The scent of burnt flesh clung to the air, thick and acrid, seeping into Henry's lungs as he stepped forward. The bodies of the Blazing Hounds smoldered at his feet, their charred forms reduced to nothing more than blackened husks. Embers flickered in the dim cavern, casting restless shadows against the jagged stone walls.
His blade, slick with dark ichor, pulsed faintly in his grip.
The battle had been brutal, but it was over. He had adapted. He had endured.
And now, the third level awaited.
Ahead, a passage stretched into the gloom, flanked by towering stone pillars webbed with crimson veins of energy. The walls seemed to breathe, their glow pulsing in rhythmic waves, like some ancient, slumbering beast lurking beneath the dungeon's skin. A thick mist curled along the floor, shifting unnaturally, as if it possessed a mind of its own.
Henry rolled his shoulders. His body was battered, aching from the countless battles before this, but pain no longer registered the same way it once had. Every fight had carved him into something sharper. Stronger. The wounds didn't slow him—they fueled him.
The system notifications still flickered in his mind. Every kill, every point of experience, every fragment of power he claimed—it all built toward something greater. He had felt the shift in his body, the way his movements had grown faster, more precise.
And now?
He was just getting started.
The moment he stepped through the passage, the air shifted.
Beneath his boots, the rough stone gave way to something unnatural. Smooth. Cold.
Metal.
His pulse quickened.
He crouched, pressing his fingers to the strange surface. The second his skin made contact, a pulse of energy radiated outward, vanishing into the dark.
A trigger.
His instincts screamed at him.
Then—
The chamber trembled.
A deep hum reverberated through the walls, growing louder, more insistent. A sickening mechanical whir filled the space as shapes emerged from the shadows. Towering figures, gleaming dark plating, their movements precise and methodical. Their twin cores pulsed like dying stars embedded in their chests, casting a ghostly light.
The system flared to life.
[ Enemies Identified: Arcane Sentinels – Level 8-F Rank ]
HP: 500,
Threat Level: Mid,
Abilities: Energy Blast, Enhanced Durability, Combat Analysis.
Henry's grip tightened around his blade.
Perfect.
He didn't wait.
His body became a blur of motion as he launched forward, a streak of darkness against the crimson glow of the chamber. The first Sentinel tracked his approach instantly, its core flaring as it raised an arm. Energy condensed, gathering into a blinding sphere of white-hot light.
Henry moved.
Dash.
A surge of speed exploded through his veins, the world distorting around him as he sidestepped the attack. A fraction of a second later, the Sentinel fired. The raw force of the blast tore a massive crater into the cavern wall, sending molten debris spraying in every direction.
Henry was already behind it.
His blade came down, a lethal arc meant to carve through its metal plating.
CLANG.
The impact barely left a scratch.
His eyes narrowed. Tough.
The Sentinel's head twisted at an unnatural angle, its glowing eyes locking onto him with inhuman precision. A split second later, its arm swung.
Henry ducked, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow as the sheer force of it fractured the ground where he had stood moments before.
Too slow.
He moved, studying its frame. A normal strike wouldn't be enough—but there was always a weak point.
His gaze flicked to the energy conduits running through its joints.
Then, With inhuman precision, he pivoted, his blade flashing as he slashed at the Sentinel's shoulder joint. Sparks erupted as his weapon bit deep, severing the energy conduit inside.
A flicker. A stutter.
The Sentinel staggered.
Henry didn't hesitate.
He spun, driving his blade down hard against the back of its knee. Metal buckled under the force of the strike, and the construct crumbled to one side.
Before it could recover—
Titan's Grip.
His fingers curled around its remaining arm.
He ripped it free from its body.
The Sentinel collapsed, sparks sputtering from the torn metal.
One down.
Henry turned his gaze toward the others.
They had already adapted. Their combat routines recalibrated, adjusting to his attack patterns. Their cores pulsed in unison, gathering energy at an alarming rate.
Three of them raised their arms, aiming directly at him.
Henry smirked.
You think that'll be enough?
Then—
He activated it.
Domain of the Stonebreaker.
A shift.
The chamber trembled beneath his power. The crimson veins lining the walls dimmed, their glow swallowed by a deeper, more ancient force. The air thickened, warping under the pressure of his energy.
A radius formed around him—small, but absolute.
And within it?
Henry was king.
The Sentinels fired.
Blazing white Energy Blasts streaked toward him, illuminating the chamber with a blinding glow. The sheer force of their combined attacks sent shockwaves rippling outward, cracking the floor beneath their feet.
Henry didn't move.
He didn't have to.
The moment the attacks entered his domain, their power halved. The once-deadly blasts dispersed into harmless embers, their energy devoured by his aura.
He lifted his sword.
The first blast he deflected with ease.
The second and third crashed into his reinforced body, the force rippling through him—but barely leaving a mark.
The Sentinels hesitated.
Henry didn't.
He lunged.
His sword carved through the next Sentinel's core in a single fluid motion. Its weakened defenses crumbled, its body collapsing in a heap of shattered metal.
Another fell.
And another.
The final Sentinel tried to retreat, its core flickering erratically, trying to reboot its systems.
Too late.
Henry was already in front of it.
One punch.
His fist shattered its headplate, crushing the core within.
Silence.
The battlefield was his alone.
Then—
[ EXP Gained: +150 (Arcane Sentinel Kill) ]
[ EXP Gained: +170 (Arcane Sentinel Kill) ]
[ EXP Gained: +200 (Arcane Sentinel Kill) ]
[ EXP Gained: +250 (Arcane Sentinel Kill) ]
A final notification flickered before his eyes.
[ Total EXP: 12,070 / 15,000 ]
Henry exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
His strength had grown. He could feel it humming beneath his skin, waiting to be unleashed.
This dungeon?
It was nothing more than a stepping stone.
And now—the fourth level awaited.
A darker, deeper hunger stirred within him.
There was no turning back now.
He stepped forward—toward whatever came next.
Because nothing was holding him back anymore.