His throat felt dry. He looked at them in confusion as their voices pierced through the heavy silence.

"Lord Ethan!" Randall cried.

"Please wake up!" Irida begged.

Ethan's eyes shook.

It took a few moments for Ethan to adapt to his surroundings. Cold sweat rolled down his face, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand.

His breathing was uneven. He tried to steady himself as he gathered his thoughts.

'Did I really see a dream that vivid, or did she truly contact me?'

His mind replayed the scene. The voice, the touch, the kiss. It all felt too real to be brushed off.

'If it was real, how did she reach me here? The system said she belonged to my world. Then how could she appear in this place? And why now?'

The last memory struck him again. Her arms wrapped around neck and her lips pressed lightly against his cheek.

'Could it be… she is fascinated by my looks and wants me?'

The thought made his chest tighten. For a moment it almost felt amusing, but it quickly gave him goosebumps. He shook his head.

'No. How could a god be interested in me like that? And even if she did… doesn't that mean she might have many toys? No, god toys. And maybe she just wants to add me to that collection.'

The idea made him shiver.

"System… system, tell me. What is this? How did she appear before me?" he asked with unease.

[It is because of the power. You share a certain bloodline connection with her. That allows her to communicate.]

"Does she bear ill intention?" Ethan asked quickly.

[Negative.]

He pressed the system for more, but it did not respond further. No matter what he asked, it stayed silent.

Still, the reply it had given him brought a strange thought. One so ridiculous he almost wanted to laugh.

If she only wanted him as a toy, then why would she bestow such a great power on him?

And if this power was truly linked to her, didn't that mean if someone could sleep with gods or goddesses, they might gain other Gods power.

Hisss…That's too big of a cheat..

The realization was frightening, yet it almost felt laughable.

'Would such beings really whore around?' he thought bitterly.

It was absurd. But then he remembered the myths of his old world.

Aphrodite, Zeus, and other Greek others who indulged in endless taboo affairs.

Maybe the thought wasn't so far-fetched.

He shook his head, forcing himself to drop it. His gaze shifted back to his team.

They were resting nearby. They didn't ask questions about what he had experienced.

They must have thought he was still recovering from the fight, maybe reflecting on the awakening of his aura.

But if they had known what was truly going through his head, they might have coughed blood on the spot.

Ethan cleared his throat and spoke. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yes, we are fine now and treated," Randall answered firmly.

"And it's all thanks to you, Sir Ethan," Irida said with a faint smile.

"Without you, we might have really died," Haro added, his hands trembling slightly.

He wiped his sweat and muttered, "I still can't believe that the hidden boss was that strong."

"It was at the middle of the advanced stage," Randall explained. "It managed to hide its true power. And what made it terrifying was its body…It was fucking huge, but still it was able to move with such speed and agility."

"Don't forget that hide…For god sake,it was like an armour..If only it wasn't that thick,I might have dug holes on his body.."Haro spoke, grabbing his fist in anger.

Most bulky monsters could not move quickly. But this one was like a giant cannon that was powerful and swift.

Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Where are Joel and Ryu?"

"They went to collect the loot. The dungeon is slowly breaking down," Irida answered. She paused before adding, "We also swore an oath in the name of the Goddess of Life. We will not do anything dishonest with what we gather."

Her words reassured him, but they also made him realize how dangerous it had been for him to pass out. If any of them had held dark intentions, they could have taken advantage of his state.

"Sir, you're awake."

A cheerful voice rang out. Joel appeared with Ryu beside him, a heavy bag slung over his shoulder. He placed it down with a grunt and opened it.

"Sir, this is the harvest," he said without delay.

Everyone leaned forward to look. Inside were weapons, neatly wrapped in cloth and stacked together.

There was a broad greatsword, its silver blade glinting with runes.

Its hilt was wrapped in dark leather, and faint runes were carved along its edge. Beside it lay a long spear with a blackened shaft and a sharp, shining head. A pair of curved daggers gleamed like crescent moons. None of the weapons were below E-rank.

"Woah," Ethan muttered, reaching for the greatsword. "This one is E+ rank." The weight of it made his arm tremble slightly.

Aside from the weapons, there were three small boxes. Each one had faint patterns etched across its surface, glowing faintly.

"What are these?" Ethan asked.

"They dropped from the dungeon," Joel explained. "Sir, please open them."

Ethan placed the greatsword aside and carefully opened the first box. Inside was a circular crystal with a faint green glow. It pulsed softly, like a beating heart.

"It seems to be an E-rank dungeon core," Joel said. "If the dungeon had not collapsed, we couldn't gotten it."

Ethan nodded, then reached for the second box. Inside was a pair of boots. The leather was black and smooth, but lines of silver ran along its edges like veins of light. Their aura hinted at speed or protection, though an appraiser would be needed to know for sure.

In the third box lay a flute. Its body was slender, carved from a strange silver-blue material that shimmered faintly. Delicate symbols were etched across its surface.

"A flute?" Ethan murmured.

Everyone's expression changed.

"It can't be ordinary," Haro said quickly, only for Irida to snap at him.

"Idiot! How could there be something ordinary among the drops of an E-rank dungeon?"

Haro lowered his head, as Irida glared at him.

Ethan then turned toward Ryu. "What's in your bag?"

Ryu glanced at Joel, who gave her a nod. She opened a smaller pouch and revealed what was inside.

Scraps of flesh. Broken fangs. Sharp canines. A few thick nails and hardened scales.

Ethan's brows furrowed. "This…"

"Since we couldn't carry the whole corpse, we cut out the precious parts," Ryu explained. "It doesn't look like much, but all of this will fetch a big price."

"Especially that hide…It would make excellent armour."

"I see," Ethan replied, nodding slowly.

And with that, the raid finally came to an end.

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