Chapter 103: The Spoils of Victory

Jet and Frey slumped onto the shattered stone floor, their backs resting against the remains of a broken column as they struggled to catch their breath.

Neither had enough energy to celebrate properly.

Their bodies ached from the prolonged battle, their clothes were covered in dust and blood, and the enormous hall surrounding them looked considerably worse than when they had first entered.

The Ironbound Castellan lay motionless beneath the collapsed remains of its stone seat, its massive armored body partially buried beneath rubble.

The dark bronze plates covering its chest had been shattered, exposing the deep wound left behind by Jet’s Vorpal Blade and Frey’s final attack.

Jet leaned his head backward and released a long breath.

The crimson-black Asura Mask covering his face began dissolving into tiny particles of Mana. Its intricate markings disappeared first, followed by the demonic features that had concealed his expression throughout the final stages of the battle.

A moment later, the enormous axe held by his manifested Asura Arm also began losing its shape.

The weapon dissolved into swirling crimson-black energy, followed by the two additional arms extending from his upper back. Within seconds, all traces of the manifestations had disappeared.

Jet immediately felt the difference. The enhanced strength and heightened Mana output provided by Asura Mask faded, leaving behind the accumulated exhaustion he had been suppressing throughout the fight. His shoulders felt particularly heavy, and the muscles surrounding his back throbbed unpleasantly.

"Fuck," Jet muttered, rubbing his forehead as he closed his eyes. "That took more out of me than I expected."

Frey sat beside him with both curved swords resting across his knees. His jacket had several tears, his shoulder was bruised, and dried blood marked the corner of his mouth.

He glanced toward Jet before letting out a tired laugh.

"Bro, I swear we’re never doing another White Dungeon without checking whether it’s hiding some ridiculous surprise," Frey complained, shaking his head. "We came here expecting a bunch of weak monsters and one Boss. Instead, we fought two Green-Class monsters that nearly sent us straight to the afterlife."

Jet chuckled despite his exhaustion.

"At least we survived," Jet replied, glancing toward the Castellan’s corpse. "And we gained quite a bit of experience."

Frey turned toward him with an incredulous expression.

"Experience?" Frey repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You learned how to use an axe in the middle of a Boss fight, summoned a giant weapon out of nowhere, and somehow started fighting like you’d been training with it for years. Meanwhile, I got punched, kicked and thrown through half the furniture in this damn building."

Jet couldn’t help laughing.

Frey watched him for several seconds before joining in, although his laughter quickly turned into a pained groan when his injured ribs protested.

Neither attempted to stand immediately.They had earned a few minutes of rest. However, their peaceful moment didn’t last long.

Hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from the direction of the entrance.

Mikhail emerged from behind a massive stone column, his enormous backpack still secured across his shoulders. He glanced toward Jet and Frey, confirmed that both were alive, and then immediately turned his attention toward the enormous corpse lying beneath the collapsed platform.

His eyes widened.

"Oh, now we’re talking!" Mikhail exclaimed, his earlier caution disappearing as he hurried toward the remains. "Finally! A Green-Class monster that hasn’t been turned into minced meat!"

Frey slowly turned his head. He stared at the fat porter with an expression of complete disbelief.

"Fatty," Frey said, his voice carrying an exhausted warning, "if you start complaining about money again, I’m going to throw you into the next Dungeon myself."

Mikhail waved dismissively without even looking back.

"Relax, Frey. I’m working," Mikhail replied cheerfully, already removing his harvesting equipment. "Besides, you should be thanking me. Do you have any idea how much professional harvesting services cost? You’re getting premium work at a bargain price."

Jet smiled as he watched Mikhail approach the corpse. The porter immediately spread a reinforced collection sheet across an undamaged section of the floor before removing his knives, clamps, scanning equipment and several sealed containers.

Despite the enormous weight of his backpack, his movements remained surprisingly efficient.

Mikhail began by examining the Castellan’s shattered armor. He carefully separated the intact plates from the damaged sections, checking their condition before placing the valuable pieces into reinforced storage bags. Several of the larger fragments were too heavy to carry comfortably, so he prioritized smaller pieces that retained their structural integrity.

Next came the material beneath the armor. Although the Castellan resembled an enormous armored warrior, its body possessed an unusual internal structure. Dark, fibrous material connected the armored sections, while hardened joints supported its enormous limbs.

Mikhail examined everything carefully.

"Interesting," Mikhail murmured, adjusting his glasses as he inspected a section of the creature’s shoulder. "These connective tissues are surprisingly durable. The armor’s valuable, obviously, but this stuff might actually be worth more to certain equipment manufacturers."

Frey glanced toward him.

"Just make sure you don’t spend the next three hours cutting that thing apart," Frey warned, resting his head against the column. "I’d rather not be trapped inside a collapsing Dungeon because you decided to become a surgeon."

Mikhail gave him an offended look.

"I’m a certified field harvester, thank you very much," Mikhail corrected, returning to his work. "And unlike amateurs, I know exactly how much time I have."

Jet watched him for another moment before shifting his attention toward the surrounding chamber.

Several small crystalline objects lay scattered among the rubble.

Mana Crystals.

Unlike Monster Cores obtained from creatures in Beyond, Mana Crystals were resources produced by Earth’s Dungeons. Awakeners could absorb their Mana to increase Star Saturation, making them essential for advancing through the Star Ranks.

