(16) Victory

He struck three more times and watched the massive creature collapse into a pile of goop. Quickly, he canceled his Skill, the mud splattered to the ground, along with a very large core and a glowing rectangle.

The chill from his Mana quickly invaded his mind as his recovery speed showed its magic. The bleeding slowed and his health stopped dropping.

Geth didn't have time for excitement yet, there were still two Level 5 Slimes which had already produced another six Level 1's. He kept his distance, allowing his recovery to close his wounds before taking an offensive.

Less than three minutes later, the last Slime collapsed to the ground, and he dropped to his knees.

"Congratulations User, for clearing a Team Dungeon. Please select a reward."

"Congratulations User, for being the first to clear a Dungeon. Please select a reward."

"Congratulations User, for completing a Team Dungeon solo. Please select a reward."

"Congratulations User, for being the first clear a Team Dungeon solo. Please select a reward."

"Congratulations User, on being the first to kill a Boss-type monster. Please select a reward."

Five prompts quickly entered his mind from the mechanical voice he'd heard when Albus had first appeared.

"Ha... Haha... Hahahaha," Geth started laughing like a madman as he fell onto his back, waiting for his recovery to help him move again. The very slight movement was enough to rip his scabs back open and cause bleeding.

'Albus, how you doing buddy?' He asked as the Grimoire floated before him.

:I can honestly say that I'm doing much better than you:

Geth just chuckled at his response.

:Would you like to choose your rewards now?:

'No, I'm going to rest a bit and collect our loot. We managed to get quite a few Level 5 cores between this room and the last, plus the massive core and card from the Boss.' He glanced over at the entrance he'd walked in. The clear barrier was still blocking the path. 'Plus, I don't think we're finished, the barrier hasn't dissipated.'

Albus didn't respond but started hovering around a bit, scanning for signs of danger. He'd gained quite a bit more freedom since Geth had hit Level 15, being able to move about 8 feet from him now.

After what felt like laying around for a half-hour or so, Geth finally felt that he could move again without hurting himself. All of the wounds had completely closed, leaving behind angry red scars in their place.

'Zolis is going to end up killing me if nothing else does.' He just shook his head. Before collecting the loot, he made his way over to the pond and drank deeply. This was the first time he'd managed to quench his thirst since waking.

After drinking heavily and pissing off in a corner of the cave, he made his way to where the Boss had collapsed.

The goop that was once piled high, had mostly evaporated into the air. Puddles were left behind here and there that were disappearing quickly. In the middle of where the Lord had crashed were his five spikes and three other items. The core was the most outstanding, it shined dully like a weakly enchanted weapon in a game and he could clearly see Runes etched onto its surface.

The other two items were a Skill card and a small wooden chest, no bigger than a briefcase. He decided to open the chest first, inside were a strange five-sided crystal, a pair of boots, and a pair of pants.

He inspected the boots first. They looked like they had been made from bearskin. They were a rough brown on the exterior, and extremely soft on the interior, with fur along the top section. The soles on the bottom were like the padding on an animal's paw. It made him think that someone tried to make a pair of Uggs with something they'd killed. They were also giving off a very faint green glow.

:Enchanted Hide Boots (Uncommon); Gives wearer +5 Defense, +5 Agility. 'These boots were crudely crafted from a Mana creature's hide.':

'These would be nice for Zolis.' He thought. His Defense was high enough he might as well have been wearing steel-toed boots. He had also noticed that after punching the rock Slimes, she had small cuts and bruises on her knuckles and fingers. 'Maybe this Defense can harden her skin enough to not hurt herself in a fight.'

The next item he inspected was the pants. They were made from some type of black leather, and the interior was lined with a very soft black fur. There was a dull blue glow surrounding them, definitely more noticeable than the faint green on the boots.

:Enchanted Leather Pants (Rare); Gives wearer +10 Defense, +5 Agility, +5 Strength. 'These pants were well crafted from the skin of a Mana creature.'

"Now this is exactly what I need." He said out loud, looking down at his naked state. That burlap skirt hadn't lasted long through the Slime's absorption. "It's a shame that they are way too small."

:All magic items adjust to fit the wearer: Albus moved in front of his face to force him to read.

He stayed silent for a moment, thinking about what kind of creature could have designed the world to be so much like a game.

He shrugged. He moved to the last item in the small chest. He grabbed the crystal, and as soon as he touched it he could feel a wave of Mana rush out that resonated with the Mana in the cave.

:Dungeon Crystal (Lvl 0); Congratulations on clearing and claiming ownership of this Dungeon. Crystal holder controls the barrier of the Dungeon, which can be placed anywhere within the premises. Holder controls the entrance of the Dungeon, which can be re-sized and sealed at their command. Holder can create a Guardian for the dungeon by placing the creature core inside of the Dungeon Crystal.

Note; Guardian can not leave Dungeon: