It was a do-or-die situation. Never in my life did I think I’d be gambling my life on a failed enhancement.

The vampires were on the brink of being skewered by spears and swords, so drawing attention away from them was my first priority.

I deliberately stomped my feet as I moved forward, making as much noise as possible. The response was immediate.

"A Death Knight?"

The murmured words drew their attention, one by one, until all eyes were on me.

Unlike the civilians I’d encountered earlier, these subjugators didn’t flinch or retreat.

Their level indicators glowed orange, denoting wariness.

In their eyes, I was just another monster to hunt.

‘This all comes down to luck.’

Live or die, it was up to the heavens now.

***

The cold glow of my eyes swept over the group.

The subjugation team members, recognizing my presence, instinctively looked toward Sergei for signals.

"What do we do, Captain? Keep fighting or retreat?"

A True Ancestor Vampire and now a Death Knight—this was all the confirmation they needed.

Staying any longer would only put their lives at greater risk with no chance of gaining anything.

Without a word, Sergei raised his sword, directing it toward me.

"A Death Knight... one who was once a knight," he murmured, gripping the weapon tightly.

"So what?"

"It’s only right to grant it freedom. That’s the knightly way."

"Not like you’re a knight anymore. Do what you want, but don’t expect us to stick around if it goes south."

"Don’t worry. If things go bad, I’ll be the first to retreat."

There was no sign of life behind the Death Knight, nor any further threat from the vampires who were incapacitated and strewn about.

To face a Death Knight alone was almost suicidal.

But Sergei was no ordinary man. As a former knight of the Imperial Guard, the rules of common sense didn’t apply to him.

"Solari, grant peace to this tormented soul," he whispered.

To Sergei, freeing a Death Knight from servitude to a lich was the only just action a knight could take.

In the confined space of the cave, using a sword had its limitations.

To mitigate these constraints, Sergei adopted a half-swording stance, gripping the blade like a short spear.

It was a technique honed through countless dungeon raids and had become his signature style.

Meanwhile, the narrow cave would only serve to hinder the Death Knight.

Whirrrrr—

The faint blue aura enveloping Sergei’s sword flared brighter, mimicking the light of the sun.

CRACK!

Suddenly, the glow vanished.

No, the sword itself shattered, crumbling into shards of light that disappeared without a trace.

From the tip of the blade to the pommel, everything was gone.

"A... mental disruption trap?"

But the sensation in Sergei’s hand told him otherwise.

There was no magical residue, no tangible force at play.

His bewildered gaze landed on the Death Knight, his instincts screaming that it was responsible.

Sergei reached for his short sword, drawing it in a flash.

Shatter!

"...!"

Before he could even ready himself, the short sword disintegrated, leaving not even a fragment behind.

Twice now, an inexplicable phenomenon had occurred, defying all logic.

The sound of approaching metal-on-metal filled the air.

As the Death Knight closed the distance, Sergei found himself instinctively stepping backward.

‘So... this is the Mugan Seven Palaces.’

The seven incomprehensible labyrinths that defied human understanding.

Not all Death Knights were created equal.

Sergei had failed to consider the possibility that this was an irregular specimen—one from the Mugan Seven Palaces.

A faint laugh echoed from the ground.

The True Ancestor Vampire, her crimson eyes gleaming, curved her lips into a crescent moon of a smirk.

"Foolish human. Do you still not understand who the master of this dungeon is?"

"What...?"

"He is the boss of this dungeon. And yet you speak of granting him peace? To march into a dragon’s lair and act so arrogantly—you must be mad."

The Death Knight was the dungeon boss?

And not just any dungeon, but one of the Mugan Seven Palaces?

Why would the boss appear at the entrance?

The more Sergei thought about it, the more questions arose.

There was no way the vampire was lying simply to sow confusion.

For monsters, the dungeon boss was akin to a king.

Even a sentinel or lieutenant wouldn’t dare impersonate the boss—it would be seen as an unforgivable insult.

