Just as Onrabell started talking, a familiar voice rang in Liam’s ears, attrag his attention.

  [Challenge ‘Defeat at least one dungeon boss within the welve hours’ aplished.]

  [Evaluation: Rank S!]

  [Possible rewards:

  A strengthened bodyShadow CloakInformationPlease choose, pyer Liam.]

  Liam grinned brightly, a feeling of aplishment welling up in his chest. His thoughts moved as he pohe possible rewards.

  C, you give me some hints?

  […]

  e on. Don’t be stingy.

  [Pyer Liam, please choose a reward.]

  And what if I don’t? Look, aren’t we on the same side? Help me out a bit, alright?

  [Request permitted. Pyer Liam, you will receive additional hints whenever your evaluation exceeds Rank A.]

  [Hint 1: Pyer at least advaowards the stage of martial arts.]

  [Hint 2: Shadow cloak with the ability to shield against all means of dete.]

  [Hint 3: Informatioed to the pyer’s parents.]

  Liam’s eyes lit up with etion. However, he didn’t dare to show it outside. Who knows if C would feel tricked if he did so.

  Thus, he maintained an indifferent face, slowly p over the rewards.

  All three rewards had their merits. After the kidnapping today, Liam had a strong urge for power. However, a few words clearly stood out.

  ‘All means of dete’ sounded like an absolute power w against on people or powerful starlight masters. Liam almost expected it to e with a catch.

  However, it souoo good to pass on.

  C, I choose reward 2…

  [gratutions on finishing this challenge. Your reward will arrive shortly.]

  [Item detected.]

  [Iory is being realized. plete.]

  Iory? C, what are you talking about?

  [Pyer Liam, you have been granted an iory. It is able to store all items rewarded by me. Please find your reward in your iory.]

  Is this your er serviice, thank you.

  […]

  “Mirage, are you alright?”

  When C’s voice disappeared, a questiht Liam back to reality. He looked ahead and found his friends looking at him strangely.

  “Suys. I was distracted for a moment.”

  “My friend, you looked quite strange. What did you dream about?”, asked Radiant Shield with a knowing look.

  “Nothing, nothing. Just making some pns.”

  “Mhm. Sure…”

  Radiant Shield wi Liam, causing the young man to roll his eyes.

  Suddenly he shivered. Gng to the side he found Silver Bde looking at him with a strange expression. For some reason Liam felt guilty.

  Wait, what’s going on? I didn’t do anything!

  Liam shook his head. He turned his head to Cye, quickly ing up with a way to ge the topic:

  “Cye, don’t you want to loot the boss?”

  “Of course I want to! But I ’t find anything! Did it leave behind some chest?”

  “Almost. e, I’ll show you.”

  With those words Liam took the lead and brought his party towards the hell portal.

  “Here, just toue of those s.”

  “Weird. Why would they hide the loot like this?”

  umbled unhappily while putting her hand on a piece of almost as big as her.

  After a few seds the disappeared together with the remaining purple liquid and a sword fell into Cye’s hand.

  “Nice. We’re back to rare equipment.”

  The mage ughed proudly as she posted the information in the group chat.

  [Crimson sword of the blood vilCategory: Rare

  Level requirement: 20

  Attack Damage: 20-23

  Attack Speed: 0,7

  Agility: +8

  Effect 1: Every third attack dealt with this sword increases your max HP by 300 points for ten seds.

  Effect 2: After increasing your max HP through Effect 1 for five times, deal the remaining bonus HP as a magical damage attack. You will lose the bonus HP.

  Effect 3: Every heal you receive is strengthened by 5%.

  A rare on used by the noble beings of the blood vil. It was the spoils of war belonging to vampire hunter Zurl Moonbreaker. After selling this sword he hasn’t been heard of in a long time.]

  Reading through the description, Bloody Edge showed the most surprise, revealing an eager expression:

  “Is aboul home to noble vampires?”

  Liam looked at him with some amusement:

  “Sure. They are one of the small races like the dryad we’ve seen a while ago.”

  “Really? Is it possible to bee part of this noble race?”

  “Ew, you want to bee a bloodsucker?”, asked Cye sg her face dramatically.

  “Naturally. Isn’t it everybody’s dream to join such a noble race? Bee immortal, find a human lover, turn them, and life iernal romance?”

