Chapter 5

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Under the cover of darkness, Demaris stealthily slips out of the orphanage. He relies on his Stealth skill to avoid being seen by the older kids who are still awake. The night air is cool and crisp, and the city is just as lively around him with noise.

Upon arrival, Demaris stands before the hidden entrance to The Dark Tunnels. He takes a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever may lie within, and steps through the entrance. As he descends into the dungeon, the air grows colder and damp, and the scent of mold and decay fills his nostrils.

The Dark Tunnels reveal themselves to be a series of abandoned subway tunnels, shrouded in darkness. Within the shadows, dozens of pairs of evil red eyes glow menacingly.

As Demaris cautiously moves deeper into the dark tunnel, he suddenly finds himself face-to-face with a single giant rat. The monstrous rodent is the size of a small dog, its mottled fur covered in filth and grime. Its eyes burn like red embers, and its jagged teeth glint menacingly in the dim light. Demaris feels a surge of adrenaline as he readies himself for battle.

To prepare for this evening he had used the rest of the iron ore from the gloomy dungeon to make another sword, it was an exact copy of the one hea had used in The Gloomy Dungeon. He would either need to keep using up materials or rebuild his starlight sword, but he will have to wait for gringotts to acquire the raw materials.

The giant rat lunges forward, its sharp claws scraping the damp stone floor as it attempts to sink its teeth into Demaris's flesh. Demaris sidesteps the attack, his heart racing in his chest. The rat's foul breath assaults his nostrils, a mixture of decay and rot that threatens to overwhelm him. He uses the momentum of his dodge to swing his sword in a wide arc, aiming for the rat's exposed flank.

The sword's blade makes contact with the giant rat's side, slicing through fur, flesh and bone with a sickening crunch. A spray of dark blood splatters against the tunnel walls, and the rat lets out an ear-piercing shriek of pain. Demaris feels a combination of revulsion and satisfaction at his successful strike, but he knows he cannot afford to let his guard down.

The wounded rat retaliates, its beady red eyes narrowing with fury as it leaps at Demaris once more. He raises his sword in a defensive stance, narrowly blocking the rat's snapping jaws. The force of the impact sends a jarring shock through his arms.

With the giant rat momentarily stunned by the blocked attack, Demaris sees his opportunity. He pivots on his heel, using the full force of his body to drive his sword through the rat's neck. The blade cuts deep, severing the rat's spine and ending its life in a final gush of blood. The monstrous creature collapses to the ground with a heavy thud, its lifeless body a testament to Demaris's determination and skill. As he wipes his sword clean on the matted fur of the fallen rat, Demaris knows that he is one step closer to conquering the dungeon.

Gripping his Iron Sword, Demaris gets to work, fighting off the giant rats that inhabit the dungeon. The sounds of his sword clashing with the rats' bodies echo through the tunnels, accompanied by the rodents' unsettling squeals. With each kill, Demaris can feel himdlef getting stronger as he pushes his body to its physical limits over and over again.

Venturing further into the dungeon, Demaris encounters a horde of giant rats that far outnumbers his ability to fight. With adrenaline surging, he has no choice but to run for his life. The rats swarm behind him, their bloodlust palpable.

In a desperate bid to escape, Demaris spots a small tunnel branching off from the main passage. He dives into it, his heart pounding, and with a last burst of strength, collapses the tunnel entrance behind him, slashing an old wooden beam. The sounds of angry rats fade away as Demaris catches his breath, grateful to have narrowly escaped their clutches.

Demaris scans the dimly lit tunnel, the only path left for him to explore. As he moves forward, he spots a flashlight lying on the ground, its beam flickering weakly. Picking it up, he concludes that he isn't he first person dwon here.

With cautious steps, Demaris follows the tunnel, the weak beam of the flashlight casting eerie shadows on the damp walls. He eventually comes across a door, its wooden surface worn and covered in grime. He hesitates for a moment before pushing it open, the hinges groaning in protest.

On the other side of the door, Demaris discovers a grisly scene: six lifeless bodies, he reaclls that there is a missing railway crew. It appears that they were attacked and killed by the giant rats. The smell of decay fills the air, and Demaris fights the urge to gag as he completes the objective to discover the crew's fate.

As he surveys the scene, Demaris can't help but find it strange that these ordinary people met their end here. Did they accidentally stumble into the dungeon, or did the dungeon somehow form around them? The unsettling thought leaves him with a growing sense of unease.

Suddenly, Demaris feels an overwhelming sensation that he's being watched. His heart races as he scans the room, trying to locate the source of his unease. Without warning, the dungeon boss drops from the ceiling, landing with a deafening thud. This monstrous creature is even larger than the previous giant rats, its fur matted with blood and its eyes burning with malevolence.

Demaris quickly gets into the sword stance of the sword saint in response to the formidable foe he now faces. This giant rat must be the boss of this dungeon. As he readies himself for the inevitable battle, Demaris knows he must muster every ounce of courage and skill to prevail.

Demaris takes a deep breath, calming his heart rate. The monstrous rat the size of a small bear, snarls and bares its blood-stained teeth. Demaris grips his Iron Sword tightly and focuses his mind, ready to unleash his arsenal of skills against this formidable foe.

As the boss lunges towards him, Demaris narrowly avoids its snapping jaws, rolling to the side and quickly regaining his footing. He seizes the opportunity to strike, activating his Pierce martial skill. His sword glows with a fierce light as he drives it deep into the beast's side. The Mutilator screeches in pain, its blood-curdling cry echoing throughout the chamber.

Demaris quickly leaps back, putting some distance between himself and the enraged creature. The Iron sword was not broken luckily enough and can withstand one more martial skill.

