"Ugh, why is this village closed?" Gideon asked in a friendly tone.
Frank turned again to his companion, then sighed deeply. "Haven't you heard the news? It seems the Dark Soul from the second floor attempted an evil ritual in this village, but it was completely stopped. However, because all the residents died as a result, the village was closed." He explained.Gideon glanced up at Master Dorm. With his index finger and thumb on his chin, Master Dorm smiled. "Gideon, take me in!"Gideon took a short breath hearing Master Dorm's words. On the other side, Frank looked at Master Dorm cynically, seeing him as a mischievous kid."Okay," said Gideon. He stepped forward, completely ignoring the presence of the Guardian, and crossed the boundary."Sir, what are you doing!? This is a restricted area. Even though the problem inside has been completely resolved, according to air quality reports, it is still contaminated!" Frank tried to stop Gideon.Years ago.Southern continent, Virshire capital.Luth's charred body fell from the sky. With a thud, dust scattered on the ground along with the ashes from Luth's burnt body.Alden, not too far away, silently witnessed everything. Silver Dragon split into two in a single slash, resulting in Luth being burned to ashes.Alden's hesitant steps echoed. For a moment, his voice was hoarse, "Uncle Luth?"With a bewildered face, Alden took steps. As time passed, his pace quickened and became heavier. At the same time, Black Orb's voice continued to echo in his ears, "Alden! Now is the right time to leave!"But Alden paid no heed. For him, time seemed to slow down, filled with the desperate cries from a distance, the struggles of the Guardians.For a moment, one sentence after another appeared in his mind."When the time comes, the Dark Lord will send an Emperor to destroy Virshire. His only goal is to massacre, eliminat
Slowly, blurry images began to form in Alden's vision. The white walls surrounding him vanished, replaced by deep red mist. The scent of blood entered his nostrils, metallic and pungent.His mind returned to his body, and he blinked in silence. Confused, he had just experienced an unexplainable tranquility, never thinking it would turn 180 degrees. The last thing he remembered was locking eyes with a green lizard.Attempting to recall what happened, Alden froze as various memories stabbed his mind. Splatters of blood, desperate screams, and hands soaked in blood.Alden raised his hands, thick red fluid covering his palms entirely. His mouth opened, but not a single sound came out. He just trembled there.The memories became sharper over time. He realized what he had just done—killing and destroying. Though he doubted his capability, the memories were too vivid.At that moment, the gentle voice of Black Orb eased his confusion a bit. "Quic
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
Seeing Erin, Alden quickly introduced their new companion.After a brief introduction, Alden noticed the sun beginning to set. All preparations had been made beforehand; now was the moment he awaited.Riven, dressed in tight black attire, silently observed Alden's actions.Alden closed the bar's door, letting darkness creep inside. Skillfully, he ignited flames on his shoulders with the Flame spell.With the fire as illumination, Alden took out all the required materials. Nine Nest Cores.Crystals of various shapes and colors. Alden infused mana into the Nest Cores, observing changes in their shapes and colors. Slowly, the nine Nest Cores connected through thin threads of mana.Alden adjusted and condensed mana, focusing on his actions.Behind him, Erin and Riven silently watched—one in awe, the other attentively observing Alden's every move.Time passed, and after nearly an hour of waiting, the Nest Cores began
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
If it comes to preparedness, Riven is better equipped. She carries a magical item in the form of a bag that can hold items beyond its size.After navigating the swamp area, they faced bone alligators, swamp frogs, bearded scorpions, and several other wild Dark Souls they encountered.Penetrating the swamp, they found a dry forest. The barren reddish-brown soil, tinted red by the ringed sun, added a tense atmosphere.Alden had obtained all the necessary materials to make the Hell Monocle. Materials for two other items, which tended to be difficult, remained. First was the heart of the dream villain, the next priority target, the main material for creating the Heart of Nightmare.After searching for a considerable amount of time, Alden finally found his target. He and his two companions, Erin and Riven, hid behind dry trees, observing a group of dark souls happily surrounding a campfire.The dark souls wore hoods, concealing their true form
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
"You know, Dwarves are also Dark Souls, but they often help us humans," Bradley continued, his eyes still deep.Alden held Erin's hand tightly and glanced back. "Hey, how are you?" He asked Erin's condition.Erin shook her head softly, then said, "I feel tired..."Alden reluctantly began to think about why all this was happening. "Is it because of the use of the Saint Meteor Shower spell? No, she's not out of mana. What's really going on?" Alden raced his mind, fearing that Erin might suddenly summon giant ice boulders while covering the area with a blizzard. The traumatic scene felt imminent.Getting that answer, Alden then looked back at Bradley and his two companions. "No need to worry, we're not your enemies," said Alden."Reasons?" Bradley said coldly, his grip on his sword tightening.Alden turned to Riven. "Open your hood," he whispered softly.Riven, still shocked by Erin's condition, furrowed her brows behind he