[Level up!]
[Level up!]
The notifications kept popping up, though it was clear that the rapid leveling from taking down the endless white army was finally starting to slow.
As satisfying as it was to hear the continual chime of leveling up, I knew I couldn’t afford to get too comfortable.
We had to wrap this up before things spiraled out of control.
[Status Info:]
[Riley Hell]
[Race: Human]
[Level: 113]
[Strength: B [0/80]
[Agility: B [0/80]
[Endurance: C [0/60]
[Luck: 0 [????]
[Power: C [0/60]
[Available Status Points: 47]
In just a short time, I’d jumped from level 102 to 113, an eleven-level boost.
Given the sheer numbers in this white army, it was no wonder the experience kept piling up.
Still, that only made me wonder: just how many of these things were Janica and Lucas taking down if my levels were climbing this fast?
And more importantly, how many was Rose annihilating?
I suspected most of the experience gains were coming from her.
Rose’s spells were almost certainly laying waste to these creatures in massive numbers.
That kind of power was both impressive and concerning.
As powerful as she was, there was only so much mana output she could sustain, especially against an endless horde like this.
There was no way she’d be able to keep this up indefinitely—not at the forefront of an assault where she has to face wave after wave of what probably felt like a never-ending immortal army.
“Where is it?”
My mana flared around me, cloaking my body in a glowing blue aura.
Normally, broadcasting this much energy in enemy territory would be reckless, especially so deep in their stronghold.
But right now, I didn’t have the luxury of subtlety—I needed to find the dungeon core, and fast.
The only way to pinpoint it was to push my senses to their absolute limit, even if it risked giving away my location.
With any luck, the White Bishop’s attention would still be glued to the others.
Its obsession with taking down the anomalies seemed to be its driving force, and if it continued that way, I’d have just enough of a cover to mask this blatant outpouring of mana.
But… this place was enormous.
Minutes had passed since the White Bishop and its forces had moved out, and yet I still felt nowhere near the dungeon core.
The oppressive energy grew thicker the further I went, a clear sign I was heading in the right direction, but the depth of this cavern complex was staggering.
Each step closer felt like an eternity, and I couldn’t shake the gnawing urgency creeping into my mind.
[Dashing Sprint] [Proficiency (15%)] → [Activated!]
[Note: 100 Mana will now be deducted for every 1000 meters traveled from the user’s original position]
[Note: Remnants of the light is boosting your heart!]
[Note: Mana reduction in effect]
[Note: Mana cost reduced from 100 to 30 per 1000 meters]
[Note: Remnants of the Light: 40/100]
A surge of warmth spread through me as I activated the skill.
The white walls around me seemed to blur, giving the illusion of the world slowing, though I knew I was pushing myself faster than ever.
My breathing steadied, and I felt almost weightless as the mana surged through me, infusing every cell.
Then, with one step, my entire body shot forward, slicing through the air like a mana-charged arrow.
These remnants of light… could they be fragments of Emilia’s divinity lingering within me?
Her power felt foreign, yet familiar, and I couldn’t deny the boost it was giving me.
This unexpected buff was something I could definitely work with.
“Sweet,” I muttered, feeling the thrill of enhanced speed.
Without another thought, I threw myself forward, driving deeper into the dungeon, each bound taking me closer to the core.
With my newfound speed, it didn’t take long to reach my destination.
I skidded to a stop, barely registering the subtle shift in air pressure as I entered what appeared to be a massive dome.
My gaze lifted instinctively, and I couldn’t help but stare, my eyes widening at the sight above: a canopy of stunning white crystals clustered along the cavern ceiling, refracting light in such a way that it resembled the world’s most magnificent chandelier, shimmering with an otherworldly glow.
For a moment, I took it all in, letting the beauty of the place sink in before my focus narrowed.
Finally, my eyes landed on the true marvel of the space—the thing I had been hunting for.
There, at the center of the room, stood a white stone pillar, modest in height, no more than a meter tall.
Suspended just above it was an orb, hovering in midair.
Its surface was flawless, and from within, a dense, pale mana emanated, so pure that it seemed to pull in every impurity around it like a gravitational force turned white.
Its energy was thick, intense, seemingly endless, and even a brief glance at it made its nature unmistakable.
“The Dungeon Core…”
I’d finally found it.
Luckily there seemed to be no guards left in place meaning he really did go all out against the others.
I swallowed my saliva, my feet moved forward despite the intensity and nervousness I felt.
