Dungeon hunt: Retake

Travis checked upon his items as soon as he finished equipping the armor. Thanks to its light nature, it was not difficult to put on by himself and did not restrict his movements. Thunder Blade by his side and Pacifist on his back, the man looked at Aria.

Much like him, she changed her attire. A robe of a silver color descended to her legs, shimmering slightly as she turned around to check how it would behave. Underneath the cloth, however, he could still see her blue shirt, and he could imagine that Aria did not leave behind the pants on her legs, either. Then, the Mage shuffled through her hair, getting it as far back as she could before letting it spring back.

"Ready?" he asked her.

With a quick exhale, Aria gripped the gray staff tightly. Her emerald eyes emanated a look full of determination.

The moving air of the outside turned into a still atmosphere of the inside of the cave. Looking ahead, the duo was welcomed by a dark and dry tunnel. The walls of the place were rigid and had plenty of places where it was possible to prick oneself. The ceiling was high enough for both of them to comfortably stand, but as Travis raised a hand, he felt his fingers brush against the rocky surface. This reminded him of the dungeon near Icla. This place was more spacious, albeit not by a lot.

Looking at Aria, he noticed her focused expression as she aimed her staff into the darkness. A quiet incantation of a spell conjured a small ball that cast light all around. Within seconds the spell flew forth, staying some distance ahead of the two.

...

It didn't take long to find some opponents. Within fifteen minutes, Travis prepared Thunder Blade while Aria began channeling some mana.

The goblins they came across were of no higher level than 15, but given their equipment, even this short skirmish with barely five of them took a short while. Not that Travis was nagging, at any rate. His WP was already more than 400 and kept on rising steadily.

[Thunder Blade's option effect is activated, triggering the skill '2 Joint Attacks'. The attack repeats one time.]

[You have dealt 201 damage to the target.]

[270 experience has been acquired.]

Travis grimaced, stealing a glance at his status and confirming the effects of the skirmish. From 29.47% required, it increased to 29.66%. This was... kind of slow. He sighed, his eyes darting to Aria releasing a few icicles, impaling the last bogey. She looked at him with a question in her gaze.

"Did something happen?" she tilted her head slightly.

"No," he replied casually. "Let's go."

...

"15 <Mana Bolts>," he commanded, releasing a bright wisp of mana toward a goblin archer. Unable to evade in time, the green-skinned monster was hit with the full power of the spell. Its head burst open.

[You have dealt 214 damage to the target.]

[321 experience has been acquired.]

[Skill 'Mana Bolt' leveled up!]

"<Ice Burst>," Aria raised her staff, its tip glowing with blue light. A second or so passed before a blast of icy-cold air shot forth, encompassing the trio of warriors up front.

Utilizing the situation, Travis rushed forth, his sword already making an arc aiming to decapitate the first one.

[You have dealt 102 damage to the target.]

[299 experience has been acquired.]

Checking the time, Travis confirmed that he and the white-haired Mage had already been in the dungeon for nearly 2 hours. The experience meter was now exceeding 31%.

As he and Aria finished the last of the goblins, she activated her MID.

"Oh, I leveled up," her mouth curved into a smile. "What about you?"

"...getting there," he replied, dismissing his status. Instead, he focused on Aria.

[Name: Aria Brinn

Class: Mage

Level: 24 (2.65%)

HP: 423/423

MP: 341/862

WP: 221/221]

[Strength: 25

Agility: 29

Endurance: 34

Intelligence: 150 (+14)

Wisdom: 62

Sense: 43 (+9)]

'Those monsters are good for her, at least.' he nodded at the thought before shifting his attention to the crossroad ahead. 'This is mostly why we came in here in the first place. I already knew this dungeon would be negligible for me. The best I can do is level up my skills and recover WP.'

He padded his shoulder lightly, checking the state of his armor.

[Hunter's armor

Rating: Rare

Defense: 16

Durability: 199/205

*Agility + 3

*Sense + 5

*2% reduction in damage from physical attacks.

Armor a seasoned hunter will find useful. Its light construction allows it to not inhibit movement at all. However, its defensive power is terrible.

