Chương 26: Blue-Balled Uproar

〈System: You have gained 14,000 EXP.〉

Following the shower of EXP, Kieran stood before Grifear's lifeless carcass with a somewhat blank gaze. The dungeon run was finally over!

The surreal feeling hit him as a golden and white banner coalesced above everyone's head.

┌───────────────────

«Special Partywide Announcement»-

Congratulations on obtaining «Grifear, King of the Forest»'s First Blood and «Forest of Beast»'s First Clear on Very Difficult. Would you like to announce your feat within your area?

└───────────────────

Because the Forest of Beasts was a Beginner Dungeon, the notification would only spread throughout the nearby Beginner Zone. Global announcements were reserved for feats large enough to trigger worldwide renown.

Rather than immediately respond to the prompt, Kieran leaned against the tree near his body and slumped powerlessly. His ears droned as his vision blurred slightly.

He was familiar with the condition, but its presence alarmed Kieran. 'No way… this shouldn't appear so fast. I barely triggered my H-COS, so why am I feeling the drawbacks?'

Contrary to his earlier exuberant state, Kieran felt somewhat feeble.

'Don't tell me my circumstances have led to things I couldn't account for… I had my course of action planned out, but if my H-COS is now an early problem, I must prepare to handle it soon,' Kieran thought.

A moment later, he closed his eyes and regulated his breathing to suppress the nauseous feeling rising from the pit of his stomach.

Once he grabbed ahold of the feeling and managed it, Kieran shifted his attention to the frantic stream chat and the stream of donations that followed the diverse comments.

Some viewers congratulated Kieran and others praised him, but many voiced their scorn, contempt, and skepticism.

'Imagine trying to belittle me as you donate. I wonder if they were dropped on their heads as children. If you want to toss money at me in an attempt to reach me foolishly, I'll gladly accept it,' Kieran inwardly thought with a slight chuckle.

The comments intended to shatter Kieran's confidence, but it was impossible. These viewers were more or less insignificant in his eyes—a means to an end. Aside from that, Kieran couldn't care less.

Once the chat seemed to simmer down, Kieran waved and smirked at the audience. "Until the next time."

The chat had several questions, but Kieran ignored them and directly ended the stream.

Many were furious because he ended the stream at the best part. They needed to know what loot dropped! How could he rob them of this joy?! The viewers felt it was incredibly selfish.

After all, he had cut the stream visuals and audio several times during the run, and it happened during several inticing parts which lead to some viewers feeling the urge to pull their hair out.

However, Kieran decided it was the best decision. Allowing the loot and certain knowledge to be displayed would remove the element of surprise and destroy the mysterious aspect that snagged viewers.

In retaliation, many viewers took to the forums and began cursing Kieran for how he blue-balled them. After compiling their thoughts, many players decided to camp in the dungeon entrance lobby, waiting for the moment they returned.

Meanwhile, Sithik ran up to Kieran with eyes full of adoration as he extended his hand with a thumbs up. "You rock!"

Because of Kieran's efforts, the party's average level had reached Lv.13.

However, Kieran was more focused on the notification that he had yet to answer. "I'll be publicizing the results and will most likely announce your names. Even though I streamed the dungeon, there's bound to be people that didn't bother to watch."

"Do what you must. I'm not really worried. In fact, this is what I looked forward to," Altair shrugged.

Kieran nodded but glanced in Aspaira's direction, who looked at him with sparkling eyes.

"I'm sorry for ever doubting you. You accomplished what you claimed you would," Aspaira commented. Like everyone else, Aspaira had her initial doubts during the rocky moments, but they prevailed, which mattered most to her.

Unfortunately, the sparkle in her eyes dimmed a few seconds later as reality assaulted her. 'There's no way he'd be willing to party with me again after learning of my shortcomings. In his eyes, I'm most likely a noob—a replaceable component.'

Aspaira's thoughts weren't completely incorrect.

Kieran's opinion of this party wasn't the greatest, but he did appreciate their propensity to listen and learn from him after exhibiting some of his combat prowess.

Though he didn't hold them in the best light, Kieran understood that everyone possessed decent potential.

But, as of now, Kieran was unsure whether or not their futures would continue to intertwine.

After a few seconds, Kieran announced the results.

┌───────────────────

«Gena Village Announcement»-

Congratulations to Party Members: Aatrox, Altair, Cygnus, Sithik, and Aspaira for obtaining the First Clear of «Forest of Beast» Very Difficult Mode. They have been rewarded accordingly.

