Chapter 407: Useless Sword
The group moved cautiously through the dungeon’s entrance corridor, their footsteps echoing off the damp stone walls. Azrynn’s silver lantern floated ahead, casting long, dancing shadows across the ancient carvings that lined the passage.
Isolde’s voice cut through the silence, calm and measured as she walked beside Adam.
"This dungeon is known to have at least three confirmed floors. The records from the old adventurer guilds mention them clearly. However..." She paused, her pale blue eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "There are rumors of deeper levels—floors that have never been fully explored or mapped. No one who ventured beyond the third floor has ever returned to confirm what lies beneath."
Azrynn’s yellow eyes flickered with curiosity, her voice carrying a note of cautious intrigue.
"So there might still be secrets hidden in this dungeon?"
Ignis’s flames flickered with eager excitement, her golden eyes gleaming in the lantern light.
"Ooh! I love surprises! Maybe there’s a hidden treasure room or a secret boss monster!"
Alice’s ears twitched, her tail swaying with mild skepticism.
"Or it could just be more monsters and rubble. Don’t get your hopes up too high, Ignis."
Lilith’s voice drifted from behind, smooth and amused, her crimson eyes gleaming with quiet anticipation.
"Hope is what makes the journey interesting, Alice. Without it, we would simply be walking through a dark, damp tunnel with nothing to look forward to."
Alice shot her a flat look, her tail lashing once.
"That’s exactly what we’re doing."
Adam’s Apex Instinct picked up movement in the darkness ahead.
"Trouble’s coming."
From the shadows, a creature emerged.
It was wolf-like, but larger than any natural wolf, its body covered in thick, matted fur that seemed to absorb the light around it. Massive wings sprouted from its back, leathery and dark, and its jaws were lined with rows of razor-sharp teeth that glistened with a faint, hungry sheen. Its eyes burned with a dull, predatory glow as it fixed its gaze on the group.
[Winged Direwolf – Lv. 58]
[A corrupted wolf creature mutated by the dungeon’s ambient mana. Its wings grant it aerial mobility, and its claws are coated with a mild paralytic venom. Hunts in packs. Vulnerable to fire and light-based attacks.]
Adam’s eyes narrowed as the system notification scrolled across his vision. His voice carried a note of dry amusement.
"Aerial predator with a nasty bite. Looks like it’s been fed well."
Ignis’s flames flared with excitement, her golden eyes blazing.
"I’ll burn it!"
She lunged forward, her fist already wreathed in golden fire. The Winged Direwolf snarled, its wings snapping open as it leaped to meet her.
CLANG!
Ignis’s fist connected with the creature’s jaw, sending it skidding back across the stone floor. It shook its head, snarling, and lunged again—faster this time, its claws extended, venom dripping from their tips.
Azrynn’s bowstring sang. "[Moonlight’s Arrow]!"
The silver arrow streaked through the air, striking the creature’s wing and pinning it to the stone wall. The wolf howled, thrashing, its wings beating frantically as it tried to free itself.
Alice’s form dissolved into shadow, reappearing directly beside the pinned creature. Her claws extended, dark violet energy flaring along their edges, and she drove them deep into its throat.
"[Shadow’s Caress]!"
The creature convulsed once, then went still.
Ignis’s flames flickered with disappointment as she lowered her fist.
"Aw... I was going to burn it."
Alice’s tail swayed lazily, her voice carrying a note of flat amusement.
"Too slow."
[Winged Direwolf (Lv. 50) Defeated!]
[+30 EXP | +40 EP]
Adam stepped forward, his crimson eyes fixed on the corridor ahead. His voice carried a note of quiet focus.
"There will be more. Let’s keep moving."
Lilith’s voice drifted through the dim corridor, smooth and thoughtful, her crimson eyes scanning the darkness ahead.
"Isolde. Do you recall anything about the monsters on these three floors?"
Isolde shook her head slowly, her pale blue eyes narrowing as she searched her memory.
"I don’t remember the details. It’s been too long since I read about this dungeon."
Lilith let out a soft, measured hum, her silver threads stirring faintly around her fingers.
"Hmm~ Then we have no choice but to move forward and see for ourselves."
Ignis’s flames flared with eager confidence, her golden eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Don’t worry! I’ll burn them all to ashes! Nothing’s going to stop us!"
And so they pushed deeper into the dungeon.
The corridors twisted and turned, branching into wide chambers filled with crumbling pillars and ancient, faded murals. Monsters emerged from the shadows—Gorgons with serpentine hair and stone-gray skin, their hissing voices echoing through the halls. Imps darted between the pillars, their claws gleaming with a faint, poisonous sheen.
The group cut through them with practiced efficiency. Azrynn’s arrows flew true, pinning imps to the walls before they could scatter. Lilith’s threads wrapped around the gorgons, holding them in place as Isolde’s blood blades carved through their stony flesh. Ignis’s flames roared, consuming everything in their path.
