A description of the attribute fills the window:
[White Lightning: This allows the user to create white lightning and control it at their will, molding it into whatever forms they find more suitable.]
Akira's lips twist upwards, as, even now, his mind races with what it might be able to do.
Already, a faint crackling of energy stirs inside him, a sleeping storm just dying to get out.
Akira thinking, fists clenching in excitement
"This… this is really great"
Suddenly, his veins were filled with energy anew his body recovered to peak condition after leveling up
Where there was exhaustion a while back, now a hard burning was there for an opportunity to try the skill and see how it went.
Akira to himself, his eyes narrow
"I'll use this new power… to make them pay."
"All of them."
In but a flicker, the status window was gone, and Akira was clenching his fists as if a promise of White Lightning crackled within.
Akira dusts off his hands, glancing around the now-empty dungeon.
Sand clings to his boots and the edges of his clothes, but the hard-fought victory feels satisfying. He mutters to himself, smirking.
Akira smirking
"This dungeon was easier than I thought."
He looks around, observing magic stones lodged in the sand and scattered on the ground from where he and the worm fought.
Cautiously, he began to pick them up, each one giving off a faint glow of trapped magical energy.
The stones pulsed softly in his palm, their warmth a reminder of the energy they contained.
Akira pocketed some of them , his mind already drifting to Hiroshi, the one person he knew who could fetch him a good price for these.
"Hiroshi will make these worth my time. I need every money I can get..."
"Damn it. There's too many of these magic stones. I can't carry all of them—not without a better way to store them."
He clenched his jaw, frustrated at the realization.
"Next time I raid a dungeon, I need to bring a backpack...or something. Running around with pockets full of stones isn't going to cut it."
As he makes his way through the remains of the sandworm, his eye catches on something gleaming near where the creature's maw has fallen.
Akira crouches, reaching down to pick up what appears to be a small, jagged tooth, roughly the size of a dagger.
Akira muttering
"Huh… this looks interesting."
Curious, he calls up his status window and looks at the item, calling up its information.
In an instant, the details pop up:
[Item: Crysdagger]
Type: Dagger
Durability: 120/120
Attack Power: +15
[Effect: Slightly raises the critical hit rate by 5%.]
The stats are meager, not really standing out compared to his Pantho Sword.
It's not sharp, nor is it deadly it's of a solid, sturdy design, though.
The slight boost to critical hits might be helpful, but still not enough for him to consider holding onto it.
Akira sighs, shoves it into his pouch.
"Is not much of use to me right now"
"Better sell it and get some money out of it."
Having collected all the magical stones and getting the Crysdagger, Akira looks around again.
Finding nothing else, he walks to the exit portal of the dungeon since it appeared after he cleared the dungeon.
As he steps out of the dungeon from the exit portal, freezing in place immediately, narrowing his eyes.
The agent stood at the entrance of the dungeon, clipboard in hand and a sharp eye scanning the surroundings. These officials were responsible for ensuring dungeon clearances went smoothly—making sure every STAR who booked a dungeon completed their job thoroughly. It was their duty to verify that no creatures were left behind to pose a future threat and the dungeon closes successfully
Akira's gaze swept over him.
"E-rank dungeons don't even warrant an agent's attention," - He thought, his expression unreadable.
"Too low-risk, not worth the trouble. But once you hit D-rank and above, they come crawling out to monitor everything. Checkpoints, performance reports, making sure no one leaves a mess behind. A thankless job, but necessary, I guess."
It was among his duties monitoring the activities, checking up on performances, avoiding unnecessary risks to the world.
But this one agent.
Akira knows him after he saw his face.
Agent raising an eyebrow
"So, you're alive."
"When i checked who applicated for this in the StarNet"
"I Thought this one might've been too much for a lone C-rank STAR."
Memories cascade into Akira's mind, his jaw clamping down.
Akira's eyes narrow as he recognizes the agent's face—a man whose name escapes him, but whose actions remain painfully clear.
