The Archfiend System

CHAPTER 17: THE DUNGEON GATE

Klein's rise through the ranks didn't go unnoticed. By his second month at Titan's Fist, he'd reached Rank 22, and his name was spreading beyond the guild.

News outlets picked up stories about the "Divine Archfiend who conquered poverty," and social media buzzed with speculation about his potential.

But Klein ignored most of it. He had more important things to focus on.

"Klein!" Boomer's voice echoed through the training hall one morning. "Get your ass over here!"

Klein finished his sparring match...a quick victory against Rank 24...and jogged over to where Boomer stood with Seris and Raze.

"What's up?" Klein asked.

Boomer's expression was serious, which was unusual for him. "We've got a situation. A new Dungeon Gate opened up downtown, and it's rated A-rank."

Klein's eyes narrowed. "A-rank? That's high."

"Too high for most guilds to handle alone," Seris added. "The Council of Ascendants is organizing a joint raid. Multiple guilds will be working together."

"And you want me to go?" Klein asked.

"Not just you," Boomer said. "I'm sending a team. Seris will lead, and she's picking her squad. You made the cut."

Klein felt a surge of excitement. This would be his first real Dungeon Gate since awakening his system. His first chance to see how far he'd truly come.

"Who else is on the team?" Klein asked.

Seris answered. "You, me, Raze, and two others...Marcus and Finn. Marcus is Rank 8, a tank with the Titan's Shield System. Finn is Rank 12, a scout with the Shadow Step System."

Klein nodded. He'd trained with both of them before. Marcus was solid and dependable, while Finn was quick and cunning.

"When do we leave?" Klein asked.

"Two hours," Seris said. "Get your gear and meet us at the front gate."

---

The downtown area was cordoned off when Klein arrived. Police barriers kept civilians away, and System Bearers from various guilds gathered near the swirling portal. The Dungeon Gate itself was massive, easily twenty feet tall, with a deep purple glow that pulsed like a heartbeat.

Klein spotted his team near the entrance. Seris stood with her arms crossed, her silver hair tied back in a tight braid. Raze was checking her weapons, while Marcus adjusted his massive shield. Finn leaned against a lamppost, his eyes scanning the crowd.

"About time," Raze said when Klein approached. "Thought you were going to be late."

"Two minutes early," Klein replied, checking his system interface one last time.

Seris turned to face the group. "Listen up. This is an A-rank gate, which means we're dealing with serious threats. The other guilds will handle their sections, but our job is to push toward the center and eliminate the boss."

"What kind of boss are we expecting?" Marcus asked, his deep voice calm.

"Unknown," Seris admitted. "But if it's A-rank, it'll be strong. Stay alert, watch each other's backs, and don't do anything stupid."

She looked directly at Klein when she said that last part.

Klein raised his hands defensively. "I'll behave."

"Sure you will," Finn muttered, a smirk on his face.

A loud horn sounded, signaling the start of the raid. Dozens of System Bearers began entering the gate, disappearing into the purple light. Seris led their team forward, and Klein followed.

The moment he stepped through, the world changed.

---

The landscape on the other side was nothing like Klein expected. Instead of a wasteland or forest, they found themselves in a massive city...but not a normal one. The buildings were twisted and warped, their structures defying physics. Some floated in mid-air, while others spiraled downward into an abyss below.

The sky was a sickly green, and strange creatures prowled the streets. They looked like a mix between wolves and insects, with six legs and mandibles that dripped venom.

"What the hell is this place?" Raze muttered.

"A corrupted zone," Seris said, her expression grim. "The Dungeon Gate must have formed over an unstable rift. This entire area has been warped by chaotic energy."

Klein felt a strange pull in his chest. His chaos attribute resonated with the environment, making him feel both stronger and more uneasy at the same time.

"Stay close," Seris ordered. "We move as a unit."

The team advanced cautiously, weapons drawn. The wolf-insect creatures noticed them and attacked immediately. Klein activated his Archfiend Talons, his claws glowing as he slashed through the first wave.

