Y/n Pov
While Jace got to preparing the assault team with the weapons and armor Furgen and I made, I was outside the haven, practicing with my new armor. The restored cores had given the equipment a boost in both stats and rank, though it was only minor, but I would take what I can get. The real bonus was the effect it had on my magic, which I would soon test out.
After I travelled a bit out, I found my targets. Just ahead of me were three Crystalline Humanoids, one with an insect-like appearance, another was a large hulking brute, the last was a smaller variant with a slender build. They easily sensed me I didn't bother hiding my mana, lightning crackled from my hand. 'Time to see how strong this is!'
Holding my hand out, lightning spears shot toward them. Two barely evaded them while the brute was hit head on, shattering its arm with only a few hits. As it shrieked at me, I glanced to the sky were the insectoid hovered, fireballs sparked to life around me as I waved my hand. They were sent toward the flying creature, it tried to dodge, but a wing was blown off, making it spiral downward.
Sensing the other was rushing me, a wall of ice blocked its attack, though cracks formed as its claws made contact. 'Having more than one element at my disposal sure is useful, but being forced to use one at a time is annoying.' I mused, drawing Monolith and cleaving both the wall and slender one in half without looking, my attention focused on the brute as it charged forward, its remaining arm drawn back.
Once it was close enough, the earth beneath its feet shifted before spikes shot upward, impaling it from below. "And than there was one." I turned my attention to the insectoid, the fireball's having done a number on its body. It glared at me, its mandibles twitched as I felt mana surge around it, the wind shifted before it lunged forward with increased speed, but it wasn't enough.
"This might have worked if it was me at the start of this dungeon. But now..." I stated, striking the insectoid's head, shattering it with a single punch. "I'm stronger." Stashing Monolith, I opened the System shop to sell the drops I received, earning a decent amount. "Glad I waited before making this armor, would have been a waste if I hadn't."
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[Crystal Helm]
[Rank: C-] [Item Type: Helmet]
+5 Wis
+5 Sen
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[Crystal Chestplate]
[Rank: C-] [Item Type: Chestplate]
+10 End
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[Crystal Leggings]
[Rank: C-] [Item Type: Leg Armor
+5 End
+5 Agi
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[Crystal Boots]
[Rank: C-] [Item Type: Boots]
+10 Agi
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[Crystal Gauntlets]
[Rank: C-] [Item Type: Gauntlets]
40 Dmg + Str
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[Crystal Set Bonuses]
Set Effect 1: Mana costs reduced by 20%
Set effect 2: Magic attacks are increased by 30%
Set effect 3: All Magic skills are increased by 1 level.
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While the raw stats weren't something to write home about, the Set Bonuses more than made up for it. With the mana reduction applying to all my skills, I could keep them active longer, and the damage increase and level increase made my weaker magic an option, but considering the future foe, I should stick with my stronger ones.
'Everyone should be ready by now, I should get back before we head out.' I thought, becoming a blur as I returned. As I entered the haven, a small group armed with the newly made weapons and armor were gathered, Jace at the front with the leaders. He gave me a nod once he spotted me, I returned it before joining them, though I was off to the side.
"Alright, listen up. Today is the day we rid the forest of that monster. Each of you will stick to the role your given, no deviating unless stated otherwise. Is that understood?" Jace stated, once they nodded, he went on to explain the strategy. It was fairly simple, as were the roles. Since there has been sightings of crystal monsters near the chimera, we would split into groups to take them on before facing the Chimera.
The frontline of each group would face the monsters directly while archers and mages provided support from the back, either through arrows or spells. If all went well, the plan would go smoothly. And if not... well, we'll cross that bridge if it comes to it. As Jace gestured to the leaders present, saying which group was under their command, he stopped at me and gave a smile.
"And Y/n will be a solo member, he has shown how versatile he can be. So, he will roam between the groups and assist if needed." Under my helmet, I smirked at his words, nodding my head in respect to him. "We will set out at soon, so prepare yourselves." He said, everyone then headed their separate ways. I headed for the entrance, wanting to wait outside until it was time.
"Hey, Y/n." A familiar voice called, turning my head, I saw Mika walking up to me without his crutch. My helmet vanished as I knelt down, smiling at him. "Hey buddy, how's your leg?" I asked, he shrugged, saying it still hurt but not as bad while looking at the ground. I could easily tell he was trying to hide his fear, so once my armor fully vanished, I picked him up and placed him on my shoulder.
