Edited by: Priapus, Marethyu

I float down to the mine entrance, scanning my surroundings in case there's anyone nearby. There shouldn't be; it's a few hours past midnight, and the sun hasn't come up yet. No one should be working in a mine at this time. Well, besides my golems, of course.

And speaking of my golems, they've done a fantastic job digging a new entrance in such a short time. It's barely been a few days, and they've already made it back to where we fought that Dreadnought Titan and fixed the area so it looks nicer and less dangerous.

It's too bad that most of the dust clusters detonated. They'll need to dig deeper if they want more, as this area and the other areas are barren. This place is practically useless for them. But not for me, as the dungeon didn't move anywhere. Thank god they're indestructible. I'd be so pissed if they weren't.

I enter the mine, continuously scanning the area with Haki as I take out the orange, almost golden sphere, the key to the dungeon below. I'm so nervous but so excited at the same time. I don't remember the last time I'd had a challenge in these dungeons. It's been fucking ages.

I don't know what I should be expecting inside. Is it going to be something complex? A simple 'kill this dude' mission, but the dude is insanely hard to beat? That's kind of what I'm hoping for because as exciting as it is to get something new, I seriously don't want to fuck it up.

It's a legendary-tier dungeon. If it's complex, it's gonna be hard to solve. And I'm not on Remnant, so throwing my weight around or tossing money at the problem might not help very much. Conqueror's Haki might come in clutch, but I'd rather deal with a simple quest than something that requires more brain cells than I might have.

I do not like politics, and I acknowledge that without my money and achievements as a Titan Slayer giving me a lot of leeway, I would've been fucking terrible at it. I really lucked out when I killed Fenrir so soon into my career. Otherwise, I might've struggled a bit. I think.

But I guess that's the solution to any political problems. Becoming so strong that nobody wants to fuck with you. And money. Lots of money. Enough that you can crash the entire economy.

…This honestly sounds like something a tyrant would say, but it's been working so far. I think it'll be fine if I keep using my power and wealth for a good cause and surround myself with great people. Hopefully. I'm apparently one of the 'good ones'.

As I reach the chasm where the dungeon lies, I stop to stare at it silently for a few moments, letting the immense pressure wash over me. In the meantime, I check that I have everything on me, making sure I'm fully prepared for this place.

First thing first, armor? I'm wearing it. Weapons? I'm wearing the gauntlets. Goldbrand is strapped on my hip, and the Poseidra Spear, Maliq, is on my back. Potions? I have several of them inside pouches on my belt. Enchanted vials so they don't easily break under pressure.

What else, what else…

Right, portable golems. I've drawn small blood circles on each palm, so all I really need is to grab whatever material I may find and inject it with my magic. The end result is a quick golem that, while a lot weaker than regular ones, will be a bunch of help in a pinch.

Okay, I'm as prepared as I could possibly be. One might say too prepared, but when the goddess said something about it deactivating system mechanics, the first thing that came to mind was my not being able to access my inventory.

And to be honest, that sounds concerning. My inventory is insanely powerful. One of my strongest cheat abilities. Inside it, I have thousands of potions. Thousands. I'm as immortal as Salem at best. So when it gets disabled, I suddenly have to be a LOT more careful.

Triple-checking everything one more time, I throw the golden sphere at the dungeon, transforming it into the door, leading me to my biggest challenge yet. I look around to make sure I'm not being watched by anyone, then enter through the door.

As the blinding light dies down, I instantly notice the wrongness in the air before I even open my eyes, making me tense. Once I'm able to see properly, I frown seriously, feeling in sudden danger even though there's nothing nearby. Nothing that's trying to kill me, at least.

But something about this place is just wrong.

The environment around me is completely unfamiliar. I find myself surrounded by a forest, but this is unlike any forest I've ever encountered. The ground beneath my feet is not the usual hard dirt but rather a mixture of soft sand and ash. It stretches out endlessly in every direction, with a peculiar purple hue that glitters subtly with each step I take. It's a truly surreal sight, unlike anything I've ever experienced before.

The landscape is devoid of any signs of life, as every tree is lifeless. The wood of the trees takes a dark purple shade, and upon closer inspection, I'm surprised to find that it is significantly denser than regular wood. In fact, it feels harder than even iron when I run my hand over its surface.

But what's really strange in here is how stuffy and hot the air feels, almost like it's trying to invade my body. My throat already feels dry and irritated, making me audibly cough. The armor golem responds almost immediately, creating a helmet around my head that seemingly filters the air somehow, making me breathe normally.

I blink in surprise a few times.

