Regrets

Akira stepped into the dungeon, and the large cave swallowed him into darkness.

He deactivated his skill Soul Infusion, the lingering surge of power from his Soul Infusion fading as his body returned to its natural state. The overwhelming force in his limbs settled, leaving him feeling both lighter and more vulnerable.

The faint hum of ominous energy pulsed in the air, sending an involuntary chill down his spine. The thick, heavy atmosphere pressed against him, suffocating, as if the dungeon itself were alive, watching him.

"Shit, it's too dark... that's why STARS get their Sense Stone Enhancement for dungeons like this," Akira muttered to himself.

The darkness pressed in, suffocating and absolute. Akira clenched his fist, frustration bubbling beneath his calm exterior. "If only I had a Sense Stone..." he thought, but the idea sparked something else. His White Mana—raw and untamed—thrummed faintly in his veins. Could it be shaped into light? He'd never tried, but the dungeon's oppressive gloom left him little choice.

He extended his hand, palm up, and focused. The faint hum of White Mana responded, swirling into a small, flickering sphere. It wasn't much, but as the light grew steadier, the shadows retreated, revealing the jagged walls and the faint glint of moisture trickling down the stone.

Akira's lips curled into a faint smirk. "So, this works. Now it's much better..."

The walls were rough and slick with moisture. The further Akira went, the more the smell of blood and decay filled his nostrils. His keen eyes scanned his surroundings, and he took another step—then stopped. Corpses.

Massive, hulking bodies of trolls lay strewn across the cave floor, their grotesque forms with cracked skin as if turned to stone. Their ballooned eyes stared grotesquely, even in death. Great, gnarled tusks thrust up from twisted mouths, and their hands ended in razor-sharp claws that, even now, looked capable of tearing through steel.

"What kind of monsters are these?" Akira thought, his jaw clenching. "This is my first time seeing them."

The bodies were covered in deep lacerations, indicating a desperate struggle, but Akira's mind went to the worst possibility.

"So, it was the Demonic Human who did this," he thought, his fists tightening. "Even monsters like them were no match for him."

Steadfast, Akira pushed on. The deeper he went into the cave, the more the atmosphere changed. The air became colder, heavier, and the stifling mana of the dungeon grew denser with each step. The dancing shadows seemed to mock him for his intrusion.

He came to a sudden stop, his senses alert.

"Wait a minute. I smell something again."

He stepped further ahead, carefully. He didn't have to walk far before he found what he smelled—a pool of blood. It was no small amount, coloring the ground in an abominable way. Its metallic stench clawed at his senses, and he contorted his face.

"There's so much blood!"

Akira raised his hand, and the faint glow from the energy in his left hand brightened, illuminating the cavern. His breath caught in his throat.

Bodies again but not bodies of monsters.

Human bodies, broken, mangled, and lifeless, littered the ground, their faces twisted in terror. Weapons were strewn about near their hands, and the walls of the cave bore deep, jagged marks of a desperate battle.

"What the hell happened here?" Akira whispered, his voice low and unsteady. He stepped forward, his boots splashing through the blood. "Did he do this too?"

His mind couldn't wrap around it any further when a faint sound pierced the silence.

"Khem…"

Akira's entire body tensed, and his light brightened further as he turned toward the noise. It was coming from deeper inside the cave—a weak, rattling cough.

His senses went into overdrive as he followed the sound, his heartbeat quickening wildly in his chest. The light from his White Mana ball brightened, chasing the dark away and revealing a horrid sight.

Slumped against the far wall of the cave was a survivor. Blood spread in a dark pool beneath him; his left arm and right leg were missing, his body battered beyond recognition. The raw wounds were heavily bandaged with crude rags. His face was pale and drawn, his eyes glazed with pain and hopelessness.

Akira froze for a moment before cautiously walking toward him, electricity crackling softly around his White Mana ball. The air was heavy with mana as the man breathed shallowly, almost silently.

Akira crouched, unblinking. His cold eyes raked over the dying man slumping against the jagged wall. His energy ball flickered dimly, lighting up the blood-soaked figure that seemed to be barely holding onto life.

It was Jin Ael, the one who had helped Captain Imzar escape, though Akira didn't know that.

Jin Ael's breathing was irregular, each exhalation sounding like a fight against the very forces of death.

"Did... Captain Imzar bring you here?" Jin Ael spoke hoarsely, his voice weak but insistent.

Akira did not speak as his sharp eyes met Jin Ael's in silence. For a moment, he considered his reply. Of course, if Akira said that Imzar had not sent him, questions might arise, but there was little need for lying either.

"No," Akira finally answered, his voice low and cold. "I came here because I have unfinished business with the Demonic Human."

