Lower floor
Resting area
Dungeon
Namer Island
29th September 385 Post Global Unification
Eighteen years after the Hailey Incident
All the Hunter Candidates appeared on the lower floor of the Namer Dungeon, materializing within the designated resting level where the Dungeon Association's forward operations building was located. The space hummed with quiet activity—soft rune lights embedded into the stone floor pulsed faintly as stabilization magic dissipated from the portal.
Dungeon Association workers stood by the exit stage, clad in regulation coats and utility gear, waving the students through after brief scans and clearance checks. One by one, the candidates passed beneath the archway, the weight of the dungeon pressing subtly against their senses.
Ayden led the group down a long corridor carved directly into the dungeon's bedrock. The hallway was reinforced with layered barrier inscriptions, and reinforced glass panels offered glimpses into adjacent preparation rooms where veteran raiders checked equipment, argued over formations, or quietly meditated before their next descent.
Each of the students had been outfitted with academy-approved combat gear—light armor, utility belts, emergency flares, and identification tags bearing Namer Academy's crest. Each set was customized to their specialization.
Each—except Eren.
He walked near the back of the group, clad only in the academy's tracker gym clothes: reinforced fabric, flexible, practical—but unmistakably inadequate compared to the armored silhouettes around him. His spirit weapon made conventional armaments unusable, a limitation he had yet to overcome.
Eren clenched his jaw, irritation simmering beneath his calm expression. Being the odd one out again stung more than he wanted to admit. It wasn't weakness—he knew that—but appearances mattered, especially here.
Still, that didn't stop his eyes from wandering.
The entrance hallway of the Dungeon Association building was vast, its ceiling rising high enough to vanish into shadow. Massive support pillars etched with ancient runes lined the walls, each one humming with dormant power. Dungeon raiders passed them in steady streams—some bloodied and exhausted, others laughing loudly as they hauled crates of monster materials toward appraisal counters. He spotted hunters with missing limbs replaced by enchanted prosthetics, mages with glowing sigils still fading from their skin, and veterans whose mere presence carried an oppressive weight.
This was the real world of Hunters. Not lectures. Not simulations.
They stepped outside the building.
The resting floor opened into a cavernous expanse, an artificial plateau carved into the dungeon itself. Magic-lit crystals embedded in the cavern walls bathed the area in a steady, pale glow, mimicking daylight. Supply depots, medical stations, and temporary encampments sprawled across the stone ground, connected by wide paths worn smooth by countless expeditions.
Far in the distance, Eren could see it.
The descent gate.
A massive opening spiraling downward into darkness, surrounded by reinforced platforms and heavy containment pylons. Cold air flowed upward from its depths, carrying the faint metallic scent of blood and ozone. Even from here, the dungeon's presence was undeniable—alive, watchful, waiting.
Some of the students swallowed nervously. Others straightened unconsciously.
Professor Wingram stopped and turned to face them, his expression stern, eyes sharp as he scanned the group.
"From this point onward," he said, his voice carrying easily through the cavern, "you are no longer in a controlled environment. This dungeon does not care about your rank, your lineage, or your potential."
His gaze lingered—just for a moment—on Eren.
"It will test what you are right now," Professor Wingram said.
Eren inhaled slowly, the unease in his chest settling into something firmer—steadier.
"Now, as we discussed back at the academy," Professor Wingram continued, "you will be divided into teams—or parties, as we say in dungeon terms. You will explore the first and second zones of this floor."
With a casual motion, he conjured an image into the air. It took the form of a sealed manual, its surface bound by layered runic locks—an object used to suppress and preserve cultivation techniques until the proper conditions were met.
"I have placed several such items throughout the designated areas," Professor Wingram said. "Each sealed manual contains the framework for mastering a high-level spell."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the students.
"Whoever locates one will be allowed to keep it and study the spell for personal use," he went on. "Each spell is divided into variants suited for Casters and Magic Warriors alike. And yes—these techniques are of my own creation."
