Xers was discharged two days later. Sitting once again in the royal garden, he gazed up at the endless sky. Urhuma approached him.
"Y'know, Xers, you've really improved. How about we head into the Aqua Dungeon together? You'll get to test yourself properly. I'll fight by your side—maybe you'll even get to know me a bit better."
"How do we even get down there? And what's waiting for us?"
"I'm not sure. It's a dungeon filled with all sorts of monsters. But if we clear it, we'll gain tons of experience and treasure. What do you say?"
"Alright, I'm in."
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Urhuma and Xers stepped into a rift at the heart of a vast plain. Before them stretched the Valley of Dungeons. As they descended, the entrance shimmered with a turquoise glow.The moment their feet touched the dungeon floor, the air shifted—its aura grew heavy, the atmosphere darkened, and distant echoes began to resound.
The portal behind them closed.
"P–PORTAL CLOSED!!"
"Don't panic. That's how dungeons work. The exit won't open until every monster inside is defeated. That's why I'll fight with you—otherwise this place could overwhelm you."
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Thirty seconds passed before creatures began crawling out from behind the dungeon's dark walls.
"These shouldn't be too hard for you, Xers!"
Xers dashed forward, slicing through the swarm with ease.
"Hah! That wasn't so bad. If they're all like this, just leave them to me, Sensei."
"Don't get cocky. Each new wave will be tougher than the last. Stay alert."
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The second wave arrived—two-legged beasts resembling twisted hounds.
"Ugh, every time I see these things my brain melts. I've never seen anything like them!"
Xers, however, handled them swiftly, cutting them down one by one.
"I told you, Xers. You've grown."
"I couldn't have done it without you."
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Then came the third wave—humanoid monsters with mouths that fired beams of light.
"Oooh, let's see what these freaks can do."
Mocking them, Xers lunged forward—but one of the monsters slammed a heavy fist into him, then fired a blinding beam straight at his chest.
"Xers, watch out!"
Urhuma's blade flashed—one clean swing, and the monster's head fell.
"Never underestimate your opponent. That's the biggest mistake you can make in battle."
"My apologies, Sensei."
This time, Xers charged again, weaving past each strike and driving his sword straight into the monster's chest.
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The fourth wave arrived—giant creatures, each three times the height of a man, lumbering toward them in a pack of four.
"Leave this wave to me, Xers. I'll show you what real power looks like."
Urhuma's mask was a natural one, earned long ago in a dungeon. It was ranked A-Tier.
"Kaze!!"
A deep blue mask with navy horns materialized across Urhuma's face.
"Incredible… Look at that power!"
"Hhhaaaahhh!!!"
The winds gathered violently around Urhuma, swirling like a vortex. Everything nearby was sucked toward him—even the four giants charging from the front.
"RELEASE!!"
A burst of air exploded outward in a single instant, flinging everything except Xers into the dungeon walls.
"What the hell was that?!"
"Heh. That's my power. You've got potential too, but we'll have to uncover it."
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As Urhuma spoke, the fifth wave began. Corpses of fallen samurai rose from the ground, gripping rusted blades as they lunged toward him. Urhuma used the wind to propel himself upward, vanishing from sight.Xers struggled to track his movement with his eyes.
"Damn, this guy's a monster! I wonder… is Sabre this strong too?"
Urhuma unleashed bursts of compressed wind, cutting through the samurai below. One of the undead turned its attention to Xers and attacked.
Xers parried the first strike, but these creatures were fast—far faster than humans. Their blades clashed so rapidly that the entire dungeon rang with metallic echoes.
"GQ #41!!!"
A black slash erupted from Xers's sword, sending the creature flying back fifteen meters, though not enough to kill it.
"I've never fought anything this strong before!"
The monster rose again, unrelenting. Xers's stamina was draining fast, while the creature showed no sign of fatigue. Both took one final breath.Xers unleashed everything he had—left, right, left, right—and finally delivered a critical blow straight through the middle. The monster's blade shattered in two.
He stomped the ground hard. Ghost Step.With pure determination blazing in his eyes, he swung his sword and severed the monster's head clean off.
Breathless and drained, Xers was in no shape for another wave. Urhuma, however, had already defeated the remaining three with ease.
"You're not bad, Xers!"
(Panting) "Y-yeah… not bad at all."
"Come on, it couldn't have been that hard."
"I'm… not used to this!"
"Relax, the next one's the last. This dungeon has six waves. Leave it to me—but I'm taking half the loot."
"Take whatever you want! I'm just trying to stay alive here!"
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Just as they spoke, the dungeon walls began to crack.Chunks of stone fell as the entire structure shattered, revealing the real world beyond.
"W-wait a second! That's not supposed to happen!"
"Guess there were only five waves after all. Works for me."
"No, Xers. Something's wrong. The Aqua Dungeon always has six waves."
"Maybe it's taking the day off. Chill out."
Before Xers could finish his sentence, a deep roar echoed from behind the trees. Both turned their heads—and froze.
A giant, nearly fifteen meters tall, one of the experimental beasts, had broken into the dungeon and torn it apart.
Xers and Urhuma stared up at it, unable to believe their eyes.