Chương 418: Chapter 407 - More Than the Sum of Parts

Alonso looked around, only now, with his sight restored, fully registering how far each of them had been pushed. Imani lay torn at the edge of the field, a collapsed mass of flesh behind what had once been his shield and armour. Lukas rested on the ground, a brutal wound cleaving across his torso, flesh and organs torn open. Leonie lay nearby, an arm and a leg gone, her remaining hand twitching faintly as her eyes began to move again with the curse finally lifted.

Pablo remained completely unconscious, his chest rising and falling in shallow breaths, offering the only proof he still lived. And Ayu… Seeing her like that struck deeper than any blade. Her chest lay open where the strike had nearly claimed her, her heart visible through torn flesh, beating stubbornly beneath wounds that had stopped only a fraction short of death. The weight of what might have been pressed into him with crushing force.

His knees nearly buckled beneath the strain that consumed him when a red orb flickered toward him. It sank into his skin. Wounds sealed in an instant. Pain receded like a tide pulled back by an unseen force. His missing arm reformed, bone and muscle weaving into place as strength surged through him in a fierce, grounding wave. Stage 1 – 39. 420% ➤ 41. 850% He drew a deep breath as the energy settled within him, and the fog clouding his mind gave way to clarity.

Across the field, more red orbs flashed through the air, Chiara sending them one after another toward the others with urgent precision. Limbs regenerated. Flesh knit closed. Broken bodies restored in moments, as though it all had been nothing more than a fading nightmare. However… it was not.

Grade 02 - Title Earned:"More Than the Sum of Parts" Effect: +5% Power of Will while in the presence of three or more holders of this Title sharing the same origin Grade 04 - Title Earned:"Unyielding Under Judgment" Effect: +5% Power of Will, +10% Resistance to Will Suppression No-Strike – 21. 841% ➤ 23. 622% Will Manifest – 13. 999% ➤ 14. 733% Alonso took a deep breath, letting it settle through him and anchor his thoughts.

His Will Manifest had broken through the 14% barrier and taken a step forward, and he could feel the shift in a way that went beyond numbers or prompts. Stripped of everything but his Will, he had stood and fought back, and in doing so he had brushed against something more fundamental within himself. He felt closer to the core of it, closer to the foundation upon which this power had been built, as though a layer of noise had been torn away and what remained was simpler, sharper… truer.

His gaze moved across the battlefield and found his allies rising slowly, steadying themselves, checking wounds that were already closed. In their eyes he saw relief, pride, and the quiet understanding of what they had survived together. A smile formed on his face without him noticing. This fight had demanded everything from them. Despite the odds stacked against them, they had endured. They remained. They stood victorious. The world had offered no mercy, no hidden hand guiding the outcome.

Where there had been emptiness and despair, they had carved a path forward with their own resolve and refused to yield. Ayu was staring at him when his gaze turned to her, and for a moment neither of them spoke. They simply smiled, a quiet exchange that carried more than words could. Then he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her in a firm embrace. She rested against him and smiled softly, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek, alive and real and present.

They both knew the road ahead would be lined with thorns, blood, and pain, but knowing it did nothing to make it lighter. Fear had never disappeared, nor had it been conquered. It lingered with them, close and constant, pressing against the edges of every decision. Strength was never the absence of that fear, but the choice to move despite it, to take the next step even while aware that it might be the last time they stood side by side.

They pulled back and exchanged a small nod, something steady and unspoken passing between them. A quiet chuckle escaped one of them, then the other, and the tension that had held their bodies rigid finally loosened. The laughter spread to the rest. They stood there, smiling and shaking their heads as the weight of survival settled over them, their eyes shining with a brightness no darkness had managed to extinguish.

"That was a good fight," Alonso said as he stared at the others.

"Well, I don't know what happened after I was cursed, but… you all carried it through. Well done," Leonie said as she stepped forward, an unusual soft smile on her face.

"Don't worry, sis. I'll send you the replay. Or maybe… maybe some edits are needed," Lukas said with a casual grin. Leonie remained silent, her gaze flickering toward the torn gap in Lukas' shirt that revealed his bare chest, a trace of heaviness pressing on her for a moment. Chiara stared at Lukas too, her gaze lingering on his easy smile. She had to admit… he had surprised her.

While she knew every single one of them had been key in this fight, she would dare say that, next to Alonso, Lukas had been the pillar on which their victory stood. Beyond his incredible and adaptable boosts, it had been his actions that allowed them to stand there now, laughing at it all. He had become the anchor when his sister had fallen. He had stepped into the vanguard without hesitation to save the others. When morale shattered, he restored it.

Even when pierced and half dead, he had pulled Will from a dying body until the very end. Chiara had always known that Lukas, despite his carefree attitude, was a man of great talent and someone extremely reliable when it mattered. But in this fight, she had seen a new light in him. And that… only made him all the more amazing. Lukas caught her gaze, grinning as he sent her a private pulse." If you keep staring at me like that, I might start thinking I've genuinely impressed you." Chiara's lips curved."

