Chapter 6 – Dungeon Guardian
Silence filled the shopping mall.
The survivors stood frozen, their eyes locked on the figure at the end of the food court.
It was unlike any monster Azrael had seen.
The Abyssal Spawn were savage beasts driven by instinct.
This creature...
It stood perfectly still.
Its tattered black robe swayed without any wind, while six broken wings dragged across the polished floor, leaving trails of black feathers that dissolved into smoke.
Most unsettling of all was the cracked porcelain mask covering its face.
There were no eyes.
No mouth.
Yet everyone could feel it watching them.
The System sounded.
Dungeon Guardian Identified
Name: Fallen Arbiter
Rank: Elite
Level: 8
HP: 1,800 / 1,800
Description:
A corrupted angel tasked with judging those who enter forbidden dungeons.
Weakness: Unknown
Azrael frowned.
"Level Eight..."
Elena tightened her grip on her katana.
"It isn’t the level that’s dangerous."
"It’s an Elite."
"You’ve fought one before?"
She nodded slowly.
"I barely survived."
The Fallen Arbiter suddenly took a single step forward.
BOOM!
The tiled floor shattered beneath its foot.
The pressure alone sent several survivors crashing backward.
Children screamed.
The Guardian slowly raised one pale hand.
Black feathers gathered around its fingers before transforming into dozens of razor-sharp blades.
Without warning—
They shot across the food court.
"Everyone down!"
Elena dashed forward.
Her katana flashed.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
She deflected several blades, but too many slipped past her defense.
One blade struck a nearby pillar.
The concrete exploded instantly.
Another grazed Azrael’s shoulder.
Blood splashed onto the floor.
"Hmph..."
He stumbled backward.
The wound burned like fire.
The System reacted immediately.
Status Effect
Corruption
All attributes reduced by 10%.
Duration: 5 Minutes
"So even getting scratched is bad..."
Seraphina quickly reached him.
"Genesis Touch!"
Golden light flowed from her palms into his wound.
The black energy surrounding the cut slowly faded before disappearing completely.
Negative Status Removed
Mastery Increased.
Genesis Touch
1% → 3%
Azrael flexed his shoulder.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
The Fallen Arbiter watched silently.
Then...
For the first time...
It spoke.
"I sense..."
Its voice echoed unnaturally throughout the mall.
"...the scent of forbidden authority."
Azrael and Seraphina stiffened.
The creature slowly turned toward them.
"You..."
Its broken wings unfolded.
"...should not exist."
The Guardian vanished.
"So fast!"
Azrael barely had time to raise his sword.
CLANG!
The impact sent him sliding across the floor.
His arms trembled.
It was unbelievably strong.
The Guardian didn’t stop.
It attacked again.
Its movements were smooth.
Elegant.
Every strike resembled a practiced swordsman rather than a monster.
Azrael found himself retreating with every exchange.
"I’m losing..."
Elena suddenly appeared beside him.
"I’ll distract it."
"You look for an opening."
Before he could reply—
She charged.
Her katana erupted with blue light.
"Flash Step!"
In an instant, she appeared behind the Guardian.
Her blade slashed toward its neck.
The Guardian simply raised one finger.
Clang!
The katana stopped.
Blocked by a single finger.
Elena’s eyes widened.
"No way..."
The Guardian counterattacked.
Its palm struck her stomach.
BOOM!
She crashed through three storefronts before finally stopping.
Blood stained the corner of her mouth.
"Elena!"
Azrael’s expression darkened.
The Guardian slowly looked at him.
"You are weak."
"But..."
"...your authority is dangerous."
It extended its hand.
Black chains burst from the floor.
Azrael jumped backward.
The chains chased him like living snakes, smashing through walls and pillars.
"I can’t keep dodging forever."
His eyes landed on the ceiling.
The mall was decorated with enormous glass skylights.
An idea formed.
"Seraphina!"
"I know!"
She understood immediately.
Golden vines burst from beneath the floor, wrapping around the Guardian’s legs.
The creature effortlessly sliced through them.
But that brief moment...
Was enough.
