Denzel dropped Ryan onto the grass like a sack of potatoes. "Ouch! You idiot, that hurt!" Ryan snarled, glaring at him while clutching his back.
"Stop whining and check your status window," Denzel grinned from ear to ear.
Suddenly, a rapid cascade of notifications began to ping in Ryan's vision.
[Ping! Ping! Ping!...]
[Congratulations! You've cleared the First Floor – +4,000 EXP]
[Bonus Mission Complete – +5,000 EXP]
[You've gained the trust of the Alpha Elves – +3,000 Fame Points]
[Fame Shop unlocks at Floor 20]
[You've obtained a national treasure: Aurora Elemental Gem (??-rank)]
[Multiple Level-Ups Achieved]
[Level 20 Threshold Surpassed – New Gift Awakened: Gaia's Breath (S-rank)]
Ryan's eyes widened. "Dude! Look at this! I got a new gift—[Plasma Manipulator (S-rank)]! How cool is that?"
Denzel raised a brow, impressed. "Nice. Mine's Gaia's Breath. Also S-rank."
Ryan gasped. "Wait, you too? What's with you and these insane gifts? I swear, for an 'F-rank' player, you sure know how to cheat the system."
"I'd win in a fight," Denzel smirked.
"You sure about that?" Ryan tapped his temple smugly. "Big brain strategy beats brute strength. You might be strong, but I'm basically a genius with lightning powers."
Denzel chuckled. The audacity. This kid really thought he could beat a seasoned second-lifer.
Before they could continue their verbal spar, Ryan's phone buzzed violently.
"Hello… Mom?" he answered, instantly paling like a ghost. Denzel watched in amusement as Ryan stood frozen for five minutes straight, mumbling only two words: "Hello, Mom."
Once the call ended, Denzel burst out laughing. "Looks like someone's gonna have a very restful night… full of nightmares."
"Shut it," Ryan muttered.
The sun was already setting. Though it had been four days inside the Tower, the flow of time was identical to Earth's—meaning their absence had been noticed.
Ryan scrolled through his phone, catching up on the news. His brows furrowed. "Looks like I've got plans tomorrow. The Players Association called for a meeting—all S-rank players are summoned."
"Cool," Denzel mumbled. "I'm taking a day off. I'm beat."
Then Ryan froze again, face draining of color. "Uhh… Denzel… you might want to sit down for this."
"What?"
"The Andras Cult's started moving. A C-rank dungeon just appeared—in Moscow."
Denzel shot up, eyes wide. "Already?! That… shouldn't happen. Not yet."
In his past life, humanity hadn't encountered a C-rank dungeon until they'd reached the 26th Floor. And the Andras Cult? They weren't supposed to emerge until at least a month after the global break. Everything was moving too fast.
He clenched his fists. If the timeline was collapsing, he needed to grow stronger—faster than ever.
Ryan swiped again. "Uh… yeah. More news. You might wanna cover your ears."
"Why?"
"It's Leon. He just made the S-rank list too."
Denzel's pupils shrank. His breath hitched.
He should've expected it. Leon De Rünter—his nightmare of an older brother—wasn't just strong. He was a monster. A genius. And a tyrant cloaked in charisma.
"What's today's date?" Denzel asked.
"March 14th," Ryan replied.
Denzel's eyes glowed faintly red. He muttered under his breath, "So the tyrant returns tomorrow."
Ryan, sensing the tension, tried to lighten the mood. "Welp, looks like we both have problems to deal with. Best of luck, champ."
They parted ways, each heading home.
Denzel arrived at a quiet house. His parents were working another night shift. As usual. After a long hot shower—his first in days—he sat at his desk, reading a few saved novels, but exhaustion overtook him and he collapsed into bed.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The alarm blared for the 107th time.
Denzel groaned. He overslept again. His parents were already gone—figures. After freshening up, he scarfed down the breakfast they'd left behind. His outfit of the day? A basic tracksuit and round-neck tee. Comfortable. Low-effort. Classic Denzel.
But his destination wasn't a dungeon or tower. Today, he was headed to Chexol Industries—his father's weapons manufacturing company.
Julius De Rünter, Denzel's father, who became an entrenched player with crafting skills after the break. His company specialized in weapon making, upgrading, and armor development.
Security waved Denzel through without question. Perks of being the boss's son.
Inside, he found Julius busy hammering away with his apprentice, Velma. She was around Denzel's age, freckled, and surprisingly serious for someone in such a chaotic line of work.
"Mr. Rünter! Your son's here," Velma called out.
Julius looked up. "Denzel? What brings you in?"
"I've got loot," Denzel replied, opening his inventory. A small mountain of monster parts spilled out—goblin skins, elemental wolf fangs, armored bones, even rare gems.
"I want armor and weapons made. Think you can do it?"
Julius examined the materials and nodded. "Velma?"
Velma's eyes sparkled like she'd been handed candy and a Nobel Prize in the same breath. "I'll get it done in a week."
"You're the best," Denzel said, grinning.
As he left Chexol, Denzel made a quick stop at a barber shop and finally got the overdue haircut he'd been putting off since the first dungeon. Feeling lighter, fresher, and cleaner, he returned home ready for a peaceful nap.
But the moment his head touched the pillow, he felt it.
A presence.
"No… not now," he muttered.
He stood, walked over to the window, and peered outside.
There he was.
