Chapter 67: Arin’s Unique Ability

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Arin’s Unique Ability

The three figures moved simultaneously

Zerf charged forward with Neva remaining at his tail, observing the entire battlefield with the same tranquil expression from the very start of the battle. Arin was still trying to process everything that had just occurred when the red-black aura surrounding his body burned even brighter as another set of System windows appeared before his eyes.

[Data successfully gathered.]

[Unique Ability forming.]

[Unique Ability formed successfully.]

[Awakening Unique Ability.]

Arin stared at the final message. Another window then appeared

[Unique Ability: Dungeon Sovereign]

[Function: Authority Synthesis]

[Dungeon Sovereign allows you to analyze and combine compatible Dungeon Master Authority principles that you have personally experienced and understood.]

[Restriction: You cannot freely copy, steal, or reproduce another Dungeon Master’s complete Authority.]

[Restriction: Synthesized Authority is limited by the your understanding, Dungeon Authority, and physical condition.]

[Restriction: Greater Authorities require greater understanding before they can be synthesized.]

Arin’s eyes widened at the sight of it all

"So I can’t just copy their abilities..."

[Correct.]

Arene’s voice echoed inside Arin’s head

[Dungeon Sovereign is not an ability that steals Authority. It allows your Authority to learn from Authority.]

Arin turned to look at Zerf. "So everything they’ve done to me...?"

[Has become data.]

Arin quickly understood what the latter had meant. The countless attacks that he had barely survived All of it had been compiled together by Dungeon Sovereign as principles that he had to comprehend. But actually understanding it was another matter entirely. Arin barely had the time to think before Zerf was already upon him. The former Dungeon Master’s fist came swinging forward and Arin instinctively raised his arm to block the oncoming blow.

The force of the punch sent him flying several meters backwards and onto the floor, a sharp pain racing up his arm. Zerf wasted no time following up on the opening and with a simple movement of his hand, "Dungeon King’s Domain." The battlefield began shifting as the stone walls extended from the floor around Arin while massive pillars shot out from the various directions, the entire chamber twisting around Zerf’s Domain. Arin immediately noticed the change and realized that it was not simply a matter of dungeon manipulation. Zerf was not just using the environment, he was claiming ownership of it. Every part of the dungeon within his Domain was under his control.

A stone spike shot out from one of the pillars aiming towards Arin who twisted his body to the side in order to avoid it. Another one came from behind and he crouched low to the ground to get out of the way. The floor then rose up underneath him and sent him flying upwards, Zerf waiting for him in the air with a clenched fist. Arin barely had the time to react before the latter’s punch made contact with his ribs sending him crashing backwards through a wall. He rolled across the floor and painfully forced himself back onto his feet. Arin wiped the blood from his lip. Zerf’s Domain began to squeeze in on him and the surroundings started to constrict as well, forcing Arin to attempt to manipulate it.

It worked for a brief moment before Zerf’s Authority overpowered him and sent him reeling backwards. Arin gritted his teeth. "Right. I can’t overpower his Domain." He closed his eyes and Dungeon Sense spread out from him, perceiving every single tunnel and room in the surrounding dungeon. It was all there, but the information was tainted within Zerf’s Domain.

In other words...

"He’s not controlling the dungeon itself."

Arin’s eyes snapped open. "He’s controlling the dungeon’s Authority within this area."

Zerf appeared before him and without warning, he struck sending Arin flying once more. Arin landed hard on the floor and felt a sharp pain in his side as something cracked. Arene’s voice was suddenly filled with concern.

[Your physical condition is worsening.]

[Dungeon Master Rage remaining duration: 10 minutes.]

Arin forced himself back up. "Then I don’t have time to keep testing things out." Zerf came charging towards him and instead of backing away, Arin reached deep into the flow of Authority running through his body.

Dungeon Sovereign responded and for a brief moment, Arin could see Zerf’s Domain from the inside. He could see how the Authority of his opponent spread throughout the dungeon and the points of connection.

But more importantly...

He could see the weakness. Zerf’s Domain was huge, but the amount of Authority needed to spread it out all at once was dividing it between countless points. Arin smiled. "I found it." Zerf’s fist shot forward, but Arin quickly moved to the side and it missed. He placed his hand against the floor

"Dungeon Sovereign."

The red-black flames around his hand spread out along the surface and instead of targeting Zerf’s Domain as one, Arin focused in on one of the points of connection that had been revealed to him. The link severed and a portion of Zerf’s Domain vanished, causing the latter to narrow his eyes.

"You..."

Arin moved in again and another connection was severed, causing the Domain to shrink. Zerf’s brows furrowed in irritation as he realized what Arin was doing and immediately changed tactics. Instead of spreading his Domain out, he compressed it in on itself, gathering all of the Authority back into a smaller area and increasing its power. Suddenly, the air around Arin became heavier. Zerf had given up on using the Domain as a whole and was now opting to use a concentrated amount of it against him. Arin’s expression darkened.

’’So you can adapt as well.’’

Zerf attacked, but Arin blocked and then took the opening to strike. Zerf’s fist came crashing down towards him, but he was too slow. Arin blocked it with his forearm before countering with a punch of his own that caught Zerf in the stomach. The latter staggered back, but Zerf’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist before slamming him backwards into the ground, the floor cracking beneath him. Zerf clenched his fist "This is the difference between knowing an ability and possessing it." He brought his fist down, but Arin rolled to the side and the punch blew a large hole in the ground.

