BAB3 -Chapter 9

# Chapter 9: Dungeon Domination 4

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Xay woke up groaning on a sticky bench in the final Safe Zone of the ninth floor.

**Cosmos Academy Dungeon Floor 9: Murder Hive.**

The entire floor had been one massive wasp hive, teeming with hundreds of six-foot B-Ranked Army Wasp monsters.

If Xay had to choose his most hated insect, it was wasps. If he didn’t have to choose, it was still wasps.

It had been a long, arduous grind since the fifth floor.

Floor six was essentially a giant maze filled with hidden traps and misleading illusions—most of which Xay bypassed thanks to his psychic abilities.

Even so, the strength of the monsters had slowed them down.

Mirrorlings, in particular, were among the most intelligent monsters they’d ever encountered. They were tricksters capable of orchestrating multilayered ambushes on the fly.

The final boss had been a mirror monster that reflected attacks back at them, alternating between magical and physical damage.

Once they figured out the timing, though, it was easy enough to take down.

Floor seven was a massive, reeking landfill crawling with different types of Slime monsters. They were all completely immune to physical attacks.

It had taken a grueling five hours to fully clear, and the final boss was just a very, very large Blob—one that was also highly resistant to magic.

Floor eight had the most straightforward terrain. It was a grassy prairie scattered with brutal tribes of humanoid, hyena-like Gnolls, and wolf-like Lycans.

Both tribes were variations of Berserkers, making every victory hard-fought and exhausting.

The boss had been a savage chimeric fusion of the two. They nearly had to defeat it twice, thanks to a technique similar to Anton’s *Unyielding Fury*.

***Unyielding Fury** - After losing consciousness, temporarily reawaken in a frenzied state.*

But Lexi froze the technique with her Bloodline Ability, *Ephemeral Stasis*, allowing them to finally end it.

***Ephemeral Stasis** - Freeze abilities or techniques, temporarily preventing use. (+50%) to Acuity.*

They were no longer making it through each floor perfectly unscathed, and as a result, everyone had started needing longer and more frequent breaks.

Each of the ladies had already taken two Mana Pills, plus a Restoration Pill just for the vitality boost.

Xay had only taken a single Mana Pill—his Auric Diamond grill and Life Weave cord had done their jobs admirably.

Fortunately, they gained two more levels for their trouble.

**Level (+2)**

**All Stats (+600)**

- **Level**: 29

- **All Stats**: 6,200

Eventually, the team decided to rest before facing the boss of the ninth floor.

They had officially been in the dungeon for thirty long hours.

But now, they were finally on the last stretch; just two bosses and one floor remained.

“Ugh!” Lexi whined, peeling herself off a sticky bench. “I’m taking a week-long shower the second we get out of here.”

“We’ll be heading to the mountains in just a few days,” Kimi said, grimacing as she pulled slime from her silky hair. “They might not have showers.”

A look of pure terror crossed Lexi’s face as she locked eyes with Xay. “She’s joking, right? Tell me she’s joking.”

“Sometimes we’d go months without a shower in the Wilds,” Tyra added helpfully. “You just find a spring or let the rain rinse you off.”

Lexi gagged violently, shaken to her very core.

Xay chuckled as he stood and stretched. “C’mon. Let’s get this over with.”

The team drew their weapons, cycled their mana, and hit the kill switches on their gravity bands—priming themselves for an all-out assault from the very start.

A dark, illusory haze shimmered around Lexi, laced with tiny, twinkling specks that gently obscured her features.

It was her aura imbuement Skill Talent: *Abyssal Veil*.

***Abyssal Veil** - Summon a shroud of freezing darkness that amplifies frost and darkness-based abilities.*

The entire side of the room dimmed as the temperature dropped. She notched six small beads of shadow into her longbow and stood at the ready.

At the same moment, Kimi clicked her heels together, and a blinding set of flat-tipped, translucent slippers materialized on her feet: *Ignition Slippers*.

***Ignition Slippers** - Form slippers of burning light that amplify flame and light-based abilities.*

Scattered embers of bright blue flame ignited around her as the temperature on the opposite side of the room surged.

The sharp edge of her katana blazed with blue fire, while the back edge glowed with a searing white light.

Flecks of sparkling green bloomed in Tyra’s teal irises, and flower buds began to blossom through her long hair as she slipped into *One With Nature*.

