The raid composition appeared on the display:
TANKS (3):
HolyKnight_Zen (Level 38 Paladin)
IronFortress (Level 35 Warrior)
SteelWall_Haru (Level 34 Guardian)
HEALERS (4):
HealerMiko (Level 32 Cleric)
NatureSong (Level 36 Druid)
HolyWater_Ken (Level 33 Cleric)
RANGED DPS (6):
PhoenixAyame (Level 42 Sword Dancer) – Co-Leader
ElementalStorm (Level 38 Mage)
SwiftArrow_Yuki (Level 35 Ranger)
FrostQueen (Level 36 Mage)
LightBringer_Sora (Level 39 Priest)
ArchMage_Kira (Level 41 Mage)
ShadowCaster_Rei (Level 33 Warlock)
MELEE DPS (7):
PhoenixKaito (Level 43 Blademaster) – Raid Leader
SteelTitan (Level 40 Berserker)
Velara (Level 37 Shadowblade)
SilentEdge (Level 38 Shadowblade)
BloodFang (Level 35 Assassin)
ThunderStrike (Level 31 Warrior)
MaxThorne (Level 13 Soulbinder)
Max stared at the composition. The level difference was staggering. Kaito was level 43—one of the top players in the world. Most of the raid was in their mid-to-high 30s.
And Max was level 13.
He was the lowest level in the entire raid by eighteen levels.
"MaxThorne," Kaito addressed him directly. "You're here because you've proven yourself in previous content, but this is different. The dungeon scales, which means you'll face level-appropriate adds while we handle the higher-tier enemies. Your job is add control—when secondary enemies spawn at your level range, you burn them down fast. Keep them off the healers and ranged DPS. Can you handle that?"
"Yes," Max said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.
"Good. The scaling system means you won't be dead weight—you'll have meaningful contributions. But understand: we're carrying you through content you have no business being in yet. Don't make us regret it."
The raid party formed up and headed for the dungeon entrance—a massive obsidian portal that had appeared in a high-level zone two days ago. The area around it was crawling with players hoping to observe or catch footage of top guilds attempting the clear.
When Phoenix Guild's raid team approached, the crowd erupted.
"Phoenix is attempting Obsidian Depths!"
"That's Kaito and Ayame! They're in the top 10 worldwide!"
"Level 43 and 42! Those are the guild leaders!"
"Wait, who's that level 13? Are they seriously bringing someone that low?"
Max felt hundreds of eyes on them—some curious, some skeptical, some outright mocking.
Kaito turned to the raid. "Everyone ready?"
A chorus of approval.
"Then let's make history."
They entered the portal.
THE OBSIDIAN DEPTHS – FIRST CHAMBER
The world twisted, and Max found himself in a vast underground cavern. The walls were pure black obsidian, reflecting distorted images like dark mirrors. Lava flowed through the floor, creating natural barriers and hazards. The heat was oppressive, and the air tasted of sulfur and smoke.
[ENTERING: THE OBSIDIAN DEPTHS]
[Adaptive Scaling Active: Difficulty adjusted for party levels 13-43]
[Environment Debuff: Extreme Heat – Stamina Regeneration -30%]
"Formation!" Zen commanded. The tanks moved to the front, healers positioned in the center, ranged DPS spread out, and melee DPS flanked the sides.
Max summoned Night immediately.
[Summon Contract: Night]
The shadow warrior materialized, its black armor almost invisible against the obsidian walls. Only the blue flames of its eyes gave away its position.
The first enemies appeared—and Max immediately understood what "scaling" meant.
Three different types of enemies spawned simultaneously:
[Obsidian Titan – Level 42 Legendary Elite] x1
HP: 150,000
[Obsidian Sentinel – Level 35-38 Elite] x5
HP: 25,000 each
[Magma Imp Swarm – Level 13-16] x20
HP: 2,000 each
"High-level DPS on the Titan!" Kaito roared. "Mid-levels take the Sentinels! MaxThorne, you've got the imp swarm!"
Max's blood ran cold. Twenty imps. All at once.
"Engage!"
The tanks charged the Titan and Sentinels. The high-level players' attacks were devastating to watch—Kaito's sword strikes dealt damage numbers in the tens of thousands, and ArchMage_Kira's spells hit like tactical nukes.
-23,847 HP! (Kaito)
-31,245 HP! (Kira)
-28,956 HP! (Ayame)
But Max didn't have time to spectate.
The imp swarm was rushing toward the back line, their small forms incredibly fast. Each one was level 13-16—around Max's level—but there were twenty of them.
"Night, full offense!"
They intercepted the swarm before it reached the healers. Max activated Shadow Step, teleporting into the middle of the group, his blade spinning in a wide arc.
-234 HP!
-198 HP!
-267 HP!
Three imps down. Seventeen to go.
Night fought like a demon, its Shadowforged Blade carving through imp after imp with brutal efficiency. Its drain ability kept it alive as claws raked across its armor.
-287 HP! (Night)
[Imp defeated!]
-294 HP! (Night)
[Imp defeated!]
But more kept coming. The imps swarmed Max, their claws finding gaps in his armor.
-89 HP!
-76 HP!
-94 HP!
[MaxThorne: 131/390 HP]
"Shit!" Max Shadow Stepped away, drinking a health potion mid-dodge.
[Health Potion consumed]
[+150 HP]
[MaxThorne: 281/390 HP]
He couldn't let any through. If even one imp reached the healers while they were focused on keeping the tanks alive against the Titan, it could cause a massive failure.
Max fought with desperate intensity, his stamina draining rapidly in the heat.
[Stamina: 187/310]
Night was taking heavy damage now, multiple imps focusing on it. Through their bond, Max felt its strain.
Hold on. Just a little longer.
Max and Night fought back-to-back, blades flashing in perfect coordination. Slowly, they cut down the swarm.
Fifteen imps. Ten. Five.
The last imp fell just as the main raid finished the Sentinels.
[MAGMA IMP SWARM DEFEATED]
Max stood panting, his health at 189/390, stamina at 94/310. Night's health was at 312/580.
Meanwhile, the high-level players were barely scratched, closely destroying the Obsidian Titan with coordinated burst damage.
The level difference was staggering. What was a desperate life-or-death struggle for Max was routine execution for them.
The Titan fell.
[OBSIDIAN TITAN DEFEATED]
[WAVE 1 COMPLETE]
"Good work on adds, MaxThorne," Kaito said, barely scratched. "Clean execution."
Velara came over, offering him a mana potion from her inventory. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Max gasped. "That was intense."
"That was the easy part," she said seriously. "It gets worse."
She wasn't wrong.
The second chamber featured Lava Wyrms—serpentine creatures that dove in and out of molten rivers. The scaling system created:
One Level 44 Ancient Wyrm for the high-level players
Three Level 36-38 Adult Wyrms for mid-level players
Constant spawns of Level 13-18 Wyrm Hatchlings for Max
Max spent the entire fight in a state of panic, burning through potions and cooldowns to keep the hatchling spawns under control. There were so many—twenty, thirty, sometimes forty at once—and they came in waves that never stopped.
His DPS was decent against enemies his level, but he was fighting exponentially more targets than anyone else. While Kaito could one-shot Sentinels with single abilities, Max had to work for every kill.
[Stamina: 23/310]
[HP: 167/390]
[Potions Remaining: 3/12]
"MaxThorne, six hatchlings broke through!" someone shouted.
Max gritted his teeth, Shadow Stepped to intercept, and barely managed to kill them before they reached HealerMiko.
The Wyrms finally fell after thirty minutes of brutal combat.
[LAVA WYRMS DEFEATED]
[WAVE 2 COMPLETE]