Chapter 603

I keep walking forward, pretending not to notice a thing.

The elevator door behind us closes, and I start to show more interest in the massive cave-like room we're in, while moving toward the back of it, over 100 meters away.

The golden tendrils emanating from the Director's back begin to reinforce themselves with countless threads of yellow divine energy as I raise a question.

"So this is where your Labyrinth is... and you say it's where you and all the A-Class hunters have managed to grow in power?"

The Director follows right behind me, emitting a growing pressure in the air that would easily knock out a normal ranked-up hunter by now, while he replies.

"Yes, yes it is. This is where you'll find monsters above level 1000 to train with. There's no dungeon within the whole 8 great Regions with monsters stronger than we have here. The association keeps them on lockdown so no dangerous individuals can reach the rank of A-Class on their own. This 20th floor may look like a natural cave, but it has been reinforced by the higher-ups in the central branch of the Association as well. Even if this entire labyrinth had a violent break right now, no monsters could make it to the surface."

I do some quick calculations, assuming the Director trained inside this Labyrinth to grow his level above 9000; whatever mana-dense black material that reinforces these cave walls must be considered S-Grade Shielding. I grin beneath my concealment barrier as I continue to walk forward, and the pressure coming off the Director grows so dense that most double-ranked-up hunters would fall to their knees.

A wave of golden light creeps up behind me as the Director continues to speak.

"So... what's it going to be? Will you sign the counter-contract I've provided you and make this process go over easy? Or are we going to have to do this the hard way?"

More and more threads flood from his core as the Director channels all of his soul energy into thick tendrils of golden light curving up over his head and down toward me, poised to make a move.

The pressure in the room reaches levels that should make even a normal level 2000 hunter become lightheaded, but I don't bat an eye.

I just stare down at the new contract the Director sent me on the blue crystal device and shake my head.

"These terms still don't suit me. I guess we will have to do this the hard way."

I let out a sigh and place the blue cube into my item box while coming to a halt in the center of the dark room.

The only light sources are the golden glow from the Director behind me and the bright green light from the Labyrinth portal in front of me.

As the pressure increases even more, becoming equivalent to the yellow-cored lizards I faced inside the construct, it's clear that no hunter without divine energy should still be standing.

The Director realizes something is not right... His voice echoes through the room.

"What is the meaning of this? Are you a Divine Core Holder? Have you tried to deceive me? The Sun God..."

At his words, I turn to face him with a sharp look in my eyes, showing that his small display of power doesn't affect me at all.

He does what any wild beast caught off guard would do and stops holding back. The Director of the Apex Region fully accepts that there is an opponent worth releasing his full power against all at once.

An aura of fear and anger ripples out from the Director, but it is still layered with underlying confidence in his abilities from his decades of battle experience.

The golden tendrils that erupt from him lunge forward, all aimed straight for my heart while more and more yellow threads of divine energy flow out of his core.

Mr. Freeman yells out while the pressure in the room reaches heights beyond any enemy I've ever faced before.

"Ray—No—That is merely a facade... Whoever you are, it doesn't matter. You will submit to my undeniable power. You will not deceive me and continue to walk free in this world."

The entire dome-shaped room lights up with yellow divine energy, and my eyes track each of the yellow-gold tendrils of energy that rocket my way.

It is truly an impressive sight to see and feel.

The gravity in this room increases by over 100 times, and the concentrated power in all of the soul energy attacks rocketing my way are strong enough to decimate entire urban cities if they were aimed at a target outside of this room.

I've never felt such pent-up rage, concentrated power, and pure selfish conviction from an enemy at any other time in my life. It feels like the Director is using his near century of battle experience and concentrating it all on a single barrage of attacks without holding back.

Just days ago, if this power was pushed upon me, I'd have no other instinct than to run away, not looking back at all.

However, it feels like an orb of heat is bursting out of my chest with excitement and anticipation.

I stare the Director in the eyes while deactivating my concealment skill and divine limiter.

A bright wave of yellow and white light bursts from my eyes and chest while I pull two blades out from my item storage.

The Flame Emperor's Sword erupts into flames, held tight in my right hand, while the Dark Emperor's Blade permeates a black aura, gripped in my left.

Silky smooth bright yellow divine energy flows from my core in such a dense state it looks like liquid as it tethers itself deep into both of my blood-bonded weapons.

My full body erupts into Dark Red Soul Energy, and it too becomes intertwined with my new bright yellow Divine Power.

