*BOOOOOOOOOM!*

*SLICE!* *BOOOM!*

The tunnel echoed with the booming sounds of destruction as thick dust filled the surroundings.

A young boy stood in the center of the chaos. He had blonde hair, obsidian eyes, and a strikingly handsome face. He swung a pitch-black sword, its hilt bearing the symbol of a dragon. The incoming monster was sliced clean in half; the sword cut through its tough body like paper.

But the boy’s expression was dead and silent, as if he had lost his soul. As more monsters swarmed him, he became even more brutal.

[Paradox Spiral Art: Shadow Type - Shadow Claw!]

A massive hand made entirely of dark elements shot out from his shadow. As the monsters got hit by the claw, they were thrown backward, but the boy wasn’t done yet.

He used the shadow claw to cut their bodies apart even when they were on the brink of death. Their internal organs spilled onto the stone floor, and their disgusting green blood flowed like a river. He tore their bodies apart, mercilessly carving a path to the next monster to tear it to shreds as well.

He walked like a grim executioner, passing through a horde of dead monsters that had been brutally sliced to pieces.

Throughout the entire battle, his face remained completely blank. He didn’t care about how brutal his methods were. He simply continued to walk. As more monsters dashed toward him, he didn’t even need to draw his sword; his shadow immediately cut them down without him even giving the order.

He looked down at his hand, which was completely free of blood. He wore a silver bracelet on his wrist, and he touched it gently.

He looked forward into the oppressive darkness.

’Where are you now?... Are you okay? Are you alive?...’

He clenched his fist tightly in deep frustration.

’It’s my fault. I should have taken better care of her. I should have been there... She is just an emotional fool; it’s difficult for her to survive alone. I shouldn’t have brought her along with me.’

’And now, because of this damn place, I don’t even know where she is!’

’If I go back without her, Father will kill me for sure...’

The boy was trapped in a tense emotional dilemma, unsure of what he should do. He had come to the Ascension Realm just to run away from his suffocating situation at home.

Just as he was preparing to destroy more of the monsters around him out of sheer anger, his bracelet suddenly lit up. It sensed a familiar presence.

The bracelet he wore was no normal piece of jewelry; it was a high-tier artifact capable of sensing a companion’s magical signature from a vast distance. It was specifically designed so team members wouldn’t get lost during trials.

As the boy looked at the glowing bracelet, a deeply relieved expression finally broke through his emotionless face.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps.

His shadows instinctively rose, preparing to cut down what he assumed was another monster. But the shadows suddenly backed away, shrinking back down as if they didn’t dare to attack the newcomer.

Zane looked up toward the direction the footsteps came from.

A girl with light blue hair and silver eyes stepped out of the shadows. As the girl’s eyes caught sight of his figure, she gasped, ran forward, and jumped onto him, tackling him to the ground in a massive hug.

"Zane!!!!... Where were you?! Do you know how scared I was when you weren’t there?!"

Serene looked down at him with moist eyes, incredibly relieved to see him perfectly fine. Even though she had known he would be okay wherever he went—because she trusted his immense power to survive—she was still deeply worried. After all, they were best friends.

Zane looked down at her as she sniffled into his shirt, getting it dirty with her tears.

"Sigh... Sera, can you get up? Or I won’t be able to breathe..."

Serene backed away, letting him breathe the air as she wiped her moist eyes.

"Are you okay, Sera? Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked, genuine concern lacing his voice.

Serene shook her head proudly.

"I’m strong... I won’t get hurt easily," she said innocently, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Zane patted her head gently to comfort her. She also lean forward letting him comfort her.

As they stood there in silence...

...Alen was sitting on a nearby rock in a relaxed posture, resting his chin on one hand as he watched the two childhood sweethearts. They were completely ignoring his existence in the background.

Zane suddenly sensed that someone else was present. He looked up and saw a silver-haired boy with azure eyes sitting there calmly. Serene also turned to see who he was staring at.

"Oh! I forgot to introduce you!" Serene beamed, waving her hand.

"This is Alen. He has been with me since I lost you in the Ascension Realm. We teamed up to complete the trials! I thought I might find you here, and thankfully my premonition was correct! Hehe... I should become a Saintess in the church!"

Alen looked at the blonde guy calmly, but he felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He could feel an intense, silent killing intent radiating from Zane.

Alen wasn’t particularly worried that the guy would suddenly jump forward to kill him, since Serene was standing right beside them, but the hostility was obvious.

’Why the f*ck is he looking at me with those dead eyes? Is he trying to warn me about something? Huh...’

Choosing to ignore the glaring boy, Alen stood up and started walking down the dark tunnel.

Serene quickly turned back to Zane and grabbed his hand.

"Come on, let’s go! He’s leaving!"

Zane stared at Alen’s retreating back with cold, dangerous eyes. Saying nothing, he started walking, letting Serene lead the way into the darkness.

The glow of Serene’s magic was the only light in the cavern. They walked forward, heading toward the place where the boss monster might be.