Varek remained silent for a moment after Kael’s words.
The former Quasi-Transcendent seemed unusually hesitant, as though carefully considering how to phrase whatever was on his mind.
Eventually, he inclined his head.
"Master, there is something I wish to request."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Go on."
Varek glanced toward the massive crystal embedded within the throne before speaking.
"If possible, could Master refrain from destroying this pocket dimension’s core?"
Kael’s brows immediately furrowed.
The core?
The Instance Core?
That was the very thing he had planned on destroying to leave this place after all, every instance required the core’s destruction to complete the clear.
Before he could ask further, Varek continued.
"Actually, before Master’s arrival, I had originally planned to use the core’s energy to restore part of my strength."
His silver eyes settled on the dull coloured crystal.
"Now that I serve under Master, I wish to continue with that plan, assuming Master permits it."
Kael’s expression became thoughtful.
Honestly...
The proposal wasn’t bad.
The core would be destroyed regardless.
If Varek could absorb its energy instead, then the result was essentially the same.
The only difference was that the energy wouldn’t go to waste.
And now that Varek belonged to him, strengthening Varek was effectively strengthening his own forces.
A stronger subordinate was never a bad thing.
"How long would it take?"
Varek answered almost immediately.
"A week. Possibly slightly longer."
Kael’s face darkened.
A week?
That was a bit much.
If it had been an hour or two, he wouldn’t have minded staying behind.
But an entire week?
That wasn’t realistic.
He still had too many things to do outside.
Seeing the dissatisfaction on Kael’s face, Varek quickly spoke again.
"There is no need for Master to remain here."
"Hm?"
"The core serves as the control center of this entire pocket dimension."
As he spoke, Varek placed a hand against his chest.
"As long as Master wishes it, I can open a portal that will return you to the exact location where you first entered."
Kael blinked.
"You can do that?"
A portal that bypassed the usual instance clearing process?
That sounded incredibly convenient.
Varek simply nodded.
A smile immediately appeared on Kael’s face.
"If that’s possible, then let’s do it."
"As you command, Master."
Varek rose from his seat and slowly approached the throne.
The crystal embedded within it pulsed rhythmically like the heart of the pocket dimension itself.
The moment his hand touched the surface of the core, the entire throne room trembled.
A surge of energy exploded outward.
Space twisted.
The air distorted.
Then a massive portal slowly materialized in the center of the room.
Its surface rippled like liquid silver.
Varek stepped aside.
"As long as Master walks through, it will return you to the exact point where you entered."
Kael nodded.
Just as he was about to step forward, Varek suddenly spoke again.
"Ah. There is one more thing."
Before Kael could react, a shadow tendril shot out from the ground.
The darkness condensed rapidly before forming a small creature no larger than a fist.
The little shadow being darted across the floor and leaped directly into Kael’s shadow.
Then vanished.
Kael looked down.
"...What was that?"
"A tracking construct."
Varek’s tone remained calm.
"Once I finish absorbing the core’s energy and recover some of my strength, I will be able to use it to locate Master and transport myself nearby."
Kael’s eyes brightened.
"Oh."
That was actually useful.
"Alright then."
He adjusted his footing and faced the portal.
"See you in a week."
Without waiting any longer, he stepped through.
Space warped.
The world twisted around him.
For a brief moment, Kael felt as though his body was being stretched across an endless distance.
Then everything snapped back into place.
The familiar heat of the desert greeted him immediately.
Golden sand stretched endlessly in every direction.
The blazing sun hung high overhead.
Kael took a deep breath.
Finally.
He was out of that cursed instance.
Thinking back on everything that had happened inside, however, a smile couldn’t help appearing on his face.
His gains this time had been absurd.
A Quasi-Transcendent subordinate.
An SSS-rank skill.
How truly amazing life was.
But before he could continue his thoughts, a familiar notification appeared.
---
[Congratulations! You have cleared the Drifting Castle of Bael’thun Instance.]
[Enemies Defeated: 8]
[EXP Gained: 46,800]
[Infinite Reward Multiplier — Activated!]
