Ex-Human Morphus [A Mutant Evolution Apocalypse LitRPG]
Chapter 212

Chapter 212

Jake returned to the chamber containing the dormant portal that led to the next floor. Everything looked the same as he had left it. The arch remained only partly activated, with some of the engraved lines and motifs glowing in greenish light. The wavy lines that were illuminated started from the plague symbol at one base of the arch and glowed green all the way up to its curved top. To complete the activation, Jake knew he needed to transfer the magical energy from the plague rune stone to the partially glowing symbol. Then, he would need to repeat the process with the other two rune stones, directing their energy to the corresponding symbols etched into the arch.

Jake stepped closer to the portal, gripping the frost and flame rune stones in one hand while extending the hand holding the plague rune stone toward the plague symbol. The closer he approached, the more vibrant the rune stone in his hand became, humming and quaking in his palm. He could feel the warmth emanating from its core. Having already learned the process of transferring magical energy, Jake knew what to expect. As he took another step toward the arch, the plague rune in his hand began to tremble so intensely that he had to tighten his grip to keep it from slipping free.

At last, with another step toward the arch, the energy transfer commenced. He watched a wave of magical energy flow from the rune stone toward the plague symbol on the arch. As the energy was absorbed by the symbol, the rune stone in his hand gradually faded. A few seconds later, the process was complete. The rune stone was now glowing much fainter than before, while the symbol on the arch shone brightly.

Jake took a step back and gazed up at the curved top of the arch. He watched as the engraved lines and motifs filled with a green glow, gradually creeping closer to the key fragments inserted in the indentation at the arch’s other base. Moments later, the glow reached the key, but surprisingly, it had no effect at all. Jake knew he needed to charge the other two symbols with magical energy before something would happen, though he wasn’t sure what exactly that would be. He hoped the portal would finally activate, but what other effects would take place, he did not know.

The frost and flame rune stones in his other hand trembled slightly, radiating warmth from within, as if eager to be brought closer to the symbols on the arch. Jake set the partly lit plague rune stone on the cobbled floor. Then, he took one of the other rune stones with his free hand and, holding one in each hand, extended them toward the engraved symbols. Immediately, the transfer of magical energy commenced, sending two streams of energy flowing from the rune stones to their corresponding symbols engraved on the arch.

A few seconds later, the process was complete. The two rune stones in Jake’s hands no longer glowed, while the frost and flame symbols on the arch shone brightly. The engraved lines and motifs that originated from the two symbols filled with vibrant blue and orange glows, respectively, extending upward to the arch’s curved top and then downward toward where the four fragments of the key were inserted into the other base of the portal.

Jake set the two rune stones on the floor beside the plague rune stone. The latter still glimmered faintly, retaining a bit of energy from when he had previously partially filled the symbol. Because of that, the symbol didn’t require all of the energy contained within the plague rune stone, leaving some of it in the stone. In contrast, since the frost and flame rune stones had been completely drained of their magical energy, they were now faded and devoid of glow. Although the plague rune stone still held a little energy, Jake doubted he would need it anymore.

He shifted his gaze back to the arch before him. The engraved lines and motifs were now illuminated with a spectrum of orange, blue, and green hues. The glows from the lines, drawing energy from the frost and flame symbols, nearly reached the four fragments of the key. Just a moment later, they successfully made contact, causing the fragments to emit a brilliant light as they began to merge. Soon, the process was finished, and the key stood complete, as if it had never been split into four separate fragments.

A bright flash of light briefly blinded Jake, and then a shimmering portal filled the arch, casting so much light that the entire chamber was now brightly lit. The way to the second floor was open. However, before proceeding, Jake wanted to ensure he hadn’t missed anything on this floor. He aimed to collect everything the dungeon had to offer, so he left the chamber and spent the next several hours meticulously exploring every corner of the first floor, defeating all the enemies in his path and destroying every black obelisk he came across.

Finally, there wasn’t a nook or cranny he hadn’t explored. Every enemy was defeated, and every sepulcher and chest had been opened, though nothing of interest was uncovered. It was time to head back to the portal. A short while later, he stood once more before the shimmering surface. The medallion still hung around his neck, the rune stones gripped in one hand and the ethereal battleaxe in the other. He wasn’t sure if he would need any of those items anymore, but he decided to bring them along, just in case.

The moment he stepped into the portal, darkness enveloped him. He suddenly lost all sensation in his body. Instead of being immediately transported to the second floor, a review of his accomplishments materialized in front of him.

>>> Completion Status <<<

Time Taken: 5 hours 29 minutes

Enemies Killed: 100%

Mini-Bosses Defeated: 3 out of 3

Black Obelisks Destroyed: 5 out of 5

Secrets Discovered: 1 out of 1

Floor Completion Rate: 100%

Reward for Completing the First Floor: Chainsaw Arms (An Epic Ability)

Choose Your Reward for 100% Completion:

1. 100,000 XP
2. 50,000 MP
3. 75,000 EP

Jake took a moment to review the information. The main reward for completing the first floor of the dungeon was an epic ability called Chainsaw Arms. He definitely couldn’t wait to put it to the test.

He recalled reading in the dungeon’s rules that each floor was meant to be completed in about an hour or slightly longer. However, he had spent five and a half hours on the first floor, diligently searching every nook and cranny. Besides feeling good about achieving 100% completion, his thorough exploration also earned him an additional reward of his choice, which was definitely an exciting development.

Before choosing a reward, he reviewed the other details. He had destroyed all of the black obelisks and killed all three mini-bosses, which were clearly the abyssal liches. They were definitely tougher than regular undead, so it was no surprise they were classified as mini-bosses. He had also found a secret, which granted him the ability to access the Void Temple.

He then shifted his attention back to the reward selection. He didn’t really need more mana, as he still had plenty of magical energy within him, and he knew that magical consumables could be discovered within the dungeon as well. Moreover, given that he had plenty of MP left, he was skeptical that his body could accommodate an extra 50,000 MP.

He contemplated selecting 100,000 XP but was equally eager to find out what kinds of rewards could be acquired in the Void Temple, where a new currency called Essence Points could be spent. He couldn’t return to the Void Temple just yet, as he was allowed to enter it only once every twenty-four hours, meaning he had to wait a few more hours. The only way to check how much EP he currently had was by visiting the Void Temple. Though he didn’t know how much MP he had at the moment, he suspected it wasn’t a significant amount.

Since he was eager to learn what EP could be spent on and wanted to ensure he had enough by his next visit to the temple, he ultimately decided to pick 75,000 EP. As soon as he made his selection, all the information faded away, and he was instantly teleported to the second floor of the dungeon.

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