Chapter 22 – The Echoing Factory
The factory slowly returned to silence.
The last fragments of the Chain Warden crumbled into black dust on the floor. What had once been a terrifying sentinel was now nothing more than scattered ash across cracked concrete.
Ronan remained standing where he was.
For several seconds, he didn't move.
His breathing was slow, controlled, but his entire body ached from the battle. The marks left by the chains still burned across his waist and arm. Every movement reminded him just how close that fight had been.
But he was alive.
And in a dungeon like this…
That alone was a victory.
A faint blue light appeared in front of him.
---
Experience Calculation Complete
Level Up Available
Level 8 → Level 9
Stat Points Gained: +5
---
Warm energy spread through his body the moment the system confirmed the level up.
It wasn't healing in the traditional sense, but it strengthened his muscles, stabilized his breathing, and dulled the worst of his injuries.
The cracked feeling in his ribs faded slightly.
His legs felt steadier.
His vision sharpened again.
Ronan let out a quiet breath.
"Good… I needed that."
He flexed his fingers slowly, testing his strength.
Not perfect.
But good enough to continue.
Because retreat wasn't an option now.
He looked down at the metallic object resting in his palm.
The Dungeon Key Fragment glowed faintly with a cold blue light.
It was a circular piece of metal, heavy for its size, engraved with strange mechanical patterns.
The moment he focused on it, the system displayed its information again.
---
Item: Dungeon Key Fragment
Type: Dungeon Mechanism Component
Description: A fragment required to unlock a sealed dungeon core.
Fragments Required: 3
Current Fragments: 1
---
Ronan narrowed his eyes slightly.
"A sealed dungeon core…"
That meant this place had a central mechanism.
Something locked.
Something important enough that the dungeon created guardians to protect it.
He closed his hand and the fragment disappeared into his system storage.
---
Item Stored
Dungeon Key Fragment (1/3)
---
The factory around him stretched into darkness.
Broken machines filled the enormous hall.
Rusty conveyor belts hung crookedly from the ceiling.
Metal crates were scattered everywhere like abandoned cargo.
The entire place felt ancient.
Like it had been abandoned for decades.
Yet somehow…
The dungeon had turned it into a hunting ground.
Ronan began walking again.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Every step echoed faintly through the empty factory.
His dagger remained in his hand.
After everything he had experienced here, letting his guard down would be suicide.
The deeper he walked, the colder the air became.
The faint moonlight that filtered through broken roof panels grew dimmer.
The shadows stretched longer across the floor.
Then—
He heard something.
A faint metallic sound.
Clink.
Ronan froze instantly.
His eyes scanned the dark corridor ahead.
Silence returned.
But a few seconds later—
Clink…
The sound came again.
Metal touching metal.
Slow.
Heavy.
Not random.
Intentional.
Ronan's grip tightened around his dagger.
He began moving forward again.
The corridor opened into a much larger chamber.
The ceiling here was partially collapsed, allowing pale moonlight to spill across the floor in long silver beams.
And in the center of the room—
Something massive stood.
Ronan slowed his steps.
His eyes narrowed.
The structure looked like some kind of giant machine.
Nearly four meters tall.
Thick metal plates formed a circular tower.
Huge chains hung from its sides like tangled roots.
At its center…
Three circular slots were carved into the metal surface.
Each slot was exactly the same size as the Dungeon Key Fragment.
Ronan stopped several meters away.
"So this is it…"
The core mechanism of the dungeon.
The lock.
Three fragments required.
He approached slowly.
Every instinct in his body remained alert.
When he reached the machine, he raised his hand and placed it lightly against the cold metal surface.
The moment he touched it—
The system interface exploded into view.
---
Dungeon Mechanism Discovered
Factory Core Lock
Fragments Required: 3
Current Fragments: 1 / 3
---
The entire structure vibrated suddenly.
A deep mechanical rumble echoed through the factory.
The chains hanging from the machine began to sway slowly.
CLINK.
CLINK.
Ronan stepped back immediately.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The rumbling didn't stop.
Instead—
It spread.
Through the floor.
Through the walls.
Through the entire factory.
Then another sound followed.
Heavy footsteps.
BOOM.
The floor trembled.
BOOM.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Ronan slowly turned toward the far end of the chamber.
A massive shadow moved within the darkness.
Bigger than the Chain Warden.
Much bigger.
The silhouette stepped forward.
Moonlight revealed it piece by piece.
First—
Its legs.
Thick.
Covered in dark metal plates.
Then its torso.
Massive shoulders wrapped in heavy iron chains.
Then its weapon.
A gigantic rusted hammer dragged behind it, scraping across the concrete floor.
GRAAAAAAAAAANG.
The sound alone made Ronan's spine tighten.
Finally—
The creature's face appeared in the moonlight.
Its skin looked like cracked stone.
Its jaw was filled with jagged teeth.
And its eyes burned with a dim red glow.
The system interface appeared immediately.
---
New Enemy Detected
Species: Iron Executioner
Classification: Dungeon Guardian
Threat Level: Very High
---
Ronan exhaled slowly.
"So that's the second guardian…"
The Iron Executioner stopped about fifteen meters away.
It stared at Ronan silently.
Then—
It lifted its enormous hammer.
The weapon alone looked heavy enough to crush a car.
The creature raised it high above its head.
And slammed it down.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire chamber shook violently.
Cracks spread across the concrete floor.
Metal beams above groaned under the pressure.
Ronan jumped backward instantly.
Fragments of stone exploded outward from the impact point.
"That would've killed me instantly."
The monster lifted the hammer again.
Its red eyes locked onto Ronan.
Then it began to move.
Each step was slow.
But terrifyingly powerful.
BOOM.
BOOM.
The Iron Executioner dragged its hammer behind it as it walked.
The metal head scraped across the floor, leaving deep grooves in the concrete.
Ronan steadied his breathing.
His dagger felt tiny compared to that monster.
But running wasn't an option.
Not now.
Not when the dungeon core was right here.
He rolled his shoulders slightly.
The familiar cold focus returned to his eyes.
Across the chamber—
The Iron Executioner suddenly charged.
Despite its massive size…
It moved terrifyingly fast.
The hammer swung upward.
Ronan reacted instantly.
He dove to the side.
The hammer crashed into the floor where he had been standing.
BOOOOOOM!
Concrete exploded like shattered glass.
Chunks of debris flew across the chamber.
Ronan rolled across the ground and jumped back to his feet.
His heart pounded in his chest.
"This one…"
He narrowed his eyes.
"…is on another level."
The Iron Executioner slowly lifted its hammer again.
Dust fell from the weapon's massive head.
Its red eyes glowed brighter.
And the dungeon…
Felt like it was watching.
Ronan raised his dagger.
His breathing slowed.
His mind sharpened.
The battle for the second Dungeon Key Fragment had begun.
And this time—
The dungeon wasn't sending a hunter.
It was sending an executioner.