Boran listened to the group's fading footsteps. Then he turned to the remains of the Bone Walkers lying on the ground.
"How easily they dealt with nearly thirty skeletons! If only I wasn't a Tank..." he muttered to himself. "They almost killed me just now, but here they effortlessly took down a whole army. And they left without taking any items. Though I suppose they don't need them."
He crouched next to the first Bone Walker. Purple energy residue was still vibrating around its shattered skull - traces of the sorceress Fire's attack. He carefully sifted through the bones. A rusted sword, pieces of rotted leather armor... And there! A small pouch.
When he opened the pouch, five gold pieces spilled out. "Well, better than nothing," he muttered. He transferred the gold to his inventory and continued searching.
The remains of the second Bone Walker were more interesting. This one had been split in two by the warrior - Steel's - sword. Its spine was severed right down the middle and its bones were scattered about. But its boots caught his attention. They were in better condition compared to the other armor pieces.
[Beginner's Boots]
[Agility 1]
[Durability 2]
[Maximum HP 5]
"I found the second piece of the beginner's set! Just a few more pieces left, then I can unlock the set bonus. I wish I could have seen the set bonus beforehand, to know what it does," he said and equipped the boots.
The third and fourth Bone Walkers had been riddled with bullets from the gunslinger Storm. Clean holes marked their skulls - the work of an expert marksman. On these two, he found only rust-covered chain mail pieces and broken arrow tips.
The fifth Bone Walker's neck had been severed by the assassin Shadow's dagger. He noticed a helmet on its detached head.
[Beginner's Helmet]
[Durability 5]
[Physical Resistance 1]
"Looks like I'll complete the set! Only the chest piece remains. But first, what exactly does physical resistance do?"
[You take damage reduced by your Physical Resistance value from attacks.]
"So instead of taking ten damage, I'll take nine because my physical resistance is one. Seems like I need to increase this stat as much as possible."
The sixth and seventh Bone Walkers had been shattered by the priest Light's holy energy. These two's bones were still slightly smoking, and even touching them could be dangerous. Boran carefully examined them from a distance but couldn't see anything valuable.
When he reached the last Bone Walker, he had almost lost hope of finding anything on it. But while examining this skeleton, he noticed armor attached to its rib cage, and his eyes lit up.
[Beginner's Chest Armor]
[Durability 10]
[Maximum HP 10]
[Physical Resistance 5]
He equipped it without thinking, and a notification appeared before him.
[Beginner's Set Completed!]
[Set Completion Rewards]
[2 Pieces: Maximum HP +10]
[3 Pieces: Physical Resistance +2]
[4 Pieces: Agility +2]
[Full Set (5 Pieces): All bonuses are doubled]
Boran excitedly examined all the set bonuses. "Wow! With the full set bonus, my maximum HP will increase by +20, physical resistance by +4, and agility by +4. Plus each piece has its own properties. This set will make me much stronger! Now I'm curious about other sets. I wonder what kind of properties stronger sets give?" he said, then his brows furrowed.
"Wait a minute! If even two pieces give an extra bonus, why didn't I get a notification? Shouldn't I have been able to see these beforehand? Maybe I won't even need the set bonuses?"
[Bug Report Received.]
"What bug?"
[System update 50%]
[System update 100%]
[Loading Complete]
[You can now see "Set Completion Rewards."]
"Did I really have to complain for this... Is all this happening only to me?"
"Breaking the protection spells..." he muttered to himself. "I wonder how they're going to do it? And why is it so important? Should I follow them? I could learn how they break the spells, and watch the boss fight from a distance to learn their battle tactics. Yes! Good idea."
He began advancing into the depths of the Twilight Pit. Following the team's trail was easy — the shattered skeletons of the Bone Walkers marked the path like breadcrumbs. Each skeleton was a testament to the group's power.
Boran's new armor creaked slightly with each step. Even though he was strengthened by the set bonuses, he still felt vulnerable. As the pit deepened, the crystals in the walls emanated an increasingly bright purple light. This light shrouded the entire cave in an eerie twilight.
As he progressed, the atmosphere in the cave began to change. It became heavier, more suffocating. He struggled to breathe as if an invisible hand was choking him. This sensation was familiar — just like the pressure he felt near the Bone Walkers, but much more powerful.
An echoing voice came from the depths: "That's it! Are we ready, everyone?"
Boran realized that the battle was about to begin, and he couldn't miss it.