The shockwave from my reveal makes the entire underground cave shake, and the countless tendrils of golden energy piercing through the air coming my way are all shattered into dust and devoured by my aura the moment they come in contact.

The pressure in the room increases multiple times over, but instead of pressing down on me, I concentrate it back on the Director who was so confident just fractions of a second ago.

The blast sends him flying backward instantly, slamming against the side wall of the underground cave, and I keep constant pressure pushing him up against the wall as I twirl my swords in the air and slowly walk toward him, looking like a flaming demonic entity.

"Is this really what you wanted? You've forced my hand. I was considering becoming a member of the association again to keep an eye on you all while maintaining my disguise. If you had just accepted my offer of making me a Regional Director, none of this would have had to happen."

My slow footsteps echo through the brightly lit cave as I walk closer.

The Director's [Master of Illusions] buff wears off from the immense pressure I'm pushing on him, and the tall mysterious man with vibrant golden eyes disappears to reveal his true form as bright as day.

An old, sickly man with deteriorating flesh is pressed up against the black mana-shielded wall. His overinflated core still spins, cycling the decades' worth of yellow divine energy within it; and his eyes are still stern, focused on me despite his troubled state.

He whispers out a reply.

"H-How—A True Core—No...why? Are you from the Central Branch? What have I done wrong...?"

He grits his teeth while his flesh continues to fade away, and I reply while walking closer and closer, shaking my head.

"What have you done wrong? Many things. A man like you has sat atop this world for decades. I'm surprised you haven't learned your lesson until now. A man that tries to build a kingdom only through fear and being undeniably stronger than his subordinates is destined to fail when a ruler stronger than him challenges the throne."

With every step I take toward him, my aura gets closer and denser, speeding up his body's decay as it can't handle the pure silky threads that constantly circulate through me and out into the atmosphere.

I'm not even in my greater form, and none of my buffs or skills are even activated. I'm completely overpowering this yellow-cored being with my presence alone.

I stop about 10 meters away so he can still hear me, and so I don't obliterate him out of existence by accident. He's the one that musters a long-winded reply to my words, muttering to himself and coughing between words as his organs begin to dissolve under the pressure of my aura.

"You must be from Central—a young, naive one they managed to awaken and sent over to replace me—that's it... isn't it? A shame... This was all for the greater good. So what if I used my power to keep everyone in line? That's what you all do anyways, a bunch of hypocrites you are. So much for preserving honor among the Council. Rule number three was to never kill or order a hit on any of the 10 Powerhouse Nation's Leaders... This is because of my failed mission into the Dark Continent, isn't it? This is the exception to the rule? Is this a private attack or a unanimous decision from the other 9? This is all that Flame Emperor's fault... I had a plan to take him out, I really did!"

A wave of anger and disgust washes out of him as I try to make sense of his words.

The Director still doesn't know who I am. He believes I'm a plant from another nation. He's spewing words about a Council of leaders, and other true cores, but it's clear he doesn't have much time left.

I let out a sigh and shake my head.

"The greater good? How can you call your reign of tyranny all for the greater good when you're not doing good every step along the way? Some citizens in the 8 Great Regions may have a better life because of you, sure, but what about all of the men and women exiled to the Dark Continent? What about the countless hunters silenced and killed by higher-ups' orders when they grow too fast for your liking? What about the talented hunters you force to wear your golden collars and bend their minds to not even understand their own thoughts inside their heads? What about draining the lifeforce from countless healers just to preserve your own? This is what you call building a kingdom for the greater good?"

My aura grows in density as I let my Soul Energy flames grow larger and larger, flickering and raising the room temperature by hundreds of degrees every second that passes.

"And no, I'm not from the Central Branch. I'm The Flame Emperor. So yes, technically I am still the one that has ruined all your plans. You may believe I am evil, and that's okay. My enemies may hate me for various reasons, but your kingdom is better off in the hands of a leader like myself who has followers that not only benefit from serving me, but choose to fight by my side with their own free will."

I grow into my greater form as I feel the Director's will and unbreakable confidence finally begin to dissolve at the same rate as the rest of his flesh.

The golden eyes that stared down at every single citizen in the 8 Great Regions finally realize that his decades of reign have come to an end. He is unable to even pry himself off the wall, and there is no one capable of saving him.

