Elsewhere in Maelstrom City, sparse rays of light spilled across the streets, painting the city in an ambient golden sheen before a girl wedged deep into the crowd came to light.

She sported twinkling purple eyes and silky purple hair trailing down her back, parting to reveal a strikingly beautiful sight.

Drawing glances wherever she passed.

Sigh* Amber exhaled sharply as the outline of a swirling green portal came into view. This was it, she thought. The last dungeon she would clear before her advancement.

She was already close, this would be the tipping point. She nodded to herself, excitement coloring her face. With every dungeon she had cleared since parting ways with Aurelian, her power had grown explosively, faster than she'd ever imagined.

But this one… this would be the dungeon that marked her evolution. The Spider Nest Dungeon. She was finally going to wield strength worthy of standing by his side. How would he react when he found out?

A giddy smile flushed across her face as countless questions flooded her mind. Her steps quickened toward the portal, until a voice cut through her thoughts, wiping the smile into a scowl.

"Uh, miss, I noticed you haven't joined a group. How about you join ours? With a pretty girl like you, your presence would be motivating…"

"No." Amber snapped, her eyes narrowing at the youth before her, a curly-haired young man with dirt-brown eyes and a ruddy face, a giant sword clasped in his hands.

"Uh… what?" Dante whispered, his breath catching, lips twitching as he eyed the girl.

"I said, no." Amber muttered, striding toward the dungeon guard. Groups were for the weak. And she was not weak. Her calculations for her impending advancement relied on her clearing the beasts alone, not sharing points. Joining a team offered her nothing.

"Seven golden coins for entry to the F-rank Spider Nest Dungeon," a middle-aged woman clad in basic warrior armor said, flashing a surprised smile at Amber. Brave souls who entered dungeons alone were rare. Either they were arrogant fools, or prodigies with the strength to back it up. One look at Amber and the guard bet on the latter.

"Un." Amber nodded, retrieving a pouch from her interspatial ring before stepping forward, a determined glint flaring in her eyes.

This dungeon would mark the true beginning of her journey to power. Her figure vanished into the swirling vortex.

***

"Hmm." Outside, Dante whispered as he watched her disappear. A wicked light flashed across his eyes.

"Fine, have it your way… just know nobody rejects me and lives." His gaze tilted to his team behind him, a smile stretching across his lips.

"Boss, what do you want us to do?" A brawny youth carrying a massive shield stepped forward, the others, mostly warriors and tankers, closing ranks behind him.

"That girl… hunt her down." Dante muttered, a vile look spreading across his face.

"As you wish." The shieldbearer nodded, unshaken by the order. At this point, none of them were surprised. Offending the Spirit Guild leader's son carried only one ending.

With that, the group stepped into the dungeon.

***

Amber blinked as she scanned the dungeon interior, her stance lowering into combat posture.

It resembled the low-rank dungeons she'd cleared before: wide branching pathways, sturdy stone walls lined with burning torches, a dank stench saturating the air. Creepy for most, but she had no time to admire architecture.

She darted forward, a whisper escaping her lips. "Activate, A-rank: Iron Mirage."

A purple hue flared across her body, wrapping her in intricately carved armor that hugged her figure. Her arms lit up with resplendent light, shards of energy forming at her edges before shooting out to obliterate every beast she encountered.

Her eyes narrowed, focus sharpened, her body falling into a trance. Wherever she passed, streams of purple light impaled spiders swarming the pathways before snapping back to her side. Stronger ones fell to her illusions, her body splitting into mirages that toyed with their senses before she struck them down.

"Die!" she roared, fists slamming into a massive two-meter spider clad in a dark carapace. Shards extended from her knuckles, piercing its innards cleanly. It convulsed, spewing acid from its spinnerets before collapsing lifelessly.

A notification flickered before her.

[Congratulations! You have slain an Uncommon Level 23 Dark Carapace Spider! 23,000 dungeon points awarded!]

[Ding! You have leveled up to Level 24!]

"Almost there," Amber whispered, smiling faintly at the glowing text.

Then she exhaled sharply, tilting her head with irritation.

"If you're going to keep following me, at least try being subtle."

To an outsider, it looked like she was speaking to empty air, until the illusion broke. A massive rock shimmered and vanished, revealing a group of youths.

"You have sharp eyes, I'll give you that," Dante sneered, stepping forward. Amber's scowl deepened as she recognized him instantly.

"But sharp eyes won't save you. Give me your storage ring and treasures, and maybe we'll let you live."

"Huh?" Amber muttered, brows furrowing. Memories stirred. Once, she would have been helpless in this very situation. But she wasn't that weak girl anymore.

"You're strong, stronger than I thought," Dante admitted, leering. "But after fighting your way in here, fatigue must be setting in. You don't have the strength to defend yourself."

"Is that so?" Amber's voice chilled.

"Yes… it is." Dante smirked lewdly. "Bring her to me!" he barked, sending his lackeys forward.

"Fine… have it your way." Amber muttered. She flicked her fingers, summoning a bottle into her hand. Uncorking it, she downed the contents. The purple light around her body flared, her exhaustion vanishing in seconds.

Her eyes gleamed as she raised her fists. Shards buzzed violently before exploding outward in a rain of arrows, skewering the charging youths instantly.

Mercy to your foes is ruthlessness to yourself. Aurelian's words echoed in her mind.

"Huh?" Dante froze, his smile evaporating. His men had fallen too fast for him to process. One second they charged, the next, they were corpses.

"Th-this…" he stammered, taking a step back. Fear overtook him as Amber walked toward him, her shadow looming. His body trembled, frozen in place.

"Y-you… stay away! If you do anything to me, my—"

Before he could finish, Amber blinked before him. Her fist smashed into his throat, a shard slicing through his neck. His head flew free, blood spraying across her robe as his body collapsed lifelessly.

Amber smiled sweetly. "What happens in the dungeon stays in the dungeon."

She shook her head, murmuring, "That makes four groups now." She recalled the others, each seeking to rob her, or worse. The first time she killed, the rush had been overwhelming. But now, the decision was simple. Anyone who sought her harm had only one ending.

She rifled through their belongings, stuffing valuables into her ring before heading deeper into the dungeon.

The boss awaited. Her evolution was imminent.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.