Reborn as the First Boss, Chapter 90

Chapter 90 – Loot Distribution

“Mistress, not that I’m unhappy, but how are you not dead right now?

I chuckled at Jewell’s words, since it was clear she was saying out loud what most of the group was actually thinking. However, it was Zazriel that spoke first. “Angels and demons are more than just flesh, Jewell. Sure, Mistress’s skills from her Courtesan profession helped, but that would have only kept the dragon’s size from ripping or tearing her down there, as he passed all the way into her womb. The reason she could do what we saw was because, being sex demons, a Succubus’s flesh naturally shifts to accommodate their partners during sex. It would not help her if someone decided to impale her upon a spear, but impaling herself on the dragon’s ‘spear’ would be perfectly safe for her.”

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Angelina said. “It went all the way through her. That’s a lot different from just ‘accommodating’ a big dick, like when she slept with that horse.”

“Magic does not follow the same rules as the physical world, and magical creatures do not follow the same rules as humans,” Zazriel explained. “You see more things, and stranger, when dealing with some of the higher orders of celestial beings. Especially the ones who are not truly meant to be seen by mortal eyes.”

There was visible confusion from the group, so she continued, “Angels and most Demons you see in this world are meant to be seen. However, if you venture to the higher and lower planes, then you will find beings with bodies that make no biological sense, or who exist in more dimensions than your mind can process. There are some, even amongst the celestials, that doom mortal minds who see them to incurable madness, just because they saw something their minds could not comprehend. The more primordial or touching on ‘unreality’ a being’s lineage is, the harder it is for mortals to look upon it and remain sane.”

With that bit of trivia dealt with, we began sorting through the loot. The Dragon materials went into the inventory, since we’d probably find someone who could use such things later. The [Claws of the Dragon] were designed to be used by, well, Dragons, so obviously they went to Frostmaw, to improve his attacks, along with the [Gorget of Aerial Maneuverability], which made it so he could fly more easily in tight spaces, and better avoid incoming attacks while in flight. Zazriel was able to meld the [Gorget] with Frostmaw’s [Slave Collar], so all was well.

Astruth got the [Dragonbone Shield of Invulnerability], but decided to keep it as is, rather than trying to meld his current shield with it. Most of my pets were building alternate gear sets, now, so that they could switch between them when needed, or as backups in case they were disarmed, or robbed. In Astruth’s case, the [Shield] provided the ability to shrug off all damage for sixty seconds, three times per day. In that window, Astruth could weather an attack from a god, and emerge unscathed. It was a property powerful enough that it would not get transferred over in full if he merged the shield with another, and his current shield had better general defensive measures.

Of course, getting rid of the shield wasn’t really an option. The enchantment was too good to just let go of. More importantly, items made from Dragon materials had special properties beyond mere enchantments. Since this shield was from a Lesser Fire Dragon, it meant that the wearer was immune to Fire and Dragonfear.

The same reasoning was why Linette tucked away her new [Dragontooth Sword of Swiftness]. It was a quality weapon, especially with the speed bonus it held, but the combat effects were not as good as what her current weapon provided. However, the next time we fought someone with a vulnerability to fire, the weapon would prove useful, since it dealt extra Fire damage equal to the wielder’s CON.

Syllia got the [Dragon Dagger of Elemental Might], giving her both a melee and ranged weapon that did not immediately show off her elemental powers. The fact that the dagger actually amplified some of her abilities was a nice bonus. Looking like you were unarmed was nice for infiltrating a rich person’s house, but sometimes you wanted to visibly signal that you weren’t worth the trouble to whoever might be watching.

The [Mask of Dragonsight] naturally went to our Rogue. While worn, it enhanced the wearer’s senses, and made it so they could detect treasure in their presence. It also had a [True Seeing] ability, allowing the wearer to instantly see through illusions, as well as magical disguises or concealment effects. It wouldn’t help the wearer see through a natural fog, or see through a mundane disguise, but a [Darkness] spell or [Shapeshifting] was useless against her.

Rastran received the [Bracelet of Dragon Scales] which, despite the name, did not actually give the wearer scales. Instead, it hardened the wearer’s hide to the point that they rivaled a dragon’s scales. Better still, this effect stacked with the other armor enchantments I’d already given the Dire Hellhound.

Angelina was happy to get the [Dragonfoe’s Elemental Pistol], since the Soulforged Healer was light on offensive options. The pistol allowed her to shoot magic bullets of Fire, Ice, Electricity, Acid, or Sound. The range was not terribly good, only 15 meters, but we had others for long-ranged attacks. Angelina’s main concern was defending herself against enemies that got too close.

Dragoncloak of the Fertile Conquest

Type

Shoulders

Rank

Super-Rare

Price

35900

Weight

1 kg

This cloak is patterned to look as though it was made from a dragon’s scales, and has been enchanted with draconic essence. The cloak changes color depending on the elemental affinities of the wearer, but its true benefit is in enhancing the wearer’s presence and power.

+100 CHA

Dragoncloak – The wearer counts as a Dragon for all effects and spells that would be beneficial for them.

Fruitful – All the wearer’s progeny will be born as a race of their current Tier, and have all attributes increased by an extra +1 per level.