└───────────────────

┌───────────────────

«Beginner Zone Announcement»-

Congratulations to Party Members: Aatrox, Altair, Cygnus, Sithik, and Aspaira for obtaining the First Blood of «Grifear, King of the Forest». As a reward, a random Field Boss will spawn within the Fanged Forest soon.

└───────────────────

〈System: You have gained 1 Gold Coin.〉

〈System: You have received 50 World Fame.〉

〈System: You have gained 10,000 EXP.〉

〈System: Congratulations, you have leveled up! [Lv.16→Lv.17]〉

〈System: You have received 5 Unassigned Attribute Points and 2 Skill Points.〉

[Experience: 9,020/22,500]

'A Gold Coin. Nice,' Kieran thought with a faint smile.

He didn't expect the rewards to be so good. But considering that he accomplished a First Clear and First Blood in one, the rewards made sense.

After swiping away the notifications, Kieran stood up, but his frown deepened as an even more violent wave of exhaustion assaulted him.

'This isn't good. I thought I had a handle on it, but I forgot my body is truly fragile,' Kieran thought, simultaneously stowing his Novice Greatsword.

"Let's deal with the loot," Kieran voiced, shaking his head with a slight groan.

This comment made everyone giddy because Grifear's loot was the highlight of this dungeon run! The boss runs were where all the goodies existed.

From what Kieran saw, the loot pile was composed of several Rare Items, but unlike the others who eyed the armor, Kieran's gaze fell upon one item in particular.

"Whoa, why is there so much loot?" Cygnus questioned, blinking her round cerulean eyes.

"It's what happens when you get the First Blood on a Dungeon Boss. The loot experiences a drastic increase," Kieran remarked.

"I see," Cygnus muttered, focusing on a small cross amidst the pile of loot. She looked at Sithik, and their sights met. Naturally, the cross was something that interested them both.

While the two stared at each other, Kieran picked up and inspected a necklace with glistening eyes. It was a simple string necklace, but an amber crystalline gem in the form of a bear's claw dangled in the center.

「 Bear King Pendant (Accessory)

Item Rank: Rare

Health +150

Defense +25

Strength +15, Endurance +10, Vitality +5

Item Ability «Spirit of the Bear King» - Releases a ferocious growl that affects any enemy inside a 12-meter radius, putting them in a «Dazed» state for 10 seconds. This ability has a cooldown of 120 seconds.

Description: A decently made pendant that harnesses the ferocious spirit of a Bear King to an acceptable degree.

Requirements: Lv.15 」

This item had a 100% drop rate on the First Clear, and it was the dungeon's hidden item, which was why Kieran desired the First Clear. An item that could forcibly inflict a Dazed status was an indispensable advantage in combat.

"Is anyone against me taking this accessory?" Kieran asked out of respect for the others.

"Dude, have you taken drugs recently? Do you seriously believe we'll complain about you taking any item you desire? This would have been impossible without your contribution," Sithik scoffed, looking at Kieran in disbelief.

Sithik's opinion was the party's unanimous opinion as well. Without Kieran's suggestions, assistance, and damage, the run would have failed the moment they went against Hrulhar.

Kieran chuckled softly before equipping the pendant. The loot was shared equally, but Kieran let the others keep the additional equipment because he had no use for it. He didn't intend to waste any time trying to sell it.

At this point in time, players were more or less beggars, so asking for an item's actual value was virtually impossible. Kieran would rather rely on quests to increase his wealth.

"I believe it's time for us to end the dungeon run," Kieran said, bringing up the dungeon exit menu.

However, the other's expressions changed when they realized Kieran had ignored the rest of the items. It was too unusual because everyone should be scurrying to obtain better equipment.

Aspaira gently scratched her cheek."Wait, that pendant is all you're going to take? What about the other items? They should be worth a pretty penny to the right people."

"That's true, but it's a hassle that I'm not interested in. You all can sell it as thanks for attending the run with me," Kieran said indifferently.

Aspaira was taken aback by Kieran's disregard for the items and stuttered. "T-this… that's too much. At least add us so we can send you your portion later on."

Kieran's brow twitched, partially surprised by her suggestion. Most people would happily accept the gesture without saying a word. Aspaira, on the other hand, understood humility.

As a result, Kieran decided to add them, which increased his Friend List by three.

SUY NGHĨ CỦA NGƯỜI SÁNG TẠO
ApexPen

Make sure to point out any spelling errors, grammar errors, or numbers/information that wasn't properly updated so I can immediately rectify those issues.

Thank you, guys!

P.S: A LOT of game terminology will appear in the novel, because well, I'm a gamer. :shrug:

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