The manifestation of my greater form holding two impossibly large swords towers over him. One erupts with flames so bright, the room is completely enveloped in its light, and the other is so dark and ominous as it drains the thick air of all of the remaining mana that leaks out from the Labyrinth and S-Grade shielding.

I let a final wave of telepathy rush into the depths of this man's fading psyche.

"I win, and it was nowhere near the challenge I was seeking. For a self proclaimed god, you were quite a disappointing fight..."

Then, I thrust both of my greater form's swords into his chest and pierce right through his divine core, shattering it into pieces, and plunging both blades deep into the black wall behind him.

There's an eruption of mana from the S-Grade shielding breaking apart and a rush of energy streaming into myself as the Director's body explodes into pieces with his core. I hear hundreds of notifications go off in my inner ear and feel all of the yellow divine threads from the Director's shattered core seep out of his scattered remains. The yellow energy flows through by aura and is channeled into both of my swords, down my arms, and right into my own true core, capturing 100% of his divine power without missing a single thread.

Power surges through me as the entire room shakes and ripples with energy, and I feel my own abilities grow by an extremely noticeable amount in mere fractions of a second.

The notifications keep ringing over and over in my mind.

[Level Up] x1159

[Use Absorption]

Stat: Mental Strength

Points: 3955

[YES][NO]

[Use Absorption]

MCP: 10,394,789,834,001

[YES][NO]

[Use Absorption]

Skill: Combat Magic [Superior Light Summoning]

[YES][NO]

[Use Absorption]

Buff: Master of Illusion [Hidden Ability]

[YES][NO]

I choose [YES] to every notification, then pull both blades out of the wall and let the remains of the Director fall onto the ground.

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Post Chapter Status Update:

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[Status Open]

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Name: Jay Soju

Level: 4246

Hp: 21235/21235

Mp: 21235/21235

Strength: 19011 [+61025] [+85740] [+92013] [+77565] [+61025] [+142963] [+117108 ] [+92203] [+172050] [+9506] [+19011] [+87831] [+47528] [+47528] [+76044]

Total Strength: 1,208,151

Speed: 15339 [+52153] [+46170] [+87279] [+62737] [+52459] [+90653] [+76542 ] [+108447] [+61970] [+103078] [+7670] [+15339] [+83751] [+38348] [+38348] [+61356]

Total Speed: 1,001,639

Agility: 15453 [+52231] [+50068] [+79892] [+63666] [+50222] [+90400] [+78038] [+127333] [+63666] [+92563] [+7727] [+15453] [+74947] [+38633] [+61812]

Total Agility: 962,104

Defense: 12142 [+35819] [+59253] [+46868] [+45775] [+39219] [+61196] [+84265] [+60467] [+71638] [+6071] [+12142] [+55732] [+48568]

Total Defense: 639,155

Mental Strength: 22864 [+93285] [+90313] [+91456] [+89170] [+88026] [+146558] [+132383] [+206005] [+106775] [+164164] [+11432] [+22864] [+118893] [+57160] [+57160] [+91456]

Total Mental Strength: 1,589,964

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Skills:

Absorption [Mythic Grade]

Swordsmanship [Mythic Grade]

Combat Magic [Extreme Fire Summoning]

Inspect [Mythic Grade]

Enemy Detection [Mythic Grade]

Body Hardening [Mythic Grade]

Self Regeneration [Mythic Grade]

Spatial Magic [Item Storage]

Plunderer [Mythic Grade]

Telekinesis [Mythic Grade]

Appraisal [Mythic Grade]

Conceal [Mythic Grade]

Berserker [Mythic Grade]

Dungeon Walker [Legendary Grade]

Intimidation [Mythic Grade]

Dagger Mastery [Mythic Grade]

Stealth [Mythic Grade]

Bloodlust [Mythic Grade]

Equivalent Exchange

Combat Magic [Extreme Wind Summoning]

All-Seeing Eye

Extreme Strength [Mythic Grade]

Dual Wielding [Mythic Grade]

Telepathy [Legendary Grade]

Final Breath [Mythic Grade]

Combat Magic [Extreme Earth Summoning]

Combat Magic [Extreme Mana Manipulation]

Life Steal [Mythic Grade]

Hibernation [Special Grade]

Combat Magic [Advanced Demonic Energy Manipulation]

Combat Magic [Extreme Ice Summoning]

Body Double [Legendary Grade]

Lie Detector [Legendary Grade]

Hush [Mythic Grade]

Craftsmanship [Mythic Grade]

