CHAPTER 72: AWAKENING OF THE THIRD SUPREME RECORD [I]

"SIR! Look at the dungeon’s portal! It’s... changing!"

"The orange hue has dissipated... it’s green now!"

"But how? The portal should shift to red when a dungeon break is imminent, unless..."

"The final dungeon boss has been defeated... but that’s i–impossible!"

Murmurs erupted outside the Slime Grime Dungeon. Multiple dungeon guards stared at the swirling green portal, weapons in hand, not daring to lower their guard. Their minds swirled with questions, until a group of battered youths emerged from within, their appearance sending shock through the gathered crowd.

"So the dungeon energy level didn’t fluctuate... there really are survivors," one guard muttered, watching as more and more figures stumbled out.

As they kept coming, the murmurs grew louder. The number of survivors was far higher than expected.

"I don’t get it... how’s this possible?"

"The dungeon evolved to E-rank... and the entries were only F-rank... it doesn’t make sense how they survived."

"SILENCE!" A commanding voice boomed, cutting through the noise.

A figure stepped forward, clad in the standard armor of the dungeon guard. A middle-aged man with short black hair and sharp black eyes came into view.

"Yes, Captain," the murmurs rippled, quickly dying down under his presence.

"Good." Captain Draven sighed, then fixed his full gaze on the battered youths, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"You survived?" he muttered, eyes scanning the group before finally voicing the question burning in everyone’s mind. "How?"

Before an answer came, the air beside him rippled, twisting violently before a figure emerged. A shockwave rippled out as the pressure of his presence settled over the field.

With a head full of white hair and menacing pale-grey eyes, Azvoid appeared. The faint but undeniable aura of a D-rank powerhouse surged from him.

Captain Draven’s eyes narrowed before he bowed deeply. "Greetings, Commander Azvoid!"

"No need for formalities," Azvoid said, raising his hand. His gaze locked onto one girl among the crowd, a battered shield clutched tightly in her hands.

"You. Tell me, how did you survive the dungeon?"

"Me?" The girl blinked rapidly, overwhelmed by the sudden attention.

"Yes, you," Azvoid repeated patiently.

She inhaled sharply, clutching her shield even tighter. Her voice trembled at first but grew bolder as she spoke. "It... it was the Grim Reaper. He’s the one who saved us. He defeated the dungeon boss, stopped the dungeon break, and let us leave with our lives."

"Huh?" Captain Draven and Commander Azvoid muttered at the same time, brows shooting upward.

"Grim Reaper? Who is that, and where is he right now? Are you sure of what you saw? The Slime Grime Dungeon has a rank limiter. Only F-ranks can enter," Azvoid pressed, deep in thought.

The only way her words made sense was if this Grim Reaper had entered as an F-rank and evolved inside, climbing step by step until he could defeat an evolved E-rank dungeon boss. It was absurd...unbelievable by any standard.

"Y-yes... I’m sure. You can ask the others if you don’t believe me," the girl stammered, squirming under his gaze.

Azvoid’s sharp eyes swept the crowd. Murmurs erupted again as the survivors spoke up one after another.

"We’re sure! Otherwise how would we be out here? The Grim Reaper saved us, he killed the beast like it was nothing! You should’ve seen him smack that giant slime down!"

"Yes, yes! The power he wielded so easily, if that isn’t a goddamn genius, I don’t know what is!"

"That’s it! I’ve decided. I want to have his babies..."

"Shut up! A prodigy like him would never waste time with someone like you. He’s mine!"

Azvoid’s lips twitched as he listened, a strange twinge of jealousy burning in his chest. Even in his prime, he couldn’t recall maidens ever speaking of him this way.

"The young generation truly surpasses the old," he muttered, his intrigue only deepening. The more he heard of this Grim Reaper, the more he itched to meet him.

"So... where is this Grim Reaper?" Azvoid asked, his eyes scanning the crowd. Seconds ticked by with no answer, his brows furrowing.

"He’s still in the dungeon... taking care of some matters," a blue-haired girl finally stepped forward, her voice cutting the silence.

"Matters? What matters?" Azvoid pressed, his gaze shifting to Lena.

"Uh... he... uh..." Lena stammered, her face flushing red, unsure how to explain.

"What? Spit it out," Azvoid snickered, clearly entertained.

"He asked for our treasures before we left... he’s probably counting it all right now," another youth chimed in from the crowd.

"Huh?" Azvoid blinked. Before he could respond, the crowd exploded in outrage.

"You ungrateful pig! I should stomp your face where you stand! The Grim Reaper saved our lives, and you dare call the tribute we gave him ’our treasures’?!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... the audacity! His skin must be as thick as the city walls to say that!"

"Wait, isn’t that the guy who was reluctant to part with his treasure? He doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth!"

Azvoid froze, blinking at the unfolding scene. "...Wait. Is this possible? To rob people in broad daylight and have them thank him for it?"

His lips curled into a grin. "That’s it!" His eyes lit with a spark that hadn’t burned in years. "I’ve finally found my long-lost grandson. This must be fate!"

Captain Draven’s lips twitched, a weary sigh slipping out. "Here we go again..."

***

Elsewhere, deep inside the Slime Grime Dungeon, the youth in question sat cross-legged, a notification glowing before him. A wide grin splitting his face.

[+60 attributes added to Charisma!]

The moment the notification blinked, streams of warm energy flooded his body, encasing him in golden light. Black, tar-like liquid seeped from his pores, purging impurities. A refreshing chill spread through his flesh, exhilaration surging with every breath.

His body and mind aligned more perfectly, muscle lines sharpening across his frame, his jawline growing chiseled, his gaze deeper, his presence shifting from mortal to godlike.

His appearance grew more refined, his aesthetic climbing to impossible heights, until another notification flickered into view. His grin stretched wider, laughter bursting out of him.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for meeting all requirements! The Third Supreme Record stirs awake: The Supreme Talent Rebate Record!]