Infinite Competitive Dungeon Society

[You obtained the qualification to challenge Beyond’s 30th floor.]

[You obtained 5 bonus stats.]

[You became Platinum Rank 9. You obtained the qualification to appoint one new explorer.]

[Amazing! You are the first in the First Dungeon’s history to succeed in soloing the Death Knight on your first try! The dungeon will remember you as a great explorer. You obtained 2 skill point as reward. Current skill points: 51]

[You obtained the title, ‘Death Knight Master.’ All stats increase by 2. The title’s effect will apply even if it’s not equipped.]

[You defeated the Death Knight alone. You obtained the special reward, ‘Death Knight’s Helmet.’]

[You obtained 700,000 gold.]

[You received the only reward left hidden for the First explorer. Congratulations! Your luck stat increases by 1.]

[Secret. Breath of Death]

After I defeated the Death Knight, Sherafina’s message came along with the usual fanfare.

I finally became a Platinum rank explorer. The First Dungeon’s Platinum rank! What once felt so far away was now in my grasp. Because of how quickly I climbed the dungeon, I still wasn’t sure if it was amazing.

“Is this it? I thought I’d get more for becoming a Platinum ranked explorer.”

Sherafina’s unchanged tone annoyed me needlessly. That was definitely a recorded message! As I mused blankly, I flinched when I saw the first reward.

Breath of Death. This skill...

“Eh? Wait, mm, huh...?”

It took me a moment to remember what it was. This skill was the first skill Death Knight used, which easily got stopped by me! This weak skill was the secret reward!? Isn’t that too lame for the First reward?

“I’ll still learn it, but still...”

I grumbled as I learned the skill. The following message confirmed that I had received the skill Death Knight tried to use.

[You learned the skill, Breath of Death (Passive). During battle, you absorb and store death energy. You can then release the stored death energy at a target. You need to collect 10 or more death energy to use this effect. The more you collect, the more powerful the effect will be. Not using collected death energy can lead to ill consequences, and you can use this energy just like any other energies. You do not need to breathe it out.]

“Eh?”

Wait, this is different than what I thought it was! I thought it was a skill that let me breathe out deadly breath, but it seemed I was gravely mistaken. The inhaling process was also included.

During that process, I could collect death energy from those I killed and use it in other ways?

“This... Um...”

I practically just became a new Death Knight! What kind of a skill is this!? How amazing!

Breath of Death wasn’t just an unusual skill. It let me control death energy, an energy I had not known about until now. Getting used to this skill and eventually making it surpass the realm of skills to become my own power was up to my effort.

The best way to learn a new skill was to taken lessons from a proficient senior. Right, I already had a good senior.

“Let me see your death aura more closely! Death aura, show me your death aura!”

[What’s wrong with the challengers nowadays? Did they go mad from too much stress...?]

The Death Knight facing me tilted his head worriedly as he lifted up his great sword breaming with death aura. Facing it, I nodded happily. ‘Before I collected all of his equipment, I swear I’ll learn how to control death energy from him!’ I vowed to myself as I pointed my spear towards him.

“Welcome.”

[You equipped the Death Knight Set. Your strength and constitution increase by 50. When the Death Knight Set is equipped, you can use ‘Death Collection’ once per day.]

[When used, Death Collection summons weapons of enemies you defeated to attack your target. The more you killed, the more powerful their weapons were, the more powerful the skill will be. Although it is possible to add your own energy to the summoned weapons, note that holy energy is not suitable for these weapons filled with resentment.]

I was lucky. I could collect all of Death Knight’s equipment in one day as I didn’t get any duplicates. Just like I expected, the set skill was the powerful skill Death Knight used at the end of our first fight. Enemies I defeated until now... There were too many for me to remember. However, most used their bodies as weapons rather than actual weapons! I doubted that an entire monster would pop out of that black mist.

“Ah, no, I massacred those demons last time.”

When I thought about that, I felt hopefully. I remembered that almost no demons fought with bare hands, and suddenly had expectations for this skill. In any case, since I said I wouldn’t grind Death Knights, I planned to stay true to my words. I already had an idea how to use death energy.

[Are you resting now?]

“Yep. You should rest too, Ruyue.”

Of course, I still had a mountain load of work to do. The next thing on the list... Just thinking about it made my stomach churn.

At that moment, Ruyue suddenly approached me and spoke.

[Shin should incubate the egg now.]

“... Mm?”

Did I hear that right? I asked Ruyue to repeat what she said, but she seemed to have not heard what I said as she took out a metallic egg in the air. It was the egg born when Syrmia Bamirtuno died in the Luka continent.

Since the last time I saw it, the egg had gotten bigger and shinier. Setting aside the fact that that wasn’t how eggs generally worked, I focused on the great mana it carried. It was understandable. All the needless equipment I gained until now had been eaten by that egg.

“Why me...?”

[It’s going to hatch soon.]

“Really?”

[Un.]

Ruyue nodded. I looked down at the metallic egg in my hands worriedly.

