The Runic Alchemist

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Dungeon: The Radiant Sovereign Thicket

Location: Island City of Edgeheaven

Limit: 100

Description: The Emberveil Grove stretches deep into the land, an ancient forest where the temperature rises as one venture higher. What was once a verdant, mystical woodland now roils with unnatural heat. The lower levels are still lush, with shimmering flora and warm air, but as one ascends, the temperature surges, shifting from a comfortable warmth to searing intensity.

Throughout its over 100 levels, monstrous flame-drenched creatures stalk the parched woodlands. Giants of ash, ember-clad phoenixes, and molten beasts guard the deeper vaults of this eternal prison. Legends say it was once the residence of an ancient god bound within the spire—a being who sought to control fire's primal fury and cast the world into eternal summer.

Only those who dare brave the Scorching Ascent face the trials within the Spire, where the heat is not just physical but soul-deep, burning away weaknesses and fortifying those with iron resolve. At the peak awaits the Sovereign's prison & vault, a chamber said to contain a fiery relic of unimaginable power—the heart of the fire god himself, capable of reshaping the world or reducing it to ash.

User ID: Damian Sunblade

Nearby: 9

Form a team | Join a team | Enter

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'Oh.. Interesting..' Damian thought.

A forest dungeon with a rising temperature mechanic—that fit with the rumors. The lower levels were said to be a brutal environment, but the mention of a powerful relic was unexpected. Could the Highswords be searching for the relic itself en masse rather than merely grinding through the dungeon?

The guards were on the side and only the ten of them were standing facing the swirling darkness of the entrance. Damian knew he would have to change his name first so he was standing a bit of a distance from others at an angle - others couldn't see his dungeon window. He hurriedly changed his name to Maximus and joined the team that Einar created.

The three who knew him eyed him, confusion clear in their eyes. Though none voiced their confusion - doubting themselves if his name was truly changed or not.

Soon, the group of ten entered the dungeon.

This Sun God's heart—was it the same one worshiped in this world? He wasn't convinced. Damian wasn't sure but from what he had personally experienced and read about these mysterious dungeons, his theory of it not being connected to this world grew stronger and stronger. He suspected them to be some kind of weird portals to another planet, or world, or some kind of place that was not present on this planet, at least. Though he could be wrong. The system controlling and taking notes of their progression made him question if this place was even real at all.

The trials looked awfully real and they were not.

When the enveloping darkness dissipated, Damian found himself in a vast green meadow. Flowers and lush grass stretched before him, dotted with scattered trees. In the distance, monsters roamed the horizon. The terrain varied, with a forest and mountains to one side and open fields in all other directions. The temperature was warm—not springtime pleasant, but like the early afternoon of a summer day. A sun hovered in the sky, though its light seemed purely aesthetic. The warmth didn't radiate from it - it felt unnatural.

One by one, the rest of the team appeared around him. They spent a few moments taking in their surroundings. Damian extended his mana sense and found no noticeable monster in the vicinity. Students had thoroughly mapped and strategized the first five levels, making this initial stretch well-documented territory.

"Where are we going? Straight to the higher levels?" Adrian asked.

Damian surveyed the landscape. "I want to see as many monster types as possible," he replied.

"They say it takes at least a day to reach the key point for the next level, this place is huge and much nicer compared to.." Sam said, though trailed off - not wanting to reveal the info about their last dungeon dive in front of strangers.

Einar, their designated guide, held up a map. "This way leads to a herd of Kindle Foxes. Beyond that's a lake with Bog Golems, and there's a chance to encounter Blink Deer and Moss Golems."

They formed their ranks: Sam at the front with Damian's two squires, Einar, Everin, and Fiona in the middle, and Damian, Lucian, and Adrian guarding the rear.

Before setting off, Damian told Sam to give the youngest Sunblade a spatial storage he had in one of his runic tools, a high grade spatial storage shoulder accessory that he had given Sam for the safekeeping. The one he took out was a High grade bracer one, below that Grade and it messed with the special storage function so Damian usually avoided storing such low level items.

Elias just stared at him, Damian just glanced once at his younger sibling and then ignored him, focusing on their formation. Together, they began their slow march forward.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The winds here were not as natural or refreshing as those in the spring forests of Eldoris. Still, the warmth was comforting compared to Edgeheaven's biting cold.

"You plan to use the monsters for potion-making?" Adrian asked.

Damian gave a casual shrug. "Low-level ones aren't useful. But if we find anything worthwhile, sure."

Adrian continued, "Why Eldoris? You could have gone anywhere. Outsiders in Eldoris are not much.. Appreciated."

Damian chuckled. "The Empire is too demanding, Ashenvale a lost cause, and ignoring Dawnstar and Faerunia entirely, only Eldoris remains. Not much better than the rest, but just a touch more tolerable."

Satisfied with that answer, Adrian dropped the topic.

Stay tuned to empire

Within a few kilometers, they encountered Ember Saplings that spat fire from a distance but fell to single strikes. Blazing Hornets followed—kamikaze creatures that exploded upon impact. They took them out using air and water blades before they could get too close. Damian let his squires handle most of the weaker foes, with occasional support from Sam, Grace, or Fiona's spells.

Damian's mana sense alerted him to incoming threats long before they arrived, but he refrained from issuing warnings when the enemies were clearly visible within 200-300 meters. He focused on remembering the mana signatures for various creatures.

At one point, he let Toph face a group of Smokewood Ants alone. These ant-like creatures had wooden exoskeletons and relied on their wooden talons for attack. They were slightly larger than Toph himself, but his dash skill made dodging their clumsy strikes easy. Toph used his smooth head and momentum to slam into their brittle forms, breaking them apart.

However even after doing this for 5-6 times there was no change in his status, not even a single level gained. That's what had happened before too. Damian had no idea how the guy got his first skill and the few levels he had earned.

There had to be some weird restriction or condition for his growth.