"Wha..." Marcus blinked as he looked at Ren standing in the center of the field with his hands in his pockets. "What the hell..."

There were similar reactions all over the whole place.

The oppressive silence of Floor 60 was broken only by the disbelieving breaths of the Twilight Guild’s elite raiding party.

Weapons hung loosely in their hands and magical staffs that had been glowing fiercely just moments ago now dimmed into nothingness as the mages forgot to maintain their concentration.

Not only had Ren completely outclassed the milestone monster in raw speed and technique, but he had systematically dismantled it so thoroughly that he made the prideful entity commit suicide out of sheer humiliation.

What a monster.

To the seasoned veterans standing by the stairwell, the eighteen-year-old noble looked vastly more terrifying than the shadowy behemoth he had just forced into oblivion.

Ren didn’t pay any mind to their stares.

He casually pulled his hands from his pockets with his posture entirely relaxed, and walked over to the spot where the Phantom Boss had evaporated.

The dark, smoky residue was rapidly dissipating into the cold cavern air, leaving behind a pristine untouched stretch of obsidian flooring.

Resting right in the center of the fading shadows was the boss core.

It was quite a big black core, roughly the size of a melon with a jagged crystalline surface that pulsed with a dense purple light.

Ren leaned down and grabbed it. The moment his fingers wrapped around the crystallized mana, a heavy chill washed over his skin which a testament to the mana packed inside.

He turned around to face the dumbfounded guild and held the massive core up in the air. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

For two entire seconds, nobody moved.

Then, the hulking swordsman with the zweihander let out a booming roar of victory. That single shout broke the dam.

The entire Twilight Guild erupted into a deafening cheer, raising their weapons and staffs to the cavern ceiling, chanting Ren’s name until it echoed like thunder against the dark stone walls.

"REN! REN! REN! REN!"

From the edge of the arena, Marcus pushed himself up out of the crater.

He dusted off his heavy armor with the dark steel plates groaning slightly from the fierce battle, and began walking over to Ren.

The Guild Master rubbed his chest plate right where Ren had forcefully kicked him out of the execution zone, a wry, tired smile breaking through his thick beard.

"Here..." Ren said, casually tossing the massive, priceless boss core to the Guild Master as if it were a heavy piece of fruit.

Marcus caught it against his chest with a heavy grunt, securing the dark crystal under one massive arm.

He let out a long breath, looking from the core to the young noble. "I have to hand it to you, kid... You’re a walking natural disaster."

"Sorry for kicking you into the wall," Ren offered smoothly, resting his sword over his shoulder. "But you were locked in place. I figured a bruised sternum was better than a shattered skull."

Marcus threw his head back and laughed.

"Don’t apologize for keeping my head attached to my neck! I’m the one who should be thanking you for saving my life." The large man’s expression grew a fraction more serious as he looked down at the dark core. "If you hadn’t stepped in, I would have been forced to use a forbidden bloodline skill I’ve been keeping in reserve. It burns years off my lifespan and shatters my mana veins to guarantee a killing blow. You saved me from a very early retirement, Ren."

Ren gave a firm nod as they turned and began walking back toward the rest of the group.

"Glad I could help. Though you should probably keep a better eye on a boss’s severed limbs next time."

"Point taken..." Marcus grunted, his pride slightly bruised but his gratitude vastly outweighing it.

They walked past the vanguard line and approached the rear of the formation.

The young Adventurer named Rael, who had been brutally stabbed through the stomach by the Phantom Soldier, was currently lying flat on his back.

The lead healer, Seile, was kneeling over him with her hands glowing a brilliant, soothing gold.

The jagged wound in the boy’s abdomen was slowly stitching itself together, the dark shadowy residue being aggressively purged by the high-tier holy magic.

Rael was coughing, pale and sweating but the worst of the danger had passed. He was going to live.

Seeing his men secure, Marcus stepped forward, raising his heavy halberd high into the air and the chatter and cheering immediately died down as the Guild Master prepared to speak.

"Listen up, Twilight!" Marcus’s voice boomed. "We came into the blind spot of Floor 60, we faced an unknown phantom entity, and we survived! The Twilight Guild has officially succeeded in clearing the Boss!"

Another massive cheer ripped through the raiding party as sswords clashed against shields in a triumphant beat.

"However!" Marcus roared. "This fight proved we have gaps in our defensive formations! The upper floors are only going to get more treacherous from here on out! Therefore, the next Official Raid will be in two months! We need to prepare extensively, upgrade our gear, and refine our tactics before we push toward Floor 70! Tonight, we celebrate! Tomorrow, we train!"

The guild members cheered even louder at the prospect of a massive celebration, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the wake of the triumph.

Standing off to the side, Ren crossed his arms and watched the display with a critical eye as he mentally picked apart their performance during the raid.

’These people really need a good, structured strategy like the famous top-tier Guilds have, instead of just shouting around and winging it...’ Ren thought, watching the vanguard celebrate. ’A raid of this size needs designated elemental rotators, a dedicated aggro-sink, and a layered defensive line to prevent the vanguard from getting flanked by summoned mobs. Their raw stats are high, but their tactical synergy is a mess.’