Demaris knows he cannot afford to be on the defensive, so he prepares his next attack. Drawing upon his Magic, he unleashes the Whirlwind Slice martial skill, a powerful AOE wind attack that sends a violent gust of air swirling around him. The giant rat is momentarily disoriented by the force of the wind, its massive body buffeted by the gale. The iron swords blade shatters, only a few inches of jagged metal remain.

With it struggling to regain its balance, Demaris gathers his remaining strength for his final, decisive attack. He channels his magical power into his sword, preparing to execute the Mana Slash skill. As the remaining part of the blade pulses with intense energy, Demaris focuses his will and determination on a single, devastating strike.

He rushes forward, the distance between him and the monstrous rat rapidly closing. The monster senses the impending danger and attempts to counterattack, but it's too late. Demaris unleashes the Mana Slash with deadly precision, the mana arc cleaves through the air and slices into the creature's vulnerable neck. The boss lets out a final, agonizing scream as it collapses to the ground and its now severed head rolls a few feet. The entirety of the iron sword disintigrates into dust; grip, guard, pommel,a dn remaining bit of the blade.

Panting and covered in sweat, Demaris takes a moment to catch his breath. The adrenaline slowly fades, replaced by a sense of accomplishment and relief.

With a heavy heart, Demaris takes it upon himself to give the six unfortunate railway workers a simple burial. He gathers their lifeless bodies and lays them to rest in a quiet corner of the tunnel, marking each grave with a makeshift cross. He also retrieves their ID cards, hoping that these items may provide closure to their grieving families.

Demaris continues through the tunnel, leaving the gruesome scene behind. After what seems like an eternity, he finally emerges into a dimly lit subway station. The station is eerily quiet, but the familiar sight of the platform and train tracks offers a strange sense of comfort.

Searching for an exit, Demaris makes his way through the deserted subway station. His footsteps echo through the empty space as he cautiously approaches the stairs that lead to the surface. As he ascends, the darkness of the tunnel is gradually replaced by the bright lights of the city.

Upon exiting the station, Demaris finds himself in a bustling New York subway station, the noise and energy a stark contrast to the desolate tunnels he had just left behind. He takes a moment to adjust to his surroundings, acutely aware of the dirt and grime that cover his clothes and skin. He focuses intently and wills the dungeon to cease its existence, but leaving the railway workers and their graves.

A police officer, whose nametag reads "John Smith," notices the disheveled Demaris and approaches him with concern. "Hey kid, what are you doing all alone out here at night?" the officer inquires.

Thinking quickly, Demaris quickly lies and hands the ID cards to the officer, concocting a story about searching for his drunkard uncle in the subway system and stumbling upon the badges instead. Officer Smith's eyes widen with recognition as he scans the names on the IDs – the missing railway crew from the news.

Immediately, the officer calls for backup, his voice tense and urgent. Seizing the opportunity, Demaris is able to slip away unnoticed. As the sound of sirens grows louder in the distance, Demaris fades into the shadows.

Determined to make the most of his night, Demaris decides to return to Central Park and raid another dungeon before dawn breaks. The park is considerably quieter now, with only the occasional sounds of rustling leaves and distant footsteps to accompany him as he makes his way toward his next challenge.

As Demaris approaches the entrance to the next dungeon, he notices a young teenage boy of Japanese descent talking to a girl in the dim light. They appear to be on a date, so Demaris decides to move past them and enter the dungeon in order to give the two some privacy.

However, before he can proceed, he overhears something shocking that stops him in his tracks. The girl asks the boy, "Will you die for me?" Alarmed, Demaris turns around just in time to see the girl form a spear of light and impale the unsuspecting boy.

Demaris has no sword and can only rely on martial skills using the kitchen knife to fight off this murderous girl. He lunges forward with the knife, aiming for the girls neck.

The girl dodges his attack with ease, and in response, two black feathery wings emerge from her back. She takes to the air, hovering just out of reach above Demaris. Her eyes narrow as she glares down at him, a sinister smile spreading across her face. The air around them grows heavy with tension, and Demaris knows that he must act quickly if he wants to save the boy and defeat this malevolent being.

As what appears to be an evil angel of some kind hovers above him, Demaris calls out, "Why did you attack the boy? What's your motive?"

The being laughs, her voice echoing through the park. "That weak, lame boy? Our date was so boring. He's not even worth my time."

Furrowing his brow, Demaris asks, "What exactly are you? A fallen angel?"

The creeatures eyes narrow, and she snaps, "Why do you care, kid? You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."

Without warning, she throws a spear of light at Demaris, who barely manages to dodge.

The boy, meanwhile, is bleeding out on the ground, and Demaris knows he has to defeat Raynare quickly to save him. Taking a deep breath he pulls out his kitchen knife, he activates his Whirlwind Slice martial skill, driving Raynare back with a powerful gust of wind. The Kitchen knife falls apart.

As Issei loses consciousness, he mutters something under his breath, and a piece of paper flies out of his pocket. Raynare's eyes widen as she recognizes the paper. She sneers at the boys dying form, "If you want to blame someone for your miserable fate, blame God for giving you that pathetic sacred gear."

With that, the girl flies away, leaving a few black feathers fluttering to the ground.

Demaris is left standing over the dying boy.

As the paper lands on the ground, a large red magic circle appears, casting a crimson glow over the area. With a flash of red light, a young woman materializes where the magic circle once was. She has bright red hair and an otherworldly beauty, but her leaking demonic miasma puts Demaris on edge.

Cautious, Demaris asks, "What is your purpose in coming here?"