More goblins emerged from the shadows, drawn by the noise. Their shrieks echoed through the rocky halls as they rushed forward in groups.
Zachary didn't wait.
He charged.
Cole followed.
What followed wasn't a battle.
It was a purge.
Zachary moved like a blur, his strength and speed overwhelming anything that came near him.
Every strike crushed, pierced, or shattered. Goblins couldn't react fast enough, their bodies thrown aside like nothing.
Cole fought alongside him, cutting down whatever slipped past Zachary's reach.
Time passed.
Minutes.
Then hours.
Six hours later—
Silence.
The dungeon floor was covered in bodies.
Not a single goblin remained.
Zachary stood still, his breathing steady despite the massacre around him.
Then—
The system appeared.
-[Congratulations! Your Mana/Casting Speed stats have increased by 10]-
-[Stats]-
-[Strength: 356.9 points]-
-[Agility: 293.9 points]-
-[Recovery: 25 points]-
-[Durability: 10 points]-
-[Mana: 39 points]-
-[Casting speed: 45 points]-
Zachary stared at the screen for a moment.
Then clenched his fist slightly.
"So?" Cole asked, his voice cutting through the silence.
Zachary didn't answer.
He already knew what Cole meant.
The dungeon wasn't done.
Then—
KABOOM!
The jagged walls exploded outward, stone and debris blasting into the air.
The force sent goblin corpses flying like ragdolls, their bodies slamming against the ground in every direction.
"Ght—!" Zachary flinched slightly, caught off guard by the sudden impact.
Dust filled the air.
For a moment—
Nothing was visible.
Then it settled.
And what stood before them…
Made Cole freeze.
His eyes widened.
His mouth slowly opened.
"…No way…"
An ogre.
But not a normal one.
This thing was massive—its body towering far beyond what either of them had seen before.
Its muscles bulged unnaturally, its skin rough and scarred, and its sheer presence made the air feel heavier.
Cole took a step back instinctively.
But Zachary didn't move.
His expression stayed calm.
Because he knew.
This isn't a normal dungeon anymore…
This is at least a double-digit level.
"Come forth… Barnacle," Zachary muttered.
At once—
A black circle formed from the ground
Dark tendrils rose, twisting and writhing like living shadows. The air around them grew colder as something began to emerge.
Barnacle rose from the void.
Fully armored.
Sword already in hand.
The moment its hollow gaze landed on the ogre—
It shifted.
Its stance lowered.
Combat-ready.
Then—
It glanced back at Zachary.
Waiting.
Zachary gave a small nod.
That was enough.
Barnacle vanished.
No—
It moved so fast it looked like it vanished.
In the next instant, it was already in front of the ogre, sword swinging with deadly precision.
CLANG!
Metal met flesh.
The impact rang out like a bell.
Cole stood frozen.
His gaze shifted slowly toward Zachary—
Who stood there calmly.
Hands in his pockets.
Like this was normal.
"…What are you…?" Cole whispered under his breath.
Then—
The system appeared.
-[As a bonus, Kairoth Umbren has implemented choices to strengthen the Undead]-
-[Increase a chosen Undead to increase their stats by tenfold]-
-[Note: Every Undead has the same stats as its master… the user]-
Zachary's eyes widened slightly.
"…Tenfold?"
His gaze shifted toward Barnacle—
Still clashing with the ogre.
Each strike echoed through the dungeon, metal and bone colliding in a chaotic rhythm.
Sparks flew, the ground cracking beneath their movements.
Zachary's mind raced.
If Barnacle already has my stats…
Then increasing it tenfold means—
His eyes sharpened.
He looked back at the screen.