Madan might not know, but Liam knew very well what happened that day back in the tutorial game. It was the day he had died for the very first time, and it was also the day his life had changed irreversibly.
He had stolen something that never belonged to him in the first place.
Considering that Kouske was with the Oracle, Liam wondered if he knew everything. Was he maddened by the fact that he had something that should have belonged to Kouske?
Liam's gaze remained indifferent. Was he supposed to feel bad for that person? That was never going to happen. These were the rules of the world. The strong take what they need, and the weak are left with nothing.
And Kouske was no exception.
Not wanting to waste time on the past anymore, Liam patted Madan on the shoulder. "I will leave then. Let me take a look at this dungeon and see if it can really help me."
"Ummm… bro… so… are you really hurt somewhere?" Madan hesitantly asked. The guy had heard about this from several sources, even directly from the lion's mouth, but still, there was a part of him that did not believe it completely.
"Maybe. Who knows." Liam chuckled as he walked out of the magic shop into the sunny, sultry world outside.
"Who knows, ah?" Madan gaped with his mouth wide open. He then hurried after Liam with whatever speed he could muster. "Bro. Wait. Let me also tag along with you."
"Hmmm?" Liam paused and turned around. "Why? If you run a dungeon with me, then you won't get any experience points if that's what you want."
"No. No. No." Madan shook his head vigorously. "It's not like that, bro. If you don't mind, I just want to watch your back. Kouske enquired about this dungeon to me, so I am just a little worried."
"Alright. I don't mind. You can come with me until you can keep up."
After stepping outside the magic shop, Liam immediately summoned a wyvern without holding back.
The huge draconic beast scared a bunch of human beings wandering about in the vicinity. Even Madan was awestruck at the sight of it. However, he only smiled bitterly and did not say anything.
Unlike others, Madan was already well aware of the prowess of the person next to him. Sure, he might have put his faith in the Oracle at first.
But the moment he met Liam, he knew who was the true leader and who was the false prophet. Nothing he could do was going to surprise him anymore.
Madan silently climbed atop the wyvern and sat behind Liam. The wyvern then soared high into the sky and arrived at the dungeon's coordinates in just five minutes.
The last time Madan had come to the same dungeon, it had taken him half a day to make the trip, and that too, they were dead tired by the time they reached the spot, thanks to the several mutated beasts and the untamed wilderness.
However, this time… the difference was simply too great even to compare. As a hunter, this stung especially badly as he should have tamed a flying beast by now.
Madan then suddenly remembered something and asked Liam, "Bro, how is Rey doing? Did he tame a beast yet?"
"Oh, him? He is doing good, but no, he hasn't been successful in taming a beast yet."
"I see. In that case, I think I have something that can help him."
"Hmmm. When all of this is over, and your brother is back home safely, you can come to visit the guild and talk to Rey yourself."
The wyvern elegantly glided down and landed right in front of the dungeon entrance. Typically a dungeon entrance was green in color, both upgraded and the basic version, but this one was pitch-black in color.
"This is it," Madan said.
"Hmmm…" Liam hummed as he did not waste any time and directly stepped into the dungeon. He already had goosebumps all over his skin. It was as if the place was calling for him.
Madan as well quickly hurried behind him.
The two of them entered the portal and stood at the entrance of the dungeon. Immediately, thick swirls of nether enveloped them without giving them a chance to adjust.
Madan gritted his teeth and created a thin mana barrier.
But as for the other person standing beside him… Liam's face instantly changed.
His expression was calm, composed, and indifferent all this time, but now it seemed as if… he was in heaven!
He sucked in a big breath of air, taking in all the nether that he possibly could.
The aura of death was corruptive, corrosive, and harmful to all living beings, opposing the very essence of life itself. However, for Liam, it seemed like an elixir, intertwining with every fiber of his being.
It refreshed and rejuvenated him, infusing a renewed sense of vitality into his body. It repaired the small minuscule gaps in his body that had previously been left untouched by the world seed's water.
Just a single breath was enough to make Liam feel as if he was floating in the air, back at his very peak!
Every ounce of tiredness, frustration, and weakness that he felt melted away and disappeared completely. In a single second, it was as if he was born anew.
Though Liam had an affinity for both mana and nether, just from this one second, he could already tell which of the two had a higher resonance with him.
With a wild grin spreading across his face, he bared all his teeth, looking akin to a demon at that moment.
And the mobs of the dungeon that had spawned the moment the duo stepped in were all prostrating themselves in front of this demon!
"What…" Madan stood transfixed. He thought that he had seen everything and that nothing could surprise him anymore, but this was beyond his understanding.
Just how strong was the person standing next to him?
Kouske also had a nether affinity, and Madan had seen him personally in action several times but Liam… he was on a whole other level!
Mass Release chapter 1~
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