[Chapter 43. More than deserved]
The Elemental Dire Wolf snarled as the healing drone began its work on Searanox's back, its crystalline eyes fixed on him with burning hatred. The massive beast's body trembled violently as it tried to push itself off the frozen floor, its front legs completely immobile. After several failed attempts, it gathered its remaining strength into its powerful hind legs and launched itself upward, crashing against the edge of the plateau before falling back into the bone pit with a pained whimper. The impact sent a shower of ice fragments flying upward, some landing near Searanox's feet as he leaned against the cold stone wall.
It didn't try again, simply lying there as its fog slowly filled the pit once more, a thick mist obscuring the scene below. The mist crept upward like a living thing, tendrils of cold air reaching toward the plateau, making the air so frigid that Searanox could see his breath crystallize in front of his face. Despite the healing drone's efforts, his body remained sore, the deep wounds not completely healed despite the pale green light knitting flesh together with visible progress.
Five minutes later, Searanox dismissed the healing drone, allowing his tech-points to recover more fully. His body was patched up but still sore, the deep wounds not completely healed despite the drone's efforts. Time was ticking away, and he needed to finish this before the beast found another way to reach him or recovered enough strength for another desperate attack.
With a thought, he pulled his rifle out of the storage ring. The familiar weight of the weapon in his hands brought a small measure of comfort. On his way toward the edge of the plateau, he summoned four offensive drones, their mechanical forms materializing in silent blue sparks around him as he prepared for what he hoped would be the final confrontation.
Searanox peered over the edge of the plateau, his gaze cutting through the thickening fog that enveloped the bone pit below, the cold air searing his lungs with each breath. The massive Elemental Dire Wolf's form was partially obscured by the swirling mist, but its location was unmistakable, crystalline eyes gleaming even as its body lay broken on the frozen ground, defiance still burning in their depths despite the grievous wounds that marred its silver-white fur.
The chilling silence was broken only by the faint, ragged breathing of the beast and the occasional crack of ice shifting somewhere in the depths below.
He positioned himself carefully, boots scraping against the frost-covered stone as he pressed the stock of his Magitech Rifle MKII firmly against his shoulder, the familiar weight a cold comfort against his bruised body. Around him, four offensive drones flew over, their violet light casting eerie shadows against the frost-covered stone as they took their positions, their mechanical bodies humming with contained power.
With a thought, he used overcharge on all of them, the air crackling with building energy as violet light intensified along his rifle barrel as well, the weapon growing warm in his hands as power surged through its systems.
The violet glow intensified, reaching an almost blinding brilliance as Searanox's rifle and drones approached the peak of their overcharged state, the air crackling with raw energy that made the hairs on his arms stand on end. Below, the Elemental Dire Wolf stirred, its crystalline eyes burning with a final act of defiance as it lifted its head weakly from the frozen ground. The fog in the bone pit swirled inward, gathering around the wounded beast like a shroud, the cold mist thickening with every ragged breath it took.
The moment Searanox saw the shifting mist coalescing around the wolf's maw, he threw himself backward, his body hitting the frost-covered stone just as a torrent of ice erupted from below. The blast shattered his four offensive drones in an instant, their violet lights extinguishing in a shower of blue sparks that rained down upon the frozen landscape. The cold was so intense that it seeped through his clothes, making his teeth chatter as he lay there, panting.
"Are you FUCKING kidding me!?" he growled, his voice rough with frustration, each word ragged as he pushed himself up with trembling arms. "Now I have to wait another ten minutes just to regenerate enough tech-points." His knuckles were white where he gripped the rifle, the metal cold against his skin as he fought the urge to hurl it into the pit.
Twenty minutes crawled by in agonizing slowness, the only sounds his own ragged breathing and the faint whimper of the wounded beast below, a reminder that the fight was not yet over. Searanox waited, letting his tech-points regenerate to more than twice what it had been before, his gaze never leaving the shimmering fog that concealed his adversary. Afterwards, he pushed himself back into position, his muscles protesting with every movement. He summoned his drones again and prepped the entire setup once more, this time without interruption, the violet glow returning with renewed intensity.
