Cave of Shura
To the north of the town of Axel, there was a nondescript cave.
Adventurers, driven by the creed "where there are caves, there is treasure," rushed in and discovered a dungeon that descended endlessly into the earth, known as the "Cave of Shura."
Only four people could enter at once, and no one else could enter until those inside either perished or escaped. Initially, one only encountered low-level monsters, but as they progressed deeper, the enemies became increasingly formidable. The monsters appearing at the deepest levels were particularly powerful, including specially designated ones.
The most notable feature of this dungeon was that the monsters were inexhaustible. After a certain time, the monsters in cleared levels would respawn.
Adventurers, especially those who were beginners but had high stats from the start, wielded powerful weapons, or used unique skills, mainly black-haired or brown-haired adventurers, saw this as a prime opportunity and flocked to the Cave of Shura, all exclaiming, "The experience points are amazing."
These adventurers, capable of defeating trivial monsters with a single blow, likely expected to return significantly leveled up.
However, the first adventurers to return after clearing the Cave of Shura were enraged.
Those who had entered angrily shouted that they had been deceived and refused to enter the Cave of Shura again. The same happened with those who followed.
Nearly ten years passed without anyone attempting to explore the deepest parts of the cave—until one rogue, in secret, aimed to reach the deepest level.
*****
"Alright," a lone girl murmured as she carefully descended a high cliff using a rope. She landed softly at the bottom, springing to her feet.
She had silver hair, translucent white skin, and a scar on her right cheek, likely from a battle with a monster. Her upper body was clad in a black inner garment that only covered her chest, complemented by a green cape and a light blue scarf. Her lower half was dressed in short leggings and hot pants, a highly revealing outfit.
Her name was Chris, an adventurer living in Axel. Her class was 'Thief,' a class proficient in stealth. She was methodically exploring the cave's depths in search of treasure.
"I hope this is the final stretch..." Chris muttered to herself, weary from the long journey. Despite her fatigue, she had no intention of turning back. Resolute, she pressed onward.
Chris was highly skilled and a seasoned adventurer in Axel. However, she had not yet reached the recommended level to explore the lower levels of the Cave of Shura. Her survival so far was largely thanks to her thief skill 'Lurk.'
'Lurk' allowed her to erase her presence, avoiding nearly all monster encounters. Consequently, she still had ample stamina and energy.
But there was another factor she suspected contributed to her survival.
"More dead monsters... Is there someone else here?"
All the monsters ahead of her path had already been slain.
Not wanting to risk exhausting herself, she had used a 'special method' to leave the dungeon for a few days and had just returned to resume her exploration. Since then, she hadn't encountered any monsters. Those she did find were already lying lifeless.
The corpses bore signs of blunt force trauma and stab wounds from sharp blades. Whether it was a monster or another adventurer, someone ahead of her was systematically clearing out the monsters.
"Thanks to them, this exploration has been easier... But who could it be?"
Holding a torch, Chris proceeded cautiously through the dark cave, no longer using 'Lurk,' but still, no enemies attacked.
She wondered if she might finally reach the deepest level and retrieve the treasure today, thanks to this mysterious benefactor. Her heart swelled with anticipation, though she remained vigilant.
And then, it happened.
"GROOOOAAARR!"
"Ah!"
A sudden, deafening roar shook the ground violently. Chris lost her balance and fell. Looking up, she saw a brilliant light emanating from the previously pitch-black path ahead.
What could be ahead? Fear mingled with curiosity as she rose to her feet. She activated 'Lurk' and cautiously proceeded, feeling along the wall.
The light grew stronger as she advanced. She extinguished her torch and squinted against the brightness, continuing onward until she emerged into a vast, circular cavern.
From her position, there was no path forward. Instead, there was a cliff with a drop of tens of meters to the ground below. It looked like a place where a dungeon boss might reside.
And indeed, that was exactly the case. There, before her, was the creature responsible for the earlier roar.
A massive monster, over 20 meters in length, with menacing horns, azure scales, and pure white wings, glowing with a divine blue-white light, a 'Lightning Dragon,' one of the specially designated monsters.
Its overwhelming presence could be felt even from a distance, a power so immense it could annihilate anyone who stood against it. Any adventurer without significant strength and experience would be paralyzed with fear at the sight of it.
