it looked ancient, out of place. Sevrin finally came to a halt in front of the wall, putting a hand to touch it. That spot shimmered.
He turned to us, an ever-present smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Here we are, kids,” he said, his voice cutting through the tension. “Welcome to the academy’s training dungeon. One of many. Unlike the rest of the facilities, the dungeons here are a little... extra. So watch your steps.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, crossing my arms instead. Sevrin was playing it up, acting like a good guide, but I didn’t buy it. He wasn’t lying, though. All dungeons were dimensional spaces, pocket dimensions designed to test and reward the explorers. And while this dungeon was meant for training and didn’t give any reward, the danger was real enough.
He caught my gaze for a brief moment, his smirk growing as if he knew something I didn’t. “You see, we have artificial dungeons in the academy. But this,” he continued, motioning toward the invisible wall, “isn’t artificial. This spawned on its own one day, along with a bunch of other dungeons nearby, after the death of a student a long, long time ago. Some say it’s haunted~” he cackled, while Lucan and Elias shivered.
“P-please don’t joke around, senior!”
He laughed more and added, “Anyways, those are just theories. Chances are that it’s not related to the said student at all. Dungeons are dimensional labyrinths, things that make even the best of mages braindead with mysteries. And while the academy keeps the monsters here under control, don’t let your guard down. Things can get... unpredictable.”
"Dimensional labyrinth," I muttered under my breath. Exactly like the game. The term wasn’t foreign to me. The structure, the layout, even the bosses waiting for us inside—it was all something I’d seen before. Behind a monitor. But hearing Sevrin explain it in the real world felt different.
Sevrin took a step forward, his hand on the invisible wall passing through as he continued. “Once we step inside, the dungeon will warp space, transporting us to different areas than the previous eight groups. Usually, dungeons have monsters everywhere, but this one doesn’t.”
“Oh!” Elias almost shouted in delight.
Sevrin scoffed. “This one only has an empty labyrinth, traps, and some boss monsters. Nine, to be precise. Each group has been tasked with defeating one of the nine bosses scattered throughout. Defeat your boss, and you unlock the exit.”
Nine bosses, according to him. But I knew better. There weren’t nine. There were ten. An entity that normal people didn’t know about. An extension of the strongest Boss in all of the dungeons that existed in Waybound City, I’ll need to get my hands on it someday.
“This is strong enough to test your limits, maybe even stronger,” Sevrin replied with a grin. “But don’t worry, I’ll be here to supervise.” He chuckled, glancing around at the group. “Though I won’t be fighting for you. This is your test.”
His words seemed to hang in the air in a mix of amusement and warning. For a lackey who definitely wasn’t leading my team out of coincidence, he was enjoying this far too much. Let him have his fun. I knew what we were up against.
He then let his arm fully pass through the translucent wall. The air shimmered, distorting slightly like a thin veil of magic. Sevrin motioned for us to follow, stepping through without hesitation. His body vanished to the other side.
Solara exchanged a glance with me. One by one, we followed him into the unknown.
The moment I stepped through the doorway, the world shifted. The air around me bent, reality twisting as gravity seemed to disappear for a brief second. And then, snap. We were inside.
The dark, decrepit exterior of the building’s stairs was gone. In its place stood towering stone walls etched with runes that glowed faintly in the dim light. The scent of earth and stone filled the damp and heavy air. The temperature was low, a cold chill seeping through my clothes.
“A dimensional shift,” Solara muttered slowly. “A place between places.”
Sevrin turned, his face as casual as ever. “Indeed. Welcome to the labyrinth. Follow along, and don’t get lost.” He chuckled at his joke before walking behind us. “Start walking. I’ll follow from the back. As I said, there are traps. So be careful. And as I also said, there are nine bosses scattered across different sectors. There’s a boss in this area as well. Your task is to find and defeat it. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?”
Having him behind me feels bothersome, I noted. I didn’t think he’d try anything yet, but I kept my Demonic Sphere focused on him just in case.
In a fight to death, it was hard to say who’d win between him and I.
Name: Iskandaar Romani
Age: 19 years
Race: Human
Qi: 6666/6666
Level: 33 | 54% EXP
Class: Myth Slayer
Class Level: [2/10]
Class Skills:
Mythrend [Active]Void Step [Active]Soul Sever [Active]Legendbreaker [Passive]Veil of the Slayer [Passive]Astral Rend [Active]
General Skills:
The Heavenly Demon Skill Tree [26.51%]Insight [Basic]Swordsmanship [Intermediate]Kickboxing [Master]Inner Focus [Intermediate]
The new General Skill was as simple as it sounded. I gained it after doing my meditating cultivation, and after months, it was already at Intermediate rank. The more interesting skill was my new Class Skill.
