The notifications poured in in a rush.
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
โ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ โ๐ ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ -> ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ'๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ -> ๐๐๐
๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐ผ๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ -> ๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐ผ๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ -> ๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐ ๐ค๐ค ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐
๐-๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ป๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ธ๐๐ช๐ค๐ค ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐!
Zane was a little too woozy to clock all of them. It took a few seconds for his mind to get that it was all over. A few more seconds and his body got it too.
He did not faint this time. He made sure not toโhe held on even as a dragging cloying weariness washed over him, made him sway on his feetโฆ
He felt heavy all over. A lot of it was the poison. They felt like weights sagging inside him, making every limb a lead pipe.
But then Reina rushed over, fussing over him, pouring in healing, and staying up came easier.
He let out a heavy sigh. Let his tensed muscles unwind themselves in her embrace. Let his Bloodline burn outโฆ.
He let out a grin.
That was the S-rank dungeon cleared.
It still hadn't really set in. It felt like they'd been in here a very long time. And his Levels, his Bloodline, even his Soulโso much had changed since they'd started the long swim downโฆ he could barely even remember what sunlight felt like.
He was suddenly eager to feel it again. He was done with this place.
Avery and Evan paddled over looking relieved. Avery gave him a hearty slap on the back. "Nice!"
Evan tackled him in a hug. "We did it!"
He seemed excited to get out too.
Together they made for the dungeon bottom.
The Beacon lay there. An island of light on a bedrock floor banishing the dense dark. And right beside it lay the Dungeon Chest.
It looked like a pirate's sunken bounty. So many barnacles and mosses ran over it you could have mistaken it for any other boulderโjust unusually big. When they cracked it open though they found plush velvet insides. Charmed to be bigger than it looked from the outside.
Inside they found an astronomical wealth of treasure.
A heap of max-grade essence stones shored up the base. Which was more riches than they knew what to do with already.
But Zane's eyes were instantly drawn to another treasure, a little crimson tower at the center of it all. Something about it called to himโcalled to his soulโฆ
He picked it up. It glinted in the soft light. It looked like one of those ancient Japanese pagodas, intricately carved, down to the tiny lines of the rooftop tiles, the features of its dragon-mouth statuesโฆ
โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐ [๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ (๐ผ)]
๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐, ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ โ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ. ๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ ๐จ๐๐ค ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐พ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ช โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐ค๐ช๐ค๐ฅ๐๐.
๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐๐ค ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ช ๐๐๐๐. โ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐ค๐ช๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ. ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ค ๐ค๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค, ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ช ๐ฅ๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐.
๐ผ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ช๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ค ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐'๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐. ๐ผ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ช๐๐ฃ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค ๐ฆ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ค.
๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค ๐ค๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ช๐๐ฃ๐ค.
๐ธ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐๐ช๐๐ฃ, ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐ฃ๐ฅ๐ ๐พ๐ฃ๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐. ๐ผ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ฆ๐๐ค๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ช๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐ ๐๐% ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ'๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐.
โ๐ฃ๐๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ค๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ ๐ฆ๐ค๐: ๐ธ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ, ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐: ๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ'๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐
Zane got a mysterious feeling looking at the thing. Almost like a premonition, a certain feeling of suspense, a gut feeling, like something awesome or terrible was looming on the horizonโฆ
He still wasn't really sure what it did. Something to do with souls? There was lots on its last owner, not a lot on its powers. It seemed to be partly an inheritance, partly some kind of tool.
As he turned it over it grazed a bloody patch of finger. It flashed bright silver. Vanished.
He blinked.
It wasn't hereโit was there. In the astral plane. Placed right at the center of his soul, where his heart should be.
โฆHuh.
Thenโ
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐๐!
๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ'๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ [๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ (๐ผ)] -> ๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ'๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ [โ๐๐ฃ๐ (๐ผ)]
Interesting.
He tried applying his new Emperor's Soul, and felt that Pagoda light up withinโit felt like he'd been wielding a blunt club for a limb this whole time. Now he'd finally grown fingers. He could move his essence around with a precision he could scarcely wrap his mind around.