That did it.
Excitement spread openly now. A high-level technique was not something even well-funded families could easily obtain. There wasn't a single student present who didn't want a spell capable of carrying them further on their path as a Hunter—especially one crafted by a mage of Professor Wingram's caliber.
"Choose your teammates," Professor Wingram said. "And set out immediately."
The moment he finished speaking, the resting floor erupted into motion.
Eren turned instinctively toward Ash, but hesitated as clusters of students were already moving in his direction. Ash was ranked second among the first-years—a genuine prodigy—and it was no surprise that many wanted him on their team.
Nox and Victor were in the same position, quickly surrounded by hopeful candidates eager to secure a place beside members of the Great Families.
Reo, on the other hand, was already set. He stood with the group he had gathered early in the school year—students who trusted his leadership. Rhea was among them, calm and composed as ever.
Eren was still scanning the crowd when someone stopped directly in front of him.
"Hey… you don't mind if we team up, right?"
The voice caught him off guard.
Eren looked at the student speaking to him, momentarily surprised. Most people had kept their distance since the Evaluation. Somewhere along the way, he had picked up a reputation—a rough one. A ruffian, some whispered.
He didn't understand it.
Yes, he'd roughed up a few students during the Evaluation test—but so had half the top-ranked candidates. Yet somehow, he was the only one people seemed to label a thug.
Eren exhaled quietly, pushing the thought aside as he met the student's gaze.
Maybe this dungeon would change more than just their rankings.
"Of course," Belle said from beside Eren.
He hadn't even noticed when she'd stepped in. At some point, he'd simply grown used to her presence—quiet, constant, almost expected.
She turned her head and raised her voice. "Hey, Ash. What's taking so long? Get your ass over here."
Ash had already declined the offers from students trying to recruit him. He crossed the space and took position at Eren's left without hesitation.
"So," Ash said, glancing around, "this is our team?"
There were five of them now.
Hayden Cross and Dota Merlyn stood with Eren, Ash, and Belle. When Eren had suggested pulling in more members, Ash had shut it down immediately.
"Five is more than enough for us," Ash said.
Hayden frowned slightly. "And you're confident about that… why?"
"Because the roles are clear," Ash replied. "Eren's our brawler and tank. Belle's our tracker—her sensory range is unmatched. I'll handle long-range suppression. Hayden, you'll act as our striker with your blood manipulation. And Dota will serve as our primary caster."
A brief pause followed.
"I see," Hayden said slowly. "You've already analyzed us."
"Yes," Ash said simply.
When it came to observation and battlefield reading, Ash lacked Belle's external tools and artificial assistance—but his perception was just as sharp. Even so, he knew something was missing. His clan's bloodline ability remained incomplete, just out of reach.
He was hoping this dungeon run would be the push he needed to finally awaken it.
Hayden nodded once. "Guess that means I'm working with you, Eren."
He stepped closer.
Eren blinked. "Huh… who are you again?"
Hayden stared at him for a second—then sighed.
Around them, the remaining teams had already begun to move out. Eren's group followed suit, peeling off along a branching path that diverged from the others, guided by Belle's silent gestures.
Her grimoire, Makina, stamped at her wrist, released several compact magic-tool drones. The devices scattered ahead, acting as relays that extended her internal sensory field deeper into the dungeon's structure.
"I thought you wanted the Walker boy on our side," Rhea said, wiping her blade clean as she walked beside Reo.
They had already dealt with several wolf-like magic beasts—Zherka, according to the bestiary entries.
"I did," Reo replied, sliding his sword back into its sheath. "But he's already formed his own group."
"I don't get why you're so focused on Walker," Boyd said. "Sure, he's ranked high, but—"
"He fought Reo head-on," Dev interrupted. "And his cultivation's gone up again."