"I didn't know you could do that…" I mutter with a smile. "Now, to find out what's going on around here…"

As soon as I say that, the system gives me two notifications. One is the challenge for this dungeon, and the other is the dungeon quest. It took a while. Back then when I was starting out, it'd be instant, but now it takes time.

The system might actually be lagging.

Inventory is disabled!

Gamer's Mind is disabled!

Holy fuck, I called it! I knew preparing in case the dumbass system tries to pull something like this was the right move. Oh boy, if I didn't get ready for it, I might've been utterly fucked here. Thank you, goddess. You saved my ass there. I seriously owe you a ton.

However, the second challenge is unexpected. I'm surprised that I don't feel anything different. Don't know. I always thought I'd start panicking or something the moment that gets disabled, like all the anxiety or stress I should've felt during every battle or encounter that doesn't involve a fight to the death would hit me at once.

Thank god, that's not the case.

[Cosmic Pestilence]

Objective: This area is contaminated with a sentient, parasitic disease from the rotten carcass of a powerful alien! Find out how to cure it and stop it from spreading further!

Rewards: X5 Levels, Raise cap on all skills by 10, 15 Gacha Tokens, 300 Stat Points, Vial of Sidereus Blood

An alien disease? What? I thought this was a fantasy world— why are there aliens in it?

I mean, I'm not really complaining. The rewards are straightforward, being mainly a boost in stats, but extremely useful. And while I don't know what 'Sidereus Blood' is, it sounds powerful. And it should be. I'd be surprised if the rewards of a Legendary-tier dungeon aren't worth it.

I can handle magical things just fine, whereas this is my first time encountering an alien. And not one I can beat up, either. I mean, I've got a few potions that can cure diseases prepared, but something tells me that they won't be enough to deal with something that looks like it can infect the ground I'm walking on.

Well, okay. On paper, the quest sounds simple enough. But I'll need to get some research on this disease done before I can try to fight it. I don't know how fast it can spread or how deadly it is, so I need to work fast.

First, looking for survivors. I can't tell if there's anyone near me using Observation, and the air is messing with my normal magic senses, so the hard way it is.

"No, Gwyn. You can't help me here." I respond, feeling my wolf's desire to assist me. "You'll get sick. Whatever this plague is, it can mess with magic. It's not normal by any means."

I sense his dissatisfaction with my decision, but I'm not putting my only familiar in danger.

"Until I can make an immunizer for it, you won't materialize and risk your life," I say firmly. "And that's final."

With that, I begin my investigation, taking off to the sky. Thankfully, seeing that my awesome armor allows me to fly, I don't have to use magic and possibly draw attention to my location. I've already tested out how fast I can fly in it, and it's definitely much quicker than I expected.

I made it to Menagerie from Central Vale in less than five minutes. At top speed, I can move much faster than Ruby, using her Semblance in tandem with Senketsu. Which I've never been able to do before.

Granted, the faster I move, the more magic the armor uses, but it's nothing a few crystals can't recharge.

But speed isn't what I need right now. I have to find out if there's anyone alive and get them out of harm's way. This disease must've been here for a long time, stretching for miles and miles, as far as I can see. I don't know how and why someone would do such a thing, but they need to be stopped. The problem is that I can't tell where this thing is coming from.

Aliens in a fantasy world… What else does this place have in store for me?

I continue my search for the next fifteen minutes, grimacing at how barren the lands are. There's nothing but sand, ash, and dead trees. No critters or any kind of animal, really. Not even those spirits that I found in previous dungeons.

But that's to be expected. When a plague can mess with magic this badly, you know it's not something you can fuck around with. Not even the necromancy I tested on Grimm that one time was this potent. That was just death magic that can easily be countered.

This? This is very different. It kind of feels like magic, but it's definitely not. Or, if it is, it's a type I've never encountered before. Do I think I can get rid of it? Yes. Is it going to take time? Also yes. Mostly because I don't have most of my tools and supplies with me.

Guess I wasn't as prepared as I hoped after all.

As several more minutes tick by, I pause as I sense the presence of weak mystical energy emanating from a distance, causing me to instinctively stiffen and direct my gaze toward its source. Intrigued and on high alert, I cautiously begin to navigate my way toward it. There's almost a tugging sensation of some kind. It's weak, but it's definitely there. Some kind of distress call?

Once I'm close enough to see the village it's coming from, I hasten my pace to it, floating down to the middle. Once again, there's nobody here. The buildings are in ruins, and the materials they're made of are infected by this plague, just like everything else I've seen so far. Stone, wood— nothing is left untouched.

I look at where the presence is coming from—a small shack on the outskirts of this small village,. I slowly make my way to it, noticing a subtle green glow inside. I've never personally encountered this power before, seeing its aura preventing this plague from getting any closer to the shack, like a protective barrier of sorts, helps me recognize it.