He was pretty sure this thing was the rarest drop they'd gotten in a long, long time. He struggled to believe you'd find this kind of thing in every S-Rank dungeon. Reina certainly seemed to think so. She was stunned after reading the description. It had to be because he'd unlocked that Emperor's Soul Skill earlier.
There was something roulette-like about these dungeon chests sometimes. They seemed biased to help the adventurer.
He still wasn't sure what he could apply this stuff to. He supposed he'd see once he cracked the Inheritance inside.
The next most interesting treasureโan ordinary-seeming clay pot. With quite an extraordinary essence aura. It held no laws, yet its mere presence, its mere density, was stretching the air around itโฆ
๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ [โ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ (๐ผ)]
โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ช ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ค ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐, ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐ก ๐ฅ๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐๐๐. โ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐ช ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ผ-โ๐๐๐๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ. ๐ธ๐ค ๐ค๐ฆ๐๐, ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ง๐๐๐.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ฆ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ช ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐. ๐ป๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ.
This would be good to take once they got home. It sounded like it'd grant quite a lot of Levels. And Zane was pretty darn close to Level 200.
Nextโ"Oooh!" Avery gasped. She pulled out what looked like a floppy sealskin notebook, bound together with copper wire. But it turned out to be a partial Water Inheritance from the Thousand Seas Tribe. It was just what she needed to complete her Law of Mirage.
Evan found a pair of S-ranked Sandals. They had little wings on the sides that crackled as he moved them aboutโan electric affinity. They'd let him move even faster once he started channeling lightning essence.
And Reina got a partial Wood Inheritance too from the Temple of the World Tree. Which meant she could also break through to full Fusion. Everyone found something they liked in that chest.
There were seven or eight other S-rank treasures. Law treasures, a few essence vials, some other random Inheritances for other Elementsโฆ
It was more treasure than they knew what to do with.
They had waded through four floors of Level 190+ Monsters for this.
It was a haul at least proportionate to the danger, he felt.
As they all sorted out their winnings, Zane thought over the raid. No one had gotten too hurtโexcept him, but he didn't really count that. Their first S-Rank Dungeon came to a resounding success. He was proud of everyone. He told them so.
"Awww," said Avery, scratching her head.
"Awwwww!" cried Evan.
"Butโฆ eh. Let's be real," said Avery. "You did like 99% of the work there, big fella." She looked a little sheepish. She puffed out her cheeks. "I meanโI wouldn't say I was useless, butโฆ I definitely coulda done better distracting 'em. I've gotta work on that when I get back."
"Yea!" said Evan, nodding. "I'll work harder too. When the Superdungeon comes I'm gonna pull more of my weight, promise! I won't let you down!"
Zane said it was alright but they were quite determined about it. Reina was too, saying the first thing she did when she got back would be to learn that Evergrow buff spell they'd picked up.
It had been a good learning experienceโthey all saw where they were weak. They all wanted to support him better.
Everyone was in fairly good spirits as they made their way back.
***
It was late afternoon when they finally resurfaced. It was a shock feeling airโfeeling salty sea spray, feeling the wind tickling his face. Seeing the sun scattering glittering gold across the waters.
They were back.
Almost as soon as they got outโeven before their ship came to pick them upโthey saw wyverns swooping down from the clouds.
It was the reporters. Of all people.
"...Coming out now!" said the guy. His voice drifted over. Zane could barely make it out. "We'll see if we canโฆ catching upโpassing it off to you, Becca!"
The blond lady was flying over. She looked quite nervous. A little pink-faced, flushed.
Zane looked to Reina confused. Even Reina took a moment to clock itโ"They're here for the post-dungeon interview," she explained. "It's in the contract. Just answer a few questions, alright?"
Zane shrugged.
Soon the wyvern splashed down, paddled over, and the panting reporter started stammering at him.
"Savage Sage, sir! So glad we could catch up with youโare you free for a quick interview?"
"Sure."
