"We are live at the southern frontier of the Celestian kingdom, where the strongest S-Rank party [ Eclipse Vanguard ] is about to enter a newly discovered, unknown-rank dungeon," the TV reporter's voice broadcasted across the kingdom. "This dungeon is unlike anything recorded. Monsters, energy fluctuations, and unknown phenomena have already been detected… It is expected to be the deadliest mission in history."
Arian walked at the forefront of the party, the entrance of the dungeon looming like a gaping mouth. His heart remained steady, his mind wandering elsewhere, to the memories that had shaped him.
"I am Arian," he thought silently, "one of the kingdom's strongest hunters… but I wasn't always this way. I was an orphan, alone, with nothing but the emptiness of the world around me. Then… the world changed."
He remembered the day the news arrived:
"An unknown, dark asteroid was approaching our planet. To stop it, we fired a nuclear space weapon. The asteroid shattered into countless pieces. Most burned in the atmosphere, but the remnants… they brought something strange, something alien. The air filled with a new energy, dungeons started appearing, monsters unlike anything known emerged, and some humans gained powers beyond imagination. Life itself changed. The world was no longer what it had been."
Arian shook his head slightly, snapping back from his memories. He had awakened a power unlike any other, a power that made him feared and admired in equal measure. Some envied him, others loved him, but he had learned long ago to ignore both.
"Arian!"
The call came from his party members, breaking through his reverie.
His party of five had stood with him for years, each a legend in their own right:
Kael Ardent – The Sword Saint. Calm and precise, his Heaven's Blade could slice through the strongest of defenses as if they were air. A strategist with a sharp mind and sharper sword.
Braum Ironfist – The strongest Fighter. His body was like forged steel, and his Aegis Shield could withstand attacks that could obliterate mountains. Agressive, Hot-blooded, and unyielding.
Lyra Selene – Archmage of the ancient arts. Her mastery of forbidden and ancient spells made her both revered and feared. Wielding power that could reshape the battlefield in a heartbeat.
Seraphina Vale – Divine Healer and Caster. Blessed with ethereal wings, her magic could mend, purify, or annihilate. She carried the light of hope and destruction alike.
Arian – The strongest Summoner ever known. Commanding an army of mythic creatures, each more powerful than the last, his summons could overwhelm entire battlefields. His strategic mind and command over his army made him unmatched.
"Let's move,Arian," Kael's voice echoed through the darkness, a blend of authority and camaraderie.
The party stepped into the dungeon, shadows swallowing their forms.
But what awaited them inside was not the usual stone corridors or dim pathways—
It was void.
A vast darkness stretched in every direction, silent and suffocating.
There was no ceiling, no walls, no ground they could truly trust—
just an endless black expanse that seemed to breathe.
Each step made their hearts tighten,
as if invisible eyes were watching from every angle.
A cold shiver crawled down Arian's spine.
Then they saw it.
Far ahead, suspended in the darkness,
stood a second entrance—
a real one.
Carved with ancient symbols, glowing faintly,
its presence alone made their bones tremble.
Kael whispered, "This… This is the true entrance."
The air felt heavier.
The void pressed closer.
A chill settled deep inside each of them.
Arian took a slow breath.
"Let's move," he said quietly.
And as they stepped toward the true entrance,
the darkness pulsed—
as if welcoming them…
or warning them.
The unknown dungeon had claimed its first visitors.