Chapter 65: The Rage of a Dungeon Master

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: The Rage of a Dungeon Master

Cracks spread across the floor beneath his feet as the pressure pouring from his body increased. The aura did not behave like ordinary mana. It clung to him like living fire, crawling over his arms, shoulders and face before sinking beneath his skin. Thin red lines appeared across his body, forming patterns that resembled fragments of the Dungeon Master’s Mark.

Arin slowly raised his head.

His pupils had narrowed into sharp crimson slits, while a darker glow surrounded his eyes. His breathing had become unnaturally slow despite the rage consuming him.

Authority Four moved first.

Its body trembled violently as black chains emerged from its back, each chain attached to the dungeon walls like anchors. The frightened Dungeon Master was not simply trying to attack Arin. It was trying to make the entire chamber restrain him.

Hundreds of chains shot through the air.

Arin moved. He did not dodge wildly.

He stepped between them with such precision that the chains passed inches from his body. Authority Four stared in disbelief.

"How?"

Arin appeared directly in front of it. His fist struck its chest. The impact sent Authority Four flying backward, but the chains anchored around its body immediately pulled it back toward Arin. Authority Four tried to use that momentum. Its chains suddenly changed direction and whipped toward Arin from every angle. Arin tore through them as if they were ordinary rope, despite each one carrying enough Dungeon Master Authority to crush a monster. Authority Four tried to retreat. Arin grabbed its arm. "You’re scared." Arin twisted his grip.

The authority screamed. He slammed it into the ground. The chamber shook. Authority Four attempted to rise, but Arin drove his foot into its chest and shattered the remaining chains connecting it to the dungeon. Its body went limp. Authority Four was defeated.

Authority Five approached next, hundreds of tiny black symbols appeared in the air around Arin. They formed a shifting lattice.

Authority Five’s unique ability was precise calculation. Every movement Arin made was recorded by the floating symbols. Authority Five’s voice remained emotionless. "I can calculate your next action."Arin disappeared from its predicted position. Authority Five’s eyes widened. The calculations changed.

Arin moved again. The lattice updated. Arin was already behind it. Authority Five turned. Too late. Arin struck its back. The calculation field shattered.

Authority Five spun and released a compressed wave of authority that would have torn an ordinary body apart. Arin stepped into it. The wave ripped open his shoulder. Blood splashed across the stone.

He continued walking. Authority Five stared.

"You are ignoring damage." Arin grabbed its face. He slammed Authority Five into the floor. The calculating authority tried to rebuild its lattice, but Arin crushed the black symbols with his aura before they could fully form. Authority Five stopped moving.

Authority Six was already waiting. Unlike the others, it did not attack immediately.

The air around it became heavy. A strange gray mist spread through the chamber.

Arin suddenly felt the weight of memories pressing down on his mind. Authority Six’s unique ability forced its opponent to experience emotional pain that did not belong to them. Arin saw countless people dying. Every death carried the same unbearable weight. Authority Six approached slowly. "You cannot fight while carrying all of this." Arin remained standing. Authority Six waited for him to break. Instead, Arin smiled.

"You think this is going to stop me?"

The red-black aura around him intensified.

"The only thing you’ve done is remind me why I’m angry." Arin stepped through the grief. Authority Six’s expression finally changed. Arin reached it and struck once. The gray mist exploded outward. Authority Six’s body flew into the wall. Before it could recover, Arin grabbed its cloak and pulled it back.

He threw it across the chamber. Authority Six crashed into the floor and did not rise again. Authority Seven started laughing.

The broken laughter filled the chamber until several copies of its voice seemed to come from every direction. Then Authority Seven split Every copy looked almost identical.

Its unique ability was madness manifestation, turning its unstable mind into physical illusions that could attack independently.

"Hahaha! Which one is me?"

Arin stood still. The copies surrounded him.

One attacked from the front. Another from behind. A third emerged from beneath the ground. Arin’s eyes moved once. He could feel the difference.

The real authority had a connection to the dungeon that the false bodies lacked. Arin turned and struck the original. Authority Seven was hit so hard that the illusion copies all shattered at once. Its body rolled across the floor. The authority tried to create another army. Arin was already standing over it. "You talk too much." He brought his fist down. Authority Seven was defeated.

Authority Eight came forward. It was the calmest of them all. Its unique ability was redirection. Every attack that touched its authority field could have its force redirected back toward the attacker. Arin approached. Authority Eight held out one hand.

Arin punched. The instant his fist touched the barrier, the force changed direction. The impact slammed into Arin’s own body. He was thrown backward. Authority Eight did not move. "You cannot defeat me with power." Arin wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. "I know." He rushed forward again. Another punch. Another redirection.

This time, however, Arin changed his angle before the ability could complete. His strike touched the barrier without fully committing its force. Authority Eight’s eyes narrowed. Arin rotated his wrist. The authority field bent. A small fracture appeared. Authority Eight looked down.

"That shouldn’t be possible."

Arin grabbed the fracture with his Dungeon Master Authority. The barrier shattered. Authority Eight tried to retreat. Arin struck it once. Its body crashed into the floor. Authority Eight did not get back up. Authority Nine came next. The moment Authority Nine saw Arin, it transformed.

Its humanoid body expanded into a monstrous beast covered in black scales and bone-like growths. Four arms emerged from its torso while its jaw stretched unnaturally wide. Its unique ability was instinctive adaptation.