Mikhail noticed them almost immediately. He retrieved a smaller collection pouch and began gathering the crystals scattered around the Castellan’s remains, using his scanner to identify fragments partially buried beneath the debris.

Some were embedded within the creature’s damaged body, while others had been thrown across the platform during the final explosion.

He collected them carefully, ensuring none of the visible crystals were overlooked.

Jet observed the process with considerable interest. After everything they had endured, the Mana Crystals were arguably their most important reward.

The materials could be sold for money, but the crystals would contribute directly toward their advancement as Awakeners.

Mikhail eventually approached them with several sealed containers.

"These are the Mana Crystals recovered from the Boss," Mikhail explained, showing them the carefully organized contents. "I’ve also kept the crystals we collected from the ordinary monsters separate. It’ll make counting and distribution easier once we’re outside."

Jet nodded approvingly.

"Good work, Mikhail," Jet said, giving the porter a genuine smile. "You’ve been a lot more helpful than I expected."

Mikhail immediately straightened.

A broad grin spread across his round face.

"Of course I have!" Mikhail declared proudly, placing one hand against his chest. "Professionalism, efficiency and excellent customer service. That’s what you get when you hire Mikhail Dragunov!"

Frey rolled his eyes.

"Don’t let it go to your head, Fatty," Frey remarked, although a faint smile appeared on his face. "You still spent half the Raid hiding behind rocks."

Mikhail looked at him as though he’d said something particularly foolish.

"Because that’s my job," Mikhail replied, adjusting his glasses. "You two fight monsters. I collect materials. If I start trying to fight Green-Class monsters, then clearly something has gone terribly wrong with our arrangement."

Jet laughed quietly. He couldn’t disagree with that reasoning. Once Mikhail returned to finish collecting the remaining materials, Jet slowly pushed himself upright.

His body protested immediately, but he ignored the discomfort and walked toward the collapsed platform.

Something had caught his attention.

The Ironbound Castellan’s enormous double-headed axe lay several meters away from its corpse, partially embedded in the shattered stone floor.

Despite the violence of the battle, the weapon remained remarkably intact.

Jet approached it. The axe was enormous, with a long reinforced handle and two broad blades fashioned from dark metallic material. Numerous scratches covered its surface, but the edges remained sharp, and faint traces of Mana lingered along the intricate patterns carved into the weapon.

Jet stared at it for several seconds. Then he reached down and gripped the handle. The weight was considerable. Even with his enhanced physique, lifting such an enormous weapon using only his physical strength required effort.

However, Jet wasn’t particularly concerned.

His Asura Arms could handle the weight far more comfortably, and after everything he had learned during the battle, he was eager to continue practicing.

He slowly raised the axe. The enormous weapon scraped against the floor before coming free.

Frey noticed what he was doing.

"Bro, don’t tell me you’re thinking about taking that thing home," Frey remarked, watching Jet examine the weapon. "It’s almost as big as you are."

Jet smiled.

"That’s exactly what I’m thinking," Jet replied, resting the axe against his shoulder. "I want it."

Frey blinked. Then he looked between the enormous weapon and Jet’s Vorpal Blade.

"Seriously?" Frey asked, raising an eyebrow. "You’re planning to walk around carrying a sword and a giant axe?"

Jet shook his head slightly.

"Not necessarily at the same time," Jet explained, examining the weapon’s handle. "But I’m going to start training with both. The Vorpal Blade will remain my primary weapon, and I’ll use the axe whenever the situation calls for something heavier."

He paused before adding with a faint smile, "Besides, I want to see how far I can take what I learned today."

Frey studied him for a moment before laughing.

"You’re unbelievable, bro," Frey said, shaking his head. "Most people spend years learning one weapon properly, and you’re already collecting another."

Jet didn’t respond immediately. He simply looked down at the enormous axe. Weapon Master had already demonstrated its extraordinary potential, and the interaction between the trait and his Asura Arms opened possibilities he had barely begun exploring.

If he could manifest weapons after developing sufficient proficiency with them, then the number of fighting styles available to him could eventually become enormous.

However, that was something to investigate later.

For now, he had a Dungeon to leave.

Jet carefully lowered the axe and turned toward Mikhail, who had finished securing the last collection bags.

"Can you make room for this?" Jet asked, gesturing toward the enormous weapon.

Mikhail examined the axe before looking at his already overloaded backpack.

His expression became complicated.

"That’s going to be a problem," Mikhail admitted, rubbing his chin. "But we can manage if we rearrange the heavier materials and carry the axe separately."

Jet nodded.

"Then let’s do that," Jet replied, helping him organize the remaining equipment.

Several minutes later, everything had been secured. The Mana Crystals were safely stored, the valuable monster materials had been packed, and the Castellan’s enormous axe was ready for transport.

Frey rose to his feet and stretched carefully, wincing as his injured shoulder protested.

"All right," Frey said, glancing toward the enormous entrance. "I think we’ve spent enough time in this place."

Jet looked toward the System notification still hovering before him.

[Dungeon Clear Conditions Fulfilled]

[Dungeon Closure Imminent]

[Remaining Time: 00:08:42]

He raised an eyebrow.

They had less than nine minutes remaining.

"Yeah," Jet agreed, retrieving his Vorpal Blade. "Let’s get out of here. The Dungeon will be closing in a few minutes."

With their spoils secured, the three prepared to leave the ruined hall.