As the final echo of battle faded into the stillness of the ancient ruin, Victor stood hunched over, hands resting on his knees, breath ragged and shoulders trembling.
Ash and sand clung to his coat, and his fingers were raw from hurling every scroll he'd had at the corrupted guardian.
Across the room, the remnants of the massive stone golem began to crumble into a fine dust, its monstrous frame slowly disintegrating.
From the center of the rubble, a soft glow emerged.
Liris stepped forward, her movements steady despite her fatigue. The moment she reached the source of the light, her eyes widened slightly.
Embedded within the chest cavity of the shattered guardian was a glowing mana core, pulsating with a golden-blue light.
Beside it, half-buried in the debris, was a small, triangular pendant wrapped in woven silver and sapphire-blue cord it our reward for clearing the dungeon.