This is the first time I've seen druidic sorcery, although I've read about it in several books. Elven Druids commonly use it as a tether to connect to the deity of nature. It's also widely proclaimed as 'purity incarnate,' so I guess I understand its ability to combat this disease so well.

I didn't know it was this powerful, though.

The shack is simple enough. It's an open one, with hastily nailed boardings protecting whatever's inside it. From the tools I can see inside, it seems to belong to a carpenter: hammers, saws, chisels, and everything else all over the creaking floor.

But what's important is a crate that's in the corner. It's where the gentle energy of druidic sorcery comes from.

As I get closer to the mysterious crate to see what's inside it, I sense incoming danger from behind me, prompting me to avoid a sweep aimed at taking my head off and respond with a kick, striking the assailant in the stomach and sending them outside the shack.

I pause as I take a good look at the thing that tried to attack me. It's a humanoid of some kind, with purple skin and a rough stone texture. Its arms and legs are all different in shapes and sizes, and the monster's head is so deformed that it's hard to tell what it actually is— no eyes, no nose, no mouth. It looks similar to basic golems, but I know it's anything but.

The only thing that's making me suspect its identity is the torn clothes it wore, making me frown. So this is what happened to the villagers?

A check with Observe tells me nothing of value. It doesn't show me their names or what they were before. Only that they're called 'Necrosidereus', which sounds damning enough. Someone must've been messing with Necromancy here and got these poor people involuntarily involved.

The infected villager makes no noise as it gets back up, and with it, several more show up from the ground, each of them different in looks. It's grotesque to see, as well as bleak. I can't imagine they died painlessly…

I draw my sword and get into a stance, slowly luring them away from the shack in case things get too destructive. Their utter silence and cold demeanor make them a lot creepier, as usually, when it comes to zombies or something like that, the groaning makes them at least sound a little dumb or harmless.

One of them charges at me at surprising speed, but it's nothing I haven't handled before, so I promptly dodge their attack and cut them in half with a single swing. This causes the rest to attack me at once, swinging their bulging, rock-like limbs to take me down.

I easily avoid their blows, ending their misery in only one or two swings. I don't know if the villagers are still in there or if they can feel pain, but I don't want to prolong their suffering. The quicker I finish them off, the better.

As I continue fighting them, my Observation activates, helping me avoid a lunge from one of the ones I have already defeated. I frown in surprise and leap back, watching the supposed cauterized wound from my fire sword burn a bright purple. It can infect magical fire, too?!

More than that, even the ones I beheaded are standing up again, ready to continue the fight. Don't tell me I have to utterly vaporize them to actually defeat them. But if they can infect Goldbrand's fire, how am I supposed to do that with my magic?

The purple flames caused by the sword spread to the ground from their wounds before exploding at my face, prompting me to back off as they continue to lash out at me furiously. This could escalate really fast if I don't handle it now.

I sheathe my sword and focus earth magic into my two hands, touching the ground of sand and ash with them as I force a big enough sinkhole that swallows up all the infected villagers. It's not enough to get rid of them, but I don't need to do that. I just need to get whatever's creating the barrier of druidic sorcery.

I think it might be the only viable way to fight them and this infection.

So, with some time bought, I rush back to the shack, ignoring the infected flames, trying to get under my armor and open the crate. However, what I see inside makes me freeze. The item I need takes the shape of a bronze amulet with carved jade filled with immense magic.

And it's held in the hands of a small blond boy with pointy ears wearing a green tunic, looking at me with teary eyes as he trembles in fear. The elf child says nothing. He doesn't cry out for help or terror as he shuts his eyes silently, almost as if he'd accepted his death.

"Hey, now, it's okay." I try to comfort him. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to help."

The boy, seemingly surprised by my ability to speak, opens his eyes slowly, clutching the amulet close to his chest.

"Yeah, see? I might look frightening with this armor on, but—" The helmet covering my face melts away, showing him my smile. "I'm not infected by whatever this is."

Thankfully, this seems to have calmed him down a little. However, he still doesn't say anything, sniffling and coughing lightly.

"You did really well holding out until now, kiddo," I tell him, extending an arm. "I know it must've been scary, but it's okay now. I promise I'll keep you safe."

Hesitantly, the terrified child takes my hand, and I help him out of the crate he was hiding in. Unfortunately, whatever time I bought by burying the infected villagers has run out as I see them climbing out of the hole they came from, making me frown.

