Chapter 23: Quest Clear! A Gold-Tier Material?!
Five minutes later...
Through a relentless loop of crowd control and high-burst damage, Mu Chen finally brought the Shadow Viper down. As the serpent dissipated, the thousands of wraiths swarming the village vanished into thin air.
A glowing blue crystal materialized where the mini-boss fell.
[Wraith Essence (Orange Material)]: The ultimate treasure of the Shadow Viper tribe. Using this as a core component in crafting significantly boosts a player's Agility and Movement Speed.
"An Agility-based Orange material?!"
Seito's eyes lit up. He had found rare materials before, but this was the first one that perfectly complemented his "Extreme Speed" build. He tucked it away, his mood lifting instantly.
"Hehe, thanks for the carry, Seito-chan! I'm already Level 18!" Haruno chirped playfully.
In the open world, party members share experience regardless of who deals the damage—a stark contrast to the Boss Labyrinths, where contribution is strictly calculated.
"Don't mention it," Seito waved her off, turning his attention to the shell-shocked beggar. "Alright, your village is safe. Time to pay up."
The old man didn't respond. His eyes were glazed over as he stared at the smoking ruins of his former home.
"The village... it's... it's gone."
Seito had leveled half the structures to find the boss, and the old man looked like he was about to have a digital heart attack. He shakily pointed a finger at Seito. "You... you destroyed it! My village is a crater!"
"Tch." Seito rolled his eyes. "It was a 'Dead Zone' anyway. Would you rather I stayed on the ground and let that snake ambush me? Besides, without the Viper, the shadows are gone. You can rebuild. Now, the reward. Hand it over."
He rested the flat of his Chokuto against the old man's neck.
The Beggar: "..."
Is this guy a hero or a villain? With tears streaming down his face, the old man reached into his rags and pulled out a shimmering golden orb.
[Notification: Players 'Sei' and 'SunnyCat' have completed the Quest: Tragedy of Hero's Vale!]
[Reward Obtained: Golden Sanctum Pearl]
[Golden Sanctum Pearl (Gold Material)]: A legendary catalyst. When used during the crafting of Gold-tier equipment, it increases the success rate by 50%.
Seito and Haruno both froze.
This was a game-changer. In the manual Sora had shared, there were fewer than ten known "Gold" materials in the entire database. While Red-tier materials were for raw stats, Gold and Silver tiers were almost exclusively used to guarantee successful high-level crafting. Its market value was astronomical.
"That... is a very shiny toy," Haruno whispered, looking at the pearl with a mix of awe and envy. But since she had basically been a tourist during the fight, she knew better than to ask for a share.
"It's been passed down for generations," the beggar sighed. "I figured it was worth money because it was gold, but I never knew what it actually did."
"It's perfect," Seito said, stowing the pearl and giving the old man a patronizing pat on the back. "Good doing business with you, old timer."
The beggar's lip twitched. Business? You held me at sword-point!
Seito turned to Haruno. "What's your plan now?"
"How about I pull an all-nighter with you?" she suggested with a mischievous grin.
"Works for me. Let's go hunting for more rares."
The two spent the rest of the night grinding. By 6:00 AM, Haruno had hit the Level 20 cap. Meanwhile, the official "Front-Line Raiders" had finally cleared the Floor 8 Boss and were currently banging their heads against the mechanics of Floor 9.
Seito picked up one last Blue-tier material and stretched his aching limbs.
"Alright, Haruno. I've got school in a bit. Logging off."
"Me too. I need a nap before I face the world," Haruno rubbed her eyes, then gave him a playful wink. "Saturday is the day after tomorrow. I'll come find you."
"I'll be waiting."
They exchanged a smile and vanished into the log-out sequence.
.....
Seito's Apartment.
As he pulled off the neural helmet, Seito felt a wave of vertigo wash over him. His head throbbed—the classic "gaming hangover."
"Good old all-nighter," he muttered. It reminded him of his middle school days when he and the Blank siblings would lose track of time for days on end.
He stumbled out of bed, stretched until his bones popped, and headed to the kitchen to put the kettle on. While waiting for his instant ramen to steep, his phone buzzed.
Shiro: "Seito-nii... did you pull an all-nighter?"
Seito: "Yeah. Just logged off. Heading to school soon."
Shiro: "Oh..."
Seito: "Wait, aren't you and Sora enrolled at Sobu High too?"
Shiro: "Yeah. But like middle school... we're on 'Official Absence.' We stay home and game."
Seito chuckled. Typical. He knew they were both too socially anxious to handle a physical classroom, but their genius status let them get away with it.
Seito: "Gotta go. Breakfast is calling, and so is the morning bell."
Shiro: "Okay~ Good luck."
He put his phone away, peeled back the lid of his ramen, and began to eat. Another day in the real world was starting, but his mind was already back on the Ninth Floor.
Thank you for reading.