After the abomination’s head exploded, Arthur bent over with his hands on his knees in exhaustion. His stamina was less than half full, but he’d felt like it was empty. His arms were ablaze, as though he’d just finished a work-out. He wondered if all work-outs felt like life or death battles, as this was his first time for both. When he looked up, he was met with the screen that had appeared after the death of the boss monster.

  

  Congratulations!

  You have slain

  [Sharktopus Horror]

  This marks the end of the current instance

  Calcuating rewards…

  Congratulations!

  You are the first to clear this dungeon

  Rewards will be adjusted according to your accomplishment

  Adjusting rewards…

  Rewards successfully acclimatized!

  Level Up x5

  You’ve reached level [32]

  Your stats will be allocated appropriately for your class

  You have [8] levels until you are allowed to allocate your free points

  You have [72] free points

  With a wave, he dismissed the screens. While he wanted to check out his new stats, he knew that would have to come later. After he caught his breath, he looked up to see something that looked like a diver’s umbilical at the end of the room. It was right where the boss monster had stood before the battle, and it swayed upward like seaweed. The end of it was faded away as if it was a ghost, and Arthur knew that if he grabbed it, he would finally be free.

  He was distracted from his thoughts as the body of the abomination began to hiss, dissolving into the glass floor like melting ice cream. He looked at Mira, who met his gaze. From that look alone, he could tell that she had no idea what was happening either. It was equally clear that they could do nothing but wait, as the source of their labor disappeared as though it never existed. There was a deafening silence, broken only by the continuous hissing as Mira and Arthur prepared for anything to happen next. What actually did happen next, however, was something they perhaps should have expected.

  Right in the middle of the space where the sharktopus had fallen, a grand chest appeared. It was golden and intricate, with gems inlaid throughout its shining exterior. It looked like it was worth more in money than Arthur, Mira, everything in or near the room, and then some. It had a simple screen above it.

  

  First-Clear Predominant Chest of Apotheosis

  Capacity: 2

  Arthur stared for a moment, then went to look at Mira again. She’d already began making her way to it, prompting Arthur to quickly catch up. On their way towards it, she picked up her ruined harpoon. It was bent beyond recognition, and rendered utterly useless. With an unimpressed huff, she tossed it aside like garbage. When they arrived in front of the chest, the dungeon messages appeared once more.

  

  one open per user, cannot be shared

  use then leave, do not tarry

  Their mysterious benefactor had not even congratulated them on their victory. The juvenile thought quickly left Arthur’s mind, however, as he refocused on the gigantic chest in front of him. It was unlike anything he’d ever seen, looking like something truly from outside of this world. Its beauty was inexplicable and was even larger up close than it had looked from afar. Arthur and Mira stared down at it, mystified by its ethereal majesty. It was easily the size of an industrial crate, and let off a soft aura of white and gold. With a final look at each other, Arthur and Mira each gripped a side of the oversized chest, and with a mighty shove, cracked it open.

  

  Used: First-Clear Predominant Chest of Apotheosis

  Capacity: 2 ? 1

  Rewards received!

  

  [Mira Seigan]:

  x3 [Skill Bolus]

  1.5M Credits

  x2 New Feat

  x1 [Free Point Allocation Bolus]

  x1 Equipment Chest

  x1 Accessory Chest

  x1 [Skillweave of the Ideal Paragon]

  x1 [Mark of Sovereignty]

  x1 [Mercy’s Kiss]

  

  Used: First-Clear Predominant Chest of Apotheosis

  Capacity: 1 ? 0

  Rewards received!

  

  [Arthur Lindow]:

  x2 [Skill Bolus]

  1.5M Credits

  x2 New Feat

  x1 [Free Point Allocation Bolus]

  x1 Equipment Chest

  x1 Accessory Chest

  x1 [Wooden Bulwark]

  x1 [Soul Bind]

  x1 [Aged Blade]

  Arthur was immediately inundated with screens as the chest creaked open. Despite its beauty, it’d sounded in desperate need of oil, giving off classic sounds of opening treasure. Arthur gawked at the screens, attempting to take in as much as he could. He and Mira both gained some of the same rewards, being two Feats, 1.5 million credits, Skill Boluses and a Free Point Bolus. They’d both also gained an Equipment Chest and an Accessory Chest, and he tried not to think of the silliness of gaining a chest from a chest.

