Rewards

Back inside the dungeon, Tyler and the others stood in silence.

The glow of four enormous treasure chests lit the chamber—three gold, and one shining platinum.

"Let's rest first," Kaela whispered. "Heal up. We'll need strength to even open these…"

Tyler's gaze was still distant, his thoughts far away.

If that power came from me… what else is buried inside?

The dungeon air still shimmered faintly with divine energy as Tyler and the others stood before the glowing chests.

Three Gold Chests hummed with arcane symbols—one for Kaela, one for Nysa, and one for Eryk. But the Platinum Chest, the only one of its kind ever seen so far, pulsed with an entirely different force—like the heart of a sleeping god.

"Go on," Kaela said, nudging Tyler. "You earned it."

He gave a small smile, stepping forward, and placed his hand on the platinum surface.

The chest flared with white-gold light.

[Platinum Reward Chest Unlocked]

A surge of blinding radiance exploded upward as the chest opened slowly with a deep metallic groan. Inside were four items:

1. Armor of the Forgotten King (Full Set)

• Type: Elite-Class

• Stat Bonuses:

• +50,000 Agility

• +50,000 Vitality

• +50,000 Strength

• +25,000 Magic Resistance

• Passive Effect: "Temporal Afterimage" – Automatically leaves behind a decoy projection when dodging.

• Enchantment: Immunity to low-tier curses and complete stealth in low-light environments.

2. Heavenpiercer Blade

• Type: Ancient Weapon

• Effect: Deals double damage to enemies of a higher level

• Additional Effect: Critical hits summon heavenly lightning (no cooldown due to Infinite Mana)

3. Skill Tome: Heaven's Domain (Ultimate Skill)

• Description: Create a field where time slows for all enemies while enhancing all allies' stats by x3 for 60 seconds.

• Cooldown: None (due to Infinite Mana)

• Restriction: Can only be used once per real-world hour

4. 15 Billion Credits Transfer Token

• Redeemable directly to Tyler's real-world account

• Authenticated via neural sync

As Tyler absorbed the items, his interface lit up with a golden surge. His tattoos glowed once more—flickering with power that made the air around him tremble.

"Woah," Kaela said, her voice quiet. "You're basically… a walking army."

Tyler turned, giving a half-smile. "Let's see what you all got."

Kaela's Gold Chest contained 

• Weapon: Embercall Bow

• +4,000 Agility

• Arrows burst into flames on impact

• Artifact: Phoenix Feather Cloak

• Passive revive once per in-game day with 25% HP

• Gold Credit Token: 10,000,000 Credits

• Stat Boost: +800 to Dexterity and Perception

Nysa's Gold Chest contained 

• Weapon: Wand of Silent Restoration

• +5,000 to healing spells

• Casts don't alert monsters

• Talisman: Celestial Ward

• Reduces all magic damage to allies by 15% in a radius

• Gold Credit Token: 8,000,000 Credits

• Stat Boost: +750 to Intelligence and Wisdom

Eryk's Gold Chest contained

• Weapon: Frostpierce Arrows (Unlimited)

• 5% chance to freeze enemies

• +4,000 Attack Power

• Ring: Ring of the Huntmaster

• Enhances tracking abilities

• +25% Critical Hit Chance

• Gold Credit Token: 7,000,000 Credits

• Stat Boost: +700 to Strength and Reflex

As the last chest closed and vanished into light, the dungeon pulsed one last time and the portal back to town shimmered into view.

But none of them moved.

They just stood there… absorbing the moment. They were no longer weak players struggling to survive.

They were legends in the making.

Then Tyler spoke. "Before we go… do you guys want to meet? In the real world?"

Kaela glanced at the others, then nodded. "Yeah. Let's make it real."

Nysa smiled. "You saved my life. I want to meet the guy who did that."

Eryk shrugged with a grin. "Might as well. We're practically a guild already."

Tyler smiled.

"Then… see you on the other side."

[LOGGING OUT…]