Chapter 84: The Spoils of War

  The cavern was still.

  Smoke and dust hung in the air, remnants of the battle lingering like ghosts. Marcus and his team stood in the aftermath, battered but victorious. The silence stretched for a moment—then Arixa let out a bark of laughter, loud and full of triumph.

  “That’s right!” she roared, slamming her fist into Marcus’ shoulder. “That’s how we do it!”

  Marcus chuckled, rubbing his arm from the impact. Thalron smirked, adjusting his gloves, while Vira shook her head, an amused grin on her face.

  The team exchanged high-fives, each hit carrying the weight of survival, of victory.

  “I can't believe we took that thing down,” Thalron mused, his analytical mind already piecing together the significance.

  “it had to be Mythril or higher,” he added, his gaze thoughtful.

  Marcus nodded subtly. Only he and Stem truly understood what had just happened—what they had unlocked, or rather, prevented from being unlocked. But that was a discussion for another time.

  For now, they had loot to claim.

  Arixa pointed at the chest that had materialized in the cavern. “Alright, let’s see what our hard-earned payday looks like.”

  The team stepped forward.

  And then—

  The cave trembled.

  A deep, ominous groan rippled through the stone, the aftershocks of the Res Orc Seal’s defeat now taking their toll on the cavern’s structural integrity. Cracks spiderwebbed across the walls, and the floor beneath them began to shake violently.

  “Oh, come on!” Vira yelled as small rocks began pelting down from above.

  Marcus’ instincts flared. “Cave’s collapsing! Move!”

  Arixa grabbed Thalron by the collar, yanking him back as a section of the roof collapsed, barely missing them.

  “No time for debate!” Thalron snapped. “We’re leaving!”

  Marcus lunged forward, snatching the treasure chest jand ran toward the hidden passage's exit. He could feel the weight of the dungeon’s remnants pulling inward, as if trying to erase any trace of what had transpired.

  With the chest under his arm, he turned and sprinted after his team.

  The ground buckled beneath them, chunks of stone crashing down from above as they navigated the collapsing tunnels.

  Light—an exit!

  The group burst through the cave’s mouth, diving onto solid ground just as the entire entrance crumbled behind them.

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  A massive plume of dust shot outward, settling as the cave was completely sealed.

  For a long moment, no one spoke.

  Then Arixa, lying flat on her back, let out a loud exhale.

  “Well. That was fun.”

  Marcus rolled onto his side, chest still in his grip. “Next time, we check if the loot is cursed before grabbing it.”

  Thalron coughed, shaking dust from his coat. “Noted.”

  Vira groaned. “If that’s the price of 5000 gold, I’m never spending a single coin of it.”

  A beat passed—then the group laughed, exhaustion and adrenaline colliding in one final wave.

  They’d won.

  And now, it was time to see what they had won.

  The chest sat between them, a faint magical hum emanating from within.

  Marcus reached forward, lifting the lid.

  Inside, four distinct items rested, each one glowing faintly—as if they were waiting for their wielders.

  Arixa, never one to hesitate, reached in first.

  Her hands closed around a warhammer unlike any she had ever wielded.

  It was lighter than her old one, but the moment she touched it, she felt something resonate within. The metal was lined with deep crimson veins, reminiscent of the Res Orc Seal’s corrupted Ki.

  She frowned, turning it over in her grip. “Feels… familiar.”

  Thalron reached in next, his hand brushing over what appeared to be a simple parchment.

  The moment his fingers touched it—

  The parchment dissolved, its essence seeping into him.

  His eyes widened. Mana rushed through him, expanding his reserves like a dam being opened.

  Vira raised a brow. “What just happened?”

  Thalron exhaled slowly. “That… was an enchantment. It just expanded my Mana reserves.”

  Marcus whistled. “That’s big. Spellblades don’t get deep reserves like casters do. That’s gonna change a lot for you.”

  Thalron smirked. “And I plan to make full use of it.”

  Vira’s hand hovered over the last two items before she felt herself drawn to one in particular.

  She reached down and lifted a staff, sleek and lined with ten glowing runes.

  Her mind raced with possibilities the moment she understood what it was.

  “A storage staff.”

  Arixa blinked. “A what now?”

  Vira’s grin grew. “It stores pre-formed spells. These runes? I can load them up with my strongest magic and unleash them whenever I need to.”

  Thalron’s eyes narrowed. “That’s dangerous.”

  Vira’s smirk was devilish. “I know.”

  Marcus was the last.

  He reached into the chest—

  And pulled out…

  A small object.

  The others leaned in.

  It was a...mouthguard.

  Silence.

  Arixa blinked. “Uh. What?”

  Marcus turned it over in his hand, recognizing it immediately.

  A high-grade mouthguard, enchanted with small durability runes.

  He grinned. “Oh, this is perfect.”

  Thalron looked confused. “How?”

  Marcus slid it into his bag of holding, stretching his jaw. “It’s for my teeth. Protects my head, absorbs impact, reinforces my jaw when I’m in a fight.”

  Arixa scratched her head. “...I’ve never seen a magic item like that.”

  Marcus laughed. “Yeah, I figured. It’s not exactly common in a world of swords and staves.”

  Vira tilted her head. “But you’re excited about it?”

  Marcus grinned. “Hell yeah. A boxer’s gotta protect his most important weapon,” Marcus said, tapping his Temple with an index finger.

  As they packed up, Thalron gave Marcus a long look.

  “You knew,” he said, crossing his arms. “You knew exactly what to do with the dungeon.”

  Arixa narrowed her eyes. “Yeah. I noticed that too.”

  Marcus and Vira exchanged a glance.

  Marcus sighed. “...It’s time you two knew.”

  And so, they explained Stem.

  Thalron and Arixa listened in stunned silence as Marcus and Vira laid it all out—from the mysterious system voice, to Stems appearance after the Acronian sea dungeon Delve, the way it analyzed the world, and the fact that it had been guiding Marcus.

  When they finished, Arixa exhaled sharply.

  “Well… shit.”

  Thalron’s analytical mind was already racing. “This changes… everything.”

  Marcus nodded. “That’s why we’ve kept it quiet.”

  Arixa cracked her knuckles. “Well, if he’s part of the team, then that’s that. Five of us, not four.”

  Thalron nodded. “We’ll keep it secret.”

  Marcus smiled. “Thanks.”

  They gathered proof of their quest completion, leaving out any trace of the Seal.

  Back at the Eryndral Guild post, the ornery Satyr sat at his table, looking bored out of his mind.

  Until they slammed their proof down in front of him.

  The Satyr blinked.

  Then stared.

  Then blinked again.

  “…You’re shitting me.”

  Marcus grinned. “We’re just that good.”