Silence.
After Darius’s last blow—when his blade sliced through the air and severed the beast’s head—the world around us froze. For a moment, it seemed as if reality itself held its breath. Then, with a dull crash, the massive body of the Rat King collapsed onto the stone floor.
Silence fell.
I stared at the colossal body of the Rat King, watching as streaks of violet energy began to fade, slowly seeping into his crumbling remains. The chaos that had raged within him just moments before was now gradually dying down, its power waning.
I rested my hands on my knees, fighting off dizziness. My body was exhausted, but it was my mind that felt utterly drained. The Eye of Chaos trembled under the strain, and my vision remained blurred, as if I were peering through waves of hot air.
"This… was close," Darius managed, leaning on his sword, which at that very moment cracked in half with a resounding snap.
For a moment, we stared at it in silence before Darius shifted his gaze to me.
"So, this is what the weapon looks like after you enhanced it with your chaotic energy?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "I have to admit, it's impressive. If I'd known it was going to fall apart, I’d have just thrown it at the Rat King and saved myself the trouble."
I snorted with laughter. "It's not my fault your weapon can't handle real power. Maybe you should work on something more durable?"
"Or maybe next time, just NOT let you touch it," Darius grumbled, tossing the now-useless fragment of the hilt aside. "Seriously, I feel like every weapon you enhance ends up exactly like this," he added with a slight smile.
Then, a familiar sound echoed through the air.
[SYSTEM] Warning: The gate will close automatically in 2 hours.
I lifted my head, squinting at the notification floating in the air.
"Two hours..." I murmured softly, as if trying to gather my thoughts.
And then another notification appeared before us.
[SYSTEM] Congratulations! You have defeated the Rat King.
[SYSTEM] Processing rewards…
[SYSTEM] Awarded 20,000 EXP.
Ashira: +11,000 EXP - Level Up!
Darius: +9,000 EXP
[SYSTEM] You have received the following rewards list:
[Rare] Boss Energy Core
[Rare] Rat Armor
[Rare] Blood Ring
[Rare] Rat Assassin's Boots
[Common] Gold Coins x5000
[Rare] Curse Dispersion Amulet
[Rare] Rat's Magic Robe
[Rare] Cursed Steel Blade
[Rare] Beast Summoning Seal
[Rare] Rat's Shadow Gloves
[SYSTEM] You may choose three rewards from the list.
Darius stepped closer and glanced at the floating descriptions of the items before us.
"So the system gives us a choice," he muttered, scanning the list. "I wonder if we can check out exactly what these items do."
As if in response to his words, another notification appeared.
[SYSTEM] You can review detailed information for each item.
"System, display detailed information for each item," I commanded, studying the rewards list.
[SYSTEM] Processing…
Suddenly, holographic windows appeared before our eyes, each presenting detailed descriptions of the items—including their properties, statistics, and special effects.
The first item on the list was the Boss Energy Core.
[Rare] Boss Energy Core
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* Description: A magical ring that allows the user to regenerate a portion of lost health with every successful strike. The greater the damage inflicted on the enemy, the greater the regeneration.
* Effects: Can be used as a material for upgrading buildings, to power structures with magical energy, or utilized in the creation of items.
"This looks… interesting," I said, analyzing the data. "If I understand correctly, we can use it either for upgrading our buildings or as a source of energy. That could be really useful."
"Or, if it falls into the right hands, it could be fashioned into a powerful weapon or armor. After all, it’s the remnants of the boss’s energy—this shouldn’t be just anything," Darius added, scratching his chin.
Ashira shifted her attention to the second item on the list—the Rat Armor.
[Rare] Rat Armor
* Stats: +10 to Stamina, +5 to Strength, +3% Physical Damage Reduction.
* Description: Armor made from incredibly durable, magically reinforced rat scales. Provides excellent physical protection.
"Sounds solid," she commented, running her hand along the floating description. "For someone on the front line, this might be a good choice."
Ashira then focused on the next item on the list—the Blood Ring.
[Rare] Blood Ring
* Stats: +5 to Stamina, +5 to Intelligence, +5 Mana per damage dealt
* Description: A magical ring forged from the blood of a fallen beast ruler. It allows the user to partially recover mana for every point of damage dealt.
Darius whistled softly. "Now that’s something interesting. The ability to regain mana during battle? The perfect item for someone who’s tired of running from rats just to save mana."
She rolled her eyes and sighed theatrically. "Well, since you handled the Gate so well, at least we can choose more items for me—so I can finally catch up to Mr. Perfect."
Darius then shifted his gaze to the next item on the list—the Rat Assassin's Boots.
[Rare] Rat Assassin's Boots
* Stats: +8 to Agility, +3 to Stamina
* Description: Lightweight, nearly silent boots made from reinforced leather of rat elites. They allow for quiet movement and boost the wearer’s agility.
"That looks like something that would come in handy for you," Darius commented as he examined the description.
"There’s no denying it, but I’m not sure this is our top priority right now," she replied, assessing the value of the boots.
Without wasting any time, they moved on to the next item—the Curse Dispersion Amulet.
[Rare] Curse Dispersion Amulet
* Stats: +3 to Magic Resistance
* Description: An amulet crafted from rare minerals that absorb negative energy. It protects against the weakening effects of curses and spells, granting the user increased resistance to magic.
"Curses can be really annoying," joked Darius.
"I wouldn’t be surprised. After all, this is a world where you never know what might happen. The amulet might come in handy, but is it really worth it?" she wondered.
Further down the list was the Rat’s Magic Robe.
[Rare] Rat’s Magic Robe
* Stats: +10 to Intelligence, +5 to Stamina, +3 to Magic Resistance
* Description: A lightweight, flexible robe woven from fine fibers imbued with the magic of rat rulers. It reduces damage from spells.
"Now that sounds more like something in your style," observed Darius.
"True. It boosts intelligence and endurance while offering magic protection, which is quite enticing," she admitted.
Next, they looked at the Cursed Steel Blade.
[Rare] Cursed Steel Blade
* Stats: +7 to Attack, +3 to Attack Precision
* Description: A weapon with an incredibly sharp edge, steeped in a curse. Every strike has a chance to inflict a deep, bleeding wound, though prolonged use may weaken the user.
Darius raised an eyebrow. "Something tells me that if we take this, I'll have to test it out."
"And then you'd complain that your own weapon is wearing you down?" she asked with a smile.
"Exactly. But it does sound powerful."
There were three more items left on the list—the Gold Coins, the Beast Summoning Seal, and the Rat's Shadow Gloves.
[Common] Gold Coins x5000
* Description: Standard currency, useful for trade and purchases. It may not be a mighty artifact, but it will always come in handy.
Darius shrugged. "I won't lie—the coins could come in handy. After all, you need something for a rainy day."
"Maybe so. I understand that in the future money will probably be a valuable trade currency, but right now we don't have access to society as such. It's better to focus on items that will help us survive," I observed, then directed my gaze to the next item on the list.
[Rare] Beast Summoning Seal
* Description: An item that allows you to summon a random magical creature for battle one time. The effect depends on the user's luck—you might summon a powerful beast or a weaker creature.
"So it's like roulette," Darius summarized.
The final item was the Rat's Shadow Gloves.
[Rare] Rat's Shadow Gloves
* Stats: +12 to Agility
* Description: Made of thin yet durable leather, they allow for faster and more precise attacks. Ideal for someone who relies on speed in combat.
"Well, look at that—a nearly complete assassin's set," I remarked, glancing at the boots and gloves.
"Exactly, now the only question is—which three do we choose?" Darius crossed his arms, looking at me.
It was time to decide.