Extreme Speed [Mythic Grade]

Combat Magic [Extreme Water Summoning]

Screech [Mythic Grade]

Phantom Step [Mythic Grade]

Flare [Mythic Grade]

Confusion [Mythic Grade]

Blast [Mythic Grade]

Bind [Legendary Grade]

Bloodweaver [Legendary Grade]

Poison Mist [Mythic Grade]

Iron Fist [Mythic Grade]

Extreme Stamina [Mythic Grade]

Combat Magic [Extreme Lightning Summoning]

Combat Magic [Superior Dark Summoning]

Blink [Mythic Grade]

Cocoon [Mythic Grade]

Imbuement [Mythic Grade]

Barrier Creation [Mythic Grade]

Flight [Mythic Grade]

Area Buff [Mythic Grade]

Mind Palace [Mythic Grade]

Astral Spears [Mythic Grade]

Flash Step [Mythic Grade]

Call of The Void [Mythic Grade]

Crystal Creation [Mythic Grade]

Heavy Hand [Mythic Grade]

Combat Magic [Superior Light Summoning]

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Items Equipped: [15 Slots Available Post 2nd Rank Up][Current Items Equipped]

Platinum Ring of Visual Manipulation [Blood Bonded] [+408% Mental Strength][+340% Speed][+338% Agility][+321% Strength][+295% Defense][+137% Perception][Illusion Attribute]

The Behemoth's Platinum Amulet [Blood Bonded] [+488% Defense][+451% Strength][+395% Mental Strength][+324% Agility][+301% Speed][Hardening Attribute]

Enchanted Boots of Extreme Speed [Blood Bonded] [+569% Speed][+517% Agility][+484% Strength][+400% Mental Strength][+386% Defense][Wind Attribute]

Enchanted Ice Serpent's Pendant [Blood Bonded] [+412% Agility] [+409% Speed][+408% Strength][+390% Mental Strength][+383% Magic Resistance][+381% Ice Magic Resistance][+377% Defense][Ice Attribute]

Platinum Ring of The Blue Ogre King [Blood Bonded] [+385% Mental Strength] [+342% Speed][+325% Agility][+323% Defense][+321% Strength]

The Flame Emperor's Sword [Blood Bonded][Advanced Fire Aspect][+752% Strength][+641% Mental Strength][+504% Defense][+591% Speed][+585% Agility]

Berserker King's Armor Set [Blood Bonded] [+694% Defense][+616% Strength][+579% Mental Strength][+505% Agility][+499% Speed][Hardening Attribute][Earth Attribute]

Cloak of Total Darkness[+901% Mental Strength][+824% Agility][+707% Speed][+360% Perception][Blood Bonded][Hidden Passive Ability][Concealment Attribute][Dark Attribute]

Enchanted Lightweight Gauntlets [Blood Bonded][+498% Defense][+485% Strength][+467% Mental Strength][+412% Agility][+404% Speed][Hardening Attribute][Earth Attribute][Fire Attribute]

The Dark Emperor's Blade [+905% Strength][+718% Mental Strength][+672% Speed][+599% Agility][+590% Defense][Blood Bonded][Dark Attribute][Hidden Ability]

Greater Demon's Core [+50% All Stats]

Arch Demon's Core [+100% All Stats]

Ring of the Divine [Hidden Ability]

Celia's Purple Core [Living Ring Artifact] [Divine Limiter][Hidden Ability]

Final Slot[15th]:[Interchangeable]

[Storm King's Dagger Set][Blood Bonded][+546% Speed][+520% Mental Strength][+485% Agility][+462% Strength][+459% Defense][Lightning Attribute][Wind Attribute]

Midnight Dagger

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Skill Buffs:

[Berserker] +250% Strength + Mental Strength

[BloodLust] +250% Speed + Agility + Mental Strength , +100% Perception

[Extreme Strength] +250% Strength

[Extreme Speed] +250% Speed

[Final Breath] ~ +400% All Stats (Exact % will vary, conditions & circumstances apply)

Permanent Buffs:

Rising Emperor's Domain[Hidden Ability][Passive]

Rising Emperor's Greater Form[Hidden Ability][Active]

Master of Illusion [Hidden Ability] 

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Author's Note:

If you're enjoying Dungeon Diver and want to follow Jay on his journey 20+ chapters ahead of schedule, check out the Patreon link in my profile bio.

There's custom chapter art for every new daily upload too!

Thanks for reading:)

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