laulau20

Chapter 65: Dungeon Clear

Added 2025-03-26 03:11:53 +0000 UTC

A golden treasure chest spawned at the spot where the boss monster was. James was confused for a moment because there was no portal that usually spawned after a boss fight, but he remembered Kouki had said that he needed to collect keys from the boss monsters to unlock the portal in the other castle.

“So, where are the keys?” James asked.

“They should be inside the chest,” Kouki said as he opened it. “An iron spear is also in it.”

“Let’s bring it,” Anderson said.

“How much for the next magic?” James asked as the group prepared for the return trip. There wasn’t much to prepare, but Kouki insisted on carrying the dead soldiers’ corpses. Including Soldier B, there were seven deaths on this floor.

[Tier 3 Mind Magic will cost 1,000 coins.]

“Ah... there’s that Dispel skill too, right?”

[That is correct. Dispel will cost 300 coins.]

“Hm… Alright. That’s going to be my next goal,” James nodded. He also wanted to upgrade his bow skills to Novice.

“We’ve arrived,” Kouki said. James could only sigh when he looked at the castle. Except for the damage it had incurred, he couldn’t help but notice that these castles were exact copies of each other.

After they went inside, Kouki put three spheres on a pedestal. They were color-coded: blue, green, and red. The portal started to glow golden.

“So portals can be like this too, huh,” James said, reaffirming his belief that dungeons were a mystery.

“Let us camp here for a day. I’m exhausted,” Kaina said. Kouki turned to his members, and all of them nodded. Seeing the haggard look on their faces, James complied.

“Hm… the last level…” James was about to say that the last level is a free one where only the dungeon core resides, but he had no proof that it would also apply here. If he was wrong, then he would have to brave a new dungeon while still feeling tired.

“We have food,” Sanders said, bringing the seal meat they had brought from the previous floor.

“Thank you!” the group came forward. After gathering some branches from nearby bushes, they made a campfire lit by James’ skill. Anderson bought some spices and sauces from the shop. The meat tasted better with the salt, pepper, and ginger he bought.

The group almost exhausted all the supplies James’ team had brought. James knew that one seal was not enough to feed 13 people more than once. If the next floor turned out to be a wide dungeon, James would have no choice but to rely on Anderson for food. But nobody cared about that. That day, they celebrated a reunion. Salvation was coming. Kouki’s group slept soundly for the first time in a while.

The following day, the group went through the portal. As James expected, there was nothing but a room with a green cube floating in the middle. Some minor differences were there—for example, there were no glass tubes at the center, and the dungeon core was a different shape. The previous core was like a tennis ball, while this one was a cube.

The room was also different. Machinery and cables were strewn in the corners, unlike the sleek and futuristic design from before.

“System, do I have to collect that cube again?”

[Yes. If you collect or destroy the cube, you will finish the dungeon.]

“So, what are we waiting for? Let’s destroy it,” Kouki said.

“Wait, we should collect it. Maybe we can sell it to the stores,” Anderson said. He eyed James, taking an example from his behavior. Even now, James still kept a dungeon core with him inside his leather bag.

“Is it safe to handle?” Kouki asked.

“Only one way to find out.” James approached. Using his golem arms, he grabbed the cube. The cube lost its luster as soon as a foreign entity took hold of it, rendering it no more than a useless block of foreign material.

James looked around. He already had a dungeon core. He didn’t know why he wanted it, but he already had one, so there was no reason to hoard all of them. He threw the glowing block to Kouki.

“Let’s go home. Your parents are waiting for you,” James said.

As if waiting for his cue, a golden orb manifested before the group, along with a system notification congratulating their success. Kouki couldn’t help but sob when the golden orb—signifying the end of hell—was finally within his reach. He was not the only crybaby around. Some of the soldiers who came with him also sobbed as they stared at the golden orb.

“James?” Kaina asked.

“Search the surroundings first. Don’t miss a single treasure chest.” As usual, James couldn’t read the mood. Kouki couldn’t help but giggle at the remark. Anderson and Sanders could only sigh as they headed to the wall, wondering whether there were any chests hidden among the piles of messy, strewn cables in the corner.

James also looked around, ignoring the complaints from the soldiers who wanted to see their families. In the end, they found what they were looking for: a chest with a golden border.

James grinned, but his smile turned into a frown not even a minute later when he realized he had to share the loot with others. Worst-case scenario, the loot would need to be turned in to the guild. When Sanders opened it, a sword made of ice appeared. White mist emanated from it, radiating a chilling aura.

“What is that?” James asked.

“The system told me this is the Sword of Nibelheim—The Ice Age. It’s a sword with an ice skill imbued in it,” Sanders said.

“Wow. That sounds powerful,” Kaina muttered. James glared at it. To be honest, he wanted it. But considering his weapons, he used a longsword, not a one-handed sword like that. Moreover, this sword seemed like it was made for Kouki. It even had a gold carving on the handle.

“James?” Anderson asked. Kouki also glanced at him. James knew he wanted the sword as well but was too shy to ask for it.

“Let the guild decide. That sword looks fragile. I wonder if I can deal with its repair cost…” James sighed. “I’m cooperating, alright?”

“Yes, sir.”

[You have completed Dungeon GM3452. Congratulations. You and twelve other survivors have triumphed. All survivors will receive one merit and 100 coins. A selectable weapon chest will be given as your reward.]

[A selectable weapon chest has been received. Please select one of these five weapons within an hour:

Lightning Longsword
Flame Bow
Ice Sword
Rock Axe
Shadow Dagger]

“Hm? Oh yeah. I forgot about the reward. Wonder why they came up just now…” James muttered.

