Chapter 33: Entering the dungeon

Standing before the dungeon portal, Smith, Alexander, and Apollo were dressed casually in tracksuits, T-shirts, and sneakers. Without a mandatory uniform, each had selected their own gear: Smith wore a black tracksuit, Alexander chose a brown one, and Apollo wore a bright yellow jacket.

​From behind them, Jacob suddenly called out, "Since we cannot make any further preparations, you may now enter the dungeon."

​Upon receiving permission, the trio stepped into the rift simultaneously.

​The transition mirrored Smith’s previous dungeon entry. When he opened his eyes, he found himself inside a narrow subterranean structure laid with stone floors and walls. A series of torches illuminated the dark corridor ahead, casting flickering light across the heavy, musty air. Smith was unperturbed; one-way dungeons were almost always enclosed underground spaces.

​Without hesitation, the three Players summoned their Queens.

​Apollo summoned his first. As his Queen materialized, she revealed the likeness of a Viking warrior—wearing a layered tunic beneath a wolf-skin mantle whose head rested atop her own like a helmet. Braid-adorned blonde hair framed her face. She wore sturdy leather armguards, holding a round shield in her left hand and a shortsword in her right. She radiated the fierceness of a lion prepared for combat.

​"This is Malinda," Apollo introduced. "She is a Silver-titled Queen whose title boosts her attack."

​Moments later, Alexander summoned his Queen. A large dark cloak covered half her face, draping down to her ankles. Beneath it, she wore light leather armor, fitted boots, and held a slender rapier. Her presence felt sharp and precise, like a coiled viper.

​"This is Lyra," Alexander said. "She is also a Silver-titled Queen, specialized in speed."

​With both men waiting, Smith summoned his own Queens. Velvet and Brenda materialized side-by-side.

​Velvet wore her red samurai-style armor with two katanas in hand and her odachi strapped across her back. Though her expression remained calm, the moment Apollo and Alexander’s Queens laid eyes on her, they instinctively recoiled from the intense killing intent she emitted. Beside her, Brenda stood clad in black plate armor, a longsword in her right hand and a greatsword mounted on her back. Her sheer presence radiated overwhelming weight.

​Apollo and Alexander watched their Queens’ tense reactions with visible shock. They knew Smith possessed two Queens, but feeling the raw pressure emanating from both Velvet and Brenda far exceeded their expectations. They knew Velvet held a Legendary title, but they had assumed Brenda was merely a Gold-titled Queen.

​Noticing their misunderstanding, Smith opted not to correct them. Explaining the true nature of Brenda’s title would only waste time and complicate matters.

​Evaluating the party’s strength, Smith noted that while both Malinda and Lyra were at the peak of the Novice rank,although his own Queens had lower ranks but they held superior combat weight because when all of them activatedtheir titles their will be 4 Intermediate Rank Queens and two of them will be his. As the designated leader, he took charge of their tactical formation.

​"Since this is an enclosed one-way dungeon, clearing it requires advancing down a single path," Smith instructed. "Given our Queens’innate abilities and roles, Brenda and Malinda will take the vanguard to hold the front line. Lyra and Velvet will secure the flanks. As Players, the three of us will remain in the rear."

​Neither Apollo nor Alexander raised any objections.

​The group formed up as instructed: Brenda and Malinda led the way, Velvet and Lyra covered the left and right flanks, and Smith, Apollo, and Alexander followed approximately five meters behind. Though the corridor was narrow, its six-meter width gave the formation ample room to maneuver without feeling cramped.

​As they marched forward, Smith half-expected some friction or arrogance from his teammates, but both followed orders silently and efficiently. He realized that the arrogant, dramatic scions of elite families he had read about in stories were largely fictional. In a life-or-death environment, survival took precedence—and Smith held the team’s primary combat power.

​Advancing further down the corridor, they encountered their first wave of enemies.

​Shrouded by the dim lighting, a group of creatures lurked ahead. As Smith adjusted his vision, he identified five Ratmen equipped with spears. To his surprise, each entity emitted an pressure equivalent to a peak Novice rank—around 20 points. While a group of five was manageable, encountering peak Novice enemies right at the entrance signaled high overall dungeon difficulty.

​The Ratmen wore tattered rags rather than proper armor, but their weapons and numbers required a careful approach.

​Smith turned to Velvet. "Take full command of the engagements in this dungeon from here."

​Velvet nodded calmly. "Understood."

​Smith gestured for Apollo and Alexander to fall back an additional twenty meters. Knowing he lacked formal combat experience, Smith chose to delegate command entirely to Velvet—a battle-tested commander—rather than micro-manage.

​Velvet scanned the approaching enemy and issued swift orders to the other Queens. "Malinda, Lyra—hold this position and intercept any stragglers that break through. Brenda and I will eliminate this group."

​Both Queens nodded in agreement.

​Velvet then turned to Brenda. "Without activating your title, how many can you handle simultaneously?"

​Brenda assessed the enemy’s stance and weaponry. "Their aura levels are higher than mine, but judging by their poor posture and crude equipment, I can comfortably handle three at once."

​"Good," Velvet replied. "I will take the remaining two."

​Velvet and Brenda surged forward. Even without title activation, Velvet moved faster than Brenda, whose plate armor traded raw speed for absolute defense.

​Hearing the incoming footsteps, the five Ratmen chattered sharply and charged, leveling their spears toward the two approaching figures.

​Closing the distance within a meter, the lead Ratman thrust its spear toward Velvet’s chest. With a fluid arc of her single drawn katana, Velvet deflected the spear tip harmlessly aside. The sudden parry threw the creature off balance; before it could recover, Velvet delivered a horizontal slash across its neck, severing its head in a single motion.

​The remaining four Ratmen carried their momentum past her. Using the footwork of her momentum, Velvet pivoted sharply, stepping behind the nearest creature before it could turn, and drove her blade through its back. Two enemies were eliminated in under three seconds.

​The surviving three Ratmen hesitated, caught between Velvet behind them and Brenda closing in from the front. That moment of indecision proved fatal.

​Clad in full plate armor, Brenda ignored defense entirely. She stepped directly into a spear strike, allowing the crude point to glance off her breastplate with a metallic clatter, and drove her longsword straight through the chest of the central Ratman.

​Without pausing, she planted her right foot, twisted her weight, and impaled the second Ratman on the same blade—skewering both creatures together.

​The final Ratman launched a desperate strike, but its spear skidded harmlessly off Brenda’s heavy pauldrons. Pulling her sword free from the two collapsed bodies, Brenda brought the blade down in a clean overhead arc, bisecting the last enemy.

​The engagement ended as swiftly as it had begun, leaving all five Ratmen dead on the stone floor.