It was unthinkable for anyone to pretend to be the boss, especially in such a precarious situation.

The Death Knight continued its slow, deliberate approach.

Even watching it move was enough to make Sergei feel suffocated.

Only now did he understand.

That unhurried gait wasn’t confidence.

It was sheer, unyielding apathy—a display of boredom directed at an insignificant insect.

They say a cornered rat will bite a cat’s nose, but even that requires a spark of defiance.

Sergei was so consumed by fear that he couldn’t even muster the will to move.

‘I was... such a fool.’

To think he could escape the Mugan Seven Palaces alive.

The price for his arrogance would be nothing short of catastrophic.

"Captain!"
"Get out of there, quickly!"

Sergei turned his head sharply.

His subordinates, having witnessed the entire series of events, were rushing toward him without hesitation.

In a fairy tale, such camaraderie might be moving.

But in reality, such reckless bravery was nothing more than a death sentence.

"If you come any closer, you’ll all die!" Sergei roared.

His booming voice made them halt in their tracks.

Facing away from them, Sergei reached down to his thigh and drew his dagger.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Each stab into his thigh sent blood spraying, but the trembling in his legs finally ceased.

"Listen to me! I will remain here and die. No more than one person will be buried in this grave. Now go, while you still can!"

The hesitant subordinates clenched their eyes shut before reluctantly turning toward the exit.

At least they were obedient.

Some of them glanced back one last time, but Sergei had already turned his back to them.

And facing Sergei was the Death Knight.

*

‘Why is everyone treating me like the villain here?’

I couldn’t believe it.

They were the ones who had invaded and tried to kill the vampires.

And yet, here I was, trying to resolve things peacefully by merely destroying their weapons without harming a single soul.

I even approached slowly, afraid they’d panic if I rushed.

But no—they let their imaginations run wild, and now we’re at this point.

Suddenly, the man lunged at me, wrapping me in a bear hug.

He was probably trying to buy time for his comrades to escape.

‘This is disgusting.’

Is there anything more revolting than being hugged by a sweaty guy mid-battle?

"Ugh!"

I shoved him away in anger, and he went flying.

He slammed into the far wall with a loud thud and started coughing violently.

Even that didn’t do much to calm me down.

I walked over, grabbed him by the collar, and hoisted him up.

"Don’t ever come back."

With a single swing, I hurled him toward the entrance.

His body disappeared into the shadows beyond.

That should do it.

I could’ve killed him, but even I had my limits.

As pissed as I was, outright murder felt... excessive.

"You’re incredibly strong, my lord," came a voice behind me.

It was Isabella, still sprawled out on the ground, barely able to move.

Though she tried to sound composed, her face betrayed her dejection.

No wonder—she’d ascended as a True Ancestor Vampire, only to nearly die without accomplishing anything.

‘Well, I almost died too.’

Enhancing items with an 8% or 16% success rate was a gamble I wouldn’t recommend to anyone.

Sure, it wasn’t zero, but with my life on the line, I was scared out of my mind every time.

If the enemy had kept attacking, there was a good chance one of my attempts would’ve succeeded, and then... who knows what might’ve happened?

‘So, does that mean I’m lucky?’

My life was saved because of two consecutive enhancement failures.

Should I consider myself fortunate or not?

The one certainty was that fate—or perhaps the gods themselves—seemed to be on my side.

Who can stop a Death Knight blessed by the heavens?

I knelt in front of Isabella and offered her my hand.

She hesitated for a moment before taking it, allowing me to help her to her feet.

"Don’t let it get to you. The enemy was simply stronger," I said.

"...Your words are kind. Thank you."

To be honest, I hadn’t expected the vampires to be so sincere.

No matter how much I’d helped them, we’d only just met.

They could’ve left me for dead and fled to save their own lives, and I wouldn’t have blamed them.

‘But they didn’t.’

Not one of them tried to run.