  “This is… incredible…”

  Aside from them getting a different amount of Skill Boluses, the personalized rewards started after the Accessory chest. Mira’s rewards looked a lot fancier than his, which he didn’t mind. He was about to ask Mira about her rewards when another screen superimposed itself on top of the one they were currently looking at.

  

  leave now, look at loot later

  It was the mysterious helper, telling them to leave immediately. Arthur didn’t know why the sender wanted them to leave, but was disinclined to argue.

  “I don’t know why they want us to leave so badly, but I’m eager to leave myself. What about you?” Arthur said. Mira sighed, looking behind her at the door to the boss’ room. Her expression was stormy, but subdued. “Let’s go. We’ll go through our loot when we’re outside.” With that, they moved to the dungeon’s exit, the reward screens minimizing to the corner of their sight. Just before they took hold of the diver’s umbilical, Arthur looked back one last time. This was, without a doubt, the most harrowing experience of his life. He’d faced death more than once, and overcome it. He experienced intense feelings he’d never felt before, including teeth-chattering fear and world-shaking determination. He found things inside himself he never thought he would or could. He felt like a completely different person from the one who’d walked into an aquarium only 3 days previously and knew that he was. In this place, he’d gained power and the ability to shape the world. His own class illustrated that he would be unique, but he held out hope that maybe it wouldn’t be entirely so. He didn’t think his class description was wrong, but hoped that there would be others with unique circumstances like himself.

  He would not use his abilities to change the world. He wouldn’t use them to do anything grandiose, either. He didn’t see himself as a superhero, but understood that he now held a responsibility. If his powers were as potent as Mira seemed to believe they were, then he had no choice but to help defend as many people as he could. He only hoped that he could be anonymous in doing it.

  Mira gripped the diver umbilical, and with a flash of light, disappeared from the dungeon. He was about to follow her example, but he stopped. Looking behind him, there was something on the floor that hadn’t disappeared yet; Puffy’s bones. He wondered why they hadn’t disappeared like all the other abominations, but didn’t question it as he made his way to them. Picking up a shard, he opened his hand and studied it sadly. It was jagged and cracked, looking as if it could crumble any moment. With a sigh, he walked with it back to the dungeon’s exit. Arthur’s last thoughts inside of the dungeon were those of the people he’d failed. His second family, his friends, and the man and his child whom he’d met only once. Pushing the bone fragment into his Vault, he silently mourned them one last time. Then, gripping the umbilical with his other hand, he disappeared, finally free of the nightmare that’d shaped him.

  After the two humans reappeared outside of the ruined aquarium, they looked about curiously. It was an utter wasteland, with destruction rampant in all directions as far as either of them could see. There were furrows torn in the landscape at random intervals, and there wasn’t a single soul in sight. Many, if not most, buildings were completely or partly demolished. Abandoned cars littered the cracked streets, and random articles of trash were strewn about as if dropped in a rush. There was smoke in the distance, and the sun was setting on the very picture of desolation. Arthur and Mira had both known that something must’ve happened while they were inside, but even so, the view was shocking.

  “Everything is… gone.” She said, almost whispering. Arthur’s mind raced. “What could’ve happened? There’s so much destruction, and in only 3 days…” He said, unsure of who he was asking. The surrounding vista looked like it’d been abandoned for much longer than three days, but that couldn’t have been possible. Belatedly, Arthur remembered his rewards from the dungeon, and nudged Mira.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  “I think we should quickly go through our rewards, then get a move on to find our friends and families.” Mira, after looking at the horizon for a second longer, nodded. With that, Arthur brought up his rewards screen again.

  

  Rewards received!

