Chapter 35
Tring.
{Congratulations Host! C ranked beast killed by you.}
'The fuck?! That skill is broken!' Zen screamed inwardly as he ignored the glowing notification in front of him and instead stared at the lifeless body of the beast.
_
"Pheww… that was a close one." Ryker yawned loudly as he collapsed to the ground, though not unconscious.
His chest heaved heavily, his breath ragged and hoarse, as he stared up at the jagged rocky ceiling above him. Dust still drifted in the cavern air, making the scene look almost unreal.
"Ryker!" Rina shouted as she dashed forward. Without hesitation, she threw herself onto the battered young man, clutching his body tightly. "Thought we would die… thank you." Her voice broke as hot tears spilled, soaking into his torn shirt.
"Ouch! My bodyyyy!" Ryker howled in pain, wincing as her embrace pressed against his injuries.
"Thought you had a boyfriend." A weak voice echoed through the cavern, drawing everyone's attention toward Zarin, who was slowly regaining consciousness. His eyes flickered open as though dragged from the depths of sleep.
"I don't think my boyfriend would mind me thanking the person who saved my life, now would he?" Rina shot back with a slight frown, though relief was evident in her voice.
"You don't have to thank me," Ryker said, coughing a little before forcing himself upright. "We all need to thank Aria. If it wasn't for her arrow that lunged into the beast's head, injuring and distracting it, we would have all been dead. With me dying first." He managed a crooked grin as Aria and Zen approached.
"I did nothing, for real." Aria muttered, shaking her head as if uncomfortable with the praise.
"Don't be modest. It was with your help that I was able to finish the beast, so thank you." Ryker replied with a warm smile, though it was quickly followed by another loud yawn.
'But I really did nothing!' Aria roared internally, her eyes narrowing. 'The damn beast dodged my arrow, and instead, something else hit it before Ryker attacked. It looked like…' Her gaze scanned the cavern floor until it locked on a lone pickaxe lying a few metres away.
'A pickaxe? Wait! Wasn't Zen holding onto one earlier? How did it end up here? Did he hurl it? But to throw it that hard and far… he would need to be at least a D rank or more. And to throw it without even making a sound?
Who the hell is he? Is he… is he one of us?' Her thoughts spiraled as she turned to look at Zen, who was oblivious to her suspicions. He wasn't paying attention to anyone; his eyes were fixed on the glowing text only he could see.
"How long do we have till the dungeon crumbles?" Rina asked urgently, tearing her gaze away from Zarin.
"Four minutes now," Ryker answered without hesitation. He wiped the blood dripping from his forehead, forcing himself onto his feet.
"So I need to quickly extract the beast's core before it's too late." Without wasting a second, he crouched beside the corpse and began working with practiced precision.
Meanwhile, Zen's lips curled into a grin. 'Now… let's see what our reward is.' He focused on the hovering notification, clicking on it with his mind.
{Rewards calculating…}
{Rewards calculated and granted}
{Rewards for slaying the C rank boss: +60 XP; +10 NP; +5 STR stat; +5 INT stat.}
'Huh? This is so generous of the system.' Zen smirked, excitement flashing in his eyes as he quickly pulled up his status tab.
{Status}
{Name: Zenixx}
{XP: 30/150}
{Level: 2}
{HP: 24/25} {STR: 14}
{AGI: 9} {INT: 13}
{NP: 10}
_
{Congratulations Host! You have leveled up!}
{You have leveled up to Level 2! Level up rewards will now be granted…}
{Rewards: +2 AGI stat and +2 NP}
Zen's grin widened even more as the notifications flared brightly before his eyes, though he quickly forced himself to calm down. He could feel Aria's eyes lingering on him, sharp and suspicious, but he pretended not to notice.
Seeing this, Zen decided to check the corresponding stats, and he could see that the points were indeed added.
{AGI: 9>>> 11}
{NP: 10>>>12}
'Kek! This is so dope! I can feel my strength has risen more than before. I have successfully surpassed the normal human strength. Now that we have checked the stats, let me see this shop thingy.'
