Chapter 40: Rewards

Liam opened the reward notifications.

Several lines of text appeared before him.

[Dungeon Boss Defeated!]

[You have received 15,000 Experience Points.]

[You have obtained: Frozen Ruler’s Core.]

[You have obtained: Froststeel Greatsword.]

[You have obtained: Frozen Armor Set.]

[You have obtained: Frost Crystal × 10.]

Liam examined the rewards.

The Frozen Ruler’s Core was a special material dropped by the boss. It contained a large amount of frost energy and could be used to craft equipment or strengthen certain ice-related abilities.

The Froststeel Greatsword was a weapon made from a rare metal found inside the dungeon. It was far too large for Liam to use, but it could be sold for a good price.

The Frozen Armor Set was also valuable. It provided strong protection against cold and frost-based attacks.

’Not bad. These rewards should be worth quite a bit.’

He stored the items in his inventory.

Yogesh was also checking his rewards.

"Whoa! We got a lot of experience from that boss!"

Liam nodded.

"Yeah. And the materials aren’t bad either."

Yogesh looked at the items he had received.

"I got a Froststeel Greatsword too. It’s pretty heavy, but I can probably sell it."

"That’s what I’m planning to do."

Yogesh then remembered something.

"Wait. What about our competition?"

Liam looked at him.

"What about it?"

"Who killed more monsters?"

Liam smiled.

"I think I won."

Yogesh immediately protested.

"How? I killed plenty of them!"

"Then you should have kept count."

Yogesh stared at him.

"You didn’t count either!"

Liam shrugged.

"Then I guess we’ll never know."

Yogesh sighed.

"You’re seriously annoying."

Liam laughed.

After collecting the remaining materials from the boss room, they made their way back through the dungeon.

With the Frozen Crypt Ruler defeated, the dungeon’s monsters had become much less active. They still encountered a few along the way, but none of them posed a serious threat.

Eventually, they reached the entrance.

The moment they stepped outside, the cold air of the dungeon was replaced by the warmer breeze of the real world.

Yogesh stretched his arms.

"Finally! I was getting tired of that cold."

Liam nodded.

"Let’s find something to eat."

"Good idea. I’m starving."

They headed toward a nearby café.

A Break After the Dungeon

The café was not far from the dungeon entrance. It was a popular place for Dream Walkers to rest after exploring the nearby dungeons.

The two friends found a table near the window and ordered some food and drinks.

While they waited, Yogesh leaned back in his chair.

"That was a pretty good dungeon run."

Liam nodded.

"Yeah. We gained a lot of experience, and the boss rewards were decent."

Yogesh grinned.

"Especially that boss fight. I didn’t expect a Level 80 monster to be that strong."

"It was stronger than the ordinary monsters, but its attacks were predictable once we understood how it fought."

Yogesh looked at him.

"Easy for you to say. You were standing behind those little Evil Eyes most of the time."

Liam smiled.

"They were useful, weren’t they?"

"Useful? They were attacking from every direction! I could barely tell which ones were yours and which ones were attacking the boss."

Liam chuckled.

"That’s the point."

Their food arrived, and the two began eating.

For a while, they talked about the dungeon, the monsters they had encountered, and the skills they had used during the boss battle.

Yogesh was especially interested in Liam’s Dark Storm.

"That storm of yours was insane. It damaged the boss even through its armor."

Liam considered his words.

"Dark Storm is an area attack. It can hit a target repeatedly, so it’s useful against enemies with strong defenses."

"Can you use it again?"

"Of course. But it consumes quite a bit of energy."

Yogesh nodded thoughtfully.

"I should probably focus on improving my own skills. My Spirit Wolf is strong, but I still need to become better at fighting alongside it."

"Your coordination was pretty good during the boss fight," Liam said. "You just need more experience."

Yogesh smiled.

"That’s why I wanted to explore a dungeon with you."

Liam took a sip of his drink.

"We can do it again sometime."

Yogesh looked excited.

"Really? Then let’s find another dungeon next time!"

"Let’s not rush. We should check our levels and see what we need to improve first."

Yogesh nodded.

"Fair enough."

After a moment, he leaned forward.

"By the way, have you decided what you’re going to do next? Are you planning to spend more time in the Dream Dimension?"

Liam thought about it.

He had only recently completed his Dream Trial, and there was still a lot he wanted to explore. The Dream Dimension held countless opportunities to become stronger, and his Reality Reversal talent made it even more valuable.

"Probably," he answered. "There’s still a lot I need to learn about my abilities."

Yogesh nodded.

"I want to explore it too. But my parents are still worried about me entering dangerous places."

"That’s understandable. The Dream Dimension isn’t exactly safe."

Yogesh sighed.

"They keep telling me to take it slow."

"Then take it slow. You don’t need to rush into dangerous areas just to become stronger."

Yogesh gave him a look.

"That’s funny coming from you."

Liam raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"You just challenged a Level 80 boss with me!"

Liam laughed.

"We were prepared for it."

Yogesh shook his head, smiling.

The two continued chatting as they finished their meal.

They talked about school starting soon, their plans for the coming weeks, and the things they wanted to accomplish as Dream Walkers.

By the time they left the café, the sun had begun to move lower in the sky.

Yogesh stretched again.

"That was a good day."

Liam nodded.

"Yeah. We should head home."

They said goodbye and went their separate ways.

As Liam walked home, he checked his inventory once more.

The Frozen Ruler’s Core and the other materials were safely stored inside.

’Today was worthwhile.’

He had gained experience, tested his skills, and learned more about his Dream Race manifestation.

But most importantly, he had confirmed that his current strength was enough to challenge a powerful Tier 2 dungeon boss.

Liam smiled.

’There’s still a long way to go.’