NOVEL NEXT Chapter 97: Dungeon Cleared!
'Disgusting.'
The dragon raised its clawed hand high into the sky, shadowing the goblin beneath. And without a word—
BOOM—!!!
It brought the claw down with savage force, slamming the goblin into the ground so hard that the crater deepened, spiderweb-like cracks exploding in every direction. The ground screamed beneath the impact.
Blood spurted from the goblin's mouth, its body twitching violently under the dragon's claws.
Kaeryx leaned in close, its maw curling into a cold, contemptuous snarl.
"Groveling trash. This is your end, you should be proud to die in my hands!" The Goblin King's breathing grew shallow.
It reached for its Greatsword, fingers shaking… barely able to close around the hilt.
Kaeryx watched it—unmoved.
"Still reaching…?" The dragon's voice dropped lower, thick with venom. "You should have died on your knees."
A golden flame flickered along the edges of Kaeryx's claws—silent, restrained, but impossibly hot. The kind of heat that didn't just burn—it devoured.
The goblin lifted its head one last time, locking eyes with Ethan in the distance. It didn't speak. It didn't beg. But there was something in its gaze.
A challenge. A final act of defiance.
A king, even in defeat, unwilling to beg for mercy.
Ethan's expression remained calm, unreadable.
And then—
FWOOOOOM—!!!
The flame surged.
Kaeryx's claw ignited in golden fire as it descended once more, this time for the final blow. It crashed down, engulfing the goblin entirely.
The scream that followed wasn't loud.
It was deep, hollow… soul-wrenching.
And then—silence.
Ash drifted in the air.
The Goblin King was no more.
Kaeryx pulled back its claw, steam rising off its scales. It turned its gaze toward Ethan, awaiting praise.
Ethan stepped forward slowly, eyes on the scorched remains.
"…It dared trample on Kaeryx's pride as a dragon," he muttered.
If not for the goblin's continuing defiance, Kaeryx would've let it to die peacefully.
Kaeryx snorted, proudly lifting its head as the wind carried away the last of the goblin's ashes.
The green beam of light pulsed once—and then faded into nothingness.
Ethan stepped forward, eyes calmly scanning the aftermath. The Goblin King's greatsword still remained, half-buried in the cracked earth. He bent down and picked it up—it was no ordinary blade. Its weight, the faint pulse of mana, the tempered edge—it was unmistakably a true Rank 2 weapon. Valuable.
Beside the scorched ground lay ten glowing mana stones, warm and humming with energy. Ethan's eyes narrowed.
'Ten… and high quality ones at that. How did a goblin get these? Did it… form them from its own mana?'
He wasn't sure. But he wasn't going to question a good haul.
Pocketing both the greatsword and the stones into his spatial ring, Ethan's gaze shifted forward. The green beam had almost fully faded now, and at its base lay a strange stone, glowing softly with arcane light. It pulsed with a strange energy—almost like it was alive.
He stepped closer and picked it up.
A soft chime echoed in his head.
<Ding>
[You've completed a hidden mission and acquired a Dungeon Core!]
[A connection to the Great Labyrinth has been sensed. Do you want to use the Dungeon Core to establish the connection with the Great Labyrinth?]
[Yes] [No]
Ethan's lips parted slightly, his heartbeat skipping.
The Great Labyrinth… the very name carried weight. Mystery. Danger. Opportunity. A place that could change everything.
But—
"No." His voice was firm.
He clenched his fist around the core and let out a slow breath.
While he was excited by the discovery, this wasn't the time to act on impulse. He couldn't afford to gamble—not when Mia's life was on the line. The Dungeon Core was his ticket to her treatment. If he used it for anything else and something went wrong...
If her condition got worse…
He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply.
'Not yet. This has to be sold. For Mia.'
Ethan placed the core carefully into his spatial ring and turned away.
The dungeon was cleared. Which meant it would begin its collapse within the next 30 minutes. There were ores and low-tier treasures scattered around, sure—but none of them held even a fraction of the value he'd already gathered. He wasn't interested.
'It's time to leave.'
With a silent call, Kaeryx lowered itself.
Ethan climbed onto his dragon's back, and the two rose into the air, wind surging around them as Kaeryx's wings expanded with a majestic sweep. They soared through the dungeon skies, past broken structures and the fading cries of long-slain monsters.
