Noel followed Leo with a weary sigh, still feeling the phantom pain in his back. His Trickster talent was a masterclass in deception, allowing him to weave illusions that swapped his position with his enemies. The attackers who thought they had cornered a weak F-grade lord had actually been stabbing their own comrade. Noel could have finished them himself, but now he found himself bound to a man who felt more like a demon than a lord.
Hye-na moved close to Luna, her voice low. ''Luna, why him? We have the strength to lead our own alliance.''
''I didn't have a choice. Just trust me for now. He's reliable. I'll explain everything when we aren't standing in a bloodbath,'' Luna replied, her gaze lingering on the piles of bodies littering the cathedral floor.
D5 began to clap, the metallic sound cutting through the air. ''A magnificent display! Let us review the standings.'' He gestured toward a massive holographic board.
The survivors looked up with bated breath, while the broken lords wept in the shadows.
Rank Lord Points
1. Baron - 2,300 points
2. Rose - 1,950 points
3. Steven Lockwood - 1,900 points
The results were a shock. Names like the Crimson Lord and Elias Crowe were nowhere near the top. Leo didn't care; his 300 points were a side effect of his refusal to slaughter the weak.
"This was just a Demo, you gain points throughout the trail. The top ten will receive grand rewards after the trial,'' D5 announced, a manic glint in his silver eyes. ''For now, the shop is open. You have ten minutes to spend your points or save them. Choose wisely.''
Leo skimmed the shop. It was filled with rare artifacts and blueprints, but with only 300 points, the only valuable item was a high-grade healing potion. He closed the menu, unimpressed.
''Luna, this is Noel,'' Leo said, introducing the muscular lord with the waist-length hair.
Luna stared at Noel, her mind racing. 'Is he a warrior or a model for a fantasy novel?' she wondered. ''Hello.''
''A pleasure, Miss Luna,'' Noel said with a cheeky grin, offering his hand. ''And to you as well, Miss Hye-na, though I see the Cold Princess is as frosty as the rumors say.'' Hye-na didn't even glance at him.
Luna pulled Leo aside. ''Leo, I want Hye-na to join us.''
Leo looked at the sapphire-clad woman. He knew she was powerful, but he valued stability. ''Can she hold her own? This dungeon won't have a safety net.''
''Trust me,'' Luna said, a confident smile breaking through her fatigue. ''Hye-na has been trained in combat since she could walk. In a head-on fight, there isn't anyone in this cathedral who can match her.''
Leo nodded. If Hye-na could act as a guardian for Luna, it would free him to focus on the objectives. He wasn't about to let his most valuable asset go unprotected. As the gates began to hum, a small group of five approached. It was Ben's team—the group Leo had spared during the encounter with Sylvia.
''Sir, we want to prove we can be useful,'' Ben said, bowing his head. ''We won't hold you back.''
''Aren't you the guys who tried to ambush me?'' Leo asked with a smile.
''No, sir! That was that idiot Simon, and we already kicked him out!'' Elena shouted in fear.
Leo considered them. Their teamwork was their only saving grace. ''Fine. Fall in.''
''Really?'' The team bowed their heads in gratitude. ''Thank you... Thank you!''
As the timer hit zero, the massive obsidian gates swung open to reveal a swirling vortex of blue energy. D5 stood by, his hands folded neatly behind his back. ''The path is open. Perish or prevail—the Origin cares not which you choose.''
The party of nine stepped through. Leo felt a sickening sensation, as if his soul were being stretched across the cosmos. When his feet finally hit solid ground, his knees buckled. ''What a hellish way to travel,'' he muttered.
Behind him, Noel was retching, and Ben's team looked like they were on the verge of passing out. Luna was pale, clutching her stomach. Then Leo looked at Hye-na. Her face was flushed deep red, her teeth gritted so hard her jaw was bulging. She was clearly fighting the urge to vomit with every ounce of her dignity. Leo couldn't help it; he let out a dry chuckle at the sight.
Hye-na glared at him, her eyes burning with embarrassment as she turned away.
''Whoa... look at this,'' Noel gasped, forcing himself to stand.
Leo looked out. They were standing on a bridge of white stone that looked as fragile as a spider's web, stretching across a void of clouds. The bridge was fifty meters wide, but below it was a drop of ten thousand meters.
