Max wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked around at his party members. Everyone was grinning, even Merlin allowed himself a small, satisfied smile.
"Well, that was a piece of cake," Garrick said. He slung his warhammer over his shoulder, his muscles cracking. "I could've done that with one hand tied behind my back."
"Really? Because it looked like you were about to become a pancake when that thing hit you," Max said.
Garrick laughed, giving Max a painful shove. "Nah, just giving you all a chance to shine."
The ground beneath the platform where the boss had stood began to shift, shaking the dungeon. The stone slabs slowly slid apart, revealing a hidden chest beneath.
Max's eyes widened as the chest appeared in front of them. It was nicely decorated, with carvings of dragons and ancient runes all around it.
Sylara's sharp eyes gleamed how excited she was. "Now that's what I'm talking about."
"Let's see what our efforts have earned us," Garrick stepped forward.
Merlin nodded. "But be cautious. Even the rewards of victory can be cursed."
Max hesitated for a moment after hearing that, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he moved closer, standing beside Garrick.
Garrick lifted the heavy lid of the chest, and a bright light flooded the room, forcing everyone to cover their eyes.
Inside the chest were piles of gold coins, jewels of every color, and ancient artifacts. But among the treasure were also some items: a bow, a staff, a set of armor, and a necklace with a blue gemstone.
"Now that's a good reward," Garrick whistled.
Elara stepped forward, her eyes immediately drawn to the necklace.
Merlin inspected the items, then he whispered to Max: "These items are powerful, can you see it?"
"No, not really. Why?" Max asked.
"Try and see their stats, the same way you saw mine, or at least tried."
Max concentrated, focusing on the items, when he saw it.
Arcane Whisper
Type: Magical Staff
Damage: +40 Magic Damage
Attribute Bonus: Intelligence +10, Mind +5
Special Ability: Arcane Surge - Doubles the effectiveness of all spells for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Passive Effect: Increases mana regeneration by 20% and reduces spell-casting time by 10%.
Moonshadow Bow
Type: Enchanted Bow
Damage: +35 Physical Damage, +25 Magic Damage
Attribute Bonus: Dexterity +10, Arcane +8
Special Ability: Phantom Arrow - Fires a spectral arrow that pierces through all enemies in a line, dealing magic damage. Cooldown: 3 minutes.
Passive Effect: Grants a 15% chance to fire an additional arrow with each attack.
Titan's Aegis
Type: Heavy Armor
Defense: +60 Physical Defense, +30 Magic Defense
Attribute Bonus: Endurance +15, Strength +10
Special Ability: Unbreakable - For 10 seconds, reduces all incoming damage by 50%. Cooldown: 5 minutes.
Passive Effect: Increases resistance to knockback effects by 30% and reduces stamina consumption by 20%.
Ocean's Embrace
Type: Enchanted Necklace
Attribute Bonus: Faith +12, Vigor +8
Special Ability: Tidal Wave - Heals all party members within a 10-meter radius for 100 HP. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Passive Effect: Increases the effectiveness of all healing spells by 25% and grants 10% water resistance.
"Can you see it?" Merlin whispered.
"Yes, yes I can," Max responded.
Max's eyes locked on the staff. It was made of a dark wood, carved with silver runes that spiraled up its length.
"I think I'll take this one," Max said, reaching for the staff. "My first staff! I have to learn that trick how they summon it from thin air," Max thought.
"This will do nicely," Sylara picked up the enchanted bow.
Garrick grabbed the armor. "Finally, something that might actually stop me from becoming a pancake," he said with a grin.
Elara gently lifted the necklace.
Garrick and Sylara quickly began dividing the gold and jewels into equal shares, giving Merlin a bit more because he didn't get to choose any enchanted item.
Max stuffed his share of the gold into his inventory, while Garrick put it into his pouch. "We'll need a bigger bag to carry all of this out," Garrick joked.
Max chuckled as he watched Garrick struggle to fit all his gold into his pouch. The bulging leather bag looked ready to burst, the gold could spill out at any moment.
"You know, that thing can burst?" Max said, pointing at Garrick's leather pouch.
Garrick's face turned red. "Not a chance! This thing's tougher than it looks."
As if on cue, the pouch burst open, sending gold coins across the stone floor. Garrick froze, his eyes wide as he watched his hard-earned gold scatter in every direction.
"Oops," Sylara said with a smirk, kicking a coin with her boot. "Looks like you'll be getting some extra exercise."
"Curse it all!" Garrick shouted, diving to the ground to gather up the coins.
Max couldn't help but start laughing. Even Elara, who was usually calm and quiet, couldn't suppress a giggle.
"Maybe you should've picked the necklace instead," Max teased. "At least it comes with a chain."
Garrick looked at him, still on his hands and knees. "Not. Funny."
"Oh, it is a little bit funny," Elara said. "But don't worry, we'll help you gather it up before you lose more."
Merlin, who had been silently observing them, finally spoke up. "It appears the greatest challenge of this dungeon was not the boss, but the task to carry out the loot."
"Maybe the loot's cursed after all," Sylara joked, tossing a coin into Garrick's pouch.
"Yeah, yeah. I'll remember this next time we split the treasure," Garrick said, still red in the face.
Max played with his new staff. "You know, with all that extra weight off your shoulders, you might actually be able to swing that hammer."
The group started laughing.
Garrick spat on the floor. "I'll show you. Next time, I'll have a bag that won't burst, not matter now how much gold I put into it."
The others shook their heads, laughing, as they stepped out into the sunlight.
Max's pockets and spirit were high, he learned something new again. The only thing he needs to learn now is not to run away.