Chapter 25 – The Infernal Crown
The fourth floor of Phlegethon's Hollow was silent.
No wind. No movement.
Only the low hum of molten energy flowing beneath black glass.
The descent dropped me into a massive arena—a circular basin of obsidian surrounded by jagged magma pillars. Above, the sky burned crimson, though there was no real sun here. The entire space felt suspended, cut off from time and sound.
I took one step forward.
The ground pulsed like a living thing.
HIME's voice broke the silence.
> "Ren-sama… power signature detected. Caution advised. Level reading: one hundred. Classification: Core Boss Entity."
"Name?"
> "Designation—IFRIT TYRANT, LORD OF THE DEEP FLAME."
The air split apart.
From the molten pit at the center, something rose.
A creature of pure fire and steel—massive, four-armed, crowned with molten horns that curved backward like blades. Chains of magma hung from its wrists, dripping embers that melted the ground. Each of its eyes burned like miniature suns.
The sound it made wasn't a roar—it was the crack of a planet breaking in half.
I smiled faintly. "Well. That's dramatic."
> "Engagement will begin in five seconds," HIME said.
"Good." I adjusted my hat. "Let's see if data can outthink a god."
---
The Ifrit Tyrant struck first.
It moved faster than something that size should be able to—one arm swung wide, trailing fire that shattered the obsidian around me. I dove aside, chains flashing instinctively to anchor myself to the ground.
The air burned.
The heat was real.
Even through the resistances of my Doppelgänger form, my HP bar ticked down by ten percent just from proximity.
I exhaled, slow and even. "Okay. Don't get hit."
The Tyrant slammed a fist into the ground. Lava exploded upward in a geyser.
I leaped, spun midair, and unleashed Illusion Shift—a phantom double appeared, drawing its attention just long enough for me to land safely behind it.
Then I activated the Shackles of Karmic Silence.
Ten silver chains erupted outward, glowing bright against the red light. They struck true—wrapping around its forearms and torso.
The Ifrit roared, body thrashing violently. The ground quaked.
The chains tightened, but not fully. The creature resisted with sheer raw force.
> "Binding effectiveness reduced to sixty percent," HIME reported. "Its fire attribute is destabilizing the restraint."
"Fine," I said through gritted teeth. "Then we improvise."
---
I extended my left hand, initiating Data Collapse – Revised.
The blue pulse surged out, colliding with the Ifrit's body.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then, slowly, its fire dimmed.
HIME's display updated—HP ratio dropped from 100% to 30%.
But it wasn't enough.
The Ifrit adapted. Its flames flared again, stronger. The illusion wavered—the monster wasn't sentient, but its core AI had combat-reactive scripts. It was rewriting its regeneration subroutine mid-battle.
I cursed under my breath. "Clever code."
> "Ultimate skill cooldown—eleven minutes remaining."
"Too long."
> "Divine item—four minutes remaining."
"Too long," I repeated.
The Tyrant lunged, both arms raised.
I barely dodged, rolling behind a pillar as a wall of fire consumed the space I'd just stood in.
The heat burned through my coat. My HP dropped another fifteen percent.
"Alright," I muttered. "No choice."
I opened my inventory and pulled a small, glowing vial—a cash item labeled Chrono Extractor.
A one-use consumable that erases cooldowns instantly.
Illegal in tournaments. Perfect for emergencies.
"Time to cheat like a professional."
I crushed it between my fingers.
Light flared. My entire HUD blinked green.
> [All Cooldowns Reset]
"Perfect."
---
The chains pulsed again, reigniting with full strength.
I activated Karmic Silence a second time—this time focusing on precision rather than brute restraint. The ten threads moved like snakes, slipping around the monster's limbs, neck, and spine, embedding themselves in the molten metal beneath the fire.
The Tyrant froze mid-motion.
Before it could adapt, I triggered Data Collapse again.
The pulse hit harder this time—like a storm of blue lightning cracking through the red haze.
Its core flickered.
HP: 100% → 30%.
Mana Output: 100% → 30%.
Skill Cooldowns: +70%.
Even its AI response time stuttered.
> "Target's casting subroutine disrupted," HIME confirmed. "Restraint window: twelve seconds."
"Then twelve's all I need."
I stepped forward, both hands raised. My illusion layers flared open—twelve copies of me unfolding like petals, each one holding a different weapon form: blade, staff, spear, chain, bow.
The illusion didn't just look real—it acted real, feeding false data back into the system.
The Tyrant's threat sensors split twelve ways. It tried to divide its attack protocols.
That was its final mistake.
