The next morning, Kale strode confidently into the 4th Floor's main hall, where adventurers gathered to purchase dungeon keys and equipment. After the chaos of the last few days, he needed to focus, test his limits, and figure out just how far his power could take him. His eyes scanned the bustling crowd before landing on the merchant responsible for distributing dungeon keys.
"I need a dungeon key," Kale said, his voice steady as he approached.
The merchant, a stocky man with calloused hands, didn't even look up as he accepted the 1,000 coins. "You know the rules. Dungeon resets in 24 hours, and there's no refund. If you don't come back by then… you won't need the money anyway," he said, tossing Kale a bronze key.
Kale pocketed the key and left the hall without a word, his destination set: the entrance to a Level 30 dungeon. He had chosen a lower-level dungeon deliberately. His cursed talent, Higher Risk, Higher Reward, would ensure that this wouldn't be an easy ride.
Dungeons in the Tower were labyrinthine mazes filled with monsters, traps, and treasures. Each one varied in difficulty and design, from simple caves to sprawling fortresses teeming with danger. Originally designed for adventurers to train and gather loot, these dungeons were as much a test of wit and endurance as combat ability.
Kale reached the dungeon gate—an ancient door embedded in the mountain's stone face. Without hesitation, he slid the key into the lock and twisted. The door groaned as it opened, revealing a staircase descending into the darkness.
As soon as he stepped inside, a familiar system notification flashed before his eyes:
[Higher Risk, Higher Reward (Ex1)] has taken effect. Dungeon difficulty has increased significantly. Monster levels have risen accordingly.
He exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of his cursed talent bearing down on him. The Level 30 dungeon he'd selected had now transformed into a death trap, with monsters averaging Level 70.
Kale grinned. This was exactly what he wanted—a real challenge to push him beyond his limits.
Descending into the heart of the dungeon, the oppressive darkness gave way to a sprawling underground cavern. Jagged rocks and strange bioluminescent fungi dotted the walls, casting eerie green light across the damp stone floors. The air was heavy, filled with the faint sounds of distant growls and the rustling of unseen creatures.
He didn't have to wait long. Within moments, the first wave of enemies appeared—massive creatures with sinewy bodies, razor-sharp claws, and glowing eyes that cut through the darkness. They moved with unsettling speed, far too fast for their original level.
Kale's heart raced. This was it—the perfect opportunity to test his new titles and skills.
"Time to see what Limit Break can do," Kale muttered under his breath as he accessed his system.
[Limit Break – Active]
A wave of power surged through him, his body thrumming with raw energy. His strength, speed, and awareness heightened to an almost superhuman level. Every muscle in his body felt alive, buzzing with potential. But as the rush of power coursed through him, a sudden system message flashed in his vision.
[System Notification: Host's body not fully optimized for latent abilities. Reconfiguring body to handle new skills.]
A dull, searing heat built inside him, his bones and muscles feeling like they were being reshaped, rewired to handle the immense power flowing through him. The creatures lunged, claws aimed for his throat, but even during this reconfiguration, Kale's reflexes remained sharp. He dodged their attacks effortlessly, his body moving faster than ever before.
The fight raged on, but Kale felt like something was still missing. His body was adapting, preparing for something bigger.
[Reconfiguration Complete. Latent Skills Unlocked.]
[Skill Unlocked: Omniscient Eyes]
As soon as his new skill activated, everything shifted. His vision expanded. The darkness of the dungeon peeled away, and he could see everything—the monsters' movements, hidden traps, the dungeon layout—all of it became clear, as if the entire dungeon was an open book in front of him.
For a brief moment, he felt invincible. He saw the creatures' attack patterns before they happened, effortlessly cutting through their defenses. But just as the adrenaline started to peak, his cursed talent intervened once again.
[Greater Risk, Greater Reward (Ex1)] has activated. Further dungeon escalation in progress.
Kale's blood ran cold.
The ground beneath his feet shook violently, the very walls of the dungeon trembling as if something massive stirred beneath the surface. The creatures he had been fighting suddenly recoiled, their bodies twisting and contorting, mutating into grotesque, nightmarish forms. Their levels spiked again, easily pushing them beyond Level 80.
Before Kale could react, another notification flashed:
[Dungeon Boss Awakened: Abyssal Guardian]
A roar echoed through the cavern, so loud that the ground itself seemed to crack beneath the force of it. The air turned icy cold, and Kale could feel an overwhelming presence drawing nearer—an entity that dwarfed the power of the creatures he had faced so far.
But it wasn't just the monsters. The entire dungeon had transformed into something far beyond its intended difficulty. Traps that were once simple pitfalls were now deadly, complex mechanisms designed to crush even the most seasoned adventurers. The walls seemed to shift and move, warping the space around him, making the dungeon an impossible maze of death and destruction.
Kale staggered for a moment, the weight of his own talent pressing down on him. He had underestimated it—he thought he could control the increased risk, but this... this was something far more dangerous than he anticipated.
And yet, deep down, a part of him reveled in it.
"Perfect," Kale whispered, his eyes narrowing with determination. The creatures had mutated, but so had he. His Omniscient Eyes tracked every movement with precision, and his body felt stronger than ever before, even as the danger escalated.
He gripped his sword tighter and moved forward, cutting down the mutated creatures with newfound precision, each strike hitting with lethal accuracy. But even as he fought, he could feel something dark and immense drawing closer.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him cracked open, and from the shadows emerged a massive figure, its fiery red eyes glaring down at him. The air around the creature distorted, crackling with raw, malevolent energy. It was unlike anything Kale had ever faced before—its sheer presence felt suffocating, as though the dungeon itself was bending to its will.
The Abyssal Guardian.
Its towering form seemed to consume the cavern's space, dark tendrils of energy swirling around it. Kale's heart raced as he locked eyes with the monster. This was no ordinary dungeon boss.
[Greater Risk, Greater Reward (Ex1)] has increased the boss's power. Difficulty exceeds original parameters. Survival rate: 0.001%.
The notification was blunt, a cold reminder of the stakes.
But Kale wasn't backing down. As the Abyssal Guardian raised its massive claw to strike, Kale felt the surge of power inside him intensify.
The system chimed one final time.
[Omniscient Eyes] fully activated.
The battle was about to begin.