[Congratulations, Bruce! Your weapon Red is now S-Ranked.]

"S-Ranked?" Bruce would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised.

But it couldn't be helped. His mind was always occupied by one thing or another, survival, combat, calculations, Ash, so much so that he hadn't even bothered to check Red's progress.

Vaelith seemed to sense his confusion and spoke calmly.

[Yes. S-Ranked. Back when you first reached S-Rank, your core had only barely stabilized. Because of that, your true weapon could only manifest A-Rank strength at the time.]

Bruce let out a quiet sigh and nodded.

That much made sense.

[See, Bruce, there are two paths of evolution in this world. One for sentient beings, and one for half-sentient ones.] [For sentient life, humans, intelligent beasts, growth is bound by Titles, achievements, and recognition.] [But for half-sentient entities like Red, compatibility and repetition are enough.]

Vaelith continued without pause.

[Red is a weapon that resonates with blood. And because you possess a hidden affinity, no, a fondness, for bloodshed, it gained the ability to drain and absorb the blood of defeated opponents. By repeatedly doing so, it evolves.]

Bruce's expression didn't change.

[Half-sentient beings are not restricted by the same world limitations as sentient life.] [As long as sufficient resources are provided, their evolution can be exceptionally fast.] [In other words, Red is a weapon perfectly suited to you.]

Bruce couldn't be bothered to respond.

In that same instant, his gaze shifted to Red.

It had evolved.

Red was still in its glove form.

But something was different.

The glove unfolded slightly, layered plates sliding apart with a muted metallic whisper as deeper runes ignited beneath the surface. The crimson glow darkened, sinking into a deeper, almost blackened red.

The blood it absorbed no longer vanished instantly.

Instead, symbols flared, refining, compressing, and devouring everything it consumed.

It had evolved.

And it was ecstatic.

But Bruce didn't slow, there were still the last few surviving Lycans around.

If anything, he moved with even greater confidence, feeding the weapon relentlessly.

Palm strike. Drain. Rupture.

Bodies fell faster now.

The remaining SS-Ranks broke completely.

Some howled in rage.

Others in terror.

None escaped.

The final Lycan charged blindly, blood mist flaring violently around its body as it tried to force its Authority into one last desperate strike.

Bruce stepped forward.

Palm strike.

The impact was clean.

Absolute.

The beast collapsed in silence.

And then...

The battlefield went still.

No growls.

No howls.

No movement.

Only corpses.

Ash descended slowly, wings folding as it landed beside Bruce, flames receding as its golden eyes swept across the carnage with draconic satisfaction.

That was when,

A pillar of dark red light erupted from the center of the battlefield.

It shot straight into the sky, piercing the Blood Moon's glow, twisting the clouds around it as the dungeon itself trembled. The pillar pulsed, thick with ancient, oppressive energy, radiating Authority so dense it made the air vibrate.

Bruce frowned, lifting his gaze.

"What's that?"

At that moment, Vaelith's voice echoed in his mind, no longer calm. Its voice was filled with excitement.

[This...]

Bruce's frown deepened as his eyes narrowed on the red pillar piercing the sky ahead. The column of light was violent, dense, pure, mana so concentrated it distorted the air around it.

"You know what that is?" he asked.

[Yes, Bruce! I know exactly what that is. The fact that a red pillar appeared means you've hit the jackpot, Bruce!]

Vaelith's excitement was impossible to miss. It poured through the bond, raw and unrestrained. Yet despite spouting a flood of celebratory words, it still hadn't answered the question, clearly enjoying keeping Bruce in suspense.

Bruce rolled his eyes.

'Alright, I get it, Vaelith. I get it. I struck a luck jackpot,' he thought dryly. 'So answer my question. What does all this mean?'

Vaelith didn't disappoint.

[You've cleared a Labyrinth, Bruce. Once you claim it, the entire pocket space of the labyrinth and everything within this dungeon will not self-destruct, it will belong to you.]

Bruce's steps slowed almost imperceptibly.

[Labyrinths are extremely rare. They are indistinguishable from normal dungeons until they are completely cleared. Only when every beast within is slain does a pillar of pure mana erupt into the sky, signaling the location of the Labyrinth Stone for claiming.]

[The color of the pillar is unique to each Labyrinth. This one possesses a red pillar.]

Vaelith paused, then continued, almost reverently.

[You have no idea how lucky this is. The chance of encountering a Labyrinth is one in a billion. And this one is exceptional, three different climates coexisting in a single pocket space. That alone gives it countless unique uses.]

Bruce exhaled slowly, finally nodding in understanding.

Vaelith's excitement was starting to rub off on him.

And at that moment, unbidden, another thought surfaced.

Lily.

Bruce couldn't help it. He wasn't normally superstitious, but striking something this absurdly rare right after she casually wished him luck, it was hard to ignore.

Even Vaelith seemed to reach the same conclusion.

[It seems your sister Lily may be some kind of lucky charm. She might possess a strong affinity toward fortune and luck. Treat her well.]

Bruce sighed.

Then,

A system panel materialized before him.

It was from the Akashic Codex.

[Congratulations. You have discovered and cleared the Abyssal Fang Labyrinth.]

[Proceed to the indicated location to claim the Labyrinth.]

Bruce didn't hesitate.

The instant the panel faded, he surged forward, mana roaring through his body as he sprinted at full speed toward the source of the red pillar.

With every step, the pillar grew.

At first, it was just a distant column cutting through the sky. Then it became a towering beacon, its crimson glow bleeding into the surrounding terrain. The closer Bruce got, the more oppressive it felt, not crushing, but heavy with presence. The air itself seemed to thicken, waves of condensed mana rippling outward like invisible tides.

The ground beneath his feet subtly changed. The mana density increased with each stride, humming against his skin, vibrating through his bones. It felt as though he was running into a living phenomenon rather than toward a destination.

It didn't take long for him to reach it.

Bruce slowed to a stop right in front of it.

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