[Congratulations! Boss defeated and dungeon cleared!]

[Exit Stone generated.]

[Congratulations! You have slain: Skeletal Hydra!]

He blinked at the words, before a tired grin crept in on his face.

"Almost died in the process too," he muttered, almost laughing. "You were one tough bastard."

But the messages weren't done. More windows flooded into view, overlapping until he had to wave a hand to minimize them.

[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]

[Level: 7↑]

[+5 unassigned stat points]

Wade straightened, brushing the dust and bone fragments from his armor.

Level seven. That meant he'd gone up four levels in a single dungeon.

His fingers twitched at the thought. Each level meant more power, more survivability, and a step closer to true independence from the guilds.

He turned, surveying the remains of the battlefield. The once pristine white tiles were scorched black, riddled with cracks and holes where the hydra's attacks had landed.

Near the center of the arena, surrounded by a faint blue shimmer, sat the loot.

Three objects arranged neatly. A chest, and two glowing stones, with the exit crystal floating above the ground like a piece of captured moonlight.

"Let's see what you've got for me," Wade said, limping towards the chest.

The chest was bigger than the ones he'd looted from the previous monsters.

Its surface was carved with skeletal motifs, bones intertwined like vines.

The lock popped open with a click the moment his hand touched it, reacting to his clearance as the dungeon's victor.

Inside, coins gleamed in carefully arranged stacks. They were piles of gold, more than he'd seen in one chest loot before. A message blinked above the open chest.

[Loot Acquired: 5,000 Coins]

He exhaled, almost whistling. "Damn."

Five thousand coins in just one chest. That was more than some adventurers made in a week of quests.

He closed the lid, tapping the corner, and it shimmered into particles before vanishing into his inventory.

As he straightened, he pondered on something he'd realized an hour into this dungeon.

The loot from this dungeon wasn't normal.

He'd noticed the difference even before, but now it was undeniable.

The rewards were premium-tier. The kind of loot usually reserved for high-grade dungeons controlled by major guilds.

Yet this was a single-layer dungeon, and it was giving him wealth and skill stones worth small fortunes.

He frowned slightly, rubbing his chin. "The Dimensional Ledger really doesn't play fair," he murmured. "But I'll take it."

At this rate, he thought, running the numbers quickly in his head, he wouldn't need more than three dungeon runs to completely clear his debt to Viscount Fairchild, interest and all.

And if he picked the right dungeons, if he chained his trades well, he might even get ahead.

He grinned. Debt-free Wade Barrett. That had a nice ring to it.

Turning to the next items, he crouched beside the glowing skill stones.

Both glowed with inner light, one red, and one ivory white streaked with faint orange veins.

He reached for the red one first, and the description appeared immediately.

[Bone Spike]

[Allows the user to generate and shoot bone spikes from their palm.]

"Bone magic, huh?" Wade said aloud, rolling the stone in his palm. It had a certain irony. Fighting an entire dungeon of skeletons only to walk out learning their tricks.

He pocketed it, then reached for the second stone. The ivory one shimmered faintly with heat as he lifted it, and the text appeared again.

[Fire Conversion]

[Allows the user to absorb fire-based attacks, converting the absorbed energy into increased speed and reaction time for a limited duration.]

Wade's eyes widened slightly. "You've got to be kidding me."

To absorb fire and use it as movement? For someone who already specialized in Fireburst, it was the perfect synergy.

He stared at the stone, his mind racing with possibilities.

In a fight, he could intentionally trigger explosions near himself, using the resulting flames to enhance his movement and attacks.

He could redirect fire spells, and turn enemy magic into his strength.

It was as if the dungeon itself had tailored his rewards.

"Not bad," he whispered, smiling faintly. "Not bad at all."

He sent both stones to his inventory, then turned to the last item, the floating exit crystal.

As he touched it, another notification appeared.

[Exit Dungeon?]

[Yes / No]

Wade's hand hovered for a moment. He looked back one last time at the silent, empty colosseum.

The skeletal spectators were gone, and the King's royal box dark and vacant.

It was strange. After all the chaos, the silence felt sacred.

He smiled faintly. "Thanks for the show."

He pressed Yes.

Light engulfed him instantly, washing away the cracked arena, the abyss, and the smell of ash and bone.

When his vision cleared, he was standing in his apartment.

The familiar warmth of his lantern flickered on the walls. However, it was day, the light of the sun streaming in through the cracks of his curtains.

He'd spent the entire night in the dungeon.

He blinked a few times, disoriented from the sudden shift, then let out a long sigh of relief.

He was home.

His gaze drifted to his hand. The Bone Key sat there, faintly glowing. Only this time, something new had appeared on its surface, a faint number etched in dull white light.

[Bone Key]

[9 / 10 uses remaining]

"Ten uses total…" Wade muttered, running a thumb across it. "Guess that's the catch."

It made sense. The Dimensional Ledger was all about balance, which meant there were no free rides.

Now, he had an answer as to why it took ten cosmic value points to get the key. Each point meant one use.

The key gave him access to power and profit far beyond what guild adventurers could get, but it wasn't infinite.

Ten runs per dungeon. Then the key would likely crumble or vanish, forcing him to earn another.

"Smart system," he said under his breath. "Keeps me working for it."

He tucked the key away and took a deep breath. His body protested immediately.

His muscles screamed. His ribs ached. And his left arm throbbed from where the Hydra's poison had nearly dissolved through.

"Alright, alright. Point taken," he groaned. "Healer first. Loot later."

He unequipped his armor, the Dragon Plate dissolving into light before vanishing into his inventory with a soft hum.

The rest of his gear followed. Pauldrons, boots, necklace, all sealed away neatly.

The quiet felt heavy now, the rush of combat gone, replaced by the dull throb of exhaustion.

He walked to the mirror beside his door. His reflection looked back.

Disheveled white hair, bright purple eyes, ash-streaked face, with cuts along his cheek and temple.

He was stronger. Not just in stats or power, but in presence.

He rested a hand on the doorknob, pausing for a brief moment. A small, satisfied smirk appeared on his face.

"Not bad for a guy in debt," he muttered.

Then he stepped out into the corridor, locking the door behind him.

The afternoon sun beat down on the city as he descended the steps.

He pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders, his mind already shifting from battle mode to business.

There'd be time later to analyze his loot, assign stat points, and plan the next run. For now, he needed to get patched up.

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