~~~
Jin?" Rudy's voice seemed to come from very far away, even though he was standing right next to him. "What is it? What did we find?"
Jin's hands trembled as he stared into the chest.
"Rudy!" Jin's voice cracked slightly with barely contained enthusiasm. "You are gonna love this shit!"
"Really?"
"Yeah"
Nestled in velvet that seemed woven from liquid shadow and starlight lay an impressive array of supplies that would make any adventuring party weep with joy.
Four bottles of healing potion glowed with soft blue light.
Five essence recovery potions shimmered with silver energy that seemed to pulse in rhythm with Jin's heartbeat.
Two clear vials of antidote caught the amber dungeon light like captured moonbeams, and Jin could practically feel the purification magic radiating from them.
Nice. Really nice. And I've already got plans to use the alchemical ingredients I bought earlier to not just enhance these potions but maybe double or triple the quantities.
That's gonna take time and a setup, but when we get to a safe zone...
"Jin! This is awesome!" Rudy's excited voice broke through Jin's internal planning session. "Appraise this for me, bro!"
Jin looked up to see Rudy holding what was clearly the prize piece of the loot haul—a shield of burnished steel that practically hummed with contained power. It was a kite shield, traditional knightly design but inscribed with runes that seemed to pulse with their own inner strength. The craftsmanship was extraordinary, all flowing lines and perfect balance.
Yeah, that would definitely suit Rudy's build. With his Colossus Mantle for tanking hits and now a proper shield for active defense, he's going to be a mobile fortress.
Jin crossed his arms and looked at his friend with a perfectly straight face and mock-serious tone. "I seem to remember hearing from a certain someone that Appraisal was quote-unquote 'the worst skill possible' and that he would 'never take something so useless' even if his life depended on it."
Rudy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, whistling innocently as he avoided Jin's pointed stare. "Hmm? That person was definitely stupid and probably very handsome. You should forgive him immediately."
"This shameless bastard," Jin muttered with fond exasperation, but he was already reaching for the shield. "Fine, fine. Let me take a look at your shiny new toy."
He ran his hands over the shield's surface, feeling the weight and balance as he activated his [Appraisal] skill. The familiar blue interface flickered to life, then immediately gave him an error message.
[ANALYZING... FAILED APPRAISAL LEVEL NOT HIGH ENOUGH]
"Huh. That's weird." Jin frowned, trying again with more focus.
[ANALYZING... FAILED APPRAISAL LEVEL NOT HIGH ENOUGH]
Okay, this thing is higher quality than I expected. Let me try the deeper analysis technique...
Jin took a deep breath and let a sliver of his essence flow out, connecting directly with the shield as he examined the inscriptions and runes in detail. His adept ranked memory skill kicked in, cross-referencing patterns he'd seen in the novel appendices.
"This rune here," he said, tracing one symbol with his finger, "is the Rune of Unbreaking—classic durability enhancement. This twisted one is... hmm, I think it's related to force redirection. And this circular pattern is definitely a Reflection Glyph."
As his understanding deepened, the connection solidified, and his Appraisal skill finally triggered successfully:
o__________________________________________o
NAME: "Bulwark of Duran"
RARITY: Uncommon Grade.
TYPE: Shield (Kite-Class)
STATE: NEW
Manufacturer: ???? DUNGEON REWARD
➤ CORE ENCHANTMENTS
Damage Mitigation Sigil (Tier III)
Minor Mana Conduction (Tier I)
Unyielding Rune (Tier II)
Durability Rune (Tier II)
➤ TECHNICAL DETAILS
Height: 120 cm
Width: 65 cm
Weight: 12.5 kg
Material: Dwarfstone composite, ??? ,???
➤ VALUE ESTIMATION
Market Value: 124,000 - 200,000 Zens
Effective Use: ORDER I–II Power Levels
o__________________________________________o
Jin let out a low whistle as he read the specifications. "Holy shit, Rudy. This thing is solid."
"The Damage Mitigation alone is Tier III—on an uncommon too."
"Really?" Rudy's purple eyes lit up as he tested the weight and balance of the shield. "It feels like it was made specifically for me. And it's so much lighter than I expected!"
He gave it a few experimental movements, practicing the basic shield techniques his father had drilled into him. "I can actually use this with my longsword style instead of being completely weighed down."