He shrugged internally, dismissing the critique just as quickly as it came. He really didn’t care that much about the Twilight Guild’s long-term survival in the first place.

Fixing Marcus’s guild command structure wasn’t his job, and he wasn’t about to volunteer for extra work.

He was just here for Astrid and a good battle. Ren shifted his gaze away from the cheering adventurers and looked over at Astrid.

The Vice Guild Leader was standing a few paces away, her staff resting against the obsidian floor. She was looking directly at him with a warm incredibly hopeful smile gracing her beautiful features.

Around them, the guild members began reaching into their pouches, pulling out glowing green crystals.

One by one, the adventurers channeled their mana into the Dungeon Escape Stones, shattering them in their palms.

Pillars of bright teleportation light erupted across the cavern, whisking the wounded and the exhausted back to the surface world.

Within a minute, the sprawling 60th floor was entirely empty, save for the two of them.

Astrid took a slow breath, smoothing out the front of her enchanted twilight robes.

She nervously fumbled her hand into her deep pocket, her fingers brushing against the velvet box containing the engagement ring then she pulled it out with her thumb resting on the clasp and looked up at Ren with striking blue eyes.

"So," Astrid started. "Now that the oversized shadow knight is out of the way... are you still going to accept my proposal?"

Ren looked at the small velvet box, then up to Astrid’s hopeful face. He actually thought about it for a moment.

Sure, he could just say yes. He could accept her ring, lock in the engagement, and secure a devastating psychological blow against Jace. The System would probably reward him handsomely for it.

But then again... he really couldn’t bring himself to do so.

Ren was a remarkably chill guy when it came down to it.

He enjoyed ruining the hero’s life, yes, but he also liked his freedom and hated unnecessary headaches.

He was the kind of guy who preferred going on dates first, grabbing a drink, and seeing if they actually vibed before sticking to anything as serious as a magical world marriage contract.

Right now, he didn’t know much about her character at all. He knew she was Jace’s aunt, he knew she was an immensely powerful A-rank mage, and he knew she desperately wanted to marry someone nice.

That wasn’t exactly a solid foundation to jump straight into a marriage with.

He just wanted to take it easy.

Ren offered her a gentle, laid-back smile. "Astrid, I would love to... but I really want to know more about you first. We barely know each other outside of fighting monsters. A bond like that needs a proper foundation, right? Let’s take a step back and just see how things go."

Astrid’s breath hitched. Her hand trembled slightly, and her head went down, her blonde hair falling forward to shadow her eyes.

Ren felt a brief spike of concern, wondering if he had just alienated a highly destructive A-rank mage inside a sealed dungeon room.

He really didn’t want to deal with a scorned woman throwing twilight magic at his head right now. "Astrid?"

Suddenly, her head popped right back up. The anxiety and sadness were completely gone, replaced by a radiant beaming smile that reached all the way to her eyes. She practically glowed with relief.

"Congratulations, Ren..." Astrid said. "You’re actually the first person who passed my preliminary test."

Ren raised an eyebrow, genuinely caught off guard. "Preliminary test?"

Astrid nodded enthusiastically, tucking the velvet box back into her robes.

She stepped a bit closer with her posture far more relaxed and open now.

"Yes! It’s a preemptive test I do with people that I actually like. The men in this kingdom, especially the nobles, are incredibly predictable. When a powerful, wealthy Vice Guild Leader offers them her hand... and all the political power that comes with it, they jump at the chance without a second thought."

She crossed her arms with a triumphant smirk on her lips. "If they say yes immediately, it means they are just greedy for status, or they’re incredibly shallow. But if I like their answers... if they show actual restraint, respect, and a desire to build a genuine connection... then I progress to the date phase."

Ren blinked, processing her explanation. She had actively used her own proposal to filter out the gold diggers.

It was a remarkably straightforward way to weed out the annoying people.

"That was pretty easy," Ren said.

Astrid sighed, rolling her eyes toward the cavern ceiling. "It was supposed to be! The bar is literally in the dirt! But a lot of men are really horny and just want to sleep with me, or they want the prestige of bagging the Twilight Witch. You’re the first one who actually demanded we act like normal people first."

She reached into a different pocket of her robes with her smile returning full force. "So, of course, I would love to go on a date with you. In fact, I already booked it."

"Oh?" Ren said, mildly impressed by her forward planning.

Astrid stepped into his personal space and handed him a sleek, elegantly printed card with gold foil lettering.

"The Silver Lotus. It’s the most exclusive restaurant in the upper ring of this Adventuer town. We’ll meet up there in the evening. That card is for our specific reservation at the private balcony table."

Ren took the card, feeling the expensive cardstock between his fingers.

Before he could even formulate a response to her flawless execution, a translucent blue screen snapped into existence in the corner of his vision.

『Target: "Astrid"’s affection has increased to 60』

Ren stared at the floating text, his inner monologue flatlining for a second.

