CHAPTER 5: FIRST DUNGEON (1) - FINALLY MY SSS-RANK SKILL?!

The air shifted all at once as we crossed the threshold.

A stench of damp stone, ancient dust, and rusted metal clawed at our throats.

The ground vibrated with a muffled heat, as if the dungeon itself was breathing. The walls, carved by hand or gnawed by time, glowed with a bluish shimmer, steeped in a living magic that pulsed like a monstrous heart.

Each step echoed, amplified, and the silence was disturbed only by the distant drops of water falling rhythmically, like the ticking of a forgotten clock.

I lowered my gaze to my own clothes. A black kimono, plain, with no embroidery or ornament, only a clean cut. Austere. Cold. But I knew it was worth more than any armor I’d ever dreamed of. Resistant, regenerative, and most of all... able to conceal an entire arsenal within its folds. Just feeling the fabric against my skin gave me the impression I was a walking vault.

Beside me, they stood.

Ayame, draped in a cream kimono, silky fabric that highlighted her hips and her oversized chest despite the restraint of the cut. When she tightened her obi with a slow gesture, her breasts lifted like a silent provocation. Her brown eyes, though, still carried that maternal glow, but I knew she wasn’t blind to the effect she had.

Reina, upright, imperious, wore a dark kimono with metallic gleams. Her slim waist, straight shoulders, and the slit that revealed a pale leg with each step... everything screamed controlled coldness. She looked like a fallen empress, ready to reclaim her throne through blood.

Miyu, blazing, was already laughing. Her black and red kimono, marked with stylized flames, seemed ready to ignite around her body. Her massive breasts nearly spilled from the deliberately loose neckline, and her movements made the fiery patterns dance as if the flames themselves came alive with her. Even in a dungeon, she managed to be a walking provocation.

Finally, Hikari. The simplest. The purest. Her ivory kimono, adorned with golden flowers, floated around her like a spring breeze trapped in this stone hell. She looked fragile, gentle, almost out of place in such a setting. But her timid eyes glowed with a light that tightened my chest.

Ayame’s voice cut through my thoughts.

— "Draw your weapons."

Her tone allowed no reply.

A shiver swept through the air. From the folds of the kimonos, a black gleam appeared, as if the fabric opened onto another world. Tiny portals, gaping, silent. Space itself bent to their will.

One by one, they reached into the shadow and drew out the same weapon: a dagger, slender, elegant, engraved with runes I could not read. The blade, black as night, vibrated with a legendary aura. Fastened at their belts, it looked like a deadly jewel. I drew mine as well. The steel felt almost alive in my hand.

Miyu, of course, dragged out the gesture. Her fingers caressed the void of the portal before grasping the hilt. She pulled the dagger slowly, far too slowly, the blade sliding out of the shadow like an obscene striptease. A smile tugged her lips when she caught me staring despite myself.

Ayame merely adjusted her obi again. But when she did, the fabric tightened around her waist and pushed her chest forward. I swallowed hard, my grip tightening on my own hilt.

Reina sought no seduction. Her gesture was sharp, precise, like a sentence. Yet, the way the dagger brushed the curve of her thigh as it fixed to her belt was violently sensual.

And Hikari... her hands trembled. She drew the blade as if afraid she might break it, her cheeks pink under the dungeon’s bluish light. Her innocence made the act more troubling than all of Miyu’s provocations.

For a moment, I stared at them all. Kimonos fitted, daggers ready, dreamlike silhouettes cut against the glowing walls.

A wet sound shattered the silence.

Not a roar, not a scream... just a vile clearing of a throat, as if the dungeon’s stone itself had spat out a parasite.

From between two damp columns, a hunched figure emerged.

Greenish skin, so gaunt its ribs showed, yellow eyes glowing with primal hunger. A goblin. A rusted dagger dangled from its clawed hand, but the gleam in its eyes was enough to say it dreamed of flesh.

Hikari stifled a cry.

Reina stiffened, as if facing nothing but a nuisance to crush. Miyu licked her lips, impatient. Ayame, impassive, pulled her kimono tighter.

Me? I didn’t wait.

My legs pounded the floor, my breath resonating against the bluish walls. The goblin growled, raising its blade too slowly. My dagger sliced the air and buried itself in its chest with the sound of wet flesh tearing.

The shock made it stagger back, spitting a black spray. Its yellow eyes clouded over, and with a final gurgle, it collapsed onto the tiles.

Silence.

A silence broken only by the blood dripping from my blade.

And then, suddenly, reality shifted.

A voice. Clear. Cold. Without human timbre.

— [Level 1 reached.]— [Blessing skill unlocked.]

I froze. Not just me. The girls had heard too, but not the same thing as I did. Because in my head, a second notification exploded, sharper, heavier than all the rest.

— [Unique Skill: GENESIS.]— [Ability: Create anything from nothing.]

My heart stopped for a second.

I tightened my grip on the dagger, breath ragged. Around me, the girls exchanged glances, surprised, fascinated. Hikari placed a hand on her chest, panting.

— "W-We... gained experience... even without doing anything?" she whispered.

