Chapter 374: Conquering The Forgotten Battlefield Dungeon, Gaining A New, Incredible Spell

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"Hm..."

Riven sighed as he looked back at the scattered remains and piles of bones. Some of the corpses were still wearing the worn clothes of farmers, merchants, and ordinary commoners. They had not been warriors who willingly joined this conflict.

These people were simply citizens of this Kingdom who had died from hunger and disease, only to be raised as Undead and forced to continue fighting long after their deaths, endlessly.

"That spell..."

Riven had seen it clearly through the memories, and the Sovereign Codex had recorded every part of it. He could even replicate it if he studied its structure carefully enough. Perhaps, with this spell, he could restore the sanity that the Undead had lost and allow them to remember who they had once been.

"The... the Undead Giants...! I could bring them back?"

He was taken aback by the revelation. Until now, he had only thought of the Undead Giants as powerful creatures that could be recruited or defeated, but they had once possessed thoughts, memories, and lives of their own.

It was a pity that the King was gone, yet his many subjects continued to respawn and wander through the labyrinth formed around his castle. If the spell worked, they could finally regain their minds instead of repeating the same battles forever. They might never become human again, but they could at least return to their former selves and choose what to do with their existence.

Ding!

[Congratulations, Ascendant. As the one who carries the {Sovereign Codex}, you have been chosen as a Lord.]

[Using your Authority of Pride as a Lord, you have taken control of the C-Rank Gate, "Forgotten Battlefield."]

[The Former Gate Ruler, "Elder Lich: Edward," has been slain and is unable to reclaim control. You have conquered the Gate.]

[The Former C-Rank Gate Ruler, "Elder Lich: Edward," now serves you. Once he respawns, you will be able to issue special commands to him.]

[You can now Summon the Believer Race, "Skeleton."]

[You gained +600 GP.]

RUUUUMBLE!

The moment Riven conquered the Gate, the entire dungeon began to tremble. Cracks spread across the stone floor as the labyrinth rejected everyone who did not belong to its new ruler.

The survivors were ejected first, followed by the large number of reinforcements entering through the first floor. Even the several powerful S-Rank Hunters among them were immediately forced outside before they could understand what was happening.

Outside, the Dungeon Gate blinked several times, its swirling surface shrinking with every pulse before disappearing completely. The survivors stared at the empty space in disbelief, while the gathered Hunters struggled to understand how a C-Rank Gate had vanished with so many of them still trying to enter. The Gate had been claimed once more, and this time it belonged entirely to Riven.

"It’s done... and..."

Within the Macabre Forest Dungeon, Riven’s Shadow and Vladimir were already fighting the Dungeon Boss sealed inside a large mansion hidden underground. The building had once been elegant, but its halls were now crowded with broken furniture, hanging strings, and rows of motionless dolls watching from every corner creepily.

"Ohohoho, how amusing! You’re truly wonderful!"

The Boss was a rather unique being, a puppet master who controlled countless puppets through soul strings connected to his fingers. With every movement of his hands, dozens of dolls rushed forward at once, obeying him without hesitation.

Each puppet was as strong as a C-Rank monster and could easily overwhelm most Hunter Parties. Some carried swords and shields, while others fired arrows or released magic from wooden staffs, allowing them to attack from every direction.

However, Riven and Vladimir were far too strong for them, even while Riven was only using his Shadow Self as a vessel. The puppets surrounded them repeatedly, but their attacks failed to cause any lasting damage.

Riven could not use his real body or most of his Skills in this state. Even so, his Spirit Power, Psychic Energy, and newly learned magic were more than enough. He extended one shadowy hand, gathered his power, and released several compressed blasts across the hall.

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

"Woah?!"

The jester-like puppet master screamed and jumped away in horror as hundreds of puppets resembling nutcracker soldiers fell one after another. Their painted bodies exploded into splinters, their weapons clattered across the floor, and the soul strings controlling them snapped before they could rise again.

"Wait, wait! This is no fun!" he complained angrily, pulling his remaining puppets closer to protect himself.

Riven spoke through his Shadow Clone, giving the strange Boss one final chance. "Surrender now and serve me, and you will be spared. Afterward, you will be given the freedom to do as you please, as long as you don’t go after humans."

"Hah? Surrender? Oh... Ohohoho...! OOHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Unfortunately, the Puppeteer was completely mad. He laughed at Riven’s offer and spread all ten fingers, sending his remaining soul threads flying across the room. The nearly invisible strings crossed through Riven’s Shadow Clone from every direction, cutting it into dozens of pieces before the Puppeteer pulled his hands back with delight.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

"BOOHOO! TOO BAD! YOU’RE DEAD NOW!"

However, Riven’s scattered shadow flowed across the floor and reformed directly behind him. In only a moment, the Shadow Clone had returned to its original shape, without a single sign of damage. The puppet master slowly turned around, suddenly unable to laugh.

"H-Huh?"

"Then I won’t hold back anymore."

An immense psychic force slammed into the Jester before he could move his strings again. Several of his bones broke from the impact as he was launched across the ruined hall, crashing through two of his remaining puppets. He rolled across the floor and tried to stop himself, only to tumble directly toward Vladimir’s burning claws.

"Heh...! I’m going to enjoy this, jackass!"

The Puppet Master panicked when he saw Vladimir’s claws blaze with dragon fire. Vladimir rushed toward him at searing speed, leaving the jester with no time to recover or call another puppet to his defense. Faced with the burning claws coming straight for him, he let out a small and pathetic scream.

"EEEK!"

"Blazing Cross!"

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

"Gaaaaaaaahhhhh!"

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