In Tokyo, the dungeon master

Realizing that his subordinates had been wiped out in an instant, the Ghost King was completely enraged.

A deafening roar echoed from the depths of the demon's lair, which had been transformed by the power of extreme darkness and whose internal space was distorted, making it far larger than the original hospital.

It wasn't the sharp screech of an ordinary evil spirit, but a low growl filled with endless malice and oppressive power. The terrifying demonic aura made the entire demon's lair tremble slightly, dust fell from the walls, and the broken window glass made a "clanging" sound.

The pitch-black yin energy surged out from the depths of the hall like a tsunami, rolling and condensing, gradually transforming into a huge black shadow that blocked out all the light. Its eyes, flashing with scarlet light, stared intently at Gu Meng and Bai Chuan Wan Hua, radiating a suffocating malice.

Although Gu Meng casually referred to it as "Muzan"—after all, he had seen a great swordsman named "Yoriichi" in the Shirakawa family genealogy given to him by Manka, so it was hard to say whether it was also a parallel world of Demon Slayer, and Gu Meng was just making a joke—it was clear that this demon was completely different from the real Muzan.

He's neither human nor particularly intelligent; he's just a reckless brute. In the automatically generated background story of this instance, he's also a irrational guy seeking revenge against the Shirakawa family.

He seems much dumber than normal ghost stories, and the reason he can be the big boss of the dungeon is entirely because of his relatively good power in the low sequence.

"Don't rush, I have plenty of time to play with you..."

Gu Meng seemed to have encountered a worthy opponent. The smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by extreme calmness. However, his eyes gleamed with excitement as he gripped the demon sword in his hand once more.

How many years has it been since I played in Bronze rank? Experiencing this level of competition again after so long might be a perk of returning to the lower ranks?

Gu Meng managed to find some joy amidst the hardship, but he was genuinely happy; the battle was exhilarating.

The demonic sword in his hand burned even brighter. "Since you've shown yourself, I won't have to go looking for you again."

The aura of this ghost king was even stronger than he had expected. Although it wasn't a top-tier evil spirit, it was enough to pique his interest.

After all, in a world without superhumans, it is truly rare to encounter such a worthy opponent.

But why is it so ferocious? He shouldn't have been able to create such a powerful monster with the magic power he consumed. Gu Meng looked at the demon's lair… Could it be that the resentment from being unable to be born perfectly matches the current suppressed demonic environment, and once unsealed, it could be converted into even more power…?

Surprise! As expected of me, turning this abandoned hospital into a dungeon for the first time was the right choice. Low cost, high return.

The strength of the monsters in a dungeon is closely related to the rewards that follow.

In other words, the fragment of the Shikon Jewel will be more in line with expectations.

This ghost king's strength is incomparable to that of ordinary evil spirits. The pressure it exudes is enough to instantly crush ordinary magic apprentices. Most first-level magic apprentices don't even have the courage to stand in front of it. Its strength is definitely at the second level, and maybe even the second-and-a-half level.

Using such an opponent to test one's current strength and hone Shirakawa Manka's combat skills is a good choice.

Moreover, the thrill of this head-on confrontation and fierce battle is undeniably exhilarating. In his previous life, Gu Meng frequently entered and exited the tower dungeon not only because he wanted to survive the apocalypse, but also because the stimulation was incomparable to normal pleasure.

Once you become a high-sequence individual, these battles become much less frequent, and sufficient levels of contamination are not readily available everywhere.

Now that we're back in the lower ranks, there are easy targets coming to us. It would be a shame not to have a few more rounds of competition.

Since there was no chance of failure, and to ensure a successful first dungeon run without losing the two currently selected individuals, Gu Meng had already made ample preparations before entering this demon's lair.

Besides the demon sword, he also had a temporary anti-evil artifact and a temporary energy source, enough to support him in a high-intensity battle. He also had a hidden weapon on Shirakawa Manka, enough to at least keep her alive.

Speaking of which, the other main character, Chiyana, should be arriving soon. That ghost driver is supposed to be a ghost story, so why is he so slow... He really is a weakling.

He glanced at Shirakawa Manka, who was still in shock behind him, and said in a serious but reassuring tone, "Stay calm. This is the real opponent. Watch closely. Now it's our turn to really unleash our power. Do you dare to go for it?"

Shirakawa Manka snapped back to reality, nodding vigorously. The shock in her eyes gradually gave way to determination, and the magical light at her fingertips shone brightly again, even more intensely than before: "I understand, Master. I will do my best to assist you and won't hold you back!"

Gu Meng nodded slightly, but was inwardly surprised—"Wow, you really dare! Impressive! Looks like I misjudged her. She's not the type to wet her pants in a crisis. I was quite confident in my judgment... but now that you've done this, I'm almost embarrassed to sell her to you. Oh well, plans always change..."

