Franklin’s voice answered calmly from above.

"That’s right."

He clenched his fist.

A disturbing sound echoed as his arm began to transform, flesh twisting and reshaping, becoming something far more monstrous than human anatomy should allow.

His gaze remained cold.

"Even if you understand it..." He tilted his head slightly. "...what can you do about it?"

In the next instant, Franklin swung his fist downward.

Dozens of fleshy, drill-like tendrils erupted outward, spiraling through the air at terrifying speed, aimed directly at the remaining knights.

"Defend!!" Reyukal shouted.

The knights reacted instantly, unleashing their strongest techniques, blades of water, bursts of lightning, compressed mana strikes, everything they had.

BOOM!! BOOM!!

A chain of explosions erupted across the battlefield.

Elements collided violently, shaking the entire space as shockwaves rippled outward in every direction.

Even Fifth and Sixth Shackle Realm attacks, unleashed in desperation, carried immense destructive force.

The battlefield trembled.

Bang!!

Franklin’s figure emerged from the storm of energy. His body bore minor injuries, but they vanished the next second, as if they had never existed.

"That’s good... better than I imagined," he commented.

Although the knights were lower in rank than him, their combined attacks had still managed to injure him. He had expected them to collapse easily under his assault, but that was not the case.

"I’m sorry for underestimating you," Franklin said, his smile widening.

His gaze shifted to Reyukal, who had arrived in front of the knights. From their earlier exchange, he could roughly gauge that Reyukal was weaker than him. Reyukal was a Seventh Shackle Realm expert with six enhancements.

As for Franklin, he had already undergone nine enhancements and was on the verge of reaching the tenth. Once he broke through the Eighth Shackle, his power would far surpass those who had advanced with only seven enhancements.

His foundation was extraordinary.

"I will take all of you seriously now. So prepare yourselves... or you will die without even realizing what happened," Franklin said coldly.

He spread both hands.

In an instant, dozens of strands of flesh burst out from his palms, spreading into the air as his energy surged like a tidal wave.

Bang!!

Reyukal and the knights’ expressions changed. Goosebumps crept over their skin as the surrounding terrain began to shift.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, lightning flashing every second. Trees on the ground stretched higher and higher until they reached towering heights of over a hundred meters. Mountain peaks rose from the earth, while some broke free completely, slowly floating into the air.

"T-This...?!" Reyukal turned pale as realization struck him. He glanced around and muttered, "Is this the dream realm...?!"

"That’s right," Franklin confirmed.

With a wave of his hand, Franklin unleashed the terrifying dream power he wielded, spreading it across the entire battlefield.

In the next instant, a mountain spanning ten kilometers in diameter materialized above Reyukal and the knights, plunging toward them at terrifying speed.

Reyukal watched the descending mass with a heavy heart. He had already realized that they were trapped within a dream realm and their opponent wielded dream power.

That fact alone placed them at a severe disadvantage.

Even with their numerical superiority, Franklin held absolute control here. Within the dream realm, he could reshape reality at will, conjuring countless unpredictable attacks.

Worse still, they had no experience fighting against such power.

This was their first encounter with someone capable of manipulating a dream realm, someone like Franklin, who wielded it with mastery.

Boom!!

A deafening explosion erupted as the knights launched their attacks at the falling mountain. It shattered into countless fragments that scattered across the battlefield, only to transform, in the very next instant, into razor-sharp spears.

The spears rained down.

The knights raised their guards, desperately blocking the incoming barrage.

Amid the chaos, Reyukal’s eyes darted around...

Franklin was gone.

His heart skipped a beat.

"No...!"

Reyukal snapped his head to the side, and his eyes widened in terror.

A figure hovered beneath his subordinates.

He hadn’t even sensed Franklin’s movement. Hehadn’t seen how he vanished from his sight.

It had to be the dream power.

As expected, within this realm, such abilities were the key to controlling the flow of battle. Without it, keeping up with an opponent like Franklin was nearly impossible.

And unfortunately, Reyukal possessed no such power.

Below them, Franklin raised his hand.

The air distorted.

Massive boulders twisted and bent unnaturally before being hurled into the sky. At the same time, hundreds of writhing strands of flesh burst forth from his arms, spreading outward like a living storm.

...

On the other side, Tasman and his group of elites watched the battle between Franklin and the knights of the Vasrun Family.