Dev had started the year only a tier above Eren. Under Reo's guidance, he'd advanced steadily—yet somehow, Eren had already reached the same level.
That kind of growth wasn't normal.
Reo's gaze lingered in the direction Eren's team had taken.
"His speed of cultivation," Reo said quietly, "is abnormal. There's no doubt his talent is on par with my own."
The words hung heavier than expected.
Boyd, Dev, and Jarvis all turned toward him in shock. Coming from Reo—someone widely regarded as the strongest first-year who didn't come from a Great Family—such an admission carried weight. Reo was not someone who praised lightly, nor did he measure others against himself without reason.
Rhea, however, remained silent.
She had fought Eren before—during their very first Hunter combat conditioning class. She knew his strength firsthand. She had also seen the Evaluation match between Eren and Reo, had felt the pressure of that clash even from the sidelines.
What troubled her most was that Eren hadn't used everything he had.
Neither of them had.
During their spar, Rhea hadn't activated her Ability Factor. She hadn't deployed a single magic technique beyond basic reinforcement. And Eren—he had fought her bare, restrained, relying on nothing but fundamentals and instinct.
At the time, she'd been confident she could defeat him if it came down to it.
But now…
Her cultivation tier was still higher than his. That was the only clear advantage she held.
What would happen, Rhea wondered, if that advantage disappeared?
If Eren reached her level—or surpassed it?
The thought unsettled her more than she cared to admit.
Nox Havok moved like a blur through the undergrowth, his spirit weapon flashing with lethal precision. Twin short daggers danced in his hands, perfectly suited to his speed-based Ability Factor. Each strike was clean, efficient—fatal.
The Nagi magic beasts barely had time to react.
His teammates trailed behind him, weaving layered support spells over his body. Reinforcement. Acceleration. Sensory enhancement. Nox had deliberately chosen a caster-heavy formation, with only a single Magic Warrior positioned as a rear guard tank. He didn't intend to share the front line.
A pulse of motion—then another Nagi collapsed, its core split cleanly.
Nox halted as something caught his attention.
A chest, half-buried beneath twisted roots.
He flicked it open and revealed a scroll seal bound in suppression runes.
"Looks like we found one," Nox said calmly, slipping it into his storage band. "Let's move on."
There was no celebration. No hesitation.
Only momentum.
Victor Jaeger tore through the forest like a storm given flesh.
Monkey-type magic beasts screamed as he crashed into them, claws ripping through hide and bone alike. Anima surged through his body, coating his arms as he leapt from trunk to trunk, striking with overwhelming force.
Below him, his teammates struggled—casting spells, forming barriers, shouting warnings as they fought their own enemies.
Victor didn't slow down.
He locked onto his next targets, charging his claws with dense anima before releasing crescent-shaped waves of raw power. The projectiles ripped through the beasts in brutal arcs, bodies falling in pieces before they could even retaliate.
By the time Victor landed, panting beasts lay scattered across the ground.
His teammates were still fighting.
He clicked his tongue in irritation, eyes narrowing.
Too slow. Too weak.
He preferred solitude. Efficiency. Control.
But the professor had made this a group assignment.
Annoyed, Victor charged his claws once more and hurled another volley of anima-infused slashes. The waves tore through the remaining magic beasts in seconds, ending the fight in a violent, one-sided display.
Silence followed.
Victor didn't look back to see their reactions.
He was already moving forward.
****
A red beam of light punched clean through the skulls of several six-armed Trow magic beasts, dropping them before they could even roar.
The Trow belonged to the same evolutionary family as Troll-type magic beasts—brutish, resilient, and built for raw physical dominance. While they were weaker than true Trolls, their strength still far surpassed that of most magical races such as humans, Lightfolk, Plantfolk, and Seafolk. Only Beastfolk could reliably match or exceed them in sheer physical capability.
And yet—
To Hayden's and Dota's disbelief, Eren was cutting through them as if they were nothing more than practice dummies.
