Eagan's eyes drifted shut as he settled into his hospital bed, the soft beeping of machines and gentle hum of the air conditioning lulling him into a peaceful slumber.
Suddenly, a bright light illuminated his mind's eye, and the familiar interface of the system appeared before him.
System Notification
Dungeon Raid Rewards: You have obtained one Crimson Fangs Core. It can only be used when you have reached level twenty.
You have obtained five Blood Fangs.
You have obtained five blood claws. Both items can be used to make weapons.
You have obtained Crimson Fang's fur coat.
You have been granted additional rewards for killing a monster above your level.
You have received the skill. Blood Frenzy. Upon activation, you enter a state of blood frenzy, increasing your strength by thirty per cent and speed by twenty per cent for five minutes.
Additionally, your critical hit chance increases by ten percent during this time. Cooldown: twenty-four hours. Cool downtime will be reduced as the skills level up.
Blood Frenzy Skill Details
Skill rank: D
Requirements: level fifteen.
Activation Cost: twenty mana power.
Duration: five minutes.
Cooldown: Twenty-four hours.
Eagan's eyes widened as he examined the Blood Frenzy skill. "I can even use the monster's skill." He asked rhetorically. "And I don't have to depend on blood to use it. So cool!"
Given how weak he is at the moment, the skill was exactly what he needed to boost his combat effectiveness.
He mentally thanked the system for the generous reward. Before going on to the next notification.
You have received five thousand experience points for killing the Crimson Fang.
You have levelled up. Current level is fifteen.
Eagan's face broke into a wide smile as he continued to explore his rewards. The Blood Frenzy skill was a game-changer, and the materials would come in handy for crafting better equipment now that his second-hand sword had been broken during his fight with the wolf pack.
"Speaking of which, there is no way I can get a weapon unless I have a permanent identification card." He mumbled with furrowed brows.
"And after what happened this time, I'm sure Alastair will not listen to my request when it comes to hunting or anything related to it." He mused aloud, thinking about how to discard the rewards he got and also how to get a new weapon.
"What to do?" He muttered. "Should I just ask him and see what his reaction would be?"
Eagan's thoughts swirled with concern as he contemplated approaching Alastair about his hunting plans. He knew his brother's worries were valid, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that he needed to continue growing stronger.
He wasn't even feeling. It was a need. He needed to grow stronger, and constantly getting cuddled by his older brother would not help his growth.
As he continued to deliberate on what to do with the rewards, he drifted off to a restless sleep. Where scenes and memories from his past life replayed like a broken stereo.
His restless sleep was filled with fragmented memories of his past life. He saw himself standing atop a crumbling city wall, sword in hand, as a horde of dark creatures charged towards him. The sound of clashing steel and screams echoed through his mind.
Suddenly, he was back in his childhood home, sitting by the fireplace as he watched his father trying to fend off monsters from a broken dungeon. He stood, frozen in place, as the scene of his father's death replayed once again.
The memories shifted, and Eagan found himself in a dungeon surrounded by hungry-looking monsters and a red-eyed man controlling the monsters. Beside him stood Alastair, tired and wounded but still trying to guard him against the man and his horde of monsters.
Eagan felt a cold chill run down his back as the man's bloodthirsty eyes met his. Followed by a loud, sinister laugh. "You are the reason he is going to die." The man nickered. "If only you weren't so weak, you would have helped your brother."
"It's your fault!"
Eagan jolted awake, his head covered in sweat as his heart raced under his chest.
Eagan's ragged breathing filled the hospital room as he struggled to shake off the vivid nightmare. The machines beeped loudly, and the air conditioning hummed in the background, a stark contrast to the chaos in his mind.
Alastair's concerned voice cut through the fog clouding his mind. "Eagan, are you okay? You were having a nightmare." He asked, gently partying him on the back to bring him back to reality.
Eagan's eyes locked onto Alastair's, still haunted by the memories. He shook his head to clear off the dream while forcing out a smile towards Alastair. "Yes, I'm fine. It was just a nightmare."
Alastair 's brows pulled together at his words. "You still have those? I thought the therapist said you were fine."
"I was. But I guess my experience in the dungeon brought it back." Eagan replied. "I'm fine though. You don't have to worry."
Alastair's expression softened, his eyes filled with understanding. "I'll always worry about you, Eagan. You're my brother, and I want to protect you."
Eagan's forced smile faltered, and he looked away, feeling a mix of gratitude and frustration. He knew Alastair's concerns came from a place of love, but he needed to prove to himself and his brother that he was capable of taking care of himself.
"What are you doing here?" Eagan asked as a change of topic while he reached out to the bottle, not the water beside him. "You said you were going to make preparations for the dungeon raid."
Alastair let out a frustrated sigh at the question. "I was." He grumbled. "That was until this idiot from the other guilds decided to mess things up again."
"Reward share?" Eagan asked knowingly and Alastair hummed.
"Every guild in the zone is supposed to send one S-rank hunter and ten A-rank hunters. Guilds with fewer A-rank hunters will send fifteen B-rank hunters instead," he began.
"The agreement was that the dungeon loots would be shared based on each guild contribution, but now some guilds are against it." He explained, his voice filled with irritation.
Eagan's eyes widened as he listened to Alastair's explanation. "That's ridiculous," he said, his voice laced with indignation. "The agreement was clear."
Alastair nodded, his expression grim. "I know, but some guilds think they can strongarm their way into getting a larger share of the loot. It's all about power and greed."
"Can't they be removed from the raid list?" Eagan asked and Alastair shook his head.
"We need the manpower so we can't remove guilds from the list." He replied. "This particular dungeon is unique, constantly shifting between Rank A and S. As a result, we're unsure what's inside, except that it's a kingdom-type dungeon."
"All the scouts sent in have been eliminated, so we do not know what's in it except it's a kingdom-type dungeon." He sighs.
Eagan nodded; although he wasn't sure of the exact details of the raid, he remembered that the dungeon was cleared. And a lot of hunters died.
But the ones that made it out became stronger, and their guilds acquired lots of rare and unique weapons.
Of course, most of the people who died were killed off by greedy hunters, not the monsters, according to the story Alastair told back then.
Letting out a sigh, Eagan relaxed his back against the wall. "Whatever you do, don't get paired with the Phantom guild during the raid." He blurted out.
Realising what he had done, his eyes went wide, and he hurriedly searched through his head to find an excuse for his words. "I mean, they are well known to be a troublesome bunch and an unruly guild."
Alastair 's eyes narrowed slightly, intrigued by Eagan's sudden warning. "What do you know about the Phantom Guild?" he asked, his tone measured.
Eagan hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "Just rumours, I guess. Everything I know is from social media anyway."
Alastair nodded. "Well, they are the main reason we are being delayed. They want the guilds to be rewards based on their prestige."
"As much as that won't affect the Blue Wolf guild, we can't agree to such terms since we are the ones leading the raid and if we don't treat the weaker guilds properly." Alastair clarified.
"I'm sure you guys will figure things out."