Every time Arin injured it, its body changed to compensate. When Arin struck its chest, armor grew over the damaged area. When he attacked its joints, additional limbs formed..When he tried to crush its head, a second skull emerged from its shoulder. Authority Nine was not thinking. Its body simply adapted. Arin was forced backward for the first time..The monster’s claws ripped through his side. Arin grabbed one of its arms. Authority Nine bit into his shoulder. Blood poured down his body. Arin’s expression did not change. Instead of trying to overpower it normally, he forced his Dungeon Master’s Authority directly into the connection between the beast and the dungeon. The monstrous body froze. He tore through the authority controlling its transformation. Authority Nine’s body convulsed before collapsing.

The chamber fell quiet. Only three remained. Authority One, Three and Ten.

Authority Three stepped forward. Unlike the others, it had never shown fear. It had watched everything with curiosity. Its unique ability was spatial distortion. The space around Arin suddenly folded. The floor became the ceiling. The wall became the ground. Distance stopped behaving normally. Arin stepped forward and found himself farther away. He attacked from another angle and somehow struck the same spot. Authority Three smiled.

"Interesting."

Arin closed his eyes. He stopped trying to understand the distorted space visually.

Instead, he reached through Dungeon Sense. The dungeon itself told him what was real. He moved. His fist appeared beside Authority Three’s face. The spatial distortion shattered. Authority Three barely had time to react before Arin grabbed it by the throat. Arin slammed it into the wall.

Authority Three’s body collapsed. That left only Authority One and Authority Ten. Neither had moved. Authority One looked at the bodies scattered around the chamber.

Authority Ten was watching Arin. Then Authority Ten finally spoke. "That power." Arin turned toward it. "Dungeon Master Rage." A faint smile appeared on Authority Ten’s face.

"You also possess it. Unfortunately, we can’t use it in these bodies." Arin’s expression hardened. Then a familiar voice sounded inside his mind.

[Hi, Arin.]

He froze.

"Arene."

Her voice was strained.

[I’m forcing through the suppression to heal you and control your rage, but I don’t know how long I can hold out.]

Arin glanced at his wounds. The gash across his chest slowly began closing. Arene was struggling to keep up.

"Don’t worry about me, Arene."

A brief silence followed.

[Alright.]

The pressure inside his mind suddenly changed.

[I’ve unlocked some skills and techniques you can use currently.]

[They’ll remain with you after the rage ceases. They are integral abilities for Dungeon Masters.]

Information flooded into his mind.

Dungeon Authority Reinforcement.

Authority Detection.

Dungeon Manipulation.

Authority Channeling.

Dungeon Barrier Formation.

Dungeon Territory Reading.

Dungeon Core Synchronization.

Each ability settled into his consciousness as though it belonged there. Arin understood them immediately. These were not temporary gifts from Dungeon Master Rage. They were abilities that had always belonged to the path of a Dungeon Master.

[Use them carefully.]

He disappeared. Authority One’s eyes widened. Arin’s fist slammed into its stomach. The authority was sent flying but twisted in midair and landed on its feet. It looked at Arin with something approaching excitement. "Now that’s more like it." Authority Ten remained still. Its gaze never left Arin. Then Authority Ten chuckled.

"Interesting."

Authority One looked toward it. "You noticed too?"

"Yes."

Authority Ten’s smile widened. "That rage existed during my time." Arin’s eyes narrowed. Authority Ten continued. "But it wasn’t as refined as it is now." Its gaze moved over Arin’s transformed body.

"It’s been thousands of years, I think." Authority One looked toward Authority Ten.

"Back then, you were my previous Dungeon Master." Arin paused. Authority One continued. "You didn’t even explain anything to me, Lord Neva." Authority Ten’s expression softened.

"Zerf."

Its voice carried a strange familiarity.

"It is interesting that we can still retain our sanity even though we’ve been turned into monsters." Authority One looked around the chamber. "The others aren’t entirely themselves anymore." Authority Ten glanced at the fallen authorities.

"Even so..."

Its smile disappeared.

"Even though I like this kid, I have to kill him."

Arin’s aura surged. Arene’s voice immediately returned.

[Arin, you’re stretching the System thin.]

[You’re adding your normal anger to Dungeon Master Rage.]

His red-black aura intensified.

[Although I can feel that the suppression has weakened enough for me to remain unsealed, this is only temporary.]

Arin’s breathing became heavier.

[Once your rage expires, your body may finally give up.]

Arene paused.

[From what I’m seeing, you have thirty minutes before the Rage ends.]

Authority Ten heard the strain in Arin’s breathing. "You’re losing control." Arin wiped blood from his mouth. Authority Ten took a step forward. "Just give up and let the one who turned us into this have you." Arin stared at him. "You look older than all the other Dungeon Masters." Authority Ten smiled. "I am." "I take it you must be the strongest, then." Authority One laughed.

"Hahaha." It stepped forward. "Does this kid think we’re stronger simply because we are older?" Authority One’s expression became serious.n"We are nothing more than undead now." It looked down at its own monstrous body. "Our true power is greater than this. If you can struggle with us while we are using ten percent of our true power, I highly doubt you are ready for the world outside this dungeon."

Arin’s hands tightened. "I don’t care." Authority Ten raised an eyebrow. "My aim is to defeat you." Arin’s crimson eyes burned brighter. "And find the one responsible for this." For several seconds, the three stared at one another. Then Authority Ten smiled.

"Then come, kid." Its aura erupted. "Show us just how your rage is different from ours."

The three took their fighting stances.

Then they charged.

BOOOOOOM!