"You're concerned for everyone, aren't you?" I asked, he weakly nodded, his hands fiddling with my hair. "Yeah, they could all die. I don't want them to." He mumbled, weak sobs escaped him as tears trailed down his cheeks, his small hands clung tightly to me. "They would normally, but one thing your forgetting kid." I started, he tilted his head, his watery eyes meeting mine.
"I'm here." I stated, a smile gracing my lips, his own turned upward. "Y-You're right, sorry." He apologized, rubbing his tears away as he sniffled, I gently patted his back once he was back down. "It's alright, I know you're scared, and that's okay. But I promise you that no one will die on my watch." I reassured, he nodded, his face hardened. "Thank you, Y/n."
"It's no problem, bud. Now why don't you hang out with those elf twins you like." I suggested, his face turned red, telling me to shut up, and that they were just friends. I teased him some more before he ran off, saying he would kick my ass later. "Heh, looking forward to it." I said, the smile on my face never leaving as I waited outside the haven. It wasn't long before the gates opened, Jace and the others exiting, my armor returned. 'Time for a hunt.'
Timeskip - Narrator Pov
The journey toward the Chimera was long and quiet, everyone was tense, ready for anything to appear. Y/n kept his senses sharp, ready for even the slight hint of an ambush. As they continued, the thick tension was finally broken they all felt the ground rumble, causing them to spread out. A moment later, crystals burst forth from the ground, a horde of Crystalline Insectoids and Humanoids crawled out.
Y/n wasted no time, launching himself with immense speed, the ground cracked from the force. The crystals shattered the instant he made contact, as did several creatures. "Get moving, I'll handle this!" He shouted, drawing Monolith with lightning arcing off it before killing several more with a single swing. They listened to his words, moving deeper into the forest, the sound of battle faded until Y/n caught up, having slain them all.
"Save some for the rest of us boy, I want to try my new hammer." Furgen joked, tapping his hand against the crystalline weapon, Y/n grinned under his helm. "I'll be sure to leave a few for you next time, old man." The dwarf shot him a look, though his lips were tugged upward. They were forced to separate once more as more crystals emerged from the ground, acting like a wall between the two groups.
"Stick to the plan! Take care of the enemies before moving to the Chimera!" Jace shouted, everyone followed his words, moving to their assigned teams and began fighting the monsters. "Archers, Mages! Pick your targets and fire at will!" One of the leaders shouted, arrow and spell flew through the air, killing their targets while also protecting their comrades.
Y/n was like a blur through the forest, killing the monsters without missing a beat. At the same time, he assisted those in need, making the fight easier for everyone. He occasionally focused on the other group, making sure they were okay, which Jace and the leaders with him ensured that was the case.
The battle was going smoothly, everyone trusted one another without fault, working together to eliminate the threats. Though that didn't mean everyone was fine. They all heard a roar from the distant Chimera, a shiver ran down their spines. Recognizing that roar, Y/n quickly warned everyone, his voice echoing through the forest. "Brace yourselves, it's about to unleash a horde of those parasites! Get ready!" Everyone immediately did as told, and they were glad they did. Not a moment later, the horde of parasites descended upon them, alongside a large number of Crystalline Humanoids and Insectoids.
They were overwhelmed in an instant, they broke off into the groups they were assigned before, desperately fighting the monsters while defending their allies. The one the horde focused on the most was Y/n, who fought tirelessly to keep the horde back. His magic flared, a massive wave of fire engulfed the monsters, killing many of the parasites, but the Humanoids and Insectoids were still alive, though severely harmed.
He was quick to dispatch the weakened foes, but the horde continued to attack. "How many fucking parasites does this thing have?!" Y/n grumbled, launching an icy spear, impaling one of the Insectoids before it could pounce on a mage. 'I've had enough of this shit.' He thought, silently activating Bloodlust, turning it up to eleven. The effect was instant, the horde froze up as a bloodcurdling fear gripped them. His allies also felt the effect, but they weren't as affected. The first to recover were the warriors, like Jace, Rena and Furgen, their battle cry was enough to stir the others, their morale skyrocketed.