Waving casually at him through the front gate, with an evil, knowing smile.
Leon De Rünter. The God of Destruction.
Denzel's blood boiled. He stormed away from the window.
"Ugh. He's back."
The real nightmare had just begun.
END OF CHAPTER 14
[STATUS WINDOW – RYAN HERMANN]
Name: Ryan Hermann
Race: Human
Class: Mage (Lightning Elementalist)
Level: 23
EXP: 105 / 26,000
[VITAL STATS]
HP: 2,120 / 2,120
MP: 2,950 / 2,950
Stamina: 1,260 / 1,260
[CORE ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 42
Agility: 55
Vitality: 48
Intelligence: 102
Luck: 25
Charm: 31
[SKILLS]
•Advanced Lightning Magic (Lv. 9) – Mastery over destructive lightning-based spells; further improved spell compression.
•Mana Manipulation (Lv. 7) – Enhances casting control, mana regeneration, and efficiency.
•Chain Lightning (Lv. 6) – Arc lightning now bounces to up to 5 targets with increased damage.
•Thunderstep (Lv. 6) – Dash distance increased; can leave afterimages
•Arcane Barrier (Lv. 4) – Barrier now partially reflects magic projectiles.
•Electromagnetic Field (Lv. 4) – (Passive) Greater distortion; reduces ranged accuracy and weakens electronic devices.
•Tesla Discharge (Lv. 3) – Stun duration extended; higher burst radius.
•Electric Flux: Overdrive (Lv. 1) – Converts external power sources into explosive mana surges.
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED]
Plasma Lance (Lv. 1) – Condense lightning into a hypercharged projectile that pierces armor and disrupts magic flow.
[UNIQUE TRAITS]
Thundergod's Descent (SS-Rank – Active)
Enter divine conduit mode. Boosts all core stats by +200%. Unleashes a controllable storm field. Cooldown: 48 hours.
Mana Purity (S-Rank – Passive)
Extremely refined mana structure. Spells gain +25% potency, +30% cast speed, +40% resistance penetration.
Overload Threshold (A-Rank – Passive)
Excess MP can be converted to AGI and STR for brief periods. Exhaustion risk on prolonged use.
Plasma Manipulator (S-Rank – Passive)
Allows precise control over plasma-based attacks and advanced fusion of magic elements. Enables access to plasma-tier spells.
[INVENTORY]
[Kramas' Secret Documents]
[Royal Elven Aurora Gem (Bound)]
[Orc Tooth Necklace (Charred)]
[Player Association Summons Letter]
[Protein Bar – Lightning Bolt Flavor (Why?)]
[STATUS EFFECTS]
Lightning Saturation (Minor Buff) – Slight speed and MP regeneration increased.
Electric Overload Cooldown – Electric Flux: Overdrive unusable for 4 more hours.
System Resonance Detected – The system is preparing for a threshold awakening.
[SYSTEM NOTE]
The storm obeys you now, but what happens when it asks to be unleashed?..
Next Gift Awakening at Level 50.
[STATUS WINDOW – DENZEL DE RÜNTER]
Name: Denzel De Rünter
Race: Human
Class: Warrior (Aura-Infused Combatant)
Level: 21
EXP: 1,005 / 2,100
[VITAL STATS]
HP: 2,200 / 2,200
MP: 1,450 / 1,450
Stamina: 1,700 / 1,700
[CORE ATTRIBUTES]
Strength: 88
Agility: 92
Vitality: 85
Intelligence: 100
Luck: 19
Charm: 26
[SKILLS]
Aura Blade Mastery (Lv. 7) – Infuse melee strikes with aura for enhanced damage and elemental effects.
Breath Control (Lv. 5) – Regulates stamina and aura flow; boosts regeneration in combat.
Ground Splitter (Lv. 5) – Slams the ground to unleash a shockwave; range increases with Aura infusion.
Combat Instinct (Lv. 4) – Passive skill; reacts automatically to fatal blows or ambushes.
Gaia Pulse (Lv. 3) – Sends a shock pulse through terrain; roots enemies temporarily.
Aura Guard (Lv. 3) – Reduces incoming damage by reinforcing body with aura coating.
Elemental Adaptation (Lv. 2) – Passive; gradually builds resistance to elements experienced in battle.
[UNIQUE TRAITS]
Eye of the True Regressor (F-Rank – Passive)
Allows fragmented glimpses of into opponents status window and future events. Boosts decision-making, countering, and reaction speed under pressure. Limited activation. It also has many hidden abilities.
Psycho Mode (??-Rank – Active)
Enters an unstable combat trance. Power surges exponentially, but risks mental degradation and hallucinations. Unlocked further during Tower Event. Cooldown: Variable.
Gaia's Breath (S-Rank – Passive/Active Hybrid)
Command over earth-based aura and terrain shifts. Strengthens defense, heals minor wounds, and enhances area control. Grants limited access to nature-based essence flow.
[INVENTORY]
[Aurora Elemental Gem (??-Rank – Bound)]
[Enhanced Goblin Fang Dagger]
[Unrefined Aura Crystals x12]
[STATUS EFFECTS]
Psycho Mask Echo – The mask's influence lingers… Your actions may become more volatile in critical moments.
[SYSTEM NOTE]
You've rewritten your fate once. The timeline bends around you—but someone else remembers the old one.
Next Gift Awakening at Level 50.