Do restrain your imagination. I was merely reassessing variables and updating my internal projections."" Oh, were you?

"Lukas replied lightly." And what did your refined calculations conclude, my love? Should I brace for criticism, or have I finally managed to impress the greatest mind that ever lived?"" You performed above expectation." Lukas tilted his head, amusement bright in his eyes." Above expectation? That almost sounds like praise. I should record this moment for posterity."" Do not let it inflate your ego," she said, though the smile on her face betrayed her words.

Meanwhile, Alonso and the rest made their way toward the loot. It was… vast. Several pieces of gear and dozens of tempering materials lay scattered across the torn ground. While Alonso's eyes were drawn to the remaining three pieces of his current set, it was another item lying nearby that stole his attention.

"A Grade 4… relic?" Ayu said, staring at a strange chain bearing the image of an angel with a sword raised, an oak carved behind it. The angel stood upside down, twisting what should have been faith and grace into something subtly wrong.

"Interesting, eh? I didn't even know relics existed—wait a second." He turned to her.

"How do you know it's Grade 4?" The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Ayu looked at him for a moment, then grinned, that mischievous curve to her lips appearing whenever she held a surprise.

"Well, guess?" she said, tilting her head slightly, wearing that expression he had always found unfairly cute. Alonso was about to shrug, then paused and actually considered it.

"The Title… you… you got the Observer rank?"

"Yep," Ayu replied, lifting her chin slightly.

"What's wrong? Jealous you're not the only special one anymore?"

"Not at all," Alonso chuckled.

"That's great, really." He glanced at the others.

"You all got it too?" Leonie nodded. Pablo did as well. The rest followed.

"Cool," he said.

"Then it seems these ranks really are tied to Titles, huh?"

"It would appear so," Leonie commented.

"Which makes them all the more valuable—and a prime objective."

"Well, that is easier said than done," Chiara added as she stepped forward.

"From the limited data we have, The Tower grants Titles very sparingly. They appear to be tied to exceptional outcomes. Feats that exceed projected difficulty curves." Lukas let out a low whistle.

"So what you're saying is, if we want to get more of them, we just need to follow Alonso's lifestyle more closely." He hooked a thumb toward Alonso.

"You know. Pick fights we're underqualified for. Flirt with death on a near-daily basis. That sort of healthy routine." Ayu snorted.

"You make it sound like he does it on purpose." Lukas tilted his head innocently.

"Does he not?" Alonso sighed, though the corner of his mouth betrayed him.

"I prefer to think of it as… strategic tempering."

"Ah, of course," Lukas replied smoothly.

"Let us never deprive history of proper phrasing. When the biographies are written about us—the Heroes of Mankind, the Great Seven—we must ensure the prose carries the gravita it deserves."

"Well, brother, let's survive long enough for those books to be written in the first place," Leonie said, a faint but knowing smile touching her lips. Lukas chuckled.

"And here I was convinced that being a CEO had polished the humour right out of you, sis. I'm relieved to see it still survives beneath that executive composure."

"You've been rather talkative since the fight ended, haven't you?" Chiara remarked.

"Witnessing your own death and yet living through it does tend to make one feel… somewhat relieved," he replied lightly. Chiara shook her head with a faint smile, then seemed to recall something as her gaze shifted to Alonso.

"By the way, what Titles did you get?"

"I got two. A Grade 2, More Than the Sum of Parts, and a Grade 4, Unyielding Under Judgment," he said.

"You all got the same, I suppose?" Chiara frowned slightly.

"Actually… no. I obtained the first one you mentioned, but not the second. However, I did acquire another Grade 4: Willborne."

"Willborne?" Alonso raised an eyebrow. He knew that Title well. It was the first he had earned back in the fight against the seven-tails.

"Do you think it relates to your use of Will Manifest?"

"Highly likely," Chiara replied.

"However, the fact that we did not receive it earlier suggests that merely achieving Will Manifest was insufficient. It may require using it to accomplish a feat of a certain threshold." Alonso rubbed his chin. That surprised him. It implied that Titles were not solely tied to the creature defeated, but also to the manner and means by which the victory was achieved.

"But damn, you still got another Grade 4 we didn't?" Ayu said, lips pressed tight as she gave him a mock-jealous look.

"What can I say," Alonso shrugged.

"I'm just that good, eh?"

"If I had to speculate," Chiara continued, "Alonso's new Title may be tied to the fact that he continued fighting while under the curse. It would align with the name, the effect, and the merit, in my view." Leonie looked at Alonso in surprise, her eyes widening. She had not yet received the full recording of the fight after she was cursed, but she knew precisely what that affliction entailed. It stripped more than just sight. Sound, scent, EM perception — all of it vanished.

Simply moving in such a state was already difficult. Fighting in it bordered on the impossible. And yet… he had? As she watched him, she felt a deep admiration… and something heavier beneath it. Then she exhaled quietly. The gap between them… remained vast. She composed herself and drew their attention back to the spread of loot across the ground.

