After several months exploring the dungeon, Drayk had reached the 45th floor.
The most challenging trials had been on the 35th floor, where he had a mission to complete: collecting a Star Fragment, protected by numerous traps.
The object was extremely well-guarded, unlike what the young king had imagined. The traps were not traditional.
Every time he approached the Fragment, a single misstep would teleport him to a random floor of the dungeon that he had already explored.
It took weeks to map out the entire floor and memorize the location of all the traps, as even his ability to detect hidden things was incapable of sensing their triggers.
His second major challenge was the battle against the king of the 40th floor.
His mission was to defeat him without using any of his evolved forms. The fight had to be waged in his human body.
The guardian's strength was on par with Drayk's, and he remained stuck on that floor for at least a month.
During his many attempts, in a conversation with Aru'Mathis, the ancient primordial explained to Drayk that this guardian was the greatest obstacle preventing other dragons from completing the dungeon of Nexum.
That motivated him even more. He knew he had to overcome that creature.
The battle against the 40th-floor guardian was the most brutal Drayk had faced so far. The colossus guarding the floor was a titanic creature—a draconic warrior clad in armor forged from a black material, its eyes glowing with an intense blue light.
Unlike previous opponents, this guardian did not move recklessly or with uncontrolled fury. Every strike was calculated, precise, and devastating. Its sword, a colossal blade, was forged from the very essence of the dungeon itself.
Drayk had failed countless times before, his body accumulating experience from previous battles. But now, he knew he was at his mental limit. If he lost again, he wouldn't have the psychological strength for another attempt.
Even though his body returned to its original state after every defeat, the accumulation of deaths, the excruciating pain of each lethal blow—none of it was erased from his mind.
At the start of the fight, he attempted to stick to his usual evasive strategy, narrowly dodging the guardian's massive attacks. However, unlike before, the enemy seemed to have learned from previous encounters. Each dodge was punished with unexpected counterattacks, forcing Drayk to take greater risks.
Then, the worst happened.
A quick feint from the guardian caught Drayk off guard. A colossal punch struck his chest, hurling him against one of the floor's pillars. He felt his ribs crack from the impact and spat blood as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Get up."
Aru'Mathis's voice echoed in his mind—deep and relentless.
"If you fall here, you won't get another chance."
Drayk forced his body to move. His legs trembled, his vision was blurry, but he couldn't stop. Channeling his last reserves of energy, he locked eyes with the guardian, who was already advancing for the final blow.
"If I can't beat him with strength, I need to be faster."
At the last second, he sidestepped, avoiding the fatal thrust. With an agile movement, he leaped onto the giant's arm, sprinting up the armor until he reached the creature's nape. With all his strength, he struck the vulnerable point he had identified in previous battles—the junction between the armor and the base of the skull.
The impact was so powerful that cracks spread across the guardian's metallic structure. Sensing the opening, Drayk channeled all his remaining energy into his fist and delivered a final, decisive blow to the creature's core.
The ground trembled.
The guardian remained still for a moment… then its sword slipped from its grasp. Its body slowly began to disintegrate into fragments of bluish light, like ashes in the wind.
Drayk fell to his knees, struggling to breathe. His vision darkened, his body refused to move.
He had won… but barely.
Had he made even one more mistake, he would have fallen there forever.
Now, Drayk was surpassing floors as if they were mere challenges designed for ordinary humans.
While in the village, he completed his missions.
[Quest Completed!]
Name: Ancestral Sky Stone
Description: Retrieve the Star Fragment that floats at the center of the 35th floor. Gravitational traps protect the area.
Reward
• Special Item: Star Fragment – Significantly enhances the power of an item of your choice.
He then used the fragment to enchant his sword, making it even more powerful.
[Quest Completed!]
Name: The Nameless Guardian
Description: Face the lone warrior of the 40th floor. Only your human form is allowed. No magic. No transformations.
Rewards
• Passive Skill: Steel Root – Significantly reduces damage taken while fighting in human form.
• +25 Strength
[Status Updated]
• Class: Ascendant Fragment
• Evolution: [6/10 Fragments]
• Next class: Anomalous Echo
• {Strength: 1025 | Intelligence: 1000 | Dexterity: 1000}
Drayk observed his stats carefully. The challenges of the 35th and 40th floors had given him some fragments. However, unlike what he had expected, his power did not increase as he collected them—only when he completed all ten.
