NOVEL NEXT Chapter 19: Done here
After a while, they finally overcame the horde.
Vorden's blade was raised high, blood dripping from its edge, his eyes dark with exhaustion and fury.
Wrex, on the other hand, lay sprawled amidst the mangled remains of the slain Shores, his body drenched in crimson.
He was still alive and well at least.
Famished and spent, he drew in slow, laboured breaths before lifting his head to find Vorden standing tall.
His posture was almost reverent, as if offering praise to the heavens.
...Meanwhile, he was actually lost in the thrill of his rewards.
...
[Seeker, you have vanquished multiple Ruinborn-ranked Shores: Gargoyle, Kelican, Damien.]
[1,100 Caculs added.]
[3,200/5,000]
...
'At last. About time I upgraded my Special Sense—this should take me to at least the Fifth Formation, perhaps.'
He instantly invested 3,000 Caculs into upgrading the Black Ice Special Sense, raising it to the expected Fifth Formation.
...
[Upgraded]
[Black Ice, Fifth Formation]
[New Techniques Unlocked]
...
His lips curled slightly upwards before he turned to Wrex, who still lay weak on the ground.
"Hey. Wait here for me. I'll go find the Gate Stone and get us out of here right now. If you feel like killing yourself, it's easy—just take a walk." Vorden warned before heading towards one of the rooms.
Wrex managed a rough chuckle.
His eyes dulled, as if he were on the verge of passing out.
Yet, he seemed pleased about one thing.
And it was clear why.
With eighteen Shores in total, and Vorden having slain eleven, that meant the remaining seven had fallen to him.
Which also meant he had, at most, received 280 Caculs.
A complete rip-off by Glory—imagine risking your life for such a measly reward.
But Wrex didn't seem to mind.
Instead... he was grinning uncontrollably.
Suddenly, a white flame engulfed him, its radiance consuming his body as his wounds began to heal.
His hair flared up, and the blood staining him evaporated into nothing.
Within moments, his strength returned, and his injuries vanished as though they had never existed.
"Thank the heavens I have such a Special Sense..." he muttered, still lying on the ground.
***
The sound of ice fracturing and rupturing through the stone reverberated across the vast chamber.
Shards of black ice detonated from the windows, scattering like lethal splinters.
Suspended in mid-air, the fragments coalesced, forming a spear that shot back into the room, rending flesh with merciless precision.
The cacophony was unavoidable.
The ice relentlessly twisted and churned, eviscerating anything in its path.
At one point, when its mass grew substantial, it sculpted itself into the likeness of a knight—towering.
In its grip, a dagger materialised from the remaining shards.
However, the knight's form proved ephemeral.
It managed a single strike before disintegrating back into glacial fragments.
Its structure was frail, but the devastation it inflicted was absolute.
Crimson streaked the walls in grotesque patterns.
Vorden stood at the centre of the slaughter, orchestrating the carnage with unwavering control—his Black Ice guiding his every command.
Slouching against the wall, he manoeuvred the frozen projectiles with deft movements of his hands.
Each time his fingers clenched, the ice wormed its way into the Kelicans' flesh, rupturing them from within.
A portion of the swirling frost coiled around him, forming an unyielding barrier that shielded him from the bloodied onslaught.
Suddenly, a single Kelican, driven by primal desperation, tore free from the massacre and lunged at its executioner.
Vorden.
Instantly, his barricade dissolved, reforming into serrated spikes that coiled around the creature like a vice.
Before it could react, the sharpened ice punctured its body from every direction.
The moment its life was extinguished, the spikes retreated, seamlessly reconstructing the protective shield.
...
[Seeker, you have vanquished triple Ruinborn-ranked Shores: Kelican.]
[300 Caculs added.]
[500/5,000]
...
At last, it was finished.
"Pfft, back to the grind again." He cast a glance at his Caculs balance, unimpressed.
Yet, what he assumed to be his only reward was far from the truth.
"Huh? More?"
...
[Bonus]
[Two Gate Stones added to (Augmentations).]
[Seeker has cleared out this Night.]
[Glory!]
...
Vorden exhaled slowly. "Ohh. Finally."
However, his voice lacked the thrill of victory.
A frown tugged at his lips.
Greed gnawed at him.
It still wasn't enough.
He was relieved that they no longer had to search for the Gate Stones.
Glory had granted them—two, no less.
That meant if he embarked on another Night Shift, he could effortlessly escape using the second one.
Now, the overwhelming power coursing through him was becoming undeniable—just as his character was always meant to be.
He was starting to make his fellow Top-Level Seekers seem feeble in comparison.
Power had finally conspired with him.
And with that, he was ready for the academy.
Vorden had already made up his mind. If anyone backed him into a corner, he wouldn't simply endure it for the sake of concealing his true strength.
No.
He would obliterate them.
Swiftly. Mercilessly.
Vorden was, of course, referring to the Main Character—albeit indirectly.
Upon returning to Wrex, he revealed one of the two Gate Stones.
Wrex's eyes widened in disbelief.
"We are free. Hell lost again!"
At long last, it was over.
Cleared.
They offered their condolences to the two Seekers who had perished.
As was customary, if they had families, those left behind would receive substantial compensation.
In fact, there were always rumours—whispers of those who secretly wished their kin dead, just to claim the wealth.
Not that such cases had ever been proven.
But then again, in this world…
What was truly impossible?
***
All was done, and all was gained.
They had returned to the world.
Vorden and Wrex shared a reward of 10,000 Biel, with Wrex taking 40% and the remainder going to Vorden, who had claimed most of the kills during the Night Shift.
Now, Vorden was headed home in a taxi. Its aerial route was swift, as always.
Upon arrival, he paid his fare using a portion of the 60% he had received.
The biometric sensors activated, prompting the door to dematerialise momentarily before reconstructing itself once he was inside.
Out of the blue, a pungent, acrid scent invaded Vorden's senses.
Something was burning.
No—something close to charred flesh.
His expression twisted into a deep scowl.
His instincts immediately sharpened.
A surge of unease crawled up his spine, his grip tightening around the strap of his bag.
Before he could take another step, a sudden blur of motion rushed toward him—one of the household robots.
Its normally neutral display had contorted into a frightened emoji, flashing red with urgent distress signals.
His frown deepened.
The bots never reacted like this unless something had gone seriously wrong.
A cold, commanding tone left his lips.
His voice was edged with both irritation and growing concern.
"May! May! You better be standing in front of me in seconds!"
Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the source of the stench, his pulse quickening.
Then, he skidded to a halt.
His gaze locked onto the kitchen.
...Siblings?
Inside stood Amy.
Beside her, his younger brother, Sky.
And between them was May, stiff as a statue.
Vorden's jaw clenched.
"What are you guys doing here???"