  “Oh no, I’m out! What’s romantic about turning into bats, sneaking into houses and drinking blood?

  Furthermore, I’m a fan of garlic.”

  Liam couldn’t help but ugh listening to the versation.

  “Ok ok, guys. Everyone chase after their own preference. If you want to bee a vampire, it’s possible but it won’t be easy.

  Especially as a holy nephilim you o work hard to fix your retionship.”

  A hint ret could be seen on Bloody Edge’s face, causing Liam to smile awkwardly.

  “Sorry. If I would’ve known I wouldn’t have suggested you to switch races.”

  “It’s alright. Isn’t it just w a little harder?”

  Liam the thief before swiping his eyes over Cye. A dangerous smile formed on his face.

  Cye shivered, averting her eyes. But eventually she ended her small joke, taking the rare sword out of her iory.

  Liam and Quickstep discussed for a bit befreeing that the on should belong to Liam.

  Afterwards Cye took out a few more items, all of them of green-magic category. The mage was annoyed by the stingy boss and the others couldn’t show muthusiasm as well.

  When the loot was divided, everyone waited for Liam’s dires.

  “Well guys, the end boss waits behind this portal. Let’s rest for a bit and wait for our skills to recover. If someone o use the toilet, now is your ce.”

  Liam looked dumbfounded as all his friends suddenly went offline.

  “What?! Do you need my remio go to the toilet? Or didn’t I give you enough breaks?”

  Liam murmured to himself, pining with a roll of his eyes. However, his thoughts were speaking differently.

  Damn, I o as well. But if I leave, we will have to start the dungeon from the beginning…

  Luckily Bloody Edge returned soon. Liam ordered him to wait before disappearing on the spot. Still in the headquarters of the security pany it took him some time to find the toilet. When he logged bato the game, the party was already waiting for him.

  Liam reappeared at the start of the dungeon, hurrying back to the graveyard. When he regrouped with his friends, they exged several awkward looks before breaking out into ughter.

  The se was harmonious, and everyone was fident that the st boss would fall today.

  Liam estimated that the uilds were at most fighting the jelly creature now. But they would definitely be stuck there for a while. Especially the guilds who didn’t save Onrabell at the beginning.

  He decided to share this with his friends to relieve them off some pressure. Sometimes it was better to fight free and easy without any distrag thoughts.

  “Good. Let’s go the’s snatch the first clear.”, Silver Bde spoke calmly.

  But Cye was sure to see something else in her friend’s indifferent expression:

  “Hehe, you are eager to see Star Gazer’s defeated face, aren’t you?”

  “I’m not that type of vengeful person…”

  “Sure, sure.”

  Meanwhile Fortune eaking a few sentences for her viewers. Liam waited until everyone fell silent. A ge imosphere could be felt. Everyone adjusted their mentality, looking forward to the uping fight.

  When Liam saw the readiness in everyone’s eyes, he waved his hand ahe party into the rge portal.

  Their vision turned dark for a moment before clearing up again. The party found themselves in front of a rge window with some ses of battles carved into it.

  Their view was involuntarily directed towards the world outside. It was a strange pce of chaotically pces houses, most of them bck or red, decorated with bones and blood.

  All kinds of creatures strolled between the houses looking grotesque and brutal. The party reized demons, skeletons, and ghosts.

  An oppressive air hung over the city which was baked by an insufferable heat. There was no sun in the sky, but it was dyed by an e light illuminating the entire world.

  Surprisingly lingering void energy formed a thin yer below the sky, spreading a twisted, unwell feeling.

  Right now, a rge army could be seen on a square outside the tower the pyers were in.

  “Wele to hell.”, said Liam with a chuckle.

  “This is hell? I had a worse image in mind.”, ented Cye, pressing her face against the window.

  “Well, even infernals need some structure to live.”

  Silent Acacia gnced outside but wasn’t really ied. He looked around the room, somewhat impatient:

  “Hell is nid all, but where is the boss?”

  “He’s waiting downstairs.”

  “Shouldn’t we go find him then?”

  “Sure.”

  Silent Acacia’s words prompted everyoo stop looking outside and focus oask. With resolute faces they went down a tall, spiraling staircase in the ter of the room.