Chapter 33 – The Crucible of the Abyss.

The reinforced iron gate granting access to the Fallen King's Ruins (Level 18-20) was lined with high-security containment spells.

Diana handed over three silver coins at the guild counter to secure a twenty-four-hour marathon expedition license for the Arcane Greed Faction.

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[MARATHON LICENSE PAYMENT]

- Endless Expedition Permit (24 Hours in the Fallen King's Ruins): -3 Silver Coins (300 Bronze).

[TEMPORARY POCKET BALANCE: 46 SILVER COINS (4,600 Bronze)]

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"No rest breaks on the first floor." Diana declared, adjusting her leather gloves beneath her Crystal and Magic Silver Chestplate. "Our goal today isn't just harvesting materials. It's pushing our level to the limit before nightfall."

Rhea gripped her Corrosive Crystal Daggers with Agility 36, Kael adjusted his new 170 HP Volcanic Steel Shield, and Lyra held her 120 MP Mana Crystal Staff.

The four pushed forward into the darkness of the sunken city beneath the Second Circle.

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Hours 1 to 8 - Clearing the Upper Halls

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The slaughter began in the black marble halls of the first and second floors.

Hordes of Stone Legionnaires (Level 18) and Shadow Gargoyles (Level 19) attacked in continuous waves.

The squad operated like clockwork:

Kael pressed forward at the vanguard with [Iron Taunt], his Volcanic Steel Shield reflecting 15% of direct physical damage back at the monsters. Lyra projected instant [Protection Barriers] thanks to the speed of her new staff. Rhea turned into a silvery streak with [Phantom Step], slicing through joints.

And Diana dominated the battlefield like a true Commander.

With her new [Command Eye] spell active, Diana read every monster movement vector in real time.

She alternated between [Arcane Teleportation] to dodge heavy strikes, [Arcane Storm Orb] to stun entire groups for 3 seconds, and [Greed's Flame] to burn and drain the MP of intermediate bosses.

By the end of the eighth hour of unbroken combat, the party had defeated two Hall Bosses: the Ancient Iron General (Level 18) and the Shadowstone Archmage (Level 19).

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Hour 12 - The Squad's Limit

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At the safe camp on the third floor, Kael and Lyra collapsed sitting near the mana campfire, utterly exhausted.

Kael gripped his shield with arms shaking from the strain of absorbing dozens of strikes from Level 19 monsters. Lyra had her MP nearly depleted, gulping regeneration potions with shallow breaths.

"Commander…" Kael said, panting heavily. "We… we need two hours of rest… our mana channels are at their limit…"

"Rest." Diana said in a calm tone. "Kael, Lyra, stay at the third floor camp. Recover your MP and stamina."

Rhea approached Diana, wiping sweat from her forehead. "Diana… you should rest a bit too…"

Diana looked down at her hands.

The phantom memory of 2 HP in the ravine and the image of the Level 118 Silver Lotus burned in the back of her mind. She knew that to sustain her anomalous soul's growth and prepare for the other Candidates for Deadly Sin, she COULD NOT STOP.

The hunger for power in her chest was an insatiable engine.

"I won't stop." Diana said, her voice cold, heavy with obsessive determination. "Rhea, stay with them if you want to rest."

Rhea looked at Diana… and drew her crystal daggers with a stubborn smile. "Not a chance. If you're hunting on the fourth floor, I'm coming with you."

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Hours 13 to 24 - The Solo/Duo Slaughter on the Fourth Floor

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While Kael and Lyra recovered at the safe camp, Diana and Rhea pushed into the depths of the dungeon's fourth floor.

Diana pushed her combat style to the absolute limit.

She tested [Mana Prison] against the dark mages of the crypt, sealing their spells for 4 seconds while Rhea executed the targets from the shadows.

In the center of the fourth floor's throne room, they faced the dungeon's Final Boss: the Guardian of the Fallen King's Throne (Level 20 - Crypt Boss).

The combat was a storm of magic and steel.

