Is It Wrong To Level Up In A Dungeon?

Chapter 29. The Demon Castle

Together, they were an unstoppable force.

Bell drove his blade through a demon's chest, twisting as he yanked it free, black blood spraying across the stone floor. A horned demon three times his size swung a spiked club down at him, the air trembling from the force. Bell sidestepped at the last moment, the weapon shattering the ground where he stood. Before the beast could react, Igris appeared behind it, his greatsword cleaving the demon's head clean off.

[ You have defeated a mid-ranking demon. ]
[ You have obtained five demon souls. ]

A fresh wave of enemies surged forward, grotesque creatures with claws like scythes and glowing red eyes. Baruka vanished into the shadows, reappearing behind them in a blur, his daggers sinking into their necks before they could even register his presence.

[ You have defeated a mid-ranking demon. ]
[ You have obtained six demon souls. ]

Bell leapt onto Titan's shoulder and launched himself into the air, flipping over a wave of fireballs hurled by a trio of flame-wreathed demons. The moment his feet touched the ground, he threw himself forward, sword flashing. One slash. Two. Three.

By the time he landed, the demons had already crumbled into dust.

[ You have defeated three mid-ranking demons. ]
[ You have obtained fifteen demon souls. ]

Floor after floor, they pushed forward, cutting down everything in their path. The halls of the castle ran red with demon blood. The floors trembled under the weight of Titan's crushing fists. Igris's blade tore through legions with effortless grace, while Baruka danced between enemies like a wraith, his blades never missing their mark.

Hours passed, the battles never stopping, but Bell never faltered. His sword, his summons, his resolve—none of them wavered.

By the time they reached the 27th floor, Bell stood amidst a battlefield of corpses, breath heavy, his sword still dripping with blackened ichor.

[ Total Demon Souls Collected: 2,116/10,000 ]

He exhaled, eyes flickering toward the looming doors of the 28th floor.

The hunt wasn't over yet.

The battle had long since turned into a war of attrition.

From the 47th to the 50th floor, Bell and his Shadow Soldiers waged a relentless assault against the high-ranking demons that lurked within the depths of the Demon's Castle. These were no mere foot soldiers—these were monsters of terrifying power, wielders of hellfire and abyssal magic.

Yet, Bell and his forces met them head-on.

A massive, four-armed demon clad in jagged obsidian armor lunged at Bell, its twin axes blazing with cursed flames. Bell ducked beneath a wild swing, his blade slicing across its exposed ribs. The creature roared in fury, bringing all four of its arms down in an earth-shattering strike.

Titan stepped in at the last moment, blocking the attack with his massive gauntlets, the impact shaking the entire floor. The hulking knight retaliated with a devastating punch to the demon's skull, sending it crashing through a stone pillar. Before it could rise, Igris was already upon it, his crimson blade carving through the beast's throat in one fluid motion.

[ You have defeated a high-ranking demon. ]
[ You have obtained 50 demon souls. ]

From above, a swarm of winged demons descended like vultures, their piercing shrieks cutting through the air. Bell raised his hand— Baruka was already in motion.