I felt a familiar surge of power.
[Berserker's Fury] exploded inside my body like a bomb going off. The world was flooded with red, and my thoughts dissolved into pure hunger and rage. Every muscle pulsed with energy — brutal, wild, insatiable. My movements became faster, heavier, deadlier.
The slaughter began.
The wild dungeon trembled. I could feel the fury of hundreds of catastrophe monsters.
I didn't think. I attacked. I was in an uncontrolled trance — yet somehow clearer, more tangible than the last time when I had butchered the servants of the half-ogre Hakku.
Low-level monsters burst out of the matter like maggots from a rotting corpse: winged abominations, multi-legged hybrids, grotesque beasts stitched together from several species at once. All of them died. Black blood splattered across the walls, the crack of bones echoed through the corridors. Some I tore apart with my jaws, others I crushed with my tail, and still others were caught by my second head — just as furious — hissing with savage satisfaction.
I devoured everything. The second head did too. Together we were like the three hundred Spartans holding back thousands of Persians — though the most important battle was unfolding behind our backs.
Blood — black and sticky — splashed across the pulsing dungeon matter. Drums thundered. From below, from the sides, from the ceiling. The rhythm of summoning tried to overwhelm us, drown us out, but Valeria and I were faster. I drove into the waves of monsters like a wedge, tearing them apart from within.
"Artax!" Her scream pierced the frenzy. "His summons are getting weaker! Hold on just a bit longer!"
I wasn't entirely sure whether I truly heard her… or if I was only imagining her voice. I felt unstoppable. Everything was happening so fast.
My bones no longer shattered under this legendary skill like they had during the battle by the river, and a shred of awareness stayed with me the entire time. Every slain monster was bliss. Every devoured one — euphoria. My aura spilled outward, heavy and unstable, warping space itself. The dungeon matter reacted to me almost as if I were one of its own. Only rarely did it strike me or hinder my movement.
Valeria, meanwhile, fought not only the boss but the environment itself. The walls spat hot matter at her, the floor hindered her steps, and the warped mass struck again and again like lances and warhammers.
The scales of battle began to tip in our favor!
Kill!
Eat!
Crush!
It was incredible how much stronger I had become! Maybe for the first time in decades, I felt like someone… Even in this disgusting place.
The drums began to shatter one by one. With a powerful leap, I plunged straight into the center of the fight between the vampiress and the summoner. The four-armed monster stood there restlessly, like a conductor whose orchestra was losing its rhythm.
His aura was failing. He must have lost most of his [MP]. I saw him roar and rain blows upon Valeria, but to no effect. The tattoos on his face flared violet, his braids lashed against his chest as he hunched forward. I saw a mass of aura gather low — then a massive wall of dark-violet fire erupted straight toward me!
I thought it was over! That I was about to burn for good!
But Valeria concentrated her aura into her right leg and, twisting to the side, kicked the boss straight in the face mid-air! Like a kickboxing master!
The fire veered off course. A small portion grazed me, but [Iron Skin] protected me from serious damage. The rest of the flames slammed into the walls and the monsters scrambling in their path. Over twenty catastrophe monsters burned to ash.
His aura was powerful — dense, almost tangible. But it wasn't infinite. Instinctively, I knew he could be defeated despite his overwhelming level. He was like an isolated mage on the battlefield — able to slaughter hundreds from afar and turn the tide of war, yet vulnerable when faced by an assassin or a warrior up close.
I spat venom at him, forcing my second head to do the same. Valeria slashed him with her sword, teleported behind his back, and stabbed toward his heart. The boss howled as steel pierced him while he dodged our venom. A thin stream of black blood ran down his skin.
The effect of [Berserker's Fury] ended. It lasted only briefly, but long enough for a sea of slaughtered catastrophe monsters to spread behind me. The illusions dissipated, the few remaining monsters fled, and the rest were little more than annoying vermin.
"He's out of [MP]. We've got this," I muttered under my breath, pleased with myself. Valeria shared my enthusiasm and didn't relent.
She vanished into black mist.
She reappeared at his side, smiling.
Her sword cut through the air, leaving a trail of dark aura. The strike sank deep into the monster's shoulder, yet he didn't fall — he roared and struck the drum on his chest. Small beasts burst from the ground, lunging at her like war dogs.
They never even touched the ground.
A black, aura-filled mist exploded around her like a detonation. Her monsters — those summoned earlier, before we entered the depths of the dungeon — fell upon the swarm, tearing them apart mercilessly. Valeria's blade spun, slashed, returned. Every movement was precise, as if honed through hundreds of fencing lessons and even more duels.
I, still riding an adrenaline high, charged as well.
Then the exhaustion hit — sudden and brutal, like icy water. The skill from the last of the Behemoths faded completely, taking that false omnipotence with it. My muscles burned, my lungs gulped air greedily, and the aura around me grew heavy and sluggish.
I leapt, trying to sink my teeth into his side — and that's when it happened.
The four-armed monster turned faster than I expected. One of his massive fists slammed straight into my chest.
I nearly vomited. I couldn't breathe.
It felt like being hit by Rocky Balboa at his peak — no gloves, no mercy. The air blasted out of me with a boom, bones screamed, and I flew backward like a rag doll. I crashed into the dungeon matter wall, which pulsed and absorbed part of the impact, but I still slid down to the ground.
Terrifying brute. Incredible how strong this vampiress is — she's been fighting him this long and winning!
I couldn't get up. Every breath was a battle. My second head howled in pain. I tried to rise, but my body refused.