My elementalist skills were currently high-rank level 8. I had the feeling that I would be able to contract a new elemental when I mastered high-rank Elemental Contract. However, there weren’t situations where Peika, Ruyue, and Sharana weren’t enough, and I knew I didn’t have enough mana to maintain four elementals. That was why I didn’t use my skill points until now.

Even with my mana near 250,000 points, I still thought the same way. But could the egg have come to me, realizing my growth as an elementalist? Just who was in this egg?

“Well, just thinking about it won’t give me any answers. I’ll just worry about it when the time comes... Alright, Ruyue, I’ll hold onto the egg now.”

[Un!]

Even though the egg had gotten bigger, it wasn’t to the point that I couldn’t carry it around. I put the egg into my embrace, sent the elementals back, and left the dungeon. If I met Loretta, I felt like I might become too relaxed to continue with my next plan.

Right.

I was going to meet Ciara Kenex.

[Hero-nim, you’ve gotten more imposing since the last time we talked!]

“You said the same thing last time too. You’re the one who grew a lot.”

I met her when I went to clear an Event Dungeon in America, and in just half a year, Ciara had gotten a lot taller. She still looked fairly frail, though.

I immediately came to regret what I said. Ciara acted like she was on cloud nine.

[You noticed my growth! Aaah, I’m so happy! Hero-nim likes me too!]

“I’ll say it again. I hate you, and it pains me to be talking to you right now.”

I couldn’t say it enough. I hated her. First, I hated the fact that she liked me so much. The unacceptable reason was that I was the Hero and she was the Saintess. She projected her ideal image of a Hero onto me and wanted me to fulfill that image. Most importantly, her image of a Hero was an utter piece of trash. This Hero was the type of person who would sacrifice others for his benefits.

[I’ve heard all about Hero-nim’s achievements! Hero-nim is doing great, but that’s not good. As it is, Hero-nim will take on everything into Hero-nim’s own hands. Hero-nim must get rewarded for...]

“Ciara.”

[Yes, Hero-nim!]

Ciara stopped and turned towards me. Her telepathy irritated me, but it was a bit funny that she acted like a puppy. The fact that it only took her three hours to arrive at the guild house from the time I contacted her proved it.

“You should know about it too. About the dungeon.”

[Yes! I finally understood that what Hero-nim asked about back then wasn’t the dungeons appearing on Earth, but another world in Hero-nim’s possession! But that isn’t a very important place, right? It’s just a place for Hero-nim to grow. No, I guess it’s easier to gather people from there... Mmm...]

Ciara acted unconcerned, but she couldn’t be. The dungeon was a mystical place with a more complex structure than the monsters or demons invading Earth. As a place where explorers could obtain great powers, it was currently at the center of Earth’s attention. I couldn’t understand how Ciara could be so nonchalant about it.

That said, since I didn’t really want to understand how Ciara’s mind worked, I quickly continued with what I wanted to say.

“You can get stronger by entering the dungeon. Although you’ll have to prove your ability to go forward, you’ll be given the chance to grow at the very least.”

[Isn’t that power fake? No matter how much I think, I can’t help but think that it’s someone else’s power!]

I guess she’s not a Saintess for nothing. She was right on the mark. However, I smirked and retorted.

“If you forcibly put on clothes, your body can grow to fit them. Not everyone can do this, but I can. This is what’s important. Once the path opens up once, following it isn’t hard.”

[So Hero-nim is using the dungeon! Do you have plans to seize the dungeon? I will support Hero-nim with all my power!]

She must have been a great general in her past life. For someone who looked so well-behaved, she was beyond aggressive.

“As I said, it’s not something everyone can do. The enemies we’re facing... Right, we.”

[Hero-nim, I’m so happy! You finally understand me! Yes, we!]

I held myself back from running out.

... Can I just kill her? No, Shin, hold yourself in, be patient. It’s for the greater good. Yup.

“The enemies we’re facing can nullify the dungeon’s power. At first, I thought I could deal with it myself, but things have changed. Things are getting unpredictable, so I need a way to predict what’s coming... I need you.”

[Yes, of course! I’ve been waiting for the day to join Hero-nim!]

Ciara threw herself at me, as if to give her entire self along with her ability. I smacked her head and continued.

“From now on, obey me absolutely. Don’t do things on your own.”

I didn’t like to control people. It’s what Ciara wanted me to do, too. But I hated controlling people against their will, so I had no qualms saying this to Ciara. What she did made me grit my teeth even now.

[But Hero-nim.]

“First, cut your ties with your family.”

[That’s impossible. My clan has always used me, and even now...]

“Then I’ll cut it off for you. Also, I don’t need the organization you’re forming. Get rid of it.”

[Hero-nim...!]

Ciara couldn’t say anything. Perhaps this was the first time I made her speechless without resorting to force. I felt a strange sense of victory and continued.

“You’re too weak right now. You have to get stronger.”

[But Hero-nim, I hate the dungeon.]

“Eh? What does that mean?”

What she said was so absurd that I tilted my head.

“I never told you to enter the dungeon.”