Lord Of The Lost

The Gambler, who had a Spirit stat of level 8, shook his head in frustration. "By all rights, my Spirit value should be well over five points right now," he grumbled. "I figured I'd be able to shake off the backlash in about a day."

But instead, he was locked out of his account for a full two days.

"The price of forcibly using talents… I'm paying for it now, big time," he sighed, accepting his fate.

Meanwhile, Alex, the player following the assassin path, had a slightly better outcome. He managed to dodge the worst of the penalties and would be able to log in again after a single day's wait.

The five of them regrouped in the forum to tally up their spoils. With the Forum Master's unique talent for detecting lies, there was no question of anyone hiding their share of the treasures. They all laid it out on the table.

"Alright, here's what we got from that hellhole of a castle," William began, detailing their haul: "Three pieces of rare equipment, eight excellent items, 29 gold coins, 263 silver coins, 11 magic gems, and a handful of special items."

It was a trove of treasures that glittered with possibilities.

Gambler couldn't hold back his excitement. "Brothers! We're rich! Forget dying once, even if I had to die ten times, it would've been worth it for all this loot!"

The Breeze Across the Hills raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "What did you say?"

Gambler gave an awkward chuckle, scratching his head. "Uh… just kidding. It was, uh, just a joke."

But the truth was, they had hit the jackpot. For all the risks they had taken, they now had an impressive collection of valuable items. William was thrilled. Every ounce of effort, every perilous moment in that cursed castle had led to this, and he could hardly believe the bounty they'd amassed.

"You can't get Dragon's Treasures without entering the Dragon's den," he thought to himself, a smirk crossing his face. Snatching treasure from a place like Shadow Castle wasn't for the faint of heart, but the rewards made every terrifying second worth it.

The rare items they had uncovered were impressive: [Death Melody], [Human Skin Book], and [Bloodline Magic Book]. The excellent items were equally intriguing: [Shadow Gem], [Wire Doll], [Silver Fork], [Shadow Cloak], [Demon Blade], [Werewolf Claws], [Golden Goblet], and [Dragon Scale Armor].

Then there were the special items: a [Blood Potion], [Master Key], [Candlestick and Candle], [Magic Pocket], and a [Magic Scroll]. They'd even picked up some jewelry, though it didn't seem to possess any mysterious powers.

Forum Master examined two of the rare items he'd taken responsibility for: the [Death Melody] and the [Human Skin Book]. He began explaining their properties to the group.

"[Death Melody]… now, this is an unsettling piece," he said, looking at the item with a cautious eye. "It's a terrifying composition, a legendary melody rumored to corrupt and demonize anyone who hears it. It's actually part of a larger piece known as the [Cursed Sonata]. I have a feeling we're better off not using this; at least, not until I can fully understand its effects. I need to do a deeper identification to be sure."

He then turned his attention to the [Human Skin Book]. "As for this, it's a notebook belonging to a senior magician. It's filled with fragmented knowledge and instructions for dark magic. Technically, you could learn black magic from it… but it's risky. Carrying this around is like waving a flag that says 'terrorist' to any local folk who see it."

Forum Master's cautious words cast a bit of a damper on their excitement. While they had found rare items, neither the [Death Melody] nor the [Human Skin Book] seemed particularly usable or safe.

Metatron chimed in, holding up the [Bloodline Magic Book] he'd acquired. "This book," he explained, "contains knowledge of the Bloodline path. You could learn all sorts of blood-related magic from it… but there's a catch. Most of the spells are exclusive to the 'Bloodline' path, meaning only those following that path can use them. There are a few general spells, but… not much for the rest of us."

It was a bittersweet moment. They'd returned with extraordinary items, yet the most powerful treasures in their loot couldn't be fully utilized by anyone in the group.

Gambler threw a playful jab at their healer, Xiaomei, unable to resist the opportunity to tease. "This is on you, Xiaomei! You were the one who insisted we grab every book we could find. Now we're stuck with a bunch of forbidden tomes we can't even use!"

Angierolled her eyes. "Oh, really? And here I thought you'd be grateful for all the loot we scored," she shot back, crossing her arms. "Besides, what's a treasure hunt without a little mystery?"

The group shared a laugh, their initial disappointment easing. Despite the setbacks, they'd come out of the castle with their lives and enough wealth to make it all worthwhile.