Another wave of crystals erupted from the ground, only instead of being an attack, Y/n was alone, separated from the others by the two crystal walls. "Must want me to visit it." He joked, shaking his head before hearing Jace call out to him, telling him he would have to face the Chimera alone for now. He wasn't sure why, but he felt his blood boil, an insatiable desire for a good fight surged within him.
"Well, I hope you're ready." Y/n stated, not realizing the grin that formed, his eyes held a glint of excitement. Tensing his legs, he focused on his mana before launching forward, the ground beneath him shattered from the force. It wasn't long before the Chimera was revealed, still buried in the ground from before.
Sensing the one it hated the most was approaching, the beast let out a deafening roar, a large chunk of earth was ripped out as its bladed arm emerged, swinging down at Y/n. The young man didn't stop, even with the large blade heading his way, his smirk only widened. A moment before impact, he vanished completely, but the Chimera instinctively knew he was still there.
And it was proven correct, as before it could do anything, its head reared back from a strong impact, small chunks fell as cracks formed. Y/n reappeared midair, lightning spears manifested all around him, their tips pointing at the Chimera. "This is what I've been waiting for!" Y/n exclaimed, firing the spears.
The beast roared as the attack came its way, only able to block half the spears, the others made impact, causing the monster to recoil. As Y/n landed, he rushed the Chimera once more as he felt mana building up within it. "Don't even try that shit!" He shouted, smashing his mana-infused fist against its chest, the mana that built was quickly released, the beast staggered.
[Physical Boost activated! +5 to Str and Agi]
Seeing cracks forming on its chest, Y/n smirked as the Chimera's tail emerged from the ground, its spiked end aimed his way. Flipping over it, he focused on the boss closely, his increased senses aided in finding its main weak points, the several Mana Cores hidden within it.
'I couldn't sense them the first time, but with how I am now, I should be able to.' He dodged a swing of the Chimera's arm, his senses locked onto finding the Mana Cores. He could feel the mana pouring from them, he narrowed down their location, but the quantity of mana made them difficult to locate. 'I can't narrow it down anymore while dodging like this, no other choice.'
Monolith in hand, he decided to take a gamble, quickly running up its tail before shooting toward the shoulder. 'Hope my luck is enough!' Thrusting it forward with all his strength, the crystals were as malleable as before, but this time, the blade broke through. The Chimera let out a roar Y/n didn't recognize, one of pain, the notification he received made him grin.
[Crystal Chimera Mana Core damaged!]
Before he could push the blade any deeper, the Chimera thrashed about, sending him flying. He quickly recovered, landing on his feet as the monster began to pull itself out of the ground. "Guess you're not comfy being a sitting duck when I found one of your cores, huh?" Y/n taunted, vanishing as its bladed arm swung at him. "Now that your free, you might have a chance against me. Too bad I'm not alone."
As his words left his lips, the Chimera was struck from all sides by various magics, Y/n's allies making themselves known. "Glad to see you again Jace, took your long enough." Y/n teased, the man shrugged, a smirk on his lips. "We had to clear those pests first, besides, you held your own." He countered, the Chimera let out another roar, its rage fueling its attack, forcing the group to dodge or defend.
A few noticed the greatsword buried in the Chimera's shoulder, Y/n saying he found one of its cores but was unable to fully destroy it. "Then let us find and destroy them all, starting with that one!" Furgen shouted, pointing his hammer at the greatsword as the Chimera swung at them. "Leave that to me, I'll hold its attention while you guys get to work!" Y/n called out, testing his luck again with the weapon box.
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[Yin Yang blades]
[Rank: C] [Item Type: Daggers]
50 Dmg + Agi
Light and durable blades, both complement each other perfectly.
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The name and description made him smirk, the blades were both a pitch black and white, their curved edge gave them a dangerous look. Dodging the Chimera's bladed arm, he launched himself at the creature, the twin blades slashed through the crystal with ease, repeating the process to keep it distracted while the others did their work.
While most assisted the mages, a few chose to help Y/n instead, like Jace, Furgen, Rena and Stansen. "Let's see if you can take five of us at once, bitch!" Furgen roared, slamming his hammer against its side, a resounding crack filled the air. It tried to crush him under foot, but was stopped by Y/n and Stansen, both hurling lightning spears and fireballs respectively at the same time.