Weight: 500 g]

This was the armor he had picked after walking around the shops yesterday. Its cost was low, and its options were not grand. However, there was a reason why this exact piece was picked.

'This was the only Rare-rated armor I could find, and it's also the only one that has an option of increasing my stats.'

Although the increases were not monumental, it was just a single piece of equipment. Should every last piece he could wear exhibit such effects, those tiny amounts would add up.

That was also why he picked the pants that sported the same fashion as the armor. Even the names checked out.

[Hunter's leggings

Rating: Rare

Defense: 8

Durability: 122/125

*Agility + 3

*5% increased movement speed.

Leggings a seasoned hunter will find useful. Their light construction allows them to not inhibit movement at all. However, their defensive power is terrible.

Weight: 300 g]

This also was the only good-rated piece of equipment he could find. Its options were slightly more lackluster, but even then, they increased his stats, which no other pair he looked at did. With those two pieces of equipment and his title, his Agility was raised by a whopping 11 points above the base amount, with Sense being increased by 10, and the remaining stats by 5. This was no different from having an extra 8 levels.

Lastly, he checked the skill that just leveled up.

[Mana Bolt lvl. 4 (0.03%)

Form and shoot out a bolt of pure mana. You can use multiple at once. Deals 6-12 + 20% of your magic power of damage.

Cost: 9 MP]

Travis hummed. Its damage increased slightly, which was great for a skill this cheap. 'I wonder, if it's like this, the final cost will probably end up being around 6 MP. How strong will it be then? Will my entire mana worth of this be enough to surpass a higher-grade skill?' he pondered.

Travis was unsure if he could learn more skills like Mana Bolt. Technically speaking, this spell belonged to the Mage class and had nothing to do with Psions - the latter had a very similar skill called Psi Bolt, after all. Then why was he able to learn it? Was it just because of his class?

One of advice from Rulebreaker bounced around in his head. Not every class was attainable by everyone. Did that mean the same principle applied to skills themselves? Could he have been able to learn it because Kanya was a Mage?

Travis shook his head. Such issues were not for his head to ponder upon.

His attention finally snapped back to the situation at hand. Aria was looking into the paths, unsure which to pick. She looked back at him expectantly. Her cute nose stirred as though she was about to sneeze but she stopped her reactions.

"How about a break?" Travis asked, noticing the woman's neck covered in droplets of sweat. The hair near her temples clung to her skin.

"...yeah," she nodded. "Good idea."

Finding a small spot near the crossroad, they settled down. Leaning against a wall, Aria rummaged in her bag, almost immediately pulling out two bottles of varying sizes. Taking a quick gulp from the smaller one, her face grimaced before she swallowed and pushed the liquid with the other bottle. After a few seconds of drinking, she let out a relaxed gasp. Aria leaned against a wall.

"Gods," the word left her mouth between some heavier breaths. "I never imagined dungeon hunting would be this exhausting. I suddenly feel some respect for the scouting parties. How are you not tired?"

"I have a pretty high Endurance," he shrugged. "I used to run out of breath quickly, too. Redion gave me a scolding about how I distributed my stats at first."

"...I wish I could do it as well," Aria pouted momentarily. "That would be amazing."

"That isn't the only way. The reason I picked this armor specifically is, that it increases my stats a little. I'm sure that if we look, we'll find something good for you."

"Equipment can increase your stats?" the Mage raised an eyebrow, visibly startled. Her emerald eyes glimmered with a sudden idea. "Does that apply to everything?"

Travis glanced at Thunder Blade before nodding. "Most pieces have some effects. It seems that the higher the rating, the more and better the effects. Thunder Blade hastens how quickly I strike, and adds lightning-type damage. My armor increases my Sense and Agility."

"So..." Aria almost immediately exposed two small bracelets of a silver color. "It should apply to mine as well, right? Can you tell me anything about those?" she brought her hands a little closer, looking at the man expectantly.

'Those... look the same. I wonder... are they any different?' he pondered whilst extending a hand. He grasped it around Aria's wrist gently, letting his fingers touch the silvery metal. 'Might as well level up the skill. <Palran's Eye>.' he commanded his spirit, feeling Aria's hand twitch ever so slightly as she waited. Travis sensed her heartbeat hastening by the second.