Marcus raised his shield, blocking a lunging creature and bashing it aside. Raze fired arrows infused with fire, each one exploding on impact. Finn moved through the shadows, appearing behind enemies and delivering fatal strikes.

Seris didn't even draw a weapon. She simply raised her hand, and void energy tore through the creatures, disintegrating them instantly.

"Keep moving!" she commanded.

They pushed deeper into the twisted city, encountering more monsters with each block. Klein used Essence Harvest on one of the defeated creatures, absorbing its speed temporarily. The boost made his movements even faster, allowing him to dart between enemies with ease.

"Nice trick," Finn commented, appearing beside Klein after finishing off another monster. "Where'd you learn that?"

"Recent upgrade," Klein said, slashing through another creature.

They reached a massive plaza at the city's center. In the middle stood a towering structure that looked like a cathedral, but its spires bent at impossible angles, and its walls pulsed with dark energy.

"That's where the boss is," Seris said, pointing at the cathedral.

Before they could move, the ground shook. A deafening roar echoed through the plaza, and the cathedral's doors burst open. Something massive emerged, its form obscured by shadow.

As it stepped into the light, Klein's breath caught.

It was a dragon...but corrupted. Its scales were black and rotting, with purple energy crackling across its body. Its eyes glowed with malevolent intelligence, and its wings were tattered and torn.

The system interface appeared in Klein's vision:

CORRUPTED ELDER DRAGON

Level: 15

Threat Level: Extreme

"Level 15?" Klein whispered.

Seris's expression hardened. "Everyone, fall back. This is beyond what we anticipated."

But before they could retreat, the dragon roared again, and a wave of dark energy exploded outward. Klein raised his arms, his scales absorbing most of the impact, but the force still knocked him backward.

Marcus planted his shield in the ground, creating a barrier that protected Raze and Finn. Seris stood her ground, her void energy pushing back against the dragon's attack.

"We can't run!" Raze shouted. "If we leave, it'll break through the gate and attack the city!"

Seris gritted her teeth. "Then we fight."

The Corrupted Elder Dragon lunged forward, its massive jaws snapping toward Seris. She vanished, reappearing on its back, and drove her fist into its skull. The impact cracked its scales, but the dragon barely flinched.

It whipped its tail around, forcing Seris to jump away. The tail smashed into a building, reducing it to rubble.

Klein activated his wings and took to the air. "I'll distract it! Focus on its weak points!"

"Klein, wait..." Seris started, but Klein was already moving.

He flew toward the dragon's head, firing Storm's Breath directly at its face. The golden and black flames engulfed the creature, but when they cleared, the dragon's scales had barely been singed.

"Damn it," Klein muttered.

The dragon's eyes locked onto him, and it opened its mouth. Purple energy gathered inside, forming a massive sphere.

"Move!" Marcus shouted.

Klein banked hard to the right, just as the dragon released its attack. The purple beam tore through the air, vaporizing everything in its path. Klein felt the heat even from a distance.

"This thing is a monster," Klein thought, his heart pounding.

Finn appeared on the dragon's leg, driving his daggers into a joint. The creature roared in pain, shaking him off. Raze fired explosive arrows at its eyes, forcing it to close them momentarily.

Seris coordinated the attacks, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Marcus, guard position! Raze, keep it distracted! Finn, target the joints! Klein..."

"On it!" Klein dove toward the dragon's exposed belly, his claws glowing brighter than ever. He activated Essence Harvest on one of the defeated wolf-insects from earlier, gaining a temporary boost to his attack power.

He slashed across the dragon's underbelly, his claws tearing through the corrupted scales. Black blood sprayed out, and the dragon roared in agony.

"Good hit!" Seris called. "Keep the pressure on!"

But the dragon wasn't done. It reared back and slammed its body into the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked everyone off their feet. Klein crashed into a building, his vision swimming.

When he looked up, the dragon was charging another attack...this time aimed directly at the downed team.

"No!" Klein shouted, forcing himself to his feet. He had to do something. Anything.

His system interface flared to life, and a new notification appeared:

EMERGENCY SKILL UNLOCK: CHAOS DISRUPTION

Without thinking, Klein activated it.