Having given his orders—and with no sign of the butterfly, Lumea, to ask if she wanted to return—Logan teleported himself back to Rosethorn using Silvia's spell.
He didn't like relying on her ability too often, but for now, it was the most efficient way to travel. The only issue? He could only warp to areas Silvia had marked. It was a clear reminder that his skills were borrowed—channeled through the bonds he shared with his tamed creatures.
He hadn't fully tested the limits of this yet. If their abilities continued to evolve, would there be a cost to using their skills too frequently? Would overusing one create instability? That was something he'd have to test carefully, and soon.
For now, he focused on the present.
Logan returned riding atop his new unicorn, the radiant creature trotting proudly at his pace. It seemed eager to grow stronger—and Logan intended to push it to the top as it was one given by the great spirit of light, he expected a lot from it.
He already had several creatures at the peak—Cindra, Luna, Scorch, Zephyr, Krexa, and Kryst. All had reached level 80, and each held their own in strength and uniqueness.
Next on his list were Wyver, Gaia, and Stormwing—three of his strongest but had yet to reach level 75, who just needed a final push to catch up.
Then came the near-ascended tier.
Regal, Riptide, Orus, Uriel, Silis, and Voltar—each hovering between level 78 and 79. They were almost ready. It wouldn't take much for them to break through.
Soon, he'd have a full lineup of elite, level 80 creatures.
Because his next destination… was the Temple of Darkness.
Logan's goal for the rest of the day was simple—enter the labyrinth and begin training the creatures he intended to bring to the Temple of Darkness.
This wouldn't be like the previous temples. He could tell somehow. Victor Rosengard had warned him.
No one lived in that region anymore, it was classified as a dead zone.
A place where demons once ruled unchecked—and where shadows were said to breathe on their own.
Logan wasn't taking any chances.
Riding Elarion—his newly tamed unicorn—he rushed through the Rosethorn mansion and toward the biodomes where many of his creatures resided. The unicorn's speed was breathtaking, its hooves silent over stone and grass. Logan didn't need to exit the area completely; his mental link could reach two kilometers easily. But getting closer would help the group coordinate, especially since size was an issue with his next summons.
He called out mentally to Stormwing and Wyver, two of his largest flying monsters.
Gaia, his powerful earth beast, was already near the Temple of Earth—no doubt stuck dealing with that annoying guardian, Ramos.
He'd bring her in later.
It didn't take long before both summoned beasts arrived. The sky darkened momentarily as the two massive creatures soared overhead and landed near him—lightly, despite their size.
Both were large, they were powerful, and both looked eager for a challenge.
"Alright," Logan said as he slid off Elarion's back. "Thanks for coming you two. We're heading into the labyrinth today. This is the final push—so get ready."
He didn't waste time.
With a single thought, he activated his teleportation mark for the labyrinth.
Before vanishing in light, he opened a final link to Gaia, letting her know to prepare for combat and to meet them inside.
Elarion, his unicorn, seemed tense.
Logan noticed it right away. The majestic creature stood rigid, its gaze flicking nervously toward Wyver as the dragon-like beast approached. It wasn't fear exactly—more like instinct. A primal recognition of a predator it would struggle when fighting.
"Relax, Elarion," Logan said, gently patting the unicorn's neck. "We're all friends here. You'll need to get used to the seniors—we'll be fighting together soon."
[Yes, I will get used to this… never got out of forest, everything is new.] Elarion's voice echoed softly in Logan's mind.
Logan chuckled, and then he heard someone else who wasn't keeping quiet.
[I will get stronger… just wait.] Wyver's low growl cut through the mental link. He was clearly irritated. Elarion may have been a few levels higher, but that fact alone gnawed at the creature.
"Yes, yes," Logan said, waving his hand. "Now get your heads in the game. We're starting from floor 82—and the enemies there are no joke. Stay sharp."
He planned to begin in the deeper levels, the ones already cleared by the other heroes. Most of them had stats 30–40% higher than his tamed creatures—at least in their strongest attributes. Last he heard, half the class had reached level 80 and were actively farming materials on floor 87, helping the stragglers catch up.
