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SM/DC Chapter 58 : Legacy Shadow Legion Dungeon
🕑 Added 2025-03-14 20:57:48 +0000 UTCArthur landed with a sharp thud on the cold, jagged ground his boots skidding slightly as he straightened up. The air around him felt… wrong thick with an ancient, almost hungry Magic that crawled along his skin like a thousand unseen hands.
He scanned his surroundings, eyes narrowing.
“Well, woud you look at that…” he muttered.
He was standing on a floating island a massive chunk of blackened rock, suspended in an endless, storm-lit void. Jagged stone spires pierced the air like broken fangs. In the distance, dozens of other floating islands hovered, some drifting lazily while others crackled with violet lightning. Faint, eerie flying figures moved across them.
Arthur exhaled, already feeling the tension coil in his gut. “Yeah, this is totally different than the tower of fate.. ”
Just then, the familiar chime of the system rang out its tone somehow heavier than usual.
[Welcome to the Legacy Shadow Legion Dungeon.]
[Most of your job-specific skills are now locked.]
[To prove you are worthy of the Legion, one must vanquish the Legion itself—with his own merit.]
[You will fight them here at the peak of their ability.]
[Escape is not an option—there is no exit until the trial is done.]
[You’ll be kicked out of the dungeon once you finish this level.]
Arthur blinked at the last line. “…Kicked out?”
He ran a hand down his face, sighing. “Of course. Can’t make this easy, huh?”
Locked skills? He figured that was coming every “prove your worth” test always had a catch. But the system booting him out the second he was done after a single level? That was new and not in a good way.
“So, what, every time I want to enter, I gotta swing by Raven’s room like a guy sneaking back to his girlfriend’s place?” His palm smacked against his forehead. “Great. That won’t be awkward.”
He could already picture the looks. Beast Boy would crack jokes. Jaime would aim a plasma cannon at his face. And Raven?
‘…Yeah, she’d either enjoy it or probably just teleport me into the ocean...’
Shaking his head, Arthur focused on the task at hand. He took a step forward, the weight of the world shifting beneath his feet. Power thrummed through the air, powerful and old, like the dungeon itself was watching him.
“Alright, Shadow Legion,” he muttered, cracking his knuckles. “Let’s see if you live up to the hype.”
Arthur extended his hand, fingers curling as he willed his shadows to rise.
Nothing happened.
He frowned, trying again, this time with more intent. Still nothing. Not a flicker. Not a single loyal soldier crawling to his side.
He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “I really can’t use them, huh?” His voice was low, but there was no panic, just the edge of a grin tugging at his lips. “So be it, Alone is not a problem for me.”
In one smooth motion, he summoned his sword, a sleek, blade humming with restrained power. The familiar and dangerous Promethium sword. With a shrug, he slung it over his shoulder and began walking, the faint sound of his boots tapping against the strange, floating rock beneath him.
The wind howled softly around the floating island, carrying the distant sounds of movement, sharp, cutting, like wings slicing through air. Arthur’s senses flared. He stopped mid-step, turning his head just in time to catch a blur streaking across the sky.
Flying creatures. Dozens of them.
Massive, wings. Sleek, obsidian scales reflecting the dim, eerie light of this realm. Their crimson eyes burning like suns, cutting through the mist as they soared past him in a formation.
Arthur’s eyes gleamed as he tracked their movement, the corners of his mouth curling into a wicked smile. “Wyverns...That’s my transport.”
Without a second thought, he crouched slightly, muscles coiling with tension. In a burst of speed, he leapt from the edge of the floating island, the wind rushing past his face as he hurtled toward the flock.
“Alright! let’s see which one of you is worth riding!”
****
Titans tower -
In the quiet of her room, Raven sat cross-legged on the floor, fingers twitching as dark energy swirled faintly around her. Her hood was down, and beads of sweat trailed down her face, an unusual sight for someone as composed as her.
Her lips pressed into a thin line. Eyes shut. Focus razor-sharp.
And still… nothing.
“Damn it, Arthur!” she hissed under her breath, her voice tight with frustration. “I really can’t sense him at all…”
She exhaled slowly, attempting to center herself again. But her mind spun, spiraling through possibilities she hadn’t considered before.
Her brow furrowed as a realization crept in, slow, unsettling.
“So this is it…” Her voice softened as her violet eyes snapped open, glowing faintly. “This is why I couldn’t sense him before… he’s been going inside these portals...” Her stomach twisted. “...often. So that’s how it is…”
Her mind raced with questions she didn’t want to ask. ‘What exactly is he doing in there? And why, out of all places, did this portal appear in her room?’
