Chronos in DC

When I entered the dungeon, I found myself in a corridor with a single stone double gate ahead of me. The architecture of the place vaguely resembled the grand entrance to a royal castle. Behind me were massive wooden gates that were impossible to interact with. The corridor was lit by dim sunlight, but it was impossible to see anything behind the tall windows. The corridor itself was filled with some kind of strange, cold, damp fog that made me feel uncomfortable. And then there was this strange smell, like after rain. It wouldn't leave me alone. Before stepping further, I decided to get some clues from the system.

Royal Castle of the Empire

Location Level: ???

Threat: ???

Event "Dungeon" activated!!!

To activate the main quest, you must go to the "Main Hall of the Castle."

It was strange, to say the least. Strange that apart from the location name, the system didn't tell me anything else. What bothered me even more was that the system couldn't even hint at the level of the enemies here and how dangerous they were.

On the way to the main hall, I didn't meet a single soul. It was just me, the oppressive silence, and the echo of my quiet footsteps reverberating through the long corridor. According to the player map, the main hall was about a hundred metres away, and it was only at the castle gates that I noticed an "empty" suit of armour leaning against the gate, as if asleep. I mean, if it had been a local inhabitant, there would have been at least some bones left, and this again led me to strange thoughts.

"What happened here...?

I even checked and took off the knight's helmet, and as expected, there was nothing there. Emptiness. The armour looked very old and worn, completely faded to a greyish-ash colour, and only a light red, half-torn cloak, more like a rag, was the only thing that had more or less retained its appearance.

I could have spent a long time looking at it and speculating about what had happened, but what I had come here for was behind those doors. It took some effort to open them, and when I entered, the same white mist burst from the depths of the corridor into the Main Hall, filled with multiple columns. At that moment, I received a notification from the System.

Main Objective: Survive!

Time: 9 min. 58 sec.

Secondary Task: Kill as many enemies as you can!

Reward: Depends on the final outcome of the Dungeon

Failure: Death

Very informative and clear. Thank you, System. Meanwhile, warriors in the same armour began to gradually emerge from the fog, one after another. What was remarkable was that these were not ordinary undead, for instead of bones, the souls of the dead were bound within the armour. It only took me a moment to realise that, apart from glowing eyes, they had no mouths.

While they slowly reacted to me as an intruder, I quickly decided to check the characteristics of the nearest warrior.

Forgotten Warrior of the Empire

Level: 50

Class: Undead.

Status: Cursed spirit trapped in armour.

Strength: 150

Agility: 150

Constitution: 100

Stamina: Infinite

Special Abilities: Immune to Bleeding, Curse of the Eternal Guardian, Curse of Silence, No Determination.

These warriors mainly wielded two-handed/one-handed old swords. Some used shields. They moved like puppets being violently pulled by a puppeteer. Their movements were slow and jerky. It seemed impossible that such warriors could cause any harm to anyone. However, my first impression was immediately shattered when the first warrior suddenly closed the distance between us and delivered a slashing blow, which I dodged to the side and immediately had to move away from his friends, who, like a well-oiled machine, carried out a series of relentless attacks. I assessed their abilities and attacks, and after about ten seconds of this dance, I decided to quickly finish them off. I dodged the first one and delivered a slashing blow straight to his torso. There was no resistance, as if it were "a knife through butter." a dagger cutting steel armour in two. The second rushed from behind his fallen comrade to strike, raising his two-handed sword high. I used the "Record" ability, and an identical copy of myself appeared next to me, lunging forward and literally tearing my opponent to pieces.

Level up!

Just a couple of warriors and already a level up?! I'm already liking this. If I don't describe the boring attempts of the local warriors to fight back, it all boiled down to my total domination. Every minute after the warriors were destroyed, a new wave of the same warriors appeared. Somewhere around the fifth wave, in addition to the usual warriors, some mages in dark robes appeared, who threw magical projectiles at me and generally prevented me from going into stealth mode. They used a kind of staff with a mystical Egyptian eye at its base. However, they were very weak in close combat, and it wasn't particularly difficult to defeat them. After ten minutes had passed, the warriors who had been fighting me suddenly disappeared into the familiar "Fog of War".

