I Ascend Alone-Chapter 91: SSS-Rank Dungeon Part XIII

The moment Korthar stepped forward, every instinct I had screamed danger—not just as a fighter, but as something deeper. The system inside me trembled. Even it understood what was coming.

On the screen, Korthar's monstrous form began to move. Slow, deliberate steps that shook the ground of the dungeon. Each of his four arms twitched with coiled violence, ready to rip through whatever remained. His obsidian wings spread like a storm looming overhead, blotting out the radiant light Gabriel tried to maintain.

A wave of despair rippled outward from the screen.

The titan Alexander could barely stand. Leon's sword was chipped and flickering with unstable energy. Raiden's lightning danced around him like a failing storm, and even Ji Seong-Ho's divine aura cracked.

And then—

DING.

A cold chime rang in my ears.

The world around me dimmed for just a second, and the System Interface opened in front of my vision like a burning sigil. Everything else blurred out.

***

[ System Update ] – Abyss Monarch Directive Activated

Catastrophic entity detected.

Korthar, the Dread Sentinel, has transcended designated danger thresholds.

Dungeon now categorized as "Unidentified-Class – Abyssal Rift Core."

-

[ New Quest – Sovereign's Judgment ]

Objective: Conquer the Abyssal Rift Dungeon. Subjugate all abyssal entities within.

Time Limit: None

Failure Condition: All S-Rank/National Hunters will perish

Special Condition Detected: Shadow Anchors planted on [Leon], [Gabriel], [Raiden], and [Ji Seong-Ho].

You have been granted authority to invade.

-

[ Skill Unlocked – Abyssal Transit ]

Type: Active

Description: Instantly teleport to any location where your shadow exists, regardless of dimension or distance.

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Cooldown: 5 minutes

Note: Limited only by shadow connection. Stronger connection = faster stabilization on arrival.

-

[ Quest Reward – Abyssal Revelation ]

Upon successful completion of the Sovereign's Judgment, the true name and origin of the Abyss Monarch's Daggers will be revealed. This includes:

Unlocking the Sealed Effects

Granting access to Evolutions based on Abyssal Influence

A potential fusion path with the Bow of the Abyss Monarch - Nox'Thalos

-

Optional Bonus Rewards:

??? (Dependent on how many National-Level Hunters survive)

??? (If boss is defeated without losing any S-Rank hunters)

??? (If boss is subdued instead of killed)

***

My breath caught in my chest. This wasn't just a mission. It was a call—a command from the very force that now coursed through my blood. The Abyss itself wanted me in that dungeon.

Christa's voice pulled me back just barely.

"...What do you mean 'the Abyss fights the Abyss'?" she repeated, concern woven behind her sharp tone.

I didn't answer.

My eyes stayed on the screen where Korthar raised one clawed hand, and with a flick, sent Raiden crashing into a pillar. Ji Seong-Ho barely deflected the next blow. Gabriel was forced to pull back to protect Alexander. Leon still stood—barely—but his flame was waning.

A whisper of power surged beneath my skin, the System reacting to my resolve.

I stepped forward, the drone feed reflecting in my eyes. "I've seen enough."

The world around me flickered as I activated Abyssal Transit.

From deep within Leon's shadow—one of the four anchors I'd planted—I felt the link solidify. Darkness pulled at my limbs like water wrapping around its sovereign.

Christa reached for me. "Wait—Ryzen, what are you—"

But the void had already answered as I vanished into shadow.

-

The dungeon trembled as I emerged from the shadow, the world reshaping around me with a muted ripple—like space itself bent to allow my presence.

I landed in a low crouch beside Leon, shadow peeling off me like mist before snapping back into place.

The air was thick with death. Craters and scorch marks riddled the ground. Blood. Burned stone. Shattered mana.

Leon staggered slightly at my appearance. "Ryzen?!" he barked. "What the hell—how are you here?!"

His voice wasn't alone.

"You?! Impossible... you were stationed outside," Ji Seong-Ho muttered, still nursing a crackling shoulder.

Gabriel's eyes glowed dangerously. "You breached a dimensional seal...Who—what are you?!"

Even Raiden, his body limned with flickering lightning, narrowed his eyes. "This wasn't part of the plan."

Alexander groaned, gripping his side. "Kid... you shouldn't be here."

I didn't answer their questions.

The weight of Korthar's gaze was now entirely on me.

The Dread Sentinel stood still, four arms curled slightly, head tilted as if analyzing me. The swirling abyss within his eyes churned faster.

And for the first time... he didn't strike. He waited.

He knew.

Each of my steps echoed louder than they should've, reverberating through the broken chamber as I moved forward, the others shouting behind me.

Leon's voice cut deeper this time—urgent. "Ryzen, stop! That thing will kill you—!"

Still, I said nothing as my eyes locked with Korthar's, and I felt it.

Korthar's grin widened—jagged fangs parting in eerie amusement as he looked down upon me. A grotesque, rumbling sound rose from deep within his chest. It wasn't rage. It wasn't bloodlust.

It was laughter.

A guttural, warped chuckle that echoed through the broken walls of the dungeon like some cursed hymn.

I stood firm, eyes glowing faintly, voice like a blade slipping from its sheath.

"Did you enjoy your time, Korthar?"I tilted my head slightly. "Bullying the strongest this world has to offer?"

The creature's mirth deepened, his wings flexing outward with satisfaction. Around us, the battlefield quieted—not from peace, but anticipation. The others didn't move. They couldn't. Even those who stood strong a moment ago were frozen in the shadow of this confrontation.

Korthar the Dread Sentinel, a creature that brought National-level Hunters to their knees... was laughing. "You are interesting, Human!"

-

Outside the dungeon, chaos erupted—not from an attack, but from shock.

The drone feed had gone static for a brief moment, then returned to show me, standing inside the sealed dungeon.

Christa's heart dropped. "That's... that's not possible." She clinch her fists "He was with us! He was right here!"

Darius Vaughn, standing behind the tactical center, stared wordlessly at the screen. His composure cracked just slightly—just enough for his hand to tighten into a fist.

"He used some sort of teleportation" Alastair Crowe muttered grimly, his voice cold but laced with awe. "That's not teleportation... that's something else entirely."

A subordinate whispered under his breath, "He crossed a sealed dimensional rift. That's... that's divine-tier sorcery—"

"No," Darius cut in. "That's not sorcery. But more importantly, how strong is this kid to fight it? Even if an A-rank kid wiill join the fight, it will be futile still."

His eyes narrowed as the image of me standing before Korthar remained frozen on the live screen.

Christa's eyes didn't leave the screen, her lips trembling slightly. "What's he going to do?!"

-

Back in the dungeon, Korthar stopped laughing.

The air between us thickened, time seeming to stretch thin.

I lifted one hand, shadows flickering like tongues of black flame across my palm.

"Good.. You seem to be enjoying this. After you, I'll crush the pest behind you as well." I whispered to him. "And I guess, you won't mind if I break that arrogance of yours."