I Ascend Alone-Chapter 92: SSS-Rank Dungeon Part XIV

The moment I raised my hand, the shadows coiled tightly around my wrist like chains unshackling themselves from centuries of slumber.

And then—I vanished.

To the untrained eye, it may have looked like a simple burst of speed, but Korthar's eyes were sharper. He noticed the movement.

He noticed it, but too late.

CRACK

My fist collided with the side of his jaw before he could even shift his stance.

A thunderous shockwave rippled through the air, tearing the stone beneath us in a spiraling fracture. Korthar's massive form staggered as his head snapped to the side, spit and ichor trailing in slow motion.

I didn't stop.

Phantom Tyrant.

The afterimage I left behind burst into smoky trails as I reappeared directly behind him. My hand gripped the air, summoning Abyssal Monarch Daggers, the weapon sheathed in my system inventory, blinking into my grasp with a hiss of darkness.

Before Korthar could turn—SLASH!

I carved a line across his back, shadows trailing from the blade like bleeding mist. He roared, spinning with all four of his arms in a whirlwind strike.

I ducked just in time, his claws cleaving the air where my head had been a heartbeat ago. I somersaulted backward, landing in a crouch as the earth crumbled beneath our feet.

Korthar paused, standing tall again—three of his arms raised, one hanging slightly lower than the rest.

Blood, thick and oily black, dripped from a gash running across his shoulder.

"...You're not like the others," Korthar rumbled, his voice now more cautious than amused. "You bear the Abyss... and yet you do not kneel to it."

I rose slowly, Abyssal Monarch Daggers now flickering with eerie runes, responding to its monarch.

"No," I said, voice calm. "I don't kneel to anything. And why would I?"

Korthar's wings expanded, shadows screaming across the cavern as abyssal pressure pressed down hard. Cracks formed in the walls. The other hunters in the room were trying to recover, but their eyes never left me—or him.

"Then I shall test you," the Dread Sentinel snarled. "Let the Abyss devour its traitor."

Our collisions shattered the ground, mana and shadow clashing like titanic storms. Claws met blade. Fists met bone. Every strike felt like two worlds tearing into each other.

Behind us, the National-level Hunters finally began to stir—staggering to their feet, watching as I stood toe-to-toe with something they had barely survived.

Raiden whispered hoarsely, "He's... pushing Korthar back?!"

Gabriel's brows furrowed, arcane lights dancing at his fingertips. "No. He's more than that. He's matching him... blow for blow."

Leon, blood running down his arm, stared in silent disbelief. "That... that's Ryzen Kael."

-

Outside the dungeon, chaos continued at the control center. Technicians scrambled to recalibrate mana readings, the drone feed warping from the overload of magical interference.

Darius Vaughn stood still, watching.

Alastair Crowe muttered under his breath, "He's not fighting like an A-rank. No A-rank moves like that."

"He's not an A-rank," Darius replied, eyes locked on the screen. "He's something else."

Christa didn't say anything. Her hands were clenched so tightly they were pale, her eyes wide—not from fear, but something else.

-

Back in the dungeon, the two of us clashed once more—shadows and abyssal fire erupting in a deadly spiral.

Korthar roared, lunging forward with a massive haymaker, but this time, I didn't dodge.

I vanished again, and from his blind spot, just above his back, I reappeared midair.

I drew something else from my system.

[ Inventory: Abyss Monarch's Bow – Nox'Thalos ]

A black longbow with curved wings of voidlight shimmered into my hands.

The shadows around me condensed, forming a bolt so dense it bent the air around it.

Korthar turned his head upward.

I released.

FWOOOOM—

The arrow struck him in the chest with a blinding spiral of darkness and radiant impact, tearing through his form and blasting him across the battlefield, cratering the far wall.

The explosion tore through the cavern like a cannon from the heavens. The sheer force of it created a shockwave that knocked debris from the ceiling, fractured ancient obsidian pillars, and sent a screeching echo that rattled bones.

A dense cloud of smoke and dust mushroomed into the air where Korthar had been launched. It was thick—unnaturally so. As if the shadows themselves clung to the chaos, refusing to reveal what had become of the Dread Sentinel.

Every hunters froze in place, their eyes glued to the epicenter of the explosion. Even the abyssal creatures seemed to hesitate, their instincts screaming that something had shifted. The atmosphere was thick with tension as every movement seemed to carry the weight of impending danger.

Leon's eyes narrowed, his hand gripping the handle of his weapon, ready for whatever came next. "Did he just—?!"

Alexander Graves, the towering figure, clenched his fists. His knuckles cracked, releasing a low hum of power as he observed the smoke. "To think there is someone who is capable of doing that."

Raiden Arakawa, the Storm Emperor, looked over to his comrades, his expression unreadable. "I've never seen anything like that before."

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

The dust began to settle, but the shape within the crater remained hidden. A low rumble emanated from the depths of the cloud, followed by a faint groan.

"...It's not over," I muttered quietly, my voice low but unwavering.

And as the last remnants of the dust cleared, I could see the Abyssal creature beginning to rise.

Korthar's massive form reappeared, though not as he was before. The once imposing beast, the Dread Sentinel, now looked like a creature resurrected from the depths of despair. His wings were torn, his body battered, but the raw power that emanated from him was undeniable.

His head turned toward me, rage burning in his eyes.

"You..." Korthar's voice was a guttural snarl, laced with hatred. "I will break you!"