The count of the undead I had killed exceeded two hundred, but thanks to my rogue abilities, which allowed me to restore my stamina, I did not feel any fatigue at all. Yes, my face was covered in a light sweat and my breathing was slightly uneven, but otherwise nothing special.

The next second, three figures emerged from the fog, slightly different from all the previous "pawns" I had been mowing down in batches. They literally exuded menace.

Name: Maria "Holy Light"

Level: 100

Class: Undead

Strength: 60

Agility: 40

Build: 100 — [???]

Stamina: Infinite

Intelligence: 473 — [???]

Wisdom: 356 — [???]

Special Abilities: Chosen by the Light, Rejected by the Light, Immune to Bleeding, Curse of the Eternal Guardian, Curse of Silence, Indecisive, Silent Prayer.

Name: Robin "Symbol of the Hunt"

Level: 156

Class: Undead

Strength: 300 — [???]

Dexterity: 250 — [???]

Build: 200 — [???]

Stamina: Infinite

Intelligence: 100

Wisdom: 87

Special Abilities: Master Hunter, Legendary Archer, Immune to Bleeding, Curse of the Eternal Guardian, Curse of Silence, No Determination.

Name: Trusk "Defender"

Level: 176

Class: Undead

Strength: 350 — [???]

Dexterity: 200 — [???]

Build: 300 — [???]

Stamina: Infinite

Intelligence: 204

Wisdom: 98

Special Abilities: Master of Defence and Fencing, Immune to Bleeding, Curse of the Eternal Guardian, Curse of Silence, No Determination.

Main objective updated: Defeat the Fallen Heroes of the Empire. [0/4] 

The first to appear was a figure wrapped in a white robe with a hood, holding his hands, wrapped in white bandages, in a prayer gesture. The second looked like a typical hunter. His brown, half-torn clothes, cloak and hood with a mask covering his face, only his burning blue eyes watched me closely and waited for me to make a move. He held his old, impressive bow tensely in his hands. The third, the most massive of the trio, was a knight clad in heavy armour, holding a two-metre tower shield in his left hand and a two-handed sword without a guard in his right, which looked terrifying and impressive. The blade was covered with serrations like a piranha's teeth.

I threw my dagger into the air and caught it with a reverse grip, then took up a fighting stance. They also tensed up. The defender stood up to protect the priest, holding his shield in front of him, while the archer began to circle me from the flank.

"Let's dance!

I decided to quickly deal with their leader, but I quickly had to change my plans because of the spiritual arrows flying at me. Robin literally created them out of thin air, as if from the threads of his soul, and fired them non-stop, forcing me to change my priority target to him. Trask stood in front and didn't move, protecting his ally. To my great surprise, Robin was almost as fast as me and constantly managed to dodge my swings at the last moment. In close combat, when things were really bad, he used a kind of spiritual axe shaped like a tomahawk. Maria finished her preparations, and Trusk and Robin were enveloped in a yellow glowing aura. And their strength and agility... doubled?! So that's why Trusk had been standing there doing nothing all this time. To buy time...? I would have continued playing with such incredible opponents, but I couldn't afford to lose, so...

It's not necessary to snap your fingers to stop time, but how can you do it without a little drama, right? I thought about it for a moment and decided to get rid of Maria, as I wanted to gain some real combat experience against masters of their craft. If the situation took a dangerous turn, I could always use something from my arsenal to eliminate them. I didn't consider them to be just soulless mobs, but my teachers, who could provide valuable experience. Albeit quite dangerous and abnormal. Deliver multiple blows and return time to its usual course. Roba's armour was instantly covered with multiple cuts, and her health dropped sharply from one thousand to zero.

"Well, now, I think everything will be fair. Don't you think so?" I pointed the tip of my dagger at them, but they just looked at me indifferently with their half-dead eyes, as usual. Only "Sir Knight," who was protecting her, quickly rushed into the attack, followed by his partner.

I must admit, it was a difficult, painful and terrible experience. These two, I'm not afraid to use the word "monsters", coordinated their actions in a matter of seconds and attacked in unison. As soon as I got close to a warrior in close combat, a spiritual arrow flew at me from behind. I deflected it with my blade, and immediately a powerful blow from the knight's shield struck my jaw. It was as if when I made a move, they telepathically coordinated their actions and made a counter move. The warrior had good reflexes and constantly used his "miracle shield" to block my blows, while the hunter was skilled in the use of Devil's Stealth!

