The outskirts of Draxia burned beneath the crimson light of sunset. Trees had been uprooted, homes near the outer district were already abandoned, the earth itself trembled as monstrous figures stormed toward the city walls.
A dungeon break.
One of the worst kinds.
A B-Rank Dungeon hidden deep within the western cliffs had ruptured unexpectedly, releasing hordes of monsters into the surrounding lands.
And now…
The city of Draxia stood directly in their path.
But between the monsters and the city five adventurers stood waiting. At the center of them all was a tall dark-skinned man with short dreadlocks tied beneath a black bibo. A long scar crossed his forehead diagonally, giving his sharp gaze an even more intimidating presence. An immense heat radiated around him.
S Rank Flame Conjurer. Kaleb Kang'wa.
He stared at the approaching horde calmly before raising his hand.
"Everyone move according to formation!"
His voice thundered across the battlefield.
"Terry!"
A gigantic armored man carrying a tower shield stepped forward.
"Aye!"
"Guard the rear line and kill anything that slips past us. None of those Tokolose should reach the village."
Terry slammed his shield into the ground confidently.
"Leave it to me."
"Natalia!"
A woman wearing white-and-gold support robes raised her staff immediately. Long silver braids flowed behind her while glowing magic circles rotated around her feet.
"Acknowledged!"
"Buff Saria and Terry. Keep those curse effects suppressed." She nodded calmly.
"Already on it."
"Saria."
A hooded woman crouched low while spinning twin daggers between her fingers.
Her crimson eyes glowed beneath the shadows of her hood.
"I know," she muttered. "Kill fast. Don't get touched."
Kaleb smirked slightly.
"Asura."
A young summoner with dark tattoos across his arms adjusted his gloves while several summoning circles floated around him.
"Try not to summon anything that bites me this time."
"No promises," Asura replied casually.
Kaleb turned toward the forest ahead.
The trees shook violently, something enormous was approaching.
"And as for me…"
Flames slowly ignited around his body.
"I'll handle the pack leader."
The monster finally emerged from the forest.
A massive humanoid creature over four meters tall, Its skin was dark gray and stretched tightly over twisted muscle, Its mouth extended unnaturally wide with rows of needle-like teeth, long claws scraped against the ground. Its yellow eyes glowed with bloodlust.
The Asambosum.
A monster infamous for slaughtering entire settlements overnight.
Agile.
Savage.
And terrifyingly intelligent.
The creature grinned the moment it saw Kaleb.
Then vanished.
BOOM.
The ground exploded beneath Kaleb as the monster appeared directly in front of him.
Fast.
Far too fast.
Kaleb reacted instantly.
"Fireball!"
A blazing sphere erupted from his palm and shot forward but the Asambosum twisted sideways effortlessly. The fireball missed and exploded through several trees behind it, the creature's skin suddenly shifted, Its flesh hardened into sharp black scales before launching them outward like bullets.
SHRIIIIK.
Kaleb raised his hand calmly.
"Firewall!"
A massive wall of flames erupted before him.
The scales melted instantly upon impact but Kaleb didn't stop there.
"Unique Skill…"
The flames intensified.
"Flooding Wall!"
The firewall surged forward like a tidal wave of fire. The sheer pressure blasted the Asambosum backward while scorching the forest floor black. For a moment smoke covered the battlefield, Kaleb narrowed his eyes.
"Did I get it?"
Then—
A shape emerged from the smoke completely unharmed. The creature's scales had thickened, Its wounds were already regenerating. Kaleb clicked his tongue.
"…Regeneration too?"
Meanwhile behind him, the battle against the Tokolose had become chaotic. Small hunched creatures rushed wildly toward the city, their bodies were twisted and skeletal with glowing purple eyes. Every movement radiated cursed energy.
"Tch!"
Saria dashed through the battlefield like a shadow. Her daggers flashed repeatedly.
SLASH.
SLASH.
SLASH.
Several Tokolose fell instantly before they could reach the rear line. But another suddenly appeared behind her. Its claw reached for her neck—
BOOOOM.
Terry's massive shield smashed the creature into the ground violently.
"You're leaving openings," Terry grunted.
