Chapter 99: Greeting From Abyss

Deep within the Howling Mine, the mining plaza reeked of blood and resentment. The walls were stained with years of accumulated violence, while the air itself seemed saturated with the lingering hatred of those who had died within the mine. This was the lair of the dungeon’s final Boss, the Level 13 Elite Boss formed from the accumulated resentment of countless miners who had suffered tragic deaths—the Howling Aggregate.

The monster was a massive, amorphous monstrosity that writhed constantly, its body formed from countless broken limbs, twisted faces, and roiling dark energy. It had no fixed shape. One moment, enormous tentacles formed from condensed resentment would lash through the air, while the next, countless mouths would split open across its body and unleash the soul-piercing [Group Howl]. It could even summon smaller Resentful Miners from the ground, turning the battlefield into a chaotic swarm. It was the kind of Boss that had forced countless teams to retreat, yet the three members of Abyss showed no fear as they faced it. Their expressions remained focused, their movements precise, and their coordination far too efficient for a newly formed team.

"Silas, fifteen degrees to the left. Hold the first wave of tentacles."

Aiden’s voice remained calm and precise despite the oppressive atmosphere surrounding them. His eyes stayed fixed on the Boss as he observed the subtle changes in its movements, already anticipating its next attack.

"Luna, prepare to purify. Group Howl in three seconds."

"Got it!"

Silas immediately stepped forward. A roar escaped him as the first wave of dark tentacles tore through the air, their speed producing shrill whistles as they closed in on him. He raised his tower shield at precisely the right moment, meeting the attack head-on.

BANG!

The impact shook the entire mining plaza. Silas’s body swayed slightly beneath the force, but his feet remained firmly planted against the ground. The skill [Immovable] activated, reinforcing his stance and transforming his shield into an almost unbreakable barrier that absorbed the brunt of the attack. His health dropped sharply, but with his rare heavy armor and a Constitution of 26—including his absorbed attributes—he remained comfortably outside the danger zone.

At almost the exact same moment, the Howling Aggregate’s enormous body suddenly contracted. Hundreds of twisted mouths opened across its surface, revealing rows of distorted teeth as a terrifying resonance began building within the creature.

Aiden’s eyes narrowed.

"Now, Luna."

Luna slammed the bottom of her staff against the ground. A soft wave of moonlight immediately erupted from beneath her feet, spreading outward across the mining plaza. The gentle radiance carried a powerful purifying force that directly countered the dark energy surrounding the Boss. With the amplification provided by the [Moonlight Meditation Set], Luna’s mental power allowed her to execute the relatively low-level purification spell with remarkable precision.

The Howling Aggregate unleashed its attack.

WOOOOOOO—!!!

The [Group Howl] erupted across the plaza, transforming into a soul-rending sound wave that distorted the surrounding air. However, the wave collided directly with Luna’s expanding field of moonlight. The purifying energy tore through the dark resonance and reduced the howl’s power by more than half. What remained was barely enough to trouble Aiden and Silas, whose high Spirit attributes allowed them to withstand the residual mental impact with ease.

"Nice!" Silas roared from behind his shield.

By then, however, Aiden had already moved.

His figure blurred across the battlefield, his movement carrying him around the flank of the Howling Aggregate before the creature could redirect its attention toward him. The dark-gold blade in his hand emitted a faint hum as it sensed the dense dark energy surrounding the Boss, almost as if it were eager to consume it.

Aiden ignored the writhing limbs and focused entirely on the creature’s true weakness.

The [Resentment Core].

Buried deep within the monster’s enormous body, the dark-red core flickered like a dying heart. It was the source of the Howling Aggregate’s power, and destroying it would end the battle far more quickly than wasting time tearing apart the countless limbs making up its body.

"Bind."

The moment Aiden spoke, [Heaven-Binding Roots] erupted from the ground. Thick roots twisted around the Howling Aggregate, wrapping themselves around portions of its massive body and restricting its movements. They were not strong enough to completely immobilize a Level 13 Elite Boss, but they did exactly what Aiden needed them to do—they created a brief opening.

That was enough.

"[Charged Strike]!"

The dark-gold blade erupted with blinding light as Aiden drove it directly into the exposed Resentment Core.

-155!

[Elemental Annihilation!]

[Weakness Critical Hit!]

"Screeeeeech—!!!"

The Howling Aggregate released a horrifying shriek that shook the entire mining plaza. Its massive body convulsed violently, while the dark energy within it churned like boiling water. The attack had clearly struck a critical weakness, and for the first time, the Boss’s overwhelming presence began to falter.

The battle immediately entered its most intense phase.

Resentment tentacles whipped across the plaza from every direction, forcing Silas to constantly adjust his position and intercept incoming attacks. At the same time, smaller Resentful Miners continued clawing their way out of the ground, swarming toward the three players in an attempt to overwhelm them through sheer numbers.

Silas became the team’s defensive anchor. His tower shield and heavy armor formed an almost impenetrable line between the monsters and Luna, while his [Taunt Arm Crossbow] repeatedly fired at the smaller enemies. Each successful shot drew their attention toward him, preventing them from reaching the backline and allowing Luna to concentrate entirely on supporting the team.