[Skill 'Parlan's Eye' is activated.]

[The skill has too little proficiency. Only a bit of information is revealed.]

[Somewhat unordinary silver bracelet

Rating: Rare

Durability: 14/17

*Increases Intelligence by 6 points.

*Increases magic defense by 3 points.

*Can be charged with mana to increase the damage of the following strike. Every 2 mana converts into 1.3 points of damage. The maximum damage increase is 70. However, high charge levels will damage the bracelet over time.

It is an unsuspecting bracelet made of silver that experienced the forces of many elements when it was in the ground. An ordinary person will not recognize its value.

Weight: 30 g]

[You managed to completely appraise an item of 'Rare' grade. Skill 'Parlan's Eye' gained a little additional experience.]

The last message in particular sparked an idea within Travis's mind.

'Repeated usage on the same item is not meaningless. However, seems like it only applies to items i do not 'own'.' Travis hummed, slowly refocusing on Aria. Letting go of her hand, he noticed her questioning gaze.

"It increases your Intelligence and grants some magic defense. Atop that, you can charge it to make your magic more powerful," he explained, his hand traveling to her other hand. Using the skill again, he nodded. "This one is the same," 'Using it on items this similar does not trigger the last thing...' Travis realized, noticing the lack of notification.

"I see... lines up with what I know about them," Aria nodded softly, her expression turning to a ponder. "When Foll gave them to me, he said much the same thing you did."

"Is your brother an appraiser?"

"A Mage, and an adventurer," she shook her head. "He has more than fifteen years of experience in dealing with artifacts, so I suppose he just knows how to appraise them as well."

"Adventurer?"

Aria nodded. "From what I know, he's been in many places that are not yet properly charted. Last I saw him, he was much past his 1st class advancement. He might be past his 2nd now."

"How old is he?"

"Turning 33 this November."

"Quite fast, to be reaching that level already," Travis nodded. "He must not sit in one spot a lot."

"Yeah, he doesn't. It's been a while since I last saw him," Aria's gaze turned slightly melancholic. "Ever since I ended up in Silvana two years ago, he never visited. Gerial told me that he was fine, but I kept wondering why he didn't come around. At first, I thought it was completely not like him. Foll isn't the type of person to just forget someone, especially not his sister," Aria quieted down at her own words. The gaze of her eyes appeared unfocused as she stared at the bottle of water in her hand.

Travis reached out to rub her shoulder tenderly. "I can't speak for Foll," he started. "but I don't think he did any of that without a good reason. I'm sure he thinks of you frequently, even if he's away," his mouth formed a reassuring smile.

Aria looked at Travis. Seeing his attitude, her own lips curved gently. She let out a short sigh before closing the bottle and stashing it.

"Yeah..." she let out a word, shuffling in her seat a little. "If he doesn't, I'll kick his bum the next time I see him."

Travis chuckled in response.

-4 hours later-

This dungeon, unlike the one near Icla, was rather small. Neither by floor count nor the size of individual ones was it comparable. Clearing the first floor, while an arduous task due to goblins constantly running to and fro, was accomplished completely within just under one extra hour.

The second floor was much like the first one. The only real difference was that the monsters were stronger, and they appeared better equipped (although having checked their items, Travis still failed to find anything useful).

The third floor was done just as quickly. Monsters were somewhat stronger, but nothing they couldn't handle. Especially with Aria leveling up again, the speed at which the two cleared it increased a little as well.

Now, the man followed Aria who stepped down a rough staircase-like formation of rocks leading down to the final floor. The ball of light afront provided plenty of visibility, showing the two that the area they descended into became much larger than its predecessors. Its style also changed drastically.

The walls, normally unwelcoming, stony surfaces, were now adorned with numerous banners, most of which were tattered to an extent. Tall torches, fitted atop crude stands, littered the large cave. Their tops burned with faint, flickering flames of orange color. Despite a lack of innate luminosity, the entire room was illuminated to a rather comfortable extent, allowing Travis to somewhat easily make out the almost even floor.

However, he felt scarcely at ease. The feeling of bloodlust he had felt outside of the dungeon was now magnified. Comparing it to his memories of other encounters, it felt far weaker.