Although, I must admit, it was nice to feel that someone was pushing me to my limit. It made me tremble, give my all and fight as if it were my last battle (which, in fact, it was, in a way). The only thing was that even though the battle had only lasted about three minutes, I was already starting to run out of breath, as my Death Dance ability only restored stamina when I killed an enemy. So I decided to end it all simply — with another time stop. Five seconds was enough to finish this "training." Again, that incomprehensible disappointment. Could it be that I'm just looking for someone who can resist time or even block this effect altogether? Am I looking for my own death...?

"What nonsense? Of course not. I'm just looking for someone who is my equal. That's all.

The fog had completely cleared, and the player's map showed a single target somewhere ahead. On the way to my goal, I decided to drink a few energy drinks to restore my stamina. After walking about five hundred metres, I came to a huge arch leading to the Throne Room. There, kneeling on one knee, sat a knight clad in black armour, with a sword sticking out of his chest. A half-torn blue cloak hung from his shoulders, and a blue tassel, worn by time, hung from the back of his helmet. He was defending the empty throne and behaving as if he were nothing more than an ordinary statue, but I already knew that this was the last hero I had to defeat to complete this dungeon.

I caught my breath at the image I saw in the description of my last opponent.

Name: Asta, "Right Hand of the Empire"

Level: 200

Class: Undead

Strength: 500 — [???]

Agility: 400 — [???]

Constitution: 400 — [???

Stamina: Infinite

Intelligence: 200

Wisdom: 120

Special abilities: Legendary Swordsman, Immune to Bleeding, Curse of the Eternal Guardian, Curse of Silence, Warrior of Honour and Duty, Determined.

These stats are terrifying. I'm afraid to even imagine what would happen if I missed even one of his sword strikes...

As I took a few more steps, a white-blue flame ignited in his armour, the spirit trapped within it. A clawed steel palm grabbed the hilt of the sword protruding from his chest and pulled it out with a sharp swing, as if from a scabbard. The blade was "destroyed," but at the same time gathered into a single strip of her soul from multiple fragments, and this image was truly awe-inspiring.

Unlike the previous three heroes who attacked first, this one just waited for me to attack, holding his massive sword with one hand. Placing his left hand on his chest and pointing his sword at me with his right hand, this knight respectfully... bowed to me?! Ah, I see, a warrior of honour. Even after death, this hero had retained his previous qualities. So as not to appear completely disrespectful, I bowed respectfully in return. I grabbed the dagger with a reverse grip and...

As soon as I closed in on him at near-sonic speed, my attack was easily blocked, and I was thrown back by the usual force. As I dragged my feet across the floor, I noticed with surprise that I had lost sight of my enemy. I looked up and saw the warrior's figure diving towards me in a somersault. I barely managed to move out of the way, but the shock wave and the blocks of the destroyed floor simply threw me away from this terrible attack. I was right about his sword skills and the power of his attack. Well, if this is really a warrior of honour, then I should play on that. I still wanted to try to defeat someone so strong on my own, even if I had to play dirty.

The warrior waited for me to make a move, frozen like a statue in a fighting stance. I walked slowly towards him and, putting my dagger away, took up a hand-to-hand combat stance. I beckoned him with my hand, as if inviting him to follow my rules. My opponent understood me without words and, sticking his sword into the ground, also took up a fighting stance. I attacked first again, and each of my accelerated attacks had no effect. It was as if I was running into some invisible barrier, but in reality, it was just a simple block. At some point, my opponent got bored and suddenly started striking me repeatedly. The blows, which could have turned a person into mincemeat, left an invisible trail of air. I deliberately stepped back so that my opponent would forget about his sword. And at the moment when it seemed to me that it was the perfect moment to attack, I created a dagger in my right hand and aimed it straight at his chest, but the blade only pierced through his glove.