"The weight reduction is probably from the Dwarfstone composite," Jin explained. "Dwarven metalwork is legendary for strength-to-weight ratios, and if they incorporated Mystril inlay for the magical conductivity—"
"Jin," Rudy interrupted with a grin, "you're doing the thing again."
"What thing?"
"The thing where you turn into a walking encyclopedia and forget that normal people don't need to understand the molecular composition of their equipment to use it effectively."
Jin opened his mouth to protest, then closed it with a sheepish laugh. "Fair point"
"I will, I will." Rudy was already strapping the shield to his left arm, testing how it felt with his sword in the other hand.
"Though I have to say, I still prefer the idea of a greatsword, eventually. There's something appealing about just mowing down enemies in wide sweeping arcs instead of all just defending."
Are all muscle-brained people such simple creatures, Jin thought with affection as he watched his friend practice mock combat forms, adjusting to the new shield's balance and reach.
Give him something to hit and a weapon to hit it with, and he's perfectly content.
Jin turned his attention to the remaining items in the chest. Beside where the shield had been lay a pair of boots made from supple leather that practically hummed with contained wind magic. The craftsmanship was exquisite—not bulky or heavy like typical adventuring boots, but sleek and form-fitting with subtle geometric patterns etched into the leather.
His [Appraisal] skill activated automatically as he lifted them:
o__________________________________________o
NAME: "Zephyr Striders"
RARITY: Uncommon Grade.
TYPE: Boots (Light Armor)
STATE: NEW
Manufacturer: ???? DUNGEON REWARD
➤ CORE ENCHANTMENTS
Zephyr Walk (Tier III)
Glyph of the Feathered Fall (Tier I)
Rune of the Wind Step (Tier II)
➤ TECHNICAL DETAILS
Weight: 1.2 kg
Material: Wind???? Leather, cloud-crystal inlay, ???
➤ VALUE ESTIMATION
Market Value: 80,000 - 110,000 Zens
Effective Use: Scouts, agile hunters, dungeon platforming
o__________________________________________o
"Now this is something for me," Jin said with genuine excitement, sitting down to swap his regular boots for the Zephyr Striders. "Zephyr Walk is basically magical air-stepping, Feathered Fall means I don't have to worry about taking damage from drops, and Wind Step should give me short-range aerial momentum."
The moment the boots settled around his feet, he felt the difference immediately.
His steps felt lighter, almost bouncy, like he was walking on clouds instead of ancient stone.
When he took a small experimental hop, he hung in the air for just a fraction of a second longer than physics should have allowed.
These are going to be incredibly useful. Mobility in combat is everything, especially for someone like me who needs to stay at range and avoid getting cornered.
"Looking good," Rudy commented, giving Jin's new footwear an approving nod. "Very 'mysterious agile fighter' aesthetic. You just need a dramatic black cloak and you'll be set."
"Don't tempt me," Jin replied with a grin as he tested the boots' responsiveness. "I've always wanted to do that thing where you dramatically leap between rooftops while brooding about the darkness in men's souls."
"Please don't become an edgelord," Rudy said with mock horror. "I can't handle having a brooding, know-it-all friend. It would ruin our dynamic."
"Heh"
Jin quickly stored the potions and antidotes in his spatial pendant, organizing them carefully for easy access during combat.
Next were two scrolls wrapped in protective cloth that felt ancient but perfectly preserved. Jin's [Appraisal] revealed their contents:
o__________________________________________o
[SCROLL OF FIREBALL]
[SINGLE USE: CREATES EXPLOSIVE FIRE PROJECTILE]
[POWER LEVEL: ORDER I EQUIVALENT]
o__________________________________________o
o__________________________________________o
[SCROLL OF HOLY BLESSING]
[SINGLE USE: REMOVES CURSES, HEALS CORRUPTION, RESTORES ESSENCE]
[POWER LEVEL: ORDER I EQUIVALENT]
o__________________________________________o
"Emergency magic," Jin explained as he carefully stored the scrolls. "The Fireball is basically a magical grenade for when we need more firepower than I can provide with sorcery, and the Holy Blessing is insurance against curses or corruption effects. Both could be absolute lifesavers in the right circumstances."
"You know," Rudy said thoughtfully, adjusting his shield strap, "a month ago, the most magical thing in my life was wondering if my dad's sword techniques actually worked in real combat. Now I'm casually discussing magical grenades and anti-curse insurance."
"Welcome to the wonderful world of fantasy adventure," Jin replied with theatrical grandeur.
