"Embers of Red Origin?" Aurelian exhaled sharply, his eyes scanning the notification blinking in front of him. Crystals that could permanently increase one's base stats? That was rare. He had yet to see such a treasure, but given its properties, it had to be damned valuable.

There was no restriction stating they were only viable for E-rank beings. If they ever left the dungeon, he was certain countless people would pay astronomical amounts to get their hands on them.

"Amazing," he breathed, questions flooding his mind. Was this how the Golden-Tusk had developed its sentience—by eating these rocks? How had they affected it? The description warned of corruption in their raw form, requiring skilled alchemists to transmute them.

So had the rocks fried its brain, leaving it only able to repeat the same stupid lines over and over? He frowned, but the sound of crunching snapped him back. A shameless grin stretched across his face. He might not have all the answers, but one thing was certain, the goddamned pig was eating his crystals.

How was he supposed to exploit their full value if they ended up in the belly of a stupid Golden-Tusked Boar?

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I can't have that," Aurelian muttered, the thought souring his mood. The beast had already served its purpose, and it wouldn't be long before it snapped out of the illusion.

Mind made up, he stretched out his hand. A sinister black blade, oozing with wisps of murderous energy, dropped into his grasp, buzzing with bloodlust.

A determined glint flashed in his eyes as his grip tightened. Channeling all his strength into the blade, he swung down at the Golden-Tusked Boar, which was still chewing, oblivious to its impending death.

A sickening slash rang out as the blade cut clean through, decapitating it in one brutal motion. The boar's head flew into the distance.

Gruesome shrieks echoed as the detached head still squealed, the body thrashing wildly and spraying jets of blood, all of which the dark blade absorbed greedily. Then, unable to restrain itself, it leapt from Aurelian's grasp, driving into the torso and sucking out its soul.

Aurelian paused, watching as a stream of notifications filled his vision.

[Ding! The host has slain a Level 46 Rare Golden Raging Boar! 460,000 dungeon points awarded!]

[Ding! Congratulations, host has leveled up!]

[Level 38: 170,000 / 170,000]

[Ding! Congratulations, host has leveled up!]

[Level 39: 180,000 / 180,000]

[Ding! Congratulations, host has leveled up!]

[Level 39: 190,000 / 190,000]

[Ding! Congratulations, host has leveled up!]

[Level 40: 30 / 200,000]

***

"H-he did it!" Arthur breathed, snapping out of his stupor. He rubbed his eyes frantically as if to confirm the sight.

A lone figure killing a dungeon boss? It seemed impossible. Weaker bosses could be brought down with coordination, but this? They had felt the true menace of the beast firsthand.

Even if his team had been fully prepared and at full strength, he doubted they could have pulled it off. The odds had been stacked against them. His gaze shifted to the dungeon wall shimmering faintly nearby. At its base lay Carl, still motionless.

Grinding his teeth, Arthur sprinted forward, slinging his bow across his back as he dropped to his knees beside Carl. His hands pressed to his neck, relief flashing in his eyes as he felt a faint pulse.

"Auron! Get your ass here and do something!" he roared at the healer, who was still gawking at the aftermath of the battle. The shout snapped the rest of the team back to focus.

Auron hurried over, extending his hands above the prone figure. Closing his eyes, he steadied his breathing, gathering mana. Warm streams of golden energy flowed from his palms into Carl's body. Sweat trickled down his face as he pushed harder.

"It's not working! Why isn't it working?" Arthur growled, voice cracking with frustration.

"My light affinity… it's not strong enough," Auron admitted, his energy spent, his face pale. "He's severely injured. There's nothing I can do… we need an advanced healer."

"The Guild Leader…" Arthur muttered, recognition flashing in his eyes. Without hesitation, he hefted Carl onto his back in one smooth motion and sprinted toward the dungeon's exit. At its far end, a swirling blue portal flickered faintly, the gate opened after the mysterious figure had slain the boss.

The others followed, though they paused briefly at the charred spot marking where their comrades had fallen.

Arthur reached the lone warrior first, awe widening his eyes as he finally stood close. The man looked younger than expected, but outward appearances were meaningless when it came to power.

He bowed slightly, voice sincere. "We express our gratitude to you for saving our lives."

The rest of his team echoed the words in unison.

"Hmm." Aurelian gave a soft nod before turning away. Something told him this wouldn't be their last encounter.

***

Turning his gaze away, a maniacal grin spread across his face as the faint buzz of newfound levels thrummed deep inside him. His attention shifted back to the red crystals.

Anyone else would've been at a loss. Alchemists didn't exactly fall from the sky, and finding one was harder than finding treasure itself. Even then, the prices they charged were astronomical.

But he wasn't just anyone. A thought took root at the back of his mind.

What if I don't have to consume them directly? He blinked, hands flickering.

His blades hovered before him, splitting into countless copies until a storm of edges filled the air. With a low groan, he muttered, "Vortex of Doom."

The blades spun, collapsing into a swirling black hole. Breathing softly, he crouched, picked up a red crystal, rubbed it between his palms, and tossed it gently into the vortex. An expectant look settled across his face.

Seconds ticked by as his eyes scanned the void. He remembered stuffing the black hole with all manner of junk back when he'd first awakened the skill, hoping it would glitch and convert the material into energy. But it had only ever worked on organic matter. Would this time be different?

His breath slowed as hope flickered, only to dim again. "Guess I was thinking too much," Aurelian muttered, about to turn away, when a notification snapped into existence.

[Ding! The Vortex of Doom has absorbed all the energy from a natural treasure. Where do you wish to channel it? <<Attribute points?>> <<Increase proficiency of talents and skills?>> <<Equipment?>>]

"Ha! It worked!" Aurelian grinned, joy surging through him. With this… a whole world of possibilities had just opened.

His smile faded as a neglected skill surfaced in his mind: Sphere of Soul Detection.

It had bulged slightly after he'd slain the young lord of the Silvermoon family, barely extending its range—enough to remind him of the absurd number of kills it would take to advance it further. But now… with these? He hummed, eyes igniting with metaphysical vision, unveiling a sea of Red Origin Stones beneath the dungeon ground. With them, he could force the skill to grow.

Satisfied, he sat cross-legged, tossing batches of red stones into the swirling portal. Feedback struck him in waves as he slammed all the energy into Sphere of Soul Detection. And just like that, the range expanded. Slowly, but surely.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.