'About... half as strong as Violet...?' a ponder entered his head before being dismissed. He was not a person to tell. In the first place, he didn't even know if this 'bloodlust' RALS spoke about earlier was accurate. One thing he did know was, it was not a significant threat. At least, not to him.

His eyes darted to Aria, who came to a halt after reaching the bottom. She released the light spell, its use no longer relevant.

"This place seems quite... large," she commented, her emerald points scanning the area around. "but I don't sense anything," her white brows knitted slightly. She appeared unsure of her own words.

"Is something the matter?" he asked, getting a hand on Thunder Blade and approaching.

Aria looked around.

"Strange... this is the final floor. Where are the monsters?" she posed a question. "There are only torches around. It almost looks like this could be a goblin camp, but there is nothing more. This feels suspicious," Aria's eyes closed. "Moreover, I feel nothing in the vicinity."

Travis slowly unsheathed his sword and began charging mana into it. "Could this be a trap?"

"Not impossible. We don't know the identity of the dungeon boss. Since it's only goblins here, I believe the boss might be a shaman or the like. Let's be careful."

He nodded silently.

Step after step, the two slowly ventured into the cave. The echo of their steps sounded quietly. The air was filled with tension.

The bloodlust that flowed guided Travis, who took the lead. His golden eyes shimmered with every second as he lurked between the torches.

'Feels rather uneasy.'

Travis's face made a small grimace as he noticed something in the distance. He nudged the white-haired woman gently, making her come to a halt.

"What is it?"

"I see... some kind of a throne up ahead. About fifty meters. Something is sitting atop."

"A goblin?"

"...not sure," Travis frowned, straining his eyes to recognize the figure. "It looks similar, but somewhat larger."

Aria didn't answer. Instead, she readied her staff. The gem began releasing low crackles of magical energy as she prepared herself. She nodded, signaling her readiness.

A couple seconds passed as they approached. Travis did his best to discern the figure's appearance.

It was notably larger than a typical goblin. The former's height usually didn't exceed 1 meter, but this one was no doubt around Aria's height. Its skin was somewhat red, as opposed to a goblin's green. On top of that, its equipment was definitely better than anything else the other bogeys wore. A long robe that hid its body was adorned with a plethora of small ornaments and accessories. A large helmet hid its bald head beneath a cage of metal. From within, a glint of light escaped.

[The dungeon boss, hobgoblin shaman, has noticed you.]

The notification that sprung in front of Travis's nose told him all he needed to know.

"A hobgoblin..." he said, readying Thunder Blade. "And a shaman, at it."

Stealing a glance at Aria, he noticed her clenching her staff tightly. Magic power started welling up around. She was prepared to immediately cast a spell but appeared unsure which to pick.

The boss monster got up from the seat. The rattling of all its trinkets was evident, melodic sounds echoing almost ominously across the cave. Beneath those, a distinct sound of crackling sounded. Lightning surged around the hobgoblin before it poised its hand, discharging a bolt of electricity at the two.

Aria appeared to already anticipate the strike as she raised her staff. In an instant, a blue barrier enveloped her position, and the attack was de-railed to the side, discharging on the nearby wall. A loud rumble reverberated.

"Dammit," she muttered. "So goddamn loud."

"Let's try to do it quickly," Travis placed a hand on her shoulder.

The shaman suddenly howled. The ear-piercing, high-pitched sound made Travis wince. Shooting a look at Aria, he saw the woman hide her ears, her expression full of discomfort, not to say pain.

Suddenly, a few figures appeared next to the boss. Seven goblins, each wearing dark clothes and fitted with daggers, made their presence apparent before each skittering between the torches. As they did so, they almost immediately vanished from Travis's sight.

"It has minions..." Aria sounded quietly, preparing her mana.

'This brings back some vile memories.' Travis thought before discharging the mana from Thunder Blade in the hobgoblin's direction. As the lightning bolt traveled, it was suddenly blocked by a ball of fire. What surprised the man, however, was where it came from.

'It uses the torches as a means of defending?'

