The first hour inside Pandemonium had turned into a nightmare.
What many students expected to be a difficult but manageable trial had instead become a brutal bloodbath. The demonic creatures here were far more vicious and intelligent than anything found in normal F-rank dungeons. Many students died within minutes of arrival. Those who survived the monsters soon discovered that other students were also hunting them for contribution points.
By the time the first hour ended, hundreds had already been eliminated. Many had used their emergency tokens to escape. Those who remained were either exceptionally skilled… or exceptionally ruthless.
A deep chime echoed across the dimension.
[First Hour Complete]
Every bracelet chimed simultaneously. A blue holographic interface sprang to life, revealing the current leaderboard.
Pandemonium Leaderboard – Hour 1
Damien Blackthorn — 187 Points
Alex Vanderbilt — 164 Points
Silas Crowe — 149 Points
Vivienne Laurent — 132 Points
Chloe Bennett — 119 Points
9. Lucas Vanderbilt — 69 Points
Back at Seoul Awakener University, the auditorium erupted into shocked murmurs the moment the leaderboard appeared.
"Silas Crowe…? Who the hell is that?"
"I've never even heard that name before."
"Isn't he in the advanced class? The quiet silver-haired guy who barely talks?"
Unlike Damien and Alex, whose names carried weight, Silas Crowe was a relatively unknown figure. He had never stood out in classes or participated in faction activities. For such a low-profile student to suddenly appear in third place was genuinely shocking to many.
In the professors' seating area, Seraphina Hale's purple eyes narrowed with interest.
"Silas Crowe…" she murmured. "Who the hell is he?"
Professor Ava Whitlock, however, kept her gaze fixed on ninth place. Her golden-amber eyes remained calm, but her thoughts were sharp.
Lucas is holding back, she thought quietly. He's not moving with full aggression yet.
She knew him well enough by now to understand that if Lucas truly wanted to dominate the early rankings, he could have done so without much difficulty. The fact that he remained at ninth suggested he was moving with clear purpose rather than reckless ambition.
In the Silent Requiem faction section, the air felt noticeably heavier than in the rest of the auditorium.
Lin Ruoxi sat at the center of her faction's reserved seats, one leg crossed over the other. Her long silver-blue hair cascaded down her back, partially veiling her right eye. Even while seated, her presence pressed down on those around her like an invisible blade.
Her crimson eyes remained fixed on the massive holographic screen — specifically on the blank feed where Lucas Vanderbilt's perspective should have been.
One of her vice leaders, Maeve, leaned slightly toward her and spoke in a low voice.
"Ruoxi… that girl, Yuna. She's ruthless. Efficient. I can see a younger version of you in her. She would be perfect for our faction."
Lin Ruoxi's lips slowly curved into a faint smile. She didn't look away from the screen.
"I doubt she'll join us without him."
Maeve blinked. "You mean Lucas?"
A quiet scoff escaped Maeve's lips.
"It doesn't look like he'll walk out of Pandemonium alive. The Brotherhood recruited a group of first-years with the promise of joining if they killed him. The other heirs won't let someone like him grow either. He's too dangerous to be left alive."
Lin Ruoxi remained silent for a moment.
She slowly tapped her long, black-painted nail against the armrest. With every light touch, the wood beneath her finger visibly decayed — black veins spreading like rot across the surface.
"I know those eyes, Maeve," she said softly, her voice calm, almost gentle. "Better than anyone else here."
Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly as she stared at the blank screen.
"That guy is a predator. He's been waiting. This trial… it simply gave him the stage he needed." She paused, her voice dropping lower. "The others' underestimating him only works in his favor."
She finally turned her head, her cold gaze landing on Maeve.
Her next words came out quietly, yet they carried the weight of a death sentence.
"You haven't done anything foolish regarding him or the girl… have you?"
The question was spoken softly.
But Maeve felt her blood run cold.
Even after three years of serving directly under Lin Ruoxi, she had never grown used to this feeling — the quiet, suffocating sensation of standing before death itself. There was no anger in Ruoxi's voice. No raised tone. Just a calm, absolute certainty that if the answer was wrong, Maeve would cease to exist.
Maeve quickly lowered her head, her voice slightly strained.
"No, Ruoxi. As you ordered… we haven't touched either of them."