  [Arthur Lindow]:

  x2 [Skill Bolus]

  1.5M Credits

  x2 New Feat

  x1 [Free Point Allocation Bolus]

  x1 Equipment Chest

  x1 Accessory Chest

  x1 [Wooden Bulwark]

  x1 [Soul Bind]

  x1 [Aged Blade]

  The laundry list of rewards was nearly overwhelming, but in a good way. He didn’t know what some things on the list were, but knew what some would be. For example, the Wooden Bulwark would almost certainly be a shield. The Equipment and Accessory Chests were self explanatory, and so were the Feats. The Aged Blade was likely a weapon, but his confident guesses ended there. The Skill Bolus had something to do with skills, obviously, but could mean anything. The same was true for the Allocation Bolus. He had no idea what credits were, but assumed he’d find out eventually. He was equally unsure of what a Soul Bind was. He decided to start with the Feats, and focused on them.

  

  New Feats!

  You’re the first on your planet to complete a dungeon. [40% boost to any stat of your choice]

  You’re the first on your planet to complete the Undersea Redoubt dungeon. [+25 all stats]

  The new Feats he’d gained were potent, but that was to be expected from first-clear rewards. He made a mental note to assign the percentage boost later, then moved on to the Boluses.

  

  [Skill Bolus]: Unlock one skill choice. One time use.

  [Free Point Allocation Bolus]: Allows the user to allocate their free points at any level. One time use.

  These were simple, but efficacious. They would unlock a skill, and the other would allow him to allocate his points without having to wait yet another 8 levels. He was thankful, as he never got the chance to do so previously. Next, he moved on to the Wooden Bulwark. As soon as he focused on it, a large, round shield dropped into his hands.

  

  [Wooden Bulwark] (Rare): A large, wooden shield. Its heft is cumbersome, but its robustness is reliable. Susceptible to fire damage.

  - [Defensive Stance]: Grants enhanced damage reduction from the front.

  - [Barkskin]: Enhanced damage reduction while in contact with [Wooden Bulwark].

  Arthur silently rejoiced as he looked the shield over, turning it about in his hands. Even without his arm in the straps yet, he already felt sturdier than before. He smiled despite himself, oddly finding himself missing his trusty trash-can lid. With a sigh, he strapped his new shield onto his arm. There was a handle he could grab onto for when he needed to use it, and the straps held to his arm firmly, yet comfortably. He felt he could wave his arm as hard as he could and they wouldn’t even loosen. As he reveled in his new item, he saw something fall into Mira’s hands as well. Arthur looked at it, and a screen popped up above it.

  

  [Skillweave of the Ideal Paragon](Exceptional): Competence is rare in the Macrocosm. As a human, this is doubly true, as humans are the most fumbling species there is. Occasionally, however, there rises a diamond in the rough on par with the greatest of geniuses. Competence is its own reward, but this robe will be another.

  Requirements: Human, at least 1 [Prodigy] type Title.

  Charm Capacity: Medium

  

  - [Skillweave]: Grants +50 DEX. Grants +15% DEX.

  - [Excel]: Boost all stats by 20% for a limited time. Backlash proportional to uptime.

  - [Paragon’s Presence]: All party members gain enhanced DEX equal to 10% of your own.

  Arthur gawked at the impressive piece of equipment. It was white with silver embellishments, but as soon as Arthur was regretful that he couldn’t see much more of it, Mira equipped it through her Identity Screen. Immediately, her aquarium staff clothes were replaced with the airy white robe. It was simple and yet elegant, capping off her beauty and adding to her poise. It looked like a medieval tunic combined with a flowing and long open side dress, along with half-length leggings under them all. Arthur was shocked to see that she could equip things like that, and wondered if he should’ve done the same with his shield. While he was thinking about that, however, Mira’s second item appeared in her hands.

  

  [Mark of Sovereignty](Legendary): Power. Authority. Dominance. This is your creed as you bend the very heavens to your will. Strength is all that matters to you, and command is only a natural privilege of the strong. A grand smith of the Macrocosm put their entire soul into this item, only able to make one due to its might overwhelming its own parent. Conquer all under your sight and compound your power to conquer even further.

  Requirements: N/A

  Charm Capacity: N/A

  

  - [Grip of the Monarch]: Grants +100 STR. Grants +20% STR.

  - [Ethereal Crown]: Grants the [Charisma] Miscellaneous skill. Grants enhanced growth rate and potency for the [Charisma] skill.

  - [Multi-Talented]: Allows for a stat of your choice to scale to an enhanced degree. Does not stack with Trade-Off.

