Gates opened up at the bottom of the walls. Elves streamed out—mostly warriors, clad in bulky silver suits of armor. All throwing up glowing shield Skills. They linked in a giant formation, making a wall.
Wards flared in front of them, another line of defense. All the whilethose cannons kept blasting; the sky was run over with essence, with Law.
None of it made the slightest dent.
The Titan Rhino bellowed. Crashed against that outer ward layer. The wards flexed against the beast's hide, trying desperately to fight it off—they flared brilliantly where they met that great horn. But it was as though there was an ocean of essence, of power, swirling under the skin—crashing down. So much it was impossible to deny.
The wards caved in. And shattered.
Those shields were next. The elves flinched as the Rhino drove in. Then they too got run over. Screams littered the air. You could barely hear them over all the crashing, breaking, shattering, cracking, the useless booms of the cannons…
Zane watched the Rhino's hide. The way its Bloodline burned inside of it, coursed inside of it, unleashing an enormous untapped power. A passive Skill flaring as the beast's blood grew hot, as its fighting spirit flared up—a wellspring of might rising to meet the threat. Making its body one unyielding unstoppable force.
Anything that tried to break it broke instead.
It was kind of amazing to watch.
Then—
𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕣𝕖𝕙𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕕!
𝕀𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 ℍ𝕚𝕕𝕖 [𝔼𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕙 – ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕠𝕟]
𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕖𝕧𝕠𝕝𝕧𝕖𝕕!
𝔽𝕝𝕒𝕨𝕝𝕖𝕤𝕤 𝕊𝕥𝕖𝕖𝕝 𝔹𝕠𝕕𝕪 [𝕄𝕪𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕔+] -> 𝕀𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 ℍ𝕚𝕕𝕖 [𝔼𝕒𝕣𝕥𝕙 – ℂ𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕠𝕟]
𝕊𝕜𝕚𝕝𝕝 𝕦𝕡!
𝕀𝕟𝕕𝕠𝕞𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 ℍ𝕚𝕕𝕖
𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝕀 -> 𝕀𝕀
This Skill felt kind of similar to his Flawless Steel Body. They did similar things—only this one was skewed toward density, toughness, strength. It couldn't be compared to Flawless Steel Body; it was that and so much more.
It swallowed Flawless Steel Body, Zane felt. Used his body as a 'base'. All Zane's Flawless Steel Body Levels became a Level in his new Skill.
As the scene faded, he inspected himself. His skin a little less shiny now. It used to glisten a little in certain lights. Now it looked slightly weathered, tough. There was something underneath lying dormant—something fearsomely strong. Ready to come to the surface when need be.
Zane flexed his arm, enjoying the feel of it. Ran a finger along his skin.
If Zane had to guess—he could Level this like Flawless Steel Body. By taking shots. But it would be hard to upgrade its rarity much unless he took in more and more of that Titan Rhino blood.
But he wouldn't have to think about that for a while, he felt. Even now, that droplet of Rhino's blood hadn't fully dissolved… when it was done, it might put him somewhere between Earth-rank Common and the next stage up.
Zane was pretty sure nobody in the world could match his defense now.
This time the vision comprehension only took him a day and a half. It was too easy to lose track of time in there.
He 'tested' his Skill by getting himself hyped up. Mostly by thinking about punching things hard. His skin started getting a rough look to it, like tempered steel. He felt himself thickening, growing heavier. A strange aura came out of him—his body started burning that drop of blood in him.
Burning that little bit took just a few seconds to recover. He wondered how long it'd take if he burned the whole thing.
He'd soon have a chance to test it out. Reina had gotten him transportation to Italy. She also got the main clan there, Nova Roma, to host him for a few nights. They were quite happy to when he promised to take out their leaking dungeon, which was proving a big headache. They'd had to evacuate a quarter of the Faction.
Reina said one of the top European teams was already having a go at it—not the very best, but a bunch in the Top 10, Top 20 range.
This time Zane was to take a bunch of portals all the way to some islands off the East Coast. From there, she'd gotten a ship for him.
She saw him off at the town square.
