Chapter 81: The Rewards And Leaving The Dungeon

Chapter 81: Chapter 81: The Rewards And Leaving The Dungeon

"Why?" Derrick’s voice was barely a whisper, strained under the crushing weight of his realization.

Lucia didn’t look at him.

She merely stared past his shoulder, her crimson eyes reflecting an eternity of emptiness.

"It doesn’t matter anymore," she replied softly, the harsh irritation fading from her voice, replaced by a deep, hollow exhaustion.

Before Derrick could even blink, a flick of her wrist sliced the air.

A razor-sharp crescent of condensed blood lashed out with blinding speed.

It was so fast that even if Derrick had focused all of his attention on her, he might not have been able to dodge the blade.

The blood projection struck the back of the hand that hovered directly over the open box.

Clang!

Urgh. The sudden, sharp impact forced his fingers open.

The heavy dagger slipped from his grip, tumbling downward and went straight into the black, pulsing organ inside the box.

The blade sank deep into the heart.

For a fraction of a second, time seemed to freeze.

Woosh!

Then, a blinding shockwave of crimson light erupted from the puncture wound.

Red veins in the shape of a burning web of liquid flames spread rapidly across the surface of the black heart.

Lucia’s heart pulsed violently as it gave one last earth shaking THUMP! Before falling into complete silence.

Across from him, Lucia gasped as her little body arched backwards.

Identical red, vein-like patterns surged across her pale, childish skin, spreading up her neck and flashing beneath her cheeks.

The curse that had bound her for centuries was finally unraveling.

As the glowing lines consumed her, the chilling indifference vanished from her face.

For the first time since he had met her, a genuine, serene smile touched her lips.

It was warm, beautiful, and utterly peaceful.

For a moment, Derrick forgot all the complicated emotions that were swirling inside of him.

"Many humans came before you, boy," she whispered, her voice growing lighter as her form began to softly shimmer and dissolve into golden motes of dust. "I waited all this time... just to die at the hands of someone like you."

Her crimson eyes met his one last time.

"Someone who had the potential to truly rival me... even if you didn’t have the power to just yet."

With a final, gentle sigh, Lucia shattered entirely, drifting away into the stale air of the chamber like ash in the wind, leaving Derrick standing alone in the silence.

As the last traces of golden dust faded into the empty air, a familiar, glowing blue notification pane snapped into existence right before Derrick’s eyes.

[System Notification: Dungeon Cleared!]

Monsters Defeated: 100/100

Boss Defeated: Vampire Lord, Lucia Graham

Rewards Issued:

Dungeon Exit Key

Mystery Box

Fragment of Tier 1 Alchemy Knowledge (1/3)

50 PEDs (Bonus Bounty for Vampire Lord)

Total PED Balance: 310 pills

Derrick stared at the floating screen.

A total of 310 pills and a mountain of rewards. He never expected to gain so much from his visit to the dungeon.

Those pills alone were enough for him to push through the middle stage and reach the peak of the Physical Enhancement Realm.

It was a good thing.

Something he should be happy about.

And yet...

The victory felt hollow.

He wasn’t happy, not even close.

He could still hear Lucia’s words and still see her smile at the end.

Did she force my hand thinking I won’t feel guilty if I would justify it by thinking she made me do it and it was an accident?

Even though the woman was manipulating him from the start, he did not feel good about killing her.

Even if that might be true, I kind of liked her. Why was that?

I should check the rewards before going back.

Silently, he reached out and tapped the inventory to check his new acquisitions.

First, he inspected the Fragment of Tier 1 Alchemy Knowledge.

[Fragment of Tier 1 Alchemy Knowledge.]

[Description: Once you collect all the fragment and claim the knowledge, every basics and advanced knowledge and experience of the Tier will be drilled into your body and mind.]

A brief holographic window popped up, indicating that he needed to collect 3 fragments in total before the full recipe database and knowledge would unlock in his mind.

Next, he tapped on the Mystery Box.

With a soft shimmer, the digital box spun dramatically like it was a prop item from some gacha game.

Once it stopped spinning, the lid popped open, and a small, stoppered glass vial materialized in his palm.

Inside sloshed a completely crystal-clear, glowing white liquid that seemed to refract light like a diamond.

Derrick brought the vial closer, squinting as he read the system description hovering above it.

[Item: The Fluids Of Lady Yama.]

[One Of The Three Items Of The Eternal Binding Ritual]

He quickly skipped through the description of the product writing below the name.

A genuine, rare smile broke across Derrick’s face.

The heavy knot in his chest loosened just a fraction.

"System," Derrick murmured quietly in his mind, "how do I use this thing?"

[Host must apply the liquid directly onto an item, weapon, or physical relic that once belonged to the targeted individual. ]

I wonder how you will like the gift, the next time we meet.

Derrick nodded slowly, slipping the vial safely into his pocket alongside the fragment and a certain chest still holding a lifeless heart.

He closed all the system windows with a flick of his wrist and walked over to the towering iron gates at the edge of the chamber.

He pulled the heavy doors shut with a dull, echoing thud, sealing away the tomb of the vampire lord.

Then he took out the first reward.

It was a small, ornate Dungeon Exit Key.

He approached the massive keyhole carved into the center of the gate.

Despite the colossal size of the doors, the tiny key slid seamlessly into the mechanism.

Clcik!

With a firm twist, the lock clicked.

Whoosh—!

The chamber dissolved instantly.

The stale smell of ancient stone and blood vanished, replaced by the familiar scent of tile and moisture.

Before he could even catch his breath, the world shifted back into place, and Derrick found himself standing right back in his own quiet bathroom, staring at his haggard reflection in the mirror.