They clustered around the imposing golden chest, its intricate metal design far surpassing any they had encountered before. Flowing script adorned its surface in intricate patterns, seemingly shifting whenever one attempted to decipher its meaning, hinting at something grander beyond comprehension.
Gold chests were only considered a great boon that provided the highest quality of items. It was only rivaled by dungeons that let you tailor-pick your reward at the end. Those dungeons were few and far between, so most delvers looked forward to a chest just like this. Which is why all three of them were staring rather than prying the bad boy open.Zion felt the grandeur of the moment, letting him momentarily forget the looming threats building.
“Our first gold chest, can you guys believe it?” He asked in wonderment, still trembling from the idea.
“Nope, didn’t think I'd see one this early. But I'm sure glad to be proven wrong. Let’s open this bad boy,” Camila exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with avarice as she eagerly reached for the lid.
Upon lifting it, they were greeted with a sight that surpassed their expectations—the largest haul they had ever laid eyes on, though admittedly, their previous loot had been meager.He was pretty sure their patrons somehow supported the little loot they got, but he didn't know that for sure.
Emptying the contents onto a nearby blanket, they found a wealth of coins—gold, silver, and copper—enough to fund a substantial restocking after their delve. Among the assortment were a chest piece, a leg piece, two daggers, a staff, three rings, and a bracelet. But the biggest and most obvious treasure was the dungeon core.
"Goodness gracious," Beth gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in astonishment. "There's so much here, far more than I was expecting. I can’t believe that’s the core."
“Truthfully, it feels deserved. I mean, we haven't got much from this delve, and it's a gold chest. Just don't look the gift horse in the mouth, sis,” Camila patted her sister on the back, still gawking at the loot. “What do we do with the core?”
"I mean, we obviously can sell it and get some money out of all this," Zion suggested, rubbing his fingers together. "These things are worth quite a bit, I've heard."
"Well, if it's okay with everyone, I'll hold on to it and sell it to Lark, then we'll split the profit three ways," Camila proposed, reaching for the core. It was perfectly round, resembling a large glass marble. Its surface gleamed with gold, but a dark light emanated from within.
Dungeon Core (Corrupted) - The core belonging to the dungeon Fall of Odalin. This core has been corrupted by Void taint and will take time to cleanse. Time until cleanse: 100 days.
"Hopefully, it still fetches a good price despite the corruption. Now you guys get first pick since I got the epic from the first floor. I'll see what's left," Camila added, scanning the loot
Zion and Beth nodded, sifting through the items in search of those suited to their builds or aspirations. Zion briefly inspected the daggers, finding neither to his liking and instead set his sights on the staff, securing permission from Beth before claiming it. He also selected the leg piece and the bracelet, while Beth opted for two rings and a dagger, leaving Camila with the remaining items. Despite this, Camila seemed content, examining her share with a satisfied grin.
They divided the coins evenly, each receiving a substantial sum. Zion surveyed his chosen items once more, pleased with the additions to his inventory.
Staff of Amplification (Uncommon): This maple staff is soft and pliable, perfect for allowing mana to flow freely through its grains. A grand addition to any mage's arsenal. Effects: A single active spell can be bound to the staff, increasing its power by 20%. Durability: 100/100
Bracelet of Attacking (Common): This bracelet is ugly with its uneven design, almost uncomfortably so, but what it lacks in appearance, it makes up for in function. Effects: Provides the user with a +2 increase in affinity. Durability: 100/100
Chain Leggings of Odalin (Rare): These leggings were worn by the famed knight-priest Odalin. Odalin always wore the finest equipment, a sign of the greed that would be his downfall. Effects: These leggings provide the wearer with a sturdier grounding in reality, decreasing knockout effects by 40%. Durability: 100/100
The staff was a great find, and he wished it would have been of greater quality, but it was still a windfall. It would be a great combination with Aether Storm or Sundering Slash.
The bracelet wasn't anything crazy, but Zion appreciated any item that enhanced his stats, especially when it came to boosting his damage output. Holding up the leggings, a content smile graced his lips; finally, he had found a solution to his tendency to pass out.
"I'm pretty sure those pants only work when the user themselves isn't the problem," Camila quipped, shattering his moment of satisfaction. "Pretty sure you just like sleeping." With a mischievous laugh, she darted away, prompting Zion to give chase, the leggings twirling above his head like a windmill.
"Stop it, bozo," Camila gasped between breaths as they reached a stalemate. "I'm tired, and you look like that little run is going to make you pass out… again." Her eyes crinkled with amusement at her own jest.
She wasn't entirely wrong; his body was indeed protesting against the exertion, evident in his shaking knees and drooping posture, a fact not lost on his companions.
"Fine, but only because we all need to go through our notifications," Zion conceded, his relief concealed as he tilted his head back.
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
"You mean, you have to check notifications," Beth corrected him, already in the process of equipping her new gear. "We did that yesterday while you were getting a cat nap." A barely perceptible twitch of her lip betrayed her amusement. It seemed teasing him was becoming a favorite pastime among the girls.
"Fine, just give me a moment," Zion replied, retreating behind a pew to equip his new gear. Once done, he settled into a seat, shooting one last glare at Camila before turning his attention to his notifications, which, to his surprise, presented him with a happy list.
Skill Upgraded:
Skill: Shields (Apprentice) has improved to Shields (Journeyman).
Upgrade Effect: Moderate improvement to defense and the ability to block attacks with a shield.
Ability Upgraded:
Ability: Aether Storm has been upgraded.