Gu Meng then turned his gaze back to the huge black shadow deep in the hall, gripped the knife in his hand, and his magic power surged wildly within him, making the red light even more dazzling, once again illuminating the entire dark hall.

"They're about to go!"

……

……

"Ashi... is dead, dead... This isn't real, this isn't real... Am I going to die too...?"

"My Ash, my Ash..."

The days we spent together, all those memories, flashed before my eyes...

It all boils down to one sentence: "Chiyana, open the car door and run! I'll hold him off!"

All that was in front of him was a girl whose head had been spun around in a circle after being hit; she had lost all her previous energy.

She returned to her grandfather's side, but did not transfer back to the prestigious Tsukinomori School, because Ami was there.

"So this is what it means for the human body to be so fragile; just twisting the neck once can kill you."

"People are killed, they die... Why do people die?!?"

"What kind of nonsense is this! Can't a headless person try to live?!"

"I should have known, that ominous feeling, I should have broken off relations with Ashi long ago... They were coming for me..."

"Why did I even participate in that foolish ceremony? My grandmother has been telling me since I was little that some ghost stories are real, but I just didn't believe it..."

"I was so stupid, really."

"You beast, you beast... I'm going to kill you!"

When Shirakawa Chiyana's Dao Heart shattered, Gu Meng glanced at this place once, but because everything was developing normally, he quickly stopped paying attention.

He didn't know Suzumiya Ami; he just treated that girl as a stranger. If she died, she died; if Chihana was alright, he didn't need to care.

This instance is a real boon for newbies, and Gu Meng wouldn't want to waste three seeds, so there shouldn't be any unexpected problems.

After all, he only has four [Darkness Infection] slots. If he uses three of them, it would be too risky to have anyone die in the early stages, which would waste time and development resources. The Shirakawa mother and daughter are currently the main source of magic power for him, so naturally he can't bear to let any of them die.

Kyoka Shihōin simply didn't let her come to the dungeon.

Qian Yuna thoughtfully arranged an ancient protective magic, a forbidden magic called Blood Curse that Gu Meng mastered. It was blessed with blood ties and love, ensuring that Wan Hua's underage daughter would not be harmed by these demons and monsters before Wan Hua's death.

Wan Hua stayed by his side, being the only one planned to enter the dungeon this time. Although it seemed dangerous, keeping her under Gu Meng's watchful eye meant that each of them was safer than the last.

It was just that Gu Meng deliberately made some arrangements to create a sense of fear in the dungeon, which could be considered a small act of malice.

Logically speaking, they are all frightening enough, and the three seeds were chosen for their most feared type.

While the best way to overcome fear is to face it, normal people absolutely cannot do that; facing fear is like wetting your pants.

Shirakawa Chiyana was too terrified to move in the car, which was exactly what Gu Meng had expected. He had always felt that Shirakawa and her daughter were both rather weak-willed, only physically suited to being slaughtered.

Shirakawa Banka was good today... I won't make a mistake like that twice.

Gu Meng, who wasn't paying attention, didn't know that Shirakawa Chiyana's Dao Heart wasn't simply shattered; it was accompanied by a dark power.

Gu Meng had already created a semi-finished mark on her, based on her mother's template. She also possessed the power of a magical girl, but it was temporarily sealed and would not be activated under normal circumstances...

Normally, when a powerful fantasy force erupts, it automatically unseales itself to avoid wasting that power and to cooperate with her fantasy.

For example, right now.

Shirakawa Chiyana raised her hand to cover her eyes, and her voice, which was usually so casual and sarcastic, gradually turned cold and harsh, almost unlike her usual self.

"If the Shirakawa family possesses any dark power, respond to me! I'll give up anything, no matter the cost!"

She recited the incantation she had memorized while going through her grandmother's belongings. It was a forbidden spell that, although memorized, also had a note saying "absolutely do not use."

It is said that this spell was brought out from the Donghai family and researched by the ancestor. Although it can enhance one's strength and, when appropriate, allow one to perish together with an enemy stronger than oneself, using this method will not only lead to a terrible death, but the color of the magic will also turn into an evil black shadow, and will attract the attention of ancient evil beings.

But now, Shirakawa Chiyana couldn't care less about all that. Whoever it was, as long as they could respond and give her power, since demons had already appeared in the world, it meant that gods would also be resurrected, be it an evil god or the power of darkness—

"Ash is dead; I no longer care about right or wrong!"

"The abyss is my pact, the shadow my garment."

Fallen feathers, devouring all light.

The lock on the heart breaks, evil thoughts awaken.

With my blood, I offer sacrifice to the eternal night.

The Pact of Dark Erosion is hereby forged—