Conquest – Individuals who are lower level than you have 50% less resistance to your [Seduction], [Intimidation], or [Charm] effects.

This one was mine. Pretty much a pure upgrade to the [Cloak of Beautiful Slaughter] I had been wearing. The [Beauty’s Wrath] ability on the cloak was nice, but the problem was that I just didn’t get in fights that lasted long enough where it would matter. I’d never gotten to the part where it started giving me back MP and SP on my attacks, because my party and I were all powerful enough that everything was dead before I got anywhere near 100 stacks. It would probably be better suited to someone like a lone paladin, who might end up fighting one against a horde of undead, or something like that.

With the gear settled, the next part of sorting out the loot was the skills. Naturally, Frostmaw got the [Greater Flamebreath], [Draconic Knowledge], [Breathcrafting], [Improved Flight], and [Aerial Combatant] skills. The only other skills from the list of Skill Orbs we got that he didn’t already have were [Draconic Enchantment], [Molten Fluids], [Forced Fertility], and [Enhanced Seed]. Obviously, Zazriel was our Enchanter, so she was getting [Draconic Enchantment], which should open up new options for her.

The other three were more troublesome. [Molten Fluids] made one’s blood (and other fluids) hot enough to melt stone, which made it a deadly choice for anyone who wasn’t immune to fire, and just as deadly to anyone they got close to unless they had protections similar to mine. [Forced Fertility] and [Enhanced Seed] were problematic unless you were into forced breeding and ensuring that the resulting kids were strong and healthy. I decided to hold on to the three of them for now.

Rastran was the clear pick for [Sharpen Claws], [Rending Bite], and [Regeneration]. The first two would help boost his attacks, while the third was a good backup for his lack of conventional armor. Having one of my main defenders be better able to take hits and remain in the fight was always a good idea.

[Sense Weakness] was going to Jewell, since Syllia already had something like it. The skill was a passive one that gave the user a better understanding of the weak points in a creature’s defenses, increasing their chance of critical hits, and giving them a sense of what type of magic might work best on a creature. Perfect for a Rogue, even if she was more of a thief and trapfinder than assassin.

[Draconic Fortitude] went to Syllia, since it helped her resist poisons, diseases, and other such things. It also helped with strengthening her blood, making it harder for others to affect her blood, even when using [Bloodbending] to manipulate it or form it into constructs. Having someone resistant to poison and disease besides myself was just smart. I might not have ever been a scout in my old world, but the gang had taught me the prudence of being prepared for shit hitting the fan.

[Draconic Mettle] went to Angelina. She was our primary healer, after all, so giving her a skill that helped her shake off the effects of hostile spells and the conditions they put on her was simply a smart move. Yes, I could heal, as could Syllia and Zazriel, to some degree, but there was no reason not to make Angelina more capable than she already was.

[Powerful Build] was very useful for a melee fighter, since it added their CON to STR-based weapon damage, and their STR to CON when calculating HP. Basically, for a ‘walking tank’ type of fighter, it made his attacks hit harder, and meant that he could take a lot more damage. Naturally, it was going to Astruth.

[Armored Scales] was useless for us, since Frostmaw already had it, and the rest of us didn’t have scales, which left one more skill to consider. [Draconic Presence] was halfway between a [Taunt] and [Intimidate] skill. By default, it was a passive effect, but the wielder could raise or lower it at will. While it was up, every action they took drew the eye, and worked to focus everyone’s attention on them. It was a mind-affecting thing, so my shields had protected everyone from it during the fight.

The ‘intended’ use was to basically make the dragon’s mere presence overwhelming, so that enemies quaked in their boots and their minions could get some cheap shots in. It was not so powerful that someone would outright ignore a Lesser Dragonkin stabbing them in the kidney, or anything like that. However, there was nothing that said it had to be used that way. If someone typically kept the skill ‘off’, and only turned it on when they were angry, or when they wanted to really make an impression? Well, that could be huge.

Which is why I eventually decided that the skill would go to Linette. I already had a bunch of skills and abilities that put me at the center of attention. This would give my Twinblade Dervish / Battle Maid a hidden card to play that wouldn’t be immediately obvious. To an outside observer, it would just be a sudden realization that the maid was very angry and very scary, without any kind of direct threat. A perfect ace-in-the-hole.

Once everyone had absorbed their new skills, we moved to the far end of the boss room, where a new tunnel had opened. As expected, this led to a teleportation circle, which took us back to the entrance hall of the dungeon. We’d only been down in the dungeon for a tenday, which was good time for a group doing a full clear, according to what the Guild had told us, so it wasn’t a surprise that the Guild’s guards at the entrance were surprised to see us. Of course, they were even more surprised to see Syllia and Frostmaw, both sporting collars, but since Syllia was a Quest Reward and Frostmaw was a capture from the dungeon, they let us pass. Of course, they did mention that we should register Frostmaw at the Guild, and politely asked that I keep him in his smaller size while in town.

Apparently, a full-size dragon parading through town might cause people to panic. Which was fair enough, honestly. It would be like someone walking down the street with a loaded RPG on your shoulder back on Earth. Even in the most gun-loving cities in the most open-carry of states, that was going to get people’s heart rates up.