''I really, really hate heights,'' Luna whispered, her voice trembling as the wind whipped around them.
The system interface flickered to life.
[Dungeon of the Lost World]
Grade: High Tier (Unique)
Clear Condition: Reach the Center Paradise and enter the Palace of Evergreen. Acquire the Legacy of Empress Athena Evergreen.
Time: No time limit inside. Only 12 hours will pass in the outside world.
Warning: All entities are suppressed to your level, but their innate skills remain available.
''Oh my god!'' Noel stood frozen, his fingers twitching as he pointed at the shimmering interface. ''A Legacy. There is a Legacy here!''
Leo raised his eyebrows. It wasn't just Noel; Luna, Ben, and the rest of the team had faces burning with a mix of raw excitement and greed. Even the ice-cold Hye-na was showing a fierce, predatory determination. Leo wanted to ask just how rare a Legacy truly was, but he caught himself. 'Fake it until you make it,' he repeated the mantra in his head.
In the distance, the atmosphere of the entire dungeon had shifted. Every lord—from the arrogant Steven Lockwood and the calculating Elias Crowe to the mysterious rank-holders like Baron and Rose—was already rushing forward, driven by the chance to obtain a permanent mark on their soul.
''I will take the charge,'' Hye-na announced, swirling her spear in a lethal arc.
Leo watched the weapon, a sudden realization hitting him as he noticed the specific patterns on the shaft. ''That is the Solar Flare Spear, right?''
Hye-na paused, a look of recognition crossing her face. ''Right. You were the one who sold it.''
Leo felt a sting of embarrassment behind his mask. 'Silentmarch was her? Shit, I spent the last week thinking that the top-tier buyer was a man. What a massive blunder.'
Luna chuckled, turning her head aside to hide her amusement. Leo gritted his teeth but said nothing. He was happy to let Hye-na lead; he wasn't interested in the spotlight, and the more targets she drew, the better his chances of surviving.
The team began to move forward in a tight formation. Hye-na took point, her silver spear glowing with a faint, solar heat. Flanking her were Leo and Ben, while the shieldman positioned himself directly in front of the support lords. Luna brought up the rear with the crossbow Leo had given her, her eyes scanning the mist.
Leo was still reeling from the discovery that Hye-na and Silentmarch were the same person. 'The world of the elite is smaller than I thought,' he mused.
He checked his equipment, feeling the pulse of the Cross of the Silent Throne against his ear. The absolute perception was giving him a 360-degree view of the bridge, though the clouds below remained a swirling mystery.
''Stay sharp,'' Leo called out over the roar of the wind. "The bridge is only fifty meters wide. If a combatant gets knocked back, there is no coming back.''
Ben nodded, his hand on his sword hilt. ''Understood. I will follow your lead, sir.''
Leo's eyes flickered to his interface one last time.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
Name: Leo Mordark
Race: Primordial Vampire
Talent: Primordial Sanguinary Archive(EX)
Bloodline Status: Sealed (9% Awakening)
Rank: Lord path (Rank E+)
Titles: [Progenitor]
Bonded: Laura Lockwood
Racial Abilities: Reversal Regeneration, Crimson Perception, Primordial Claim
Artifacts: Ring of the Unremembered Sovereign(Mythic), Progenitor's Crimson Chain(Mythic), Mantle of the Twilight Monarch( Epic) Cross of the Silent Throne(Epic) , Venom fang(Rare) ,Solaris Flare(Rare), Boots of haste(uncommon) , Storage ring , Voice transmitter talisman(uncommon)
Skills: Void Flicker(Rare), Berserker's Roar (Rare)
Abilities: Basic Combat mastery, Basic Weapon mastery
Legacy path: 10%
Current SE: 100
'The dungeon entities are suppressed to our level, but their skills are intact,' Leo reminded himself. He looked at the 9% progress on his Bloodline Awakening. This dungeon wasn't just a trial; it was his best chance to accelerate his evolution.
Suddenly, the [Throne Perception] flared. The air twenty meters ahead didn't just move—it shivered.
''Stop!'' Leo shouted.
The white stones of the bridge ahead began to dissolve into a swarm of tiny, crystalline insects, their wings buzzing with a sound that mimicked the screaming wind.