Bow to My Power: The Rise of the Dungeon King

Chapter one: When the blades turn

The sound of dripping water echoed through the stone corridors — rhythmic, hollow, like the dungeon itself was breathing.

A torch hissed in Rheon Vael’s hand, the weak flame struggling against the cold damp air. Ahead of him, five figures moved in confident formation — armor gleaming faintly, weapons drawn, eyes alert.

“Keep up, Rheon!” Kira called over her shoulder, her tone teasing, her lips curved into that same perfect smirk he’d once found charming. “Or the slimes might finally have a meal.”

The others chuckled.

Rheon forced a grin, though his stomach churned. “Don’t worry, I’ll try not to trip over your ego.”

“Still got that mouth, huh?” said Darius, the group’s tank — a wall of muscle wrapped in steel. His laughter echoed like thunder. “If only you could swing a sword as well as you talk.”

He couldn’t.

Not like them.

Rheon’s role was Support. A glorified assistant, a healer with subpar mana and no offensive skills. His system stats were laughable — half of what even a rookie adventurer boasted.

But they’d needed a sixth member to activate the dungeon’s resonance gate. And Rheon, desperate to prove himself, had volunteered.

Now he followed behind them — last in line, torchbearer, pack mule, and target of every joke.

[Low-Rank Dungeon: The Abyssal Reliquary — Floor 1]

The walls pulsed faintly with veins of light-blue mana. The deeper they went, the colder it got — as if the dungeon was stripping warmth away with every step.

Monsters came at intervals — small, twisted things: mana-slimes, corrupted rodents, skeletal crawlers. The kind of creatures that made noise and blood but not much danger.

“Formation Delta,” commanded Leon, the leader — tall, blond, his armor immaculate even after battle. His sword gleamed silver-blue as he struck forward.

The others moved in perfect sync — Darius drawing aggro, Kira slashing through a slime, Mira whispering incantations that froze the air solid.

Rheon hung back, clutching his staff, chanting a basic [Heal] when Darius took a scratch.

【Skill Activated: Minor Heal (Lv.2)】

【Target HP Restored: +22】

The green glow was weak, barely noticeable.

Kira scoffed. “Wow, that’s your best? My potions do more than that.”

“Maybe if you didn’t get hit, I wouldn’t have to heal you,” Rheon shot back before he could stop himself.

Her eyes narrowed. “Careful, Vael. Don’t forget who dragged you out of Bronze rank.”

The others laughed again. Rheon didn’t.

They cleared three floors before things started to feel wrong.

The dungeon grew quieter. The air thicker.

At the fourth descent, the torches began flickering — even magical ones.

“Leon,” Mira murmured, “the mana density here is off the charts. This floor shouldn’t even exist in a low-tier dungeon.”

Leon’s eyes gleamed with something Rheon didn’t like — greed.

“That means the relic’s close. We’re finishing this tonight.”

Rheon hesitated. “Shouldn’t we pull back? If the mana’s unstable, the dungeon could—”

“Could what?” Darius interrupted, stepping closer, the edge of his axe catching torchlight. “Collapse? Please. This place is a goldmine. We’re not leaving because you’re scared.”

“I’m not—”

“Yes, you are,” Kira cut in. “Always have been. You hold us back, Rheon. We all know it.”

Her words hit harder than any monster’s claw. He opened his mouth — but Leon raised a hand.

“Enough,” the leader said, voice calm but final. “We’re a team. We finish this floor, then decide.”

That was the last time Rheon believed him.

The relic chamber was massive — a cathedral of stone and silence. A single altar stood in the center, holding a dark crystal that pulsed with eerie rhythm.

Rheon felt it before he saw it — a pressure, thick as liquid mana, pressing against his skin.

“Is that… the Heart of the Abyss?” Mira whispered.

Leon smiled. “And it’s ours.”

Rheon frowned. “Wait, shouldn’t we check for traps—”

A sharp clang cut him off.

Darius’s blade pressed against his throat.

“Sorry, Rheon,” Leon said quietly, not looking sorry at all. “But six shares is too many.”

For a second, Rheon didn’t understand.

Then he saw Kira’s smirk. Mira’s lowered eyes. The gleam of steel surrounding him.

“No… no, you can’t be serious.”

Leon stepped closer. “You were useful, I’ll give you that. The gate needed six mana signatures. But now? You’re dead weight.”

Rheon’s hands trembled. “After everything—?”

Kira laughed. “You really thought you belonged with us?”

Darius swung.

Pain — white, searing — filled his world. His knees buckled. His blood hit the stone floor, mixing with the ancient sigils.

He fell, gasping, vision fading, their faces blurring above him.

“Tell the Guild he didn’t make it,” Leon said coldly. “The dungeon took him.”

Their footsteps faded into the darkness.

In the echoes of death,Rheon heard a faint hum…

【SYSTEM ALERT: USER ‘RHEON VAEL’ – VITALS CRITICAL】

【Commencing Rustication Protocol…】

【Error: Low Life Source Detected】

【Analyzing…】

And then he fell unconscious.