The air pulsed with tension as the dungeon trembled ever so slightly—an echo of footsteps descending into the ruined deep. I couldn't see in the normal sense, but through the dungeon core's sensory field, I felt their movements. Three life signatures. Two weak, one slightly stronger. All human.
"Scavengers," Lilyth muttered, stretching her wings like a cat arching its back. "I can smell their sweat and rusted steel from here."
"Can you take them?" I asked, voice calm but Inside, I was panicking.
Her grin was slow and hungry. "I was born to break men, Master. This'll be fun."
She vanished in a gust of crimson mist, shadows flickering behind her as she took position in the narrow approach to the core room.
I watched the invaders through dungeon-sense—a trio of poorly armored men, lanterns swaying, a swordsman, a rogue, and… some kind of low-tier mageling. They didn't look so srong but strong enough to break my Core like glass if I had nothing. Probably here for some easy loot.
Their footsteps echoed through the ruins and began getting closer.
"I swear the last time we were down here this place was colder," The mage muttered.
"Maybe the core's active again," said the rogue. "Might be worth something."
"Enough yapping," growled the swordsman. "Eyes sharp. There might be traps ahead."
"How deep does this go? It didn't took us this long last time." The mage complained.
The trio finally entered the range of core influence and....they were laughing.
"Can't believe we got the contract for this. They don't even know we have been here before.
'Unknown Ruin' my ass—this
place's barely got walls." The mage laughed.
"Bet the Core's already cracked. I'll shatter it myself. You two can play rock-paper-idiot behind me."
The moment they stepped in the entrance to the core room,
"Welcome, trespassers. May I offer you pain?" Lilyth said with a smile, stretching her wings wide.
They stopped.
The rogue stepped forward, daggers drawn. "What the hell? A lone succubus?
In a rank-F ruin? This has to be staged."
The swordsman wasn't laughing. "She's glowing. That ain't staged. Careful."
"Too late," Lilyth purred.
She moved like fire given form.
Her wings slammed outward, forcing the rogue to stumble. Her leg whipped in
a high arc, a spinning heel kick, catching the mage in the jaw with a bone-cracking snap.
Her one hand surged with flame and carved what looked like a magic circle in midair.
Infernal Lash.
A whip of fire shot forward, coiling around the swordsman's weapon, melting
the blade like wax before kicking him in the gut, as he crashed flying into the wall.
The rogue lunged, flashing twin daggers .
Lilyth caught him by the throat.
"Fast," she admitted. "But not enough."
She squeezed his neck and broke it, just like a twig.
The mage, panicked, began casting a spell—frost gathering in trembling hands.
She turned toward him, grinning. "Cute. But ice melts."
Crimson Flare.
She kissed her palm and blew—a streak of fire surged forward and engulfed
the caster. His scream echoed off the walls before silence fell again.
I was stunned and horrified.
The swordsman, crawling now, gasped. He did not run but backpedaled a little, from the bag he was carrying, he pulled out a handle that turned instantly into a crackling spear.
Lilyth turned toward him slowly, her golden eyes glowing.
"You're brave," she smiled. "I like that."
He lunged towards her. Lightning surged from the spear's tip, but she dodged in a blur, twisting midair. Her hand snapped forward—crack. His wrist broke audibly, the weapon clattering to the floor.
She grinned, stepping on his chest as he fell.
"You don't belong here," she whispered, claws pressing against his heart.
"I-I didn't know—please—!" he gasped.
"You do now," Lilyth said sweetly.
Then she ripped out his heart.
Silence filled the chamber.
I felt the Core Room's mana stir, swirling in approval. Blood soaked the
stone. My first defense had succeeded.
Lilyth wiped her claws on the rogue's cloak and turned toward me with a
smile, too smug.
"First blood, Master."
I almost said "Holy shit" aloud, but settled for: "Efficient."
She bowed. "I live to serve."
The system poped out like a notification.
[DEFENSE SUCCESSFUL]
[DUNGEON CORE LEVEL UP: 1 > 2]
[Lilyth's Loyalty: 42> 50]
[NEW FUNCTION UNLOCKED: CORE CURRENCY — CORE POINTS (C.P.)]
[You have earned: +30 CP]
"CP…?" I muttered aloud, still feeling the aftertaste of blood in the air.
A window opened in my mind —holographic, tinged with blue light.
[E.D.E.N. SYSTEM INTERFACE]
Core Level: 2
Core Points (CP): 30
Mana Capacity: 20/150
Functions Unlocked:
• Room Construction
• Trap Construction
• Basic Summoning Circle
• Mana Converter (Locked)
Looks like Core Points are the currency for this system. Earned from victories, trap
kills, and successfully defending the dungeon. The more I killed, the more I
could expand. Clean, simple and brutal.
