The entrance didn't look special. That was the first thing Riven noticed. Just an old stone gate, half-broken, vines crawling over it like it had been forgotten for years. No guards. No warnings. Nothing that suggested what was actually inside. "…this is it?" one of his party members muttered behind him. Riven didn't answer. His eyes stayed on the gate. Lucy's voice from earlier kept replaying in his head. "my brother…" He stepped forward. The moment his hand touched the stone—everything shifted.
The air changed first. Heavy. Cold. Then the ground beneath them flickered, and the world pulled inward like it was swallowing them whole. When it stopped, they were somewhere else. A staircase. Endless. Going down. One of the party members let out a low whistle. "…yeah… this isn't normal." Riven exhaled slowly. "…stay close." They started moving.
The first hundred floors didn't even feel like a dungeon. Monsters appeared, sure—but they were weak. Predictable. Riven barely needed to step in. His party handled most of it easily. By the time they crossed floor 150, people were already relaxing. Talking. Laughing even. "…this is the dungeon someone got lost in?" someone said. "…doesn't feel dangerous at all." Riven didn't like that. Not one bit.
By floor 200, the atmosphere shifted slightly. Not enough for panic. Just enough to notice. The monsters weren't stronger—they were smarter. Attacks came from angles that didn't make sense. Traps appeared where there shouldn't be any. Riven stepped in more now. Quietly. Ending things before they escalated. No one questioned it. At this point, everyone already knew. He wasn't E-rank. Not even close.
Floor 240.
That's where it changed.
The moment they stepped in, the temperature dropped sharply. Their breath turned visible. The ground cracked under their feet like it hadn't been touched in years. "…okay… now this feels like a dungeon…" someone whispered. Riven's gaze moved slowly across the area. No monsters. No movement. Just silence. "…don't spread out," he said quietly.
They didn't have to wait long.
The first attack came from above. Fast. Too fast. Something slammed into the ground between them, sending dust and stone flying everywhere. When it cleared—
A creature stood there. Tall. Twisted. Not like anything they'd seen before.
The fight started instantly.
This time—it wasn't easy.
They pushed forward floor by floor, each one harder than the last. Injuries started showing. Breathing got heavier. Movements slowed. But they kept going. Because Riven was still there. And as long as he was there—no one felt like they'd lose.
Floor 280.
No one was talking anymore.
Floor 290.
Even walking felt heavy.
Then—
Floor 298.
The moment they stepped in, everything went quiet again. Not like before. This silence felt… watched. Riven stopped first. His eyes narrowed slightly. "…something's here." No one argued. They felt it too.
A figure stood in the distance.
Still. Waiting.
Wearing a mask.
No aura. No movement. Just standing there like it had all the time in the world. One of the party members stepped forward. "…is that the boss?" Riven raised his hand slightly. "…don't."
Too late.
The moment that step was taken—the figure moved.
No one saw how.
It was just there.
Right in front of them.
A clash erupted instantly. Riven stepped in, blocking the first strike. The impact alone pushed him back half a step. His eyes sharpened. …strong. The masked man didn't speak. Didn't hesitate. He attacked again. Faster. Heavier. Riven matched him. Their blows collided again and again, each one sending shockwaves through the floor. The others couldn't even step in. The moment they tried, the pressure alone forced them back. "…we can't even see them properly…" someone said, shielding their eyes.
Light. That's all it became.
Fast movements. Collisions. Flashes of impact that made it impossible to tell who was winning.
Then suddenly—
The masked man stopped.
Just… stopped.
He stepped back slowly. Riven didn't chase. They stared at each other for a second. Then the masked man turned. And walked away.
"…what?" one of them said.
Riven didn't speak. His gaze followed him until he disappeared.
"…he's not the final one…" Riven muttered.
No one asked how he knew.
They moved forward.
Floor 299.
The air here felt wrong. Heavy in a different way. Like something was pressing down from above. Waiting.
And he was there again.
The masked man.
Standing in the center.
This time—he didn't wait.
The fight started the moment Riven stepped forward.
No build-up. No testing.
Just full force.
The first clash cracked the ground beneath them. The second sent a wave of force through the entire floor. Riven moved faster this time. Sharper. No holding back. The masked man matched him completely. Strength. Speed. Even reaction.
"…what is this guy…" Riven thought.
Then it got worse.
The ground suddenly lifted. Not cracked—lifted. Pieces of stone rising into the air like gravity stopped working.
Riven's eyes widened slightly. …gravity?
The stones shot toward him instantly. He dodged, but more came from behind. He twisted mid-air, barely avoiding them. Then—fire.
A ball of flame exploded toward him from nowhere.
He blocked it—but the force pushed him back hard.
"…multiple abilities…"
Not normal.
Not natural.
The masked man moved again. Faster than before. Riven barely caught the next hit. Their fists collided—again and again—until finally—
Riven saw an opening.
Just one.
He stepped in.
And struck.
The mask cracked.
Silence fell.
Riven froze.
The mask fell to the ground.
And what he saw—
"…no way…"
White eyes. Empty. Controlled.
But the face—
He knew it.
"…Lanks…"
Behind him, someone gasped. "…that's—"
Riven didn't respond. His focus stayed locked.
Lucy's brother.
Standing right in front of him.
But not really there.
Lanks tilted his head slightly. Then smiled. Not normally. Not like himself.
Something else was behind it.
Then everything changed.
Riven felt it instantly.
A pressure—not outside. Inside.
His vision shifted.
The world around him disappeared.
Darkness again.
Water.
Chains.
The place.
"…so this is what you're hiding…"
Lanks' voice echoed—but it wasn't him. Not fully.
The Nine Tails growled low. "…get out."
Lanks stepped forward, eyes glowing faintly. "…interesting…"
The pressure increased.
"…power like this…"
His hand lifted slightly.
"…shouldn't belong to you."
The chains rattled. The Nine Tails' eyes burned brighter. "…I said—get out."
But Lanks didn't stop.
He reached forward.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
Trying to grab. To take.
Riven stepped in.
Right between them.
"…not happening."
The pressure hit him instantly. Heavy. Crushing.
But he didn't move.
Lanks' expression shifted slightly. "…you think you can stop this?"
Riven didn't answer.
He just stood there.
Firm.
"…he's not yours."
For a second—
Everything froze.
Then—
The world shattered.
Riven's vision snapped back.
Floor 299.
His body moved before his mind caught up.
The fight wasn't over.
Not even close.
But now—
He knew exactly what he was dealing with.
And why he couldn't lose.
The chapter ends. 🔥