I raised my eyes, wiping the blade against my kimono.

— "... Normal." My voice was hoarse. "In this world, members of the same party... share XP. As long as we fight together, we all level up. You should listen more."

I exhaled, as if I’d swallowed fire. And murmured, almost to myself:

— "Genesis..."

The word vibrated in the air. The blade in my hand seemed to pulse, and a cold sweat trickled down my spine.

Their eyes turned to me. Miyu, excited like a bitch scenting prey. Reina, cold but intrigued. Hikari, trembling, still shocked. Ayame, unreadable. And me, fuck... I knew that a single goblin had just changed my life.

The goblin was nothing but a black puddle on the tiles. The metallic stench of blood lingered as Ayame spoke, her voice low but implacable:

— "Draw your real weapons."

A shiver ran down my body. Just like before with the daggers, the folds of the kimonos rippled, swallowed by a deep shadow. But this time... they weren’t simple knives. They were treasures.

The first was Hikari. She still trembled, but obeyed.

From the shadow emerged a scepter, long, smooth, carved from a deep green wood that seemed to breathe. Ancient runes pulsed gently along its shaft, and at its tip, a clear gem shone like a trapped dawn.

— "Awakening..." I whispered.

An elven scepter. Just the magical aura it radiated gave me goosebumps. Hikari clutched it against her as if it was too heavy, but the light bathing her face made her look almost... divine.

Then Miyu burst out laughing and plunged her hand into her flaming kimono.

She drew a long blade, deadly in its refinement. The katana vibrated with a muffled heat, its steel running with red glints like embers. Even at rest, I could hear a breath, as if a dragon slept within.

— "Kagutsuchi..." she whispered, thrilled.

A dwarven masterpiece. Forged to drink fire, to absorb it and unleash it a thousandfold. She twirled it gracefully, her massive chest following the motion, and the blade groaned as if it already craved flesh.

— "Hahaha... I already love it." Her predatory grin made me want to step back.

Reina said nothing.

She calmly drew her weapon, and a chilling vibration filled the air.

A fine staff, sculpted from a pale metal, at whose center floated a deep blue crystal. Circuits, almost technological, pulsed along its surface, sending cold sparks with each beat.

— "Cryoseele." Her voice cracked like an order.

The temperature dropped instantly. The floor beneath her feet frosted over, crystals sprouting along the stone cracks. The torches’ flames dimmed. She, tall and impassive, looked like an ice queen descended to earth.

Then Ayame.

Her kimono shifted slightly as she raised her arms, revealing an immense shadow unfolding behind her.

A scythe. A fucking gigantic scythe. Its black shaft seemed to have grown on its own, like living bone, and the curved blade shimmered with scarlet gleams as if it had drunk dragon blood. It seemed to scream with the cries of beasts it had already reaped.

— "Thanatos." Her voice was grave, heavy, almost religious.

Even Miyu fell silent. Hikari paled. Reina frowned. And me... my heart was hammering too fast.

Finally, I felt the call.

The black of my kimono pulsed, and in my hand, golden light erupted.

A spear. Long, pure, forged from divine gold so radiant it was almost white. The engravings along its shaft burned with an aura that seared my eyes, and the tip vibrated as if demanding the blood of the world itself. I lifted it against my will.

— "Aurelia."

But I was immediately interrupted by a sound, a filthy pounding rising from the shadows.

They burst from a narrow corridor: eight goblins armed with rusted blades, mouths gaping, yellow eyes glowing with hunger. And behind them, massive, a hobgoblin, thick skin scored with scars, a spiked club clenched in his fist.

— "Fuck..." I muttered, raising my spear.

They charged.

Miyu laughed and rushed in.

Her katana vibrated, then ignited. Flames roared across the steel, as if the blade itself breathed.

— "Hahaha! Burn for me!"

She cut down the first goblin in a blazing arc. The monster’s body ignited instantly, twisting in a scream before collapsing into ashes.

— [Level 2 reached.]

The Voice struck sharply in my skull.

I clenched my teeth. They had heard it too, I could see it in their startled eyes. But the fight left no time to dwell.

Reina lifted her staff. A frozen wave surged forth, the blue crystal pulsing like a heart of ice. Frost spread across the ground, crystals bursting along the walls, and two goblins froze solid before shattering into bloody shards.

Another rushed me. I pivoted, my spear lanced through its torso. The shock rattled my arm, blood splattering my fingers.

Ayame moved through the chaos as if reading an invisible score. Her brown eyes shone with a disturbing gleam. Every enemy strike, she predicted before it began.

— "Left, Kaito!"

I pivoted, skewering a goblin that tried to flank me. My heart pounded.

The melee became a storm.

Miyu carved through monsters laughing, her flames leaping higher with every corpse. Reina spread her frost, slowing the entire horde. Hikari shone like a fragile sun, erasing our wounds. Ayame spun untouchable, as if she saw the future.

And me... I struck. Less elegant, less divine. But each thrust of my spear pushed the green tide back.

A goblin screamed as my tip gutted it, collapsing heavily onto the stone.

— [Level 3 reached.]

