Chapter 325: Inside the dungeon Ethan gazed at the man hovering in the air. He radiated the presence of a Tier 12 existence. "That must be an SSS+ hunter, probably the strongest hunter in the world," Ethan thought to himself. The man placed a hand behind his back and looked at everyone with a calm, piercing gaze. "We have no other choice but to send you, the younger generation, into the dungeon. The last inverse dungeon was only half this size, yet when it transformed it caused a cataclysm in this world. This time, if you cannot clear the dungeon within twelve hours, the results could be even worse. You must succeed. If you manage to clear it, each of you will receive a personal AI," he said, his voice steady. "We will clear the dungeon, Sir. Please do not worry. The empire and our families have invested too many resources in us. Failing a C-rank dungeon would be a disgrace," a handsome young man said confidently. He had become a C-rank hunter in just two years after awakening, so he had the capital to say this. President Xavier nodded at the boy with a smile. "The Windsors have raised you well," he said. Immediately, everyone from the Windsor family felt their chests swell with pride. They were extremely proud and excited. The other families, however, were less pleased. "What a cunning bastard," someone muttered. "Alright then. Do not waste any more time. Enter and take care of each other," Xavier ordered. Everyone saluted their guardians and entered the dungeon one by one. "Lackey, stay by my side. Do not go any further," Rose said as she entered, followed by Ethan, Alex, and the rest of their family. A total of one hundred members from six top-tier families of the city entered the dungeon today. Ethan looked around. The dungeon appeared to be a massive world of its own, blanketed in snow. "Everyone be careful. This place is not suitable for our fighting styles. We should plan first," said the young man from the Windsor family. "Who made you the leader, William? I do not remember voting for you," one of the boys from the Silvera family said coldly. He was from Elindros’s family and also a C-rank hunter. "Edward, this is not the time for childish arguments. Come here," William scolded him. "Do not order me around. I can clear a C-rank dungeon alone. I do not know why the President asked all the families to participate," Edward said, his eyes turning to Ethan. "Kid, be careful in the dungeon. The monsters can be very dangerous. You should hide behind that girl and never come out if you can." Rose’s anger flared instantly. Someone was threatening her lackey in front of her, and she could not allow it. Before she could react, Ethan’s voice cut through. "You are right, brother. I really should hide. But you have a powerful gift that makes even monsters afraid to approach you because of your extreme ugliness. Even the monsters would think twice before attacking you. I am envious of your freedom here." The dungeon went silent at Ethan’s words. Edward was feeling pleased by Ethan’s first half words, but the later made him puke blood instantly. "Bastard, I’ll kill you." he roared. "Hahahahaha, brother Ethan, you are something else," Alex said, bursting into laughter. Soon, everyone joined him, including Rose, who laughed and slapped Ethan on the shoulder. "Hahaha, that is my lackey," she said, feeling extremely satisfied. Their laughter was interrupted suddenly when a huge circle lit up under their feet. "This is not good. It is a teleportation circle. Get out!" William shouted, but it was too late. Everyone was teleported instantly. "Ethan, be careful," Rose called out before she disappeared. Ethan did not stop. He wanted to see where the teleportation had taken everyone. He had already marked everyone, so he could track them and even teleport near them if needed. The younger generation needed battle to grow. He walked slowly as his system spoke. [Master, something is wrong in this dungeon. Their origin is not from this dimension or any individual dimension. They are from the origin dimension.] "Origin dimension? Can you find out who is behind this?" Ethan asked. [I am sorry, master. I cannot extract any information from the origin dimension. Something must have occurred there. I can tell you only this: the being is trying to descend into this dimension through the dungeon.] "I see. I need to break through quickly to the fourth axis. Is there a method to do it faster? One year is too long for me." "There is a method, master, but it will be extremely painful." "I am not afraid of pain. How long would it take if I use it?" [You can break through in five days. But I suggest waiting twenty-five more days. By then, your power will reach the level of a fourth-dimensional being. Then you should attempt this method.] "In that case, I should go to the third dimension, bring everyone back, and then break through in this super dimension. The problem is Rose will age two hundred years by then. What if she marries someone else? I must take her with me." [Yes, master. Or you can place her outside this world. Time only accelerates in this universe. Other universes proceed normally.] Ethan nodded and closed his eyes to locate everyone. The one hundred members had scattered to one hundred different locations, but all were still inside the dungeon. ..... Rose opened her eyes slowly. She immediately became anxious when she realized Ethan was not by her side. "Can that stupid boy survive alone? What if he dies?" A teardrop fell as she imagined the worst, she didn’t know why though. "He has at least the Pandora suit and my blade with him. I hope he survives," she thought. But suddenly she noticed the blade at her waist. "How? When did he put it here?" Shock and worry surged through her. Rose ran frantically forward to find Ethan but stumbled upon a maimed body twenty kilometres away . Blood stained the white snow. Body parts were scattered everywhere. She fell to the ground, nauseated. Only an hour had passed since the separation, and someone was already dead here. The Pandora suits had tracking devices. If they were within five hundred kilometers, she could locate him. Ethan’s signal was absent, meaning he was outside the range. Suddenly, a light appeared and she vanished. When she opened her eyes, everyone was in a room. "Welcome to my humble abode. Too many guests have entered, but I have room for only fifty. I had to kill the rest. I hope you forgive me," an alluring voice said. Rose’s eyes widened. "Only fifty alive?" Her mind seemed to snap. She looked at everyone, praying silently for their safety. Then she sensed another Pandora suit fifty meters away. Ethan was there. She sighed in relief, realizing everyone from their families was alive. Ethan had concealed them from the monsters, ensuring no attacks even after separation. He did it when he realised something was wrong in this dungeon. When her fears subsided, she looked around. Thousands of monsters were surrounding them, all more powerful than anyone there. On a throne sat an extremely beautiful, pure-looking woman. "Guests, why are you so quiet? Am I not beautiful enough? Look, my babies are eager to hear you speak. How can you be so cruel to them?" she said in a playful tone. Rose and the others were pale with despair. Even Edward, usually haughty, looked as white as a piece of paper. "We are finished. We are finished," they were muttering like a chant. Ethan observed the woman. She was a Tier 12 existence, even stronger than the president outside. "This dungeon was never meant to be cleared," he sighed. He would have to take action now.