The dungeon fell silent at last, dark and echoing around Ethan's battered form. He stood there,
chest heaving, the crimson crystal still pulsing ominously in his palm.
He tilted his head, smirking despite the exhaustion weighing down his limbs.
"Oh… so I got this core this early in the story, huh?" he murmured, flipping the red stone once in
his fingers. "Figures the next main scenario's gonna be tied to this thing, too."
He stared at the core for a moment, eyes thoughtful and sharp. Then his grin returned.
"Well… let's see what I'll end up using you for."
He lifted his free hand and with a quick flick of his fingers, summoned his system interface. The
crystal shimmered, dissolving into faint red particles as it vanished into his system inventory.
[Item Stored: ███████████ (Evil Artifact)]
Ethan let out a deep breath, feeling the ache in every muscle. He reached for the hilt of his
