Two days later, there it was. Neatly wrapped and impossible to miss.
A sword-shaped package sat right on his doorstep. Axel didn't hesitate. He picked it up, brought it into his room, and placed it on his desk with a quiet thud. The wrapping came off easily, and what lay beneath it pulled the breath from his lungs.
It was glorious
The sword was a deep, shadowy black, its blade long and straight with edges lined in faint silver, as if moonlight had traced its shape. It tapered to a sharp point, sleek and unforgiving.
The cross-guard was asymmetrical, one side jagged like a broken wing, the other curling upward like a predator's claw. It didn't look ceremonial. It looked lethal.
Alongside the sword was a note and a single mana potion.
He picked up the note first, unfolding it.
"Got you your sword.
Details: F+ rank, ★★★ rating.
Special ability: Can enter shadow mode and blend into darkness. Costs mana to activate.
You're welcome for the potion. I know you're too weak to control it on your own.
I am no longer in your debt.
—Mico."
Axel exhaled through his nose, half amused, half irritated.
He folded the paper and shoved it in his pocket, then turned back to the sword.
He gripped the hilt, fingers sliding into the hole in its center, a small, circular indent meant for bonding. The moment his skin touched it, he pushed mana into the weapon.
It resisted.
Of course it did. It was an F+ rank sword, while he was still only G+.
He drained his whole mana pool, but still, it wasn't enough.
With a sigh, Axel uncorked the mana potion and downed it in one go. A slight burn traced down his throat, but his mana surged.
He tried again.
This time, the sword responded.
Glowing white runes lit up along the blade's spine before slowly fading into silence. The bond had formed. He could feel it, like a heartbeat in the hilt.
Now came the fun part.
"Alright…" Axel looked at the sword, tapping the side of the blade. "Let's go with something basic."
He cleared his throat.
"I name you Shadow. You are now bonded to me as my temporary partner. I can toss you aside whenever I want, but you're stuck with me for life."
The blade pulsed in response, a faint shimmer running across its surface.
Axel smirked.
"Disappear."
The sword vanished from his hand, melting into nothing.
"Reappear."
It blinked back, as solid as ever.
"Disappear."
Gone.
Yeah. This was going to be fun.
Bonding with a sword meant more than convenience, it meant sharing power. Since Shadow was a rank higher than him and he was already on the verge of awakening, the boost was immediate.
A soft chime echoed in his head.
Status Screen
Strength: F
Agility: F
Stamina: F
Mana Capacity: F
Dexterity: F
Up two whole sub ranks. Just like that.
Awesome.
At Atherion, personal weapons weren't allowed in official classes, it was a fairness issue. All students were required to use school-provided weapons. Swords, spears, crossbows. It was standardized.
Which meant this wasn't for school.
This was for dungeon runs.
And today?
Today was his day off.
Axel pulled out his phone and searched: F-Rank Dungeons Near Me.
A few popped up, most were claimed by guilds, but one showed up with available reservations for runs. He tapped the number and made the call.
"Hello?" a voice crackled through.
"I'd like to reserve a solo F-Rank raid at 7:32 AM. Axel Lycan."
There was a pause, then: "You're in luck. Slot's open. We'll see you then."
He hung up, got dressed, grabbed his gear, and stepped outside.
One cab ride later, roughly an hour of quiet riding through early morning haze, he arrived at the dungeon site.
Right beside the glowing blue-and-purple portal was a metallic registration booth.
Axel knocked.
The panel slid open, revealing a tired-looking man with a clipboard.
"Name?"
"Axel Lycan. I have a reservation."
"Yep, you're in the system. Cash or credit?"
"Credit," Axel said, holding up his card. "Also, students get 20% off, right?"
He flashed his Atherion student ID.
The man whistled. "A student at Atherion, huh? You must be something. Alright, discount applied. Swipe when ready."
Axel did.
Then, without hesitation, he turned toward the portal.
The vortex of mana swirled in shades of violet and blue, flickering with silent static.
He stepped forward, no hesitation in his stride.
Time to test out my new blade.
And with that, Axel Lycan vanished into the dungeon.
…
Axel remembered his first time stepping through a dungeon portal.
God, it had been awful.
He had barely made it past the entryway before doubling over and retching, his head splitting like a struck gong. It was as if reality itself had tried to peel him apart, molecule by molecule. Maybe it was because he wasn't originally from this world. Maybe this realm, this magic, knew he didn't belong.
Now, in this life, it was no different.
The pressure hit him the moment he crossed the threshold. That same cold lance of agony pierced straight through his skull, twisting down his spine. His stomach lurched once.
But he didn't flinch.
Pain, after a while, just became background noise.
The shift in atmosphere was immediate. The air felt denser, humming with quiet danger. Magic clung to everything like mist, thick and shimmering in the light.
The F-Rank Insect-Type Dungeon had taken on the form of a forest. A luminous one.
Glowing trees stretched above him, bark etched with natural bioluminescence, their leaves casting down blue and green hues like moonlight frozen in time. The grass was tall and soft under his boots, almost unnaturally so, and the scent of nectar and decay mixed thickly in the air.
It should've been beautiful.
But it wasn't.
Not when you noticed the details.
In the clearing ahead, Axel crouched low behind a fallen log and took it all in. Dozens, no, hundreds, of creatures moved in the distance.
Dragonflies, each as long and wide as a finger, hovered in synchronized patterns. Their wings flickered with iridescent colors, but their jaws, sharpened and twitching, ruined the illusion.
Higher in the trees, massive hives hung like bloated tumors. Oversized bees buzzed around them, slow and deliberate in their patrols. Their stingers looked more like spears than needles.
It's showtime.