And worse… why did it bother her so much?
Lost in thought, Raven barely registered the faintest sound outside her door, soft but unmistakable.
Whispering.
Right on cue.
“I can’t hear a thing,” Beast Boy whispered, his pointed ears twitching as he leaned against the door. His green skin shifted slightly as he tried transforming into a bat no luck. “Whatever they are saying is, like… super muffled.”
Blue Beetle stood beside him, arms crossed, voice dry. “Dude, you’re half a foot away. I don’t think turning into a bat gonna improve your odds.”
“Hey, it’s called strategy, bro.” Beast Boy rolled his eyes. “And if you’re so smart, why don’t you try listening?”
Jaime sighed. “Fine.” With a small whir, the blue Scarab armor glowed faintly as he tilted his head toward the door.
…
Nothing.
“Well?” Beast Boy asked, eyebrows waggling.
“I think she said something about ‘portals’ and ‘Arthur’...” Jaime paused. “...or maybe ‘torture’ and ‘murder.’ Honestly, could go either way.”
Beast Boy snickered. “Oooh, but seriously what the hell are they doing inside...”
Jaime shook his head, muttering under his breath, “I’m surrounded by idiots…”
Without warning.
“What are you two doing?”
A cold, sharp voice pierced the air.
They froze.
Beast Boy’s soul nearly left his body as Raven materialized behind them, her arms folded across her chest. Her glare? Lethal.
Both of them spun around—hands shooting up in immediate surrender.
“Uh—uh—uh, nothing! Nothing at all!” Beast Boy blurted out, grinning nervously. “Just, you know, casual hallway patrol. Keeping things safe, as always!”
Jaime nodded rapidly. “Y-Yeah! Routine security check. Very professional stuff, you know how it is..”
Raven’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Right.”
For a long, tense moment, no one spoke.
Then, Beast Boy tilted his head, blinking curiously. “Wait a second… why are you sweating?”
Her breath hitched. “I—”
“Like—a lot.” His nose twitched. “Kinda smells like...”
“Azerath Metrion Zinthos!”
The hallway exploded in a surge of dark energy.
With a yelp, both boys were thrown back...Beast Boy crashing against the wall while Jaime skidded down the floor on his armored back.
“Okay, okay!” Beast Boy wheezed, holding his hands up from the floor. “Message received...no more questions!”
Jaime coughed, pushing himself up. “I’m never trusting you to ‘listen’ again.”
Raven, face flushed and fuming, huffed in frustration before vanishing in a swirl of black magic, leaving the two of them groaning on the floor.
“Worth it,” Beast Boy muttered with a grin, despite the ache in his ribs.
Jaime just shook his head. “Bro..”
****
High above the floating islands, the sky was chaos.
The wind howled like a beast, ripping through the air as five wyverns circled Arthur, massive, scaled monstrosities with leathery wings and jaws lined with jagged teeth. Their crimson eyes burned with primal fury, locking onto the lone intruder who dared to challenge them.
And Arthur?
He was laughing.
“Is that all you’ve got?” His voice cut through the wind, wild and sharp, as his glowing eyes gleamed with predatory excitement.
One of the wyverns dove at him a blur of claws and snapping fangs.
Arthur didn’t flinch.
With a pulse of Ruler’s Authority, he twisted mid-air, yanking himself onto its back. The beast shrieked in fury, wings flapping madly as it tried to shake him off, but Arthur moved like a shadow, smooth and relentless.
“You’re not going anywhere.” His fingers tightened around the hilt of his Promethium sword, the black blade humming with lethal energy. Without hesitation, he drove it into the base of the wyvern’s neck, cutting through scales like butter. Dark blood sprayed across his face, but the wicked smile never left his lips.
The beast spasmed beneath him but Arthur leaned in closer, twisting the blade deeper.
He yanked the sword free just enough and with a surge of strength, dragged the dying wyvern toward the others.
Another wyvern lunged, jaws open wide.
Arthur's eyes flashed. “Big mistake.”
He pulled forcing the dying beast into a sudden dive. At the last second, he kicked off its back, letting the corpse CRASH into the attacking wyvern with bone-shattering force.
The collision sent both creatures spiraling toward the floating islands below, a tangle of wings and blood.
“Two down.” Arthur hovered in the air, hair whipping around his face as he twirled his sword with a flick of his wrist. His glowing eyes snapped toward the remaining three wyverns, who shrieked in rage. “Bring it on lizards.”
