Chapter 5 – When Despair Awakens Power, Even Gods Tremble
Outside the S–Rank dungeon, the atmosphere twisted into chaos.
A suffocating, terrifying aura burst forth from deep within.
The guards stationed at the entrance collapsed to their knees, their faces pale, hands trembling as they tried to breathe under the crushing weight. None of them knew what was happening—only that death itself seemed to be crawling closer.
> "Oi… w–what's going on inside the dungeon? D–Don't tell me… that kid who went in earlier… did something?"
Another guard shouted, his voice cracking with panic.
> "F–fool! Don't say something that stupid! This is an S–Rank dungeon! That brat must've died in there. There's no way he—"
He stopped, his eyes widening in horror as the ground shook violently.
> "Wait… this aura… D–don't tell me… A Dungeon Stampede!?"
---
(Inside the dungeon)
At that very moment, a sound tore through the suffocating darkness.
A laugh—low, mad, dripping with despair and bloodlust.
"Hahaha… HAHAHAHA!"
Sam's deranged laughter echoed, shaking the very walls. From his body, a sinister aura erupted, engulfing the entire dungeon like wildfire.
Monsters screamed as their bodies ignited, flesh and bone burning to ash. The aura spread beyond the stone walls, spilling out into the world outside.
The earth quivered. The sky darkened. And the world… shivered.
---
Across every corner of the continent, beings trembled without understanding why. Mortals dropped to the ground, choking on despair.
But when the God–rank beings felt it, their eyes went wide with dread. They recognized the truth instantly—
> A terrifying existence had awakened.
One even stronger than them.
---
In the great D–City of Bonzua, Martial God Alan Astaroth was calmly reviewing reports when the wave of malice struck him. His hand froze mid–air, a bead of cold sweat rolling down his temple.
The surrounding deities stirred, confused, their divine senses pricking at the air.
> "L–Lord Alan… what is this feeling? Why are we shivering?"
> "A terrifying existence," Alan muttered, sweat beading his forehead. "A being even stronger than us gods…"
---
[Martial God's Status Window]
Name: Alan Astaroth
Rank: SSS
Level: 101
Profession: Martial Arts God
Advancement: 10th Stage
Attributes:
Strength: 20,000
Agility: 8,000
Intelligence: 40,000
Wisdom: 5,000
Vitality: 10,000
Defense: 10,000
Mana: 20,000
HP: 100,000
---
Alan's hands trembled. His divine aura wavered.
> "A–a god… A god–rank being has been born."
The entire hall froze.
> "W–What did you say, Lord Alan?"
Alan's voice thundered, grim and heavy with fear.
> "I said a god… A terrifying god has just awakened. Stronger than me. Stronger than any god in Bonzua… no, stronger than any god in the entire world of Palm."
The deities gasped, their knees weak.
Alan rose from his throne, his expression grave.
> "Call every god–level being in Bonzua. Summon them to the God Tower of D–City immediately. This is urgent!"
Without hesitation, divine messengers scattered, trembling as they carried out his order.
---
[Outside the Dungeon]
The guards froze, their faces paling.
> "A-A stampede… N-No way." One stammered, his voice trembling. "This is an S-rank dungeon. If a stampede breaks out, we're doomed! Even S-rank players can't stop an S-rank dungeon stampede. W-What do we do…?"
Their voices wavered, fear spreading like wildfire.
But then—
The dungeon itself began to glow.
A blinding radiance pulsed from the gate, casting long shadows across the ground. The guards stumbled back, hands instinctively reaching for their weapons, though they knew steel was useless against what was coming.
"T-The dungeon… it's reacting!?"
Terror clawed at their throats, but to their shock, the glowing entrance shuddered once, then slammed shut with a deafening boom.
The crowd erupted into chaos. No one could make sense of what had happened. No one could explain the unnatural phenomenon.
And in their panic, they had completely forgotten…
That a single boy—Sam—was still inside.
---
(Inside the dungeon)
The wolves that had once threatened Sam were reduced to blackened husks. Their corpses sank into a writhing red shadow that swallowed everything it touched.
The dungeon floor cracked.
A massive claw erupted from beneath the ground, shattering stone. The earth split as a monstrous skeleton wolf emerged, its body wrapped in abyssal flames.
Its crimson eyes glowed with madness, and its aura was so suffocating that even a level 100, 10th Advancement–Stage god would tremble before it.
The beast raised its head toward the ceiling and unleashed a scream that tore through the dungeon.
"WOOOOOOOO!!!!"
The cry of despair echoed into the heavens, announcing the birth of something the world should never have witnessed.
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