***One With Nature** - Perfectly align with the primal energy of nature, amplifying nature-based abilities.*

A small, verdant patch of lush greenery spread from the ground beneath her feet, and the room’s temperature quickly stabilized.

Dense arcs of teal lightning crackled along Tyra’s staff as she raised it into a ready position.

Willow shifted back into Tyra’s form, auto-equipping her armor in a flash of light.

She entered her own version of *One With Nature*, where electrically charged wind gathered and sharpened around her.

Crystal flame flowed over Dragon’s scales, reinforcing her body and sharpening her natural weapons.

Xay channeled a steady stream of mana into his orbs and quickly multiplied them. After so many hours of battle, he’d grown used to effortlessly maintaining twelve Jetnir Orbs at once.

Each followed its own orbit around him, their paths weaving past one another without ever colliding.

Xay extended a hand toward Lexi and activated his original Sphere Skill *Arsenal Forge*.

Forgoing the shell of ice, he rapidly manifested the Cerulean Longbow to his hand as Lexi bit her lip in his direction.

They’d discovered the day before that the swarming wasp monsters were incredibly durable, their armored exoskeletons tough to penetrate—but flame was the great equalizer.

Xay activated his Skill Talent: *Ability Exchange*.

***Ability Exchange** - Swap affinities, effects, and techniques of active Arsenal Weapons.*

The translucent shades of blue running along the length of the bow instantly shifted to multiple cascading shades of red.

Pulling from Kimi, the Arsenal Weapon Ability *Frigid Fragmentation* transformed into *Ember Eruption*.

***Ember Eruption** - Fire condensed flame bolts that erupt upon impact.*

As excellent elemental conductors, all twelve of the Jetnir Orbs circling Xay erupted in flame as well.

Before leaving the Safe Zone, Tyra activated *Invigorating Shower* on the entire group.

***Invigorating Shower (Mender Sphere)** - Summon a revitalizing rain that boosts focus, mana regeneration, and physical prowess.*

Small, fluffy white clouds formed over their heads, releasing a gentle rain of tiny teal energy bubbles.

The group immediately felt sharper and stronger—their mana even cycled faster. It was like being hit with a supercharged shot of adrenaline.

Amped up, bouncing on his toes, and grinning at how badass his team looked, Xay shouted, “Let’s fucking go!”

The team burst into the Boss Room and was immediately hit by a wave of humid air, thick with the stench of sap, venom, and scorched resin.

The domed chamber was lined with hundreds of jagged, honeycomb-like structures—each one housing an Army Wasp.

**Army Wasp (B-Rank) Lv. 20**: *A giant armored insect soldier bred for speed and violence. Fights in coordinated swarms.*

Dozens more Army Wasps circled the upper reaches of the room in tight formation, their barbed stingers glistening with venom.

Opposite the door, perched atop a throne of hardened resin, sat the Queen.

**Queen Wasp (A-Rank) Lv. 30**: *Matriarch of the hive. Commands her brood telepathically and injects eggs into living hosts*.

The team moved immediately.

Lexi loosed all six beads of darkness into the right-side wall. Each expanded into a dense javelin and struck with floor-rattling force.

Kimi danced sideways, creating four clones that all launched into *Glimmering Grand Pas*.

The five of them sliced through dozens of monsters in an instant, leaving exploding lines of brilliant blue sword light in the air.

Tyra and Willow raised their hands in sync, summoning thick coils of teal lightning that leaped instantly between the Wasp monsters swarming near the ceiling.

Dragon aided them, her aura electrifying as she shot multiple exploding plasma balls straight into the air.

At the same time, Xay fired three condensed flame bolts at the left wall. Each detonated in a rapidly expanding explosion as his orbs tore through another section of the room.

The room suddenly fell into chaos as Xay, Lexi, Kimi, Tyra, Dragon, and Willow tore through everything that moved.

Covering each other while maintaining a tight formation, they left no opening. No monster got close to them in one piece.

Their plan was to hit hard and fast, creating panic and eliminating as many as possible before they even understood that they were under attack.

But the queen stirred and let out a piercing screech. Instantly, the Army Wasps snapped back into formation, converging into a tight, disciplined swarm around her.

The opening volley had done serious damage—but nearly a hundred Army Wasps still remained.

Still, everything was going according to plan.

Dragon and the others stepped back as Xay teleported to the front, his flaming Jetnir Orbs returning and orbiting tightly around him.