Upgrade Effect: Aether Storm now rains down bolts of lighting as it rages, increasing the damage left in its wake. Mana cost increased by 20.
Ability Surge: Surge has been upgraded.
Upgrade Effect: Surge duration increased from 20 seconds to 40. Mana cost increased to 300.
Ultimate Acquired.
Race Ascension:
Race has ascended from Manakin to Manaborn. Assigning racial upgrade.
"Fuck…" Zion muttered, his hands instinctively rising to cover his mouth. A chorus of "whats" from the girls snapped him out of his momentary shock. "I'm just going to skim over the fact that I've officially upgraded all my abilities and skills and tell you how somehow my race changed… again."
"How the hell did your race change?" Camila demanded, moving closer to him with a furrowed brow. "I get the first time because, well, divine intervention, but how did it happen again?"
"I've never heard of a race evolving. That doesn't even sound plausible," Beth remarked, joining them and taking a seat nearby. "And I don’t think it’s something that could be covered up either."
Zion shook his head, attempting to process the bewildering news. "Plausible or not, it happened. And that makes me think it won’t be a one-time thing," he admitted, his voice wavering as his thoughts raced. "What the hell did Ki turn me into?"
Beth reached out, taking his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. She didn't let go, leaving Zion's heart aflutter, though not solely from growing dread. But he pushed aside any thoughts of romance for now; there were more pressing matters at hand.
"It'll be okay, Zi," Beth reassured him, her gaze unwavering and determined. Her blue eyes, as solid as the ice she created, bore into his. "Ki wouldn’t have done this for no reason. You trusted her enough to become her Herald; trust her to know what she's doing. She chose the right person for the task."
Zion tried to look away, their gazes locked as they held hands. He hadn’t even corrected her when she called him Zi, something he had only allowed his parents to call him.
The moment was abruptly shattered when water splashed onto them, courtesy of Camila and her two canteens. "Okay, none of that bullshit," she declared bluntly, her raised eyebrow leaving no room for argument. "Let's focus back on the topic of your status, alright, bud?"
"Share your status screen, and we'll go over it together," she demanded.
"Fine," he acquiesced, irritated by her brash interruption. He made a mental note to exact revenge later. Beth, meanwhile, avoided meeting his gaze, her cheeks flushed crimson against her pale skin. Zion couldn't help but smile slightly before sharing his status screen with both of them. Their reactions mirrored his own shock upon confirming the racial change.
"Well, would you look at that," Camila remarked, flicking him on the head. "It really did change. I was planning to dress you up in girls' clothes when we got back to town and then tell people you're a manakin." She pouted playfully. "Never let me have any fun."
"Thanks for the attempt at distraction, but it's not quite working," Zion replied, offering her a genuine smile for the effort. "I really need to talk to Ki."
"Give her time, Zion. She'll pop back up," Beth reassured him, starting to pick herself up.
Zion sighed, rising to his feet as well. Patience was his only recourse for obtaining the answers he sought. "I guess the silver lining is the two hundred boost to mana and the plus one to all my stats. A decent trade-off for looking like I've just thawed from a glacier." With a swift adjustment, he set his status screen to display only the most recent changes to abilities and items, as it had grown unwieldy.
Camila joined them, giving him a playful shove. "Yep, thanks for rubbing it in, asshole."
"So, time to leave, huh," Zion remarked as the trio surveyed the room. "We still have whatever's waiting for us outside, and we need to hunt down the killers that escaped."
Beth raised another finger, interrupting Zion's counting of their tasks. "Don't forget we have to inform the guild about what's going on."
Camila added another finger, "And we all three have to tier up. Not to mention resupplying. We're about to be busy." She exaggeratedly swayed her head from side to side as she emphasized the word "busy," eliciting a cringe from Zion.
"No time like the present, right?" Zion suggested meekly, receiving exhausted nods from his companions. "Onwards then!" he declared, prompting some sniggers as the trio began their ascent out of the dungeon.
The journey back up was uneventful, with the third floor confirming that the taint had been eradicated from the dungeon. They paused on the second floor to pay their final respects to Jura, each of them unable to hold back tears. Zion fashioned a makeshift grave marker from nearby wood, a silent warning to anyone who dared disturb the resting place.
They reached the first floor after a day's travel, the second floor still confusing them, even after their previous exploration. He had spent a lot of that time slowly filling his quota to use his ultimate, finding that using natural mana regen while leaving mana for himself was a pain. Even after a day he was only sitting at four thousand mana. He could have put in more but wanted to be ready in case anything went wrong.
Upon reaching the exit, they hesitated, apprehension evident as they stared at the portal leading to the surface. They knew something awaited them on the other side, whether for better or worse remained uncertain.
"Before we go out, do you two remember the lessons on time dilation?" Beth asked, holding them back by their sleeves.
"Vaguely," Zion admitted, wracking his brain to recall the lecture. "I remember that time can speed up inside dungeons."
"Exactly. It can speed up or slow down. Sometimes it's synchronized with the outside," Beth confirmed, giving him a pat on the head for his correct answer, which he oddly didn't mind.
"We won't know until we get out there. Each dungeon is different," she continued, earning a puzzled look from Camila.
"So, we won't know until we get out there?" Camila clarified, receiving a nod from Beth. "Then we have no reason to stand here. Let's just open the door," she declared, gesturing aggressively to the gate.
"Brute," Beth teased.
"Nerd," Camila retorted playfully, prompting Zion to facepalm. He felt they needed some time apart.
"Okay, let's go meet our future… or past. Whatever, let's just get this over with," he said, stepping forward through the portal.