"Maybe extinguishing a few could help us," Aria commented quickly, coming to the same conclusion as Travis. "Supporting a light spell may be a little intensive if it's strong, but keeping it just bright enough to see ahead isn't taxing."

"...better not to right now. Let's see how this bastard will fight us, instead."

Aria nodded, nearly immediately focusing her mana.

Travis gripped Thunder Blade with some more strength. The assassin-type monsters were no longer visible, but he knew they were preparing to lunge at them at any moment. Once they would--

"Ah!" Aria let out a short shout before immediately shooting magic in a direction.

Travis's eyes immediately went to his girlfriend. A small cut was visible just under her left ear, blood slowly sipping from the wound. A few hairs immediately stuck to it, their color shifting to a scarlet hue.

Aria's hand shook a little as she reached and confirmed what just happened. Her emerald eyes glistened before her fist clenched.

"Goddamn goblins," she expulsed a bit of air while charging up some mana with irritation. In an instant, a barrage of icicles occurred, shooting in a direction. Aria shuffled on her feet and revolved in her position a little, scattering several projectiles in a wide arc. After a few seconds, she halted, immediately summoning a barrier around them both.

Another goblin came rushing, its blade bouncing off the obstacle. It let out some indescribable sound from behind the dark cowl and skittered away from the two before Travis managed to reach it with a stab.

'These bastards are quite fast.' he conceded. 'Below a Telinar's level, but as long as they don't engage directly, catching one may be a problem.' his eyes shot at the shaman. A big ball of fire formed and was traveling at them.

Getting a hold of Aria, Travis rushed sideways. A small explosion broke through the barrier and blew away a couple of torches nearby. After ensuring that she was alright, he poised his hand and fired a few Mana Bolts in bursts. However, as he expected, every last shot was blocked by fire from a torch.

'...wait. The fire... it doesn't just borrow it. It extinguishes the torches it uses.' Travis's eyes went wide at the realization.

"I think you're right. Breaking the torches will weaken the boss," he said.

A Wind Cutter spell left the woman's staff, traveling forth and toppling several torches in a small cone. "Well then, we should get started, no?" her face was hidden from the man as she stood with her back to him, but Travis could imagine Aria's brows rising as though seeking his approval.

"Yeah. I'll handle the goblins that approach and tell you when the hobgoblin will attack. Let's try to move closer to it."

Aria twisted her hand a little. More Wind Cutters left her hand, aiming for as large an area as she could manage. A prolonged, deep intake of air informed Travis that her stamina was lowering in tandem with her mana being used.

However, their strategy proved to be working. The torches fell, and as they did so, the hobgoblin's attacks lost their strength and turned sparer. In return, the goblin assassins began attacking with more ferocity and frequency.

That was where a new problem emerged.

[Hobgoblin shaman cast 'Black Fog'.]

[The effective range of light around you is reduced. In the dark, your vision will be completely lost.]

Travis almost cursed audibly at the notifications. He immediately confirmed the effects of the boss's move. As long as there was light, he could notice it, but its reach had greatly reduced. Aria's ball of light couldn't escape this fate either, and their vision was reduced to hardly two meters or so. Strangely enough, even when she tried to strengthen the magic, the range of vision remained the same.

"Dammit," Aria huffed. "What's this thing..."

"Shaman's move," he replied. "I feel like it'll maintain this for the remainder of the fight."

"Goddamit," the white-haired woman cursed silently. "So, it lead us on with the torches..."

Travis grimaced, unable to disagree. No matter how he looked at it, Aria was right. 'If only she didn't extinguish so many...' he groaned to himself, seeing that most of the torches in the vicinity were done for. 'Moving away to light will only enable them more attacks. We should look to finishing this quickly.'

"I'm not sure how long my mana will hold," he heard Aria speak with a tinge of worry in her tone. "Can you catch any of them like this?"

"Won't be easy," he replied, confirming that his MP was reaching half. "Those bastards are too fast. If they at least didn't constantly run..."

'The problem isn't even their speed.' he grimaced at the thought. 'I can catch up to them if I need to. But I can't leave Aria. To use tactics like this, they must realize that separating us is the best course of action for them. Moreover, they are well-versed in moving in the dark, just outside of our sight. The only way I can feel them is when I sense the bloodlust just before they strike.' he frowned, feeling the skin of his face lightly. A few small cuts were a result of him dodging some strikes at the very last second.