Metatron simply fell silent, staring at the group chat. His non-response said it all. He wasn't annoyed, he and Gambler had a good-natured relationship, and everyone knew Gambler was just talking big as usual. Nobody took his dramatics too seriously.

Rare items like these were hard to come by, after all. William knew that better than anyone. Just obtaining those two rare items had drained him. He figured the only reason they managed to get the [Bloodline Magic Book] was because of the relentless attacks Gambler and Alex had thrown at the magic barrier, weakening it just enough for him to grab the book.

But without any identification skills, they were left guessing about the true value of each item. For all they knew, they could be lugging around junk.

Forum Master cleared his throat, "Let's start divvying up the loot."

Gambler perked up instantly, his usual enthusiasm bubbling over. "Yes! Spoils time, baby!"

Even Forum Master couldn't help but roll his eyes a little at Gambler's antics. But just then, Alex, who had been lurking quietly, finally chimed in.

"I want the [Shadow Gem] and the [Shadow Cloak]," Alex said bluntly. Those items seemed tailor-made for an assassin like him.

Forum Master nodded, "Once we're all back online, hand over everything to me. I'll appraise them all so we know exactly what we're dealing with, instead of guessing."

"Fine," Alex agreed, "but I still want the [Shadow Gem] and [Shadow Cloak]. My [Hidden Suit] is in shreds."

William and Metatron shared a knowing glance. They both remembered that moment when Alex had suddenly turned to face them in the castle, the sound of his cloak tearing in the darkness. Even high-grade gear had durability limits, apparently.

"Ah, speaking of broken gear, my Thorn Armor didn't make it out either," Gambler added, sighing.

Breeze Across the Hills spoke up, "In that case, we can consider the [Shadow Cloak] as a replacement for Alex's Hidden Suit. Gambler, you can pick something else as compensation for the armor."

William was sure Gambler would go for the [Werewolf Fist and Claw]. It seemed like a perfect match for Gambler's talent, [Chaos Attack]. But to everyone's surprise, Gambler picked the [Golden Goblet] instead.

"Seriously?" William couldn't hold back his reaction.

Gambler grinned. "I met this guy at the gambling house back in Border Town. A real drinker. He gave me the thorn armor, so it wouldn't feel right to show up empty-handed next time."

William shook his head, speechless. Typical Gambler, more interested in maintaining his connections than upgrading his gear.

In truth, the [Hidden Suit] and [Thorn Armor] were both low-quality, albeit well-made, items. The sophisticated-grade equipment they'd found in the castle was of a far higher standard, offering stronger effects. But no one seemed to care about the finer details right now.

With Gambler and Alex settled, only six of the eight excellent-grade items remained. They had a merit-based system for loot distribution, so next up was deciding who had earned the right to choose first.

Metatron broke the silence. "Breeze made the biggest contributions. He used the [Invisibility Cloak] and burned through a lot of spiritual oil for the [Developing Lantern]. He should get the first pick."

Forum Master nodded in agreement, "No arguments here."

Since Metatron had organized the whole operation, everyone respected his judgment, even if William felt a bit uncertain. There were several excellent items left, each more tempting than the last.

The [Dragon Scale Armor] caught his eye. It provided top-tier physical and magical defense, a tempting choice for anyone looking to increase their survivability. But William hesitated. His mind was racing. More gear meant more options, but did he really need it?

He realized something important. Adding another piece of equipment wouldn't necessarily make him stronger; in fact, it could even disrupt his fighting style. Wielding multiple weapons or relying on a slew of abilities didn't guarantee victory. In a real battle, he wouldn't have the luxury to cycle through skills or weapons. He'd need a single, decisive move.

He thought of his [Piercing Attack]; simple, but effective. Over time, he'd honed it, learning to deliver it with a precision that felt almost unstoppable. One skill, executed perfectly, seemed to trump a whole arsenal of scattered techniques.

After a moment of reflection, he made his choice. "I'll take the [Dragon Scale Armor]," he said, feeling the weight of his decision settle on his shoulders. This armor wouldn't boost his offense, but it would ensure he stayed in the fight longer, a crucial edge in battles to come.

The group acknowledged his choice, and the division continued smoothly. William couldn't help but feel that mastering a single move was sometimes more powerful than chasing every shiny new skill or weapon.