As the other teams were called for deployment, Kenji took a moment, stepping to the side of the bustling briefing room. His heart still pounded with a mixture of nerves and a strange, exhilarating anticipation. He knew he had to maximize his capabilities before stepping into an A-ranked dungeon with a C-rank team.
He focused, and the translucent blue screen of his System Overlay shimmered into view, visible only to him.
[HOST: KENJI TANAKA]
[RANK: S-CLASS SPIRITUAL FIGHTER]
[ATTRIBUTES]
* SPIRITUAL ENERGY (SP): EXTREME (Vast, rapidly regenerating pool)
* SPIRITUAL CONTROL (SC): S (Exceptional precision and manipulation)
* SPIRITUAL STRENGTH (SS): S (Raw destructive power)
* AGILITY (AG): B (Above average, improving with spiritual enhancement)
* ENDURANCE (EN): B (Above average, improving with spiritual enhancement)
* INTELLECT (INT): C (Average, but tactical analysis greatly enhanced by System)
* WILLPOWER (WP): A (Unwavering resolve in combat)
[SKILLS]
* Spiritual Manipulation: LVL 5 (Mastery over basic energy constructs, blasts, shields)
* Spiritual Perception: LVL 3 (Ability to detect and analyze spiritual signatures)
* Spiritual Enhancement: LVL 2 (Basic physical augmentation via spiritual energy)
* Spiritual Healing: LVL 1 (Minor self-healing)
* Spiritual Chains: LVL 1 (Basic energy binding)
* [NEW] Teamwork: LVL 1 (Acquired from previous quest. Improves team synergy within System parameters.)
[UPGRADES AVAILABLE: 5]
Kenji's eyes lit up. Five upgrades. This was it. He wouldn't waste them. He thought about the B-rank demon, about the need to protect his team.
He quickly allocated his points:
* AGILITY (AG) upgraded to A (Cost: 2 Upgrades)
* ENDURANCE (EN) upgraded to A (Cost: 2 Upgrades)
* Spiritual Enhancement upgraded to LVL 3 (Cost: 1 Upgrade)
He felt a sudden surge of power, a lightness in his limbs, a feeling of his body humming with efficient energy. His physical capabilities had just received a significant boost.
[UPGRADES COMPLETE. HOST ATTRIBUTES & SKILLS UPDATED.]
[NOTE: SPIRITUAL ENHANCEMENT LVL 3 ALLOWS FOR SUSTAINED HIGH-SPEED MOVEMENT AND RAPID HEALING.]
Perfect. He needed speed and durability if he was going to be the frontline protector for his team.
"Team A-5, prepare for immediate deployment!" an announcer's voice boomed.
Kenji rejoined his team. As they approached the Dungeon entrance – a swirling vortex of purple and black energy situated within a heavily fortified chamber – a sleek, spherical portable drone detached itself from a nearby charging station. It whirred silently, positioning itself to follow Kenji's team.
"This drone will provide a live feed for everyone in the Academy observation room," the technician explained. "Standard procedure for Dungeon Dives of this rank. Good luck, team."
Kenji took a deep breath. This was it. The real test.
Dungeon Dive: The Whispering Catacombs
The moment they stepped through the shimmering portal, the oppressive atmosphere of Dungeon Gamma-7: The Whispering Catacombs enveloped them. The air was thick with the scent of mildew and decay, and a chilling silence was broken only by the drip of unseen water. The drone zipped in behind them, its lens glowing.
"Alright, formation!" Kenji commanded, his voice firm, echoing in the confined space. "Yuna, provide overwatch. Hiroki, stick close to me for any frontal assaults. Saki, keep a visual on everyone, be ready to heal. Goro, lead the way, point out any anomalies."
Goro, initially surprised by Kenji's sudden authority, nodded, his weary eyes betraying a hint of respect. "Understood. The Whispering Catacombs are known for low-lying Shadow Crawlers and occasional Wraith ambushes. Keep your spiritual senses sharp."
Their first encounter came quickly. Shadow Crawlers, grotesque, multi-legged creatures composed of solidified darkness, scuttled from the crevices of the crumbling stone walls.
"Yuna, target the ones on the ceiling! Hiroki, clear the path!" Kenji barked, his eyes scanning for threats.
Yuna's spiritual arrows, glowing with pale light, streaked through the air, impaling the ceiling crawlers with satisfying squelches. Hiroki, with a guttural roar, unleashed bursts of chaotic spiritual energy, tearing through the ones on the ground.
Kenji moved like a blur, faster than the naked eye could follow. He was everywhere at once, a white streak of pure spiritual energy. A Crawler lunged at Saki from a blind spot; Kenji was there in an instant, a spiritual blade forming in his hand, cleaving the creature in half with a single, precise strike. Another tried to flank Hiroki; Kenji spun, unleashing a focused spiritual blast that atomized it. He didn't just deal the final blows; he ensured no one was ever truly in danger. His commands were precise, his movements fluid and devastatingly effective.
