Since he understood the gravity of the situation, aware that many guilds were beginning to make their move as a result of the Merchant Association's price hike and the appearance of Kieran's Union, Khaos made a reasonable decision.
"Let's enter the dungeon immediately. As we've discussed before, I'll allow you to take the lead for this run. All of my members have been briefed to listen to your instructions as if they were my own," Khaos said.
As Khaos was experienced in joint efforts, he understood the practicality of having one person lead everyone to minimize confusion. If too many voices spoke at once and delivered conflicting orders, it could potentially harm the run's outcome.
An insufferable pride wasn't something Khaos struggled with, so he knew how to relinquish his role as the leader with ease.
Not to mention, Kieran's current track record was far too illustrious for Khaos to not take the risk and see where it would inevitably lead him.
"Excellent," Kieran replied with a faint smile.
〈System: You have become the «Party Leader» of a large party.〉
As the name of the dungeon suggested, reaching the Mad Alchemist's Hidden Laboratory was not straightforward. However, Kieran led the party through the rocky terrain, ultimately coming to the edge of the canyon where a thin descending pathway existed.
〈System: You have entered the «Concealed Rocky Canyon».〉
There was no reward because Khaos and his members were the first to stumble across this area and attempt to clear it.
Of course, Kieran didn't complain about some meager World Fame when everything he accomplished thus far delivered an abundance of it.
Eventually, Kieran led everyone before a pair of enormous stone doors that blended with the canyon's walls. The exterior was rough and matched the gravelly texture of the canyon wall.
A second later, a screen appeared before Kieran's eyes.
┌───────────────────
«Mad Alchemist's Hidden Laboratory» - Team Dungeon
Recommended Level: 47 - 53
Recommended Party Size: 10 - 20
Maximum Party Size: 20
Available Difficulty: Easy - Hell
Do you wish to enter? [ Y / N ]?
└───────────────────
When everyone gleaned the information on the screen, they could not help but subconsciously gulp. They had attempted to run the Insane setting one time, which ended up in horrific failure, especially after recalling the enemies they faced.
Unfortunately, Insane Mode wasn't worth mentioning once Hell Mode became the topic.
For one, it was a dungeon difficulty that only appeared in dungeons with recommended levels above 50. On the other hand, Insane already appeared after Lv.20.
Unless one possessed supreme confidence or a team filled with Advanced Classes, running Hell Mode was never advised.
"Are you prepared to proceed as we discussed?" Kieran questioned.
"Claiming that I'm not on the fence regarding our decision would be a lie, but I'm honestly intrigued—how will this all play out? It's definitely something I must see for myself. In any case, when you're ready, enter," Khaos voiced.
A moment later, Kieran lifted his hand and motioned his finger in a straight line, which turned the difficulty dial from Normal to Hell. As soon as that happened, a strange skull, abyss black in color with fiery eye sockets and large horns, emitted a burst of diabolical laughter.
The diabolical laughter created an eerie atmosphere potent enough to affect most people's mental states. However, Kieran blinked with an unperturbed expression as he tapped the bottom prompt.
〈System: You have chosen the «Mad Alchemist's Hidden Laboratory»'s Hell Mode. The decision has been finalized and may not be changed.〉
〈Warning: The monsters inside the dungeon will be empowered and much stronger than all of the previous settings combined. Extreme caution is advised during the run.〉
〈Warning: Hell Mode introduces some unforeseen circumstances not present inside other difficulties. The EXP Penalty and Death Penalty have been severely increased and are unavoidable.〉
〈Warning: If a party member successfully clears the dungeon, the members afflicted by the EXP Penalty and Death Penalty face lessened consequences.〉
〈System: …Entrance into the Team Dungeon «Mad Scientist's Hidden Laboratory» has been granted.〉
Rummmmbllle!
Soon, the large doors parted, revealing a space large enough to fit a party walking in a single-file line. As the Party Leader, Kieran naturally led everyone within the dungeon with a calm gait to express his lack of fear.
Once everyone stepped past the door's threshold, the doors slammed shut, leading to a powerful tremor spreading through the area.
Several seconds later, Soulless, followed by the Seven Antumbra Agents and Vielens, appeared before the dungeon's entrance point.
"We were too late," Soulless remarked, softly clicking his tongue. 'The way they sped up… it was as if they could sense when we were gaining on them. To have such keen senses at that distance, they must possess a phenomenal scout. I wouldn't mind offering them to come to my side.'
"What do we do?" Vielens asked in response. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, dungeons in Zenith Online were instanced, so even if a second party appeared and attempted to start a run, they'd never interact with the party that preceded them.
