The moment Ciel stepped into his Realm, the serene grasslands trembled. The Dire Wolf King, a towering beast of rippling muscle and dark gray fur, stood at the edge of the World Tree’s glow. Its golden eyes locked onto him, radiating feral dominance. A low growl rolled through the plains like distant thunder.

  Ciel’s expression was calm, his posture steady. “So, you’re the Wolf King,” he muttered, his voice quiet but sharp as steel. “Your end is here.”

  The Wolf King roared, its howl shaking the very air. The pressure it emitted was suffocating, but within the Realm, Ciel’s will reigned supreme.

  [talent: King of the Realm Activated]

  [All Stats x5 within Realm]

  A surge of power exploded through him, his mana veins thrumming with violent energy. His body felt lighter, faster, stronger—as if every cell had awakened. The Wolf King lunged forward, claws glinting like blades, but Ciel didn’t flinch. With a flick of his wrist, a brilliant mana-forged sword manifested, sharper and denser than anything he had crafted before.

  [Basic Skill – Domain (Lv. 9) Activated]

  A powerful aura burst outward, the grass around him rippling under the oppressive field. The Wolf King’s movements slowed slightly, its strength suppressed by Ciel’s overwhelming presence.

  “Too slow,” Ciel said coldly.

  The Wolf King slashed, but Ciel blurred. Shift flashed him fifteen meters to the side, leaving only afterimages in his wake. He struck. His mana sword carved a deep line into the monster’s flank, mana sparking off its hide. The beast howled in pain, blood splattering across the grasslands.

  The fight escalated. The Wolf King charged again, jaws wide, aiming to crush Ciel with a single bite. Ciel created a spear mid-air, spinning it before hurling it with terrifying speed. It pierced the beast’s shoulder, pinning it momentarily to the ground.

  The king thrashed violently, tearing the spear apart. Ciel’s eyes narrowed. “Let’s end this.”

  He conjured multiple mana weapons—twin blades in each hand, a floating chain spinning around him like a serpent. Each strike was precise, relentless. The Wolf King, for all its raw strength, was outmatched both in terms of technique and stats. Ciel was a storm of blades, every movement fueled by twelve days of refined training and the determination to protect his friends.

  The final blow came when he poured his entire mana reserve into a single, massive sword, easily twice his height containing more than 5000 MP, It seemed like it can slash down mountains and split the world. He charged forward, using Shift to blink directly above the Wolf King, and brought the weapon down in a flash of blue light.

  The ground split beneath the impact.

  The Wolf King gave a guttural roar before dissolving into pure mana, its form disintegrating into countless shimmering particles.

  [Dungeon Boss Defeated: Dire Wolf King (Lv. 10)]

  [Experience shared within the party.]

  [Ciel Nova – Level Up: 2 → 3]

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  [Skill Mana Craft advanced to Lv. 9.]

  A faint glow surrounded him as the System chimed again:

  [+5 Free Stat Points Acquired.]

  Ciel stared at his hands, flexing them slowly. His power was still far from its peak, but this battle had proven one thing—he was a force to be reckoned with.

  He decided he will decide later how to allocate his stats now that he had 10 stats waiting for allocation.

  He exited the Realm, materializing back in the dungeon clearing. Sora and Veldora blinked at his sudden appearance, their eyes darting around for the boss.

  “Is it… over?” Sora asked cautiously.

  Ciel nodded. “Yes, boss is cleared.”

  Veldora jumped in, “Dude what kind of monster are you, you took down the boss solo in hard mode which can tear apart a newbie team easily.”

  The Gaia System’s voice resonated through the air:

  [Dungeon Cleared – Forest of the Wolf King (Hard Mode).]

  [Clear Time: 1 hour 37 minutes 43 seconds.]

  [Previous Record: 1 hour 56 minutes 21 seconds.]

  [Clear Rank: C.]

  [Bonus Achieved – New Record.]

  [Final Rank: B.]

  A brilliant chest silver in color radiating bright light appeared before them, opening to reveal the rewards.

  [Base Reward: 10 Light Green Mana Stones.]

  [Additional Reward: Extra Skill Book – Iron Skin.]

  [Skill Book – Iron Skin]

  [skill Rank – Extra]

  [Effect – Increases Defense by 60% for 10 seconds]

  [Cooldown – 5 minutes]

  [Activation cost – 50MP]

  Veldora’s eyes widened. Sora jumped in “Iron Skin? That’s perfect for you veldora!”

  Ciel smiled faintly. “It suits a knight like you. Take it.”

  Veldora hesitated, "you sure, this is a extra skill book it could easily sell for more than 5000 mana stones and I didn't even contribute much in the dungeon, I am not worthy of it."

  "Who says you are unworthy and what does 5000 mana stone even mean if it makes you tough enough that what happened today does not happen again." Ciel answered genuinely.

  Veldora clenched the skill book, nodding with determination. “Thanks, brother With this i will become the best tank.”

  As the three of them exited the dungeon, the fresh sunlight bathed their faces. The murmurs of the onlookers outside had turned into excited cheers. The news of their record-breaking clear time spread like wildfire among the crowd.

  Kael Rovan, the Dawn Guild guide was laughing, He clapped them on the shoulders. “I can’t remember the last time I saw rookies clear Hard Mode this fast—let alone break the record! You three did a good job, Congratulations you made a new record on your very first dungeon.”

  Veldora grinned, holding the skill book tightly, while Sora let out a small laugh, still flushed with the thrill of battle. Ciel, however, was silent, his gaze calm but sharp, as if already looking toward the next challenge.

  "Dawn guild will be looking forward to your performance in future dungeons, good luck in your journey."

  Ciel replied. "Thank you, I hope we can fulfill your expectations."

  He then walked towards his family, Eve Nova and Arthur Nova were standing in a corner, their faces lighting up with pride the moment they saw Ciel exit the dungeon.

  “You did well,” Arthur said, clapping his son on the shoulder with a proud smile. “Your first dungeon, and you’ve already set a record. That’s not something many can boast about.”

  Eve stepped forward, gently brushing some stray dirt from Ciel’s sleeve. “I knew you’d do great, Ciel. But this… this is beyond even my expectations. We’re proud of you, But always remember we are proud of you no matter what no need to push yourself too much promise me.”

  Before Ciel could respond, Eren popped up from behind them, grinning ear to ear. “Whoa, big brother, breaking records already? Guess I’ll have to train harder just to keep up with the ‘Dungeon Crusher’!”

  Ciel rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide the faint smile tugging at his lips. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Eren. This is just the start.”

  Arthur’s expression turned serious for a moment. “Remember, Ciel—power is important, but so is caution. Dungeons are dangerous, no matter how strong you think you are.”

  Ciel nodded. “I know, Dad. I won’t let my guard down.”

  That night, as Ciel stood alone on the balcony, watching the stars, he clenched his fists slightly. The path ahead was long, but the fire inside him burned brighter than ever.

  “This was the beginning of the legend of the strongest awakener—Sovereign of Realm.”