I moved through the mirage, weaving the attacks into one seamless strike—a storm of shapes and shadows converging.
The silver chains tightened. The fire dimmed.
Then I whispered, "Collapse complete."
---
The world went white.
The explosion wasn't fire—it was energy collapse. The Ifrit's body dissolved into data particles, consumed by its own interrupted code.
When the light cleared, only silence remained.
The arena was cracked, still glowing faintly.
My health sat at forty-three percent. My mana at nineteen. My chains hung loosely around my hands, pulsing with residual light.
I exhaled slowly.
"Raid clear."
> "Confirmation: Boss entity destroyed. Dungeon status—complete."
Then, softly:
> "Ren-sama… detection of unique reward. Category—World-Class Item."
I froze. "Repeat that?"
> "You have fulfilled the hidden condition for Phlegethon's Hollow: first solo clear of a four-tier dungeon with a level 100 boss. Reward: WCI designation #17. Item materializing."
The ground before me glowed.
A column of light burst upward, and from it, something floated down gently—small, simple, glimmering.
A pendant.
No, a chain.
---
[World-Class Item Acquired]
〈The Infernal Crown〉
Category: Accessory (Neck)
Rank: World-Class (Tier 17 of 20)
---
Item Description:
> Forged in the heart of Phlegethon's Hollow, this artifact embodies the principle of absolute dominance through information and endurance. It was designed for the one who stands alone amid countless foes.
Visual Appearance:
A delicate chain of black-gold links with a single crimson gemstone set at the center, burning faintly like an ember. When worn, faint glyphs circle the wearer's neck, vanishing into their skin.
Passive Effects:
Reduces all incoming damage from multiple enemies by 3% per attacker (max 60%).
Auto-adjusts resistance to the dominant elemental type of the area.
Converts 10% of received magic damage into MP regeneration.
Grants immunity to illusion detection and data-type analysis.
Active Ability – "Sovereign Loop" (Cooldown: 1 hour):
> Freezes all opponents within a 30-meter radius for 3 seconds in real time, regardless of status resistance. During this duration, time flow for the user increases by 300%.
Effect cannot be resisted, dispelled, or prevented by anti-time fields.
When activated, the pendant's gem ignites like a small sun, and the air around the user distorts.
Lore Note:
> When the fire consumes everything, the one who stands alone becomes the flame's master.
---
I stared at it for a long time.
Simple. Elegant. Brutal.
Exactly what I needed.
"This…" I whispered, holding the pendant up against the molten light, "is beautiful."
> "It ranks among the top twenty World-Class Items," HIME said. "Intended for solo operations. The synergy with your current build exceeds 97%."
"That's almost like destiny," I murmured.
> "Do you believe in destiny, Ren-sama?"
I smiled faintly. "No. But I believe in statistics."
---
I slipped the pendant around my neck.
The moment the gem touched my skin, I felt it—the data hum, the faint pulse of Yggdrasil's system recognizing something ancient. The pendant's light sank into me, merging with the shimmering circuits across my Doppelgänger body.
New parameters appeared on my interface.
[Passive Ability: Infernal Loop – Integrated]
[Defense Multipliers Adjusted for Multi-Target Engagements]
I flexed my hands. The chains shimmered in response, brighter, sharper.
A perfect trinity now—Illusion, Data, and Control.
---
> "Ren-sama," HIME said quietly, "this achievement will be logged globally. You are now registered as the first confirmed solo World-Class Dungeon victor."
"Let them see," I said softly. "Let the world remember that information beats power."
> "Acknowledged."
For a long time, I stood in the silence of the empty arena.
The heat no longer bothered me. The fire felt almost… comforting.
Finally, I looked upward toward the crimson ceiling of the dungeon.
"I think," I murmured, "I understand the game better than ever now."
> "Meaning?"
"Everyone else plays for strength. I play for control."
I touched the pendant again, feeling its heartbeat sync with mine.
"For the first time," I said quietly, "I don't just play Yggdrasil."
I smiled beneath my crimson hat.
"I define it."
---
End of Chapter 25 – The Infernal Crown
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✅ Summary of the WCI: "The Infernal Crown"
Type: Accessory (Neck)
Category: WCI Rank 17/20
Passive Effects:
+3% damage reduction per additional attacker (up to 60%)
Auto-resistance adjustment to environmental element
Converts 10% of magic damage received into MP regen
Immunity to illusion detection / data scan
Active Effect (Sovereign Loop):
Freezes all enemies in 30m radius for 3 seconds (real time)
User gains 300% time speed-up during effect
Unresistable, undispellable
1-hour cooldown