"Wow, you actually upgraded your weapon. What a waste of time for someone who's going to die," Shadman sneered, tightening his grip on his blade.
Once again, their weapons clashed — but this time, when they collided, a massive shockwave erupted, shaking the entire room and sending a violent gust of wind in all directions.
---
Hazzy, standing at a distance, was stunned. "What… just happened?"
The smoke slowly cleared, revealing AK and Shadman — both heavily injured. Blood dripped from their mouths as they panted heavily, clearly pushed to their limits.
AK, breathing heavily, turned toward Hazzy.
> "I need your help, Hazzy. Like I said before… I can't defeat him alone."
Hazzy didn't hesitate. He gritted his teeth, tightened the grip on his sword, and stepped forward.
> "I'm coming."
At that moment, Phaphy and Ash regained their senses. Without needing any orders, they both stepped into formation, standing beside AK and Hazzy.
Even though they were four against one, and AK had grown to become the highest-ranked E-rank, Shadman was still a D-rank — and stronger. However, this battle had shifted. It was no longer purely a fight of power — it had become a battle of experience, and AK had the most experience among them.
---
AK was the first to move. He rushed at Shadman, slashing with his dagger. Shadman managed to dodge, swiftly countering with a strong punch. But this time, his attack didn't have the same force — AK absorbed it and stood firm.
> "Phaphy! It's your turn!" AK shouted.
Phaphy immediately responded, raising his hand and casting a wave of water magic, aiming to pin Shadman down. But once again, Shadman managed to dodge — barely. His instincts were still sharp.
Shadman retaliated with a swift kick — a move that could've sent anyone flying. But Ash stepped in, raising his shield just in time to block it. The metal clanged loudly, but Ash held strong, pushing back.
> "Now it's our time to show our strength!" AK said to Hazzy.
The two rushed forward simultaneously, blades gleaming. As they closed the distance, Phaphy and Ash moved into position and blocked Shadman's movements just long enough for AK and Hazzy to strike.
Their coordinated attack landed cleanly.
Shadman grunted, staggering backward. Blood gushed from a deep slash across his chest. He was at the verge of death — but still tried to lift his sword.
It was then that AK made the final move.
He dashed forward with precision, his dagger glowing faintly. With one sharp, powerful motion, he slashed across Shadman's throat, ending the battle.
As Shadman's lifeless body collapsed, Hazzy, Phaphy, and Ash couldn't help but stare at AK. They had just witnessed how violently he slaughtered someone. It shook them. The way he ended the fight wasn't just about survival — it felt darker.
But they held back their thoughts.
> "He did it to protect us," they reminded themselves.
"Shadman attacked first. Anyone would do what AK did to save their life."
---
The four of them raised their weapons in the air and shouted together, celebrating their victory. The dungeon had begun to shake — it would collapse soon. They quickly began collecting mana stones from the defeated beasts and shattered crystals.
As they worked, AK said to Hazzy,
> "Let's start doing at least two F-rank dungeon raids daily. I've got a debt to pay."
From nowhere, a voice echoed in his head:
[ RED: SO, YOU REMEMBERED IT, PUNK. I THOUGHT YOU'D FORGOTTEN. ]
> "Forget it? After how much you annoyed me about it in this short amount of time?" AK muttered.
Since AK played the biggest role in defeating Shadman, Hazzy handed him a gift — 5,000 mana stones.
---
Six Days Later
The White Guild stepped out of another F-rank dungeon.
> "That's our sixth raid since the Shadman incident," Ash said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Good thing police and army forces have no control inside dungeons. If there were laws, AK would be behind bars right now."
AK laughed.
> "You're right. I'd be rotting in jail if outsides rules applied in dungeon."
"Anyway, I'm skipping tomorrow's raid. I need some rest."
> "OK," said Phaphy.
"We've gotten stronger too. We'll manage."
Hazzy nodded in agreement.
After some light banter, AK returned home.
He sat down, opened his inventory, and began counting the mana stones.
> "33,001… just enough."
He took a deep breath.
> "It's time to pay off that damn loan."
[ RED: FINALLY. I'M GETTING MY MANA STONES! ]
In an instant, all 33,001 mana stones vanished from AK's inventory.
[ RED: NOW YOU'RE FREE FROM MY LOAN. YOU EVEN PAID THE INTEREST — JUST LIKE YOU PROMISED. ]
> "I never lie," AK replied.
"So… how many more mana stones do you need to become the strongest primordial being again?"
[ RED: I DON'T KNOW. CURRENTLY, THE STRONGEST PRIMORDIAL BEING HOLDS… 22 BILLION TRUST. ]
> "22 billion!? That'll take an eternity…" AK groaned.
[ RED: THAT'S WHY YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON LEVELING UP. NO MORE SLACKING. ]
> "Leave it for tomorrow. I'm taking a full day off. Don't even think of disturbing me."
AK changed into fresh clothes, collapsed into bed, and fell into a deep sleep — like a warrior who had just survived hell.