Chapter 26: Hell-Level Dungeon? A Clean Sweep!!!

Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Hell-Level Dungeon? A Clean Sweep!!!

Nathaniel was currently Level 13.

He stood exactly at the entry threshold for the Frost Cave.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand and selected the highest difficulty.

[Hell Difficulty]

Hum.

The light screen vibrated gently.

[Selected: Frost Cave · Hell Difficulty]

[Applying for Entry...]

[Application Failed.]

[Notice: Dungeons of Hard Difficulty and Above Require Manual Confirmation by Professional Center Staff.]

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow.

Just then, a staff member wearing the Professional Center’s uniform hurried into the room.

He was a young man in his twenties, and his name badge read:

Dungeon Administrator: Lucas Bennett

When Lucas saw the selected dungeon and difficulty, he almost thought he was seeing things.

One person.

Frost Cave.

Hell Difficulty.

It was practically a textbook example of a suicide mission.

Lucas hurried over to Nathaniel. Judging by his age, the young man looked like someone who had only recently awakened his class.

The administrator frowned.

"Student, did you select the wrong difficulty?"

Nathaniel glanced at him.

"No."

Lucas paused.

"Are you certain you want to enter the Frost Cave on Hell Difficulty?"

"I’m certain."

Lucas’s expression immediately darkened.

"That’s nonsense!"

"Although the Frost Cave is a low-tier dungeon, Hell Difficulty isn’t intended for newly awakened professionals attempting a solo run."

"This dungeon recommends a four-person team. You need at least one Tank, one Healer, and preferably two Fire-type damage dealers to handle the ice monsters."

He pointed at the screen.

"Going inside alone isn’t dungeon crawling. It’s asking to die!"

Nathaniel wasn’t offended.

He understood that the administrator was simply doing his job.

The restrictions existed to prevent inexperienced professionals from throwing their lives away.

Unfortunately, Nathaniel didn’t have time to explain everything.

He took out his phone and called Captain Adrian Cross directly.

The call connected quickly.

Adrian’s tired voice came through the speaker.

"Nathaniel?"

"Captain Cross, I’m at the Professional Center."

Nathaniel kept his explanation brief.

"I want to enter the Frost Cave on Hell Difficulty, but the administrator won’t approve my entry. Could you confirm my request with him?"

There was a moment of silence.

Then Adrian replied.

"Hand him the phone."

Nathaniel passed it to Lucas.

The administrator frowned slightly before accepting the call.

"Hello, I’m Lucas Bennett, a dungeon administrator at the Westmere Professional Center. May I ask who I’m speaking with?"

The next second, his entire body stiffened.

It was as though an electric current had passed through him.

"C-Captain Adrian Cross?!"

The captain of the Westmere City Guard Team!

That was no ordinary person.

Lucas’s expression changed several times in rapid succession. His initial seriousness gave way to shock, then confusion, and finally unmistakable respect.

"Yes, sir."

"Understood."

"I’ll approve the entry immediately."

The call ended.

Lucas returned the phone to Nathaniel with both hands.

When he looked at the young man again, his expression had completely changed.

A moment ago, he had seen an inexperienced rookie who didn’t understand the danger of Hell Difficulty.

Now, he was looking at someone whose identity was clearly far more extraordinary than he had imagined.

Not only could Nathaniel contact Captain Cross directly, but the captain had personally confirmed his request.

Lucas quickly tapped the management screen.

"Student Beaumont, your entry has been approved."

"You may enter the Frost Cave on Hell Difficulty."

Hum!

An icy-blue portal slowly opened before them.

[Dungeon: Frost Cave · Hell Difficulty]

[Entrant: Nathaniel Beaumont]

[Entry Level: 13]

[Party Size: 1]

When Lucas saw that final line, his eyelid twitched.

One person.

Entering a Hell-Difficulty dungeon alone.

He couldn’t help issuing one final warning.

"Student Beaumont, if you encounter danger inside, use an Emergency Evacuation Scroll immediately."

"Even though Hell Difficulty imposes a three-second evacuation delay, you should still be able to escape if you react in time, but—"

"No need."

Nathaniel stepped toward the portal.

"I’ll be back soon."

With those words, his figure disappeared into the icy-blue light.

Lucas remained standing there, staring at the empty space for a long moment.

He still couldn’t quite believe what he had just witnessed.

Suddenly, the communicator on his wrist vibrated.

A message from Captain Adrian Cross appeared on the screen.

[Monitor Nathaniel Beaumont’s dungeon status in real time. Report any unusual developments to me immediately.]