In the Academy's observation room, Headmaster Sato watched the live feed, his eyes wide. Other faculty members and some A-rank students who had gathered to watch were equally stunned.
"His agility… it's unreal," one instructor whispered. "And his spiritual control. He's not wasting a single joule of energy."
"He's reading the battlefield perfectly," another added, "anticipating threats before they even fully emerge."
"I wish I was on his team!" a B-rank student muttered, watching Kenji dart through the shadows, always appearing exactly where he was needed. The team, initially hesitant, was now moving with a newfound confidence, trusting Kenji's every command.
The Fatal Miscalculation and the Impossible Victory
They delved deeper, the encounters becoming more frequent, the demons stronger. Kenji continued to lead, his S-rank power a blinding force, his speed making him appear omnipresent. They moved swiftly, efficiently, without a single scratch on his team.
Then, they reached the boss chamber. A vast, echoing cavern, colder and darker than anywhere else in the Dungeon. The air pulsed with a sinister, primal energy.
"Stay sharp," Kenji warned, his spiritual perception screaming danger.
A monstrous, multi-headed Demonic Hellhound, easily the size of a small truck, lumbered out of the shadows. Its eyes glowed with malevolent red light, and its fangs dripped with corrosive ichor.
"An Alpha-class Hellhound!" Goro gasped, his face paling. "This isn't a normal A-rank Dungeon boss! It's too strong!"
Before Kenji could react, the Hellhound let out a deafening roar that vibrated through their very bones. The cavern walls began to crack, and from every fissure, from beneath every loose stone, a horrifying swarm of lesser demons, Shadow Imps, poured forth. Hundreds of them, eyes glittering with malice, scuttling on needle-thin limbs.
[WARNING! MASSIVE SWARM DETECTED. CRITICAL MISCALCULATION. TEAM IMMINENTLY OVERWHELMED. RETREAT RECOMMENDED.] the System blared in Kenji's mind.
It was a fatal miscalculation. Kenji had been so focused on the Alpha Hellhound, he hadn't accounted for a swarm. He had put his team in mortal peril. The Imps swarmed them, a tidal wave of snapping claws and gnashing teeth. Yuna cried out as an Imp latched onto her arm. Hiroki was overwhelmed, his spiritual constructs shattering under the sheer numbers. Saki curled into a ball, trying to erect a feeble shield. Goro roared, fighting desperately, but even his experience couldn't stem the tide.
"NO!" Kenji roared, a surge of pure, unadulterated fury washing over him. He wouldn't let them die. Not after everything. Not after he finally found a purpose.
He unleashed his power. Not in a focused blast, but in a raw, uncontrolled burst. Spiritual energy erupted from his body in a blinding, concussive wave. It was like a miniature supernova, an explosion of pure white-gold light that filled the entire cavern. The force of it was immense, a physical shockwave that slammed into the Alpha Hellhound, forcing it back, and instantly vaporized every single Shadow Imp within its radius. Their shrieks were cut short as they simply ceased to exist.
When the light faded, the cavern was silent once more. The floor was littered with smoking craters where the Imps had been. His team lay sprawled on the ground, groaning, gravely injured but alive. Their spiritual barriers were shattered, their uniforms torn, their bodies bruised and bleeding, but they were breathing.
The Alpha Hellhound, bleeding spiritual energy from the blast, let out a whimper, its three heads turning frantically. It had not anticipated such power. It turned, trying to flee back into the shadows from whence it came.
But Kenji was already there. His Agility, enhanced to A-rank, made him a phantom. He darted to the fleeing boss, appearing before it in a blink. The Hellhound recoiled, snarling, but it was too slow.
Kenji moved, his hand shooting out. He placed his palm flat against the central head of the demonic Hellhound. Demonic energy surged against his touch, but it was met with an immovable wall of S-rank spiritual power. Kenji didn't attack. He simply channeled. He poured his limitless spiritual energy directly into the creature's core, an unstoppable, overwhelming torrent.
The Hellhound's eyes bulged. A sound, a wet, sickening squelch like something over-inflating, filled the cavern. The creature thrashed violently, its legs buckling.
Then, with a final, horrific POP, the Hellhound's central head exploded. Black, viscous demonic blood sprayed all over Kenji, coating his face, his hair, his pristine white uniform. The remaining two heads went limp, and the massive body collapsed to the ground with a thunderous thud, utterly lifeless.
Kenji stood amidst the gore, dripping with demonic ichor, completely unharmed. Not a single scratch on him. He hadn't even been hit once throughout the entire dungeon.
In the Academy observation room, every single onlooker was wide-eyed, mouths agape. Headmaster Sato stared at the screen, utterly speechless.
"He… he just… pulled off the impossible," a high-ranking instructor stammered, his voice laced with disbelief. "A full team wipe averted by… that."
"He faced an A-rank Dungeon boss and a fatal swarm," another added, "and not only did his team survive, but he wasn't even touched."
The live feed showed Kenji, standing perfectly still, covered in demonic blood, amidst his gravely injured but living teammates. The contrast was stark.
The new S-rank was truly something else.