I Awakened as an SSS-Rank System Maker!-Chapter 30 - The Dungeon Awaits

Chapter 30 - The Dungeon Awaits

Three days of rest were enough for Lucas. The apartment, with its sleek, modern design, and the faint light reflecting off the white marble floors, along with the muted hum of the outside world, was a far cry from the chaos and destruction he had left behind. The gentle calm was soothing, a necessary pause after the whirlwind of battles that had passed. But Lucas knew that peace, like everything else in this world, was temporary. The dungeon was calling him, just as it always did.

Night fell as Lucas stepped outside, the city wrapped in the cold embrace of darkness. He adjusted his black shirt, the fabric absorbing the faint moonlight. His black hair swayed slightly in the evening breeze, and his dark eyes, mirrors of emptiness, seemed to absorb the night itself. He was ready, or so he told himself. There was nothing to fear; not anymore.

Behind him, moving in perfect harmony as always, were André and Darlene. André, with his sharp blond hair and his dark green cap, which sharply contrasted with Lucas's attire, walked with the easy confidence of someone who had seen it all and was ready for whatever came next. Darlene, elegant and refined, moved with the same grace, her long red hair swaying with every step, her red eyes holding an unreadable depth. She had always been a mystery to Lucas, her calmness concealing a fierceness that could rival the most dangerous hunters.

As they moved toward the Hunters' Guild, Lucas couldn't help but feel the familiar excitement stirring in his chest. The guild, with its massive white marble structure and shining columns, stood proudly against the night sky. The building was filled with hunters, a busy, chaotic place where strength was measured in both subtle and violent ways. The atmosphere inside the guild was alive, thick with the tension of upcoming hunts and whispered conversations.

They entered, the sound of their footsteps echoing on the polished floors. The building was a maze of corridors, doors opening and closing, the whispers of voices mixing with the rustling of papers. It was a place where life could change in an instant, where the line between life and death was drawn with each dungeon they entered.

Lucas approached the secretary, a sharp-eyed woman sitting behind a desk stacked with hunter identification cards. Her expression was indifferent, the kind that could only be maintained by someone accustomed to the comings and goings of hundreds of hunters. Lucas cleared his throat and said, "We want a rank A dungeon."

She gave him a quick glance, her eyes moving between him and his team as if evaluating them in an instant. Her fingers moved with precise skill as she tapped on her device. After a brief moment, she looked up and said, "Hmm, one moment."

When she spoke again, it was with a decisive tone: "Go to group five."

"Okay," Lucas said, his voice betraying none of the inner restlessness he felt. He didn't like waiting. It made him uneasy. André, with his usual easy smile, gave a small nod, while Darlene remained silent, her eyes as unreadable as ever.

They made their way through the guild, weaving through narrow hallways until they reached their assigned group. Group five. The door was slightly ajar, and when Lucas pushed it open, he was met with the sight of two people already waiting inside. They looked to be the right kind—experienced and deadly.

The first man was tall, his long black hair tied into a neat ponytail. His black cloak hung loosely on his body, and there was something in the way he carried himself that suggested he could handle any battle. The second man, leaning against the far wall, wore a mage's robe, his black gloves and hair adding to his imposing presence. The air around him seemed to shimmer, as if his very being was filled with unnatural power.

The first man straightened as they entered, his eyes evaluating Lucas, André, and Darlene with a near clinical scrutiny. "Are you our teammates?" he asked, his voice rough but not harsh. "What are your ranks?"

Lucas glanced at André and Darlene for a moment, then stepped forward, his voice steady as he spoke. "Rank C."

The two men exchanged a brief glance. The mage, Ren, who Lucas assumed was the one, didn't seem impressed, but Zen, the first man, gave a small nod, almost imperceptible. "Our rank is A," Zen said, as if it were a simple fact.

"Hmmm, no problem," Zen continued, his tone light but purposeful. "I'm Zen, and my companion here, the mage, is Ren."

Ren gave a brief nod but didn't speak. His dark eyes were focused on something distant, as though the conversation didn't matter to him. It was clear that his presence alone was meant to say more than words ever could.

Zen chuckled softly at Ren's silence. "Shall we head to the dungeon?" he asked, his voice carrying a note of impatience. "Enough talking."

Lucas felt a slight shift in the atmosphere. Zen, despite his calm demeanor, was the type to avoid wasting time on unnecessary chatter. He understood that, just as Lucas did. The dungeon was the only thing that mattered now.

"Let's go," Lucas said, his voice low but firm. André smiled a small smile, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of the hunt. While Darlene, as always, remained unreadable, but Lucas could sense the slight tension in her jaw, the faint glow in her nostrils betraying her anticipation.

The four of them left the room and made their way toward the gate. The guild was already buzzing with energy, the anticipation of the hunt filling the air like static electricity. There was a sense of camaraderie in the way the hunters moved, each carrying their weapon, each ready for the battle that awaited them.

When they reached the gate, Zen and Ren moved forward without hesitation, as though stepping into the void without a second thought. Lucas followed, his body tensing as he crossed the threshold. André and Darlene followed closely behind.

The world around them changed as they passed through the gate, the reality of the guild fading to be replaced by a new, darker world. The rank A dungeon awaited, its entrance a massive gaping mouth in the ground, a symbol of the dangers and rewards that lay within.

The air here was thick, saturated with an eerie energy that made the hairs on the back of Lucas's neck stand on end. The ground beneath their feet was rough and uneven, and as they moved forward, distant growls echoed through the air, the sound of something moving in the shadows filling the void. There was no turning back now. The dungeon was alive with its own force, and the team had to be ready for whatever it would throw at them.

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Zen motioned for the group to move forward. "Stay alert," he said, his voice no longer casual, but sharp and focused. "The deeper we go, the more dangerous it gets."

Lucas's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the surroundings. His heart was pounding, not with fear, but with the excitement of the hunt. It was an old, familiar feeling, one he had learned to embrace long ago. The dungeon was a testing ground, a place where only the strongest survived. He was ready.