Looking at the junk which collapsed due to its weight after I destroyed its supporting structure, I breathed rapidly. What was once an engine of destruction was reduced to a mess of cables and metal in my hands.

“Is this what you worked for William? Is this what you suffered for?”

I kicked it. It was a kick that didn’t contain even a shred of martial skill. Instead, it was filled with frustration. The clash of metal rang in my ears.

“Answer me. You had the talent. You had the resources and connections. If only you helped people!”

A robotic laugh came from it.

“You know what the difference between us is?”

A barrel showed itself from the countless mechanisms. I leaned back as a high-caliber bullet designed to pierce power armor passed where I stood just a second ago. I grabbed the barrel, kicked the remains of William, and tore off the entire mechanism despite the complaints my power armor made due to strain. I threw it behind me and it fell to the ground with a loud thunk.

“I admit that I see others as inferior. You don’t. You are worse than me.”

I tore the last remaining working parts of William’s armor. Oil and life support juices coated my armor like intestines and blood. Yet I didn’t stop until I reached William’s body. Or I should say what remained of him. After years of modifications and war his once handsome and muscular body was reduced to a pale hairless mummy. His cranium was overgrown and a bunch of cables connected him to his AI.

I grabbed his neck and pulled him closer to my face. I opened my helmet despite the blood and puss spewing from his body. I looked at his eyes but I doubted they were functioning.

“You are wrong William. I didn’t see you as inferior. That would indicate that you being inferior to me is just my opinion. But to truth is the fact that I am superior is simply a fact, a law just like gravity.”

I knew that if I left him to his own he would die in less than 5 minutes without his life support. I could let him here and he would die without me doing anything else. But he deserved worse. No, it wasn’t just that. I wanted to be one to finish him off.

That’s why I slowly tightened my grip on his neck…

“Bark!”

I shook my head waking off from the dream I was seeing. Was it a dream? A hallucination or a memory? Perhaps something in the middle. I wasn’t sure. What I was sure of was the ache caused by my half-healed ribs.

“I dozed off for a second there. Warmth really brings in sleep, doesn’t it?”

The fire I set up made nice noises as it burned. I patted Gökbörü’s head. He looked concerned.

“It was just a memory. A bad one.”

The crackling flames of the fire danced in the dimly lit space, casting flickering shadows on the skull of the boss. It was a cool trophy to have and I could find some uses for its horns.

Gökbörü, sensing my need for solace, nestled closer. The firelight played on his white, fluffy fur, creating a comforting contrast to the darkness surrounding us. After we defeated the boss the amount of lightning strikes and the static in the air lessened significantly. I wasn’t sure how or why but I guess it has something to do with mana. It always has something to do with mana.

I took a bite out of now cooled meat of the boss to fuel my healing. Even though it was cold, it was still delicious. If I wanted to I could go to the third floor but with the environment calming down and my ribs needing time to heal, I took some time to heal before moving forward.

“Let’s check the drops again.”

I don’t know if I was lucky or the rewards were naturally this good but the contents of this chest were definitely better than the first one despite having less gold and silver.

The first catch was a skill book. Just like the one I had before its cover was made out of unidentifiable material but for some reason, I thought that this one had a lower grading.

(Do you want to learn the active skill Reckless Charge?)

Reckless. That’s definitely not something I want to be. I threw the book in the air several times.

“Should I learn it?”

I could roughly tell what the skill did by its name. It probably allowed me to charge forward while ignoring the damage or something similar. Its downside was probably I couldn’t change the target or direction once I moved.

“Hmm.”

Even if I got myself to a disadvantageous position I could rely on Shadow Melt and Shadow Melt…

“Wait.”

I remembered my battle with the boss. I couldn’t use Shadow Walk mid-air and would have died if it wasn’t for Gökbörü. Relying on them too much could be a problem. I flipped the book in the air once again and put it in my bag of holding. If I were to fight against an enemy that could help I would learn it. Otherwise, I could give it to Arslan.

“Kkekekekke. Giving him that so he could die?”

Look who crawled from the trash can and spitting out worthless words. Hi, my depression.

“It fits his fighting style.”

“What a convenient excuse. Remember Burak? You also said that for him just before he died. Remember his screams?”

I shook my head as if trying to dispel the unwanted thoughts. The fire crackled, and Gökbörü nudged me gently, offering silent support. I focused on the loot from the boss's chest, determined to divert my mind from the haunting memories.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

Aside from the Reckless Charge skill book, there were a few more intriguing items in the chest.