Saria landed lightly beside him.
"You're too slow to complain."
Several Tokolose suddenly raised their hands, purple mist spread across the battlefield. Natalia immediately reacted.
"Support Magic: Sacred Bloom!"
Golden magic circles expanded outward.
Warm light washed over the party, the curse mist hissed violently as it weakened. Terry exhaled in relief.
"My arms were starting to feel heavy."
Natalia smiled faintly.
"That's the bad luck curse. Don't let it settle."
A Tokolose suddenly lunged toward her.
Before it could touch her, a spear pierced straight through its skull. Asura walked forward calmly while summoning circles rotated around him.
"You monsters are annoying."
One of the circles expanded massively.
"Summon."
The ground trembled.
"Sky Tyrant Wyvern."
ROOOOOAR.
A massive wyvern burst into existence above the battlefield, Its wings created powerful gusts as it descended violently onto the Tokolose horde, chaos erupted instantly. The wyvern tore through monsters with claws and flame breath while Asura controlled it from below.
Meanwhile high above the battlefield Kaleb's magic circles ignited beneath his feet. Jet-like flames erupted from them.
FWOOOSH.
He launched himself into the sky, blue fire gathered in his right hand. The heat distorted the air itself.
"Azure Burst."
He hurled the condensed blue fireball downward at mock speed.
BOOOOOOM.
The explosion obliterated nearly twenty meters of forest instantly, trees vaporized.
The ground collapsed inward. Even Terry looked up in shock.
"Boss is going all out…"
But then—
BOOM.
Kaleb's eyes widened. The Asambosum appeared behind him instantly.
Too fast.
A monstrous backhand smashed directly into him.
CRAAAASH.
Kaleb slammed into the ground hard enough to create a crater. Before he could recover the Asambosum descended above him with another devastating punch. But suddenly—
ROOOOAR.
Asura's wyvern intercepted it at mock speed.
The impact blasted both creatures sideways.
Kaleb stood slowly while wiping blood from his mouth.
"…Thanks for the save."
"Buy me dinner later," Asura shouted back.
Kaleb looked toward the Asambosum carefully, Its speed was absurd. Too absurd.
"This thing's far beyond normal B-Rank boss level…"
The creature vanished again. Kaleb barely dodged a claw swipe that sliced through the air beside him.
"I can't hit it directly…"
Flames began gathering around his body like armor. A blazing aura erupted outward.
"…Then I just need to restrain it."
The Asambosum lunged again, Kaleb's eyes sharpened.
"Unique Skill…"
Magic circles formed instantly.
"Flame Binding: 100°C!"
Chains made entirely of compressed fire erupted from the ground.
CLANK.
The Asambosum was caught mid-motion.
The blazing chains wrapped around its limbs tightly. The creature roared furiously while trying to break free while Kaleb floated upward slowly above the battlefield, his expression became serious, deadly serious.
The air temperature skyrocketed, even his teammates froze.
"…No way," Natalia whispered.
"He's using a Grand Skill…"
Massive magic circles layered themselves across the sky.
One.
Five.
Ten.
Dozens.
The heavens themselves glowed red, Kaleb slowly raised his hand.
"Turn to ash…"
The flames shifted colors.
Red.
Blue.
Purple.
Then pure white.
The pressure alone crushed the surrounding ground.
"Grand Skill…"
The Asambosum's eyes widened for the first time.
"GRAND COMBUSTION."
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
A colossal beam of condensed fire descended from the heavens., the world turned white. The Asambosum screamed for less than a second before being completely erased from existence, the ground beneath it melted instantly into a lake of lava, the shockwave tore through the forest and split the clouds above Draxia.
Silence followed.
Burning embers drifted slowly through the air
even the Tokolose froze briefly in terror. Kaleb descended slowly from the sky surrounded by fading white flames. His teammates stared at him in stunned silence until Terry finally broke it.
"…You really used a Grand Skill on a B-Rank dungeon boss."
Kaleb adjusted the cloth beneath his dreadlocks calmly.
"That thing was stronger than it should've been."
Saria looked toward the melted battlefield.
"…That wasn't B-Rank strength."
