After their first successful mission, Reo and Lucia were resting at the Adventurer's Guild when something caught Reo's attention.
A group of adventurers was gathered around the quest board, whispering among themselves.
"The Fallen Souls Dungeon… another group failed?"
"I heard an entire party barely made it out alive."
"A B-Rank quest, but some say there's an A-Rank monster inside."
Reo's interest was piqued. He stepped forward and scanned the request.
[ Quest: Investigate the Fallen Souls Dungeon ]
[ Rank: B ]
[ Objective: Explore the dungeon and eliminate the threat inside. ]
[ Warning: Unidentified high-level monster spotted. ]
Reo smirked. Perfect.
He tore the request off the board.
Lucia, who had been sipping her drink, nearly choked. "Wait, wait, wait—you're taking a B-Rank quest?! Reo, that's way above our level!"
Reo shrugged. "It's just a dungeon."
Lucia groaned. "You're insane."
A veteran adventurer nearby laughed. "Kid, you got guts, but that place ain't a joke. If you're really going, at least take a team."
Reo smirked. "Nah. Just Lucia and me."
The guild fell silent again.
"You're really gonna take on a dungeon that killed people… with just the two of you?" someone asked in disbelief.
Reo simply nodded.
Lucia sighed, then smiled. "Fine. If we're doing this, I'm coming too. Someone has to make sure you don't get yourself killed."
The guild master, Garret, leaned back in his chair, watching them with interest. "Alright, kid. You better come back alive."
---
Into the Dungeon
The entrance to the Fallen Souls Dungeon was hidden deep within a ruined temple outside the city.
The air was thick with death energy, and the stone walls were covered in glowing runes of the dead.
Lucia shivered. "I hate places like this."
Reo, on the other hand, felt excited. "Something strong is inside."
They stepped in.
Immediately, the torches flickered to life—as if the dungeon itself recognized their arrival.
Then—growls echoed through the corridor.
A group of Undead Soldiers emerged, their hollow eyes glowing.
[ Undead Knight ]
[ Rank: C ]
[ Threat Level: Moderate ]
Lucia gripped her sword. "We can handle these!"
Reo raised his hand. "Summon: Arcane Blade."
A black-and-gold sword appeared, crackling with energy.
"Let's clear them out."
---
The Unexpected Threat
They made their way deeper into the dungeon, cutting down undead with ease.
Everything seemed fine—until they entered the final chamber.
A massive roar shook the dungeon.
A monstrous figure emerged from the darkness, standing at least four meters tall.
[ Demonic Reaper ]
[ Rank: A- ]
[ Threat Level: High ]
Lucia's face paled. "Reo… that's an A-Rank monster."
Reo's grin widened. "Even better."
The Demonic Reaper swung its massive scythe, sending out a wave of black energy.
Reo grabbed Lucia and dodged just in time—but the attack obliterated the ground behind them.
"Okay," Lucia muttered, "maybe this was a bad idea."
The monster charged.
Reo activated Shadow Step, vanishing and reappearing behind it.
"Summon: Shadow Chains."
Black chains wrapped around the Reaper's limbs, slowing it down.
Lucia took the chance to strike—her sword glowing with Holy Light.
She slashed across the monster's chest, making it howl in pain.
But then—it regenerated instantly.
Lucia's eyes widened. "It can heal?!"
Reo's mind raced. This thing has insane regeneration. If we don't finish it in one hit… we're dead.
Then—Celestia's voice echoed in his head.
"Reo… this is nothing but a weak monster. Use your power properly."
Reo's eyes narrowed. Weak?
Then he realized—he had been holding back.
"Fine," he muttered. "I'll go serious for a moment."
His aura flared, and the black-and-gold sword pulsed with power.
He raised his blade.
"Arcane Slash."
A crescent wave of dark energy tore through the air—
—and sliced the Demonic Reaper clean in half.
The monster let out a final screech before disintegrating into black mist.
Lucia stared at him. "…What the hell was that?"
Reo smirked. "Just using my power properly."
The dungeon began to collapse.
"Time to go."
They rushed out just in time before the entire place caved in.
Outside, the sun was rising.
Lucia leaned against a tree, catching her breath. "Okay… I admit. That was badass."
Reo stretched. "Told you it'd be fine."
Then—the guild's emergency alert rang through the sky.
Something even worse was coming.
(To be continued…)