The emergence of dungeons in North America had thrown the United States into an unprecedented crisis. Unlike the scattered dungeon incidents reported across other continents, the U.S. faced a systematic and large-scale invasion of these anomalies, appearing in densely populated cities and critical infrastructure zones.
In response, the government enacted Operation Iron Shield, a sweeping countermeasure combining military might, private-sector innovation, and strategic legislation.
The White House War Room.
President Evelyn Carter stood at the head of a dimly lit conference table, eyes scanning the live satellite feeds on the massive screen before her. The images were grim: towering dungeon gates had torn through the skyline of major metropolitan areas—New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston. The streets below swarmed with grotesque creatures emerging from the rifts, their forms violating every natural law humanity once understood.
"This is no longer just a national emergency," she said, voice steady but grim. "This is a war."
To her right, General Marcus Holloway, head of the U.S. Armed Forces' newly formed Special Dungeon Response Division (SDRD), cleared his throat. "Madam President, our forces have begun engagement in all major hot zones. Standard ballistic weaponry is proving insufficient against higher-class dungeon entities. However, our joint project with the private sector—the Arc-Tech Initiative—is showing promise."
Carter folded her arms. "How soon can we deploy enhanced combat units?"
A second voice cut in. Dr. Elizabeth Hawthorne, lead researcher at Argus Industries, the country's largest private weapons contractor. "We've already begun selective augmentation trials on specialized operatives. Our first wave of Synthetic Hunters is prepped for deployment."
The room fell into an uneasy silence. Everyone knew what that meant.
"They're still human?" asked Senator Douglas Wright, his tone skeptical.
Hawthorne hesitated. "They are… more than human now. Their bodies have been enhanced with controlled dungeon energy absorption, granting them superior reflexes, strength, and limited resistance to corruption. But we are monitoring side effects."
President Carter's fingers tapped against the polished surface of the table. "Deploy them. We'll deal with the ethics later. Right now, we need results."
---
While the military handled active combat, corporate giants scrambled to capitalize on the crisis. With dungeons came new resources—arcane minerals, energy-rich cores, and biological samples with unprecedented scientific potential. This led to an underground war between tech conglomerates, each vying for control over dungeon-derived advancements.
Argus Industries led the charge, having secured exclusive contracts with the government. However, competitors like Vortex Labs and CyberDyne Defense weren't far behind, each developing their own variations of dungeon-powered technology, from exo-suits infused with mana-reactive plating to drone swarms designed to neutralize high-threat dungeon entities.
The black market also flourished. Illicit trading rings smuggled dungeon cores, selling them to rogue factions, criminal syndicates, and even foreign governments willing to bypass regulations for an edge in the global arms race.
---
With cities under siege, civilian casualties mounting, and the government enforcing emergency laws, the country teetered on the brink of chaos. Mass evacuations had begun, leading to overcrowded safe zones in rural areas. Media outlets oscillated between fear-mongering and desperate reassurances, while conspiracy theories ran rampant—some claiming the dungeons were a government experiment gone wrong, others insisting an extraterrestrial intelligence was behind it all.
On the streets, organized resistance groups formed, some aiding military efforts while others rejected government intervention altogether. One such faction, The Awakened Front, openly opposed the use of augmented soldiers, fearing the government was creating a new breed of superhumans that would soon become a greater threat than the dungeons themselves.
---
The U.S. wasn't the only nation affected. Intelligence reports indicated that China, Russia, and the European Union were each developing their own responses, some more extreme than others. While diplomatic channels remained open, tensions were high—especially after rumors surfaced that certain governments were experimenting with forced dungeon energy infusions on human test subjects.
President Carter turned to her advisors, jaw set in determination. "We're not just fighting monsters. We're fighting for control over the future of our species."
She exhaled sharply. "Let's make sure we win."
---
Renji's Radical Absorption
The battle raged on, metal walls scarred with plasma burns, the scent of charred armor and blood thick in the air. Renji's breathing was labored, but his eyes burned with a terrifying intensity. The Suppressors were relentless, but he had noticed something—every time he killed, something stirred inside him. A new force. A new instinct.
A new hunger.
---
Suppressor Delta had fallen first, his body lying still, a pool of crimson spreading beneath him. The others moved with precision, but there was hesitation now—a primal fear that they couldn't suppress. Renji wiped his mouth, feeling something… shift. His fingers twitched, and suddenly, his vision flickered.
The world sharpened. His body tingled. And then, without warning—
His stance adjusted.
The movement was foreign, yet familiar. It wasn't his. His muscles coiled in a combat-ready position he had never trained for—
Delta's stance.
Realization struck him like a hammer. His eyes snapped to the Suppressors, and for the first time, a look of unease flickered beneath their helmets. They had noticed it too.
"What… did you just do?" Alpha's voice was steady, but there was an undercurrent of uncertainty.
Renji didn't answer. He couldn't. Because he didn't know himself. But there was no time to dwell on it.
Suppressor Beta rushed forward, his gauntlet crackling with disruptive energy, aimed at Renji's skull. Instinctively, Renji twisted his body—not in his usual erratic, predator-like movement, but a precise evasion. His hands moved, countering the strike with the exact technique Delta had used.
His eyes widened. No… This wasn't just instinct. This was knowledge. His knowledge.
And then it happened.
With a surge of something dark and raw, Renji felt the dungeon energy inside him lurch forward, grasping, devouring. The moment his claws made contact with Beta, something tore free—a pull so vicious that Beta let out an agonized scream.
Then, silence.
Beta collapsed, his body twitching before going still.
Renji staggered back, gripping his own arms. His veins burned, his breath ragged. The power inside him shifted again, mutating, expanding.
Then he felt it.
A pulse of electric energy in his right hand. He looked down—his fingers were flickering with the same destabilizing charge Beta had wielded.
His stomach twisted.
He had absorbed it.
---
Suppressor Gamma fired his energy rifle. Renji didn't think—he knew. His body moved with new precision, his reflexes heightened beyond anything he had before. He dodged, closed the gap in an instant, and his right arm lashed out, crackling with stolen power.
The electric pulse surged through Gamma's armor, short-circuiting his systems. He convulsed before Renji ended it with a brutal claw to the throat.
More power. More knowledge. More instincts.
With each Suppressor that fell, Renji felt himself changing. His skin tingled, his muscles tightened in ways that weren't natural. His mind… it wasn't just his anymore.
He could feel them.
Their memories, their training, their instincts—it was all merging inside him like a chaotic storm. His breathing hitched, his fingers flexed involuntarily, his heartbeat pounded against his ribs like a war drum.
The monster inside him was evolving.
And it terrified him.
---
Alpha was the last one standing.
Renji stared at him, his breath coming in sharp gasps. His body ached—not from pain, but from the overwhelming growth. He had gained so much. Too much. His reflection in the cracked metal wall horrified him—his eyes glowed brighter, his frame was slightly broader, his veins pulsed with dungeon energy that wasn't just his own anymore.
His hands shook.
Was this what he had been fighting against? Not just them, but himself? The creeping realization that every battle, every kill, every absorption—
He wasn't just getting stronger.
He was losing himself.
Alpha raised his weapon, but Renji saw the truth in his stance. The mission was secondary now. The only thing Alpha wanted… was to put him down.
Renji took a step forward, and Alpha tensed.
Renji gritted his teeth.
This isn't who I am. I'm not a mindless beast.
But the power whispered otherwise.
And deep down, he feared he would never silence it again.
---