"Maybe... let's forget about this, okay?" I smiled uncertainly, and judging by my opponent's threatening look, I knew I was about to die. I try to strike again while my enemy is unarmed. But Aste only needs a second to raise his free hand to his sword and, like some kind of telekinetic master, catch it in mid-air. I throw the dagger. He dodges it, as expected. He teleports and is already waiting for me at the top, preparing to strike with his sword in a two-handed grip from above. I use a new teleport jump to the dagger to dodge the attack and then instantly stop time.

"I can't play against an opponent of this level," I throw a red spirit throwing knife called Death Mark to increase damage and strike as many times as I can. The problem is that my blows, even with time stopped, did not cause significant damage! It was as if this warrior had high resistance to such attacks, and this fact made me nervous, as during our game my stamina was already half depleted. I couldn't take any more risks...!

Fear wrapped around my body like a snake. I struck blow after blow, but after a while I realised that it wouldn't be enough and decided to go all in! My opponent had about a third of his health left, and Death Strike was the most powerful skill I had in my arsenal at the moment. The most important thing was to choose the right moment, which I could get with the help of False Time Erase.

I rewind time and my opponent is instantly covered in slashing holes, from which the warrior's strong soul oozes out. I activate Time Erase, as this opponent won't be spending much time figuring out why he's injured. I see the trajectory of the attack and move to the side and charge my dagger for the attack. It is covered with a blood-red edge, and at the moment my fake copy crosses his torso, a stream of energy similar to blood with a black edge bursts out of my dagger. The blow left an impressive wound, and I fell to my knees with satisfaction, out of breath and exhausted, when I saw with relief that the health of the hero named Asta had dropped to zero.

When the adrenaline and excitement subsided, I didn't quite understand why the system was still showing me that my task was not yet complete. Maybe I missed something on my way here...? I decided to check it out by turning my back to the pile of armour and heading for the main hall, when I heard the clang of metal behind me. Nervously and with horror, I slowly turned my head towards the source of the sound.

Asta, "Right Arm of the Empire" — Full of Determination! Thanks to this, the Undead can restore 4% of their health even after being defeated. Can only be used once!

"You must be...!

I was unable to react to my enemy's attack in time. I couldn't even make out his movements. Just as I was about to voice my thoughts on this whole mess, my world began to spin, and as my flight came to an end, I fell heavily to the floor. My head hurt terribly, my vision was blurred and unclear. I try to get up from the floor, but nothing happens. I command my body to stand up and... too late I realise that I don't have the lower half of my body. My legs, along with my private parts, were lying several hundred metres away from me on the other side of the hall. The only problem was that Asta was waiting for me right in my path, slowly walking towards me with the creaking and annoying sound of his sword.

 "Ha-ha-ha... damn, you really are something incredible," I smile and look into the face of my death, for I accept it. I see no point in denying it, as I consider it inevitable, and therefore I want my opponent to remember me as I am. A fool who smiled while looking him straight in the eye.

God, you're moving so slowly, Asta. I could write my will by the time you get here. And even with what little stamina I have left, I won't be able to do anything to him. Not in this condition...

He finally made it to me. I'm lying on my back and reaching out to him.

"What's the point of defending an empty throne, Asta...?" He shudders and, after a moment's hesitation, raises his sword above me. Hah, looks like I should have put more stat points into Charisma, maybe it would have worked. But just as the sword was about to split my head open like an overripe watermelon, something strange happened — time stopped, and it wasn't me.

Thanks to your high positive relationship with your patron, your Title has been changed!

A piece of Chronos has been added to your Chronos Avatar!

My left eye stung and started to bleed, and while I still had time, I opened the title information.

Chronos Avatar — You still have the ability to control time with AP, except for the new feature you have received. You have been granted the gift of the "Eye of Chronos"! This gift can help you harness your own power and unlock abilities that you do not yet know how to use.

Warning!!!

The Eye will not obey you and reveal knowledge at your will. It will only be granted to you if it increases the excitement of your "Game."

In other words, is it like an automatic upgrade?

"Well then, help me, 'Miracle Eye'.

Application: Time Rewind [Organic]

In just a minute, my body took on a normal appearance while still performing the same somersaults in the air. It probably looked quite comical from the outside.

Application: Cloning Objects

My dagger split into dozens of copies and all froze in the air next to me.

Application: Strike into the Future.

The daggers did not stick or fly at high speed towards my enemy. They were already stuck up to the hilt in Asta.

