My Cheat Skill Lets Me Copy Powers....But only if i kill-Chapter 37: The Dungeon Exploration Finale

Chapter 36 - The Dungeon Exploration Finale

Renji skidded down the broken slope, one hand bracing against the jagged wall for control. Heat blasted upward from the depths, carrying a sickly-sweet stench of burning stone and something fouler — rot tinged with sulfur. The very air clung to his skin, thick as smoke, coated with raw mana.

The second his boots hit the floor, the ground shifted beneath him, a tremor rolling through the stone like the dungeon was breathing — heavy, pained, and angry.

He didn't pause. The sword was in his hand, feet already moving.

The layout of Floor 4 was wrong.

Passageways that should've led to branching chambers looped back, corridors twisted like knots, the walls groaning as if resisting their own structure. Flickering runes pulsed along the surfaces, burning crimson — frantic, unstable.

Every path, every choice — forced deeper.

"This place isn't just falling apart," Renji muttered, narrowing his eyes. "It's guiding me."

He pushed forward, navigating the debris and half-collapsed halls, sweat running down his spine. Each step was a risk — stone cracked beneath his boots, and the occasional blast of superheated air surged from floor vents, near enough to scorch.

Then he heard them — footsteps.

Not distant. Not hesitant.

Deliberate.

He turned quickly, blade raised.

A figure stepped into the dim light — cloak cast aside, silver eyes gleaming with sharp intensity in the red-hued gloom. Reina, calm, composed, and finally revealed.

She stopped several paces away, arms crossed, gaze fixed on him like he was the only thing in the world that mattered.

They stood in silence.

Renji broke it first, voice low but taut. "You've been tailing me since Floor 1."

Her expression didn't shift. "Not very well, apparently. You noticed."

"Hard not to. You're not exactly subtle."

A faint smirk pulled at her lips. "You didn't call me out."

Renji didn't answer that. The dungeon trembled again, a heavy crack splitting along the far wall, dust raining down.

"Let's not play games," he said. "You're not here to chat."

"No," Reina answered, eyes narrowing. "I'm here because I needed to see it. You."

She stepped closer, the floor trembling beneath her boots. "The rumors, the whispers... the humans calling you a weapon, the demons calling you a threat. I had to know what you are."

"I'm not here for either of them," Renji snapped. "I walk my own path."

"Then you're in everyone's way."

Their eyes locked, the tension palpable, the air sparking with heat and words unspoken.

Before either could speak again, a piercing shriek cut through the chamber — raw and primal. The ground erupted, molten cracks tearing the floor apart as a massive beast surged from the fissure. Its hide was scorched black, lined with veins of fire, teeth like stone daggers, eyes glowing like embers.

It didn't pause. It charged.

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Reina's swords were already in hand.

Renji took a breath, shifting his stance. "We finish this later."

She flicked a glance toward him, a grin curling at the edge of her lips. "If you're still breathing."

The beast lunged — and together they met it head-on, blades flashing in unison beneath the collapsing ceiling.

The corridor groaned beneath their feet, stones shifting, threatening to give way. Elara caught herself against the jagged wall, breathing hard. "Feels like the whole floor's about to fall out from under us."

Lena didn't slow, boots crunching over debris, sword drawn. "We're too close to turn back. He's down here somewhere."

The heat was suffocating now — each breath scorched the throat, and runnels of sweat traced down their backs. The red glow from the runes wasn't just flickering anymore — it flashed in rapid pulses, erratic, unstable. The walls pulsed in time, as if the dungeon's heart was beating faster.

They passed a collapsed section of ceiling, the debris still smoking.

Lena paused, crouching beside a twisted corpse of a dungeon beast, its body cleaved cleanly through, edges charred from intense heat. "This was recent."

Elara knelt beside her, frowning at the bloody claw marks along the wall, then the impression of boot prints in the dust. "Renji passed through here."

"And something else. These tracks..." Lena's eyes narrowed. "There's another set."

They exchanged a look — no words needed.

They pushed forward, the hall widening into a vast chamber. The ground here was fractured, glowing red cracks spider-webbing across the floor. Pillars leaned dangerously, and chunks of ceiling had already collapsed into rubble piles, forcing them to pick their steps carefully.

Suddenly, a shriek tore through the chamber, so loud the stone trembled.

Elara whipped her head toward the sound. "That wasn't just any monster."

"No," Lena said sharply. "That's a fight."

They bolted, weapons ready.

As they cleared a narrow archway, the sight ahead stopped them cold.

In the center of the chamber, engulfed in flickering firelight, Renji fought against a massive beast of molten stone, sword a blur of steel. His cloak was torn, blood streaking one arm, but his movements were fluid and precise, each step calculated, relentless.

But it wasn't the beast that caught their eyes — it was her.

A young woman with silver eyes, moving beside him like a mirrored shadow, twin blades dancing with deadly precision. She fought back-to-back with Renji, their rhythm too in sync to be coincidence.

Elara froze, dagger clenched in her hand. "Who the hell is that?"

Lena's brow furrowed, her voice tight. "I don't know. But she's not one of us."

Below the chaos, cracks deepened in the chamber floor, molten light leaking through, and the ceiling trembled with every strike.

Renji caught sight of them as he pivoted mid-swing. His eyes met theirs — no surprise, no words, just a silent nod.

A slash of fire cut between them, forcing their attention back to the beast.

No time for questions.

Elara hissed through her teeth. "We deal with the monster. Then we deal with her.

Lena nodded, stepping forward. "Let's finish this."