Without relying on Simple Magic, Eren's raw physical attributes already exceeded those of an average Beastfolk. With Simple Magic layered over his body—reinforcement tuned down to efficiency rather than spectacle—his strength crossed into something monstrous.
Each of his fists was saturated with Anima.
The thin veil of his aura skin flickered in and out of existence as he compressed the majority of his Anima into his striking limbs. Every punch detonated on impact, blue light bursting outward as bone and flesh collapsed under impossible force.
His Anima control had improved dramatically since the Evaluation—but even now, it wasn't perfect.
The truth was simple and dangerous.
Eren possessed far too much Anima.
No matter how refined his flow control became, the sheer volume inside his body made perfect regulation nearly impossible. Excess energy bled through his aura, causing brief fluctuations as his body struggled to balance output and restraint.
Even so, he advanced relentlessly.
For the Trow, the difference didn't matter.
They never stood a chance.
Dozens of arrows screamed in from ahead, streaks of layered magic tearing through the battlefield as they struck. Trow bodies were pierced, ripped apart, or outright detonated by Ash's assault. He had taken position in the rear—elevated, clear, and perfectly chosen—where his line of sight covered the entire engagement zone.
His bow was already drawn, spells fully formed before each release.
Wind, fire, and darkness.
Three elemental spells layered onto every arrow. Thanks to the enchantments woven into his ammunition, each shot carried triple-cast payloads, released with surgical precision. Every loosed arrow became a convergence point of destructive magic.
Meanwhile, Belle was already moving.
She sprinted toward the sealed chest, twin magic pistols barking as she blasted her way through any Trow that strayed too close. Each shot hit with brutal efficiency. Dota stayed tight at her side, chanting rapidly as defensive spells flared into existence—barriers snapping into place just in time to deflect claws and debris.
Once the path was clear, Belle dismissed her pistols in a shimmer of light and reached the chest hidden beneath collapsed stone and twisted roots. She forced it open and pulled out the sealed scrolls, runes pulsing faintly in her hands.
"Got it!" Belle shouted.
Ash heard her instantly—his internal senses already tuned to her presence. He released his stance, slung his bow over his shoulder, and vaulted down from his vantage point in a smooth, practiced motion.
Nearby, Hayden clasped his palms together, compressing blood-infused Anima into a single, vibrating point. With a sharp exhale, he released it. A beam of red light lanced forward, tearing through multiple Trows in a straight line before dissipating.
Even as he fought, Hayden couldn't help but watch Eren.
He was a caster by classification, but his bloodline ability allowed him to reinforce his body far beyond normal limits—enough to fight like a body cultivator when necessary.
Still, Eren was different.
The raw physicality behind each of Eren's strikes was overwhelming. His blows shattered Trow's bodies outright, power transferring cleanly through bone and muscle with terrifying efficiency.
And he wasn't even using his Ability Factor yet.
Simple Magic reinforcement alone was burning through Eren's Anima reserves, but his Fa Jin martial art allowed him to fight with brutal effectiveness regardless. Each movement was economical, every strike perfectly timed, force delivered exactly where it mattered most.
By the time Ash regrouped with Belle and Dota, the last of the Trows around Eren were already dead—bodies collapsing in his wake as he straightened, calm and steady amid the ruin.
"You've gotten stronger," Ash said.
"So have you," Eren replied.
They exchanged easy smiles—the kind born from shared struggle rather than words. It didn't escape Hayden's notice. Ash Asterion rarely interacted with anyone, keeping a cool, distant demeanor that made most of the first-years hesitant to approach him. Yet with Eren, that distance simply wasn't there.
It was… different.
"You two seem closer than I expected," Hayden said, unable to keep the curiosity from his voice.
Ash blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Huh? Oh—yeah. That's because we're siblings."
Dota frowned. "Wait. I thought Eren's last name was Walker."