Time returned to its usual course, Asta collapsed to his knees with the daggers stuck in him, and my head hurt terribly. Apparently, this was some kind of backlash for abilities that I cannot understand. Well, better that than being dead. Just in case, I decided not to pull the daggers out of Asta's armour. Who knows, maybe he'll find another reason to fight. Better to be safe than sorry.

Task completed!

Reward: You can learn the Necromancer profession + the free bonus skill "Soul Contract" without spending any skill points.

Do you agree to learn it?

Yes/No

—...Stop, stop, stop!!! What?! What the hell is a Necromancer?! My mana is blocked! — I started to get upset and indignant at such a stupid system error.

Your mana will be unlocked 

"Ah... well, okay then...?"

Hmm, that's actually quite interesting. I mean, it opens up some interesting possibilities. Wait... hold on, what if...?

"System, can I remove the curse from the local undead with this profession?

No

"Okay, let me rephrase that. Can I place a Soul Contract on the local fallen heroes without removing the curse?

Why was I so sure that I could still tame them even after I had already 'killed' them? It's all because of the special nature of the local undead — the Curse of the Eternal Guardian. I can smash their armour to pieces, but their souls will still be trapped inside and won't go anywhere.

Yes, this option will be available to you.

Without thinking twice, I took the profession and felt as if chains had been removed from me and something had left me. At least, that's how I would describe the wonderful feeling when a short burst of my magical energy escaped from my body. Apparently, the system had removed the "seal" or block that was responsible for this very mana.

MP: 650

I decided to read about the main and so far only skill in my Necromancer's arsenal.

Soul Contract is a spell that is the opposite of Soul Subjugation. It has much more useful advantages. You give the Soul a choice — a contract to serve you. If successful, the Soul retains all its combat and mental abilities. Attention! The soul has the right to refuse submission. You have only two attempts; after they are exhausted, all effects on the soul will be impossible.

First, I decided to take on ordinary warriors and mages who didn't even need to be persuaded to join me because they had no desire to stay in this place.

The Soul Contract was successful!

Available Summon: Forgotten Warrior of the Empire

Cost: 1 warrior = 50 MP. The mana spent on the summon cannot be restored, as it returns after the spirit is recalled.

Available Summon: Forgotten Mage of the Empire

Cost: 1 mage = 100 MP. It is not possible to restore the mana spent on the summon, as it is returned after the spirit is recalled.

After that, I decided to take on the three heroes I had also fought against. I saw the faint blue light of their souls shining inside their clothes/armour. With a brief touch, I was able to establish contact with them and feel a connection between us. The first one I decided to approach was Maria.

"Maria, don't you want to finally leave these terrible and boring castle walls? All you have to do is agree to serve me.

"Doubt. Despair. Hope."

Ugh, I didn't think the curse was so strong that it wouldn't even let me make mental contact with them. I could only sense a glimmer of emotion.

"Come on, I need you, Maria. I will definitely find a way to lift the curse not only from you, but also from your friends. That is, if they agree to come with me.

I wasn't lying. I was just not saying everything. I was torn by curiosity about who had put the curse on them all, and also, without it, they would be much stronger. I'm even afraid to imagine how strong Asta would be without it. Although, maybe I'm wrong and it was the curse that gave them such strength... Well, let's leave all these theories for later.

The Soul Contract was successful!

Available Summon: Maria "Holy Light"

Maintenance Cost: 200 MP. The mana spent on summoning cannot be restored, as it returns after the spirit is recalled.

This is cheating! Pure and simple cheating!!! Is this the advantage mentioned in the description? My mouth is watering. Actually, no, it's already watering.

As soon as the system made the announcement, I watched with excitement, not blinking, as a figure dressed in a robe with a closed hood slowly rose from the floor and, bowing quietly with hands clasped in a prayer gesture, slowly disappeared in a ghostly light blue flame.

The next choice fell on Trusk, the Defender, and Robin, the Symbol of the Hunt. Upon learning that Maria had already agreed to go with me, the others also decided not to abandon their friend and decided to go with me as well.

The Soul Contract was successful!

Available Summon: Trask "Defender"

Cost: 400 MP. The mana spent on the summon cannot be restored, as it is returned when the spirit is recalled.