Kaleb silently stared at the lava-filled crater.
Something about the Asambosum bothered him.
Its speed.
Its regeneration.
Its abnormal mana.
Then suddenly—
Arcanis' ancient words echoed faintly somewhere far beyond the world.
"When monsters evolve beyond their rank…
disaster follows soon after."
Soon after suppressing the dungeon break, Kaleb and his party returned to the city of Draxia, the evening streets were bustling with life once more, merchants shouted from their stalls, children ran through the market, citizens who had spent the day fearing for their lives were finally beginning to relax.
Yet Kaleb couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, the Asambosum had been too strong, far too strong. As he crossed the massive doors of the Adventurer's Guild, that thought remained in the back of his mind.
The Draxia Adventurer's Guild was one of the largest guild branches on the continent. Its halls stretched several floors high, filled with quest boards, magical communication devices, and countless adventurers coming and going. Kaleb ignored the noise and headed directly toward the upper floors,
toward the Guild Master's office. A pair of heavily enchanted doors stood at the end of the corridor. Two guards immediately stepped aside.
"Lord Kaleb."
Kaleb nodded.
The doors opened, Inside sat a man behind a massive oak desk.
Silver hair.
Golden eyes.
An imposing presence that seemed capable of crushing mountains. Yet his expression remained calm and collected.
Guild Master Zelkris Valor.
One of the most powerful mages alive. Kaleb immediately knelt.
"It is good to see you, Lord Zelkris."
The Guild Master folded his hands.
"And you as well."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I hear your party successfully suppressed the dungeon break."
Kaleb lowered his head respectfully.
"It is our greatest honor to serve."
"Many lives would have been lost had you failed."
"I merely fulfilled my duty."
Zelkris nodded approvingly, then his expression became more serious.
"I received reports regarding the monsters that emerged from the dungeon, the Tokolose."
Kaleb immediately frowned.
"Yes."
The Guild Master leaned back slightly.
"Those creatures are considered high-end A-Rank threats."
"Correct."
"And yet they emerged from a B-Rank Dungeon."
The room became quiet, Kaleb crossed his arms.
"Not only that."
"The dungeon boss was an Asambosum."
For the first time, Zelkris' eyes narrowed slightly.
"An Asambosum..."
"Exactly."
Kaleb walked toward a nearby map hanging on the wall.
"This makes no sense, low-ranked adventurers accept quests
based on dungeon classifications.If monsters far beyond the registered danger level begin appearing..." His voice darkened.
"...people will die."
Zelkris slowly nodded.
"I share your concern."
The Guild Master rose from his chair and walked toward the window overlooking the city. For a moment, he remained silent.
Then he spoke.
"Do you believe it could be related to the World-Class Dungeon?"
Kaleb's expression immediately hardened.
The World-Class Dungeon. Just hearing the name was enough to unsettle even veteran adventurers.
"No."
He paused.
"At least... I'm not certain. The World-Class Dungeon is unlike any other dungeon, It has countless entrances spread throughout the world, It shifts constantly. No one has ever reached its end." His gaze lowered. "And throughout recorded history... It has only experienced three dungeon breaks."
Zelkris folded his arms.
"And every single one of them was catastrophic."
Kaleb nodded.
"S-Rank monsters."
"Disaster-Class creatures."
"Entire regions destroyed."
The Guild Master stared out the window.
"If this phenomenon is connected to the World-Class Dungeon..." His voice became grim. "...then we may be facing something far worse than abnormal monster activity."
Silence filled the office, eventually Zelkris turned back toward him.
"I want you to investigate."
Kaleb immediately nodded.
"I'll do everything I can."
"Good."
For a moment it seemed the conversation had ended. Then Zelkris' expression darkened even further.
"There is another matter."
Kaleb immediately sensed the change in tone.
"What happened?"
The Guild Master returned to his desk,
several reports lay scattered across its surface, then he picked one up.
"In the past month..."
His eyes scanned the page.
"Several citizens have been found dead inside their homes."
Kaleb frowned.
"Murder?"
"Worse." Zelkris placed the report down.
"Their bodies contained no wounds, no signs of struggle, no traces of poison."