"We're foster siblings," Eren explained calmly. "We were raised in the same orphanage in the Haumea Nation."
"Oh," Dota said, understanding dawning on his face.
It made sense. Ash was known to be an orphan—most of his people had been wiped out during the Purple Night Massacre. And Eren didn't shy away from his own past. There was no hesitation in his voice when he spoke of the orphanage.
If anything, there was pride.
Hayden looked at the two of them again, this time with something closer to respect.
"Still," he said, "to think that two students without the backing of powerful families would be this strong… It's incredible."
Eren didn't answer right away. Ash only nodded once.
Strength, after all, hadn't been something they were given.
"If you're all done sharing your feelings, can we move on?" Belle said dryly. "I've got a lock on our next target."
"Hey, we weren't sharing our feelings," Eren shot back.
That was all it took.
Laughter broke the tension, brief and genuine, as they pushed forward—leaving the carnage behind and continuing deeper into the first zones of the floor. Along the way, they uncovered more sealed scrolls hidden among ruins, beneath roots, and inside half-buried chests. Some reacted properly when touched, runes stabilizing and sealing themselves to the finder.
Others… didn't.
A few crumbled into inert parchment or dissolved into light the moment their seals were disturbed.
"Duds," Belle muttered, clicking her tongue. "Figures."
Professor Wingram hadn't mentioned decoys, but none of them were surprised. This was a dungeon—and a test.
As they moved on, Hayden fell into step beside Eren, asking questions about his martial art. Fa Jin. The way Eren described controlled explosive force, body alignment, and internal release was completely foreign to him. It wasn't spellcasting. It wasn't cultivation in the traditional sense either.
It fascinated him.
Then—
The air changed.
A sudden chill washed over the zone, sharp and invasive, as though the dungeon itself had drawn a breath.
Belle froze mid-step.
Ash felt it at the same time, his instincts screaming even before his mind caught up.
"Stop," Belle whispered.
They didn't need to be told twice.
The atmosphere twisted, pressure coiling around them like invisible barbed wire. A malicious aura seeped into the space, heavy and suffocating. It wasn't like the overwhelming terror Eren had felt in the presence of the Sword King.
This was different.
This presence made his insides burn.
Heat surged through Eren's core, violent and uncontrollable, as if something inside him was reacting—boiling in response to the intrusion. He couldn't explain it, only that it felt wrong. Dangerous.
He glanced around.
Dota stood rigid, eyes wide, unable to move.
Hayden's breath hitched, his blood-infused Anima stalling mid-circulation.
Even Belle—normally unshakable—was locked in place, teeth clenched as her sensory field screamed warnings.
Ash was the only one who managed to move at all, though sweat poured down his temple as he forced himself to turn his head.
"This…" Ash muttered, voice strained. "This is a Maleficent."
The word carried weight.
It dredged up memories—of the Roach Maleficent that had hunted Eren before his awakening, of the chaos and destruction it had left behind.
Ash's gaze snapped toward Eren—
And something crashed down.
The ground shuddered.
They stood in an open field, tall grass bending outward as a violent impact sent dust and debris spiraling into the air. The world energy around them warped, rippling unevenly, as though reality itself had been struck.
When the dust cleared, the source revealed itself.
An enormous, bull-like creature loomed before them.
Bat-like wings unfurled from its back, membranes stretched tight over massive frames. Its hide was onyx-black, etched with faint, vein-like crimson lines. A serrated, blade-like tail dragged through the earth, carving deep grooves into the ground.
Its eyes—burning crimson—locked onto them.
Then it roared.
The sound tore through the air, disrupting the flow of world energy and throwing the entire zone into imbalance. Grass flattened. Mana recoiled. The dungeon itself seemed to recoil.
The hunt was over.
They had been found.
****
Boji, the armored mercenary, and Cobra watched from concealment as the Maleficent fixed its gaze on its prey.