"Stay safe, okay?" she murmured. She really wanted to go with him. He was amused how concerned she was for him. He would be in no trouble. She pressed against him, embracing him, resting her head on his chest. Then she looked up and gave him a kiss.
He made his way east.
***
ᴀ ꜰᴇᴡ ʜᴏᴜʀꜱ ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ...
"This is Tyler from News Crew One, coming at you live from A+-ranked Dungeon, Searing Sky Peak!"
Tyler had to shout to make himself heard even with the recording crystal so close to his face. The gale winds made everything hard to hear. He looked serious. Right above him was a blanket of ashy clouds, rumbling with thunder.
He rode a Batwing Wyvern—chosen because they were stable enough so the picture didn't get too shaky, yet mobile enough to peel out quick if things got rough.
"That's right, Tyler!" said Becca, right next to him. "We're here following Europe's B-Team. While the top team went on their north pole expedition, this team stayed behind to take up the slack. But don't let the name fool you—they're still some of the best in the world! We're talking the likes of World Rank #10 Cain Hastings, World Rank #13 Urs Langaker, World Rank #19 Sylvia Bordeau, and World Rank #9 Vanessa Volkova!"
Tyler pointed down below, where blue, white, and red essence-streaks poured over one another. "There they are now! Let's get a closer look…"
The Wyvern swooped down—still careful to keep a good distance. "They've cleared the first floor already, the outermost zone of the volcano! This dungeon transformed Mount Vesuvius and the ruins of Pompeii. As you can see, that whole outer ring is a city made entirely of ash! As of just a week ago, it was infested with ash golems and ember sprites. A horde of them broke free and ran wild down the Italian countryside before the B-Team arrived to vanquish them…" Tyler shuddered. "Luckily, they've now got the situation under control!"
"They're on the climb!" said Becca, nodding. "They're holding off waves of Minions…"
She pursed her lips. "But it looks to me like they've stalled out, Tyler—they've fought to something of a stalemate!"
The crew were visibly struggling as a tide of Lava Salamanders, all in the Level 120s, swarmed over them, spitting streams of Elemental Fire. Behind came kobolds with stark yellow eyes, wielding flaming axes. Swooping down from above, lightning sprites threw flashes of sheer lightning...
"It's how relentless the Monsters are," said Tyler. "Some of you folks at home may think a B-rank dungeon a terrible danger—and it is! But let me tell you, what World Rankers have to deal with is unlike anything we common folk may see in our lifetimes."
He shook his head. "A-rank dungeons are some of the most horrible, dangerous places on Earth—each one of those minion could single-handedly wipe out the strongest dungeon most of you have ever seen! And these valiant heroes are fighting hordes of them."
Urs, a bearlike man, was the tank of the crew. He held up vast Earth shield Skills, fending off the assault while Cain speared out from behind, and Vanessa swept icy tornados through the sky. Sylvia, a pale black-haired girl in black eyeliner, threw out a river of buffs and heals, sweating as she did.
"It's looking like they may have to pull back soon," said Becca, frowning. "Clearing the first floor was already a huge achievement—it undoubtedly saved thousands of lives! But the second, and especially the third floor of these A-Rank dungeons—they're different beasts entirely. It's no shame to make a tactical retreat, and hold until reinforcements—"
Then there was a huge noise.
It sounded like a punch. A normal punch.
Just a very, very loud one. As loud as a cannon firing. THWACK!
But then the Salamanders all froze. Their mouths hung open, tongues stuck in place.
"…What the hell was that?" said Tyler.
Then—
ℤ𝕠𝕝𝕚𝕠𝕟, 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕄𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕝𝕖 𝕊𝕖𝕣𝕡𝕖𝕟𝕥, 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕚𝕟!
Tyler gaped at the notification.
Down below, the European team looked just as baffled.
The Salamanders exploded to essence. And floated away, streaming to the far side of the mountain.
A few seconds later—
THWACK!
𝔾𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕟𝕠𝕣, 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕆𝕣𝕔 𝕂𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕤𝕝𝕒𝕚𝕟!
