2025-09-29 21:04:51They stood in a vast wasteland where the horizon could not be seen. Ancient ruins lay scattered about, their age impossible to guess. For two days and nights the squad marched tirelessly without spotting a single sign of life.
To make matters worse, the fog grew thicker with every step, shrouding everything in a pale veil. When they entered a jagged mountain range, the air grew denser, heavy with something eerie.
Most of the squad were Ascended, only a handful still Awakened, which at least made navigating this hellish terrain possible. But Ethan couldn't shake the thought that gnawed at him.
Something's not right… Even in a Tier 5 dungeon, we should have encountered beasts by now.
The unease twisted his gut.
Then it came.
A crushing pressure, so heavy it was hard to breathe.
"Everyone, be on alert!" Sony barked, his massive axe flashing as he drew it. His sharp instincts had already picked up on the evil presence lurking within the fog.
The Awakened tensed immediately. Sony didn't need to tell them twice.
Ethan steadied his grip on his blade. His Black Panther Hide armor, bought for fifty million Ace Tokens, pulsed with energy. Not only did it boost his speed, but its active skill, Shadow Panther, allowed him to conceal his presence. He may have only wielded a mutant-grade sword, but his techniques and his will made it lethal.
Hissss…
Their breaths turned ragged as the pressure thickened. The thirty-man squad quickly shifted into formation, mages and healers forming the center.
Then
BANG!
A wet shriek split the air. A purple fist shot from the fog and smashed into an Ascended clad in mutant beast armor. He didn't even have time to scream. His body burst apart like tofu, flesh and bone scattered across the rocks.
"Damn it!"
The mages unleashed a barrage of beams, but they sliced nothing but mist. The beast moved like a phantom. Another explosion rocked the ground, scattering their formation. By the time they regrouped, another Ascended had fallen, lifeless.
"It's a humanoid devilish beast!" Sony's voice thundered through the chaos. Only someone at Apex could read an enemy this fast.
"I already knew", Ethan thought grimly.His armor had warned him of the danger the moment it appeared.
"Protect the mages and healers—it's targeting them!" Ethan barked. His voice carried authority, and he dashed forward. His sword flared, wrapped in a condensed water blade.
CLANG!
The strike met flesh but it was like striking steel.
"What the hell…?!" Ethan's eyes widened. I thought humanoid beasts relied on intelligence and attack power, not defense!
He had used the Traceless Sword Technique, a Rank-S skill gifted to him by the Vanguard Guild after years of hard work. Even if it couldn't cut through, it should have left a scar. Instead, the beast stood unscathed.
From the fog stepped their nightmare.
A humanoid figure, skin purple as bruises, its tall frame lean but radiating deathly strength. It lacked muscle, yet its presence crushed them like a storm.
BANG! BANG!
Sony roared, aura bursting out as he activated his berserker skill. His energy scattered the fog, revealing the abomination.
He charged.
The clash shook the mountain, but within seconds Sony was hurled through the air, screaming. He landed hard, blood spraying as one arm was severed clean off.
"Damn it!" Ethan cursed then his eyes caught a fiery glow.
A massive fireball exploded against the beast, staggering it for a heartbeat. Ethan seized the chance, tossing Sony's battered body to the healers like he weighed nothing.
"Now!"
Fifteen Ascended surged forward with Ethan, raining down devastating blows. The beast blurred, dodging, before darting straight at the healers.
"Not a chance!" Ethan's speed exploded, his armor's skill kicking in. A colossal water serpent surged forth, coiling around the beast. Before it could break free, Ethan slammed his entire body into it.
BANG!
It was like ramming a steel mountain. Pain screamed through his bones, but he'd diverted its strike an inch away from a healer's skull.
"Damn… my whole body's numb"
"ROAAAR!" The beast shrieked in fury. This human this insectwas in its way. It shifted, honing in on Ethan.
Ethan smirked. His armor made him blur like a shadow. Right now, his speed rivaled Apex—over 220 points, faster than Sony himself.
The beast unleashed a storm of blows.
BANG! BOOM! CRACK!
Ethan slipped between them, every step like tracing fireworks in the dark. Not a single strike landed.
"Sony, now!" Ethan shouted, diving aside.
SPURT!
Sony's axe hacked down, biting deep into the beast's neck. Purple blood splattered the stones.
The beast staggered, shocked.
The battle raged for thirty more minutes. Together, they drove it back, mark after bloody mark tearing into its body. Ethan's panther armor and water skills worked in perfect rhythm, shackling the beast whenever it tried to retreat.
Finally, the creature was cornered. Wounded. Desperate.
Then
Puff.
It turned to purple smoke .
The awakened sensed more danger
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DON'T WORRY I WILL SEE HIM KILLED
Ethan looked calm even though five ork guards surrounded him. He began rehearsing the Swallow Step technique in his head, but time was slipping away. An ork guard roared and swung a massive red fist. Ethan dodged to the side and landed a strike in its jaw—shattering it. Bang. The ork fell dead.“Wow, I didn’t know my strength would increase this much in such a short while,” Ethan thought, but he didn’t relax. The other orks rushed him with axes.Clang—Ethan parried an axe with ease, then tore one guard in half; guts scattered everywhere. Bang, bang, bang. The three engaged in a brutal clash. After a dozen moves, the three ork guards were finished.Checking his stats, Ethan added 10 points to mana, bringing it to twenty. Now he could use the Star Sword Technique for two minutes. He lunged at the remaining 195 orks. Bang, bang, bang. By now Ethan had learned more of the Swallow Step.He didn’t dodge every strike—many landed—but left him unhurt. He lunged forward, slaughtering twenty bea
ETHAN'S CRUSH
The three of them walked in silence through the narrow, torchless corridor. The stench of decay hung thick, making the air feel heavy and suffocating. Shadows seemed to stretch and twist with every step.“You two should be careful. This place is… wrong,” Ethan said, his tone calm but sharp.“You’re injured. Take a healing potion,” Gloria pressed.Ethan shook his head. “Don’t worry. I’ve had worse.”Gloria snorted, striding ahead. “What a proud idiot. I can’t wait to watch you die.”Freddy sighed, rubbing his temple. “Damn it, Ethan, why do you keep provoking her?”“What did I do? She owes me 500k Ace Coin. If I take her potion, she’ll deduct it from the payment,” Ethan said casually.“Better broke than dead,” Freddy muttered with a chuckle.“By the way,” Ethan said slyly, “I heard you tried asking Jane out.”Freddy froze. “What?! Who told you that? I told her not to say anything!”“The walls have ears, my friend.” Ethan smirked.Freddy growled. “Hey—Ethan’s crush! Wait, you’re walking
COWARDLY LEADER
“Give me 500k Ace Coin and I’ll see you safe in this dungeon. I’ll even give you a tip,” Ethan said flatly.500k?! The crowd froze. Even VIP escorts only charged 100k at most. This guy was savage, they thought.Gloria hesitated, then finally said, “Fine, I’ll pay. But first—tell me the tip.”“Payment before service,” Ethan replied calmly.Snickers rose in the group. What tip could he give? Hide between your legs and run? they thought mockingly.Gloria kept her composure. “Alright. I’ll honor my word. I have a reputation to protect.”“Good. Then if you fail your word, our friendship is over—and I will seek revenge,” Ethan said, his piercing blue eyes locking onto hers.She didn’t flinch. “Fine. Now, the tip?”“There are mutant beasts lurking deeper in this dungeon,” Ethan said evenly.“Nonsense. If there were, we’d have sensed them,” a warrior scoffed.But Ethan wasn’t listening to him—he was staring into the shadows.“WATCH OUT!” a mage screamed, firing a beam into the darkness.BOOOM
THE WEAKLING
CHAPTER 17THE WEAKLING The group waited outside the portal for Corrie’s order.“We move in a shield formation. Tanks up front, long-range attackers in the middle, mages and healers at the back,” Corrie said casually, walking toward the portal as if he had nothing to fear. “All right, move your asses — we don’t have all day,” James barked, shoving Ethan.James pushed, but Ethan didn’t budge. He stood like Mount Tai. The shove surprised James — he knew Ethan’s reputation as the weak kid.“Stop pushing, big guy, or you’ll get my fist,” Gloria snapped, staring daggers at James. He ignored her, still trying to use the moment to talk to her.“Don’t worry, young lady. You can follow me in the back. I’ll keep you safe — why stick with these weaklings?” James grinned. Gloria ignored him and stepped into the portal with Ethan and Freddy, which sent James into a fury.“Don’t worry — when you enter, I’ll separate them. Then you can do as you like with the girl,” Corrie patted James on the back.
NEW FRIEND
It was already nighttime. Ethan arrived at Old Maple Street, where the area had been fully barricaded. A few beast corpses lay scattered around — three-eyed mist dogs, freshly slain. That meant the dungeon had only just opened.About a dozen people gathered near the barricade, waiting. Ethan counted quickly — twelve total: ten men and five women. Among them, one girl immediately caught his eye. She wore mutant beast armor, far too advanced for her young frame. She looked no older than fifteen.A first-timer rich girl, Ethan thought as he joined the group.Eyes immediately turned toward him. Everyone recognized him. To most, Ethan was the weakling who kept joining raids. Nobody cared much; at worst, he'd serve as bait.Ethan smirked inwardly. Hmph, pathetic. You think you'll use me as bait again? Let's see who's bait this time.The armored girl suddenly stepped forward, approaching Ethan with a curious smile."Hi, I'm Gloria. May I know your name?" she asked, offering her hand.Up clos
DAILY QUEST
[15 minutes remaining. Failure to complete the daily quest will result in severe punishment.]The system cut into Ethan's happy family reunion."Damn," Ethan sighed."Um, Mom… I think I should be discharged already. I'm feeling better now," Ethan said."Okay, son. But promise me you won't go to dungeons again. Be a regular person. I'll work hard and send you to a good school. With God's grace, you'll be a manager of a big company and we'll live a good life," his mother said, trying to smile.Although she looked strong on the outside, Ethan could see the cracks in her heart. First, she lost her husband. Now her only son constantly threw himself into dungeons. No ordinary woman could carry that weight."Mom… your shop is in bankruptcy. We need money just to survive. If I stop now, we might end up on the streets." Ethan's voice was calm."I know… but that doesn't mean I want to lose someone else close to me," his mother whispered.Ethan froze. He remembered these exact words. In his past
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