As his eyes began to glow white, he added, "With all of them."

Jin Ael's body trembled, his mangled form wracked with a violent coughing fit. Blood splattered from his cracked lips, staining the remains of his battered armor.

"But you... just a child..." Jin Ael gasped, his words weak but edged with disbelief. "What... are you..."

Before Akira could reply, a thunderous growl echoed through the cavern. Heavy footsteps shook the ground as a massive troll emerged from the shadows, its grotesque form illuminated by the faint crackle of Akira's lightning. Its eyes gleamed with primal hunger as it charged toward them, its claws poised to strike.

Akira didn't move, his expression cold and indifferent. With a subtle shift of his stance, he raised his free hand, fingers crackling with white energy.

"Trash," he muttered, his voice laced with disdain.

In an instant, a blinding bolt of White Lightning erupted from his palm, surging forward with devastating speed. The cavern lit up in a brilliant flash as the lightning tore through the troll, obliterating it in a single, deafening strike. The beast's remains disintegrated into ash, scattering into the stale dungeon air.

Jin Ael's eyes widened in shock, the raw power of Akira's attack leaving him momentarily speechless.

"Don't interrupt me," Akira said coldly, his glowing eyes narrowing as he turned back to Jin Ael."I'm talking to him."

The faint hum of residual energy lingered in the air as Akira stepped closer to Jin Ael, his expression unreadable."Those kinds of trolls aren't that strong, even when evolved... but for him to kill it in one blow?" Jin Ael thought, shocked.

Whatever lingering doubts Jin Ael had about Akira's capabilities vanished in that moment, replaced by awe.

Akira crouched, unblinking. "Can you tell me what happened here?" he asked softly.

Jin Ael's glassy eyes flickered, focusing fleetingly on Akira as he mustered the strength to answer.

"We... we raided this dungeon," Jin Ael began, his voice ragged. Each word seemed to cost him dearly. "Captain Imzar... wanted recognition. Said we could handle this evolved dungeon without notice..."

Akira's jaw tightened. "Recognition?" The word tasted bitter. How many had died for one man's ego?

Jin Ael coughed, blood flecking his lips. "Since he lost to someone in spar... in front of the guild master... he felt unworthy. He was my childhood friend. I couldn't refuse him..." His voice faltered, and for a moment, his gaze drifted, as if reliving the decision. "We convinced the rest of the team... to come with us. To clear this dungeon."

Akira's hand twitched, as if to reach out, but he stopped himself. His expression remained impassive, but his fingers curled into a tight fist at his side.

"The trolls... they were everywhere," Jin Ael continued, his voice growing weaker. "We fought them... somehow survived... but then..." He coughed violently, blood spraying from his lips. "He showed up. The Demonic Human."

Akira's eyes narrowed, White Lightning flaring faintly.

"In seconds... he killed them all. My teammates... gone." Jin Ael's voice cracked, his despair leaking through. "I used my skill, Spatial Shift, to send Captain Imzar away... but that monster—" He gestured weakly to his mutilated body. "He took my limbs before leaving... I think he was heading to the boss of the dungeon...The team... was strong... If it wasn't for the Demonic Human, I think... we would've been okay."

Akira's face constricted at this, and a flicker of anger danced across his features.

"That idiot Imzar... got his team wiped out because of his greed and for what? To gain something as meaningless as recognition? I should teach him a lesson If I go back."

"Anything else?" Akira asked, his voice cold and detached as he looked at the dying man.

Jin Ael's breathing grew shallower, his voice barely a whisper. "He said something...something weird after he destroyed me." He paused, his glassy eyes locking onto Akira's. "This dungeon... it's special. Because... a Lower has descended here."

Akira's eyes narrowed as he repeated. "A Lower?" 

Akira clenched his jaw, staring into the abyss of the dungeon ahead.Whatever a 'Lower' was… he was about to find out.

Jin Ael nodded weakly. "That's all I know... khem... khem..." His head slumped slightly as if the effort of speaking had drained the last of his strength.

Akira stood, his gaze fixed on Jin Ael. "Thank you," he said in a low, calm voice. "And... I'm sorry. I can't help you. Your wounds... they're too severe."

Jin Ael let out a faint, bitter chuckle, a smile ghosting across his bloodied face. "You're a... straight sincere one... aren't you?" he muttered weakly.

Akira's cold eyes softened slightly, just for a moment. "You already knew you wouldn't make it," he said quietly.

Jin Ael's head slumped slightly, his breathing shallow. "Yeah I know... I don't have long..."

Akira stood there for a moment, his lightning illuminating the broken man. Finally, he spoke again, his tone soft but deliberate. "Do you have any regrets?"