Lucas straightened.

"Yes, Captain."

He immediately opened the dungeon monitoring interface.

Whatever happened inside, he couldn’t afford to miss it.

Frost Cave · Hell Difficulty

A bone-chilling wind struck Nathaniel the moment he emerged from the portal.

Crack!

A faint crunch sounded beneath his feet as the ice covering the ground fractured under his weight.

He had arrived inside an enormous underground cavern.

Sharp icicles hung from the ceiling and walls. Thick frost covered the ground, while pale-blue mist drifted through the air, giving the entire cave an eerie, frozen appearance.

A system notification appeared before his eyes.

[Notice: You Have Entered Frost Cave · Hell Difficulty]

[Environmental Effect: Extreme Cold Domain]

[Movement Speed of All Entrants Reduced by 30%]

[Attack Speed Reduced by 20%]

[Stamina Consumption Increased by 50%]

Nathaniel glanced at the notification.

Then he dismissed it without another thought.

A thirty-percent movement-speed reduction?

That was supposed to be a problem?

His class wasn’t dependent on ordinary movement alone, and his Shadow Soldiers could handle the fighting.

Nathaniel’s thoughts stirred.

"Shadow Summoning."

Hum!

Ten dark figures emerged from his shadow.

Their black armor absorbed the faint light of the cavern, while two crimson lights glowed beneath each helmet.

The ten Shadow Soldiers stood silently before him, awaiting their master’s command.

A moment later, a dense chorus of snarls echoed from the frozen mist ahead.

A pack of Frost Wolves rushed out from the depths of the cave.

Their snow-white bodies blended into the icy surroundings, while their eyes glowed an unnatural blue.

A system panel appeared.

[Monster: Frost Wolf]

[Level: 12]

[HP: 3,500]

[Skills: Ice Claw, Frostbite]

For ordinary newly awakened professionals, these monsters would have been a nightmare.

They were fast, their attacks carried slowing effects, and they hunted in packs.

Even a properly equipped four-person team could suffer serious injuries if surrounded.

But Nathaniel merely raised his eyes.

"Clear them out."

Boom!

The ten Shadow Soldiers charged forward.

The ice beneath their feet shattered.

Black-armored figures streaked through the cavern like dark arrows.

A Frost Wolf leaped toward one of the soldiers.

Before it could reach its target, a black fist struck its head.

The monster crashed into the ice, its health bar disappearing almost instantly.

Another Frost Wolf attempted to attack from the side.

The Shadow Soldier caught it by the neck, lifted it off the ground, and hurled it into an ice-covered wall.

Bang!

The impact sent fragments of ice scattering in every direction.

More wolves rushed forward, only to be met by the relentless advance of the Shadow Soldiers.

Punches landed.

Claws missed.

Bodies crashed against the frozen ground.

The battle was over almost as soon as it had begun.

Those same Frost Wolves that posed a serious threat to ordinary professionals were being slaughtered without resistance.

System notifications flooded Nathaniel’s vision.

[Frost Wolf Killed. EXP +150]

[Frost Wolf Killed. EXP +150]

[Frost Wolf Killed. EXP +150]

[Frost Wolf Killed. EXP +150]

The notifications continued appearing one after another.

Nathaniel barely glanced at them.

He simply walked forward.

More accurately, he was speedrunning the dungeon.

The Shadow Soldiers cleared the path ahead of him.

Whenever monsters appeared, they were killed before they could mount a proper attack.

Whenever a trap was triggered, the Shadow Soldiers took the impact and continued moving without hesitation.

The supposedly terrifying monster density of Hell Difficulty offered no meaningful resistance.

Neither did the freezing environment or its movement penalties.

Nathaniel had entered the dungeon to gain experience, and his Shadow Soldiers were making certain that every second counted.

The first section, the Ice Wolf Territory, was cleared in three minutes.

The second section, the Ice Spider Nest, took five minutes.

The third section, the Frost-Armored Bear Passage, took six minutes.

Three sections.

Fourteen minutes.

Every monster along the way had been eliminated.

Nathaniel continued deeper into the dungeon while his experience bar climbed rapidly.

Then, a familiar notification appeared.

[Level Up!]

[Current Level: 14]

[All Primary Attributes Increased!]

Nathaniel didn’t stop walking.

A few moments later, another notification flashed before his eyes.

[Level Up!]

[Current Level: 15]

His lips curved slightly.

At this rate, the Frost Cave would be far more rewarding than he had expected.

And he hadn’t even reached its deepest section yet.