The air near the dungeon gate began to ripple, distorted by the massive amount of mana leaking from the C-Rank rift. Kaelen adjusted his gauntlets, his eyes scanning Techyon with a mix of professional curiosity and lingering doubt.
"If we're doing this, I need the data," Kaelen barked. "I don't care if the System says you're D-Rank, I need to know how you fit the formation. What's your Typing and Passive, kid?"
Techyon didn't blink. He knew revealing his true Arcon lineage would draw the eyes of the Galactic Elites before he was ready. He kept his voice flat, "Standard."
"My Typing is Electric," Techyon lied smoothly. "And my Passive is Energy Creation."
Kaelen's eyebrow shot up. "Creation? That's rare for a D-Rank. Usually, that's an A-Rank utility trait. What kind of constructs can you actually manifest under pressure?"
Techyon held out his hand. Small, flickering sparks of blue—the "tame" version of his power—danced across his palm. Slowly, the energy solidified into a jagged, glowing blade.
"Basic gear," Techyon said. "Daggers, kunai, shurikens. Small projectiles. High speed, low durability."
Kaelen scoffed, but he looked relieved. "Fine. A 'Spark-Smith.' It's better than a scout with no teeth. At least you can provide cover fire while the heavies do the work."
He turned toward the shimmering blue portal, gesturing to the four figures standing in a tight formation behind him.
"Listen up, 'Speedster.' I am Kaelen, the Lead Tank. My Typing is Iron-Core, and my Passive is Kinetic Absorption. If I'm standing, the party doesn't fall."
He pointed to a woman with hair like dying embers, clutching a staff topped with a glowing ruby.
"That's Seraphina," Kaelen said. "Our Primary DPS. She's a Solar-Flare Type. Her Passive is Thermal Acceleration—the longer the fight goes, the hotter her flames get. Don't get in her way, or you'll be a pile of ash."
Next to her stood a tall, silent man with a metallic visor covering his eyes.
"That's Vane," Kaelen continued. "He's a Gravity Type. His Passive is Spatial Anchor—he keeps the monsters from flying away. And the twins in the back are Jax and Jace, Earth Types with Tectonic Resonance Passives for crowd control."
The dungeon gate groaned, a sound like grinding tectonic plates, and began to spiral open. A freezing wind, smelling of ancient dust and ozone, blew out from the darkness.
"Alright, Vanguard!" Kaelen roared, his Iron-Core aura flaring. "The gate is open! Techyon, stay on the flanks. If you see a shadow move, throw a kunai and scream. Don't try to be a hero."
Techyon looked into the swirling abyss of the rift. His Absolute Perception passive—the one he hadn't mentioned—was already screaming. There was something in there that was definitely not C-Rank.
"Understood," Techyon whispered, his eyes flashing a hidden, lethal cobalt. "I'll stay in the shadows."
The Vanguard Seekers moved through the upper floors of the Gale-Wind Rift like a well-oiled machine. Kaelen's Iron-Core armor absorbed every blow, while Seraphina's Solar-Flare waves turned the lesser Wind-Wraiths into steam.
Techyon watched from the flanks, a single energy-infused kunai spinning lazily in his hand. They're good, he thought, observing the seamless coordination of the Earth-Type twins. Killing these monsters is almost... too easy.
"The Boss Room!" Kaelen roared, his voice echoing against the jagged crystalline walls. "Everyone, shields up! Don't let your guard down for a second!"
The massive obsidian doors groaned, sliding open to reveal... nothing.
No cave. No throne. Just a vast, subterranean Lake. The water was as black as ink, stretching so far into the darkness that the shore was invisible. The air was thick with the smell of stagnant water and something much worse—decay.
"What?" Kaelen's aura flickered in confusion. "A lake? In a C-Rank Gale-Wind dungeon? This doesn't match the map..."
Suddenly, the hair on the back of Techyon's neck stood up. His Absolute Perception didn't just tingle—it screamed.
"LEADER KAELEN!" Techyon screamed, pointing at the center of the dark water. "UNDER THE SURFACE! GET BACK!"
But it was too late.
The lake didn't just ripple—it erupted. A massive, obsidian-scaled tail, thick as a redwood tree, whipped out of the water with the speed of a bullet.
CRACK.
Kaelen, the "Invincible" Iron-Core Tank, was sent flying like a ragdoll, his silver armor shattering upon impact with the cavern wall. He was out cold before he even hit the ground.
"A Serpent..." Techyon hissed, his eyes narrowing as a head the size of a house rose from the depths. Green venom dripped from fangs that looked like jagged ivory. "This isn't a C-Rank monster. This is a Calamity-Class anomaly."
The Serpent hissed, a sound that vibrated in their very bones. It opened its maw, spraying a cloud of corrosive Violet Poison across the shore. Before Seraphina or the twins could cast a single spell, the Serpent's tail swung again—a blind, massive arc of destruction.
BOOM.
The rest of the Vanguard Seekers were swept away, pinned under debris or knocked unconscious by the sheer kinetic force. Only one person remained standing.
Techyon stood on a high branch of a petrified tree, breathing hard.
I only survived that because of Energy Exchange, he thought, looking at the glowing kunai he had embedded in the tree earlier. If I hadn't swapped places with the dagger at the last millisecond... I'd be red mist.
The Serpent's yellow eye locked onto him. It hated that it missed. With a roar that shook the ceiling, it lunged, snapping the tree in half like a toothpick.
Techyon tried to leap, but the air was thick with poison. His lungs burned. His vision blurred.
It's too fast—!
The tail struck. It wasn't a hit; it was an execution. Techyon was slammed into the stone floor with the force of a falling meteor.
[WARNING: CRITICAL DAMAGE DETECTED]
[HP: 28%... 14%... 6%]
[USER STATUS: NEAR DEATH]
Techyon lay in the rubble, his vision fading to black. The Serpent loomed over him, its jaws opening to finish the meal. But then, a robotic, cold chime echoed in Techyon's mind.
[NOTIFICATION: HEALTH THRESHOLD BREACHED]
[PASSIVE ABILITY 1: 'AUTO-COUNTER' - ACTIVATED]
[FORCED ADRENALINE OVERLOAD: ENGAGED]
Suddenly, the darkness was shattered. A blinding, violent light—White and Cobalt Blue—erupted from Techyon's body, pushing back the poison and the shadows.
Techyon's fingers twitched. He stood up slowly, the rubble falling off his shoulders. He didn't look like a D-Ranker anymore. He looked like a storm given human form.
"I didn't want to use this yet," Techyon whispered, his voice vibrating with a power that made the lake water tremble. "But I guess I have to finish this."