The scent of blood and decay lingered in the dungeon air, but Riven paid it no mind. His thoughts were already elsewhere.
The Dungeon Lord had been nothing more than a warm-up. A test of muscle memory. But deep within the recesses of this dungeon, hidden behind illusionary walls and forgotten passages, lay something far more valuable.
A Hidden Boss.
Riven remembered it from his past life. A creature of immense power, left undiscovered by even the academy's strongest students. A monster whose essence would grant him a powerful ability—one that he needed for what was to come.
His vengeance required absolute power.
Without a word, he turned on his heel and began walking toward the depths of the dungeon. The remaining students hesitated, still shaken from the battle.
"Where are you going?" One finally dared to ask.
Riven didn't stop. "Somewhere beyond your reach."
He vanished into the darkness.
---
The Abyssal Chamber
Riven moved through the winding corridors with calculated precision. Every step was deliberate, every turn committed to memory from his past life. The deeper he went, the more oppressive the air became, like an unseen force pressing against his body.
Soon, he found it.
A seemingly unremarkable stone wall.
With a flick of his wrist, Riven let dark energy pulse through his hand, pressing it against the rough surface. The illusion wavered like ripples in water before dissolving completely, revealing a forbidden passage shrouded in darkness.
No one else in this timeline knew about this place. No one except him.
He stepped forward.
The temperature dropped instantly. A cold, unnatural stillness filled the air.
Ahead, a vast chamber stretched out before him, its floor cracked and uneven. The walls were lined with ancient carvings—depictions of a long-forgotten war between humanity and creatures of the abyss.
And at the center of the room, seated upon a throne of bones, was the Hidden Boss.
A monstrous figure clad in tattered black armor, its body wrapped in ghostly mist. Twin crimson eyes blazed from beneath its helmet, locking onto Riven with a silent, predatory intensity.
[Abyssal Warden – Level ???]
It didn't move. It didn't breathe. But Riven could feel it. The overwhelming presence pressing down on him like an ocean of malice.
A normal person would be paralyzed with fear.
Riven?
He smiled.
"This is more like it."
The Abyssal Warden's head tilted ever so slightly—acknowledging him. Then it moved.
BOOM!
The throne shattered as the Warden lunged forward, its greatsword cleaving through the air like a falling executioner's blade.
Riven dodged.
The blade struck the ground, cracking the entire chamber. Dust and debris erupted into the air, but Riven was already on the move. His body blurred as he weaved through the battlefield, avoiding each of the Warden's monstrous strikes by a hair's breadth.
But the Warden wasn't slow.
Despite its size, it moved with terrifying precision. Each swing carried enough force to split mountains, and the aftershock alone sent Riven skidding back.
But he never lost control.
His crimson eyes gleamed as he analyzed the pattern. Every strike, every movement—it was all coming back to him.
And then, he saw it.
An opening.
Riven vanished.
He reappeared in mid-air, above the Warden's head, his dagger gleaming with pure abyssal energy.
SLASH!
The blade tore through armor, cutting deep into the Warden's shoulder. A normal attack wouldn't have been enough, but Riven's mastery over darkness allowed him to sever through essence itself.
The Warden roared.
Not in pain—but in recognition.
It spun with terrifying speed, swinging its greatsword in a wide arc. Riven barely twisted his body in time, the blade missing him by inches. The shockwave, however, sent him crashing into the far wall.
CRACK!
Blood dripped from his mouth, but Riven only grinned.
This was what he had been waiting for.
He wiped the blood from his lips. "Not bad."
The Warden didn't hesitate. It charged again, its entire body surging with abyssal flames. The temperature in the room plummeted as darkness coiled around its blade, warping reality itself.
Riven exhaled, the power inside him surging.
"Let's end this."
He vanished once more.
---
The Final Strike
The battle reached its climax in a blur of motion.
The Warden's attacks grew faster, sharper, more relentless. But Riven adapted. His movements became a symphony of destruction, weaving through the abyssal storm with impossible grace.
His dagger clashed against the Warden's greatsword in a flurry of sparks. Each exchange sent shockwaves rippling through the chamber.
The students back at the dungeon entrance?
They would've thought a calamity was unfolding.
Finally, the moment arrived.
The Warden lifted its blade for a final, devastating strike.
Riven saw it.
Time seemed to slow as he channeled every ounce of his power into his dagger. The shadows around him whirled violently, drawn into the blade's edge as if reality itself was collapsing.
The Warden brought its greatsword down.
Riven lunged forward.
SLASH!
The room shuddered. A pulse of darkness erupted outward, shaking the very foundation of the dungeon.
And then—silence.
The Warden stood frozen.
A thin, crimson line appeared across its armor.
Riven exhaled. Then turned away.
Behind him, the Abyssal Warden collapsed. Its body shattered into fragments of abyssal energy, dispersing into the void.
He had won.
And then—
[You have absorbed the power of the Abyssal Warden.]
[New Ability Acquired: Abyssal Sovereignty.]
A rush of power exploded through Riven's body. His veins pulsed with darkness, his very essence evolving. His vision sharpened, his senses expanded—he could feel it.
He had taken one more step toward the top.
Toward revenge.
As the dust settled, Riven turned toward the exit, his crimson eyes glowing with unparalleled resolve.
This was just the beginning.