  The item that fell into Mira’s hands was simply an orb. It fit into Mira’s palm, and looked to be made of pure gold. As she held it, it spread over her hand. Before long, it was smoothly sliding up Mira’s arm like golden water. When it was done, Mira had a dull gold arm that almost looked like a prosthetic. The fingers of the gauntlet were pointed like nails, with its body ending at her shoulder. The golden flood that had come from the gauntlet had torn and devoured the sleeve of the robe, and Arthur hoped that it wouldn’t impede its effects. Either unaffected or uncaring, however, Mira studied her new arm with a frigid gaze. She nodded with satisfaction, and Arthur looked on with impressed eyes.

  “Wow… those items are unbelievable…” He said in awe. Mira looked his way, seeming to only now notice his gaze. “Maybe, but items are just that. I might outgrow them eventually or even break them. Your abilities are just as powerful as these items. They’re just as, if not more, unique. And most importantly, unlike these items, they truly belong to you.” Mira shook her head. “Which reminds me, when we go our separate ways, don’t go blabbing about what you can do. Skills like yours will make you a target, for the simple reason that you can turn the most incompetent lug into a powerhouse.” Arthur smiled warmly. “Thanks, but I don’t plan on telling anyone about anything I’m capable of. I know that eventually some things will get out, but that’ll be inevitable. The only way to avoid that would be to not help anyone at all, and that’s not an option for me.” Mira nodded, as if expecting the last thing he said. During their short talk, Arthur had gotten the Soul Bind. It looked like a small flask of purple liquid, and when he studied it closer, a screen popped up above it.

  

  [Soul Bind]: Bind a soul to yours as a Familiar. Must be consensual.

  Arthur rubbed his face in confused thought. The description was bare bones and left many questions in his mind. Could he use this item on anyone? If he found a random lizard, could he perhaps put this on them to make it a familiar? It had to be consensual, so would something without sentience even be able to agree? Could he even use it on Mira? The last question was something that he wouldn’t even consider, but it might not work that way anyhow. Either way, he had no idea how it worked, so he placed it in his Vault for now. While he’d been looking at his Soul Bind, however, Mira had received her final item.

  

  [Mercy’s Kiss](Sealed): [Mercy’s Kiss] is a sealed weapon. Binding is required to view characteristics.

  WARNING: BINDING PROCESS OF [Mercy’s Kiss] HAS BEEN DEEMED DANGEROUS. DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK.

  It was a long shaft that was covered in cloth, like a haphazardly rolled-up sheet. The cloth was plain and black, yet looked almost silky. Arthur stared at it along with Mira, before speaking.

  “Dangerous to bind? Why would it be dangerous?” Arthur wondered aloud. Mira’s eyes didn’t leave it for a second, her frozen caramel gaze looking as though she could see right through it. “It’s dangerous because it could damage my soul… permanently.” She mumbled. “I can… feel it.” Arthur looked hesitantly at the cloth covered article. Silky looking darkness sliding down slightly, showing part of a stunning silver blade tip.

  “Do you know how or why it might do that?” Arthur asked, staring at the silver peeking out from the inkiness. “I don’t know. I think… if I’m too weak? I don’t know by what metric it would judge that, but…” She trailed off. Arthur could tell she was extremely tense. He walked over to Mira, and put his hand on her shoulder.

  “If you don’t want to do it, then don’t do it. You could probably sell that thing for a lot of money.” For the first time, she looked back at him. His dirty, mud brown hair was messy, and his spring colored eyes met hers. His smile was a warm sun piercing through rainy clouds. “But if anyone can bind this thing to them, then it’s you. You say that I’m the special one, that my powers make me special.” He shook his head.

  “I would never have gotten out of there without you. I would’ve died in my sleep without you. Do you think the abominations would’ve patiently waited for me to wake up? I would’ve died at the walkway without you. I would’ve died fighting the sharktopus without you. If I hadn’t met you, I would never have made it this far. Do you know why my class’ difficulty rating is only 3 out of 10? It’s because my class is ridiculously easy to use, yet I still got into situations I would never have come out of.” His voice softened to a gentle tone. “Your class difficulty is far higher than mine, yet you soared where I fell flat. You prospered while I feared, like everyone else. Don’t you understand by now? I’m not the special one.” Arthur put a hand on the sealed weapon and lightly pushed it deeper into Mira’s arms. “It’s always been you.”