Arin came up behind him, his hand already glowing. He fired a blast of energy at Zerf’s back, but it was not enough to finish him off. Zerf spun around, already anticipating the move. Arin expected this and ducked inside the range of the counterattack, grabbing Zerf’s wrist. Dungeon Sovereign activated again and this time, instead of attempting to copy his opponent’s Domain, Arin used the knowledge he had gained from Authority Detection and Authority Channeling to follow the flow of Zerf’s power and applied his own Dungeon Authority to it, making Zerf’s arm go numb.

"What did you do?!"

"I learned where your Authority moves..."

Arin twisted his opponent’s wrist and in doing so, interrupted the flow. Zerf pulled back with all of his might, but Arin had already taken advantage of the opening.

One of the connections that had previously been severed was no longer as sturdy. Zerf was upon him in the blink of an eye, but Arin knew that he wouldn’t last much longer against his opponent like this.

’’Just one more."

Zerf’s fist came swinging towards him, but Arin ducked and drove his fist into Zerf’s chest, forcing him back. Arin took a step forward and delivered another punch, but Zerf blocked it and then grabbed his arm, throwing him off to the side. Arin barely avoided the counterattack by rolling forward and then spun around, delivering a powerful elbow strike to the back of Zerf’s neck. The latter reeled and Arin placed his palm against the ground, the weakened connection within Zerf’s Domain cutting off once more, causing it to flicker. Zerf immediately understood what was happening.

"You’ve been dismantling it piece by piece..." Arin exhaled sharply. "I couldn’t beat the whole thing..." He looked up at Zerf

"So I stopped fighting the whole thing."

Zerf roared in frustration and his remaining Authority blasted forwards, compressing the Domain to the absolute maximum. For a moment, Arin thought that the entire dungeon was trying to crush him. His bones screamed in protest and his Rage threatened to run away with him. Arene’s voice echoed in his mind

[Warning.]

[Dungeon Sovereign is approaching its current limit.]

[You have insufficient Dungeon Authority to maintain large-scale Authority Synthesis.]

Arin gritted his teeth. "I don’t need large-scale." He looked at Zerf. "I only need one thing." Dungeon Sovereign activated and the red-black aura surrounding his body narrowed in until it focused around his right hand. Instead of copying Zerf’s Domain, he focused on the single principle that he had learned from it and replicated it. Arin drove his fist into the ground and the Dungeon Master’s Mark burned on his palm

"Dungeon Sovereign: Authority Override."

What happened next lasted for only a few seconds, but that was enough. The single connection that Arin had targeted was severed and Zerf’s Domain collapsed in on itself, sending his opponent reeling. Zerf’s eyes widened in horror

"No!"

Arin came forwards, but the former Dungeon Master was already preparing another attack. Zerf lunged at him, but Arin twisted out of the way and drove his knee into his opponent’s stomach. Zerf staggered, but Arin was upon him and gripped the back of his head before driving him backwards into the floor.

BOOM!

The chamber shook with the impact and Zerf tried to get back up, but Arin didn’t give him the chance. He placed his palm against Zerf’s chest and Dungeon Sovereign activated one final time, separating the Authority from the environment surrounding him. Zerf’s body went limp and his remaining Authority flickered before vanishing completely. Arin released him and the System appeared

[Authority One defeated.]

[Dungeon King’s Domain has been analyzed.]

[Compatible principle successfully synthesized.]

Arin stood over the unconscious Zerf, breathing heavily. What he had done was not something that came as a sudden increase in power. He had found a weakness, one that was nearly impossible to exploit, but he had done it nonetheless.

Arene spoke, her voice gentle

[You understand the limitation now.]

Arin nodded.

"Dungeon Sovereign can learn from Authority, but it can’t give me something I don’t understand..."

[Correct.]

"...and if the Authority is too complicated..."

[You may only reproduce a fragment.]

Arin looked at his trembling hand

"...then I’ll have to understand everything."

A slow clap echoed throughout the ruined chamber and Arin turned his head to the side. Neva was standing several meters away, having watched the entire battle unfold with a look of mild amusement on his face. "You defeated Zerf." Arin straightened and Neva came towards him. "You didn’t overpower his Domain. You dismantled it." Arin said nothing. Neva looked at the red-black aura swirling around Arin. "That ability of yours is dangerous."

Arin clenched his fists. "So are you." Neva smiled. "Good answer." Suddenly the entire dungeon fell silent as Neva released his Authority. It was nothing like Zerf’s, but rather something else entirely. Arin’s body tensed and his Dungeon Sense screamed in warning.

Arene’s voice immediately became tense

[Arin.]

[Authority Ten has begun releasing more of his Authority.]

Arin turned to look at Neva.

The timer appeared.

[Dungeon Master Rage remaining duration: 08:47.]

Neva continued walking towards him.

"Now show me, young Dungeon Master."

His eyes darkened.

"Can that new ability of yours learn fast enough to survive me?" Arin lowered into a fighting stance as the red-black flames around him roared to life. Arin’s eyes locked onto Authority Ten.

"Let’s find out."

Neva disappeared and Arin’s Dungeon Sovereign reacted.