As the swarm aligned for a coordinated strike, Xay slid one foot back and braced himself. His serene white aura rippled—then reshaped into the head of a vicious dragon.

He inhaled deeply, leaned forward, and opened his Auric Diamond studded mouth—activating *Roar of the Dragon God*.

***Roar of the Dragon God (Striker Sphere)** - Channel the Dragon God’s authority into a concussive roar, unleashing an oppressive sonic shockwave across a wide area.*

A deep, resonant bellow erupted from Xay, shaking the room, the dungeon floor, and even the mana thick in the air.

The concussive sonic shockwave eviscerated those at the front of the swarm instantly. Those in the back were hurled backward at high speed, dying on impact as they collided with others.

The technique was a physical, magical, and mental attack all in one.

By the time it was over, only the injured Queen remained—recoiling with an instinctual fear. Disoriented and terrified, her wings buzzed frantically as she tried to flee.

But there was nowhere to run.

*Tenkiri Nova*, *Dark Frost Lance*, twin *Perfect Storm* teal lightning strikes, and a purple laser flame slammed into her simultaneously.

The onslaught triggered a bright mushroom cloud of magic—and once it all cleared, absolutely nothing remained.

**Level (+1)**

**All Stats (+300)**

- **Level**: 30

- **All Stats**: 6,500

Xay immediately popped both a Mana Pill and a Restoration Pill.

*Roar of the Dragon God* consumed as much mana as a Limit Break, but beyond that, it placed an odd strain on Xay’s body.

The boost of vitality from the Restoration Pill seemed to rectify it, however.

He watched his hands tremble for a few seconds before clenching them into fists.

Dragon stalked over with a very approving grin, making him laugh. She was a big fan of the technique.

“That was awesome! We’re awesome!” Tyra shouted, dancing around with Willow.

Lexi and Kimi chuckled, their excitement bubbling over.

After taking a moment to collect themselves, the group stepped into the portal leading to the final floor.

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**Cosmos Academy Dungeon Floor 10: Burrowing Caverns.**

As soon as they stepped onto the next floor, Kimi let out a muffled gasp.

A segmented, monstrous spider leg had pierced her lower shoulder from behind—just below the edge of her armor plate.

In the next second, two flaming Jetnir Orbs seared through its eyes and exploded out the back of its head, killing it instantly.

**Arachne Scout (C-Rank) Lv. 25**: *A nimble spiderkin that scouts prey and sets traps in the dark.*

The creature had been waiting by the portal, hidden with some form of camouflage, and struck before Xay had even scanned the room.

“Are you okay?” Tyra rushed over, ready to heal her—but Kimi was already healing on her own.

“I’m fine,” she said, collecting herself.

A white flame sealed the wound, stitched it closed, and erased any trace it had ever been there.

Her Bloodline Ability, *Eternal Ember*, had just taken effect.

***Eternal Ember** - Burn with a sacred inner fire that provides continuous regeneration. (+50%) to Mana.*

Kimi was fine—but they had just arrived on the floor, and it had already managed to piss everyone off.

Finally glancing around, they found themselves in a massive, web-covered chasm with several burrowed exits.

The space was far larger than any of the other rooms they’d first entered—it looked more like a Boss Room.

Looking up, Xay noticed a narrow seam in the ceiling and knew he was right.

The floor followed a wheel-and-spoke layout—they’d need to clear every path before the boss appeared where they were standing.

But who had time for all that?

“This floor is mine,” Xay declared, his voice firm.

No one argued. Everyone stepped back and gave him space.

First, Xay fully expanded his psychic sphere of awareness, scanning the entire floor.

Dozens of branching and looping paths stretched in confusing directions, each filled with thousands of spider monsters.

There were even multiple variants of different strength and utility.

**Arachne Soldier (B-Rank) Lv. 28**: *A hardened warrior of the web, wielding blades and armored carapace.*

**Arachne Mage (A-Rank) Lv. 30**: *A caster spiderkin that weaves mana into silk and hexes.*

But something overhead blocked Xay’s view of where he knew the boss should be. It wasn’t an object—more like the space above was simply.. empty.

He assumed the floor was manipulating space and distance in some magical way. He also noticed that the floor had no Safe Zones.

Making preparations, Xay activated a second instance of *Arsenal Forge*.

A multi-shaded, blue translucent katana materialized in his hand—sending a visible shiver through Kimi.

At the same time, half his Jetnir Orbs froze and began radiating a misty coldness.

