The dungeon trembled as both Floor 2 and Floor 3 dimmed of their hostile presence. Wolves vanished into smoke, the corpse of the Alpha dissolving, while above, the broken body of the Ravager Troll crumbled to dust under a silver glow.
In the aftermath, silence returned.
Kane and his team pushed through the glowing archway of stairs, their boots heavy with exhaustion but their spirits high. And there—bathed in soft lunar light—they found her.
Reina.
She sat safely in the middle of her toy guardians, rabbit and robot standing tall beside her, toy soldiers in perfect shielded ranks. At her side knelt Elysia, silver wings folded, her form shimmering with ethereal power.
Kane rushed forward, all instincts screaming to take his sister into his arms. But when he reached out—
Clang!
The butt of a silver spear blocked his path. Elysia's eyes, cool and protective, locked on his.
"Stand back," she said firmly.
Kane froze, stunned at the sheer authority in her tone. But before he could react, Reina hopped to her feet, clutching Elysia's arm.
"No, Mama—he's my brother!"
The words pierced deeper than any blade.
Kane's chest tightened as if the air had been ripped from his lungs. His sister's innocent declaration, so pure, so unguarded, carved at the scar that never healed—the absence of their real mother.
Elysia's gaze softened as she glanced down at Reina. For a long moment, she seemed to weigh the truth. Then, slowly, she withdrew her spear and allowed Kane to step forward.
Kane swept Reina into his arms, hugging her tightly. "You scared me… you scared me so much."
Reina giggled, resting her tiny head against his shoulder. "But Mama protected me."
Her childish voice cracked something deep inside him. He turned toward Elysia, his jaw tense. "...Who are you really?"
Reina answered before Elysia could. She beamed with that innocent, unshakable certainty only a child could possess.
"She's my mama."
Kane felt his heart ache. Not anger, not fear—just sorrow and bittersweet warmth. He wanted to deny it, to remind Reina their mother was gone, but the sight of Elysia kneeling with maternal grace stopped him. For Reina, in her little world, this guardian was real. And perhaps… that was enough.
Elysia's Status Window
Kane finally willed the system to display Elysia's details:
[Familiar: Elysia]
Rank: Mythic-Class Familiar
Level: 15
Role: Guardian/Attacker
Abilities:
[Lunar Aegis] – Create barriers of radiant moonlight.
[Embrace of Sanctuary] – Bless and empower allies, bolstering their defenses.
[Spear of Dawnbreak] – Manifest and hurl spears of divine light.
[Maternal Bond] – Gains strength proportional to Reina's emotional state and wellbeing.
Passive: Child of Memory – Born of Reina's strongest memory and wish. Elysia's existence stabilizes Reina's mental state, and grows as Reina does.
Kane's throat tightened. Not just a summon—she was bound to Reina's very heart.
A blinding light surged through the dungeon. Chests shimmered into existence before both parties, followed by the familiar chime of the system:
[System Notification]
Floor 2 Boss (Wolf Alpha Lord) Defeated!
Floor 3 Boss (Ravager Troll) Defeated!
Dual Clear Achievement: Two floors cleared simultaneously!
Reward: +2 Skill Points to all current dungeon participants.
Kane felt his core ignite as raw energy surged through him. The rest of the team gasped—the sheer boon of skill points was unheard of this early.
The notifications continued:
[Reward Distribution – Floor 2]
1x Rare Equipment (Defender's Warplate)
1x Skill Book (Howlbreaker Slash)
Monster Materials (Wolf Fangs, Hide, Alpha Core)
3,200 Coins
[Reward Distribution – Floor 3]
1x Rare Equipment (Moonlit Guardian's Mantle)
1x Skill Book (Lunar Pulse)
Monster Materials (Troll Bone, Regeneration Slime, Troll Core)
3,600 Coins
The rewards materialized in radiant chests, glowing in tandem as though honoring both victories.
Kane exhaled, finally letting his war tension drain. For once, they were not only alive—they were rewarded beyond measure.
Yet, his gaze returned to Reina, clutching Elysia's hand and looking up with innocent joy.
"Mama and Brother… we're all together."
The words cut through Kane's hardened warrior heart. For his sister, even in this nightmare world, family wasn't broken.
And for the first time since the apocalypse began… Kane let himself smile.
The chests dimmed after their opening, loot tucked safely into Kane's Infinite Storage. The system notifications settled, leaving only a charged silence in the dungeon corridor.
But Kane wasn't done.
He called up his interface, and this time the [Skill Tree Expansion] shuddered with a ripple of light. The Warlord profession had granted him three trees from which he had alrady unlocked 2 physical and command the only locked one is magic:
Physical Tree – the embodiment of raw strength and combat arts.
Command Tree – techniques that amplified his allies, strategies born from dominance.
Magic Tree – locked.
The third branch flared open. Lines of runes and nodes spiraled outward, shimmering with elemental hues.
[Magic Tree Unlocked]Basic elemental spell mastery granted.– Fire Bolt– Water Jet– Earth Spike– Wind Slash– Ice Shard
Kane flexed his hand, feeling the sudden shift in his mana circulation. Where once he was only a commander and warrior, now flames, frost, and stone pulsed faintly at his call. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was a foothold—another weapon in his arsenal.
His last skill point pulsed in his interface. Kane eyed the Physical Tree. One node shimmered, glowing faintly crimson.
He confirmed the allocation.
[New Skill Unlocked – Titan's Grip]Allows the user to wield heavy weapons with one hand, or dual-wield massive weapons otherwise requiring two hands. Grants +10% attack power when using oversized weaponry.
Kane smirked. His axe suddenly felt lighter. Deadlier.
Around him, his team worked through their own advancements.
Lena chose a reinforcement skill that hardened her armor temporarily.
Maya leaned into agility-based swordplay, picking up a rapid-strike ability.
The twins, still glowing with newfound magehood, gained their first proper offensive spells—Arcane Burst and Chain Spark. Their eyes shone with determination, though their bodies trembled with exhaustion.
The rescued mage, finally showing his worth, claimed an advanced fire incantation—Flame Pillar.
For the first time, their group was shaping into a cohesive party, their powers complementing each other.
But Kane wasn't done.
He still had 9 free stat points gained from his most recent level. His hand hovered for only a moment before he made his decision.
[Stat Allocation Confirmed]+3 Strength+2 Endurance+2 Agility+1 Perception+1 Intelligence
And with the natural and profession growth of +4 to all stats from reaching level 19, his new totals gleamed before him:
[Kane – Warlord | Level 19]
Strength: 106
Agility: 93
Endurance: 104
Perception: 83
Intelligence: 82
The numbers were more than raw data. Kane felt the difference in every motion. His breath carried more stamina, his vision sharpened, his mana circulation steadier. His grip on the axe was iron, but his awareness of spellcasting wasn't far behind.
He clenched his fists, rolling his shoulders. "Alright. We're stronger than we were yesterday."
Reina tugged at his sleeve, Elysia standing silently behind her. "Brother, are you ready to protect everyone again?"
Kane crouched, resting a calloused hand on her head. "Always."
But in the back of his mind, he knew one truth—the dungeon was only warming up.