Lucas climbs down the stairs with his team following closely behind, their footsteps echoing against the cold stone walls as the air grows heavier the deeper they descend.
Among outsiders, Lucas is known as cruel and cunning, a man who schemes in shadows and strikes without mercy.
But within the Shadow Wolf Fighting School, that image does not exist.
To his disciples, he is something entirely different.
He is the leader who stands at the front.
The one who does not hesitate.
The one who takes the first step into danger.
The one who faces death before anyone else.
Because of that, loyalty binds them tightly.
Not through fear.
But through trust.
Lucas steps off the final stair and enters the next room, his gaze sweeping across the space in a single motion.
Five skeletons stand waiting.
Their empty eye sockets flicker faintly as they turn toward him.
Swords rise in their white, bony hands.
Lucas does not pause.
He sees it instantly.
Energy wraps around their blades.
Not ordinary strikes.
Enhanced.
A faint smile flickers across his face.
He steps forward.
His sword lifts.
Fighting energy surges through his body and pours into the blade.
Then,
He swings.
The energy bursts outward.
A wolf-shaped projection leaps from his sword, formed entirely of condensed fighting energy.
It howls silently as it crashes into the skeletons.
The impact is overwhelming.
Bones shatter.
Bodies collapse.
The skeletons are destroyed in a single strike.
Lucas lowers his sword slightly and watches.
The remains fade.
In their place, ten white coins appear, resting on the ground with a faint glow.
Behind him, his team exhales in quiet admiration.
This is their leader.
Decisive.
Overwhelming.
Unstoppable.
Far away, within the subspace, the Shadow Clone of Lin Yu adjusts the projection on the screen.
The image shifts.
Another group appears, clearing rooms in the last section of the first floor with steady coordination.
At the same time, a new team steps into the first room of the dungeon.
The flow continues.
Lin Yu presses his lips together slightly as he watches.
They are clearing too easily.
Room after room falls without resistance.
There is no tension.
No struggle.
But he does not interfere.
Not yet.
The true test begins later.
When they reach the fourth floor,
Then the difficulty will reveal itself.
Back inside the dungeon, Lucas continues forward, leading his team deeper.
Rooms fall quickly.
Enemies collapse.
The rhythm remains steady.
By the time they reach the third floor's final room, their movements are sharp and practised.
The battle ends swiftly.
And with it,
A reward appears.
Lucas bends slightly and picks up the weapon that materialises before him.
A spear.
He grips it firmly and gives it a light spin, testing its balance.
It feels right.
Better than expected.
He channels a thread of energy into it.
The moment the energy flows,
Information surfaces directly in his mind.
Blazing Sun Spear.
Channelling energy into the spear converts it into fire element energy that gathers at the spearhead.
Spell: Fireball.
Lucas's eyes flicker with interest.
A smile slowly spreads across his face.
Behind him, Hardy leans forward slightly, curiosity evident.
"Owner, what does the magic weapon do?"
Lucas glances back.
He sees the attention of every member of his team fixed on him.
Anticipation.
Excitement.
Expectation.
He turns without answering immediately.
Instead, he gestures toward the stairs.
"Let's go downstairs," he says calmly.
"I will demonstrate."
Without hesitation, the team follows.
Their trust in him is absolute.
They descend together.
The air shifts as they step onto the fourth floor.
The first room comes into view.
Three white skeletons stand waiting.
Silent.
Still.
Watching.
Lucas steps forward.
He raises the spear.
Energy begins to flow from his body into the weapon.
The shaft vibrates faintly.
At the tip,
Flames ignite.
A concentrated fire gathers, swirling tightly around the spearhead.
The temperature rises.
The light flickers across his face.
Lucas narrows his eyes and points the spear toward the skeletons.
He channels more energy.
The fire intensifies.
Condenses.
Then,
He releases it.
A fireball shoots forward from the spear, tearing through the air in a blazing arc.
It strikes the skeleton at the centre.
The impact is immediate.
Explosion.
Flames burst outward.
The central skeleton is completely shattered.
The force of the blast throws the two skeletons beside it across the room.
Before they can recover,
Lucas's team moves.
They surge forward as one.
Weapons rise.
Strikes fall.
The two remaining skeletons are destroyed before they can even stand.
Hardy finishes the last strike on one of them, then straightens and turns toward Lucas, his eyes fixed on the spear.
"The magic weapon can release a spell."
The words hang in the air.
Every member of the team shifts their gaze toward the weapon in Lucas's hand, their eyes reflecting excitement and desire.
The faint glow at the spear's tip has not fully faded.
It still carries the lingering heat of the fireball.
One of the members steps forward slightly, unable to hold back his thoughts.
"Owner, with this weapon, you can defeat Alfred."