Luna remained equally focused. She carefully watched the movements of the Howling Aggregate and predicted each incoming [Group Howl] before it was unleashed, allowing her to prepare her purification spell in advance. Whenever Silas’s health dropped too low, she immediately followed with a healing spell, keeping him stable while conserving enough mana to deal with the Boss’s most dangerous attacks.

Aiden, meanwhile, continued attacking the Resentment Core.

He fought with the precision of a surgeon, never wasting a single movement on the countless limbs that surrounded him. Every slash, thrust, and charged attack was directed toward the dark-red core. The short blade’s special ability against energy-based cores was particularly effective against the Howling Aggregate, allowing each successful strike to inflict substantial damage while simultaneously absorbing the pure dark energy leaking from the damaged core.

With every attack, the dark-gold glow covering the blade seemed to deepen slightly.

The Howling Aggregate’s aura gradually weakened. Its movements became slower, its tentacles lost some of their former strength, and even the destructive force of its howls diminished. What had initially been an overwhelming Boss was now steadily being dismantled under the coordinated assault of the three members of Abyss.

Aiden struck the core again.

Then again.

Each blow created another crack across its surface.

Finally, after the seventh strike, the blade pierced directly through the already fractured Resentment Core.

BOOM!!!

The enormous body of the Howling Aggregate suddenly collapsed inward. Its entire form seemed to implode around the shattered core before violently exploding outward in a torrent of dark energy. Countless shrieks filled the mining plaza as the monster’s accumulated resentment was released all at once.

The torrent of dark energy rapidly transformed into streams of brilliant data that shot toward the ceiling of the dungeon before gradually fading into the air.

[Successfully killed Level 13 Elite Boss "Howling Aggregate" above your level!]

[Obtained 8,000 Experience Points!]

[Ding! Your level has increased to Level 11!]

[Strength +1, Agility +1, Constitution +1, Spirit +1.]

[Obtained 5 Free Attribute Points!]

[Triggered "Greed" effect!]

[Obtained: Aggregate Resentment Crystal ×1!]

[Obtained: Dark Weave Boots (Rare) ×1!]

[Soul Essence absorbed! Spirit +4 obtained from target "Howling Aggregate"!]

[Soul Essence absorbed! Obtained 300 Soul Trait Essence from target "Howling Aggregate"!]

Before the three could fully process the rewards, another notification appeared.

[Your team "Abyss" is the first team to clear the Team Dungeon "Howling Mine" (Hero Difficulty)!]

[First Clear Rewards:]

[15,000 Experience Points]

[Reputation +1,500]

[Gold +100]

[Howling Mine Treasure Key ×1]

Brilliant pillars of light descended from above, enveloping all three members of Abyss. Aiden felt a powerful surge of energy pass through his body as his level increased to Level 11, while Silas and Luna experienced their own breakthroughs, officially stepping into Level 10.

The sudden increase in power was immediately noticeable. Their bodies felt lighter and stronger, while the energy circulating through their respective classes became noticeably more substantial.

But the dungeon’s completion triggered something far more significant.

The instant the system recognized their clear, a thunderous regional announcement exploded across the minds of every player in Ashford City.

[Regional Announcement — Ashford City]

[Team "Abyss" (Members: Reaper, Silas the Bulwark, Purple Lily) is the first team to clear the Team Dungeon "Howling Mine" (Hero Difficulty)!]

[Their heroism and strength will be recorded in the history of Ashford City!]

[Rewarded: Team Reputation +2,000!]

The announcement repeated once.

Then twice.

Then a third time.

For a brief moment, the entire Ashford City seemed to fall silent as players everywhere processed what they had just heard. Then the silence erupted into an uproar.

"Holy shit! Abyss?! That’s the three-person team!"

"They cleared Hero Difficulty?!"

"Hero Difficulty is way harder than Normal!"

"Three people! They cleared a twenty-man dungeon with only three people?!"

"What the hell?! What kind of team is that?!"

"What about the Dragon Sovereign Guild? Didn’t their elite team enter the dungeon too?"

"Hahaha! They got beaten!"

"The Dragon Sovereign Guild just got slapped in the face!"

"Abyss! Boss Reaper is insane!"

The reactions spread rapidly throughout Ashford City as players discussed the announcement. For many of them, the most shocking part wasn’t simply that Abyss had cleared the dungeon. It was that they had done so with only three members and on Hero Difficulty, while one of the city’s most established guilds had also sent an elite team into the same dungeon.

Inside the Howling Mine, that realization hit the Dragon Sovereign elite team particularly hard.

They had just finished clearing the final group of small monsters and were preparing to rest before challenging the final Boss when the regional announcement appeared.

Every member froze.

Wildland Dragonfang’s confident expression became rigid as he stared blankly ahead. For several seconds, he seemed unable to process the words he had just heard. Then the disbelief on his face gradually turned into something much more unpleasant.