This agent is the one who, not long ago, handled the documents that ultimately robbed Akira of his father's wealth. He was the one who helped ensure Akira's name was signed away on those forged documents before the dungeon raid with Eri. The betrayal still stings, though Akira forces himself to stay calm, concealing his identity under a hood.
Akira thinking
"Damn… this isn't good."
"The last thing I need is him recognizing me."
Akira:
"You appear unpleased that im alive."
The agent chuckles, looking around as though the dungeon behind him might yet hold threats Akira had missed.
Agent:
"It's just procedure."
"If STARS can't manage their own reservations, then it's on us to make sure things remain contained."
"You'd be shocked how many don't even bother actually clearing the dungeons they claim."
"Dangerous negligence, if you ask me."
Akira mockingly, he crosses his arms.
"And we would not want anything bad to happen, huh?
For a moment, it does-the agent catches the undertone in Akira's voice.
Agent "Ahoh" clears his throat, looks away.
"Anyway, as long as it's clear, I don't care what you do in there."
Akira steps forward with his gaze sharp and unforgiving, causing the agent to stiffen ever so slightly.
Akira: voice low, compact with restrained anger
"I wonder… whether you care about something, anything, other than yourself."
He narrows his eyes at which his brow furrows further as he regards Akira's face with growing suspicion.
Agent:
"Have we… met before?"
Akira's face is stoic, with an almost imperceptible tilt to his head, obscuring identification.
Akira:
"Doubt it."
"I'm new to this line of work. Just another rookie, nothing memorable about me."
The first agent narrowed his eyes, taking a step closer, trying to get a better look at Akira's face under the hood.
Before he could press further, the sound of approaching footsteps broke the moment.
A second agent, dressed in the same uniform, appeared from behind, peering at his notes as he stepped forward. He glanced up briefly at Akira, then smirked.
"If you're already C-rank and don't have much experience in this line of work, then your growth potential is amazing, I guess?"
He only had seen the rank of the fake id Hiroshi gave to Akira that he could enter dungeons and use StarNet to reserved the dungeon
Akira's heart jumps as he instantly identifies him-it was the very same agent who was there on that fateful day, the one assigned to handle the "transfer" of his family's assets, and who had stood there, smiling smugly while Akira signed his father's legacy away.
The new agent looks up to find his colleague standing in front of Akira with that scrutinizing look.
An eyebrow shoots up.
Second Agent:
"Everything okay here?"
The first agent regarded him before nodding toward Akira with a faint hint of recognition in his eyes.
First Agent:
"Yeah… something about this one feels familiar."
The second agent snickers, eyeing Akira for a moment before a spark of familiarity flashes across his face.
But Akira doesn't feed him a reaction. He keeps his expression smooth, his voice casual.
Akira:
"Just trying to get this dungeon marked as cleared."
"I didn't think the getting out would be worse than the going in."
The other agent guffaws loudly, stretching a smirk.
Second Agent:
"Newbie, huh?"
"You gotta be brand new if you don't know how anal we are."
"Some of these STARS don't always play by the rules."
Akira clenches his jaw as he watches the two agents exchange a look, one which overflows with an amenity.
He could tell they were just fishing for any semblance of reaction from him-anything that could give him away.
He plays along, faking a little nervousness, and shrugs.
Akira:
"Look, I know."
"I am just not used to all of these...formalities yet."
The first agent folds his arms, leaning farther forward, his suspicion flaring again.
First Agent:
"Funny, you look just like someone who's had enough...experience and i think you do since you already a C-Rank."
The second agent's smirk fades, replaced by a more intense, calculating look.
The second agent lets out a frustrated breath, taking a step back.
Second Agent:
"Fine boy."
"Just know that if you try anything… questionable in these parts, we'll know about it."
Akira gives them a curt nod, already stepping around them to continue on his way.
"Appreciate the warning."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Akira can only hold his stare for a moment before the weight of tension begins to settle in between them.
As Akira turned to leave
The other agent snatches at Akira's wrist, flashing steel in the dim light of the alley before spinning him back around, eyes narrowing and shoulders tensing.
Second Agent:
"Wait a minute"