The Arsenal Weapon Ability Exchange quickly came to the forefront of his mind.

***Glacial Gleam** - Unleash a wave of prismatic frost with every slash.*

Releasing the Cerulean Katana, it automatically joined the Orbital Array, hovering around Xay.

Next, Xay gripped the Scarlet Long Bow tighter and dropped to one knee.

**Arsenal Weapon Limit Break Ability Exchange Detected: Terminal Light.**

***Terminal Light** - Unleash bright arrays of terminal heat, instantly immolating all enemies in a targeted area while phasing through allies and obstacles. Temporarily consumes Arsenal Weapon. 3-day cooldown.*

*Ability Exchange* extended to his Limit Break as well, and ever since his second awakening, all the cooldowns had been reduced to just three days.

Xay’s vision flickered and blurred fragments of shadow overlaid atop his sight.

He held the bow sideways and pulled back on an invisible force—an intensifying pressure that quickly brightened the room.

A hot white cord formed where a string should be. High-intensity heat radiated from him, visible waves billowing upward as cracks began to form beneath his feet.

His eyes narrowed, and his two cognitive threads locked onto every monster in his awareness.

With a sharp, burning exhale, he released. Hissing rays of blinding light streaked outward, arcing in every direction.

The high-pitched screeches and screams that followed were deafening. Thousands of spider monsters were instantly immolated.

The bow dematerialized in Xay’s hands as he stood and snatched the katana from the air.

Right on cue, the ceiling cracked open, and a colossal, fifty-foot-tall spider monster crashed down.

**Arachne Behemoth (S-Rank) Lv. 35**: *A titanic spider queen that commands all Arachne.*

“You’ve only come to die!” The massive spider hissed, somehow speaking without moving its mouth.

Xay ignored it and immediately teleported into the air, his Cerulean Katana raised overhead.

**Arsenal Weapon Limit Break Ability Exchange Detected: Black Fade.**

***Black Fade** - Unleash the cold of the abyss with a single, silent black slash. Temporarily consumes Arsenal Weapon. 3-day cooldown.*

Ice crystals formed around him as sheer cold wafted from the blade and frost crept up Xay’s arms from the hilt.

The behemoth began to glow, preparing to unleash an attack—but Xay swung downward.

A thin black line tore forward from the tip of the blade, its misty arc cutting through everything in its path.

A deep chill sank into the air, leaving a sparkling trail of frosty wind in its wake.

The Arachne Behemoth instantly went still, then split in two as it rapidly froze—then, both halves cracked and shattered like broken glass.

The katana dematerialized, along with the ten extra Jetnir Orbs.

Xay lowered to the ground, absolutely exhausted. He had never pushed himself that hard before.

Two Limit Breaks back to back—only moments after *Roar of the Dragon God*—had Xay’s vision blurring.

He clutched his head as his team circled around him. Lexi and Kimi took his arms over their shoulders while Tyra gushed over his performance.

“That was so cool!” she exclaimed. “Pretty lights exploded everywhere, then it sounded like hell itself was crying—” she began to babble.

Dragon and Willow were already investigating the loot tables that had appeared next to the exit portal.

High above, just past the spot where the behemoth had dropped from, hovered the dungeon core.

It was a beautiful, five-foot blue sphere. Its glowing surface pulsed with a shifting multilayered lattice.

After taking a moment to appreciate its beauty, Xay moved on and transferred all the loot to his dimensional storage.

They had already agreed to send all the metals and hardened carapaces to Quantium for armor upgrades.

And they were giving the alchemical ingredients to Peanut for pills and elixirs. His Sphere Skill was *Pill Sage*, and he’d been eager to make them more pills.

After clearing all ten floors, the haul was beyond substantial. But Xay only cared about the Auric Diamonds—there were six.

He also noted a few other mana-sensitive gems among the loot: sapphire, ruby, aquamarine, opal, pearl, garnet, and topaz.

They’d decide what to do with the gems later. Right now, everyone just wanted to go home. The group stepped through the portal together, reappearing in an empty staging area.

Behind them, the entrance dimmed as the dungeon powered down to automatically replenish itself.

After just a little more than thirty hours, Xay, Lexi, Kimi, Tyra, Dragon, and Willow had fully cleared the Cosmos Academy Dungeon.

Xay activated *Psychic Blink* and took everyone back to their apartment.

It was time to shower and sleep.