With their new equipment properly distributed and stored, Jin turned toward the final riddle archway. They'd solved five out of six possible puzzles—an impressive rate that had earned them some serious shortcuts through the maze. But there was still one more challenge waiting.
"Ready for the final riddle?" Jin asked, though he was already walking toward the last archway. "After this, we should have bypassed almost the entire labyrinth."
Rudy fell into step beside him, shield now strapped to his left arm while his right hand rested comfortably on his sword hilt. "Lead the way, riddle master."
The final archway loomed before them, its inscription glowing with what seemed like softer, more contemplative light:
o__________________________________________o
« I am freely given, yet priceless beyond measure. I require loss to create gain. The selfish cannot understand me, the selfless know me well. Without me, love is hollow; with me, love becomes eternal. What am I? »
o__________________________________________o
Jin read through the riddle twice, frowning slightly as he processed each line. This one felt different from the others—less abstract philosophy and more... personal somehow.
Freely given but priceless. Requires loss to create gain. Selfish people don't understand it, selfless people do...
Love becomes eternal through sacrifice. You have to lose something to gain something greater. Selfish people don't understand because they can't conceive of giving up something for others' benefit...
"Sacrifice," Jin said confidently, pressing his palm against the runes. "The answer is sacrifice."
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then they began to shift.
The golden glow faded to crimson—not the angry red of complete failure, but something more ominous. The runes themselves began to reshape and reform, ancient magic rewriting the very inscription before their eyes.
"What?" Jin stepped back, confusion and frustration warring in his voice. "That has to be right! Sacrifice fits every part of the riddle!"
But even as he spoke, the inscription began to change. The runes shifted and reformed, spelling out new words that made Jin's blood run cold:
o__________________________________________o
"THERE IS NO RIGHT ANSWER.
THERE IS NO WRONG ANSWER.
YOUR WORTH SHALL BE PROVEN BY DEED, NOT WORD.
FACE THE GUARDIAN. SHOW YOUR UNDERSTANDING."
o__________________________________________o
The ground beneath their feet began to tremble with a deep, rhythmic vibration that seemed to come from somewhere far below the ancient stones.
"Jin," Rudy said quietly, raising his shield as stone dust rained from the ceiling.
"Fucking Dungeon designers… There was always forced combat ingrained in the designs…" Jin cursed, his hand instinctively going to Iron Howl's grip.
CRACK
A fissure split the center of the chamber, running from wall to wall with the sound of breaking mountains. The amber light from above flickered and danced as something massive stirred beneath the stone floor.
Then the tree rose.
It erupted from the earth like a tower of living wood, ancient bark scarred with centuries of growth and decay. Branches thick as Jin's torso spread in all directions, leaves rustling with a sound like whispered secrets. The trunk was easily twenty feet wide, stretching up into the chamber's heights until it disappeared into shadow.
But it wasn't just a tree.
From the twisted wood stepped a figure of nightmare—humanoid but wrong, ten feet tall and composed entirely of living bark and vine. Its eyes were hollow pits that glowed with the same amber light as the dungeon. When it moved, joints creaked like old doors, and leaves fell like snow from its massive limbs.
That's a fucking Treant…
The Treant fixed its burning gaze on them both, and when it spoke, its voice was the sound of wind through autumn forests:
"MORTALS. YOU SEEK UNDERSTANDING. BUT WISDOM... WISDOM IS EARNED."
Jin's hand went instinctively to his pistol as his Appraisal skill triggered automatically:
o__________________________________________o
[TRIAL GUARDIAN DETECTED: 100 YEAR TREANT]
[CLASS: ???—FAILED APPRAISAL LEVEL NOT HIGH ENOUGH]
[LEVEL: PEAK ORDER I ???—FAILED APPRAISAL LEVEL NOT HIGH ENOUGH]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: ???—FAILED APPRAISAL LEVEL NOT HIGH ENOUGH]
[WEAKNESSES: ???—ANALYZING... FAILED APPRAISAL LEVEL NOT HIGH ENOUGH]
o__________________________________________o
Fuck.
"Rudy," Jin said quietly, his enhanced boots already shifting his weight onto the balls of his feet.
"Yeah?" Rudy's voice was tight with tension, shield raised and sword ready.
"I may have been optimistic about our survival."
The Treant raised one massive arm, and the sound of creaking wood filled the chamber like a death knell.
~~~