“Well, maybe the system had some lag when so many people passed?” Sanders joked. “I’m gonna get that Ice Sword.”

“Didn’t we already have an Ice Sword?”

“That one will be turned in to the guild, right? Moreover, Kouki will likely get it.”

“But wouldn’t these be turned in to the guild as well?”

“Nope. This is going to be my personal weapon. The guild can have my old sword. Personal weapons have a certain charm, you know. Even in the military, soldiers were usually given the same weapon. They weren’t shared, unlike the guild.”

“Forgot about that,” Anderson said.

After browsing the selection, James chose the Lightning Longsword and gave his old sword to Anderson for safekeeping. James had a full loadout; he only needed an upgrade. He had no intention of changing his battle style.

“Alright. Let’s go home,” James announced after the group found no more chests. He then touched the orb, and they were all transferred to a white room.

“I wonder what merits are for,” Sanders asked while browsing his status screen. Nevertheless, the system was silent.

“The system will tell us someday when we meet the requirements,” Kouki said.

“So, what are we going to do with the core? It’s worth 300 coins in the shop,” Anderson asked.

“I think we should keep it in the guild. The guild has some safes we can use. We never know when we might need it,” Kouki said while appraising the cube. “I’m hesitant to sell it. The coin reward is tempting, but unlike those gems, this core looks important, and the system didn’t specify its use either. I suspect there will be some hidden use for this dungeon core.”

As they continued their idle talk, the loading screen in the white room reached 100%. The group was then transferred in front of the nuclear complex gate.

“Whew! I was worried for a second that we would be transferred inside the nuclear reactor,” James said jokingly. He knew they would be transferred to a safe place. The system was harsh but fair. However, he also knew the system didn't have a perfect understanding of human architecture and engineering.

“What are you talking about? There’s no way that’s true, right?” Soldier A laughed, but Sanders and Anderson suddenly broke into a cold sweat. They knew they had just lucked out on the exit coordinates.

“Well, we cleared the damn dungeon Silas was so desperate about. Where’s the welcoming committee? Are they expecting us to walk back to base by ourselves?” James asked, his eyes turning to Anderson.

“Of course not, boss. There should be a guard on that tower. If they see us, they should arrange transportation shortly.” Anderson pointed at an improvised tower in the distance.

True to Anderson's words, the welcoming committee soon arrived. James expected trucks or cars—he certainly didn’t expect them to welcome the group with over ten helicopters.

“Greetings. Can I assume you finished your mission? It has been over a month. It’s almost June. I was wondering whether you would fail,” a man in a tuxedo said as he stepped out of a helicopter. James thought he was Silas, but apparently not—though he did have the same aura.

“Yes, sir! We have liberated this nuclear complex, sir!”

“We shall handle it from here. I’ve brought five nuclear physicists—more will come later.”

“Yes, sir!”

“Good job. Excellent. One down, two to go.” The man in the tuxedo smiled. “Come. We must celebrate this occasion.”

The group was soon whisked away to a hotel. James didn’t bother with the food and went straight to his room, collapsing onto the bed. Somehow, his wallet and belongings were there. He wondered whether he should try to use some of the money.

[Name: James]
Age: 35
Sex: Male
Level: 46
Coins: 350
Merit: 2

Stats:

STR: 147
DEX: 145
MAGIC: 101
MANA: 980

Skills:

Novice Axe Mastery Level 5 (Powerstrike, V-slash, Boomerang)
Novice Sword Mastery Level 1 (Hurricane, Vorpal Lunge)
Beginner Bow Mastery Level 8 (Quickshot)
Beginner Dagger Mastery Level 1

Magic:

Mind Flay
Sense Alteration
Mana Sonar

Class:

Attacker (Level 22) (10% bonus when attacking, STR & DEX +1 per level)

Shop (Level 2):

Health Potion (100 Coins)
Hematonic Potion (50 Coins)
High Potion (300 Coins)
Antidote (50 Coins)
Sell Function Available

Unique Skill - Chimera Level 2:

Goblin Stomach (Iron Guts) (Stomach Slot)
Mana Core (Water Spells: Ice Spear, Water Manipulation, Magic +60, Mana +1000) (Extra Slot)
Minotaur Leader’s Left Arm (STR +25%) (Left Arm Slot)
Eyes of Mana (Mana Sense) (Right Eye Slot)
Golem Arm of Valhalla (STR +30%, Physical Resistance +30%, Negative Trait: Repairable, Mana -200) (Right Arm Slot)
Ratking's Legs (STR +25%) (Leg Slot)
Flaming Tiger’s Fire Lung (Fire Breathing Skill, Negative Trait: Mana -100, Magic -10) (Lung Slot)
Golem Core (Poison Resistance, Negative Trait: Mana -250, Magic -10, Repairable) (Heart Slot)
Orc’s Torso (Torso Slot)
Orc’s Head (Head Slot)
Shadow Snake Fang (Intermediate Life Leeching) (Mouth Slot)
Jumping Spider’s Spinneret (Thread Creation) (Extra Slot 2)
Flaming Tiger Lord’s Firefur (Fire Cloak Skill, Fire Resistance, Physical Resistance +15%, Negative Trait: Mana -100, Magic -10) (Skin Slot)
Kraken’s Arm Tentacle (Reach: 5 meters, Negative Trait: STR -10%) (Extra Slot 3)
Rock Crab Shell (Physical Resistance +90%) (Extra Slot 4)
Land Shark's Ear (Echolocation: 10 meters) (Ear Slot)