(Crown of Storm Beast)

(Forged from the essence of the Thunderhoof Bison Alpha, the Storm Beast Crown carries the same ability to rule over the lightning.)

(Defense:5)

(Durability:500\500)

(+15 percent Lightning Resistance)

(Lightning Converter: Absorbs a fraction of any incoming lightning-based attacks, storing them in the horns. This reduces the potency of the attacks. The absorbed lightning can be converted into mana by the user. If the stored lightning exceeds the capacity, the item's durability will be reduced every second. Current Lightning Units: 0/75)

(Voltaric Aegis: The Crown of Storm Beast automatically conjures an electric barrier in danger, reducing damage from physical and magical sources, and providing brief immunity to lightning attacks by consuming durability and stored lightning.)

It was an ornate circlet adorned with the same horns as the Thunderhoof Bison Alpha albeit smaller. A single light blue gem was embedded in the middle and gave out a small glow. The metalwork was solid and evoked a storm's chaotic dance. Honestly, I could hardly believe that something this nice-looking came from that boss.

“Too bad I can’t use it.”

My Spark made me unable to use any armor-type equipment. I could still wear accessories but something like this was a no-go.

“Hmm. Morrigan probably wouldn’t wear something like this. But maybe Ama would?”

Silverfox family used mostly ice and lightning magic so this could prove crucial when the inevitable clash between Whifur and Silverfox happens.

(Alpha's Hornblade)

(A hornblade crafted to imitate Thunderhoof Bison Alpha. Its sharp tip is useful for stabbing while its blunt edges allows it to be used as a club.)

(Power:20)

(Durability: 480)

(Thunderhoof Hide Cloak)

(A cloak made out of Thunderhoof Bison hide. Not only it can block lightning it also provides defense against stabbing attacks.)

(Defense: 15)

(Durability:250)

(+20 percent Lightning Resistance)

Those were all the items. The last two didn’t have options but still were useful. With the loot sorted, I turned my attention to the immediate surroundings. The fire crackled despite me not throwing it a for some time, casting a warm glow over the dimly lit space. Gökbörü somewhat managed to wrap himself into my cloak with a bone in his mouth. Must be nice to not have this pain.

I lifted up my shirt and observed my body. Nearly all of my torso was purple and green. Guess I should be thankful that this was the only thing I had to worry about when a bus-sized monster slammed me full force.

Despite how bad it looked, my ribs were mostly healed and the pain was rather low, at least compared to everything I went through.

“Guess my pain scale is just getting more and more fucked up.”

I held out my hand. Shadows slowly gathered in my palm. From those shadows and my own purple mana, I pulled out Requiem for Unfinished Dreams. Despite its respectful weight, I could hold it out with one hand easily. I laid it on my lap.

Sacred Sword of Selection.

Proof of Aliera’s Champion.

A divine weapon born out of my desires.

“Time for an upgrade.”

Since I entered here I managed to gather a number of souls two of which were immensely strong. While I had no intention of using it against the monsters unless I were to be pushed to the brink, it was better to have it upgraded. Focusing on the Soul Forge option I could almost feel the hundreds of souls collected by me breathe. Of course, it was an illusion. Souls didn’t breathe, I knew it since I was just a soul once when I died.

I felt excited like a kid waiting to open their gift. It wasn’t the first time I used Soul Forge but it was the first time I used this many souls. A part of me questioned how ethical was it to use souls like this but another part answered by asking how it was different than eating them. That part of me proved stronger as I got ready to use Soul Forge.

(Do you want to use every soul collected to reinforce Requiem for Unfinished Dreams?)

“Yes.”

An ethereal energy enveloped the sacred sword, resonating with the countless souls I had accumulated. Small translucent beings exited and entered the blade. I was able to recognize their shapes as they were the monsters I defeated. The rune on the blade shone brightly, bathing the surrounding area around me with light. The sword started to vibrate and hum. I held it with two hands to keep my grip on it.

“Hoi, girl, calm down.”

Gökbörü unwrapped himself from my cloak and barked. I tightened my grip, veins in my arms and forearm popping out due to strain. Holding the sword caused me to shake like I was experiencing an earthquake. I could let the sword go as the Soul Forge didn’t require me to hold the sword yet my pride refused it. It was my sword, goddamn it, I am not letting it vibrate like it wants!

My muscles and will proved themselves superior as the light and vibrations died out.

(Power:25)

That was less than I expected. It was still a huge jump but I don’t know, maybe I expected more?

“Maybe the souls it requires to get stronger also increases as it grows more?”

I shrugged. It was still the best weapon I had.