Kaleb's eyes narrowed.
"Then what killed them?"
The Guild Master's gaze became sharp.
"Their blood was completely drained."
The room fell silent. Kaleb's expression immediately changed.
"No..." His voice lowered. "Could it be vampires?"
Zelkris slowly shook his head.
"Unlikely, even elder vampires leave traces, High-ranking mages would have detected them eventually."
Kaleb's thoughts raced, there were very few creatures capable of such killings. Then a horrifying possibility surfaced, his eyes widened.
"The only thing that comes to mind is..."
"The Adze."
The Guild Master finished the sentence for him. Neither man spoke for several seconds.
Finally Kaleb exhaled.
"No way..."
The Adze, one of the most feared legendary monsters ever recorded. A creature so elusive that many believed it to be a myth.
"It disguises itself as insects. Flies, mosquitoes, anything small enough to avoid suspicion." Kaleb's jaw tightened. "And after feeding, It can possess its victims."
The Guild Master nodded.
"Exactly. It takes their memories, their habits, their mannerisms." He took a breath."To put it simply, It becomes them."
Kaleb clenched his fists.
"Meaning the people around them wouldn't even know the difference until it's too late."
The atmosphere in the room became heavy.
Even among S-Rank adventurers, the Adze was considered a nightmare opponent, you couldn't fight what you couldn't identify, you couldn't trust what you couldn't detect. And worst of all, anyone could already be compromised. Zelkris sat down once more.
"We may be dealing with forces far greater than we initially believed. The abnormal dungeons, the increased monster activity and now the Adze." His fingers tapped against the desk. "I dislike coincidences."
Kaleb nodded.
"So do I."
The Guild Master looked directly into his eyes.
"I'll issue a special quest regarding the Adze holding a substantial reward. Hopefully it motivates skilled adventurers to investigate."
"And if they fail?" Kaleb asked.
For the first time, a terrifying pressure filled the room, the mana radiating from Zelkris briefly leaked outward. The walls trembled,
the magical lamps flickered, even Kaleb instinctively straightened his posture. The Guild Master's golden eyes glowed faintly.
"If they fail..." He said coldly. "I'll hunt it personally."
A chill ran down Kaleb's spine, not because of fear, because he knew exactly what that meant. If Zelkris Valor entered the field himself whatever he pursued rarely survived.
"Understood, my lord."
Zelkris gave a small nod.
"You are dismissed."
Kaleb bowed respectfully then turned and left the office. As the doors closed behind him, he couldn't shake the feeling that the world was changing and not for the better.
Zelkris Valor — The Dungeon Lord
Zelkris Valor was not merely a Guild Master, he was one of the five legendary Dungeon Lords who ruled the world. A title granted only to Disaster-Class mages capable of conquering even S-Rank dungeons alone.
The Dungeon Gods themselves bestowed special privileges upon such individuals.
Authority over territories.
Control over dungeon resources.
Access to ancient knowledge hidden from ordinary adventurers.
And most importantly...
Responsibility.
Each Dungeon Lord protected a vast region of the world and the millions of people living within it. They are respected.
Feared.
Revered.
Some saw them as heroes, others saw them as living disasters held on a leash. But one thing was certain. When a Dungeon Lord became concerned, It usually meant something terrible was coming.
Meanwhile
A dark-skinned girl named Maira continued fighting for survival, completely unaware that the fate of the world was slowly beginning to move around her.
The Forest Fang Wolf crouched low, Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto Maira. The deep wound across its side was already beginning to close as green energy flowed through the surrounding vegetation. Maira noticed immediately.
"...It's healing."
"Correct," Arcanis replied. "The forest is supplying it mana."
"That's cheating."
"It's nature."
"Same thing."
The wolf roared.
The entire forest answered, roots shifted beneath the soil, branches creaked overhead, the very world seemed to move alongside the monster. Maira tightened her grip on the daggers, one still carried the stored momentum from her previous strikes.
The weapon hummed faintly then Arcanis suddenly spoke.
"Master."
"What?"
"Try feeding mana into the dagger."
Maira blinked.
"I can do that?"
"You can certainly attempt it."