  Silence reigned. Mira’s hazelnut eyes were locked onto Arthur’s, as though searching for the slightest hint of insincerity. He met her eyes unwaveringly, and their radically different gazes clashed. He backed away, keeping her eye contact as he gave her the space she’d need to do what came next. Looking down at the cloth, she breathed in deeply. Her shoulders relaxed, and she fixed her posture. She lifted the spear from the black silky cloth and rested it on its butt as she held it at arm’s length. She closed her eyes, and without warning, an unbelievably blinding light blasted forth from the weapon. It had a physical force, Mira’s hair and robes whipping about as Arthur shielded his eyes with a grin. Dirt and dust flew from the epicenter of the light, as though powerful hurricane winds blew from nowhere. Mira’s arms felt like their bones shattered to dust, her legs felt like they were dipped in lava, and her head suddenly felt like exploding as information flooded her. Lance forms, techniques, enhanced strategies and more rushed in like they were downloaded from the internet. The lance sucked at her soul as her skills poured into it, her muscles being flooded with memories they never had. Her legs felt like giving out as the pain ramped up with each moment, her arms feeling like they were actively melting as the lance burned her alive.

  Yet she did not budge.

  Her arms stayed firm, gripping the lance as though it were her worst enemy’s neck. Her legs were steel poles planted into the ground like trees. Her cinnamon color eyes were a hyperborean blizzard of resolve, her jaw clenched as though she was attempting to make diamonds. Through her clenched teeth and pain, she said one word that was so growling it was barely legible.

  “NO.”

  The blinding light reached a new extreme as one final blast of force bellowed out like a dying breath.

  

  [Mercy’s Kiss] (Cosmic): A greatlance rumored to have been present at the sentencing of the first gods to eternal sleep, its power sealed once again as the march of time dulled its edge for untold heroes to sharpen once more. No matter how vast and endless it may become, all the greatest authorities of the grand Macrocosm understand that the only true mercy is death.

  [Mercy’s Kiss] is a growth-type weapon. It will grow with the user it is bound with, and its powers will acclimate itself to its new master as it both unlocks new abilities and enhances old ones.

  Potency: 80

  Charm Capacity: High

  

  - [Greatlance Adroit]: Imparts all the combat knowledge of previous users of [Mercy’s Kiss] upon binding the weapon. Only imparts knowledge of techniques and form, the fighting styles must be mastered alone.

  - [Lightblade Crescendo]: Enhancement to the [Lightblade Song] skill. Make 3 consecutive attacks with your lance that burn the target with light, which lingers for an extended amount of time for more damage over time. Each strike inflicts and/or refreshes the [Lightburned] debuff. For a long cooldown, able to detonate all [Lightburned] enemies with [Light Eruption]. Final hit refreshes [Fear]. Low cooldown.

  

  *[Lightburned]: Inflicts defense and magic defense debuff. Marks the enemy with light shining from their wounds from [Lightblade Crescendo] and [Light Eruption]. Those inflicted with [Lightburned] cannot escape the senses of the user, who will know where they are as long as they remain within their area of influence. Stackable debuff.

  

  *[Light Eruption]: Causes all inflicted with [Lightburned] to explode with a burst of Bright magic. [Light Eruption] will hit all enemies within 5 meters, while passing harmlessly over allies. Enemies struck with area of effect of [Light Eruption] have a 50% chance to contract [Lightburned].

  

  - [Overflowing Prosperity]: Enhancement to the [Cornucopia] skill. Heals allies for a moderate amount instead of small amount. Grants the [Bountiful] buff to all allies within area of influence. Allows for the [Life Boon] and [Life Bane] empowerment stacks to reach 10 instead of 5. Cooldown remains at 5 seconds.

  

  *[Bountiful]: Enhances the recipients’ healing received. This accounts for all healing received, regardless of the source. Grants the recipient a small amount of damage reduction.

  

  You have learned the Miscellaneous Skill

  [Martial: Lance of the Queen] Level – 10