Anime: Passive Inheritance System

Dungeon, First Floor.

The normally dim-blue dungeon walls were now tinged with an ominous red glow. Monsters packed the corridor so densely that they nearly filled it completely, all rushing toward Orario like a flood.

Clack, clack—

Amid the heavy breathing and low growls of monsters, a set of steady footsteps echoed.

From the vertical lift shaft at the entrance to Babel, a man wearing a long black coat emerged slowly.

Behind him, the vertical shaft had gone silent. No roars, no breathing, no heartbeat—nothing.

Only the sound of water remained.

That was the sound of monster blood flowing.

Blood ran down the vertical shaft steps like a stream, painting the stone walls of the dungeon red.

Every monster on the first floor locked eyes on the man who had stepped in. A goblin closest to him was the first to attack.

"Guwawawawa!"

Dragging a dark brown wooden club, the goblin hunched forward and sprinted toward the man in black.

Behind it, the rest of the monsters on the floor charged at once.

But Kai, the man in black, remained calm. He slightly opened his mouth and spoke coldly.

"Dungeon Raider."

Clang—

As soon as the words fell, a clear sword cry rang out. Crimson streams of energy appeared in the air, swirling around Kai like a vortex.

"Wawa—Gugh…"

The first goblin that rushed in slammed into the red energy. Its flesh tore apart instantly. In the blink of an eye, it was reduced to a skeleton. Then the bones shattered into powder, and even its magic stone was crushed into dust.

Seeing how the goblin hadn't lasted even half a second, Kai couldn't help but sigh. The gap between high-level and low-level monsters really was vast. That same sword energy, if used on a Lv.5 monster, would have barely drawn blood unless it struck a vital point. But this goblin? It just grazed the aura and turned to ash…

Still, he kept scanning the first floor. No sign of Bell or Lili. No other adventurers either.

Kai raised a hand and released his sword intent again. The rate at which it devoured blood and life force jumped to the next level.

Clang clang clang clang clang—

As his aura intensified, the sword energy around Kai became even redder. The buzzing energy rang with metallic resonance. A chilling killing intent spread through the cavern.

Feeling the excited pulse of his aura, like a child thrilled to play, Kai gave a warm smile and whispered, "Go."

The next second, several blood-red sword shadows burst from around him. They streaked across the first-floor chamber at speeds too fast to follow.

Wherever they passed, dozens—sometimes hundreds—of monsters turned to ash without a sound. They didn't even get the chance to scream.

In moments, the floor that had been packed with monsters fell eerily silent. Only the ringing sword cries echoed through the space.

Once enough monsters had been cleared to walk safely, Kai moved forward. Stepping over blood puddles, he passed monsters frozen in fear, others fleeing madly, and some that had lost all reason and flailed in madness.

He walked toward the stairs leading to the second floor.

Behind him, the sword energy finished the cleanup, having gorged on the blood of an entire floor. The red glow surrounding it pulsed even brighter…

…

Fifteenth floor. Monster Corridor.

Bell swung his short sword again and again, fending off the endless wave of monsters in front of him.

Hellhounds, unicorn rabbits, blood bats… Countless monster corpses were already piled up at his feet. He'd been fighting since evening, and this was proof of his endurance.

But compared to the horde still trapped in the corridor with him, those bodies were just a drop in the bucket.

The only reason Bell had lasted this long was because he'd found the narrowest part of the corridor. There was a dead end behind him, and only two monsters could pass through the entrance at a time, preventing them from swarming him all at once.

"Lili, can you still hold on?"

After slaying another hellhound trying to push through, Bell yanked his sword from its eye socket and flung the body outward to slow the others. He used the chance to glance at his companion.

In the dungeon, no place was truly safe. New monsters could spawn from any wall, floor, or ceiling. Even if Bell blocked the entrance, he couldn't let his guard down. He still had to be ready for an attack from behind.

Compared to the speed at which monsters surged from the entrance, the rate at which they spawned from the cave walls was much slower. That was the only reason Bell dared to leave his back to Lily, who wasn't exactly skilled in combat.

"Don't worry, I'm still holding up."

Lily lightly kicked away a monster's corpse. She didn't even feel like doing her usual favorite thing—digging out magic stones. Her eyes stayed fixed on the wall, and the hand gripping her dagger had gone pale at the knuckles.

"But if we keep being trapped like this, I might not be able to hold on much longer…"

They'd been forced into this narrow dead end by a sudden monster rampage. For over an hour now, Bell and Lily had been fighting at full strength. Both of them were drained, mentally and physically. Lily, who was never suited for combat to begin with, now found it hard just to hold onto her dagger.

