The cursed leveler

Chapter 3: The Dungeon's Secret

Riku steadied his breathing as he walked deeper into the dungeon. The oppressive air grew heavier with every step, and the faint flicker of cursed energy ahead was growing stronger. His grip on his sword tightened, though he wasn't sure how much help it would be.

"What am I walking into?" he muttered under his breath.

[System Notification]

Warning: Unknown Entity Ahead.

The path led him to a hidden chamber. The moment he stepped through, he froze. At the center of the room floated a black orb, pulsing with cursed energy so dense it made the air feel like a lead weight on his chest.

Instinctively, his cursed energy flared in response, as if warning him to stay back.

"What is that thing?" Riku whispered, narrowing his eyes.

[System Analysis Initiated]

Anomaly Identified: Cursed Relic

• Grade: B

• Status: Unstable

• Potential for high-level cursed spirit manifestation.

The orb cracked before his eyes, releasing a violent surge of cursed energy. The chamber shook as tendrils of black energy snaked out, pulling together to form a humanoid figure.

The cursed spirit emerged, towering over Riku. Its elongated limbs, jagged teeth, and glowing red eyes radiated malicious intelligence.

[Cursed Spirit Detected]

• Grade: B-

"A B-grade? Are you kidding me?" Riku hissed. His cursed energy reserves were still recovering from his last fight, and he hadn't had a moment to process what his new abilities could even do.

The spirit let out a guttural snarl and charged. Riku barely sidestepped in time, the creature's claw slicing through the stone floor like butter. He felt a rush of air as the attack missed him by inches.

"You need to stay calm," the system chimed in coldly.

"Yeah? You try staying calm when something like that is trying to kill you!" Riku retorted, narrowly dodging another strike.

[System Update: Combat Assistance Enabled]

• Focus on core energy. Let it guide you.

Riku ducked under a swing and countered with a burst of cursed energy, sending a tendril lashing at the spirit. The attack connected, but it barely flinched.

"This thing's tougher than the last one," he muttered, his eyes scanning the spirit's body. His gaze sharpened when he spotted a faint glow near its chest.

"The core," Riku realized. "I need to aim for the core."

The spirit lunged again, its claws glowing with cursed energy. Riku threw up a barrier, gritting his teeth as cracks spread across it. Before the barrier could shatter completely, he reinforced his legs with cursed energy and leapt back, dodging the follow-up strike.

[Skill Progression: Energy Reinforcement (Intermediate)]

As the spirit advanced, Riku focused on his surroundings. His eyes darted between its movements and the shattered pieces of the relic still floating in the air. His thoughts raced.

"This thing came from that orb," he realized. "If the relic's unstable, maybe I can use it."

The system chimed in again, almost as if reading his mind.

[System Offer: Consume the Relic]

• Temporarily enhance your abilities.

• Warning: High risk of instability.

Riku didn't hesitate this time. The spirit lunged again, and Riku used the momentum of his dodge to sprint toward the relic. His hand shot out, grabbing the fractured orb.

A surge of cursed energy exploded through his body, sending pain coursing through his veins. He screamed as black markings spread up his arm, glowing brighter than before.

The spirit roared, sensing the shift in power, and charged.

Riku turned, his cursed energy swirling around him like a storm. His body felt like it was on fire, but the overwhelming strength coursing through him drowned out the pain.

The spirit swiped at him, but Riku didn't dodge. Instead, he raised his hand and caught the claw, the force of the impact cracking the ground beneath him.

"Not this time," he growled, his voice distorted by the energy surging within him.

He yanked the spirit forward and drove a palm strike into its chest, cursed energy exploding outward. The spirit reeled, its form flickering as the blow cracked its core.

"I'm ending this," Riku muttered.

He summoned all the cursed energy within him, channeling it into a Black Flash. His movements were instinctive now, the system's guidance merging with his natural reflexes.

In an instant, he closed the gap, his fist connecting with the spirit's core in perfect harmony with his cursed energy. The resulting explosion of power obliterated the spirit, its form disintegrating into nothingness.

[Cursed Spirit Defeated]

• Grade: B-

• Cursed Energy Absorbed: 70%

• Level Up: Grade D- → Grade C-

Riku collapsed to one knee, gasping for air. The markings on his body dimmed as the cursed energy settled, leaving him feeling both drained and exhilarated.

"Two fights like that back-to-back… this is insane," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.

The system's voice interrupted his thoughts.

[System Notification]

Congratulations, user. Your potential exceeds initial estimates.

• New Skill Unlocked: Advanced Detection

• Objective Complete: Investigate the anomaly.

Riku forced himself to his feet, leaning against the chamber wall for support. The dungeon was quiet now, the oppressive aura gone.

For a moment, he let himself breathe. But the system wasn't done with him.

[New Objective: Rise to Grade C+]

• Explore higher-ranked dungeons.

• Adapt or perish.

As Riku exited the dungeon gate, the warm sunlight greeted him—but so did a group of people.

"Looks like the rookie made it out," a familiar voice called.

Riku blinked, recognizing Baek Yoon-Ho from the White Tiger Guild, his towering frame and lion-like demeanor impossible to miss. Beside him stood Woo Jin-Chul, his sharp gaze appraising Riku with suspicion.

At the back, leaning casually against a vehicle, was Sung Jin-Woo, his eyes glinting with curiosity.

"You survived a B-grade dungeon solo," Jin-Woo said, pushing off the car and walking toward him. "Impressive. But what's with that cursed energy of yours? It doesn't feel… normal."

Riku's exhaustion faded slightly under their scrutinizing gazes. He straightened, realizing he might have just caught the attention of the strongest hunters in the world.

"Just… trying to survive," Riku replied, his voice steady.

Jin-Woo smirked. "Well, let's see how long you can keep that up."

To Be Continued…