The ruined corridor echoed with the sharp clatter of claws and metal. Jun Lion stood alone, shadows clinging to his figure like armor, as the pack of monstrous hounds surged toward him. Each beast moved with unnatural speed, their bodies twitching with corrupted energy, like puppets animated by rage.
CLANG.
The first beast leapt.
Jun ducked low. His dagger, black as night, arced upward in a clean, practiced motion. A thin trail of crimson slashed across the air as the creature's head spun midair before collapsing with a mechanical whirrrr.
No time to rest.
He pivoted. Two more monsters were already upon him. One lunged at his throat, the other at his side. But Jun didn't hesitate. He smiled.. And whispered..
"Black sword technique... First form.. Darkness of the heart."
...A pulse of shadow exploded from his body.
The air grew heavy, the flickering dungeon lights dimming as if consumed by his aura. For a split second, the world seemed to pause—then the beasts lunging at him were torn apart mid-air, shredded by slashes they never saw.
Black arcs traced through the gloom like crescent moons, and when the shadows cleared, only Jun remained—standing amidst twitching remains.
He exhaled, smoke-like darkness trailing from his lips.
[Ding...]
[Level up]
[Level up]
[Reward:]
[+50000 EXP]
[+20 CP]
[+1000 COIN]
Outside world
The other trials had concluded hours ago.
A growing crowd of students gathered, murmuring in irritation.
Shorm, the lead examiner, stood before the restless children. His face remained calm, but his voice betrayed a trace of tension.
"I'm sorry, everyone," he announced, raising his hands. "We can't declare results yet. One trial is still in progress. Please be patient."
Murmurs turned to grumbles.
"What kind of idiot's still in there?" one boy snapped.
"If you can't finish your trial, just give up!" another girl shouted. "Why keep us waiting?"
But not everyone joined in.
Two students stood silently at the edge of the group—Yun Li, with his calculating gaze, and Sara Dimitri, arms crossed, posture calm and poised. The top C-rank gate performers. They didn't complain. They only watched.
---
Back in the Dungeon
[Warning: Chaos Energy Detected Nearby.]
[Stronger Variant Approaching.]
Jun's eyes narrowed as the system message blinked out.
The corridor shuddered, dust drifting from the cracked ceiling. A low, guttural growl rolled through the darkness like thunder. The remaining lights flickered—then went out completely.
Jun's dagger pulsed faintly with his aura, casting thin shadows against the ruined walls.
And then it appeared.
The hound was twice the size of the others, its fur matted with rust-colored blood, eyes glowing like molten iron. Black steam hissed from its joints, and chains trailed behind it like broken shackles. Its snout twisted in a mockery of a grin, rows of serrated teeth grinding against each other.
[Chaos Variant - Alpha Devourer Lv. 50]
[Warning: Your level is insufficient to fight head-on. Use tactics.]
"Level 50…" Jun whispered, his grip tightening on the dagger. "So you're the gatekeeper of this hell."
The beast charged without warning, claws tearing gouges into the floor.
Jun reacted instantly.
He hurled a throwing dagger—a decoy—before diving to the side. The dagger bounced harmlessly off the creature's hide, but it gave him just enough time to slide behind a shattered support pillar.
The beast turned fast—unnaturally fast.
Too fast.
[Monarch System: Battle Analysis Initiated.]
[Weak point identified: Back of the neck—briefly exposed during pounce.]
Jun's lips curled into a smirk.
"Got you."
He stepped out, dagger reversed in his hand. The shadows swirled.
"Black Sword Technique—Second Form… Darkness Life."
...The moment the words left his lips, the temperature in the corridor plummeted. Shadows surged from every corner, racing toward Jun like ink flooding glass.
A second heartbeat passed—
And Jun vanished.
The beast lunged, but its jaws snapped shut on nothing.
A breath behind it—Jun reappeared.
Silent. Swift. Deadly.
The dagger found its mark.
A narrow window of vulnerability—the back of the beast's neck, exposed as it completed its pounce. Jun's dagger drove deep into corrupted flesh, releasing a burst of dark energy that rippled through the monster's body like an infection of void.
The beast shrieked.
It twisted violently, flinging Jun into a wall, stone cracking beneath the force. Pain bloomed across his ribs, but Jun didn't let go.
He hit the ground, rolled, and landed on one knee.
The Alpha Devourer staggered, black ooze dripping from the gaping wound at its nape.
[Critical Hit!]
[Chaos Resistance Breached.]
[Target: Stunned for 2.5 seconds.]
Jun rose, panting.
"Third Form," he hissed. His dagger burned black.
"—Thousand Blads of Dark."
The dungeon exploded with motion.
In the wake of Jun's words, a swarm of shadowy blades erupted around him—thin, needle-like projections forged from concentrated darkness. They hung suspended in the air for half a heartbeat, their tips all trained on the stunned Alpha Devourer.
Then they struck.
Hundreds of them. Thousands.
Each moved with unrelenting speed, ripping through flesh, sinew, and corrupted bone. The beast convulsed under the sheer volume of strikes, howling as the shadows pierced it like a storm of daggers. Black blood sprayed in every direction, sizzling where it touched the walls, but Jun stood untouched at the center of the maelstrom—his eyes glowing faintly violet.
The chaos ended with a single, low boom.
The last blade pierced the monster's heart.
A moment of silence.
Then—
[Chaos Variant Eliminated.]
[Boss Clear!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[Level up!]
[+250,000 EXP]
[+100 CP]
[+5,000 COIN]
[Gate Clearance: B-Rank (Variant – Chaos Infused) – COMPLETE.]
Jun stumbled forward as the corridor around him began to shimmer. The jagged edges of reality frayed like torn fabric, the ruins fading into soft light.
The system's voice echoed once more.
[Teleporting to Gate Exit in 10… 9… 8…]
Jun lowered his dagger, chest heaving. Every muscle ached. His ribs throbbed. His vision flickered at the edges.
But he smiled.
"That's right…" he muttered. "I'm not done growing yet."
The world dissolved into white.
---
Royal Academy Trial Grounds
A pillar of light erupted from the final gate. Shorm turned sharply, his eyes wide.
"He's... coming out."
The children who had been complaining fell silent.
From the shimmering light, a lone figure stepped forward.
Torn uniform. Blood-specked face. Dagger in hand.
Jun Lion.
Shorm's jaw clenched. The system screen updated in real-time behind him.
[Trial Complete - B-Rank (Variant – Chaos Infused)]
[Participant: Jun Lion – Rank: ???]
Gasps broke through the silence.
The two who had quietly waited—Yun Li and Sara Dimitri, the top students of the C-rank gate—exchanged looks. Neither spoke, but both stepped forward, eyes narrowing as they watched Jun walk forward, calm as ever, toward the stunned crowd.
Shorm cleared his throat, face still stunned. "Ahem... I'm gonna annouce the reault. The top 3 students Jun Lion, Yun Li and Sara Dimitri you three will be ascend to the Class B. And the students who cleared The D-Rank trial solo will be ascend to the Class C the other who cleared the D-Rank gate with their team will be ascend to Class C...."
After the announcement students started entering the Academy.
To be continue...