Elder Erin finally found Liam sitting in a corner booth at a small café, stirring his coffee absentmindedly.
The atmosphere inside was calm, a stark contrast to the chaos earlier.
Liam looked up as the elder approached, but before Elder Erin could open his mouth to question him, sothing caught his attention.
Victor’s magic signature lingered in the air. It was faint but undeniable, woven into the very space around them.
Elder Erin’s gaze flickered to Liam, who remained completely at ease, as if expecting him to say sothing.
With a silent sigh, Elder Erin decided against asking questions.
If Victor had been involved, there was no point in pressing Liam for answers—at least, not here. Liam knew that too, judging by the satisfied smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Instead of interrogating him, Elder Erin slid into the seat across from Liam and placed a small envelope on the table.
"A dungeon pass?"
Liam raised an eyebrow as he picked it up.
"A C-class dungeon. I figured you could use a break. Unwind. Relax."
Elder Erin confird, watching Liam’s reaction carefully.
Liam chuckled.
"A C-class dungeon is a bit below my level, don’t you think?"
"Maybe. But sotis, it’s not about the challenge. It’s about perspective. Besides, I have a list of materials I need you to retrieve from inside"
Elder Erin admitted.
Liam unfolded the note tucked into the envelope, scanning the neatly written items. Nothing too difficult.
"Fine. I’ll head out tomorrow."
He said, slipping the pass and list into his pocket.
Elder Erin gave a slight nod, satisfied.
If Victor wanted sothing from Liam, I can’t leave him alone. He’ll be taken advantage of. This was the best way to keep him occupied, at least for now.
______
The next day, Liam arrived at the dungeon entrance, stretching as he prepared himself.
The entrance shimred with an eerie glow, marking the boundary between reality and the dungeon’s isolated space.
With a deep breath, he stepped inside.
The landscape before him was unexpected. Instead of the usual ruins, forests, or caverns, the entire dungeon looked like a giant scrapyard.
Piles of discarded tal, rusting machinery, and broken constructs lay scattered everywhere, stretching endlessly into the horizon.
Liam whistled, kicking a stray gear with his foot.
"Well, this is a dump."
He strolled forward, scanning the area. For a C-class dungeon, there weren’t many monsters in sight.
It was quiet—too quiet.
That’s when he felt it.
A presence behind him.
Liam turned sharply.
A towering, robotic monster stood re feet away. Its glowing red eyes locked onto him as gears whirred inside its massive fra.
Sharp tallic claws clicked together, and in an instant, it lunged.
Liam dodged, flipping backward as the monster’s claws slamd into the ground, kicking up debris.
"Figures. Relaxing my ass."
He muttered, summoning his magic.
The robotic beast didn’t wait. It charged again, tal limbs moving with unnatural speed. Liam sidestepped, sending a sharp wave of mana toward it.
The attack hit, but instead of taking damage, the monster absorbed it.
Its eyes glowed brighter.
Liam narrowed his gaze. So, it feeds on magic. That complicated things.
Instead of using another spell, he dashed forward, closing the distance.
If magic didn’t work, he’d just have to rely on physical combat. With a swift movent, he pulled out a dagger and slashed at the monster’s arm.
Sparks flew, but the blade barely scratched the surface.
The monster retaliated, swinging its massive arm. Liam barely had ti to block with an energy barrier before he was sent skidding backward.
"Tough one, huh?"
Liam muttered, flexing his fingers.
As he prepared to strike again, a sudden realization hit him. The dungeon was filled with scraps—broken machines, discarded parts.
This thing wasn’t just a monster.
It’s part of the dungeon itself.
His eyes flickered around, analyzing his surroundings. If he was right, then this dungeon wasn’t just so abandoned scrapyard—it was alive.
And if that was the case, destroying this thing wouldn’t be enough. He needed to find the core of the dungeon and shut it down.
Dodging another attack, Liam made his decision.
He needed to find the dungeon’s heart—before this thing wore him down.
Liam moved swiftly through the dungeon, cutting down any monsters that dared to stand in his way.
His growth over ti was evident—he barely needed to use magic anymore. Instead, he relied on enhancing his body just enough to push past his limits.
With each step, he felt more in tune with his own strength.
His enhanced senses guided him deeper, allowing him to react effortlessly to any threats.
A tal wolf lunged from the shadows—Liam sidestepped, grabbed it by the scruff, and slamd it into the ground hard enough to leave a dent.
Another chanical beast leaped at him from the side, but he spun, kicking it mid-air, sending it crashing into a pile of scrap.
Asger, perched lazily on Liam’s shoulder, yawned.
"You’re getting boring, human. You don’t even need magic to fight anymore. Are you trying to make fall asleep?"
Liam smirked.
"If you’re tired, go ahead and nap."
"Rude."
Asger huffed but didn’t argue further.
Liam continued pushing forward until he reached a dead end—a massive, seemingly impenetrable tal wall blocked the path ahead.
Asger sighed, seeing no obvious entrance. "So? Are we looking for another way around?"
Liam’s lips curled into a mischievous grin. Instead of answering, he cracked his knuckles and took a stance.
A mont later, his fist connected with the tal wall.
The entire section of the dungeon trembled as cracks spread across the surface. With one more solid punch, the wall shattered into pieces, revealing a passage beyond.
Asger groaned, covering his face with his tiny claws.
"I swear, you’re a brute. Ever heard of thinking before smashing through things? Or, have you decided to not use your brain from here on forward?"
Liam chuckled.
"Thinking takes ti. Breaking things is faster."
"You’re impossible."
"Efficient"
Liam corrected, stepping through the broken wall.
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