The kobolds became essence
"Another team must've joined the fray— on the other side!" said Becca. "Is the A-team back already?"
She frantically scanned her mini-map. Then gasped. "Look!"
They both stared dumbly for a moment.
Then—
"For the viewers at home," said Tyler, sounding a little strangled. "We're not seeing a team—it's just a single dot. One man—one man just wiped two A+-ranked Bosses! But who?!"
Becca and Tyler blinked at one another. "Eze's still in Africa—"
"Jason and D'Angelo are clearing Boston—"
"Irina's at the North Pole—"
"Could it be…?"
The final floor ran up the peak of the mountain. The Apex. There the terrain was more lava than ground. The sky was a swirling black sea stricken with lightning—lightning that struck over and over again in a random frenzy, smashing over streams of fire, making incredible explosions. Just stepping in there meant enduring a hellacious assault.
And one man was hiking straight for it. Coming in from the mountain's flank.
A massive, shirtless man. Chiseled muscles rippled down his broad frame.
He strode straight into that Death Zone, head held high. With total confidence.
He crossed a stream of lava—and just waded through it. Elemental Lightning streaked all over him. It played across his massive biceps, shoulders, pecs, down his abs—and slid right off. Like they did nothing at all.
He frowned up at the sky, then down at the ground, like he was contemplating them.
The European Team was struck dumb.
Cain and Urs' jaws both dropped. Vanessa went very red all of a sudden, eyes wide. Sylvia just ogled him; it was rather hard not to in that moment.
"It's Zane Walker!" shouted Tyler. "That's—that could be the strongest man in the world right there! What's he doing here, of all places?!"
"And he's just standing there!" said Becca. "If he doesn't move soon... look—the minions are coming!"
Becca pointed to the sky, where a rolling ball of lightning descended from the sky. As they flickered closer, you could make them out. They looked like birds made out of pure Electricity; shivering with so much Electricity you could hardly trace their physical forms.
𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕋𝕙𝕦𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕓𝕚𝕣𝕕 (𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣)
𝔼𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟛𝟝
Then they began their assault.
They fell like giant living screaming thunderbolts. Almost too fast to react to. They crashed against Zane's body, making brilliant splashes of light essence... and faded. One after another.
"My god!" choked Tyler. "He's just—he's just taking them! Taking them all!"
"His body's improved so much since the last time we saw him!" cried Becca.
"He's always looked like a Greek God," said Tyler, nodding. "But this—this is a whole 'nother level! Good grief, just look at those abs!"
"…That's not what I meant," said Becca. Then she flushed, cleared her throat. "But yes. That too."
Zane, meanwhile, hadn't moved in the slightest—even after taking a dozen bird-bombs. A strange aura started rolling out from him; he gave off the impression of a mountain, unmovable, unshakable.
The Thunderbirds kept dive-bombing him, one after one. A new flight of them broached the cloud layer, coming straight for him... Still he stood there, unmoving.
"What's he doing?!" said Tyler. "Is he stunned? But he shouldn't be—he's got Electricity too..."
"It looks like he's... thinking?" said Becca.
More minions were crawling out now—breaching the surface of the lava rivers.
𝔾𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕃𝕒𝕧𝕒 𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕜𝕖 (𝕄𝕠𝕟𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣)
𝔼𝕤𝕤𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕖 𝕃𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕝 𝟙𝟛𝟙
They looked like dragons with bodies of brimstone. Their eyes and mouths shone with a molten inner light. And when their jaws unhinged, they vomited out streams of magma.
Again, they splashed all over Zane's body.
But just like with the Thunderbirds—"They just can't hurt him!" shouted Tyler. "They can't do a thing!"
Zane looked a little redder. That was all.
Soon there were dozens of Monsters all ganging up on him, spewing their elements at him—and he sat down, right in the middle of it. Crossed his legs.
"Is he meditating?!" gasped Becca.
They all just stared, hypnotized by the sight. Soon nearly fifty minions were spiraling all over him; Elemental Electricity and Elemental Fire turned over each other, pounded over him, weaving together, sparking together, making a sudden churning firestorm—with Zane at its center…