I Ascend Alone-Chapter 120: Dungeon Break Part III

he rift pulsed.

A sharp crack split the air like lightning as the temperature surged once more. The ground vibrated beneath our feet, dust rising in thin spirals. From the heart of the glowing fissure, a sudden roar echoed out—deep, guttural, and angry.

Leon's blade was already drawn, glinting faintly in the distorted light. "Here we go."

The second wave burst forth in a blaze of heat and smoke.

A trio of volcanic drakes erupted from the portal—larger than the first batch. These ones bore molten-cracked scales, their bodies glowing like living furnaces. Lava dripped from their jaws, hissing as it touched the ground. And behind them, a heavier shape began to form—a hulking quadruped, half buried in flame and ash, clawing its way through the rift.

Mirae cursed under her breath. "An Alpha-class variant. That's a Molten Behemoth."

The sheer pressure it gave off slammed into the air like a wall. Civilians behind the barrier screamed and stumbled back despite the Association agents doing everything they could to hold the line.

I didn't hesitate. I shot forward toward the leftmost drake, shadow-stepping just as it let out a roar and tried to sweep with its tail. I blinked past the attack, slashing twice with my daggers—precise, fast, and deep. The drake shrieked as magma splattered from the gashes.

On the right, Leon collided with another drake mid-charge, his blade arcing upward in a flash of steel. Sparks flew as scale met edge, but Leon didn't stop. He ducked low, drove a boot into the beast's side, and sent it staggering with brute force.

In the center, Mirae twirled her spear once before launching it with uncanny speed. The golden shaft exploded into light as it pierced the drake's chest and detonated in a burst of binding energy. The creature was sent reeling back into a wall with a thunderous crack.

Then the Behemoth stepped through.

It was massive—easily the size of a three-story building, covered in blackened stone armor with veins of lava glowing underneath. Its head looked like an obsidian skull with ember eyes, and its claws dug into the earth like it hated the world itself.

The heat grew suffocating.

Mirae moved next to me, sweat beading along her brow, but her stance never wavered.

"We can't let it get past us," she said, spinning her spear into a ready grip.

Leon joined us on the right. "We'll draw its attention. Ryzen—hit its legs. If we bring it down, we can end this fast."

"Got it," I said, eyes narrowing on the beast.

The camera drones were still rolling. The Molten Behemoth roared—and we moved as one.

The cameras zoomed in as the battlefield turned into a furnace of chaos and fury.

The Molten Behemoth reared back on its hind legs, magma pouring from its plated shoulders like a volcanic waterfall. It slammed down with enough force to crack the street beneath us, sending out a ring of destructive force that flung cars, debris, and a wave of intense heat across the plaza.

"Now!" Leon barked, his body already a blur.

He darted forward first, blade glowing silver-blue as he slashed in a rising arc across the Behemoth's front leg. Sparks flew as steel met molten hide, the impact echoing like thunder. The creature staggered slightly, but roared back, swinging one of its massive arms toward Leon with terrifying speed.

Mirae was faster.

She lunged from the right flank, her enchanted spear spinning in a dazzling flare of gold light. With a sharp, fluid thrust, she drove it into the Behemoth's shoulder joint. Runes along the shaft activated instantly—binding magic coiling out and wrapping around the beast's arm like glowing chains.

"Hold it for five seconds!" she shouted.

I moved.

From behind the creature, I surged out of a flickering shadow, my daggers gleaming with dark edge. My target was its back leg—a weak point Mirae had spotted earlier. I launched upward in a spiraling arc, slashing into the exposed underside of its thigh.

A blast of molten blood erupted, searing the ground as the creature roared in agony. I landed, ducked under a retaliatory tail swipe, and dove into shadow again to avoid the follow-up stomp that obliterated a chunk of the road.

"Impact confirmed!" a voice echoed from a drone mic. "That strike came from the hunter on the left flank—he just crippled one of the Behemoth's legs!"

Nationwide, viewers watched as the battle unfolded in cinematic detail. The feed split into three camera angles—one tracking Leon's swift, brutal precision, another following Mirae's blinding magic-infused spearwork, and the third locked on me as I blinked in and out of shadow with near-impossible agility.

The Molten Behemoth bellowed once more, flames surging out from its body in a desperate blast of heat.

"Get back!" Leon shouted, throwing up a defensive slash that carved through the wall of fire. His sword pulsed with energy as he crossed in front of Mirae to take the brunt of the next strike.

But Mirae wasn't retreating—her eyes glowed as she tapped into her reserve mana. She whispered an incantation, and her spear began to resonate, crackling with golden arcs of electricity.

With a cry, she hurled it skyward. "Judgment Spear—Descending Starfall!"

The weapon froze midair, suspended in light.

Then, like a comet, it dropped. The impact was blinding.

The Behemoth's shoulder was pierced straight through—lava and stone exploded outward in a furious detonation. The beast screamed, collapsing to one knee.

I didn't wait.

"Vorathos," I whispered.

Shadows exploded outward.

My Vanguard burst from the rift beside me, tendrils lashing as he tackled the leg and held it in place. The behemoth thrashed, trying to rise, but it was too late.

I dashed toward the core, both daggers lighting with abyssal edge—not from the throne, but from the will to finish this now.

I struck.

Left dagger in—twist—then right dagger driving deep into the core. The beast reared up, letting out a soundless roar that shattered the nearest windows.

Then everything went white.

The core imploded with a thunderous burst of heat and force, sending a blast of compressed energy upward into the sky. I shielded my face, rolling as magma and fire sprayed in every direction. Vorathos dove over me to block the worst of it, his body absorbing the heat like a living wall.

When the light faded, the behemoth lay collapsed, steam rising from its body like a slain god.

Dead silence. Then—cheering.

Applause and distant shouts echoed beyond the barricades. Emergency crews held the crowd back, but the people had seen everything. So had the reporters.

Camera drones hovered in the air, still recording.

One anchor's voice filtered through the feed:

"—unbelievable. Viewers, what you've just witnessed is the neutralization of a Unidentified Dungeon Break by three Hunters—Leon Vael, S-Rank; Ahn Mirae, S-Rank and Second in the Nation; and an A-rank combatant using shadow-based mobility and high-level dagger techniques. We... we may be looking at a potential new S-Rank."

Leon sheathed his sword with a smooth motion and glanced at me, then at Mirae.

She exhaled, resting her spear over one shoulder.

I looked at the charred remains of the behemoth, my breath still heavy, heart still pounding.

No one said anything for a few seconds.

Then Mirae stepped closer and grinned slightly. "So... that was a fun stroll."

Leon let out a low chuckle. "Yeah. Real quiet day."

And behind us, the world was still watching.

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