Thankfully, neither they nor the purple flames are able to penetrate the invisible barrier made by the druid amulet, making it easy for us to escape if we need to. The elf boy cowers behind me in fear as he sees the infected villagers, silently sobbing as tears run down his cheeks.

"It's going to be okay," I tell him again, gently patting him. "I promise."

As soon as I say that, a loud, earth-shattering roar echoes across the entire infected region, making me flinch and grunt in pain, nearly bringing me to my knees. My eyes widen as I hear something massive approaching from the distance, violently shaking the ground and making me quickly carry the child in my arms.

As we take a tentative step forward, an enormous beast that closely resembles the upper body of a dragon suddenly charges at us. Its immense scales are partially transformed into a stone-like skin, resembling armor atop its already thick scales. Its massive wings, although riddled with tattered holes, appear to have been only minimally affected by the infection.

And this isn't some wyvern subtype— it's a true dragon, using its two arms to crawl at us at a horrifying speed. Its lower half is nowhere to be seen, seemingly having been torn off for one reason or another, but this isn't the time to be in awe or fear.

My golem armor quickly responds to my needs and covers my head with a hardened helmet again, and I manage to dodge the monster's lunge. The shack breaks down and collapses at its weight, giving me just enough time to fly away.

"What the fuck is that thing?!" I think out loud, voicing my confusion and shock.

A dragon— a true one, infected by this? If it made ordinary people as dangerous as Primal-class Grimm, then what the fuck am I looking at?

That question is quickly answered as the monster leaps at me with shocking velocity, slamming me to the ground with the child in my arms. Thankfully, he's unharmed, but I'm not, as I felt that attack even with the armor.

I flip and roll away from another devastating attack, casting a strong burst of fire to distract it, but to no effect, as it charges into me anyway, ignoring whatever damage I could cause it. This time, I'm ready for its attack, avoiding it and creating another sinkhole.

Which thankfully works as it tumbles forward and hits its chin on the edge of the hole, slipping into the hole with a furious roar. I use this moment to fall back and read its stats, making me grimace.

This thing isn't a joke…

Name: N/A

Title: Infected Dragon

Age: 24 Days

Race: Necrosidereus

Level: 451

HP: 1,100,000

MP: 722,000

AP: N/A

STR: 4053

VIT: 4223

DEX: 3001

INT: 404

WIS: 125

CHA: 0

LUK: 0

It's more than twice as powerful as the average Titan I've fought in Remnant. And if it can infect my magic and throw it back at me like the other infected villagers, I might just be facing the most powerful thing I've ever fought by miles.

That's precisely what I'd expect from this dungeon.

The infected dragon digs out of the hole seconds after that thought, flapping its wings and carrying itself to the sky with a guttural scream. The bastard is quick, keeping up with me and even getting closer despite its size, so I fly close to the ground to try to lose it. It smashes into dozens of trees without a care, hellbent on getting me no matter what.

It's getting closer and closer, and in fear of making it more powerful by using more of my magic, I focus solely on getting away. I know I can fight it and maybe beat it if I go full power, but not with the child in my arms. I refuse to put him in danger.

First, his safety. Then I can think about breaking it in half.

Unfortunately, this chase isn't going in my favor as it's faster than me, so I prepare to use a last-resort distraction to give me enough time to use my potion, and as it lunges, I activate my imperfect Susanoo, smashing its head with a skeletal arm.

But the big bastard resists, destroying the arm in one bite. Before it could land a blow on me, though, a strong wave of necrotic magic hits it in the face, breaking its momentum and sending it tumbling backward.

"Astera, over here!" A familiar voice calls out.

"Sheekh!" I feel myself smile in relief as I see my necromancer friend beckoning me. "Thank god, someone else is here. What the hell is going on? What is that thing?"

"I'll explain everything later." He says, pointing his staff at the screaming monster. "Continue heading west. There's a great lodge inside a barrier I've made where the Necrosidereus can't invade. I'll hold off the beast."

"What? You're out of your mind!" I protest. "That thing is way too powerful for you to handle! It'll tear you apart!"

"I admire the confidence you have in me—" He jokes as a skeletal giant comes out of the ground, slowing down the monster. "But a perk of being a lich is complete immunity to all diseases, this one included. Now, go. I'll catch up to you once I've lost it."

"But—"

"Astera, you mustn't put the child in your arms in any more danger." He argues. "Please. I have this covered. Have some trust."

I hesitate for a bit but relent with a nod, taking off to the lodge he spoke about as fast as I can. I hate having to leave him to fend for his own, but he's right. I can't risk the boy's life here. I may only have met Sheekh a few times, but I think he can hold his own. He's a lich that has lived for thousands of years. He knows what he's doing.

I hope.

