Limitless Summoner: Rise of the Soul God

"That day was insane. Nobody expected things to turn out that way. Nobody still knows how that person got out of the dungeon."

"Some say he is still in the dungeon."

"Ya, my senior also thinks so. Senior is still waiting for him to come out. Not many know this, but look at that guy. He is one of Senior's underlings. He makes everyone take turns to watch that portal in case that man and the two girls show up."

"What? Are you serious? That's just stupid."

"Shhhh. Don't raise your voice. The whole event is a big slap on Senior's face. He heard someone make fun of him, and that person died in a dungeon run the next day."

"Fuck. I will close my mouth."

Ethan did not know whether to laugh or cry. He had somehow impacted so many lives that one day. What the fuck! He walked over to the two students and casually asked them.

"Hi, I am a new student. This is my first day here." He smiled. The other two politely greeted him. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, but what is this whole dungeon record business? Can you explain how it works to me?"

The two students straightened up at once, the taller of the two—an older boy with a shaved head and nervous eyes—offering a tight, polite smile. "Ah, yeah. Sure! No problem." His voice cracked slightly, like he was unsure whether Ethan was just being friendly or trying to dig for dirt.

The other one, a girl with short-cropped hair and a dozen mana-braided bracelets lining her wrist, stepped in confidently. "Basically, every dungeon run is tracked. From the moment you enter to the moment you exit, the system logs your time, your kills, party details, everything. Some students take dungeon records very seriously. It's like… a badge of honor. Or a competition."

"Right," the tall guy added quickly. "And if someone breaks the best time or clears a higher-tier dungeon solo, it gets posted on the boards. Sometimes there's even coin rewards or faction benefits."

Ethan nodded slowly, playing the wide-eyed newbie well. "So the guy who set that record…"

"Ah ha. We don't know anything." The two quickly started backing away.

"Oh. No problem. No problem. By the way, can you take a break in between, step out of the dungeon, and then enter it again to clear the monsters?"

The boy nodded, still keeping his distance but chiming in. "Yeah, some people do it when they're tired or when they want to regroup. It doesn't reset the dungeon unless you're out for a full day or something. But the final record still counts the full time—from first entry to final clear. That's why most rankers just try to finish in one go."

Before Ethan could respond, another voice cut him from behind. "Why are you planning to cheat the system and somehow set another record?"

Before him stood a tall, broad-shouldered man with striking platinum-blond hair slicked back, his uniform crisp and fitted with subtle silver embroidery—clearly custom. His eyes, a cold steel-blue, were locked on Ethan with the kind of intensity that could freeze a river mid-current.

Talk about the devil. The same student who had blocked him back then.

"Senior Hastings." The two students immediately bowed their heads and quickly scrambled away as if they couldn't get out of there fast enough.

So this was Hastings—the infamous senior whose pride had apparently been shattered during the previous record-breaking incident.

"Cheat the system?" Ethan calmly spoke, tilting his head ever so slightly. "I wouldn't dare. I was just asking how things work around here. I'm new, after all." He still hadn't forgotten how this guy had held him back that day, exposing him in front of everyone and risking Luna's and Lia's lives.

Hastings took a slow step forward, the echo of his boots sharp against the marble floor. "New doesn't mean stupid. Get out of here."

Ethan looked at him once again before nodding and leaving.

Another student walked up to Hastings. A girl with long red hair and eyes like a phoenix. "Who is that?"

"Nothing. A nobody from that trash Blackstone academy." Hastings snapped at her.

"Are you still brooding over that dungeon record? Let it go, Hastings. You're only making yourself look worse."

Hastings didn't look at her. His jaw was clenched, eyes still fixed on the corridor where Ethan had disappeared. "Someone humiliated me in front of half the academy. You think I'm going to just let that slide?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "You think staring at portals and interrogating every newbie like a paranoid watchdog is going to help? Whoever did that already played you. If they show up again, they'll be ready. You, on the other hand—" She gave him a once-over, unimpressed. "You look like a guy who peaked last semester."

That finally got a reaction. Hastings snapped his head toward her, a flicker of rage in his eyes, but the girl simply smiled.

"I'm just saying," she continued casually, brushing back her crimson hair, "stop swinging your sword at shadows. Or someone with real teeth is going to bite back."

With that, she turned and sauntered off, leaving Hastings seething in silence.

"Bitch!" he muttered under his breath, his fists clenching as he turned away and stomped off. "Everyone thinks they can laugh at me now… wait till I get my hands on that bastard. He is going to pay dearly for everything he did." He rubbed the spot on the face where Ethan had punched him.

Hastings's jaw tightened as he stalked down the corridor, ignoring the curious glances from nearby students who quickly averted their eyes the moment he passed.

Ethan, who hadn't gone far, paused just out of sight around the corner, arms crossed and expression unreadable. "Let's go, Shadow," he murmured, resuming his walk back to the next blue portal. Now that he had confirmed things, he planned to do a couple more of runs before heading back to the academy for the night.