Chapter 82: What a Waste
The Crystal Fla staggered, its fractured body leaking blue ichor and molten light. Yet even now, it refused to fall. Its hollow eyes blazed with defiant fury, and it raised one massive claw for a final, desperate swing at Lisa, the one who had kept everyone alive.
Andrey stepped forward.
His katana was already in motion to strike. He channeled every remaining ounce of Ki into the blade, layering it with the last stored remnants of Damage Absorb. The steel sang as it carved through the air, eting the descending claw at its weakest point—the crack Sarah’s Apocalypse had left behind.
The blade bit deep.
Crystal fla arm shattered.
The creature reeled, howling—a sound of grinding crystal and dying fire. Sein didn’t waste the opening. She leaped onto its chest, both gauntlets blazing with the last of her crimson energy.
"Crimson... IMPACT!"
She drove her fists into the boss’s core.
The explosion was blinding—a eruption of red-gold light that consud the chamber. When it faded, Crystal fla was gone. Only a pile of black crystal shards and dying blue embers remained.
Lisa slumped against a crystal pillar, her mint-green barrier dissipating. "We... we did it."
Sarah deactivated her transformation, her normal clothes soaked with sweat and singed at the edges. She leaned on her knees, gasping. "Finally... I thought that thing would never go down."
Sein stood over the remains, her gauntlets dimming. She kicked a piece of crystal with her boot. "Tch. About ti."
Andrey holstered his pistol and sheathed his katana, wincing as his regeneration finished closing the deeper wounds on his shoulder. He walked toward the altar, where the obsidian surface had cracked open, revealing a hidden compartnt.
Inside, resting on a cushion of dark velvet, lay a small chest.
Sein stepped up beside him. "That’s it? The artifact?"
Andrey crouched and opened the chest.
A soft, silver glow emanated from within. Nestled in the lining was a ring—simple in design, a thin band of polished silver with a small, pale blue gem set into it. The gem pulsed faintly, like a slow, steady heartbeat.
System: Artifact acquired: Ring of Tidal Flow.
Effect: Gradually restores the wearer’s mana over ti. Regeneration rate scales with the wearer’s maximum mana pool.
Andrey picked up the ring, turning it in his fingers. The gem’s glow was gentle, calming.
"This ring restores mana gradually," he said, reading the system’s description aloud. "We should give it to whoever uses the most mana in fights."
Sarah, still catching her breath, frowned. "So... Lisa?"
Lisa shook her head. "I mostly use barriers and support skills. My mana consumption is pretty steady."
Sein cracked her neck. "I’m pure DPS, but my flas don’t drain that much. I fight with fists as much as magic."
Everyone slowly turned to look at Sarah.
Sarah blinked. Then her eyes widened. "Why are you all staring at ?!"
Lisa tilted her head innocently. "Well... your Apocalypse skill uses a huge amount of mana..."
Sein smirked. "And you spam Tempest like there’s no tomorrow."
Andrey adjusted his glasses. "Objectively speaking, your mana expenditure per battle is the highest among us. The ring would benefit you the most."
Sarah’s face flushed. "I am NOT that wasteful! I just... attack efficiently!"
Lisa giggled. "Sarah, just take the ring. It’s okay."
Grumbling, Sarah snatched the ring from Andrey’s hand and slipped it onto her finger. The pale blue gem pulsed once, then settled into a steady, warm glow. She imdiately felt a trickle of mana flowing back into her reserves.
The system chid again, its tone celebratory.
System: Double gate cleared! Boss defeated. Artifact secured. Performance rating: S.
Rewards calculating...
Andrey:
2000 EXP | Level 21 → Level 31!
Ki Manipulation Lv6 → Lv7 (Ki flow efficiency
30%, Ki Pulse range increased further). Damage Absorb capacity increased to 10 hits. Regeneration passive improved (1% HP every 8 seconds). New skill unlocked: Ki Blade (channel Ki into a weapon for bonus slashing damage).
Sarah:
2000 EXP | Level 20 → Level 30!
Heartstorm Cataclysm upgraded to Heartstorm Apocalypse (wider area, reduced cast ti). Love’s Apocalypse cooldown reduced by 20%. New passive: Mana Efficiency (all skills cost 10% less mana).
Lisa:
2000 EXP | Level 20 → Level 30!
Prismatic Fortress upgraded to Aegis of Dawn (barrier now also reflects 15% of physical damage). Elysian Sanctuary cooldown reduced. New skill unlocked: Mana Spring (passively regenerate 2% of max mana every 10 seconds for the whole party).
Sein:
2000 EXP | Level 18 → Level 28!
Crimson Supernova upgraded to Crimson Cataclysm (larger AOE, leaves persistent burning ground for 10 seconds). Phoenix Rebirth cooldown reduced. New passive: Fla Eater (absorbing fire attacks now also restores 5% mana).
Team Bonus:
400 Affection Points,
350 Mana Points.
Sarah stared at her new passive. "Mana Efficiency... finally so recognition that I’m not wasteful!"
Sein rolled her eyes. "The system literally gave you a skill to make you less wasteful. That’s not a complint."
"Shut up!"
Lisa laughed, the sound light and happy despite their exhaustion. "We all leveled up a lot. Ten levels each. That’s amazing."
Andrey nodded, checking his new Ki Blade skill. "Double gate experience is no joke. We should be careful not to get overconfident again, but... this is good."
Sein stretched, her gauntlets finally dimming completely. "Whatever. Can we go ho now? I’m starving."
The group turned and began walking back through the crystal cavern, following the path toward the exit. The black walls pulsed one last ti, then fell still.
As they stepped out of the second rift into the grassy clearing of the first gate, the afternoon sun ward their faces.
Andrey glanced back at the shimring portal behind them. It flickered once, then collapsed, the double gate sealed forever.
"We’re done," he said quietly.
After that, Andrey’s phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then stepped away from the group, walking toward a cluster of broken pillars where his voice wouldn’t carry.
Sarah, Lisa, and Sein froze mid-step, watching him go.
Sein’s eyes narrowed. "That’s suspicious. Who is he calling?"
Lisa tilted her head, her twintails swaying. "Maybe the Association? Andrey always deals with them."
Sarah shook her head, her arms crossed tightly. "No. Look at him. He’s more relaxed than usual. His voice is softer." She paused, her expression darkening. "Who the hell relaxes when talking about work?"
The three of them fell silent, watching Andrey’s back. He stood with one hand in his pocket, the phone pressed to his ear, and even from a distance they could see the faint curve of a smile on his lips.
Sein’s jaw tightened. "You’re right. That’s not a work call."
Lisa bit her lip, her fingers fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "Then who...?"
Sarah’s voice ca out low, almost a mutter. "Tch. And he said he would protect ..."
Lisa turned to her, a gentle but knowing look in her eyes. "Then why don’t you just ask him on a date, Sarah?"
Sarah’s head snapped toward her, cheeks flushing. "W-what?! ? Ask him?!"
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