And Isabella—she had faced off against a level 52 opponent, fully prepared to sacrifice herself.

Even though their efforts didn’t amount to much, their determination and gratitude were unmistakable.

For them to risk their lives to repay my kindness... it was hard not to respect that.

"I’m in your debt once again," Isabella said softly.

Ah, so that’s what was bothering her.

I guess being saved twice in one day would weigh on anyone’s pride.

"I have a request," she added.

"May I stay with you until I’ve repaid this debt?"

Seriously?

I understood her feelings, but I had my own circumstances to consider.

The subjugation team had already found this place; I needed to leave as soon as possible.

Before I could respond, sunlight began streaming in from the cave entrance, catching my eye.

‘Wait, is it already dawn?’

Between dealing with the vampires, hearing out their sob stories, and fending off the subjugation team, the entire night had slipped away.

Isabella and the others looked at me with hopeful, expectant eyes.

But my gaze lingered on their injuries.

‘They got hurt because of me. I can’t just kick them out.’

Besides, staying with a group would be safer than waiting for nightfall alone.

I exhaled a frosty breath and nodded.

"Thank you, boss!"
"I promise we’ll be useful!"

"Just focus on healing your wounds," I said, waving them off.

‘But what if the subjugation team comes back?’

Maybe I was being paranoid, but after what had happened in the last two days, I couldn’t dismiss the possibility.

This felt like one of those cursed situations where you get ganked three times in two minutes at the top lane.

Just let me have one peaceful day.

Thankfully, no one intruded for the rest of the day.

As night fell, it was finally time to part ways with the vampires.

We’d fought together, and it had been... an experience.

Still, I hoped we wouldn’t see each other again—not because I disliked them, but because I wanted no part of their troubles.

At least, that’s what I thought.

"There’s an intruder," Isabella reported.

"Just one this time, but they’re coming this way."

One person?

That sounded manageable, but the situation was still unsettling.

Who ventures into the forest and a cave in the dead of night without a clear purpose?

Staying hidden, I focused on the entrance, bracing for whoever—or whatever—it was.

[Lv. 72]

The number made my heart stop.

Was there something wrong with my vision?

I blinked, but the level remained the same.

‘Crap, stay calm. Maybe it’s like last time—someone who relies heavily on their weapon. If I can destroy it, I might have a chance.’

Then I saw it.

A wide-brimmed hat—the unmistakable mark of a mage.

A level 72 mage.

And here I was, a mere Death Knight.

What could I possibly do?

Nothing but die, it seemed.

I stopped the vampires from stepping in and racked my brain for a solution.

This was well beyond their ability to handle.

‘This time, I’ll settle things with words.’

Raising both hands in surrender, I stepped forward cautiously, leaving my greatsword behind to avoid any misunderstandings.

As I got closer, the figure’s face came into focus.

Something about it seemed oddly familiar.

‘Wait... Charlotte?’

The purple eyes, the traditional mage’s garb—it all lined up perfectly with the game’s depiction.

She looked younger, almost like she’d just become an adult, but there was no mistaking her.

Charlotte, the infamous Witch of Ashes.

She wasn’t just any mage.

She was a named boss—a ruthless, bloodthirsty monster who served as the gatekeeper for The Abyssal Decadence, the second-ranked dungeon in the Mugan Seven Palaces.

But something was off.

The Charlotte I remembered was well over level 80.

Was this some kind of past timeline?

Not that it mattered right now.

The important thing was finding a way to survive.

I motioned for the vampires to retreat, hoping to avoid provoking her further.

When she finally stopped a few steps away from me, her piercing gaze felt like it could cut right through me.

"Are you perha—"

"I’ll skip the introductions and get straight to the point," she interrupted.

What?

Well, that was a relief.

The Charlotte I remembered wouldn’t have hesitated to start slinging spells.

If she wanted to talk, it meant she needed something from me.

"Will you let me stay in this dungeon?"

...Excuse me?