The next day arrive as Kael and Eren step into the second dungeon. The air instantly shifts—cold, damp, and heavy. A roar of rushing water echoes, and before them lies a vast underground lake, pitch black, with glowing blue veins running through the walls.
System Notification:Dungeon Type: AquaticEnvironmental Penalty: Fire-based abilities weakened by 60%.
Kael curses under his breath. His strongest element is fire, and this dungeon is practically laughing in his face. Eren tightens his grip on his staff, uneasy.
"Water suppresses fire… this will be a nightmare," Kael mutters.
"Then we adapt," Eren answers, though even he sounds unsure.
The first wave
From beneath the water, monstrous Aqua Serpents shoot out, snapping their jaws. Kael reacts, activating Sonic Waves . A concussive blast shatters the air, staggering the serpents, but the water dulls the effect, and they recover faster than expected.
Kael slashes through two, but another coils around his leg, dragging him under. Immediately he activates Sonic wave attacks from his legs freeing him from their grasp.
He surfaces only to find three more serpents lunging. Eren saves him with a burst of healing light that stuns one temporarily.
After fifteen minutes of battling using Eternal AshFlames and Sonic waves, he clears the dungeon while Eren heals his wounds with his healing skill.
They then progress to the last floor which is supposed to have the boss - level beast but as they continue to walk carefully, lake trembles. Something massive rises—scales glowing faintly, eyes burning like twin lanterns. The Leviathan Spawn, a lesser kin of the mythical sea beast, towers over them, water rippling violently with each movement.
"Step back!" Kael shouts as Eren runs back. But then the Leviathan opens its maw, unleashing a pressurized torrent of water that smashes into Kael and hurls him against the cavern wall. His ribs ache, vision swims.
The System chimes:
Warning: Current damage exceeds tolerance threshold. Vitality falling. Suggest strategic escalation.
Kael spits blood, snarling. "Escalation it is."
Eternal Ashfire Unleashed
He summons it—his Eternal Ashfire (Lvl 2). The black-gold flames erupt, clinging to his arms, his weapon, even the air around him. Unlike normal fire, these flames burn without oxygen, turning whatever they touch into searing ash.
The water tries to smother it—but Eternal Ashfire fights back, boiling, hissing, spreading in a terrifying chain reaction. The dungeon fills with steam.
The Leviathan charges, crashing through the mist. Kael dodges narrowly, slashing across its scales, leaving a trail of unending flame. The beast screeches, thrashing violently as the fire refuses to extinguish.
But it's not enough. The creature dives back into the lake, resurfacing at blinding speed to slam Kael with its tail. His body cracks against stone—he nearly blacks out.
"Kael!" Eren's voice echoes, casting desperate healing light shot from afar, barely knitting his wounds.
Kael staggers up, every muscle screaming. "Damn it… Eternal Ashfire burns everything, but I can't reach it fast enough underwater…"
The Leviathan roars again, summoning whirlpools and massive waves that crash through the cavern. Kael is tossed like a ragdoll, lungs screaming for air. His flames sputter when submerged.
He grits his teeth, forcing himself back up.No. I won't lose here.
The System speaks in that calm, cryptic tone:
Notice: Eternal Ashfire can be temporarily fused with Sonic Waves for increased spread. Success rate: 42%. Failure may destabilize the skill. Proceed?
Kael smirks through the blood on his lips. "Forty-two percent? Heh. I'll take it."
Infernal Resonance: Birth
He focuses, channeling the Eternal Ashfire from his core into his hands. Then—he blasts it, unleashing Sonic Waves simultaneously.
The result is devastating. The sound reverberates through water, carrying the black-gold flames with it. Instead of fading, the Eternal Ashfire rides the shockwaves, spreading across the cavern in a sweeping explosion of fire and sound.
The Leviathan is caught mid-charge. The flames latch onto its scales, refusing to let go. It thrashes violently, smashing rocks and flooding the chamber, but the more it moves, the more the flames spread.
It lets out a final shriek before collapsing, its massive body collapsing into a heap of glowing ash. The dungeon falls silent—only steam rising from the water.
Kael collapses to one knee, breathing hard, vision blurring. His body is half-burned, half-bruised. Eternal Ashfire may have won—but it nearly killed him to control it.
The System chimes softly:
Dungeon ClearedReward: Leviathan Core (Rare).Notice: Skill Combination used mid-battle — "Infernal Resonance (Prototype)." reward: 20 system points.
Kael chuckles weakly. "Heh… nearly died… but worth it."
Eren rushes to his side, healing light enveloping him. "You're insane, Kael. Absolutely insane."
"Maybe," Kael smirks, staring at the glowing core in his hand, "but insanity wins battles."