I had leveled up my Class once in the last couple of months, when I encountered a couple of spirits. Spirits and ghosts were considered myths too, if they had enough interesting stories circling around them. I gained this skill after that.
Active: [Astral Rend]:
* Summon an ethereal blade that can pierce through both physical and magical defenses, striking at the astral form of mythical beings or normal. Although excessively more effective against the former. This attack inflicts spiritual damage and has a chance to disrupt their connection to the physical plane, weakening their magical abilities temporarily, and potentially making them lose consciousness.
* Category: Astral Manipulation
It could be useful against Sevrin, in a desperate situation. But I didn’t want to fight him myself. It was too risky. Especially because I couldn’t win with Star Affinity alone, I wasn’t skilled enough to bring out my full power while maintaining this breathing.
I looked at him behind us from the corner of my eyes. I… might have a way around it. I noted. A way to kill him without moving my hand. I need to be careful.
With Sevrin behind, as the five of us walked deeper into the labyrinth, the walls seemed to close in, the air growing thicker with every step. The distant sound of roars echoed through the corridors, coming from somewhere deep within the dungeon. The light flickered, casting shadows that danced along the stone.
****
Finding the boss wasn’t really hard. We just had to be careful of the traps, the arrows that came flying from the wall. Solara often shot out in front of me to block the arrows while Calista and the other two students did their best to keep up.
The tension in the group was intense. Even Sevrin seemed more cautious as the wheel of time spun and we neared our target. Since there were no other monsters, we stumbled upon the Boss’ chamber in just a few hours of walking.
We came to a halt in front of another iron door, similar to the one we had entered the basement through, except this one was on the wall and not the floor.
Sevrin turned to us, his grin widening. “Well, that was faster than expected. This is it,” he said, his voice echoing slightly in the narrow corridor. “Your boss awaits on the other side.”
I glanced at Solara beside me. Her expression was set with determination, but there was a flicker of unease in her eyes.
Sevrin stepped aside, motioning toward the door. “Good luck,” he added with a smirk. “The door will remain open when you enter, and I’ll be watching from outside. Let’s hope it’s one of the easier bosses.”
“Alright,” I didn’t trust that grin for a second. But there was no turning back now. With a deep breath, I stepped forward, placing my hand on the cold iron of the door.
The door groaned open, revealing a chamber that was larger than one would expect, even with the massive door. The ceiling stretched impossibly high, with glowing crystals embedded into the stone above, casting an eerie, dim light across the room. The walls were towering and oppressive, and the air was thick with the scent of damp stone and earth.
In the center of the room stood the Boss Monster, sprawled across its throne. It was a hulking, humanoid bull who let out puffs of smoke from its nostrils—a Minotaur.
[Level 38].
“Oh shit, a Minatour~ Be careful!” Sevrin said from the outside, but we ignored him.
It wasn’t something I couldn’t handle on my own, but it’d be hard. It easily towered over a house, it was a large monster. Its body was a mass of dark fur, muscles rippling beneath its hide as it gripped an enormous battle ax in one hand. Its eyes gleamed with primal fury, and as soon as it spotted us, it let out a roar that reverberated off the walls, shaking the very ground beneath our feet.
“Shit.”
“That looks scary…”
“Guys, stay alert,” Calista said to the two scared students, who gulped and nodded and got ready with weapons at hand. Solara and I remained silent.
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I stepped forward, sword in hand, but my mind wasn’t on the beast in front of me. I was calculating, thinking ahead. I could take this thing down easily. But there was no need to go all out. Not here. If my fear was correct, this wasn’t the fight I needed to win—it was just a warm-up, a distraction. Besides, I wanted to see how Solara would handle herself. Was my investment worth it?
“Solara.”
“Yes,” she didn’t hesitate.
“MOO!” As soon as the Minotaur roared, leaping off its throne, her wings flared to life, blooming wide behind her like a phoenix reborn. Her fists lit up with fire, and the light from the crystals above reflected off the fiery feathers, without waiting further, she charged straight at the beast.
I watched her go, keeping my pace measured. Her wings were impressive—they could act not just as shields but as weapons, too. She moved with grace and power, her wings allowing her greater speed, blocking the Minotaur’s heavy ax strikes with those red feathers while retaliating with sharp, precise blows. She wanted to prove herself.
