Multiversal Ascension-Chapter 51: Grinding the Shadow Hunter Dungeon (1)

He accepted the mission at the counter, then spoke with the receptionist, who informed him that a teleporter located within the Academy could transport him to a distant city near the dungeon. From there, he would need to travel a short distance to reach his destination.

After thanking the receptionist, Mikael left the building and made his way toward the central section of the Academy, which was open to all years. While walking through the common area, he noticed other students with various numbers of lines on their uniform badges, ranging from one like his to four. This reminded him, 'Ah, right. I forgot that today is the day when students from other years are allowed to interact with the first years.'

Recalling this, he wanted to sigh but restrained himself. 'I'm definitely going to get into a fight! If winning the entrance exam as a commoner didn't already provoke some nobles, being close to Amelia will definitely enrage them... But honestly, they can be as angry as they want. The fact is, Amelia and I have a connection, and soon, she'll be mine!'

As this thought crossed his mind, a playful yet charming smile spread across his face. 'Mine?' he mused. 'Since when did I become this possessive? And not just possessive—my personality has shifted significantly since I joined the Records.' He paused for a moment, reflecting on this realization before concluding,

'No, shifted isn't the right word. It's more like I'm finally allowing myself to embrace who I truly am. Back when I was leading the gang, I couldn't afford to be playful or even let my guard down. I had to stay serious and constantly vigilant against sudden ambushes. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have survived long enough to witness the day the Records connected with Earth.'

Finishing his introspection, Mikael arrived in front of a stunning marble building with a sign reading Teleportation Hall. Without hesitation, he stepped inside.

The interior of the building was spacious, with a central counter surrounded by numerous small rooms labeled "Teleportation Room." The place bustled with activity, as a high number of people moved about, giving it a lively atmosphere. Mikael followed the signs on the walls until he reached an unoccupied teleportation room. He configured the panel beside the door, selecting his destination: Adresia City. The cost was 500 credits for the teleportation, plus another 500 for the return trip.

'If the month hadn't just started, I wouldn't have had enough credits for this teleportation. I would've needed to pick a closer dungeon...' he thought, but he didn't dwell on it. He paid the required fee, and the door opened to let him inside.

The room was extremely small, no larger than 4 square meters, with a glowing blue magical circle inscribed on the floor. Mikael stepped into the circle and immediately felt an invisible force envelop him, rendering him immobile.

Instinctively, he wanted to resist, his aura almost flaring by reflex, but he managed to suppress the impulse, knowing this was part of the teleportation process. He stood still and waited as the suppressive force intensified, making it a colossal effort even to stir his aura.

At the peak of the pressure, his surroundings shifted abruptly, plunging him into darkness. After a few seconds, he felt solid ground beneath his feet again. Looking around, he saw a room identical to the one he had just left. For a moment, he wondered if the teleportation had failed.

To confirm, he stepped out of the room and into a hall that resembled the one at the Academy, though much smaller and nearly empty. A lone receptionist sat at the counter, and no other people were in sight.

Seeing the different environment, Mikael confirmed that he had indeed been teleported. He approached the receptionist and inquired about the location of the Shadow Hunter dungeon. After receiving all the necessary information, he thanked him and left the building.

He found himself in a bustling city filled with the chatter of people and the loud roar of speeding cars. Mikael strolled through the streets at a leisurely pace, taking this brief moment to relax before hours—or possibly days—of fighting monsters.

After a pleasant hour of walking, he finally reached the city outskirts. Once outside, he stopped lazing around and began sprinting at high speed.

"Swish! Swish!" The wind howled past him as he dashed forward.

He continued running until he arrived at an isolated plain. In the middle of the area stood a 3-meter-high stone wall inscribed with magical runes. At the entrance, two guards stood watch, while a sign on the wall read Shadow Hunter Dungeon.

As Mikael approached, one of the guards called out, "Halt!"

Mikael stopped immediately, not wanting to cause trouble.

"You're a student at Central Academy, right?" the guard asked, eyeing Mikael's uniform.

He nodded silently.

"Alright, I'll need to see your student ID before letting you through," the guard said.

Mikael raised his wrist, revealing the technologically advanced bracelet that displayed his student ID. The guard examined it briefly before nodding in approval. "Everything checks out. You're good to go. Happy dungeon diving!" He hesitated for a moment before adding, "And stay vigilant—this dungeon is dangerous."

Mikael offered a polite reply. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Walking past the guards, he entered the enclosed area. Inside, a swirling blue portal floated at the center. Scanning his surroundings, Mikael noticed fewer than ten people present, all of whom seemed to be veteran hunters.

His arrival caught their attention. It was rare for a newcomer to attempt this dungeon, and his distinctive Academy uniform only made him stand out more.

Just as he prepared to enter the portal, a gruff voice interrupted him. "Kiddo, you shouldn't try this dungeon. It's a damn nightmare. Pick a different one!"

Mikael turned to see a middle-aged man with a heavy beard, a muscular build, and a massive broadsword strapped to his back. Despite the man's imposing appearance, his tone carried genuine concern.

Though slightly annoyed at being interrupted, Mikael maintained his composure. "I've already prepared and done my research on this dungeon. I'll be fine," he said confidently.

The man didn't seem convinced but could do nothing more to dissuade him. With a resigned sigh, he said, "Alright, just be cautious of unexpected attacks."