Bell wasn't doing much better. Each sword swing sent waves of searing pain through his arm like it might snap at any second.

"Hang on just a little longer, Lily."

Though he said those words to cheer his partner on, Bell was also trying to push himself—You've got a girl behind you who needs your protection! Push yourself harder, you idiot! Don't collapse so easily, you're a man, aren't you?!—He roared at himself in his mind, trying to shake off the despair creeping in with the exhaustion.

At the same time, an image flashed in his mind—the back of a tall man in black.

[...No matter the danger, I won't allow you to run away like a coward.]

Have I finally become a real man now, senpai?

"Bell, is that you?"

Just as Bell raised his short sword to brace for the next wave of monsters, a man's voice suddenly called out from beyond the monster corridor.

"Sen...pai?"

That familiar voice sounded like heaven to Bell.

Wait, am I dreaming?

"Bell, are you in there?" the man called again.

Not a dream!

Bell froze only for a moment before joy lit up his face. He shouted back as loud as he could.

"Senpai! It's me, I'm here! Lily's with me too! We're trapped in a dead end and can't get out!"

Outside the corridor, Kai's tense face finally relaxed a little when he heard Bell respond.

From the moment he stepped onto this floor, something had felt off. The monster density was nothing like the previous levels. And once he reached the monster corridor and saw the packed horde, doubts flooded his mind.

Could someone be trapped in there? Maybe Bell and Lily...

That thought made him call out. He didn't really expect an answer—but to his surprise, it really was them.

Hearing that Lily was there too, the weight pressing on Kai's heart finally lifted.

No matter what happens to me in this trial, at least I can get them out safely… That's enough.

"Bell, Lily, hold on. I'm coming to get you out!"

With that weight gone, Kai's heart lightened, and his spirits rose. He shouted into the corridor and drew both long swords.

"As thanks for taking care of my cute members…"

His gaze swept over the countless monsters. He grinned. His smile was filled with overwhelming killing intent.

"Shing—"

As his murderous aura surged, both swords rang out. Crimson energy gathered silently along the blades. The radiant aurora-like light of intent was stirred by his will, its hue turning cold and sharp.

"Go to hell and repent, monsters!"

With a swing, the crimson-charged slash filled the entire corridor. Every monster it touched was instantly torn apart and disintegrated like melting snow.

From the dead end, Bell and Lily stared in awe. Their jaws dropped at the overwhelming display and took a long moment to recover.

"A-a-amazing... Kai-sama is unbelievably strong!"

Lily forced a compliment out with a pale face, suppressing the fear sparked by witnessing such terrifying power.

Bell nodded, eyes burning with emotion. "Yeah. Senpai's so strong he's like a monster himself!"

"Hey, you white-haired brat, I heard that. You dare call me a monster?"

The light faded from the corridor. A tall man in black stepped forward slowly and stopped at the dead end's entrance, smiling gently at them.

"Let's go home. Our goddess is worried sick about you."

That familiar, warm tone. That gentle, broad smile. That dependable figure…

The moment they saw Kai, both Bell and Lily's eyes welled up.

"Senpai! (Kai-sama!)"

"Tch. Kids are always the same. So easy to make cry."

Kai shook his head at the two as they ran to him. He sheathed his swords and turned toward the stairs to the sixteenth floor.

"Senpai?"

Seeing him suddenly turn away, Bell asked, "You're not coming back with us?"

"Nah. Still got a few things to take care of."

With his back to them, Kai stepped toward the stairway. Crimson sword energy began to swirl around him again, whirling in the air.

"Senpai… are you…?"

Watching him, Bell suddenly had a terrible feeling.

"Of course I'm going down there. To see what's really going on, and maybe find a way to fix it."

Standing at the stairway entrance, Kai shrugged casually. "Bell, take care of the goddess and Lily for me."

Why…

Why does that sound so ominous?

It was like he was saying goodbye for good.

Bell noticed something off in Kai's tone. He opened his mouth, wanting to stop him.

"Senpai…"

"Bell."

Kai cut him off, slightly turning his head to show a confident, radiant smile.

"Don't worry. I won't lose."

Then he turned away. The smile stayed on his face, but its confidence and warmth faded, replaced by something cold and resolute.

"Don't forget my title!"

The Dark Sword Saint.

Embarrassing as it was, right now… he truly wished to live up to that name—to wield the sacred sword and strike down evil.

Then, under Bell's gaze, Kai's figure in black disappeared into the stairway…