One week remained before Drayk completed his training period. Thirty days on Earth equated to two years and six months inside the dungeon.
The young king had just cleared the 49th floor without much difficulty.
Upon entering the 50th floor, a surprise awaited him. The place was a vast oval hall—no labyrinths, no tricks, no monsters. Only Nexum stood at its center.
"And now?" he asked.
"Congratulations, Drayk. This is the final floor of the dungeon." She smiled.
"Really? I did it!" He couldn't contain his joy.
"Calm down, young king. You've reached the last floor… but you haven't completed it yet."
His excitement faded for a moment.
"Right, that makes sense. So, what do I have to do here? There's nothing—no one—but you."
"Exactly." Nexum continued to smile.
"Exactly wha—"
Suddenly, Drayk couldn't speak… or move.
A crushing gravitational force collapsed onto his body. He felt the weight of space itself distorting around him.
Hundreds of portals opened beside him, and from each, a rune emerged, instantly binding itself to him.
Engraved on each rune was a single word:
Mor'kai.
The literal translation was clear. Death.
Drayk understood the danger instantly.
Without hesitation, he activated his Original Form, his golden scales expanding as he transformed into his great dragon form, striving to resist the imminent attack.
But it wasn't enough.
Everything went black.
He recognized this sensation.
"…I died… again."
Drayk clenched his fists as he found himself back in the village. Again.
The dungeon training had already killed him countless times, but this time was different. It wasn't a mistake, a weakness, or an unexpected attack. Nexum had executed him without warning.
His eyes burned with frustration. He took a deep breath. He needed to understand.
"What was that?!" — his voice echoed through the empty village.
Nexum appeared before him, arms crossed, still wearing that enigmatic smile.
"What do you think it was, young king?"
Drayk grit his teeth.
"A test?"
"Yes… and you failed."
His patience snapped. In the blink of an eye, Drayk lunged forward.
He didn't hold back.
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he shot toward Nexum. His fist gleamed with draconic energy, ready to unleash a devastating blow.
But then…
She was no longer there.
Before he could react, a kick struck his chest.
The impact was brutal. The air was knocked from his lungs as his body was sent flying through the village, crashing through a row of houses before slamming into the ground, creating a crater.
"You always act on impulse, Drayk. That doesn't work on me."
His ears rang, but he was already on his feet. This time, he wouldn't back down.
His eyes burned with fury.
"Primordial Blood, full awakening!"
His body was engulfed in an intense golden aura. Primordial flames erupted around him, incinerating everything within meters. His muscles expanded, his claws lengthened, his presence became suffocating.
But Nexum only smiled wider.
"Now that's more like it."
Drayk charged.
This time, he was a golden blur in the air.
His fist tore through the distance between them, striking Nexum with enough force to shatter mountains.
BOOOOM!
The entire village trembled. The impact created a shockwave that pulverized the debris around them.
But…
When the dust settled…
Nexum was holding Drayk's fist with a single hand.
And she was still smiling.
"Impressive. But not enough."
Before Drayk could react, a surge of gravitational energy struck him, launching him skyward like a meteor fired in reverse.
Above the clouds.
The pressure was immense. His vision darkened. The weight on his body seemed to multiply by the second. He was being crushed.
Drayk felt his consciousness waver. But he couldn't give up.
His eyes burned. His claws clenched. He never gave up.
The aura around him intensified.
"Original Form: Flames of Ruin!"
The sky was swallowed by golden fire.
Drayk became the sun itself.
And then… he roared.
Primordial energy erupted, sweeping away the darkness and tearing apart the very fabric of reality around him. The gravity crushing him was obliterated.
With a brutal strike, he ripped through space and hit Nexum with everything he had.
The impact was absolute.
Time seemed to freeze.
Then… everything collapsed.
A devastating explosion consumed the sky, and both of them plummeted back to the ground, leaving a trail of destruction across the world below.
Drayk was panting. His body burned. But he was still standing.
Nexum slowly rose to her feet, her expression no longer just a carefree smile.
She was impressed.
"Well done, young king." — Her eyes gleamed. "Now… you are finally ready for the real test."
The ground shattered.
The village vanished.
And Drayk realized… the real fight… had yet to begin.