I Ascend Alone-Chapter 99: SSS-Rank Dungeon Part XXI

The silence that followed the destruction of the merged Keepers stretched heavy across the dungeon. The echoes of their final moments reverberated through the fractured stone and shattered abyssal crystal.

My shadow-cloaked form stood still in the center of the battlefield, the weight of the moment pressing down on everything around me.

The air was thick with the aftermath of raw power—the abyssal energy lingering in the atmosphere, buzzing faintly in my ears as the remnants of my attack dissolved into the stillness.

The battlefield was scattered with the wreckage of the abyssal creatures and the broken forms of the Keepers, their twisted bodies now barely recognizable after the onslaught.

Yet, despite their defeat, I could feel the gaze of the others on me.

The S-rank hunters were quiet now, their movements slowed as they took in the aftermath of what had just happened.

Raiden stood frozen, his eyes wide, staring at me as if trying to understand the enormity of what had unfolded.

Gabriel hovered in place, his wings folded as he looked at me with a mixture of awe and suspicion.

Leon was silent, too, his expression unreadable, though I could see the flicker of disbelief in his eyes. He'd seen me fight before, but nothing like this. I had shown them my power, but this... this was something else entirely.

Even Ji Seong-Ho, who usually kept his calm, stood still—his usual confident stance replaced with a wariness as he watched me closely.

Then, slowly, I lowered the bow—Nox'Thalos—until it was pointing toward the ground. I could feel their stares, heavy with questions. They didn't speak yet. They didn't need to. The weight of my actions was enough.

I stood motionless, letting the silence build, as I focused on the flickers of energy that still pulsed through the chamber. Their reactions weren't lost on me, and I could feel it—the uncertainty, the awe, and something else—fear.

Finally, it was Raiden who broke the silence, his voice barely above a whisper, though it carried through the stillness. "Ryzen... what the hell was that?!"

I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I glanced toward the wreckage of the Keepers, now nothing but smoldering husks. There was no sign of their merged form anymore. They were gone. Reduced to nothing in a single strike.

"Do you think there will be a dungeon where I had to use my strength like this again?" I asked, my voice low but steady.

I wasn't asking for a response—I didn't need one. The question wasn't for them. It was for me.

As I surveyed the battlefield, the reality of what I had just done settled in. They couldn't understand it. They wouldn't. How could they? Not unless they had experienced what I had.

Leon stepped forward, his expression shifting. "Ryzen..." His voice was tinged with caution, though his eyes were sharp. "How much more can you do? That—what you just did—was on another level. What are you?"

I didn't respond immediately. I didn't need to.

The S-rank hunters were looking at me differently now. I could feel it in the air. The change in their posture, in their demeanor. They were no longer just comrades—they were cautious observers.

And outside, I knew the higher-ups were watching. Christa, in particular, would have felt the shift—the moment the Keepers merged, and the moment I unleashed that final blow.

The live feed from the dungeon would have shown them the entire battle, the power I had wielded, and the way the Keepers had crumbled before me.

Christa's face would have been full of concern, but not just for me. Concern for what this meant.

President Vaughn, Vice-Director Carver, and the other A-rank operatives would be analyzing everything. They were no longer concerned with the dungeon or the monsters—they were now concerned with me.

And it was clear that they wouldn't be the only ones asking questions. The S-rank hunters, too, would want to know. But I wasn't about to give them the answers they were looking for.

Not yet.

I exhaled, taking a moment to assess the situation. The battle was over—for now. But I could feel it, deep down that this was just the beginning.

Taking a slow, measured breath, I reached over my shoulder, retracting Nox'Thalos and storing it away in my inventory. The bow, still warm from the energy that surged through it moments ago, vanished with a flicker.

The chill of the abyss receded from my form as I allowed the overwhelming presence of my Abyss Monarch form to dissolve.

The shadows that had been swirling around me retreated, and the oppressive aura that had enveloped the battlefield evaporated.

Now, I was just Ryzen again.

Leon stepped forward slowly, his expression unreadable, but his words were sharp, filled with both awe and wariness. "How long have you been holding back, Ryzen? I knew you were strong, but this..." He gestured at the remains of the Keepers, their bodies fading into nothingness. "That was something else."

"You're still here," I replied calmly. "Which means we're not done yet."

Leon frowned, glancing around the battlefield. His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean? We just wiped out the Keepers. It's over."

I shook my head. "This was only a part of it. The dungeon is still alive. It's not just about defeating the enemies in front of us." I turned my gaze toward the far side of the chamber, where the energy of the dungeon pulsed faintly. "There's something more. Something deeper. We've only just scratched the surface."

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Raiden was about to speak again, but I raised a hand, cutting him off. "We're not done. Get ready."

I turned to the rest of the team, giving them all a sharp glance. "We move together. Stay alert. We have no idea what else is waiting for us."

The silence settled again, but it was different this time. There was a sense of urgency, a shift in the atmosphere as the hunters began to prepare themselves once more.

I took another breath, allowing myself a brief moment of clarity before the chaos would inevitably begin again.

And then, without another word, I stepped forward, the abyssal power that still pulsed beneath the surface of my skin calling me onward. The dungeon was far from finished with us.