Lin Ruoxi stared at her for a second longer, then slowly turned her gaze back to the screen. The faint smile returned to her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Good," she said quietly. "Keep it that way."
She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms beneath her chest. Her silver-blue hair shifted slightly as she spoke again, her voice calm yet carrying an unmistakable edge of menace.
"Because if anyone in our faction moves against that Lucas without my permission…" Her crimson eyes turned icy.
"…I'll personally remind them why they call me the Reaper."
She paused for a brief moment, then added in an even softer, more dangerous tone:
"And I don't give second chances."
***
Deep inside a narrow, jagged cave, Lucas sat cross-legged on the cold obsidian ground.
The cave was suffocatingly tight. Jagged black rock formations jutted out from the walls and ceiling like broken teeth, some still dripping with a thick, viscous liquid that gave off a faint acidic smell. The only source of light came from thin cracks in the ceiling, through which the crimson moonlight of Pandemonium seeped in, painting the interior in a bloody hue.
Around him lay the scattered remains of over a dozen Ashborn Insects. Their charred exoskeletons had already begun to crumble into black ash. A dark, swirling vortex of abyssal energy hovered above the corpses, steadily pulling the remains into itself with a low, ominous hum.
Lucas's eyes were closed, a faint, satisfied smile resting on his lips.
"Damn… it didn't even take half the mana it usually does."
The skill [King's Consumption] had become noticeably more efficient after he absorbed the Undead Resilience trait. What used to drain a significant portion of his mana now felt almost effortless.
He didn't bother absorbing any skills or racial traits this time. He simply converted everything into raw experience.
A soft chime echoed in his mind.
System Notification
[King's Consumption] has been activated. All offerings have been successfully converted.
Level Up!
Level 31 → Level 44 (+13)
Lucas slowly opened his eyes. A satisfied smile played on his lips as he glanced at the system window.
"Level 44 already…" he muttered. "Not bad for the first hunt."
He closed the window with a thought and stood up, dusting off his long black coat. He reached down and picked up Voidreaver, resting the massive greatsword comfortably on his shoulder.
From within his shadow, the Imp's small, child-like voice echoed directly into his mind.
"Master… the deeper we go into Pandemonium, the more dangerous it becomes. There's a high chance of encountering D-rank demons the closer we move toward the inner regions. Unlike these beasts, demons are far more intelligent and cunning. You should be careful."
Lucas clicked his neck once and began walking toward the cave entrance. The crimson moonlight from outside spilled into the dark cave, illuminating his figure.
"Well," he said calmly, "let's just explore this area for now. Grinding is all we need at the moment."
The Imp didn't argue. It simply replied with a quiet, "Understood, Master."
Lucas stepped out of the cave and into the misty, blood-red landscape of Pandemonium's outer region.
True to his word, he began hunting everything in sight.
The first creatures he encountered were Ember Antlers — F-rank deer-like monsters with glowing red antlers that could condense and fire concentrated beams of heat.
Lucas didn't bother dodging much. He used Shadow Step to close the distance instantly and bisected them with heavy swings of Voidreaver before they could even charge their attacks.
Next came the Earth Snakes — long, armored serpents that hid beneath the cracked ground and ambushed anything that stepped too close. Lucas quickly adapted. He would deliberately step on unstable ground to trigger their ambush, then impale them the moment they emerged.
Hours passed.
What started as careful exploration slowly turned into a steady, relentless grind. Lucas moved from one hunting ground to another without rest, cutting down monsters with cold efficiency. Every time he used [King's Consumption], the skill felt smoother, almost instinctive.
By the time five hours had passed inside Pandemonium, Lucas had already cleared out several small monster nests. His long black coat was stained with greenish and black blood, but his breathing remained steady.
Level 44 → Level 52
He leaned against a large, twisted tree, one leg crossed over the other. The ranking had just refreshed.
Lucas narrowed his eyes at the leaderboard floating in the crimson sky.
Pandemonium Leaderboard – Hour 5
Damien Blackthorn — 412 Points
Alex Vanderbilt — 389 Points
Silas Crowe — 367 Points
4. Lucas Vanderbilt — 251 Points
Vivienne Laurent — 238 Points
Lucas stared at the ranking for a few seconds, his expression unreadable.