’Isn’t this affection moving way too much?’ Ren thought. ’We fought one boss and had a five-minute conversation. If this were a dating sim, the pacing would be considered broken.’

Regardless of the rapid affection gain, it played perfectly into his overarching goal of dismantling the protagonist’s life, and he was getting a nice dinner out of it.

He tucked the golden reservation card securely into his spatial ring and gave her a charming nod. "I look forward to it, Astrid... This evening."

Astrid practically beamed.

She stepped back, her boots clicking against the obsidian floor, and retrieved a glowing blue Dungeon Escape crystal from her pouch.

She crushed it in her right hand and as the brilliant teleportation light began to swirl around her boots, she offered him a playful wink and blew him a kiss.

"Bye, Ren!"

A second later, the magic flared, and she was gone, leaving the massive cavern entirely empty.

Ren let out a long, heavy sigh. He dropped his shoulders with the tension leaving his frame entirely as he enjoyed the quiet.

The little Phantom Soldiers hadn’t dropped any loot or minor cores upon their destruction, which was a slight annoyance.

However, that massive boss core Marcus was currently holding was easily worth tens of thousands of gold coins on the black market.

’And I’m already going to receive a clean twenty percent cut from it from the Twilight Guild later...’ Ren thought with a satisfied smile crossing his face.

Getting paid a massive fortune just for stepping in at the last second and throwing a few sword slashes was the easiest money he had ever made.

Satisfied with his haul for the day, Ren pulled out his own blue stone from his spatial ring.

He pressed his thumb against the edge, crushing the crystal and a column of blinding white magic enveloped him, and he completely disappeared from the 60th floor in a flash of light.

When Ren’s vision cleared, the cold stale air of the dungeon was instantly replaced by the warm bustling atmosphere of the surface world.

He appeared on the heavily reinforced teleportation pad situated just outside the massive, glowing white portal of the World Dungeon.

The immediate area was packed with merchants, logistics teams, and hundreds of other adventurers milling about.

The moment his boots touched the paving stones, heads began to turn.

Whispers rapidly broke out among the gathered crowds as they recognized the striking features and the pristine dark coat of the young man.

The rumors had been spreading like wildfire through the adventurer town for the past day.

"Is that him?" a rogue whispered to his companion, pointing discreetly.

"Yeah, that’s Ren..." a seasoned ranger muttered back, eyes wide. "He’s one of the three Adventurers that went straight up from E-rank to B-rank in a single evaluation."

"Wait, look over there," a merchant gasped. "The Twilight Guild just came out ahead of him. The rumors were true... he actually helped them clear the upper floors!"

Ren ignored every single one of them.

He wasn’t interested in soaking up the fame or dealing with endless questions from low-rank adventurers. He kept his expression perfectly neutral, walking forward through the parting crowd.

Marcus was standing near the guild’s designated staging area, barking orders to the logistics team to secure the boss core.

When he spotted Ren, the massive man waved him over.

"Ren!" Marcus called out, a wide grin on his face. "The vanguard and I are heading to the Boar’s Head Tavern to start the celebrations early! Come join us for a drink! First round is on the guild!"

Ren paused, offering the Guild Master a polite but firm smile.

He rejected the offer nicely. "I appreciate the invitation, Marcus, but I have to get home quick. I’ve got subordinates waiting on me, and it’s been a long day."

Marcus didn’t push the issue.

He understood that everyone had their own schedules, and frankly, Ren had more than earned a rest. "Fair enough, kid! Rest up! We’ll send a courier with your cut of the boss loot by the end of the week!"

Marcus and the rest of the surviving vanguard waved him off with deep respectful nods as Ren turned and walked down the cobblestone streets leaving the dungeon plaza behind.

...

The walk back to the inn was quiet.

Ren arrived at the sturdy wooden door of his rented inn.

He reached out, twisting the brass handle, anticipating a quiet day of lounging around but as he opened the door...

Instantly, a thick acrid smell of burning smoke aggressively assaulted his nostrils.

Ren stopped in the doorway, his eyes narrowing as he stepped inside the hallway. The air was hazy with a thin layer of dark smoke lingering near the ceiling.

He walked swiftly into the main living area, and the source of the chaos immediately presented itself.

Mandy was laid out completely flat across the floral patterned couch. The man’s arms were hanging limply off the cushions and he had cartoonish, swirly eyes indicating he had been knocked entirely unconscious by some unknown force.

Ren shifted his gaze past the defeated butler and looked into the adjacent open kitchen.

Eternia was standing in front of the iron stove. She was wearing a frilly pink apron over her dark combat clothes, holding a wooden spatula like it was a cursed broadsword.

Thick black smoke steamed aggressively out of a covered metal pot sitting on the burner.

Ren blinked, his brain struggling to process the sheer domestic absurdity of the scene.

Eternia slowly turned her head to look at him. Her golden slit-pupils were wide, and a deeply horrified, incredibly guilty look was plastered across her pale face.

She looked from the smoking pot, down to the unconscious butler on the couch, and then back up to her Master, desperately searching for a way to explain the disaster.

Ren let out a long, exhausted sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"What the hell is going on here?"