The Soul Contract was successful!

Available Summon: Robin "Hunting Symbol"

Maintenance Cost: 300 MP. The mana spent on the summon cannot be restored, as it is returned when the spirit is recalled.

The fourth and last place on my list was occupied by Asta...

The problem is that, unlike the other three, this hero is the strangest. He was the only undead who was determined to fulfil his endless, boring, and terrible duty. And it seems to me that even if I offer him to leave, he won't consider it because of his... duty? Hmm, think, Alex, think! There must be something else! Everything would be much easier if Asta himself had explained why he voluntarily took on this duty, but, alas, I cannot consider this option. Although, I can try to ask Maria for clarification and get some clues.

"Why did Asta agree to stand guard over the throne forever?

"Loyalty. Duty. Obligation." — and Maria's ghostly hand points to the empty throne. Before the King, right?

Now everything is clear to me. Before the King disappeared, he promised him that he would watch over him until he returned. But it's strange that even after all these years, he's still trying to keep a promise he can never fulfil. Perhaps it was this promise that prevented Asta from completely losing his mind? I mean, it makes sense if you look at it from the perspective of an eternal guardian of the undead. Suppose some very powerful and strong mage, or a group of mages, captured the kingdom and turned it into a walking necropolis. Denying the essence of what was happening and trying to preserve what was left of his humanity and memories, Asta decided to set a goal for himself that became his reason for living. Then why didn't the others share his ideals...? I need to know more.

"Asta, I know you can hear me. Please, if you still have the strength, show me the reason for your loyalty. The reason for your duty.

Memories too blurred and terribly disordered burst into my consciousness. The king's face melts like a melting candle, only his light blond hair falls from his shoulders. He says some words, I don't understand them, but I feel their warmth and... Love?! Wait a minute, so Asta is a female knight?! What a twist. This is starting to sound like a romance with a terrible hint of drama. All this time, waiting for him to return and hoping. Remaining loyal to his duty and honour, even to those who invaded his chambers. That is worthy of respect. I can't let her stay here. I just want her.

"Asta, accept me as your new king and I promise we'll find whoever turned you and your friends into undead creatures. I just want to give you a new meaning in life, Asta. For the sake of your friends and your kingdom, break your duty.

I know it's despicable, but I had no other arguments left. It's hard to negotiate with undead creatures who can't even respond properly. As we attempted to conclude the contract, the most beautiful thing I had ever seen occurred — my subordinate rose from the ashes and, kneeling on one knee, appeared to be performing a new ritual of oath-taking. I placed my hand on her shoulder and said softly with a gentle smile:

"Thank you..." After my words, she picked up her sword from the floor and vanished into space in a cloud of blue flame.

The Soul Contract was successful!

Available Summon: Asta "Right Hand of the Empire"

Cost: 600 MP. It is impossible to restore the mana spent on the summon, as it returns after the spirit is recalled.

I got so caught up in the battles and the local undead that I didn't even notice the level I had reached. So, what's our level...?

Level 56.

Free Attribute Points: 320 Free Skill/Ability Points: 34

Titles earned: Man Army.

I wasn't particularly surprised, as I had expected something like this. I can congratulate myself, I have become so strong that I can already start thinking about building my own house on some private island.

I also figured out what those strange questions in the heroes' characteristics meant. They meant their Current Characteristics, which meant I was right when I said that they were all much stronger when they were alive. While I can still imagine Robin and Trask as strong, I'm afraid to even imagine the limits of Asta's power.

In total, I had 257 warriors, 58 mages, and 4 heroes — sounds pretty cool, right? Almost. It just so happened that the warriors and mages I took with me, so to speak, did not differ in any way in terms of intellectual thinking due to their prolonged state of suspended animation, meaning that they constantly needed to be directed and given orders. Everything they did was under the guidance of the system. Only four heroes retained their individuality and were able to perform certain actions on their own, depending on the situation. They were more "free" than the nameless cannon fodder. Although it's hard to call something that is two or even three times stronger than an ordinary person cannon fodder. 

Also, so as not to upset the "balance," all copies of Talon's dagger simply disappeared after a while.

So, wait for me, my world!

***

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