A mage-type!? To hell with this — what kind of power does a high-level catastrophe monster have when built for close combat!?
Good thing there were two of us…
Valeria closed the distance again with graceful motion.
She didn't shout. She didn't cast spells. She didn't dramatize.
Her sword cut through the air, and the first arm of the four-armed monster fell at the elbow, spinning through the air, spraying black blood. The monster howled and tried to turn, swung — but the second arm was severed moments later with a clean, brutal cut.
The drums on his chest crumbled completely. They fell silent.
His knees buckled, as if all his strength had suddenly been taken away. He collapsed heavily to the ground, his aura flickering and tearing like a damaged net.
I lay on the ground, half-conscious, watching as Valeria approached slowly.
She grabbed him by the hair and lifted his head.
"You made one mistake, little monster," she said with contempt, baring her teeth — her fangs just a bit longer. She bit into his neck, drank his blood, then punched him until he lost consciousness. She kicked his prone body until the sound of his skull being crushed beneath her boot sent shivers down my spine. She spat on his corpse and snarled irritably, "Only I get to bully my friend! Got it!? You brainless freak! Tch!"
At that very moment, the wild dungeon went mad.
The walls began to crack, matter exploding in waves, aura decaying like rotting flesh. Corridors collapsed, ceilings split, and the monsters still alive dissolved into violet dust.
"We should get moving," she said, lifting me onto my feet, patting my neck and smiling. She cast a suggestive glance at the corpse. "You're not going to let such good meat go to waste, are you?"
It didn't take me long. I nodded and got to work, tearing and biting with all my strength, though the meat was tough. Valeria helped, scorching the dead boss with dark flames and cutting his body into smaller pieces with her sword.
"C-rank boss! Who would've thought we'd pull it off! Good thing I brought you along, Artax. You bring me incredible luck! By the river, in the stronghold, now in the wild dungeon. You're the best!" she praised me, smiling.
She clearly knew how wild dungeons worked. She didn't panic — waited until I finished — then we both ran toward the exit.
There was no labyrinth anymore. The dungeon was dying. Paths opened chaotically, as if it wanted to spit us out. One last leap, one last tunnel — and light.
We burst outside.
Noon greeted us, the sun hanging high in the sky.
Victory! I hadn't felt this good since I got my high school diploma and could finally leave that filthy crowd behind! Phew!
Dew still glistened on the grass, birds burst from the trees. I stared at the sky, dazed. Some goblins cheered, others couldn't believe their eyes, seeing me so changed — and both of us nearly covered in filthy dungeon matter and the black blood of hundreds of monsters.
"How much time passed?" I asked.
"A few hours at least. Time likes to bend and go crazy in wild dungeons."
Before I could say more, I heard a scream.
"They're alive! The Great Lizard has triumphed! The Vampire Lady has triumphed! The wild dungeon is closing! The boss is dead!"
The goblins erupted in euphoria. Shouts, weapons striking the ground, chanting Valeria's name… and mine. Someone dropped to their knees. Someone else cried.
Now they'd definitely believe my tales about being a messenger of Zod and the words of the ancient Behemoths… Terrifying to imagine what they'd come up with next.
I sat heavily on the ground, breathing slowly. Then I felt it clearly — the remnants of the boss's aura I had absorbed earlier. Something inside me was aligning, settling.
I looked — and saw something incredible.
I had gained a new passive skill:
[Catastrophe Summoning Enhancement]
I read the description and froze.
[Enhances all Catastrophe-type summons, increasing their stability, basic attributes, and responsiveness to the summoner's will]
And on top of that — level [29]. I slightly regretted not pushing it one level higher, but maybe that was for the best. I wouldn't want Valeria to have to deal with me transforming during the collapse of a wild dungeon. That time would come.
For now, my attention shifted to summoning itself. Could I become a summoner too, like that high-level boss!?
That would be one hell of an ability! I could already imagine the endless food farming and the fun that would come with it. The only problem was — I had absolutely no idea how to start.
I looked at Valeria. She stood proudly upright.
"These summons…" I began slowly. "How does it actually work? Not yours. Those… catastrophic ones. Did the dungeon create them? Did the boss control them? Do you know how it works?"
She raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
"You know, I've always been terrible at summoning. Even now, I can only summon weak monsters and not much else. I know vampires weaker than me, my age, who can summon genuine B-rank beasts!"
It was strange how her own weakness amused her. Either she was teasing me — or she truly had distance from it. Still, I wouldn't dare call her shadow monsters weak.
"You're joking, right? I've seen your summons — they're strong!"
"Don't exaggerate. You haven't seen what the best summoners can do! Besides, it's incredibly complicated — depends on terrain, the type of summon, the summoner, and a hundred other things! Try it yourself — maybe you'll pull it off!"
She brushed the slime from her dress and waited as I stood up, fully focused. I noticed I still had 16 [MP] left.
"Look ahead. Shape your aura into the creature you want to summon. Visualize it. Breathe slowly and pour your mana into it. Color your aura with imagination — let fantasy guide you. That's the simplest way."
I did as she said. I imagined the least bizarre catastrophe monster I could, dressed it in black and violet in my mind, nearly fainted pumping all my [MP] into my creation. I felt something vague taking shape before me — something strange…
Valeria burst out laughing. The goblins started shooting arrows at it. I wanted to grab my forehead.
I had created a slimy catastrophe snail with a pitiful aura — unstable, small, shell-less. It lived for a moment… and then died.
"Bravo! My first time, I got into a fight with my teacher — it went that badly!"
No one said it would be easy. I took a deep breath.
This was my first summoning.