Chapter 44: Dungeon Key
"W-what the hell just happened?" Dio stuttered at the sight before him.
He wasn’t the only one looking confused. Vera’s subordinates also had weird expressions on their faces...
They could have sworn that they had just taken a step into the dungeon boss’s room, and now barely a second later all they came to see was their Lords standing casually before a massive drop.
Only a fool wouldn’t have realized by now that the massive loot before them was all that was left of the dungeon boss...
Both parties gazed at each other in confusion.
In their defense, compared to Vera — who was actually resisting the illusionary power of the boss beast — the others had their minds shut down the moment they stepped through the door.
So to them, barely a second had passed from entry to this point.
"What are you looking at? Dio, over here, come pack up our share," Roy ordered casually with a beckoning wave.
Dio shook his head. True, what am I thinking? Is there anything impossible for the Boss? With that thought, he ran to go pack up the spoils.
Meanwhile, Roy’s face crumpled in a grimace as he examined the steaming, burnt stun gun.
It turned out as he feared — the buff of his skill was too much for the item to handle, which resulted in not only the boss monster being fried but the weapon as well.
It made him worry. Calculating his strength as high as it was, if it was buffed by his Bash skill, wouldn’t his baton suffer the same fate?
Tch! I’ll be needing a legendary-grade baton really soon... he mused inwardly. While at it, he also figured out why his Bash skill refused to buff his punches previously.
Mainly, it was because of his newly fused attribute, Martial Point. The buff was meant to increase the damage of all blunt weapons, and with his mind he conceptualized his fists into weapons, thereby buffing his Strength stat.
But now, things were different. There was no Strength attribute — only an attribute that was a culmination of Strength, Agility, and Constitution.
So if the skill were to work, it would also buff up his speed and defense, which was impossible. So instead, it just refused to activate.
"Oh? Boss, there’s a skill scroll!" Dio excitedly announced, but realizing something, his face turned sheepish as he scratched his head in guilt.
Unlike previous battles where each individual got their own prey, this battle was fought by the Lords of both parties, meaning the loot would have to be shared between them.
This was the reason Roy hadn’t gone for the beast core. He was still waiting on Vera to see how they could share this between them.
All of a sudden, Vera came closer to him as she began whispering in his ear...
"How about I let you take all the loot, and you let me keep the dungeon key..." Her delicate breath tickled his twitching ear as she whispered, her lips very close.
"Dungeon key?" Roy replied with a question.
"Yes, dungeon key. These are items that could be found in rare special dungeons. It gives the holder total control of the dungeon and all beasts residing within it..." She then went on to explain.
Roy’s brows furrowed in confusion. "I’m pretty sure we cleared this dungeon, killing all beasts within it. Are you sure you want to trade the drop for an empty dungeon?"
Vera chuckled. "No, silly. You see, every 7 days dungeons spawn beasts, and having one literally means gaining an army of unlimited monsters... So the question should be, are you going to trade the drops for something as enticing as that?"
Roy kept silent. She was indeed right. If this dungeon key did what she actually said it would do, then it was a boon to any Lord — one too good to pass up.
Gazing into her emerald pupils, though they feigned carelessness and slight amusement as though she was relaxed and just teasing around, he could still glean the urgency in their depths. She tried to mask it, but he could tell... this was what she was really here for.
With the power she showed today, having her as an ally would prove more meritable than sowing a grudge, he concluded. And there was also the fact that she was the one to vouch for him to join her circle of alliance, and if he wanted to progress with his duty without spilling blood, she was his only ticket...
"Fine... Dio, pack up all the goods. We’re heading home now!"
Vera’s eyes brightened in both surprise and glee, though she hid it tactfully.
To think Roy would really let such a treasure slip from his hands... Indeed, my intuition was on point. This guy would be a great ally.
Her nine subordinates seemed to already be aware of what their boss was after from the start.
And the elder mage went ahead to retrieve the dungeon key from the drops, leaving everything else behind, his mind filled with relief. At least with this, Master can fend off that bastard Lux and his dogs...
Meanwhile, Roy was readily reaching for the dungeon boss’s beast core. It was bigger, heftier, and cooler to the touch than all the others.
The quality difference was palpable. Compared to the floor bosses, this was definitely a grade beyond.
He could feel the thick presence of mutated pure ether in its depths.
System, wouldn’t absorbing another form of mutated ether mess with mine? he couldn’t help but ask.
[Host needs not worry. The form of mutated ether contained in a beast core is called neutral essence. This is a pure and plain form of ether that can become any other force... So absorbing it would only bring gains, no harm.]
I see... With his fear cleared, without hesitation he proceeded to drain the crystal dry of all its essence.
A flooding torrent of mutated pure ether coursed through his veins.
It felt good.
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]