[Max's POV]
I stepped into the portal of the dungeon. The same feeling of being pulled, but this time… something felt different. It was faint—almost unnoticeable—but it was there. I didn't focus on it and readied myself for the fight.
I landed hard on solid ground. In front of me stretched a narrow, twisting burrow lined with strange shell-like layers.
'So, spectral… probably tricky and ghost-type.' I grinned. 'Well, let's scare some ghosts.'
I walked into one of the burrows. The first to appear was a Wisp Centipede, but it had already been in my radar long before. Just as it emerged, a mana-edged sword flashed—and the creature was sliced clean in half.
I expanded my detection range to two hundred meters, locking onto every mana signature around me. Mana surged into my legs as I accelerated, speed-blitzing all the unsuspecting centipedes in an instant.
Kill notifications chimed one after another, but I ignored them and pressed forward.
Moments later, faint chattering echoed through the tunnels—an attempt to distract me. I tweaked my mana shield and scanned for their signatures. Seconds later, they were shredded into pieces.
Lamina thrummed happily in my grip. I could feel subtle changes within her, but I left that for later and strode forward.
The tunnels grew wider. Wisps of light floated aimlessly, and every shadow seemed alive. Dozens of mana signatures flickered across my senses.
A medium-sized creature burst from the wall—only to lose its head a heartbeat later. I moved on.
Soon I came across webs—silken threads coated with sticky ectoplasm. I touched one to inspect it, but it tried to drain mana from my shield. The web sizzled and burned to ash. I noted the effect and advanced.
The monsters responsible for the webs appeared ahead, and a crazy idea struck me. They fired threads toward me. Instead of dodging, I let them stick to my hand and poured mana into the web.
For a second, the creatures greedily absorbed it.
Then they exploded.
I laughed, wild and triumphant. My little experiment worked. I repeated the process until the tunnels fell silent.
I reached a circular cavern—the boss chamber. Its walls were lined with broken centipede segments. Above, gnarled roots of Duskmoor trees hung like dark veins.
At the center stood Volkoth, the boss monster. A grotesque thing made of fused faces—its victims, no doubt.
The instant I stepped forward, it spat a blackish blob that struck my shield and began devouring it—only to fizzle out halfway.
'Expected,' I thought grimly. Its attack was similar to the web monsters, but this one devoured almost half my shield. I didn't wait. I'd already learned from the Slime Boss.
Being a spirit-type, it had a core. I scanned for it.
This time, the highest concentration was above. Without hesitation, I dashed forward—Lamina blazing with overflowing mana.
The boss opened its maw, ready to unleash another attack. I ignored it, using its semi-solid body as a foothold to propel myself upward. My blade drove into the ceiling—pure light erupting.
Volkoth's many faces froze in confusion and horror as they crumbled into silence.
[You have killed Volkoth, Boss monster; Loot is stored in your inventory]
[Dungeon completed]
[Completion – 100%]
[Reward – Uncommon Rank Chest]
'That's two chests now. I'll check them all together—no time to waste,' I thought and stepped into the exit portal.
After clearing the second dungeon, I obtained the direction of the third from the system and sprinted toward it.
An hour later, I reached a forest smothered under dark clouds. A portal shimmered a few meters in. Players were gathered nearby—some recruiting, others selling information.
A few approached me, but I brushed them off. Their confused stares followed me as I headed straight for the portal.
A new message flickered before me as I landed at the next dungeon's entrance.
[Dungeon Name: Echoing Twilight Cavern]
[Environment: Subterranean Abyss – Forest Canyon]
[Dungeon Type: Dark Element – Flying Type Beast]
[Rank: E+]
[Dungeon Boss: Nocturnis, the Silence Wing]
[Recommendation: Group of 5+ players]
'Flying-type beast, huh? Guess I'll have to get creative.' I smirked and entered the cave.
Dim moss glowed faintly on the ceiling. The air was filled with soft squeaks. 'I just hope I get a cool flying skill after this,' I thought, scanning with detection spread a hundred meters in every direction.
The first wave arrived—Lesser Twilight Bats. They tried to shriek, but I cut them down before a sound escaped.
After a few leaps and slashes, Echo Bats appeared. Their sound-based diversions were useless—after the Spectral Burrow, this was child's play.
Deeper in, Shadowfang Bats attacked. Trickier—they used mirage illusions—but that only worked once. Soon, they too joined the pile.
Then came the boss room—The Silence Perch.
The cavern was vast and utterly still. My heartbeat echoed in the silence. Only two faint lights glowed in the darkness.
When my detection reached them, realization hit—they were the boss's eyes.
At that moment, it attacked. A powerful shockwave tore through the air.
I dodged, adjusted my shield against the sonic blast, and readied my counterattack.
The boss tried to vanish into darkness and silence—but to me, it was glowing on the radar like a beacon in the night.
I raised my left hand; Lamina rested in my right. Mana gathered, dense and volatile. I poured in more power than I had ever used before and fired.
The projectile pierced the sky like a comet and drilled straight through the monster's skull.
Nocturnis shrieked silently as its body disintegrated.
[You have killed Nocturnis, Boss monster; Loot is stored in your inventory]
[Dungeon cleared]
[Completion – 100%]
[Reward – Uncommon Rank Chest]
The exit portal shimmered. I stepped through.
I emerged back into the forest. Players who recognized my attire stared, wide-eyed. I ignored them. Since entering the Tower, I hadn't spoken to anyone except the system itself. Isolation suited me—and I had a goal. I would clear the first floor today and unlock the Tower's shop.
I pushed off again, sprinting toward the day's final challenge—a Labyrinth.
Unlike dungeons, it had multiple floors and a different structure. I was curious.
Along the way, I noticed players hiding in bushes, ditches, and trees—veterans who hunted others for gear. But with my speed and detection, none could touch me.
An hour later, I reached a towering monolith—the entrance to the Labyrinth.
As I looked up, the system message appeared once again.
[Labyrinth – Crimson Pyre Den]
[Type – Elemental Beast Labyrinth]
[Core Attribute – Fire-type]
[Status – Active]
[Recommendation – Party of 10+ Players]
'Interesting,' I muttered. "Hey system, why's it 5+ in dungeons and 10+ here? I get I'm OP, but I'm sure plenty can solo these."
[Primarily because once you enter, either you clear it or never come out. Nobody has infinite stamina like you. Some try soloing after they reach the peak of their rank.]
I glanced around. Players were forming teams, whispering strategies. It made sense now—entering alone meant gambling with death.
I faced the monolith again and smirked.
"Well," I said, tightening my grip on Lamina, "let's not keep the monsters waiting."
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[AN : 2 more chapters today
I know this 1st floor seems stretched, that is because I am trying to establish MC's fighting style, his thinking (quick and adaptive).
After 1st floor I will only show fights with other players, tricky boss monsters or some special scenarios.
The journey has only begun. With each new chapter, the Tower will expand—its mysteries, its faces, and its truths becoming more diverse and fascinating and how our MC handles it.
Thanks for all your support.]