Dungeon Diver: Stealing A Monster’s Power

[Days ago, in the Lower Realm.]

In the center of the Dark Continent, a final surge of energy pulses out from the throne before it goes silent, and strings of notifications ring through every single awakened human's inner ear.

[You have gained access to the World Wide Connectivity System!]

This is what happens once the mysterious ruler of this human world shuts off his [Spectate] feed and walks through the final doors at the top of the throne to ascend to the Upper Realm.

The three body doubles of the Flame Emperor lose their live memory feedback as the crystallized purple barrier limits all system-based energy from moving in or out of it.

However, being in contact with the main body of the ruler of this world is the least of the concerns right now.

The real urgent matter at hand is that over half a billion awakened all around the world have witnessed this event, and the world has begun to descend into chaos as the final surge from the throne has caused over half of the dungeons around the world to break again.

–

There is quite sufficient infrastructure in place thanks to the Association's network already, and just for being a link of loyalty, many lower-level hunters have received buffs and access to skills that allow them to fight at a much higher level than usual.

In less than half an hour, the final surge of breaks is easily subdued, and the world can concentrate on the hundreds of new messages appearing in their minds, which aren't just combat-focused.

–

During this surge, the skill-sharing interface was implemented by the generals to grant any specialized skill necessary to millions upon request.

However, there is so much more than just this feature available, and the public scrolls through these new databases within their systems to learn for themselves.

There are worldwide marketplaces where a system user can place any item they wish into a pseudo-storage system, and it appears for the world to see with a bid option and an instant buy price.

Almost instantly, members logging into this marketplace test it out and begin trading gear, food, and items for specified bronze, silver, and gold amounts.

Private trading channels are created as well to barter trade items for other items rather than just pure currency, and many specialized marketplaces are formed.

Some are divided up to only sell element-imbued gear, while others focus solely on shields and armor.

A few digital marketplaces have begun to form and only allow sellers in certain towns, regions, and countries where certain items are only found in these places. Outsiders can search for them to buy selective rare items.

Chat Rooms can be formed beneath every transaction, and the system user can decide whether to remain anonymous or display their full name.

The only ones capable of seeing the backend of this marketplace and user logs are the generals and the Rising Emperor himself.

Local forums are created in small cliques, towns, and even styles of fighters.

Dagger user chats are formed, sword wielders have their own message boards, and heavy tanks find their specialized groups too.

Large general chats are formed, healer-based message boards, and even non-dungeon related groups begin forming and conversating.

The [World Wide Connectivity System] works as fast as the user's mind will let it.

Searching for what they wish is as easy as dreaming for it—like reaching into a void and always pulling out the perfect search result of what they've wished for. Of course, there isn't much data or interaction at first, but in merely a few minutes, with half a billion minds working at once, a perfectly efficient and connective system is formed.

Leaderboards for overall levels, mana control, dungeon clears, and even skill upgrade proficiency are ranked by age, location, and many other factors.

All of the connected message boards allow for text, audio, and even 3D holographic live visuals to communicate with other system users one-on-one or in large groups.

–

The world is instantly consumed and in awe of this upgrade to their systems.

Even the generals, commanders, and knights of the Crimson Army are momentarily infatuated by its complexity.

Though the Rising Emperor has gone silent, the Generals are the highest authority within this system as administrators, and it only makes the messages to the public they're sending out easier to make clear.

–

Hired help from earth mages, architects, and city designers fill the message boards and are handpicked to build new infrastructure in the Dark Continent for the millions who say they would like to migrate here to see the throne for themselves and meet the Generals in person.

–

At first, things seemed quite chaotic, but by the time night falls for the first time since the throne was claimed, many are used to the new system upgrade, and much of the world has fallen back into their old ways.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Over 75% of the world's population does not live in the 8 Great Regions, Central City, or Dark Continent, after all.

While some wish to travel and see their saviors, many have work in the morning and wish to go on with their normal human lives.

Even a large portion of the hunter population does not wish to be swept away in the chaos of competing to grow in strength and risking their lives in high-level dungeons.

Most just want to farm a few mana crystals in the low-level E-Class dungeons, and now that is even safer than it was before.

There is only a small percent, roughly 5-7% of the world's population, that this new system upgrade truly benefits, and that is for those who wish to climb the ladder and become the strongest, on their own journeys in this world.

–

Bri and Rodrigo catch onto this phenomenon the instant it takes place.

They have been intertwined in the Association and brutal business world for their entire lives, and quickly use all of the resources available to the Rising Emperor to declare dominance in the marketplaces.

Housing almost all of the world's gold and mana, it is an easy feat to regulate prices and keep their finger on the pulse of the world economy.

Bri even contacts many of the Association leaders on the opposite side of the world within the first hour of this update and gifts them newly created teleport platforms to connect the entire world and build great relations.

There is one large region on the opposite side of the globe named the Silverbrook Valley.

It houses over 20 million citizens, and it is a large nation between two mountain ranges.

Scattered among these mountains, there are many more cities and towns. This is where the most serious hunters on that side of the world live, as the highest concentration of dungeons is here. There is a strong Association Branch in this city, but the strongest hunter hasn't surpassed level 3000. In addition to this fact, there are a single digit number of red divine cores and zero orange or above.

–Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Over the next 3 days, the human world goes through a very interesting series of changes.

–

The Crimson City is built up to house over 100,000 people, with a far higher percent of the population being strong hunters as they're drawn here from the forum postings of powerful and rare dungeons within the canyon being open to the public and lightly regulated.

Tens of millions of humans dive into their first dungeons to kill a monster for the first time and become awakened as their neighbors and family members talk highly of the perks. They cannot miss out any longer on the growing technology in the new era of this world.

The forest region west of the 8 Great Regions continues to be built up, housing some new visitors. However, the majority stay in the Apex, Veridian, and Vice Regions, as their cities are the largest with enough prebuilt infrastructure to withstand millions coming in.

A large number of these visitors come from the Central City, the man-made mountain guarded by divine flames.

Maria is able to suppress these flames after days of pushing her icy soul energy to the limit, using up a large portion of the mana stores leftover in the artificial mountain.

Abby and the 3 Rising Emperor's body doubles lead teams of powerful earth mages to create roads connecting the entire world together. Not only can trade be done through the new system upgrades, but visiting other nations via long-range high-speed trains is being tested and is in the beginning stages of production.

While wealthy leaders can afford teleport crystals made by Bri, luminite is a rare resource, and the cost needs to remain high, or it'll be used up far too fast.

–

Each of the 3 dozen Crimson Army members is ordered by their commanders to guard sectors of land all over the world.

Thanks to Bri and Rodrigo, each of them is given units of over 100 C to B-Class hunters to help maintain order.

Nothing new or out of the ordinary is pushed upon the public, but it is necessary to have the strong watch over them.

Just because all awakened have sworn their loyalty to the Rising Emperor, the euphoria of a mystery man saving them wears off after a while no matter how much it's reinforced. Petty crime and the abuse of new powers granted to certain system users will be inevitable.

The chance of innocents getting hurt is the cost of free will.

However, having the Knights and Commanders watch over the largely populated cities will lower this risk and ensure a lookout for any rogues that wish to cause unnecessary violence.

–

A new routine ripples through the world as many return to their daily lives, integrating this new system upgrade as if it's normal.

The spectacle they witnessed through their own eyes, senses, and the portrayed feelings of the Rising Emperor killing a Noble Demon and claiming this world, slowly fades away. Humans have their own self centered lives to worry about. Many that study history will remember, but in just a few weeks or months, if not given a constant reminder, this entire event will be forgotten by the masses...

–

However, the generals have a far different outlook on their new lives.

With 50% of their power still being borrowed even days later, many wonder what is happening that requires this much power.

Guesses of constant battles, more trials, and many other scenarios are thrown out, but it makes the four of them collectively decide they need to get stronger on their own.

They cannot solely rely on borrowing power; they need to gain it for themselves.

With the help of Bri and Rodrigo, they gain access to the Central City Labyrinth. This is where Raven trained years ago to rank up a 3rd time, and where all of the Order Leaders trained in private.

In between helping to bring the world together and securing their place as leaders in this new and shifting society, all of the generals surpass level 20,000.

This is enough to awaken their 3rd-ranked buffs and also use the shared [All-Seeing Eye] skill to upgrade their base skills to [Divine] and [Supreme] Grade.

–

The four generals float above the world, looking down on the Crimson City that has exponentially grown in the last few days, with the dormant black tower still looming far off in the desert.

Some small civilizations have been formed around the tower, but it is being built far slower than the larger cities.

Their day's shifts of necessary work are done, and today, they all finished their leveling training.

Any more is useless, as the majority of their power comes from mana control and divine energy. However, this is part of the problem.

Maria is the first to speak up, breaking the silence and looking up into the starry sky.

"Where do you think Jay went...? He said he'd see us soon."

Her heartbeat sounds in her ears as she takes a deep breath in and out, letting an icy aura surround her while trying to make another telepathy connection with the Rising Emperor, but it comes up short again.

Arie is the first to reply.

"He gave me time to explore, and it worked out. I never forgot about you all, and I'm positive Jay won't either...."

He grins while playing with a small ball of demonic energy in his right palm, while a white ball of mana mixed with a strange qi based substance spins in his left.

Abby nods next, her body shimmering with a green luster even though none of her skills or buffs are active.

"He wouldn't be borrowing this many stats if he didn't need it. We just have to be patient and protect this world while we wait..."

Abby looks up to the sky in the direction Maria looks and continues.

"I do want to try out my new buff though. Releasing it here would not be safe..."

Maria's lips curl upward.

"I want to try out mine too..."

Raven hovers over all of them, still the only general with a True Core among them, and speaks of her past knowledge.

"Where he's gone, there is no easy way of coming back... If we want to be useful, we'll need to get much stronger and follow him. But... There is not enough divine energy left on this planet for even one of us to ascend. After watching Jay's final moments, fully saturating his true core, and the words of that Noble Demon; it's clear there is still a lot we don't know."

After Raven's words, the conversation comes to a standstill, and the four generals enjoy the cool breeze of the desert night.

–

However, this calm silence is interrupted with a new system upgrade in their ears, along with an additional 1% of power available to them.

The names of billions of new system users under their administration come rushing into their minds. These new links of loyalty come from over a hundred new planets, and their citizens are automatically added to the instant trading forums and leaderboards.