Alister's eyes fluttered open, the harsh sun light coming through the window shining on his face, making him squint. The sterile scent of antiseptic filled his nostrils as he shifted on the soft hospital bed.
He felt a dull ache around his entire body, but the immediate danger seemed to have passed.
'Where am I?' he thought, blinking against the bright light. Memories from the dungeon raid flooded back like a tide—his teammates, the battle with the Goblin King, and the overwhelming surge of power from the Draconic Rage skill. He remembered Lila, Amelia, Erik, and Jarek, their faces flashing before his eyes.
He looked around the room, taking in the beeping machines, the IV drip attached to his arm, and the clean, white walls. "This must be a hospital," he mumbled to himself, the words sounding dry and raspy as they left his lips.
As he tried to sit up, a sudden jolt of energy coursed through him, and the system's interface materialized before his eyes, a translucent yellow screen hovering in the air.
[The player has several system notifications to look through.]
[Congratulations to the player for completing the first quest!]
Alister blinked at the words, their meaning sinking in. He had survived. They had made it out of the dungeon alive, despite the odds. 'It's unfortunate but losses were inevitable.'
He frowned, as the memory of Amelia's unfortunate death flashed before his eyes.
[In recognition of the player's feat of soloing the boss raid, the player has been given additional rewards.]
[Notice! All harvested loot from the dungeon has been organized. Please check your inventory for details.]
'Inventory?' Alister questioned his thoughts.
Just as he did, another translucent yellow window appeared with sections and small boxes that seemed to hold items in them.
[1. Goblin Core(s) (D-rank)
2. Goblin Hide (D-rank)
3. Rusty Daggers (F-rank)
4. Clubs (E-rank)
5. Mana Crystals (Various Ranks - F to D)
6. Blood Orb (A-rank)
7. Magic Form-Changing Wand (D-rank)
-----(Additional rewards)--------
8. Skill Card: Blood Manipulation (D-rank)
9.Skill Card: Blood Healing (D-rank)]
As he looked through the list, Alister couldn't help but feel excited.
'It's actually all the loot from the dungeon…'
'That red orb the goblin king was holding is included as well…'
'With items like these I could sell them and get a ton of union points. With that I'm sure I would be able to afford summoner equipment and begin my journey as a summoner.'
'Additional rewards... More skills.'
'Now that I think about it, I was supposed to get some kind of hand book for summoning after I completed my first quest…'
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door creaking open. A nurse walked in, she looked surprised to see Alister awake, but relieved he was.
"You're up," she said gently, approaching his bed. "How are you feeling?"
Alister cleared his throat, struggling to find his voice. "A bit sore," he replied, his voice hoarse. "But I think I'm okay."
'I don't remember having any wounds on my body after I left the dungeon, so this lingering weakness must be the side effects of my skill.'
The nurse nodded, checking the readings on the machines beside him. "You're lucky to be alive," she said, her tone serious. "You and your friends were brought in unconscious. They said you cleared an A-rank dungeon? That's quite a feat."
'A rank!? All the way from F? Guess that explains the grades of the loot.'
Alister gave a weak smile, still processing everything. "Yeah," he murmured, the weight of their accomplishment settling over him. "Guess we did."
Alister sat up a bit straighter, curiosity lighting his tired eyes.
"How long have I been out?"
The nurse looked up, her brow furrowing as she tried to recall the exact time. "Let me see... Today is the 15th of June, so you've been unconscious for 15 days."
"Fifteen days!?"
Alister repeated in shock He couldn't believe he had been out for so long. His thoughts immediately went to his team.
"What about my teammates? Are they okay?"
The nurse's expression softened. "They're all doing fine now," she assured him. "They left the hospital around the fourth day after you were brought in. A top healer from the Union was in the area, so they got their wounds taken care of quickly. After a bit of rest, they were able to leave."
Alister let out a sigh of relief, a small smile spreading his lips. "That's good to hear," he murmured, genuinely glad his team had made it out okay.
"And," the nurse continued, "they left you some gifts." She reached over to a small table by the side of his bed and picked up a neat bundle wrapped in soft cloth. Handing it to him, she added, "I'll step out now and give you some time to go through them."
Alister took the bundle with a grateful nod. "Thank you," he said, watching as she left the room.
He carefully unwrapped the cloth, revealing a collection of small, thoughtful items: a box of high-quality chocolates, a sleek, modern wristwatch, and several letters.
'I kinda feel bad they're the ones buying me stuff when I practically cleaned the dungeon of all its items. Oh well, to the winner the spoils as they say.'
He picked up one of the envelopes, recognizing Lila's name on the front.
Opening it, he read:
Dear Alister,
I hope you're reading this soon and are up and about. I can't thank you enough for what you did back in the dungeon. Honestly, I don't know how you managed it, but I'm grateful you did. You saved us all, and I owe you my life.
We've decided to take a break for a while, reassess things, but don't worry, we'll be back in action soon enough. Take care of yourself and get better. Next time we need to grab a drink and talk about how you became some kind of superhuman!
Best,
Lila
Alister smiled at the letter, feeling a warm feeling in his chest. He opened the rest, all with a similar message.
Alister leaned back against the pillows, a sense of peace coming over him. Despite the chaos and danger they had faced, knowing things sort of turns out ok in the end gave him comfort.
He then sat back up with a slight more serious look on his face.
'Alright system, where are my rewards from the quest?'
[Congrats the player has received: 100 EXP, Beginner's Guide to Summoning (Rank E), Basic clawed gauntlets (Rank E).]
[The items have been transferred to the player's inventory.]
'Inventory.'
The window materialized, Alister wanted to reach into the window and pull out the book.
[Notice! player, the player can view the guide from the system interface as long as it remains in the inventory.]
[Notice! The player has yet to view their status window.]
[Notice! The player also has unassigned stat points.]
[Notice! Conditions have been met, the player can now summon their first dragon.]
[Will the player like to proceed with their first summoning?]