You promised to wreak havoc on the dungeon, but instead you've got Dragon Slime!

He stood expressionless at the edge of the teleportation array, like a cold stone statue.

Lost, completely lost.

It wasn't a loss due to a lack of ability, but rather being dragged into an abyss of no return by those... fools who blindly believed rumors and joined in the incitement.

A heavy sense of powerlessness gripped my heart, but it was immediately suppressed by an even stronger thought—dignity.

He slowly stood up, as if pushing away a heavy object.

The bones made a faint cracking sound, and every movement carried an almost tragic sense of sluggishness.

"If you're willing to gamble, you must accept defeat."

His voice was deep and hoarse, yet it was like a stubborn stone thrown into stagnant water, making a resounding thud.

The glory of the silver blade must not be tarnished; even if it falls into the dust, it must hold its head high.

Behind him, the icy, sophisticated woman, Belin, also stood up.

Her lips, which were always pursed and perfectly shaped, were now marked with a faint, bright red line from being bitten by her own teeth.

She didn't look at anyone, her gaze blankly fixed on the distant, rolling phantom of volcanic lava.

Mills, the leader of the Golden Wind, had lost all his former high spirits, leaving only endless regret and dejection.

His Adam's apple bobbed laboriously, his voice hoarse:

"It was my... misjudgment, and I have only myself to blame."

He stood up resignedly, his steps unsteady.

The remaining two leaders, ranked lower, looked as if their spines had been removed. Their faces were ashen, their eyes unfocused, and they staggered to their feet, like two soulless puppets.

A barely perceptible sigh flashed in the eyes of President Amata on the other side of the teleportation array, before he quickly regained his serious, businesslike demeanor.

He lightly tapped the control array with his fingertip, turning off the underground city's screen and connecting to headquarters' communications.

"Mr. Solomon?"

He asked for instructions in a deep voice.

After a brief silence, Solomon's calm, emotionless voice echoed from within the magic circle:

"Yes. The dust has settled. Proceed according to the rules."

He paused and added:

"Deduct the deposit and execute immediately."

The order was swift and decisive, leaving no room for doubt.

The astronomical deposit paid before the anti-testing mechanism was activated had already been deposited into the guild's independent contract account, and now it became the final settlement certificate for this high-stakes gamble.

Amata made a simple gesture to the five Viser:

"Please come with me to settle the bill."

The five figures disappeared in the dim light.

Volcano Official Residence, Council Chamber.

A giant light screen faithfully displayed the scene on the open ground—

Ron and his group stood proudly, while Viser and his five companions hunched over, their power stripped away in the teleportation beam, disappearing in a sorry state.

The smile on Duke Cedric's face had vanished, leaving only a cold, sharp gaze.

He turned to Count Bacchus's seat, his voice not loud, but every word seemed to be chilled to the bone:

“Bacchus… I, Cedric, have remembered what you have done today.”

Count Bacchus's cheek muscles twitched violently, and he stood up abruptly, his wide robe sleeves overturning the silver cup on the table.

The wine spilled onto the expensive brocade carpet, leaving a dark stain.

He let out a cold, ambiguous snort, turned his head without looking back, and slammed the door shut as he left!

A silent wave swept through the conference hall.

Those nobles who had voted in favor were now extremely uneasy.

One by one, they rose silently, leaving behind a deathly silence and empty chairs.

In the end, less than half the people remained in the magnificent hall.

The returned empty space.

After a brief moment of brilliance.

Viser raised his head, his gaze fixed intently on Ron.

The composure of admitting defeat on his face had not yet faded, but a new flame had already ignited in his eyes.

He stepped forward, his voice regaining some strength:

“Ron, your dungeon… is indeed exquisite. I, Viser, have nothing to say in defeat.”

His tone was sincere, without any resentment.

Ron was slightly taken aback, not expecting the other party to be so forthright.

A genuine look of appreciation appeared in his eyes as he extended his hand.

"That's great! If we weren't on different sides, we might actually be friends."

Viser glanced at the hand, paused for a second, raised his hand, and only briefly and symbolically touched the edge of Ron's palm before withdrawing it.

That wasn't a friendly handshake; it was more like a warrior's recognition of his opponent.

"But that doesn't mean I gave in."

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes:

"This failure, on the contrary, is an opportunity."

He straightened his still frail body, his tone filled with an unprecedented firmness:

"I will abandon everything and start all over again from level one. I will personally challenge every dungeon you've created, worthy of my level! Ron—"

He addressed him by his first name, with a burning fighting spirit:

I hope your work won't disappoint me!

Chapter 77 D-Rank Dungeon!

At this moment, stripped of the aura of Silver Edge Guild Leader, a long-lost passion belonging to a pure adventurer burned in his eyes.

Years of stagnation and emptiness, trapped in the monotony and emptiness of maintaining the status quo, have found an outlet at this moment.

The young man before him ignited his desire for challenge.

Ron was genuinely surprised this time.

A moment later, the smile on his face widened, filled with the excitement of having met his match:

"Interesting! I'd be happy to oblige. I... am quite looking forward to it too."

The words just fell!

Om-!

An overwhelming, invisible force suddenly descended! Like a giant millstone, it crushed the bodies of Viser and his companions!

"Uhhhhh-!"

Viser gritted his teeth and tried his best to stand firm, but in the end, he slammed one knee heavily to the ground!

The other four people groaned and rolled to the ground!

It was as if countless transparent chains were stripping away the vast energy within them.

Ron clearly "saw":

The dazzling LV50, LV45, LV30 badges above their heads... collapsed and shattered like burst bubbles!

In the blink of an eye, the numbers on the five-person level panel jumped rapidly, finally settling on a glaringly bright number—

LV1!

At the same time, their armor shone with legendary brilliance, their weapons were inlaid with precious gems, and their ornaments contained powerful magic...

Like an illusion that has lost its magic, it crumbles and fades away, eventually turning into specks of light and disappearing into the void.

Only five people remained, dressed in simple, even somewhat disheveled shirts and trousers, drenched in sweat, as if they had just crawled out of hell.

Viser was the first to struggle to his feet.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand, shaking off the lingering weakness. Instead of despair, his face showed excitement because of his newfound goal.

He didn't look at Ron again, turned around and strode towards the teleportation array, his figure disappearing quickly.

The remaining members, including Belin, Mills, and the others, sat slumped on the ground with empty eyes, staring blankly at their empty hands and tattered clothes, as if they were in a cold nightmare from which they could not wake up.

That sudden drop in status is enough to crush anyone with a weak will.

On the giant magic array screen in Emerald Town Square, sighs and lamentations surged like a tide.

Some gloated, others felt a sense of shared sorrow, and in the end, they all dispersed with sighs.

A moment later, Ron stood once again in the meeting hall of the Volcano Mansion, which still housed half of the nobles.

"Father!"

Like a fledgling returning to its nest, Lilith nestled into Duke Cedric's broad, warm embrace, burying her face deeply in his arms.

"It's alright, my dear Lilith."

Cedric gently stroked his daughter's hair, a look of relief finally appearing on his stern face.

Carolina ran to old Earl Martel and was embraced tightly by her father, feeling the relief of surviving the ordeal and the warmth of her father's love.

Alyssa and Claudia stood silently, watching the scene of reunion before them, their eyes also filled with warmth.

The monarch on the throne of fire, the Balrog Lagos, fixed his gaze, which seemed to flow like lava, on Ron.

"The dust has settled."