After finishing his battle with Black Rye, Ethan picked up the dropped loot.
**[Slicer's Broken Blade (Silver)]: A projection of the legendary weapon Slicer, from the notorious thief Black Rye.**
**Attributes:**
- **Armor Penetration**: +8
- **Attack**: +10
- **Special Effect**: Causes a bleeding effect, reducing healing effectiveness by 20%.
"Not bad. The hidden attributes are just so-so, but the bleeding effect is pretty rare," Ethan thought, evaluating the weapon.
Since his *Fanged Fish Dagger* was taken by the *Assassin King*, he had been using a basic iron weapon. With this new *Slicer's Broken Blade*, his weapon shortage was finally remedied.
After scanning the area to make sure everything was clear, Ethan stepped out of the Shadow Realm and back into the dungeon. Upon returning, he noticed Naomi and the others wandering aimlessly around the cave, seemingly searching for something.
"What are you guys doing?" Ethan asked casually.
"Dustwalker, you didn't die!" OverallSuspender spun around in excitement upon hearing Ethan's voice.
"No, genius, I'm perfectly fine. If I were dead, you wouldn't be either. So, what exactly are you looking for?" Ethan rolled his eyes, unimpressed by OverallSuspender's usual lack of tact.
"Uh, we thought you might've gotten killed or something since you disappeared, but the party interface still showed you were alive, so we started looking for you," OverallSuspender explained sheepishly.
"Yeah, well, I just took a little trip to the Shadow Realm," Ethan replied nonchalantly.
"The Shadow Realm! I knew you weren't ordinary, Dustwalker! You can even travel between dimensions!" OverallSuspender exclaimed, clearly impressed.
"Calm down, anyone who's learned *Shadow Leap* can enter the Shadow Realm," Ethan said, dismissing the flattery.
At that moment, Naomi approached, studying Ethan closely before speaking. "Are you alright? Any injuries?"
"..."
Ethan squinted at Naomi, his expression skeptical. Why was she suddenly so concerned about him? Shouldn't she be asking about the boss first? Something didn't add up.
"I'm fine. The boss is dead too," Ethan replied, waving her off, still puzzled by her concern.
Scanning the area, Ethan noticed that AFKandChill was nowhere to be seen. "Where's that rich brat?" he asked.
"He lost an arm and was in pretty bad shape. I had him leave the dungeon early," Naomi explained.
With no healer in the group, if AFKandChill didn't get treated soon, he'd be permanently stuck with a missing arm. The only way to fix it would be through suicide and respawning, but that would reset his attributes, which wasn't worth it. So, Naomi had sent him out to get proper treatment.
"Too bad he didn't die. That would've been better," Ethan commented coldly, shaking his head.
"..."
Naomi had no response to that, so she chose to remain silent, pretending she hadn't heard him.
"Alright, let's keep going. I don't have all day. Let's finish off the last boss," Ethan said as he began walking towards the next boss's location. The others quickly followed suit.
"Dustwalker, can I ask you something? Is what's on the forums true? Did you really take out Third Heaven's elite team?" OverallSuspender asked hesitantly as he walked beside Ethan.
"Forum? What forum?" Ethan looked genuinely confused. He had been too busy with battles and quests to pay any attention to forums.
"The one about Third Heaven's elite squad. Did you really kill them all?" OverallSuspender clarified.
"Oh, that. Yeah, that was me," Ethan said with a shrug, not bothering to hide it.
"Whoa! Dustwalker, you're a legend! Wiping out an entire team by yourself? That's so badass!" OverallSuspender exclaimed, thoroughly impressed.
He admired such lone wolf, take-no-prisoners tactics and wished he could join in on something like that. But, alas, his class as a shield warrior meant he'd likely never get the chance.
"But Dustwalker, you should be careful. Archangel put a bounty on your head," OverallSuspender warned him.
"A bounty? How much?" Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"1000 gold coins."
"That's it? Hm... I should kill him again, maybe bump the bounty up a bit," Ethan said nonchalantly.
"Holy crap, Dustwalker! You're incredible! You're my idol!" OverallSuspender cheered, his admiration for Ethan reaching new heights. He was practically ready to swear brotherhood on the spot.
"Thanks, but I wouldn't go that far," Ethan said modestly before continuing, "But if the opportunity comes, I'll bring you along to kill him."
"Really? But… am I good enough for something like that?" OverallSuspender asked nervously, unsure if he could keep up.
"Of course! There's a skill called *Indestructible Diamond Body*. It's the upgraded version of *Golden Body*. I know where to find it," Ethan said as he stopped walking and placed a hand on OverallSuspender's shoulder, speaking seriously.
"When you hit level 50, I'll take you to learn *Indestructible Diamond Body*. After that, you'll be able to charge through armies and take down enemy generals with ease."
"*Indestructible Diamond Body*…" OverallSuspender whispered, already imagining himself in gleaming armor, leading the charge into battle.
"Don't worry, Dustwalker! I'll hit level 50 as fast as I can!" OverallSuspender clenched his fists, bursting with excitement.
"Oh, and in a few days, I'm heading to Winterhold. There are some skills and gear there that would suit you perfectly. I'll buy them for you."
"Dustwalker, you're the best!" OverallSuspender gushed.
"It's nothing, but I'm kind of low on funds right now…" Ethan said with a sigh.
"No worries! I've got plenty of money. I'm a rich kid too, just like Hunter!" OverallSuspender declared proudly.
…
As they chatted, Naomi, listening from the side, couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her nose in exasperation. She had a feeling OverallSuspender was about to get scammed.
Suddenly, the clanking sound of chains echoed through the cave.
Everyone stopped in their tracks, their gazes locking on a massive iron gate up ahead. The gate was rusty, with a large iron lock hanging on it. Behind it, darkness loomed, hiding whatever was inside.
"What is this? Why is there a locked gate here?" Naomi asked as she unsheathed her sword, immediately going on guard.
The others followed her lead, readying themselves for a fight. After the close call with Black Rye, they weren't taking any chances. No one wanted to be caught off guard again.
"It's nothing to worry about. It's just a prison," Ethan said calmly, motioning for them to relax.
"A prison?" Naomi frowned. "Why would there be a prison here? And who's locked inside?"
"Exactly—inside is the second boss, Defiler Zogg," Ethan explained simply.
Naomi nodded, but another question popped into her mind. If the boss was locked inside, how were they supposed to fight him?
She glanced at the iron lock on the gate, an idea forming.
"Dustwalker, do we need a rogue to pick the lock?" she asked.
"Yep," Ethan confirmed. Rogues had the *Lockpicking* skill, which allowed them to attempt to open any lock, though success depended on their proficiency.
"Got it." Naomi turned to the three rogues in the group. "Who here has learned lockpicking?"
"I have, but my proficiency is low. I'm not sure if I can open it," one of the rogues admitted.
"Will it be a problem if they fail?" Naomi asked, looking to Ethan for reassurance.
"Don't worry. This lock is guaranteed to open," Ethan said confidently. The lock on the gate was a simple one. As long as the rogue followed the steps, it would definitely unlock.
"Alright then, I'll give it a shot," the rogue said, stepping forward. He pulled out a thin piece of wire from his pocket and prepared to pick the lock.
"Wait," Ethan suddenly placed a hand on the rogue's shoulder.
"What is it?" the rogue asked, puzzled.
"When you're almost done with the lockpicking process, I want you to deliberately interrupt the skill," Ethan instructed.
"Uh… why? Won't that make the lockpicking fail?" the rogue asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"Exactly. That's what I want—a failed attempt."
...