Chapter-11

Later that evening, as the cold Norwegian night settled in, Alejandro sat in the sleek dining area of his suite, a warm meal before him and the lights of Oslo glittering beyond the windows. The room was quiet—just the clinking of silverware, the occasional hum of the building's heating, and the silent buzz of power behind his eyes.

He wasn't just eating.

He was planning.

With a casual mental flick, he summoned the System Interface, its glowing panels unfolding before him in smooth motion. His eyes scanned past the routine options—status, energy flow, active dungeons—until he landed on the tab that always intrigued him the most:

[Dungeon Customization]

He tapped it mentally, and the submenus blossomed like blooming petals.

Source Material?

— Anime

— Games

— Books [✔]

— Movies

He selected Books, and without hesitation, opened the subcategory.

Selection: J.R.R. Tolkien — Legendarium (Middle-earth)

— Environment: Ruins of Moria | Forest of Fangorn | Plains of Mordor

— Monster Templates: Orc | Goblin | Uruk-hai | Troll

— Boss Options: Cave Troll | Nazgûl (Locked - Too High Rank) | Balrog (Locked)

— Estimated Rank: C

— Threat Level: Moderate to High

— Intelligence of Hostiles: Tactical (Uruk-hai) / Brutish (Orcs & Trolls)

— Dungeon Size: Large

— Suggested Location: [User Defined]

He stared at that last field and slowly entered the name.

[Manual Location Entry: LONDON, ENGLAND – Hyde Park]

A quiet smile crept across his face.

Bold? Yes. Reckless? Maybe. Necessary? Absolutely.

He had seen how the world operated: fragmented, territorial, petty. Every country guarded its borders like dragons hoarding treasure. Even as Gates opened and monsters spilled into the streets, cooperation was rare, and unity rarer still.

They needed a reminder.

A statement.

Something impossible to ignore.

Dungeon Type: Ruins

Dungeon Theme: Middle-Earth (Mordor Influence)

Entry Gate Appearance: Black stone spire ringed by rusted steel and molten cracks

Monster Population:

— Standard Orc Patrols (5–10 per group)

— Goblin Tunnel Skirmishers

— Uruk-hai Warbands (25+ per group, tactical behavior)

Boss Room: Deep Cavern

Boss: Enhanced Cave Troll (C-Rank+, modified strength, basic resistance to elemental damage)

He tweaked the troll—made it bulkier, more aware, less likely to fall to simple bait tactics.

Final Check:

Estimated Difficulty: High C-Rank

Visibility: Public (Yes)

Notification Radius: 20 km

Trigger: Timed Activation – 48 Hours

He confirmed the inputs.

A ripple passed through the interface like a stone hitting still water.

[✔] Dungeon Created

Location: LONDON — Activation in 48 Hours

Alejandro leaned back in his chair and took a sip from his wine glass, the earthy taste grounding him.

Let them see it.

Let the world panic.

Let the hunters scramble, and the governments try to figure out where it came from.

Maybe then, they'd understand just how unprepared they were for what was coming.

He didn't create chaos for chaos's sake.

He was building a stage.

And Middle-earth, with all its grim beauty and ancient terror, was the perfect backdrop.

And if that didn't work, then may chaos take the world.

Across the sea, deep beneath London, the ground stirred.

A crack, like the toll of ancient war drums, echoed below Hyde Park.

Unseen by all, a spire of black stone began to push through the earth—silent, patient, inevitable.

--------------------------------------------

The next two days passed in a quiet, productive blur.

While the world continued turning unaware, Alejandro kept himself busy. Oslo's surrounding region was dotted with small and mid-level dungeons—perfect playgrounds for a man like him. He cleared three E-rank gates, two D-ranks, and even challenged a particularly nasty solo C-rank dungeon nestled in the forested outskirts near Lillestrøm, just for the thrill.

Not for fame. Not for loot.

For growth.

He wasn't content just with the System's unlimited dungeon creation or endless currency. He wanted to become stronger—earned strength, not just handed tools. Between battles, he tested combinations of his magic:

Shadowstep enhanced with flame to create Burning Echoes, where afterimages detonated behind him.

Temporary ice armor, fused over his arms to parry incoming blades with frozen resilience.

And his personal favorite: a mixture of fire and enhancement magic to create Ignition Surge, launching himself like a human missile into enemy lines.

Every dungeon he cleared taught him more. More control. More creativity.

More power.

But all the while, a silent clock ticked in the back of his mind.

And when the 48-hour mark struck… the world changed.

It began in the heart of Hyde Park, London.

What should've been a routine day—a chilly but calm morning—was interrupted by a soundless quake that rippled through the soil. At precisely 10:00 AM local time, the ground buckled, twisted, and burst upward like a volcanic surge.

Out of the broken earth rose a towering black stone spire, etched with crimson veins that pulsed like a heartbeat. Steel-like roots coiled out around its base, fusing into the cobblestone walkways and nearby monuments. A twisted gate, formed of jagged obsidian, shimmered with oppressive heat and dread.

This was no blue portal no ordinary Gate.

Panic spread like wildfire.

Crowds were evacuated. The military erected barriers within the hour. Drones and camera feeds were flooded with strange readings—energy levels fluctuating wildly, unrecognizable runes glowing across the spire's surface.

Within three hours, England's top two guilds were deployed:

Knightsbridge Covenant, led by the meticulous and iron-willed Sir Edward Blackwell, a swordmaster-type S-rank known for his precision and unshakable presence.

Hollow Dawn, led by the more flamboyant and unpredictable Isabella "Izzy" Crowhurst, a ranged S-rank caster whose lightning magic had torn apart dungeon bosses in the past.

Both guilds descended on Hyde Park like hawks, their presence alone stabilizing the chaotic energy of the area.

News reports began flooding the internet.

"Never-before-seen dungeon appears in London."

"Black Spire causes panic—S-Rank hunters dispatched."

"Experts baffled by gate structure, unprecedented event."

Theories swirled. Was it an evolution of the dungeon system? A global awakening? A new class of gate?

Only Alejandro knew the truth.

From his hotel suite, he sat watching the news, towel around his neck, hair still damp from another post-training shower.

He smiled—not in malice, but in resolve.

Now they were watching.

Now the world would pay attention.