Diana used [Arcane Teleportation] to dodge the Level 20 Guardian's axe, activated [Command Eye] to pinpoint the crack in the monster's chest armor, and fired a charged [Greed's Flame] combined with a double Arcane Arrow straight into the beast's core.

BOOM!

The Level 20 Guardian exploded into gold and shadow particles in the center of the throne room.

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When the morning sun began to break outside the dungeon, marking twenty-four hours exact of unbroken expedition, a monumental surge of golden notifications flooded the entire squad's screens:

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[MARATHON EXPEDITION SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED!]

[Dungeon of the Fallen King's Ruins 100% Cleared!]

- DIANA ROSE FROM LEVEL 14 TO LEVEL 19! (5 Levels Gained!)

- RHEA ROSE FROM LEVEL 13 TO LEVEL 17! (4 Levels Gained!)

- KAEL ROSE FROM LEVEL 12 TO LEVEL 16! (4 Levels Gained!)

- LYRA ROSE FROM LEVEL 12 TO LEVEL 16! (4 Levels Gained!)

[TOTAL MARATHON LOOT]

- Direct Coins from 3 Bosses + Hordes across 4 Floors: +34 Gleaming Silver Coins!

- Elite Materials: 10x Dark Steel Ingots + 5x Purified Mana Crystals.

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[COMPLETE SQUAD ATTRIBUTE DISTRIBUTION]

- KAEL (Level 16): 20 Free Points -> +10 Vitality (17 -> 27 VIT), +6 Strength (13 -> 19 STR), +4 Willpower (8 -> 12 WIL). (HP: 270 / 270!)

- LYRA (Level 16): 20 Free Points -> +10 Intelligence (16 -> 26 INT), +6 Wisdom (12 -> 18 WIS), +4 Perception (8 -> 12 PER). (MP: 200 / 200!)

- RHEA (Level 17): 20 Free Points -> +10 Agility (33 -> 43 AGI +3 Gear = 46 AGI!), +5 Strength (15 -> 20 STR), +5 Vitality (11 -> 16 VIT). (HP: 160 / 160)

- DIANA (Level 19 - Commander of Greed): 25 Free Points + Class Passives (+15 INT, +10 PER, +5 WIS) -> +10 Free Intelligence (29 + 15 + 10 = 54 INT!), +8 Vitality (14 -> 22 VIT), +4 Agility (19 -> 23 AGI), +3 Perception (13 + 10 + 3 = 26 PER). (HP: 220 / 220 | MP: 270 / 270!)

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[FULL FINANCIAL AUDIT]

Previous Balance: 46 Silver Coins.

24-Hour Marathon Total Loot: +34 Silver Coins.

[NEW ABSOLUTE NET WORTH: 80 SILVER COINS (8,000 Bronze! / EXACTLY 8 PURE GOLD COINS!)]

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Eight pure gold coins stashed in the faction vault.

Diana at Level 19 with Intelligence 54 and 220 HP.

Rhea at Level 17 with Agility 46. Kael and Lyra at Level 16.

Diana sat on the Fallen King's stone throne at the bottom of the dungeon, her leather jacket stained with boss blood, breathing the cool air of victory.

Around the throne, Rhea wiped her daggers, Kael looked at his new 270 HP with pride, and Lyra counted her 200 MP pool with a glowing smile.

—Fifty-four Intelligence at Level 19…

The System's voice echoed in Diana's head, the interface flashing glowing black gold.

—Your spells have the power of a Level 30 mage now, Diana. The Arcane Greed Faction is officially the strongest young squad in the entire Second Circle.

Diana looked at the eight gold coins in inventory, then at her loyal, strong team around the throne.

She rose from the Fallen King's throne, adjusting her black steel dagger at her waist.

Level 20 was a single step away. And with it, the definitive path to the Third Circle of Hell.

Final Notes:

Yes! Chapter focused on the dungeon, heheheh.

Four people became members, I'm so happy about that, truly <3. Thank you, I love you all, I'm very grateful!