[Gorgon (Lv. 52) Defeated!]
[+55 EXP | +15 EP]
....
[Imp (Lv. 45) Defeated!]
[+25 EXP | +10 EP]
.....
The notifications scrolled across Adam’s vision as they carved a path through the dungeon’s first floor, the numbers accumulating but not enough to push him to the next level.
Finally, they reached a massive stone door. The group exchanged glances, then pushed the door open.
The chamber beyond was vast, its ceiling lost in shadow. In the center stood a massive wolf, larger than any they had encountered so far. Its fur was black as midnight, its body covered in coarse, matted hair, and a pair of leathery wings folded against its back. Four arms extended from its torso, each one tipped with razor-sharp claws.
[Wardog Alpha – Lv. 58]
[A mutated alpha wolf from the deepest pits of Dreamgrave Dungeon. Its four arms grant it devastating melee capabilities, and its wings allow it to strike from the air. Its hide is thick and resistant to physical damage, but vulnerable to fire.]
Adam’s lips curved into a sharp grin as he studied the boss. His voice carried a note of lazy command.
"Ignis. This one’s yours."
Ignis’s flames roared to life, her golden eyes blazing with excitement as she stepped forward.
"YES!!!!"
She lunged forward, her fist already wreathed in golden fire. The Wardog Alpha snarled, its four arms sweeping toward her in a devastating arc.
Ignis met the attack head-on. "[Solar Impact]!"
Her fist connected with the creature’s chest, sending shockwaves rippling through its massive frame. The Alpha stumbled back, its claws scraping against the stone floor as it struggled to regain its footing.
Ignis pressed the advantage, her flames roaring as she launched herself into the air, spinning into a devastating drop-kick that slammed into the creature’s jaw. The Alpha’s head snapped back, a pained growl escaping its throat.
Lilith watched from the edge of the chamber, her crimson eyes gleaming with amusement. Her voice carried a light, teasing note as she observed the scene.
"She’s certainly enjoying herself."
Ignis’s flames blazed brighter, her laughter echoing through the chamber as she landed a flurry of blows on the Alpha’s flank.
"You’re not so tough! I’ve fought scarier things in my sleep!"
The Alpha’s wings snapped open, and it launched itself into the air. Ignis’s eyes tracked its movement, her grin widening. She leaped to meet it—her body a comet of flame, her fist already cocked back.
"[Solar Nova]!"
A massive sphere of concentrated solar fire exploded from her palm, engulfing the Alpha in a blinding inferno. The creature screeched, thrashing as the flames consumed it.
It crashed to the ground, its body smoking, its movements sluggish and pained.
Ignis landed beside it, her breathing steady, her flames dimming as she surveyed the smoldering remains of the dungeon boss.
"Too easy. Come on, where’s the real challenge?"
Adam’s voice drifted over, calm and approving. "Good work, Ignis. That was clean."
[Wardog Alpha (Lv. 58) Defeated!]
[+112 EXP | +150 EP]
Alice’s dark violet eyes scanned the chamber, her ears twitching as she studied the shadows.
"Boss is dead. Where’s the reward?"
Her gaze drifted to the far end of the chamber, where a chest sat on a raised stone pedestal. Its surface was intricately carved with symbols that seemed to shift and writhe as she watched.
Alice’s tail swayed with eager anticipation as she approached the chest.
"There it is. Let’s see if this dungeon has anything worth taking."
Alice knelt beside the ornate chest, her claws tracing the intricate carvings before she flipped the lid open with a sharp, impatient motion. Her ears flattened as she stared at the contents.
"Geh! What is this? Just a useless sword?"
Adam stepped forward, his crimson eyes scanning the blade with mild interest. The system’s analysis flickered across his vision.
[Rusted Blade of the Fallen – Rare]
[A sword recovered from the Dreamgrave Dungeon’s first floor. Its edge is dull, but it carries a faint enchantment that grants minor resistance to shadow magic.]
Adam’s lips curved into a faint, dismissive smile. "Not the best, but it’s still a rare-grade item. Could be useful later. Keep it."
Alice’s tail lashed with irritation as she shoved the blade into her Void Locker.
Isolde’s voice drifted over, calm and measured, her pale blue eyes fixed on the descending staircase ahead.
"This is only the first floor. The quality of the loot will improve as we go deeper. Don’t expect legendary artifacts this early."
Azrynn’s yellow eyes gleamed as she knelt beside the fallen Alpha’s corpse. Her blade moved with practiced precision, carving into the creature’s chest. She worked quickly, her hands steady, and within moments she had extracted a small core.
She rose, crossing to Adam and holding it out to him.
"Here."
Adam examined the core, his fingers wrapping around its smooth surface. A familiar chime echoed in his mind as the system analyzed the object.
[Wardog Alpha Core – Rare]
Adam’s lips curved into a satisfied grin. "Good work, Azrynn. Let’s keep moving."
He pocketed the core and turned toward the staircase that descended into the darkness below.