A murmur of agreement follows.
To them, this changes everything.
A weapon that can release a spell,
That is not something ordinary fighters possess.
Lucas, however, does not respond immediately.
He stands still, feeling the condition of his body.
The flow of energy within him has dropped sharply.
The earlier attack,
It consumed too much.
He exhales slowly, steadying himself.
Then he speaks.
"If I can hit Alfred, then I will win."
His voice remains calm.
"But if I miss, I will be defeated."
The team quiets.
Lucas lifts the spear slightly.
"The spell consumes half of my energy."
The excitement in the room fades almost instantly.
Reality settles in.
Half of his energy,
That is for someone at Lucas's level.
For the others,
Most of them are Knights or Senior Knight Apprentices.
If they attempt to use such a weapon,
It would drain them completely.
They would be left unable to fight.
A weapon that powerful,
Also carries a cost just as heavy.
The earlier enthusiasm dims.
The team grows thoughtful.
Lucas lowers the spear and closes his eyes briefly.
He allows himself a short moment to recover.
His breathing slows.
His energy stabilises slightly, though not by much.
He opens his eyes again.
"Let's move."
No one objects.
They leave the room and step into the corridor.
The air feels colder here.
Quieter.
Their footsteps echo as they move forward.
The passage stretches ahead before opening into the next room.
As they step inside,
Five skeletons stand waiting.
They face the group directly.
Still.
Silent.
Watching.
One of the members glances at Lucas and speaks.
"Owner, you stay behind."
His grip tightens on his weapon.
"We will handle these monsters."
Lucas studies them for a brief moment.
He knows his condition.
Only about twenty per cent of his energy remains.
He brought nothing to recover it.
No potion.
No support.
He nods.
"Be careful."
The nine members step forward.
They spread slightly, forming a loose formation.
Then,
They clash.
Weapons collide.
Bones strike steel.
The battle begins.
From within the subspace, Lin Yu watches through the screen.
His eyes remain calm.
But this time,
He decides to intervene.
Not directly.
But subtly.
He wants to see something different.
He wants to see blood.
Through the interface, he sends a command.
The Dungeon Will responds instantly.
The five skeletons in the room shift.
Their strength stabilises at Level Four.
Knight level.
Among the nine members,
Only three are Knights.
The rest are Knight Apprentices.
The balance is uneven.
Two of the skeletons do not face the Knights.
Instead,
They are surrounded by groups of three Knight Apprentices each.
Under normal circumstances, numbers would give them the advantage.
But the dungeon is no longer passive.
Every movement,
Every pattern,
Every habit,
Has already been observed.
Analyzed.
Stored.
Their weaknesses are clear.
Lucas stands at the back, watching.
Something feels off.
Then,
He sees it.
Two of the skeletons suddenly erupt with black-colored energy.
It spreads across their bones, wrapping around their weapons like a dark flame.
A chill runs through the air.
Lucas's expression changes.
Danger.
Before he can react,
The two enhanced skeletons move.
They do not defend.
They do not hesitate.
They advance through attacks.
Blades strike their bodies,
But they do not stop.
In a single exchange,
One member falls.
A second follows.
The sound of bone breaking mixes with the sound of flesh being torn.
The formation collapses.
Lucas's eyes sharpen instantly.
He moves.
Without hesitation, he joins the battle.
His remaining energy surges.
His presence stabilises the situation.
He intercepts one of the enhanced skeletons, forcing it back.
The others regroup quickly.
Now with Lucas at the centre,
The pressure shifts.
One by one,
The skeletons fall.
The enhanced ones resist the longest.
But even they cannot withstand combined attacks.
Finally,
The last skeleton collapses.
The room falls silent.
But this time,
There is no sense of ease.
No relief.
Only heavy breathing.
And tension.
For the first time since entering the dungeon,
They have suffered losses.
Two members lie dead.
Three others are injured.
Blood stains the ground.
One of the surviving members speaks, his voice unsteady.
"Shall we continue?"
Fear lingers in his tone.
Lucas does not answer immediately.
He turns his head and looks toward the corridor leading back.
His eyes remain fixed there for a moment.
Then he shakes his head.
"We have earned enough."
His voice is firm.
"Let's return."
No one argues.
No one hesitates.
The decision is accepted instantly.
Lucas's gaze shifts to the bodies of the fallen.
He prepares to give the order,
To carry them.
But before he can speak,
Something changes.
The floor beneath the two corpses begins to move.
A faint glow appears.
Then,
The bodies sink.
Silently.
Slowly.
They are absorbed into the ground.
The team freezes.
No one speaks.
No one understands.
Far away, in the subspace,
On the screen in front of Lin Yu,
Numbers appear.
+740
+815
The numbers flicker softly.
Then stabilize.