I remained nearby, blocking the tail of the beast that tried to sneak off behind her. Lucan and Elias weren’t as brave, and I didn’t even notice Calista nearby. They hesitated before joining the fight, their movements clumsy and unsure. Lucan swung his sword with all his might, but it barely made a dent in the Minotaur’s thick hide. Elias tried to flank the creature, but he was almost crushed under its hooves when the beast turned on him.
I sighed. It wasn’t going to be their fight.
Meanwhile, Solara was holding her own, clashing fiery fists with the Minotaur. But I could see the strain on her face. She was strong, no doubt about that, but this Minotaur wasn’t going down easily. Its swings were wide and powerful, forcing her to stay on the defensive. Every time she blocked a strike, the impact rattled through her wings, and the sheer force of the Minotaur’s blows was wearing her down.
I could step in. End this quickly.
But I didn’t.
Instead, I stayed back, letting Solara take the lead while I provided support, only using the basics of my True Demon Sword Art. It was enough to keep the Minotaur off balance, but I wasn’t pushing myself. I didn’t want to, yet.
Solara noticed that Calista wasn’t fighting beside us, that girl mostly remained at a distance, sometimes casting weak [Fireball] spells. Very rarely. She grumbled how useless that girl was. But when she noticed how I wasn’t using my full power, she realized something was going on.
At one point, her eyes met mine during the fight, and I could see the confusion in them. “Why aren’t you doing more?” She whispered out, blocking an attack from the Minotaur. She could see that I was holding back. She couldn’t understand why.
The battle raged on, with Solara, Lucan, Elias, and I pushing the Minotaur closer to the brink of defeat. “Mooh…” The beast’s movements were growing sluggish, its roars turning desperate. I could tell it was almost over.
“MOOO!!!” That’s when the Minotaur let out a final, deafening roar.
The ground beneath us rumbled, and I immediately knew what was coming. It had used its boss’ authority to activate hidden traps. The floor began to crack and crumble in places, and without warning, Lucan and Elias screamed as the ground beneath them gave way. They fell, their voices echoing into the abyss below, disappearing in an instant.
Solara gasped, the ground beneath her giving away as well and her wings giving up mid-flap. “Not good!” She screamed, her voice filled with panic, before her wings managed a flap, saving her. I had honestly hoped she’d fall.
Lucan and Elias would be fine. The professor would rescue them. Solara too would have been fine if she fell… but she just had to fly out of it. Now she was distracted, and the Minotaur took advantage of the moment.
The creature charged at her, its battle-ax raised high, ready to strike her down. Its muscles bulged, as it went for a powerful move. I was about to help, but before it could land the blow, Solara’s wings flared up, glowing brighter than before, and she blocked the attack with a heavy slam. The impact sent a shockwave through the chamber, her wings trembling under the force, but she held her ground.
I decided it was time to end this.
Stepping forward, my sword flashed as I moved beside her. “Support me,” I said as we worked in tandem, my blade cutting down the Minotaur with precise, calculated strikes. The poor thing didn’t even have enough strength to resist me anymore. I allowed my Demonic Sphere to guide my movements, avoiding its few attempts, and cutting into important parts of its body.
Solara fought fiercely too, and together, we pushed the beast back. The fight dragged on longer than I’d anticipated, but after what felt like an eternity of clashing blades and heavy blows, the Minotaur finally fell.
“M-moo…” Its massive body crashed to the ground with a thunderous thud, and the chamber fell silent.
Both of us stood there, panting heavily. The adrenaline was still pumping through my veins, but I could feel the exhaustion settling in. “That,” she panted, “that was fun!”
Just as I was about to reply, Sevrin’s voice cut through the silence. “Oh, I’m sure it was. Well done,” he said, his slow, mocking clap echoing through the chamber. He stepped into the chamber, his eyes gleaming with something that wasn’t admiration. He bent down, picking up the Minotaur’s massive battle-ax with ease, spinning it in his hand. “But we’re not done yet. Let’s have another little test, shall we?”
Solara stiffened beside me, her eyes narrowing as she watched him. I was glad that she didn’t actually buy into his words. There was something wrong, and she could feel it too.
Sevrin’s smirk widened as he gripped the ax tighter. His gaze flicked toward me, and I met it head-on. This wasn’t part of the dungeon’s test. He was finally showing his true colors.