Azrael sprinted toward a nearby escalator.
The chains followed.
He leaped onto the second floor.
The Guardian pursued without hesitation.
Just as it reached the center of the atrium—
"Now!"
Seraphina placed both hands on one of the supporting columns.
"Genesis Growth!"
The decorative vines wrapped around the column suddenly expanded into enormous roots.
The already damaged support cracked.
The entire glass skylight above the Guardian collapsed.
Thousands of kilograms of steel and reinforced glass rained downward.
The Guardian looked up.
For the first time...
It raised both arms defensively.
CRASH!!
The ceiling buried it beneath the rubble.
Dust filled the entire mall.
Everyone stared.
"Did..."
"We win?"
The silence lasted only a few seconds.
Then...
The debris exploded outward.
The Guardian emerged.
Its robe was torn.
Its mask had developed another crack.
Its health bar appeared above its head.
HP
1,800
↓
1,250
"It actually took damage!"
Azrael smiled.
"So that’s how we beat it."
Not through strength.
Through teamwork.
The Guardian touched the crack on its mask.
Its voice became colder.
"...Judgment..."
"...is inevitable."
The black feathers surrounding its body multiplied.
Hundreds.
Then thousands.
The System suddenly flashed.
Boss Skill Activated
Feather Execution
Danger Level: High
Every feather pointed toward the survivors.
Azrael’s heart sank.
"There are too many!"
The Guardian waved its hand.
The feathers shot forward like a storm.
Before anyone could react—
A brilliant golden barrier surrounded the survivors.
The feathers struck the barrier one after another.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The impacts echoed continuously.
Azrael turned.
Seraphina stood behind them, both hands extended.
Blood slowly dripped from the corner of her lips.
"Seraphina!"
"I’m okay..."
She smiled weakly.
"...just finish it."
Cracks rapidly spread across the golden barrier.
It wouldn’t last much longer.
Azrael clenched his sword.
The System suddenly chimed.
Hidden Condition Achieved
Host has demonstrated absolute intent to protect.
Authority Resonance Activated
Synchronization:
1%
↓
3%
Dark energy erupted around his body.
His black sword trembled violently.
Ancient runes illuminated its blade.
A new notification appeared.
Skill Evolution Available
Oblivion Edge
↓
Oblivion Crescent
Accept?
Azrael didn’t hesitate.
"Accept."
The black blade dissolved into pure darkness before reforming into a longer, sharper weapon.
Power flooded through his body.
He could feel every movement of the Guardian.
Every opening.
Every weakness.
The barrier shattered.
The storm of feathers rushed toward them.
Azrael stepped forward.
Everything seemed to slow.
He took one deep breath.
Then swung.
"Oblivion..."
A massive crescent of black energy burst from the sword.
"...Crescent!"
The attack devoured every feather in its path.
Nothing exploded.
Nothing shattered.
Everything simply...
Ceased to exist.
The black crescent reached the Guardian in an instant.
For the first time...
The creature attempted to dodge.
Too late.
The attack sliced across its chest.
A deep black wound appeared from shoulder to waist.
The Guardian froze.
Its cracked mask slowly split into two pieces before falling onto the floor.
For a brief moment, the face beneath became visible.
It wasn’t a monster.
It was an angel.
A young angel with sorrowful silver eyes.
It looked at Azrael and Seraphina before giving them a faint smile.
"...The... cycle..."
"...begins..."
Its body dissolved into countless white feathers that drifted through the mall like snow.
The System rang repeatedly.
Elite Monster Defeated!
+500 Evolution Points
+50 Authority Experience
+1 Fallen Halo Fragment
+1 Elite Equipment Chest
+Dungeon Cleared
The crimson countdown above the city flickered once before changing.
Remaining Time Until Integration
23:12:44
Below it, a new line of text appeared.
Global Announcement
Congratulations!
The First Dungeon has been cleared.
Rewarding all participants...
Azrael and Seraphina exchanged surprised glances.
Before they could ask what the reward was, dozens of new blue windows appeared simultaneously before every awakened human in the world.
The era of individual survival was over.
The era of evolution had truly begun.