"I don't think these guys were hunting solo," he muttered under his breath. "There's no way I'm slower than them with all my buffs."
Just then, a faint sound reached his ears — the soft rustling of footsteps and low voices.
Lucas's eyes sharpened. Without making a sound, he slowly moved behind two large trees, concealing himself in the shadows. His grip on Voidreaver tightened slightly as he peered through the gap between the trunks.
The first to step into view was a tall, broad-shouldered male student. He had short, messy brown hair and a thin scar running across his left cheek. He wore reinforced dark leather armor with bronze accents, and a heavy greatsword rested on his back. His posture carried a confident, almost arrogant air.
Behind him walked two female students.
The first girl had a striking, voluptuous figure. She had long, wavy crimson-red hair tied in a high ponytail, with sharp, seductive features. Her combat outfit was a tight black sleeveless bodysuit that hugged her large breasts and wide hips, paired with armored shoulder guards and thigh straps. Two curved daggers hung at her waist. She walked with a confident sway, her crimson eyes scanning the surroundings sharply.
The second girl had a more elegant appearance. She possessed long, silky silver-white hair that reached her lower back, with neat bangs framing her face. Her figure was slimmer but still curvaceous.
She wore a form-fitting white and light-blue combat robe that flowed down to her thighs, along with black thigh-high stockings and light armor pieces. A silver staff with a glowing blue crystal rested in her hand. Her light purple eyes held a calm, calculating look.
The red-haired girl, Riven, suddenly stopped and turned toward the others with an excited glint in her eyes.
"We're close," she said, a hint of impatience creeping into her voice. "It's just beyond those black trees. I found it earlier while I was with the others, before we got separated."
The male student, Darius, raised an eyebrow.
"You sure about this, Riven? You said it was guarded."
Riven smirked confidently and placed a hand on her hip.
"Of course, I'm sure. There's a whole nest of spiders protecting it. But the big one near the treasure… I'm almost certain it's E-rank. If we take it out together, that treasure is ours. The points from killing an E-rank plus whatever's inside that thing? It'll be worth it."
Liora, the silver-haired girl, narrowed her eyes, her expression turning serious.
"An E-rank spider this early?" she said, her voice calm but cautious. "We don't know what abilities it has. If it's guarding something valuable, it won't go down without a fight."
Riven waved her hand dismissively.
"That's why I brought you two," she said with a confident grin. "Darius can keep it busy with that oversized sword of his, you can roast it with your lightning, and I'll strike where it hurts."
She smirked.
"Come on. Don't tell me the great prodigies are afraid of a single oversized spider."
Darius chuckled, though there was a hint of caution in his voice.
"I'm not scared. But if that thing really is E-rank, we need to be careful. One mistake and we're dead."
Riven rolled her eyes but didn't argue further. She turned and began leading the way, her crimson ponytail swaying behind her.
"Trust me. I already scouted it once. We can take it."
Liora and Darius exchanged a glance before following her.
Hidden behind the trees, Lucas watched the three students disappear into the crimson mist. A small, cold smile slowly formed on his lips.
"Treasure guarded by an E-rank spider…" he muttered quietly to himself.
He rested Voidreaver against the tree beside him and spoke in a low voice.
"Imp. Follow them and transmit their directions. I'll follow without them noticing."
From within his shadow, a small figure slowly materialized. The Imp appeared in its usual form — a small, pitch-black creature with glowing silver eyes. It knelt on one knee before Lucas without hesitation.
"By your will, Master."
Without another word, the Imp's body dissolved into dark smoke and drifted silently in the direction the group had gone. Thanks to its natural abilities, it was nearly impossible for anyone below a certain rank to detect its presence.
Lucas waited for nearly a minute, giving the Imp enough time to get ahead. Then, with his hands casually resting in his coat pockets, he began walking forward at a relaxed pace. His footsteps made almost no sound against the obsidian ground.
A low chuckle escaped his lips.
"Damn… this is getting exciting."
His blue eyes gleamed with quiet anticipation as he followed the faint trail left behind by the three students. The thought of an E-rank monster guarding valuable treasure made his blood stir.
He wasn't in a hurry.
After all, he preferred arriving right when things were about to get interesting.
***
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