However, that was not what surprised Chris the most.
"No way! A solo adventurer?"
In front of her, battling the dragon alone, was a silver-haired man in a blue coat, armed with glowing white gauntlets and greaves, an adventurer she had never seen before.
He must have been the one clearing the monsters ahead of her, reaching the deepest level first and now fighting the specially designated monster.
'Who is he...?'
Most would call anyone challenging such a monster alone suicidal. They would say he would be instantly killed.
But she watched quietly, observing the battle between the man and the dragon.
*****
"GYUOOO!"
"Hmph!"
The dragon's roar was so powerful it seemed to shake the air itself, casting numerous blue-white lights upon the ground. In the next instant, a thunderous crack of lightning struck those spots. The silver-haired man in the blue coat, Vergil, nimbly evaded the assault.
Distracted by the relentless barrage of lightning, the dragon flapped its wings twice before lunging at Vergil, its mouth open, fangs bared to crush him.
"Hah!"
But Vergil was not one to be taken so easily. As the dragon closed in, he launched a right roundhouse kick with Beowulf, striking the dragon's face. The beast was sent hurtling to Vergil's left from the powerful counterattack. Seizing the moment, Vergil summoned his 'Phantom Swords,' which hovered around him, pointing at the dragon. With a swift kicked off the ground, Vergil lunged towards the beast.
The phantom swords shot at the dragon, but all were shattered by the creature's lightning. Vergil, attempting another assault with Beowulf, was met with a fierce response.
"GUOOO!"
"Urgh...!"
The dragon roared again, releasing a sphere of light from its body that both protected and attacked. Vergil barely managed to guard against it but was still blown back.
Recovering mid-air, Vergil landed gracefully, only to face the dragon's relentless pursuit.
Suddenly, the ground within a radius of 10 meters from Vergil's position began to glow, a light enveloped in lightning swallowed him.
No matter how strong the monster, or how many attackers, the humans who had appeared before were all buried by this technique. The dragon, confident in its victory, did not press the attack further and waited for the light to fade.
However, what emerged from the light was not a charred corpse.
"Looks like this'll be fun"
Standing there, unscathed and smiling, was Vergil.
The dragon, sensing something different from any human or monster it had faced before, roared once more, perhaps in fear, or perhaps in exhilaration at finding a worthy opponent.
After leaving the blacksmith, Vergil took on a cave exploration quest at the adventurers' guild. Entering the Cave of Shura without hesitation, he carried only a pickaxe on his back, without any weapons or armor. To other adventurers, he must have looked like a suicidal maniac.
Ignoring the mining task, Vergil blitzed through the Cave of Shura. Low-level monsters fell in an instant, and even high-level ones were dispatched with ease. Finally, he reached the deepest level.
'To think I'd encounter such a mythical creature.'
Before him stood a dragon, a creature of legend even in his own world. The unexpected encounter thrilled Vergil.
The dragon's power was immense, setting it apart from the other monsters in the cave. It might even rival the high-ranking demons from his world.
Thus, Vergil wanted to test himself against it. As he dodged lightning and launched phantom swords, he carefully considered his strategy.
The dragon had been alternating between aerial bombardments and direct charges. After being countered with a kick, it now kept its distance, attacking only with lightning. Vergil retaliated with phantom swords, but they were destroyed before reaching the dragon.
'I could close in easily with a katana or a sword, but all I have now is Beowulf. The phantom swords can't reach it... hmm.'
Vergil pondered his next move. How to attack and defeat the dragon with his current arsenal. As he fought, an idea formed in his mind.
'If he can do it, then there's no reason I can't.'
This was something he had considered while using Beowulf in the Cave of Shura. Though it would be his first attempt, it was worth trying. Resolute, Vergil fixed his gaze on the dragon, which continued to unleash lightning from above.
*****
After awhile, It stopped firing lightning and began gathering its magical power within its mouth. Sensing something was coming, the opposing man halted his attacks and observed the situation.
After amassing an enormous amount of magical power, the dragon fired a super-compressed lightning bullet at the ground, not directly aiming at the man. The bullet flew at tremendous speed and struck the ground.
In an instant, the ground was enveloped in a bluish-white light. The dragon's super-wide-range technique aimed to annihilate anything standing on the ground in one blow. Anyone with their feet on the ground would be hit by the lightning and charred to ashes.