Mikael nodded, dismissing the encounter as he made his two E rank swords appear in his hands using the small storage ring on his hand. Coating himself in aura and extending aura threads to his swords, he stepped forward and entered the swirling blue portal.

He was instantly struck by the damp, musty scent of an abandoned building. Scanning his surroundings, he realized he was in an unnaturally dark room where an ordinary human wouldn't even be able to see a meter ahead.

The place resembled the interior of a dilapidated manor—or at least what was left of it. Amidst the surrounding darkness, Mikael's enhanced vision revealed rotting wood everywhere, cobwebs hanging in thick clusters, and a pervasive silence that created an intensely creepy atmosphere.

'Is this a dungeon or the opening scene of a horror movie?' he thought, letting out a small, nervous chuckle. He tightened his grip on his swords as he carefully observed his surroundings. The aura coating his body emitted a faint glow, making him stand out starkly in the oppressive darkness. Fully aware of how visible he was, he braced himself for an imminent attack.

He maintained this tense stance for what felt like an eternity. When no attack came, he cautiously began to move, the creaking of the wooden floor beneath his feet becoming his constant companion.

Suddenly, he felt something approaching from his right. He instinctively leaned back and retreated just in time to avoid a dark mass that seemed to grow even blacker against the surrounding gloom. Without knowing exactly what was attacking him, he slashed his sword through the air, the aura illuminating the space around him.

He felt the blade pass through something—a dark, viscous substance that didn't feel like air but lacked the solidity of flesh.

A bone-chilling scream pierced the silence, sending shivers down Mikael's spine as he instinctively backed away, readying himself for the next strike.

[E Rank Monster Wraith killed: 6K XP received x1]

"Ghosts? Are you kidding me? Now I'm a freaking ghostbuster," he muttered to himself, trying to laugh off the fear clawing at him.

Despite his attempt at humor, Mikael remained on high alert, his eyes darting around as he prepared for another assault. Soon, faint dark shapes began to converge around him, likely drawn by the wraith's scream.

In the dense darkness, spotting the wraiths proved difficult. They were shadows within shadows, almost indistinguishable from their surroundings. Locking onto what he guessed were the two closest figures, Mikael used the aura threads to guide his swords, slashing at the shapes from a distance.

One of the shadows let out a piercing shriek as it was torn apart, confirming it was a wraith. The other turned out to be nothing more than an ordinary shadow, disappearing harmlessly.

Recalling his swords, Mikael suddenly sensed an attack from his left. He crouched just in time and lashed out with an aura-coated kick, connecting with the wraith and sending it flying. However, this one didn't emit the deathly scream that typically accompanied a wraith's demise.

Gripping his swords tightly, Mikael plunged into the fray. He slashed through the swarm of ghosts surrounding him. While wraiths were relatively fragile and went down with a single slash, their speed and ability to blend into the darkness made them incredibly challenging to detect. As a result, Mikael found himself repeatedly ambushed.

Despite the relentless attacks, there was a silver lining: his sixth sense was improving rapidly, sharpening with each ambush, and the experience points kept rolling in. What had initially been a nerve-wracking ordeal was now exhilarating. The fear that had gripped him earlier was gone, replaced by the sheer thrill of ghost-slaying.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and soon enough, Mikael had exterminated all the attacking wraiths. Still on edge, he remained vigilant, scanning his surroundings for any further threats. None came.

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"Ahh... Ahh..." he panted, more from the mental strain of constant vigilance and surprise attacks than from physical exhaustion. After catching his breath, he began collecting small, dark pearls dropped by some of the wraiths as they dissolved into the shadows upon death. These were monster cores—E rank Darkness Cores. Satisfied with his haul, he resumed his cautious journey through the abandoned mansion.

Exiting the large hall, he stepped into a decrepit corridor, the eerie ambiance making every creak of the floorboards feel magnified.

"Crack."

The sharp sound sent a jolt through him. Without hesitation, he slashed toward the source of the noise.

"Clang."

His blade clashed with metal claws, locking them in a stalemate. The creature that attacked him was humanoid in shape, but the similarities ended there. Its skin was deathly pale, stretched taut as though devoid of blood. Its hunched back gave it a menacing posture, and long, metallic claws extended from its fingers. It grinned at him with a wide, toothy smile, sending chills down his spine.

Instinctively, Mikael took a step back, his body reacting before his mind could catch up.

Realizing his moment of hesitation, he prepared to reengage, but the monster had already sensed his fear. It slashed horizontally with its free hand, aiming to cut him in half.

Mikael steeled his nerves, raising his second sword to intercept the attack.

When the claws and blade collided, he quickly created a thin aura thread, attaching it to the monster's shoulder and manipulating it with precision.

"Thud."

The creature's arm fell to the ground with a heavy thump, severed by its own claw. The sudden move had caught it off guard, and it failed to react in time, injuring itself.

"ROOOAAA—"

Its pained scream was abruptly cut off as Mikael seized the opening to decapitate it in one swift motion.

[E+ Rank Elite Monster Ghoul killed: 25K XP received x1]

Breathing heavily, Mikael knelt beside the fallen ghoul and used his sword to cut open its chest, searching for a core. Finding nothing, he stood and continued down the eerie corridor, his steps accompanied by the occasional creak of the wooden floor.

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