Chapter 12: The Guardian of the Demon Tower
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Pov Narrador
[Notification!]
[Mission Information Updated]
[Secret Mission Unlocked: "Here Comes the Strength Training"]
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"Yes, yes, yes! Let's go!" Akira shouted, barely containing his excitement as he instantly accepted the secret mission reward without a moment's hesitation.
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[Mission Reward:]
1. Full Recovery
2. +10 Attribute Points
3. Blessed Random Loot Box
4. Cursed Random Loot Box
[Accept Rewards?]
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"Of course I do… and first, I want to open that blessed box," he said eagerly as he gave the command.
Before him, a small box with golden engravings appeared, floating in the air. The lid opened on its own, releasing a soft, heavenly glow. From within, a small orb of light floated before him for a few seconds… before transforming into a red key surrounded by a faintly sinister aura.
Akira caught it with swift precision, and immediately, a new notification appeared.
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[Notification!]
[Item Acquired: Key to the Demon Castle]
[Acquisition Difficulty: Rank S]
[Category: Key]
[A key that grants access to the dungeon: Demon Castle]
[Location: Can be used at the Central Tower of Karakura City]
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Akira looked at the key with a crooked smile, his eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation.
"A Rank S dungeon, huh?... Looks like things are about to get good. I'd love to enter it right now… but I've got school," he sighed in resignation—then suddenly raised an eyebrow as if remembering something crucial.
"Wait a sec… I don't have any parents watching over me, so what's stopping me from skipping just one day?"
A mischievous grin spread across his face as he stored the key in his inventory with a carefree gesture.
"Skipping a day won't kill me… but if my memories from my past life are right, I know this dungeon. And if it's the one I think it is, I'd better be prepared."
With determination in his step, Akira set off, walking briskly. He needed to gather supplies and tune up his gear for what was coming.
Because if his memory wasn't wrong… this dungeon had 100 floors.
One hundred levels filled with enemies.
One hundred levels to grind experience.
One hundred levels to push himself to the limit.
Just thinking about it sent a rush of excitement through him. The chance to unlock a class-change mission was far too valuable to ignore. Not that he wanted any specific class—he didn't even care if he ended up with the same one as Jin-Woo from his memories—he just wanted to progress. To grow stronger. To gain new abilities. To seize control of his own destiny within the system.
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After a few hours of meticulous preparation, Akira was ready.
He had stored enough food in his inventory to survive several days—just in case time flowed differently inside this new dungeon, like in previous instances.
Akira: "I'm not leaving halfway through the challenge just because I'm hungry… this time, I'm going all in."
With that, Akira took the Rank S dungeon key from his inventory. He now stood before the central tower of Karakura—the massive building that, to normal eyes, looked completely ordinary… but to him, it was the gateway to something much greater.
Thanks to his enhanced speed and agility, reaching the restricted area was a piece of cake. He still wasn't sure whether ordinary people could see the portals created by his system keys, and he didn't intend to find out. The last thing he needed was attracting the kind of people who asked too many questions.
That's why he slipped into a secluded section of the building, hidden from public view. There, he sighed softly and raised the key with determination.
The moment he inserted it into the air… space itself split open.
A massive fiery portal appeared before him. Flames danced as if alive, and lightning crackled around its edges, warning him of what awaited on the other side. Unlike the dungeon instances he had encountered before, this one was completely different.
Akira: "Alright… on the other side, there's probably a puppy waiting for me. One that definitely won't be wagging its tail," he muttered with a sarcastic grin—and without another word, stepped into the portal.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, everything changed violently.
It was a living hell.
Flames consumed everything around him. The air burned with every breath, and the ground beneath his feet cracked from the heat.
"It's so damn HOT!" he shouted, feeling his clothes stick to his skin as sweat poured out like he was being cooked alive from the inside.
But despite the infernal temperature, something else immediately caught his attention…
In front of him stood a colossal structure engulfed in flames—a demonic fortress straight out of hell itself. Gigantic chains wrapped around it, rattling as if something inside was desperately trying to break free.
Akira narrowed his eyes but kept a nervous smile.
"Yeah… this definitely isn't a walk in the park."
Suddenly, a beastly roar shook the ground. The earth trembled beneath his feet, and the flames around him flared in response to the sound.
He turned toward it—and there it was. Emerging from the fire and smoke, towering before the castle gates…
A massive three-headed Cerberus, covered in pitch-black fur, its red eyes glowing like burning embers. The left and central heads had fiery orange manes and curved brown horns, while the right head wore a gray metallic mask that only partially hid its face, revealing a mane of deep chestnut hair.
[Guardian of the Demon Castle: Cerberus]
Akira let out a low whistle, clearly impressed.
"I need one of those…" he said, nodding as if already picturing Cerberus as a pet.
The monster leapt into the air and crashed down before him, kicking up a storm of ash and sparks upon impact.
"So, you wanna play? I'm guessing it's not fetch… and definitely not with a stick."
With a sharp grin, Akira drew Kasaka's Dagger, gripping it tightly as he slid into a combat stance. His heart pounded—not from fear, but pure adrenaline.
He had been careful.
He had saved every single full-recovery item the system had given him from his daily missions. Four in total. That meant, in theory, he had four extra lives to face this infernal beast.
"Alright then… let's see if this mutt bites as hard as he barks. Time to show you that this handsome bastard is gonna win."
As he finished speaking, the flames around him roared—just like Cerberus—and the battle was about to begin.
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End of Chapter