"This man... Franklin is strong," Tasman muttered, unable to hide his astonishment as he observed Franklin’s combat prowess.

As an expert in the Eight Shackle Realm, his perception far surpassed that of his subordinates. What he saw was far more terrifying than what appeared on the surface.

"Father, is he really in the Seventh Shackle Realm?" Angus asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

"He is," Tasman replied with a nod, briefly glancing at his son before turning his gaze back to the battlefield. "The Land of Fire Light may seem vast, but compared to the entire world, it is insignificant. In our system, the Seventh Shackle Realm corresponds to the level of an Ascension Knight. However... the gap between the Seventh Shackle Realm and those below it is immense."

He paused for a moment before continuing, his tone growing more serious.

"The Seventh Shackle Realm itself is divided into multiple stages known as enhancements. From the first enhancement up to the seventh, one gradually approaches the threshold of the Eight Shackle Realm. But in rare cases, some individuals surpass the seventh enhancement."

Angus’s eyes widened slightly.

"Only those with an exceptionally solid foundation can achieve such a feat," Tasman added. "Back when I was in the Seventh Shackle Realm, I barely reached the seventh enhancement."

Tasman’s gaze sharpened as he focused on Franklin.

"But that man... Franklin is different. Far different than you imagine. He has already reached the ninth enhancement and there’s even a possibility that he could step into the tenth in the future. His foundation is monstrously stable."

He narrowed his eyes, his expression turning grave.

"And that’s not all. He possesses high-level dream power. That alone makes him extremely dangerous. With it, he can distort the senses of his opponents... even manipulate what they perceive as reality."

Before them, Reyukal and the knights continued their assault yet every strike cut through nothing but empty air.

They were fighting illusions.

Franklin toyed with their senses as if they were mere puppets, bending their perception with flawless control. Against such overwhelming dream manipulation, they stood no chance of resisting unless their strength surpassed his.

Unfortunately for them, not a single one of them did.

Tasman exhaled slowly, his expression heavy. If he were still in the Seventh Shackle Realm... he knew he wouldn’t stand a chance against Franklin either.

...

Days passed.

Numerous factions dispatched their forces into the dungeon, seeking resources and hidden treasures. Some returned with valuable gains, while others never came back at all. Those who vanished left behind no traces, only silence and speculation. No one knew what truly awaited within the depths of the dungeon.

It did not take long for the various factions to realize one thing, the dungeon was an extremely dangerous place.

Among all the incidents, one stood out the most: the disappearance of the knights of the Vasrun Family.

This was no ordinary group. They were led by Reyukal, a Seventh Shackle Realm expert, yet they vanished without a single trace. No signs of battle, no remnants of their presence, nothing.

The public could only assume that they had fallen into a deadly trap, one powerful enough to wipe them out entirely.

The Vasrun Family, however, refused to accept such a conclusion.

Enraged by the news, they dispatched multiple search parties to locate Reyukal and his subordinates. Yet every effort proved futile. Not a single clue was uncovered. It was as if the entire group had been erased from existence.

And the Vasrun Family was not alone in their misfortune.

The Sharkeir Family, one of the ten great families under the Supreme Council, also suffered heavy losses within the dungeon. Several other smaller factions met similar fates, but their tragedies went largely unnoticed, overshadowed by the downfall of the great families.

As tension continued to rise and uncertainty spread, one more power could no longer remain idle.

The Rulman Household made its move.

Rulman Household.

Fadu stood atop the platform, clad in silver armor that gleamed under the light. A faint yet fierce aura radiated from his body, pressing down on the surroundings. His expression was solemn, his eyes sharp and unwavering.

Below him stood twenty experts, lined in disciplined formation. Their strengths ranged from the Fourth Shackle Realm to the Sixth Shackle Realm, each one a seasoned warrior, each one fully aware of the risks that lay ahead.

"Today, we march out," Fadu declared, his voice firm and commanding. "Our objective is clear, secure resources for the household. We can no longer afford further losses."

His words carried weight, settling heavily upon the group.

Not far behind him, Souta stood in silence.

He remained inconspicuous, his presence subtle yet deliberate. His gaze swept across the area, observing everything without drawing the slightest attention.

To others, he was nothing more than a background figure.

But his role was simple...

Protect Fadu.

No matter the cost.