A sickening crunch. The body twitched once, then stopped moving.
One down.
Two more lunged from opposite sides, attempting a pincer attack.
I smiled while activating Phantom Dash.
In a flicker of movement, I vanished from their sights, appearing directly above them.
They hesitated, but they were too slow.
My fists crashed down like a meteor.
One to the skull. A direct impact—the wolf's body jerked, then went limp.
The second tried to retreat, not bad choice.
I landed behind it and twisted its neck in one fluid motion.
Snap!
Three down.
The final pair seems to realized that they were outmatched. So their bodies got tensed, tails lowered slightly, and clearly showing fear from their expressions.
The alpha barked in desperation, and I stepped forward and activated Phantom Dash.
In an instant, I was in front of them.
The first wolf let out a startled whimper before my fist met its jaw. A clean, brutal uppercut. The force sent it sprawling, unconscious before it hit the ground.
The alpha—the last one standing—skidded to a stop.
It looked at me. Looked at its fallen pack.
Then, it lowered its body. Not in an attack stance. But in submission.
I tilted my head. It understood.
The strong rule. The weak submit.
I reached down, resting a hand on its head.
For a moment, the wolf didn't move. Then, slowly, it closed its eyes—acknowledging my dominance.
Leon let out a low whistle. "Alright. What the hell was that?"
Leon pushed himself off the boulder, arms still crossed but his expression unreadable. His eyes flickered between the unconscious wolves and the last one still submitting at my feet.
Then, he smirked. "...Hey, Ryzen."
I turned to him, raising a brow. "What?"
He motioned lazily to the carnage around me. "You're still a D-Rank, right?"
I met his gaze, keeping my expression neutral. "Yeah. Why?"
He scoffed, shaking his head. "Because that? That wasn't D-Rank at all."
His tone was casual, but his eyes studied me carefully.
"You didn't hesitate. You didn't struggle. You fought them bare-handed and made it look easy."
His smirk widened slightly. "I've seen seasoned B-Ranks take longer dealing with these things. Hell, I expected you to at least struggle"
He's suspicious. He wasn't outright accusing me, but he wasn't buying my act either.
Good. Let him wonder.
I shrugged, flexing my fingers. "Maybe I just got lucky."
Leon scoffed. "Lucky, huh?"
He glanced down at the last remaining wolf—the one that had submitted instead of attacking. It still lay there, ears flattened, waiting.
"So, what now?" Leon asked. "You gonna put it down, or...?"
I looked at the wolf.
Obedient.
Waiting.
A thought crossed my mind.
I smirked. "No. I have a better idea."
[ System Notification ]
[ A Ravager Wolf recognizes you as its Alpha. ]
[ A new connection is forming... ]
[ Would you like to claim it as a subordinate? ]
[ Yes ] / [ No ]
I reached forward and placed a hand on its head.
[ Yes. ]
The moment my hand touched the wolf's head, a surge of dark energy pulsed through me.
[ System Notification ]
[ You have claimed the Ravager Wolf as your subordinate. ]
[ Due to your title, Abyss Monarch, the creature is undergoing transformation… ]
[ Processing… ]
-
The wolf trembled beneath my touch, its once dull gray fur shifting—darkening—until it became a deep shade of black, almost as if it had been dipped in the abyss itself. Its eyes, which once glowed with a faint yellow hue, now radiated a deep crimson.
Leon straightened, eyes narrowing as he watched.
"The hell...?" he muttered.
I could tell he was trying to make sense of what just happened.
I stepped back as the wolf stood, its body slightly larger than before, more defined—stronger. It lowered its head in submission, acknowledging me as its master.
[ System Notification ]
[ Ravager Wolf has evolved into an Abyssal Shadow Wolf (C+ Rank). ]
[ Due to your skill, Ruler of Abyss, it will obey without question. ]
I smirked. "Not bad."
"Ryzen."
I turned to Leon, who was still staring at the wolf.
"You want to explain what just happened?" His voice was casual, but I could sense the underlying tension.
I shrugged. "What? You said I should handle this on my own."
Leon's gaze flickered between me and the transformed wolf before exhaling through his nose. "You're telling me that this" he motioned at the beast "is normal?"
I let the silence linger for a second before smirking. "You'd be surprised what's possible."
Leon stared at me for a long moment before shaking his head. "You know what? Fine. I won't ask—for now."
I chuckled. "Appreciate it."
He turned away. "Come on. We're not done yet."
I looked at my new subordinate. "Let's go."
The Abyssal Shadow Wolf let out a low growl before following.
Leon led the way deeper into the dungeon, his posture relaxed yet attentive. Despite claiming he wouldn't interfere, I knew he was watching my every move.
The Abyssal Shadow Wolf padded beside me, its form blending seamlessly into the darkness of the cavern walls. Its presence felt... natural, as if it had always been part of my arsenal.
I clenched my fist.
Even without using Umbral Fang or my summons, my strength had already far surpassed what Leon assumed of me.
And he had no idea.
"Next chamber should have more," Leon muttered, nodding toward the tunnel ahead. "If you really are still a D-Rank, this is where you'll struggle."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why's that?"
Leon smirked. "Let's just say it won't be as easy as dealing with a few wolves."
A low rumble echoed from the tunnel ahead. The air grew heavier, the scent of damp earth and something metallic filling my lungs.
Then, a wave of hostile intent.
***
[ System Alert: Multiple Lifeforms Detected. ]
[ Identification: Ruinfang Berserkers (C+ Rank) ]
***
Savage, battle-hardened humanoid beasts wielding rusted weapons. Their durability and combat instincts make them superior to ordinary dungeon monsters.
I exhaled.
Finally, something interesting.
Leon stopped just outside the chamber, leaning against the cavern wall. "Well? Go on."
I smirked and took a step forward.
The moment I did, the Berserkers noticed me—red eyes snapping in my direction.
A guttural snarl. Then, they charged.
Five enemies. Five lives standing between me and proving a point.
Time to make them kneel.