{Shop Tab}
{[NecroShop] unlocked due to consistent performance and survival. Feel free to browse. Items available depend on your current Rank and Essence Capacity. Anything above your rank or capacity is locked.}
'Huh? Wonder what I will find in there.' Zen thought as he scrolled down. His finger twitched with excitement when he saw the weapons tab, and without hesitation, he clicked it.
---
WEAPONS TAB
(Weapons are divided by TYPE – Tap to Preview)
(Currently accessible: E, D, and C Rank Gear. Higher ranks are locked.)
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[Ripper Fang Dagger; Rank: D Rank. Cost: 50 NP]
[Description: Short, curved dagger forged from beast bone.
[+5 AGI] [+2% Crit Chance] [Silent Strike: Increases backstab damage by 20%]
Ideal for stealthy approaches and rapid stabbing. Effective against beasts with softer hides.
Durability: Medium | Essence Cost: None]
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[Ash-Iron Short Sword – C Rank – 85 NP]
[Forged with iron tempered in ashflame. Balanced for both offense and speed.
[+3 STR] [+3 AGI] [Ash Burn: Chance to cause minor burn on slash]
Good for swift combos and agile duels, especially effective in tight corridors.
Durability: High | Essence Cost: Low]
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[Gale Wind Katana – C Rank – 100 NP]
[A long, curved blade forged from Windsteel.
[+4 AGI] [Wind Slash: Sends a wind arc for mid-range slicing]
Designed for high-mobility users. Excels in open areas and hit-and-run tactics.
Durability: High | Essence Cost: Moderate per skill use]
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[Bonecleaver Long Sword – C Rank – 95 NP]
[A long blade crafted from beast bones and alloyed steel.
[+6 STR] [Staggering Slash: Small chance to knock an enemy off balance]
Heavy but deadly. Perfect for brute-force combatants and tankier foes.
Durability: Very High | Essence Cost: Moderate]
---
'Woah! All these weapons are quite expensive.' Zen rubbed his temples, staring at the glowing list. His mouth twisted in frustration. 'So let me get this straight, NP—Necro Points—is the currency I need for the shop, huh. And I just have twelve.
Meanwhile, the cheapest weapon costs fifty. Sheesh! Forget weapons for now. Let me just check the gear tab instead. Maybe I'll find something useful there.'
{Gear Tab}
[Shadowstep Boots – D Rank – 45 NP]
[Dark leather boots enhanced with muffling enchantments.
[+4 AGI] [Reduces footstep sound by 70%] [Small chance to dodge critical hits]
Favored by scouts and assassins.
Durability: Medium]
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[Gloves of Ember Resistance – D Rank – 35 NP]
[Thick leather gloves infused with embersteel threads.
[+2 STR] [10% Fire Resistance] [Firm Grip: +10% Weapon Handling]
Reliable protection against fire-based traps or enemies.
Durability: High]
---
[Wraithskin Cloak – C Rank – 60 NP]
[A torn black cloak that blends into the darkness.
[+3 INT] [+8 Stealth Rating] [Null Aura: Reduces detection from magical creatures]
Essential for sneaky approaches and scouting ahead.
Durability: Low | Best used at night or in low-light areas]
---
[Runeforge Battle Armor – B Rank – 190 NP]
[Status: Locked]
[Preview: Enchanted plate mail engraved with ancient runes. Grants +15% magic resistance and boosts defense by +12. Unavailable until higher Reaver Rank.]
---
'Stupid system! Can't even get something good with just twelve points.' Zen cursed inwardly, biting his tongue hard in irritation. His excitement dimmed as quickly as it had come, replaced by frustration at the glowing list that seemed to mock his poverty.
"I'm done. We have just three minutes left before the dungeon crumbles, so let's get the hell out of here." Ryker's sharp voice cut through Zen's thoughts.
Zen immediately closed his system tab and adjusted his expression so no one noticed the lingering grin tugging at the corner of his lips.
With Ryker leading and everyone else gathered, they began their hurried run back, the echoes of their footsteps bouncing harshly against the stone walls as time ticked away.