– Raven –

It had been hours since her daughter's visit— possibly longer. It was hard to keep track of time here. She was here alone, and the occasional visit from the nurses didn't count. Ozpin had trained them well enough. They didn't make a noise as they checked up on her. As silent as a mouse. And Raven admittedly liked that.

She didn't want some moron yapping her ears off. Her broken nose was already annoying enough, and their refusal to hand her any of Astera's 'wondrous' potions wasn't helping. If she was going to suffer, at least let it be in silence. She was thankful for that.

Raven was still in shock after Yang's little visit. She still couldn't believe that her daughter had somehow acquired magical powers that weren't related to the maidens in any way. She could tell because the control she had when she showed some of it was nothing like the tremendous destructive power of the Maidens' magic.

There was just no way that Yang could show more control over such magic than her, who had trained to wield it for more than a decade at this point. So unless the blond had been born with it somehow, she'd most definitely gotten it from a different source.

How or why, Raven couldn't fathom. And at this point, she couldn't care. If she had to make a guess, she'd put the blame on Astera somehow. There were some… similarities between their magic. Granted, that monster was VASTLY more powerful, but Raven still felt the resemblance.

Speaking of Yang…

When her daughter visited, her demeanor had changed unexpectedly. It was evident that she had undergone a significant transformation since their last meeting. The energy in her eyes had returned, and her self-assured manner expressed a newfound sense of drive. This contrasted with the pathetic and fragile state she had been in during their previous encounter.

Perhaps Raven had underestimated her a little bit. That, she could admit.

Claiming she was better than her, though? That felt like the delusions of an arrogant young girl. Yang would never be better until she let go of the sentiments that were holding her back. She might've been stronger than Raven expected, but she was still a weak, emotional child who would break under any sort of pressure.

Raven could feel the anger rising within her as she clenched her fists, her brow furrowed in a deep scowl. It was inexplicable, but just the thought of that moronic girl made her blood boil. She didn't understand why she felt like this…

She then sighed, her hands and expression relaxing as she calmed herself down. She'd rather do anything than be stuck with her own thoughts, but she couldn't even take a nap to help pass the time. This was torture.

As soon as that thought passed, the door opened. Raven flinched, expecting another visit from Astera, but instead, her stupid brother walked in, glaring at her in hatred. She felt herself instinctively relax, knowing that the monster wasn't here.

Qrow stared at her silently as strange people who were covered from head to toe in even stranger armor that almost looked like it was fused into their skin followed suit, approaching her and forcing her out of bed.

"What the— unhand me at once!" She growled.

"Forget it. They don't listen to anyone but Reid." Qrow said. "Just be quiet, alright?"

Astera? Her eyes narrowed. He's here?

Were they going to kill her at last? Was that why Qrow was here? To bring her to Astera personally? She knew this bastard would do anything to see her gutted. He probably thought it was an honor to be the one to deliver her.

"You…" She snarled at him. "What's the meaning of this? Where are you taking me?!"

"Stop panicking." He snorted, opening his flask. "One mention of his name, and you look like you're about to piss yourself. Could you be any more pathetic?"

"Qrow…" Her eyes narrowed.

"Just stop talking." He told her.

As Astera's lackeys walked her out of the room, Raven felt terror creeping into her heart. Was this it? Was she seriously going to die like a dog? Was this truly the end?

In an act of desperation, Raven tried to summon the power of the Spring Maiden, successfully pushing all the guards with a powerful burst of wind. But as she thought this had given her a chance to escape, she immediately fell to her knees, feeling immense and bewildering agony through every cell of her body, causing her to cry out.

What felt like being burned in the fiery pits of hell, frozen in the coldest regions of Remnant, stabbed by a million needles, and bludgeoned with thousands of maces all at the same time continued growing in intensity until tears began running down her cheeks. It was, by far, the worst thing Raven had ever gone through, and it didn't seem like it was going to stop.

"Tsk, he told me you'd try something like that." She heard her bastard brother say. "You may be a coward, Raven, but I thought you were smart."

Raven didn't respond with anything intelligent, continuing to cry and moan in pain. She didn't even see him crouch next to her, taking a syringe out of his jacket's pocket. The agony was too great for her to care about anything else.

"Well, as much as he hates your ass, he was still nice enough to hand me a few painkillers in case this happens." He said, but Raven wasn't listening. "Better be grateful when you wake up."

As he said that, Qrow stabbed her with the syringe, injecting her with this so-called 'painkiller', and in mere seconds, the immense agony went away.

As did Raven's consciousness.

Check the pa tre on to see the conclusion of the dungeon. Nice twists and turns I bet you wouldn't expect.