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The sword tournament.

That had been the key.

I remembered it clearly—two weeks from now, a prestigious sword tournament was set to take place. A tournament filled with capable fighters, all vying for the prize. The details were all there, buried in the back of my mind from the novelShattered Innocence.The top prize? An artifact of a really good utility, a treasure that would give the victor a significant edge.

I wasn\'t aiming to merely attend; I planned to win. But there was a catch. I needed more power, more precision, if I was going to dominate without question. And I wasn\'t about to leave that to chance.

That is why I knew, if I wanted to be ready for the tournament, I had to increase my strength more.

Not just in skill but in raw mana capacity.

I started to weigh my options, sorting through everything I had learned, both from my training and from the novel. And as I stared at the map the Baron had provided me, a thought struck me.

The forest.

[Wraithshade Forest.]

It was a place brimming with history and secrets. And within its depths lay the location ofMorrowind\'s Vault,the same dungeon left behind by the infamous Archmage, Arlen Morrowind.

\'Though this place is probably the easiest dungeon left behind by him.\'

Arlen Morrowind wasn\'t the only one. Countless archmages, swordmasters, and other powerful figures had scattered their legacies across the world, leaving behind dungeons, trials, and treasure troves for the worthy—or the foolish—to find. It was almost a rite of passage for those seeking power. They left behind their most valuable artifacts, knowledge, and skills, hidden in places few could access.

Some legacies were near-impossible to find, buried deep in forgotten realms or guarded by beasts of unimaginable power. But Arlen... his approach had always been different.

Rather than leaving one monumental legacy, he had scattered many smaller dungeons across the world. Each one housed a fragment of his knowledge or his power.

Some were incredibly dangerous—places only those at the peak of their strength could hope to survive. But this one, here inWraithshade Forest, was the weakest of the lot.

\'Not that I will complain.\'

Just as the thought crossed my mind, the atmosphere around me shifted. The faint hum of magic in the air grew louder, and the glyphs on the stone walls flared with a sudden brilliance. The peaceful stillness of the dungeon shattered as I felt it—the approach of something hostile.

My instincts kicked in immediately.

\'They\'re coming.\'

I barely had time to react before shadows seemed to congeal out of the air around me. In an instant, they took form—monsters, creatures born from the very magic that permeated this place.

The creatures that emerged from the shadows were unmistakable—Arachasaes. Their bodies were sleek and segmented, a disturbing mix of arachnid and insect, with hard, chitinous exoskeletons gleaming in the dim light of the dungeon. Their legs moved with an eerie precision, skittering across the ground with barely a sound.

Their eyes glowed faintly, a venomous green, and I could see the lethal barbs protruding from their fangs, dripping with venom.

Insectoid monsters like these were rare, and Arachasaes were even rarer still—creatures known for their ability to blend into their surroundings, becoming nearly invisible until it was too late. Venomous, fast, and intelligent, they were a nightmare for any who dared face them unprepared.

\'Great,\' I thought, eyeing the number of them. They had me surrounded.

–HISS!

Their hiss echoed through the dungeon, a high-pitched sound that vibrated the air, heightening the tension. My grip tightened on my estoc, the familiar hum of theFlame of Equinoxstirring in response. These creatures weren\'t to be underestimated.

Their venom was potent, enough to bring even seasoned warriors to their knees if they weren\'t careful.

\'It can corrode my body even after I surround myself with mana.\'

They were monsters of a high rank so it was obvious that they would be strong. And I had no problem with that as I already knew the monsters that would come in the first stage.

SWOOSH!

"Hisss!"

The first Arachasae lunged at me, its fangs bared, aiming straight for my chest. I sidestepped, the movement fluid as my estoc sliced through the air, meeting its segmented body.

SWOOSH! SLASH!

The black flames flickered along the blade, severing the creature in one clean stroke. Its body twitched before crumpling to the ground, but I didn\'t have time to celebrate.

The rest of them charged, moving as one, their venomous fangs gleaming in the low light. Their speed was frightening, but I kept my focus. My mind raced as I calculated their movements, searching for the openings in their attacks.

\'Fast, but predictable.\'

Another Arachasae lunged, and I met it head-on, my estoc finding the weak spot between its exoskeleton plates. My blade sliced through, and the black flames flared, disintegrating its venom before it could reach me.

But the numbers were working against me. For every one I cut down, two more seemed to take its place, their movements relentless, their fangs snapping with deadly intent.

The dungeon\'s atmosphere pulsed with magic, as if it were feeding these creatures. That was the thing with the dungeons. Even if they were created by humans and not naturally, they would all possess the same property.

Monsters deriving their energy from the dungeon itself…..

I couldn\'t afford to waste any more time.

\'Time to end this.\'

My estoc hummed with energy as I focused, drawing the starlight from deep within my core. The black flames that had been dancing along the blade gave way to a shimmering light, a radiant glow that pulsed in rhythm with my heartbeat.

I closed my eyes for just a moment, visualizing the starlight blooming and expanding, cutting through the darkness of the dungeon.

「Void Starfall Blade. Starline.」

The words left my lips in a whisper as the blade in my hand sheered with starlight. I swung the estoc with precision, and a crescent beam of light shot forth from the blade, cutting through the air like a comet.

The beam pierced through the Arachasaes, their chitinous bodies splitting as the light tore through them.

Half of them collapsed instantly, their bodies crumbling under the force of the attack. The other half, though wounded, continued to skitter forward, their fangs snapping, venom dripping from their mouths. But I wasn\'t worried. The strike had done its job, leaving the remaining monsters exposed and vulnerable.

With calm precision, I drew from my core once again, feeling the starlight surge back into my body, replenishing the energy in my limbs. I lifted my estoc, feeling the familiar hum of power, and swung once more.

Another crescent of starlight shot forward, the blade glowing with radiant energy as it arced through the air. This time, there was no hesitation. The light cut cleanly through the remaining Arachasaes, their bodies disintegrating as the beam tore them apart.

The dungeon fell silent, save for the faint crackling of magic still pulsing through the stone walls. I lowered my estoc, the glow fading as the starlight receded.

\'Not bad….For the starters….\'

The Arachseas were peak 3-star ranked monsters, which was why it was this easy for me to cut through them like this.

[You\'ve improved,] Vitaliara chimed in. [Your control over your mana is much more refined now.]

I gave a small nod, acknowledging her observation. "I haven\'t been slacking off," I replied. The truth was, while this dungeon would provide me with the edge I needed, my journey here had been anything but idle. I had made sure of that.

As I traveled through theWraithshade Forestto reach this place, I encountered a fair share of challenges. The forest was crawling with its own creatures—feral beasts, rogue elementals, and plenty of low-level monsters drawn to the natural mana of the region.

And as I fought and cultivated, I could feel the progress. Each battle sharpened my skills, each moment of meditation deepened my connection to the starlight mana.

The monsters I had killed on the way weren\'t particularly difficult for someone at my level, but they had been plentiful, and that had given me the chance to improve my precision and stamina. I had focused on refining my control, letting the mana circulate more naturally through my body, and it had paid off. I could feel the energy coursing through me, stronger and more stable than ever before.

Peak 3-star realm. It had been a long time coming, but I had finally reached it, and that was also why this place was much more important.

\'Since it will be the place where I will be breaking through the 4th star.\'

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