Then—
They passed over the group.
The moment Kaeryx came into view, a wave of wind struck the adventurers below. All eyes lifted—mouths parting, expressions freezing in disbelief.
"That… That's a dragon," Garron muttered, barely able to speak.
As Kaeryx flew past, Ethan's figure astride it calm and commanding, the truth struck them like lightning.
Now it made sense.
How he cleared the dungeon so quickly.
How he beat them to every goblin group.
Why he was always one step ahead.
The heavy weight in their chests deepened.
It was one thing to be outdone by another party…
But to be utterly eclipsed by a single person?
Elira Dawnshield stood frozen, lips pale.
She couldn't believe what she was seeing. If she hadn't witnessed it herself, she would have never believed someone their age could solo-clear an entire dungeon—and kill the Goblin King without a scratch.
Rynel Vaen gritted his teeth, his fists clenched at his sides.
What was mere goblins and a king compared to what Ethan had survived in the Outlands? The Skyrazor Crows, Bloodhowl Wolves, Thunderwing Drakes… all had hunted him—and yet here he was, stronger than ever.
Such strength didn't come without cost.
And it didn't come without background.
And that's what terrified them the most.
They couldn't find anything about "Leon Grimveil."
And now they understood why.
No ordinary awakened possessed such power.
No ordinary background could conceal such strength.
They all stood there, watching silently as Ethan flew toward the dungeon's exit, wind howling in his wake.
Not a single one of them dared to chase him.
Instead, they turned back toward the ruins—quietly, solemnly—gathering what little remained. Treasures, rare ores, weapons… but it all felt empty.
The heart wasn't in it anymore.
The glory was gone.
——
Ethan descended from the sky, Kaeryx landing gracefully near the dungeon portal.
The light shimmered softly, swirling with mana—ready to transport him back to Nexa.
He cast one last glance behind him. The silent dungeon, now fading, soon to collapse in on itself. A battlefield, a trial, a stepping stone.
He recalled Kaeryx to his soul subspace and stepped into the portal.
Light engulfed him.
——
The moment Ethan stepped out of the portal and returned to Nexa, the city's air greeted him like a cold breeze of reality. The bustling streets, the distant chatter of awakened, the ever-present hum of life—it all felt strangely distant.
But his mind was clear.
His goal was unchanged.
'Time to go back to the Awakened Association.'
And with that, Ethan walked forward—his pace steady, eyes sharp.
—
The streets of Nexa buzzed with activity, carriages and mana-powered cabs rushing down the lanes. Neon signs flickered over buildings, guild banners fluttered in the wind, and awakened of all ranks moved with purpose.
Ethan pulled up his hood, tapped the interface on his wristband, and ordered a cab. Within seconds, a sleek black mana cab hummed to a halt in front of him.
"Awakened Association," Ethan said as he stepped in.
"Yes, sir," the driver responded.
The cab surged forward, its interior silent save for the soft hum of mana coils. Ethan leaned back, eyes half-closed. The city passed in blurs outside, but his thoughts remained still.
Mia. Her face filled his mind. Pale and fragile beneath the blankets, her breathing faint…
He couldn't waste time. Not anymore.
—
The cab arrived at the towering structure of the Awakened Association. Ethan stepped out and moved toward the entrance, his pace calm yet deliberate. The white marble floors gleamed under the glow of enchantment lights, and the front desk buzzed with activity as other Awakened came to report, register, or take on missions.
He was directed upstairs to the Mission Hall's completion desk.
As he walked into the hall, a familiar voice called out.
"Well, well… Leon Grimveil."
Ethan's gaze landed on the woman behind the counter. The same lady who'd overseen his initial awakening exam. She was dressed formally again, dark coat fitted neatly, her long auburn hair tied in a loose bun.
There was a hint of recognition—and surprise—in her tone.
"I'm here to check in," Ethan replied simply. "The mission I took earlier—it's complete."
The woman's brows lifted slightly. "Already?"
She quickly opened the terminal in front of her and accessed the mission records. Her fingers moved swiftly… until they suddenly paused.
"…This was a dungeon clearing mission."
Her eyes scanned the timestamp.
"You accepted this less than four hours ago."
Her gaze slowly lifted to him, disbelief in her eyes.
"A dungeon cleared… in four hours?"