"That's not reassuring."
The wolf exploded forward, Maira had no time to argue. She channeled wind mana into her right-hand dagger, immediately the silver veins across the blade lit up.
FWOOOOOSH.
The stored momentum erupted, the dagger became surrounded by spiraling wind.
"Oh!"
Maira dashed forward, the wolf's claw descended.
BOOM.
The ground shattered but Maira slipped beneath the attack using Feather Step. The momentum-enhanced dagger slashed upward.
SLASH!
A second wound opened across the monster's chest, the Forest Fang Wolf snarled in pain. Yet before Maira could celebrate, the ground beneath her exploded.
Roots wrapped around her ankle.
"What?!"
More roots burst upward, Her legs became entangled instantly, the wolf's eyes gleamed, It had baited her. The massive beast opened its jaws, green mana gathered in its mouth.
Arcanis' tone became serious.
"Move."
"I CAN'T!"
The energy sphere expanded.
Larger.
Brighter.
More dangerous.
The wolf was preparing to fire, Maira struggled desperately, the roots tightened.
Panic began rising in her chest.
Not again.
Not another situation where she was powerless.
Not again.
Not like before.
Not like the night her mother died.
The memory flashed through her mind, her mother's desperate expression.
The poison.
The laughter.
The chief's son.
The helplessness.
Something inside Maira snapped, wind exploded around her body.
BOOOOOOM.
The roots were torn apart instantly, both Maira and Arcanis froze.
"...Master?"
Maira looked at her hands, the wind surrounding them was different.
Denser.
Sharper.
The air itself seemed to vibrate, a glowing screen appeared automatically.
Basic Skill 'Gust' has Evolved to
'Wind Burst' Release compressed wind in an explosive shockwave.
Arcanis sounded genuinely surprised.
"...You evolved a skill."
Maira stared at the notification.
"I did?"
"Most people spend years doing that."
The wolf roared furiously, apparently offended by being ignored. The energy sphere launched, a massive beam of green energy tore through the forest but Maira reacted instinctively.
"Wind Burst!"
BOOM!
Compressed wind exploded outward, the force launched her sideways, the beam narrowly missed her, several gigantic trees vanished behind her. Maira landed hard but immediately stood.
Her heart pounded.
Her breathing was heavy yet something felt different, the fear was still there but now it wasn't controlling her. The wolf charged again but this time Maira smiled.
Not kindly.
Not warmly.
The smile made even Arcanis slightly concerned.
"Master..."
"What?"
"You have a terrifying expression."
"Good."
The wolf lunged.
Maira activated Feather Step.
Wind Burst.
Momentum Channeling.
All at once.
The world seemed to slow, she shot forward like a bullet, the wolf's eyes widened for the first time, It couldn't follow her movements.
Maira appeared beneath its neck. The momentum stored within both daggers erupted simultaneously and the wind around the blades screamed.
"Die!"
CROSS SLASH.
SHRAAAAAK.
The attack carved through the monster's throat.
For a moment...
Everything became still, the Forest Fang Wolf staggered.
One step.
Two steps.
Then its massive body collapsed.
BOOOOOOM.
The forest shook and silence followed. Maira stood motionless, the daggers dripped glowing green blood.
Then—
Streams of emerald energy rose from the corpse, far more than the Stonefang Lizard had provided. The energy rushed into her body.
Maira gasped, her mana surged violently.
Wind swirled around her, leaves lifted from the ground, Arcanis' pages flipped rapidly.
"Oh my."
"What?"
The grimoire projected another screen.
Maira
Level: Increased
Element Affinity: Wind
Skills:
• Air sense
• Feather Step
• Wind Burst
New Trait Acquired:
Forest Resonance (Dormant)
Requirement Met: Defeat Forest-Type Elite Monster
Maira blinked.
"Forest Resonance?"
Arcanis went silent, a rare thing, very rare.
"...Interesting."
"What's interesting?"
The grimoire slowly floated closer.
"Master..."
His voice sounded unusually excited.
"I believe you've just taken the first step toward acquiring a second element."
Maira froze.
"A second element?"
"Something that should be impossible for ordinary people." Arcanis said proudly.