The town plaza was still bustling by the time Raen and his core team met again, logging in together after dinner.
A wave of game warmth settled over him as the interface reconnected, the familiar weight of his sword resting once more at his back.
Kaito looked around — everyone else had logged in before him and was already gathered by the edge of the plaza.
"You all good?" he asked, approaching.
Aika stretched. "Yeah, ready."
"Let's go," Kaito said simply.
With that, the six of them set off. The eastern trail leading to the dungeon was already buzzing with players — some returning, others just arriving. Guild banners waved along the stone-paved clearing where recruiters shouted over each other to lure in party members.
As they neared the dungeon pedestal, a flicker of movement caught Kaito's eye.
In the crowd, not far from the registration crystal, a certain figure leaned against a banner post — tall, armored, visor down, the emblem of Everhold Dominion emblazoned across his shoulder.
Beside him, someone muttered, "Boss Rhine… he's here."
Kaito didn't look back.
Instead, he stepped forward and tapped the interface.
[Team Registered: Genesis Team]
Please select dungeon difficulty: [Normal] [Elite] [Hard] [Horror] [Nightmare] [King]
[Dungeon Difficulty Selected: King]
The gate shimmered — its gentle blue glow instantly shifting into a dark crimson. Jagged runes lit up around the frame, the air turning heavier with ambient magic.
Meanwhile, the members all received a notification.
[System Notification – Echoing Deep: King Mode Selected]
You have chosen to enter Echoing Deep at King-level difficulty.
Warning: Death Penalty Increased by 100% — Upon death, item loss and durability decay are doubled. Proceed with extreme caution.
"King?!" Kaede gasped.
Daichi gave a dry chuckle. "Cousin… you sure you didn't press the wrong button?"
Kaito just smirked. "You'll be fine. Stick to the plan."
A soft chime echoed, and a system prompt appeared before Kaito's eyes.
[System Prompt]
Entry Fee for Echoing Deep (King Difficulty): 10 Gold
Please confirm payment to proceed.
Without hesitation, Kaito opened his coin pouch and tapped the interface.
[10 Gold deducted from inventory.]
The portal pulsed with acknowledgment, its glow intensifying into a deep crimson spiral.
Kaito said calmly. "Let's move."
And with that, the six of them stepped into the burning mist—toward legend.
The moment they emerged, silence fell.
They stood on a stone bridge arching over slow-flowing magma. Black cliffs loomed to either side, and small vents of sulphur hissed from beneath jagged cracks.
This was no place for beginners.
"Stay sharp," Kaito warned. "No normal mobs. Everything's elite. Follow orders. No freelancing."
He was not worried for nothing,
Unlike ordinary games, dungeons in Glory were vast, labyrinthine worlds in their own right. Echoing Deep was no exception—it spanned multiple zones, layered corridors, and twisting caverns. With no in-game maps and minimal guidance, players who took a wrong turn could wander aimlessly for hours, sometimes never even encountering the boss. Darkness, dead ends, and hidden traps made navigating a nightmare.
Guilds had once deployed hundreds of players just to scout its paths, sacrificing lives over and over again just to carve out a reliable route. It had taken weeks of real-time exploration to chart even a partial map of Echoing Deep.
But for Kaito—a rebirther—there was no hesitation. He already knew the correct passage. Among the dozen misleading branches and trap-laden detours, only two routes led directly to the final chamber, and he guided his team with unerring precision through the shadows.
As they moved forward under kaito's guidance, They heard growls,
After The first growls came from above.
A trio of four-legged beasts dropped down from the cliffs — armored hide glowing with cracks of inner fire, claws gleaming like obsidian knives.
[Lv.12 – Emberclad Ravager – Elite]
"Don't act on impulse. Listen to my commands." Kaito loudly shouted.
"Hiroto, up front!"
[Skill – Basic Shield Taunt]
"Mei Rin, take the right side. Suzune, set your trap in the middle. Kaede, stay near Aika and cover her."
Kaito's voice was calm, but every word carried weight. This was no ordinary fight. They had just stepped into a King-level dungeon, and already, the ground was shaking beneath them.
From the shadows, three Emberclad Ravagers emerged—massive beasts with thick armored hide, glowing red eyes, and jaws powerful enough to crush bone.
"Everyone, hold your ground!" Kaito ordered. "These things are strong, but we can take them down if we don't mess up."
The lead Ravager rushed forward.
"Hiroto, get ready! Block it, but don't try to stop it head-on—let it slide past you!"
"Also, remember—you're not stuck in one spot like in other games. This isn't a turn-based system. You can move, dodge, roll—use your body. Blocking is good, but if you see the hit coming, avoid it altogether. That's what makes Glory different."
There was a pause, then Hiroto gave a short grunt of acknowledgment, adjusting his stance.
He stepped forward just in time. The beast slammed into his shield, and Hiroto twisted his body, letting the Ravager slide slightly off balance.
"Mei Rin, aim for its back leg! Slow it down!"
Two arrows flew and struck exactly where Kaito had asked. The Ravager stumbled, snarling.
