It was obvious from the beginning.

The soldiers standing behind Axton did not have the mythical points required to even qualify.

They couldn't participate in the event no matter how much they wished to.

Realizing this, Axton exhaled quietly, a faint sigh escaping his lips.

He shook his head and turned fully toward the enormous, mysterious door looming before him.

The air felt heavy, almost charged with a divine pressure.

*Ding*

[Participants may only choose once. The choice is final, and failure means losing the opportunity to partake in the event.]

[The higher the difficulty of the chosen mode, the greater the rewards.]

Axton clicked his tongue.

'Tch! That's harsh. So if I pick an easy one, I'll never get another shot at the harder modes. No retries, no second chances.'

He clenched his fists lightly.

What he needed wasn't just simple gains… it was massive rewards. The kind that would push him further than anyone else, rewards capable of revealing more clues about the divine bracelet and the hidden mission tied to it.

But at the same time, he knew the higher the risk, the greater the danger. It wasn't just his life on the line — it was also the reputation he was building, the momentum he had started to gather.

The soldiers behind him remained silent, waiting for his decision, tension clear in their eyes. To them, his choice would determine the difference between glory and disgrace.

After several moments of contemplation, Axton finally spoke, his voice steady but carrying a weight that shook his subordinates to the core.

"Hell Mode."

For a second, the soldiers froze, unable to believe their ears.

*Ding*

[Hell Mode selected.]

[The dungeon has opened.]

[You may now enter.]

*Creak*

The giant door groaned as Axton pressed his palm against the handle and pushed it open.

"Be safe, sir," one soldier muttered, almost nervously.

"Be safe, sir!" the others echoed, their voices overlapping like a prayer.

Axton gave them a final glance. Their loyalty was commendable, but as their words reached his ears, he suddenly felt an odd crawling sensation run down his spine, prickling across his skin.

His face twitched. 'The fuck was that?'

He shrugged it off, refusing to let the strange feeling distract him.

Without another word, he stepped into the blinding light spilling from behind the door.

His figure slowly faded away until only the shining radiance remained.

"Protect the door with your lives!" one soldier bellowed.

"Yes, sir!" The others responded in unison, gripping their weapons tighter as though the order had ignited fresh fire inside them.

******

*Ding*

[Welcome, Player Khan.]

[You have entered the Mythical Dungeon on Hell Mode.]

When the light faded, Axton found himself standing in the middle of an endless plain of green.

The sight was almost too peaceful.

Long grasses swayed gently under the command of the wind, stretching endlessly across the horizon. The breeze carried a refreshing scent, brushing against his skin and tugging at his clothes.

But Axton didn't relax.

He knew better than to trust appearances.

"...So this is Hell Mode?" he muttered under his breath, scanning the field.

"Doesn't look like it."

He took a cautious step forward. The grass rustled, insects hidden beneath leapt away, and for a brief moment, it felt almost too ordinary.

That was when he heard it.

*Bzzt* *Bzzt* * Bzzt*

At first, it was faint but within seconds, it grew louder, sharper, and heavier, filling the entire plain with its vibrating intensity.

The sound of wings.

Hundreds. No… thousands of wings.

Axton's head snapped upward. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the source on the horizon. A dark, writhing cloud approached, blotting out the sunlight as it drew closer.

"...Locusts?"

But not ordinary ones.

The creatures were enormous, their bodies the size of wolves, wings sharp enough to slice flesh, and mandibles clicking menacingly as they surged forward in a swarm.

Axton immediately prepared himself for battle.

His instincts screamed that these things weren't going to give him a warm welcome.

"Fine," he muttered, summoning his weapon. "Let's see what you've got."

With a quick gesture, he activated one of his skills.

[Sword Shower]

Several blades of light manifested around him, their edges moving with deadly precision. He sent them forward with a sharp motion of his hand.

The swords flew like rain, cutting through the air toward the swarm.

But what happened next left him speechless.

The locusts reacted.

Not randomly.

Not instinctively… but with terrifying coordination.

The swarm split apart at the last possible second, the blades cutting harmlessly through the gap they created.

Axton's eyes widened. "No way."

He sent another wave of swords — this time faster, more precise but again, the swarm adjusted mid-flight, their formation shifting just enough to let the blades slip through without touching a single body.

Again and again… every strike met the same fate.

The swarm was reading his moves.

"They're… anticipating my attacks?"

Axton grit his teeth, rolling to the side as several locusts dove toward him, their wings buzzing so loudly it rattled his eardrums. He countered with a quick slash, but even then, the swarm moved in a way that forced his attack to miss its mark.

The battle was becoming hectic. His heart pounded as he realized the truth.

An enemy that could predict your next move was one of the hardest foes to fight.

Even his skills meant nothing if they could read when and where he intended to use them.

He clicked his tongue in frustration. "Tch… so that's how it is."

Then, an idea struck him.

'If they can predict targeted attacks… then I'll use something they can't avoid, no matter how much they see it coming.'

A smile crept across his face.

"Let's see you dodge this."

Without wasting another second, Axton summoned his trump card.

[Hell Blaze Armour]

The flames of hell wrapped around his body like a second skin, radiating heat that warped the air.

Immediately after, he raised his hand and called forth another presence.

[Hell's Knight]

The ground trembled as a massive figure emerged behind him.

A towering knight forged of fire and stone, clad in blazing armour, its eyes glowing like molten embers.

The swarm hesitated for the first time.

The Hell's Knight raised its enormous hand, and in its fiery palm, a ball of flame ignited — small at first, then swelling to a monstrous sphere of destructive power.

The locusts saw it.

They sensed the danger, and in perfect unity, the swarm turned to flee.

But it was too late.

"Hell… Flame."

The deep, guttural voice of the Hell's Knight resonated across the plain, heavy and terrifying.

The flame in its hand expanded, transforming into a blazing arc of destruction. Then it swung.

A conflagration erupted, a massive crescent of fire tearing through the swarm with a deafening roar.

*Fwoooosh*

The locusts shrieked, their bodies instantly consumed, blackened husks falling from the sky in burning fragments.

Axton grinned, his fists clenching tightly in triumph.

"Ha! Lemme see you dodge that!"

The blaze spread across the field, the air shimmering from the sheer heat.

And then, as though unwilling to take chances, Axton poured every ounce of gathered Exp into strengthening the Hell's Knight.

His critical hits boosted its power even further, maxing it out.

"Do it again!"

The knight raised its hand once more.

This time, the flames that gathered were even larger, the sphere of fire big enough to engulf an entire fortress.

*Boooom*

The second strike landed, obliterating what was left of the swarm.

The explosion shook the entire plain, a wave of scorching heat washing over Axton.

The smell of charred insect flesh filled the air.

As the last of the burning corpses fell to the ground, silence finally returned to the endless greenery.

Axton lowered his weapon slowly, his breathing steady but his eyes sharp.

"This is Hell Mode, huh?" He smirked, though sweat dripped down his forehead. "Not bad. If this is just the beginning… then I'd better get ready."

And deep within him, his anticipation only grew stronger.

Because if this was only the first test, then what awaited him deeper inside the dungeon was bound to be far worse.

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