"Don't ignore me!" Rena shouted, slashing the arm she stood on repeatedly with her two swords, but only a few cracks formed, showing how durable the beast was. Annoyed, the Chimera flung her away, but was caught by Jace, who set her down with a smirk, rushing forward with his sword sheathed. "Let me show you younglings how it's done!" He exclaimed, a strong burst of mana flared from him as the Chimera threw its fist down.
With frightening speed, his blade was unsheathed, and easily sliced through the crystal, turning its fist into a stump. The monster shrieked, swinging its other fist down at him, but that was a mistake. "Don't forget about us." Y/n said behind it, his blades swiftly cut the crystal around Monolith, just in time as Furgen came in laughing like a mad man.
"Here I come, ya fucker!" The dwarf roared, his hammer struck the handle of the greatsword, pushing it deeper into the crystal before shattering the core. With the core gone, its arms fell limp before falling off completely, the Chimera stumbled, roaring in agony.
"Don't think you can get far after this." Y/n muttered, sensing a large buildup of mana behind them, the Chimera sensed it as well, but was too late. A loud explosion was heard as a chunk of its leg was blown off, leaving a gaping hole as it fell to one knee. Glancing over his shoulder, Y/n saw the cause, and needless to say he was impressed. It was essentially a cannon, only made entirely of earth, with mana crystals filling the inside while others jutted out.
As the other cannons were being made, Y/n rushing with Rena, Jace and Furgen toward the downed boss. Working together to break the crystal and find the cores, but the Chimera wasn't going to make it easy, firing crystal shards from every part of its body, forcing them back less they get hit.
"This is getting annoying, how hard can it be to find a damn core!" Y/n grumbled, forming an ice wall with the other mages to shield themselves and others before trying to find the cores again. Not having to dodge or worry about protecting his allies, he could focus entirely on the boss and its mana, narrowing it down slowly.
Subconsciously focusing more mana to his eyes than planned, they suddenly ached for a brief moment before a sharp pain followed, his vision blurred. 'What the hell?!' He thought, closing his eyes as his right eye throbbed. As the pain lessened, he slowly opened them, his vision had returned, but his right eye felt different.
[Player has begun to change due to Dormant Blood!]
He stared at the notification for a moment, wondering what was different, but he was drawn back to the fight when the Chimera roared. Yet as he turned his attention back to the monster, his eyes widened as he saw the remaining cores within the boss. He could clearly see the flow of mana and how it linked to the cores, and without hesitation, he moved.
"Get those cannons ready, I'll mark the spots!" He called, drawing Monolith as the Chimera shot its tails at him, clearly sensing his intentions. But it was pointless, his greatsword easily slashed through the hardened crystals, several talismans appeared in his free hand as he bought a few before throwing them out, his telekinesis carried them where they needed to go.
While some covered its shoulder and hips, the rest were placed on the torso. Once all were in place, Y/n hurled fireballs at the talismans, causing them to explode, causing chunks to fly off as cracks formed. "Fire at the weak points!" He shouted, the cannons were charged with mana before they fired, destroying the cores and severely wounding the Chimera, though it still lived with the remaining core in its chest.
"Stubborn bitch." Y/n muttered, laughing a bit as he realized it hardened the crystal around its last core to prevent its death, but due to the already cracked shell, its core was now exposed. Glancing over to the mages, he saw how exhausted they were, seeing how much mana they had used up.
'They deserve a break, I'll finish this myself.' He thought, his attention quickly turned back to the Chimera, seeing the surrounding fauna was withering and dying as it absorbed mana from the surroundings, the cracks slowly healed as crystals began growing over its wounds. "Oh hell no."
He shot toward the Chimera, not giving it a chance. Before it could cover its exposed core, Y/n smashed right through it, leaving a gaping hole in its chest, the large core in his hand before smashing it with his other.
[You have Leveled up! X3]
Once the notification came, he saw the Chimera freeze, before collapsing lifelessly to the ground. Letting out a sigh, he felt exhausted after using so much mana, but smiled all the same. 'It's finally dead, glad to have this over with.' His smile quickly faltered as his body began to ache, his blood felt like it was boiling as his eyes rolled into his head. He felt his mind blank, unable to process what was happening as his vision darkened.
