I Can Extract Game Items

"Enough," snapped Lyra Duskbane, their Level 35 Ranger. Her sharp features and raven-black hair gave her a menacing appearance. "If we want to win, we can't waste time bickering. Let's just keep moving."

Bringing up the rear were Jax Stonefang, a Level 34 Berserker, and Eve Starwhisper, a Level 36 Cleric.

Jax grinned wolfishly as he hefted his battleaxe, clearly enjoying the pace, while Eve remained quiet with her hands clasped tightly around her glowing staff.

The group entered a cavernous chamber filled with massive stone pillars that seemed to reach into infinity.

Strange, luminescent moss coated the walls, casting an eerie green light across the room. In the center stood a pack of large beasts resembling wolves but with molten rock for fur and glowing yellow eyes.

[ System Notification: Lavafang Alpha (Level 35) ×1

Lavafang Minion (Level 34) ×5 ]

Serena smirked. "These fools will barely slow us down. Jax, Thane, you're up. Lyra, cover them. Eve, keep everyone alive."

Jax let out a battle cry while charging forward with reckless abandon. "Finally, something to smash!"

[ System Notification:* Jax Stonefang has activated Raging Strike. 2,000 Damage dealt to Lavafang Minion. ]

The beast yelped as Jax's axe cleaved into its side, but the others lunged forward to retaliate. Thane stepped in front, slamming his shield into the ground.

[ System Notification: Thane Ironsoul has activated Bulwark of the Iron Wall. All damage reduced by 40% for 10 seconds. ]

"Is that all you've got?" Thane taunted as the Lavafangs' fiery claws scraped harmlessly against his shield.

Meanwhile, Lyra climbed onto one of the pillars with her bowstring taut. "I'll make this quick."

[ System Notification: Lyra Duskbane has activated Piercing Volley. 1,200 Damage dealt to all Lavafang Minions. ]

The arrows struck true, piercing through the beasts' molten hides. Serena wasted no time, raising her staff as a fiery aura surrounded her.

[ System Notification: Serena Blackthorn has cast Infernal Blaze. 6,500 AoE Damage dealt to all enemies. ]

The Lavafang Minions collapsed in fiery heaps, leaving only the Alpha standing.

The massive beast howled as its molten fur flared brighter while it lunged at Serena. Thane intercepted, blocking the attack with his shield, but the force sent him skidding back several feet.

"Eve, now!" Serena shouted.

Eve stepped forward and chanted a healing spell with her melodic voice.

[ System Notification: Eve Starwhisper has cast Radiant Light. Party members restored by 5,000 HP. ]

Jax leaped onto the Alpha's back, driving his axe into its neck with a triumphant roar.

[ System Notification: Jax Stonefang has activated Decapitating Blow. 7,000 Damage dealt to Lavafang Alpha. ]

The Alpha let out a loud growl before collapsing as its molten body hardened into stone.

[ System Notification: Lavafang Alpha (Level 38) defeated. ]

"Easy," Jax voiced while chuckling in triumph. "We're tearing through this place."

"Because I'm leading," Serena said smugly, inspecting the loot that had dropped.

[ Loot Acquired: Lava Core ×3, Obsidian Shard ×5, Gold ×150. ]

Serena pocketed the Lava Cores while distributing the rest among the party. "Let's keep moving. We can't afford to let Aria get ahead."

Thane crossed his arms. "Do you ever stop to think about how petty this is?"

"Petty?" Serena's eyes narrowed. "Do you have any idea how long she's been flaunting her little victories in front of me? Always acting like she's better than me. Well, not this time."

"Aria probably doesn't even care about you," Lyra muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" Serena snapped.

"Nothing," Lyra replied innocently.

Eve sighed. "We all want to clear this dungeon. Let's focus on that instead of your personal vendettas."

Serena huffed but said nothing more while leading the group deeper into the dungeon.

...

...

August and the others trudged cautiously through the 91st floor of the Ancient Swordking's Dungeon.

The corridors pulsed faintly with red and blue hues, casting eerie shadows along the cracked stone walls. Every so often, the echoes of distant growls reverberated.

Aria led the group with her staff glowing faintly, illuminating the path ahead. "That makes three commanders so far," she muttered with both exhaustion and determination. "If this pattern holds, we'll face another one at floor 100."

Drask swung his massive axe over his shoulder. "Well, they're not making this easy for us, that's for sure. What was that last one? A damn swordsman with flames shooting out of his strikes?"

Torin smirked. "You mean the one who nearly sent you flying out of your boots? Yeah, I remember him."

Viora giggled softly, adjusting her cleric robes. "Let's not forget I'm the one keeping you alive, Drask."

Drask grunted. "And I thank you for it every time."

As they moved, August opened his Player Status Panel to review his progress.

The fight against the corrupted commander on the 90th floor had pushed him to Level 30, and he'd noticed two new skills had been unlocked.

---

<< Player Status Panel >>

Name: Aleman

Class: Assassin/Mage

Title: Sovereign of Anti-Darkness

Level: 30

EXP: 10,500/1,150,000

HP: 15,200/15,200

MP: 9,000/9,000

Gold: 20,120

Skills:

- Shadow Dance (Assassin)

- Stealth (Assassin)

- Hidden Strike (Assassin)

- Dash (Assassin) [Level 3]

- Lightning Bolt (Mage)

- Arcane Shield (Mage)

- Ethereal Storm (Custom Mage)

- Phantom Splice (Assassin) [New]

- Wind Surge (Mage) [New]

Inventory:

- Enhanced Dagger

- Custom Staff

- Cloak of Echoes (Bound)

- Shadow Cloak

- Minor Health Amulet

- Phantom Boots

- Devil Fang Daggers

- Mana Crystals ×5

- Health Potions ×6

- Mana Potions ×7

- Wind-Swept Cloak Fragment

- Enchanted Mirror

...

---

[ System Notification: You Have Acquired Two New Skills ]

- Phantom Splice (Assassin): Instantly create a clone that can use up to 30% of your abilities. Cooldown: 1 minute.

- Wind Surge (Mage): Instantly sends out a wave of powerful wind in any direction of your choice. Cooldown: 2 minutes.

---

As he scanned the details, another notification flashed.

[ System Notification: You Have Qualified for Tier 2 Magic and Assassin Skills Test. ]Nôv(el)B\\jnn

[ Pass Tier 2 Test to Unlock Tier 2 Magic and Skills. ]

"What the…" August muttered to himself while raising an eyebrow. The others turned to look at him.

"What's wrong?" Aria asked with a look of concern.

August shook his head. "Nothing major. Just got notified that I qualify for Tier 2 Magic, but I can't take the test while we're in the dungeon."

"Woah... I haven't even qualified yet and I have a higher level," Aria voiced in disbelief.

"Yeah man that's really a big deal," Torin inputted.

Gareth chuckled. "Those tests aren't easy though..."

"No, they're not... Still, not everyone gets the chance to take them. They are only a handful of tier-two players in the game," Aria voiced in reverence.

As they marched forward, they continued to speak on this topic while keeping their eyes peeled for enemies.

The walls of the 91st floor seemed darker, almost oppressive.

Soon they reached an area with ancient carvings along the walls that glowed faintly, telling fragmented stories of the Swordking's past. Such a sight was no longer uncommon but still, the group paused briefly before a particularly large mural.

Aria studied the carvings. "This… this looks like the story of how the Swordking fell into darkness."

The mural depicted a once-proud king holding a glowing fruit high above his head. Around him, his kingdom burned as shadowy figures with cruel smiles watched from the distance. His people were shown kneeling, chained, and broken.