The shiver shot through me like a surge of lightning. My chest burned, breath ragged. I saw my sisters stagger too, proof they’d heard it.

Before us, the hobgoblin finally advanced. His monstrous grin bared yellowed fangs dripping saliva.

He roared. His club slammed down.

A thunderclap. The ground shattered. A spray of stone slammed my chest. I was thrown back and crashed against the wall.

A sharp crack echoed in my ribs. Pain ripped the air from my lungs. My mouth opened—nothing. Only the taste of iron. Then blood surged up. Hot, thick. It filled my throat, gushed between my teeth. I choked on my own flood of red.

— "Ghhrrkk—!"

I collapsed to my knees, hands clamped to my chest, panting, spewing crimson streams that splattered the stone. Every breath was a razor gutting me from inside. My body shook, my numb fingers nearly dropped my spear.

Fuck... am I dying already?

The hobgoblin laughed. A guttural, horrid sound that vibrated in my bones.

Then, behind me... light erupted.

Hikari. Trembling all over, her eyes swimming with tears, but her raised staff trembled with blazing energy.

A golden wave burst forth. It swept through us like a tide.

My throat burst open suddenly. The blood stopped gushing. My lungs filled with air, fresh, pure, as if I swallowed the whole sky. My ribcage reformed with a wet crack, my muscles re-knit, my wounds sealed as if they’d never existed.

I breathed. I drew breath to the fullest. And the pain... vanished.

I leapt back up, panting, my hands still stained with my own dried blood, but my body... whole. Regenerated.

Hikari was nearly screaming, her voice shaking but carried by a force beyond her:

— "Hold on...!"

Her flushed face, her figure bathed in light... she looked like a fucking saint fallen into hell.

I froze for a second, heart pounding as if to break my chest. Then I gripped my spear.

Okay... I’m not dead. Not yet.

My ragged breathing still rang in my ears. The taste of blood lingered on my tongue, as if my body refused to forget I’d just died once.

The hobgoblin advanced, spiked club scraping the floor, monstrous grin carved on his lips.

Miyu gripped her katana. Her eyes blazed, lips curling into a feral grin.

— "Bastard..." she growled.

Then she screamed, and charged straight at him.

— "MIYUUU, NO!!"

Ayame shouted, her voice resounding like a divine command. She had seen. She had felt. Her panicked gaze locked on her daughter.

But Miyu didn’t stop.

The hobgoblin laughed. A deep, warped laugh, almost... inhuman. Then the air tore around him. The walls twisted, the ground shook, a surge of energy warped space. His yellow eyes burned with a supernatural gleam.

A blessing. Fuck, even these monsters had one.

He raised his club. Time seemed to slow. The club grew heavier, almost swelling, a distortion making it monstrous. It fell toward Miyu, ready to crush her in one blow.

— "MIYU!!!"

My hand moved on its own.

— "GENESIS!!!"

The word ripped from my throat.

A flash. The air in front of me shattered like glass. From the void, golden matter erupted, surging from nothing. A translucent barrier, bristling with luminous spikes, rose between Miyu and the club.

The impact exploded.

A deafening roar echoed in the dungeon. My barrier cracked, fissured, but held. A shockwave shook the air, raising dust.

The hobgoblin snarled, startled. One of the barrier’s spikes pierced his arm, spraying black blood.

— "Tss..." Miyu hissed.

She seized the opening. Her katana flared in a blaze of scarlet flames. With a wild scream, she leapt.

Reina raised her staff at the same time.

— "Freeze."

Frost surged instantly. The hobgoblin’s legs locked, his movements slowed, trapped in ice.

Miyu struck.

A clean, brutal, blazing slash. The blade hissed, leaving a fiery trail in the air.

The hobgoblin’s head flew in a burst of flames. His massive body collapsed, burning from within.

Then, the Voice returned.

— [Level 4 reached.]

My breath caught. My body vibrated, muscles tightening with a wet crack.

But it didn’t stop.

— [Level 5 reached.]

I nearly collapsed, veins ablaze, every fiber of my being reforged at monstrous speed.

A few goblins, panicked, threw themselves at them. Miyu shredded their bodies into flaming ribbons, Reina froze their legs with a breath before shattering them, and Hikari, trembling, cast tiny flashes of light to drive them back.

Ayame, relentless, swept the battlefield, her eyes locked on every trajectory, her movements deadly precise.

They no longer had time to look at me. They were fighting.

Me? I was on my knees.

My lungs burned, my temples pounded. A metallic taste filled my mouth. I spat a ribbon of red onto the cracked stone.

I lifted my eyes, a bitter smile tugging at my bloodstained lips.

SSS-Rank skill... Genesis. To generate... anything... from nothing.

Another scarlet surge rose in my throat. I spat it out, gasping.

But this... this eats way too much mana.

My body gave out. My fingers slipped from Aurelia’s shaft, my golden spear clattering with a heavy thud. My vision blurred, swallowed by shadow.

Through the clash of blades and screams, one thought remained, bitter but strangely at peace:

At least... they’ll be fine.

I fell hard, my cheek against the cold stone. And then, nothingness.