Timeskip - Y/n Pov
As I woke, I was nearly blinded by sunlight streaming in through the window, perfectly hitting my eyes. 'Fuck, that's annoying.' I grumbled, sitting up to several notifications which I swiped away, intending to look alter. As my eyes adjusted, I found myself in my room at the haven, my clothes neatly folded on a chair as I was left in my boxers. 'Must have been out for a little while, hope everyone is alright.'
After putting my clothes on, using a Repair Kit to restore them, I headed to the main area where I saw everyone preparing for a feast. A hard smack to my back nearly knocked me over, seeing it was Furgen who was responsible, a large grin on his face. "Hey there, sleeping beauty, finally awake."
"Yeah, how long was I out for?" I asked, looking back at the others as they continued to cook. "Not long, we got back a few hours ago. No one was seriously injured, so don't worry your pretty head." He answered, I chuckled before elbowing him in the side, telling him to shut up.
"Good to see you awake Y/n, come sit with us, have a drink and celebrate." Jace called, patting the seat beside him. Following his suggestion, I sat down as he poured me a mug of ale, the smell was strong, making me question if it was safe to drink. "Drink up, this is the good stuff." Furegn stated, downing it without an issue as I picked mine up.
Seeing the others drink it, I figured it was safe to drink. 'Might as well, nothing ventured, nothing gained.' Downing the drink, my taste buds were immediately assaulted, the bitter and sour flavors making me gag. "Damn, that is nasty." I muttered, setting the mug down before shaking my head.
"Ha ha ha! I don't blame ya lad, it's an acquired taste. Humans don't have the same tastes as us dwarves." Furgen laughed, mug down after finishing, I raised a brow, sarcastically asking him if his taste was the same as his personality. He laughed loudly, taking my mug to pour into his own, filling mine back up with a different kind of ale. "Try that one lad, it's not as strong."
Looking into the mug, it was almost identical, but the smell was sweet and fruity. Taking a small sip, I was glad to find the flavor was far more tolerable, not a single negative taste entered my mouth. "Much better, thanks." I stated, raising it to him before drinking, the others joining in.
It wasn't long before everyone had eaten, and the party started, with several groups talking, others dancing, and the drunkards doing what they do. While I enjoyed myself, I knew sooner or later I would have to leave the dungeon. 'Don't sour the mood Y/n, enjoy the moment.' I thought, setting my mug down before I joined in on the dancing.
Before I knew it, the sun rose, marking the start of a new day. I groaned a bit, holding my head as a hangover struck me, I guess the System doesn't treat alcohol like poison, and I hope it doesn't. 'Better not have jinxed myself.' I thought, trying to sit up only to find a couple demi-human girls laying over me.
Seeing as they still had their clothes on, I figured the party must have gone on longer than expected, further proof was shown as I looked around, seeing several others sleeping wherever they were, whether it was the floor or a table. After carefully moving the girls off me, I got up and stretched, popping my back, relieving the slight ache that was there.
"Hey you. Finally awake." Turning around, I saw Rena sat on a table, her tail swaying as she threw an apple at me, which I caught. 'Why did I think of Skyrim?' Shaking the random thought, I took a bite, seeing Jace and Stansen were awake as well. "Guess you'll be heading off soon?" Jace asked, I nodded, finishing the apple.
"I can't stay here forever, as much as I want to." I replied, the man hummed in thought, nodding his head in understanding. "You've done a lot for us Y/n, so if you ever find yourself back here, we'll always have a spot open." Jace stated, giving me a kind smile. I thanked him for the hospitality, offering to help clean the place up a bit before I left, but he told me I didn't need to, that it was the others responsibility.
Heading to my room to gather my belongings, I saw Mika sound asleep on my bed, curled into a ball. After some thought, I gently shook him awake, the poor thing yawning cutely as his eyes blinked tiredly. "Sleep well kiddo?" I asked, rubbing his head softly.
"Yeah... Are you leaving?" He asked, on the verge of falling asleep again. I nodded, letting him know I couldn't stay forever, but there could be a chance I return. He smiled softly, sitting up to hug me, asking me to not forget them as he will be training to become as strong as me. "Don't worry Mika, I won't forget about you guys."
