Is It Wrong To Level Up In A Dungeon?

Chapter 27. Challenge Accepted

A flicker of movement in the distance confirmed it. Shadows emerged from the darkness—Apollo's men had found them.

Bell exhaled, his voice steady as he uttered the command. "Come forth."

The moment Bell uttered the command, a dark ripple spread through the air. Shadows twisted and coalesced into solid forms, taking shape with a silent but imposing presence.

Igris was the first to step forward, his blue eyes burning like embers in the dark. The black armor he wore gleamed faintly under the dim light, his sword hanging loosely at his side, ready to strike. Beside him, Titan loomed—a walking fortress of muscle, his presence alone enough to shake the confidence of their enemies. The infantrymen fanned out in perfect formation, their obsidian blades gleaming, while the three mages positioned themselves at the rear, their staffs crackling with arcane energy.

The Apollo Familia members, outnumbering them by a wide margin, hesitated for a brief moment. But then, with a battle cry, they surged forward.

Igris moved first.

With a burst of speed, he vanished from his position, reappearing within the Apollo ranks like a wraith. His blade lashed out in a blur, cutting through armor and flesh with eerie precision. A warrior lunged at him with a spear, but Igris sidestepped effortlessly, twisting his body mid-air and slashing downward. Blood sprayed as the spear-wielder collapsed, and before his body even hit the ground, Igris had already moved on to the next foe.

Titan, in stark contrast, didn't dodge. He didn't need to.

A rain of swords, axes, and spears fell upon him, but the weapons barely left a scratch. With a guttural growl, Titan swung his massive fist forward, striking an unfortunate Apollo member square in the chest. The force of the impact sent the man flying backward, crashing into his allies like a living wrecking ball. A second warrior tried to slash at his side, but Titan grabbed him mid-strike and lifted him off the ground with a single hand before hurling him into a nearby wall. The sickening crunch of bone filled the air.

The infantrymen engaged next, moving as one, their silent efficiency terrifying to watch. They weaved through the battlefield like phantoms, striking with merciless precision. Swords found gaps in armor, daggers slipped between ribs, and before the Apollo Familia realized what was happening, their numbers were rapidly thinning.

The mages positioned at the back raised their staffs, chanting in an eerie, synchronized hum. Within seconds, the battlefield was engulfed in elemental destruction.

Bolts of lightning crackled through the air, striking enemies with pinpoint accuracy, sending them convulsing to the ground. Walls of ice erupted from the ground, cutting off escape routes and trapping Apollo members in tight corridors of frost. A firestorm ignited in the center of the chaos, consuming multiple warriors in its searing blaze.

Panic set in among the Apollo ranks.

They had the numbers. They should have had the advantage. But against these summoned warriors, it was like fighting monsters from the depths of the Dungeon itself.

One of the Apollo captains, a high-level adventurer clad in ornate armor, gritted his teeth and charged straight at Igris. His sword, glowing with enchantments, slashed in a powerful arc. Igris met the attack head-on, his own blade colliding against the enchanted steel. Sparks flew as they clashed, the force of the impact shaking the ground beneath them.

"You're just a summon! You can't possibly match—"

Before the captain could finish, Igris twisted his sword and parried the strike, sending the man off balance. In a single fluid motion, Igris spun and slashed upward, carving a deep gash across the man's chest. He let out a strangled gasp before crumpling to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.

Meanwhile, Titan waded through the battlefield, crushing any resistance beneath his overwhelming might. An Apollo mage attempted to cast a spell, but before he could finish the incantation, Titan reached out and wrapped his massive hand around the man's head. With a swift motion, he slammed him into the ground, the impact sending a shockwave through the earth.

Bell stood at the center of it all, watching as his summons dismantled the enemy force with terrifying efficiency.

It was over.

The few remaining Apollo members dropped their weapons and ran, their faces pale with terror. Some tried to drag their wounded comrades away, but the battlefield was already littered with their fallen.

Hestia, who had been watching from the sidelines, could only stare in awe.

"Bell..." she whispered.

This wasn't just survival. This was domination.

Rather than prolonging their desperate escape, Bell and Hestia made their way to the heart of enemy territory—the Apollo Familia's grand estate. The towering fortress loomed over them, its golden banners fluttering in the breeze, a stark contrast to the battle-worn determination in Bell's eyes.

Their arrival did not go unnoticed. Apollo's forces, expecting a cornered rat, instead found a wolf ready to bare its fangs.

Before the tense atmosphere could escalate, the challenge was issued. The War Games—an all-or-nothing battle to decide their fate.

As the declaration was made, a deep, rumbling growl cut through the silence. A massive beast emerged from the shadows. Lili sat atop its broad back, her small frame contrasted by the sheer size of the Shadow Ice Bear. The beast exhaled a cold mist, its gleaming blue eyes fixed on the Apollo Familia members who dared to step forward.

Bell turned, his expression calm yet resolute. With a simple command, his Soldiers melted into the darkness, vanishing into his shadow like specters retreating to their master.

He looked at the two girls, the corner of his lips curving into a confident smile.

"I'm ready."

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Next: Victory, Debt, Decision