Together, they joined the fight, the floor shuddering beneath them, the dungeon crumbling around them — all paths now leading deeper, toward whatever waited below.

The moment they crossed into the chamber, the temperature spiked — unbearable, choking. The very air shimmered, thick with heat and mana, making each breath feel like inhaling fire.

Ahead, the Guardian stood — immense, carved from obsidian and iron, its core a furnace of molten light. One arm still bound by a chain half-melted, the other already free. Runes along its body pulsed, alive with ancient power, casting eerie red light that danced across the broken stone.

Its eyes snapped open — slits of pure flame — and locked onto them.

The ground lurched.

Renji didn't hesitate. "Spread out."

The Guardian roared, the sound shaking the chamber. With shocking speed, it charged, its chained arm dragging sparks across the ground.

A massive fist slammed down — Elara barely rolled aside, the impact shattering the stone floor and sending molten fragments flying.

Lena flanked left, blade ready. "That thing's fast for its size!"

Reina darted in from the right, blades aiming for its legs. Steel met stone — sparks flew, but the Guardian barely flinched.

Renji's Quickdraw struck true, blade biting into its side — shallow.

The Guardian twisted, its chained arm sweeping outward. It caught Lena mid-dash, hurling her across the chamber. She crashed into the wall, gasping.

"Elara! Help her!" Renji shouted.

Reina pressed forward, her twin blades moving in a blinding flurry. She targeted the joints, forcing the Guardian to shift its weight — just enough for Renji to activate Phantom Step, appearing behind it.

He aimed for the core.

A pulse of energy exploded outward, hurling him back before he could strike.

Renji hit the ground hard, coughing. The core was shielded, temporarily.

"It's protecting itself," Reina growled, flipping away from a molten blast. "We need to break that barrier."

Elara helped Lena up. "Any ideas?"

Renji stood, wiping blood from his mouth. "The chains. Focus on the remaining chain — overload it."

They moved, coordinated.

Elara and Lena attacked the chain anchoring the Guardian's left arm, blades clashing against ancient metal. Sparks flew.

Reina distracted the beast, her movement precise, weaving through its strikes.

Renji channeled Dual Strike, his sword flashing — he joined the assault on the chain, blow after blow landing.

Cracks formed.

The Guardian howled, spinning wildly. A fist slammed into the ground, a shockwave rippling through the chamber, hurling them off balance.

Molten cracks split the floor, lava surging upward. The chamber was collapsing.

The chain snapped.

The Guardian staggered, its core fully exposed, the shield flickering.

Renji saw his chance — one moment.

He charged, sword glowing faintly. "Cover me!"

Reina and the others moved in unison, attacking from all sides, drawing the Guardian's focus.

Renji leapt — blade aimed straight for the core.

He struck.

Steel met fire — a blinding flash erupted, heat washing over him, searing.

The core cracked — but didn't break.

The Guardian shrieked, grabbing Renji mid-air, slamming him into the ground.

Pain exploded through him.

Elara hurled a dagger into its eye — it screamed.

Lena followed, sword driving into its leg, forcing it down.

Reina surged in, her blade slicing across the cracked core — light burst out.

Renji coughed, vision blurry, blood dripping from his mouth. He rose, staggering.

One final strike.

He channeled everything — his strength, his fury.

The blade drove into the fissure, twisting.

The core shattered.

A wave of molten energy exploded outward, knocking them all back.

The Guardian collapsed, shaking the earth, its core extinguished, the dungeon groaning in agony.

Silence.

Then — the walls began to fall.

Renji stood, barely, watching Reina fade into the shadows.

"You're not finished," she called, her voice echoing.

"No," he muttered, turning to the others. "Let's go."

The dungeon crumbled behind them, and the arc came to a close.

The Guardian's corpse lay shattered, molten blood pooling beneath it, but there was no time to revel in victory.

The dungeon screamed.

Walls cracked wide open, the floor splintering beneath their feet, exposing veins of lava that surged upward, bursting like geysers. The air shook with raw mana, uncontrolled and violent.

Renji wiped blood from his face, panting, as a section of the ceiling caved in, smashing a pillar to rubble. "Move. Now!"

They ran.

Elara limped, Lena at her side, both battered but moving. Reina had vanished into the shadows — gone without a word, her presence like a dream fading into smoke.

The corridor ahead twisted, stone collapsing behind them with each step. The runes on the walls flickered and died, one by one, plunging the path into darkness and chaos.

A massive chunk of ceiling dropped — Renji lunged, grabbing Elara, yanking her clear as the stone crushed the ground behind them.

"Thanks," she gasped, breathless.

"No time." He led them on.

The floor beneath Lena gave way — she stumbled, slipping toward the pit. Renji spun, catching her arm, straining as he pulled her up.

"I've got you. Don't stop."

Their path narrowed — the exit loomed ahead, a crack of light in the collapsing world.

Behind them, the Guardian's corpse imploded, the core's energy releasing in a final surge. Fire and force tore through the chamber.

They dove forward, leaping through the archway as the blast consumed the room behind them, the force flinging them into the outer hall.

Dust and heat washed over them.

Silence followed.

They lay there, coughing, burned, exhausted — but alive.

The dungeon behind them crumbled inward, the core chamber sealed in molten stone.

Renji sat up slowly, chest heaving. His hands shook — not from fear, but from adrenaline, from the weight of what they'd survived.

Elara stared at him, eyes wide. "You... you alright?"

He nodded once, wiping sweat and grime from his brow. "Let's go home."

They stood together, the ruins behind them, the light of Valkris waiting just beyond the surface.