I gently laid him back down, letting him fall asleep once more. After saying my goodbyes to the others, I wandered for a bit until I was far enough away. 'Escape ID.' With that thought, a portal like before appeared, and without hesitation, I jumped through and landed in the backyard.
"It's good to be back." I muttered, walking into the house to look at the clock and see an hour had passed since entering. As I sat down, the notifications from before popped up as did new ones, ranging from completing the dungeon, the goals I achieved, the rewards from them and some more. Knowing it will take some time, I decided to start cooking dinner for mom and myself. 'Should make some popcorn for the movie as well.'
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Dungeon goals Achieved:
[X] Became an ally to the Haven
[X] Cleared all infested areas
[X] Crafted the upgraded Crystal Armor set.
[X] Defeated the Chimera's horde
[X] Landed a critical hit on Chimera's weak spot
[X] Found all Chimera's Mana Cores and destroyed them
[X] Defeated the Crystal Chimera.
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'Wonder what I'll get, most likely some points and gold like before. Maybe my luck can affect this as well.' I thought, spinning a knife in my hand, cutting through the vegetables without a problem. Swiping at the screen, it changed to my Inventory, while I was eager to see what rewards I would get, there was one item I wanted to check on.
As I pulled it from my Inventory, I temporarily held it with telekinesis, sliding the vegetables into the pot before grasping it. It was a small ring made entirely of crystal, it was dark blue in color as I felt the small traces of mana within. The design was quite simple, nothing stood out beside what it granted me.
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[Crystal Ring]
[Rank: C] [Item Type: Accessory]
A ring formed from the Mana Core of the Crystal Chimera. Increases mana regen by 40%
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As I slipped the ring on, I felt it draw my mana into itself, slowly turning dark purple in color. 'Now what about you?' I thought, glancing at the one notification that stood out from the rest.
[???? Assimilation: 5% complete.]
Player has been afflicted with ???? status condition!
I frowned slightly, nothing I tried so far revealed anything about the status, the only thing it told me was my Dormant Blood was causing it. 'It did say I was changing, I only hope it's nothing bad.' As I was lost in thought, I was brought back as and alto familiar sensation filled my chest. "Guessing this Dormant Blood stuff is related to you?"
It pulsed once in confirmation, I let out a sigh, asking if this was a bad thing. It remained silent for a while, likely thinking. After a moment, it pulsed twice, signifying it was not a bad thing, but pulsed a few more times, but I got the gist of it. "So, end of the day, it's how I view it." I stated, feeling it pulse once more.
Letting out another sigh, I shook my head, the sensation faded, returning to its dormant state. Though I was a slightly concerned, I reminded myself that O made the System to help me, so there's no reason to worry.
Timeskip - Narrator Pov
After finishing dinner, Y/n picked out a book to read on the couch as he waited for Silva. She finished earlier than expected and decided to surprise Y/n as she walked in quietly, not wanting to ruin her chance. As she crept closer, a silly smile on her face, her arms snaked around his neck, causing him to flinch in surprise, turning to her as she giggled.
"Hello dear, what are you reading?" She asked, kissing his cheek before hopping over the couch to join him. "I just picked one out, only got through ten pages so far." He set it down on the coffee table, asking how her day was, and she gave a dramatic groan, leaning against him.
"It was horrible, those tyrants worked me to the bone, all just for a small project." She exaggerated, laying her head on his lap. Y/n chuckled, his hand running through her hair. "I'm sorry for what you went through, how does dinner and a move sound?" He suggested, a small smile grew on her face, sitting up to kiss his cheek.
"That sounds wonderful, and maybe dessert." She said with puppy eyes, Y/n rolled his eyes but said nothing as he walked to the kitchen. She cheered happily, jumping off the couch to put the film in. "Love you son." Silva shouted, Y/n smiled as he brought dinner out. "Love you too, mom."
After finishing the film, Silva was sound asleep on the couch, her head rested on Y/n's shoulder as he rubbed her arm softly. Picking her up gently, he carried her to her room, laying her down softly. "Alice... Y/n... I love you both so much." She mumbled in her sleep, causing him to tense for a moment. 'Been a while since I last saw her... I'll visit her tomorrow.'
Closing the door softly, he headed to his room, plopping onto his bed. As he got comfy, he wondered about the rewards for completing the dungeon, but figured he would check tomorrow.