Chapter 13 – Back into the Dungeon
"What exactly were you staring at?"
Hephaestus's voice slid in from the side, low and calm—but somehow terrifying.
Akira stiffened.
Chills ran down his spine like ice water.
Turning his head slowly, he saw her expression had shifted. Her one exposed eye now radiated a dark, foreboding energy… and behind her, a shadowy aura almost seemed to billow out into the room like creeping smoke.
Gulp.
"I-I wasn't looking at anything!" Akira replied with the most innocent voice he could muster.
"Oh? So nothing caught your eye just now?"
"N-not at all! Honestly! In fact, to me… you're the most beautiful one here, Hephaestus."
He forced a nervous smile.
But that only made things worse.
Hephaestus's eyebrow twitched.
If nothing was beautiful—then why had his eyes sparkled like a little kid in a candy store?
Akira felt the tension rise like a noose tightening around his neck. He realized he'd just made a huge mistake.
Too late to take it back now.
"I-I should head to the Dungeon now! See you later!!"
Without waiting for a response, he turned tail and bolted out the door.
Hephaestus blinked in surprise.
Then chuckled softly.
Her lips curled into a smile she didn't try to hide.
Just then, Hestia wandered over to the table, humming to herself as she grabbed the third breakfast set. She sat down and began eating without a care in the world.
"…Hestia, have some shame."
"Eh? What's wrong, Hephaestus?"
"You do remember there's someone else living here now, right? And you came out of the bedroom looking like that?"
"What do you mean 'like that'?"
Hestia glanced down—
And froze.
Her eyes widened.
Then her face turned bright red as she realized how carelessly her thin clothes were clinging to her petite body.
"D-Don't tell me… he saw?!"
"He'd have to be blind not to."
"UWAAAAH! I can never face him again!"
Flailing, Hestia dropped her food, covered her face with both hands, and ran full-speed back into the bedroom. The door slammed shut behind her with a loud thud.
Hephaestus stood there in silence for a moment.
"…Wait. Isn't this my house?"
She couldn't help but smile again.
Sure, Akira might've gotten a little "visual bonus"… but it wasn't entirely his fault. Besides, maybe this would teach Hestia to be a little more careful in the future.
— — —
Meanwhile, Akira finally made it outside, gasping for air like he'd just escaped a boss fight.
After calming his nerves, he rode the magic elevator down through Babel Tower and stepped onto the spiral staircase that led into the Dungeon proper.
Time to make some money.
The moment he reached the first floor, he extended his hand—and summoned his shadows.
A surge of energy rippled from his feet.
Eight figures emerged from the darkness—Shadowkhan Ninjas.
In the upper floors of the Dungeon, these basic units were more than enough.
While they were the lowest-ranked soldiers within the Shadowkhan Army, they were well-balanced in offense and mobility. Each one wielded a different weapon—katanas, shuriken, staves—adapting their loadout based on the situation.
As Akira stepped onto the first floor, a wave of monsters emerged from the dungeon walls.
Goblins.
Feral eyes gleaming with murderous instinct, they charged at him without hesitation. Their rage was instinctive—deeply embedded in the Dungeon's very laws.
The shadows moved instantly.
Four ninjas with katanas stood at the front, blades gleaming.
Behind them, four more took position with shuriken in hand.
Each pair formed a perfect attack cell—close-range and ranged support. Silent. Efficient. Deadly.
Akira didn't move.
This was a test—to measure his Shadowkhan's actual power level.
Within seconds, the goblins were cut down one by one, unable to even touch his units.
The Magic Stones they dropped weren't gathered by Akira.
Instead, they vanished—absorbed directly into the Shadow Kingdom, a vast shadow dimension connected to his magic.
Boundless and formless, it served as a perfect mobile vault.
Once the floor was cleared, the shadows melted into his own—fusing with the one beneath his feet. They didn't disappear. They were simply waiting for his next command.
Akira descended to the second floor.
The Dungeon reacted once again, churning out a fresh batch of monsters from the walls and floor.
Another swarm. No problem.
The battle pattern repeated—quick, efficient, and systematic.
By the time he reached the seventh floor, things had finally started to get serious.
The monsters here were noticeably tougher. Three ninjas had to gang up just to take down one target quickly.
And they weren't invincible.
If a Shadowkhan took a fatal hit, its body would collapse—disintegrating into smoke and vanishing instantly.
But it wasn't a major issue.
So long as Akira stayed within his unit cap, he could summon new ones instantly—no cooldown required.
Just pure shadow energy.
For the first time, Akira himself stepped forward.
Gripping a long spear, he joined the fight—his movements swift and precise.
He danced between monsters like a storm incarnate, thrusting and sweeping with lethal grace.
Each strike shattered monster cores, turning enemies into scattered crystals and dust.
It was important to note: the Falna system didn't work like game EXP.
You didn't gain levels just by slaying monsters.
True progress only came through effort—through the experiences of fighting, dodging, getting hurt, overcoming fear. The gods watched it all. And only through their judgment could your stats evolve.
Within thirty minutes, the entire eighth floor was cleared.
As the remaining shadows gathered Magic Stones, Akira tallied his losses—at least twenty ninjas had been wiped out.
It wasn't surprising.
Shadowkhan ninjas were more suited for stealth and ambushes, not prolonged front-line warfare.
Still, he wasn't planning to stop.
After a short break, Akira descended into the ninth floor.
That was when the real challenge began.
A sudden wave of growls echoed from the depths.
Dozens of monsters emerged—armed, bipedal beasts with dog-like faces and muscular limbs.
Shaggy gray-black fur, rat-like tails, jagged blades gripped in clawed hands—they looked like some unholy mix of canine and goblin.
Kobolds.
Among the most annoying humanoid monsters in the upper floors.
Numerous, armed, and cunning, they were a pain to deal with.
The shadows struck first.
Dozens of shuriken whistled through the air—some finding their mark, some deflected by the monsters' crude armor.
Blood sprayed—but instead of weakening them, it only drove them further into a frenzy.
Monsters of the Dungeon didn't fear pain.
They didn't fear anything.
They were pure malice in living form, driven by hatred for humanity.
And they would never stop coming.
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