The Red Vortex throbbed in the center of the university plaza, bending the air like a mirage over burning asphalt. Even from a distance, you could taste the metal in the air—ozone, smoke, something ancient brushing the skin like cold fingers.
Before stepping in, Su Chen finished distributing supplies.
"Five Sunfire Pills each," he said.
Xiao Yi Xian held the tray with steady hands, though her eyes were shimmering with pride. The pills glowed faintly, tiny embers trapped in crystal.
"These burn out dark energy and soften fire-based damage," she said, almost shyly.
Ye Qingyu accepted one, caught off-guard. Fragile girl makes hundreds of pills like she's baking cookies? Are we sure she's human?
"Alright," Su Chen said, turning to Saya and Jiang Rou. His voice tightened. "Truck stays running. If the gate destabilizes, you leave. Don't argue."
Saya pushed her glasses up, frustrated but obedient. "Fine. But if you don't bring me back something to study, I'm poisoning your next breakfast."
Su Chen didn't humor her. He just nodded once—focused. His combat team gathered behind him: Saeko, Shizuka, Ye Qingyu, Xiao Yi Xian.
"Let's go."
They stepped into the vortex.
---
Inside the Dungeon
Gravity flipped like the world hiccupped. The temperature dropped instantly, stale air scraping their throats. When the distortion faded, the university was gone.
They were standing on a stone bridge suspended over a bottomless void. Far ahead, an entire city made of bone and obsidian rose under a sky the color of dead ash.
The system text floated before them:
[Location: Necropolis of N'Ghal]
[Dungeon Type: Kingdom of the Dead]
[Recommended Level: 10–20]
"Level twenty?" Ye Qingyu croaked. "I'm five. FIVE. I should've stayed in the truck."
Saeko wasn't shaken. She rested a hand on her sword, pupils dilated. "They're here. Thousands."
Clack. Clack. Clack.
The city gates opened, and a white tide poured out. Skeletons, armored, armed, eyes lit with blue fire.
[Skeleton Soldier (Lv. 8)]
[Skeleton Archer (Lv. 8)]
[Skeleton Captain (Lv. 12)]
At least five thousand.
Ye Qingyu cursed under her breath. Xiao Yi Xian stepped forward, purple light gathering between her fingers.
"I can melt them—bone reacts to corros—"
"Hold."
Su Chen didn't raise his voice. He didn't pull a weapon. Didn't flex his wings. He simply stepped ahead and opened a floating book—its cover bound by spectral chains.
The Book of the Undead.
The air changed instantly. Cold. Heavy. Wrong.
"System," he whispered. "Activate Lich Bloodline."
A pulse of energy rippled out.
Su Chen's skin paled. His eyes burned with an emerald flame. The pressure rolling off him wasn't human—every breath felt like it carried frost from a burial pit.
Xiao Yi Xian stepped back instinctively.
Shizuka grabbed Saeko's sleeve.
Even Saeko's smile flickered.
Across the bridge, the skeleton army hesitated.
Su Chen looked at them. Not impressed. Not threatened.
"Kneel."
He didn't shout. He simply let the command roll out with spirit energy.
A shockwave swept the bridge.
The first rows froze. Their soul flames trembled violently. The Captains resisted, shrieking commands.
Su Chen didn't blink.
"I said…"
His eyes flared brighter.
The Book opened itself to a blank page.
"Kneel."
Black chains erupted from the book, threading through the Captains' skulls like smoke turned solid. Their blue flames turned green. Their bodies dropped to one knee—facing Su Chen.
Five thousand skeletons followed like falling dominoes.
CLACK—THUNDER.
Ye Qingyu's mouth fell open.
"He just… made a dungeon kneel."
Saeko muttered, disappointed, "I wanted at least three swings."
Su Chen only said, calm, "These are the doormats. The king's inside."
The team followed him through the kneeling army, bone eyes silently tracking them.
---
The Throne Keep
The city was silent except for distant rattling bones. Every building was carved bone and obsidian, lit by unnatural blue fire. The oppressive air pressed on their lungs.
They reached the central keep—black iron doors marked with death runes.
BOOM.
The doors exploded outward.
A knight in pitch-black plate armor rode out on a skeletal horse wreathed in blazing sapphire fire.
[Boss: Death Knight Lord (Lv. 18)]
[Mount: Nightmare Warhorse (Rare)]
The knight's voice echoed hollowly, "A Lich? No… a counterfeit. Imposter of death."
"And you," Su Chen said, "smell like drops."
The horse screamed like a dying banshee.
"Saeko—Knight. I'll handle the horse."
"Gladly."
The Death Knight charged, a streak of black steel.
Saeko moved like water, sliding under the charge. Metal sparked. Ye Qingyu snapped an Ice Wall into existence, slowing the Knight's blade long enough for Saeko to evade.
Su Chen ignored them.
His focus was on the Nightmare.
The horse lashed out with burning hooves.
Su Chen took the hit square in the chest. Iron Skin + 25 Strength held firm.
"Good kick," he murmured. "But you're mine."
He slammed his palm to its skull.
[Copyable Attributes Detected:]
• Hellfire Mane
• Shadow Step
• Undead Stamina
"Copy All."
Power flooded through him—shadow-light surging beneath his skin.
But he wasn't done.
He wanted the horse, not just its abilities.
He pressed the Book of the Undead to its skull.
"Submission."
The Nightmare shrieked, flames rising.
Su Chen leaned in, whispering—
"Serve me, and you evolve. Serve him, and you stay bones."
The horse trembled. Looked at the Knight—struggling against Saeko and Ye Qingyu.
It looked back at Su Chen.
Its flames turned green.
It lowered its head.
[Pet Acquired: Nightmare Warhorse (Lv. 15)]
"Good boy."
Su Chen swung onto the saddle like he belonged there.
"Saeko! Back!"
Saeko jumped away just in time.
The Death Knight staggered, confused rage spilling out. "Traitor! TREACHERY!"
Su Chen raised his blade.
"Obsidian—go."
The Nightmare vanished into shadows.
They reappeared behind the Knight.
Su Chen whispered—
"Water Breathing. Tenth Form. Darkness Variant."
A dragon of black water and green fire roared from his sword.
One clean slash.
The Knight's head spiraled upward and fell.
[Boss Defeated]
[Dungeon Core Obtained: Necropolis]
The corpse hit the ground with a metallic crash.
Su Chen lifted the purple core. His team stared at him—mounted on a burning undead warhorse, surrounded by a kneeling army, holding the literal heart of a dungeon.
Shizuka whispered, "He… he stole his pony."
"It's a warhorse," Su Chen corrected. "And his name is Obsidian."
He looked at the Dungeon Core.
"Saya is going to lose her mind when I tell her we're installing a dungeon into the truck."