"!" he flinched and moved his hand. Thunder Blade met a goblin's knife moments before it would've pierced his abdomen. In retaliation, Travis released a few Mana Bolts against the opponent, but the goblin had already skittered away. 'This is trickier than I thought.' he stole a glance toward the stairs. They had already gone a fair distance away. 'Should we retreat?'

...

'No.'

Travis gripped Thunder Blade with more power.

'These guys are way below my level. There must be a way to go forth... wait.'

Looking at Aria, Travis confirmed that she was downing a mana potion while maintaining the barrier around them. Her uneasy expression didn't escape his gaze. She wouldn't last very long on her own.

'My speed is enough to counter them. The problem is that I know about the strike too late. But...'

He brought up his skill list, focusing on one in particular.

[Mind detection lvl.1

Detect all minds around you in a radius of 5 meters. However, you won’t know where exactly the minds are, only the distance.

Cost: 15 WP/ 100 seconds]

'Aria cannot detect these assassins because they don't use mana. This, however, disregards that. As long as they are sapient beings, they can't escape this skill. And since it's a mental spell, the boss inhibiting our vision does not matter.' he nodded to himself.

While inwardly, he still felt a little conflicted about whether he should pick it, a short yelp from Aria informed him that he didn't have the time to wonder too much.

'RALS, learn <Mind Detection>.'

Immediately, Travis used the skill.

An instantaneous sensation surrounded his mind. He could sense himself in the center of a strange field formed around him. Within that place, he felt something stir. While the direction remained a mystery, the instinctive feeling told him that the distance was less than a meter, which the man confirmed to be Aria carefully aiming her staff in the direction of the boss whilst releasing a quick ball of fire, now that most nearby torches were gone.

Suddenly, something new appeared. Then, a second one. Another two minds skittered in the field. Travis could tell that while the goblins maintained their distance, they did not stay in a single spot. However, compared to only two meters or so of what he could discern in front of himself clearly, even this little information was enough.

Almost immediately, one of the signatures approached. Travis tensed up, readying Thunder Blade. An instinctual feeling told him that there was something he had to do. It was calling from within, stirring his heart up.

As the signature approached the range of his vision, Travis cast a simple spell. A command.

<Stop.>

He wasn't sure if that'd have worked. In the first place, he didn't know where the goblin was. Yet... he felt it. The bolt of psionic energy from his mind slithered and almost immediately connected with the mind. The signature came to a halt.

Something glittered in the corner of his eye. Bolting toward the goblin with a Sprint, Travis saw the surprise beam from its dark eyes as his blade pierced its side. With a loud hiss of pain mixed with mumble-like speech, the monster attempted to get away.

Travis, however, repeated the stabbing motion before it managed to.

[Thunder Blade's option effect is activated, triggering the skill 'Vein Cutter'. Damage increased by 15%. A bleed effect is applied.]

[You have dealt 177 damage to the target.]

[831 experience has been acquired.]

Immediately after that, Travis bolted to Aria's side. A loud screech entered their ears, the boss reacting with rage to what happened. Aria's face twisted in an uncomfortable expression as she raised her hands, enduring a short barrage of Fireballs.

"Dammit," she huffed. Travis noticed that Aria held her staff with far less ferocity than before. Her fingers twitched around the wooden pole. Her eyes gazed at him for a moment, great fatigue reflected within the emerald points. "I'm not sure-- *haah* --if I can last another barrage like that.

"It's alright," the man responded, a swiping look confirming that several torches were extinguished as a result of the shaman's strike. "I figured out a way to beat them," he smiled reassuringly, checking his status. His MP had just dropped below half. It was enough. "You do what you were doing. I'll handle the rest."

-About 5 minutes later-

[You have dealt 102 damage to the target.]

[You have defeated the dungeon boss, hobgoblin shaman.]

[8,252 experience has been acquired.]

[The dungeon has been cleared.]

