NOVEL NEXT Chapter 71: Rest
Wade pushed himself up with a groan, his muscles protesting every motion.
The loot left behind by the dragon glowed on the floor, scattered in a loose pile on the column.
"Let's see what you left me," he muttered, stepping forward.
At the center of the platform lay two skill stones, both faintly glowing with pale light.
He picked one up and examined it, the familiar blue screen appearing before his eyes:
[Bone Wings]
[Allows the user to manifest skeletal wings for short-duration flight or gliding.]
[Requirements: 70 Strength, 50 Constitution, 50 Perception, 50 Agility]
[Cost: 3 Mana per second]
A grin appeared on his face. "Now that's new."
This was a high level skill that he didn't even have the requirements to use right now.
It would sell for at least 50,000 coins. And just like that, he had enough to pay back two weeks worth of debt.
He turned to the second stone, and it had the same name and description.
"Two of the same skill? Guess the dungeon's feeling generous." He pocketed both, deciding he'd keep one for himself.
Next was a small pile of stones glowing faintly, ten blue, and ten red.
He crouched, brushing his fingers over them.
The blue ones shimmered softly, their energy gentle and flowing. They were Mana Stones.
Each one added a single point to total mana capacity. Just minor boosts, but they stacked.
Beside them, the red stones shimmered faintly with inner warmth. They were Health Stones.
These were rarer. And far more valuable.
Stat stones were particularly cheap, but these?
Health and mana stones didn't boost attributes, they directly increased his total HP or MP, permanently.
He did the math in his head. Each one was worth about 300 coins per point. Together, the set would sell for around 6,000 coins.
"Not bad," he muttered, sweeping them into his inventory.
Finally, he sat back down, closing his eyes.
His breathing slowed as Mana Siphon quietly drew ambient energy from the air around him.
The faint shimmer of mana drifted toward him, invisible currents feeding back into his veins.
Slowly, his reserves began to refill.
When the dull ache in his limbs had faded, he retrieved a small bandage roll, cleaning and wrapping his arm where the dragon's tail had grazed him earlier.
Then, he reached into his inventory again, pulling out a bit of dried meat and bread.
The simple meal quickly filled his stomach.
When he was done, he stood and faced forward.
Three new tiles shimmered in the distance. Yellow, red, and green.
He didn't hesitate this time.
"Yellow," he said, and stepped forward.
The air shimmered around him as his body dissolved into light, and in the next instant, he reappeared atop another yellow-topped column.
The moment his boots touched the surface, the familiar message appeared before his eyes.
[Safe Passage Tile Confirmed.]
He nodded at it, dismissing it with his left hand.
He stood there for a few seconds, wondering whether to keep going or stay here for a bit.
He decided to stay. What was the purpose of getting a yellow topped column and not using it?
With nothing trying to kill him for the moment, he sat down, laying his broken sword beside him, and stretched out across the warm stone.
The flickers of the giant touches made the shadows dance around him, and the distant sound of clattering bones of the spectators reached his ears like it was a lullaby.
He drifted off, sinking into a shallow sleep.
When he woke, it was to the sound of cheering bones again.
The skeletal crowd that filled the seats above was alive, if one could call it that, stomping, rattling, clapping, all for him.
They were like NPCs of a video game, making the sounds, even though he hadn't done anything particularly outstanding.
He sat up, rubbing his eyes, muttering, "You people have too much free time."
But deep down, he couldn't help but smirk.
Every victory and every moment survived meant profit. Real profit.
And the best part? None of it would ever touch the guild's ledgers.
They'd see him as just another adventurer grinding his way through quests, never knowing that he was out here, reaping rewards the guild couldn't tax or claim.
There would be no taxes, no debt collectors, and no cut to anyone but him.
He leaned back on his elbows, savoring the thought.
"This," he said softly, "is what freedom looks like."
He stood, dusting himself off, and turned his gaze to the next columns.
There were two choices before him.
Red and green.
He remembered the golem from before, and how every strike against it had nearly shattered his sword arm.
He wasn't eager to repeat that experience.
"Let's try something different," he muttered, tightening his grip on his weapon. "Green it is."
He teleported, vanishing from the yellow column and reappearing on a green platform.
The surface beneath his boots was cold, unnaturally so.
The pale green light of the tile dimmed, the color draining away until the stone was almost black.
Thin cracks began to appear, glowing faintly with a sickly green hue.
Then, from those fissures, mist began to seep upward, curling and swirling around his legs.
"Yeah… this doesn't look good," he said under his breath, raising his sword.
The mist thickened, the air growing heavy with the scent of decay.
Then came the sound. The dry scrape of bone grinding against bone.
From the heart of the green fog, a shape took form.
A massive skeletal manticore emerged, its ribcage creaking as it straightened.
Its skull was that of a lion, with long fangs that glinted faintly in the green light.
Bony wings unfurled from its back, each joint clicking like broken glass.
Its tail, a long, jointed spine, ended in a jagged stinger that dripped with viscous, glowing venom.
Wade took a step back, grimacing. "Of course it's poisonous. Why wouldn't it be?"
The creature's jaw opened, releasing a low, guttural rumble that built into a full, thunderous roar.
The sound was like the clatter of countless bones crashing together.
Wade settled into his stance, the wind from the manticore's wings sweeping past him.
"Well," he muttered, "let's dance."