Hollow Dungeon – Second Floor
The moment Lucian stepped onto the second floor, the shift was immediate.
The heat.
The smell.
The air wasn't cold anymore—it burned. Like every breath clawed down his throat. The stone under his boots sizzled faintly, etched with runes that glowed red, then dimmed like they were breathing. The torches on the walls weren't blue here. They were blood-orange. Hot. Angry.
Lucian narrowed his eyes.
"Fire zone. Aggression types."
A screen blinked.
Environment: Magma Spire Tunnels
Hostile Profile: Flamebound — Tier D – D+
Objective: Survive ambush waves, locate the core room, and slay the Flame Sentinel
Warning: High ambient mana compression. Spatial abilities affected. Fold Step delay increased.
Lucian's jaw tightened. "So you want me to bleed."
He walked forward.
Not even ten steps in, the walls erupted.
Six creatures burst from the molten cracks—slender, ember-skinned beasts with claws like obsidian hooks. Their faces were just masks of ash, but their eyes burned.
They charged.
Lucian's fingers sparked. "Cael."
[Chrono Sense] active
[Fold Step] ready — delay +0.3s due to mana density
He blinked to the left—barely fast enough.
One hook scraped his shoulder. Another slashed toward his face.
Lucian ducked—kicked off the floor, spun mid-air, and threw out his palm.
[Spatial Lock] — Cone Mode.
A burst of warped pressure shot out in a 30-degree cone, distorting the path of three enemies.
They stumbled.
Lucian didn't wait.
He leapt—stabbed his blade into the neck of the first. Fold Step to the next. Slash. Fold again. Elbow into the last's gut.
They screamed. Exploded into cinders.
The remaining two lunged from opposite sides.
[Temporal Slow] — Split Cast.
Two bubbles appeared—small, but perfectly timed.
Both creatures froze mid-pounce.
Lucian ran through them. No fear.
Slice. Slice.
"Done."
They turned to dust.
He exhaled. The heat made sweat drip down his jaw. But the look in his eyes didn't change.
Only sharpened.
He pressed on.
Mid-Tunnel – 9 Minutes Later
Lucian ducked into a narrow path—then stopped.
Something was wrong.
Too quiet.
No fire crackle. No breathing. Even the torches dimmed slightly.
He stepped once—and the stone under his boot clicked.
"Trap."
The wall to his left exploded.
A massive creature slammed into him, sending him flying across the hall and through a column. He rolled up, coughing, blood trickling from his lip.
"D-class? No. Higher."
The beast stepped out of the smoke. Ten feet tall. Skin made of molten rock. A face like a helmet forged in hell. Twin axes made of fused bone and flame.
Lucian wiped his mouth.
[Hostile Identified: Infernal Juggernaut – Tier D+ Elite]
The Juggernaut charged.
Lucian's eyes flared.
[Chrono Sense] – Full Focus.
Time snapped into frames.
He saw every step of the enemy's path. Every wind-up. Every break.
[Fold Step] — Triple Cast.
He vanished, reappeared on the Juggernaut's shoulder, and drove his blade into its neck.
Didn't work.
Too thick.
Lucian jumped off, spun mid-air, and summoned a sphere of space energy in his palm.
[Spatial Collapse] — Critical Point.
The sphere exploded—like gravity caved in.
Chunks of the Juggernaut's arm cracked. It roared and swung wildly.
Lucian ducked.
Then stood still.
Waited.
The Juggernaut raised its arms for a crushing slam.
Lucian whispered, "Fall."
[Spatial Lock — Vertical Inversion]
Once again, the monster flipped—slammed face-first into the ceiling.
Lucian dashed up the wall with a Fold Step jump—met the Juggernaut mid-fall—and this time, plunged his blade into the exposed throat.
CRACK.
The core split.
The body exploded in light and cinders.
Lucian landed hard—knees bent. A slow breath followed.
[Elite Kill Bonus Acquired]
[Fragment of Flame Core – Added to Inventory]
He smirked. "That one was worth it."
Final Chamber – Floor 2
The gate to the last room opened with a deep rumble.
Lucian stepped into an enormous forge.
Lava pits lined the floor. Chains hung from burning ceiling beams. And at the center stood a knight—ten feet tall—wrapped in red-gold armor. His eyes glowed behind a visor. His blade? A greatsword of burning glass.
[Mini-Boss: Flame Sentinel – Tier C-]
Lucian stood still.
Then cracked his neck.
"Alright, Cael."
[Ready when you are.]
"Let's show them what I can really do."
The Flame Sentinel raised its sword—and the room exploded into fire.
Lucian ran straight through the flames—mana shielding his body. The sword came down.
Lucian slid under it—stabbed at the leg—but the armor deflected it.
"Hard shell."
He jumped back. Dodged a horizontal slash that split stone.
[Temporal Slow] — Area Cast.
He darted inside the slowed world—landed six clean strikes to the back—before exiting the field.
The boss turned.
Too slow.
Lucian Fold Stepped onto a hanging chain, ran along it, flipped, and brought down a spatial blade toward the exposed gap in the neck.
Sparks flew.
The Sentinel staggered.
It swung back.
Lucian caught the hilt of the blade, redirected it using a spatial twist mid-air, and kicked off the chestplate.
[Chrono Sense — Prediction Thread: 2.5s]
He saw the follow-up before it came.
Lucian summoned two overlapping space walls.
The blade crashed—deflected.
He didn't stop.
Dashed under the knight—placed his hand on the floor.
[Spatial Lock: Core Compression Field]
A localized gravity seal formed beneath the boss—locking its movements. Limbs jerked. It growled—trapped for 3 seconds.
Lucian used all of it.
Climbed up the Sentinel's shoulder.
Drove both blades into the side of the helmet.
Then whispered:
"End it."
[Dimensional Claw – Fragment Activation]
A spectral claw of blue-purple energy ripped from his hand, sliced through space—and tore through the core inside the armor.
The Sentinel erupted into flames.
Lucian dropped to the floor, rolled, and stood.
The armor collapsed behind him. Silent. Empty.
Trial Notification blinked.
[Floor 2 Cleared – Rank: S+]
[New Reward: Dimensional Claw (Fragment) — Upgraded to Full Skill]
[Advance to Floor 3?]
Lucian didn't move.
Just stood there.
Breathing.
Covered in ash and mana light.
Then finally, he nodded.
"Let's go."