CHAPTER 66: BLACK FIELDS RAID [II]

The person in question was one of the Awakeners Lucius had specifically chosen for the mission.

He hadn’t picked Matthias Eisenwald on a whim — he genuinely wanted to see how a shadow-based ability worked in a live dungeon raid.

The tactical potential was high.

Ambush control, infiltration, assassination — there was a lot one could do with shadows.

Unfortunately, it seemed Matthias had other plans.

The man had popped out of Lucius’s own shadow mid-stream, like some creep trying to prove a point.

Lucius didn’t think it was anything more than an attempt to "test" him, but that didn’t mean he appreciated the stunt.

At least, that’s what Lucius told himself as his reflexes took over.

WHAM!

In one fluid movement, Lucius had slammed Matthias into the dungeon floor, wedging him down with a knee and pinning him with a hand at the throat.

The impact cracked against the obsidian-like stone beneath them, dust scattering.

Lucius narrowed his eyes.

"Hey, what’s your problem?"

The viewers had barely caught up with what happened before the stream chat started exploding.

[@ShadowFan88: BROOOO WHAT SPEED WAS THAT??]

[@PeonyBloom: he didn’t even FLINCH. My man blinked and the guy was in the dirt.]

[@DungeonDad: This is why I watch these streams. CLEAN execution.]

[@ClericLover: omg is that the shadow dude??? what is he doing lol]

[@Darkling7: imagine joining a raid just to get bodied in front of 79k viewers 💀]

Matthias coughed but managed a weak grin.

"So your speed is truly as the streams showed."

His voice carried no shame — just fascination like he was looking at a new toy.

Then, before Lucius could press him deeper, Matthias’s body melted into darkness.

He vanished.

Lucius’s eyes darted up.

Sure enough, Matthias emerged a few paces away, reforming like ink spilled in reverse.

His boots hit the ground with a soft crunch, and his cloak of shifting shadows flared dramatically.

"My name," he said with entirely too much pride for someone who’d just eaten floor, "is Matthias Eisenwald. Your resident shadow mage."

He even extended his hand forward, like this was the grand opening act he’d been waiting for.

His eyes glittered as if he’d just claimed a top prize.

Lucius sighed and dragged a hand across his face.

"Yes, I know, fucker. I’m the one who chose you for this mission. Now get your head in the game. We’re in a dungeon for Heaven’s sake."

The scolding echoed in the cavern just as a piercing screech tore through the air.

It wasn’t human.

And it wasn’t alone.

The walls of the dungeon reverberated with the shrieks, each one jagged and ear-splitting.

The Awakeners raised their heads.

The air itself seemed to shift, growing heavier, as black shapes began to emerge from the ceilings and walls of the obsidian cave.

They came in flocks.

At first glance, they looked like oversized ravens, but closer inspection proved otherwise. Their wings were mottled black and gray, tipped with feathers that dripped shadows like liquid tar.

Where their faces should’ve been, there were no beaks — only skulls.

Hollow sockets burned with eerie light, and when they opened their mouths, their cries carried echoes like shattering glass.

Corvus Gloomwings.

Monsters feared not because they were overwhelmingly strong, but because they were horrifying.

Illusion predators.

They fed not only on flesh but also on fear.

The entire squad stiffened.

Everyone except the Hudson brothers.

"Finally!" Grimm shouted with reckless joy. He broke formation before Erika could bark a command.

His spear gleamed faintly as he rushed forward, feet pounding against the dark stone.

Luna, clutching her drone controller, froze mid-setup.

[@LaughingStock: oh god I hate confident fuckers like this]

[@MeatShieldMain: YOU HAD ONE JOB. HOLD FORMATION.]

[@HyenaPack: $10 says he gets folded in 10 seconds]

[@RavenousCrow: perfect bait 😂]

[@DungeonDad: ...he’s gonna get one-shotted]

[@BrightSage: his confidence is C-rank. his brain is F-rank.]

[@ClericLover: pls someone leash this guy]

[@HarpyHater: 💀💀💀]

Grimm jabbed his spear at the first Gloomwing.

