Upon resolving their disputes, they proceeded towards the general location of the Dungeon. Fortunately, it was marked on their map as the Gray Wolf Dungeon. Their journey was uneventful this time, and they experienced a peaceful passage.

Upon arrival, they were taken aback to find two additional groups of players, one of which they were familiar with.

"Isshin..." Yuuki murmured as his gaze fell upon the imposing figure before them. He was a Berserker and ranked fourth among players, just behind MasterAhn. Hailing from the USA, specifically the state of the Philippines, Isshin had been a frequent adversary of Yuuki during the early days of the Eternal World. Their encounters often resulted in stalemates, but over time, Yuuki honed his skills to surpass his opponent. However, when the player rankings were introduced, Isshin claimed the fourth spot while Yuuki ascended to the prestigious number one position. This turn of events left a bitter taste in Isshin's mouth, and he made every effort to challenge Yuuki whenever their paths crossed.

"Oh...! Samurai_Herohero!" Isshin exclaimed excitedly, a smile spreading across his face.

Yuuki instinctively tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword, assuming an Iaijutsu stance, prepared to draw his weapon at the slightest hint of hostility. Despite being a double-edged Western sword, it mattered not to him; he could still execute the techniques of Everlasting Sword, albeit with slightly diminished effectiveness.

Witnessing Yuuki's response, the other two members of his party also assumed combat positions. Yohan unsheathed two slender blades from his inventory, embodying the archetype of a Rogue. Meanwhile, Rumi readied herself to cast her water spells.

In turn, the opposing party mirrored their actions, except for Isshin, who remained composed. The other group, however, swiftly retreated, seeking a safe distance, realizing that three formidable players were potentially on the verge of an intense confrontation.

"Whoa! Whoa!" Isshin exclaimed, raising his hands and signaling his five party members to halt with a flick of his brows as he faced towards them. "We're not here to fight, guys! We just came to farm this Dungeon," he explained, fully aware that even though they were outnumbered, the two individuals standing before them were more than capable of obliterating their entire group.

Upon hearing Isshin's words, the other three players relaxed their stances and composed themselves.

"Fine. We're here for the same purpose, so don't mind us."

"Yeah, we won't disrupt you guys." With a brief wave of his hand, Isshin bid them farewell as his party entered the Dungeon—a small cave-like structure with a blue barrier at the entrance resembling a portal.

As soon as Isshin's party disappeared inside, the other group approached Yuuki and Yohan.

"Um... Sir AbsoluteZero and Sir Samurai_Herohero, could we take a photo with you guys?" one of the members addressed them by their usernames.

"Uh... Sure!" Yohan replied hesitantly. It was quite understandable, considering the circumstances. After all, Yuuki and Yohan ranked as the top two players in Eternal World. For other players, encountering them in a place like this was akin to a fortunate meeting with a celebrity.

The entire party huddled closely together, crowding beside Yuuki and Yohan, while one of their companions activated the [Photo Mode]. As this feature was activated, a small glowing blue cube materialized in the user's hand. It served as their camera, capturing the image and uploading it directly to their cloud storage. While it was possible to utilize this function during combat, any physical attack on the cube would cause it to shatter instantly. Additionally, if the user happened to be recording a video, the footage would abruptly end and swiftly be uploaded to their cloud storage. However, they could easily retrieve another camera if needed.

With excitement still lingering in the air, they took their picture and bid each other farewell before eagerly entering the Dungeon.

Upon stepping into the depths of the Dungeon, they found themselves in a dimly lit cavern. The darkness enveloped them, obscuring their visibility even among their close vicinity. Adding to the eerie ambiance was a foul stench reminiscent of decaying carcasses. These conditions sent a shiver down Rumi's spine, leaving her feeling both scared and unsettled.

Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

"It's just a game. No need to be so frightened," Yuuki reassured her, attempting to console Rumi. Despite their efforts to calm her down, she remained noticeably on edge.

Rumi was the type of person who could barely handle watching a horror movie, let alone being thrust into a situation like this. However, deep down, she knows that as long as these two were by her side, she wouldn't be in any real danger.

An interface the popped up in front of them.

[Dungeon Name: Wolves' Den

Time Limit: 20:00

Objective: Find an Exit out of the cave system.