"Suzune, trigger your trap—now!"
A line of fire burst from the ground. The second Ravager, charging blindly, ran right into it and got stunned by the blast.
"Kaede, hit the stunned one with a fireball!"
Kaede raised his hand and launched a bright orb of flame that exploded on impact, lighting up the cave.
"Aika, slow it down—use Bind!"
Aika raised her staff, and a glowing circle of holy symbols formed beneath the beast. Radiant chains of light burst upward, wrapping around its limbs, halting its charge. The Ravager thrashed and growled, but the divine restraint held firm.
Kaito's eyes scanned the third Ravager—it had stayed back, waiting for an opening.
Smart one, he thought. But I'm faster.
"I'll take the last one. Everyone else, focus on the two up front!"
Kaito ran forward. His sword glowed faintly as he jumped and slashed downward into the third Ravager's shoulder. It turned on him with a roar.
"It's chasing me now! Suzune, place a trap right behind me. I'll bring it over!"
Suzune quickly dropped another trap on the ground.
Kaito ran past it, then spun just as the Ravager crossed the spot. The trap exploded, stunning the creature.
"Aika, stun it—use Shock!"
Aika thrust her staff forward, and a burst of blinding holy light shot from the tip, slamming into the Ravager's face. The beast reeled back, dazed by the flash, its body twitching under the divine force.
"Kaede, now! Lightning!"
Kaede's magic struck from the side, adding to the damage.
Kaito didn't stop.
He dashed forward again, his sword glowing with fire, and slashed through the beast's chest. The monster collapsed to the ground.
All three were down.
The room went quiet except for their breathing.
[Emberclad Ravager (Elite) Defeated]
[Experience Gained: +210]
Kaede slumped down onto a stone. "That was intense."
Aika grinned. "But we did it!"
Kaito sheathed his blade and looked down the dark corridor ahead.
"Three elite mobs… taken down cleanly with nothing but basic-level skills." A faint smirk tugged at his lips. "Either I'm too good at this… or my leadership is carrying harder than I thought."
He wouldn't say it aloud, of course.
Loot Acquired – Emberclad Ravagers
[Skill Tome] Knight Technique – Iron Fortress Stance
Profession Restriction: Knight Only
Required Level: 10
Description: Increases physical defense by 15% and grants stagger resistance for 8 seconds. Cooldown: 45 seconds.
[Weapon Drop] Silver-Rank Shield – "Molten Guard"
Profession Restriction: Knight Only
Required Level: 10
Stats:+25 Defense+10% Block RatePassive Effect: Reduces Fire Damage by 5%
Bound on Pickup[Material] Ember-Coated Scale ×2
Used in crafting fire-resistant armor.[Currency] 2 Gold, 80 Silver]
Everyone stared at the loot scattered across the ground, blinking as the system notifications rolled in one after another.
"Did... did a skill scroll actually just drop?" Kaede asked, eyes wide with disbelief.
"It's real," Mei Rin said, kneeling down to pick it up. "An actual skill scroll—from a single elite wave…"
Aika pointed at one of the shimmering items. "Is that... a silver-tier weapon?"
"And gold coins too?" Suzune added, her voice half a whisper. "I've never even seen gold until now…"
Even Hiroto, steady as ever, couldn't hide his surprise. "This isn't normal. Not at all."
Daichi gave a stunned laugh. "If this is what one elite group drops... what happens when we clear the rest of the dungeon?"
Kaito didn't respond right away. His gaze swept over the loot calmly. He already knew this was coming.
"King difficulty punishes mistakes," he finally said, "but if you survive... it pays you back for every step."
The others exchanged glances.
Without much ceremony, Kaito picked up the scroll and the gleaming shield that lay beside it. The shield was heavy and imposing, forged in deep crimson with molten gold veins pulsing faintly through its surface. [Molten Guard – Silver Rank Shield] — a rare drop even in high-tier dungeons.
He turned to Hiroto and handed it over.
"Take this," Kaito said plainly. "It's yours."
Hiroto stared, stunned. "Me? This thing's... Silver Rank."
"You're our shield. You should have the best one available," Kaito said. "That's how we survive."
The others blinked in disbelief.
"A Silver-Rank shield... already?" Kaede muttered. "That's not fair."
Suzune gave a half-smile. "Kaito didn't even hesitate. Guess being the tank has its perks."
"Maybe I should change to a shield class," Aika teased. "Is it too late?"
Mei Rin chuckled quietly. "He deserves it. He took the first hit head-on."
Hiroto was still turning the shield over in his hands, almost reverently. "This... this is insane. Thank you."
"Thank the dungeon," Kaito replied. "I'm just passing it along."
Kaede threw up his hands. "Great. First skill scroll. First Silver drop. First gold coin sighting. Hiroto's living the dream."
"And I'm still using a cracked staff," Kaede added with mock despair.
The group laughed, the moment easing the nerves that still buzzed under their skin.
But as they looked ahead, into the deepening gloom of the next passage, they all knew—
This was only the beginning.