CHAPTER 219: SALVATION OR DEMISE

Slowly Nolan’s body started to fade, turning into ash.

Logan stood there. Unmoving. For a long time, he stayed that way. Finally, his lips parted. "Nolan, you brought this on yourself. Don’t blame me for being cold. But...

Thanks to you, if I can save Earth and beat the shit out of those monsters who dared to turn humans into such beings, then....

Then I hope you can rest in peace... At least.."

He still didn’t move. For a moment, silence swallowed the chamber. The faint crackle of ash scattering across the ground was the only sound. Logan’s eyes dimmed, as if a weight pressed down on his chest. But he didn’t let it linger. Not now.

A few more minutes passed before he bent down and picked up the orb from the ground.

The orb glimmered faintly under the dim dungeon light, as though it carried a heartbeat of its own. A thin ripple pulsed across its surface, drawing his gaze deeper and deeper.

It was a crystal orb. Silver in colour...

And inside, it was packed with spiritual energy. Like an abundant source. The realization almost paralyzed him. If not for Nolan’s death a few moments ago, he would have jumped up in joy for sure.

Holding the orb, his hands trembled slightly in excitement. "How can a tiny object like this have such an abundance of spiritual energy? And how on earth did he even manage to fill it up?"

After staring at the orb in a daze for a while, something suddenly struck Logan’s mind.

"I forgot... I’m still inside a dungeon. I should get out first. I’ll have plenty of time to think about this orb later. But staying half-naked like this isn’t a good idea."

Muttering to himself, Logan stepped out of the chamber. The air brushing against his bare skin was damp and cold, carrying the stench of blood and rusted iron.

This was the lowest layer of the dungeon. Since the boss was only a normal minotaur, that means it was a C-class dungeon. And with the boss already dead, he wasn’t too worried about the remaining monsters..

But one thought wouldn’t leave his mind.

"These monsters... they were all humans once. How can I just kill them? Doesn’t that make me a murderer?"

He clenched his fists, nails digging into his palms. Killing monsters was one thing. But killing people who had lost their humanity... "Can I really justify this as survival? Or am I crossing a line I can never step back from?

The weight of that question pressed on him as he slowly climbed layer after layer toward the surface.

The dungeon was eerily quiet as he climbed. Each step echoed, bouncing off the damp stone walls. For a while, it felt as though the entire dungeon was holding its breath, waiting...

Until...

Roooaar!

The sudden howls of monsters echoed through the dungeon, shaking the air.

And a horde of them lunged at Logan.

Logan was hesitant not knowing what would be the best course of action. So he started dodging. Weaving through the attacks, he moved like a phantom and marched forward.

One after another, monsters lunged... claws raking the air, jagged blades swinging wildly, broken axes crashing down with bone-cracking force. Logan slipped between them, twisting his body at impossible angles, his steps flowing like water. He didn’t strike back. Not yet.

Meanwhile, on the eastern side of Solvane where the dungeon break had erupted, the chaos had finally quieted. The rampaging monsters—the minotaurs, orcs, dire wolves, and goblins—had all been dealt with.

Exhausted hunters sat on the ground, panting for breath, while others rushed about carrying the wounded. The healers were drenched in sweat, working frantically to keep up.

Noah and Ali were also saved and brought back outside. It was an enormous victory. Yes, many had died and many more were injured, but it could have been far worse—the entire town might have been wiped out.

And everyone who was there, everyone who had fought, knew the truth of who had made it possible.

It was one. Only one. Logan... or rather, the name the world now called him—

Aiden Ferith!

The same name that had once ruled the battlefields a thousand years ago was now, once again, echoing through every corner.

"What will happen to him now? Will he even be able to come back? Why did he have to recklessly jump into that rift after the monster? Is he mad?" Luna’s shaky, tear-choked voice trembled as she spoke.

Beside her, Melissa stroked her head gently and said, "Don’t worry. We’ve all seen what he’s capable of. Even that wyvern couldn’t stand against him. He’ll be back. I’m sure of it."

Not far away, Ali sat on a large rock, his face heavy with frustration. "That brat... stupid!"

As he spat the last word, the veins on his forehead bulged. Each time he thought of Logan’s recklessness, his rage flared again. "How could someone that talented do something so utterly foolish? How?! Why in the hell would he jump into a rift he knows nothing about?" His teeth ground together in fury.

"Just let him come back once... I’ll knock common sense into his skull myself." He let out a long sigh.

"But to think he actually killed an A-class dungeon boss all on his own... He never fails to surprise me."

Suddenly, a faint smile tugged at his lips again.

But the hunters watching from a distance stared in bewilderment.

"Captain, what do you think happened to the Guildmaster? One moment his face is blazing with rage, the next he’s smiling. Did he suffer some serious injury or something?" a young female hunter whispered to her captain.

"Don’t spout nonsense. He’s just stressed," Venessa replied flatly.

____________

Somewhere, far away from solvane.....

When the dungeon break had begun, it was still early morning. But now dusk had fallen, and darkness was slowly spreading across the land.

Out of one of the dungeons, a bare, blood-streaked body emerged.

Logan!

Though he had fought his best, several strikes had still torn into his skin. Wiping them all out would have been easier...

The moment he stepped outside, the monsters that had been tailing him stopped in their tracks.

He tilted his head slightly at them. "Wait till I come back again. And when I do, it will be either your salvation..... Or demise."