Chapter 272: The Dungeon Boss’ End, Moving To The Dungeon Core

-----

BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMM!!!

An explosion of pure spiritual energy followed, spreading outward in every direction with a force that made the ground tremble and the air itself ripple. Some nearby plants suddenly grew revitalized under the surge, their leaves unfurling with unnatural speed and their roots digging deeper into the enriched soil. Others withered and died instantly, their life force drained away in a single violent pulse. The swamp water boiled in places and then settled into an eerie stillness. Riven himself returned to his original human form as the energy settled around him like fading mist.

"It’s done," Riven checked the time on his system interface with a calm expression. The numbers glowed softly against the dim light of the swamp. "Twenty-three minutes. Good enough. Maybe we can complete another dungeon if we hurry."

As he walked toward the corpse to collect the shattered core, the soft mud squelched under his boots. The remains of the Swamp Witch were already dissolving back into the elements, leaving only a faint residue of green spiritual energy and a few stubborn fragments of wood and moss. He noticed a new piece of loot that had dropped onto the muddy ground.

It was a wand made of living wood and covered in soft green moss, topped with a large green jewel that seemed to radiate power close to SSS Rank. The jewel pulsed faintly with an inner light, as if it still held a spark of the Swamp Witch’s will. Tiny veins of glowing sap ran along the length of the staff, and the moss shifted slightly whenever he drew near, almost as if it were breathing.

It was called the [Swamp Witch’s Land Spirit’s Staff] and appeared to carry some of her remaining power, allowing those compatible with it to summon and control the surrounding terrain to their advantage.

"Not bad."

Riven took the staff in his hand and carefully sensed the magic within. The wood felt warm and alive against his palm. He briefly raised a large hand made of thick mud from the floor, watching as the earth responded sluggishly to his will. Several nearby trees faintly answered his command, their branches shifting slightly as if waking from a long sleep. Roots stirred beneath the surface, and a small wave of swamp water rose and fell in obedience before settling again.

"But it’s not really my style. I’ll sell it later... or maybe it should go to Elisa. Yeah."

The thought of his wife receiving such a gift brought a faint smile to his face. She would appreciate the living nature of the staff far more than he ever could. After storing the staff away in his inventory with a quiet flash of light, he moved toward Vladimir.

Daniela and Noir descended from the skies a moment later. The soft beat of wings and the faint rustle of feathers announced their arrival. Riven poured a few recovery potions onto the battered man, watching the liquid sink into his wounds and begin their work. The greenish fluid glowed briefly before the torn flesh knitted itself back together with visible speed.

"You okay, Vladimir?" he asked, keeping his tone light despite the recent intensity of the fight.

"Uuugh..." Vladimir groaned while pushing himself up, mud clinging to his clothes and hair. "I’m fine... leave me alone!"

He stood up fully and walked away without another word, his steps stiff and proud. Riven shook his head with a small sigh. "He’s always this way, I swear."

Daniela stood beside him, her colorful Pierrot uniform still somehow clean despite the chaos of the dungeon. The bright fabrics and jingling bells looked almost out of place among the ruined swamp, yet she carried herself with quiet confidence. "Well, I wouldn’t be happy-go-lucky either if I had just been beaten half to death... hehe."

Her light laugh carried a note of genuine empathy. She had watched the entire battle from above and clearly understood how close Vladimir had come to serious injury.

"For now, let’s find the Dungeon Core, alright?"

"Sure! And did you see all the loot?! There’s so much!" Daniela’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she gestured toward the scattered remains of the Swamp Witch and the various drops still glimmering in the mud.

"I saw. Well done. And thanks for the help. Your Weapon Throwing has become really sharp. Did your level increase?"

"Yeah! I’m Level 100 now!" she said happily, her voice rising with pride. "My Luck Stat is in the four million range!"

"Four million...! That’s the highest Luck stat I’ve ever heard of in my life," Riven said while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The number was almost absurd. "Usually Luck is a stat almost nobody can raise except those under the same Authority as yours. But those people are typically weak in every other department, so they get bullied and denied the chance to grow. I guess this is what happens when someone is finally given a proper team."

Daniela’s expression softened at the praise, though a small frown soon replaced her smile. "My other stats aren’t that high though," she sighed, looking down at her hands with clear frustration. "My second highest is Agility at two million, then the rest... Ugh, they’re at most at 500k! I’m so weak!!!"

The honest self-criticism in her voice was easy to hear. Despite her extraordinary Luck, she still measured herself against the raw physical power of fighters like Riven and Vladimir.

"Haha, calm down. Your true potential comes from abusing critical hits and your high luck stat," said Riven with a reassuring smile. He placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. "If we could secure the Reaper’s Scythe Skill Book... maybe you could even abuse the power of low-chance instant death skills with your high luck."

"I-Instant death?!" Daniela’s eyes widened in surprise, her voice rising with a mix of excitement and nervousness. The idea clearly both thrilled and unsettled her.

"Well, if we want to be more reasonable, we could also find the Gravity Magic Grimoire. Gravity Spells can reduce an enemy’s Health Points by a certain percentage," he explained patiently, his tone steady and practical. "The strongest ones reduce it by half. Imagine that. They have very low hit chance, so luck is necessary. They’re also among the few magic spells that can critical hit, increasing their damage on top of the percentage decrease based on luck."

-----