n

n

nBlaze had to take a minute to catch his breath,

"Damnit, Geth, what have you been feeding her?

"

nGeth couldn't help but chuckle this time, but he was also waiting for his friend's answer. He had known Blaze's wife since high school.

nThe two had kept in touch over the years. She invited him to a new years party after she'd gotten married.

nGeth and Blaze had hit it off instantly and became great friends over time. Game night became a regular thing for them for a while.

n

"Pebbles is doing well. She is looking after our nieces and nephews in a Dungeon south of here.

"

nZolis nodded. She knew her friend always prioritized the children.

n

"Is the rest of the family with her?

"

nBlaze seemed to hesitate a bit,

"Actually... We haven't found her youngest brother. The kid's parents died to Direwolves not long after we arrived.

"

nThe three were silent for a moment. The weight of young children losing their parents was unbearable.

nThe silence was broken by the sound of clanking and approaching footsteps.

nHarris and Farris were carrying a large crate between them. It sounded as if many items lay inside.

nThe other party members began to filter in, each carrying a crate or a handful of glowing objects. Geth noted Alise waving a long black sceptre in the air as if she were showing him.

nHe smiled and waved her over. She walked over proudly and stood on her toes to kiss his lips.

nBlaze raised one of his eyebrows up questioningly and glanced over to Zolis. She just laughed at the man as she laced her fingers into one of the younger woman's hands.

nBoth of Blaze's eyebrows shot up at that gesture. For once, he seemed at a loss for words.

nA loud thumping sound distracted all of them. It was as if a giant were approaching.

nThe group turned to see Swole sauntering forward from between the gravestones. He carried a massive block of metal on his back, and it seemed like he was struggling.

nThe moment he spotted Geth, he dropped the thing to the ground, causing the earth to shake. Geth just looked at the man incredulously.

nHe walked up to his friend and handed him one of the green Stamina potions he had made.

n

"You know... you could have just asked me to look instead of bringing that all the way here, right?

" He asked the out-of-breath man.

nSwole looked at him and opened his mouth to say something. No words came out, and he just smacked himself in the forehead.

nThe short man accepted the potion and gulped it down. His flustered appearance was instantly replaced by a calm but energetic aura.

nGeth laughed at his friend and then moved to inspect the slab of metal.

n:Manatite; Grade 3

nCan be used to craft weapons or equipment. A novice is guaranteed to achieve Uncommon equipment.

nA competent Craftsman can create Rare equipment. An expert Craftsman can possibly produce Epic grade equipment:

n

"This is a nice find! Good job, Swole, Filthy.

" He nodded towards the two men. Both seemed to be proud of themselves.

nHe wondered how much the thing weighed. It would take up a lot of space in a storage pouch.

nGeth walked back to inspect the staff that Alise had found. Hopefully, it would be suitable to replace his broken one.

n:Staff of the Night King (Epic);

nThis staff was crafted for the sole purpose of bringing light to the dark. Initially, it was pure and could freely cast light on its surroundings.

nThe Night King stole it from an Oracle during his push for power. The Night King slaughtered many innocents, and their souls tainted the purity staff.

nGives user 45 Intelligence, 30 Wisdom

nSockets Available (3):

n

"Well... that certainly solves that issue. I can avoid wasting the Dungeon clear on items now,

" Geth stated. He really wanted to gain as many SP and TP as possible.

nHe ripped the Boss Core from his old broken staff. The staff disintegrated as soon as the core was removed.

nIt was as if the power from the core was holding it together. Geth frowned a bit.

nThat staff had carried him this far. It would have been nice to keep it as a souvenir.

nHe inserted the Boss Core into one of the available sockets on his new staff. The small amount of HP and MP that he had lost was restored.

nThe rest of the loot was all piled into the party's center. There was the massive crate the two brothers carried.

nOn top of its lid sat multiple pieces of jewelry and smaller armor pieces. Aside from that, armor, weapons, cores, and gems lined the ground.

n

"Well, guys, it looks like a Tier 3 Dungeon is much more lucrative than what we've been through thus far. Let's splurge a bit, and each gets two pieces from this haul.

"

nEveryone's faces lit up upon hearing that. They felt that they were being rewarded for a job well done.

nHe shook his head at the expected reaction. It was something that Geth decided when he first saw the chest.

n'It isn't that I'm rewarding them. I would just feel more comfortable if everyone's capabilities increase before we split the party.'

nAlbus spoke privately to him, 'Even if that's the case, you are increasing their loyalty to you further. Most of them would already die for you just like they would their families.'

n*Sigh*

n

"All right then. Let's check everyone's placement and line up how we usually do. Blaze, jump in the back of the line. There is plenty to go around for now.

"

nBlaze squinted his eyes. He already knew what Geth was up to.

nStill, he didn't complain. He wanted to increase his own power as well.

nThe group lined up. This time, Geth managed to take the highest rank, so he was the first to approach the pile of treasure before them.

n

"Wow, it's going to take some time to sort through all of this.

"

n