"Ah and Calista, you can stay back now. I’ll finish the job," he said, his voice laced with a casual cruelty that sent a chill down the back of everyone still standing. Sevrin’s smirk widened with the Minotaur’s ax onto his shoulder, the weight of the weapon seemingly effortless in his grasp.
It made sense. He was on the 5th Ascension, after all.
I watched him closely, my eyes narrowing. The air around him shifted. He was far too relaxed, too confident. He knew what he was about to do, as per Victor Seraph’s order, definitely. Solara, standing next to me, staggered back. She was too tired to fight, her wings drooping slightly from exhaustion.
"What... what are you doing?!" she shouted, her voice trembling with disbelief. Sevrin didn’t even flinch. He chuckled humorlessly. "You think the professor won’t find it suspicious if we die here?!" she demanded, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and rage.
"Oh, please." Sevrin’s chuckle deepened, the corners of his mouth twisting into a wicked grin. "I’ll just tell the professor I ran after those two students who fell into the trap. By the time I got back, well... you two were already dead. The Minotaur was strong, and accidents happen in dungeons all the time," he took another step forward, his grip tightening on the ax.
“Why are you doing this?” Solara asked, and he grinned.
“If you want to blame anyone, blame yourself for surviving,” he chuckled without any remorse in his voice. By the way... you’re welcome. I'm going to let you meet your family soon. I’ll finish the job that those sitting at the top of the Empire couldn’t.”
Solara’s eyes went bloodshot in realization while I said nothing. My gaze flicked between him and the surroundings. I groaned. There was no escape route, he was standing before the door. He was Level 65—strong, far stronger than anyone here.
I could sense the power radiating from him, the confidence in his stance. He believed he had already won after watching us struggle against the Minotaur. It was natural given how much stronger he was compared to the monster. I wouldn’t lie, he’d be a tough opponent even for me. I’d most likely win, but not without a scratch.
Once again, I didn’t want to fight him head-on. Thankfully I had a way around that.
I wasn’t about to let this bastard think he had it that easy.
My mind was working quickly, recalling every detail from the game, every hidden mechanic this dungeon had. There was something Sevrin didn’t know. Something I wanted to enlighten his smart-ass about.
"Did you know," I said, my voice calm and almost casual, "that this place actually has ten bosses, not nine?"
Sevrin paused, confusion flickering across his face. "What?" he asked, his grip on the ax tightening. “Did you lose your mind realizing you’re dead already?”
I didn’t respond immediately. Instead, I pulled a dagger from my belt, the blade catching the faint light from the dungeon. Without hesitation, I cut a deep gash across my wrist, letting the blood drip down, mixing with the pool of Minotaur blood on the ground.
"It’s a secret boss," I explained, watching as his expression shifted from confusion to suspicion. "One that can only be summoned by sacrificing the blood of one of the nine bosses... and a little bit of your own." I grinned, the thrill of what was about to happen filling me with dark satisfaction. "O', Silk Owl of the Bloody Labyrinth," I chanted, my voice dropping to a near whisper, "In the name of your Master, grant us protection, and banish this fool who dared wield a blade in your presence."
The blood on the ground began to glow, swirling with an eerie energy, as if the dungeon itself was responding to my call. The air grew heavy, thick with power. The labyrinth screeched in response, a sound that echoed through the stone corridors, sending a shiver down my spine.
Sevrin’s smirk vanished. He stepped back, his eyes darting around the chamber as the blood coalesced into a massive, ethereal form. A humanoid owl, its wings made of swirling mist and shadows, its eyes glowing with an ancient, malevolent intelligence.
It was a creature that made Solara fall to her knees, coughing blood. Its presence was too powerful, making it hard to imagine that it was merely an extension of the real deal.
"What the hell is this?" Sevrin hissed, his voice wavering for the first time.
The owl screeched, a high-pitched, bone-chilling sound that made Solara flinch. It dove toward Sevrin with terrifying speed, its talons outstretched, ready to tear him apart.
"Stay back!" Sevrin roared, swinging the Minotaur’s ax toward the creature, but it was no use. The owl was too fast, too powerful. It dodged his attack effortlessly, its talons raking across his chest. Blood sprayed through the air as Sevrin stumbled back, panic written across his face.
In desperation, he turned toward me, his eyes blazing with fury. "You little— you little bastard! [Gale Storm Blade]!" He finished. With a desperate grunt of revenge, he unleashed a powerful Skill on me. It was a sharp blade energy attack, a wave of destructive force that surged toward me.
My eyes widened for a split second.
