The Monster Monarch System-Chapter 234: The Path Of Traps

Rem moved cautiously through the dungeon, his senses sharp as he took in his surroundings.

The deeper he ventured, the more unnatural the dungeon became. The walls were no longer just stone — they pulsed with a sickly glow, veins of black energy creeping through the cracks like an infection.

And then there were the traps.

Spikes shot from the ground without warning, narrowly missing his legs as he leapt back.

The floor beneath him rumbled, and in the next instant, a section of it collapsed, revealing a pit of bubbling lava below. Rem clicked his tongue, quickly stepping onto a more stable platform. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The dungeon was testing him.

A rickety stone bridge stretched before him, leading to the other side of the lava pit.

The air shimmered with heat, making it difficult to focus, sweat streaked down his face and with each step he took in this godforsaken dungeon, he became increasingly annoyed.

He took a step forward, feeling the bridge shift beneath his weight.

Creak.

Rem narrowed his eyes. One wrong move and he’d be in that lava.

He took another step — this time, the stone beneath him crumbled.

Without hesitation, he pushed off, leaping forward just as the bridge collapsed behind him.

The searing heat licked at his cloak, flames nearly catching the edges as he landed in a roll.

His boots scraped against the stone floor as he came to a stop, barely making it across.

He exhaled, adjusting his cloak with a smirk. "Close one."

But he didn’t get a chance to relax.

A sharp whistling sound tore through the air.

His instincts screamed at him, and he twisted his body just in time —

Thud!

A stone arrow embedded itself into the wall where his head had been moments ago. If he had been seconds slower, his head might have been some sort of trophy on the wall.

Rem’s gaze snapped to the source.

Perched on a ledge above was another Mutated Guardian. This one was different from the first — it wasn’t wielding a trident, but a massive bow, its glowing red eyes locked onto him with eerie precision.

A Mutated Archer Guardian.

And it wasn’t alone.

As he took in the situation, movement flickered in his peripheral vision.

Smaller, humanoid figures stepped out from the darkness — other Mutated Guardians, but these ones were varied.

Some carried swords, others had axes, and a few clutched spears in their stone-carved hands. But even then, all of them were powered by that strange swirling energy and it made them far more durable, well he didn’t have any qualms with that though.

Rem sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy."

The Archer Guardian nocked another arrow.

Rem moved.

The moment the arrow fired, he dashed sideways, the projectile whizzing past him and slamming into the ground, leaving a small crater.

These arrows weren’t just stone — they were infused with that corrupted soul energy, making them deadlier than they looked. With the force they were moving at, one could cause a lot of damage... but he could regenerate, it wasn’t something to be too worried about.

The smaller guardians charged, their heavy footfalls echoing through the chamber.

Rem’s eyes glowed.

He met the first attacker head-on.

The stone warrior swung a sword downward, aiming to cleave him in half, but Rem sidestepped at the last moment.

His hand shot out, gripping the guardian’s wrist, and with a twist, he shattered the limb before driving his fist into its chest.

The energy within his strike caused the guardian’s core to flicker — then explode into rocks.

Another lunged from the side, an axe swinging toward him.

Rem ducked, feeling the weapon slice through the air above his head.

In an instant, he surged forward, driving his elbow into the guardian’s gut before following up with a spinning kick that sent it crashing into a nearby pillar, breaking apart on impact.

Thud.

Another arrow came his way. This time, Rem caught it mid-flight. His fingers tightened around the projectile as he glanced up at the archer.

"Annoying."

His voice sounded... dark.

With a flick of his wrist, he hurled the arrow back. It shot through the air like a missile, slamming into the archer’s shoulder, causing it to stagger.

But it didn’t fall.

Rem exhaled sharply. "Stubborn thing."

He didn’t have time to waste. The remaining smaller guardians were regrouping, readying another attack.

If he let them corner him, he’d have to deal with waves of them while dodging the archer.

Not ideal.

His soul energy flared.

With a single step, he vanished.

He reappeared directly in front of the archer, mid-air, his fist already pulled back. The guardian barely had time to react before —

Boom!

Rem’s punch connected with the archer’s chest, sending cracks racing through its form. The force of the impact launched it backward, crashing into the cavern wall.

Before it could recover, Rem followed up, grabbing its head and slamming it down into the ground.

Crack!

The red glow in its eyes flickered. The runes on its body dimmed — then, with one final shudder, the archer crumbled into rubble.

The remaining guardians hesitated.

Rem turned his gaze toward them.

A slow, knowing smirk stretched across his lips. "Who’s next?"

There was silence.

Then —

The remaining mutated guardians broke apart, their forms crumbling to dust as if the very energy animating them had given up.

Rem exhaled, stretching his neck. His muscles ached slightly, but nothing too serious.

The System chimed.

[Mutated Guardian Archer Defeated.]

[Small Mutated Guardians Defeated.]

He barely paid attention to the notifications. Instead, his eyes were already on the path ahead.

The dungeon was getting more dangerous the deeper he went.

Which meant that whatever was waiting at the end... was something far worse.

With a final glance at the remains of the guardians, Rem cracked his knuckles and continued forward.

There was still more to face, he could feel their energies further into the dungeon... he at least hoped there was a Demon behind this, it would make his job far easier.