After completing the fifth level of the dungeon, Zane didn’t leave immediately. He stood still, scanning his surroundings as if expecting something.
Moments later, the System chimed.
[Objective: Clear the First Five Levels Within Six Minutes — COMPLETE]
[Reward: Permanent Membership of the Temple of Assassins will be granted shortly. (Not my doing, though.)]
[Perks: +10 Bonus Points Added to All Stats!]
Then came the stat updates, flashing before his eyes:
[Updated Stats for Host: Zane Carter]
Strength / Physical: 56 + 10 (Base) + 5 (Radiance) + 10 (Radiant Strike) = 81
Agility / Speed: 55 + 10 (Base) + 5 (Radiance) + 10 (Luminous Step) = 80
Magic / Intelligence: 59 + 10 (Base) + 5 (Radiance) + 10 (Sacred Barrier) = 84
A sudden rush of power surged through his body. It was familiar by now, but no less overwhelming. His once-exhausted mana was restored, renewed like a wave washing away fatigue. Strength buzzed through every muscle, making his limbs feel lighter yet more dangerous.
He clenched his fists.
"I’ll need to train again... to match this power."
Then, the dungeon trembled.
From the ground, a stone slab rose slowly, its center embedded with a silvery pearl, glowing faintly with mystical energy.
As he neared, the wristwatch on his left wrist began to vibrate—not with warning, but with excitement, as if alive.
Without warning, it detached itself from his wrist, shifting its shape midair into a small mechanical crab.
Zane raised an eyebrow.
"Okay... didn’t expect that."
The crab-like device scuttled up the slab, snatched the pearl, and consumed it whole. A moment later, it leapt back to Zane and reattached itself to his wrist, reforming into its original wristwatch form.
The watch glowed faintly, and new programs began installing. Both the hardware and software were being upgraded simultaneously, visible to Zane’s eyes through the augmented system interface.
[Registration Complete!]
[Your name is now recorded as a rookie member of the Temple of Assassins.]
Zane stared at the message, then at his watch.
A smirk slowly spread across Zane’s face.
"So... I’m officially in, huh?"
The wristwatch on his left wrist chimed again, signaling the completion of its installation.
Curious, Zane examined the new interface. A series of applications were now available—each represented by sleek icons floating in his augmented display.
One in particular caught his eye:
In the blink of an eye, a black cassock materialized around him, cloaking him from head to toe in dark, flowing fabric. The hood draped low over his eyes, and the fabric shimmered faintly like a shadow given form.
[Cloaking Mode Activated!]
[Bonus: +1 to All Stats]
He tested its weight—light, breathable, and snug. Perfect for infiltration and defense.
Then, just as quickly, he deactivated it. The cassock vanished into thin air, as if it had never existed.
Zane’s eyes scanned the rest of the new apps.
Temple List. Temple Ranking. Temple Contracts.
Several more filled the screen, each promising deeper access to this mysterious Assassin Temple.
He took a moment to absorb it all, then shook his head with a grin.
"Later. I’ve got a dungeon to finish."
Without wasting time, he turned toward the secret door at the edge of the chamber, pushed it open, and darted inside.
The moment he stepped in, he noted the environment hadn’t changed drastically—the biosphere of the sixth level mirrored that of the earlier floors. Stone corridors, dim lighting, and faint echoes of something alive in the distance.
But this level wasn’t empty.
Ahead of him stood a raised stone platform, like a stage meant for judgment. At its center sat a throne forged from some black metallic substance Zane didn’t recognize. The alloy shimmered faintly, absorbing the surrounding light rather than reflecting it.
And on that throne... sat an orc—massive, towering, rippling with muscle. A garland of five human skulls hung from his neck like trophies of conquest. His eyes burned with a faint red glow as if aware of Zane’s presence the moment he stepped in.
Zane’s vision flickered, and the System displayed the orc’s stats:
[Enemy Identified: Orc Champion – Throne Guardian]
Strength / Physical: 159
Magic / Intelligence: 149
Zane narrowed his eyes, tension rising in his muscles.
"A boss, huh?" Zane murmured.
Just reading those numbers was enough to know—
this fight would be nothing like the ones before.
The orc on the throne slowly rose, towering even more imposingly now that he was standing. His deep red eyes scrutinized Zane from head to toe, a smirk curling on his brutish lips.
Then he spoke—in a harsh, guttural tone.
Zane didn’t understand a word. But fortunately, the System’s virtual subtitles flickered to life once again.
"Human, you’re bold, coming here all alone."
The boss’s gaze sharpened, intrigued.
"You understand me? Interesting."
His deep voice carried a strange amusement, mixed with faint disdain.
"Perhaps this secret mission from the Monarch won’t be so dull after all. And now I find a human—a lower species—who can understand our tongue?"
He chuckled darkly, stepping off the throne, the floor trembling slightly beneath his weight.
"Still, you will pay with your life. Not for understanding us... but for slaughtering my army. Not that they were of any real use. Weaklings, too fragile to follow me here."
The orc cracked his neck, then raised one hand. A dark aura began to swirl around his palm like a coiled serpent ready to strike.
"Coming here unannounced was your last mistake."
His fingers twitched near his waist, and a small, confident grin tugged at the corners of his lips.
"Then I guess I’ll just have to make myself memorable before I die."
In that moment, something clicked.
The orcs and beasts he’d fought so far—
They hadn’t been summoned or created by the dungeon.
They came here of their own will.
Drawn by something... or someone.
This place wasn’t just a trial. It was a war zone.
Zane narrowed his eyes.
He had to stay sharp. Stay alive.
Without wasting another breath, he poured mana into his core.
A surge of holy energy burned through him, golden light spilling from beneath his skin like molten fire. His muscles tensed, his vision sharpened, and his body felt lighter—more alive.
In a flash, his figure blurred—
Then vanished, reappearing behind the boss in an instant like a dart of light.
The battle had officially begun.