Hence, Vielens was at a loss.
"We do what we can. Announce it to everyone that a dungeon has been found—seemingly one of high priority. I would like to see how Advent will handle the backlash of having several vultures clawing at them the moment they return."
"Venomous." Vielens gasped after hearing his words, but a moment later, he revealed a maniacal grin. "I love it!"
…
Inside the Mad Scientist's Hidden Laboratory…
"Cast Illuminate please," Kieran instructed.
Alice, along with the Elementalists that Khaos brought along, cast Illuminate in response, a basic yet super helpful skill that could create a source of light within extremely dark areas.
As the three Elementalists including Alice used Illuminate, Kieran learned that they were in an enormous stone corridor, a corridor that somewhat resembled an abandoned basement.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
All of a sudden, Kieran felt some dust and a few pebbles fall from the ceiling, prompting him to withdraw and brandish Crimson Ashrune in one swift yet fluid motion.
"Crimson Current!"
Bang!
The tide of ample vitality slammed against a large boulder that was loosened from the ceiling, offsetting its descent so that it landed a few meters away.
"You've got to be kidding me," a woman holding a longbow could not help but say. Her bangs swayed as she gawked and shook her head.
"Calm down, Sora," Khaos instructed. "You saw the warning. The environment of this dungeon is liable to become dangerous, so we must remain vigilant."
"Shine your light upward for a moment," Kieran suddenly remarked.
As they did so, Kieran learned that several boulders of identical size were embedded in the ceiling. Though he didn't need Illuminate to see this thanks to his special set of eyes, Kieran didn't wish to divulge his secrets through unsolicited actions.
'I don't have an exceptionally long amount of time on my hands, so I'll deal with them right now,' Kieran thought.
"Give me a moment," Kieran voiced. Soon after, the sanguine aura swirling around his body grew increasingly dense with every successive step he performed until it reached a state comparable to a dense mist.
At that time, another boulder fell.
BANG!
Kieran clenched his right fist and swung it up, ignoring the aftermath of his action. In response, the boulder was blown into smithereens the second it contacted his fist. Despite its size and density, Kieran felt little to no pain radiating from his hand.
'This Imprint of Might is the truth… To think my body would become this ferocious with its help. No wonder it was considered to be a Legendary Item,' Kieran thought.
Without stopping his momentum, Kieran slashed out Crimson Ashrune once more.
"Blood Wave!"
Whoosh!
A dense arc of forceful blood energy sped through the air, cleaving two boulders in half. When they reached the ground, everything shook, leading to Bastion and Nemean's gaze gushing with excitement.
'The boss has become a damned monster!'
This was the universal thought in Bastion and Nemean's minds. It was only natural that during his absence, Kieran was far from inactive.
"It's as the boss told us once before. Increasing our level isn't the only way to grow stronger. Look how adept he's become at wielding his basic skills, something we've already seen countless times before," Nemean voiced.
"Yeah. I think the boss has refined what he possesses, which isn't far from what we accomplished."
All of a sudden, a billowing light blue aura spilled off Bastion's body and coalesced in the form of a majestic-looking shield. With that, he didn't hesitate to run forward.
Naturally, Kieran could sense Bastion's incoming presence, but he didn't stop him. After all, Kieran had become quite curious of Bastion's current abilities now that he was Lv.50.
Fwoosh!
Bastion rushed past Kieran with a gust of wind.
"Indomitable Shield: Immovable Pillar!"
The shield against Bastion's arm blazed with a blinding blue light as he raised it above his head and drove it into the final boulder.
Despite its frightening size, Bastion's Health loss was minimal as the boulder was stopped in its tracks and was tossed aside with the help of a strange pillar-like reinforcement.
'As I suspected, he has gained some incredible Damage Reduction.'
Meanwhile, Khaos was at a loss for words. 'What type of tank is that? Also, what skill did he use? I suspected Aatrox possessed a Hidden Class, but it would seem like he isn't the only one on his team with frightening abilities.'
"What do ya think, boss? Not too bad, eh?" Bastion remarked with a cheeky grin.
Kieran responded with a light chuckle. "Not bad at all. But are you prepared for what's to come? We have officially entered our first Hell Mode. That might not seem very ominous to you, but it should."
Rather than cower, Bastion shook his head. "I made a vow during my Class Change. It was a vow to myself for the sake of our longevity. In that vow, I decided that I would stand firm and exhibit the potential that you said you see in me."
Listening to his words, Kieran gained a newfound respect for Bastion, which pierced deeper than him being a simple friend.