Their job had been simple—disgustingly so. Smuggle the accursed entity into the dungeon, bypass the Association's detection layers, and release it close enough to a specific individual that escape would be impossible. Once unleashed, the Maleficent would do what it always did.
At the same time, they carried a secondary list.
Targets to be erased in the chaos.
Boji's gauntleted fingers flexed, metal plates shifting softly as he suppressed a grin beneath his helmet. He had been hoping for this.
"So that's him," Boji muttered, eyes narrowing as he studied the field. "Walker."
The rumors had been circulating for months—about a first-year with abnormal physical power, a boy who fought like a veteran body cultivator despite lacking proper resources. Boji wanted to see it for himself.
Cobra, crouched beside him, tilted his head slightly, eyes glowing faintly as he assessed the situation through layered perception techniques.
"My targets with the Maleficent's mark," Cobra said calmly. "Same group."
He rose smoothly to his feet, the air around him distorting as his presence began to fade. "I'm going in."
Boji snorted. "Fine."
He scanned the field once more, confirming his own mark wasn't present.
"My target isn't here," he said. "I'll move on."
Before Cobra could respond, Boji vanished—his armored form dissolving into a shimmer of displaced air, leaving nothing behind but a faint pressure echo.
Cobra turned back toward the field.
Below, the Maleficent shifted its massive frame, wings flexing as corrupted energy surged outward. The students were bracing themselves—too slow, too inexperienced to realize they were already surrounded by layers of intent far more dangerous than the accursed beast alone.
Cobra's lips curled into a thin smile.
Perfect.
As the Maleficent lowered its horned head and charged, Cobra stepped forward—his body slipping into the dungeon's shadows just as the first clash was about to begin.
~
Ash straightened his fingers, forcing himself to focus as he began charging a transport technique. One glance at the creature told him everything he needed to know.
This was far beyond them.
He was the only Acolyte-ranked mage in the group—and even at his level, facing a Maleficent head-on was suicide.
"Everyone—grab onto me!" Ash shouted.
Earlier, when they had first arrived on the floor, he had discreetly marked a location within the Dungeon Association building with his Anima. If he could complete the spell, he could transport them all there—far away from this accursed thing—and warn Professor Wingram before anyone else was killed.
The group started toward him.
Then the shadows moved.
Eren saw it first.
A distortion bloomed behind Ash, darkness folding in on itself. A figure emerged from the shadow, like it had always been there. A hand clamped down on Ash's shoulder—
And both of them vanished, swallowed by the darkness beneath their feet.
"Asher!" Eren shouted.
There was no response.
The Maleficent moved.
Its massive fist tore through the air toward Eren, pressure alone warping the space around it. Eren barely had time to register the attack—
"Watch out!" Hayden yelled.
Hayden threw himself forward, crossing his arms and pouring blood-infused Anima into his body to tank the blow.
The impact was catastrophic.
A shockwave erupted outward as the Maleficent's punch connected, sending Hayden flying across the field like a discarded doll. He slammed into the ground, bounced, and crashed into a massive boulder with a thunderous crack, fracturing the stone on impact.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
Hayden didn't move.
"Hayden—" Eren stared in horror, the realization hitting him all at once.
Belle's voice cut through the chaos. "Eren! What are you doing?!"
Her magic pistols barked, shots slamming into the Maleficent's hide—but the creature's onyx skin was saturated with accursed energy. The rounds detonated uselessly, failing to even scratch it.
The monster snarled and swung its serrated tail.
A blade of death whipped toward Belle.
Dota leapt in front of her, panic flashing across his face as he slammed his staff into the ground. "Barrier!"
A Tier-One defensive spell flared to life. Earth surged upward, forming a rough wall between them and the tail. It shattered instantly. The serrated blade tore through the barrier, continuing forward with murderous momentum. Dota knew, in that instant, he was about to die. Then—
The world lurched. Eren exploded into motion. A blue blur crossed the field as Eren blasted through the air, snatching Dota and Belle in a single motion and hurling them out of the tail's path just as it cleaved through the space they had occupied. They hit the ground hard but alive. Belle stared at Eren, eyes wide.