But that brought me to the other half of my problem—mana. My lifeblood. Used to build, to power rooms and summons. And apparently, it is only 20 out of 150 now. I have gained some from the kills. But it wasn't much.
That's when another interface flickered.
[NEW BLUEPRINT AVAILABLE: MANA SIPHON]
[Cost:15 CP]
Converts residual energy from corpses, mana crystal, and enemy essence into regenerating mana.
"Finally," I grunted. "Let's build."
The summoning room came first, while the system's gacha will give me best summons, it is too costly on my mana and CP. I have checked it. The chance of pulling high rarity is low. This basic summoning cirle will be better for summoning minions, highest rarity I can get is only rare but it costs less mana.
I pulled up the schematics in the E.D.E.N. menu. It wasn't fancy. Just a circular chamber with arcane lines etched into the stone and a summoning circle in the center—a glowing ring of red and gold that pulsed
like a heartbeat. I constructed it beneath the core room, accessible through a short
stairway of cracked stones.
The cost was 10 CP. It left me with 20 CP remaining.
[Summoning Circle Online]
[Available: Basic Minion Summon — 10 Mana / per summon]
[Note: Common rarity Summons require continued mana upkeep or will fade over time.]
That could wait. I needed more mana first.
I used 15 CP to place a Mana Siphon just beside the summoning chamber—a narrow crystal pillar embedded into the wall.
It hummed softly, drawing power from the corpses left behind in the hallway above. Threads of energy trickled into the core. Efficient and also looked beautiful.
I watched the mana bar tick up. 50… 51…53.
Perfect.
Still, I was not done. There was one last thing I needed—defense.
I spent my last 5 CP on a Rustjaw Trap—a simple but brutal pressure plate in the narrow path towards the Core room entrance. Anyone stepping on it would trigger a spring-loaded jaw of metal spikes designed to cripple or kill.
Nothing elegant or magical, just a basic trap that might not kill but would bleed them. And if it kills, it will feed me mana.
As the last of the CP ticked away and the Rustjaw Trap sank into place, a low hum resonated through the chamber. Not physical—psychic. Like the dungeon itself was approving of it. I could feel it: a steady rhythm, pulsing with life.
Lilyth landed softly beside me, crimson wings folding behind her. Her claws were stained, her golden eyes still glinting with heat from the fight.
As the last corpse dissolved into mana, I opened the system interface, calling up my own status again.
[Core Status – Axel Ward]
Core Level: 2
CP: 0
Mana: 65/150
Evolution Path: Unlocked
A new subtab pulsed faintly: [Evolution Path]
Available at Core Level 5
Preview Detected:
– Sovereign Architect: Focused on empire-building, advanced constructs, and loyalty increase.
– Devourer of Realms: Absorbs rival dungeons, consumes terrain, unlocks mutation-based defense.
– Prime Warden: Hybrid core-commander, specializes in elite units and realm-bound effects.
– ??? (Locked – Requirements Unknown)
My gaze lingered on "Devourer of Realms." Looks tempting.
Still, plenty of levels between now and decision time. Better to see what my ace had in store.
[Entity: Lilyth]
Rarity: Elite
Race: Succubus
Loyalty: 50
Evolution Path:
– Crimson Queen [Rarity: Mythic]
(Locked – Requires Dungeon Rank A + Loyalty: 100 + ???)
– Abyssal Matron [Rarity: Legendary] (Locked – Requires dungeon rank B + Loyalty: 90)
– Thronebreaker [ Rarity: Epic]
(Locked – Requires dungeon rank D + Loyalty 80)
Traits: [Seduction Aura], [Mana Leech], [Flight], [Hellfire Touch], [Combat-Adapted]
"Crimson Queen, huh?" I muttered.
So that must be her ultimate form. Not just eye candy—she is a walking apocalypse in high heels waiting to happen.
I closed the screens.
Now that I have some mana time to test my gacha luck.
I refocused on the summoning circle, choosing a standard draw. 10 mana drained from the pool as the summoning circle flared to life.
[Summon Initiated – Basic Summon Roll]
Rarity Roll: 89
Result: Grimtail Lurker – Rare
From the circle burst a ripple of shadow, and something crawled into the world. Insectoid, six-limbed, with black body and a thin tail ending in a venomous spike. Its body was lean and low, perfect for stealth. Two lidless green eyes glowed as it stared at me.
"Well," I said. "That's... unsettling. Welcome aboard. "
[Grimtail Lurker]
Type: Stealth
Skills: [Shadow walker], [Venom Sting], [Silent Relay]
Loyalty: 60
"Scout the surface ruins," I commanded. "Avoid combat. Relay any contact—beasts, humans, or… worse."
It responded instantly, melting into the wall shadows and vanishing up the cracks I hadn't even noticed before.
The world outside is quite....for now.