And stabbed through empty air.

The bird vanished just as the weapon connected.

Darkness swelled outward like an engulfing tide, dragging Grimm into its grip.

The spear clattered as he staggered. Inside the shadow-realm illusion, the world shifted.

His breathing grew shallow as the void consumed him.

Black walls closed in.

And then right in front of his face hovered the hollow skull of the Gloomwing, its burning sockets locking onto his terrified eyes.

Grimm’s scream tore out of the shadow pocket before he collapsed onto the dungeon floor, tumbling backward in a frantic heap.

His legs wouldn’t obey him.

He waved his spear erratically like a child warding off monsters under the bed.

"Get away! Get away!" he shouted. His voice cracked, ragged with fear.

The stream chat erupted.

[@DungeonDad: AHAHAHA CALLED IT]

[@ShadowFan88: LMFAOOOO HE GOT JUMPSCARED BY A BIRD]

[@ClericLover: this is your man? this is an Awakener??]

[@LaughingStock: bro is FROZEN IRL 🤣]

[@HyenaPack: I CANT BREATHE 🤡🤡🤡]

[@PeonyBloom: poor guy actually shaking lol]

[@HarpyHater: what a disgrace to spear users everywhere]

[@Darkling7: imagine being traumatized by pigeon.exe]

Even Luna, who was usually shy, couldn’t hold back.

She covered her mouth with one hand, trying to suppress the bubbling laughter.

But it was no use.

Her chuckles spilled out light-heartedly, the sound carrying over the drone mic.

Lucius only rubbed the back of his neck.

He had expected something like this, but seeing it unfold live was still... something.

"These people are supposed to be C-rank," he muttered. "Are they just that dumb, or did I win some kind of idiot lottery?"

Before the thought could linger, Erika

Drachenfels strode forward.

The tall knight was an imposing figure, her special-issue armor gleaming faintly under the dungeon’s eerie glow.

Her expression was as sharp as her angular features, and she moved with the stern confidence of someone born to lead.

She stepped ahead of the formation, placing herself between the oncoming swarm and the fumbling Grimm.

"Stand behind me!" she commanded.

Her voice carried the weight of authority, echoing through the cave showing that she was a true leader.

Her hand rose.

The sword came free from its sheath in one swift motion.

She leveled it toward the flock of skull-faced ravens circling above.

And with all the fiery conviction of a heroic protagonist, Erika shouted:

"Begone!"

The blade swung down.

Silence.

There was no burst of aura.

No flash of steel.

No wave of swordlight.

The sword simply clattered against the dungeon stone like a spoon dropped in a kitchen.

CLANG.

The noise was embarrassingly hollow.

The dungeon seemed to freeze.

Even the monsters tilted their skeletal heads, sockets glowing as if confused.

Their eerie screeches faltered into silence.

[@LaughingStock: NO WAY LMFAOOOO]

[@HyenaPack: SHE DROPPED THE SWORD 😭😭😭]

[@Darkling7: BEGONE! sword begones itself]

[@ClericLover: someone PLEASE clip that omg]

[@PeonyBloom: even the monsters are confused 🤣]

[@HarpyHater: bro even the BIRDS are judging her]

[@DungeonDad: I’m crying. She had ONE LINE. ONE.]

[@JesterKing: greatest comedy raid team of all time]

[@StreamMod: this team is actually a circus at this point]

[@ShadowFan88: nah this can’t be real life 💀]

Luna couldn’t contain it anymore.

She burst into laughter, tears forming at the corner of her eyes.

Her drone wobbled mid-air from how much her hands were shaking.

Lucius, meanwhile, smiled faintly to himself.

Vanessa had been worried about this team, had even questioned his choices.

He could hear her voice in his head, scolding him for picking a mismatched squad of unpredictable oddballs.

But Lucius only watched the chaos unravel in front of him.

Because deep down, he already knew the truth.

"I chose a group of idiots," he muttered under his breath.

Marketable idiots of course!