Flash sorcery…?
No—she could see it now.
Eren had used Dynamic Shift, the movement technique he had created himself. But beneath its unique execution, the principles were unmistakable. It followed the same Anima circulation pattern as Flash Sorcery from Simple Magic—compressed release, instant displacement, explosive acceleration.
A personalized evolution. Eren rose slowly, placing himself between his fallen teammate and the Maleficent. His breathing was heavy. Ash was gone. Hayden was down. And the Maleficent was still standing.
Dota collapsed hard, his body going limp as shards of stone from the shattered barrier struck the side of his head. He hit the ground without a sound. Eren felt it a heartbeat later. A sharp sting flared across his back as the Maleficent's tail brushed past him—just barely. When he staggered forward, heat followed pain, and he knew without looking that a long gash had been torn across his skin.
He gritted his teeth and turned. The Maleficent loomed over them, accursed energy rolling off its body in thick, oppressive waves. Up close, the pressure was suffocating—like standing too close to a furnace that burned with hatred instead of fire.
"Eren!" Belle shouted. "Focus on attacking. I'll support you."
"Support magic…?" Eren echoed, surprised.
It wasn't a beginner's discipline. Support magic required precise control, layered casting, and an understanding of another person's body and energy flow. Most first-years couldn't even attempt it. But he didn't question her.
"Fine," he said simply.
If Belle said she could do it, he believed her.
Anima surged through Eren's body as he drew everything inward, compressing it into his fists. His Dynamic Engine roared to life, circulation accelerating as power spiraled tighter and tighter. The ground cracked beneath his feet as he launched forward.
He hit the Maleficent head-on. His fists slammed into its torso in rapid succession—short, explosive strikes that detonated on impact. Each blow erupted with tremendous force, shockwaves rippling outward, blue light flaring with every connection. Yet Eren felt it immediately.
Resistance.
The monster's hide didn't give the way flesh should. Accursed energy clung to it like layered armor, absorbing, dispersing, denying the force behind his blows. For the first time in his life, his physical strength finally found its match. The Maleficent retaliated. Its massive fist came down toward him, carrying enough force to flatten the field. Eren twisted aside at the last second, his movement sharper—faster—than before.
Belle's magic had taken hold. A soft green glow wrapped around Eren's body, sinking into muscle and bone. His reflexes sharpened. His balance stabilized. His speed surged, while his own Anima remained focused almost entirely on offense.
Support magic—pure, clean, and perfectly timed. Eren slid under the creature's arm, planting a foot and slamming his forearm into its elbow joint, redirecting the strike. Using the momentum of the Maleficent's own swing, he grabbed hold, letting himself be pulled upward instead of crushed.
The world flipped. Eren twisted midair, core tightening as he snapped both legs forward. His heel smashed into the Maleficent's face. The impact thundered across the field, air detonating outward as the kick landed squarely between its glowing crimson eyes. The beast staggered back a step, its roar warping into something sharper—angrier.
Eren landed in a crouch, breath heavy, blood dripping down his back. It hadn't gone down. But for the first time—
He'd made it move.
What Eren had done was nothing compared to what the monster prepared next. The Maleficent drew in a deep, rumbling breath. Above its gaping maw, the surrounding world energy twisted violently, spiraling into a massive vortex. The pristine flow of the dungeon's energy fractured as it was dragged inward—then rotted, collapsing into thick, malignant accursed energy.
The vortex condensed. And then it fired. A beam of dark energy erupted forward, annihilating everything in its path. Eren's instincts screamed. He activated Dynamic Shift without hesitation, his body vanishing in a burst of blue light just as the beam detonated behind him.
