The moment the rift opened beneath the school courtyard, the world seemed to tilt.
Velarion stood still as the crack widened, glowing embers spilling from its jagged edges like blood from a wound. The energy was ancient, primal — a whisper from the underworld. Students screamed and scattered. Teachers tried to maintain order, but chaos ruled. Only Selene stood by his side, her arms folded, her frost-blue eyes narrowed.
"We're going in," he said, his voice a quiet command.
She glanced at him. "You've got a death wish."
Velarion smirked, his crimson eyes gleaming. "Death couldn't hold me. What's a little fire?"
Without another word, he stepped into the rift.
Selene hesitated, then followed.
The descent was brutal.
The air turned dry and oppressive, heat pressing against their skin. The sky above vanished, replaced by an endless expanse of black stone and glowing magma veins. Cracked obsidian pillars jutted from the ground like broken teeth. In the distance, the howl of something monstrous echoed.
> [You have entered the Forgotten Flame Dungeon – Tier 1.]
> [Dungeon Goal: Clear the Core.]
> [Warning: Mutated Beasts detected. Danger Level: High.]
Selene stepped beside him, summoning a gleaming frostblade with a swirl of magic. Her breath was steady. "This isn't normal… This place feels alive."
Velarion felt it too — the walls pulsing with something ancient and malicious. But his lips curved upward. "Perfect place to test our bond."
She scowled. "Don't push your luck."
"Too late."
They didn't get far before the first beasts attacked.
Lava-scaled hounds lunged from behind a broken archway, snarling with molten fangs. Velarion snapped his fingers, and black flames surged from his palm. One hound exploded in midair, while Selene danced forward, slicing the second in a fluid, icy arc. Frost and fire clashed in brilliant waves.
"Impressive," Velarion murmured, wiping blood from his cheek. "You're almost keeping up."
"Almost?" she growled.
Before she could reply, the system chimed:
> [Essence Imprint Detected.]
> [Harvest for Level Progression?]
Velarion stepped over the corpse of the beast and pressed his hand to its smoldering chest. The body convulsed as red light surged into his arm.
> [+3 Essence. System Progress: 27%. Skill Points +1.]
A low moan escaped his lips. The power… it was intoxicating.
Selene watched with narrowed eyes. "You're feeding off them."
"I'm reclaiming what's mine," he said, standing. "This world owes me."
They pushed deeper.
The dungeon grew hotter, and the beasts fiercer — flaming spiders, ash-serpents, and malformed golems. Each battle was brutal, each victory another piece of Velarion's strength restored.
But what truly fueled him… was her.
Selene was fire and ice — fierce in battle, cold in silence. But beneath the frost, he saw flickers of something deeper. In moments between fights, her eyes lingered too long. Her breath hitched when their shoulders brushed. She was resisting — but the bond had begun.
And the System noticed.
> [Bond Progress: 43%. Triggering Soul Sync opportunity.]
> [Proximity Threshold met. Emotional Resonance detected.]
In the middle of a break between fights, Velarion turned to her. "You're not just fighting enemies, Selene. You're fighting yourself."
She looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You feel it. The pull. The fire between us. Stop pretending you don't."
She said nothing — but her silence spoke volumes.
He stepped closer. She didn't move.
> [Soul Sync Initiation Possible. Consent Required.]
"Let me show you," he whispered, brushing her cheek with the back of his hand.
Her breath shuddered. "If you try to use me—"
"I don't use queens," he murmured. "I conquer… and exalt them."
The System glowed.
> [Soul-Bond Initiated.]
A surge of ice and flame erupted between them. Selene gasped as energy poured from her into him. Velarion's body trembled as new power rushed into his veins.
> [Ice Core Absorbed: Frost Immunity Gained.]
> [New Skill: Glacial Barrier – Summon a shield of frozen energy.]
> [Dungeon Key Unlocked.]
Suddenly, the floor beneath them cracked and twisted. Fire runes blazed as a staircase unfurled from the rock — descending into darkness.
A whisper echoed from below:
"Come… claim the fire forgotten by gods."
Velarion turned to Selene. Her cheeks were flushed, her breath shaky, her eyes wide.
"You okay?"
She nodded slowly. "What… was that?"
"A fraction of what we can become," he said, stepping toward the newly opened path. "And we're just getting started."
As they descended the stairs, a new alert pulsed:
> [Warning: Dungeon Boss Awakening.]
And far behind them — in the shadows near the entrance — a cloaked figure watched.
A whisper left her lips: "So… the Demon King returns."
The staircase spiraled downward into an abyss that pulsed with heat and menace.
Each step they took echoed like the beat of a war drum, growing louder as they neared the dungeon's heart. The walls were engraved with ancient runes—blazing red, burning with forbidden fire. The very air shimmered with residual magic, thick with the scent of brimstone and blood.
