S Ranked Reincarnation: My Infinite Leveling System-Chapter 29: Only I Level Up (2)

The ground trembled beneath a bruised sky, with jagged remnants of the Third Gate battle scattered across the horizon.

In the muted atmosphere, Ning Que staggered on the remnants of the torn battlefield, his body aching, every breath stinging in his lungs.

The Guild’s forces, once a united front, were now a fragmented echo of chaos, retreating from the power surge that had fought their ranks.

He ran a hand over his shoulder, where the golden mark pulsed rhythmically, its warmth battling the chill creeping into his bones.

Fresh memories of the battle flared in his mind: the blinding light of Mireya’s transformation, the despair in the faces of the Guild soldiers as they stumbled into disarray, the dark sense of something monumental shifting in the depths of their existence.

"Where the hell is Tao Cheng?" he muttered under his breath, his gaze darting around for any sign of the man.

Ning’s heart pounded as his thoughts raced. What have we done? The question lingered like a bitter taste, entwined with fragments of the First Pattern’s cryptic warnings.

He was unsure if the shadows left behind were tangible threats or fragments of fate waiting to unfold. He had fought so hard at the frontlines, yet here he remained, teetering on the edge of his capabilities.

And then, to his shock, certainty flooded through him. The familiar interface began to glitch in front of his eyes, shaking and flickering before transforming into something entirely different. A voice, devoid of warmth, echoed within his mind.

"Reclaimer Path Terminated. New Path Available: Eternal Ascent. Initializing Solo Protocol."

"What the ?" He stumbled backward as a new window opened, the details displaying the enigma of his next journey. The words were foreign, yet thrilling. Level 1. Unsure yet determined, he felt an instinct as sharp as steel tighten in his gut. He read the two options below: [Begin Awakening Challenge? Y/N]

Yes.

In that instant, the world around him was consumed by fire. Gold bled into shadows, and the Gate itself shuddered under the pressure of something fundamental unraveling. Everything burned away, leaving only darkness before it swallowed him whole.

"Ugh..." Ning groaned as he awoke on a cold, hard floor. The unmistakable chill of stone against his skin sent a wave of discomfort through him. He pushed himself upright, muscles throbbing, eyes struggling to adjust to the pitch-black room.

All around him, silence enveloped the air, thick with pressure, the kind that made hair stand on end. There were no signs of fellow Guild members, no lingering warmth of camaraderie just him.

"What the hell just happened?" he whispered hoarsely, looking up and attempting to orient himself amidst the darkness.

With a blink, another message flickered into existence before him, its implications echoing in his mind: "Kill to rise. Survive to awaken."

"Great," Ning murmured to himself, a wry grin pulling at his lips despite an underlying dread. "Just when you think you can catch a break, the universe throws a trial your way."

His grip tightened on the hilt of his forgotten blade, steeling his resolve. With no allies left behind and nothing familiar in sight, he took his first step forward, the air crackling with ethereal mana. Endless corridors loomed before him, each one whispering promises of danger and opportunity.

As he delved deeper into the dungeon, shadowy figures began to emerge from the void, their forms growing clearer as the oppressive darkness finally receded. Monsters, mismatched horrors birthed from the depths of nightmares, gathered around him.

"Here we go," he muttered, drawing his blade, a determined fire flickering in his eyes. The first creature lunged, all teeth and claws, and without hesitation, Ning met it head-on, his blade slicing through the air as if it were an extension of himself.

"Take that!" he shouted, adrenaline surging through his veins as the beast crumpled to the ground, a core pulsing with energy surfacing in the wake of its demise.

Level gained: Level 2.

"Nice!" he exclaimed, eyes widening as another message appeared, the interface slowly unveiling its secrets to him. Each kill drove him forward, an intoxicating rhythm to this new existence; with each beast felled, he felt stronger, quicker.

Titles began to unlock as he surpassed his limits Abyss Walker, Mana Breaker. An assortment of skills awaited him, tantalizing promises of power that urged him onward.

"Flash Cut! Echo Step! Yes!" he shouted into the empty halls, the labyrinth absorbing his jubilant noise. This wasn’t just a challenge; this was a chance for rebirth, a test that set him apart from the chaos outside.

As he pushed through waves of monsters, he felt an exhilarating sense of autonomy. He was no longer bound by the rigid expectations of the Guild, no longer a pawn for their grand machinations.

Here, he was a solitary player in a game dictated by his own hands. Alien instincts unfurled inside him, pushing him beyond the exhaustion that would have shackled him at any other time.

Every time Ning killed a monster, he felt like he was taking a part of its power. A new skill called Assimilate had awakened inside him. Now, every fight made him stronger.

He could feel new powers mixing with his own like Thorn Drive and Stone Bloom. With each new skill, he changed more. And the more he fought, the more he wanted to keep going.

"How many levels are in this place?" Ning groaned, ducking just in time as a monster’s sharp claw came for him. "As long as I keep getting stronger... maybe it doesn’t matter."

*Back in the Real World*

"Mireya!" Lyra shouted, trying to wake up the hunter who had collapsed. Her voice shook, full of fear. Everything around them was falling apart. "Where’s Ning? We have to find him!"

"I... I’m okay," Mireya said, slowly sitting up. Her body still glowed with power, but her eyes were filled with worry. "The fight is over, but..."