"Perfect! I want to take you back to that pivotal fight on the third floor, right when you were cornered by those three Level 190 Minions. How'd you stay so calm in such a high-pressure situation?"
Zane got this kind of question a lot. His usual answer was he didn't know how he was calm. He just was. But in this specific case, now that he thought about itโฆ
"I wasn't calm," he explained. "I was worried they were going to hurt my friends. So I had to destroy them faster than usual."
"Ah!" She didn't seem to expect that answer. "Iโฆ see. Uhโyou make it sound so straightforward." She gave a little laugh.
Zane shrugged. It was.
"Errโdid you have any doubts down there, stranded so far in such hostile terrain, in all that extreme pressure and darknessโsurrounded by Monsters like none of us have ever seen? Any moments that tested your faith in yourselfโwere you frightened at all?"
"No."
He found that question baffling. It did not even cross his mind to be scared of those things. And it was not a matter of faith for him. Winning or losing was almost irrelevantโhe would give it his all anyways.
And his all, Zane found, was always enough.
"That's, uh, pretty remarkable!" said the reporter lady. She seemed to be scrambling for words. "Some of those moments got pretty tenseโeven we were getting nervous on the broadcast! I know our viewers at home were too."
Zane wasn't sure what to say to that either. "Don't be."
Thankfully, Reina jumped in just then and saved them both. "That's what's so special about him," she said fondly. She was on his arm, stroking him gently. "It's his mind, not his body. Of course it's his willpower and his bravery, but everyone can see that. What you don't see is that he's got such a big heart tooโฆ"
She gave him a pat.
Sometimes when he heard Reina talking about him, he was also baffled. He was pretty certain it was his body that made the difference.
But it saved him from having to flounder, so he let her do her thing. The reporter was as relieved as he was.
***
They boarded the S.S. Styx again, got a round of applause from the crewโthen made landfall and got another. The folk of the Pearl Throne Faction there greeted them like heroes returning from a long journey. Leaked Monsters from the trenches had been plaguing them for months now, terrorizing their coastlinesโthey'd lost a few World Rankers fending them off. Finally the menace was gone.
It almost felt like a parade walking all the way up the Main St. Between seashell-sheened skyscrapers, between roads lined with fan-shaped leaves. Back to the teleportation Beacon.
Zane was a little zoned out though. He was thinking of what was coming next.
The training.
There was so much to do. Figuring out that Pagoda treasure. Leveling to Coreโand figuring out what that even meant, how to get better Core grades. Working on his Titan Rhino Inheritance. Getting another Concept to add to his Stormfire, and bringing that to the next level tooโฆ
There was a lot of room to grow. For him and for his friends too.
He knew halfway across the world the Europe Team, led by World Rank #1 Irina Volkova, would soon start working on the Everest dungeon.
Zane was World Rank #2 by pure Level after all thatโbut Irina still held onto her #1 spot. He wondered how high she must've gotten. In the 190s, at least, which was pretty remarkable considering she hadn't even raided an S-rank yet. Her talent must be off the charts there.
Reina started briefing him on the S-Rank as they made their way back home, teleporting Beacon to Beacon. Popping between a dozen different climes and times of day.
The other S-Rank Dungeon was called Heaven's Peak. It seemed like their trench S-Rank in terms of powerโthe Monsters leaking out were also in the 190s. But it seemed somehow more unstable too. Its description notifications often flickered and fuzzed out, scrambling. Other strange reports issued out, none verified. There were claims of auras soaring out of it that sent other leaked Level 190s from nearby A+-rank dungeons running in a panicked stampedeโฆ
Nobody really knew what it all meant. But the raidโwhich was happening in just a few daysโwould be televised for all to see, like Zane's raid. Then they'd know.
In the meantime a growing number of World Rankers were hunting for the entrance to the Superdungeon. You'd think it'd be pretty obvious, with how big the dungeon was meant to be. No luck so far.
Some thought it would pop up out of nowhere once the S-rank cleared. Others thought it was hiding in plain sightโฆ