Under the gray, foggy skies of China, the name Xu Liangchen was whispered like a legend. He was not merely a hunter; he was a one-man army, a living myth. Everyone, from the Pentagon in the United States to the Kremlin in Russia, from Japan's technology giants to Europe's long-established diplomatic circles, was talking about him. The offers came thick and fast: multi-million dollar deals from the US, privileges presented under the guise of a "heroic commendation" from Russia, the latest high-tech armor from Japan... Each was a testament to the desire to draw his power to their own side. But Xu cared about none of it. His eyes were not on glittering promises or international fame. He was busy making his power a shield for his own land.
For the Chinese people, Xu Liangchen was not just a hero, but the embodiment of hope. When dungeon gates opened and unleashed creatures that ravaged cities, they vanished into history with a single command or a sword strike from him. Even the deepest and most dangerous dungeons were just routine cleanup operations for him. He commanded his massive army of hundreds of thousands like a puppeteer, tying the very existence of each soldier to his will. The army grew stronger every day, gaining more power; each new acquisition solidified Xu's control.
But this absolute power also brought a shadowy transformation. One afternoon, news that shook the country's balance spread: The Chinese President had been assassinated. A wave of panic swept the nation when the public learned the incident was a "cowardly act." In this chaotic environment, a new figure emerged: Huo Jian, who took the presidential seat. But Huo Jian was merely a puppet. The real power was now completely in the hands of Xu Liangchen. There was only one will cleaning the dungeons, commanding the army, and now controlling the state. China had ceased to be a nation and had become the heart of Xu's colossal empire. The definition of justice was his rules, and the army, his commands.
Xu enjoyed this new order. He was building his own empire, climbing to the pinnacle of his power. Until that day... a notification from the depths of the dungeons turned his world upside down. On that day, Xu Liangchen saw the message: "Player has reached Level 100." The System, as if to stop his endless ascent, had added a new key to his inventory: "Kynart Dungeon Key." This key opened the door to a challenge far greater than anything Xu had ever faced. For the first time in his life, the hope of meeting his equal ignited a long-forgotten flame of excitement in Xu's heart. With all his power and arrogance, he set out for the city of Kangbashi, where the Kynart Dungeon was located. A new saga was about to begin.
For Xu Liangchen, arriving in the city of Kangbashi, the architecture around him was nothing more than stone. The only thing that mattered was the black, marble door of the dungeon's entrance. On his face was an expression he hadn't worn in a long time: curiosity. With eyes gleaming with the hope of finding an equal, he pulled the Kynart Dungeon Key from his inventory. The key in his palm emitted a faint light, reaching toward the door, and instantly the locks rattled open. The cold, earthy smell of the dungeon spread through the air.The moment Xu stepped inside, the dungeon's atmosphere shifted. The end of the corridor was illuminated by a light filtering through millions of swords and shields. Footsteps from the depths of the dungeon approached like a resounding drumbeat. A massive army greeted him; it was a legion of creatures with eyes blazing like fire, their armor rusty and caked with blood. The dungeon master seemed to be waiting for Xu.A mocking smile appeared on Xu Liangchen's face. This army was nothing compared to his own power. He walked toward the creatures and gave a low command that only the echoes could hear: "Imperial March!"With the command, the space around Xu cracked, and dimensional rifts appeared like lightning tearing through the sky. A colossal power began to flow from within the rifts. First, footsteps that shook the ground were heard, then hundreds of thousands of colossal soldiers, skeleton knights, and armored golems surged into the dungeon. The eyes of each one glowed with loyalty to their commander. Three generals stood at the head of the army: Zyphros, a sharp and agile swordsman; Elyndra, the Crimson Dragon of Destruction; and Voralis, the cruel Three-Headed Giant Serpent. Each one was a living legend, surpassing the Z+ level in their class.With just one command, Xu's army moved. Zyphros's sword spun through the enemy ranks like a hurricane, Elyndra's magic lit up the dungeon, and Voralis's tactics tore the creature army to shreds. The Kynart Dungeon bowed to Xu's will, being cleared out one by one. He marched forward with the power of his army, waiting for the moment he would finally reach the "equal" he sought. He knew that this moment was not hidden within these ordinary levels of the dungeon, but much deeper
As Xu Liangchen watched his army's destructive advance, he felt he was nearing the heart of the dungeon. Everything was going as planned. This could have been just another moment of ordinary victory, until the very air inside the dungeon suddenly changed. A stream of pure light, with no visible source, appeared high above. It was so intense that Xu's eyes were dazzled, and all the noise of the dungeon instantly vanished. When he opened his eyes, he was no longer in the depths of the Kynart Dungeon.He found himself in a divine realm, untouched by time and space, where stars and galaxies seemed to collide. The ground was covered with glowing cosmic dust, and an ancient energy unknown to mankind pulsed in the air. In the center of the realm, in the midst of infinite emptiness, stood a colossal marble throne. The throne radiated a sense of weight and power, even though no one sat on it. On either side of the throne, two immense figures, carved from the very essence of the universe, stood in imposing silence.The commander on the right wore armor made of shadows and pure darkness. His face was hidden by a mask of absolute shadow, and small shadows and smoke constantly swirled around his body. His eyes, glowing with a pixilated red light that reflected only death and fear, were fixed on Xu. This was Nyxarion.
