Chapter 45 – The Difference Between the Lower and Upper Floors
Dungeon – Floor 17, Crystal Walls of Lamentation
The entire floor was littered with deep violet shards of shattered magic stones. A pungent stench of blood clung heavily to the air.
Shin Akira calmly recalled his Shadow Claws, leaving behind only a few Shadow Ninjas to clean up the battlefield.
Within minutes, all the stones had been gathered. The remaining shadow soldiers slowly melted back into the darkness, fading into the floor until only Akira remained.
He turned without a word and began walking toward the next level.
"…He's gotten even stronger."
At the far edge of Floor 17, a young blonde-haired woman stood silently—her golden eyes fixed on Akira's back.
It was Ais Wallenstein.
She had witnessed the entire fight from beginning to end.
A horde of Minotaurs—spawned from a Monster Parade—had been wiped out in mere moments. The power on display was nothing short of overwhelming.
The last time she saw Akira, he had struggled just to take down five of those same monsters.
And now?
Two, maybe even three dozen Minotaurs had been annihilated without him lifting a finger. His summoned warriors—the Shadowkhan—had done all the work.
More than that, Ais had noticed something else. There were new soldiers among them—stronger ones. A higher tier, perhaps. An evolved variant of the Shadowkhan.
"His growth… is faster than mine," she murmured.
She looked down at the heavy broadsword in her hand—a custom-made weapon forged by the god Goibniu and his Familia.
Crafted from the densest, most unyielding metal, it was meant to place a burden on her body.
Ais, who had always favored light, swift weapons like her rapier, found this sword awkward and difficult to use. That was why she had come to the Dungeon today—to push herself through direct combat.
Yet instead, she had ended up watching a display of raw, monstrous power.
Fate truly was a cruel thing.
— — —
Meanwhile, Shin Akira had no idea that Ais had seen everything.
After making his way through Floor 17, he stepped into the lush, almost dreamlike world of Floor 18.
Birdsong echoed softly across the cavern. Streams babbled peacefully nearby, and the fragrance of wildflowers floated gently on the breeze. A hidden paradise beneath the earth.
Even though it wasn't his first time here, Akira couldn't help but pause and admire the view for a moment.
Still, he didn't linger. His goal lay beyond this sanctuary—deep within the lower floors, where the real danger awaited.
He passed through the exit of the safe zone, emerging into an entirely new environment.
It was still a rocky cavern, but far larger than anything he had seen before.
Low growls rumbled through the darkness, bouncing off the stone walls.
Akira instinctively tensed, his senses sharpening.
From the shadows, hulking figures began to emerge.
They had massive humanoid frames, similar to Minotaurs—but instead of bull heads, they bore goat-like visages.
Bugbears.
Level 2 monsters. Nearly three meters tall. Brutally strong.
For anyone stepping into the lower floors, these monsters served as a trial by fire. A test to determine whether they were worthy to proceed.
With primal roars, the Bugbears charged forward in a frenzy.
Their cries echoed like a war horn, and the entire horde rushed toward Akira as if on command.
Without hesitation, Akira raised his hand.
From the void, his shadow forces surged forth.
Shadow Claws and Shadow Ninjas leapt into the fray, weapons drawn, shadows dancing beneath their feet.
But there was a problem.
At an average height of just under two meters, his soldiers looked tiny compared to the towering Bugbears.
And against the sheer force of these monsters, one powerful swipe was enough to shatter a Shadowkhan soldier into wisps of smoke.
Then, the ground beneath Akira darkened—black as pitch—spreading outward in every direction.
A hundred-meter radius was instantly engulfed in darkness.
Shadow Domain: Activated.
Within this domain, Akira could summon shadow tendrils to attack, suppress, and manipulate the battlefield. It also boosted his summoned army's abilities.
Black tentacles erupted from the ground and whipped forward, striking down incoming enemies.
His own troops deftly dodged the tendrils, continuing their assault.
But every Bugbear that got caught was sliced clean in half—bisected by pure shadow force. Their massive bodies crashed to the ground, blood spilling across the cavern floor.
One after another, the monsters fell. The sounds of death echoed endlessly in the underground chamber.
Each slain monster dissolved into black mist, leaving behind glowing magic stones on the stone floor.
"Clean up the battlefield," Akira commanded coolly.
The Shadow Ninjas swiftly moved, collecting the stones and storing them inside a portal to the Shadow Realm.
Meanwhile, the Shadow Claws remained on alert, guarding the perimeter.
Then, the earth trembled again.
But this time, it wasn't just Bugbears.
More monsters emerged from the shadows—different shapes, different threats.
And that's when Akira realized it.
The lower floors weren't dangerous merely because of the monsters' strength.
It was the relentless wave after wave. The terrifying spawn rate.
The fight was far from over. In fact, it was just beginning.
A dark blue wyvern let out a screech as it dove toward Akira, wings slicing the air like blades.
Other monsters roared in unison and charged together.
Without panic, Akira reached into his shadow and pulled out a long spear, spinning it once before holding it firmly across his chest.
The spear met the wyvern's charge head-on, blocking it with a metallic crack.
At the same time, his soldiers clashed with the incoming horde.
"For a summoner to be helpless in close combat... would be disgraceful," he muttered.
With a smooth motion, Akira twisted the spear and drove it straight into the wyvern's throat—ending it instantly.
Then he jumped.
Straight into the center of the battlefield.
Blood splashed across his skin as he moved through the chaos like a demon unleashed.
He fought like a man possessed—his body drenched in blood, his eyes alight with wild exhilaration.
Adrenaline surged through his veins.
A smile crept across his face.
He was enjoying every second of it.
And on the back of his hand, a dark green circular mark began to glow faintly.
But with the battlefield in chaos and the light barely visible, Akira didn't notice.
He was completely immersed in the thrill of battle.
More monsters charged in.
More Shadowkhan fell.
The war in the shadows... had only just begun.
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