[Multiplier: x3]
[Reward Adjusted]
[EXP Gained: 140,400]
[You’ve Leveled Up x6]
---
The moment the notification disappeared, Kael felt a burning sensation spread through his body.
Heat surged through his muscles.
His bones creaked.
Mana flooded every corner of his body.
Fortunately, the sensation only lasted a few moments.
What followed was a wave of strength unlike anything he had felt before.
Kael clenched his fist.
The air around his hand distorted slightly.
His smile widened.
Six levels.
Not bad.
Before he could check his status, another notification appeared.
---
[Additional Clear Reward Unlocked.]
[Would you like to view it?]
---
"Sure."
The screen immediately changed.
---
[Reward Obtained: D+ Rank Magic Staff]
---
Kael’s expression remained calm.
A magic staff wasn’t bad.
Unfortunately, before he could inspect it properly, another notification forcefully appeared over the first.
---
[Infinite Reward Multiplier — Activated!]
[Multiplier: x100,000]
[Reward Adjusted:]
[Item upgraded: D+ Rank Magic Staff → SSS Rank Staff of Unmaking]
---
"..."
Kael stared at the screen.
Several seconds passed.
The desert wind blew quietly around him.
Yet Kael remained completely motionless.
Eventually, he blinked.
Then blinked again.
"What?"
His voice sounded almost hollow.
A hundred thousand times multiplier?
What sort of nonsense was that?
The day was becoming increasingly ridiculous.
First, he somehow obtained a former Quasi-Transcendent as a subordinate.
Now his talent decided to casually throw a hundred-thousand-times multiplier at him.
At this point, Kael wasn’t even surprised anymore.
No.
That was a lie.
He was very surprised.
Extremely surprised.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly calmed himself.
There was no point standing around in shock.
The item wasn’t going anywhere.
With a thought, he opened his inventory.
A moment later, an exquisite staff materialized in his hand.
The weapon immediately caught his attention.
The shaft appeared to be carved from some ancient golden wood, polished to perfection.
Elegant runic patterns spiraled across its surface.
At the top rested a brilliant blue crystal surrounded by several floating rings of silver metal.
The crystal emitted a faint azure glow that seemed strangely soothing.
It looked less like a weapon and more like an artifact belonging in the treasury of some ancient god.
Kael slowly ran his hand across the smooth surface.
The craftsmanship was flawless.
Not a single imperfection could be found.
His curiosity quickly got the better of him.
Without hesitation, he activated Eye of Judgment.
The item’s information immediately appeared before him.
---
[The Staff of Unmaking]
Rank: SSS (Unique — Soulbound)
Requirements:
• Class: Mage (or Equivalent Magic-Casting Class)
• Level Requirement: None
Abilities:
•—Supreme Lethargy Infusion—•
Enemies struck have a 75% chance to be afflicted with Eternal Slumber for 8 seconds.
Movement speed reduced by 85%.
Attack and casting speed reduced by 65%.
Take 250 damage over time.
Enemies lose 1% of their maximum health every second while affected.
Stacks up to 3 times.
---
•—Aura of Absolute Apathy—•
Toggleable aura.
25-meter radius.
Enemies suffer reduced attack speed, casting speed, and increased cooldowns.
Allies receive enhanced spell power, cooldown reduction, mana regeneration, and damage resistance.
---
•—Despair Cascade—•
Unleashes a devastating wave of lethargic energy.
Applies maximum stacks of Eternal Slumber.
Enemies attacking within the duration risk triggering Despair Echoes.
Provides temporary damage reduction while channeling.
---
•—Mana Vampirism of Sloth—•
Passive.
Increases mana regeneration by 30%.
Restores mana whenever debuffed enemies die.
---
•—Shield of Withering Will—•
Passive.
Converts spent mana into defensive barriers.
Reflects incoming damage as pure despair damage.
---
•—Sloth’s Dominion—•
Passive.
Basic attacks spread miniature versions of Aura of Absolute Apathy.
---