Absolute Cheater-Chapter 301: Blood Sky City

It had been the lifeblood of Fantasy City—adventurers, scholars, mercenaries, and treasure-seekers all flocked here for one reason: the Dungeon that existed just a short ride east of the city walls. It had fed the city's economy, its tales, its very identity. The kind of place that twisted reality, warped fate, and devoured the unworthy.

And now… it was gone.

They returned to their usual inn—a snug, upper-tier place called The Booked Depth, ironically named after a phrase scratched into the last stone tablet pulled from the dungeon's third layer. Warm lanternlight spilled from its windows, and the familiar creak of the sign was oddly comforting. Asher and Valeris rested, their boots finally kicked off, gear set aside. The evening passed quietly—shared food, soft laughter, and a bed they didn't mind sharing.

But dawn brought commotion.

The city was awake—too awake. Shouts echoed through alleys, runners darted from square to square, and impromptu gatherings clustered near every posting board and tavern door. When Asher and Valeris stepped into the early morning light, the air was already thick with rumor and uncertainty.

They didn't have to ask what had happened. The cries were loud enough.

"The dungeon's gone!"

Some claimed it had vanished entirely—swallowed by its own magic, or pulled into another realm.

Others swore it had finally died, the long-buried heart at its core having stopped after centuries of silent motion.

And then there were the more grounded theories: that someone—some group—had reached the bottom. Conquered it. Closed it. And in doing so, sealed it forever.

The problem was… no one knew who.

"And that's why," one passerby muttered to another, "they're searching for anyone carrying the mark. The Dungeon's Favor."

Asher and Valeris exchanged glances.

Another shouted, "We need to find who cleared it! They'd have the keys, the relics, the last of the treasure!"

"Assuming they're not dead," came the grim reply.

In the absence of the dungeon, Fantasy City was unraveling—not in chaos, but in purpose. The thing that had drawn so many had disappeared, and with it, so had the reason many were here. Groups formed to seek whoever had reached the end—some for praise, some for blame… and some to hunt for what they might've brought back.

Not all treasures belonged in the light.

Valeris's voice was quiet. "You think this is the start of something else?"

Asher looked out over the crowd, his expression unreadable.

"I think this place was always a powder keg. The dungeon just gave it a fuse."

She nodded slowly. "And now someone's lit it."

He glanced sideways at her, one brow lifting. "So… shall we go hunting before someone starts hunting us?"

Valeris smirked. "Depends. Are we the kind of people who chase answers… or the kind who already know too much?"

Asher chuckled, the sound low. "We're the kind who make the story worth chasing."

Valeris chuckled too as she leaned into Asher. "But let's rest now. We should go to that dungeon that gives Law Crystals as rewards. Using them, we can increase our Law mastery," he said as she eyed him. "I don't think I've heard of this dungeon?"

Asher replied, "There is, but they're hidden by powerful houses. They own them and keep them secret so no others can learn of it—and they're the only ones to take advantage of it."

Asher gave a small shrug as she raised a brow. "Typical," Valeris muttered as Asher nodded.

"That's how those in power remain in power," Asher said as they descended to the lower floor and ordered breakfast.

They found a quiet table near the corner of the inn's common room, away from the cluster of gossiping adventurers and anxious merchants. The smell of roasted meat and honey-glazed bread drifted through the air, mingling with the ever-present scent of old wood and fire-smoke.

A tired-looking innkeeper's assistant brought them a modest breakfast—steamed eggs, spiced sausages, and thick-cut bread slathered with berry preserve. Asher dug in without ceremony, while Valeris tore a piece of bread slowly, her thoughts clearly elsewhere.

"So," she said between bites, "these hidden dungeons… do all the noble houses have one?"

"Not all," Asher said, chewing. "But the big ones? Definitely. Law-infused dungeons don't form naturally. Most were forged during the origin Eras—when the world was still pliable, when reality itself could be bent. The houses that discovered or inherited them guard them like sacred vaults. They only let in their own kin or trusted allies."

Valeris narrowed her eyes slightly. "And I'm guessing no one talks about them in public?"

He smirked. "Mentioning one openly could get you 'politely disappeared.'"

"How quaint," she muttered.

"There's one not far from here," Asher continued, lowering his voice a bit. "Under the pretense of an abandoned temple. The House of Varnis claims it as their ancestral rite. They call it the 'Red Womb of Order.' It yields crimson Law Crystals—focused on Blood, Darkness and Corrpution."

"Sounds suffocating."

"It is. But valuable. Especially if you want to understand Fate Law more deeply." He paused, then glanced at her. "You were serious, weren't you? About strengthening your control."

Valeris met his gaze. "Fate isn't a toy. If I don't master it… it might master me."

Asher leaned back in his chair, nodding slowly. "Then we'll go. But we'll need to be subtle. The Varnis don't take kindly to trespassers."

A glint of steel appeared in Valeris's smile. "I don't mind knocking on their front door… if it comes to that."

Asher laughed under his breath. "I had a feeling you'd say that."

Soon, their breakfast was finished. As they paid the bill and left, they secured a mount and soared into the air, heading toward the next city—where the Varnis family resided: Blood Sky City.

Though Asher had said it was nearby, it was still more than 100 kilometers away. But given their current power, they could reach it in the blink of an eye. Still, they didn't rush the journey.

Instead, they chose to ride in style—on the back of a majestic, white flaming bird known as the Holy Imperial Swan.

It wasn't just a breathtaking creature with radiant feathers and sweeping wings—it was a powerful mount as well, capable of gliding through storms and warding off minor threats with its aura alone. A noble beast, often seen in royal courts and powerful houses, now calmly ferrying two dangerous travelers toward their next confrontation.