Chapter 4

Raven's fingers brushed the cold stone. Glyphs flared to life beneath his touch—pulsing like a heartbeat. A moment later, the dungeon trembled.

The wall shimmered, revealing a narrow passage that hadn't been there before.

Not a hidden room. His throne room.

He stepped inside. Obsidian walls stretched high above, covered in shifting runes. At the center, a glowing stone console hovered, projecting a translucent map of Bone Ruins. Every corridor, every spawn point, every boss reset timer—laid bare before him.

His lips curled. "Still works."

He reached out, fingers skimming over the console's options. The text shifted, displaying controls only a Dungeon Sovereign could access:

[Dungeon Management]

Boss Level Adjustment: 20 (Locked)

Monster Respawn Rate: Standard

AI Behavior: Normal / Adaptive / Aggressive

Control Room Access Points: 1 (Active – Bone Ruins)

Dungeon Teleportation: ENABLED

Raven exhaled slowly. This wasn't just a system quirk.

It was control—pure, untraceable, absolute.

And he was the only one who had it.

Raven smirked. Still the same.

By default, the boss could level up over time, growing absurdly strong if left unchecked. But that would draw attention. He locked Bone Tyrant's level at 20, ensuring it remained a powerful asset—just not one that would expose him too soon.

Then, he turned to his real advantage—Teleportation.

[Teleport Destination: Starter Town]

The chamber thrummed. Energy coiled around him like smoke ready to ignite. Energy coiled around him. Then—

The world shifted.

The scent of dust and decay vanished, replaced by baked bread and fresh-cut wood. The quiet hum of the Control Room gave way to the chaotic chatter of low-level players. Merchants haggled over trades, parties formed for dungeon runs, and PvP enthusiasts bickered near the dueling grounds.

Raven adjusted his hood, ensuring his chains were concealed. A few players glanced his way but quickly looked past him. Just another leather-clad nobody. Exactly how he liked it.

The Global Rank board flickered overhead, displaying the top players by total activity—every monster kill, every quest completed, every trade made.

Raven, of course, wasn't on it.

He moved through the town square, his sharp gaze filtering through the noise. A group of players nearby debated dungeon strategies for Goblin Nest, completely unaware that their precious boss wouldn't belong to the game much longer. It would be his.

Another dungeon. Another step toward absolute control.

He slowed his pace as he passed by a weapons stall, pretending to examine the crude iron swords on display. His true focus was the people around him. He listened, filtering through conversations, picking up on anything useful.

"Bone Ruins feels different lately."

"How so? It's just a beginner dungeon."

"I don't know... It's subtle. The monsters used to idle around and only react when attacked, but now? Sometimes they start fighting each other, like they're responding to something we can't see. And the respawn timers—sometimes they feel slower, sometimes faster."

"Sounds like patch changes."

"Maybe. But I've been grinding there for weeks. This isn't just some minor tweak—it feels like something's interfering with the dungeon itself."

Raven suppressed a smirk. They had no idea. The Bone Tyrant hadn't despawned. It had been claimed.

Still, this meant rumors were spreading faster than expected. He had to move quickly.

But just as he turned down a quiet alley, a voice cut through the crowd.

"Hey, you there—stop."

Raven's body tensed.

A town guard stood at the end of the alley, eyes locked onto him.

Raven forced his posture to relax, tilting his head slightly. "Something wrong?"

The guard, a middle-aged NPC with a worn-out helmet and tired eyes, studied him carefully. His gaze flicked to Raven's character tag—a normal white name, no PK status. Still, he didn't look convinced.

"There have been reports of dungeon anomalies," the guard muttered, crossing his arms. "Players claiming dungeon mobs are disappearing, while someone else says the mobs appear normally." His sharp eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

His face stayed blank. Inside, his thoughts spun like blades. The system was already flagging dungeon changes? That was fast.

"I've been running basic quests," he replied, gesturing to the dull leather armor on his body. "Starter gear, see? Doesn't look like I've been clearing dungeons, does it?"

The guard exhaled, then glanced at a floating interface screen only he could see—an NPC command function. For a moment, Raven wondered if the system had logged his presence in Bone Ruins.

With one last glance at the bustling town square, he slipped into the shadows, already planning his next move.

To gain control of Goblin Nest, he needed access. Unlike Bone Ruins, where he had freely entered and subjugated the boss, here he had to play by the rules—for now. A dungeon could only be added to his teleport network if he owned the dungeon. Until then, he was bound by normal player restrictions.

He approached a group standing near the Goblin Nest entrance, their voices overlapping as they organized a run.

"Looking for a summoner!"

Raven raised a hand. "You still need one?"

The team leader, a heavy-armored knight, looked him over. "You any good?""My summons don't die."That was enough. No one questioned him further. Just another low-level summoner, looking for a run. He summoned a basic low-tier familiar, a small shadow beast, nothing out of the ordinary. The party accepted him without hesitation.

They have no idea.

Goblin Nest was next.