The commander on the left was in human form, but his body was completely black and lightless, creating a sense of infinite emptiness around him. On his back were two large wings made of dark energy. In his hand, he held a lightless sword, the "Null Blade," whose edge seemed to erase the very existence of anything it touched. This was Umbraeth.The two commanders looked at Xu and his army. Nyxarion's voice filled the entire space, echoing as he spoke: "Darkness and Light. Since the dawn of the universe, these two ancient powers have always been at war. All of history has been rewritten, the cosmic line broken, existence brought to the brink of collapse, yet there was no victor. And now, Xu Liangchen, a member of the Shadow Dynasty, son of Morthis, you have been chosen. Our master has selected you as the new ruler of Darkness."
Xu Liangchen stared at them in a state of shock and confusion. He had no knowledge of a Shadow Dynasty or a Morthis. He was just a hunter. Yet Nyxarion's words whispered to Xu that his entire life had been a lie. Amidst this shock and fury, his destiny was about to be rewritten
As Xu Liangchen's shock and fury intertwined, the commander to the left of the throne, Umbraeth, raised a hand. A black, lightless rift appeared at the tips of his fingers. This rift, like a black hole, sucked everything into it. Xu watched in horror as the rift swallowed his massive army of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and his Z+ level generals, Zyphros, Elyndra, and Voralis, in a single motion. The immense power created in the Kynart Dungeon was gone in the blink of an eye.Driven mad with rage, Xu gathered all his strength and attacked Umbraeth. His fist shot forward in a burst of pure energy, but Umbraeth's sword, "Null Blade," deflected it. Xu only saw a flash. The pain that followed was like a cosmic shockwave. His arm was severed as if erased from existence, and was flung aside with a cry of agony. Xu was in shock. He couldn't even scratch the divine realm or the two commanders. Lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood, he realized that his entire world, all his power and arrogance, were for nothing.
Nyxarion, watching Xu's helplessness, raised his hand and opened a dimensional rift. This rift was unlike the last one; it radiated a pressure and weight that was powerful enough to shatter Xu's bones. As the rift opened, a magnificent figure emerged. He was 2.2 meters tall, with a muscular and sharply defined body. His skin was pitch black, absorbing all light that fell upon it. His eyes were nothing more than a red glow. He wore black obsidian-like armor and a cape that was a semi-transparent mist, constantly undulating with shadows. The pressure radiating from this figure broke Xu's will, forcing him to his knees.
As Xu knelt in terror, the red glow on the figure's face shifted into a familiar expression. This person was none other than one of the 7 Dark Monarchs, and his own biological father, Morthis. Xu was so shocked that he couldn't speak.
Morthis shifted into the human form he had used on Earth and approached Xu. His voice was filled not with a father's warmth, but with an ancient monarch's authority. "My son," he said.
Xu looked up in shock from the ground, covered in blood. Morthis continued, "You have been chosen by our master. You will now transcend your limits, and this existence will be covered in Darkness under your dominion. The Ancient Light will find its end in your hands."
Xu tried to process the shock, stammering, "But… but you... you were dead. How is this possible?"
Morthis acknowledged his son's surprise. "I understand your confusion. I will explain everything to you, but first, you must defeat me. Otherwise, you will get neither your army nor your life." He held a mystic weapon made of shadows, a dagger that could transform into a sword, and faced Xu.
Xu rose from the ground, covered in blood. A new arm replaced his severed one, and his dagger, Hei Ming, returned to him. Gripping the hilt tightly, he prepared to fight his father. Xu didn't know it yet, but after this event, he would vanish, not to be seen again until the future Tokyo and London Dungeon Catastrophes
The world was to be left without a protector.
However, destiny always sought a balance. To fill this void and protect humanity from ruin, two figures were sent among mankind. These two individuals were the National-Level Hunter, Troy Vance, and the other, a warrior with destructive power whose every move was like a storm, another National-Level Hunter, Alexei Dragunov. Both had taken on human form, but in their essence, they were soldiers of the Ancient Light and Darkness, shouldering humanity's fight for survival.In Xu Liangchen's absence, as the world was besieged by dungeons, these two hunters would become humanity's last hope. Their story, a reflection of Xu's training in the shadows and his confrontation with his father, was about to begin, written across the four corners of the globe