Humiliation.

They had lost.

They had actually lost to a three-person team in the very dungeon they had been confident about conquering.

And the difference wasn’t even close.

Abyss had reached the Boss more than five minutes before them.

Wildland Dragonfang clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned pale.

"No..."

His voice was barely audible.

"Impossible..."

A mage standing nearby stared blankly at the dungeon notification.

"They... they actually cleared it already?"

The morale of the entire elite team collapsed. Every ounce of arrogance they had displayed before entering the dungeon now felt like a slap across their faces. They hadn’t merely failed to surpass Abyss; they had been left behind by a team that consisted of only three players.

Meanwhile, back in the mining plaza, Aiden calmly sheathed his blade as though the battle had been nothing more than another routine encounter. He opened his personal status panel and examined the changes brought about by the dungeon clear.

His attributes were already becoming absurd.

[Name: Aiden Cross]

[Codename: Reaper]

[Level: 11]

[Experience: 6,200 / 12,800]

[Health: 585 / 585]

[Mana: 225 / 225]

[Attributes]

Strength: 63

(Base 9 + Level-up 6 + Absorbed 39 + Equipment 2 + Free Attributes 6 + Level Reward 1)

Absorbed attributes: 83%

Agility: 45

(Base 9 + Level-up 6 + Absorbed 28 + Free Attributes 1 + Level Reward 1)

Absorbed attributes: 78.8%

Constitution: 47

(Base 9 + Level-up 6 + Absorbed 30 + Equipment 1 + Level Reward 1)

Absorbed attributes: 80%

Spirit: 50

(Base 9 + Level-up 5 + Absorbed 34 + Equipment 1 + Level Reward 1)

Absorbed attributes: 85.3%

[Free Attribute Points: 0]

Absorbed attributes had already become the absolute foundation of Aiden’s strength. Their contribution to his overall stats was staggering, with most of his power now coming from attributes he had taken from defeated enemies rather than conventional level-ups.

Among players of the same level, his attributes were already far beyond what should normally be possible. Even opponents several levels above him would struggle to match him in a direct confrontation.

"Count the loot. Then we’re leaving."

Aiden’s voice pulled Silas and Luna out of their excitement. The two immediately began sorting through the rewards while Aiden examined the remaining treasures.

The [Howling Mine Treasure Key] opened a hidden treasure chest within the dungeon, revealing a rare piece of leather armor that was suitable for Aiden.

[Shadow Leather Armor]

Agility +3

Stealth Effect Increased

Several rare crafting materials were also found inside the chest. Combined with the [Dark Weave Boots] dropped by the Boss, which provided Intelligence +2 and Spirit +1 and were particularly suitable for Luna, the dungeon had yielded an exceptionally valuable haul.

Once everything had been collected, the three members of Abyss headed toward the exit portal.

When they finally stepped through the dungeon’s light curtain, they emerged completely unharmed. Their equipment had changed, and the increase in their levels had given each of them a noticeably stronger presence. Even without knowing exactly what had happened inside, the players waiting outside could tell that the trio had grown stronger.

"They’re out! It’s the Abyss Squad!"

"Look at their equipment! They got even stronger!"

"Three people cleared a Hero dungeon!"

"They’re monsters!"

"Boss Reaper!"

"Boss Silas!"

"Purple Lily!"

"Awesome!"

Countless gazes followed the three as they emerged. Some players looked at them with admiration, others with curiosity, while many simply stared in disbelief at the team that had just accomplished something most players would have considered impossible.

Aiden ignored all of them.

Without stopping to bask in the attention, he simply led his team forward. The dark Abyss emblem on his chest seemed to swallow the surrounding light as the three disappeared into the crowd, leaving behind a trail of excited discussion.

Not long afterward, Wildland Dragonfang and the Dragon Sovereign elite team finally emerged from the dungeon.

The reception waiting for them was completely different.

Instead of cheers, they were met with strange looks, quiet whispers, and poorly concealed laughter.

Wildland Dragonfang’s face turned livid. The humiliation was almost unbearable after the confidence he had displayed before entering the dungeon, and for a moment, he wished the ground would simply open up and swallow him.

Today, the name Abyss had truly resounded throughout Ashford City.

Their first direct clash with the Dragon Sovereign Guild had ended with Abyss demonstrating a level of strength that had caught the entire city off guard. The result had also begun to affect how many players viewed the Dragon Sovereign Guild, particularly after its elite team had been defeated in the very dungeon where it had expected to demonstrate its superiority.

Aiden, however, was already long gone.

As he walked through the streets with Silas and Luna, the corner of his mouth curled into a faint smile that no one around him noticed. His eyes carried a cold glint as he thought about the person ultimately responsible for everything that had happened.

"This is only the first time I’ve crushed you head-on, Damien."

His smile deepened slightly.

"Enjoy this little greeting from Abyss."

The sense of accomplishment spread through Aiden like a shot of strong liquor, leaving behind a warm and satisfying feeling.

But he knew better than to become complacent.

This victory was only the beginning.