Chương 119: Sandwake Foreclaw

But honestly? I had noticed it too. Not just the stronger equipment. Not just the better stats. We were actually getting good at this. Which felt weird to admit. A little while ago, our group had basically been five people running around desperately trying not to die while improvising solutions at the speed of panic. Now? Things felt... organized. Dimitri held the front line. Fiona pressured enemies. Aiko deleted anything unfortunate enough to stand still. June provided support and ranged damage. And me?

I specialized in introducing bullets to problems. Everyone knew what they were doing. Everyone knew what everyone else was doing. The battlefield didn't feel chaotic anymore. It felt coordinated. Which was honestly a little scary. I scratched my cheek. The obvious explanation was trust. We trusted each other now. Simple. Reasonable. Normal. The problem was that saying it out loud sounded like something written on the back of a friendship bracelet. A little cheesy. A little dramatic. But... Yeah.

I was pretty sure that was exactly what had happened. Somewhere between monster attacks, near-death experiences, and questionable decisions, we'd become an actual team. I looked toward the others. Dimitri stood calmly with his shield resting beside him. June remained atop her stone platform with all the confidence of someone who expected history books to eventually mention her. Aiko still looked relieved that the battle appeared to be over. Then there was Fiona. The giant crimson bear shimmered.

Red light rippled across her massive body. The fur receded. The enormous frame shrank. Moments later, Fiona returned to her human form. Her long curly red hair spilled over her shoulders once again. She stretched her arms slightly before brushing some hair away from her face. The transformation always looked impressive. Like watching nature itself decide it was done being a bear for the day. The battlefield settled into silence. Then something happened. The corpses started glowing.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. I blinked.

"... Oh." The bodies of the fallen Skulkers emitted a soft golden light. The glow intensified. Brightened. Then small orbs detached from the corpses. One. Two. Five. Ten. More. Golden spheres floated upward into the air. Twenty-five in total. The sight immediately reminded me of fireflies. If fireflies paid taxes and dropped loot. The glowing lights drifted across the battlefield. Villagers watched in fascination. Several pointed toward them. The orbs moved with purpose. Each one choosing a destination.

Five flew toward Dimitri. Five toward Fiona. Five toward June. Five toward Aiko. And five toward me. I pointed upward.

"Ah." I nodded.

"The universal language of reward." The golden lights approached. Floating closer. Closer. Until five hovered directly in front of me. The spheres glowed softly. Rotating in place. Patient. Waiting. One of them drifted slightly forward. The light surrounding it began to change. The orb expanded. Its shape distorted. The golden glow condensed into something solid. I watched as the reward slowly started taking the form of an item.

••••• Name: Sandwake Foreclaw Tier: 1 (Common) Drop From: Dune Skulker (Common) Selling Price: 3 Gold Coins Level: 3 Description: A broad, shovel-like foreclaw harvested from the Dune Skulker's enlarged front limbs. Measuring roughly the length of a man's forearm, the claw possesses a curved shape that tapers into a wicked hooked edge. Its outer surface is layered with pale sandstone-colored chitin streaked with natural mineral veins, giving it a faint amber sheen when held beneath sunlight.

The underside is lined with small serrations that once helped the Dune Skulker carve effortlessly through compacted dunes and anchor itself during sudden eruptions from beneath the sand. Despite its intimidating appearance, the claw is surprisingly lightweight, retaining the flexibility and durability needed for repeated digging motions. Even after removal from the creature's body, traces of the mineral-rich structure remain intact, making it a sought-after material among craftsmen and adventurers alike.

••••• The item continued floating in front of me. Bathed in soft golden light. Slowly rotating. Waiting for me to acknowledge its existence. I stared at it. Then tilted my head.

"... Well." I folded my arms.

"You're definitely one of the objects I've ever seen." The thing looked strange. Not dangerous. Not magical. Just... strange. A large curved claw hovered in the air. Its pale chitin surface carried faint amber streaks that caught the sunlight. The hooked shape gave it a predatory appearance. Like it had spent its entire life enthusiastically digging toward things it wasn't invited to attack.

Honestly, if someone handed it to me without context, I would've assumed it belonged in either a museum or a very aggressive gardening store. I leaned closer.

"Huh." I pointed at it.

"You're ugly." I paused. Then nodded.

"The useful kind of ugly." The item continued floating. Unbothered by my evaluation. Probably because it was a claw. Communication wasn't its strongest skill. I reached forward and touched it. The moment my fingers made contact, the item dissolved. Blue particles scattered outward. The claw unraveled into countless glowing fragments. Then something interesting happened. The remaining four loot orbs hovering nearby reacted immediately. All of them burst apart as well.

Golden light transformed into streams of blue particles. The energy spiraled around me. Then vanished into my inventory. I blinked.

"Oh." I looked at my empty hand. Then looked around. Then looked upward.

"... You know, inventory systems continue to be one of humanity's greatest privilege." I pointed toward the air.

"Not humanity from Earth." I clarified.

"Humanity from wherever the heck this world came from." I spread my arms.

"Imagine carrying all your loot manually." I shuddered.

"Barbaric." The battlefield had largely settled by now. Villagers moved around the area collecting equipment and checking on one another. Several offered grateful looks toward our group. The atmosphere felt lighter. Safer. The kind of relief that arrived after realizing you weren't about to become monster food. Then I noticed Ostia approaching. The village leader looked significantly less stressed than before. Which was understandable.

Being actively attacked by underground nightmare creatures tended to ruin a person's mood. The tall man stopped in front of us. His expression softened. Then he bowed his head slightly.

"Thank you." The words carried genuine sincerity.

"For answering our request." His gaze moved across our group. From Dimitri. To Fiona. To Aiko. To June. Then finally to me.

"You players arrived when we needed help most." He smiled.

"That alone has earned the gratitude of everyone in this village." The villagers nearby nodded quietly. Several looked emotional. One older woman wiped tears from her eyes. The sincerity in the air was almost enough to make me uncomfortable. Almost. Before I could say anything, Dimitri stepped forward. Naturally. Because if gratitude existed within a ten-mile radius, Dimitri would somehow transform it into a motivational speech. The giant Guardian rested one hand against his chest. His expression became serious.

Earnest. Completely genuine.

"It is the responsibility of those with strength to protect those without it." His deep voice carried across the area.

"To save even a single life is a reward greater than treasure." I watched several villagers visibly brighten. A few looked inspired. One man actually stood straighter. I stared at Dimitri. The man could accidentally improve morale by ordering lunch. It was a superpower. Ostia smiled warmly.

"There is great kindness in those words." He shook his head.

"To be honest, I don't know if we've done anything deserving of such devotion." I immediately raised a finger.

"Trust me." Ostia looked toward me. I pointed at Dimitri.

"You'll adjust." The village leader blinked. I nodded confidently.

"Give it enough time and you'll discover this is completely normal." I gestured toward the giant Russian.

"He wakes up like this." I lowered my voice slightly.

"Pretty sure he gives speeches to breakfast." Dimitri laughed loudly. The villagers laughed with him. And just like that, some of the remaining tension finally disappeared.