However, the man reacted swiftly, propelling himself skyward to evade the imminent danger. Suspended in mid-air, he drew back his right hand, a glimmer of light emanating from it.
"Hmph!"
As he thrust his right hand forward, a bullet of light, matching the speed of the previous lightning bullet, shot out. The dragon, caught off guard, couldn't evade it, taking the hit squarely to its face. However, it wasn't a significant injury. The dragon shook its head and opened its eyes to check the front.
However, in the midst of its assessment, a sudden piercing sound interrupted the dragon's thoughts.
"──!? Gyuaaaaaa!?"
Simultaneously, the dragon felt a searing pain as something pierced its left eye. What had struck it was a golden mining tool.
Vergil had used Beowulf's light bullet to blind the dragon and then hurled a pickaxe at it. The pickaxe spun like a boomerang, precisely targeting and stabbing the dragon's left eye. By the time the dragon saw it coming, the pickaxe's tip was already upon it, making evasion impossible.
Even for a dragon, an attack on the eye was a severe blow.
"GROOOOAAARR!"
"Haa!"
Seeing the dragon flinch, Vergil used "Trick Up" to move to a higher position than the dragon and unleashed a "Starfall Kick." The dragon, distracted by the damage to its eye, couldn't evade and took a hit to the face. But it wasn't over yet. As Vergil landed the kick, he stomped on the dragon's head to launch himself up again, delivering another "Starfall Kick." Over and over, he mercilessly showered the dragon with consecutive Starfall Kicks using "Enemy Step."
After landing several kicks, Vergil extracted the pickaxe embedded in the dragon's eye.
"Take this!"
With a swift spin, Vergil unleashed the devastating 'Lunar Phase Kick' mid-air, a technique known for its forceful heel drop. As his foot connected with the dragon's head, the dragon's body was slammed into the ground, causing the entire cavern to shake violently. Landing gracefully before the stunned dragon, Vergil's mastery of this technique left his opponent reeling, desperately seeking escape.
"Don't move."
But Vergil was one step ahead, summoning phantom swords to pin the dragon to the ground. Immobilized and bewildered, the dragon watched as Vergil drew back his left hand, gathering magical power.
"Hmph!"
The instant Vergil's left gauntlet glowed, he struck with a powerful punch. The force was so great that the cavern shook once more. But it wasn't over yet.
"Haa!"
He followed up with an equally powerful right straight punch and a flowing two-stage kick. Each of his strikes made the cavern tremble.
As his relentless assault ended, the phantom swords binding the dragon shattered. Despite the powerful barrage, the dragon still had some strength left and tried to fly away again, but it was too late. Once more, Phantom Swords rained down on the dragon, pinning it to the spot.
Beside it, Vergil lowered his stance, channeling immense magical power into his right fist.
"Vanish!"
In a flash, Vergil unleashed two consecutive uppercuts with his move, the 'Dragon Breaker.' Beowulf's charged attacks, capable of downing lesser demons in one hit and even high-ranking ones in a few, struck the dragon's face. The phantom swords embedded in its body shattered, and the dragon collapsed weakly.
Barely alive, it no longer had the strength to stand. In its fading consciousness, the dragon looked up at Vergil with its remaining right eye. Vergil dismissed Beowulf and summoned a phantom sword, holding it in his left hand.
"This shall be your grave."
He plunged the sword deep into the dragon's right eye, extinguishing the faint light of its remaining life.
*****
With the battle against the dragon over, Vergil took a breath. He had entered the Cave of Shura upon hearing rumors of a strong monster. Though the journey had been underwhelming with few formidable foes, the final dragon was different. He felt a slight sense of satisfaction from fighting a worthy opponent after so long.
The charged attacks with Beowulf he tried this time were inspired by his brother Dante's fighting style. The projectile light bullet was the same. The restraining technique "Heavey Rain Blades" was something he devised based on his experience as Nelo Angelo.
Successfully creating new techniques, Vergil realized that his skills still had room for growth. Feeling that he could still pursue greater power, he smiled to himself.
'I'm not pleased with mimicking his actions though...'
"You're amazing! Taking down a dragon all by yourself!"
"...!"
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone