Back to the present.One week passed quickly.Alden, feeling no imminent danger, let himself sleep throughout the night. When he woke up, he was stunned to see a crater nearly twenty meters deep and thirty meters wide stretching before him. The remnants of spreading flames were still visible, and the heat lingered.He stood only to see Erin, under the morning sun, standing in front of the crater with a satisfied smile. Erin had successfully mastered the Meteor Shower spell!"You did it," Alden said quietly, as if finding it hard to believe.Erin turned around, her sweet smile revealing the joy and satisfaction in her heart. Her blue eyes slightly squinted, radiating an unexplainable tenderness. "Yeah," she said briefly.But soon, her knees trembled. She fell to the ground, knees bent. Cold sweat dripped from her cheeks."She's almost out of mana!? With an unimaginable amount, how could she run out of mana!?" Alden panick

Walking a few kilometers from the mountain's base, their group entered a swampy area. The swamp water was murky, with dry branches and muddy rocks adorning the surroundings. Dry mangrove trees made their path unclear.Alden's initial plan on this floor was to find materials for crafting items. He needed certain items as a foundation to achieve his goals. First, to replace the one-sided sword he currently wielded, he needed a sword with the same functionality but with specific upgrades. This was the Smithing World, and he didn't want to squander its existence here!Additionally, he needed to create the Ring Of Fate, a recommended item by Black Orb. The Ring Of Fate had fate characteristics within, allowing the user to get closer to the domain of destiny. With the Ring Of Fate, Black Orb could utilize more of its powers beyond just energy detection or prophecies.The next item was the Heart of Nightmare. Alioth suggested this item as a guarantee of safety wh

After obtaining the necessary materials, there was no reason for them to stay in the wild, so they headed towards the Dwarf settlement, where the best-quality items were crafted....Day or night on the first floor of the Dark Dimension was marked by the presence or absence of a ring around the red sun. When Alden and his group first entered the Dark Dimension, the sun had a ring, indicating it was daytime.Now, the ring around the red sun had disappeared, and the atmosphere became darker with a subdued red hue. They were closer to their destination, bordered only by the hills of the dry forest. However, the challenge was the dangerous Dark Souls that tended to appear at night.Alden, however, wasn't concerned, as it might have been troublesome if he were alone, but now he had companions to fight alongside him.Dryads were dangerous Dark Souls, once permanent residents of the fourth floor of the Dark Dimension, but now some of their speci

"Marked?" Alden asked, puzzled.Seeing Alden's reaction, Alioth fell silent for a moment, his poker face unchanged."How much time do I have?" Alden inquired.Alioth answered, "Who knows, maybe one or two months."Alden furrowed his brow, racing his mind. In one or two months, if following Black Orb's plan, Alden should already be in the next city, searching for the key holder to the second floor. And that also meant, the most important special item, the Ring Of Fate, should have been completed.But Alden still had thoughts that it might not be enough; his opponent was one of the Emperor Dark Souls!"Know that it's highly likely not only Conine, but another Emperor will be sent to hunt you down. The worst-case scenario is if it's Darbend." Alioth expressed concern in his tone, but from a manipulative standpoint, he was more afraid if his plans were discovered by another Emperor; that would be the worst outcome for him."

Two multi-story buildings enclosed this small area, a narrow alley untouched by the red sun's rays. The concrete walls of both buildings emitted a cold energy, and the brick pavement between them.Alden leaned against one of the buildings, while Alioth stood beside him. They didn't face each other.Next to Alden, opposite Alioth, Erin could still be seen nervous."Where's your elf companion you mentioned?" Alioth asked.Alden immediately responded, "As you know, elves are hunted by other Dark Souls, but here, the Dwarves have enslaved some elves, and as a condition for her to join my team, she asked me to rescue her kind from here. Now she's gathering information about it."Alioth still wore his cunning smile. "Is there a way to find her now? My time here is limited."Observing Alioth's unchanged expression, Alden answered, "I'm not skilled at finding people," he paused for a few seconds before continuing, "Alright, I'll lead you