"All right. We have quite a haul. Let's keep this simple. Alonso, you take the remaining pieces of your set and the relic. The rest of us will sort what offers immediate gains and decide what to keep and what to sell." They nodded. Leonie moved closer to Imani, the two of them already discussing tempering priorities and material values in low voices. Alonso stepped forward and picked up the relic, studying it with quiet curiosity.

Grade 04 - Saint Maerwyn's Pendant [Relic] (Cannot be tempered) Only one Relic may be equipped at a time Power of Will + 8% Resistance to Will-Induced Perception Distortion +16% Alonso's eyes widened. The relic was incredible. And apparently, it did not consume a gear slot, which made it even better. The second affix drew his attention. He wondered whether it would help against something like the curse that had just affected him. If that were the case, then it was not merely useful, it could prove invaluable.

Still, it struck him as odd that he had never heard of Relics before.

"So… what's all this Relic business about? I thought Dungeon creatures just dropped standard gear and tempering materials," he asked. Leonie looked at him, then at Lukas. Lukas smiled and turned his gaze toward Chiara. Chiara exhaled softly, conceding the explanation.

"How much have you actually read about Dungeon anomalies?"

"Anomalies? Nothing beyond the bit about reporting them to the Guild, if I'm being honest," Alonso admitted. Leonie blinked. Lukas smiled, clearly entertained. Chiara sighed.

"You might consider reading at least the warnings section of the Guild's database, Alonso. In any case, I'm sending you the relevant excerpt." A pulse reached him. The manual text unfolded inside his mind as he processed it: Guild Advisory – Dungeon Anomalies Adventurers are hereby warned to exercise extreme caution upon encountering any unrecorded, altered, or behaviourally deviant entity within an active Dungeon. In such circumstances, Escape Crystals may become non-functional. Withdrawal will not be possible.

Survival is contingent upon neutralising the anomalous entity. Successful resolution of the anomaly will result in the acquisition of a Relic corresponding to the creature's Grade, in addition to enhanced standard loot. All anomalies must be reported to the Guild without delay upon return. Failure to do so constitutes a breach of Guild protocol. —End of Advisory— Alonso blinked. Interesting. He looked back at Chiara.

"So this boss… mutated?"

"We have sufficient indication," she replied.

"We do not have clearance to access the boss's entry, but Lukas attempted to activate the Escape Crystals during the fourth phase. They failed. And now that we have obtained a Relic, the conclusion is fairly straightforward."

"So kudos to us," Lukas added.

"Survivors of statistical improbability." They all smiled. Alonso nodded slowly as he skimmed a few more saved entries he had previously ignored. He should probably take the Guild's database more seriously from now on." Finally," Houston remarked dryly in his mind, " a trace of reason in that stubborn head of yours." Alonso chuckled under his breath as his gaze returned to the Relic in question. The chain was too short to wear as a necklace, so he wrapped it around his wrist instead.

It sat there somewhat awkwardly, the inverted angel resting against his skin. Not his usual style, but still… it did not look bad. Then he moved on to the remaining Grade 4 set pieces.

Grade 04 - Hanging Judge's Vambraces [Set] Tempering State: 0 Physical aptitude +4% Pillar aptitude +4% Reaction speed +8% Set Bonus (3/5): +28% health, stamina and mental fatigue regeneration Grade 04 - Hanging Judge's Vest [Set] Tempering State: 0 Physical aptitude +4% Pillar aptitude +4% Body durability +8% Set Bonus (4/5): +42% health, stamina and mental fatigue regeneration Grade 04 - Hanging Judge's Cloak [Set] Tempering State: 0 Physical aptitude +4% Pillar aptitude +4% Sensorial perception +8% Set Bonus (5/5): +70% health, stamina and mental fatigue regeneration Judgment Surge: Upon consuming a stat orb, passive regeneration is massively amplified for 7 milliseconds.

The magnitude of the effect scales proportionally with the orb's potency. Cooldown: 70 seconds. Alonso blinked as he stared at the final set effect. It had an active component? And it required orbs? He was not entirely certain how strong "massively amplified" truly meant, but even a conservative estimate made his pulse quicken. Damn… He should start doing like Pablo and store some decent orbs in his bag from now on. In and out of combat, that surge could turn into an incredible asset.

As for the rest of the set, while the boosts to perception and reaction speed were appealing, he still rated internal EM conduction slightly higher. Even so, the full set bonus alone justified the decision. He kept all five pieces. For his seventh slot, aside from his swords, he retained the ring that enhanced EM wave output. All in all… he felt stronger. Now fully equipped in Grade 4 gear, he finally felt like a true peak Silver rank Adventurer. And also… he looked damn cool with finally fully matching gear.

He glanced at the others as they finished packing. Lukas gave him a low whistle when he saw him in the new set, his eyes glinting with open appreciation. Alonso chuckled under his breath. Then silence settled. Their gazes swept across the torn battlefield—the shattered stone, the uprooted earth, the dark stains soaking into the ground. A place that would reset once they stepped away. A place that would remain only in their minds and in their memories. The place where they should have died. And yet— they lived.

With one last look, they turned and left the Dungeon behind.