Taking out my sword I quickly infused it with aura… Bluish white light covered my body my sword blazing with bluish white flames…
As I approached the Dungeon Core, each step felt like pushing through a growing wall of pressure.
The mana emanating from it was so dense that I could almost feel it pulsing through the air, pressing down on me.
It looked deceptively defenseless, floating serenely atop the pillar, as though I could shatter it with a single swing.
And yet, my instincts were screaming at me to stop, to turn around, to get as far away as possible.
My pulse quickened, and a cold trickle of doubt crept down my spine.
For a brief second, it felt like my heart might burst from the sheer tension.
Finally, I forced myself to steady my breathing, pushing past the fear clawing at my nerves.
I took a deep breath, shaking off the nervousness clouding my mind.
There were many ways to end a dungeon, depending on its type, but they boiled down to two tried-and-true methods: either destroy the Dungeon Core or defeat the dungeon’s boss monster.
I knew what needed to be done.
Destroying this core would sever the White Bishop’s access to the dungeon’s endless pool of mana, stopping him from resurrecting or recreating his white army.
But the second I struck; he’d knew immediately that I’m here.
The dungeon wouldn’t collapse immediately—it would take a few moments before fully shutting down, giving him more than enough time to sense the disruption and pinpoint my location.
With his powers, he could appear here almost instantly, likely wielding all the fury and strength that celestial magic allowed.
The thought was terrifying, but I couldn’t let hesitation hold me back.
This was the moment to act. No second-guessing, no retreat—just one clean, decisive strike.
I raised my sword high, channeling all my focus and energy into it. The air around me crackled as my aura flared, intensifying into a blue glow that danced along the blade’s edge.
[Heavenly Strike] [Proficiency (15%)] → Activated!
The energy surged through my sword, and as I brought it down, it felt like a comet descending from the heavens.
The blue arc cut through the air, aiming directly for the white orb.
…But then—
SWOOSH!!!
BANG!!!
The strike never landed. In a split second, a massive white blade intercepted my attack, blocking it just inches away from the core.
I felt a shockwave pulse through me, making my right arm tremble with the force of the deflection.
For the first time, I fully understood why every instinct in me had been screaming to turn back.
My body recoiled as if the pressure had turned inward, trapping me in place.
Then I heard it—a dark, gravelly voice, as if rising from the depths.
“Are you the Anomaly?”
My heart sank. Slowly, I turned to face a towering white knight, his expression unreadable.
He held his sword with effortless strength, one-handed, as if the massive weapon was weightless.
A surge of fear kicked in as he effortlessly swung his blade with a flick of his wrist.
BOOM!
The force was overwhelming, and I was thrown back, my vision spinning as I collided with the cave wall.
A sharp pain jolted through me as blood sprayed from my mouth, the impact embedding me into the rock.
My ribs ached, but survival instincts overrode the pain.
I grit my teeth and forced myself out of the wall, knowing I had to keep moving.
My head snapped to the left as another wave of danger washed over me.
SWISH!
It was close—too close. A searing white light sliced past my cheek, leaving a thin line of blood in its wake.
“Impressive…”
The white knight’s voice was low, almost amused, as he extended a single finger to where my head had been only a moment ago.
Just before I’d moved, a concentrated beam of pure white aura had shot from that fingertip, deadly accurate.
My instincts screamed at me again, and I darted out of his line of sight, narrowly avoiding the attack.
My breaths came faster as I fought to steady myself, nerves rattling under the intensity of each passing second.
I took a moment to assess, but as my gaze settled on him, my heart dropped, and a grim realization set in.
‘Why is this thing here?’
This wasn’t just any white knight.
Everything about him was different—his weapon, his helmet, the way his armor glinted, elegant yet imposing, far surpassing the other knights in both presence and power.
‘Primaris…’
One of the White Queen’s original pieces, her oldest soldiers, and were once her personal companions.
These beings were the prototype for her entire army, woven directly from her power.
They were only supposed to appear in Alice’s epilogue—a force feared for being on par with an [SS-ranked] dungeon bosses.
A Primaris Knight….
By every known rule and details of the game, these things never left her side.
‘So why the hell is one here?’
[Note: User is being exposed to high levels of foreign Divinity!]
[Note: Mana in the air is de-stabilizing]
[Note: User is being subjective to toxic mana]
[Note: Foreign mana is now suppressing the user’s influence]
[Note: Immediate retreat is advised!]
The knight’s gaze bore into me as he spoke again, his voice calm, laced with an ancient authority. “Human, let me ask again… are you the anomaly?”
