Solo Dungeon to Rule All

The heavy footsteps from the dark corner made me turn to look again. This time, it was a horde of monsters moving in unison. They resembled demons from ancient legends—tall, shadowy figures, each with glowing red eyes that stared fiercely at me.

They were no ordinary enemies. I heard a voice in my head once more:

[Warning: Shadow Demons have appeared] [Level: 4-6]

There's no doubt that their levels are higher than mine, and they seem to possess terrifying destructive abilities. But something inside me made me feel ready to face them.

"I have to fight with everything I've got," I said to myself, preparing to confront the advancing demon horde.

The shadow demons charged toward me simultaneously. I didn't hesitate. The Shadow Slayer Katana in my hand began to glow once again, and I used the power of Kankaku no Mayoi to distort the enemies' senses.

I surged forward without hesitation, and the darkness around me seemed to respond to my movements. The katana in my hand pierced and sliced through the first shadow demon's body. It roared and fell immediately.

"One down!" I said excitedly to myself. But before I could rest, more roars echoed, and the remaining shadow demons became even more aggressive and faster.

This battle wasn't like the one against the Shadow Dragon. Every movement of the demons was swift and smart—far beyond what I could easily evade. They coordinated attacks from multiple directions.

"Alright! Time to try my new power!" I said confidently, stopping in my tracks to focus on unleashing the power hidden within me.

The Shadow Slayer Katana in my hand began to channel dark energy, combining the power of Kankaku no Mayoi to distort the environment around me. I set myself up and charged forward rapidly.

The wave of shadow energy I released moved like a storm, slicing through the bodies of the shadow demons with speed, not giving them a chance to evade. The roars sounded like the wails of the dead before they dissolved into shadow and vanished.

[All enemies eliminated]

[Received experience: 600]

[Level up: Level 5]

I panted heavily, my body feeling like it was about to collapse, but the sense of victory kept me standing. I began to understand that the power I had gained was what made me different from others.

As the remaining shadows faded, silence returned. But I knew well that there were greater obstacles within this dungeon still waiting for me.

[Message from the system: You have unlocked dormant power to test your abilities.]

"My abilities..." I muttered, looking at the katana in my hand. It still emitted an alluring black glow.

But this trial was not over. There were still things waiting for me to conquer in this place.

After fighting several waves of shadow demons, I began to feel the power flowing through my body as if it was connecting to everything around me. The dormant power inside me had awakened, ready to unleash my true self.

I continued forward in this dark dungeon, my gaze focused on the path ahead, with thoughts swirling in my head. Gaining new powers was exciting, but at the same time, I was worried about stronger enemies waiting ahead.

Then, once again, the voice in my head spoke:

[New skill unlocked: En'no Tetsu] [Skill: Releases a purple fireball with high destructive power. When it contacts anything, that object will instantly disintegrate.]

"Purple steel fire?" I murmured to myself, then raised my hand, trying to focus on bringing out this new power.

A purple fireball began to form at the tip of my finger. It was a dark, glowing fireball, filled with destructive power, yet at the same time, it had a certain beauty to it.

"This is..." I smiled softly as I felt the new power I had gained.

I tested this power by launching the purple fireball toward a nearby stone wall. The purple fireball shot out quickly, and when it hit the wall, the stone began to melt and dissolve instantly, as if the wall had never existed.

"Awesome!" I exclaimed in amazement. "It really destroys everything it touches!"

My test was successful, and I felt more confident. This skill would certainly be useful when fighting stronger enemies in the future.

While I was still impressed by my new power, the sound of heavy footsteps started echoing from another hallway, followed by a terrifying growl that filled the air.

"Again...?" I took a deep breath and prepared myself.

I raised my hand and immediately released a purple fireball. It shot forward quickly, heading toward the source of the sound.

The purple fireball soared through the air and hit a corner of the dungeon, creating a small explosion at that spot, revealing something hiding in the shadows.

It was a monstrous creature resembling a giant snake, its body covered in black scales with glowing red eyes. It roared loudly and lunged toward me with incredible speed.

But I wasn't scared. I raised my hand and launched another purple fireball at it. The fireball struck its scales, and it let out a painful roar as its body slowly began to disintegrate under the power of the purple fireball.

[Enemy eliminated]

[Experience gained: 250]

[Level up: Level 6]

"This power is amazing..." I whispered softly, feeling the confidence growing within me. The power I had gained made it easier to defeat enemies.

But the journey in this dungeon was still filled with challenges. The voice in my head spoke once more:

[System message: The dungeon's difficulty is increasing. Please prepare for what lies ahead.]

I took another deep breath before stepping forward with renewed confidence. This dungeon would be the place to fully test my power, and I wouldn't let anything stop my determination.

The heavy footsteps from the same direction kept echoing. I gripped the Shadow Slayer Katana tightly in my hand, my body slightly trembling from excitement, but my mind felt more confident as I thought about the new power I had gained.

"No matter what it is, I'm ready," I muttered softly, feeling the courage gradually rising inside me. The new skill, En'no Tetsu, came with a destructive power as great as the distortions from Kankaku no Mayoi. I didn't know what it would do, but right now, it was the only thing that might help me survive this situation.

The enemy's roar grew louder as it approached. The figure emerging from the darkness wasn't just an ordinary enemy. It was larger and more terrifying than the shadow wolves I had encountered earlier.

[Name: Shadow Archangel] [Level: 5]

"Shadow Archangel...?" I repeated its name in my mind. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Its figure was tall, with dark wings spread out like a shadow full of mystery. Its eyes were glowing red, staring at me with intense focus.

"I will make you vanish like every other creature that has come before you," the Shadow Archangel said coldly. Its gaze was fixed on me, and it seemed to have some sort of power it was about to unleash.

"No..." I frowned, thinking about what I needed to do next.

Before the Shadow Archangel could move, I gathered the power I had just received from En'no Tetsu and prepared to release it.

"En'no Tetsu!" I shouted. The purple power shot from my hand and spread through the air. The purple fireball sped toward the Shadow Archangel, and when it made contact with its wing, the purple flames quickly disintegrated it as though it had never existed.

"What...?" The Shadow Archangel stared in shock at its now-missing wing. But before it could react, another purple fireball hit its torso, and in the blink of an eye, the Shadow Archangel was gone from my sight.

[Enemy eliminated]

[Experience gained: 200]

[Level up: Level 3]

"I did it..." I stood, exhaling deeply. My wrist trembled slightly from using the new power, but it seemed worth the effort. The Shadow Archangel couldn't resist the purple fireball at all.

But it wasn't over...

A bright red light flared again from the corridor ahead, as if something else was waiting for me to deal with it.

"I have to be ready... Do it to the fullest!" I reminded myself, my heart racing with excitement. I looked at the Shadow Slayer Katana in my hand, which now seemed to hold even more power than I had thought.

"Next, I won't back down..."

Tento, who was once just an ordinary student, had stepped into even more dangerous battles.

And his journey was far from over...