Chapter 209: Conquering The Dungeon, Learning The History Of Blue Star

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Riven had attempted many different ways to awaken throughout his entire life. He never truly gave up on that dream, no matter how many times he failed. Among those attempts was trying to cultivate spiritual energy and learning various martial arts styles from the few instructors willing to teach a powerless civilian. He managed to grasp the basics and could fight decently well for a completely normal human being, yet he could never really grasp true cultivation.

Spirit energy refused to respond to him. Ki remained completely silent no matter how hard he meditated. Mana ignored him as if he did not even exist. He had even tried consuming expensive drugs and awakening stimulants that he bought in secret from the Hunter Market, but those failed as well. His talent was so abysmal, and he was so fundamentally incompatible with every form of power, that it truly felt like he was trash among trash. He could not even reach the bare minimum of F Rank no matter what he attempted.

Vladimir drank an elixir that Label had prepared for him earlier while staring into the further dark tunnels ahead. At the very end of the road, both of them found themselves facing a solid wall. This was supposed to be the absolute end of the dungeon.

There was supposed to be nothing else beyond this point.

"So where’s the Dungeon Core?" Vladimir wondered aloud, frowning at the blank concrete.

"Hm..." Riven’s Shadow Self smashed a heavy fist against the wall, but the surface did not break or even crack. "There’s some kind of dimensional wall here... but when my main body found the Dungeon Core in the other dungeon, nothing like this stopped him... unless...?"

The Shadow Self looked behind him and quickly opened a Spirit Gate. Through the swirling portal, the real Riven stepped out. He had been inside his Spirit Dungeon Realm searching for fresh ingredients to prepare lunch for the family.

"It’s done, right?" he asked as he entered the scene, brushing a few leaves from his sleeve.

"Weren’t you fighting alongside us this entire time? Why are you asking that?" Vladimir asked in confusion.

"I left midway through the fight," Riven laughed lightly. "Looks like my Shadow Self has already grasped the basics of my Mana Aura and Mana Nature well enough to properly imitate them. The best part is that our minds stay connected through my Psychic Power, so I constantly learn from every attack he practices."

"So it’s like you’re always connected to it?!" Vladimir asked, his eyes twitching with disbelief. "What sort of monstrous bastard are you, Riven Claymore?!"

"Hah, this isn’t even all of it," Riven sighed. "Anyway..."

"RIVEN! Where are you?"

Elisa’s voice suddenly called out from somewhere in the Spirit Realm, filled with mild concern.

Riven panicked for a second.

"I’m just picking some herbs! Stay with Carlos and Daniela, don’t worry about me!" he called back from the distance, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Oh? Okay! We found a beehive full of honey!" Elisa answered cheerfully.

"I’m coming! Give me a second!" Riven replied, quickly closing the Spirit Gate. "Alright, let’s hurry this up."

Vladimir raised an eyebrow, still unconvinced. "How are you even going to accomplish anything? Your Shadow already tried to smash this wall and nothing happened."

"Yeah, I’ve already figured it out..." Riven said with quiet confidence. "Dungeon Cores only reveal a path toward themselves to those who already hold the Crown of a Lord... and who have also fully conquered their own dungeon."

Riven calmly tapped the walls with his knuckles. White runes suddenly spread across the surface like living light, and the wall itself began to fold inward on its own, forming a glowing gate that invited him to enter.

"What the...?!" Vladimir’s mouth hung open in pure disbelief. "It opened on its own! What the hell?!"

"Hm," Riven nodded. "Come on, follow me. I’ll show you what my Fourth Authority’s power is capable of."

"...Fourth Authority?!" Vladimir gasped again, his voice rising in shock. "Bastard...! You already have four of them?!"

Riven gave him a cocky smile and walked straight into the newly formed gate. Vladimir followed close behind, still fuming with anger and envy, while the Shadow Self remained outside to watch for any remaining monsters.

As Riven stepped past the gate, he found himself standing in what resembled the entrance of an old subway station. At the very center of the chamber floated a glowing blue core.

It was much smaller than the one he had claimed from the Dark Cave Labyrinth, less than half its size. A more accurate estimate would place it at roughly one-third the size of the previous core.

Riven walked forward slowly, sensing the faint pulse of blue energy that surged from the crystalline object. When he touched it with his hand, he immediately felt its energies coursing into his palm and up his arm.

"I can feel its energy flowing rapidly," he muttered. "And... Ah!"

FLASH!

He quickly began to connect with the Core. At the same time, dozens of vivid memories belonging to the Core’s original "World" flooded into his mind, shocking him beyond belief.

It was a world that looked remarkably similar to Earth at first glance. People who resembled humans lived there under a blue sky filled with white clouds and a bright yellow sun.

It seemed almost like a parallel version of Earth... until he looked deeper into the memories.

Beyond the large cities stretched endless wastelands choked with pollution. Giant monstrous rats and cockroaches the size of cars roamed freely. Strange, aberrant technology had merged with a pulsing flesh-like virus that slowly consumed everything it touched.

This world was a warped parallel of Earth known as "Blue Star." Long ago it had been the home of a vast colony of human-like beings who were deeply attuned to advanced technology.

Massive skyscrapers had once risen toward the sky as their civilization continued to develop at a rapid pace. Yet their planet slowly began to deteriorate under the weight of their own progress and greed.

When the Gates eventually arrived, they fought with every piece of technology they possessed. Still, they were completely unable to overcome the invading forces. Worse still, they proved incapable of adapting to Mana itself. They died en masse, their bodies rejecting the new energy of the world.

The final surviving fragment of their civilization was this abandoned subway station. Then something massive appeared... an endless black abyss that consumed everything that remained.

"The Abyssal Gaze?!"

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