That was dangerous, I could see it splitting me into two with ease. My breathing paused as my mind spun. I could use [Void Step] to dodge that, but if I did, Solara would be hit. I couldn’t let that happen.
Damn it.
Cursing in my head, I stepped forward, swinging my sword up to meet the attack. My breath hitched. I didn’t mean to do it, but the power I tried to release broke the rhythm of my breathing, for my current mastery over it wasn’t enough to make the Star Affinity perform the next technique. It wouldn’t allow me to use my full power, and unfortunately it’d be impossible to block the desperate attack of a 5th Ascension bastard with something half-assed.
So as my sword flared, my body tapped into my full power impetuously. The Chaos Affinity in my body surged to life. The golden aura around me flared and changed into red, a demonic energy erupting from me, wrapping around my body.
My sword exploded forward.
[True Demon Sword Art, Third Form—Chaotic Requiem of the Hellfire Wasp.]
The red energy crackled, clashing violently with Sevrin’s blade energy. The force of the collision sent a shockwave through the dungeon, shaking the very ground beneath us. Solara gasped, her eyes wide as she watched the demonic energy swirl around me.
The techniques seem to evenly match, and I poured more Qi into it. Sevrin’s attack shattered under the force of my technique, the Blade Energy dissipating into nothing.
Meanwhile, the owl screeched as its talons tore through Sevrin once more, this time cutting him clean into pieces. His severed body crumpled to the ground, lifeless, his blood pooling around him as the owl let out one final screech before dissolving into mist.
The room fell silent.
Calista, who had been standing off to the side, collapsed to the floor, her body trembling with fear. "I-I wasn’t involved in this!" she stammered, her voice shaky as she looked up at me, her eyes trembling at the red energy around me. "Please, I... I didn’t do anything!"
I sighed. The red demonic energy still flickered around me, a living proof of unspoken words. Back when I defeated the assassin thief almost a year ago, I barely had any Qi. That was why nobody found traces of demonic energy on the spot. Right now? I had more than enough to make people visibly realize the aura around me wasn’t human.
Even if I knew I was a human, to any outsider, they’d believe with all their hearts that I was a demonspawn, for one’s ‘mana’ didn’t lie. Shit, Sevrin that fucking bastard. If he hadn’t made that desperate last attack and focused on defending himself from the owl instead, I wouldn’t have had to show my full power. Now things had gone very wrong.
I stared at her, my expression unreadable. Solara was panting on the floor behind me, her wings twitching as she struggled to catch her breath. I looked at her, her green eyes trembling as they met mine. I looked away from her and met Calista’s gaze.
Her eyes were wide, filled with terror as she continued to plead for her life. I sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. Miss Valenford had a sad backstory, but that didn’t make her a good person by any means. She had been part of this, whether she had a choice or not. She always helped Victor Seraph in his villainy.
For example, she once tricked a poor milkman’s daughter from the Seraph Duchy into sleeping with Victor. Miss Valenford did it just because he asked her to do that. In turn, the poor girl killed herself the night after her meeting with Victor. She loved a boy, a commoner by birth, just like her, who she wanted to get married to. But this one young lord and his pet ruined everything.
Calista could have found an excuse to save the girl, she knew the girl loved another. Calista didn’t bother to find that excuse, fearing a few hits from Victor. A few hits, avoiding which cost another girl her life…
Yes, as I said, Miss Valenford had a sad backstory, but that didn’t make her a good person by any means.
And she had seen too much.
I made my decision, my jaws clenched. She had seen the demonic energy, and it’d be my end if she leaked a word to her master. I couldn’t let her leave here.
“Choose a better person to serve in your next life,” I said and raised my sword, meeting her gaze for one last moment. Her eyes were filled with shock, desperation, and something else that I didn’t care to explore.
"True Demon Sword Art, First Form," I muttered out loud, making sure both of them heard it, my voice cold. Calista’s tears fell to the floor. "Absolute Cataclysm of the Demonic Butterfly."
With a single, swift slash, Calista’s body fell apart, cut into pieces by the technique.
The fight was over.
The room was silent once more, the only sound being Solara’s labored breathing. She looked up at me from the floor, her eyes wide, still processing what had just happened.
The red energy flickered around me, fading slowly, but its presence still lingered, hanging in the air like a dark cloud.
She knew. Anybody could tell. The power I held… the darkness that came with it. The secret I held in my eyes met her gaze, the weight of the moment pressing down on both of us.
When she didn’t say anything, my adrenaline receded, an unspoken conversation passing between us. Now how do I hide the traces of demonic energy in the air?