But Darien didn't let his confidence falter. Ultimately, he was even glad.

If more monsters kept rushing toward him, then it meant he'd have the chance to slay them successively instead of in tiers.

The Shadow Fiends dropped only three items as loot: Shadow Dust (Common) x2 and Nightseer Potion (Uncommon).

The Nightseer Potion was perfect timing for this warrior.

It was a black liquid that granted darkvision for thirty minutes and also enhanced the user's perception by 75%.

With it, Darien was able to see the approaching monsters of the subdungeon.

It was a swarm of more Shadow Fiends, but this time, they were packed with another group. Humanoid, these shadowy soldiers were armored and armed with battle axes.

(Umbral Walkers)

(HP: 1999)

(Affinity: Shadow, Arcane)

(Rank 1 Stray!)

'So… all monsters in subdungeons have greater health like this…? This Rank 1 is nothing like the Rank 1 in the real world.'

Seeing their numbers and the way they advanced together, Darien wasn't sure he could take them all down with melee alone.

The Shadow Fiends danced erratically along the walls like waves crashing into the beach, while the tall Umbral Walkers marched at the center with their gleaming axes.

Each of these monsters had full health bars, and with constant attacks, Darien's shield might begin to weaken.

Now he understood why so many warriors never made it out alive from a subdungeon.

If a Rank 1 subdungeon was already this vicious, then what about Rank 2 and onwards?

Anyone who managed to clear one of these places had to be powerful in some way. And now, Darien took this as a challenge to know how strong he was!

[Skill: Abyssal Fracture]

[Level: (3-star)]

[Description: Splits open a Space rift, dragging everything within a 20-meter radius into its eye. Lasts for 10 sec before exploding, causing major damage. 35 P.E Cost and 180 sec cooldown]

Reading his skill again to be sure, Darien lifted a hand, targeting the center of the mob.

Then, he closed his eyes, focusing and channeling, before he gripped the air with a gesture of his fingers.

Suddenly, the air warped at his point of target, split, and a Space rift materialized like the eye of a massive god.

<Abyssal Fracture> functioned like a colossal vacuum, sucking everything within a 20-meter radius toward its spiraling core.

The Shadow Fiends screeched as their crooked frames bent unnaturally, while the armored Umbral Walkers fought against the pull, axes scraping against stone as they were dragged inch by inch toward the abyss.

Darien focused on his Flow, strengthening the pull until the monsters lost their grip and footing.

Shadow Fiends were the first to be ripped off the walls and flung screaming into the rift, followed by the Umbral Walkers.

Three seconds later, the rift snapped shut violently, triggering a merciless explosion that rocked the subdungeon.

–4999!

The explosion tore through the shadows, shredding the monsters that weren't swallowed, and leaving only some echoing weakly.

'Very clean,' Darien thought to himself as he dived forward into the devastation to finish off the rest.

~sWISH! sWISH!

Heatbringer danced in his grip, its fiery edge cleaving cleanly through the armor of the staggering Umbral Walkers, molten sparks spraying with every strike.

–589!

–699!

The Mortal didn't move like he was one. Fluid and swift, each slash followed by a precise thrust, tearing shadow flesh beneath the broken plates.

At the same time, he also fired <Energy Bolts> at incoming monsters with flicks of his fingers. The bullets pierced into the distance, striking the lurking fiends.

[You slayed a Rank 1 Monster!] x61

[You slayed a Rank 1 Monster! You get 1950 XP!] x61

[Knight Rank: Advanced 117150/40000]

Ding!

(Congratulations on reaching Rank 1 Proficient)

(+1 points all Attributes)

[Knight Rank: Proficient 77150/100000]

After seemingly clearing two tiers at once, Darien pressed forward alone. Only his footsteps could be heard echoing faintly as he chose to walk for a change.

For two minutes he walked, his eyes flicking to the barrage of notifications, and finally, a level-up to the Proficient level of Rank 1.

He grinned, realizing he was pretty close to the next rank. And plus, he also doubted there'd be any other warrior in his set at this level.

(Umbral Guards)

(HP: 2599)

(Affinity: Shadow, Arcane)

(Rank 1 Stray!)

After several more seconds of steady walking, Darien's pace slowed as a massive obsidian wall revealed itself ahead.

It looked like the boundary of a fortress, just as scrupulous as the statues were.

And standing before this wall were four humanoid monsters clad in heavy armor with purple-leaking gazes fixed on the young Warrior.

These were Umbral Guards, slightly more evolved than the Umbral Walkers, gripping shields and great spears.

They stood in a manner that dared the Warrior to advance and face severe consequences.

Unfortunately for them, Darien didn't even need to take an extra step to annihilate them.

Seeing a magical door behind them, he understood these monsters directly guarded the subdungeon's BOSS chamber.

He slays them, he gets access to a place where only few had been.

"No hard feelings, folks. But you're in my way."

With a calm breath, Darien raised his hand, his palm glowing with condensed brilliance as he invoked <Solar Purge>.

The sphere of blazing red light flared into existence, humming with destructive heat, before he hurled it straight at the wall of Umbral Guards.

The blazing orb erupted on impact, swallowing the Umbral Guards. Their armored forms melted away into shadow and ash before they could so much as lower their spears, leaving nothing but scorched stone and silence in Darien's path.

[You slayed a Rank 1 Monster!] x6

[You slayed a Rank 1 Monster! You get 2050 XP!] x6

[Knight Rank: Proficient 88450/100000]

The monsters dropped three cores, weapons, armor, more Shadow Dust, a skill book, and potions.

Darien collected them all before he advanced into the magical door—the subdungeon BOSS chamber.

The magical door and its light dazzled as the aspirant stepped through, transporting him to the final tier of the subdungeon.

[You have entered a Cursed Domain]

[BOSS: Nightmare Warden]

More darkness greeted Darien as he arrived in the shadowed domain.

Stone pillars surrounded by shifting mists filled the area, the atmosphere thick with fog and the smell of ash and death.

There was something about the place that made Darien slightly cautious.

He felt as if he had totally surrendered himself to the turf of a very powerful boss monster, and every corner of the domain was manifested to destroy him.

As he walked deeper into the domain, it felt as though countless shadowy eyes were fixed on his every step.

The strange dark fog dispersed animatedly wherever he placed his feet, and each towering pillar he passed loomed behind him like they were judging.

Gripping his weapon tighter, Darien thought its hilt was the only warmth in the cold dark place.

He wondered how far the BOSS's lair must be because the domain wanted him to feel small before encountering the BOSS.

Eventually, he reached a wider space where the pillars ended. What was left was a lair of stone surrounded by a lake of darkness.

Certain this was where the BOSS resided, Darien invoked <Gravion Control>, his body lifting smoothly from the ground.

He glided into the entrance and floated forward with steady confidence, proving that the oppression of the domain had no effect on him.

[You have arrived at: Nightmare Warden's Lair]

Darien entered a big empty room with silence that could deafen a person.

Strangely, nothing filled the space except a lone throne at the far end, carved from stone and the steel of swords.

Upon it sat a towering shadowy figure, leaning against an immense megasword driven into the ground at his feet, the weapon's dark edge flowing like a river.

Dressed in nothing more than robes that swayed and danced with the mist, the figure's face was hidden in darkness, yet Darien felt its gaze pierce through him.

And though it was utterly immobile, it was completely aware of the intruder's presence.

But Darien was unfazed as he planted his feet on the floor, staring back.

A low, rumbling voice rolled from the throne, the tremor moving through the entire lair.

"So… tell me; how much fun have you had, slaughtering your brothers?" the Nightmare Warden demanded.

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