I Ascend Alone-Chapter 79: SSS-Rank Dungeon

Christa and I moved with the A-rank forces, taking our positions in the outer defensive lines.

Even if we weren't stepping inside, that didn't mean we were safe.

If this dungeon truly exceeded all known ranks, then the risk of a breakout was higher than anything in recorded history.

Hundreds of elite A-rank hunters had gathered—guild captains, international elites, and special forces, all standing ready for what could be the worst-case scenario.

Christa exhaled slowly. "Never thought I'd be backup for a raid like this."

I glanced at her. "It's better than being inside."

She smirked. "You don't strike me as the type who likes waiting."

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on freёwebnoѵel.com.

I didn't reply because she wasn't wrong. But I wasn't just waiting, I had already acted.

-

Through Abyssal Shadow Veil, I had discreetly placed my shadow familiars in the presence of not just Leon, but the National-Level Hunters earlier.

Even though my abilities were near undetectable, the four strongest hunters in the world weren't fools. If I made a single mistake, they could sense something off.

My shadows now moved silently beneath them, undetected and unseen.

Even if I couldn't step inside, I would know everything.

I would see what they saw. Hear what they heard.

And if things spiraled out of control, I would be ready.

-

With final checks completed, the S-rank strike team began their approach toward the SSS-rank dungeon gate.

Even from the outer perimeter, I could feel a pressure unlike anything before.

Leon, leading the Black Valor squad, was among the first to step forward.

Then came the National-Level Hunters.

Alexander Graves—Titan of Calamity. His mere presence sent tremors through the air, raw physical power condensed into human form.

Raiden Arakawa—Storm Emperor. A walking cataclysm, lightning flickering at his fingertips like an impatient beast.

Ji Seong-Ho—Celestial Blade. A master of untouchable swordsmanship, moving with effortless grace.

Gabriel Dela Cruz—Radiant Sovereign. The embodiment of divine energy, his aura alone pushing back the abyssal miasma.

The moment their boots crossed the threshold, the gate consumed them.

A pulse of darkness erupted outward, distorting the air like a shockwave. The towering structure swallowed the entire raid team whole, its abyssal light twisting and vanishing in an instant.

Every A-rank stationed at the perimeter remained on high alert, weapons drawn, spells at the ready. The ground beneath us felt unstable, as if the very existence of this dungeon threatened to tear apart the world.

I stood at the edge of the defensive formation, arms crossed, eyes locked onto the abyssal gate waiting and watching.

Through my shadow familiars hidden inside, I could sense something shifting.

The real battle hadn't even begun yet.

But whatever awaited them in the depths of that dungeon, It was already watching back.

-

The moment the strike team stepped through the gate, everything shifted.

They emerged onto a vast obsidian wasteland, stretching endlessly in all directions. Towering black spires jutted from the cracked ground, glowing faintly with eerie, pulsating runes. A deep, unnatural mist hung low, obscuring the far distance.

But the most unsettling part? There was no sound.

Not a single whisper of wind. No distant echoes. Nothing.

It was as if the dungeon itself was holding its breath.

Alexander Graves, the Titan of Calamity, surveyed the area, his eyes narrowing. "It's too quiet."

Leon, his grip tightening around his sword, scanned the surroundings. "This isn't normal. Something is—"

A sound.

A single, wet squelch.

Then, the ground ruptured.

From beneath the cracked terrain, shadows began to rise—twisting, writhing, and taking form.

Hundreds of creatures emerged, their bodies shifting between solid and ethereal.

Each one was humanoid in shape but grotesquely distorted—their limbs elongated, their fingers tapering into jagged claws. Hollow voids sat where their eyes should be, but the abyssal energy that pulsed within them radiated pure malice.

The moment they fully formed, the silence shattered.

A piercing, inhuman screech echoed through the battlefield.

Then, they attacked.

The first wave rushed forward, moving with unnatural speed, their clawed limbs cutting through the air like razors.

The hunters reacted instantly.

Raiden Arakawa, the Storm Emperor, moved first.

Lightning crackled across his form as he extended his hand. The moment the creatures came within range, a devastating thunderclap erupted—dozens of abyssal spawns were instantly incinerated.

Ji Seong-Ho, the Celestial Blade, stepped forward next. With a single motion, his sword flashed through the air, and an entire section of the battlefield collapsed into nothingness, erased by his blade's absolute sharpness.

Gabriel Dela Cruz, the Radiant Sovereign, summoned golden chains of divine energy, binding several creatures in place before obliterating them in a burst of radiant fire.

Leon, leading the S-rank hunters, surged forward. His sword cleaved through abyssal flesh, each strike backed by raw, overwhelming force.

But for every creature that fell, more took their place.

The dungeon itself seemed to be endless, birthing more enemies from the shadows.

Alexander Graves clenched his fists, his gauntlets glowing with immense power.

"Enough."

With a single punch to the ground, a shockwave erupted, sending abyssal creatures flying in all directions. The battlefield quaked beneath his strength, cracks forming beneath his feet.

But even as the hunters tore through wave after wave of abyssal creatures, the energy in the air only grew heavier.

The battle raged on as the S-rank hunters pushed forward, cutting through the waves of Abyssal Spawn that kept pouring from the rifts in the dungeon. The creatures, though fierce, were no match for the hunters' combined might, and the blood-soaked ground was littered with the remains of countless abyssal creatures.

Leon Vael, his blade dancing through the air with precision and power, spoke through clenched teeth, his voice sharp with determination. "We can't let our guard down. They're only getting stronger."

The air was thick with tension, the kind of pressure that only came when facing something this dangerous. The abyssal creatures didn't just die—they disintegrated into black smoke, evaporating into nothingness before they hit the ground. It was as though the dungeon itself was feeding off their energy, encouraging more and more to emerge.