The explosion was deafening. The shockwave slammed into both Eren and Belle, throwing them off balance. Before either of them could recover, the Maleficent's tail struck. The serrated blade lashed out like a guillotine and slammed into Belle's side, carving a brutal gash across her stomach and sending her skidding across the ground. Blood sprayed across the grass as her body tumbled to a stop.
"Belle!" Eren shouted.
The green glow of support magic was still wrapped around him. That realization hit him like a knife. She'd prioritized him—poured most of her magic into keeping him fighting instead of defending herself. Eren tried to reach her, but the Maleficent was already there. Its wings snapped open, corrupted energy exploding outward as it used them to propel its massive body forward. The ground cracked beneath its landing as its fist came crashing down toward Eren.
Eren skidded to a halt, barely avoiding the blow. There was no room to retreat. No room to hesitate. He compressed everything—everything—into his right fist. Anima spiraled inward, violent and unstable, his Dynamic Engine screaming as it pushed past its limits.
Fa Jin: Dynamic Fist.
"Get out of my way," Eren growled.
He drove the punch forward. The impact sounded like the world itself breaking. A shockwave erupted outward as his fist slammed into the Maleficent's torso, the force blasting it backward several meters. For the first time, thick black blood poured from the monster's mouth, splattering the ground.
It staggered.
That was all Eren needed. He rushed to Belle's side, dropping to one knee as he activated his internal senses. Her heartbeat was weak—but steady. Alive. She blinked up at him, grimacing through the pain.
"I'm alive," Belle said hoarsely. "I had Makina divert thirty-five percent of my magic into defense. It wasn't enough to stop it… but enough to keep it from killing me."
Blood soaked her hands, but the wound—while severe—wasn't immediately fatal. Before Eren could respond, the Maleficent howled. Its wings spread wide as accursed lightning crackled along its body. The world energy around them trembled, destabilizing as dark sparks detonated in the air. Then—
A wave of power burst outward from the monster's body. An omnidirectional shockwave. A killing field. Eren's eyes widened. Hayden, Dota, and Belle were all too close—too weak to escape. He didn't think. He moved.
Eren stepped forward, placing himself between the wave and his fallen teammates, thrusting his arm out as he poured every remaining ounce of Anima into his palm. The ground beneath him shattered. The green glow around his body flickered violently—then began to fade. Belle couldn't sustain the support magic anymore.
The wave hit.
Pain, unlike anything Eren had ever felt, tore through him. His hands burned white-hot as flesh seared away. His tracksuit disintegrated at the sleeve, fabric turning to ash. Bone cracked. Muscle screamed. Still, he pushed. The force overwhelmed him at last.
The shockwave sent Eren, Belle, and Dota flying backward, their bodies slamming into the same boulder Hayden lay against. Eren hit first, blood spraying from his mouth as his vision blurred. His fingers were gone—cauterized cleanly, barely bleeding. His arms were charred, skin blistered and blackened. Third-degree burns covered most of his body. He had taken the brunt of it.
All of it.
To spare them.
And yet—
Eren refused to stay down. Groaning, he tried to stand, legs shaking violently beneath him. One eye barely opened, vision smeared with blood and smoke. Every breath felt like fire. The Maleficent began to walk toward them, slow and deliberate. Then it stopped. It saw Eren's face. Not fear. Not despair.
Defiance.
To the monster, it was as if its prey had refused to die—refused to acknowledge its dominance. That defiance stirred something ugly inside it. Rage. With a thunderous roar, the Maleficent charged, its fist drawing back for the killing blow—
And then—
Two attacks slammed into it from above. Blades of power and crushing force struck the creature simultaneously, detonating against its body and sending it skidding backward across the field. Eren blinked, barely able to focus. Standing between him and the Maleficent were two figures.
Nox Havok.
Victor Jaeger.
The monster was forced several meters back, snarling as it regained its footing. Eren exhaled weakly. He wasn't alone anymore.