> [Environmental Hazard: Core Heat Rising. Recommend activation of resistance-based skills.]
> [Skill Activated: Glacial Barrier – Core Heat reduced.]
A translucent dome of frost surrounded them. Selene grunted slightly, the toll of sharing her core evident in her pale complexion.
Velarion offered her his hand.
She looked at it, lips tightening.
"I don't need your pity," she muttered.
"It's not pity," he said. "It's power, shared."
Her fingers, cool and trembling, slid into his.
For a moment, the flames on the walls dimmed—as if acknowledging the bond.
Then the chamber opened before them.
A vast arena of volcanic stone lay ahead, surrounding a lake of molten gold. In its center stood the dungeon's core—a floating obelisk of obsidian etched with crimson glyphs.
And chained before it… was a monster.
It was a towering beast—horned, half-humanoid, its charred skin cracked with rivers of lava. Its empty eyes opened as they entered, and the ground shook with its growl.
> [Dungeon Boss: Infernal Warden (Lv. 25)]
> [Status: Awakening… 76%]
Velarion's eyes gleamed. "We're right on time."
Selene drew her sword, the blade glowing a cold, furious blue. "This thing's mana is… immense."
"I've killed gods," Velarion said calmly. "This is just a remnant."
Suddenly, the system pulsed again:
> [WARNING: Unregistered Observer Interference Detected.]
> [Unknown Faction Tracker Initiating Psychic Disruption.]
A wave of pressure slammed into them. Selene staggered. Velarion dropped to one knee as the world twisted, space itself warping for a moment.
And then… the voice came.
"Velarion… your rebirth defies fate. This realm is not yours to claim."
The voice was neither male nor female. It echoed with the resonance of multiple realities, ancient and alien.
Velarion snarled. "Cowards who hide in shadows should stay silent."
> [System Error: Signal Jammed. External Override Attempt Detected.]
> [Harem System Core… LOCKED.]
Selene grabbed his arm. "What's happening?!"
"They're trying to hijack the system," he hissed. "Someone's watching. Trying to stop my rise."
He stood, forcing his will into the corrupted ether.
> [Overriding interference…]
> [Velarion's Willpower Check: SUCCESS.]
> [System Rebooting…]
> [Harem Core Stabilized. Unique Skill Unlocked: Sovereign Rejection – Immune to Mind Interference.]
Power exploded outward in a wave of obsidian flame, forcing back the invading force. Somewhere far above, the cloaked observer flinched and stepped back into the shadows.
The link was broken—but not forgotten.
The Infernal Warden's chains shattered.
It rose with a deafening roar, its molten fists ablaze. The air burned. Stone cracked beneath its steps. With a single motion, it hurled a meteor of fire toward them.
"Move!" Selene cried.
Velarion didn't.
He raised his hand. "Glacial Barrier!"
The shield shimmered to life, meeting the meteor head-on.
The explosion rocked the dungeon, but they stood firm in its eye.
"Selene," Velarion said, turning to her. "Ready to burn together?"
She met his gaze, something raw and fierce igniting in her eyes. "Only if you can keep up."
They charged.
She struck first, her blade singing with frost. The Infernal Warden swung, but Velarion teleported mid-step, reappearing behind it with a burst of dark flame. His claws raked the creature's spine, molten blood hissing as it met his demonic aura.
> [Combo Skill Activated: Soulbond Assault – Dual Element Fusion Strike.]
Together, they unleashed a spiral of fire and frost, drilling into the Warden's core. The creature screamed, staggering—but not falling.
Velarion's hand lit with black light.
> [Demonic Core Extraction Ready.]
"Hold it steady!" he barked.
Selene screamed, summoning every last shred of her ice magic to pin the beast down. Chains of frost locked its limbs.
Velarion plunged his hand into its chest—
And ripped the core free.
The Warden's body erupted in fire, disintegrating with a shriek.
> [Dungeon Boss Defeated.]
> [+10 Essence. Skill Points +5.]
> [Flame Core Acquired – Unlock Path to Tier 2.]
Silence fell.
Only the quiet hum of the dungeon core remained.
They stood in the aftermath, breathing hard, bodies bloodied and burned—but victorious.
Selene leaned against him, exhausted.
Velarion gently brushed hair from her cheek. "You're more than I expected."
She looked up at him, eyes softening. "You're… not what I feared."
Their faces drew closer.
The system chimed:
> [Bond Progress: 72%. Affection Threshold Achieved.]
> [New Trait Available: Shared Ascension – Unlock Dual Evolution Paths.]
Just before their lips met—
The dungeon trembled.
> [ALERT: Dimensional Rift Opening – External Invader Imminent.]
Velarion turned, eyes narrowing.