Travis let out a long sigh before giving Aria a sign that confirmed what his strike to the monster's chest indicated.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa," she let out a loud exhale, plopping to the ground without a care. Releasing the hold of her staff, Aria let her hands roam the cold stone underneath her. "That was... exhausting," she said. The sweat on her body, along with her red skin and heavy breathing, solidified her words.

"...yeah," 'Nothing like hunting with Leaf or Penalty Zone with Violet. I suppose the difference in level and approach matter.' "At least it's done."

Aria didn't respond. Tugging her bag from her side, she reached inside, soon bringing out a small potion. Slowly sipping its contents, she sat up, watching as Travis began scanning the loot from the boss.

[Silver tiara

Rating: Normal

Defense: 2

Durability: 27/40

*Slightly increased favorability with the opposite gender. However, it only applies when worn by a woman.

A tiara made of silver. While not exquisite, its polish gleams pleasantly.

Weight: 55 g]

[Goldenweave robe

Rating: Rare

Defense: 11

Durability: 12/72

*Magic defense + 6

*Magic damage + 3%

A robe made of a silk-like material, with golden thread used to knit some pieces. It exhibits a faint affinity to mana.

Weight: 220 g]

The tiara the boss had worn underneath its now shattered helmet. The robe, while in a severely damaged state, was bound to be useful to Aria, should it be cleaned first. Or, at least, that's what Travis thought. He had yet to scan her battle gear in full. Her robe, in particular, was not touched by him at all.

'Still, even if it's not useful, at least Parlan's Eye benefits from multiple uses.'

"Gods, I can see why people form teams to raid dungeons," Aria spoke between heavier breaths, lowering herself to the ground again. "I always thought it'd be... easier."

"Welcome to dungeon hunting," Travis chuckled while dropping the two items of importance to the side. Unfortunately, among the remaining items from the boss that survived, none bore even a tinge of usefulness to them. "To be honest, we did rush it quite a bit."

"Have you cleared many, to be saying that?"

"Participated in a few raids before. Good job on your first one, by the way. Now you know why guards hate working on scouting duties."

"Pfft," Aria let out a faint snort before smiling. "Thanks."

...

Travis sat next to her. Watching Aria's chest rise and fall more stably with every steadying breath, he focused her gaze on her.

"Hmm, you're not far from gaining another level," a comment left his mouth absent-mindedly.

"...?" Aria's brow shot up as she shifted on her back slightly. Her hand, previously resting on her chest, shifted its rotation, reaching to the man's knee. "You can see my level?"

"Yeah, just like mine. If I focus, some information on you pops up. Had I not told you this?"

Aria shook her head a little. Then, her expression turned to pondering. "So... the times I felt your gaze on me intensely, you were..."

"Yeah. I did notice that some people feel it when I scan them like this. A little strange that not everyone seems to sense that, but it is like that (or maybe they can feel it but ignore it)."

"..." Aria gazed away silently. Something stirred within her emerald eyes, piquing Travis's attention.

"...sorry. I should've asked first."

"No, it's... alright," she replied hesitantly. Her fist clenched gently before retreating to her chest. "I just... thought you were..." her face turned slightly redder.

"I was...?" he frowned in question, not entirely understanding her thought process.

"...y-you know... l-looking at me..."

"Oh... you mean checking you out?" his eyebrow raised.

Aria's face suddenly turned even redder, her gaze aimed away from him. Travis snickered at the sight. He leaned toward her slightly.

"You know, you're really cute when you're shy," he said teasingly, huffing gently on her neck. Aria shivered in response.

A low, groan-like sound emanated from her vocal cords as her mouth twisted slightly in a pouty expression. Her white hair shuffled as she turned slightly further away, but Travis could tell that she awaited his reaction.

"But you're even cuter when you're pouting," he leaned in closer, nudging her cheek with his nose. A sensation of beaming heat was evident.

"...meanie," Aria's mouth parted as she whispered. Her face turned slightly, her green eyes staring at Travis's golden. It was evident that the pout was an act.

"But your meanie," he answered, leaning in forth. Aria's slim lips met his, but he retreated before she got too much into the act.

"...but my meanie," she smiled, shifting her hands a little. Rising on her elbows a little, her face approached Travis's. Their lips clashed in a wet embrace.

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