Please choose a difficulty: Easy, Intermediate, Hard]

At Yuuki's discretion, they opted for the Hard difficulty setting. Almost immediately, the echoing howls of Gray Wolves reverberated through the vast cave system. With the countdown timer ticking away, they wasted no time and sprang into action.

"Let's do this," Yohan declared, flexing his fingers and unsheathing his dual short swords.

Once Rumi had finally regained her composure, they set off, prepared to conquer the challenges that lay ahead. Yohan, thanks to his [Perfect Mana Control], possessed limited proficiency in elemental magic, specifically fire magic, which they utilized as a makeshift light source to navigate the darkened tunnels. They moved swiftly, their speed tempered slightly to accommodate Rumi, who lacked their enhanced mobility.

They scoured the labyrinthine tunnels tirelessly, yet not a single enemy crossed their path.

Upon emerging from the tunnel they had been traversing, they found themselves in a colossal cavern, its expanse dotted with numerous branching tunnels. Despite the situation, the two of them exchanged knowing smiles.

"Crafty bastards," Yohan muttered, a disappointed smirk playing on his face.

In a swift motion, Yuuki pushed Rumi back deeper into the tunnel they had just exited, as a barrage of sonic projectiles rained down upon them. The Gray Wolves had been lying in wait, anticipating their arrival. Leaving Rumi with the necessary time to gather herself and prepare her spells, Yuuki and Yohan immediately engaged in battle, drawing their weapons and charging toward the approaching wolves.

With unparalleled precision, the duo swiftly dispatched over a dozen of their adversaries. Yet, it appeared that more enemies were closing in on them.

Utilizing his dual short swords, Yohan swiftly dispatched the incoming wolves one by one, his movements a blur of speed and precise slashes. "Seems like I can use that technique here," he remarked. "Damn it, let's give it a shot."

With the grace of a seasoned dancer, he began to use the fighting technique he had honed since the days of the Eternal World.

[Blade Dance: Maximum]

Harnessing the power of mana to enhance his abilities, Yohan moved with an even greater speed, his every motion unpredictable and ever-changing, akin to an intricate dance.

Similar to Yuuki and his utilization of the [Everlasting Sword], Yohan possessed his own signature technique. However, unlike Yuuki's [Blade Dance: Maximum], which required the killing of twenty enemies of the same level through its unpredictable movements, Yohan's technique lacked specific forms or prescribed techniques. It simply entailed employing these unconventional movements to eliminate twenty adversaries. Furthermore, while the [Everlasting Sword] had attained Legendary rarity due to the absence of Unique rarity in the game at the time, Yohan's [Blade Dance: Maximum] was merely classified as Epic.

With each swift and unpredictable maneuver, Yohan added to his kill count, inching closer to meeting the skill's requirements as he recollected them. A sphere of sonic attack whizzed by him, narrowly missing its mark by a few centimeters, prompting him to elegantly dodge it mid-air with remarkable flexibility. "Damn, that was close," he muttered to himself. Despite being ranked first and second respectively, both Yuuki and Yohan understood that they were not invincible. They still sustained damage, but their lightning-fast reflexes and adept evasive skills allowed them to endure longer than even those players who had prioritized defense.

[Sync Rate: 167%]

As Yohan's perception of time seemingly slowed down to a crawl, he expertly maneuvered through the chaotic battlefield. With each elegant stroke of his blades, another wolf succumbed to his lethal prowess. The pack of wolves continued to amass, converging upon their location, threatening to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. However, this did not discourage either of them from fighting on. Instead, they viewed the increasing horde as an opportunity for greater rewards.

With each kill tallying up, Yohan's determination intensified. And then, it happened. He finally unlocked it.

[You've created a skill that doesn't exist within the tower. Please name it.]

With no concern for the wolves falling before him, Yohan muttered to himself, lost in thought.

"Hmm... Adding the 'Maximum' part feels unnecessary... Let's simplify it, let's name it... [Blade Dance]"

[Skill Created! Blade Dance!]

[Skill Name: Blade Dance

Rarity: Legendary

Mastery: 0%]

With the skill now fully unlocked, Yohan's movements grew markedly sharper and more agile compared to when he executed them without the assistance of the skill.

"Wow... it's even Legendary this time."