"But what?" Lyra asked, looking around nervously at the battlefield. She bit her lip, trying not to panic. "Where is Ning?"

"He... disappeared into the shadows," Mireya whispered, her heart sinking. "The last attack messed everything up. Tao Cheng "

"He won’t be far behind," Aeris said quickly, stepping in. His eyes looked at the leftover Guild soldiers, who were trying to pull themselves together. "If he smells weakness, he’ll strike. We can’t stand around."

The air was thick with fear. Everyone who survived the fight was on edge. The calm had turned into a dangerous silence. They all knew something bad was coming.

"Phase Three starts now," Lyra said firmly. "The Guild will search all the local Rifts and hunt anyone they think is strange. If we don’t leave now, we’ll be caught too."

Mireya’s shoulders slumped as her heart grew heavy. "We can’t leave Ning behind. He needs us."

"Mireya, he’ll be fine!" Aeris snapped, grabbing her arm. He was frustrated and tired. "He’s not the same anymore. He’s stronger now. We barely made it out alive!"

"Don’t you get it?" Mireya’s voice cracked as she pulled her arm away. "He’s fighting alone out there! He wouldn’t leave us if it were the other way around. We don’t even know how to fight without him!"

They started to argue while danger was getting closer. The longer they stood there, the closer the Guild would get. Time was running out fast.

"I don’t care!" Lyra suddenly said, her voice cutting through the noise like a blade. "We stick together. If we fight now, we can still regroup. But first, we take down Tao Cheng. After that, we’ll find Ning."

"Fine," Mireya said with sharp eyes. "But once this is over, we’re going after him. We’re not leaving anyone behind. Agreed?"

Everyone nodded. They knew what was coming a massive hunt. The Guild wanted total control, and they were ready to wipe out anyone who got in their way.

*Back in the Dungeon*

Ning had just cleared Level Ten. He stood inside a huge hall. In front of him, a door appeared, glowing with old symbols.

"Is this... it?" he said to himself. He brushed dirt from his clothes and took a deep breath. The danger wasn’t over, but he could feel it he was getting stronger.

He stepped through the door... and suddenly fell forward, landing in a new and strange world.

Loud noises hit him at once swords clashing, beasts roaring far away. He felt nervous but ready, his senses wide awake.

"Well, this isn’t what I expected," he mumbled, rubbing his head. He looked around, trying to understand where he was.

The place before him was wild and full of energy. It was called the Hollow Verge, a place where strong fighters trained, battled, and sometimes died. There were no rules here. Only power mattered.

"What is this place?" Ning said out loud, trying to sound calm. All around him, people were fighting like storms crashing into each other.

Suddenly, something big slammed into him and knocked him to the ground.

"Hey! Watch where you’re " he started to yell, but then he stopped.

Standing over him was a tall, strong woman. She looked very confident. She wore a black trench coat that moved with her steps, and on her back was a big weapon a glaive.

"Ragged Boy," she said with a playful smile, looking him up and down. "You look like you came crawling out of a wizard’s trash pile."

"Ragged Boy?" Ning repeated, annoyed. He rolled his eyes. "Thanks. Didn’t know I had to dress up for this place."

She leaned closer, still smiling. "Name’s Lian Zhen. I’m an S-Rank Hunter. You can call me ’Your Highness.’ Just kidding. Call me Lian. But honestly, ’Ragged Boy’ fits."

"Fantastic," Ning muttered as he stood up and wiped off the dirt. "So my image is already ruined before I even get started?"

"Oh, definitely," Lian joked, standing casually as if they were old friends. "But you’ll need a good sense of humor if the Guild finds out you’re here."

"What do you mean?" Ning asked, now very serious. "What Guild? What’s going on?"

Her smile changed. It became a little darker. "Oh, a lot. If you’re here after causing a scene back there, you’ve got a target on your back. The Guild’s top hunters Project Black Bloom they’re already looking for anyone like you."

"You sure seem to know a lot," Ning said, raising an eyebrow. "Aren’t you scared if you’re that close to them?"

"Scared? No. Bored, yes." She shrugged. Another fight broke out nearby, but she didn’t look away from him.

Ning was getting tired of her teasing. "I’m not here to mess around. I need to find my friends."

"Friends? Here?" she laughed. "You’re in the wrong place for that. But hey, I might stick around. You’re kind of fun to watch."

"Is that how you treat everyone new? What’s so funny about me?" Ning frowned.

"Look at yourself!" she said, putting her hands on her hips. "You look like a magician who gave up. Then you just fell into the Hollow Verge like it was a playground. This place eats people like you alive."

"Yeah, well, I didn’t ask to be here," Ning said, getting angry.

He turned to leave, but suddenly the ground shook. A huge monster crawled out of the earth. It was as tall as the trees, with skin like steel and glowing eyes full of rage.

"Too slow, Ragged Boy!" Lian shouted, excited. She pulled out her glaive and got ready to fight. "Help me or get crushed. Either way, I’ll enjoy the show."

"Wait, what?!" Ning barely had time to think before fear hit him hard. But instead of freezing, he felt something inside him light up. It was power and determination.

"Fine," he said, holding his sword tightly. "Let’s take it down!"

"Just don’t get in my way!" Lian yelled back as she rushed at the beast...

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