A low rumble shook the ground.
Logan turned his head just as a massive figure emerged from the trees—Gaia, his ent guardian.
The six-meter-tall being moved like a walking mountain. Even Wyver looked small beside him, despite being nearly three meters tall not counting his tail.
Logan scratched the back of his neck.
"I hope you three will even fit down there…"
After floor 81, the labyrinth expanded into massive forest-like chambers. Each floor was now an open biome, split by towering partitions and sealed gates. The ceilings stretched nearly a kilometer in height. It was less of a dungeon now—and more like a pocket dimension.
Logan still wasn't sure what magic was used to construct such a vast place, but it worked perfectly for his purposes.
He planned to keep feeding it mana—growing its size, expanding its challenges, and harvesting every advantage he could from it.
"Onward!" Logan declared, already moving toward the entrance.
A large gate was just ahead—reinforced and enhanced by his scientist girls overseeing the kingdom's tech advancements, and by Bobby, who had overhauled every structure to withstand even creatures like Gaia.
They were ready, the real training was about to begin.
The outer gate led into a small but rapidly expanding town, one built specifically to support dungeon runs. Vendors lined the wide streets, selling potions, enchanted gear, and rations. Logan felt like he'd stepped into the hub of a game world. A few stationed knights turned their heads, staring in awe as he approached with his towering creatures.
"I guess it'll be hard for you, Gaia," Logan called back. "Try not to break the gate on your way in."
The gate stood at five meters tall—designed with his largest tamed beasts in mind. Scorch, Silis, and others had pushed the limits before, and the modifications ensured none of them had to squeeze through anymore.
The streets had also been widened to allow passage for beings like Silis, who took up entire lanes with her size alone, but they did not take into account the ent, Gaia who was even larger then that.
"Welcome, Your Majesty," one of the knights greeted as Logan dismounted. The man's armor gleamed, ornate and sleek—clearly one of Ruben's designs, or at least crafted by his assistants. Stylish and battle-ready, just like everything else they made.
"Today, the heroes are on the 87th floor. We expect they'll break through before nightfall," the knight reported.
Logan nodded, scanning the crowd and the pulsing lines of mana weaving through the air.
"Thanks. I'll be starting at the 82nd floor. Please start to activate the teleportation crystal."
As the knight bowed and rushed to comply, Logan looked around the bustling town—its people moving about most of them turned to stare at him and his creatures. Merchants meanwhile tried their best to get attention towards their stalls at times even trying to give Logan free stuff as to endorse their shops, he tried to be polite rejecting those he could while accepting those that tried to hard.
There was a smithy for repairs, an adventurer's guild where teams frequently came and went, and a large notice board outside plastered with flyers—requests for creatures to be hunted or rare items to be retrieved from within the labyrinth. Further in the distance stood several houses, an inn, and even more merchant shops.
It was quite a sight.
Logan even spotted carts rumbling through the main gates, loaded with raw materials and glowing crystals harvested from the lower floors.
"Your Majesty, the teleportation crystal has been configured. Did you, by any chance, bring crystals to charge the array?" one of the guards asked, gesturing toward the machine. A sign was posted in front, displaying teleportation pricing based on floor depth and mana cost.
Logan smirked. "Don't worry about it. I've got enough mana to spare."
He removed the crown from his head—Ruben had forged it to match the dragon-themed armor: a black spiked circlet with obsidian like jewels that complemented both the suit and Logan's role. A separate helm had also been forged for combat, but for now, the crown remained his signature.
"Understood, sir. Forgive the question. Settings are locked. You may proceed," the soldier replied with a salute, stepping closer to begin the activation process.
Logan approached the teleportation device, placing his hand on the crystal as he began channeling mana into it. It needed at least 600 of his mana to transport himself and his four massive beasts.
"Get ready, everyone," Logan called out, turning toward Gaia, Wyver, Stormwing, and Elarion. "We're teleporting straight into the danger zone. We'll be dropped near a monster spawn point—so we may be fighting the second we land."