All five beams fused into one, a single column of concentrated violet energy that was even more violent than before, the air vibrating with power as it tore through the mist. For a brief moment, the entire chamber was bathed in blinding light, the only sound a soft, humming buzz as the energy traversed the short distance to its target. There was no explosion, just an intense, blinding flash and a deep, vibrating tremor that shook the very foundation of the cavern, the force of it making his bones ache. A shockwave followed, making his ears ring and sending ice crystals cascading from the ceiling like a sudden, frozen rain.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
As the brilliant violet light faded and his vision gradually cleared from the blinding flash, he stared down in disbelief, the raw power of the attack still echoing in his bones. There was a perfect, cauterized hole straight through the Elemental Dire Wolf, the overcharged beam having passed through its massive body without stopping, continuing to burn a small crater into the frozen bone pit below. The massive beast lay motionless, its crystalline eyes now dull and lifeless, the defiant spark extinguished by the concentrated energy that had torn through its very being. The scent of burned fur filled the frigid air, mixing with the metallic tang of blood that had frozen into grotesque sculptures around the corpse.
Searanox found himself staring at the aftermath of the beam, a clean hole burned through the massive beast and into the frozen ground beneath it. As he processed the sight, a cascade of system windows flooded his vision, overlapping each other in a dizzying display that made his head spin. Creating a chaotic mosaic that obstructed his view of the cavern below. He took a deep breath before letting it out in a slow sigh, the cold air burning his lungs as he slumped against the rock wall behind him, not even attempting to read through the notifications.
"System," he muttered, his voice rough and ragged from the exertion and cold, "could you maybe, just possibly trim that down… by a lot. There are seven windows here." He ran a gloved hand through his sweat-dampened hair, the material stiff with frost, before adding, "And maybe prioritize the important ones next time."
The windows vanished simultaneously, replaced by a single notification window that hung before him.
"That's indeed a trimmed-down version," he said while checking the notification, his voice raspy from the frigid air. "Alright, level 18, slowly getting somewhere." The words were barely a whisper, lost in the vast emptiness of the frozen cavern. The sudden surge of power from the level-up was already coursing through him, a warm current pushing back against the bone-deep cold that had settled in his limbs.
Slowly, he climbed down into the bone pit, carefully lowering himself so he wouldn't slip on the treacherous ice that coated the floor. The frozen fragments beneath his boots crunched with each careful step, the sound echoing unnaturally in the silence. After searching around the dead beast—its crystalline eyes now dull and lifeless—and finding no chest, he summoned a travel drone, its blue light briefly illuminating the carnage around him. He flew toward the end chamber, the drone's passage a smooth glide through the icy tunnels, a stark contrast to the brutal battle that had just taken place.
There, he finally found it—a dark wooden chest with silver inlays that seemed to absorb the faint light of the chamber.
"Of course, it's all the way back there," he grumbled to himself as the drone carried him through the tunnels, the words barely
The lid groaned open, its protest echoing in the small space, revealing four items nestled within on a bed of dark velvet that seemed to drink the surrounding light. The first was immediately familiar: another eight-sided Lodestone, its multifaceted surface catching the minimal light and reflecting it in a dazzling array of tiny rainbows. Beside it lay a simple coin pouch, its leather worn smooth with age. Next to the pouch was what appeared to be a long, tailored coat, its material a strange hybrid of matte black fabric and interlocking metallic plates that matched the aesthetic of his gauntlet. The inner lining shimmered with the same faint blue energy that pulsed along the seams of his gauntlet. Finally, nestled in the corner, were three E-Grade Skillstones, their surfaces smooth and cool to the touch.
He reached into the chest, his fingers closing around the Lodestone. The cool, smooth surface was a stark contrast to the lingering chill in his bones. A brief mental command sent it vanishing into his storage ring, disappearing with a faint shimmer. The coin pouch followed, its weight a familiar comfort in his palm before disappearing with the same thought. As he picked up the coat, recognition hit him, it was unmistakably part of the Experimental Magitech Version VII set. The interlocking plates matched his gauntlet exactly, pulsing with the same faint blue energy along the seams. Instead of storing it away, he slung it over his shoulder, the metallic plates cool against his back, the weight of it a tangible reminder of his growing power. Finally, he scooped up the three E-Grade Skillstones, their surfaces smooth and cool against his skin, before sending them to join the other items.
"Wait, three… does it count the gun as part of the set?" The question hung in his mind for a fleeting moment, as he processed the implications.
He clenched his jaw, the frustration building like a dam about to burst. "What do you mean by doubled!? I can't even manage four!" His voice echoed off the frozen walls, the sound raw with disbelief and anger that had been simmering beneath the surface since the battle's end.
